A Boy Named Sue
Disclaimer: I no own, you no sue. (snicker, snicker)
Summary: In which River manages to endear herself to Jayne upon their first meeting. A/U
"And this is my merc, Jayne Cobb," Mal finished, the big man in question grunted by way of greeting, arms folding across his chest.
C'mon, his thoughts whispered across her mind. I know sissy boy there must be dying to say something about it.
Simon wouldn't, but she had no such compunctions. River's lips twitched into a smile and she tilted her head. "Life must be hard for boy named Sue," she murmured.
"River," Simon snapped as a hush fell across the rest of the crew, waiting for the inevitable explosion, but the big man only chuckled a little. Mal looked like he might have a stroke.
"Is a good song," he said, his lips quirking.
"What?" Mal asked.
The pilot leaned into his wife and asked, "Did we enter an alternate reality where Jayne does not hurt, maim, or kill anybody who makes fun of his name when I wasn't looking? Maybe a black hole."
Kaylee tittered nervously.
"I apologize for my sister, she's a little-"
"Oh for the love of – it's a song, you know Johnny Cash, A Boy Named Sue?" Jayne growled. At the blank stares he received, he rolled his eyes. "Ingrates, every one of you," he muttered as he turned and stomped out of the cargo bay. "Welcome to Serenity," he tossed over his shoulder.
"Did he just call us stupid?" Mal huffed.
River smiled.