Prompt: "Rose"
Characters: Saffron, Mal
Words:
200
Disclaimer: Joss is boss.
Rated: G
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"Did you know—"
"Bizui," said Mal, not looking up from where he was going over the blueprints one last time. They were a half hour from Balerephon and everything was ready, from the entrance codes to the huge, obnoxious floral bouquets resting against the console.
Saffron rolled her eyes petulantly. "I was just going to say—"
"Don't give a gorram what you were gonna say, bao bei. Hush now, please."
Saffron sighed and began fiddling with one of the floral arrangements, plucking a tall, green-stemmed rose from the hodgepodge of vibrant flowers. Mal, watching her warily from the corner of his eye, raised an eyebrow.
Knowing she had an audience now, Saffron began again. "In one Earth-That-Was myth—"
"You and your gorram myths," Mal muttered.
"—they said that if a girl had more than one lover, she ought to write their names on the petals of a fresh rose and then scatter them on the wind, and the one that touched the earth last would be her true love."
"Hmph," said Mal, unmoved. "Ain't enough petals in the 'Verse for your lovers."
Saffron sighed again, but tucked the rose into her jacket when Mal wasn't looking.