Jayne was having a good ole time as he watched the petite Reader stamp her bare foot in frustration, warmin' up to what was sure to be a full-blown temper tantrum.
"Yer a sore loser, ain'tcha?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, the sleeves of his recently pilfered "Squeeze My Trigger" t-shirt hanging loosely from her arms. She narrowed her eyes and shot him a look as dark and dangerous as the Black. "There is no soreness, only injustice," she huffed.
Jayne threw his head back, laughing. "Oh, baby girl, ain't no one done told you there's no such thing as justice out in the Black? That, an' I won fair and square."
She unfolded her arms and walked purposefully back to the table. "He could not have possibly won in an honest manner," she said, rifling through the cards strewn across the surface. "She calculated all of the possible outcomes in advance, and the manner in which he achieved victory is not statistically possible."
The hands of cards they recently played showed in her mind, the images quick and sharp, analyzed with a single-minded focus. She must search. She must find the anomalous situation responsible for her defeat.
She didn't hear him, wasn't aware until it was too late, until he was on her. Heat surrounded her as he enveloped her in his arms, pulling her back against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. "Life ain't all about numbers and mathuhmatuhcal theories, bao bei," he countered, trailing kisses along the soft, sweet skin of her neck.
"Numbers are real, numbers are true," she sighed, letting go of her frustration as she turned her head, welcoming the feel of his mouth on hers.
"I'm real. We're true," he breathed into her mouth.
They both heard it at the same time, Wash's unmistakable shuffle coming from the corridor as he ambled to kitchen, most likely in search of a midnight snack.
"Tell her the chore that he wishes her to perform, and she will honor her obligation," River promised, as they reluctantly broke their embrace.
"My bunk, 0200," he whispered in her ear. He pressed a kiss to the spot behind the lobe, the tip of his tongue flicking out to taste the delicate flesh. "Don't be late, darlin'."
Serenity was settled nice and deep in her sleep cycle as River silently traversed through the ship to Jayne's bunk.
She opened the hatch and climbed quietly down the ladder, her bare toes curling around each rung as she descended into the softly-lit chamber. She landed with her usual grace and turned around, her mouth opening in surprise.
"What was you expectin'?" Jayne asked, smirking.
Her mouth still agape, she took a moment to answer. "She expected him to be naked or only partially clothed."
"Well, ya know I'm a mite unpredictuhble," replied a fully-clothed Jayne, beckoning her to sit beside him on his still- made bed.
She sat next to him, confused about what was to happen next. She had logically assumed that his chore would be of a sexual nature. She had not considered other alternatives, and she began to worry, not sure what he expected of her.
Jayne didn't need to be a Reader to suss out what was causin' the confusion slipping and sliding around in River's mind. He turned his head toward her with a knowing smile and a conspiratorial wink. "Don't worry; we can get to the sexin' later, after you've finished this here chore."
She continued to sit patiently, quietly, waiting for him to outline the parameters of the task.
He rose and walked the short distance to his dresser. He opened the middle drawer and withdrew a small, dark bundle. He sat back down next to her, handing her the rectangular-shaped object, which was wrapped in a dark blue swatch of velvet cloth.
She ran her hands reverently over the soft cloth, not having felt such luxury since she left her home for the Academy. Something very unexpected dropped into her lap after she carefully freed it from its protective packaging. She held it, turning it on its side, confirming what it was. She looked at Jayne, an unspoken question in her eye.
"It's the only thing I got from home, other than my hat, a few letters and some memories," Jayne said, taking the book from her. "I took it when I set out for the Black," he explained. "Ma always read to us kids from it at night, afore bedtime. Didn't think she'd mind since all uh us were growed up when I left. Wrapped it in a scrap uh leftover fabric she used to make Tina's christenin' gown." His expression grew wistful as he thought of his baby sister.
"What does he wish her to do with it?" River asked as Jayne handed her back the book. She rotated it to its side, tracing the faded gold letters on the cracked leather spine that spelled out "Aesop's Fables," with her fingertip.
He watched her handle the book with care and leaned back on the bed, supporting his weight on his hands. "I ain't stupid, and I ain't completely illiterut. I stayed in school long enough to learn the basics, enuf to get by out here in the Black without getting' cheated or havin' my balls handed to me."
She nodded her head in understanding, silently encouraging him to continue.
"The way I figure it, I ain't goin' nowhere for a while, So, might as well use some of the extra time b'tween jobs to do somethin' productive. Thought you might be able to pass along some of that fancy Core learnin' and show me how to string written words together all nice and pretty."
River carefully opened the book, the soft light above Jayne's bunk spilling onto the aged, yellowed pages. She inhaled deeply, leather and must filling her nostrils. "She loves to read. Providing him with additional instruction is not a chore. It is a gift she willingly wishes to share with him."
She took his hand in hers and began reading.
~Fin