its really strange; i had this dream last night about alan tudyk. i dreamt he was at my school and i was like 'oh my god!! alan tudyk!!' and ran and got his autography, but he thought i was a mite crazy. maybe its a premonition... why he would be at my school, who knows... but it may happen right?!

ok... it won't. but just seemed kinda appropriate to this fanfic series. anyway, enjoy!

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He didn’t mention it. In fact he acted as though nothing was different, but Zoë noticed his eyes flicker up to her when he thought she couldn’t see. A slight smirk briefly crossed her lips before she realised it had. She kept her eyes determinedly on the food before her.

Finally, Mal said something. “Wash, what the gui happened to the lip ferret?”

Wash smiled breezily. “Thought I’d look more suave and manly without it.”

Bester sniggered loudly until he glanced away from his food to meet Zoë’s disapproving glare. “What?”

She was unsure if she had expected him to get rid of it or not and now if she was glad he had or wished he hadn’t. Either way he had done it for her and that was an odd notion. For some reason she found herself hastily leaving the table after dinner and sitting with no purpose in her bunk. It crossed her mind she was hiding, but tried not to get hung up on the idea. Then she would have to ask herself what she was hiding from…

~

“Hey there.”

Zoë turned to Wash. She didn’t remember how he came to being in her bunk, but there he was, smiling adorably. Adorably? Zoë shook herself. Where had that thought come from? Still, there was something in his eyes that shined a bit brighter than usual, despite the semi-dark of the room.

“Who you hiding from?” He stepped forwards as he said it, still smiling. His lips were thin, but beautifully curved. She’d never noticed that before.

“I wasn’t hiding,” she defended herself hastily, dragging her eyes quickly from his lips.

Had he noticed that lingering glance? His smiled had widened and he was still approaching, slowly but resolutely as though his course had already been plotted. With one of his large hands he gently cupped her cheek. They were slightly rough where his skin had been worn by handling ships all day but warm and Zoë felt her heart leap. “Yes you were.” His voice was scarce a whisper but she heard it perfectly.

She watched his lips as they spoke and before she knew it they were kissing, her lips mirroring his, soft, gentle but rich with passion.

“I love you, Zoë,” he murmured and she pulled him towards her ardently.

Her alarm ripped through her consciousness and she was dragged back to reality. For a heartbeat confusion between the two worlds blinded her until she blinked open her eyes into her empty bunk.

Instantly her insides were squirming with mortification. This dream had to be worse than the classic naked-in-public. She even glanced around herself to check if anyone could possibly have witnessed. It was mad! Her stomach still felt like it had just melted as she sat up, clicking off her alarm. What could possibly have caused her to dream of Wash?

~

Wash took the rungs of his ladder two at a time. It was quite early and he wasn’t usually a morning person, but he’d woken in an insanely good mood for no apparent reason. He must’ve had a good dream, but he couldn’t remember. As he headed up to the bridge Zoë emerged from her bunk. He met her eyes but she strode straight past him with not so much as a ‘Good morning’. Wash watched her walk away before continuing, unsure why it bothered him.

“Way to throw a metaphorical cloud over my morning,” he muttered to himself as he mounted the stairs to the cockpit. He had shaved of his ruttin’ moustache in the hope she would actually talk to him, but she now seemed even to be avoiding him!

He slumped down into his chair, not sure why he was still thinking about it. She wouldn’t be the first or the last girl that plain ignored him. Though, he didn’t want her to like him because she was a girl, he wanted her to like him because she was Zoë. Besides, she wasn’t upholding her end of the bargain.

Now would be the time to stop thinking about her… he told himself. He didn’t though. It began to give him an unsettling sinking feeling that he may be falling for her. And that would not be good.

~

Eight hours later it was early morning on the planet Wash was navigating Serenity onto. It was still slightly strange when that kind of time difference happened and he was not looking forward to the extended day. Mal was in an unusually grouchy mood, which had not been improved when Bester had announced he needed a new valve for the grav boot and a few days to rewire it.

Wash could now feel Mal’s angry eyes on his back and was careful to stifle his yawn. Fortunately, the Captain could find no fault in Wash’s landing and so stalked off to the Cargo Bay to find some there. Zoë was about to follow him when Wash called out to her, halting her in her tracks. Reluctantly, she turned to face him.

“You haven’t upheld your end of the deal,” he accused courageously, flicking the three switches above his head and resting the helm.

A part of Zoë wanted still to hide herself under the pretence that there was nothing beneath the façade. She was just a soldier. It would be a lot easier for both of them. Instead she made a brave attempt at a smile. “Is now really the time?”

“I shaved off my moustache,” he pointed out.

“I noticed. Suits you by the way.”

“You think?” Wash looked absurdly hopeful.

“Yeah, never did like a guy with facial hair,” Zoë said without thinking.

There was a beat before Wash replied. “But you like a guy without?”

Zoë rolled her eyes slightly. Luckily she was saved from having to reply by Mal barking down the comm. “Zoë! Where are you?”

Wash watched her go with a smile of satisfaction on his face. Smooth...

To be continued... (whether you like it or not =p)