Word Count: 2,247
Author: thefalloficarus
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters; I just like to play with them. Joss is Boss though, and don't you forget it!
Rating: PG-13 ish… maybe a mild R
Characters: River, Atherton Wing, Inara, Mal
Spoilers/Warnings: Post-BDM, doesn't really come up much, except that River's more coherent.
Summary: River poses as a companion. Born from a prompt given to me by an anonymous commenter.
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River stepped lightly, with the ease of a dancer, her feet bound in small delicate shoes. Inara was both shorter and curvier than River, and therefore she was forced to do what she could with the means that she was provided with. The result was shoes that were slender and shining that made her long legs seem narrow and balanced on almost disproportionately small jewels where her feet should be. Her dress was corseted, laced tighter on River than Inara usually wore it, giving River's boy like figure the lift, push and pull it needed to reveal slight womanly curves that the colorful fabric showed to its best advantage.
Her face and hair had been the result of Kaylee's handy work. She looked polished and perfect, her long hair brushed to a shine, curling and twisting held by a gleaming jeweled comb. When Kaylee had finished with River she'd stood back, a look of awe and sadness shown on her face and she gave a sort of gasp before saying, "You look like a beautiful jewel. 'Nara would be proud." And with that, her sad smiled crumbled steeling something within her, and she left without another word. That had been an hour ago, when River had left Serenity, her date with destiny already scheduled.
River paused a moment taking one last moment to fidget small fingers through the fabrics, to feel folds of her dress one last time, closing her eyes, and steadying the constant beat beat beat of her heart in her head. With a final breath a smile graced her face, one small and demure, calculating and yet with the hint of adoration. She placed a hand on the ornate doorknob and gave it a gentle push, and without blinking, stepped from the dark hallway of the docking port into the bright ornate foyer of the Wing mansion.
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River poured the tea and smiled demurely at Atherton as he leered without restrain. It had been years since Kaylee had excitedly described the dapper man, since Mal had spilled his memories onto her, and his seething hatred for this man. Inara had neither thought on him often, nor spoken about him ever, except for one stray though that River had caught: plucked out of the air like a leaf on the wind. 'I wonder what life would have been like with Atherton.' It had been an idle thought, something that was caused by an argument with Mal, or frustration from being away from civilization for too long, but River had heard it, and now she knew the answer, and River smiled through her rage and swallowed down her indignation as his thoughts rolled over her like his eyes. She was a companion now: a gilded creature of pleasure and lust. When the ceremony was over and the tea was cleaned up, she put that thought into her mind as she kneeled before Atherton, caressing his cheek lightly. "Have you ever been with a companion?" She asked, lightly, matter-of-factly, her voice steady with a maturity that had grown since the incident at Miranda. River felt his emotions, his lust and need, and the thoughts that buzzed in his brain. She was still a reader, still full of the universe and brimming with everything it had to offer, but now she was clam, calculated a beautiful bird: A Companion.
An emotion crossed over his face, one that made River want to hold onto it and wrap it around herself: to bask in it. It was panic, a momentary flash of fear. Quickly though he steadied his features and she knew he was thinking what lie to tell her. When he spoke, she had to be very careful to hide her surprise. "One regularly, two only once before. You might know of Ms. Inara Serra." He said, speaking honestly.
River had not been prepared for the truth, but she was trained and ready and her face showed only a mild form of curiosity. "I have not." She said bringing her hands up onto Atherton's thighs, massaging and caressing with a firm yet pleasing touch. Her eyes followed her hands, giving her a demure, submissive appearance. "Truth be told, I am somewhat new. I do not know many beyond those of my companion house." With this she turned her bright brown eyes upwards, without moving her face, looking up from under heavy lids her presence oozing ravagable sex, and a seductive smile grew. "Though I am young, I was well studied, and the top of my class, and I hope to live up to your... expectations." She said, sliding her hands upwards, squeezing harder as she did, causing Atherton to hiss slightly, squeezing his eyes closed enjoying the moment.
River knew she had him, that in that moment she had won. She slide her hands to his chest, to the shiny gold vest and slowly slid each button free. Atherton watched her now, his hands propping him up as he sat, leaning casually on the bed. He watched River like a cat watches a mouse, as if she were doing something very interesting, and if she stopped, he might just gobble her up. River moved upwards, pulling his shirt out of his pants, working the buttons without looking, her eyes locked on Atherton's serious gaze. When she reached the last button, she slid hands up smooth skin, slipping the shirt off his arms, forcing him to sit up, drawing him in and down, and greeting him with a kiss. A gentle hot touching of lips, but she could feel him respond instantly, his eyes closed, his hands moving to her shoulders. She raised her hand to her hair and pulled out the comb allowing her soft silken tresses to fall free and flow in a mass down her back like a silken waterfall. Atherton reached out, clutching a fistful of that shiny hair and pulled her closer, forcing her lips to his, kissing her deeply. River returned the kiss, her hands working with the buttons of his pants, caressing, and massaging, touching him gently, coaxing him up for her forcing him to attention.
He moaned deeply in her mouth and took her by the arms, not quiet throwing her, but dragging her somewhat to the bed. River fought down the urge to scold him, to chastise him for taking control of her show, but it didn't really matter. Companions were about pleasure and comfort and he needed the control, was lost without it. He pushed up River's skirt, pressing himself against her, and for a moment River tensed, as his hand grazed across the garter and its hidden jewel. Suddenly Atherton's hand was in River's hair again pulling, painfully sharp, bending her head so that her neck was exposed, his body pinning her down onto the bed, and he laughed cruelly as he brought her own knife up to her slender throat. "You think I'm such a fool." He said. "You think that I do not know what Inara Serra is to your kind. She is a goddess descended from on high." He spat at her, laughing again. "Even a child of your house would know her."
River strained, pulling her neck away from the knife, while her body was otherwise expressionless, almost limp and utterly without panic. "So you're going to kill me like you did her?" River asked, watching him from her odd bent angle, her eyes never straying from his face. Atherton laughed again, his arrogance and assuredness filling the room like the scent of his musk had moments ago. He moved his hips, grinding his erection against her for a moment, causing a moment of pain. "I think I'll fuck you first before I kill you." He said smugly, reaching a hand down between them inching River's skirt up higher while keeping the weight of his body on top of her and the knife pressed to her neck.
River watched Atherton, unblinking, nothing but a quiet calm on her face. "That may prove difficult." She said finally. With a swift jerk of her arm, Atherton was blinded with a searing pain in his groin, and instinctively he rolled off her and clutched at his now bleeding groin. River sat up, her hair comb, actually a slender dagger, clutched in her hand, bloodied. Quickly, she straddled Atherton, knocking her knife from his hands, and onto the floor. Atherton struggled beneath her, but the stab wound had taken some of the fight out of him, and River clenched her thighs tighter, keeping him pinned. With her free hand, she grabbed his face roughly and turned him to face her, forced him to look her in the eye. "I'll skip the sex I think." She told him coldly. "And before you die I want you to know than when you're nothing but rot in your grave Inara Serra will live on. Not just in the hearts and minds of her loved ones, but she'll live. You are a pathetic excuse for a man, and a shittier murderer. Your secrets will be told Atherton, even if I don't kill you, you're already dead." She said, watching his eyes grow wide and terror filled before the small dagger bit and slice, ripping open his throat, spilling his blood.
The cut had been swift and deep, and he made only weak protestations and gurgling noises before his life finally slipped from him. "Never say I'm not merciful." River said, a touch of something satisfied in her voice. She wiped his blood from her dagger and secured it in her hair without the precision and grace that Kaylee had given it. She was almost sure she had cut a lock or two off as she did it. Her knife she picked up from the floor and returned to its place in the garter on her thigh. She slipped out the door into the hallway of Atherton's wing. No one was near, no one had heard, and no one was coming. She slipped silently, with stealth and grace down, down to the docking bay, and to her shuttle. She could swear she heard the first hints of screaming as her door closed and she began her escape.
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River stepped out of the shuttle only to be greeted by Mal. She'd taken the dagger from her hair, and had indeed come away with a long lock of her silken hair. She held it now like a fallen soldier while Mal stood there silently, watching her. Her dress was covered in blood, her face hard and cold, except for the hint of sorrow peeking through. "I cut my hair with the dagger." She said, her voice odd and shaky. She looked down to her hands, to the loose strands of hair.
"I know darlin'." He said closing the gap between them, pulling her close. She stiffened for a moment, unprepared for the unusual gesture, and then sunk into it, letting herself have a moment of grief for the small piece of humanity she'd exchanged for the revenge of a friend. She took a sharp breath and they both stepped away, feeling the moment end, and being at peace with that. "Inara's down in the infirmary. She's awake now... been waiting and asking for you for some time now." He said.
River nodded and without another word she walked, eyes on the ground, still gliding on slender legs, feet bound up like tiny jewels, and she only looked up when she was standing before Inara. The companion looked at her through heavy lids, weighted not by the promise of sex, but with the aching exhaustion of near death. Her full lips formed a subtle oh movement, and her features laboriously shifted into an expression of surprise.
"Atherton's gone." River said simply, without being asked. "I made sure he would never come after you ever again." River looked down at the bandages covering Inara's slender abdomen. "He'll never hurt anyone ever again." River said through gritted teeth. She looked down, away, feeling shame for doing something Inara would never approve of, and even more so for feeling no remorse for Atherton's death.
"Mei Mei," She heard as Inara reached out, whispered and weak. "Don't cry mei mei. I forgive you." She said, causing River to turn to her at last and take her hand. "You risked your life mei mei." She said, her lips turning upwards in a tired smile. "You kept me safe. Thank you mei mei." She said, with a sigh of breath.
River heaved a shaky sigh and bent down kissing Inara's forehead. "You're ours Inara, Our companion in more than just title: our friend and family, and I'm yours. I'm your companion Inara; your kin."
"I know little River." She said giving the girl's hand a gentle squeeze. "And I love you too." She said, giving her one last look. "There's blood on your dress." She said as if just noticing it, though she'd seen it before.
"I'm sorry; I'll buy you a new one..." She said before Inara interrupted, her voice still soft from exhaustion.
"Nonsense," She said, taking her hand back and settling herself in the small bed. "You look beautiful: like a warrior and a companion, soft and strong." She added closing her eyes.
River bent down one last time, placing one last kiss on the companion's forehead before slipping to the door and shutting off the lights. She looked back in the darkness, listening to Inara's breathing slow and steady. "Just like you bao bai." She said softly, before slipping out the door. "Just like you."