The Fortuitous Outcome of a Well Strategized Offense, Chapter 8
Title: The Fortuitous Outcome of a Well Strategized Offense
Format: Multi-chapter
Chapter: #8, 1,385 words
Author: raynesupreme
A/N: Special thanks to irishbrneyesfor the inspiration for option two.
“River,” Jayne yelled from across the cargo bay. “Come over here a minute.”
River smiled at this daily dance they had developed over the last week. Of course, this was a private dance and the music only played when they found themselves without an audience. She nodded silently in response, padded over and looked up to meet his eyes.
His fingers gently traced the dissolving edges of her bruise, now just the barest hint of yellow as reminder to the wolf’s violence. As usual, Jayne’s touch sent tingles down her neck and she wondered how he could produce such strong currents electricity every time he touched her. Logic would suggest the effect would lessen over time. She knew these shocks were not natural but they were not unwelcome either. As part of the dance, she just stood completely still and waited for him to lead. He stepped his first step and leaned closer, his breath in her ear.
“See that yer all healed up, little one. Pretty as a pin,” he whispered, “but can’t say I’m none too happy ‘bout it.”
River frowned but stepped forward into his shoulder, allowing her eyes to roll close in the heat and pleasure of him. “That is unexpected and contrary to your previously expressed concern for my wellbeing.”
His hands pushed through her hair, yanking her face up toward his in a somewhat violent and thrilling tug. His glare was desperate and hungry. He was enjoying this physical control over her, even if they both knew it was her giving it, not him taking it.
“Nope. I don’t like it at all. Ain’t got no more excuses to be kissin’ on ya’,” he rumbled. “And, gorram it, I can barely keep my mind on nothin’ else.”
River grinned at his admission. She had sensed his distraction, witnessed his pre-occupation and had hoped for days that his desire for her was the cause. Now, with confirmation of the fact, she felt the time was right to spring the trap.
“Yes, perhaps you are correct, Jayne,” she stated. “The time for excuses is over.”
He blinked in surprise, his grip on her hair loosening but not letting go. River watched his face as confusion melded into hurt. She realized her error in an instant and reached for him to recover, to explain. He was already pushing her away, anger seething from his skin, pounding down through Serenity as he stomped away.
“Ruttin’ Core girls! Goddamn cock teases, all of ya’!”
A shock of terror ripped through her, not at his verbal attack but at his physical retreat. She ran to him, grabbing at his arm to stop him. “Jayne, stop, you don’t understand…”
“Well, as always Miss Genius, you’re right about that,” he interrupted. The pain in his chest clawing out as a vicious growl. “I don’t understand, huh? I reckon I do. Yer done toyin’ with big ole’ dumb Jayne. I get it. Play time is over, ain’t it, girlie?”
River quickly calculated the outcomes of her potential responses. Due to his elevated testosterone levels and aggressive posturing, there was literally nothing she could say to stem the tide of hurt and anger washing over them. There were only two options; one, to say nothing and let him walk away or, two, to say nothing and make him understand. She blinked once and went with option two.
____________________________________________________________________
Jayne blinked his eyes open through the throbbing pain in his head. He stared up at the ceiling of the cargo bay. Cargo bay? His hand flew to his holster and sat up. Everything was where it should be. No bad guys. No battles. Just dead quiet. He had no idea how long he was out or how he ended up flat on his back. He winced as he pushed himself to stand. His vision blurred a bit and his left eye was painful to the touch, most likely a nice bruise comin’ in.
“What the hell,” he mumbled to himself as he gingerly tested the skin on his cheekbone.
He felt small familiar hands slide around his waist and he turned to the source. Jayne nearly swallowed his tongue seeing the girl standing there, dressed in that blue slinky nightie. She frowned as her soft fingers traced and cooled the heat of his bruise.
“You’re gonna have quite a shiner there and I figure I’ll catch hell for it, but the Doc should take a look at it.”
He smirked, both at her imitation of his voice and the suspicion of what the feng la girl was up to. “Girl, did you just kick me in the head?”
“I prefer to think of it of a means of continuing the high-quality care we have been participating in this past week. It has been a most enjoyable dance.” She stepped closer, her hands gliding up his t-shirt. “Should I kiss it better now, Jayne?”
Thoughts of their previous conversation raced back. “Thought you said this was done.”
“No, no, my da gou” she purred. “You misunderstood.”
Jayne could feel his anger swelling back but the feel of silky warmth under his hands was too good to push away. And the thought that she still wanted him was all kinds of unexpected and shiny.
“You didn’t need to muss up my face ta’ kiss on me, you know?”
“Yes, I know,” she purred, her lips brushing lightly over his. “Corrective behavior. Setting precedence.”
“President wha?”
“If we are to transition into a monogamous relationship, we must learn to resolve our disagreements in a mutually beneficial manner.”
Jayne felt her head press into his chest and rub her nose against his nipple. She was so damn sexy. He realized after a minute that she was waiting for a response.
“Huh?”
She looped her arms around his neck and he could have sworn those golden eyes were seeing right through him. He pulled her closer and she jumped up and wrapped her lithe legs around his waist.
“Jayne, this is not a game. I want you. I want you to be my first, my only, my last but we will need to learn how to argue. We must fight fair. You can’t just walk away.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. He thought she was just entertaining herself with him these past few weeks and he’d been willing to take it. He’d take any minute that she gave him. And now, now she was saying she wanted him, and wanted him for good? The thought squeezed in his chest and pulsed in his ears. She was peppering gentle kisses over his left eye and cheekbone, a bewitchin’ mix of pleasure and pain. He realized, and not for the first time, that the girl in his arms was gorram perfect. There was no way in hell he’d let her go.
“Don’t you worry none. I ain’t never gonna walk away from you ever again. Fightin’ or not fightin’.” He threaded his right hand in her hair and yanked her lips to his in a crushing kiss that he hoped held all the promise he felt for her. He took the fierceness of her kiss, her grip in his hair, the squeeze of her legs around his waist as her returning promise of what was to come. He groaned. She mewed.
“You won’t walk away?” Her voice both hesitating and unsure.
“No, little one, I’m not goin’ nowhere.” He kissed her again to prove his point.
“Jayne?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not going anywhere either but can we maybe go somewhere together? Perhaps your bunk?”
Jayne gulped. Never in a million years did he think he’d actually have this gorgeous weapon, this goddess of war in his bed. Never thought she’d want him, not for real, not for keeps. Didn’t really make much sense come to think on it. Maybe he was still knocked out, maybe this was just another of his “too real” dreams that left him empty and alone come morning. Maybe he was suffering from space dementia. Maybe he had died and this was heaven but that didn’t make sense either. No place for a guy like him in heaven.
“Um, Jayne?”
“Yah?”
“Me. You. Bunk. Now.”
Right, not a dream, not dead. Just a teeny, bossy, sexy, silky, deadly, heavenly woman.
“Yes ma’am, right away.”
Format: Multi-chapter
Chapter: #8, 1,385 words
Author: raynesupreme
A/N: Special thanks to irishbrneyesfor the inspiration for option two.
“River,” Jayne yelled from across the cargo bay. “Come over here a minute.”
River smiled at this daily dance they had developed over the last week. Of course, this was a private dance and the music only played when they found themselves without an audience. She nodded silently in response, padded over and looked up to meet his eyes.
His fingers gently traced the dissolving edges of her bruise, now just the barest hint of yellow as reminder to the wolf’s violence. As usual, Jayne’s touch sent tingles down her neck and she wondered how he could produce such strong currents electricity every time he touched her. Logic would suggest the effect would lessen over time. She knew these shocks were not natural but they were not unwelcome either. As part of the dance, she just stood completely still and waited for him to lead. He stepped his first step and leaned closer, his breath in her ear.
“See that yer all healed up, little one. Pretty as a pin,” he whispered, “but can’t say I’m none too happy ‘bout it.”
River frowned but stepped forward into his shoulder, allowing her eyes to roll close in the heat and pleasure of him. “That is unexpected and contrary to your previously expressed concern for my wellbeing.”
His hands pushed through her hair, yanking her face up toward his in a somewhat violent and thrilling tug. His glare was desperate and hungry. He was enjoying this physical control over her, even if they both knew it was her giving it, not him taking it.
“Nope. I don’t like it at all. Ain’t got no more excuses to be kissin’ on ya’,” he rumbled. “And, gorram it, I can barely keep my mind on nothin’ else.”
River grinned at his admission. She had sensed his distraction, witnessed his pre-occupation and had hoped for days that his desire for her was the cause. Now, with confirmation of the fact, she felt the time was right to spring the trap.
“Yes, perhaps you are correct, Jayne,” she stated. “The time for excuses is over.”
He blinked in surprise, his grip on her hair loosening but not letting go. River watched his face as confusion melded into hurt. She realized her error in an instant and reached for him to recover, to explain. He was already pushing her away, anger seething from his skin, pounding down through Serenity as he stomped away.
“Ruttin’ Core girls! Goddamn cock teases, all of ya’!”
A shock of terror ripped through her, not at his verbal attack but at his physical retreat. She ran to him, grabbing at his arm to stop him. “Jayne, stop, you don’t understand…”
“Well, as always Miss Genius, you’re right about that,” he interrupted. The pain in his chest clawing out as a vicious growl. “I don’t understand, huh? I reckon I do. Yer done toyin’ with big ole’ dumb Jayne. I get it. Play time is over, ain’t it, girlie?”
River quickly calculated the outcomes of her potential responses. Due to his elevated testosterone levels and aggressive posturing, there was literally nothing she could say to stem the tide of hurt and anger washing over them. There were only two options; one, to say nothing and let him walk away or, two, to say nothing and make him understand. She blinked once and went with option two.
____________________________________________________________________
Jayne blinked his eyes open through the throbbing pain in his head. He stared up at the ceiling of the cargo bay. Cargo bay? His hand flew to his holster and sat up. Everything was where it should be. No bad guys. No battles. Just dead quiet. He had no idea how long he was out or how he ended up flat on his back. He winced as he pushed himself to stand. His vision blurred a bit and his left eye was painful to the touch, most likely a nice bruise comin’ in.
“What the hell,” he mumbled to himself as he gingerly tested the skin on his cheekbone.
He felt small familiar hands slide around his waist and he turned to the source. Jayne nearly swallowed his tongue seeing the girl standing there, dressed in that blue slinky nightie. She frowned as her soft fingers traced and cooled the heat of his bruise.
“You’re gonna have quite a shiner there and I figure I’ll catch hell for it, but the Doc should take a look at it.”
He smirked, both at her imitation of his voice and the suspicion of what the feng la girl was up to. “Girl, did you just kick me in the head?”
“I prefer to think of it of a means of continuing the high-quality care we have been participating in this past week. It has been a most enjoyable dance.” She stepped closer, her hands gliding up his t-shirt. “Should I kiss it better now, Jayne?”
Thoughts of their previous conversation raced back. “Thought you said this was done.”
“No, no, my da gou” she purred. “You misunderstood.”
Jayne could feel his anger swelling back but the feel of silky warmth under his hands was too good to push away. And the thought that she still wanted him was all kinds of unexpected and shiny.
“You didn’t need to muss up my face ta’ kiss on me, you know?”
“Yes, I know,” she purred, her lips brushing lightly over his. “Corrective behavior. Setting precedence.”
“President wha?”
“If we are to transition into a monogamous relationship, we must learn to resolve our disagreements in a mutually beneficial manner.”
Jayne felt her head press into his chest and rub her nose against his nipple. She was so damn sexy. He realized after a minute that she was waiting for a response.
“Huh?”
She looped her arms around his neck and he could have sworn those golden eyes were seeing right through him. He pulled her closer and she jumped up and wrapped her lithe legs around his waist.
“Jayne, this is not a game. I want you. I want you to be my first, my only, my last but we will need to learn how to argue. We must fight fair. You can’t just walk away.”
He couldn’t believe his ears. He thought she was just entertaining herself with him these past few weeks and he’d been willing to take it. He’d take any minute that she gave him. And now, now she was saying she wanted him, and wanted him for good? The thought squeezed in his chest and pulsed in his ears. She was peppering gentle kisses over his left eye and cheekbone, a bewitchin’ mix of pleasure and pain. He realized, and not for the first time, that the girl in his arms was gorram perfect. There was no way in hell he’d let her go.
“Don’t you worry none. I ain’t never gonna walk away from you ever again. Fightin’ or not fightin’.” He threaded his right hand in her hair and yanked her lips to his in a crushing kiss that he hoped held all the promise he felt for her. He took the fierceness of her kiss, her grip in his hair, the squeeze of her legs around his waist as her returning promise of what was to come. He groaned. She mewed.
“You won’t walk away?” Her voice both hesitating and unsure.
“No, little one, I’m not goin’ nowhere.” He kissed her again to prove his point.
“Jayne?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m not going anywhere either but can we maybe go somewhere together? Perhaps your bunk?”
Jayne gulped. Never in a million years did he think he’d actually have this gorgeous weapon, this goddess of war in his bed. Never thought she’d want him, not for real, not for keeps. Didn’t really make much sense come to think on it. Maybe he was still knocked out, maybe this was just another of his “too real” dreams that left him empty and alone come morning. Maybe he was suffering from space dementia. Maybe he had died and this was heaven but that didn’t make sense either. No place for a guy like him in heaven.
“Um, Jayne?”
“Yah?”
“Me. You. Bunk. Now.”
Right, not a dream, not dead. Just a teeny, bossy, sexy, silky, deadly, heavenly woman.
“Yes ma’am, right away.”