Just a little piece of Jaylee fluff that was floatin’ ‘round my brainpan… Or Jaylee lint that was floatin’ ‘round by bellybutton… You decide.

IMPRESSION By Canton Heroine

They didn’t meet straight off.

Kaylee’d stepped down into the cargo bay, just in time to see his back end goin’ out t’wards the kitchen. All she could tell from the glimpse she got was that he weren’t average-sized none.

“Man’s hungry,” the Captain commented, nodding at the doorway. “Ain’t been eaten fit servin’s for a month or more.” There was a pause before he added dryly, “Don’t seem none the worse for it though. Still the biggest, meanest gorram tracker I ever saw.”

Kaylee didn’t much like the sound of that. Big an’ mean weren’t her cup of tea. She knew there had to be a grain o’ truth on account that Mal didn’t lie to her, and that he’d specifically been on the lookout for some extra muscle since him and Zoe almost got nabbed a while back, but she weren’t one to make assumptions ‘bout how someone ought to be took on first appearance. She reckoned to follow said tracker to see for herself.

He whipped ‘round from starin’ all lost-like at the table when she come in, and she gasped like she’d had her breath knocked clean out.

Sweet Buddha, but he was swai. Taller’n her pa and built real solid. Her old gramma would’ve called him ‘strapping’.

Thick muscles rippled and rolled along his tanned arms, stretched out the material of his tight blue t-shirt like they had a life of their own. Her eyes shifted from the breadth of that undulatin’ landscape down long, powerful legs, takin’ in with awe how the gunstrap ‘round his thigh was stretched taut with the strain of holdin’ on.

He cleared his throat and her wide eyes shot to his face. That’s when her respiratory system plain shut down altogether. Weren’t fair on a body, him bein’ so unexpected fine.

“Hi,” she squeaked.

“Hey.” They stared at each other for a full five seconds ‘fore he broke contact and scratched at his scruffy dark head. “Uh… Where ya hidin’ the grub?”

“Oh!” Kaylee pivoted real sharp and dived for the cooler, glad to hide her flamin’ red face. Gladder even for a chance to get her breath back so she’d sound somethin’ more like normal when she spoke again. “What’d ya have a mind for? We got all sorts…”

She glanced over her shoulder and caught him tracking the shape of her rear neath her coveralls. She bobbed up and down a little bit ta test the waters, see if he was inclined to take the bait.

He sighed a great big gusty breath, makin’ all them muscles ripple with the effort. Didn’t look away, though. “Whatever ya pick’d be okay. I’m easy pleased.”

His voice was like the gruff growl of a grizzly bear, deep and low and dangerous. The sound of it pricked at her skin like a homespun knit pullover, made her sweat and itch. To cover that scarifyin’ reaction, she snagged a frozen dinner pack quick as she could and headed for the heatpad.

Mal strolled in, his clever eyes darting back and forth between them. “You all introduced yourselves yet?”

The big man twitched like an embarrassed boy. “Well, not all formal or nothin’.” He ducked his head some and then gazed back up at her through his lashes like he was shy.

She got struck by his eyes, blue-grey gleamin’ like gunmetal in that fierce handsome face. “Ain’t got ta that part yet,” was all she said. She smiled at the tracker. If he was really as mean as Mal said, weren’t no way his eyes’d be so pretty. “I’m Kaylee.”

“Kaywinnit Lee Frye,” the Captain clarified. “Best little ship’s mechanic in the ‘Verse.”

“That true?” The tracker smiled back then, crinklin’ those pretty eyes at the corners and flashin’ a full set of pearly whites. Weren’t no unwashed snaggle-toothed pirate leastwise, that was a good sign. “Well, hell, best be keepin’ a close eye on ya then so’s we don’t all end up floatin’ ‘round the black with our brains leakin’ out our ears.”

Kaylee blinked. Okay, so maybe he was a little rough ‘round his edges. She could work with that. She was good at fixin’ used and worn out parts so they ran smooth, most times even better than new.

“Well, can’t say I’ve ever envisaged that possibility.” The Captain paused and sniffed, almost dainty, then squinted at the heatpad. “You makin’ that fare ‘specially crispified for a reason?”

“Oh!” Kaylee reached for the burning pack before she could even think on it an’ the liquified plaz-wrap melted to her fingers like it was tryin’ to make a hermetic seal. “Ow!” She shook her hand all frantic, tryin’ to cool it.

Weren’t but half a second later an’ she was pressed back-on against that great muscled chest and bein’ manoeuvred t’wards the sink. Kaylee plum forgot all about her burn. Forgot the Captain and the grub, too.

“Best git some water on that pronto,” the big tracker’s voice rumbled neath her ear. He surrounded her like a protective wrapper, held her tender and rinsed her hand under the stream like it was a delicate china cup, payin’ no heed whatever to the grease stains under her nails.

She glanced up, way up, and set her eyes on the hard line of his stubbly jaw, realizin’ of a sudden that the top of her head didn’t reach anywhere close to his shoulder. Oh yeah, he was taller’n her pa alright. Strong and solid too, like Serenity herself, just perfect for relyin’ on in times of trouble.

She liked that, liked it a whole lot.

“Never did catch yer name,” she whispered.

“Jayne,” he told her. “Jayne Cobb.”

END.