A/N: This one's been stewing in my head for a while, what with the events of the episode 'What Kate Did', but with the end of term and the start of exams, I haven't had tons of time to get it down. But finally, here it is.

Timeline: Takes place after What Kate Did. Surprise.

Rating: K

Disclaimer: There's a grain of sand on the beach that I claim as mine. Everything else isn't.

"I'm not perfect, you know."

Kate turned around and looked at him in confusion. "What?"

Jack raised his head and squinted into the sun before he turned his eyes back to the net he was trying to untangle. "Last week when you, um, when you were yelling at me in the woods,"

Kate bit her lip and looked down at her feet, ankle deep in the water.

"You said you were sorry you weren't as perfect as me. But I'm not perfect, Kate."

She looked up at him and saw that he was staring at her intently.

"I just, I don't want you thinking that I'm someone I'm not, that I'm this selfless hero." He snorted, "I've got issues."

Kate smiled slightly and reached over to wrap her fingers around his wrist, squeezing gently.

"Jack, you know last week I…"

"No, I know." Jack smiled reassuringly, "but I just wanted to be clear."

Kate looked at him, blinked and drew her hand away.

"I wouldn't worry." She squinted as well as the light bounced off the water and glared into her eyes. "I'm not going around with a deluded idea of who you are. Believe me, I've spent enough time around you." She smiled wickedly and he snorted once more and shook his head.

"I don't think there's anyone on this island who doesn't have issues - maybe Aaron," she conceded, "But you… you help people and you try and you fight and I think," Kate looked away, "I think that's what I meant."

When she looked back up at him again, he was staring at her once more. Very slowly, he reached his hand over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. Kate bit her lip and felt her heart thump.

"How does Jin make this look so easy?"

Jack was looking out at the water, his hand plucking at the net once more.

"It seems all he has to do is wade out here and the fish swim straight to him."

Kate nodded and looked down at her own net. "At this rate, we're going to be out here all day." She smiled.

Jack sighed. "Oh well."

END.