A/N: Well, here's chapter 2. Really fluffy Skate in this chapter with Sawyer being really sweet in it.
Chapter 2
The waves rolled in, one right after another. Anyone who just so much as glanced at them were immediately mesmerized by the rhythmic pattern in which they came. It was as if someone was constantly turning a rainmaker over and over again, never pausing to take a break, always moving their hands in the same fluid motion. The water ate up the sand as it came in contact with the shore, taking with it a small piece of the island when it retreated back into the sea.
These smallest, trivial things were noticed by Kate from her spot on a little sand hill on the beach. She looked out into the ocean, an ocean as blue as the eyes of the man she loved. Thinking about him made her heart flutter, her palms sweat, her breath catch in her throat. She'd only felt this way toward one other man. A man who was now dead because of her. Dead because of what she had refused to do.
Don't think about him, Kate told herself. What's done is done and you can't undo it. She sighed. But sometimes I wish I could. She wish she could take back all those memories, all that pain and suffering. No one would have had to die, not Tom or the Marshal or Jason's accomplices in the robbery. Life would have been so simple. No running away or hiding from government agents. No times when she felt that she could have died and no one would have cared.
But it wasn't meant to be. Not for her. Over the years of her life on the road, she had learned to accept that fact. The fact that she would never be able to live a normal life of her own. The fact that she would have to watch in jealousy the normal lives of others. That was what killed her. She hated living like this, living her "half-life" as she called it. She hated it and yet accepted it. She didn't know how she had kept herself motivated to live all these years but she did.
Looking at the waves again, she wished that she could do to her past what the water was doing to the sand: washing it away. Then she wouldn't have to live with it anymore. But things like that didn't happen for real. As much was she willed it to be. And it wasn't ever going to happen. Not now or ever.
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Sawyer dragged his feet through the soft sand along the beach and looked out into the horizon. It was dusk, with the sun slowly setting into the distance. Another day gone and another to follow. Same old, same old. But that was life on the island. Each day redundant of the past. And he didn't really have anything to live for. That was, until he met her. Then each day was a new experience, a new world to explore. One with no boundaries or limits. That was what he loved about being love. He'd never felt this way before, toward anyone in his life. All those one-night stands meant nothing to him. It was just a job, nothing more. But Kate was something else, something he never wanted to let go of. Something he never wanted to end. Not now or ever.
Tearing his eyes away from the setting sun, Sawyer looked at the length of the beach. In the distance, something caught his gaze. A lone figure was sitting in the sand, legs drawn up to her chest with her arms hugging them protectively. Her long, ebony hair fluttered slightly in the breeze, making it look like a dark veil that was cast over her face. Sawyer took one look at her and all at once his surroundings slipped away. The only thing he saw was the woman sitting on the sand hill. Her and only her.
He strode over to the still figure, taking in her every feature to cherish forever.
"Whatcha doin' out here all by your lonesome, huh?" The woman turned her head to look at him. Apparently, she hadn't heard him coming because she jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.
"Something." she replied with a little smile.
Sawyer rolled his eyes. "Well, it sure as hell looked like nothing to me."
Kate scoffed. For a minute they just stared at one another, their eyes seemingly sending out little sparks of electricity to the other. Sawyer loved that about her. Her intensity, her spontaneity, her uninhibited ness. That was what made her unique, unlike anyone he'd ever met.
Not breaking their eye contact, he took a few more steps toward Kate until he was standing right next to her. She looked up at him and cocked her head.
"What?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows together.
"Nothing." Sawyer sighed and he set himself down beside her.
They sat in silence for a while, just watching the sunset before them, watching the sky slowly change its color from orange to blood red. A slight breeze blew past them and Kate shivered since she was only wearing a thin t-shirt. Instinctively, Sawyer pulled her closer, shifting his legs so that she was sitting between them. Sawyer brought his arms around her body and clasped his hands over hers. Now she was secure, safe in his arms. He felt her body relax into his. He felt her chest moving up and down with her steady breathing. He inhaled deeply, taking in her sweet smell. She smelled like the shampoo that was found in the hatch, a fruity blend of scents.
He rested his chin gently on her shoulder. Kate brought a hand to his head and began to ran it through his now short hair. It felt weird to him now, to have no hair flowing over his neck or to have to brush it away when the wind blew it all over his face. Somehow it just wasn't him.
Kate turned her head to look at him. "I like your hair." she said with a smile.
"Yeah, I did too." Sawyer replied, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "'til you shaved it off."
"Oh, come on. You'll live. If you survived a bullet in your arm you can survive your first haircut in about 10 years."
Sawyer rolled his eyes and mocking mouthed Kate talking. But she didn't see him since she had returned her attention back to the sun. After a while she spoke again.
"Besides, I think it makes you look a little like Brad Pitt."
Sawyer couldn't help but smile. "Brad Pitt, huh? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"It's a good thing." Kate assured him. "I used to have a huge crush on him."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Sometimes I'd have daydreams about him." Kate paused before continuing. "One day I was sitting in my geometry class. My teacher, Mr. Lorier, was going on and on about trapezoids. The next thing I knew I was having this mental image of me and Brad sitting on my couch at home. He asked me what my name was and I said, 'Kate.'. Then he started laughing."
"What happened next?" asked Sawyer, cocking an eyebrow.
"There was no 'what happened next' 'cause my teacher threw a piece of chalk at my head for not answering his question." Kate looked at him sheepishly.
Sawyer's lips curled into a half-smile. "Darn. Right when that picture was starting to look good in my head."
Kate turned her head. "Why do I even put up with you?" she sighed.
"You know," Sawyer said with his smile growing even wider. "I got so many reasons. Do you really want me to answer that question, Freckles?"
"Yeah, I do, actually."
Sawyer chuckled. "Alright." He leaned his mouth closer to Kate. "Reason number 1." he breathed into her ear and started to gently kiss the lobe. Kate giggled like a small girl as she squirmed in between his legs. But Sawyer's grip on her was too strong and her attempts were futile. Then he began to move his lips down her neck. "Reason number 2." he said in an even softer voice.
As his trail of kisses lead down to her shoulder, Kate scoffed slightly. "Are those your only two reasons?" she asked teasingly, turning her head behind just a little to glance at Sawyer.
Ceasing what he was doing, Sawyer looked at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, there's more. Believe me." Then, without warning, he let go of Kate's hands and dropped his own down to her sides. He began to tickle her, offering no mercy or escape. Kate let out a yell of surprise and writhed to try and break away from Sawyer. She managed to turn around although he started to tickle her harder than ever. Forcing him to the ground, Kate pinned him there, all the while laughing like there was no tomorrow. Sawyer held onto her firmly and rolled her over so that he had the upper hand. But Kate wasn't going to give up that easily. Wrapping a leg around his and taking a hold on his shoulder, she forced him on his back again but only to be flipped over herself. Again and again they rolled in the soft sand of the beach, laughing and yelling like two teenagers.
Finally, when Kate no longer had the strength to continue, Sawyer found his way on top of her. Gasping for air because of how hard they had laughed, they panted like winded runners. Kate smiled up at Sawyer, the man she loved. It was perfect. Just the two of them, here, on the island with nothing in their way. Not the law or anything in the "real world". Kate wanted this to never end, ever. Not her happiness and joy. She never wanted to lose what she had found: the man of her dreams. And who would've thought that he was another criminal. Her smile faded just a little at this thought.
Sawyer saw this and opened his mouth slightly to ask what was wrong. But, knowing her, she probably wouldn't tell anyway. So he pretended that he didn't notice. Instead, he chuckled softly.
"You still want me to explain number 4?" he asked, leaning his head down to hers so that they were just centimeters apart.
Kate's smile flickered back on. "I think I got it." she whispered back.
"Oh, really?" Sawyer cocked his head. "You think you got it? Well, I think I'll just give it to you anyway."
He brought his head down the rest of the way to meet her lips. She offered no resistance, completely giving in to him. He coaxed her mouth open, although there was very little coaxing to be done, and shot out tongue his into hers. Their tongues danced, each feeling the other as if memorizing every little feature. The was gentle and soothing, almost like Sawyer were trying to tell Kate that everything was going to be alright. That he would never let anything hurt her. That he would do anything to protect her. And he swore to himself that he would live up to it, every single word.
Reluctantly, they broke apart. Smiling, they looked at one another, sharing a few silent words before chuckling to themselves. Sawyer planted one last soft on Kate's forehead, determined to seal his invisible oath to himself. And from that point on, nothing would be out of the question to protect her. He would do anything and everything. Nothing would be impossible. Not now or ever.
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