I do not own Firefly (but if i did I would bring it back AND give Jayne more stories)

Jayne laid on his back on his cot, eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. A strange feeling stung at the back of his mind and rolled around in the pit of his stomach. He could count on one hand the number of times he had felt this way, but he still knew exactly what it was.

"Gorram guilt," He angrily muttered to himself. "Wǒ bìxū yào ruǎn."

But deep down, he knew what he had said to Inara had been uncalled for, and all she had said had been completely true, but there was no way hell he would ever admit it. The more the thought about it, the guiltier he felt, and the desire to punch something grew stronger.

Jayne sat up and rubbed his temples where a headache was beginning to form. This was why he tried not to think so hard on anything... It just gave him problems. All this sitting wasn't helping him either, so he decided that working out again may help.

Jayne emerged from his bunk, checking to make sure the coasts was clear of Inara before making his way down the corridor. Up ahead he spotted Zoe and Wash cross in front of the hall, arms linked and smiles lighting up their faces.

"Pēi..." Jayne spit, trying not to gag from the lovey-doveyness that radiated from the couple.

Zoe and Wash stopped in front of the entrance of the cock-pit and gave each other a quick good-bye kiss before he headed into the cock-pit and she in the other direction. Just then she noticed the tall, sullen man at the end of the hallway.

"Jayne." Zoe nodded in a quick greeting.

"Zoe." He smiled in fake politeness. She rolled her large brown eyes.

He and Zoe had never been on the best of terms. For one, she didn't trust him with anything, and he never cared for the way she was always kissing the Captain's ass. Not to mention the couple of times she had kicked his ass, but only after he had pinched her well-rounded one.

"We all missed you at lunch," She continued casually, "What have you been up to all day?"

There was a certain tone in her voice that Jayne didn't like. Had Inara said something? Was Zoe trying to use some kinda reverse psychology ma fèn to get him to fess up?

No, Inara was much too proud and private a person tell anyone about their little encounter earlier. That's why he hadn't gone to lunch- even though he knew she wouldn't tell anyone, he didn't have the guts to look Inara in the eye from across the table. But Zoe didn't know that.

"Well, ya know," He said slyly, eying her like he could see right through her clothes, "I've just been in my bunk... thinking hard about you and those purty eyes and your luscious-" he was instantly cut off by a swift kick to the chest, fling him back against the wall. He recovered quickly and tried to lunge at her, but in a flash she had her gun pulled out and pointed straight between his eyes.

"How many times are we gonna do this, Jaynie boy?" She asked annoyed, "When are gonna get it through your fei tóu dà that I deserve respect and that I can kill you with a crooked glance unless I get just that."

Jayne let out a low growl, but didn't try anything else. Zoe lowered the gun and gave him a cocky smile. She then turned and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Dinner's in thirty," She called over her shoulder. "Try no to miss me too much until then."

Jayne watched her backside as she walked further away and let out a chuckle. Usually in this kind of situation, he would have been more pissed than a hungry Reaver, but this little spat was a nice release of energy and cleared his head quite a bit.

'Good ol' reliable Zoe.' He thought to himself, resisting the urge to send a nice cat-call in her direction. He had learned his lesson... for today at least.

Wǒ bìxū yào ruǎn- I must be going soft

Pēi- Yuck

fei tóu dà- big fat head

ma fèn- horse shit