Title: Always Lookin' Author: hisgoodgirl Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss. Characters: Jayne and Kaylee (sorta), Kaylee and Simon (sorta). Warning: PG-15; mild profanity, vague sexual reference. Setting: During the series. Word Count: 739

A/N: I recently watched Firefly on a huge projection screen for the first time during a Firefly Marathon hosted by the Charlotte Browncoats. Maybe it was the large format, but I really noticed how often Jayne is surreptitiously watching Kaylee. Written by reader request as the companion piece to “She Don’t Know”. (Click on my name above for a listing of my fics and lots more Jaylee.) Previously posted in the jaylee_ship and ff_fanfic comms at LJ.

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Jayne Cobb’s the confoundingest man I ever met. He’s always lookin’ at me. Thinks I don’t notice it, but I do.

It ain't like the man’s what you’d call ‘subtle’ about most things. He’s always comin’ up with some excuse to come borrow a wrench or a screwdriver when I’m workin’ on the engine or standin’ over me durin’ mess cleanup. I know damn well the laws of chance wouldn’t be pairin’ up the two of us as often as the schedule shows.

If I asked him, he’d lie and flat out deny it.

From the very day the Cap’n hired him, he’s been checkin’ me out. Runnin’ them steely eyes a his over my backside and oglin’ my bosom. I don’t have to see him a’lookin’ – I can feel it.

He’ll be down in the bay, workin’ out, an’ maybe I gotta take the catwalk up to the bridge or over to ‘Nara’s shuttle. He keeps on liftin’ them weights, but I know he’s watchin’ me. (The truth is, I been known to do the same. ‘Specially, if you stand on the rail opposite his weight bench, you get a real nice view of all them muscles and sometimes a little more.)

Cap’n keeps warnin’ him off me an’ tellin’ me to watch my step around the man. Says Jayne’s dangerous, not to be trusted. I guess Cap still thinks I’m some kinda innocent little girl, but I ain't. Heck, before Simon an’ River and the Shepherd come on board, me an’ Jayne even used to flirt a little. Nothin’ serious, you know. Just playin’. He’s plenty handsome, just in a rough sorta way.

We’d go out drinkin’ together an’ he even took me to get my tattoo when we was on Persephone one time. I knew he had one and would be more likely to know somebody good to go to. He tried to talk me outta doin’ it, especially ‘cause I was more’n a little drunk at the time, but it come out real pretty anyways.

He’s real strong, too. Why, when Cap and Wash needed me to help us pull that Crazy Ivan an’ get away from the reavers, Jayne just lifted me up easy-peasy off that medbay couch, like I was just a feather and not a good-sized girl. Come to think of it, there’s been several times he’s carried me, an’ he was always mighty careful. We make the best hoopball team, cause he lets me climb up on them wide shoulders a his’n and then we’re three foot taller’n anybody else!

When I met Simon, it was like somebody shoved somethin’ all bright and shiny in front of me and I fell hard. But it’s goin’ on six months now, and I ain't even managed to get him to kiss me yet. It’s enough to break a girl’s heart. I keep hopin’ River’ll get better and then he might have time to notice me. He’s real dedicated to helpin’ her, and I gotta respect that in a man, but I sure wish he’d warm up a little.

The funny thing is how Jayne took to actin’ once Simon come on board – all mean and spiteful. Always saying rude things and embarassin’ me in front of everyone, just pickin’ on me right awful. I don’t understand, cause we used to be buddies. It’s almost like he’s jealous a Simon or somethin’, an’ that don’t make no sense. It ain't like I’m the kind of woman Jayne’d want. He’s a hard-drinking, rough-housing kind of a man. I seen them whores he gets his trim from, all kinda loud and flashy. Ain't got grease all over their faces and dressed in grungy ol’ overalls, hair always hangin’ in their faces. Naw, I ain't Jayne’s type, not for real.

Still, there’s times I wonder what it’d be like to be sweeties with ‘im. Like I said, he’s real handsome and that body a his – Tianna! I bet he’d be a handful in the sack, too, all he’s seen an’ done. Wouldn’t be all “proper” like Simon, that’s for sure.

Sometimes, I get to thinkin, if somebody don’t love on me soon, I’m like to just dry up and blow away. I miss kissin' and gettin’ sexed regular, but mostly, I miss feelin’ like I’m special to someone. That’d be real nice, y’know?

At least I got Jayne watchin’ me, even if he thinks I don’t notice.

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End