Pins and Needles 2

by belasera A vague disclaimer is nobody’s friend: All recognizable characters, etc. belong not to me, but to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Fox, and no money is being made here. The story, however, is mine. Just finishing up what I started with the first. Still very much pre-BDM …………………………………………………………………………………………….

Simons quick fingers worked at the stitches, he didn’t hardly even feel them sliding back out of his body. Wasn’t nothin’ but a routine, ‘specially for Jayne. He had a habit of getting’ tore up, and Simon had a habit of sewin’ him back together without comment. The doc’d taken pretty well to this life, Jayne couldn’t help but admit with a grudge. Grudge wasn’t nothin’ new, for all his clever stitches this doc and his sister had caused a stir in what had been a near comfortable life. Decent boat, enough food even for him, a tussle wherever he and Mal went, hell there was a paid companion on the same ship he lived on. If that wasn’t gorram lucky, he didn’t know luck from mud. Didn’t matter that he couldn’t touch her, he hadn’t wanted to so much after he saw some o’ the other pretty this ship held. Think of the devil. Kaylee walked past the infirmary, or nearly past anyway. Her eyes must have caught Jayne, she backed up to the door and peered her bright face in. “You gettin’ ‘em out?” Her question could have been casual, but Jayne heard the same dark curiosity in her voice that had been there a few nights back, when she poked at him softly and talked ‘bout reavers. Reaver sewing habits, actually. Damn creepifying, if you asked him. Jayne gave her a scowl, near as he could manage for her anyway. “Ah, girl, just keep walkin’.” She did with a snort, and what the thought was a wink. Definitely a wink. “Aw, doc, that girl is a barrel full. Can’t even figure if I envy you or not.” It seemed to take a moment for Simon to register that Jayne was speaking to him, maybe it was his near friendly voice that surprised the doctor, caused him to stutter. “I, oh, I…there’s not…” Jayne’s eyes drew themselves into slits as he listened to Simon’s croaking answer. “What, are you missin’ parts or somethin’? Clear as day she shines on you somethin’ fierce.” Jayne turned away from him with a little snort of wonder. Simon cleared his throat testily. “Can we just not talk about our personal lives? Ever? I’m through here.” Jayne walked out of the infirmary without comment, only tossing back a quick “Thanks” after he’d cleared the door. Maybe it was the sensation of bein’ mended, but it seemed like the ‘verse was a bit shinier all of a sudden, and the good doctor seemed to be nothin’ more irritating that the average fancy core worlder. ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jayne figured with his stitches out maybe Kaylee would turn her attention back to the doctor, for all the good it would do her. Kaylee was like a little fox, liked to play in her own way, but Jayne didn’t think nothin’ of it. S’long as she’d had enough reaver talk, she was welcome to run her hands up his t-shirt anytime. The thought gave his body a rush, a real good one. Like remembering a fight and a fuck at the same time, sending signals all mashed up to his brain. Jayne was a man liked to keep the two separate, though one always seemed to leave him desirin’ the other. Wasn’t nothin’ too complicated. A body was meant to be doin’ somethin’, his couldn’t stand to be still. He went straight from Simon to the cargo bay. He was ready for some action, but they were days from planetside and the next fight Mal would surely cause, and for all Kaylee’s playin’ he didn’t think she’d take to him upping the ante. So he found it odd to see her standin’ there, not doin’ nothin’. Seemed to be waitin’ for him, eyes dangerously innocent as she took in his bare chest, at the t-shirt held limp in his hand. “Wanna play ball, now you’re healed up?” “You wouldn’t stand a chance.” Kaylee shrugged. “But sure it’d be fun.” Yeah, he thought, Kaylee seemed to want a lot a fun with him last few days. He moved to get the ball out and caught her staring again at the scar on his chest. He stopped. “Naw, I don’t wanna play now.” “Oh, ok, just thought you might wanna move around some, now that them stitches is out.” Jayne grimaced, moved to stand right in front of her. He glared down at her until her smile faltered. “When’d you get all twisted up like this, to be lookin’ at me and thinkin’ on…them things.” Kaylee’s mouth formed a hurt little oh as she took in his meaning. “Jayne I didn’t mean…I don’t think nothin’ when I look on you, I was only…” She placed her hand on his forearm and he stared at it a second before stepping back away from her touch. “Yeah, that’s all fine then. Don’t think nothin’ on me, I don’t wanna play.” She raised her voice at his back as he walked away. “I ain’t playin at nothin’, Jayne Cobb! You’re the one gotta get so stiff and angry over a little teasin’.” He stopped, she could see the muscles in his shoulders tighten and hoped for a minute that he’d keep walkin’, that he wouldn’t come back and finish this fight she hadn’t meant to start. He came back. Wearing a world of anger on his face, and something strangely akin to love in his hands, as he put them on her shoulders, holding her still in front of him. He wasn’t nervous now, she hadn’t made him edgy and excited at all, she’d just made him angry and hard. She gulped. He spoke low and quiet at her, voice almost pleading. “I don’t wanna play at this. At you bein’ something you ain’t, talkin’ about things you don’t even think of.” His face lost some of the anger, though his body continued to radiate a tense heat as his eyes softened a bit. “Or do ya? Maybe you wanna talk ‘bout me like I’m lunch for worms ‘cause you’ve forgot what a body’s good for…” He stopped, looked at her like he’d never seen her before, as her eyes turned bright as glass. “Oh.” He was quick as a whip, pulled her body tight against his without pause, one arm around her waist and one at her neck, mouth covering hers even as she gasped. He kissed hard, didn’t know how to do any different though her little mewing sounds that filled his mouth bore no complaints. Her hands were on his chest, his back, his hips, his face, he wondered briefly just how many she had before noticing the speed with which his own were traveling her body. Up her sides and down across her ass, he pushed up the hem of her shirt and pulled their bodies as close as he could, trapping his hand ackwardly between them like a clumsy teen. He laughed into her mouth and pulled away, her mouth following his for a space before leaning away. He couldn’t help his soft hiss, couldn’t help but shudder a bit as looked down on her. She was actually makin’ him a bit nervous, just with her closeness, close enough to start again, but he knew he didn’t have the will to start again without them endin’ up rutting against the cargo bay wall. He grinned wide and easy. “Feelin’ less morbid and creepifyin’?” Kaylee shook her head. “I’m sorry, I never meant to talk on you way I did, I just didn’t know…” She looked up at him and smiled a sliver. “You just get shot. A lot.” He grinned down at her, wiped away a bit of a tear on her cheek casually, like it was nothin’ he hadn’t done a hundred times. “I ain’t goin’ nowhere, little Kaylee. None of us are. Nothin’ gonna get to us, not the hwoon dahn Alliance, not no crazy reavers. We’re all gonna get fat and happy, right on this here boat.” Didn’t matter if neither of them believed it, only mattered that he said it with a promise of somethin’ good in his eyes, somethin’ to keep them feelin’ alive out here in the dead of the black.