First Kisses
Firefly fanfic. Four drabbles and a ficlet.
First Kisses
Zoe watched Wash out of the corner of her eye.
He liked her. She could tell.
A man just don’t look at a woman the way he looked at her iffen he don’t like what he sees.
He was either shy or he respected her too much to act on his inclinations.
He didn’t ‘zactly strike her as the shy type.
Which left him respectin’ her.
That suited her just fine, because she had to admit, she respected him right back.
She slid into his lap and kissed him, long and hard.
Zoe had never been accused of being subtle.
* * *
Mal could be gentlemanly when it suited him. Right then it suited him just fine to be all gentlemanly and help Inara to her shuttle when she was tipsified.
He never seen her lose control like that afore, and his admiration for her went up a few notches cause of it.
Despite the fact that she wasn’t walking straight, she still handled herself with class, her head high.
She mumbled about a kiss.
Well, gentlemen obliged their ladies, didn’t they?
He walked back to his bunk whistling cheerfully.
Her eyes next day told him she didn’t remember none of it.
* * *
Kaylee was so close Simon could smell the strawberries on her skin.
The strawberries he’d given her.
She looked up at him, her eyes that defied definition of exact color shifting from blue to green to gray and back again.
She was thanking him for the strawberries, even though he’d never told her they were from him.
She stood up on tiptoe, to kiss him on the cheek. It took a small movement to turn his head just enough that instead of his cheek, her lips landed on his.
A small movement, but not a small action.
Simon tasted strawberries.
* * *
Book was surprised to get a cake. The cake itself wasn’t the surprise.
How they knew his birthday was the surprise.
River gave him a knowing look, and he knew that it had been her.
He looked around the table, and the happy smiles of everyone on the ship, even Jayne, made his own mouth fall into a smile.
He wondered why he was there. He didn’t see him doing them good.
Then they’d do something, and he’d think maybe he wasn’t there for them. That he needed them.
Kaylee stuck a candle in the cake, and kissed his cheek.
* * *
River started seeking him out once her brother started playing around with little Kaylee.
After the first few times of trying to get rid of her, he finally gave up.
‘Sides, she took good care of his guns. Respected them almost as much as he did.
Her favorite was Vera.
He liked her better for it.
The first few times she picked up one of his guns and started cleaning them, he got all nervous and twitchy. After all, the times she’d gone violent, it had been on his ass. First with the cutting him, then with the knocking him out.
He wasn’t sure if he’d yet forgiven her for that one.
She picked up a gun, stripped it, and cleaned it to a shine that he couldn’t duplicate.
He didn’t think he’d forgive her of that, either.
She’d been different since she’d started keeping him company. Saner, somehow.
She caught his eye with her own, and he found himself snared. He tried damn hard to make sure she never looked directly in his eyes, because it always felt like she was trying to suck him in, trying to lay claim.
He belonged to no man but hisself.
She cocked her head to the side, still staring him down, seeing things he didn’t want anyone seeing. “He’s afraid that he won’t be himself if he gives himself away.”
Jayne felt the flare of his temper, but held onto the edges of it. “Don’t go poking ‘round in my head none, Darlin’. You mayhaps won’t like what you see.”
River moved with the dancer’s grace that didn’t make a sound, not letting his eyes go. “She won’t hurt you. You don’t hurt her. You help her. She won’t bite the hand that feeds her.”
Hadn’t he just been thinking she was saner?
There’s irony for you.
He picked up another of his guns and started cleaning it to take his mind off the girl.
‘Parently she didn’t need to look into eyes to know his thoughts. “I’m not a girl.”
He looked her up and down, intentionally trying to offend. “’Pears as though you got girl parts to me.”
Girl wasn’t her brother. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “I’m female. But I’m not a girl. Stopped being a girl long ago.” She walked to him, not giving him extra space.
His only option was stay where he was or run.
He’d be damned if he’d run from her.
He stayed.
When her mouth met his, he knew he was a dead man.
Mal finds out, he’s gone. And that’s nothing if the Doc found out.
Then her mouth was against his again, and he stopped worrying.
Mayhap he’d forgive her after all.
And the possibility of death didn’t seem to matter so much.
After all, as everyone on board Serenity knew, he did like his weapons.
And River was a damn good weapon.
END
First Kisses
Zoe watched Wash out of the corner of her eye.
He liked her. She could tell.
A man just don’t look at a woman the way he looked at her iffen he don’t like what he sees.
He was either shy or he respected her too much to act on his inclinations.
He didn’t ‘zactly strike her as the shy type.
Which left him respectin’ her.
That suited her just fine, because she had to admit, she respected him right back.
She slid into his lap and kissed him, long and hard.
Zoe had never been accused of being subtle.
* * *
Mal could be gentlemanly when it suited him. Right then it suited him just fine to be all gentlemanly and help Inara to her shuttle when she was tipsified.
He never seen her lose control like that afore, and his admiration for her went up a few notches cause of it.
Despite the fact that she wasn’t walking straight, she still handled herself with class, her head high.
She mumbled about a kiss.
Well, gentlemen obliged their ladies, didn’t they?
He walked back to his bunk whistling cheerfully.
Her eyes next day told him she didn’t remember none of it.
* * *
Kaylee was so close Simon could smell the strawberries on her skin.
The strawberries he’d given her.
She looked up at him, her eyes that defied definition of exact color shifting from blue to green to gray and back again.
She was thanking him for the strawberries, even though he’d never told her they were from him.
She stood up on tiptoe, to kiss him on the cheek. It took a small movement to turn his head just enough that instead of his cheek, her lips landed on his.
A small movement, but not a small action.
Simon tasted strawberries.
* * *
Book was surprised to get a cake. The cake itself wasn’t the surprise.
How they knew his birthday was the surprise.
River gave him a knowing look, and he knew that it had been her.
He looked around the table, and the happy smiles of everyone on the ship, even Jayne, made his own mouth fall into a smile.
He wondered why he was there. He didn’t see him doing them good.
Then they’d do something, and he’d think maybe he wasn’t there for them. That he needed them.
Kaylee stuck a candle in the cake, and kissed his cheek.
* * *
River started seeking him out once her brother started playing around with little Kaylee.
After the first few times of trying to get rid of her, he finally gave up.
‘Sides, she took good care of his guns. Respected them almost as much as he did.
Her favorite was Vera.
He liked her better for it.
The first few times she picked up one of his guns and started cleaning them, he got all nervous and twitchy. After all, the times she’d gone violent, it had been on his ass. First with the cutting him, then with the knocking him out.
He wasn’t sure if he’d yet forgiven her for that one.
She picked up a gun, stripped it, and cleaned it to a shine that he couldn’t duplicate.
He didn’t think he’d forgive her of that, either.
She’d been different since she’d started keeping him company. Saner, somehow.
She caught his eye with her own, and he found himself snared. He tried damn hard to make sure she never looked directly in his eyes, because it always felt like she was trying to suck him in, trying to lay claim.
He belonged to no man but hisself.
She cocked her head to the side, still staring him down, seeing things he didn’t want anyone seeing. “He’s afraid that he won’t be himself if he gives himself away.”
Jayne felt the flare of his temper, but held onto the edges of it. “Don’t go poking ‘round in my head none, Darlin’. You mayhaps won’t like what you see.”
River moved with the dancer’s grace that didn’t make a sound, not letting his eyes go. “She won’t hurt you. You don’t hurt her. You help her. She won’t bite the hand that feeds her.”
Hadn’t he just been thinking she was saner?
There’s irony for you.
He picked up another of his guns and started cleaning it to take his mind off the girl.
‘Parently she didn’t need to look into eyes to know his thoughts. “I’m not a girl.”
He looked her up and down, intentionally trying to offend. “’Pears as though you got girl parts to me.”
Girl wasn’t her brother. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “I’m female. But I’m not a girl. Stopped being a girl long ago.” She walked to him, not giving him extra space.
His only option was stay where he was or run.
He’d be damned if he’d run from her.
He stayed.
When her mouth met his, he knew he was a dead man.
Mal finds out, he’s gone. And that’s nothing if the Doc found out.
Then her mouth was against his again, and he stopped worrying.
Mayhap he’d forgive her after all.
And the possibility of death didn’t seem to matter so much.
After all, as everyone on board Serenity knew, he did like his weapons.
And River was a damn good weapon.
END