"Jayne."
The softly whispered word was enough to send Jayne bolting upright and reaching for a gun before he focused on the tiny figure standing in the doorway. "Ni ta ma de tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si, moonbrain. What're you tryin' to do, kill me?"
"She is cold. Everyone has warmth to share except the girl." River stepped further into the room tentatively.
Jayne growled and pulled the blankets around him tighter. The environmental controls had started acting funny two days ago and it was mighty cold on the ship. They were still a few days out from the nearest planet, so everyone was piling on extra layers to keep warm. "Ya got extra blankets like everyone else. Why're ya wanderin' around in the dead of night?"
"She needs someone to share warmth." She pulled the blankets tighter around her shoulders.
"So? Go find yer brother. Or Kaylee. Or anyone else." He wanted to roll over so she'd get the hint and leave, but didn't dare put his back to her. He was still slightly creepified over the screwdriver thing. Creepified, but admittedly fascinated. He decided on just closing his eyes and feigning sleep.
"Can't. Simon and Kaylee are sharing warmth. Wash and Zoe, Mal and Inara. All warm. The girl has no where else to go."
"If yer brother's sexin' up Kaylee, then you can steal his blankets and leave me alone." Jayne tried to ignore the cold and burrowed further under his own blankets.
"She has stolen his blankets and brought them with her. Two people and blankets would be even warmer." She was making big puppy dog eyes at him through her hair. It was obvious she was trying not to shiver. "Please, Jayne."
He heaved a big sigh and opened his eyes. She was standing right next to the bed and he'd never heard her move. Glancing down, he noticed bare toes sticking out from the hem of her flannel nightgown. "What the gui do you think you're doing, girl, walking around with no gorram shoes on? Yer toes'll fall off." He reached down under his bunk and pulled out the last package his ma had sent him. There was one last pair of socks inside the box. "C'mere."
River sat on the bed hesitantly. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Jayne sat up and glared at her. "Gimme yer feet moonbrain. How else ya gonna put these on?" He held up the multi-colored socks his ma must have knitted with the scraps of yarn left over.
She obediently held up a foot so he could slip the socks onto her tiny feet. Jayne hissed when he felt how cold her feet were. "Like ice," River said.
"Well, why're you wanderin' around with no shoes on?" Jayne slowly rubbed her feet, trying to bring some warmth back into them before he slipped on the huge socks.
"Shoes make noise. Wake everyone and they would give me needles and send me back to bed." River wiggled her slowly warming toes in his hand. He pulled the socks on and they easily could have been knee socks for her. "She thanks him."
He stared at her for a few moments, waiting to see if she would leave. When she didn't, he sighed again and moved over so he was closer to the wall. "Where're those blankets ya stole from Simon?" he grumbled. She was annoying and could probably kill him several times in his sleep before he woke up, not to mention Mal putting him in the airlock if he found out, but it would be nice to have some extra blankets and someone to share body heat with. It was friggin' cold on the boat.
River made a tiny squeal of joy and spread the blankets that had been around her shoulders over his bed. She quickly crawled under the pile so not to let too much of the cold in. Jayne grunted as she curled into a ball next to him. He lay flat on his back, trying not to touch her. She was warm against his side. Jayne found himself turning on his side, so her warmth seeped into his front.
"Arm, please," River said, scooting back so her back was flush against him.
Jayne startled. "What?"
"Arm, please," she repeated. He lifted his arm and held it out. River took it and pulled it down around her waist. "She thanks him for sharing his warmth. She knows he does not like her and that she sometimes scares him. It is hard for her to be what she is not."
"What's that, Crazy?"
"Innocent."
His arm tightened around her slightly. "Ain't yer fault."
River was silent for several minutes and Jayne thought she might have fallen asleep. Her voice was almost indistinct when she finally spoke. "Will he keep away the nightmares?"
Jayne looked down at the girl in his arms. She was staring straight ahead at the ladder to his bunk. Several strands of hair fell across her face. He reached out and tucked them behind her ear. He dropped his head back to his pillow and tightened the arm around her waist. "Sure, girl. I'll keep ya safe."