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Feb. 9th, 2005 09:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flybywashThe first thing he did when he returned to Serenity was creep downstairs, soundlessly strip off his clothes, and sponge away five days worth of sweat and grime. Scraping off the stubble was next, then digging out a set of clean clothes (though he left his feet bare when he scaled the ladder leading back to the main deck; turned out River had gotten it right after all, for the cold metal and the warm thrumming of machinery eased the last bits of tension stretched through his chest).
Fourth on the list was finding Zoe. She was in the cargo hold, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her, quietly overwhelmed. Rough hands, soft lips, and if Dream hadn't already driven the nightmares away this would have done it for certain; it was only when she pulled away several moments later with a quizzical (but rather pleased) look on her face that he realised time had played its tricks again.
How could he explain? How to describe what had happened, all the amazing and fantastic and terrifying things he'd witnessed, when nobody thought he'd been gone for more than a hour?
"Just glad to see you, băobèi," he said instead, smiling as he touched her hair and pressed another kiss to the side of her neck. "I love you. So, so much."
He wouldn't have left if he'd had a choice, but work needed doing. So the fifth thing he did was return to the bridge and lean against the Firefly's broad windscreen to watch the stars in reverent and companiable silence, waiting until Mal returned with the coordinates for their latest job.
That night, after he and Zoe had made love, Wash curled around her. One hand cupped her thigh, and he closed his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath as he listened to her breathe.
When he dreamed, he dreamt of children with tanned skin and blue eyes, and heard Delight's laughter echo in the distance.
Fourth on the list was finding Zoe. She was in the cargo hold, and he took her face in his hands and kissed her, quietly overwhelmed. Rough hands, soft lips, and if Dream hadn't already driven the nightmares away this would have done it for certain; it was only when she pulled away several moments later with a quizzical (but rather pleased) look on her face that he realised time had played its tricks again.
How could he explain? How to describe what had happened, all the amazing and fantastic and terrifying things he'd witnessed, when nobody thought he'd been gone for more than a hour?
"Just glad to see you, băobèi," he said instead, smiling as he touched her hair and pressed another kiss to the side of her neck. "I love you. So, so much."
He wouldn't have left if he'd had a choice, but work needed doing. So the fifth thing he did was return to the bridge and lean against the Firefly's broad windscreen to watch the stars in reverent and companiable silence, waiting until Mal returned with the coordinates for their latest job.
That night, after he and Zoe had made love, Wash curled around her. One hand cupped her thigh, and he closed his eyes, letting out a long, slow breath as he listened to her breathe.
When he dreamed, he dreamt of children with tanned skin and blue eyes, and heard Delight's laughter echo in the distance.
