Pastures New

It's different when they're off the ship.

She doesn't have any knives and he doesn't curse (as much). Inside the ship, they're tense, all curled and ready to spring like a coil too compressed and too hot, ready to snap and gouge a face, an eye.

Greenleaf is hot and the wind swirls. The cows shuffle, even though the Captain promised there'd be no more cows, never again. They'd needed money, and the moonbrain was good with the cattle. She pats them kindly between the ears, singing soft words that aren't quite a song.

He sits nearby, keeping an eye on her. On the cows, Mal had said, but mostly on her. Jayne knew what she could do, and it wouldn't do to have her cutting up the stock before the buyer could take a look.

Jayne whips off his wide-brimmed hat and places it with a flourish on top of her head.

"You ain't no use with your moonbrain all fried up," he says, and that's the end of it.

She doesn't say anything, calms the cattle, smiles a bit like she does when they're off ship.

He talks mostly to himself, like he's trying to combat with her soothing voice for the cows. The buyer comes by and he nudges her bottom with his boot to shut her up as the man in the bolo tie saunters by. She smiles disarmingly up at him, and Jayne growls like a dog when the man curls his lip in disdain. Mal moves the buyer on down the line real quick.

When the cattle are gone, when they've been moved off in a great braying line for the homestead, River pats Jayne between the ears, kindly smiling in the way she does when she's off ship. Then she goes back to the ship, singing something that isn't quite a song.

On ship, it's tension and words not said, but in the pastures, he lets himself smile and just let her be.


AN: Hey folks! It's me again! This Valentine's Day, I have literally nothing to do, so I've decided to pick my 14 favorite pairings and write some sappy vignettes for them! Not all of them will be from one fandom, so if you're interested, check out my profile! First off, my tried-n-true ship, Jayne/River. Let me know how this short little piece went, and stay awesome!