A/N: Fluff is fun, but I find angst so much easier to write for some reason? Perhaps that's why the last couple chapters were so tough to get right - that transition from drama to fluff has been weird. But hopefully the rest of this starts to flow much better now that I'm not trying to move them from one phase to another. I hope you enjoy!

—-

Lying here with you so close to me

It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe

I'm caught up in this moment, I'm caught up in your smile

I've never opened up to anyone

So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms…

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight

Just a touch of the fire burning so bright

No, I don't want to mess this thing up; I don't want to push too far

Just a shot in the dark that you just might be the one I've been waiting for my whole life

So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

Lady A, Just a Kiss

—-

Chapter 14: The Shape of Things to Come

Juliet awoke to the smell of bacon permeating her bedroom. It struck her as odd as she slowly came to, pulling herself from the depths of her subconscious. She groped around her bed trying to pull closer to James, but he wasn't there, and the spot where he'd been was cold to the touch.

Blinking against the sunlight streaming in through the windows, Juliet rose, finally piecing it all together. Clumsily, she got dressed before padding out of her room. She found him in the kitchen wearing just his boxers and his shirt from the night before. His hair was disheveled and adorable, and her heart skittered when he threw a grin at her over his shoulder.

"Mornin', sleepin' beauty!" he crooned. It was too early for that kind of energy, so she said nothing as she snaked her arms around his ribs and hugged him loosely from behind, laying her cheek in between his shoulder blades. He huffed a breathy chuckle and rubbed her arm with his free hand as the other moved the scrambled eggs around in the pan. "I forget you're not a mornin' person." It had been a while since they'd woken up in the same house. And yet, it didn't feel weird for some reason, for her to wake up and find him still there.

"I could get used to this," she finally said, voice croaking slightly from disuse.

James snickered. "Oh, you will."

The promise behind his words warmed her inside. "Are you off today?" she yawned, and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his muscles moving under her cheek.

"I ain't goin' nowhere. Not after all that," he grumbled bitterly, not elaborating.

Juliet pulled back and lifted herself up onto the counter next to the stove. The bacon was sitting beside her on a plate and she snagged a piece to chew on, trying to wake up. "Are you going to tell me what happened?" she prompted him, almost lazily, hoping the question wouldn't upset him.

He sighed but said nothing, just continued cooking the eggs over a low heat. After a minute, Juliet finished her second piece of bacon and was going to hop down to pour herself some coffee but stopped when he finally spoke.

"It sucked." The simplicity of the statement almost made her laugh, but then she saw the twisted look on his face.

"James. You can tell me," she murmured gently, and placed a hand on his shoulder. She moved her thumb across the material, trying to ease his tension.

He sighed and turned off the stove. He removed the eggs from the eye and turned to face her. "I probably ain't supposed to say nothin', but…" He shrugged, indicating he didn't care about that. "We caught some guy, lurkin' around the Orchid site." Juliet said nothing, waiting for him to continue. She watched him lean against the counter beside her, and he took her hand in his, threading their fingers and staring down at the way they fit together.

"We told him 'bout the deal; the site was ours. Richard said so. Gave him the chance to leave, but then the asshole came back. Horace got all paranoid 'bout why he was there and wanted Kevin to question him. So we took him over to Hydra and put him in this room, down the hall from that freaky brainwashin' room." James shivered, unable to hide his disdain for that place. "Anyway, come to find out Richard's suspicious about what we're buildin' there and why."

Juliet nodded in understanding. "So, Richard suspects it's just not just a greenhouse as Horace suggested."

James frowned. "That's what he said. Eventually."

Juliet flicked her gaze to James's knuckles. They were bruised and scabbed over. "Let me guess. Kevin needed to make sure you could get the job done?" It hurt her heart to know that everything James had been trying to push down in himself had been dragged to the surface and used against someone. It made her feel prickly and uncomfortable to think about the shady ways in which the D.I. were dealing with problems behind the scenes of their utopian facade.

She couldn't even imagine how horrible James felt. Even though she'd asked her question gently and with an undercurrent of understanding and non-judgment, James still scrunched his face in guilt and shame and let go of her fingers. He didn't need to answer her for her to know what must have happened; what he'd been made to do. It hurt her to think about what this might have done to his still-healing psyche.

"What happened to the spy?" she asked as she watched him put some eggs and bacon on his plate. He was still frowning.

"Reprogrammed him, or whatever the hell that godawful room does. Some dude named Oldham was with us - gave him some kinda drug. Set him on his way. Now we gotta have security posted at the Orchid, which is gonna make us short-staffed again."

Juliet hopped down off the counter and followed his lead, putting food on her plate. They sat down at the table where James already had two cups of coffee waiting. She sipped hers, eyes trained on him over the edge. "Thank you for breakfast," she finally said after a moment of internal debate. She could read the discomfort on his face as he looked lost in his own head. She didn't want to make him feel any worse than he already did.

"No problem," he said, flashing her a false smile, even as she reached across the table to recapture his hand. Her face was pale but her eyes were bright as she looked at him. She had bedhead and a crease along her cheek from where she'd laid on her pillow. She was perfectly imperfect in every way and James gripped her hand more tightly, thinking of how much he'd missed her while he'd been gone.

For a few moments, they ate in relative silence, still holding their non-dominant hands across the table. But then a thought suddenly occurred to James. "Did Jinbo ever decide what he wanted to do this weekend?" he asked before taking a bite of his breakfast. Jin's birthday was on Sunday.

Juliet shook her head and sipped her coffee. "No. He claims he doesn't want to do anything, but I think it's just because he doesn't want to ask, or feel like he's putting anyone out."

"Hmm," James acknowledged with a nod. "Maybe there's a way around it."

"Like what?"

"Like, I dunno - we can trick him into somethin'."

Juliet chuckled lowly. "Says the ex-conman."

"Hardy-har," James intoned snarkily. "I'm just sayin'. I bet we could come up with somethin'."

"And make it a surprise?"

"Sure. Why not? Jin's a helluva good guy. He ain't gonna ask for nothin'. But it don't mean he don't deserve a good day." James tossed back the rest of his coffee as Juliet looked on in wonder. The true depth of his goodness still surprised her sometimes, though she knew it shouldn't.

Juliet finished her meal and moved to clean up their plates. "We should talk to Miles tonight at dinner. Jin's got the overnight shift so he won't be home."

"Sounds good to me," James yawned and shook his head, trying to clear away the cobwebs. He hadn't slept very long last night, not with the remnants of the nightmare still burned onto his retinas. Instead he'd merely watched her sleep, occasionally twisting a lock of her hair around his finger and admiring the peaceful expression that graced her beautiful face. As soon as the sun began to rise though, he'd carefully extricated himself from her bed, hoping to do something nice for her before her work day.

Juliet put the dishes in the sink and James chuckled, finally noticing that her shorts were on inside out. She turned around and followed his gaze before realizing what she'd done. "You really ain't a mornin' person…" he tsked, and she rolled her eyes before striding purposefully over to him. She sat on his lap and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. He leaned in to nuzzle her neck, making her sigh.

"It beats coming out here for breakfast naked."

"No it don't," he murmured and kissed the smooth skin of her neck.

Juliet swallowed and let her eyes drift closed. "I have to be at work in 20 minutes," she whispered, sucking in a breath as his hand moved to brush against the side of her breast.

"Plenty of time," he whispered back, and his hot breath on her skin was enough to set her insides aflame. He moved his hand under her shirt and skimmed his thumb over her peaked nipple. She shuddered. Suddenly nothing mattered except the way she felt, right then and there.

"I'm sure no one'll notice if I'm late," she agreed, entranced by his ministrations. She placed her free hand on the side of his face and molded her lips against his, her teeth grazing his lower lip. James moaned and scratched his nails down her back. He deepened the kiss and pulled Juliet as close to him as he could get her. Juliet pulled back, breathless, in order to suck on his earlobe, loving the way she could feel his body shivering from the contact.

He was already hard under her thigh, so it was no surprise when he stood, practically tossing her off his lap. She thought they'd go to the bedroom but he turned her around, dipping one hand into the front of her underwear and the other up the inside of her shirt.

She gasped as heat flooded between her legs. She leaned one palm down to balance herself on the dining room table and laced the other through James's hair behind her. He sucked on the curve of her neck before trailing delicate kisses across her skin to the base of her spine. Juliet couldn't breathe. The sensations of all of her most sensitive places all being stroked or kissed at the same time? It was surreal, and the panting whines that escaped her lips were otherworldly.

James felt Juliet begin to shake, her pleasure mounting, and he pulled his left hand from between her legs. She cried out in protest and turned her head back to look into his eyes. He twisted his head to kiss her, and she removed her hand from the back of his head in order to tug down her shorts.

James didn't think he could get any harder; it was starting to hurt. But she bent over slightly, placing her palms on the table, and looked over her shoulder pleadingly. Her cheeks were pink and her lips swollen from their fervent kisses, and James swore to himself. She was a goddamn goddess.

He guided himself into her from behind, groaning at how good she felt. She was warm and tight and fucking perfect, and James didn't know how long he'd last like this. He gripped her hips tightly as he crashed into her, over and over until she was whimpering and calling out his name. She came quickly, her legs wobbling, and he came soon after.

She fell onto her forearms, breathing heavily, and he placed a wet kiss between her shoulder blades. "Fuck," he hissed, and helped her stand up straight. She tugged her tank top down over her stomach and slipped back into her inside-out shorts, feeling high as a kite.

"Good morning to you, too," she responded languidly. He pulled her against him in a tight hug. They stood that way for several long moments, just holding one another as their heartbeats slowed. Juliet could still feel dampness between her thighs, and as much as she didn't want to go, she needed to start getting cleaned up and ready to leave.

"You really gotta go?" he asked, suddenly overcome with panic. He didn't want to be without her.

She nodded against his chest. "We're having a meeting at nine. I can't miss it."

"Ya wanna cut out early then?" he offered, pulling back to look down into her face. He knew by her regretful frown that she wasn't going to agree.

"I want to. I do. But I can't. I have too much to do today. Rain check, though?" She offered a pinky, remembering how it had made him laugh the first time she'd done it many months ago. He responded as she'd expected him to, and shook his head in amusement before wrapping his pinky around her own.

Fingers still connected, she leaned in to give him one last kiss before leaving to get ready for work.

When she arrived a while later, she was reprimanded for her tardiness, but it didn't phase her. God - it had been absolutely worth it.

—-

The following Saturday, James passed on a 'message' to Miles and Jin that Horace wanted them to pack an overnight bag. They were going on an assignment and needed to report to the motor pool where there would be a van ready for them at 3 p.m. Miles, ever the actor, groaned and complained as convincingly as he could. Jin said nothing, though in his head he certainly wasn't pleased. He'd been working overnights more regularly lately and this was his first day off in a while. It hardly even occurred to him that his birthday was the following day, and therefore he didn't suspect a thing. Birthdays hadn't really been very important to him growing up, and it didn't help that his days were mixed up from working multiple overnight shifts the last couple weeks.

Jin, Miles, and James found the van parked with the keys in the ignition. James offered Jin the front seat (which he took, albeit suspiciously) and Miles loaded the bags into the back. He hopped in after them and poked the blanket to ensure Juliet was still hiding under it as they'd planned. He got a swift kick in the shin as a result, and she lowered the blanket enough to glare daggers at him. Her hiding had been his idea, after all. "He won't believe we're going on assignment if Juliet's there!" he'd argued, and though he'd had a point, Juliet still didn't like it. She'd laid there in the stifling heat for five minutes before they'd even arrived, let alone the twenty minute drive out to the beach. By the time Miles climbed out of the back of it, she was covered in sweat.

When James put the van in park at their destination, Jin exited the van and scratched his head as he observed their surroundings. "Why do we come here?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in confusion. When he turned around, he caught James holding two fishing poles in one hand and helping Juliet out of the back of the van with the other. He paused and frowned, but then it dawned on him. He'd been tricked.

"Surprise!" his three friends shouted, and Jin finally noticed the way Juliet's hair stuck to her face. She was flushed from the heat but grinning broadly at him.

"Where you come from?" he shrieked, still piecing together what the hell was even happening. Juliet flung her arms over his shoulders, crushing him in a hug and laughing at his total disbelief.

"Miles made me hide under a blanket. We're going camping tonight! I packed a cooler, brought all your fishing gear, and I brought brownies too!" she announced brightly.

Jin's jaw dropped, and despite his usual disconnect from these kinds of celebrations, his eyes began to burn. "I - I do not know what to say…" he admitted with a shake of his head.

"No need to say anything," Miles remarked, and patted his friend hard on the back. "Happy birthday, dude."

They loaded up like pack mules and carried their supplies down to the beach. The three of them had spent the better part of an hour a few days prior trying to decide what exactly to do, and once they'd settled on camping, Juliet admitted she wasn't sure going to the beach would be a good idea. She'd argued for them to go somewhere in the jungle, but Miles wanted to be able to swim in the ocean. They'd bickered for a while before James sided with Juliet, pointing out quite blatantly that Jin would be thinking of Sun no matter where they went.

After they dropped off their bags, James excitedly went to work setting up the horseshoe stakes while Jin and Miles got the fishing poles ready to catch their dinner. Juliet sifted through the supplies, pulling out what she needed to start a fire.

"I'm going to get firewood," she announced, and kissed James on top of his head before turning to head into the tree line.

"Need a hand?" James asked mischievously, but Juliet laughed and shook her head before bounding off into the jungle. She felt deliriously happy. It was incredibly surreal; she couldn't remember ever being this happy about a guy before. With Ed, she'd never really found that passion, and with Goodwin, she'd never let her guard down enough to let her feel like what they had was even real. But with James? It felt easy, like being with a friend, because he was first and foremost just that. But he was also something more, though Juliet didn't quite know what to call it. They'd had more sex this week than she could keep track of, and she found that both of her thighs and her lower abdominal muscles were sore from the exertion. Her heart felt lighter than it had in ages though, so the physical aches were completely worth it.

It didn't take long to find the logs she needed, and she brought them back to their camp before heading back into the jungle for kindling. By the time she was done, James had finished setting up the horseshoe pits and Miles and Jin had set off to cast their lines. Juliet could tell Jin looked relaxed and happy, just by the looseness of his shoulders and the brightness of his smile.

"You think he was surprised?" she asked James, holding a hand up to her brow to shade her eyes in the late afternoon sun.

James walked up beside her, lazily draping an arm around her shoulders. "Hell yeah. He was confused as shit when we showed up here."

"It did take him a while to register that I was there, huh?" Juliet laughed.

"I thought his eyes were gonna pop outta his skull, like in the cartoons."

"Doesn't that only happen when they're checking someone out?"

James snickered under his breath and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Can't say I blame him if he did."

Juliet rolled her eyes. "You're corny and ridiculous, you know that?"

"Some would call that charming." He flashed his dimples for added effect. Juliet laughed and kissed James on the cheek in return before going back to get the fire started.

They cooked fish and pre-seasoned packets of vegetables in tin foil over the fire, talking and laughing as Miles did his best impressions of people they knew. For dessert, they dug into the brownies Juliet had made that morning, all moaning and groaning about how good they were. Juliet couldn't stop laughing at Jin who had chocolate icing in various places on his face, leaving him no choice but to smear icing on her face while Miles and James held her down. After, when Miles turned to reach into the bag to grab Jin a napkin, James dutifully licked all the chocolate off for her, ignoring her squeals of protest.

They played several rounds of horseshoes, despite the fact that the stakes kept leaning to one side. James had sworn he'd done this before, and grumbled in annoyance each time he had to straighten them out - which happened after each round. Eventually they gave up, though they'd all had fun and applauded his effort to do something different.

At sunset, they hiked to the top of the ridge behind them in order to watch the gold sink behind the horizon. Juliet sat in between James's legs, leaning up against his chest. He wrapped his arms across her collarbones and kissed the top of her head every so often. Miles laid on his side, supporting his head with his hand, while Jin stood, fists clenched and trying not to let them see him cry.

Somewhere out there, he was going to be born soon. His mother would abandon his father, and he'd be left without a parent. Also somewhere out there, his own daughter was being raised without a parent, too. Some days the thought of that similarity destroyed him.

He wondered if Sun still celebrated his birthday, even though he wasn't there. Did his father? Did she ever go visit him, if he was even still alive? Would Jin ever be reunited with his family? If he did, would he even make a good father himself?

He wondered a lot of things, these days. But he tried not to think about any of that now. Not after his friends went through all this trouble to make sure he had a good time. So, he focused on the blending colors before him instead, and practiced his English words in his head until he calmed down. Blue. Purple. Orange. Pink. Yellow. Cloud. Sky. Sea…

When the deep blues of dusk finally descended upon the island and the first stars became visible, the group decided to turn back to their camp.

"Thank you," Jin commented, voice thick with withheld emotion. He couldn't stand the way they looked upon him with pity in their eyes, but it needed to be said before he lost his nerve. The night wasn't even over, but he couldn't deny that he'd had a wonderful time so far.

"Anytime, Jinbo," James answered for them. Jin sniffed, flashing them a quick smile, and left them behind, climbing back down the ridge to return to camp.

Over the crackling of the campfire, like they were in a middle school summer camp, they took turns telling spooky stories. It had been Miles's idea, but Juliet had rubbed her hands together in delight and took the first turn. Around and around they went, until James shook his head - he'd had enough. Jin's story had been too much - some Korean folktale about a water ghost that made James's spine tingle. He didn't even care that Miles teased him for being a wimp - he liked sleep, thank you very much, and didn't need any more of a reason to be up all night. Juliet's face flamed at the insinuation, but thankfully no one else seemed to catch it.

As such, as soon as Jin and Miles fell asleep, James pulled Juliet quietly into the privacy of the woods. She had to bite her lip to stifle her giggles as James kept pinching her ass as they went looking for a place to hook up without their friends overhearing. Unable to find anything comfortable enough to lean up against, Juliet found herself bracing herself against a large tree while James slipped into her from behind. She had to grit her teeth to keep from moaning too loudly, and thankfully when they were done, they were able to slip back into their camp with Jin and Miles none the wiser.

Careful not to get sand in their sleeping bags, James and Juliet finally settled in for the night. The beach was illuminated by the almost full moon overhead, and suddenly James was transported. For a moment, he was lying on another beach, under another moon, listening to the soft crackling of the embers of another dying fire. He looked over at Juliet, remembering how he'd laid on that beach hating her, once upon a time.

"You okay?" she whispered, wishing their sleeping bags were big enough for them to share one. Even lying beside one another, she felt too distant from him.

"Yeah," he grunted, and lowered his voice. "Just thinkin'."

"About what?" she probed quietly, and propped herself up on her elbow.

He turned onto his back and stared up at the sky. He used to be good with words when it counted, but with Juliet it seemed to be a hit or miss. He still had the remnants of brain fog from being inside her and he didn't want that to distract him from picking his words carefully. If he lied, she'd know it, but he didn't want to say something to upset her either.

"Guess I just never thought I'd sleep on the beach again," he said, voice neutral and matter-of-fact.

Juliet said nothing at first, trying to decide if he was wistful, longing for another time, or regretful of their decision to choose the beach over a spot more inland. "You must have made a lot of memories, good and bad," she decided to say, and watched his reaction to her words.

He twisted his lips to the side and flicked his eyes up to hers. "You could say that," he agreed.

When her arm grew tired, she started resting her head on her upper arm, but James tugged her sleeping bag until she was guided to lie almost perpendicular to him. She rested her head on his stomach and he rhythmically brushed her hair back from her face.

Both of them looked up at the stars, trying and failing to ever remember a time they'd been so bright and so clear before living on the island. It reminded James of their midnight swim a month ago; it felt so long ago, if only because so much had changed since then. "Guess that's one good thing about livin' on the island," he commented. She felt the rumbling of his low voice on the back of her head.

"What's that?"

"The stars. I ain't ever seen 'em so bright as they are here."

Juliet sighed, and he felt her attempt to nod. "It's always been one of my favorite things about this place."

"Thought you hated it here?"

"I do. But there're some good things," she cast him a sideways glance, only to find him looking down at her and not at the sky. "Anyway, Miami has terrible light pollution so I didn't really know what I was missing out on til I came here."

"So did L.A. Can't see shit through all the damn smog."

Juliet chuckled. "I can't imagine you were too interested in the sky back then."

James winced a little. Sometimes he hated being reminded of who he'd used to be, though she made a valid point. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut," he whispered before he lost his nerve. Juliet whipped her head to the side to look at him in wonder, and he almost regretted saying it. But when he met her eyes, she looked interested and happy, like he'd made her day just by telling her something new about himself.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was stupid, but my mama got me this book about the universe or whatever and it just seemed cool at the time."

Juliet thought about a young James, seeing pictures of planets and stars and it made her sad to know just how quickly his curiosity had been ripped away. "It's not stupid," she corrected, and refocused her attention on the sky above her. His hand stilled on her forehead. "I wanted to be a ballerina once."

"Yeah? What happened?"

Juliet smirked. "As it turned out, I was terrible at it and quit after one lesson. I was too tall and clumsy, and Rachel said I shouldn't want to do it just because the outfit was cute."

James chuckled. "You would look damn cute in a tutu."

"Be that as it may," she blushed as he drew his finger across her jaw. "Kids have big dreams. We almost never end up doing those things our child-selves wish for us. It doesn't mean anything."

"Don't it though? When ya wanna be a hero and end up bein' a villain instead?" he grunted, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation.

Juliet turned on her side and placed her palm on his cheek. "We've all been the villain in someone's story, James," she whispered, and his eyes cut down to look at hers. "But we've also been the hero." Juliet thought about Harper, and Rachel; all the women she hurt and all the women she helped.

James felt his throat tighten. He knew that Juliet knew what happened to his parents. She'd indicated as much, throughout conversations they'd had. He knew that she knew he'd been a conman, but she couldn't possibly understand everything that had entailed and the lives he'd destroyed. And Duckett? She knew about that too, she'd made that perfectly clear when he and Sayid had cornered her. So why the hell was she always trying to comfort him? Why the hell did she feel he deserved so much grace?

"I've done some bad shit, Juliet. I ain't anyone's hero, and I don't wanna be, neither." He didn't understand how talking about the stars had led him to feeling this way: defensive and uncomfortable. But when he looked down at her, she was looking back at him with curiosity, not pity. Her hand settled atop his chest and she flashed him a quick smile.

"You don't get to control how anyone sees you, James. I only wish you saw yourself the way others do."

James's stomach tightened. He wanted to believe her, but his guilt was suffocating at times. She was too fucking good for him; he didn't know how in the world she'd ever considered giving him as much as she had. He half-wondered if he'd somehow conned her into doing it. But no, this didn't feel like a con. It felt like a dance, really. Give and take, changing directions at times and going in circles, but always hanging on to the other; eyes never leaving theirs, and striving above all to get the steps right. This felt normal, though James would be the first to admit he knew nothing about the concept of normalcy. But if anyone was going to show him what that was like? He was glad it was her.

Before he could think of a sarcastic response to dispel the tension, Juliet leaned over him to kiss him. Her touch was gentle, and it broke open a small piece inside James's heart. She accepted him for who he was, despite everything, and he'd never find a way to repay her for her unwavering belief in him.

He deepened the kiss, but after a moment she pulled back, licking her lips. "I think we should get some sleep," she breathed.

He swallowed and nodded, opening his arm for her to use as a pillow. She shimmied back to being vertical, and rolled onto her side, facing away from him. She clutched his other arm to her chest and soon found herself relaxing enough to fall asleep. James held her, feeling the moment her body drifted off, and found himself pulling her towards him more tightly.

Looking back, this might have been the moment James decided he'd protect this woman with his very life. After all - isn't that what heroes do? And James wanted more than anything to be that for her; to be worthy.

—-

Jin arose early the next morning, roused by the squawking of seagulls overhead. For a moment, he wondered if he was back in his village, but when he sat up, he remembered where he really was.

He rose, needing to find somewhere in the jungle to pee. As he turned to walk that way, he saw James and Juliet. She had her face pressed against his neck, and he had one arm tucked under his head and the other wrapped securely around her. They were as close together as they could be in separate sleeping bags, and the sight both warmed Jin's heart and stabbed it through at the same time.

He used to wake up holding Sun that way. Then, for a while, he didn't. After the crash, after everything they survived together, he found himself waking up with her in his arms once more, and everything felt right in the world. Despite the fact that they were stranded on an island, he'd felt closer to her than ever before.

Jin smiled as he skirted around them, heading for the jungle, deciding that he was, indeed, quite happy for them. He knew love when he saw it.

—-

The pressure of a 'first' Valentine's Day was not lost on both James and Juliet. In fact, they were both so scared of bringing it up, that ten whole days passed after their camping trip before Miles of all people felt the need to address it.

They were sitting around their table in the cafeteria (no one felt like cooking) when Miles suddenly asked, "Are we still on for Friday night's game night or are you two doing something else? Cuz I'm thinking of asking Sandra to have dinner with me."

James halted, his fork halfway to his mouth before setting it back down and looking over at Juliet, fear in his eyes. "Uh, well…" he started to say, and then thought better of it. Her face was blank and impassive, and he was in uncharted waters here.

"We haven't figured anything out yet," Juliet offered, and popped a french fry into her mouth. She recognized it was the understatement of the year. She looked down into her plate and James followed her lead, shoveling more food than necessary into his mouth.

"Ohhh, I see. I'm just gonna go ahead and ask her, cuz clearly you two idiots haven't talked about it yet - have fun with that!" Miles joked, causing even Jin to smile.

Graciously, he changed the subject, leaving James and Juliet to finish eating in silence. When dinner was over and they cleaned up their trays, Juliet slipped her hand into James's and tugged him towards her house. They waved goodbye to Jin and Miles and were kissing the moment the door behind them closed. Her period was finally over and this was the first time she'd been able to get him alone.

Once again, they seemed unable to make it to her bedroom and wound up naked and sweating on the couch twenty minutes later. Juliet leaned her forehead against James's, still connected as she sat on his lap. He rubbed her sides, letting his fingers trail over her brand.

She wanted to tell him that she didn't expect anything. She wanted to say that Valentine's Day was a silly, corporate holiday that she didn't have any interest in whatsoever, and just wanted to treat it like any other day. She wanted him to know that she was happy with where things were between them, even without the label, because she was genuinely okay for once, and she didn't want to mess anything up with him. Partly because it was all true, and partly because she just wanted to take any self-imposed pressure off of him. Or, perhaps he hadn't planned on doing anything for her, and saying all of that would let him off the hook while simultaneously making her feel better when he didn't actually do anything.

But she didn't say any of that. For the first time in the last few weeks of sleeping together, she felt her guard come back up. It was as if even the act of acknowledging the Holiday of Love would force them to talk about 'This' and she didn't want to hurt him by refusing to have 'That Conversation.' Because what if he did want to talk about it? She wasn't ready for that. So, she supposed she'd settle for the Game of Relationship Politics instead.

Meanwhile, James (knowing women) assumed she wanted him to do something for her, and he was immobilized by the fear of getting it wrong. What if he did too little, and she thought he didn't care about her? What if he did too much, and she got the wrong idea about his feelings for her? (Though, would she really be wrong? No, but that wasn't the point, he argued with himself). So in the end, it was easier to avoid the problem. That is, until now, when the problem was staring back at him, flashing like a neon light that said 'Get it right, or it's the doghouse for you!'

He was pulled out of his post-coital reverie when she rose onto her knees and he slipped out of her. "I'm going to take a shower," she announced, and picked her clothes up off the floor to bring with her. She stood there, and he stared at her, until finally she laughed and shook her head in disbelief. "Do you need a formal invitation? If so, you're out of luck because I'm out of stamps."

He chuckled and flipped back his hair. He rose, reaching forward to playfully slap her ass as she led him down the hallway. Her laughter was loose and contagious and he found himself still grinning stupidly even as they stepped into the tub minutes later.

"Hope you ain't expectin' a round two, cuz I need a little bitta time to recuperate," he warned, and she giggled before closing her eyes and tilting her head back to let it fall under the spray.

"No. I just figured you wouldn't want to miss this opportunity," she said sarcastically. "Plus it was really hot today."

"Hell yeah," he growled, and reached behind her to squeeze her ass.

"The weather, James. It was hot outside," she chuckled, and opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her. His blue green eyes were sparkling with delight.

"That too. But you're right - there ain't nothin' I like more than a wet, naked Juliet, so thanks for the formal invitation."

"You're welcome," she teased, and reached behind him to squeeze his ass too. "I've missed you," she added. It had been difficult, keeping their hands to themselves the last few days.

"Missed you, too," he agreed, and without thinking, squeezed some of her shampoo into his hand. She eyed the action, curious, but then he made a twirling motion with his finger and she beamed, realizing what he was going to do. They traded places so he was under the spray of the showerhead and he lathered her hair with the shampoo, scratching his nails along her scalp and massaging the long threads. She sighed and moaned, effectively expediting his recuperation time.

"This is nice," she droned, almost sleepily, and James saw how relaxed she was. When he was done, they switched places again and he helped rinse the shampoo out. They repeated the action with the conditioner, and she leaned in to place lazy kisses along his chest. "That was really nice. Thank you," she said when he was done, and he kissed her forehead in response.

"Anytime."

Juliet insisted on doing the same thing for him, despite his encouragement that she didn't have to, but he had to admit she had a point. It felt wonderful to have her hands on him like that. It was sensual but chaste, both loving and intimate without having anything to do with sex. It was like they had reached a new level between them, taking care of each other this way, and it gave James an idea.

After they cleaned themselves off, Juliet turned off the shower and they headed back to her bedroom. She brushed and braided her hair while James towel-dried his. It felt oddly normal and domestic, and James realized how much he loved it - just living their daily day like this.

Watching her stand naked in her bedroom, doing her hair and making eyes at him in the mirror, was too much for him. He stood behind her, placing his palms flat on her stomach. He kissed her shoulder, and waited until she was done placing the hair tie in place before spinning her around and capturing her lips in his.

Tonight it was James's turn to work the overnight shift, so after one more quick romp, he moved to leave so he could go home and get some sleep, but she stopped him. "Why don't you stay?" she asked, voice full of caution, almost afraid he'd say no.

"I gotta work soon, baby. I don't wanna wake you up." She could tell he didn't want to leave either. His obvious look of disappointment gave her the courage to ask again. That, and the fact that he'd called her baby for the first time. She found she had no interest in correcting him.

"I'm not tired. I think I'm gonna read. I can wake you up when it's time for your shift, though? What do you say?"

James hesitated, not wanting to put her out or let her commit to staying up for the next three hours. But she looked hopeful, and he had to admit, he didn't want to leave either. So, he smiled and murmured his assent before getting back under the covers. She laid on her back and grabbed her book from her nightstand. James laid on his side, snuggling up against her naked body. Without hesitation, Juliet opened her arm for him and he laid his cheek down on her shoulder before wrapping one arm over her stomach.

Once he got comfortable, she realized she wasn't quite sure she'd be able to turn the page with just one hand, but she'd figure it out. He was already falling asleep wrapped up with her and she'd rather die than move him now. So, she watched him as his face relaxed and the lines became smooth once more. She only picked up her book once he was softly snoring against her skin, content in the fact that for the next three hours, she got to just hold him.

—-

Valentine's Day started out like any other day, just as Juliet wanted. James brought her a bagged lunch to the motor pool on his break, and they ate together at one of the picnic tables, chatting amiably about nothing in particular. He kissed her tenderly before they went their separate ways, and they both caught themselves shooting loving looks over their shoulders as they walked away.

They had dinner with Jin at the cafeteria, as Miles was cooking for Sandra at their place. Jin assured them that he wasn't bothered by it, and said he'd even volunteered to work overnight tonight so some of the others on the security team could be with their girlfriends. James almost teased him about having alone time with Phil, but thought better of it. He'd done them a favor, and not truly by choice. He didn't have anyone to be with today.

James walked back to Juliet's house with her, hand in hand. She smiled at him, seemingly nervous, and James felt his stomach twist. He didn't know if what he had planned would be enough, but they hadn't talked about it. He assumed she might be afraid to, and he couldn't really blame her. He was too. But it was too late to go back on it now.

When she walked into her house, nothing seemed amiss. She kicked off her shoes and looked behind her. James's face was trained on the dining room, so she turned her head to follow his gaze. A single yellow flower sat in a skinny vase.

Juliet gasped, "Is that for me?"

"Who else would it be for?" James chuckled, and cleared his throat, trying to shake the nerves. This was stupid. He was being stupid. It was just an overhyped, uber-commercialized holiday for crying out loud; why was he acting as nervous as a sinner in church?

Juliet laughed and approached the vase, picking up the flower to smell it. "When did you do this?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Snuck in before dinner."

"James, about all this…" she started to say, but he cut her off.

"No, it's okay. I know how you ladies are. I been around the block a time or two. Ya got nothin' to worry about - I got some stuff up my sleeve."

Juliet grinned, admiring the fact that he was trying. "I'm not worried. I just want you to know… I don't have any expectations. I just wanna have a nice night with you. That's all that matters to me."

She set the flower back into the vase and he pulled her in for a hug. "Oh, we're gonna have a nice night alright. Just you 'n me, 'n some stuff I got from the general store."

"Oh God, please don't tell me you got me presents, because I didn't - "

"Nope. No presents. Just the flower."

She sighed against his shoulder and pulled back to look at him curiously. "Okay good, because I didn't get you anything. I didn't know if - well I mean, we didn't - "

"Blondie. It's okay," he soothed, and she smiled gratefully. Now she felt giddy, wondering what all he had planned. She didn't have to wait long to find out, because he pulled down his jumpsuit, tossing it over the back of the chair in the living room, and stripped out of his clothes as he walked down the hallway towards the bathroom. He stopped halfway down the hall, standing in just his boxers and socks and put his hands on his hips before saying, "You comin' or what? I'm outta stamps too, ya know."

She laughed boisterously and followed his lead, stripping down to her bra and underwear to join him in the bathroom. She stepped inside and found him filling up the clawfoot tub with hot water. He had a bottle of something in his hand and was reading the instructions on the back, standing stark naked and biting one thumb. He looked nervous, but absolutely adorable.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the bottle.

"Bath stuff," he answered, and squinted, trying to read the tiny print. It didn't help that the lights were off, with the only glow coming in from the setting sun outside. He angled the bottle into the light, seeing if that would help. His glower indicated it didn't. Finally, he sighed and gave up before just tossing a few shakes of the mixture into the water. The water started to foam and Juliet smelled lavender and vanilla, two of her favorite scents.

"Oh James. This is absolutely lovely," she commented airily, finally noticing the three candles sitting on the toilet seat lid that he'd lit. There was a cup of rose petals next to the sink, and he tossed those in, frowning when they disappeared into the bubbles. Juliet put her fingers to her lips, trying to keep the burning in her eyes at bay. He'd done all this. For her.

"Oh, it ain't nothin' special. Just thought ya know, we ain't ever done this before and you seemed to like the shower a couple days ago… it really ain't - "

"James," she insisted, and stood next to him, caressing his shoulder. "This is wonderful." He might have blushed, she couldn't tell. It could have been the heat rising in the small room too, she wasn't sure.

James reached down and turned the faucet off before climbing inside. Juliet shed the rest of her clothes and he helped her step into the water. It stung at first, but as she eased down into it, it felt brain-meltingly perfect. She piled her hair in a bun on her head and pressed her back against James's chest, half-sitting on his lap. They fit nicely in the deep tub, though James's knees poked through the surface. For being so tall, she suspected that would have been the case, but he didn't seem to mind. He sighed and laid his head back, while she rested hers on his shoulder.

For a while, they just sat in silence. The sun was almost gone outside and the bathroom now glowed in the flickering light of the candles. James rubbed his hands up and down Juliet's body, loving the way her skin felt impossibly smooth in the water. He felt her arms, her sides, her stomach, her hips - anywhere he could get his hands on her.

Meanwhile, Juliet rested her hands on his knees, keeping them from growing cold in the air above the water. She was completely relaxed, but laser-focused on his hands making their rounds. She felt her ache for him grow with every mindless stroke.

When his hands moved up her stomach to rest just below her breasts, her breath caught in her throat. His thumbs skimmed the swells above her ribs and she shuddered. "James…" she breathed, and he needed no further invitation.

Slowly, but with clear intent, his left hand traveled down her body. She turned slightly towards him, wanting to look him in the eyes, but his mouth found hers before she could. Holding tight to her with his right arm, his other hand rubbed her inner thighs. Her right hand closed over top of his and her left wove through his damp hair, pulling him down and deepening the kiss.

He swallowed her gasp as he slipped a finger inside her before removing it and trailing the area around her most sensitive cluster of nerves. Her hips bucked involuntarily and he squeezed tighter, keeping her pinned to him. He teased her, minute by minute, before she couldn't take it anymore.

Her whimper was enough to spur him on, and he tasted her tongue at the same moment he ran his fingers where she needed him to go. She cried out and her body jerked, almost sloshing water over the side. He moved in figure eights, slowly, so dangerously slowly, until she was panting and unable to think. She moved her head to the side, trying to regain her self-control, but James saw an opportunity and moved his lips to her neck. His right hand glided over her nipple and she squeaked in sudden pleasure.

She felt dizzy. Everything in her body was tingling, and her muscles tensed in anticipation of release. But it wouldn't come. James would get her close, and then pull away, trying to draw this out as much as possible. She bucked her hips, not caring whether they spilled any water or not. Just as she was about to reach down there and finish it herself, she found herself whispering his name once more, and he finally rubbed fast and hard enough for her to come.

She cried out, cursing and writhing against him. She didn't know if it was the hot water or the emotional build-up, or how relaxed she'd been before they started, but she came so hard she was seeing black spots behind her eyelids.

Juliet panted, trying to catch her breath, when she felt a low, rumbling chuckle behind her. "Happy Valentine's Day, baby," he murmured, and kissed her temple.

She laughed, a little maniacally, and returned the sentiment. "Happy Valentine's Day, James."

Later, once they were dried off and the bathtub was drained, they climbed into Juliet's bed and Juliet pulled something out of her nightstand. It was an Apollo bar.

"Thought you said you didn't get me nothin'," James pointed out with a dry smirk.

"I didn't. This was for me," she shrugged before winking, letting him know she was being sarcastic. "It's nothing big. I just thought we could share it." They sat up straighter, and she broke him off a piece before tossing a chunk into her own mouth.

"God this shit's good," he moaned exaggeratedly. "It's a shame Horace don't order more."

"I know," Juliet agreed, though it came out garbled as she chewed. "I've been hoarding this bar in the freezer since Christmas. It was one of the last ones at the store."

"Yeah, now that you mention it… I don't think I seen any since then."

"You should make Horace buy more. People on this island need chocolate, James."

James laughed. "Here, here!"

They finished the bar and licked their fingers clean, sighing in contentment. When Juliet looked over at James, he had his eyes closed and a half-smile on his face. Her heart felt too big for her chest, and despite her best efforts, tears pricked the backs of her eyes yet again.

He opened them just in time to see one fall. "Hey! Whoa now, don't cry," he said worriedly, and lifted a thumb to swipe at her cheek. "What'd I do?"

She laughed and shook her head, biting her lip and sniffling hard. "It's not you. I mean, it's not bad."

"What is it? Tell me," he commanded gently.

"This has been - you're just - " She clearly didn't have the words. So, she took a deep breath and tried again. "This was perfect. Thank you. Probably the best one I've ever had."

"Yeah?" he asked, eyebrows raised and disbelief coloring his expression.

"Yeah. I guess I'm easy that way. I don't need the big to-do or the Hallmark card. I just need you."

James watched her rub her eyes with the heels of her hand before reaching out to take them in his. He could have made a joke about her being easy, or having done this for loads of women, or any number of things to cut the emotional tension. But he didn't, because she was right. All he needed was her, too. Not just for Valentine's Day - any day. He'd live his damned life ten times over if it meant leading him to her now.

"You have me," was all he could really say. He could have said more, he certainly felt more, but he hoped it was enough for now.

"I know," she replied, and kissed him.