Title: Something You Said
Author: Jmaria
Theme: Hearing
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Joss is Boss. River and Jayne are his.
Pairing: Jayne Cobb/River Tam
Words: 284
Summary: Say what?
Author's Notes: Post-Serenity, and set in the Gravity 'verse

Something You Said

He wasn't sure if he'd heard her right, so he asked her to repeat herself. Of course what he'd said mirrored what half of the crew had said - the exceptions of course being Zoe's children who only gurgled at them. She only laughed, a tinkling sound that always made him think he was goin' straight to the Special Hell for what he did with her.

By the looks of it, the crew reckoned he was headed there too. 'Specially the captain and the doc, both a who were glarin' holes in him. Kaylee laughed, clapped her hands happily and hugging on River. Zoe even smiled, and Inara just blinked.

"Say what?"
"Jayne's - I don't think I can hear it again."

"You know, this is - " Simon started to say again, until River chucked a roll at him.

"It is not what going mad feels like, you boob."

"River, honey, don't waste good food. Settin' a bad example for the little ones," Zoe said, trying harder not to smile as she took Hoban from River's arms.

"Well, it ain't like it's unexpected or nothin'. The two of 'em have been goin' at nearly as long as me an' Simon."

"Kaylee!" Simon sounded shocked that she would admit it.

"I can't know that."

"You two are the biggest prudes I ever met," Inara sighed.

"Honestly, they've been engaged longer than Simon and Kaylee, or me and Wash for that matter," Zoe let herself laugh.

"Married people have children, Simon. Jayne will be a good father." River smiled up at him. "He's very good at keeping things safe."

As for Jayne, he still couldn't believe his ears or the fact that River was pregnant.