Fighting The Hollows... Part 1: ~ STORM CLOUDS ~

It was two days and some later now. The sky had patchy white clouds in it that were right now covering the sun above them. The air smelled sweet in one of the many ways it only ever did on an honest to goodness planet with trees and lakes and waterfalls and such. And, at this particular moment, Kaylee found herself backed up against one of those trees thinking about none of those things at all as she and River kissed.

River's hands were gently but firmly holding her forearms to the tree, their bodies were so close that the heat between them felt almost like a fire, and Kaylee was in no mood at all to call a halt to it. In fact, she wasn't sure if she'd ever enjoyed kissing someone quite this much her entire life. It was making her feel a little dizzy, to be honest.

When River finally stopped, her lips still just a breath away, Kaylee was kind of struck trance-like for a moment, until her brain kicked itself into working again. "Why'd you stop?" She asked softly, shivering just a little at the sheer lust she heard in her own voice.

Their eyes met and River smiled a little in that knowingly confident way she sometimes had about her. "No reason." She said back simply, moving in to kiss her again, letting go of Kaylee's arms, her hands sliding, one up, the other down to Kaylee's waist, then up to her ribs.

Kaylee kissed her back, almost on auto-pilot. They'd been doing this off and on since that night when they'd danced. Afterward, they'd talked a little and... ended up kissing. She still wasn't sure who'd started it. It had been kind of a surprise to her (this was the first time she'd done this sort of thing with another woman, after all), but one she was actually starting to really get used to.

Her sister back on Isis had only ever liked women. Last she knew, she was married to one in fact. Chelsea Isaacs was her name... Pretty, with dark red hair and intense dark brown eyes. Not long on words and not anything like a social butterfly, but, her sister had assured her once, fantastic in bed. For Kaylee's part though, she'd never found herself having eyes for another woman like that, only men. It hadn't been that she'd thought one was better than the other, just, she was attracted to who she was attracted to, just like her sister was. Now, she was definitely feeling attracted to River, and, in fact, was wondering if River'd be as fantastic in bed as Chelsea Isaacs was. Though... she wasn't quite sure she was ready to find out just yet somehow... which was baffling to her, honestly. She'd never exactly been hesitant in that area before, when it came to the love interests in her life. Why now? Was it just because River was a woman? She didn't know why that should matter, but, well, maybe it did sometimes.

In any case, River didn't seem to be in a hurry to move things to the next level yet, so she had time to consider things, she supposed... as pleasantly difficult as River was making that at the moment.

A little frustrated, Kaylee pushed River back off of her some and shook her head a little. When her and River's eyes met again, River was just looking back at her curiously, as if simply wondering why Kaylee had done that. Kaylee found herself considering whether to back River up against a tree herself next or not, them looking into each other's eyes like they were, but she decided not to. She sighed in frustration though and sat down on the ground in front of the tree, running a hand through her hair and trying to get her head to working again.

"Something's wrong?" River asked, getting down and sitting on the ground with her.

Kaylee looked up through strands of her hair that were falling over her eyes and met River's interested gaze. "Only that it's hard to think when we get to doing that." It was getting kind of hard to think period, where being around River was concerned, if she were being honest.

"That's only a biological reaction, though some would say a spiritual truth exists behind it." River offered.

"Yeah? And what truth would that be?" Kaylee asked, her hand moving her hair around on her head a little more.

"In summary... that love tends towards making everything else seem boring by comparison." River explained softly.

"And..." She met River's eyes again. "You'd say that... we're in love?" She asked.

"All signs are pointing strongly in that direction, yes." River smiled. And again, like every time before, Kaylee marveled at just how very much River Tam could say with only a smile.

"...Yeah. I'm guessing they are, aren't they?" She replied softly, looking off somewheres into the forest. They were just a little ways from the shuttle they now called home, just come back from getting fresh water (which was sat down in containers a meter or so away).

"Aren't you... pleased about that?" River asked.

"Huh? Oh, no, River, course I am." She laughed a little. "Could hardly be kissing you like that if I weren't pleased, now could I?" She remarked, leaning her head back against the tree and looking up into the canopy of branches above. By chance, she saw a bird flit past... Was orange colored mostly.

"Nonsense happens sometimes." River shrugged. "It's best to check, when it's important, I think."

Kaylee looked over to her again. "River... How long have you felt... you know, attracted? To me, I mean?"

River looked a little bothered by that. "Who can say?" Their eyes met again, kind of wondered back to one another. "I knew this would happen though, the first time we met." She told her. "I saw it in your eyes. Saw it even in the before, I think..."

Kaylee was a little stunned. "How?" She asked softly. "How does... whatever it is you do, how does it work?" She asked.

River shrugged again. "It's hard to say. There are theories..." She offered.

Kaylee considered that a moment. "...Probably not important." She admitted softly. "Mysteries are for fools and lonely philosophers who can't be bothered to learn how to swim, right?" She quoted River back to her.

River smiled a delighted smile like as if Kaylee had just told a clever joke. "We could go swimming again, if you want?" She offered.

"You really like being in the water, don't you?" Kaylee asked.

"Mm-hmm." River replied. "Some people think our ancestors were fish, or... maybe dolphins."

"Isn't a dolphin a kind of fish?" Kaylee asked.

River shook her head, no. "They have holes in their heads." She tapped the top of Kaylee's head playfully.

"You saying I have one too?" Kaylee asked back with a smile.

"Just the normal ones like most people." River answered lightly.

"Oh, is that all." Kaylee replied, smiling playfully.

"I like mine to kiss yours... not most peoples'?" River offered hopefully.

Kaylee smiled at that and reached out a hand to take one of River's in hers. "Let's go home, alright?" She asked, moving to get up.

River got up right along with her. "Alright..." She replied, looking down at their joined hands a moment when they got to standing, then letting it go to go retrieve one of the water containers. Kaylee went to get the other one.

They walked together in silence for just a bit, but when the shuttle came into view, River slowed to a halt and broke the silence. "I think a storm is coming soon..."

Kaylee stopped and looked over to her. "Why do I not like the sound of that?" She asked.

"Echoes of the void. There will be a war." River replied, continuing on towards the shuttle without looking back.

Kaylee watched after her for a moment. Why was it, that every time she thought she had River figured, the woman'd say something so sideways like that? Somehow though, whether it was because she'd come to understand River Tam so much more these last weeks, or because of some other reason, she knew, just knew, that it would be smart to take what River had just said very seriously.

She hurried up to catch up with her shipmate.

Or, she supposed, River might actually be her girlfriend now.

to be continued

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