A/N: Done for Livejournal's firefly100 community, with the prompt "run."

Good 'n Proper Tradition

-irishais-

Jayne Cobb had always left the fight-startin' to Mal, who was pretty damn good at it. So long as Jayne got to hit someone, it was a good day.

They'd go out and have a drink afterward. That was what U-Day was, after all. Drinkin' and fightin'. Was harder now, though, what with River and her clingy need to be with him all the ruttin' time. She didn't much approve of the fights, either.

This year, though, somethin' had changed, and Jayne couldn't quite put his finger on it. River sat at the back table, studying her drink.

"The alcohol affects mental stability," she murmured, like she did every year before takin' one damn swig and wastin' the rest of some precious good drink.

"I'll drink to that," he retorted, and suddenly River clinked her cup against his, sloshing some of her girly colored alcohol onto the table. "What in the gorram hell, girl?"

"I feel like making a mess," she said with a prim smile on her face and got up from the table. Didn't take long 'fore he figured out what she meant. You just had to follow the screams.

The bar erupted into chaos, and Jayne got to punch someone in the face. Two someones. Weren't quite as good as Mal beatin' that lug over the head with a chair, or Zoe kickin' some guy where the sun don't shine, but River grinned at him across the bar and the run that they all made for the exit was good and proper with U-Day tradition.

"Ruttin' moonbrain, always getting into trouble," he grumbled, but she slipped her hand in his as they hightailed it for Serenity, and Jayne decided he didn't mind too much this time around.

So long as it happened again next year, anyway.