Title: Safe
Series: Let it Flow
Author: Sevangel
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: PG-15
A/N: I'm just going to hit myself over the head with various objects, cause I can't believe I'm doing this to myself. Okay, now you're all probably wondering what I'm talking about. Scorchinghell posted a challenge thing, one being a Rayne take on the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds" (called it Our Mrs. Cobb). Now, this is a plot thingie I've thought about pretty much since I started shipping Rayne, hell I even wrote a little (never posted it) but never really went that into it. But now it's back and with a vengeance. It wants to be written and I think I'm going to have to obey. And that's why I'm going to hit myself over the head with various objects. I can't write drabbles or even one-shots; it is completely out of my range of abilities. So, if I give in, I'm going to have another WIP. Sigh. I'm going to have to write some though I'm not certain if I'll post it. Hell, I don't know what I'm going to do. Again, where the objects come in handy.
-
River walks silently through the ship, her pretty pink slippers muffling her footsteps. They were made with love and she can feel it warming her through her feet, a mother's love. She thinks her mother loved her but is sometimes unsure. Her mother was hard to read even for a genius. She guarded herself in a completely different way than River does. Mrs. Tam was always perfectly presentable, the perfect wife of a perfect businessman. Every word and every action was perfectly planned out and executed. She wasn't neglectful but also wasn't overly emotional; everything was perfectly balanced.
River guards herself differently. She didn't before but then again, she didn't think it was real. There was no point in distancing herself before because she didn't think it was real. Real, it's a word that sometimes confuses her. She knows what's around her, the crew and Serenity, are real. She knows that she is real. And she knows what she feels is real. But sometimes what everyone else is feeling pushes in on her until she can't tell the difference between what they said and what they feel, which most of the time are two different things. Jayne is the only one who doesn't bother her in this way; he feels what he thinks and thinks what he feels. There are no feelings hidden deep inside him begging to be let out. If he feels it then he expresses it. He is a comfort to her, like a warm blanket cocooning around her. She knows she has a darkness to her that will never fade away or even really lessen. It's as much a part of her as being a doctor is to Simon. Jayne is the same way only he is more in control of his dark side, he doesn't have to fight it. She finds it to be amazingly soothing.
She puts one pink foot on the step leading up into the bridge, tilting it to the side to study it. Such a small part of the body to have so many uses. They lead the way through life, one step at a time. With a twirl and a bit of music, they can turn a body into instrument of dance. And with the right pressure and aim, they can be weapons.
"River, you coming up here or not?" Zoe's voice echoes down.
River puts her foot back down and continues her journey onto the bridge. "Zoe, Hoban." River says politely.
"Whoa, who told you my name?" Wash asks. "Wifey, did you tell her?"
Zoe glances down at her husband and then at River. "No." Zoe answers. "I don't know how she knows."
"She just does." River replies. She cocks her head to the side to study the cuddling couple. Their masses shouldn't combine well but they do. "It's a honorable name; you shouldn't be ashamed by it."
"Thanks." Wash says.
"What're you doing up?" Zoe asks. "It's 3am."
"They've been here." River whispers, looking out at the black, wrapping around her hands over her bare arms. "Hungry and mad. So mad. They're full of rage."
"What?" Wash questions, looking at River with a confused expression.
"Reavers." Zoe says quietly.
Wash spins the chair around so fast that Zoe has to catch herself on the console. He pushes buttons quickly and expertly. "There's nothing out there." Wash concludes a few minutes later.
"Echoes." River explains. "Passed through looking for food and came up empty. They're not here now; they've long since passed. But the echo is still there and it washes over her skin like dirty water."
"When's the last time you slept?" Zoe asks.
River sighs heavily. "It wasn't very long ago." River replies. "Only a few days."
"Gorramit, River, you can't keep doing this." Zoe scolds. "You have any idea how mad Mal and Jayne are gonna be when they find out? And if I recall correctly, didn't Mal ask you yesterday if you slept and didn't you say yes?"
"Yes." River replies. "But he didn't specify when so she technically didn't lie."
"That's going to go over well." Wash comments.
Zoe stands up and walks over to River. "Come on." Zoe orders.
River waves goodbye to Wash and then follows Zoe out of the bridge. The first mate stops at a bunk door and knocks a few times.
The hatch opens after a few minutes to reveal a tired, grumpy looking man.
"What?" Jayne growls. "We bein' attacked?" He glances behind Zoe and sees River standing quietly, her white gown flowing down her body and her feet covered in her pink slippers.
Jayne slips back into his bunk only to come up the ladder a few seconds later, a t-shirt and a loose pair of shorts covering his body.
"You have a nightmare or somethin'?" Jayne questions River. She looks down at her hands, refusing to answer.
"Bit hard for her to have a nightmare when she ain't been sleeping." Zoe answers.
Jayne tenses and reaches down to tilt her face up to his. "You ain't been sleepin' again?" Jayne growls.
River nods.
"Gorramit, you ruttin' told Mal you was." Jayne replies. "Why didn't you say somethin'?"
"She doesn't want to be a burden." River whispers.
Jayne sighs, his thumb unconsciously rubbing her chin. "Come on." Jayne orders. "We'll go down to your room. Night Zoe."
"Night." Zoe says back.
Jayne rests his hand on the small of her back, fascinated by her size. His hand spans the small area and he knows he could span her waist with both hands. She looks so ruttin' small next to him and it makes him feel all protective.
"What are you thinking?" River questions, looking up at him.
"Bout how gorram small you are." Jayne answers, steering her into her room. She lies down on her side next to the wall, leaving him a large space to lie down on.
Jayne kicks his boot off and sets the gun he grabbed on the table next to the bed before lying down next to her. She curls into his side, her head resting on his chest. "Not that delicate." River whispers.
"I know that." Jayne replies. "Still don't change the fact that you're all kinds of small. Makes a man feel protective."
"She doesn't need protected but would appreciate it all the same." River says. "She feels safe with you."
Jayne wraps an arm around her waist and turns over to bury his face in her hair. She puts a leg over his hips, her slippered foot resting on the back of his thighs.
-
River cuddles further into the warmth around her, her mind awakening slowly. She feels safe and warm, her mind drowsy in a way it hasn't been since she was little. Normally when she awakens, it's because there's too much noise floating around. The downfall of being mostly 'sane' is that she can't escape inside of her own mind anymore. She can't hide from the noise, the thoughts, but she can push them out. But there's no noise, only the slight humming of Jayne's thoughts. She opens her eyes to see Jayne propped up by one arm, his other hand tracing down her face.
"Morning." River whispers.
"Mornin'." Jayne rumbles. "Sleep okay?"
"Very well." River answers, rubbing her face against the palm of his hand.
Jayne's fascinated by River's skin against his. She's so pale next to his sun-roughed skin. And he just can't get over how ruttin' small she is compared to him. His hand could cover her face, if'n he wanted to. He feels her face rub against his palm and can't help the tightening in his shorts as her lips rub against him. He slides his hand down her face and cups her chin, tilting her face up to his.
"Jayne?" River questions.
Jayne was prepared to move away without doin' nothin', or at least he was before she said his name. He ain't ever had anybody say his name like she does; all breathless and so full of gorram trust he can almost taste it. Why she trusts him, he don't know but even he isn't dumb enough to screw it up. He was just plannin' on touchin' her face fore he left but then she went and said his name in that special way of hers right before her tongue snaked out to wet her lips. It weren't somethin' she was doin' on purpose and at the sight of her tongue he finally gives in to what he's been wantin' to do for a while.
His hand still cupping her face, his thumb rubbing her chin, he leans down and does somethin' he ain't done in a good, long while. He kisses her on the mouth. Her lips are soft against his, her breath amazing sweet for just havin' woke up. He absorbs the feelin' of kissin' again and it takes a moment before he realizes she went stiff at his action. To realize she ain't kissin' back, in fact she ain't doin' nothin'. He goes to pull back, thinkin' he might have pushed her too hard, when her tongue sneaks slowly out and touches his lips, all shy-like. Then he realizes she went all stiff cause she didn't know what to do, not cause she didn't want to.
"You ever kiss somebody?" Jayne asks, pulling away slightly.
"She's doing it wrong, isn't she?" River whispers. "She's sorry."
"Ain't no call to be sorry." Jayne replies. "Just means I get to teach you how."
"She is a very good student." River says. "She would enjoy having you teach her."
Jayne chuckles before pressing his mouth back against hers. Not wanting to startle her, he gently probes her lips with the tip of his tongue. "Gotta open em, little darlin'." Jayne whispers against her mouth. "Can't teach you if you don't let me in."
Her eyes wide, looking into his, she opens her mouth to allow his tongue in.
Jayne continues to rub at her chin, finding it soothing. His tongue slips into her mouth and he rubs it against hers, smirking against her mouth when she gasps. His tongue plays with hers, coaxing it to play back. She tentatively rubs her tongue against his and then moves it out of her mouth to lick at his lips. With a growl, Jayne sucks her tongue into his mouth and milks it. A mewl passes from her mouth into his as she arches against him.
The kissing goes from a light, first kiss into the mating of two mouths in a matter of seconds. Jayne's hand moves off her chin to cup the back of her head, tilting it to the side so he can deepen the kiss. River's hands scrape at his shoulders, trying to find purchase.
Jayne reaches his hand out to grab River's pillow and puts it over his own before flipping onto his back, pulling River on top of him. She straddles his hips, her chest flush with his as they continue to eat at each other's mouths. He don't know how it happened; how it went from a simple kiss to the groping session they're havin' but he ain't about to argue. His hands slide down her back, his hands kneading at her muscles before he gives in and slides them around to cup her breasts.
River feels completely overwhelmed and stops trying to process and analyze what Jayne is doing and just feels it. His mouth is warm and safe and tastes good against hers. His hands make her feel more than warm, almost hot, like she's going to boil out of her skin. She breaks the kiss, panting heavily, her forehead resting against his. "It's different." River moans, arching into his hands.
Jayne tests the weight of her breasts and finds them to be the perfect size for his hands. "What's different?" He rubs his thumbs over her nipples and groans when she grinds her body down on his.
"You hands feel different." River answers. "Feels better. She likes your hands touching her better than her own."
Jayne groans again, a visual of her playin' with her tits flashin' through his mind. "You play with yourself?" Jayne growls, his hands squeezing her breasts.
"Ohh…yesss…" River hisses, pushing hard against his hands. "You affect her and she has to cure the hunger."
"Hunger?" Jayne growls.
"Blood lust." River moans. She can feel his cock behind her and she tilts her hips up and back, grinding her now aching crotch against his steel-hard cock. "It flows through your veins and she feels it, violence and death and blood. It makes her throb." She grinds down against him again, presses against his hands, and drops her mouth onto his. "You make me ache."
"Jesus." Jayne growls, his hands squeezing her breasts as he bucks up against her. She's like a wild thing on top of him; grinding and pushing against him desperately. A man used to buyin' his time with women, he ain't used to the raw desire practically pouring off her. Sure, he knows what he's doin' between the sheets and always leaves em satisified, but it's still just a job to em. But with River it ain't about nothin' but what she wants and it don't take a genius to see that she wants him.
River's body is on fire and she can feel the familiar tightening, knows it won't take much more to push her over the edge. "Jayne." She whines, knowing he'll understand.
"I know." Jayne growls. She's bout to cum; he can see it in her eyes, the quick little pants she gives, the erratic way she grinds against him. He sits up and grabs her hips, his mouth slamming against hers. Bending his knees, he pulls her tight against him, his cock pushing against her cunt. He uses his hands to rotate her body against his, his mouth swallowing her moans and whimpers.
"Oh my God." Kaylee screeches. "I'm sorry."
Jayne hands stop moving her and he starts to break the kiss when she bites his lower lip and slams her body against his.
Jayne swallows his name as she screams it into his mouth. Her body stiffens and then writhes on top of him while she orgasms, whimpering and moaning against his lips.
River falls forward against Jayne, her body trembling in the aftermaths of her orgasm. She's experienced them before but they were never like this. Normally, it is just small shots of pleasure, enough to clear her mind but never really cure the hunger. But she feels sated now and would like nothing more than to curl up on top of Jayne and never leave.
"You okay?" Jayne questions when River doesn't say anything for a few moments.
"Yes." River answers, looking up at him. "Does it feel better because it was not my own fingers?"
Jayne closes his eyes, his body hardening more, something he didn't think were possible. "You always this honest?" Jayne asks.
"Yes." River answers. She uses her small hands to tilt his face up to hers. "You did not answer the question."
"Course it feels different." Jayne answers. "Always feels different when it ain't your own hands. But better, hell, an orgasm is just the same as the last one, in my experience."
"It was better." River says. "Everything hummed and stars burst. I liked it very much and would like doing it again. Only next time, I would like you to touch my skin."
Jayne groans again and sets her to the side before standing up.
"You're leaving?" River asks quietly.
"Have to." Jayne grunts. "I'm bout a second away from takin' you and I know little Kaylee is still standin' outside."
River sits up on her knees and looks at him intently. "But you are still aroused." River points out.
Jayne laughs. "Yeah, I ain't bout to forget." Jayne replies. "But it's somethin' I can take care of myself."
"I want to help." River says eagerly, her hand reaching out to cup his throbbing cock.
Jayne closes his eyes and allows her to fondle him for a few moments before pulling away. "You're a little hellcat, you know that?" Jayne growls. "And I'm gonna enjoy sexin' you up but not with an audience standin' outside, dong ma?"
"I understand." River replies. "But I don't want to. You might be too big to fit inside of me but I wish to find out for certain."
Jayne closes his eyes again, completely unused to a woman bein' so honest bout what she wants. He pulls her against him for a brief but deep kiss before walking away, his body strung tighter than a bow. In the back of his mind, he registers how she talked bout herself in first person but his arousal keeps him from focusing on it. He grunts at Kaylee when he passes her, intent on reaching his room to get rid of the rock-hard erection he's currently sporting.
-
Kaylee waits until Jayne's bulky form is out of sight before running into River's room and jumping onto her bed with excited squeal. "You and Jayne with the kissin'." Kaylee squeals happily. "And from where I was standin' looked to be a bit more."
"She had an orgasm." River replies, grinning back at Kaylee.
Kaylee mouth drop opens. "But your clothes was still on." Kaylee gasps.
"Yes." River agrees. "Next time she would like them off."
Kaylee giggles. "So it was still good even if he couldn't touch skin?"
"Uh huh." River nods. "It was very wonderful. But she fears Jayne is too big to fit inside of her."
"Aw, don't worry bout that." Kaylee assures her. "Everythin' stretches just fine."
"Does it hurt?" River questions.
"At first." Kaylee answers. "Bit of tearin' and stuff but you adjust."
"You enjoy sex." River comments. "But not for the pleasure but because you enjoy being near someone; feeling their heart beat against yours. You just enjoy people."
"Yeah." Kaylee agrees. "I've always liked people and hearin' their stories and adventures."
"You're seeking love." River says. She tilts her head and studies Kaylee for a moment. "But you can stop looking; you've already found it."
"Oh, River, I ain't, I never said I was in love with Simon." Kaylee stutters.
"You don't have to." River replies. "It shows on your skin."
Kaylee looks down at her hands. "You ain't gonna tell him, right?" Kaylee whispers. "I don't want him to feel all pressured."
"She won't tell." River assures her. "But you should tell him. He feels the same way."
Kaylee looks up at River, her eyes hopeful. "How do you know that?"
River just arches an eyebrow.
"Oh." Kaylee mutters, a smile floating across her face. "Life is shiny, ain't it? I got Simon and you got Jayne, Zoe gots Wash. Now all we gotta do is help the Nara get the cap'n."
"We could lock them in a closet together." River suggests with a smile.
Kaylee giggles again. "Cap'n would kick both our asses if'n we do that." Kaylee says.
"She would stop him." River assures Kaylee and then gives in and starts giggling with the mechanic. Within a few seconds, both girls are sprawled across River's bed, their bodies raked with giggles. River grabs a pillow and hits Kaylee softly over the head with it.
"Wanna have a pillow fight, do you?" Kaylee says, reaching behind River to grab the other pillow. She hits River back and then laughs when River hits her in the belly with her pillow. The pillow fight heats up, both girls hitting each other when ever they can.
"What the gorram hell is goin' on?" Mal bellows from the doorway.
Two pillows hit him in the face.
Kaylee looks at the pissed off look on the captain's face and then glances over at River. The genius glances back and both girls start giggling.
"Little Kaylee, don't you got a job to do?" Mal growls. "Thought we done talked bout play time interferin' with work time."
"I was just seein' if River wanted to help me." Kaylee replies. "Then we got to talkin' and I lost track of time."
"Talkin' bout what?" Mal questions. "You know what? Never mind. Most likely it's bout Jayne or Simon and I really don't wanna know. Just get to work. That engine ain't gonna tune itself." He leaves without another word and misses the two tongues that stick out at his back.
"Well, come on, lazy bones." Kaylee says, smacking River on the leg. "That engine ain't gonna tune itself."
River takes her slippers off and places them gently on the nightstand, right next to the gun that Jayne left in her room. Her hand floats over the gun and she jerks it back before it touches the cold metal. She grabs some clean panties and a dress and runs into the bathroom to change. After relieving herself, she gets changed and brushes her teeth. Then using a pair of decorative chopsticks that Inara gave her, she puts her hair up.
"You gotta put your boots on." Kaylee says. "Engine room ain't the safest place to run around without shoes on."
River looks around her room trying to locate the erstwhile boots. She hasn't worn them since their visit to the postal station a few days ago.
"Think I see em under the bed." Kaylee says.
River bends over and pokes her head under her bed. One hand reaches in and grabs the boots. "She doesn't like boots." River complains, plopping down on the bed to pull the boots on. "She likes her slippers better but doesn't want them to get dirty."
"Yeah, I don't like shoes either." Kaylee agrees. "Guess it's the price you pay to live on a ship."
Kaylee grabs River's hand and drags her down to the engine room.
"You don't have to help, if you don't want to." Kaylee says as she starts digging through a toolbox. "I just wanted the company."
"She would like to help." River replies. "She wants to understand why you love the engine so much."
"Shiny." Kaylee says happily. "Let's get to work."
-
"And Jayne'll take out anybody who gets any harmful thoughts on us." Mal finishes. "Don't right know these folks so we best be ready for anything."
"Where's the part where somebody gets shot and I have to perform an emergency surgery while Wash is trying to out run whatever ship is trying to catch us?" Simon questions, taking a sip of tea.
"That ain't part of the plan." Mal glares.
"Hmm." Simon replies. "It probably should be since we all know it is the only thing that will happen as planned."
"I beginning to wonder if'n you ain't been on this ship too long." Mal says. "Seems to me we're rubbin' off and ruinin' that 'coreness' of yours."
"He's got a point." Wash comments. "Most likely, somebody will end up shot…"
"Most likely Mal." Simon cuts in.
"Most likely." Wash agrees. "Then you will all have to run back to the ship right about the time that either some feds or some reavers turn up. I'll end up flying us to safety while Simon fixes Mal."
Mal glares at Wash.
"Why are you glaring at me?" Wash asks. "It's your plan."
"Husband, don't mock the captain." Zoe scolds. "He doesn't always get shot."
"Sometimes he gets stabbed." Inara adds.
"Ain't you guys just the funniest gorram group." Mal says sarcastically. "And I'll have you know I ain't the only one gettin' shot."
"Just seems to happen to you a lot." "Book comments. "Must be your shiny and open personality."
"What is this, pick on your captain day?" Mal growls.
"We're pickin' on the cap?" Jayne asks as he walks into the mess. He pours a cup of coffee and piles some of the scrambled egg mixture onto a plate.
"Not if we don't wanna be cleaning out the bay." Mal replies. "Been a good long while since it's been scrubbed down."
Simon goes back to his tea and Wash finishes his breakfast.
"You still got it." Zoe comments to Mal.
"Yep." Mal agrees. "Nothin' like havin' to clean to make men behave."
"River, I'm so sorry." Kaylee's voice echoes into the mess a few minutes later. "This is all my fault."
"It's not your fault." River says back.
"Yeah it is." Kaylee replies. "Where's Simon?"
"Mess." River answers.
"What's goin' on?" Jayne mutters.
"Simon, you in here?" Kaylee says as she runs into the mess. "There you are. You gotta get to the infirmary."
"Why?" Simon asks.
"River." Kaylee answers.
"What happened?" Jayne growls, standing up.
River comes into the room, stumbling down the steps a little on her way. "She's bleeding." River whispers. She takes her hands off her stomach and holds them out, her palms stained red with her blood.
"Wo de tien ah." Wash mutters.
"What the gorram hell happened?" Jayne yells.
"I need to get her to the infirmary." Simon says.
Jayne picks River up, being careful not to jostle her wound, and carries her out of the mess.
"She could walk." River whispers. Jayne glares down at her.
"I wanna know what happened?" Mal growls.
"Belt slipped off." Kaylee answers. "River jumped back but it still nipped her in the stomach."
"This somethin' we need to keep the boat runnin?" Mal asks.
"Yeah." Kaylee answers. "We're gonna have to shut her down till I can get the belt back on. And I'm gonna need help gettin' it on."
"Wash, go turn her off." Mal orders. "Book, you help Kaylee get the belt back on."
"What bout River?" Kaylee whispers.
"Doc'll see to her." Mal assures her. "You just go little Kaylee."
Kaylee looks back at Mal with wide, worried eyes before following Book away from the infirmary.
Mal glances at Zoe and the two walk into the infirmary where River is lying on the bed, Simon on one side and Jayne on the other. "How bad is it, doc?"
"Not that bad." Simon declares. "It's going to need some weaves." He turns back to the counter and grabs a needle, intent on sedating his sister.
"No." River says, flinching back from the needle. "She doesn't want drugs."
"Mei-mei." Simon says calmly.
"No." River restates. "She doesn't want them."
"It's going to hurt." Simon tells her.
"She can handle pain." River replies. "Just do it." She reaches out and grabs Jayne's hand, squeezing it tightly in hers.
Simon sighs but puts the needle down. He cuts away the fabric covering her stomach and uses a cloth to gently clean the blood from her skin. She whimpers when he puts the first weave in, tears running down her face.
"Numb it." Jayne orders.
"Jayne." River whispers.
"Just a pain reliever." Jayne replies. "Somethin' that'll stop ya from feelin' it."
"But she doesn't want to go to sleep." River whispers.
"I won't let him knock you out." Jayne assures her. "Just keep you from feelin' some of the pain."
River sees the determined look in Jayne's eyes and knows he's not going to give up until she agrees. She turns and looks at her brother. "Just for pain." River orders. "No sedatives and no smoothers."
Simon turns around, digs through his medicine, and then turns back to his sister with a needle in his hand. He injects her in the stomach, near the cut, before disposing the needle. He then returns to putting the weaves in, his movements precise and quick.
Jayne grits his teeth as he watches the doc sew up River. The cut is bout as long as his hand though it ain't that deep. There won't be a scar. Usually blood don't bother him in the least, fact he don't mind makin' a man bleed, but the memory of her holdin' her hands up, all covered in blood, makes his stomach hurt.
Simon finishes putting the weaves in his sister and once he finishes, he starts to clean his equipment, his hands completely steady despite how hard his heart is pounding. He turns back around to find two men looking at him anxiously; one with a father's worry and the other with what can only be described as a lover's worry. "She's going to be fine." Simon assures them. "She'll heal in a week or so. I just need to wrap her wound and she can go."
"Zoe and Nara can get that." Mal says. "I need you to go assure my mechanic that she's gonna be fine and that it ain't her fault. Cause as well as I know Kaylee, I know she's blamin' herself and thinkin' River's on her deathbed."
"It wasn't Kaylee's fault." River says. "It just happened."
"I know that." Mal replies. "But makin' Kaylee see that is gonna be a whole nother issue."
"Are you sure you don't want something stronger?" Simon questions.
"Yes." River replies. "Go tell Kaylee it wasn't her fault. You will have to comfort her; she enjoys it when you kiss her."
"Mei-mei." Simon screeches.
"It's the truth." River replies. "She doesn't lie."
"Brat." Simon mutters, bending down to kiss her forehead. He checks her wound one last time before leaving the infirmary.
Inara and Zoe move in silence, Zoe taking the bandages from Inara and then covering River's wound.
"Alright, little witch." Mal says, leaning against the counter. "While we're on the subject of lyin', why don't we talk bout that whopper you told me?"
"She didn't lie." River replies as she sits up.
"The gorram hell you didn't." Mal argues. "I recall askin' you point blank if'n you slept and I recall you sayin' yes. If that ain't a lie, I don't know what is."
"She didn't lie." River repeats. "You have had sex, correct?"
"What?" Mal bellows. "What the gorram hell does that have to do with anything?"
"Just answer." River replies.
"Yeah." Mal replies.
"So, just because you said yes, can one assume you mean you had sexual intercourse last night?" River says.
"No, course I didn't." Mal replies, completely confused.
"But you said yes." River points out. "If she can't assume you meant last night why can you? You didn't specify a time frame so why should she?"
Mal glares at her.
"Wash was right." River mutters.
"Right about what?" Wash questions as he walks into the infirmary.
"Her sleeping explanation didn't go over well." River replies. "Just like Zoe was right about captain daddy and Jayne being mad that she didn't say anything."
"Zoe usually is right." Mal agrees. "Next time you can't sleep, I want you tellin' me or Jayne, dong ma? And not a few days later but that same night. I may not be a doctor but even I know a person needs to sleep every night."
"Very well." River agrees. She hops off the bed and walks over to the sink to rinse the blood off her hands. She stares at the water, mesmerized by how it blends with her hands to run pink down the sink.
"Whatcha starin' at?" Jayne asks, moving up behind her.
River tilts her head back to look at him, unconsciously leaning back against his body. Jayne in turn, grips her hips in his hands as he looks down over her shoulder.
"It's pink." River replies. "It's blue inside, comes out red, and washes down pink."
"Its just blood." Jayne says.
"I know." River agrees quietly. "Like it better on the inside than the outside. Doesn't seem right; like I'll just fade away."
"You ain't goin' nowhere but your room to clean up." Jayne growls. "Then, if'n you want, we can watch somethin' on the cortex."
"Okay." River agrees. She reaches down and grabs his hand. "You will come too. You left Susie behind."
"A'right." Jayne agrees, letting her pull him out of the room.
"Is it just me or did they seem comfortable with each other on a level they didn't a few days ago?" Wash questions.
"Not just you." Mal replies. Now, he knew what River was wantin' to do with the merc but knowin' and seein' are two very different things.
"They haven't had sex yet." Inara comments. "Although they have had physical contact."
"How do you know that?" Mal asks.
"Body language." Inara answers. "While River was completely comfortable leaning back against him, he was careful to keep her from touching him intimately. That suggests that she's comfortable with him touching her body but he's not completely comfortable with her feeling his. Most likely, he's afraid he won't be able to control his urges."
"I thought she doesn't want him to." Wash comments.
"I know." Inara says with a small smile. "And that's what proves his feelings for her aren't completely sexual. If he just wanted to get 'trim' he wouldn't care about control. No, he wants her for more than sex."
"And the way he reacted to her being in pain just proves it all the more." Zoe adds.
"Huh?" Mal grunts, confused by why he isn't able to see what they do unless they point it out.
"Didn't you see the look on his face?" Zoe questions. "The way he insisted Simon numb her? He didn't like seeing her in pain and was willing to make her let Simon dope her."
"Luckily, he was able to talk her into it." Inara finishes. "But if he hadn't been able to, I think he would have forced Simon to give it to her."
"Yep." Zoe agrees. "He's starting to care more about her than I guessing he's ever cared about a woman. Should be interesting."
"No." Wash says. "Should be violent. Cause we all know how Jayne can be and the first time she's in danger or the first time some dumbass hits on her…"
"We're gonna see that darkness River's so fond of." Mal finishes. "And I got the feelin' we ain't gonna enjoy it the way she does."
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