Title: Kissin’ 1/1 Author: hisgoodgirl

Disclaimer: Joss’s toys, my imagination, no pay Pairing: Jayne/Kaylee with gentle K/R slash and hints of same from S. Gee, maybe I’ll offend everybody… Rating: I dunno -- NC 15?

For bigbadman and Reenie, who insisted that I turn a dream into a story.

Italics for inner dialog or emphasis

Comments: Come on, folks. Thumbs up or thumbs down, doesn't take THAT much effort to rate or offer constructive feedback. What did you like, what would you do different? Can't make it better if I don't know what's broke.

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Kissin’

“Lord, Jayne, that was a good’un.”

Kaylee lay soaked in sweat and sprawled on her back, panting as her heart rate and breathing slowly returned to normal.

“Ain’t they all?” the big man jibed, his own broad chest heaving. “C’mere, babygirl.”

Jayne had surprised Kaylee by proving to be a snuggler and she giggled as he rolled onto his back and with his big right arm, drew her close against his side so that her head rested in the hollow of his shoulder. He gently nuzzled her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The girl softly trailed her fingertips through the fine, dark hair that covered the planes of muscle on Jayne’s torso, enjoying the tiny catch in his breath as her palm passed across one of his small, dark nipples.

He smiled with contentment, idly stroked her back and cupped the curve of her hip, patting her softly. She watched as his long dark lashes dipped and began to sag, his body easing toward sleep in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

Now was as good a time as any.

“Jayne?” she whispered. Silence but for his deepening breath.

“Jayne!”

“What, darlin’?” he drawled, his voice already slurred.

She bit at her lip, her face somewhat perplexed. “I got me a dilemma, an’ I don’t know what I oughtta do.”

“Mmmm…”

“No, really now. I need your help.” She jostled him gently and he opened one eye and looked at her sidelong.

“Guess I might as well stir m’self, since you ain’t gonna give me no peace otherwise,” he sighed. Woman sure could get chatty after sex.

He bunched his lower lip against the upper in mild exasperation and rolled back onto his side facing Kaylee, replacing a lock of her hair behind her ear with a roughened forefinger.

“So what’s such a burnin’ dilemma that you can’t let a tired old mercenary get his beauty sleep?”

Kaylee looked sideways, color climbing her cheeks. She wasn’t sure she should be discussing this with Jayne, but with Inara away visiting a client, whom else could she turn to?

“Well, you know me an’ River’s gotten pretty close. I guess ‘cause I’m nearest to her in age and’ a girl, too. Kinda like havin’ a younger sister, ya know?”

“Don’t know ‘bout your family, but none a my sisters went after folk with butcher’s knives…”

“Now hush, and stop interruptin’ me. Hard enough to talk about this, without you makin’ wise cracks.”

She went on, “That thing about her bein’ a Reader, Jayne? It’s true. Oh, she don’t always get out what she hears and feels in a way that makes sense, but she can’t help feeling what all the rest of us feel.”

Jayne absentmindedly scratched his balls and then rested his hand on her hip. His brows furrowed and a puzzled look crossed his face. “Well, that fits with somethin’ the doc said when we was in that hospital on Ariel and he was scannin’ her brain. Said they stripped her mig dalla, whatever the hell that is.”

He trailed his fingers back through her hair. “So, what’s the problem?”

“What we was just doing? Sexin? She feels that. When Wash and Zoë are makin’ love, she feels them, too. She can’t help feelin’ it. Anywhere on Serenity. Don’t matter if we’re fightin’ or scared or ruttin’, River feels all of it. Ain’t like she tries to eavesdrop, either, Jayne. She just can’t block it out.”

“So?”

“Don’t you remember being that young, hormones all ragin’ and makin’ ya so horny you couldn’t see straight?” Kaylee leaned back and looked the merc square in the eye. “Bet you was jerkin’ off three or four times a day,” she goaded.

”Six?”

“Well, think about it. Who’s River gonna turn to, to find out about sex? A’course she knows the technical stuff, got all Simon’s medical texts to read. But that ain’t like really knowing about the real thing. Sure can’t ask Simon or Shepherd or the Cap’n. So… well… “

This was a lot harder to talk to Jayne about than Kaylee’d imagined. Was she sharing something private, something that should stay her secret?

Jayne tipped his head and caught her eye. “So, well, what?”

“Jayne, she wants me to teach her how to kiss.”

“Huh.” Jayne managed to look both quizzical and lecherous, but quickly tamed his expression into a more seemly one resembling concern. “Ya gonna do it? Like you said,“ he prompted, “who else has the girl got to teach her? I mean, you’re her best friend, ain’t gonna hurt her or take advantage of her or nothin’.”

Kaylee studied him carefully. “You ain’t mad or jealous?”

“Ain’t like ya was kissin’ on the doc or some other fella. ‘Sides, girls kissin’ is all manner a purty.” Jayne grinned wickedly.

“Quit y’r dreamin’.” Kaylee smacked him. “We sure ain’t gonna do it down here!” The girl gnawed at her lower lip. “I just ain’t sure it’s a good idea, s’all. ‘Cause she is young and been so sheltered.”

“How old was you, first time you ever got kissed?” He tilted his head back and studied her face.

“Uh… in first grade.”

“You know what I’m askin’.”

Kaylee blushed again. “Thirteen.”

“An’ how old’s River?”

“Sixteen, an’ I get your point”

“It’ll be okay, babygirl. You’ll be sweet with her and make it special, ‘cause that’s just how you are. Ain’t no big deal, a little kissin’.”

“If it ain’t such a big deal, Jayne,” she asked in amusement, “then why is your diao gettin’ hard again?”

++++

Rolled up in the back of Serenity’s cavernous bay, behind all the crates and cargo and weapons lockers, was an old futon, the same sort that served as bedding for the ship’s crew and passengers. This particular one had seen more than it’s share of action, with the semi-private corner where it was stored serving various members of Serenity’s crew on occasion as an impromptu trysting place. In the first days of their courtship, Wash and Zoë had gone there from time to time to dodge Mal and Jayne and Kaylee had frequently tussled in the dim corner.

Especially with the way things were arranged now, there was a chest-high wall of crates behind where the mule was locked down in transit that left just enough room to unroll the narrow pad and find a private refuge.

As she thought about the prospect of teaching River to kiss, Kaylee had considered the girl’s room but quickly discarded that idea out of concern that Simon might walk in on them and raise holy hell. Even her own room wasn’t the most discrete of locations, since she and River frequently spent time there and anyone looking for either of them would look there first.

On her back, checking the mule’s brake lines, it dawned on her that she knew the perfect place for River’s kissing lesson. The thought put butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t that she hadn’t kissed other girls growing up; after all, didn’t everybody experiment? But she knew she leaned toward menfolk, and now Jayne in particular. Maybe it was just the responsibility of what she was undertaking, and knowing that River would be feeling whatever she did in addition to her own feelings.

Sometimes, the bay was real noisy and busy, like when Jayne and the Shepherd were working out or someone was playing horseshoes or hoopball or moving cargo. Other times, it could be really still and quiet, like during supper cleanup.

Mal and Simon had the next evening’s supper shift, which meant, if they stuck to their usual pattern, that Mal would cook and Simon would clean. Jayne usually headed off to his bunk for a smoke and some down time and likely wouldn’t look for her until later. Yep, she smiled to herself, that hidey place would work just fine.

As the mechanic clambered out from under the mule, she looked up to see River barefoot and poised on the catwalk railings. As always, the girl’s grace and balance seemed amazing to Kaylee. It’s like she ain’t bound by the Law of Gravity, Kaylee thought.

“Am, too” River responded out loud, softly dropping from the railing to the catwalk, her gauzy, printed dress billowing.

“What goes up must come down.”

Kaylee giggled. “Yep. That’s true.” She grinned up at the lithesome girl. “So how do you do that, balance up there like that?”

River bent forward at the waist and rested her forearms on the railing, her chin in her hands, long dark hair falling in serpentine strands. “Ignore the rules. Decide I’m somewhere else and just be there.”

Kaylee scanned the bay to be sure they were alone.

“Don’t worry,” River assured her. “Nobody’s near. School starts after supper?”

Kaylee was a little startled, then reminded herself that the girl knew what she’d been thinking. “Yep. Back here. We’ll both slip away, okay?”

Simon’s little sister grinned impishly. “A girl’s gotta learn sometime.”

++++

“Let me take those, Captain.” Simon smiled at Mal as he cleared the dishes from the big galley table and then glanced over at his sister. River made a face and poked her tongue out at him. She could still be such a brat at times. As he often did, he wondered how he could manage to keep her safe.

“That was a right fair meal, son,“ Shepherd commended Mal, pushing himself way from the table and handing his plate to Simon. “I think I’ll turn in and do some reading.”

Wash stood and looked down fondly at his wife as he slid an arm around Zoë’s shoulder. “Gotta go check the coordinates I laid in for Three Hills, babe. You wanna come keep me company?”

“Sure… Somebody needs to keep you out of trouble.”

Kaylee caught Mal’s attention. “I still got some work to do, Cap’n. Good dinner tonight. You’re getting’ better at that cookin’ thing.”

Mal smiled, amused. “Well, that’s nice to know. Suspect I ain’t so likely to poison us as I once was.”

Jayne grabbed the last piece of bread before Mal retrieved the basket to pass it across the counter to Simon. “I’ll be back in my bunk, anybody needs me.” He discretely winked at Kaylee, who just grinned.

Little did he know she had other plans.

++++

Kaylee made her way to the cargo bay through a circuitous route. The lighting was dimmed and the huge space silent. Perfect, she thought. In a few minutes, she had managed to drag the old futon free of the junk piled on top of it and then unrolled it behind the stacked crates in a shadowy section of the bay deck next to the bulkhead. Just private as private can be, she concluded with pleasure. She settled herself cross-legged on the mat and thought of times when, as a child, she and her friends or siblings erected private “camps” or “castles” or “spaceships” constructed mostly from imagination. The butterflies in her stomach hadn’t gone away, and she awaited River with a mixture of eagerness and anxiety.

The girl’s head appeared over the top of the crates and her dark eyes twinkled. “Hide and seek,” she teased. “I found you!” She slipped around the barricade and gracefully settled into lotus posture facing Kaylee. “Both excited. Makes it more fun,” she giggled.

Kaylee grinned back. “Yep. It’s more fun if you’s both excited. Gotta admit I’m nervous too, River. You sure this is what you want?”

The girl tipped her head and looked sidelong at Kaylee through her hair. “Got to learn sometime. Already feel so much I don’t understand. Know you don’t want to rush or hurt me.”

The little mechanic slipped her hand under her friend’s and looked into River’s eyes. ”You done already had so much bad stuff done to you, last thing in the ‘verse I wanna do is hurt ya somehow. I thought about this a lot.”

“And talked with Jayne.”

“Well, yeah, but he understands.”

“He osculates very well.”

“Don’t know what that means, but if it’s somethin’ to do with sexin’, yeah, he’s sure ’nuf good at it.” Both girls giggled together.

“Ya know, River, seein’ as how you can feel what other people feel, learning how to kiss oughtta be real easy for you. Just let yourself feel how I’m reactin’ to what you’re doin’ and you can tell if it’s workin or not, see?”

Kaylee paused, suddenly silenced by a realization.

River responded. “Never did kiss Simon. Feeling sad. Think it’s funny to kiss me first.”

Kaylee studied River’s hand clasped in her own. “Yeah, does seem kinda strange.”

River rolled her eyes. “He’s such a boob.” She leaned in toward Kaylee. “Better this way.”

“What makes you say that?” Kaylee was truly puzzled.

“He has a crush on somebody else.”

Kaylee struggled to stifle her startled laughter. “Who? River, you gotta tell me. Please? I promise it’ll stay a secret.”

River’s eyes twinkled and she covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, “Captain Tightpants!”

“No!” Kaylee’s jaw fell open. “Simon?”

“It’s true. Always has preferred members of the same sex. Not shy, Kaylee, sly.”

Suddenly everything fell into place – the doc’s awkwardness, his lack of response when she’d practically flung herself at him. She’d heard Jayne make enough snarky remarks to that effect, but had always discounted them as the product of jealousy or Jayne’s general dislike for Simon. “Gee, sure wish I’d known that months back…” her voice trailed off.

“Didn’t know how to tell you. Too confused myself back then.”

“Aw, River, t’ain’t your fault he’s like he is or that I didn’t realize. Wonder if Cap knows?”

“He suspects but ignores signs.”

Kaylee shook her head, “Well, I guess you’re right and it is a good thing I wound up with Jayne.” She smiled softly. “Now about this kissing thing.”

“Osculation – to press together two sets of curved surfaces, as in the act of kissing. Lips against lips.”

Kaylee leaned closer. “Well, yeah, there’s lips involved, but that’s just part of it.” She gently pushed River’s waterfall of hair out of the way and cupped her friend’s face between her hands. “Like this…”

She leaned forward and both girls’ eyes fell closed as their mouths softly touched. Kaylee though how different this was from kissing Jayne, almost chaste. No raspy mustache and beard, no urgent penetrating beefy tongue, but soft lips and silky skin, the faintest tender touch of a tongue-tip between small, white teeth, and the rush that flooded Kaylee from head to toe. Soft and tentative and almost innocent.

“Whew!” Kaylee exclaimed. “See, feels good and ain’t so hard. What do ya think?” She realized she was blushing deeply and giggled again.

River smiled impishly. “You taste like strawberries.” She stroked Kaylee’s cheek. “Now my turn…”

She wiggled a little closer to Kaylee, until they were knee to knee. “Not like Jayne. Just like me.” River rested her hands on Kaylee’s knees and leaned forward to kiss her, instinctively tilting her head so that their mouths came together just right. More heat this time, teeth parting and a soft parrying of tongue-tips. River sighed deeply and Kaylee drew back, studying the dreamy expression on her face.

“You okay, River? This don’t upset you, does it?’

“Like swimming inside your skin, Kaylee. Sensation reflected from mirror to mirror. Can feel what you like, do it more.” The dark-haired girl rolled her eyes and smiled. “Another one?”

++++

Jayne finished his after-dinner smoke and laid the stub of his cigar in the ashtray to go out on its own. He knew Kaylee wasn’t crazy about the smell, but the ship’s ventilation system did a pretty good job of clearing away the smoke and filtering the air it recycled. There were things a man had to give up for his woman, but cigars weren’t one.

He’d spent a little while with a well-gnawed stub of a pencil trying to write a brief note to his ma. Letters were always a challenge for him – what to say, what not to. Had some cash to send home to her and figured he’d best send it on before he up and spent it. Didn’t go whorin’ no more, but he was still fond of good whisky and liked picking up little things for Kaylee when he could.

He glanced at the chronometer in his bunk and realized it was getting pretty late. By 2100 hours, Kaylee was almost always sitting on his bunk chattering away or pinned underneath him and struggling to stay quiet.

Wonder what that girl’s up to? Ain’t like her to work so late, unless she hits a snag with something. Maybe she could use some help. Guess I’ll go see if I can be of any use…

He hit the chute-release button and quickly climbed the ladder to the corridor. The ship’s lights were dimmed to night mode and she was running quietly, always a good sign. Bet she’s down in the engine room… The merc turned and headed down the passageway and through the galley. To his surprise, the engine room was empty. He thought about how it always seemed so much dimmer in there when Kaylee wasn’t present.

Supposed to be such a great tracker, an’ only so many places one bitty gal can go on this boat. I’ll find her, he told himself.

He wandered down to the guest quarters and found Book studying his Bible, and Simon lost in a stack of medical papers he was working his way through. Through the lounge and out into the bay. Perhaps Kaylee was still working on the mule repairs. Jayne peered around in the big, dim space and saw no one. Must not be here, he figured and turned to head toward the bridge.

But then his sharp ears caught the faint sound of a girl’s giggle and a rude grin snaked across his lips.

++++

Kaylee’s back rested against the stacked crates with River facing her. Their kisses had escalated and both young women were enjoying the sweet and delightful sensations they shared. River had come up onto her knees, holding Kaylee’s face, tongue-teasing her and nibbling the mechanic’s full, soft lips.

Abruptly, the lithe dark girl broke away and looked up over Kaylee’s shoulder and the crates behind her.

“River?” Kaylee was puzzled.

The girl’s dark glance darted from whatever was behind Kaylee to the mechanic and River leaned close and whispered, “He likes to watch.”

“He who?” Kaylee turned around and rose up enough to see Jayne standing on the far side of the crates, his face fixed with a vaguely glassy-eyed grin.

“Jayne!” she scolded. “What are ya doin’ here?”

“Enjoyin’ the show, babygirl, just enjoyin’ the show.”

River made a face at the big mercenary. “Not your turn to play. Go away, Jayne.”

“Do I gotta?”

Both girls glared at him. “Yes!”

“Won’t bother nobody. I promise. I’d just set and enjoy the scenery.” The merc’s voice took on an almost pleading tone.

In unison, “Go away, Jayne!”

“Ruttin’ hell.” His shoulders slumped as he turned to head back toward his bunk.

River angled up over the crates and called out to him, “Hold off for awhile and save your ammunition. Gonna need it later.”

Jayne smirked to himself. “I just bet I will.”

The End

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