Jayne couldn’t sleep. Not fer the life of him. An’ he’d tried near everythin’ he could think of. But he couldn’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout Kaylee. ‘Bout how soft her lips were. How her hair smelled like kosu weed an’ vanilla. ‘Bout how she’d got ‘im all heated up an’ for some gorram reason he’d stopped ‘er.

Why’d he stop ‘er?

‘Cause he wasn’t a good enough person ta be second best. Just like Kaylee’d said. Somewhere he’d let his gorram pride get in between Kaylee an’ his belt buckle.

He looked at the wall separatin’ his bunk an’ Kaylee’s. Wondered if she was thinkin’ of him like he was thinkin’ of her.

He had ta get out.

Jayne wasn’t sweet on walkin’ around barefooted. Lord knew what kinda stuff was on the floor a Serenity. But barefoot was quiet. An’ he couldn’t take the thought’ve havin’ Kaylee know he was out an’ about an’ followin’ him. Didn’t think he had the discipline ta say no ta her twice.

Didn’t know where he was goin’, exactly. Just wanderin’. The ship was all quiet, seein’ as it was sleeptime.

No, not quiet. There was somethin’ goin’ on in the cargo bay.

He crept real quiet down the hallway an’ peered aroun’ the corner.

Not the cargo bay.

Inara’s shuttle.

Crazy was sittin’ just outside the door ta her shuttle, bobbin’ her head from side ta side ta the music that was comin’ out of it. She looked over at Jayne an’ grinned.

She waved fer him ta come over an’ put a finger ta her lips.

Jayne certainly didn’t have nothin’ better ta do.

The door was only part-way open. River was sittin’ so that she could see through the crack. The light comin’ from the shuttle fell in a line across her face..

She looked up at Jayne as he got closer. Had a real pleased look on her face.

She put a finger to her lips again.

He caught the tail-end of somethin’ Inara was sayin’. “—doubted that you could make Bach sexy.”

“I just never… EVER… thought of it that way.”

Doc was in there, too.

“Well now—ah! Back THEN forward.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s alright. Nothing broken.”

Jayne had got himself behind Crazy so he could see through the openin’ too. There was a flutter of red as Inara went past. The music stopped for a second, then started over from the beginnin’.

She fluttered past again.

“You’re going to have to learn to speak and dance at the same time.”

“I can, usually. I’ve had dancing lessons since I was five.”

Jayne snorted. Crazy turned around an’ scowled at ‘im. She pushed her finger against his lips an’ turned back ta the door.

“I’ve just never danced… backwards.”

“Not backwards, Simon. Differently. And you may not have to follow at all. We don’t know which role Mr. Pink… prefers. Best to be prepared.”

Jayne stuffed half his fist in his mouth ta keep from laughin’. The doc an’ Inara had just swooped by with Inara leadin’ an the doc all but holdin’ his invisible skirts up.

“He seems like the controlling type.”

“Oh, you never know. Believe me, some men who control everything outside the bedroom are all too subservient in… other environments.”

“Oh god!”

“It’s just an example.”

They were quiet fer a little after that. Jayne preferred not to imagine what the doc was thinkin’ about.

Almost felt sorry fer ‘im. Maybe woulda… if he hadn’ta asked Mr. Pink ta call ‘im Jayne.

Hwoon dahn.

“How are things going with Kaylee?”

The doc must’ve stepped on Inara again. Jayne heard ‘er hiss through her teeth an’ mutter somethin’ not all-together companiony.

“Sorry.”

“Let’s just… take a little break.”

The music stopped.

“Things aren’t going well, then?”

“Uh…”

“I see.”

“Has she said anything to you? About… me? Us?”

Jayne sat up a little straighter.

“It’s really not my place to say.”

Fei hua. ‘Course it was.

“Has she said anything about… Jayne?”

Jayne leaned forward. Saw Crazy lookin’ at ‘im outa the corner of ‘is eye.

Inara was real quiet.

“I see.”

“They do have a lot in common, Simon.”

“I hesitate to believe that.”

“Simon…”

“I just don’t see how things could change so quickly. How she could be so interested in me one day and the next… not.”

There was a little pause.

“You weren’t interested in her one day. The next you were. It’s the same.”

“That’s… it wasn’t like I wasn’t interested in her. I had other things to worry about.”

“And now so does she.”

Jayne caught ‘imself smilin’.

“But… THAT?”

Jayne weren’t smilin’ no more. Crazy stuck an arm in front’ve ‘im ta keep ‘im from jumpin’ through the door.

“Simon, Jayne’s not a ‘that.’”

Damn right.

Inara’s voice was softer now. “Things change, Simon. Sometimes they change more slowly for one person than they do for the other.”

The doc didn’t say nothin’.

Jayne heard a rustle. Inara standin’ back up.

The music started again.

Jayne patted Crazy on the head an’ went back ta his bunk.

Slept like the dead.