River slipped into the cargo hold where the big man could be heard, grunting as he pushed up at weights that were almost crushing. Today, she mused, the correct alignment of factors would betide her big man. They would be liberated of the societal groundings, of the pressures keeping them apart.

As she let her head hang off the crate, her hair swaying beneath her, she let the bright red of Jayne encompass her, warming her. His ma's words with her a month ago had illuminated her own ambivalence towards the big man. Attraction was a multi-faceted shining beast. Accustomed as she was to omniscience in her own mind, she had discovered a faulty part of her brain, one that secreted away certitudes.

She was attracted to this big rude man, her partner in fighting. His inexcusable abruptness, his misunderstanding of people all were facets of it. His skill in tracking, his ability to fight ruthlessly, his steady shoulders to lean on, his love for his family, all were bits and pieces adding to the whole.

She would have this man for herself. His wholeness would pull her together, would keep the needles from pulling her brain to bits. She allowed her eyes to settle on his biceps watching as they strained, pushing up, glistening with sweat in the cool hold.

As the metal bar clanged onto the hooks that held it up, Jayne's growl reached her ears. "Moonbrain, whatch'ya watchin' on for?"

"Date and time are significant, eyes watching, hearts melding, the start of something for now and ever," River replied, relying on her way speaking to befuddle him. He wasn't to realize what she meant quite yet. Timing was everything. She wouldn't be his first, but he would be hers. This was something she had come to accept. She would be his now and always and he would be her first, now and always.

She straightened as Simon's blue presence neared hold. "River?" his clear voice echoed through the hold. Jayne snorted, wrapped the towel around his neck and quickly made himself scarce.

"Simon."

"River, what are you doing up there?"

"Plots and minions are best tasted on high."

"River, come down, you'll break your neck!"

"Fascimiles of disquiet slip past the watchful ears." River swung herself upwards to pacify the beast of worry in Simon's heart.

"River, that's dangerous, of course I'm worried!"

River blinked, she hadn't thought Simon would catch on to that meaning.

"Not dangerous. Dancing balances the core. I know exactly what degrees will cause me to fall. You don't need to worry, gei-gei."

There was a moment of silence and River slid to the floor. She slid her small hand into Simon's. Sometimes, it was just nice to be 'there' with her brother. "The world is a cacophony, but being here with you dulls the ears."

"Stealing can be sanctioned by the people."

"Yeah an' them's crazy people," Jayne grumped, at last responding to the meandering statements of the moonbrain. She seemed to have decided that his work was what was it? 'Of Primary Interest.' What it was was a pain in his gorram ass. She was cute an' all, but in moments like this, he was reminded of why he had wanted her off the gorram ship in the first place.

"Thoughts aren't congruent with truth. You're lying to yourself."

"I ain't lyin-an' you think you know what I'm telling myself?"

"Little birds always know when the hawk comes after them." And they were back to nonsense. Jayne rolled his eyes and stood straight, having finished prepping the crates for their delivery. He made to brush past the tiny woman but she side stepped without even appearing to have sidestepped. It was-it was gorram annoying was it was.

"It is time." River said, looking up at him, with her unblinking stare.

"Yeah, time for ya to move out o' my way. Ya been downright strange today."

"Time to learn?" River looked up at him with a hopeful expression.

Jayne glared down at her. Mal figgered he was the best to train the girl up to understanding her skills. An' hell, he even enjoyed it, but-

"Girl promises to be good"

"Al-right, fine." He didn't have anything better to do an' he didn't have no gorram excuse. Dropping the tools he'd been carrying on the crate, he turned to strike out at the girl. Not so hard like, as he knew he'd miss. He weren't plannin' on it. It just happened.

This time, she'd somersaulted backwards and was now standing ten feet away from him in the center of the hold. His eyes swept her body, taking in the light dance shoes she was wearing-Simon had finally convinced her to start wearing something in between the huge combat boot and bare feet-her lean pale legs disappearing under the dark green dress she was wearing. Somehow, despite it's apparent looseness, he found himself imagining her curves, where her hips curved into her waist. He blinked. Eyes snapped back up to meet River's face.

She was looking at him, hooded eyes, an expression he couldn't read but one he interpreted quite readily as an invitation.

Growling, he lunged for her, wanting to erase the image of her in his brain. He plowed into her, felt her lithe body pressed up against his before she deftly-well whatever she did, he was on the ground, air knocked out of him. He leapt up-scrambled, but he'd never admit it-ready to continue. The gorram girl had disappeared.

And then he found himself on the ground, the moonbrain lying on top of him, pinning him. He could feel every gorram curve on her little body. Eyes widening, he rolled over, pinning her.

He was gonna get up. That had been the plan. Get away from that-that witch's song. And yet, River's warm brown-crazy-eyes were staring at him. And she stretched under him, teasing him.

Her lips were parted and she was looking at him as if nothing else in the 'verse existed.

"Gonna be airlocked," was all he managed to get out, trying to prevent the inevitable.

"Won't. I'm the brains of the operation." He exhaled in one big whoosh and found himself brushing his lips against hers, something he hadn't done in since he was a little boy. He nibbled at her bottom lip and she responded, lifting her hips up slightly and clutching at his arms.

That reminded him of where they were and he shot away, standing across the cargo hold in the blink of an eye.

"Gorramit, moonbrain!" he shouted and stomped out of the hold.

River giggled softly to herself. All was going according to plan. The first one had been sweet and she'd wanted to curl up into the warmth of it, let Jayne and his lips protect her forever. Even though she didn't need protecting. His reaction had been calculated in. He would be brought around. She climbed down the ladder to his bunk in her stockinged feet, only the whisper of the cotton catching on cold metal. It was the sleep-cycle on Serenity and everyone was enjoying the quiet that came with it.

She looked down at Jayne, who was lying, stomach down on his bed, mouth open in a quiet snore. Not exactly the most attractive picture, but he was hers and she would accept all of him.

She perched on the edge of his bunk, between his elbow and his knee in the only spot big enough for a very small woman to fit. She drew her finger along his face, feeling the scratch of his scruffy cheek. He coughed slightly and slowly, so slowly, rose to consciousness. His eyes flickered open, unfocused. They sharpened when they saw her and he sat up.

Spikes of green and brown filtered through his comforting dark red.

River smiled. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his, taking advantage of the fog in his brain. This time wasn't sweet and warm. It was heated and fast and jolting. River clutched the torrent, taking the heat from his chest in her hands. She could feel his hands on her back, clutching her shirt.

And just as she was sure he would accept fate, he leaned back.

"Moony-what-" he appeared to no longer be capable of speech. This was good.

"Cerebral process is not required at the moment. Two bodies are all. But perhaps assurance is necessary?" River tilted her head, studying him from her rather precarious position, sitting on his thighs. In his silence, she decided to continue. "I find we are two pieces of a puzzle. We fit together, no matter what others might say about our clashing colors."

Jayne's eyebrows clashed together. The sight was rather amusing.

"You are big man."

"Well o'course I'm a big-"

River cut him off. "My big man. You share your warmth and I share my brain."

"I ain't stupid."

"No, but I'm a mind-readin' genius who get what she wants."

"And what d'you want?" Jayne asked.

"You."

"Me?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" River said with a smile. Her big man was finally starting to get the point.

"Why in the gao yang jong duh goo yang would you want me? I'm a dirty old merc."

"But you're my dirty old merc." River leaned in and brushed her lips across his cheek, lifting her other hand to cup his neck. The man closed his eyes. Progress. She would win.

"I ain't gonna do this. Mal'd airlock me. Fact is if he learned why you're here, he'd airlock me."

"There will be no airlocking. I won't allow it. I shall protect my big man from the little airlock."

"I don't believe you."

"If the captain tries, I shall shoot him." The cool tone in her voice convinced him of her belief at least.

"Aw hell, moony," was all he managed to get out. He had given in. She smiled, teeth showing. She had won and she would have her big man.