Safe And Sound

TITLE: Safe and Sound

AUTHOR: Midknight

CHAPTER: 1 of 1

FANDOM: Firefly

SHIP: Jayne / River

RATING: NC17

CATEGORY: Erotica

SPOILERS: None, so’s I know of.

SYNOPSIS: River just wants to be safe and strangely that’s how Jayne makes her feel. Things develop from there.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own FireFly. None of these characters belong to me. They belong to whoever created them and whoever else does. I pay homage to them and I make no profit from this story in any fashion, way or means.

AUTHORS NOTE: I apologize before hand and hope you will forgive any errors or blatant discrepancies. Also I so don’t speak Chinese so all that is just plain made up.

FEEDBACK: Yes Please – midknight_tales@yahoo.com

Jayne woke, but kept his eyes closed and his body relaxed even as he took a firm grip on the handle of the knife under his pillow. He concentrated his hearing, trying to find out what had woken him. He drew a deep breath, hiding it behind a loud snore. The scent of soap and something flowery tantalized his nose and it took an effort to keep the frown off his forehead. He shifted, languidly with a snort to better position himself. There was the softest slither of a footfall in the darkness, just inches from his bunk. He pounced.

He didn’t know what to expect, but it wasn’t the slip of a girl whose throat he now had the blade of his knife pressed to as he held her off her feet. “River! What the hell?” he growled as he dropped her back to her feet and slapped the light switch on. He grunted at the sharpness of the light on his dark-accustomed eyes. “I’m assumin’ there’s a reason you’re here?” he prompted scrubbing his hands through his hair, but all she did was stand and look at him, the tips of her straight white teeth worrying at the side of her lower lip. “Does your brother know where you are?” he asked as he slipped the knife back under his pillow. River shook her head slowly, her hands clutched in front of her.

Jayne closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath. “How can someone that small be so infuriating?” he asked himself before opening his eyes. “So… you just wanted to get yourself killed then?” he ventured and again she shook her head, a bit more vigorously this time causing her hair to form a dark, swirling halo around her face. Despite being infuriating, she was a pretty little thing in her white slip. “You gonna tell me what you want or we just gonna keep havin’ this here one sided conversation? I’d just like to know on account of being tired and wanting to get back to sleep.” He enquired wearily, trying to keep his tone soft and his frustration out of it.
“Safe place to sleep.” She said suddenly, her voice loud in the silence of his cabin. “Come again?” he wondered in confusion. She was making even less sense than usual and that was saying a lot. “Want a safe place to sleep.” She explained, apparently to her satisfaction, if not his as with a bright smile she slipped passed him and settled on his bunk. With, her back pressed against the blanket that covered his guns and the bulkhead; she hardly took up a third of the bunk as she settled her head on the edge of the pillow with a contented smile. “Find… Find someplace else.” He stammered as he tried to wrap his head around the situation. He didn’t quite know what to do. It wasn’t like River followed the same logic the rest of them did and he knew he’d triple locked his hatch door before turning in.

“We’ll sort this out in the morning. I’ll find somewhere else to sleep.” He told her with a scowl, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor and that arguing with a crazy girl wouldn’t get him to sleep any faster. “No, safe here with you.” She stated calmly, holding out her hand to him. Now Jayne had been in all manner of scrapes with all kinds of really bad people, but that slender, little hand held out to him managed to scare the crap out of him. “No gorram way!” he responded way louder than he intended, unconsciously taking a step back. “Keep the bad dreams away.” She pleaded, her hand straining toward him with anguish marring her smooth features. He wondered if she was somehow playing him, but the fear and pleading in her eyes was real and he could see her tremble.

Jayne groaned. “No good can come of this.” He muttered under his breath. “Just for tonight.” He stipulated as he grabbed up his blanket and spread it over her before crawling under it as well. He shifted onto his side, trying to make himself as small as possible and not make any contact with River. She, of course, immediately wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged herself against his back. He suddenly wished he’d put on a t-shirt as her hand rested on his stomach, a mere inch away from his crotch. He felt himself stir and stiffen as her fingers flexed and scraped lightly over his hard abdomen. He turned his thoughts to the most mundane and unfeminine related things he could call to mind and it didn’t help when she pressed her lips lightly to the nape of his neck.

“Thank you.” She whispered, her hair tickling his back as she snuggled against him. He clenched his teeth. “Go to sleep.” He instructed her, mastering his unbidden reaction and switched off the light. He remained rigidly aware of her warmth pressed against him, although this close her clean, flowery scent wasn’t all-together unpleasant as it enveloped him as well. He felt her breathing grow slow and steady, her arm go limp and despite his nervousness at having her in his bed, after a while, he drifted off as well.

He woke with a start, blinking and then immediately turned. River wasn’t there. He relaxed onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He was going to write it all off as a twisted dream, but as he bent the pillow close to his face he could still smell her and under his hand the mattress was still warm where it shouldn’t have been. He rested his forearm across his eyes and snorted with chagrined amusement, wondering how she had managed to slip away from where she’d been without waking him. He didn’t figure he could talk to anyone about this. Her brother wouldn’t understand, neither would Mal or any of the other’s. They’d be drawing straws on who was to kill him first for letting her share his bed, no matter how innocently. He rolled the problem around for a while and when a solution failed to present itself, decided to ignore it. With, any luck and with the way her mind tended to flit about there might not be a problem at all, unless of course said mind flitting caused her to tell anyone. He grimaced and then shrugged. It was a risk he would just have to take.

They were between planets and jobs, so he decided to just keep to himself and avoided her as best he could. He thoroughly checked the locks on his cabin’s hatch before going to take a shower and then again before sliding down the ladder on his return. Jayne spun and clutched at his heart as it leaped in his chest when her soft voice greeted him with his name. “River… Get out!” he ordered her and watched as she lowered her eyes and her lower lip start to quiver as she drew up her knees. “You need to leave.” He told her calmly although his heart was still racing at the shock she’d given him when she had greeted him, unexpectedly sitting on his bunk. “Last night was a mistake. I shouldn’t have… You can’t… We shouldn’t… It ain’t… You know… Right. Could you please leave?” He tried to explain, his back pressed to the ladder that led down to his cabin. His voice sounded whiny and desperate to his ears.

“Slept good, quiet, safe, no dreams, peaceful… Right.” She countered with a girlish giggle, her mood changing instantly as she relaxed and stretched out on her side with a grin. He folded his arms across his chest and licked his dry lips and swallowed hard to wet his throat. “River?” he pleadingly groaned. “Won’t tell anyone. Promise. Be our little secret. Nice to be safe.” She offered in return. “So this is what hell is like.” He noted as he tossed the towel, he had slung over his shoulders, into a corner. “Scoot.” He told her as they resumed their position from last night. She didn’t press up against him like she did the last time, but instead her fingers traced the myriad of scars on his back and on his arm. “Hard life.” She murmured and he snorted at the simplicity and truth of her statement. He didn’t mind so much when her arm did wrap around him or when she snuggled against his back.

River came to him every night after that, sometimes she would be waiting for him other times she would sneak in once he retired and he didn’t argue anymore. Weeks passed as well as his nervousness at possible discovery. No one seemed to suspect anything out of the ordinary and he trusted River’s word that it would remain their secret. Having her in his bed was comfortable, warm and she smelled good. He was surprised that he missed her and that warmth in the morning when he woke up and she was gone. Sometimes, in the dark before they slept, she would ask him about the scars and he would tell her the stories behind them. She always listened earnestly and laughed at his obvious embellishments.

One night, before he switched off the lights, she ran her finger lightly along the raised, white line of a scar on his chest. “I made this one, so it’s mine too.” She reminded him of their little incident in the galley several months earlier. “You want it back?” he asked with an amused snort and she giggled at the idea. “No… I’m just sorry I did it. “ She apologized, tracing the scar again. “I’m sorry too. You know what I done, when we was at the hospital. Maybe… Maybe I deserved it some. I just didn’t know it at the time.” He admitted after a few moments of silence. “This is strange.” He noted as the silence stretched out. “Yes… Yes, it is.” She agreed quietly and then he switched off the lights and then they went to sleep.

Their arrangement seemed to be good for her too. She seemed to be a little more focused, less scattered. Her interaction with the rest of the crew was more animated and normal. Simon even noted that she was happier and healing, which he attributed to his treatments and that was fine by Jayne. They pretty much ignored each other when around the rest of crew, keeping their interaction as cool as it had been to avoid any suspicion. It took him awhile to get used to it, but whenever he was alone, she’d appear, as if by magic. He would be in the hold, exercising or in the mess cleaning his guns and he would sudden realize she was their watching him, still and calm with a soft contented smile on her face. It was unnerving at first, but then it sort of became comforting to know he wasn’t alone. He was surprised they hadn’t been caught yet, but then again River was quite the sneak. She could be like a ghost when she wanted to be.

Jayne smiled in his sleep as he dreamed of firm, warm pressure slowly, smoothly caressing his length while River’s flowery scent tantalizing his nose as he lay on his back. He blinked his eyes open in the dim light of the cabin, but the wonderful sensation continued. He turned his head and found River’s dark eye watching him from where her cheek rested on his shoulder. He let his gaze slide away from her face and down his body to where he could see her wrist disappeared into his shorts. “River… Stop that.” He admonished her without much conviction as she added a little twist to her stroke that sent a jolt of pleasure snaking up his spine. He picked up other details as he drew his eyes back to her face. She wasn’t wearing her shift any longer; in fact, she wasn’t wearing anything at all. He could feel the texture of her nipples as her breasts flattened against his side and the soft down of her pubes tickled his hip.

“You don’t like it? Am I doing it wrong?” she asked with curious innocence. He sucked in a hissing breath and then let it out slowly. “No… No… I do and you’re not, but you still shouldn’t be doing that, River.” He replied although he was having a hard time remembering why. “Why?” she asked with perfect timing and he nearly laughed hysterically. He finally managed to make himself grasp her wrist and still her hand, but she continued to flex her fist, making him pulse against her grip. “Because… Because it’s not proper… And, I like you and it wouldn’t be right to… to take advantage… You don’t know what… It’s not proper.” He tried to explain as his affection for her and the desire she was eliciting in him warred with each other.

A frown turned her eyebrows into gull’s wings and furrowed her forehead. “Should we just go right to the fornicating then?” she enquired with a sudden, bright smile. “Say what now?” he asked in shock and pulled her hand off him with a grunt, shifting on his side and creating some separation between them. “Intercourse, you know, sex.” She clarified unnecessarily. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, there Girlie. We ain’t gonna. You… Me… Sexin’… No Way… You’re… I’m… No.” he stammered incoherently. Her frown returned and she tilted her head in astonished question at his reaction. “But, I know you like it. You dream about it all the time and it makes me feel all warm and funny inside.” She argued. “No… No… not with you.” He countered although that wasn’t entirely true. He remembered a few times when the feel of her lithe body pressed against his in the night had led his subconscious astray. Her frown deepened.

“You can see my dreams?” he asked trying to change the subject and at least buy some time to think. “Yes.” She answered simply and as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ”Now can we have sex? I’m ready, see?” she persisted and in his stunned state he didn’t stop her when she grabbed his hand and pressed it between her thighs. His fingers found her folds wet, hot and flowered open. He started to caress and explore her without conscious thought before he realized what he was doing and jerked his hand away as if scalded. His erect manhood throbbed and started to drool in response to what he had felt. None of his actions or words seemed to get through to her at all as she started tugging at the waistband of his shorts with determination. “Let’s get these off.” She urged, shifting her grip to pull harder.

He didn’t know why he was fighting this so hard. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had as young or younger and more than a couple that weren’t as willing, but this was River. He’d never really been comfortable around her from the start, but he realized over the last few weeks he’d become rather attached to the little waif and he didn’t want to do anything to harm the comfortable relationship they were developing. He liked her too much and he didn’t want what he guessed would be her first time to be with the likes of him or just out of curiosity. She had told him he had led a hard life. It was nothing compared to what she had endured and he wasn’t going to add to it, despite what his baser instincts were telling him.

“River, we are not having sex.” He stated with all the authority and resolve he could muster and was surprised at how weak his voice sounded as he tried to hold his shorts in place. “I think we are.” She disagreed as she deftly ran her fingers over his ribs a couple of times, finding the one spot he was ticklish and the distraction was enough for her to yank his shorts out of his grasp and clear of his manhood. “River, please? Can you just stop for a moment? ” He tried again as she reached for him. Her hand paused over his shaft and she turned her head to give him her full attention. Her hair tickled his chest as she did so. “Am I not pretty enough?” she queried worry coloring her tone for the first time. “No. You’re plenty pretty.” He admitted easily and she smiled. “But, I ain’t. You deserve better.” He confessed, simply and sincerely, even as his dick twitched as if to reach the warmth radiating from her hand.

He saw the change come over her, clear as day, saw the sixteen year old girl she was drain from her eyes to be replaced by someone far more mature and knowledgeable than any girl, any person, had a right to be. The moon brain she often appeared to be was gone, replaced by a terrible intelligence and clarity. Her smile turned sad. “There’s a lot I didn’t deserve that I got and things I deserve that I haven’t. So, I figure I should take the things that I want when I can get them. The Alliance can find me at any time; just one misstep or just plain bad luck is all it will take, Jayne, despite our best efforts. You… You can’t imagine the things they’ve done, will do to me. Let me have this. I’ve seen it in everyone’s dreams, even my brother’s, sometimes fantasies, sometimes and memories, but always so vivid. I can see it and it affects me, but I cannot quite feel what they feel. Let me know what it feels like.” She pled her case and he felt his heart constrict in his chest with the sympathy he felt for her and his desire to give her what she wanted. “And, you’re wrong. You’re plenty pretty too.” She added, lightly cupping and caressing his face.

He was going to burn in hell, but he done so many other things to deserve that fate that this might be the one that was worth it. Jayne brushed stray locks of her long, dark hair out of her oval face and cupped her cheek. “Are you sure?” he asked softly. She smiled and nodded even as her teeth pressed coyly into her lower lip. She swung her leg over him to straddle his midriff while he pulled her face towards his. Her eyes went wide for a moment as he kissed her and then relaxed, going soft as she returned the kiss. She was clumsy and hesitant at first and he tried to curb his own growing hunger to allow her to experiment and gain confidence at her own pace. Luckily she was a fast learner and soon they were sharing deep, passionate kisses, lips sliding sensuously together while their tongues fenced, and wrestled. He let her break the kiss and she grinned breathlessly down at him. “More.” She instructed in an eager whisper.

They kissed some more, her confidence building, her lithe, little body pressing and shifting against his, the insides of her thighs warm and smooth against his sides. She nipped lightly at his lower lip and then drew back and sat up. She lifted herself up on her knees and reached back to grasp the base of his throbbing erection. He slid his hands from her back to her waist to support some of her weight as she shifted herself over him. Her eyes remained in unwavering contact with his as they worked together to guide the head of his cock between her slick, swollen folds to find her entrance. River settled onto him, wedging him firmly in place while his grip tightened at her waist, holding her steady. They remained poised like that for a moment and then she relaxed, with his grip being the only thing holding her up.

Jayne let his grip relax and gravity did its job. He felt her take a heavy, shuddering inhalation, her breasts quivering as her chest rose as he filled her and her tight virgin flesh reluctantly stretched around him. His jaw clenched and he had to forcefully control his hips from bucking as she slowly drew a hot trail of friction down his length. Her fingers splayed wide on his chest before flexing and pressing her nails into his skin as she slowly rocked her hips to drive her further onto him. His fingers tensed, stopping her when he encountered the barrier of her virtue. She squirmed, but he continued to hold her in place.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered and he saw a frown mar her young features before he pulled her down and thrust up at the same time. He felt the pressure build for a moment before he saw the pain in her wide brown eyes as her breath hitched with a soft whimpering cry and he tore her hymen to drive himself to her core. Despite their shortness, her nails managed to break skin as her fingers tensed further while her channel clutched, twisted and flexed around him as she tried to adjust to his invasion. “I’m sorry, Honey. Had to be done.” He said more clearly, stroking the hair away from her face that had fallen across it. “It hurt.” She whined in the pain and discomfort he could see in her eyes. “It will get better. I promise. Just give it some time.” He tried to comfort her, feeling a little guilty that her discomfort felt so good for him as her tight channel clutched and squeezed at his erection sending waves of pleasure into him to ratchet up the growing tension in his balls and groin. It was a battle to remain still, to give her the time to adjust, but he managed it, concentrating instead on the satin smoothness of her skin and the silky tickle of her hair as he stroked her back as well as letting his eyes soak in the beauty of her lithe, curvaceous nudity.

Jayne saw the pain fade from her eyes to be replaced by thoughtful curiosity as the tip of her tongue peeked out from between he lips and she experimentally rocked her hips. He settled his hands on her hips and guided them in slow circles. She groaned with a slight wince, but followed his lead as he drew her circling hips up along his length for about an inch or so and then relaxed to let her settle back. “Oh!” she exclaimed softly in response. She rocked on him for a moment while he caressed and fondled the curves of her buttocks before she repeated the motion without his assistance, lifting herself just a little high. “Does that feel good?” he asked as she settled and ground onto him. “Yessss.” She replied on a dreamy hiss of air before she started to ride him.

He let her set the pace and rhythm, watching the joy and awe play across her face as she experimented and explored. She would occasionally wince or grimace as he slid in and out of her tight sex, stretching her resistant virgin flesh, but these reactions became fewer and finally vanished as she found and repeated what pleasured her most. She let out a soft grunt when he started to move in unison with her, bucking his hips to thrust up into her as she came down. “Again!” she urged enthusiastically, as she tossed her hair back. So, they started to move together, his groans and grunts joining her feminine moans and soft cries.

Jayne slid his hands up along the ridges and shallow valleys of her ribs to capture and cup her breasts. He fondled the firm, ripe little globes, her flesh hot, smooth and resilient under his fingers. Her nipples were stiff, brown little tubes between his thumbs and fingers and she moaned as he rolled and lightly tweaked them. She pressed into his hands as their pace increased. “That’s it!” he groaned in encouragement as she rolled and rocked her hips in a meshing counter sync with his tensing ass and thrusting hips. He saw her eyelids flutter as her head tilted slightly back, her mouth open wide as she panted with the exertion of riding him. She was beautiful and sexy and the feel of her sex on his manhood was nothing short of incredible and he could feel his balls boil and tighten with the need for release, but he held it off by shear dint of will. He wanted her to know the ultimate joy of sex; he would not surrender until he brought her to climax.

River surprised him when she simply dropped all her weight down on him, letting her hands slide from his chest to his shoulders and neck as she leaned forward over him. He had to abandon her breasts, but his hands soon found their way to the rounded curves of her ass, which he caressed and fondled as her channel squeezed at his entire length as she ground against him. He briefly felt her lips on his skin. River’s hot breath tickled his lips as she panted, her face hovering just over his. Her hair created a wild, dark waterfall around her face and a curtain around them both as it tumbled down. Her eyes were once again wide open, a little wild and yet at the same time intensely focused. He could see her try to marshal her words, to say something even as she let out a drawn out whimpering whine when his hips involuntarily humped to drive him into her. She swallowed hard. “Take… Take me, Jayne. Have me, don’t… Don’t hold back… Like in your dreams… I… I want you to… Please!” she panted her request with a quivering need-filled voice.

He found himself blinking up at her. Her sex fluttered around him, her eyes pleading. Her words spoke to his own need, while the heat of her tone finally banished the little girl image he had of her. It was a woman’s request, a lover’s request. Jayne wrapped his arms around her and with a grunt, muscled her around to exchange their positions. His chest heaved as he hovered over her with one arm around her back, his hand curled around her smooth shoulder while the other supported most of his weight. He pulled back until just his head was still inside her and then thrust forward hard. His body crashed into her, their flesh colliding with a forceful, reverberating slap. Her shoulder pressed against the brace of his hand and her breasts shook with the impact, her breath expelling in a soft cry. Her fingers clutched at his shoulders her body trembling with tension as he kept himself pressed hard against her.

He waited for her to relax before doing it again and again and again and again. Her body tensed and her eyes widened each time he connected with her, the pauses between withdrawals growing less and less as he increased the pace. Her fingers raked his back as she pulled him toward her as he drove forward. Her head pressed back into the pillow as she undulated under him grinding up against his with a series of moans as he rocked his hips against hers. He occasionally swooped down to capture her swollen lips for a kiss. The kisses were intense and passionate, but they were short out of necessity as they were both breathing hard with the strain and exertion of their mutual desires.

“That… That feels so… So good!” she panted in a hoarse whisper. “Yes… Yes it does.” He agreed as his jaw clenched with the effort of maintaining control as a surge of pleasure rippled up his spine from his groin as the velvet grip of her sex flexed around him. Damp tendrils of her hair clung to her skin while her face glowed and glistened with sweat, and he could feel rivulets of it sliding of his flexing shoulders and down his back. The tension in his balls had his ass tensed tight and the muscles of his stomach knotted with the effort of holding back the building energy of his impending climax, but he held on. He grunted heavily from between gritted teeth with the effort of keeping his hips moving, the greased silk feel of her snug channel a reward and a curse, her soft muffled cries as she pressed her face to the front of his shoulder a counterpoint symphony to the overture of their bodies rhythmically meeting.

Jayne felt her taut belly start to quiver against his, her sex twitch and pulse. Her head dropped back to the pillow and blinking sweat out of his eyes he drove into her one more time. He saw sudden confusion cloud her beautiful, bright brown eyes. “Wha…” she started to ask and then her body became a tense, vibrating bow under his. He was glad the vacuum seal of his cabin made it all but soundproof as she let out a sharp shuddering cry of release as she climax. Her sex pulsed as it twisted and locked around his length with a fresh torrent of hot cream. He tried to focus, be the one to remain in control, but when she started to ripple around him, her head thrashing from side to side and soft mewls dripping from her lips, his hips started to hump and with s growl he kept trapped behind his bared teeth he surrendered.

He swelled against her tight grip and then erupted into her. He pumped his seed into her in heavy spurts, each accompanied with a blast of electric pleasure that had his muscles tensing and relaxing in quick succession. Delight inundated his senses. His nerves sang and his blood pounded in his ears with the trip hammer beat of his heart. He clutched at her, pulling trembling curve of her body hard against him as he emptied himself into her. Spots danced before his eyes and his lungs burned as he desperately sucked in air to cool them. His spine twitched and his skin tingled with vitality. The force of his orgasm whipped through him, ravaging him with bliss and as energizing as it was, when he felt it start to wane, he felt it taking his strength with it. He mustered his will and the last reserves of his strength to force his body to obey him as he rolled onto his back with her once again on top.

River went limp on top of him, her cheek resting on his chest, her face hidden by her damp hair. Relaxed satiation flooded his body, but River’s unmoving stillness concerned him even though he could feel the points of her nipples press into his skin, surrounded by the warm pillows of her breasts as she breathed. “River? Sweetie? Are you okay?” he asked, craning his head forward and sweeping the hair away from her face. She tilted her head and smiled at him dreamily. Her hands burrowed under his shoulders and she hugged him. “I’m gonna take that as a yes.” He decided out loud as he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

“That… That was… It felt… Not enough words in the verse to explain properly.” She noted with awe in her voice. He smiled and pressed his lips lightly to the top of her forehead. “I’m glad you liked it. You had me worried for a moment there.” He told her quietly. “I liked the kissing too. We should also do some more of that.” She continued raising her head to look him squarely in the face. The “also” in her statement inferred that she wanted them to do more than just kiss again, but before he could voice an argument they both groaned as he shrank enough to slip free of her. Her sex tensed and clutched at him in an attempt to hold him in and the friction sent echoes of his climax rippling across his over-stimulated nerves.

Her eyes held his steadily for a moment and then she shifted forward and gently pressed her lips to his. He cupped the back of her head and let his fingers burrow into her hair as he tilted his head and opened his mouth to returned the kiss. He liked the little sounds she made in the back of her throat as they kissed and he was loathe to stop, but he did, gently pulling her face away from his. He smiled at her and she smiled back. “We… We are going to do that again, aren’t we?” River asked tentatively. “We can kiss whenever you’re of a mind to and we ain’t likely to get caught.” He replied, knowing that wasn’t exactly the question she wanted answered. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to work out how to make her question more specific. He lightly tapped his finger on the tip of her cute little nose.

“River, I know what you mean, I know what you want, but we’ll talk about it later. I promise. For now, let’s just let tonight be what it was.” He offered with the best answer he could come up with considering the conflict between his desire and the moral qualms he suddenly found himself with. He could almost see the argument on her lips. “Isn’t that enough for now?” he countered before she could say anything. He watched her take a deep breath and then sigh of resignation. “We’ll talk about it?” she asked for confirmation. “Yes.” He confirmed simply and lightly gripping her chin, gave her a slow, gentle kiss.

He felt her lips curve back into a smile before he released her and pulled back. She ran her thumb lightly across his lips. “Then it’s enough, for now. Enough to be safe and sound with you.” She agreed as she settled her head on his shoulder and with a final, soft sigh and a squirming snuggle she promptly fell asleep. He would not have believed it of any other person, but with her, he knew she wasn’t feigning. Jayne could feel the lassitude of exertion and satisfaction spreading across his body too and after collecting and covering them with his blanket he let his heavy lids fall closed and after a few minutes of the feel of her shallow, steady breathing against him, he joined her in slumber.

THE END? TO BE CONTINUED?