Disclaimer: I do not own the crew of Serenity or anyone in their universe. Joss is the god in this universe; I just like to play with his creations.
Note: I fell in love with Firefly because of the characters. My favorite scenes have always involved their conversations between jobs. That's what this series is about. :) I am a Jaylee fan so some of the conversations may veer that way. Wash/Zoe and Mal/Inara will have their moments as well. I look forward to hearing your feedback and I hope that you enjoy this series!
The One Where Kaylee and Jayne Bond Over Whiskey and Daytime TV
Kaylee smiled into her cup of tea and descended the stairs to the common area. Serenity's cold metal hugged her bare feet and she curled her toes around each step with quiet satisfaction.
It was the nights she loved the most. Serenity purred on autopilot. The pounding of heavy combat boots and the snapping of weaponry disappeared and allowed the frozen silence of space to filter through.
"Ho Tze Duh Pi Gu!"
'Course the cursin' never did stop on this boat.
Once on a flat surface, she cocked her head and studied the muscle-bound mercenary perched on the sofa's edge. His baggy cargo pants offset an orange t-shirt. Loose threads hung from the hem and the words "Sonny Boy" were roughly patched over his chest. A portable cortex held his attention.
Kaylee giggled, alerting the only other woken crew member to her presence.
"Kaylee girl? What in the guay you doin' up at this hour?"
She padded across the floor until only the table separated her from the hired gun. She raised the tea to her mouth and took a small sip, letting the hot liquid linger on her lips.
"Want some?"
Jayne knitted his brows and heaved a heavy sigh. "'Whiskey'd be better."
Kaylee circled the table and settled herself on a chair. Jayne narrowed his eyes and turned his portable cortex away.
"Got somethin fermentin'. Gonna be a spell before it's ready." She craned her neck, catching a glimpse of his screen. "She looks mighty upset." The woman on the screen sported a strong pout and a dress more fancible than her pink number. "Wait…" Kaylee considered the dress again. "Her breasts ain't even showin'!"
Jayne slammed the screen shut and forced it beneath the couch cushion. "Ta ma duh! Kaylee, ain't you got better things to do?"
Kaylee grinned and set her tea on the table. "Thought you only watched ruttin' on that thing."
Jayne's eyes shifted as he focused on anything but her playful stare. "Ain't none of your business what I watch." He crossed his arms and hardened his features.
She leaned back into the chair and smiled all wide-like. "Rightly ain't." She put her bare feet on the table. "But if'n you were watching the latest episode of From the Moon to the Stars, than it'd be mighty shiny."
His eyes made a slow burn towards her. One eyebrow arched in a silent challenge to the girl in the teddy bear pajamas. "Shiny?" He loosened his arms and adjusted his position on the sofa.
Kaylee leaned in, her smile fading. "Only if you agree that Damen was being a Qing Wa Cao De Liu Mang when he dumped Santina for that goram sheep-herder!"
Jayne reached behind him and pulled a small pistol from his back pocket. "Ain't no sheep-herder in the verse worth hurting Santina! I'll blow his Cheong Bao Ho Tze ass out of the sky."
They froze, Jayne standing with his gun pointed upward and Kaylee hanging on the edge of her chair. Slowly, each of them eased back into their seats. Jayne holstered his gun and Kaylee cleared her throat. She stood and picked up her tea. Chewing her lips, she met Jayne's embarrassment.
"Reckon I should go back to sleep. Lots of…tinkering…to be done tomorrow."
"Cai Bu Shi." She turned away, and he continued. "Less you wanna watch Rolando make kissy-face at them sheep..."
Kaylee stopped in place, but didn't turn around. A small smile touched her lips.
"I'll get the whiskey."