Prompt 13- Deception 441

Her jaw rests almost on the table and she stares at the spot where Jayne sat not 60 seconds ago. She can't seem to move, her face frozen.

He thought … he was thinking …

Wow.

"River? Little one?"

She blinks and turns back towards a concerned Mal who has been watching her closer of late, as if noticing that she is entwined with him and his ship in ways that he hadn't been aware of.

"Yes?" she says and he frowns.

"Are you all right, there, albatross? Ya'll look kinda spooked."

"Um," River loses that fabled eloquence for once and brings her hand up to nibble on a nail, something she hasn't done since she was five and her mother made her wear hair gloves to stop the habit. "I … he … the… what?"

Simon gaped at her. "River, are you okay?"

Was she okay?

The light had shone from behind, illuminating her like some kind of celestial being and that's how he thought of her, some kind of angel, too good for mortal man.

How could he see her like that? Didn't he know she was a weapon?

"Do you need anything?"

Her lips promised some kind of rich experience; cherry tasting and slick sweetness.

In his thoughts she was soft and female. Alive and whole.

"You haven't needed any medication in a long while."

His hands had been hard but gentle against the curve of her hip as he pulled her into his lap, his eyes lighting up as she looked up at him.

He thought she was precious..

"River?"

She sat in his lap, his arms around her and he kissed the top of her head, her hair tickling his nose as he breathed deeply. Then his hands began to wander.

He wanted her. Her—River.

"Li'l witch? Albatross? River!"

River snapped back and stared at the worried faces.

Mal was knelt in front of her. "Welcome back, are you all right? You scared the gos se outta us poor folk here. Your brother was 'bout ready to scream."

"Sorry," she muttered, her mind was racing and heart joining it in frantic beating at the things that she had seen and felt.

"Gonna let us in on what that was in aid of, precious?"

Jayne was having … thoughts about her.

It was mind boggling.

It was strange.

It was … exciting.

River smiled slightly.

She couldn't tell them that, them with their concerned faces and overprotective ways.

She couldn't let them know so she bit her lip and smiled. "I was having a flashback, it's all all right. I'm fine."

Yes. She was fine.