Author's Note: The story really starts here so I wanted to go ahead and post this chapter. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: Sadly, Lost is not mine.

Dreamcatcher

Chapter 2

It was 7 o'clock on a Saturday morning as Miles walked along the sidewalk through the barracks towards Sawyer and Juliet's house. The head of security was late for a morning shift he agreed to take. The two were supposed to go on patrol while Jerry manned the monitors. Miles and Jerry had shown up on time. Sawyer had not. Miles hopped up the steps to his friends' house and went right in through the unlocked front door.

Ever since the morning Sawyer overslept and inadvertently caused Miles to wake Juliet up early on her day off the two men had struck a deal. No one in Dharma locked their doors. It just wasn't necessary. So if Sawyer didn't show up to an early shift Miles was to forgo calling or knocking and head straight into their house, into Sawyer's bedroom, and get him up without disturbing Juliet. This would ensure Sawyer would be safe from any more long winded lectures on being considerate. And Miles wouldn't have to listen to Sawyer complain about said lectures.

Miles looked around. The house was silent. There had been times he'd gotten to the house to find the other man rushing to get ready, but not today. And it used to be that this kind of thing happened about once a week, but now that he thought about it he couldn't remember when the last time was.

He started down the hall and passed Juliet's room without even a glance. He turned into Sawyer's room, opened his mouth to tell him to get his lazy ass out of bed, and stopped dead in his tracks. Sawyer wasn't there. Tan jumpsuits still stuck out of the closet and a dresser drawer closed haphazardly seemed to contain men's boxers, but the bed was made with neat hospital corners and too many pillows. Miles knew two things. One, there was no way in hell Sawyer made that bed. And two, it must have been a while since he slept in it.

The Asian's brow furrowed. He'd never been more confused in his life. And on this island that was saying something. He couldn't imagine Sawyer sharing someone else's bed and not saying something to him. He was staring at the bed with a puzzled expression when he heard a noise from Juliet's room, some kind of rustling sound. She must be up. He gave the bed one last look before turning on his heels and heading back down the hall. He turned directly into Juliet's open doorway. He called out. "Hey Jules, Have you seen" – He was cut short by the sight in front of him.

He found Sawyer. In Juliet's bed. With Juliet. Miles' jaw dropped open. Juliet's head nestled in the crook of Sawyer's neck. His arm draped over her protectively.

They stirred. Miles' yelling had woken them up. He considered hightailing it out of the house, but found himself rooted to his spot in the doorway. Sawyer groaned. Juliet squeezed her eyes shut and buried her head more into Sawyer's neck. "It's Saturday." She complained.

Sawyer was silent for a moment. Then his eyes snapped open. "Shit!" He yelled and flung himself out of bed.

Juliet sat up, surprised at Sawyer's outburst. "Wha-" She started to ask when she saw Miles standing in the doorway. She froze immediately.

"I said I'm late." Sawyer looked at Juliet and followed her gaze to Miles who had picked his jaw up off the floor and now stood there smiling at the two of them. Sawyer was stunned, but recovered quickly. "The hell you doin' here?" He growled.

"You were late." Miles said matter of factly, still unable to wipe the grin from his face. He knew those two liked each other. He couldn't wait to tell everyone he was right.

Sawyer glanced back at Juliet. She looked mortified. He turned back to Miles. "Out." He said. The other man's face fell. Sawyer shoved him out of the room and down the hall.

Miles protested. "You're the one who always said if you were late to just come get you! How was I supposed to know you and she were – "

Sawyer cut him off. "Out. Now. I'll be there in a minute." He pushed Miles out the front door, slamming it behind him. He turned around and found Juliet heading for the coffee maker. "I'm sorry. I forgot to set the alarm." He said while running a hand through his hair.

She looked at him with one of her emotionless expressions. "You know what he's probably thinking right now?"

Sawyer sighed. "I know. I'll set him straight."

"We're never going to hear the end of this." She said and Sawyer couldn't tell if she was worried, upset, angry, or amused by the whole situation.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked.

She sat at the table with her coffee. "Just go to work, James." She said without even looking up. "You're late."

Sawyer decided amused probably wasn't what she was feeling at the moment. He left to get dressed and headed to the security station. He had to set Miles straight before he blew things out of proportion and got the wrong idea. But then how would he even explain what was actually going on to Miles? Oh yeah, I just had a really bad dream one night and crawled into bed with her. Then never went back to my own. No big deal. End of story. That would go over well.

Miles waited by a jeep outside. He hopped in the passenger seat when he saw Sawyer approaching. He climbed in the driver's seat and took off. Miles looked at him expectantly and waited for Sawyer to say something, but he never glanced in his direction. Finally he decided the suspense was killing him. "So…" He started. Sawyer looked at him. "How is she?" Miles was nearly bubbling over with excitement. Sawyer narrowed his eyes at him. "Juliet." He clarified. "What's she like….you know? I always wondered..." Sawyer reached over and punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!" Miles exclaimed. "What was that for?!"

"For bein' an ass." Sawyer's eyes were back on the road. "And we're not together."

"So it's just casual then?"

Sawyer looked him in the eye this time. "We're not anything." He said seriously.

Miles thought that sounded a little harsh. "So you're sleeping together, but you're not anything? That's kinda cold, man."

Sawyer was getting frustrated. "No. I mean we aren't sleeping together! Well, we are sleeping together. But we're just sleeping together!"

"What?" Miles deadpanned.

Sawyer slowed his words and the jeep to try to explain. "We just sleep together. Like close your eyes and sleep. That's it. Nothing else. We're just friends."

Miles looked at him. "You mean you're sleeping with a woman you're not sleeping with?"

Sawyer nodded.

"Who does that?!" Sawyer glared at him. "I mean how…why…what?" Miles was having a little trouble wrapping his brain around the concept.

Sawyer sighed. He was going to have to give the man some kind of explanation. He told him Juliet had been the one to have a nightmare and that he had comforted her. And that it just sort of went on from there. Which was the truth except Juliet hadn't been the one with the nightmare, but he wasn't about to tell Miles that part. The other man bought it.

"So don't go runnin' yer mouth to anyone 'cause what you saw this mornin' ain't what it looked like." They were driving along the sonic fence as part of their patrol. The trees and pylons whirred past as Sawyer sped on. He looked over to Miles who was sitting in the passenger seat looking worried. Sawyer's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

Miles looked sheepishly at Sawyer. "I may have said something to Jerry while I was waiting for you earlier."

Sawyer slammed on the breaks nearly sending both men over the hood of the jeep. "You what?!" He yelled.

"I'm sorry!"

"Why would you do that?!" Sawyer punched Miles in the shoulder again.

"Ow!" He rubbed his shoulder. "Because I was right! I always knew you two would get together. I had to tell someone."

Sawyer smacked him again for good measure. Miles glared at him. "Well, you weren't right and whatever you told Jerry's gonna be all over this damn commune by lunch time."

"I'm sorry!"