★ but I'm going to be okay as long as you're beside me along the way

[complexguy]

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[dharmalady]

"You don't have anything to apologize for," she promises, running her fingers through his hair. "I'll always take care of you. Best that I can."

She pulls the sheet up to cover them both, kissing is shoulder softly.

[complexguy]

He sleepily mumbles a reply, drifting back to sleep quickly. Over the next few days, he finally catches up on sleep, regaining his strength and feeling so much better now. It's all thanks to Juliet, of course.

[dharmalady]

He's not feeling so much better that she's comfortable with him working, but he isn't contagious anymore, so Miles and Jin come over for dinner. It's a good time, all of them laughing and joking when Miles makes the innocent comment that it's insane, how they'd never just be having a casual dinner together like this if not for some crazy circumstances bringing them together.

And then he elaborates by saying hell, Jim and Juliet probably never would have been a thing.

It's innocent, but now Juliet's thinking about it, for the entire rest of the evening.

[complexguy]

For his part, James doesn't think much of the comment at all, but he does notice that Juliet seems to get progressively more quiet and subdued as the evening goes on. He doesn't call attention to it while they're all together, but after Miles and Jin go back, James casually remarks, "Got kinda quiet, Blondie. Everything alright?"

[dharmalady]

Juliet doesn't want to make it a big deal, and she shouldn't. But she can't help thinking about it.

"Do you think Miles is right?" she asks quietly. "Just...you know. In the real world, I wasn't exactly the gun toting type."

[complexguy]

"Right about what?" He honestly doesn't make the connection at first, thinking back to what Miles said that might have been significant. Narrowing his eyes a little in confusion, he asks, "'Bout us not bein' a thing if we weren't on the island? Juliet, I didn't have a thing with anyone back home." He gets quieter now, always a little ashamed when he talks about his past.

[dharmalady]

Juliet didn't exactly, either, even before she came to the island, and she reaches for his hand.

"Just that until this happened--" She pauses, turning her head up to meet his gaze.

"Were you and Sayid gonna torture me?"

[complexguy]

It feels strange to hold her hand when she asks him that question, like he's a damn hypocrite. So, he can't look at her when he responds. "Why you gotta know that, Juliet?"

[dharmalady]

"I need you to know it's okay," she breathes out. "It just made me think about all of the things that had to happen to get us right here."

She tugs his hand until he looks at her. "No matter what your answer is, a week after that day with Sayid, you saved my life from flaming arrows. You showed me who you really were a lot earlier than you realize."

[complexguy]

She can say it's okay, but he's not feeling that way right now. His eyes only briefly flicker to hers, then away again. "We were gonna torture you, and that's okay?

[dharmalady]

"I tased you and helped keep you locked in a cage like an animal. Was that okay?"

They both immediately saved the other, and he can't deny that.

[complexguy]

He's quiet for a long moment, biting his tongue. She was just going along with Ben and the Others, but he'll leave it at that for now. "How'd you know I was really a good man, Juliet?"

[dharmalady]

Juliet takes his hands in hers and kisses his knuckles softly.

"The way you were when Charlotte was dying," she murmurs quietly. "The way you took care of Aaron when Claire disappeared. You saved Amy's life. You saved mine. You are not a murderer, James and I knew that the second I read your file, but I knew it when you washed up on the beach."

[complexguy]

He squeezes her hands and then leans in to kiss her forehead tenderly. "You lovin' me, it's made me a better man. Everyday, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

"And I'll keep loving you," she promises, finding his lips now to kiss him softly.

"And look how much you love me," Juliet whispers. "I know that it's true and I know that it's real, and you are good," she says, voice breaking a little.

[complexguy]

No one's ever loved or cared about him this much, and no one ever will. Hearing her voice break, he cradles her cheek tenderly, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"I love you. So much, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

"I love you, James. And you know what? Everything that came before doesn't matter. We were both here, and we both love one another exactly the way we needed," she says softly, pulling him close, needing to hold him.

[complexguy]

His lips press to her temple tenderly, arms wrapping around her with no hesitation. "How'd you get so damn smart?"

[dharmalady]

"Well. You made me feel a lot better about myself just by loving me."

Juliet smiles and breathes him in, sighing contently. They go to bed not long after, and then, Monday comes and the work week begins. For Juliet, it starts bad and gets worse, and by the time James arrives to walk with her home, she's covered in oil, a streak of it on her cheek, and she's taking her frustration out on a radiator, hitting it with a wrench over and over again.

[complexguy]

He watches her for a long moment, but then he has to walk up to her and try to comfort her. "Jules?" He calls out to her softly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

[dharmalady]

When she turns to him, she's so angry, but it clearly isn't at him, and she softens just a little.

"Hi," she mumbles, dropping the tool and tugging her gloves off. "I'm ready. No lingering today, okay?"

[complexguy]

He doesn't say anything for now, just taking her hand and leading her away from the motor pool. "You okay, sweetheart?"

[dharmalady]

"I didn't say anything because I wanted to surprise you, but it doesn't matter, I guess."

She heaves out a breath. "I applied for day shift supervisor since Reggie went to construction."

And she obviously didn't get it.

[complexguy]

"Son of a bitch," he murmurs under his breath, tensing a little. "Who'd they give it to? No one they got there is good as you, Juliet."

[dharmalady]

"Mark," she mutters. They've been working in the motor pool for the same amount of time, and she knows she's a better mechanic.

"I just wanna go home," she sighs softly. "Take a bath and eat ice cream or something. Wanna come to my pity party?"