Series Title - Roses
Episode - 3/20 (possibly) - Dress...
Rating - PG
Type - Mostly Marsmallow fluff/silliness
Pairing - Pre River and Jayne
Word count - 2733
Disclaimer - Not mine, not paid, please don't sue.
Warnings - None needed that I can see
Spoilers - None
I won't remember what dress you wore
"How come you weren't with Zoë?" asked Mal, watching Simon fiddling about with River's nose.
"I, ow!" River swiped at Simon's hand, "Waid a minide."
Simon stood there, hands held up, cotton wool at the ready.
"This needs to be done mei mei."
"Yed, just led me answer the question. The Capdain's foundations have slipped. Needs to assess da damage."
Simon didn't seem to get that, but it twisted Mal's gut. Zoë didn't walk away from a job that needed to be done, however small or un-important it seemed. Zoë was Mal's rock, Zoë was Mal's rock from the moment he met her. He'd expected that to change after he woke up from surgery in an Alliance medical bay short of the man that kept Zoë's own foundations steady.
But it didn't. Zoë didn't list and she didn't fall down. She picked up the slack, she watched his back and she never gave him so much as a look that he could interpret as blame, anger, or even grief.
She drank a bit more when the engine hooch made the rounds, but she didn't get drunk.
She spent more time in her bunk.
She talked business and not much else.
She came onto the bridge when she needed to, dealt with business and left.
She always did the job, except today.
"Da Gun shop has been daken over by da Plummer family."
"Plummer? You mean as in Rick Plummer?" asked Mal, confused "But he's from Salisbury."
"His farder did well wid da ranch," River shrugged, "Said Rick was bedder with guns dan cows."
"Huh!" Mal's brain and body just stalled, they hadn't seen Rick in three years, just hadn't been out that way. The last time had been on Greenleaf in some bar, cashy money from a good job in their pockets, all of them drinking. Rick flirting with Wash and Kaylee in turns, Mal pretending to be offended because Rick didn't fancy him, Jayne disappearing with some whore who smelled of onions and Zoë laughing, letting Wash hide behind her his finger pointing over her shoulder at Rick, joking that he feared for his virtue and begging Zoë to protect him from the nasty man.
Then they'd got a lot drunker, Wash had thrown up and next thing Mal could remember was waking up in his bed one boot off and one boot on.
Zoë had seen Rick and now she was sitting in Book's old room and River was telling him to leave her alone. This could not be good.
River slid her hand over his.
"The trumpet sounded and the walls came tumbling down," she said sadly.
Mal knew the bible better than he might admit, he wasn't sure he was man enough to face the remains of Jericho.
8888
Zoë emerged from Books old room in time for the meet with the customer with a rock hard "Don't want to talk about it," expression stamped across her face.
Mal thought about letting it go for the sake of his own comfort and physical health but decided that this was a moment where a Captain had to be a Captain.
He made sure that everyone had plenty to keep them busy, other than River who had enough to do being injured. He made a pot of coffee, squared his shoulders, pushed the fear of what he might be facing away and tracked Zoë down, requesting her company in a way that made it clear that the words might be asking, but the Captain was telling.
The ice in Zoë's eyes as she stalked past him and led the way to the galley turned his belly cold.
Somehow, coffee didn't seem appropriate when they got there, it didn't seem right to ask her to sit either. Mal hooked his fingers in his waistband and settled into his Captain stance.
"You wanna tell me why you left little 'Tross alone in the middle of a strange town?"
"No sir." Snow should have fallen out of the air from the chill in Zoë's voice.
"Damn sure I don't have to explain to you that it was a dumb thing to do." Mal watched every muscle in Zoë's body lock up. He waited for something, maybe a broken nose to match River's.
"No sir, won't happen again."
"Good to know," Mal waited, giving Zoë a silence to fill, hoping she'd do it, praying she wouldn't. She didn't. The not even words because he had no idea what they would be stuck in his throat, he was convinced in that moment that he should leave this the hell alone.
"Is that all, sir?" she asked after a good thirty seconds of eye contact, the last syllable so, completely frozen Mal was sure it plummeted to the floor and shattered.
"If it ain't gonna happen again, then I guess it is." Mal locked the door on his conscience that was yelling at him for being a selfish cowardly huan dan. "Go and help Jayne stow the cargo." He turned away and jumped out of his skin when he found Jayne at his shoulder.
"Done it already," Jayne announced, eyes narrow, flicking from Mal to Zoë and back.
"Well ain't you a model of efficiency," snarked Mal, "shame you can't walk through a door without causing serious injury."
"Gorramn it Mal, I tol' ya it was an accident, the girl dun told ya it was an accident. Why ya still pissed at me?"
" Cos' Hell ain't frozen over yet. Reckon I can find something to keep you and Zoë busy for a while. The septic vac needs emptying."
"Uh Mal," said Jayne looking over Mal's shoulder, "If ya talkin' ta Zoë, might be worth mentioning she ain't there no more."
Mal spun round.
"Gorramn if ain't got two witches on this ship." He scowled at the empty patch of air where he'd expected to find Zoë.
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"Hey girl, hold up I wanna talk ta ya." Yelled Jayne.
River ignored him and carried on up the cargo bay stairs.
"Gorramn it girl, look at me when I'm speakin' ta ya!"
River stopped halfway up the stairs, her shoulders tensed, she really, really wanted to hit Jayne Cobb right now. She'd found it easier to be forgiving about the accident before she saw the result in the mirror. She turned.
"Whad!" she snapped.
"Ugh," Jayne recoiled, "whaddya got all that strappin' go see on ya beak for?" He peered up at River.
"I broke my nasal bone, you were dere!" she huffed, crossing her arms.
"Why ain't Simon dun that fancy bone knittin' thing, an' can't he do sumthin 'bout the shiners?" Jayne gestured at River's twin Technicolor black eyes. "An, yug, why ya got cotton wool stuffed up there? Ya look like a cushion that's losin' all it's stuffin'"
River glared, "Simon dis running dhort of da medication dat makes id work, wants to deep it for emerdancies. De gave me a 'mall dose, might be bedder in de mornig."
Jayne translated that with a struggle, "Oh, well ok then," he looked a bit disappointed, "was kinda hopin' ya'd be lookin' yer best fer tonight."
"Why?" River frowned at him, and then gave that up as it hurt, "Whad is so impordant aboud tonide?"
"I'm treatin' ya ta dinner, as a birthday present."
"Dinner?" River's mouth dropped open; she stared at him in astonishment.
After a few second Jayne waved a hand in front of her face, "you havin' an episode girl?"
River jumped and flushed, "Do, id's just," she swallowed, "Dinner would be lovely."
"Good cos ya gotta be ready ta leave by seven-thirty local time an I reckon ya gonna wanna pretty yerself up some." He squinted at her injuries, "much as ya can in that condition of course," He nodded at her, mounted the stairs himself and was gone, "I gotta take a shower, Mal got me cleaning the Septic Vac an' I ain't spendin' the evenin' smellin' of shit. See ya later."
River floated slowly down the stairs in a Jayne Cobb induced, seventh heaven haze that not even his unromantic words could dent. She stopped at the bottom for a minute or two, just enjoying the smile on her face even though it hurt.
Simon appeared his arm around Kaylee. "River, are you ok?" he touched her arm. River came down to earth with a bump, "Yes!" she squawked, "I'm wonderful!"
Simon looked after River a worried frown on his face, she really shouldn't be skipping like that with a facial injury, perhaps he should…
Simon caught sight of Kaylee's face. She was giving him the look. The, 'you break this date an' you'd better be comfy with celibacy buster' look. Simon shoved his concern for River in a box and turned the key on it.
River wasted fifteen minutes in her room because her brain simply would not shut up.
Jayne is so beautiful, dinner, a walk! Kisses! Please kisses!
IwillbegoodandtalkinwordseverybodywillunderstandandnotteaseSimonorcallhima boobifonlyicanhavekisses.
Simon will hate it.
Big arms squeezing.
Big hands, blush.
Big everything, whole body blush.
Mal will hate it.
Everything got so big inside and out and I am so little, won't be like last time.
JaynewillseemeandiwontwanttorunawayIwontIwontIwontIwont…
River tried to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to focus, to stop the carousel of ifs and buts and maybes that were making her dizzy. She couldn't cope with this, the normal fourteen, fifteen, sixteen year old girl that never was wanted to have starry eyes and scream happily ever after dreams in her brain.
Things that the nearly eighteen-year-old genius killer girl didn't really believe in. That girl just believed in the way her skin burned every time she got near Jayne.
She looked in her wardrobe and her eyes fell on 'the dress', the one she had borrowed from Inara a month ago for her abortive attempt to seduce Jayne. As always, the memory of the whole thing made her stomach flip flop sourly.
Inara had given it too her, saying the emerald green colour was all wrong for her and it didn't fit properly either. She'd helped River alter the dress to fit River's more athletic build and subtly convinced River to alter the cut a little to make it more appropriate for her age.
Part of River rebelled at wearing something that might remind both her and Jayne of their embarrassing encounter both on the streets of Persephone and in the cargo bay. Another part pointed out that since she and Inara hadn't had the chance to go clothes shopping yet it was the nicest thing she had.
She put it on; regardless of the outcome, Jayne had found her attractive in it, or at least not un-attractive. Maybe it would remind him.
River looked doubtfully at the small selection of make up Inara had given her. Inara was off the ship with the Captain and River didn't feel up to trying to cover her bruises without her assistance so she settled for some lip-gloss.
She spared a moment to curse fate that on the day that Jayne Cobb had finally asked her out, even if it was just as a birthday treat, she had strapping on her face and two black eyes.
And cotton wool up her nose, she reminded herself. River rebelled; Simon could give her a hard time later. She removed the cotton wool.
Promptly at half seven she presented herself in the cargo bay.
Jayne was waiting for her clutching a box, he shoved it at her, "here girly, that's the other part of ya birthday present, thought ya could wear it."
River took a second to revel in the moment before falling on the box like a hungry hyena on a spare zebra leg. Inside was a beautiful, fluffy, scarlet, button up sweater. It was wonderful.
"Oh, Dayne…" she breathed in awe; she wanted to kiss him and the thought made her blush.
"Well try it on girl, I din't get it just fer ya ta cuddle."
River paused a moment, a scarlet sweater, however beautiful over an emerald green dress was not a good idea. However, Jayne was looking at her all hopeful and he'd finally done something right. She slipped her arms into the soft wool it was perfect.
Jayne squinted at the result, "That don't look half bad, I guess. I ain't up on what ladies are 'posed ta wear."
River was just about to explain that she must change her dress for something that toned better with the sweater when the association of ideas made her notice what Jayne was wearing.
He was in a grubby pair of combats and an obviously sweaty sleeveless t-shirt.
As a rule River had no problems with Jayne in a sleeveless t-shirt, had she been Captain she would have insisted that all his t-shirts were sleeveless, assuming that she didn't make it a rule for him to remain shirtless at all times.
However, he did not appear to be dressed for their date.
"Arned dou doing do change?"
It took a moment for Jayne to translate that, "Huh? Naw, I gotta stay on the ship cos everyone else dun gone inta town. I get liberty in the mornin' though, got me a red hot filly lined up too."
River's mouth dropped open, before she could find the words to ask him how he was going to take her on a birthday dinner date if he had to stay on board there was a tap on the cargo bay door hatch.
Jayne stepped over and opened it.
A desperately handsome young man stood on the other side wearing a nice if off the peg suit.
"Mr Cobb, I understand you need an escort to dinner?"
"Yep," Jayne grabbed River's wrist, "Here's ya date, sorry about the bandages and the shiners," he looked at River doubtfully, "she's kinda pretty mosta the time. N' remember, no getting' fresh less she say's it's ok, they promised they'd send a gentleman." He patted River on the shoulder and bent down to whisper in her ear.
"It's all paid fer, I know ya said ya weren't ready fer sexin' so if it's all ya want he'll just take ya ta dinner. Reckoned ya could practice stuff on him, datin' stuff and if ya like him," he winked, looking pleased with himself, "then just go right ahead, they know me real well an' they'll send me the bill." He hustled her out of the hatch and closed it behind her.
River stood on the other side of the hatch with two black eyes, strapping on her nose, wearing a scarlet sweater clashing horribly with the emerald green dress (that Jayne had shown absolutely no sign of recognising), looking at a young man who was quite obviously a whore paid to take her out for the evening.
The young man looked a little non-plused as well. "Um," he said, "You're my date?"
River rolled her eyes; Jayne could have at least specified someone with a brain.
"Des."
"Oh, I think there has been a misunderstanding."
River picked up bits and pieces from the man's mind and fought down the giggles. He was hoping that she wouldn't want him for more than dinner.
He didn't service women; the woman (new to the job) who took the order for a male whore to be at Serenity at half past seven dressed for dinner had assumed he was for Jayne. He could manage, but he wasn't exactly keen.
The giggles won, she started to laugh, but that hurt so she stopped and took him by the arm, "Do nod worry, I dond wand sex, how did Dayne 'ean to pay for de dood?"
The man went through the same translation process that Jayne had struggled with earlier. His face cleared and he gave River a relieved smile. "The bill is to be sent to him, it's quite a nice restaurant, not too expensive, but nice."
"Dood, led's go eat a 'eally bid dinner."
She was half way down the street when something occurred to her.
"Dayne thinks I'm preddy!" she squealed.