dimples, james "sawyer" ford

twenty three

back in the cages, the fading light of the afternoon filtered through the bars, casting long shadows across the dusty ground. lana sat on the edge of her cage, her back pressed against the cool metal, watching as sawyer settled into his own cage across from her.

the tension of the day—the kiss, the punishment—hung between them, but for a brief moment, there was peace. they smiled at each other, soft and genuine, the only bit of comfort either of them had found in this place.

sawyer leaned against the bars, rubbing at the spot where they'd shocked him earlier, his expression as defiant as ever. his eyes found lana's, a mischievous glint shining in the fading light.

"you taste like strawberries," sawyer drawled, his voice low and teasing, breaking the silence between them.

lana raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly, unable to suppress a smirk. "and you taste like fish biscuits," she shot back, her voice soft but playful. despite everything, they could still joke, still have these moments of levity amidst the chaos.

they both laughed, the sound light and easy, a brief reprieve from the harsh reality they were stuck in. but beneath the laughter, there was something deeper, something unspoken. sawyer glanced at the bars of his cage and then back at her, his expression growing serious.

"i've been thinkin'," he started, his voice dropping to a whisper as he looked around to make sure no one was watching too closely. "we can't keep lettin' 'em do this to us. we've gotta get outta here, somehow."

lana shifted, moving closer to the bars. "do you have a plan?" she asked, her voice low, filled with both hope and skepticism.

sawyer's grin returned, and he gestured toward the panel of buttons on the side of his cage, the same one that had earlier given him a shock. "that damn button," he muttered. "i figure i can rig it, give the next poor sucker that comes close a little surprise."

lana leaned forward, her brow furrowing as she tried to follow his line of thinking. "you think you can rig it?" she asked.

sawyer nodded, looking down at the puddle in front of him. "these bastards think they're smart, but i've got a few tricks left," he said with a sly grin. "if i can set this up right, maybe i can get us some leverage."

lana's eyes flicked to the panel, her heart racing at the thought of finally getting out. "you really think it'll work?" she whispered, glancing nervously around for any signs of the others.

sawyer leaned back, giving her that signature smirk. "honey, when have i ever let you down?"

before lana could respond, the sound of footsteps on gravel made her sit up straight. sawyer tensed, his body going rigid. a figure emerged from the shadows, walking toward them with a slow, deliberate stride. ben linus.

sawyer's smirk disappeared in an instant, his jaw clenching. ben approached the cages, his hands clasped behind his back, his face as calm and composed as ever.

"sawyer," ben said softly, his voice almost kind. but there was an edge to it, as always. "i think it's time we had a little chat."

sawyer didn't move at first, his eyes narrowed at ben. "what, we runnin' outta rocks to haul?" he quipped, his voice dripping with disdain.

ben ignored the comment, gesturing to one of the guards behind him. the cage door clanged open, and two men moved forward to pull sawyer up to his feet.

"sawyer!" lana called out, her heart pounding as she watched them drag him toward ben. sawyer's eyes found hers, his expression hard, but there was something softer in his gaze as he looked at her.

"it's alright," sawyer muttered, his voice low. "i'll be back, darlin'. don't you worry."

lana felt her throat tighten, wanting to say something, anything to stop what was about to happen. but before she could, ben gave a small nod, and the guards hauled sawyer away, his figure disappearing into the growing darkness of the compound.

lana gripped the bars of her cage, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched them go. the sound of the gate slamming shut echoed in her ears,

and suddenly, the weight of the situation came crashing down. sawyer was gone, taken somewhere by ben, and she had no idea if he would come back. all she could do was wait.