Centripetal Motion, by Rachel (PG13)

[anenko.livejournal.com]

Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: Inara/Kaylee
Author on LJ: thatfangirl
Author’s Website: A Girl and Her Fandoms
Why this must be read:

This is the first Inara/Kaylee fic I read--one of the first Firefly fics, at that--and it still holds a special place in my memories of this fandom. This is a delightful look at Kaylee and Inara, their friendship, and attraction. I also very much enjoyed how Kaylee’s love for mechanical things is integrated into the story.

As Kaylee watched expectantly, Inara slid off the ribbon and shredded the paper. With a smile dimpling her cheeks, Inara lifted the box’s lid and the ballerina sprung into place. Kaylee hesitantly guided Inara’s fingers to a switch. Music filtered through the speakers as the ballerina revolved. The gray metal became silver and, although different, it belonged among the red silk, which made its place in Inara’s shuttle worth the deep blush and strangled explanation.

Kaylee returned to her room and retrieved a small screwdriver from her toolkit. She removed the casing from her alarm clock and probed its circuitry until the world slowed.

Centripetal Motion