Make Love, Not War
Title: Make Love, Not War
Pairing: Jack/Kate
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Up through 2x17, “Lockdown”
Disclaimer: Not Mine!
A/N: For __inadream, who requested a fic along these lines: What if Kate and Jack had kept playing poker rather than Sawyer and Jack? Smut ensues.
A/N #2: It's short. It's fluffy. Mark it on the calendar, folks.
“You know, you really are terrible.” Jack laughed, watching Kate openly react to the hand she was dealt.
“What? I am not.” She retorted, pretending to be offended by his good-natured teasing.
“You have so many tells I don’t think I can even keep track of them all.”
“I do not.”
“Like right now, I know that you got dealt something decent, a pair in the hole, maybe, because you looked down and to the left and then you smiled. You do that every time you think you’ve got something good.”
“Liar.”
“When you see the flop, if you think you have something going for you, you’ll drum your fingers on the table before making your bet. If you’re not sure, you’ll bite your lip. If you’re gonna fold but want to give the impression that you might not, you’ll bend the edge of your top card and sigh before you do anything.”
“Okay, that’s it.” Kate threw her pair down on the table, face up. “We’ve been doing this for like, two and a half hours now and I know the only reason I even have any mangoes is cause you’ve been letting me win a few. A girl’s pride can only take so much, Jack.”
“You wanna quit? I thought you wanted to learn?”
“I’ll leave the beating of Sawyer’s ass to you, I think. You did it so well,” She winked at him and then tossed a look toward Sawyer’s tent. He was sitting at its entrance, flipping idly through an old magazine from the hatch. He heard her words and snorted, throwing her a dirty look. After Jack had taken the last of Sawyer’s mangoes with his Kings wired, Sawyer had stalked off and left Kate and Hurley to giggle over his defeat. Hurley got a few chuckles in before being distracted by Libby walking by, hurrying after her and hoping to join her. And she had let him, gladly.
“Doc just lucked out. Pocket kings, my ass. Anybody would’ve won with those,” He sniped loudly, his voice bridging the space between the makeshift card table and his tent.
“Except you didn’t,” Kate replied and he rolled his eyes. Jack chuckled lightly but kept his eyes trained on Kate, not wanting to start anything afresh with Sawyer.
“I should get back to the hatch anyway. Locke’s gotta be wondering where I am by now.”
“Oh come on, we don’t gotta stop. Let’s just play something else.”
”Like what? Go Fish?” Jack laughed, gathering up the cards on the table and shuffling them into a neat stack.
“Let’s play War.”
”War?”
“Don’t need any talent to play it. It’s right up my alley. No rules, no techniques, no lingo, just chance. How about it? Can the hatch spare you awhile longer?”
“Of course it can, sweetheart,” Sawyer stood up slowly, walking at a leisurely pace over to their game. “But Jacko here ain’t about to admit that. This old boy thinks everyone needs him all the time - overdeveloped sense of importance.”
“I don’t have to go back,” Jack ignored Sawyer and stared right at Kate. “I’m sure Locke has things covered.”
“Well, good.” Kate grinned, reaching out and taking the cards from Jack’s hand. Her touch lingered for a second too long and both Jack and Sawyer noticed; it’s an inescapable gesture, one designed to be subtle but obvious at the same time. Sawyer stepped forward to the edge of the table, urging a smirk onto his face.
“How ‘bout if I play?”
“Two person game, Sawyer,” Kate shrugged. “Maybe later.”
“Oh, I see, you’re making this an exclusive operation. Your pal Sawyer ain’t allowed in the private club. I see how it is.”
“It’s just a game, Sawyer. If you really wanna play-“
”Come on, Jack. Let’s take a walk,” Kate pushed up off her knees and stood, looking down at him expectantly. She slipped the cards back into their worn box and slid the lid shut carefully. Then she tapped her fingers on the cardboard side and raised her eyebrows, waiting for Jack to take action.
Jack seemed to consider her offer for a moment, weighing the choice laid out before him, before finally giving a little shrug and getting up from his seat.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
He circled around the table and stopped by Kate’s side, adjusting his gray backpack on his shoulders. Kate nodded, smiling, looking quite pleased that Jack had decided to join her.
Sawyer frowned deeply, watching the pair with great consternation. Kate was looking at Jack in that way he’s come to detest. Her blue-green eyes lit up with flecks of gold, dancing and sparkling with happiness, relief. Sawyer’s company is a comfort to her. Jack’s is a privilege. With Sawyer, all she has to do is show up with a grin and she’s guaranteed companionship. He has no need to force things deeper. With Jack, she has to work hard for every smile, every word.
Once it’s earned, it seems to have a giddy effect on her, like his attention is all the reward she needs. She tucked her hair behind her ear now and then stuck her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans, her smile wide and inviting. She nodded her head in the direction of the jungle and took the first step, wanting Jack to follow. And he did, falling in step beside her as they walked away.
Sawyer watched them go, wanting to make a snarky comment but not wanting to give Kate or Jack the satisfaction of knowing he’s bothered. So he simply turned back and walked into his tent, pulling the flap closed and blocking out the fading daylight.
*******
“Here’s good,” Kate stated, pointing to a clear, flat spot on the rock surface. Jack nodded in agreement, slipped his backpack off his broad shoulders and dropped it unceremoniously to the ground.
“This seems like a lot of work for a simple card game, Kate,” Jack observed, sitting down on the edge of the rock outcropping and bending over, unzipping his bag. He pulled out his water bottle and took a drink, then offered it to her. She accepted it gladly.
“Maybe I just needed a break from the beach, y’ know? Haven’t been back to the caves in awhile.” Kate paused, eyeing him. “Haven’t gotten to talk to you lately either.”
“Yeah. Well…” Jack sighed, not wanting to explain any of the myriad reasons he had been avoiding her like the plague as of a late.
“It’s okay,” Kate said quietly. “You don’t need to…” She let her sentence disappear, not finding the words to finish it. Her gaze fell on Jack’s face, her eyes moving over his expression, looking for some acknowledgment, some sense that he understood that she understood. He met her look head on, his brown eyes searching hers; she was the one to look away first. She dug the package of cards out of her back pocket and set them down on the rock between them. “Ready to play?”
“Sure,” Jack responded after a second’s worth of hesitation, as if he wasn’t quite ready to move on from the heavy topic that was about to come up between them, torn between finally talking about it or letting it pass, but then decided to just let it go.
“Good.” Kate pulled the cards from the box and set the box aside, not bothering to pick it up when it fell to the jungle floor. It was beat up enough; a little more dirt would not mean its destruction. But Jack bent and lifted it from the ground, setting it back between them on the rock while he watched her shuffle the deck, quickly count out two sets of 26. “Pick your stack.” She instructed him and he picked up the one nearest to him, not really caring.
“You ready?” He asked her when she looked at him again after picking up her own set of cards.
“How about you? You ready to get beat?” She teased, grinning eagerly. Jack laughed lightly, shaking his head.
“What are we playing for?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kate shrugged. “There isn’t much to play for on this island. Mangoes and bananas aren’t too exciting.”
“That’s for sure.”
“All right. Winner has to make the other person dinner. Without using mangoes or bananas,” Kate suggested, her eyes dancing with delight.
“That will be kind of hard, considering the dwindling food supply, Kate.”
“What, you scared you’re gonna lose?”
“Well there’s a 50/50 chance I might, you know,” Jack pointed out and Kate scoffed at him.
“Pessimistic much?”
”Realistic,” Jack corrected and Kate nodded with overdramatic seriousness, mocking him just a bit.
“Okay, Mr. Realist, you gonna take the bet or not?”
”It’s fine by me.”
“Kay then. Let’s go. Ready? 1..2…3…and-“ She and Jack slapped down their first cards and immediately Kate grimaced. Jack collected the pair and set them in a stack off to the side. “1..2..3…oh, Balls!” She yelped in frustration as another set went Jack’s way.
“I don’t think I’ve heard someone use balls as a swear word since high school,” Jack commented, amused, as they move through another face-off, once again ending with him adding to his stack.
“I would’ve loved to see what you were like in high school,” Kate replied, a little laugh escaping. “Ha! There we go.” She grabbed her first two cards with a small triumphant smile. Jack hardly seemed affected.
“High school was…high school. You know. The usual.” Jack didn’t elaborate and Kate frowned for a moment. She knew Jack wasn’t the type to delve into his own history, didn’t like talking about himself or his past particularly very much, but she had expected a little more than that.
“No, I don’t know,” she responded. “I went to high school in Iowa, Jack. You were probably out partying by some rich kid’s pool in Beverly Hills while I was out drinking a six pack and cow-tipping.”
“You…went cow tipping?”
“No. Not really. But you know what I mean.”
“Well I never went to Beverly Hills for parties,” Jack told her.
“Oh you didn’t?”
“I didn’t go to parties. At all.”
“You never went to a party in high school? Come on.”
”Didn’t have time.”
“Jesus Christ, Jack,” Kate was stunned, forgetting to pick up the cards she’d just won. “Never?”
”Once or twice, yeah, maybe. My dad would force me to go, say I was missing out on a crucial high school experience.”
”That’s sad, Jack. Your dad telling you to party.”
”Yeah, well, my dad also told me I had to graduate valedictorian and get into the top medical school in the country, so I kind of had to pick and choose which ones of his dictates I was going to follow. Couldn’t do both.” Jack said calmly but tightly. He gestured to the cards between them. “Your cards, Kate.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.” She scooped them up quickly and set them aside, laying down the next round. “Still…I would’ve chosen the fun. Only young once, right?”
“Yeah,” Jack smiled reluctantly. “But he could forgive me for being antisocial. Not becoming a surgeon? Well. Let’s just say it wasn’t an option. But if I knew now what I knew then…” He shook his head. Kate picked up the cards between them and handed them to him.
“What do you know now that would’ve helped?”
“Let’s just say that hindsight is 20/20. I think I would’ve worried less about meeting his expectations and a little more about pleasing myself,” Jack said, then laughed, blushing. “That came out wrong.”
“Made for a nice image in my head though,” Kate joked and Jack colored an even deeper shade of red.
“Kate…”
”Sorry. That was bad. And I really wasn’t imagining you naked right then. Really.”
“Kate, have you been drinking or something?” Jack asked, ceasing to play the game for a minute, his question was a joke but the meaning behind it real. Kate herself blushed then, embarrassed by her own forwardness. She had thought she could pass it off as a tease, but she knew she meant it. Because she had imagined him naked just then, a quick flash of bare skin moving through her mind, warming her all over, her hands tingling at the thought of feeling him, hard, muscled and hot underneath her fingertips.
“Why would you say that?” Kate replied, feigning innocence.
“Because what you’re doing is coming dangerously close to flirting.”
”I’d say more than close to it.”
“I thought we don’t do that anymore.”
“We don’t?”
“No, we don’t.”
”Oh. Because I thought that’s totally what we were doing.” Jack stared at Kate for a minute, then looked away, clueless as to what to say to that. “Jack-“ Kate started but was cut off by Jack throwing down his next card. Reluctantly she did the same. “War.” She said simply, softly, looking down at their matching pair of eights. Jack sighed and laid three cards face down, flipping up the last one. Kate matched him, frowning when he showed a king and she only a three.
He gathered the cards and set them aside.
“So what were you like? In high school?” He finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Quiet. Had a small group of friends, we just stayed out of the way. Not a joiner. Got good grades, kept my head down. Couldn’t wait to graduate, get out of town.”
“Oh.” She could tell Jack wanted to comment, wanted to say he wasn’t surprised she was itching to run, but he held it all back. All he said was: “So no crazy parties for you then either, huh.”
“I’d usually make an appearance. Say hi to a few people, have a beer, leave before it got crazy. Didn’t want trouble.” Kate laughed at the irony of it all. “Go figure.”
They both fell silent once again, the conversation hard to muster. They both wanted to say something, anything, to dispel the tension, but couldn’t think of the right words.
“Is that what you do, then?”
“What?”
“I mean…your hurry to leave town…”
“What about it?”
“Do you run no matter what? Was it…should I not be taking this personally?”
“Jack…” Kate was thrown by the sudden question, knowing it was bound to come eventually, but not having expected him to come out with it right then, just like that.
“You can just tell me, Kate. Because I’d really…I’d really like to know. I’m sick of feeling like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like I have to sit here and play cards with you and pretend that nothing is wrong. Cause I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep avoiding you, but I can’t do this either.”
“Jack-“
“I’m sorry. I should go.” Jack shook his head and stood up without looking at her, picking up his bag from the ground quickly. Not even knowing what she was doing, Kate jumped to her feet and lunged after him, grabbing his hand. She pulled him back around to face her, startled by the look of fear and confusion on his face. She gazed at him for just a moment, that minute dragging on for an eternity somehow compacted into sixty seconds, having stopped him but not knowing what to do next. “Kate.”
“Jack.”
And just like that, the tension broke, dissolving the cold brittle wall built shakily up between them into pure heat, warm and flowing around them like a gentle tropical breeze.
Her hands went to his face, instantly recalling memories of the last time she had touched him like this, how good it had felt even through her confusion. At that touch, that connection of their two bodies in one small gesture, one simple movement, Kate found it was even better when she was seeing clearly, when she was making the conscious decision to reach out and bridge the gap between them.
“Don’t go. Please don’t go.”
“Kate.”
“Jack.”
“I don’t…”
“Please.”
Her plea must have been enough, the simple word all he needed to make him stay. He put his hands over hers on his cheeks, his brown eyes focused intently on her face. He still looked unsure, but not of whether or not to leave, but of what to do next. He wanted to kiss her, but didn’t know if he should.
They reached the decision at the same time, moving toward one another, stepping into an embrace and their lips meeting. It started off gentle and timid, chaste even, neither of them knowing how far to take it. Jack’s hand shyly found her hip, his fingers barely brushing against the skin exposed between her shirt and her low slung pants, but it was enough for Kate to push through her fear and ask for more, her tongue moving to seek entrance to Jack’s mouth.
After a moment he opened to her, a delicate noise of pleasure murmuring past his lips when she slid into him, when her tongue found his and drew him out. She quickly fell in love with his taste, indescribable but good, so very good.
With all of the pain that their previous kiss had caused, Kate realized she hadn’t let herself enjoy the memory at all. She hadn’t been able to recall how sweetly his lips moved against hers or the sensation of him holding her close so tentatively, so unsure. The only moment she had allowed herself to play over and over again within her mind was the second she drew back, his eyes flickered open, and he looked so confused, so worried, so…anything but happy.
She drew back and opened her eyes. He didn’t look so startled this time. His eyes were cloudy with desire, his touch full of gentle passion, like he wanted to hold her, grab her, touch her everywhere, but wanted to take his time, treasure every simple connection of his fingers on her body.
Kate stepped backward, pulling him with her, and sat down on the flat boulder, crinkling some of the cards underneath her weight while others slid off onto the ground, slipped into crevices between the rocks. She looked up at him as he stood before her and put her hands on his waist, gently nudging them upward underneath his loose brown shirt
Jack’s hands grabbed hers, stilling them. He looked down at her seriously, gravely.
“Kate…we can’t.”
“We can.”
“I can’t. I can’t do this and then…I couldn’t take it if…”
“Stop fighting it, Jack.”
“Kate…”
“I’m not the enemy, Jack. There’s no reason to keep me at arm’s length.”
“There’s not?” Jack asked softly as he ran his own hand down the length of Kate’s arm and then back up to her wrist, her hand still playing at the waistline of his jeans.
“No.” She pushed the copper-colored button of his jeans through the frayed hole, the gesture enough to tell him how far she wants this to go. “Just…come here,” Kate finally said, at a loss of what to say to get him to close the space between them, to push her back flat onto the rock and climb on top of her.
Jack stepped closer and she tugged on his belt loops, trying to urge him downward. He slowly leant her backward, stopping halfway when her hands tugged up on his shirt, raising it halfway up his chest. For a moment Kate thought he would stop, but instead he pulled the shirt off, lifting it over his head. He balled it up the best he could and laid it on the rock behind her head, creating a makeshift pillow to cushion her.
She let her hands explore the newly uncovered vast expanse of skin, the strong chest and broad back she had seen the very first time they met and hadn’t touched since. He felt so real, his muscles quivering underneath her touch, his chest rising and falling ever more quickly as the pace of his breathing, of his heart beating, increases.
Then she lay back, stretching out underneath him. He gently crawled over her body, laying his weight down on her slowly, not wanting to hurt her. Kate felt his weight, felt his growing hardness pressing against her thigh, and his body covering hers became the best thing she’d ever felt. If they were rescued and she went home right now, found some soft bed with a downy comforter, it wouldn’t feel this good, the feeling of the rock against her back and Jack moving against her body. That is, of course, unless Jack was in that bed with her.
It was an idea she only entertained for a moment, because quickly all thoughts of past and future are pushed from her mind in favor of the present, for once a present that she had no wish to run from. Jack moved against her and she couldn’t help but groan. It’d been too long since she’d felt this, not only the feeling of a man’s body on top of hers, but the feeling that she really wanted it, wanted to make love to him and have it mean something. She couldn’t remember the last time it meant something.
Jack’s body was hard but yielding, strong but gentle. His arousal was more than evident but he held back from thrusting, from grinding, almost like he did not want her to be too aware of his want, did not want to rush things. But his hardness excited her, in the way that she never thought was fair. Men could never hide their desire, while he could only fathom a guess as to how aroused she was, how she was enjoying it, until things progressed further.
Kate reached down and untied her cargo pants, loosening the waistband quickly. Then she took Jack’s hand from her hip and guided it past the khaki material, slid his fingers underneath the elastic of her underwear, and made him touch her, feel how wet she was for him. He hesitated at first but she prompted him on and just as quickly as she had led his hand there, he took over and slipped a finger into her slick entrance.
She moaned into his mouth, long and drawn out, and her back arched off of the rock, crushing up against his chest. Her nipples were already in hard relief, the material of her top drawn tight across her breasts, and the sensation of Jack’s chest rubbing against hers only increased her arousal further.
Kate broke the kiss haphazardly with no warning, almost causing Jack to lose his balance, his mouth still seeking hers. But she needed more, and she needed it now. She pulled her shirt and tank top quickly over her head and then stripped down her underwear and pants, assuring Jack that if he didn’t know by now what she wanted, this was it.
Jack drew himself off of her and let her help him get rid of his jeans and boxers, his boots and socks kicked off along with hers, joining the bent and destroyed playing cards on the ground.
“Jack, I need you, please,” Kate whispered as she pulled him back on top of her, so close to the act now that she was breathless with anticipation, ready to feel him inside of her, needing to feel him inside of her. He’d been so distant lately, so far away, that she craved a connection now more so than ever, wanting him not only to return to her, but to become something he’d never even been before, something new.
“I missed you,” he whispered back, evidently feeling just the same way as she did. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Don’t ever not talk to me again, Jack, ever,” Kate plead breathlessly. She knew that in any other circumstance the request might seem pathetic and she would’ve hated hearing those words come from her mouth, but in that moment it was merely honest, true. She wouldn’t be able to take it, his silence, not after this. It hurt her when they had only shared casual flirtation and a few meaningful conversations. It could destroy her, once she’d let herself feel something this strong and powerful with him.
“Kate,” he murmured and Kate could tell that he was trying to slow down, to take his time, make it last. She didn’t want him to; she wanted him to give her release, set her free from the chains she’d wrapped around herself, to break down her last defense and become her protection. Her hand found his length and stroked him once. He grunted lightly and cursed, instinctively bucking into her grasp. “God, Kate.”
“I’m ready, Jack, don’t stop,” Kate murmured, moving her hand again. This time she guided him into her body, leading his swollen tip toward her heat. Jack got the idea; he didn’t ask again, didn’t hesitate, just pushed into her body slowly, painstakingly slowly. Once he was all the way inside, he paused, letting her adjust to his length and width stretching and filling her.
His eyes found hers, searching for a sign that she was okay, and that simple gaze made her heart swell with emotion. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her that way, like all he was asking to do was love her and care for her and nothing more. He was inside her, connected to her in the most intimate way, but it was the expression on his face that made it real, made her drop her last inhibition and fear and give herself over to him.
Kate lifted her head from where it rests on his t-shirt and brought her hands to the back of his head, pulling his face toward hers. She kissed him deeply, overwhelmed with the feeling that she wanted him closer, wanted him to simply melt into her and become part of her forever. He kissed her back with equal passion, and their bodies began to naturally move against one another’s, slowly at first, but quickly a faster pace was set, neither of them able to hold back.
She wrapped her legs around him and his hands traveled over the soft skin of her thighs as he held her to him, holding her steady while he thrust into her. Their mouths formed breathless whispers in between passionate kisses, telling each other how long they’d wanted this and how amazing it felt now that it was finally happening.
Her own hands explored his body, touching every inch of him that she had been longing to touch. The hard curve of his lower back; the sinewy muscles of his legs; his sculpted arms, colored with that mysterious ink; his short-cropped but soft brown hair; the sharp line of his stubbled jaw…everything that only lovers could feel underneath their fingertips and take the time to appreciate.
Jack was thrusting into her at just the right angle, stimulating her and bringing her to the brink quickly. The tell-tale warmth in the pit of her stomach flooded her entire body; her fingers tingled and her toes curled, her legs clenching around his body and holding him to her tightly.
“Jack,” she gasped, pulling her lips from his as the first wave of her orgasm took hold, his name turning into an incoherent moan that echoed throughout the caves. The world went blurry and she felt dizzy; she knew she was still moving against him, touching him, kissing him, but every movement was instinctual and out of her control, her body taking over her mind.
Suddenly Kate found that she had managed to prop herself up on her elbows, her lips crushing against Jack’s, begging him to let go and come with her. He relented, a heavenly sound slipping from his lips as his body shuddered over hers and he spilt himself into her, filling her completely.
They were both quiet in the moments immediately afterward, the silence full of sweet touches and light kisses as they both attempt to regain control of themselves. Light laughter moved past Kate’s lips and she buried her face in Jack’s chest as giggles took over her body. Jack drew back and tried to look her in the eyes but her eyes are closed.
“What’s the matter?” He asked her, concerned. She forced her eyes open, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “Kate?”
“I just…” She giggled again and her hands moved to caress his face, trying to reassure him that it’s all right before she could get the words out. “I’m so…happy…I can’t handle...” She laughed again and Jack brushed the tears from her cheeks, still worried. “It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Jack told her, pushing her messy hair from her face and smoothing it down. Kate nodded as her giggles started to recede and she let herself relax into his embrace, allowing him to hold her, make her feel safe, for as long as he wanted to. She wasn’t going anywhere.
*******
It was two hours later when Kate and Jack finally started making their way back to camp, neither of them wanting to go back and deal with the reality waiting for them there, but knowing they had to.
“You have to go back to the hatch?” Kate asked, hopefully.
“I…I’ve already been gone all day.”
“Oh…right.” Her face fell and Jack smiled.
“I only meant that I was gone all day and I haven’t heard that the place fell apart yet…I’m sure it can wait until morning. I’ll walk you back to the beach?”
“Sure…I’d like that,” Kate smiled in return and took a step toward him, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A blue flashing light off in the distance, through the trees. She looked to Jack, startled and curious. “Do you see that?”
”Yeah.” Jack replied. Without another word they both head toward it, with trepidation and with interest. They come upon the flickering light in a small clearing and as the light from their torches illuminated the area, Kate could see a pile of fabric crumpled on the ground, a large, strange package further away from them. “It’s a parachute.” Jack stated and Kate moved past him, toward the other object. “Wait!” Jack warned her but she already had her hand inside.
She held up the box for him, bewildered.
“It’s food.”
“Food?”
“It’s all food.”
Jack stopped beside her, pulling back the covering some more to reveal boxes and cans, all labeled with the Dharma logo.
“This doesn’t make any sense.” Jack said, shaking his head. “It must’ve been air-dropped…I didn’t hear a plane. Did you?”
“No.”
“How could we not have heard a plane?”
“Jack.”
“Oh. Right…” He blushed slightly and turned back to the stack of food. “Well…”
“Well, at least you can make me that dinner now.” Kate teased, setting the box of macaroni and cheese in her hand back down.
“Oh, I’m making you dinner? Didn’t realize that I lost.” Jack teased her back, pulling back the cover on top of the food, not knowing what else to do with it. Kate grinned, stepping away from it and glancing back in the direction of camp.
“I wouldn’t say you lost. Just that I won.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he stepped closer to her, setting one hand on her arm.
“You did, did you?”
“Definitely,” she responded, smiling as he leaned down toward her. He was about to kiss her when the jungle rustled behind them. They both turned around quickly, startled. The smile slid off Kate’s face as she saw Charlie, Sayid and Ana Lucia emerge from the trees, torches in hand.
“What in the bloody hell is that?” Charlie questioned, looking at the covered package behind them. Kate looked to Jack, wondering what he’s going to say, when she realized he was staring at Sayid, dismayed.
“What’d you find?” He asked and Sayid leveled his gaze coolly back at him in return, telling him with no words that he’d found something.
“Let’s go.” Is all Sayid said before walking past Jack and Kate. Jack threw a look in Kate’s direction and then followed Sayid, looking worried. Kate hurried after him.
They couldn’t avoid reality for long, it seemed. Reality had a way of finding them. And whatever this new reality was, that Sayid had brought back, Kate had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.
END
Pairing: Jack/Kate
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Up through 2x17, “Lockdown”
Disclaimer: Not Mine!
A/N: For __inadream, who requested a fic along these lines: What if Kate and Jack had kept playing poker rather than Sawyer and Jack? Smut ensues.
A/N #2: It's short. It's fluffy. Mark it on the calendar, folks.
“You know, you really are terrible.” Jack laughed, watching Kate openly react to the hand she was dealt.
“What? I am not.” She retorted, pretending to be offended by his good-natured teasing.
“You have so many tells I don’t think I can even keep track of them all.”
“I do not.”
“Like right now, I know that you got dealt something decent, a pair in the hole, maybe, because you looked down and to the left and then you smiled. You do that every time you think you’ve got something good.”
“Liar.”
“When you see the flop, if you think you have something going for you, you’ll drum your fingers on the table before making your bet. If you’re not sure, you’ll bite your lip. If you’re gonna fold but want to give the impression that you might not, you’ll bend the edge of your top card and sigh before you do anything.”
“Okay, that’s it.” Kate threw her pair down on the table, face up. “We’ve been doing this for like, two and a half hours now and I know the only reason I even have any mangoes is cause you’ve been letting me win a few. A girl’s pride can only take so much, Jack.”
“You wanna quit? I thought you wanted to learn?”
“I’ll leave the beating of Sawyer’s ass to you, I think. You did it so well,” She winked at him and then tossed a look toward Sawyer’s tent. He was sitting at its entrance, flipping idly through an old magazine from the hatch. He heard her words and snorted, throwing her a dirty look. After Jack had taken the last of Sawyer’s mangoes with his Kings wired, Sawyer had stalked off and left Kate and Hurley to giggle over his defeat. Hurley got a few chuckles in before being distracted by Libby walking by, hurrying after her and hoping to join her. And she had let him, gladly.
“Doc just lucked out. Pocket kings, my ass. Anybody would’ve won with those,” He sniped loudly, his voice bridging the space between the makeshift card table and his tent.
“Except you didn’t,” Kate replied and he rolled his eyes. Jack chuckled lightly but kept his eyes trained on Kate, not wanting to start anything afresh with Sawyer.
“I should get back to the hatch anyway. Locke’s gotta be wondering where I am by now.”
“Oh come on, we don’t gotta stop. Let’s just play something else.”
”Like what? Go Fish?” Jack laughed, gathering up the cards on the table and shuffling them into a neat stack.
“Let’s play War.”
”War?”
“Don’t need any talent to play it. It’s right up my alley. No rules, no techniques, no lingo, just chance. How about it? Can the hatch spare you awhile longer?”
“Of course it can, sweetheart,” Sawyer stood up slowly, walking at a leisurely pace over to their game. “But Jacko here ain’t about to admit that. This old boy thinks everyone needs him all the time - overdeveloped sense of importance.”
“I don’t have to go back,” Jack ignored Sawyer and stared right at Kate. “I’m sure Locke has things covered.”
“Well, good.” Kate grinned, reaching out and taking the cards from Jack’s hand. Her touch lingered for a second too long and both Jack and Sawyer noticed; it’s an inescapable gesture, one designed to be subtle but obvious at the same time. Sawyer stepped forward to the edge of the table, urging a smirk onto his face.
“How ‘bout if I play?”
“Two person game, Sawyer,” Kate shrugged. “Maybe later.”
“Oh, I see, you’re making this an exclusive operation. Your pal Sawyer ain’t allowed in the private club. I see how it is.”
“It’s just a game, Sawyer. If you really wanna play-“
”Come on, Jack. Let’s take a walk,” Kate pushed up off her knees and stood, looking down at him expectantly. She slipped the cards back into their worn box and slid the lid shut carefully. Then she tapped her fingers on the cardboard side and raised her eyebrows, waiting for Jack to take action.
Jack seemed to consider her offer for a moment, weighing the choice laid out before him, before finally giving a little shrug and getting up from his seat.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
He circled around the table and stopped by Kate’s side, adjusting his gray backpack on his shoulders. Kate nodded, smiling, looking quite pleased that Jack had decided to join her.
Sawyer frowned deeply, watching the pair with great consternation. Kate was looking at Jack in that way he’s come to detest. Her blue-green eyes lit up with flecks of gold, dancing and sparkling with happiness, relief. Sawyer’s company is a comfort to her. Jack’s is a privilege. With Sawyer, all she has to do is show up with a grin and she’s guaranteed companionship. He has no need to force things deeper. With Jack, she has to work hard for every smile, every word.
Once it’s earned, it seems to have a giddy effect on her, like his attention is all the reward she needs. She tucked her hair behind her ear now and then stuck her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans, her smile wide and inviting. She nodded her head in the direction of the jungle and took the first step, wanting Jack to follow. And he did, falling in step beside her as they walked away.
Sawyer watched them go, wanting to make a snarky comment but not wanting to give Kate or Jack the satisfaction of knowing he’s bothered. So he simply turned back and walked into his tent, pulling the flap closed and blocking out the fading daylight.
*******
“Here’s good,” Kate stated, pointing to a clear, flat spot on the rock surface. Jack nodded in agreement, slipped his backpack off his broad shoulders and dropped it unceremoniously to the ground.
“This seems like a lot of work for a simple card game, Kate,” Jack observed, sitting down on the edge of the rock outcropping and bending over, unzipping his bag. He pulled out his water bottle and took a drink, then offered it to her. She accepted it gladly.
“Maybe I just needed a break from the beach, y’ know? Haven’t been back to the caves in awhile.” Kate paused, eyeing him. “Haven’t gotten to talk to you lately either.”
“Yeah. Well…” Jack sighed, not wanting to explain any of the myriad reasons he had been avoiding her like the plague as of a late.
“It’s okay,” Kate said quietly. “You don’t need to…” She let her sentence disappear, not finding the words to finish it. Her gaze fell on Jack’s face, her eyes moving over his expression, looking for some acknowledgment, some sense that he understood that she understood. He met her look head on, his brown eyes searching hers; she was the one to look away first. She dug the package of cards out of her back pocket and set them down on the rock between them. “Ready to play?”
“Sure,” Jack responded after a second’s worth of hesitation, as if he wasn’t quite ready to move on from the heavy topic that was about to come up between them, torn between finally talking about it or letting it pass, but then decided to just let it go.
“Good.” Kate pulled the cards from the box and set the box aside, not bothering to pick it up when it fell to the jungle floor. It was beat up enough; a little more dirt would not mean its destruction. But Jack bent and lifted it from the ground, setting it back between them on the rock while he watched her shuffle the deck, quickly count out two sets of 26. “Pick your stack.” She instructed him and he picked up the one nearest to him, not really caring.
“You ready?” He asked her when she looked at him again after picking up her own set of cards.
“How about you? You ready to get beat?” She teased, grinning eagerly. Jack laughed lightly, shaking his head.
“What are we playing for?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Kate shrugged. “There isn’t much to play for on this island. Mangoes and bananas aren’t too exciting.”
“That’s for sure.”
“All right. Winner has to make the other person dinner. Without using mangoes or bananas,” Kate suggested, her eyes dancing with delight.
“That will be kind of hard, considering the dwindling food supply, Kate.”
“What, you scared you’re gonna lose?”
“Well there’s a 50/50 chance I might, you know,” Jack pointed out and Kate scoffed at him.
“Pessimistic much?”
”Realistic,” Jack corrected and Kate nodded with overdramatic seriousness, mocking him just a bit.
“Okay, Mr. Realist, you gonna take the bet or not?”
”It’s fine by me.”
“Kay then. Let’s go. Ready? 1..2…3…and-“ She and Jack slapped down their first cards and immediately Kate grimaced. Jack collected the pair and set them in a stack off to the side. “1..2..3…oh, Balls!” She yelped in frustration as another set went Jack’s way.
“I don’t think I’ve heard someone use balls as a swear word since high school,” Jack commented, amused, as they move through another face-off, once again ending with him adding to his stack.
“I would’ve loved to see what you were like in high school,” Kate replied, a little laugh escaping. “Ha! There we go.” She grabbed her first two cards with a small triumphant smile. Jack hardly seemed affected.
“High school was…high school. You know. The usual.” Jack didn’t elaborate and Kate frowned for a moment. She knew Jack wasn’t the type to delve into his own history, didn’t like talking about himself or his past particularly very much, but she had expected a little more than that.
“No, I don’t know,” she responded. “I went to high school in Iowa, Jack. You were probably out partying by some rich kid’s pool in Beverly Hills while I was out drinking a six pack and cow-tipping.”
“You…went cow tipping?”
“No. Not really. But you know what I mean.”
“Well I never went to Beverly Hills for parties,” Jack told her.
“Oh you didn’t?”
“I didn’t go to parties. At all.”
“You never went to a party in high school? Come on.”
”Didn’t have time.”
“Jesus Christ, Jack,” Kate was stunned, forgetting to pick up the cards she’d just won. “Never?”
”Once or twice, yeah, maybe. My dad would force me to go, say I was missing out on a crucial high school experience.”
”That’s sad, Jack. Your dad telling you to party.”
”Yeah, well, my dad also told me I had to graduate valedictorian and get into the top medical school in the country, so I kind of had to pick and choose which ones of his dictates I was going to follow. Couldn’t do both.” Jack said calmly but tightly. He gestured to the cards between them. “Your cards, Kate.”
“Oh. Right. Sorry.” She scooped them up quickly and set them aside, laying down the next round. “Still…I would’ve chosen the fun. Only young once, right?”
“Yeah,” Jack smiled reluctantly. “But he could forgive me for being antisocial. Not becoming a surgeon? Well. Let’s just say it wasn’t an option. But if I knew now what I knew then…” He shook his head. Kate picked up the cards between them and handed them to him.
“What do you know now that would’ve helped?”
“Let’s just say that hindsight is 20/20. I think I would’ve worried less about meeting his expectations and a little more about pleasing myself,” Jack said, then laughed, blushing. “That came out wrong.”
“Made for a nice image in my head though,” Kate joked and Jack colored an even deeper shade of red.
“Kate…”
”Sorry. That was bad. And I really wasn’t imagining you naked right then. Really.”
“Kate, have you been drinking or something?” Jack asked, ceasing to play the game for a minute, his question was a joke but the meaning behind it real. Kate herself blushed then, embarrassed by her own forwardness. She had thought she could pass it off as a tease, but she knew she meant it. Because she had imagined him naked just then, a quick flash of bare skin moving through her mind, warming her all over, her hands tingling at the thought of feeling him, hard, muscled and hot underneath her fingertips.
“Why would you say that?” Kate replied, feigning innocence.
“Because what you’re doing is coming dangerously close to flirting.”
”I’d say more than close to it.”
“I thought we don’t do that anymore.”
“We don’t?”
“No, we don’t.”
”Oh. Because I thought that’s totally what we were doing.” Jack stared at Kate for a minute, then looked away, clueless as to what to say to that. “Jack-“ Kate started but was cut off by Jack throwing down his next card. Reluctantly she did the same. “War.” She said simply, softly, looking down at their matching pair of eights. Jack sighed and laid three cards face down, flipping up the last one. Kate matched him, frowning when he showed a king and she only a three.
He gathered the cards and set them aside.
“So what were you like? In high school?” He finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.
“Quiet. Had a small group of friends, we just stayed out of the way. Not a joiner. Got good grades, kept my head down. Couldn’t wait to graduate, get out of town.”
“Oh.” She could tell Jack wanted to comment, wanted to say he wasn’t surprised she was itching to run, but he held it all back. All he said was: “So no crazy parties for you then either, huh.”
“I’d usually make an appearance. Say hi to a few people, have a beer, leave before it got crazy. Didn’t want trouble.” Kate laughed at the irony of it all. “Go figure.”
They both fell silent once again, the conversation hard to muster. They both wanted to say something, anything, to dispel the tension, but couldn’t think of the right words.
“Is that what you do, then?”
“What?”
“I mean…your hurry to leave town…”
“What about it?”
“Do you run no matter what? Was it…should I not be taking this personally?”
“Jack…” Kate was thrown by the sudden question, knowing it was bound to come eventually, but not having expected him to come out with it right then, just like that.
“You can just tell me, Kate. Because I’d really…I’d really like to know. I’m sick of feeling like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like I have to sit here and play cards with you and pretend that nothing is wrong. Cause I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep avoiding you, but I can’t do this either.”
“Jack-“
“I’m sorry. I should go.” Jack shook his head and stood up without looking at her, picking up his bag from the ground quickly. Not even knowing what she was doing, Kate jumped to her feet and lunged after him, grabbing his hand. She pulled him back around to face her, startled by the look of fear and confusion on his face. She gazed at him for just a moment, that minute dragging on for an eternity somehow compacted into sixty seconds, having stopped him but not knowing what to do next. “Kate.”
“Jack.”
And just like that, the tension broke, dissolving the cold brittle wall built shakily up between them into pure heat, warm and flowing around them like a gentle tropical breeze.
Her hands went to his face, instantly recalling memories of the last time she had touched him like this, how good it had felt even through her confusion. At that touch, that connection of their two bodies in one small gesture, one simple movement, Kate found it was even better when she was seeing clearly, when she was making the conscious decision to reach out and bridge the gap between them.
“Don’t go. Please don’t go.”
“Kate.”
“Jack.”
“I don’t…”
“Please.”
Her plea must have been enough, the simple word all he needed to make him stay. He put his hands over hers on his cheeks, his brown eyes focused intently on her face. He still looked unsure, but not of whether or not to leave, but of what to do next. He wanted to kiss her, but didn’t know if he should.
They reached the decision at the same time, moving toward one another, stepping into an embrace and their lips meeting. It started off gentle and timid, chaste even, neither of them knowing how far to take it. Jack’s hand shyly found her hip, his fingers barely brushing against the skin exposed between her shirt and her low slung pants, but it was enough for Kate to push through her fear and ask for more, her tongue moving to seek entrance to Jack’s mouth.
After a moment he opened to her, a delicate noise of pleasure murmuring past his lips when she slid into him, when her tongue found his and drew him out. She quickly fell in love with his taste, indescribable but good, so very good.
With all of the pain that their previous kiss had caused, Kate realized she hadn’t let herself enjoy the memory at all. She hadn’t been able to recall how sweetly his lips moved against hers or the sensation of him holding her close so tentatively, so unsure. The only moment she had allowed herself to play over and over again within her mind was the second she drew back, his eyes flickered open, and he looked so confused, so worried, so…anything but happy.
She drew back and opened her eyes. He didn’t look so startled this time. His eyes were cloudy with desire, his touch full of gentle passion, like he wanted to hold her, grab her, touch her everywhere, but wanted to take his time, treasure every simple connection of his fingers on her body.
Kate stepped backward, pulling him with her, and sat down on the flat boulder, crinkling some of the cards underneath her weight while others slid off onto the ground, slipped into crevices between the rocks. She looked up at him as he stood before her and put her hands on his waist, gently nudging them upward underneath his loose brown shirt
Jack’s hands grabbed hers, stilling them. He looked down at her seriously, gravely.
“Kate…we can’t.”
“We can.”
“I can’t. I can’t do this and then…I couldn’t take it if…”
“Stop fighting it, Jack.”
“Kate…”
“I’m not the enemy, Jack. There’s no reason to keep me at arm’s length.”
“There’s not?” Jack asked softly as he ran his own hand down the length of Kate’s arm and then back up to her wrist, her hand still playing at the waistline of his jeans.
“No.” She pushed the copper-colored button of his jeans through the frayed hole, the gesture enough to tell him how far she wants this to go. “Just…come here,” Kate finally said, at a loss of what to say to get him to close the space between them, to push her back flat onto the rock and climb on top of her.
Jack stepped closer and she tugged on his belt loops, trying to urge him downward. He slowly leant her backward, stopping halfway when her hands tugged up on his shirt, raising it halfway up his chest. For a moment Kate thought he would stop, but instead he pulled the shirt off, lifting it over his head. He balled it up the best he could and laid it on the rock behind her head, creating a makeshift pillow to cushion her.
She let her hands explore the newly uncovered vast expanse of skin, the strong chest and broad back she had seen the very first time they met and hadn’t touched since. He felt so real, his muscles quivering underneath her touch, his chest rising and falling ever more quickly as the pace of his breathing, of his heart beating, increases.
Then she lay back, stretching out underneath him. He gently crawled over her body, laying his weight down on her slowly, not wanting to hurt her. Kate felt his weight, felt his growing hardness pressing against her thigh, and his body covering hers became the best thing she’d ever felt. If they were rescued and she went home right now, found some soft bed with a downy comforter, it wouldn’t feel this good, the feeling of the rock against her back and Jack moving against her body. That is, of course, unless Jack was in that bed with her.
It was an idea she only entertained for a moment, because quickly all thoughts of past and future are pushed from her mind in favor of the present, for once a present that she had no wish to run from. Jack moved against her and she couldn’t help but groan. It’d been too long since she’d felt this, not only the feeling of a man’s body on top of hers, but the feeling that she really wanted it, wanted to make love to him and have it mean something. She couldn’t remember the last time it meant something.
Jack’s body was hard but yielding, strong but gentle. His arousal was more than evident but he held back from thrusting, from grinding, almost like he did not want her to be too aware of his want, did not want to rush things. But his hardness excited her, in the way that she never thought was fair. Men could never hide their desire, while he could only fathom a guess as to how aroused she was, how she was enjoying it, until things progressed further.
Kate reached down and untied her cargo pants, loosening the waistband quickly. Then she took Jack’s hand from her hip and guided it past the khaki material, slid his fingers underneath the elastic of her underwear, and made him touch her, feel how wet she was for him. He hesitated at first but she prompted him on and just as quickly as she had led his hand there, he took over and slipped a finger into her slick entrance.
She moaned into his mouth, long and drawn out, and her back arched off of the rock, crushing up against his chest. Her nipples were already in hard relief, the material of her top drawn tight across her breasts, and the sensation of Jack’s chest rubbing against hers only increased her arousal further.
Kate broke the kiss haphazardly with no warning, almost causing Jack to lose his balance, his mouth still seeking hers. But she needed more, and she needed it now. She pulled her shirt and tank top quickly over her head and then stripped down her underwear and pants, assuring Jack that if he didn’t know by now what she wanted, this was it.
Jack drew himself off of her and let her help him get rid of his jeans and boxers, his boots and socks kicked off along with hers, joining the bent and destroyed playing cards on the ground.
“Jack, I need you, please,” Kate whispered as she pulled him back on top of her, so close to the act now that she was breathless with anticipation, ready to feel him inside of her, needing to feel him inside of her. He’d been so distant lately, so far away, that she craved a connection now more so than ever, wanting him not only to return to her, but to become something he’d never even been before, something new.
“I missed you,” he whispered back, evidently feeling just the same way as she did. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“Don’t ever not talk to me again, Jack, ever,” Kate plead breathlessly. She knew that in any other circumstance the request might seem pathetic and she would’ve hated hearing those words come from her mouth, but in that moment it was merely honest, true. She wouldn’t be able to take it, his silence, not after this. It hurt her when they had only shared casual flirtation and a few meaningful conversations. It could destroy her, once she’d let herself feel something this strong and powerful with him.
“Kate,” he murmured and Kate could tell that he was trying to slow down, to take his time, make it last. She didn’t want him to; she wanted him to give her release, set her free from the chains she’d wrapped around herself, to break down her last defense and become her protection. Her hand found his length and stroked him once. He grunted lightly and cursed, instinctively bucking into her grasp. “God, Kate.”
“I’m ready, Jack, don’t stop,” Kate murmured, moving her hand again. This time she guided him into her body, leading his swollen tip toward her heat. Jack got the idea; he didn’t ask again, didn’t hesitate, just pushed into her body slowly, painstakingly slowly. Once he was all the way inside, he paused, letting her adjust to his length and width stretching and filling her.
His eyes found hers, searching for a sign that she was okay, and that simple gaze made her heart swell with emotion. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had looked at her that way, like all he was asking to do was love her and care for her and nothing more. He was inside her, connected to her in the most intimate way, but it was the expression on his face that made it real, made her drop her last inhibition and fear and give herself over to him.
Kate lifted her head from where it rests on his t-shirt and brought her hands to the back of his head, pulling his face toward hers. She kissed him deeply, overwhelmed with the feeling that she wanted him closer, wanted him to simply melt into her and become part of her forever. He kissed her back with equal passion, and their bodies began to naturally move against one another’s, slowly at first, but quickly a faster pace was set, neither of them able to hold back.
She wrapped her legs around him and his hands traveled over the soft skin of her thighs as he held her to him, holding her steady while he thrust into her. Their mouths formed breathless whispers in between passionate kisses, telling each other how long they’d wanted this and how amazing it felt now that it was finally happening.
Her own hands explored his body, touching every inch of him that she had been longing to touch. The hard curve of his lower back; the sinewy muscles of his legs; his sculpted arms, colored with that mysterious ink; his short-cropped but soft brown hair; the sharp line of his stubbled jaw…everything that only lovers could feel underneath their fingertips and take the time to appreciate.
Jack was thrusting into her at just the right angle, stimulating her and bringing her to the brink quickly. The tell-tale warmth in the pit of her stomach flooded her entire body; her fingers tingled and her toes curled, her legs clenching around his body and holding him to her tightly.
“Jack,” she gasped, pulling her lips from his as the first wave of her orgasm took hold, his name turning into an incoherent moan that echoed throughout the caves. The world went blurry and she felt dizzy; she knew she was still moving against him, touching him, kissing him, but every movement was instinctual and out of her control, her body taking over her mind.
Suddenly Kate found that she had managed to prop herself up on her elbows, her lips crushing against Jack’s, begging him to let go and come with her. He relented, a heavenly sound slipping from his lips as his body shuddered over hers and he spilt himself into her, filling her completely.
They were both quiet in the moments immediately afterward, the silence full of sweet touches and light kisses as they both attempt to regain control of themselves. Light laughter moved past Kate’s lips and she buried her face in Jack’s chest as giggles took over her body. Jack drew back and tried to look her in the eyes but her eyes are closed.
“What’s the matter?” He asked her, concerned. She forced her eyes open, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “Kate?”
“I just…” She giggled again and her hands moved to caress his face, trying to reassure him that it’s all right before she could get the words out. “I’m so…happy…I can’t handle...” She laughed again and Jack brushed the tears from her cheeks, still worried. “It’s like I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” Jack told her, pushing her messy hair from her face and smoothing it down. Kate nodded as her giggles started to recede and she let herself relax into his embrace, allowing him to hold her, make her feel safe, for as long as he wanted to. She wasn’t going anywhere.
*******
It was two hours later when Kate and Jack finally started making their way back to camp, neither of them wanting to go back and deal with the reality waiting for them there, but knowing they had to.
“You have to go back to the hatch?” Kate asked, hopefully.
“I…I’ve already been gone all day.”
“Oh…right.” Her face fell and Jack smiled.
“I only meant that I was gone all day and I haven’t heard that the place fell apart yet…I’m sure it can wait until morning. I’ll walk you back to the beach?”
“Sure…I’d like that,” Kate smiled in return and took a step toward him, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. A blue flashing light off in the distance, through the trees. She looked to Jack, startled and curious. “Do you see that?”
”Yeah.” Jack replied. Without another word they both head toward it, with trepidation and with interest. They come upon the flickering light in a small clearing and as the light from their torches illuminated the area, Kate could see a pile of fabric crumpled on the ground, a large, strange package further away from them. “It’s a parachute.” Jack stated and Kate moved past him, toward the other object. “Wait!” Jack warned her but she already had her hand inside.
She held up the box for him, bewildered.
“It’s food.”
“Food?”
“It’s all food.”
Jack stopped beside her, pulling back the covering some more to reveal boxes and cans, all labeled with the Dharma logo.
“This doesn’t make any sense.” Jack said, shaking his head. “It must’ve been air-dropped…I didn’t hear a plane. Did you?”
“No.”
“How could we not have heard a plane?”
“Jack.”
“Oh. Right…” He blushed slightly and turned back to the stack of food. “Well…”
“Well, at least you can make me that dinner now.” Kate teased, setting the box of macaroni and cheese in her hand back down.
“Oh, I’m making you dinner? Didn’t realize that I lost.” Jack teased her back, pulling back the cover on top of the food, not knowing what else to do with it. Kate grinned, stepping away from it and glancing back in the direction of camp.
“I wouldn’t say you lost. Just that I won.” She raised an eyebrow at him and he stepped closer to her, setting one hand on her arm.
“You did, did you?”
“Definitely,” she responded, smiling as he leaned down toward her. He was about to kiss her when the jungle rustled behind them. They both turned around quickly, startled. The smile slid off Kate’s face as she saw Charlie, Sayid and Ana Lucia emerge from the trees, torches in hand.
“What in the bloody hell is that?” Charlie questioned, looking at the covered package behind them. Kate looked to Jack, wondering what he’s going to say, when she realized he was staring at Sayid, dismayed.
“What’d you find?” He asked and Sayid leveled his gaze coolly back at him in return, telling him with no words that he’d found something.
“Let’s go.” Is all Sayid said before walking past Jack and Kate. Jack threw a look in Kate’s direction and then followed Sayid, looking worried. Kate hurried after him.
They couldn’t avoid reality for long, it seemed. Reality had a way of finding them. And whatever this new reality was, that Sayid had brought back, Kate had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.
END