Title: The 'D' Word
Summary: SANA. Post rescue. A late night at an Italian restaurant and the 'd' word comes up...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Author Notes: This isn't part of the series, it's just a piece of random fluff I scrawled out in a very boring science period. Actually didn't figure out it was Sana until like halfway, therefore the lack of names in like the first half of it. But, of course, who else would it be? This is kinda like a celebration piece for getting to number 10 in the series, so enjoy!
She was painfully aware of the feel of the harsh lace on her skin she'd, for some reason, chosen to wear, and resisted the urge to rip the material off. Well, at least it would spice things up. Swallowing the feeling that something was crawling under her skin, making her feel somewhat insane, she fixed a fake smile on her face and offered the person opposite a bare of her teeth.
The man that it was aimed at shifted uncomfortably in his chair and hesitated before pulling the end of his lips up and nodding slightly as he did so, a forced acknowledgement. The clothes he'd chosen to wear also were bothering him, the tie, the goddamn new shiny shoes that hadn't been broken in yet. He felt like he was on show, and he hated it.
The silence enshrouding them hung heavy in the air, suffocating them. The man coughed, as if getting ready to speak, but when her eyes snapped up to meet his, quietly daring him to continue, he shut his mouth quickly and dropped his eyes back down to his plate.
Picking up his fork he began to quickly shovel food into his mouth to prevent him from trying to speak again. She watched him do so silently, and then picked up her own fork and tentatively took a few bites of the lasagne. She chewed it slowly, trying to distinguish whether or not it was something to write home about and she found that it was.
Slowly gathering speed and energy, she began to eat with a manner not unlike the man across from her. He stopped his own shovelling to glance up from his plate slowly and grimaced at the sight of the woman devouring her food with a flash of cutlery that moved too fast to be seen by the human eye. He pushed away his own plate and just observed her with a twinkle in his eye.
When she finally had polished off the meal, making sure that no portion of the food was left on the plate, having done everything but lifting the plate to her face and licking it, she finally realised that his eyes were on her. Offering him a grimace she lifted the napkin to her face and wiped away the orange sauce which now tinged the corner of her lips.
"Good, huh?" He asked and she blushed slightly, nodding and making affirmative noises from behind the napkin. With a final swipe at her lips, making sure to avoid her lipstick, she folded it and put it back on the table.
"It is." She replied, with an innocence and timidness that was at odds with what her actions suggested of her. He hid his surprise at her tone by offering her a large, and quite real, grin.
Then simultaneously, they both looked down and he reclaimed the plate that he had pushed away earlier and wound the spaghetti around the fork slowly before raising it to his mouth. As he chewed it slowly he noticed that she had stared at his fork, then his hands, and now his lips, as the spaghetti had made the journey from the plate to his mouth. Swallowing the contents of his mouth, he readied himself to speak again, now no longer scared of it. At least, not as scared as before.
"It's weird that we've been living together for so long, but this is our first..." He hesitated and she tilted her head at this, obviously curious as to what words he would choose to use, "The first time we've gone out... to eat and all." Seeing her slight frown at his choice of words, he corrected himself, "I mean, y'know as a... date type thing." He stumbled around verbally before finally admitting to the 'd' word. He finally looked up to her and, seeing the quiet glow with the slight smile, he grinned at her.
She regarded him from across the table, happiness shining in her eyes. Then, reaching out she brushed her fingertips lightly over the back of his hand and they both felt the shiver go down their necks as an almost tangible electricity passed between them at this light touch.
Even though they had an on-off relationship for the good part of the past year, they still had the chemistry of a couple on their first date, sometimes still with the same nervousness as well. As Sawyer looked into her chocolate brown eyes, he still felt the same way that he did when he first lost himself in them, and whenever Ana saw Sawyer's grin and twinkle in his eyes she felt her knees go weak just as much as she first did when she met him.
"You're beautiful." Sawyer murmured, not conscious that he'd said it aloud till he saw the shocked expression on her face. When he saw it his own eyes widened in disbelief as he realised what he'd let slip and his mouth became slightly ajar, "Uh, I mean..."
"Really?" Ana cut him off and he just remained speechless before nodding silently, his mouth still slightly agape at his own words.
"Why?" She asked and he cocked his head at this, at the same time closing his mouth, in confusion at her question.
"What d'you mean Chica?" He asked when it became clear that she wouldn't speak without some definite prodding from him. She just shrugged, trying and failing to appear nonchalant.
"I just... I don't know why you would... y'know..." Ana stumbled and began the very interesting act of studying her napkin in a manner not dissimilar to a scientist studying a new life form under a microscope. Sawyer noticed this and decided to try and go into sensitive romantic, boyfriend (Was he her boyfriend? He didn't even know) mode. Whether or not they were boyfriend-girlfriend, she was his girl and there was no way he was letting her wallow in crippling self doubt.
"Hey," Sawyer moved his chair to the side table so that he could reach out easily, to lift her chin gently and coax her into looking into his eyes, "You are beautiful. No matter what anyone says. This is me, and I'm damn well telling you that you're the most beautiful woman I've known in my whole life, and don't you forget that." Maybe it was the intensity in his eyes, or maybe it was the atmosphere of the quiet Italian restaurant, or maybe it was the fact that Ana wanted to believe it so much, especially coming from Sawyer. But one of these things contributed to the fact that she really trusting that what he was saying was what he believed with his whole heart.
And that made her feel great. But at the same time it made her intensely aware of everything, including the way Sawyer's pupils had dilated, the way his fingers gently cupped her chin, and the way his eyes were fixated on her lips that were slightly parted from the previous experience.
Sawyer suddenly snapped out of it, his eyes dragging up to meet hers, and he became painfully aware of how close they were, and that his hand was still cupping her chin. Quickly he dropped his hand, and his gaze. However, Ana had different plans, and she leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart. The sudden space, or lack thereof, brought Sawyer's eyes back to her own, his blue eyes a few shades darker than normal.
"Y'know sometimes I kinda love you," Ana whispered, her voice low and hoarse, the roughness of it obviously affecting Sawyer whose eyes went even darker at this and his breathing quickened. Then the words hit him and he began to smile, it spread and soon it covered most of his face, his eyes now twinkling in their dark lustiness, which ended up looking as if he was thinking of something extremely salacious. Then he decided to make his thoughts into actions.
Leaning in he brushed his lips against Ana's before withdrawing slightly, but still close enough so Ana could feel his lips move against hers as he spoke.
"I know the feeling."