Stages of Love: Attraction (Mal/Kaylee, PG)
Title: . . . where the heart is
Author: zenstate
Theme: Attraction
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1286
Spoilers: Pre-Series, spoilers for "Out of Gas"
Attraction
. . . where the heart is
She takes a step onto the grated metal of the loading ramp and bounces a little, part to test it and part from the excitement. Sure, she’s been on her before but now that the Firefly’s hers to love, it makes this introduction more personal like and she thinks it’d be ok to count this as the first time. Kaylee wants to make a good impression, bein’ the one who’ll stroke and coax the Serenity into flying ‘em all through the verse. Won’t be doin’ to make the old girl think Kaylee don’t appreciate her.
Her daddy was hoppin’ mad when she told him she was leaving for a full-time job on a Firefly-class. He’d said Fireflies weren’t no better than scrap metal and no daughter of his was goin’ out into the black on a heap of gos se like that. Kaylee knew he was just mad that she was leaving him short a hand, but she couldn’t help the lump in her throat at the slur. Just a few brushes of her fingers on the g-line and port-pin-lock and she already felt a kinship with Serenity. Now that she’s back and really payin’ attention to the lines and curves, that kinship has turned into an honest to goodness crush.
When she gets into the cargo bay she drops her sack on the floor and lifts her face to the ceiling, twirling around a few times with a grin splittin’ her face so far it’d hurt if it didn’t feel so good. She’s just finished twirling, still feeling a little dizzy, when a vaguely familiar voice speaks from right behind her. At least she thinks it’s from right behind her but it’s kinda hard to tell with all the spinnin’ in her head.
“Well there, looks like we got ourselves a new mechanic. Welcome aboard.”
She tilts her head down and is surprised to see the broad form of the captain in front of her ‘stead of behind. It makes her jump a little, and he reaches out to grab her arm, steadying her. His hand feels warm against the bare skin of her arm and when he pulls it away, the warmth stays.
“Reporting for duty, sir. That’s what you say, when you’re ship-crew, ain’t it?” Kaylee smiles at the captain, and she can’t help but notice once again how handsome he is. She noticed that right away, when he was railin’ at Bester about the engine that weren’t broke. He looked mighty good even when his mouth got all pinched up in anger and judging by the little glances he kept throwin’ her way when he thought she weren’t looking, she suspects he didn’t mind what he saw neither.
Her daddy would whip her but good if he knew she’d gotten caught with her skirt around her waist by her new boss but Kaylee don’t much mind. Ain’t like a man this good lookin’ never got an itch that needed scratching. Men who weren’t her pa seemed to understand that sometimes a girl needed scratching too.
The captain’s serious look cracks up a little and he smiles at her. “Sure is, little one. I’m Malcolm Reynolds, captain of this here ship,” he says, and there’s a twinkle in his eyes. She feels that twinkle send a spark straight down to her nethers and it don’t make no difference that she was just with Bester not but an hour ago. She likes the look of the captain, not just his broad shoulders and thin waist but his actual look, the strength and kindness she sees in his eyes.
And even though she likes that he called her ‘little one’, she supposes she oughtta give the captain a proper introduction.
She sticks out her hand and notices that there’s still a little spot of grease on the outer knuckle of her thumb from where she got the turbine running earlier. It makes her smile widen, to see it there like Serenity already put her mark on her, and her smile don’t dim none when she looks up into the captain’s face again.
“My proper name’s Kaywinnet Lee Frye but my folks figured out real fast that it was a mouthful to yell when I was into something I shouldn’t a been so I pretty much just go by Kaylee now,” she babbles. The captain looks a little taken aback by her stream of words but he takes her hand and gives it a good shake, firm, just like she likes a handshake to be. Ain’t nothing more insulting than a man who thinks that just cause she’s a girl she can’t handle a nice firm handshake.
The captain lets go of her hand and puts his hands on his narrow hips, right over the holster that holds his guns. Kaylee never has gotten used to guns; they’re one of the few things made of steel that intimidate her but somehow they seem safe there, resting just under the captain’s hands. She thinks maybe he knows how to use them and guesses she’s likely to find out soon enough.
“Well then Kaylee, how about I show you where you’ll be bunking and let you stow your sack. Then we can get to the engine room and get ready to get off this rock.”
He gestures for her to follow and it makes her happy that he’s actin’ like this is her first time on the ship too. As they make their way to the crew quarters Kaylee’s eyes bounce around, taking in as much of her new home as she can. The bunk the captain leads her to is nice enough-clean, and a little bigger than her room at home. She drops her things on the bed and then follows the captain some more, back to the engine room.
There it is, the heart of the old girl, greased up and messy with parts that are too hot to touch without the proper gloves but Kaylee thinks she’s the most beautiful thing she’s seen in ages. The hum of her, the slow whirl of the turbine as she idles, the smell of hot metal and oil. . . there ain’t nothin’ in the ‘verse that Kaylee loves more and Serenity’s heart is even better than most. That feeling that they’re connected is even stronger now, and she runs her hand carefully over the engine casing, almost petting it.
She feels like maybe she could stand here forever but the captain clears his throat, breakin’ up her communion.
“I best be getting back to the bridge. We need to be ready to break atmo in about ten minutes. That job on Paquin won’t wait forever,” the captain says, and suddenly he sounds more stern, like a captain should.
“Aye aye, Cap’n,” she answers with as much dignity as she can muster and she thinks she sounds pretty grown up, only a hint of her excitement coloring the seriousness in her own voice. He nods, all solemn, but just before he turns his back to her she catches the hint of a smile light his face.
Kaylee watches the captain’s backside as he walks out of the engine room and wonders if maybe she should pay his bunk a visit tonight and thank him for the home on his ship. She cocks her head a little, watching the muscles bunch and roll under his britches as he climbs up the stairs.
Hell, maybe she should just thank him for havin’ such a shiny backside.
She sighs and turns back to the slow rotation of the turbine with a happy little smile.
Seems like maybe Serenity isn’t the only thing she’s taken a shine to.
*
Author: zenstate
Theme: Attraction
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1286
Spoilers: Pre-Series, spoilers for "Out of Gas"
Attraction
. . . where the heart is
She takes a step onto the grated metal of the loading ramp and bounces a little, part to test it and part from the excitement. Sure, she’s been on her before but now that the Firefly’s hers to love, it makes this introduction more personal like and she thinks it’d be ok to count this as the first time. Kaylee wants to make a good impression, bein’ the one who’ll stroke and coax the Serenity into flying ‘em all through the verse. Won’t be doin’ to make the old girl think Kaylee don’t appreciate her.
Her daddy was hoppin’ mad when she told him she was leaving for a full-time job on a Firefly-class. He’d said Fireflies weren’t no better than scrap metal and no daughter of his was goin’ out into the black on a heap of gos se like that. Kaylee knew he was just mad that she was leaving him short a hand, but she couldn’t help the lump in her throat at the slur. Just a few brushes of her fingers on the g-line and port-pin-lock and she already felt a kinship with Serenity. Now that she’s back and really payin’ attention to the lines and curves, that kinship has turned into an honest to goodness crush.
When she gets into the cargo bay she drops her sack on the floor and lifts her face to the ceiling, twirling around a few times with a grin splittin’ her face so far it’d hurt if it didn’t feel so good. She’s just finished twirling, still feeling a little dizzy, when a vaguely familiar voice speaks from right behind her. At least she thinks it’s from right behind her but it’s kinda hard to tell with all the spinnin’ in her head.
“Well there, looks like we got ourselves a new mechanic. Welcome aboard.”
She tilts her head down and is surprised to see the broad form of the captain in front of her ‘stead of behind. It makes her jump a little, and he reaches out to grab her arm, steadying her. His hand feels warm against the bare skin of her arm and when he pulls it away, the warmth stays.
“Reporting for duty, sir. That’s what you say, when you’re ship-crew, ain’t it?” Kaylee smiles at the captain, and she can’t help but notice once again how handsome he is. She noticed that right away, when he was railin’ at Bester about the engine that weren’t broke. He looked mighty good even when his mouth got all pinched up in anger and judging by the little glances he kept throwin’ her way when he thought she weren’t looking, she suspects he didn’t mind what he saw neither.
Her daddy would whip her but good if he knew she’d gotten caught with her skirt around her waist by her new boss but Kaylee don’t much mind. Ain’t like a man this good lookin’ never got an itch that needed scratching. Men who weren’t her pa seemed to understand that sometimes a girl needed scratching too.
The captain’s serious look cracks up a little and he smiles at her. “Sure is, little one. I’m Malcolm Reynolds, captain of this here ship,” he says, and there’s a twinkle in his eyes. She feels that twinkle send a spark straight down to her nethers and it don’t make no difference that she was just with Bester not but an hour ago. She likes the look of the captain, not just his broad shoulders and thin waist but his actual look, the strength and kindness she sees in his eyes.
And even though she likes that he called her ‘little one’, she supposes she oughtta give the captain a proper introduction.
She sticks out her hand and notices that there’s still a little spot of grease on the outer knuckle of her thumb from where she got the turbine running earlier. It makes her smile widen, to see it there like Serenity already put her mark on her, and her smile don’t dim none when she looks up into the captain’s face again.
“My proper name’s Kaywinnet Lee Frye but my folks figured out real fast that it was a mouthful to yell when I was into something I shouldn’t a been so I pretty much just go by Kaylee now,” she babbles. The captain looks a little taken aback by her stream of words but he takes her hand and gives it a good shake, firm, just like she likes a handshake to be. Ain’t nothing more insulting than a man who thinks that just cause she’s a girl she can’t handle a nice firm handshake.
The captain lets go of her hand and puts his hands on his narrow hips, right over the holster that holds his guns. Kaylee never has gotten used to guns; they’re one of the few things made of steel that intimidate her but somehow they seem safe there, resting just under the captain’s hands. She thinks maybe he knows how to use them and guesses she’s likely to find out soon enough.
“Well then Kaylee, how about I show you where you’ll be bunking and let you stow your sack. Then we can get to the engine room and get ready to get off this rock.”
He gestures for her to follow and it makes her happy that he’s actin’ like this is her first time on the ship too. As they make their way to the crew quarters Kaylee’s eyes bounce around, taking in as much of her new home as she can. The bunk the captain leads her to is nice enough-clean, and a little bigger than her room at home. She drops her things on the bed and then follows the captain some more, back to the engine room.
There it is, the heart of the old girl, greased up and messy with parts that are too hot to touch without the proper gloves but Kaylee thinks she’s the most beautiful thing she’s seen in ages. The hum of her, the slow whirl of the turbine as she idles, the smell of hot metal and oil. . . there ain’t nothin’ in the ‘verse that Kaylee loves more and Serenity’s heart is even better than most. That feeling that they’re connected is even stronger now, and she runs her hand carefully over the engine casing, almost petting it.
She feels like maybe she could stand here forever but the captain clears his throat, breakin’ up her communion.
“I best be getting back to the bridge. We need to be ready to break atmo in about ten minutes. That job on Paquin won’t wait forever,” the captain says, and suddenly he sounds more stern, like a captain should.
“Aye aye, Cap’n,” she answers with as much dignity as she can muster and she thinks she sounds pretty grown up, only a hint of her excitement coloring the seriousness in her own voice. He nods, all solemn, but just before he turns his back to her she catches the hint of a smile light his face.
Kaylee watches the captain’s backside as he walks out of the engine room and wonders if maybe she should pay his bunk a visit tonight and thank him for the home on his ship. She cocks her head a little, watching the muscles bunch and roll under his britches as he climbs up the stairs.
Hell, maybe she should just thank him for havin’ such a shiny backside.
She sighs and turns back to the slow rotation of the turbine with a happy little smile.
Seems like maybe Serenity isn’t the only thing she’s taken a shine to.
*