"Worth Waiting For" - 1 of 8
Title: Worth Waiting For - 1 of 8
Authors: mercsgoodgirl and bigbadjayne
Summary: The coming of Spring seemed as good an excuse as any to dust off a little Jaylee romance we started way back when and finish up the loose ends. Jayne’s been tight with his coin for a good reason. Kaylee wises up and the big merc discovers that wishes can result in steak and strawberries.
Setting: This would have been canon if we’d been writing for the show
Rating: NC 17 overall, for adult sexuality
Words: 2450-ish
Worth Waiting For
Chapter One
If Kaylee hadn’t been so focused on trying to get a stripped-out screw loose from her pneumatic wrench, she would have probably heard him walking up behind her. Them size 14s could be pretty gorram noisy. On the other hand, when Jayne Cobb had a mind to move quietly, he could be almost as sneaky as River.
Her first indication of his proximity was a wave of warm breath across the back of her neck. The utterly unexpected sensation startled her so much that she jumped, gouging the heel of her left thumb with the screwdriver. The wound, although not deep, hurt like hell and blood immediately welled up. “Damn!” she blurted, flinging down the offending tool and whirling on the large man accosting her.
“Don’t do that! How many times I gotta tell you not to come sneakin’ up on me that way, Jayne.” She glared up at him, a pint-sized bundle of fury, her right hand clamped over the wounded left one.
His blue eyes sparked with mischief tempered with concern. “Aw Kaylee, lemme see that. I didn’t mean to make ya cut yerself.” He grabbed her left wrist firmly but not roughly and drew her hand up so that he could see the injury. “Ain’t deep, but ya probably oughtta wash it out good when you get a chance. Here - ” He pulled a clean handkerchief from his back pocket and pressed it against her hand, then replaced her other hand on top. “Just keep some pressure on it ’til the bleedin’ stops.”
Kaylee was suddenly very aware of the pressure of the workbench against her spine and the six foot four wall of muscle crowding her against it. How did he manage to do that, make her all giddy and nervous just by standing so close she could feel the heat rolling off his big body?
“How c-come you snuck up on me like that?” She flushed, knowing he was well aware of the effect he could have on her.
The gunhand barely stifled a smirk. “’Cause it’s fun.”
He stepped even closer and cocked his head slightly, studying her face. Green eyes and apple cheeks spangled with freckles. Gorram she was beautiful, grease smears and all.
’Cept she wasn’t his.
Her eyes widened as she contemplated an escape route in case the mercenary decided to get too friendly with his hands. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Things would all be so much simpler if they didn’t have a history, if he didn’t unnerve her so. “I don’t know as I’d call this ‘fun’,” she ventured, her tone uncertain. She leaned back hard against the workbench as Jayne stared down at her, acutely aware of his proximity.
He took a half-step closer and slid his hands around her waist, his palms riding warm and entirely too familiarly on her hips.
“Now this here - ” He bent and placed a small kiss just above her collarbone. “ - is fun.” Her breath hitched involuntarily. He shifted and placed a second kiss, feather light, just at the corner of her jaw. “And this? Well it’s fun, too.” His thumbs pressed lightly into the hollows of her hips, making tiny circles through the fabric of her overalls.
Kaylee pulled back, hissing softly at him. “Stop it, Jayne.” She frowned at his liberties. “I’m with Simon now. You know that.”
She could see the shift in his eyes, the easy playful warmth replaced by disdain and anger. The big, warm hands drew away from her and he took a step back, his sudden absence almost painful. This time when he spoke, the teasing lilt was gone from his voice, replaced with contempt. “You may be with him, li’l girl, but he sure ain’t with you.”
“That’s not true, Jayne.” She sighed. “It’s… complicated.”
The merc sucked at his teeth and huffed. “That what you call it? Complicated?” His chuckle was humorless. “Well, when you’ve had your fill of ‘complicated’, you come let me know.”
Kaylee let out a big breath. She hated it when Jayne was angry with her, wishing they could remain friends like they’d been before Persephone. “Look, don’t be mad, Jayne. I got a new batch of hooch comin’ outta the still tonight.” Maybe the offer of the home-brewed liquor would placate the gunhand. “Why don’t we meet up in the galley after supper?”
The big man studied her warily, then decided to take her offer at face value. “Alright.” He took a breath, trying to relax a little. “Sure, gal. I’ll drink with ya.”
He stepped back, tipped his head toward the passageway. “Go on now. You go get your Doc to clean that up for ya.”
Kaylee eased past the mercenary and headed for the infirmary, glancing back over her shoulder toward where Jayne stood, watching her with his arms crossed over his chest and the smirk back on his face.
Damn that man, she thought. He just enjoys the hell outta messin’ with me.
He had a knack for doing it when there wasn't anybody else around - stepping into her space or leaning over her shoulder when she was working or cooking. Maybe the big man was just toying with her, enjoying how he could get her flustered and make her blush. Or maybe there was more to it than that.
*
Simon quickly and skillfully cleaned and bandaged her hand with a small weave. “The wound is superficial. Just keep it clean and dry,” he said, then turned back to continue logging the medical supplies in his new ‘clinic’.
Kaylee headed out into the passageway, calling to him over her shoulder, “See ya later, Simon.” There was no reply. She paused for a brief moment to look back at the young doctor, his dark head bent over his clipboard. Well, he’s busy… she justified. She scurried up the stairs and swung round the aft landing, then headed into the warm, humming engine room, her mouth quirked the way it did when she was concentrating.
*
Hours later Kaylee finally pushed herself out from under Serenity’s main drive and realized she'd lost all track of time while working on her girl.The young mechanic stood up and patted the cowling of the Firefly’s engine fondly. “Oughtta feel better now, girl.” Her stomach growled loudly. “Aiya - I bet they already had supper.” She remembered that she’d hidden a candy bar in the little junk box beside her hammock and fished it out. “Gimme somethin’ to munch while I’m drawing off that last batch of jia yuan niang.” Remembering her promise to meet up with Jayne that evening, she glanced at her chronometer. “Damn! I better git my pigu movin’. I’m late, he’s like to get pissy. Gonna figure I’m dodgin’ him or somethin’ - ’specially after earlier today.”
The mechanic quickly decanted the latest batch of brew from the simple still she’d built, emptying the amber liquor into an old glass applejack bottle and sniffing it. The rank, raw fumes made her eyes water. “Whew!” She fisted the tears away and grinned. “Smells strong this time. Jayne oughta like that plenty.” She did her best to rub the grub off her face and hands with an old towel, and finger-combed her hair into some semblance of order, then took the jug and headed back down the corridor toward the galley.
She could see him where he sat at the table, intent on honing the edge on his Bowie. The merc’s dark, close-cropped head was bowed over his task and his hands moved with sureness. She hoped she hadn’t kept him waiting long.
Funny how it made her feel, watching him do that. “Hey you,” she greeted him and held up the jug. “Wanna drink?”
He looked up at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. “Yeah. Right thirsty ’bout now.” His expression changed. “What kept ya?” he asked, both irritated and curious. He kept on sliding the Bowie up and down the stone, his powerful arms moving in long careful strokes; the eyes that had glanced at Kaylee had only done so for a brief moment. “Zoe left ya a plate in the cooler,” the gunhand added casually.
He set the knife down and looked up again, smiling in anticipation, finding pleasure in just watching Kaylee. If there was anything he liked that was singular to Kaylee, it was the way she walked. The low, sexy sling in her hips just made him wanna-
“Ain’t especially hungry right now... maybe in a bit,” she answered, breaking his train of thought.
He grunted to himself as his mind chattered on. I bet she was hangin’ back hopin’ I wouldn’t be here, probably waitin’ on that skinny runt of a Doc again. Dammit… What’s she see in that bastard?
Kaylee grabbed two tin mugs from the cupboard, pouring out a generous helping of jia yuan into Jayne’s cup, and a lesser amount into her own. “See how ya like this batch.” She smiled at him, holding out the battered blue enameled mug.
Jayne took the proffered cup into willing hands, sniffing it gently. It smelled of hard cider and other things that he frankly wasn't too sure of. Kaylee was jealous of her recipe and unwilling to share it with anyone, even making it in such a fashion that you couldn’t smell it long enough to guess what was in it.
“Nice nose,” he said with evident good humor. He winked at her, the simple gesture equally playful and unsettling. Raising the mug in a quiet toast, he took a small sip.
Kaylee watched with raised eyebrows as the big man swallowed and stifled a cough. “Well, that’s right… fresh.” Jayne joked, trying to keep from gasping in front of her. Funny soapy taste to the stuff, he noted. Smacking his lips, he straightened up, glaring at her suspiciously. “You dropping engine degreaser into that stuff now?”
Kaylee laughed, taking a small sip herself and realizing what Jayne was trying to say. It scorched its way down her throat, leaving her coughing.
Jayne chuckled as he took a second sip, and swallowed it more easily. “First one’s the killer, Kaylee-girl.” He kept on chuckling as her face flushed and her eyes began to water. “This is right strong, li’l girl,” he said with relish; in truth, strong drink was just what he needed. His other need? Well, that would just have to wait ’til he hit dirtside with enough coin. He fished a worn red bandanna from his pocket and passed it to her. “Looks like I might need to start carryin’ these around by the dozen,” he teased.
“Aiya! This batch is kinda sharp,” she sputtered when she’d caught her breath. “Musta been the runnin’ it through twice.” She looked at his handkerchief. “I can wash this an’ git it back to ya, along with that other one.” She suddenly felt selfconscious, awkward. “If ya want, I mean.”
“Nah,” Jayne said, eyes back on the blade he was honing. With any luck, it’d smell like her - lavender soap and girl smell. Better'n clean laundry any day.
Kaylee folded the fabric and laid it on the table beside him. “Thanks.” She settled herself into the chair across the table from the merc and propped her boots up in the seat of the chair beside her. Raising her cup to her lips, she gingerly sipped a much smaller swallow of the brew and held it on her tongue, then made a face. “I guess it ain’t gonna poison us or nothin’, but I gotta admit I’ve made better.”
She leaned back and glanced right and left down the long corridors that ran the length of Serenity’s upper deck. Nobody out and moving around - it really was late. She knew that the captain was up on the Firefly’s bridge, on watch. Wash and Zoe were probably curled up together in their bunk. Inara was out with a client and the Tams and Shepherd Book likely settled in down in the passenger dorm. Like to make for a quiet night, she figured.
She nibbled for a minute on a hangnail, stalling as she sorted out Jayne’s apparent irritability. She could tell the big man was out of sorts, although she’d have been hard-pressed to say how she knew. “Hey, I’m sorry I kept ya waitin’,” she apologized. “I get to workin’ sometimes, I just plain forget about the rest of the ’Verse. Weren’t nothin’ personal in it.”
The minute she said that, she thought, And why would he take it personal? Ain’t like we’re sweeties or nothin’. Just buddies...
That was when she looked up and realized the knife had stilled and he was just watching her in that way he sometimes did, his eyes piercing and guarded.
“W-what?” she stammered.
As she’d tried to explain the lateness, he studied her to see if there was truth behind what she was saying or it was just an excuse. After a few moments he realized she was being honest, and he relaxed.
“Nothin’,” the gunhand replied, and took another sip. The homebrew did more than warm. It burned its way down his throat, settling in his stomach. He thanked whatever gods really existed in the ’Verse that he'd eaten dinner, or it would have burned a hole right through him.
“I figured it was somethin’ like that,” Jayne continued. “Either that or you were chasin’ Simon round the lab again...” He glanced down into his cup and smirked.
Kaylee stopped short, hurt by the implications of the merc’s remark and yet knowing it rang true.
“Why you gotta be like that, Jayne?” she asked. She stared down at the strips of weave that closed the laceration on her hand, the glow fading from her face. “It ain’t like I’m throwin’ myself at him the way you say.” Her voice dropped. “Or that he’d notice if I did.” She shook her head, bewildered. “I keep wonderin’ what I’m doin’ wrong.”
“Ain’t you at all, Kaylee,” Jayne said quietly, but the honesty in his voice was apparent. He had no reason to lie... Well, that wasn't truthful in itself; he had plenty of reasons to lie, he just wouldn't lie to her. Not about his distaste for the Doc, anyhow. “Nothin’ wrong with ya, exceptin’ of course ya can’t see the real reasons behind his fumblin’.”
There was a long, awkward pause, then, “What are you sayin’, Jayne Cobb?” Kaylee frowned uncertainly.
He took another swig, let it build up in him. If this conversation went the way he thought it appeared to be heading, he'd need to be drunk by the end of it.
End, Chapter 1 of 8
Next chapter HERE