It's noon of the second full day since Jack became part of the Others' community, and he's
sitting on the stoop of his well-appointed "suburban" home. The humidity is making him sweat, though he doesn't feel warm or cold. He'd sat in on a book club meeting that morning and it seemed so foreign, like something he wasn't witnessing in person but rather something he was watching on a black and white television. He's hungry and thinks about the cold macaroni salad Juliet put in his refrigerator last night. She kept doing things like that. He wasn't used to it, but he was beginning to think that she was the only thing that made this place bearable.

Juliet is watching Jack from her window. He wasn't her type; she never used to go in for the
broody, weight-of-the-world men. But she likes Jack; it could be the novelty of having a new
man to look at and listen to, it could be his perpetually wide eyes and the way they take in
every detail and reflect every emotion. She figures it's a combination of both, and right now
it's the way the sweat on his brow is causing him to squint.

She digs a piece of strawberry pie out of her fridge and puts it on a plate. She considers whipped cream, and she remembers she doesn't have any, that this island can't provide every luxury. She walks outside with the pie, and goes over to where Jack is sitting.

He wipes the sweat off with the palm of his hand when he notices her.

"Thought you might want something sweet." She smiles and holds out the plate.

Jack wonders how she knew he was thinking of food and lets the thought linger, savoring the idea that maybe she knows how to read his mind. His mouth curves into a smirk, because that's the kind of thinking he never did before Oceanic 815 crashed.

"Thanks." He takes the plate and Juliet sticks her hands in her pockets. He looks over to his side, indicating that she should join him on the stoop.

They sit in silence for a few moments before Juliet asks Jack, "Why aren't you eating?"

Jack sticks his finger into the pie and brings it up to his mouth. "You didn't bring me a fork."

God help me, he thought. I'm flirting with the enemy.

Juliet's eyes glisten with mischief. Jack has hestitated just enough to give her a window. She grabs his wrist and leans over, and licks the pie off his finger before he has a chance.

Jack is stunned. Her eyes are closed and she's laughing around her mouthful of pie.

There's strawberry on her lip. He leans over and licks it off.

Juliet stops laughing and her eyes are open now, wide and questioning. They stare at each other and she presses her lips to his.

The pie falls to the ground forgotten, but Jack doesn't mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

THE END

Written for Sopdetly as a response to a drabble challenge in 2007.

Title and summary taken from John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane," at the suggestion
of my husband's iTunes.