[wash and kaylee] shirts
This is... very different to how I thought it would turn out. It was supposed to be a comedy-type drabble; full of laughs and silly exchanges and other random things. Instead, it turned into this. Fluff? Semi-angst? I'm not too sure, actually. So, uh, yeah. Enjoy?
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: shirts [wash and kaylee]
Fandom: firefly
Rating: g
Word Count: 703
Kaylee sits; rests her head in her hands. She drums her fingers on the dirt ground, forming an uneven beat. She yawns a little, then louder, and lets out a heavy sigh.
Wash approaches her, stepping off Serenity and onto the dusty planet ground where she sits. “Honestly Kaylee. Anyone would think you were bored, or something.”
She looks up at him, her legs crossed and her coveralls layered in red dirt. Her lips are set in a pout. “Why’re we always the ones t’get stuck here waitin’ for ‘em? Everyone else gets to go out on jobs and do their part -- even Simon an’ River -- an’ the two of us get left here, jus’ waitin’ for ‘em all to come back. Ain’t fair.”
Smiling gently, Wash lowers himself to the ground and sits beside her. He rests his elbows on his knees. “It’s just the way things are. We take care of Serenity, concentrate on getting all of us up and out and away as quickly as we need to. It’s an important job, Kaylee.”
“I know that. I jus’ get a mite restless sometimes, you know?”
Wash nods and looks out into the desert, watching. “Believe me, I know.”
They sit in silence for a few minutes, letting the sun warm their skin and the dust tickle their throats. It’s been a while since they’ve been planet side, and they soak it in. Let it refresh the memories they keep from the last time.
Kaylee looks around curiously, memorizing the colour of the soil and the shape of the rocks and the smell of the trees. Eventually, her gaze falls to the side of Wash’s shoulder, the bright yellow and green of his shirt standing out against the red of the ground. She focuses on it, suddenly unable to look away at anything else. It’s a button up shirt, undone and showing the white singlet underneath. There’s a pattern of leaves and something else she can’t make out on it.
She leans over, brushes her fingers against the material.
Wash turns his head slowly and gives her a puzzled frown. “Uh, can I help you?”
“I like your shirts, Wash.” She smiles, her eyes warm. “Always so full o’ colour an’ shapes an’ always so diff’rent.”
He laughs a little and looks down. “I think that’s the nicest way anyone has ever described my shirts before.”
Kaylee smiles more, and absently picks at the seam of her coveralls that runs down her leg.
The comfortable silence settles upon them again, and when Kaylee speaks up, her voice seems bigger and brighter than normal. “How does Zoe describe ‘em?”
“My shirts?”
She looks at him. Nods.
Wash shrugs. “Abominations of fashion.”
Kaylee can’t help but let out a giggle. Wash smiles at her in return. Slowly, her smile fades and her brow begins to furrow. She keeps her gaze away from him, this time.
“Y’ever think that Zoe might like it more if you wore somethin’ else? Somethin’... diff’rent?”
He frowns. Tilts his head slightly, as he tries to read the look in her eyes. “I... is everything alright, Kaylee?”
She shakes her head quickly, and shrugs. She’s trying to look casual and nonchalant. She’s failing. “I was jus’ wonderin’, is all. There’s times when I get to thinkin’ that Simon might like it better if I wore them pretty dresses more. Maybe some fancy skirts --”
Wash settles his hand on her shoulder, and it’s heavy and firm but his fingers massage her skin slightly and it reminds her of her brother’s touch. “Kaylee, don’t you ever go thinking that you should change what you wear for someone, just because you think it might make them like you better.”
“But I --”
“If someone loves you, really loves you, then it doesn’t matter what you wear.” His gaze is pointed and clear. “Or how you talk. Or anything of the sort. Love should be all accepting, unquestioning.”
Kaylee pretends that she doesn’t feel the slight sting of tears in her eyes.
Wash takes his hand from her shoulder, and looks out into the distance once more. “Love is accepting that person for who they are; ugly yellow and green hawaiian shirts and all.”
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: shirts [wash and kaylee]
Fandom: firefly
Rating: g
Word Count: 703
Kaylee sits; rests her head in her hands. She drums her fingers on the dirt ground, forming an uneven beat. She yawns a little, then louder, and lets out a heavy sigh.
Wash approaches her, stepping off Serenity and onto the dusty planet ground where she sits. “Honestly Kaylee. Anyone would think you were bored, or something.”
She looks up at him, her legs crossed and her coveralls layered in red dirt. Her lips are set in a pout. “Why’re we always the ones t’get stuck here waitin’ for ‘em? Everyone else gets to go out on jobs and do their part -- even Simon an’ River -- an’ the two of us get left here, jus’ waitin’ for ‘em all to come back. Ain’t fair.”
Smiling gently, Wash lowers himself to the ground and sits beside her. He rests his elbows on his knees. “It’s just the way things are. We take care of Serenity, concentrate on getting all of us up and out and away as quickly as we need to. It’s an important job, Kaylee.”
“I know that. I jus’ get a mite restless sometimes, you know?”
Wash nods and looks out into the desert, watching. “Believe me, I know.”
They sit in silence for a few minutes, letting the sun warm their skin and the dust tickle their throats. It’s been a while since they’ve been planet side, and they soak it in. Let it refresh the memories they keep from the last time.
Kaylee looks around curiously, memorizing the colour of the soil and the shape of the rocks and the smell of the trees. Eventually, her gaze falls to the side of Wash’s shoulder, the bright yellow and green of his shirt standing out against the red of the ground. She focuses on it, suddenly unable to look away at anything else. It’s a button up shirt, undone and showing the white singlet underneath. There’s a pattern of leaves and something else she can’t make out on it.
She leans over, brushes her fingers against the material.
Wash turns his head slowly and gives her a puzzled frown. “Uh, can I help you?”
“I like your shirts, Wash.” She smiles, her eyes warm. “Always so full o’ colour an’ shapes an’ always so diff’rent.”
He laughs a little and looks down. “I think that’s the nicest way anyone has ever described my shirts before.”
Kaylee smiles more, and absently picks at the seam of her coveralls that runs down her leg.
The comfortable silence settles upon them again, and when Kaylee speaks up, her voice seems bigger and brighter than normal. “How does Zoe describe ‘em?”
“My shirts?”
She looks at him. Nods.
Wash shrugs. “Abominations of fashion.”
Kaylee can’t help but let out a giggle. Wash smiles at her in return. Slowly, her smile fades and her brow begins to furrow. She keeps her gaze away from him, this time.
“Y’ever think that Zoe might like it more if you wore somethin’ else? Somethin’... diff’rent?”
He frowns. Tilts his head slightly, as he tries to read the look in her eyes. “I... is everything alright, Kaylee?”
She shakes her head quickly, and shrugs. She’s trying to look casual and nonchalant. She’s failing. “I was jus’ wonderin’, is all. There’s times when I get to thinkin’ that Simon might like it better if I wore them pretty dresses more. Maybe some fancy skirts --”
Wash settles his hand on her shoulder, and it’s heavy and firm but his fingers massage her skin slightly and it reminds her of her brother’s touch. “Kaylee, don’t you ever go thinking that you should change what you wear for someone, just because you think it might make them like you better.”
“But I --”
“If someone loves you, really loves you, then it doesn’t matter what you wear.” His gaze is pointed and clear. “Or how you talk. Or anything of the sort. Love should be all accepting, unquestioning.”
Kaylee pretends that she doesn’t feel the slight sting of tears in her eyes.
Wash takes his hand from her shoulder, and looks out into the distance once more. “Love is accepting that person for who they are; ugly yellow and green hawaiian shirts and all.”