Chapter 4- Bothered
Summary:
River bonds with Wash and Mal doesn't like it
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"You know," Wash began from his place reclined comfortably in the pilot's seat. "You can come up here other than when everyone's on jobs."
River looked at him with a smile. She returned her eyes to the sky, running her hand along the floor with a sigh.
"I don't mind it. Sometimes it gets lonely up here. Boring too," he continued.
She readjusted on the crates she was using as a temporary bed, ignoring the rambling.
"Is Zoe still okay?" he asked.
"The same as the last seven times you've asked."
"Well I'm sorry! I worry when she's on jobs and when you've got an all access pass to what's goin' on…hey, do you think that you might be able to see what she'd like for our anniversary?"
She smirked at him and then looked back up.
"What are you doin' down there anyhow?"
"Determining the velocity of the wind based on cloud patterns and the rate at which they're passing our ship."
"Ah. I do that…all the time…"
She giggled and gracefully wandered over to the controls with the plastic dinosaur in hand. She held it up.
"Brontosaurus, actual term is Apatosaurus. Brontosaurus, obsolete synonym. Lived during the Jurassic period. One of the largest land animals that ever existed with an average length of twenty-three meters or seventy-five feet and a mass of at least twenty-three metric tons. The term 'Apatosaurus' means deceptive lizard."
"I'm impressed," Wash grinned.
She smiled and set it down.
"You know, you're the only person that has never questioned my love of dinosaurs."
"No need."
"Right, reader. Duh."
She laughed. Mal had just walked onto the bridge, observing the latter part their little conversation.
"The job is done," he announced. They both looked up at him.
"How'd it go?" Wash asked.
"Good. We've been invited to a party tonight. I said we'd go."
"Nice. A party. Maybe you can actually leave the ship!" Wash exclaimed. River smiled.
"Simon should let me. Kaylee will make him," she smirked.
"Everyone has always said that men rule the 'verse, but I gotta say that any man with a woman has never ruled anything without checkin' with their ladies first…" Wash sighed.
River laughed again. "Bye blonde. Captain," she acknowledged Mal briefly and then breezily passed by him.
"Blonde?" Mal asked.
"Yeah, she calls me that. I don't mind it."
Zoe walked in behind Mal, giving Wash a quick kiss.
"Mind if I get some alone time with my husband, Sir?" Zoe asked.
He shook his head no and left them alone. He couldn't believe it. The crazy girl liked Wash more than him. She even had a pet name for him when she said that he was only semi-cuddly. Semi. Not once, but twice. The gorram girl didn't like him. He hated to admit it, but it cut deep.
He stormed into the kitchen cursing under his breath. Shepherd looked up at him.
"What seems to be troubling you this time?"
Mal glared at him.
"It helps to talk it out, you know…" he continued.
He grunted and folded his arms. "She don't like me."
"Who doesn't like you?"
"I don't even know why I'm so bothered by it. It ain't like I'm lookin' for her approval or nothin'."
"Everyone wants to be liked, Mal. I'm sure that she likes you just fine."
"I'm not so sure."
"Why don't you talk to her about it or try to get on her good side? Do something nice for her."
Mal outwardly scoffed, but inside the wheels were turning. Maybe he could get back on her good side. He didn't know what he ever did to get on her bad side in the first place, but he'd figure something out.
He walked out of the room slightly confused at why he was taking it so damn personally.
****
It was a typical party. Food, music, dancing. Nothing special. Everyone on Serenity went. Jayne found himself a few whores and a bottle of liquor. Shepherd found himself another preacher to talk to. The rest of the group sat together around a fire.
"See this?" Wash asked as he pointed to his foot. Zoe looked down.
"It's your foot."
"What's it doing?"
"Tapping."
"Do you know what that means?"
She gave him a typical Zoe look.
"It means I have to dance! Come on."
He grabbed her hand and yanked her out towards the mass of dancing folk.
"Kaylee, would you…um…" Simon gestured towards the dancing.
"We're together now, honey. You can stop the awkward thing. Let's go."
He smiled sheepishly at her and they joined everyone else. Mal was left with Inara and River.
"This is quite the extravaganza, isn't it?" Inara inquired.
"Yeah, sure is…" he nodded.
River picked up a stick and started poking the fire. "Flames…" she muttered. "Dancing to the music."
"Are they?" Mal smirked. She smiled at him.
"Yes. In perfect time with the music."
"Really?"
"One…two…three and four and…one…two…three and four and…" River whispered with the tune. "Perfect time," she repeated with her eyes watching the orange and yellow embers sparkle.
Inara sat on the other side of Mal growing steadily more bored by the minute. She only went because she thought Mal would ask her to dance. He still hadn't, but she held out hope.
River looked up towards the musicians. "I know this dance," she commented. "But it requires two."
"Hey, I got nothin' to do. If you wanna put up with me," Mal joked. Maybe this could be his shot to redeem whatever it was he did.
River smiled at him with the fireflies fluttering around in her chest. "Try to keep up, Captain."
Inara watched in amazement as he followed her onto the makeshift dance floor.
"It goes like this. One, two, three. One, two, three. Left, left, together and back. Right, right, together and forward…" River explained over the loud music. He watched her footwork and copied it. He caught on after a few beats.
She was smiling and didn't seem to mind dancing with him. He smiled too, hoping that he had gotten back into her good graces. She looked at him strangely after that thought.
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you didn't like me."
"How do you quantify that?"
"Well…" he shrugged uncomfortably.
"I like you, Captain."
Somehow he felt a lot better.
Zoe and Wash sat with Inara. "Where's Mal?" Wash asked. Inara pointed at the crowd.
"Shenme yuzhou shi woren hou zai?" he muttered in disbelief.
"I know…" Inara agreed.
They watched them dance. Mal tripped. River laughed and shook her head, showing him the steps again.
"They make a cute couple," Wash commented. Inara's mouth dropped. Zoe smacked him.
"Ouch. I'm just saying!" he cried as he rubbed his arm tenderly. "What's wrong with saying they make a cute couple?" Zoe motioned towards Inara. "Right, my bad…"
They continued to spy on them. They were laughing and trying the steps again.
"They are sweet together, aren't they?" Inara asked with a sigh.
"They kinda are," Zoe agreed cautiously.
Mal and River were on their third dance. He couldn't quite figure it out.
"Are you going to dance all night, Captain?" she inquired.
"I figure if I leave some townie is gonna take you for a spin and your brother won't be too happy with me."
"One more dance then."
"One more," he agreed.
The song ended and they walked over to Inara, Wash, and Zoe. Simon and Kaylee were missing in action, like they usually were.
"Foot's tapping," River grinned. Wash looked down at his foot.
"It is."
"It means you have to dance."
"Can I?" Wash asked Zoe.
"Yes dear. Have fun."
"I don't dance as much as sway and move around aimlessly in little circles…" Wash told River as they walked away.
"Did you have a good time, Sir?" Zoe asked.
"It was just dancin'…" he said distractedly. He was watching River and Wash attempt to dance.
"It looks like fun," Inara hinted.
"Yeah it is. I'm gonna go get some wine. Anyone want any?"
They shook their heads no. Inara rolled her eyes as he walked away. Zoe gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She knew how clueless Mal could be sometimes.
"It isn't as cute as when she was with Mal," Inara commented as she followed them with her eyes.
"That's because she's with my husband."
They laughed.
****
River couldn't figure it out. She liked the blonde, but she didn't get the same feeling she did when she danced with the captain.
Mal watched from afar, guzzling down an entire cup of wine. He didn't understand why it bothered him that she was dancing with Wash. He just knew that it shouldn't, but it did.
(Shenme yuzhou shi woren hou zai- what universe are we living in?)
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