Exchanging Words – 12
Mal shifted under Kaylee, fingering strands of her damp hair from his face. She rained kisses on his chest before settling. Twisting a bit, Kaylee drew covers up over them. Her sigh of exhausted contentment echoed about them. Nested in his bunk, they snuggled, something Mal would never have admitted desiring.
He looped his arms around her waist to hold her steady as she adjusted the blanket. "It is good to be home."
Her grin teased his chest hair.
"When ya was getting Wash and Zoe item number two, how come ya didn't haggle us one?" Mal thumbed her spine.
"Only saved nuff for the one." She muttered. "Next year, Cap'n… don't know if the pressure valve would hold for two, might have … to re-route… and the water … circulator… might…. You and I got the smaller bunks…. Maybe down in the passenger dorm…. Routing…."
He watched her features relax to sleep. Didn't take long. Mal was relieved to see her finally quit smiling so bright and shiny, liked to blinded him, all that smiling….
Day had gone well. She'd sorted pieces and parts. Stripped down and installed some 'gotta do it on the ground' vital innards. Fixed a panel in the console on the bridge, laughing with Wash about it being a hair finer touch and not smashing 'em all into a sun. From there she'd gone to the engine room, grumbling about really needing two days in the world, not just one. "Always rushin; what good is parts without time to tend her proper?"
Zoe'd cornered him in the hold and nagged him none to kindly about Jayne getting shot.
"Sooo, I really can't let you go nowhere without me, can I, sir?" She stacked a carton of protein supplements behind the grill.
"We did all right." Mal passed another carton to her.
"Uh huh." Zoe nodded.
"I'm not some half brain you gotta herd from job to job." Mal whined.
"Course not sir." Zoe slammed the gate and they moved on to the next. "Did ya even get to the suite?"
"Zoe!" Mal gasped. "You just keep impugning my manly prowess right and left. I never suspected ya thought so little of-"
"And that would be a no?" She bent to unlatch the gate.
"No, I mean it's a yes. Confound it, Zoe. You ain't supposed to be sticking your large, although it be refined and beautiful, nose into my business." Mal stalked to drag a crate to the security of restraint.
She shoved the crate in and climbed over it to rearrange things a bit, for stability. "And while you were in the suite, Kaylee shot Jayne in the ass because…?"
"Weren't in the suite then." Mal growled, yanking another crate toward the cage. "Had bartering to do."
"So, she shot Jayne while bartering?" Wash appeared from nowhere. Taking the other end of the crate, side-stepping with Mal across the hold.
"No, that happened during the rescue. It's not like it sounds!" Mal defended, "Well, it is but it's not as bad – oh, stow the cargo and shut the hell up."
Zoe poked her head out from the cage, gaze pleading with Wash to pick up the gauntlet, "See why I can't let him go nowhere without me?"
"I do, dear. Obviously the man can't enjoy item number two without gunplay disturbing the bliss of the moment. Poor Kaylee." Wash yelped when Mal dropped his end of the crate and stomped away.
He clomped up the stairs, halted at the top to glare at the two of them smirking up at him. Laughter burst from him and he said, "Don't give her no grief over shooting Jayne. She done it defending my honor, in a manner of speaking."
"Honor. Of course, sir." Zoe nodded.
Wash raised his hand, "Does this mean we can continue to torment you?"
Mal sighed, rolled his eyes and left them to stow the remaining cargo. Their giggles followed him to the engine room. Where Kaylee tormented him with complaints about needing more time to strip down a port something or other.
"Time we ain't got, there's a job to get done." Mal told her, leaning on Serenity's housing, admiring her stretch and squirm to uncouple some part. "Badger waved – need to be out toward Bernadette by day after tomorrow. He's got goods he needs picked up and routed back."
"Shiny." She reached above her for a tool, slapping around till she found it. "Let me be. I'll get her ready for workin on time."
"Want some help?" He squeezed beside her and peered in.
Kaylee's laugh shot at him across her shoulder. Turning her face towards him, she asked, "You want to be in the sky on time?"
"No respect from my crew." He thumbed her nose, reflecting her grin with an ease that surprised her breath away.
"We wouldn't want ya to get too full of yourself, sir. Now, shoo and let me get this done." Kaylee turned away and stretched a bit further.
"I'll go knit." Mal backed away and left her to it.
By the time Shepherd Book called folks for a meal, the cargo was stowed and secure. Jayne was complaining about River being more twisted than poetry and Kaylee had 'most' of Serenity put back together. Simon was badgering Jayne about his dressing and the risk of infection when Mal settled at the table. Zoe and Wash were plotting an early escape to enjoy a relaxing bath and trying to convince the Shepherd that if he did dishes tonight, they'd be willing to give him two free nights. Kaylee barely waited on the Shepherd to pray before tucking in to the food.
"Oughter have the last of her back together by dawn. Wash, you'll need to run the diagnostic on the panel fore I can lock it down. Then we can calibrate and I can align those rods." Kaylee nodded at the pilot.
"No problem, we can do it after we eat." He agreed. Two of them put their heads together and plotted testing and reconnecting parts like strategy of a major campaign.
Inara breezed in amidst the meal, a slender bottle of spirits cradled in her elbow. She settled between Mal and Zoe, leaning forward to comment, "From the looks of the hold, you did well, Kaylee."
Kaylee grinned, "Got most everything on the list."
"She had some help!" Mal pouted.
"Sure as hell did." Jayne groused.
"And," Zoe leaned on Inara's shoulder, whispering, "Item Number Two."
"No! Really?" Inara's delight turned to mockery when she narrowed her eyes at Mal. "You didn't agree to that." Tossing her head to the other end of the table, she grinned at Kaylee, and asked, "How'd you manage it Kaylee?"
"Just had to shoot Jayne is all." Kaylee shrugged, "Cap'n was a mite concerned bout my skill with a weapon."
Mal's injured pride oozed around the table, not a one ignored a chance to get in on the torment. Jayne exalted his self as a suffering hero to the edge of angst, making sure Mal sounded like he was wearing a floral bonnet and skirts when Jayne needed him most. Mal suffered when he could, between laughing and not spewing his wine on the table.
Kaylee sipped wine, and though she nodded often and laughed at all the right moments, she was almost as quiet as the crumbs littering plates. He'd watched the shadow cross her face, knew the moment she felt guilty for feelin so 'ta home' and the instant she pushed it away. Might as well have shoved Serenity into the atmo by her own self. Her smile never faltered but Mal could feel the tension clear across the table. Bright and shiny smile or not, she hurt.
"Wash let's run that diagnostic fore this wine soaks in." Kaylee stood up and Wash leaned on Zoe, moaning.
"Aw, just five more minutes." He begged.
Kaylee tilted her head, raised her eyebrows and reminded him, "Fifteen minutes to run the diagnostic, twenty to calibrate and Item Number Two awaits ya."
"Oh." Wash smooched in Zoe's general direction and hot-footed it to the bridge.
Kaylee followed, stuffing her hands in her pockets and forgetting to laugh. Inara glared at him.
"What the hell did you do to her?" She hissed.
Mal saluted her with his cup, "Always thinking the best of me…like that about ya 'Nara."
Zoe put her hand on Inara's arm, shook her head and smiled at Shepherd Book, looking so uncomfortable across the table. "Guess I can help you with these dishes after all."
Inara turned her gaze to Jayne. The big man scooted his chair back and put his fist round Simon's neck. "Reckon ya ought to check that dressin, doc. Now would be good for me."
Simon didn't bother to do more than drop his napkin, "Yes, of course. River, you coming?"
"Radiation levels too high in here." River darted in front of Jayne to escape.
Inara leaned back, grinning at Mal's scowl. She was ready to scuffle. "How quickly everyone abandons you."
Mal swallowed the last of the wine and stood up. "Just know it's none of their business, no more'n it's yours." With a mocking bow, he followed Wash and Kaylee to the bridge.
Zoe came to clear the table and met Inara's worried frown with understanding, "Got no idea why she shot Jayne or who they were actually rescuing. Captain said Kaylee was defending his honor and nothing more."
"Shit." Inara gulped her wine and poured the last into the chipped mug. "They got the bartering done, of course. Did they, at least…"
Zoe nodded, stiffening as Mal walked though and waved a royal hand at the two women leaning across the table, "Don't mind your gossip, just fetching tools. Shepherd ya might wanna sermonize on the evils of gossip – might toss in the part about the damnation it guarantees."
Inara rolled her eyes and Zoe snorted. Shepherd leaned across the counter to shout after the Captain, "Can I toss in the part about those who use their tongue as a sword instead of an instrument of peace as well?"
"Suit yourself." Mal's voice drifted from the engine room. "Under the hammock. Girl, ya got three toolboxes under the hammock! Which pretty blue one is it?"
Kaylee ran through, grimacing at the Shepherd and ladies. "Sorry bout this, just a slight technical difficulty."
The burst of laughter followed her all the way to the engine room. Took her ten minutes behind the closed door to sooth Mal's righteous frustration. Finally, she just kissed him to silence, grabbed the toolbox she needed and scuttled on out of his sputtering range.
His grin was a mite smug when he returned to the dining area and nodded at those still hanging about. Jayne burst through, clutching the waistband of his pants and screeching like a banshee. He skidded to a halt, frothing words less intelligible than normal.
"She ain't got no sense of decency – no 'preciation for a man's privacy!" He tilted his head, mimicked a girl's voice, "Let me see. Maybe I can help."
River bolted in, saw Jayne's raging glare and simply turned around the way she came.
Jayne stalked to his bunk, "And I want my belt back!"
Mal put his hands on Inara's shoulders and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Welcome home, ambassador. Did ya miss us as much as we missed you?"
Her laughter eased about the ship, tickling, comforting and taking what remained of tension from those around her. She patted his hand before gliding to her feet and stepping away. "Undoubtedly, Captain."
Mal nodded, grateful for her grace. "How's that for peacemaking, Shepherd?"
"I'll skip the leprous suffering the devil tongue can cause … this time." Book smirked and scrubbed a pan.
"There is indeed a God and he has shown mercy!" Zoe shouted as she stacked plates.
Rolling his eyes, Mal went to find the doc and see bout fetching Jayne's belt. Wasn't sure he wanted to find out what 'misunderstanding' had relieved the man of such a vital article of clothing.
--oooo—
Half-past morning, a fresh scrubbed Kaylee climbed down his ladder, surprising Mal. She grinned, tossed her robe across the room and snapped the overhead light out. Sliding the Dummy book from his hand, she kissed his neck and whispered, "I can tell ya bout the best parts."
"Didn't cross them out?" He chuckled.
There'd been none of the awkwardness he'd been puzzling over while she and Wash worked half the night. The doubts and worries over which bunk to use, would she want some declaration before the crew... none of it seemed to matter. Mal shoulda expected that. Kaylee wasn't offended by wanting – needing; indifference wounded her, discounting her skills or abilities scratched at her but the ache to be with her would never insult Kaylee.
He watched her sleep, feeling the rise and fall of her breath across his heart. He felt like an idiot, marveling that it felt as normal to hold on to Kaylee as it did tripping on his own two feet on the way to coffee. A grin tugged at his face as he imagined offering such turnip-headed words to her. He fell asleep tryin to think of some better. Something to ease the ache away from her so she wouldn't smile like she was dying...
--oooo--