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“It’s the compression coil. Can’t do nothin’ ‘bout it ‘til the cap’n decides we can put the money in to replace some of its parts. I’ve tried t’tighten her feed valves, but there’s only so much I can do without a proper coil fuse. This one is at least ten years old. Just don’t work like it used to.” Kaylee had her hands on her hips, looking up at the engine.
Wash’s arms crossed over his chest. “Well, we’re shimmering more than I’d like on take-offs and landings. That sort of friction isn’t good for her. It increases drag, and stresses her breaker plates.”
Kaylee gave him an apologetic but serious expression as she shook her head. “Y’think I don’t know that?” She turned around, opening one of the panels that exposed the main compression coil component. “Y’should’ve seen her when I got t’her, Wash. Been on this boat barely a month and already she’s running loads better.”
Wash stepped up behind her, peering into the exposed mechanics. “Don’t I know it. She’s running much smoother now that you’ve gotten your hands on her. But you fixing all the other parts just makes the shaking on hitting atmo that much more noticeable.” He reached around her and stroked a cable of wires inside the alcove. “You worked your magic so well on everything else, already. Know you can fix my problem, too.”
Kaylee twisted to look at him and found he was too close to really assess. Surprised at his nearness she backed into the panel, her large brown eyes peering up into his bright blue ones. She was trapped between him and the engine and discovered that maybe this had been his plan all along. “Wash,” she began, uncertainly. The way he was looking at her now relayed his thoughts without him needing to say a word. She was surprised, though it wasn’t like she hadn’t entertained the idea of romancing him. She’d just assumed he wasn’t interested.
Wash brought his other hand up to tip her chin towards him. He ran his thumb over a grease mark on her face, rubbing it clean with just a touch. His eyes were serious, but tender. “You don’t think you’re very pretty, but you are.” He cupped his palm against the side of her cheek, brushing locks of her stray hair aside. “Lots prettier than you even know.”
Kaylee wasn’t one for hesitating, at least not in situations like this. Her hands drew up between them and she gripped the collar of Wash’s orange flight suit. Her fingers tightened on the fabric, hardly able to think for a moment that he was going to let her do this, and then she pulled him close.
She initiated it, gave him permission, but he made sure he was the one to kiss her. He covered her lips with his, pushing her further into the compression housing. It was important that she was letting him kiss her, but it was just as important to him to be the one in control of the situation, although he couldn’t explain why.
He hadn’t intended it to be an especially potent kiss, but she had other ideas. Her hands loosened on his collar and went up around his neck, drawing him even closer to her. She let out a soft sound of delight in the back of her throat that almost completely undid Wash. He pressed harder into her, delighting in the supple feel of her body against his, and wanted immediately to free her of her grease stained jumper.
Reluctantly he broke free of her, leaving her mouth open and panting, and managed to say, “We should go.” He huskily added, “My bunk or yours?”
Kaylee bit her lip in a delightfully seductive way, shaking her head. One hand stayed around his neck, but the other slipped around to find the zipper at his chest. She tugged it down slowly. “Everyone’s asleep, y’know,” she eagerly explained. “We got th’whole engine room t’ourselves, if we want.” Her eyes flickered down to his chest as it was exposed. “Don’t nobody ever come in here, ‘cept me, anyway.”
Wash chuckled throatily. This was insane. “Thinking I’m gonna be coming in here pretty damn soon, Kaylee,” he growled. She laughed and he ducked his head, searching out her neck to kiss and adore.
Her laughter was infectious, filling the engine room with light, spurning him on.