Series: Equations Title: Taste Author: meimei42 (Dani) 30_angsts Theme(s): 5. True Love (~Seeking for you) Pairing/Characters: Jayne/Kaylee Rating: PG-13 Disclaimer/claimer (if needed): Post BDM, I do not own any of it. Summary: Mal and Jayne have a chat, Kaylee tries to explain what she is feeling to Inara Word Count: 1392

Author's Note: Betaed by Squish who always offers me the truth of what she thinks. Thanks to Reenie for sending my muse chocolate. This is for my 30_angsts challenge. Italics is flashback. Image by the awesomely, wonderful Maantre This isn't the last chapter.

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Jayne paced back and forth the length of his bunk. He didn’t have long to wait before his hatch door opened and Mal dropped down. The mercenary opened his mouth to speak but he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his head before he could say anything.

“Whatever trouble you got that girl into, it stops now,” Mal said, his voice dead calm. Jayne was seething inside. The captain was playing it up as though it was all Jayne’s fault.

“I ain’t the one you need t’be talkin’ to,” Jayne growled. Mal pulled back the hammer of the gun, his hand never wavering.

“I got me a crew that needs t’be taken care of an’ right now, way I see it, you’re upsettin’ that delicate balance. You will stop this affair or I will blow you out the airlock, dong ma?” Mal waited patiently for Jayne to acknowledge he understood.

“Talk t’Kaylee, that’s all I’m sayin’,” Jayne said. Mal lowered the gun and turned, heading back up the ladder. Jayne was still for a moment, trying to put a cap on his anger. It didn’t work. His hand reached out, grabbing the first item within reached, and hurled it across the room. It was only after the music box shattered that he realized what he had grabbed.

~*~*~*~*~

“Aw, Jayne, you didn’t hav’ta get me nothin’ for my birthday,” Kaylee smiled. Jayne just shrugged and continued sharpening his knife. He tried not to seem so interested as he watched her unwrap the silver paper that surrounding the small box.

It wasn’t the prettiest wrap job in the world; it had seemed nicer at the store when they’d first wrapped it. Kaylee didn’t seem to mind much though. Her fingers began to gently pull at the paper until she had a small opening. What was wrong with women? Why couldn’t they just open a gorram present like a normal person? Always had t’be dainty and delicate like with the paper, it didn’t make sense to Jayne. Not that he would complaining. The way she pressed her tongue between her lips as she concentrated on not tearing the paper was too gorram cute for words.

Kaylee reached her hands in and slowly pulled out a ivory ceramic box. It was decorated along the edges with light pink flowers. Gingerly Kaylee opened the lid revealing a small figurine in a ruffly pink dress, slowly turning in a circle as music played. “Oh my…Jayne, this is…this is beautiful,” Kaylee whispered.

“Dress reminded me of that puffy dress the cap’n got you for that fancy party,” Jayne shrugged. It hadn’t cost much, but it had reminded him of her.

“This is the sweetest thing anyone every got me, Jayne,” she smiled, leaning forward and placing a kiss on his cheek. Time froze for a moment; Jayne didn’t know what to do. He knew the kiss was innocent, it was still nice having her lips on his skin.

“Weren’t nothin’,” he shrugged.

“Can I keep it here?” Kaylee asked, her eyes hopeful.

“It’s kinda girly,” Jayne said, making a face.

“Please?” she asked again, pouting her lips out a little.

“Fine,” Jayne grumbled. Gorram woman could have gotten anything in the world she wanted as long as she pouted her lips out like that.

~*~*~*~*~*

Jayne bent down and picked up the pieces of the ceramic music box. He let out a string of curses and let the pieces fall back to the ground. There wasn’t any way he was going to be able to put the thing back together. Straightening Jayne ran a hand through his hair. This was a mess, he needed to talk with Kaylee. He moved to his ladder and climbed up out of his bunk.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kaylee watched Simon head up the ramp and followed slowly after. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking or feeling at the moment, mostly a lot of unhappiness and all kinds of guilt. She paused for a moment to collect her thought before continuing. Simon disappeared into the ship, probably the infirmary and Kaylee was left standing in the cargo bay by herself.

“You did right,” a voice said. Kaylee looked around until her eyes landed on River who was balancing precariously on the hand rails of the cat walk.

“River…” Kaylee whispered. “River get down from there, hon.” The genius smiled and climbed down with ease. She moved down the stairway and stood a few feet from Kaylee. The smile slid off her face and she looked past the mechanic towards the infirmary.

“Not sisters,” she said.

Kaylee followed River’s gaze and sighed. “I messed up.”

“Bad,” River agreed. “Broke hearts you swore to always love.”

“Sometimes things happen to a person you never expected t’happen,” Kaylee whispered, her eyes still set on the direction of the infirmary. “Why didn’t you tell him, River?”

“Hoped you would. Waited…you thought about it, but were scared. Now he’s free,” River said.

“Is he gonna leave?” Kaylee asked, chewing on her finger nails.

“It’s uncertain.” The two women shared a long look before River turned and headed for the infirmary. Kaylee watched her until she disappeared as well. When the cargo bay was empty again, Kaylee stood quietly, waiting for something to happen.

“Mei mei?” Kaylee blinked. She had been waiting for something to happen but she hadn’t actually expected it to. Turning she faced Inara and tried to give the companion a smile. “Is everything alright?” Inara ventured.

“Not exactly,” Kaylee whispered.

Inara stepped closer to her and wrapped her arm around the mechanic’s shoulder and drawing her to the far end of the cargo bay. Inara’s voice lowered as she spoke. “What is it?”

“Told Simon…’bout Jayne,” Kaylee sighed. “Didn’t go so well, Simon and Jayne started beatin’ on one another and now everyone is mad at everyone else. Don’t really know what t’do.”

Inara pursed her lips in thought for a long moment. “How are you feeling?” she asked finally.

Kaylee let out a long breath. “Don’t really know,” the mechanic shrugged. “I mean I feel bad, never wanted t’hurt Simon this way but in a way…in a way I’m glad. I feel like a weight’s been lifted off me.”

“I see,” Inara said quietly.

“River said somethin’ funny t’me today,” Kaylee continued softly.

“And what was that?” the companion inquired.

“She said…she said I loved him. Only she said it wasn’t Simon I loved, but Jayne. I didn’t really know what t’think ‘bout that,” Kaylee said uncertainly.

“Well do you?” Inara asked.

“Do I love him?” Kaylee asked, her eyebrows drawing together. “I don’t know. I feel a lot of things for Jayne. He makes me feel special. Feels like the pieces fit when it’s me and him, ya know?” Kaylee chewed on her finger nails and stared down at the ground for a moment. “Oh, ‘Nara I might. I’ve been tryin’ so hard t’ push away any feelin’ for Jayne that were more than friendship. Even when we started sexin’, I just couldn’t, it was too much. But I feel it, ‘Nara. I feel something deep inside and I ain’t felt nothing like this in a long while.”

Inara’s eyes widened and Kaylee looked around quickly. The mechanic had only just turned her head when she felt someone grab her shoulders and force her to face them. Kaylee opened her mouth to speak, but Jayne’s mouth press against hers. Inara slid away from them and she felt Jayne slowly back her up until her body was pressed against the wall. His mouth didn’t leave hers though, he just deepened the kiss, his hands entangling themselves in her hair and pulling her closer than any two bodies ought to be. The kiss made everything else seem to go away.

When Jayne finally pulled back it took Kaylee more than a few moments to collect herself. “Jayne?”

“We gotta talk, but not right now,” Jayne whispered.

“Later?” she asked.

“Later,” he agreed, pressing one last kiss to her forehead before turning and leaving. Kaylee brought her hand up to her lips, tracing the smooth skin that had been pressed so tightly to Jayne’s. They didn’t taste of Simon anymore. She didn’t ever want them to taste of Simon again. Jayne’s taste was just too perfect to want to go back to anything else.