Kaylee’d never been in love before, so it took her by surprise when it happened. Not least of all because it was Jayne she fell in love with.

She dreamed of being in love. Had expected it to strike her like lightening the moment she met The One. Kinda like it had when she’d first set eyes on Simon. But that wasn’t love, it was hardly even lust, come to that. After that glorious disappointment, she figured love would roll over her like waves, warm and comforting and she could float away on it.

Loving Jayne snuck up on her. She’d always liked him well enough. He was rude and crude, but it was all bluster, even if the others couldn’t see past it. Things between them started simply enough after she and Simon got together and fell apart. Just two friends releasing some steam.

Lust was never a problem with Jayne.

They’d been messing around for months before the realization hit her. She was certain the others knew about them, Jayne wasn’t exactly subtle. He was always finding ways to touch her when he thought no one was paying attention. Of course, on this ship, everyone always paid attention.

He was a little more careful at the beginning, stealing a grope when they caught each other alone in the hallways, or just brushing deliberately against her in the galley when it was her turn to cook. Every touch was deliberately sexual and stoked the fire for days straight sometimes before they managed to put out the flames. About the time he stopped being so careful was the same time he stopped groping her to excite her and just touched her as often as he could.

Stroking, patting, ticking, brushing.

She liked the constant attention he paid to her and the feel of skin on skin. Had missed that kind of contact more than she knew. Kaylee was a smart girl, and didn’t go questioning it when things were going her way.

Love was a sneaky hun dan, and if she’d known it was coming at her, she’d have done a better job preparing for it.

Jayne was lying on the med cot after a heist, reasonably well drugged, though Simon had complained that it took twice as much to knock him out as it did any of the others. She’d been checking on him through the day, assuring herself that the stab wound to his neck wasn’t going to be fatal. It wasn’t until everyone had gone to bed that she’d been able to get a moment alone with him.

“Wasn’t sure you were comin’.”

She stopped hovering in the doorway and moved quickly to his side. His voice was raspy, from lack of use or from his injury, she couldn’t be sure. “Don‘t talk. Does it hurt?” She enveloped his hand with hers.

“How ‘m I supposed to answer ya if I can’t talk?”

She smiled weakly, and grasped his hand, “Guessin’ it don’t hurt much, then?”

“Naw, hurts like a bitch. Talkin’ don’t change that.”

She dropped his hand and moved to the door, “I could get Simon…”

His arm shot out and grabbed her by the waist of her coveralls and pulled her back, “Aint so bad.”

“Ya sure?” She frowned worriedly, letting him draw her back to his side. He nodded, resting his hand on her back, where her tank top wasn’t quite long enough to cover. “Ya scared me today, Jayne. Seein’ ya come in like that. All covered in blood…”

He didn’t say anything, just rubbed his thumb back and forth over the small of her back. Weren’t nothing to say. Just part of life out here, and she knew that.

She finally tore her eyes away from his, searching for some way to change the subject and relieve the sudden tension. Her fingers glided over the blanket, mimicking the movement of his hand at her back. “Why d’ya always touch me there?”

His hand froze, “Huh?”

She smiled faintly and shrugged her shoulder, “Just noticed ya sometimes touch my back, s’all. Actually, more’n just sometimes now that I’m thinkin’ on it.”

“Oh. I, uh…” he jerked his hand away from her.

“Didn’t say I didn’t like it,” she scolded, waiting for his rough palm to smooth over her skin again. “Just sayin’ I noticed is all. Not just when were’re havin’ sex neither. Seems kinda an odd place to be sneakin’ a grope is all.”

He swallowed, “Well, ya got these dimples,” he murmured, his fingers splaying over her back, finding the twin depressions nestled just above the curve of her ass. “An’ sometimes I see ‘em and I… they’re kinda cute, is all.” Her eyes shot to his and she saw the color climb his cheeks.

Jayne Cobb blushed and love clobbered Kaylee from behind.