Okay, guys... chapter nine
Title: Tenuous : Chapter Nine
Characters: Zoe/Jayne
Rating: PG13
Timeline: Five or so years after the BDM
Word count: 1,119
Comments: Okay, guys. Here it is. Thanks to
bookaddict43 for inspiring me so quickly and I hope you all enjoy. I know it's a little longish, but the muse had a lot to say and do to our heros. *grins*
Tenuous Organizational Post
“Jayne.” Before she thought too hard about it, Zoë ran her hand over his bicep. “Feel like a tumble?”
Jayne's throat started working the second she touched his arm. The way she was looking at him right now was enough to drive him feng li and that was not good. Not that he hadn't thought about taking Zoe to his bed, because he had. But for some reason, this was not the way he wanted it to happen. Not drunk, not her just needing to not be alone. He wanted to be with Zoe because she wanted to be with him.
Her head tilted quizzically as her hand squeezed his muscle. 'God, he's got big muscles,' she thought as he contemplated his decision. She didn't think it was so complicated, but far be it for her to rush him. 'Maybe he just needs a little encouragment.' She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
'Wha' tha ruttin' hell is she doin'?' he thought to himself, arms betraying him as they wrapped around her waist. Suddenly those lush, full lips he dreamed about were pressed against his and he moaned softly against her mouth.
'There we go." Zoe smiled as she pressed her body closer to his, amazed at the fit of them together. Her tongue traced the edge of his lower lip as he moaned again and it slipped inside, instantly welcomed by his. They stood there, in the street, kissing like they'd been doing it for forever. That is until Jayne pulled back.
Zoe's eyes opened and her chocolate orbs held confusion. Jayne's eyes held regret.
"I'm sorry, Zo'. I can't do this. Not like this." His voice was low as he apologized and she could sense him trying to maintain control over himself. She felt how much he wanted her, so what was the problem.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"Ain't right. Not when yer like this" He was being so gentle with her. Jayne may be tough and sometimes crass, but he knew that what he was feeling for Zoe was different, and therefore he treated her with care.
"When I'm like what, Jayne?" She was starting to get angry, the last thing he wanted. "What am I being like?"
He tried desperately to regain control of the situation. "Zoe, I want ta, believe me. Yer sexy as all hell. But yer drunk, and yer not happy. Yer mournin' Mal, mournin' Wash, and who knows wha' else..."
She broke out of his hold, anger and hurt in her eyes. "You have no idea what I'm feeling, Jayne. No ruttin' idea!" She turned on her heel and marched back to Serenity, Jayne following behind her, swearing softly to himself.
**************
The crew knew something was up. Suddenly, Zoe and Jayne were avoiding each other. they rarely were in the same room together. It was unusual for the new captain to not ask her second-in-command what he thought about their job prospects.
River knew what was up. And Inara had an idea. Kaylee and Simon were too wrapped up in each other to notice. River tried her hardest to get Zoe to talk about what had happened, but she would just ended up giving River something to do to distract her. Inara attempted to get Jayne to open up, but he just got really quiet when the topic of Zoe came up.
River came up to the bridge as Inara prepared to land. "Anything?" she asked softly, sitting on her couch. The older woman shook her head.
"He just gets very quiet when the subject of Zoe comes up. And Zoe refuses to talk about it. I just don't know what to do for those two." She prepared the landing squence as they entered atmo. They heard bootsteps and River nodded, the conversation over for the moment as Zoe stepped onto the bridge.
"We're taking the mule in. Jayne's in the bay getting it ready. See if you can help him, River." Zoe's business-like tone left nothing for discussion and the younger woman left with a nod. Inara swallowed, always nervous when she was landing Serenity, and touched down just outside of town. "Keep the engines running. I have a bad feeling about today." Then the sound of retreating footsteps started.
Inara turned quickly. "Be careful, Zoe," she called to her friend as she said a silent prayer for their safe return.
**************
'I hate it when I'm right,' she thought as she, Jayne and River crouched on the other side of the mule. Tom Brennan and his men were encrouching on their hiding place and Zoe nodded to the two people with her as she checked her weapon again.
"Come on out, Captain. We won't bite." His voice was sinister and it gave Zoe chills.
"Like hell he won't," she murmured to herself and she missed the way Jayne's hand tightened around his gun at her words. "What are you doing here, Brennan?" she called.
"Came for what's mine, Captain. And I always get what I want." River made a face and crept towards the back of the mule as Zoe and Jayne moved towards the front.
"You have the cargo," she said, peeking to see where he was. He had turned to look at the back where River was.
"Ain't what I'm talking about, Captain and you know it." Jayne was growling low in his throat beside her and Zoe was fuming at this point. The way he said Captain shook her resolve, made her feel vulnerable.
"Wha' we gonna do, Zo'?" Jayne asked softly.
Zoe quickly calculated how many were there and how many they needed to get rid of in order to leave. "We need to get out of her. If we can get them back, we can hop on the mule and you and River can cover me while I drive." He nodded and Zoe knew River would quickly assemilate to the plan.
"You want me?" she called, baiting him.
He laughed. "That is an understatement, Captain Washburne."
She grinned. "Then come and get me!" She moved and fired her sawed off, hitting the man right next to Brennan and knocking him to the ground. Gunfire errupted and Zoe focused on the men in front of her. One shot had Brennan clutching his leg on the ground and Zoe was satisfied. She turned her back to him, knowing they needed to pick off a few more to get out of there.
"Zoe! Look out!" She whipped around as Jayne threw himself in front of her and went down hard, clutching his chest. Brennan was grinning like a fool as Zoe fired at his head, forever wiping that grin from his face.
"JAYNE!"
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys, but I'm curious to see where other people will take this from here. *evil grin*
Characters: Zoe/Jayne
Rating: PG13
Timeline: Five or so years after the BDM
Word count: 1,119
Comments: Okay, guys. Here it is. Thanks to
bookaddict43 for inspiring me so quickly and I hope you all enjoy. I know it's a little longish, but the muse had a lot to say and do to our heros. *grins*
Tenuous Organizational Post
“Jayne.” Before she thought too hard about it, Zoë ran her hand over his bicep. “Feel like a tumble?”
Jayne's throat started working the second she touched his arm. The way she was looking at him right now was enough to drive him feng li and that was not good. Not that he hadn't thought about taking Zoe to his bed, because he had. But for some reason, this was not the way he wanted it to happen. Not drunk, not her just needing to not be alone. He wanted to be with Zoe because she wanted to be with him.
Her head tilted quizzically as her hand squeezed his muscle. 'God, he's got big muscles,' she thought as he contemplated his decision. She didn't think it was so complicated, but far be it for her to rush him. 'Maybe he just needs a little encouragment.' She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
'Wha' tha ruttin' hell is she doin'?' he thought to himself, arms betraying him as they wrapped around her waist. Suddenly those lush, full lips he dreamed about were pressed against his and he moaned softly against her mouth.
'There we go." Zoe smiled as she pressed her body closer to his, amazed at the fit of them together. Her tongue traced the edge of his lower lip as he moaned again and it slipped inside, instantly welcomed by his. They stood there, in the street, kissing like they'd been doing it for forever. That is until Jayne pulled back.
Zoe's eyes opened and her chocolate orbs held confusion. Jayne's eyes held regret.
"I'm sorry, Zo'. I can't do this. Not like this." His voice was low as he apologized and she could sense him trying to maintain control over himself. She felt how much he wanted her, so what was the problem.
"Why?" she asked softly.
"Ain't right. Not when yer like this" He was being so gentle with her. Jayne may be tough and sometimes crass, but he knew that what he was feeling for Zoe was different, and therefore he treated her with care.
"When I'm like what, Jayne?" She was starting to get angry, the last thing he wanted. "What am I being like?"
He tried desperately to regain control of the situation. "Zoe, I want ta, believe me. Yer sexy as all hell. But yer drunk, and yer not happy. Yer mournin' Mal, mournin' Wash, and who knows wha' else..."
She broke out of his hold, anger and hurt in her eyes. "You have no idea what I'm feeling, Jayne. No ruttin' idea!" She turned on her heel and marched back to Serenity, Jayne following behind her, swearing softly to himself.
**************
The crew knew something was up. Suddenly, Zoe and Jayne were avoiding each other. they rarely were in the same room together. It was unusual for the new captain to not ask her second-in-command what he thought about their job prospects.
River knew what was up. And Inara had an idea. Kaylee and Simon were too wrapped up in each other to notice. River tried her hardest to get Zoe to talk about what had happened, but she would just ended up giving River something to do to distract her. Inara attempted to get Jayne to open up, but he just got really quiet when the topic of Zoe came up.
River came up to the bridge as Inara prepared to land. "Anything?" she asked softly, sitting on her couch. The older woman shook her head.
"He just gets very quiet when the subject of Zoe comes up. And Zoe refuses to talk about it. I just don't know what to do for those two." She prepared the landing squence as they entered atmo. They heard bootsteps and River nodded, the conversation over for the moment as Zoe stepped onto the bridge.
"We're taking the mule in. Jayne's in the bay getting it ready. See if you can help him, River." Zoe's business-like tone left nothing for discussion and the younger woman left with a nod. Inara swallowed, always nervous when she was landing Serenity, and touched down just outside of town. "Keep the engines running. I have a bad feeling about today." Then the sound of retreating footsteps started.
Inara turned quickly. "Be careful, Zoe," she called to her friend as she said a silent prayer for their safe return.
**************
'I hate it when I'm right,' she thought as she, Jayne and River crouched on the other side of the mule. Tom Brennan and his men were encrouching on their hiding place and Zoe nodded to the two people with her as she checked her weapon again.
"Come on out, Captain. We won't bite." His voice was sinister and it gave Zoe chills.
"Like hell he won't," she murmured to herself and she missed the way Jayne's hand tightened around his gun at her words. "What are you doing here, Brennan?" she called.
"Came for what's mine, Captain. And I always get what I want." River made a face and crept towards the back of the mule as Zoe and Jayne moved towards the front.
"You have the cargo," she said, peeking to see where he was. He had turned to look at the back where River was.
"Ain't what I'm talking about, Captain and you know it." Jayne was growling low in his throat beside her and Zoe was fuming at this point. The way he said Captain shook her resolve, made her feel vulnerable.
"Wha' we gonna do, Zo'?" Jayne asked softly.
Zoe quickly calculated how many were there and how many they needed to get rid of in order to leave. "We need to get out of her. If we can get them back, we can hop on the mule and you and River can cover me while I drive." He nodded and Zoe knew River would quickly assemilate to the plan.
"You want me?" she called, baiting him.
He laughed. "That is an understatement, Captain Washburne."
She grinned. "Then come and get me!" She moved and fired her sawed off, hitting the man right next to Brennan and knocking him to the ground. Gunfire errupted and Zoe focused on the men in front of her. One shot had Brennan clutching his leg on the ground and Zoe was satisfied. She turned her back to him, knowing they needed to pick off a few more to get out of there.
"Zoe! Look out!" She whipped around as Jayne threw himself in front of her and went down hard, clutching his chest. Brennan was grinning like a fool as Zoe fired at his head, forever wiping that grin from his face.
"JAYNE!"
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys, but I'm curious to see where other people will take this from here. *evil grin*