Prompt: Rotation

Timeline: Established relationship

Standing By

"You promised," River says, eyes gone all huge but not a trace of pouting in her voice, just that flat tone she uses when she thinks she's stating the obvious.

As used to that tone as he is, Mal still finds it mighty irritating. "Shen me? Seems to me I'd remember such, promises not being things I tend to make any too often."

"You did," she insists, somehow managing to keep her little hands wrapped around the helm even as she twists the rest of herself to face him. "Said I was perfectly ready to fly on my own."

He does recall saying that, now that she mentions it. "Yeah, but-"

"Said there was no reason I couldn't fly by myself," she continues, not paying any mind at all to the fact that he's trying to talk too.

"Well, sure, darlin', but I was just saying that to Simon."

The way she's got her eyes all narrowed in his direction don't bode especially well for him. "Does that make your statements any less truthful?"

"Not as such, no," he admits, trying to think of a way to regain the high ground here. "Was just my way of letting your brother know I wasn't gonna hear any more talk from him 'bout what you should or shouldn't be doin', though."

"So you didn't mean it," she says, turning her back on him, staring out into the stars. "You lied."

"Did no such thing," he says, leaning over the console so she's forced to either look at him or ignore him a few scant inches from her face. "And you know that full well, so let's not be playing games here, alright?"

River tilts her head back, so the shield of her hair falls back against her shoulder, and glances at him out of the corner of her eye. "You don't mind my games," she says, and he might've missed the way that smile of hers came out for just a second, if he hadn't chanced to be starting at her mouth at the time. "Explain why I can't fly tonight, then."

Takes a minute for his mind to click back into place, way he was letting himself get distracted by her. Not much doubt that's part of her game. "Uh...cause it's my turn in the rotation, that's why."

She sighs and flicks her fingers at him in a dismissive manner. "A poor excuse. Do you trust me?"

Doesn't matter how that's about the most fraught question anybody on his boat could've asked him; there's still not a bit of hesitation in his answer. "Yes."

The smile she gives him at that is enough to light up the whole bridge. "Then let me fly tonight," she says, removing his hand from the console, letting her fingers trace light and shivery up the inside of his arm, almost like an accident. "And maybe I'll let you fly later."

Never mind that he's none too sure she's actually talking about him putting hands to helm later on; as he walks away, leaving her to Serenity and the black, the funny thing is how right it feels.