Series:Moonlight and Serenades Part III
Sequel to: Tea & a Tango for Two
Firefly fanfic by Brandywine00
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own nor make any cashy money from these wonderful folks. Joss is Boss.
Author's note: This started out as a one-shot, but has decided itself to be a sequel to Tea & a Tango for Two. Some spoilers to the show and BDM. Also, moonbows are a real occurrence here on Earth-that-Is, such as at Cumberland Falls, KY.
Special thanks to jellie_rayneluv for the beta!
By special request, for BigBadJayne… thanks for the wonderful comments!
***
~Eire Moon, on the Rim~
The serene lake broke apart as the big man charged into the water, fully clothed.
"I-na-raa!" he bellowed, desperation edging his cry. "I-naa-raaa!"
Jackknifing below the surface, he tried in vain to search the darkened water, swiping his arms around the depths in the area he'd last seen her. Breaking the surface, he gulped in deep breaths, eyes sweeping the lake, the shore, the woods again, back and forth, terror gnawing at his gut.
What the hell happened? Where was she? Woman was a strong swimmer, he'd seen that, and there weren't no great current to speak of. Briefly, he wondered if some native water creature had pulled her under. Every world terraformed had some such beast or critter that didn't quite adjust to the quirks of the new environment, but surely, surely that woman who'd mentioned this place woulda said something. Woulda warned Inara.
A thousand scenarios raced through his mind, each more horrifying than the one before, till he was near spinning in a circle, treading water, scanning, searching the horizon for some small sign of her. His heart banged against his ribs, so loud in his ears it near drowned out the rush of the falls, pumping so much blood through his body, the water should be boiling from the heat rolling off him. Instead, his arms and legs felt like ice, and a cold dread weighed down his chest.
Lunging toward the lower rocks near the shore, he sliced through the water with powerful strokes, intent on reaching higher ground, better vantage point, start tracking her. He'd track her. He could do that. He was good at that.
He reached the edge quickly, grabbing hold of the ledge to pull himself up, when something latched onto his belt, and yanked him back. With a startled yell, he felt the waterlogged trousers give way and slide to his knees, before the weight pulled him back under the water.
Expecting to be taken down by some fey creature, his heart nearly stopped when something grasped his calves with certainty, and then his upper thighs, with hard, sharp tips on the end of its – claws? Fingers? Gorram tentacles? What?
Ready to do battle for his life, he bolted through the surface, yelping as a firm, velvety heat surrounded his exposed manhood, latching on with a strength that would surely see him devoured whole in moments.
The shock of it immobilized him for a spare moment, before he reached down to pull himself loose. His hand met with a swirling wet mass of long curls that now wrapped around his hand and hips as his diao sprang suddenly to a life of its own under the constant suction.
"Cào!" he shouted, his dueling fear and relief overpowered for a brief moment by the flare of electricity shooting from his nethers to the rest of his adrenaline-charged body. He gripped the hair beneath the water, joyous in the familiar feeling of its silky lengths.
The sudden jolting of emotion returned, and he pulled the delicious pleasure away from him, hauling her up to meet his glare. Inara gasped as she broke water, her brilliant smile faltering at the look on his face.
"Inara," he growled, still gripping her hair in one firm fist, his other arm sweeping around her waist.
One second, he held her firm away from him, staring hard into her eyes. The next moment he crushed her to his massive chest. His rough kiss pressed against her temple before he tugged her head back, her spine arching against the muscles of his forearm, his face clenched in a mask of fury and confusion.
Her eyes flew open wide, full lips quivering as they struggled to work themselves around words to explain.
"Jayne, I only meant to…" her small voice fell away as she searched the anger and hurt that consumed him. "I was only playing, wanted to-"
"Told ya once, woman, I ain't a man to be played with," he ground out, his mind whirling around the reasons she'd pull such a dirty trick on him. "Why'd ya wanna do me like that? Didja get yer jollies, me runnin' around, hollerin' like a gorram fool over ya?"
He fought like all hells against the dampness lining his eyes, knowing it had nothing to do with the water trickling down his brow from his wet hair. She wasn't even trying to fight the fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she caught shuddering breaths.
She was a picture of misery, her downturned bow of a mouth trembling, her body naked and shivering and as soaked as a drowned kitten. The pitiful sight of her nearly lifted the red fog shrouding his brain, before the years of distrust that had kept him alive slammed back into his thoughts. Companions were known for their wiles, making a man believe what they wanted him to believe. Never would've expected her to use her wiles on him, but after this stunt, Jayne wasn't sure what he could trust in.
"Know ya ain't never gonna be head over heels a-lovin' me, but… hell, I thought that night meant a little somethin' to ya. Thought ya could see it was more'n just a roll 'tween the sheets for me."
His thick voice broke, surprising them both with the rawness of it.
"Damn, Inara… I never dreamed ya'd wanna hurt me like that a-purpose."
***
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