Just the way you are, a firefly fanfic

Disclaimer – I own nothing. I do not own Firefly It all belongs to the powers that be (Joss, Fox, etc . . .) nor do I own the song "Just the way you are" that's Bruno Mars'. I am merely a lowly fan borrowing some of my favourite characters for my own amusement and sanity.

xxx

"Jayne are you absolutely sure about this?"

"What you talking about girl? You going crazy again?" Jayne growled though with a surprisingly affectionate undertone. "I done told ya a dozen times. Ain't nothin' I want more than for you to meet Ma and the rest of my kinfolk."

River lightly skipped over and wrapped her arm through Jayne's, amazing him with the way she seemed to float across the floor without touching the ground. She was everything he wasn't: graceful, smart, sharp wit, and the only girl he'd ever met who could consistently best him in sparring, merrily laughing all the while. No wonder he'd broken his word and fallen helplessly in love with the creature now looking up at him as though the entire verse were on her shoulders.

"It's not that I doubt your word Jayne, I know you mean it when you say you want me to meet them. It's just . . ." River's voice trailed off as she became lost in thought once again.

"Girl, ya know how I feel about you leavin' mid talk like that." Jayne smirked and then frowned. "River? Bao bei? Come on back darlin'"

"Sorry Jayne. It's just. . . I'm not exactly the type of girl your mother's expecting. I mean what if she doesn't, well what if she can't, Ai ya!" River cried in exasperation. Her sanity may have stabilized over the months since Miranda but some things were still almost impossibly difficult to master, especially when she was uncomfortable socially, like talking coherently or paying attention for more than five seconds.

"River, are you worried about not bein' good enough for Ma?" Jayne asked astonished.

"Well, why wouldn't I be? I'm not exactly built like your previous romantic partners, I'm core born and raised, oh and there's always that wonderful quirk of being a shiny Alliance experiment that's left me a reader who can best anyone in hand to hand combat but is going to be permanently kwong-juh duh! What mother wouldn't want to welcome someone like me?" River ranted though Jayne was surprised to recognize resignation rather than anger in her voice, whether he was surprised at the resignation or that he recognized it though was yet to be decided.

"Bao bei? Is that how ya see yourself?"

River let go of Jayne's arm and stepped back to look him in the eye "Sometimes. Sometimes I lay awake at night and realize I'll never be 'normal.' In some ways I'll always be a burden, never whole, never sure if today will be a good day or a bad day, if I'll wake up me or if I'll wake up and find myself needing to fight to come back to those I love. That's an incredible thing to ask someone to live with when it's not their burden to bear." River dropped her head and sat in the silence that now penetrated her cabin.

Jayne growled softly at her confession "Gorramit. I ain't one for words girl, that's your department but I ain't never let that stop me afore. Bao bei, ya ain't a burden. Even when you weren't all there" Jayne pointed to his head " you still weren't a burden or at least ya shouldn't have been if I'd been paying any attention. You. You're a gift and one's I still ain't sure how in the verse I done gone and deserve."

"Really?" River looked up questioningly.

"Wouldn't lie to you if I could darlin'. " Jayne whispered turning red at the uncharacteristic display of tenderness. "You are beautiful, and you got head smarts that make my head spin round, you are this shiny flower that's as strong as steel and you're still patient enough to put up with a stupid idiot like me. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and don't let anyone not even me tell you ya less than you're actual worth. Dong ma?" Jayne rumbled.

"Thank you" River smiled curling herself into Jayne's side, content in his reassurance.

"Anytime Bao bei." Jayne whispered awkwardly smoothing back her hair.

"Jayne?" River looked into his eyes a new question burning in her mind.

"Yes?"

"Do you think your mother will make me a hat?"

xxx

A.N. So this is the first time I've ever written Jayne but this song came on my ITunes and this story popped out in the next 20 minutes after. Let me know your thoughts but flames will be used for roasting marshmallows and creating smores.

Bruno Mars lyrics Just the Way you Are.

Oh, her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day

Yeah, I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look ok, I say

When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing, just the way you are
And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are(yeah)

Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she let me
Her laugh, her laugh, she hates but I think it's so sexy
She's so beautiful, and I tell her every day

Oh, you know, you know, you know, I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So, don't even bother asking if you look ok
You know I'll say