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toxic_cornSeries: Mist
Title: Part Three (3/4)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Everything is Joss's. Not mine.
Summary: River has this dream...
Notes: Funnily enough, based on a dream I had recently. My subconscious wants Rayne, I guess, so I'm back after not really a break at all.
Previously: Part One Part Two
Part Three
River took her time drying off and dressing once more. Disrobing in front of Jayne had been naughty and fun, but she didn’t feel ready to face him again.
That’s always been your problem, River. Her inner Simon sounded a bit smug as he scolded her. You rarely ever consider the consequences of your actions.
Squeezing her wet hair out on the floor, River decided that she’d stalled for long enough. Jayne was most likely going to be crabby and impatient now. She opened the bathroom door cautiously and poked her head out into their room, expecting him to growl out an insult as soon as he saw her.
Instead, he stood calmly by the window smoking a cigar. He turned when he heard her. “You done already?” he asked mildly.
“Yes. There wasn’t any shampoo,” she said and immediately felt foolish.
“Was gonna warn you ‘bout that, but…” He trailed off and put out the end of his cigar with this callused fingertips then slid it into his pocket for later. “Was thinkin’ we wait for Mal ‘n Zoe at the bar.”
River frowned. “It’s nine a.m.”
“So? Like the man said, it’s five o’clock somewheres.” Jayne strode to the door and threw it open, leaving it ajar as he expected her to follow.
Now he cared what she did? Amazing what revealing a little flesh could do.
No. That wasn’t fair. River followed Jayne and considered his back for the second time that morning. More had happened in that bathroom than she realized. It would take time to puzzle it all out.
Passing through the lobby, the owner looked up to watch them. Jayne fixed him with a cold hard stare and the man quickly lowered his head, face flushing.
“He’s ignorant,” River said once they were outside. “The schools here aren’t what they could be. We should be kind.”
Jayne snorted, setting off down the main street, on the lookout for a bar. “We should keep our opinions to our own selves.”
River stopped in her tracks. “Jayne.”
“What? I ain’t gonna play nice with that pious son of a-”
“The bar’s in the other direction.”
“Oh.”
~*~
At this early hour in the morning, there weren’t many people in the bar. Just three men on stools sipping their drinks as far as they could get from one another. They didn’t look up when River and Jayne came through the door.
Jayne chose a booth and sat down, looking around tensely before relaxing a fraction. River watched him in interest. He knew Mal and Zoe weren’t drinkers. At least, not to the degree that he was. Yet here they were, waiting for them in a bar, the one place one could be sure to find Jayne. In a way it was clever; instead of looking for the others the others could find them. Considering if this move was deliberate or not…
“What’ll ya take?” the bartender called to them.
“Whisky sour,” Jayne answered.
“Two?”
Jayne looked at her questioningly and she shook her head. “Alcohol doesn’t react well with my medication.”
“Right.” Jayne nodded and called to the bartender, “Whiskey sour ‘n a brown cow for the girl.”
“I don’t care for beef,” River told him seriously. For some reason he started to chuckle, making River frown. She didn’t care for beef. Not since she’d communed with some cattle the crew had transported once. Kept in captivity only to be killed, changed from one form to another and thereby losing what you once were… River was all too familiar with that.
She had been so lost in her thoughts, it felt like no time had passed at all when she was jolted out of herself by the bartender setting two glasses on their table. He placed a spoon next to her glass.
“Eat it,” Jayne said, picking up his glass. “You can pay me back for it later.”
River looked down into the glass, bemused. A white lump of vanilla ice cream floated in a sea of murky brown soda water. She’d never seen such a thing before. Experimentally, she pushed down on the ice cream and it disappeared under the brown waves, immediately bobbing back up to the surface. Her bemusement was quickly replaced by giddy amusement.
“What?” Jayne asked, watching her closely.
“My food is buoyant,” she explained.
“Are ya gonna play with it or eat it?”
She tilted her head to the side. “One or the other? I can’t choose both?”
“I don’t care what ya do,” he said, suddenly looking tired.
River picked up her spoon and took a cautious taste. She didn’t think she cared much for the soda but it was very palatable when mixed with the ice cream.
“Thank you for my delicious floating snack, Jayne,” she said, remembering her manners.
“Thought you’d like it,” he replied. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth and was gone.
Suddenly, River was possessed with the silly urge to lean across the table and lick the smile out of hiding. The thought made her face warm. This was turning out to be a very peculiar day.
“Think I’m gonna talk to that gent behind the counter awhile.” Jayne stood up. “Gotta make contacts ‘n I don’t think that hotel man’s our best friend quite yet. You all right here on your own?”
She nodded and he turned to go.
“Wait!”
“What?”
River stood as well and ripped some fabric from her skirt. She felt Jayne’s gaze on her thighs and felt dizzy, holding her bit of dress out to him.
“The hell?” he asked, looking mystified.
“It’s a token. For luck.”
Jayne shook his head. “You really are nuttier than a fruitcake, aren’t you?” But he took her offering and stuffed it into his pocket on the way to the bar.
River sat back down and looked at her half-eaten brown cow. The glass had misted up. With a trembling finger, she traced “R + J” on its cool surface. As soon as she’d written it, it started to fade.
Frowning, River held the glass up, squinting to see the letters but they were gone. Instead, she was peering through clear glass at Jayne. He was talking quietly with the bartender but glanced her way when he felt like he was being watched. Then, in a move that baffled her, he raised his glass to her and finished the rest of his whiskey.
Put your glass down, River, inner Simon said with a sigh.
Oh. Blushing, she lowered her glass and Jayne grinned before going back to his conversation.
River focused her attention back on her breakfast. It was hardly the most nutritious she’d ever had but she’d liked it very much. Jayne had been right. Would wonders never cease?
The bar door opened just then and in walked the captain and Zoe.
“See, what’d I tell you, Zoe?” the captain drawled. “Wettin’ his whistle on my time.”
“Your time gets to be my time when you lose your ass in the fog,” Jayne growled.
“Well, we got ourselves unlost. Zoe and me met some nice folks on the edge of town willin’ ta hide us after this next job. Mission accomplished, back to the ship.” He turned and walked back out, immediately followed by Zoe.
“Did I call that or what?” Jayne said smugly when River stood up and crossed over to him.
“You did. I’m very impressed.” River smiled and followed him outside. “It seems you’re wise in ways that I’m not.”
Jayne paused as he was climbing into the mule. “You sayin’ I’m smarter than you?”
“Yes, in that particular arena, you’re very wi-”
“Hey, Mal! I’m smarter than a genius! The girl said!”
Mal raised his eyebrow as Zoe started the mule up. “Well, the girl also happens to be crazy, so I’d take that with a big ol’ heapin’ pile o’ salt.”
River couldn’t help giggling as Jayne sulked the whole way home.
Title: Part Three (3/4)
Author: toxic_corn
Pairing: River/Jayne
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Everything is Joss's. Not mine.
Summary: River has this dream...
Notes: Funnily enough, based on a dream I had recently. My subconscious wants Rayne, I guess, so I'm back after not really a break at all.
Previously: Part One Part Two
Part Three
River took her time drying off and dressing once more. Disrobing in front of Jayne had been naughty and fun, but she didn’t feel ready to face him again.
That’s always been your problem, River. Her inner Simon sounded a bit smug as he scolded her. You rarely ever consider the consequences of your actions.
Squeezing her wet hair out on the floor, River decided that she’d stalled for long enough. Jayne was most likely going to be crabby and impatient now. She opened the bathroom door cautiously and poked her head out into their room, expecting him to growl out an insult as soon as he saw her.
Instead, he stood calmly by the window smoking a cigar. He turned when he heard her. “You done already?” he asked mildly.
“Yes. There wasn’t any shampoo,” she said and immediately felt foolish.
“Was gonna warn you ‘bout that, but…” He trailed off and put out the end of his cigar with this callused fingertips then slid it into his pocket for later. “Was thinkin’ we wait for Mal ‘n Zoe at the bar.”
River frowned. “It’s nine a.m.”
“So? Like the man said, it’s five o’clock somewheres.” Jayne strode to the door and threw it open, leaving it ajar as he expected her to follow.
Now he cared what she did? Amazing what revealing a little flesh could do.
No. That wasn’t fair. River followed Jayne and considered his back for the second time that morning. More had happened in that bathroom than she realized. It would take time to puzzle it all out.
Passing through the lobby, the owner looked up to watch them. Jayne fixed him with a cold hard stare and the man quickly lowered his head, face flushing.
“He’s ignorant,” River said once they were outside. “The schools here aren’t what they could be. We should be kind.”
Jayne snorted, setting off down the main street, on the lookout for a bar. “We should keep our opinions to our own selves.”
River stopped in her tracks. “Jayne.”
“What? I ain’t gonna play nice with that pious son of a-”
“The bar’s in the other direction.”
“Oh.”
At this early hour in the morning, there weren’t many people in the bar. Just three men on stools sipping their drinks as far as they could get from one another. They didn’t look up when River and Jayne came through the door.
Jayne chose a booth and sat down, looking around tensely before relaxing a fraction. River watched him in interest. He knew Mal and Zoe weren’t drinkers. At least, not to the degree that he was. Yet here they were, waiting for them in a bar, the one place one could be sure to find Jayne. In a way it was clever; instead of looking for the others the others could find them. Considering if this move was deliberate or not…
“What’ll ya take?” the bartender called to them.
“Whisky sour,” Jayne answered.
“Two?”
Jayne looked at her questioningly and she shook her head. “Alcohol doesn’t react well with my medication.”
“Right.” Jayne nodded and called to the bartender, “Whiskey sour ‘n a brown cow for the girl.”
“I don’t care for beef,” River told him seriously. For some reason he started to chuckle, making River frown. She didn’t care for beef. Not since she’d communed with some cattle the crew had transported once. Kept in captivity only to be killed, changed from one form to another and thereby losing what you once were… River was all too familiar with that.
She had been so lost in her thoughts, it felt like no time had passed at all when she was jolted out of herself by the bartender setting two glasses on their table. He placed a spoon next to her glass.
“Eat it,” Jayne said, picking up his glass. “You can pay me back for it later.”
River looked down into the glass, bemused. A white lump of vanilla ice cream floated in a sea of murky brown soda water. She’d never seen such a thing before. Experimentally, she pushed down on the ice cream and it disappeared under the brown waves, immediately bobbing back up to the surface. Her bemusement was quickly replaced by giddy amusement.
“What?” Jayne asked, watching her closely.
“My food is buoyant,” she explained.
“Are ya gonna play with it or eat it?”
She tilted her head to the side. “One or the other? I can’t choose both?”
“I don’t care what ya do,” he said, suddenly looking tired.
River picked up her spoon and took a cautious taste. She didn’t think she cared much for the soda but it was very palatable when mixed with the ice cream.
“Thank you for my delicious floating snack, Jayne,” she said, remembering her manners.
“Thought you’d like it,” he replied. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth and was gone.
Suddenly, River was possessed with the silly urge to lean across the table and lick the smile out of hiding. The thought made her face warm. This was turning out to be a very peculiar day.
“Think I’m gonna talk to that gent behind the counter awhile.” Jayne stood up. “Gotta make contacts ‘n I don’t think that hotel man’s our best friend quite yet. You all right here on your own?”
She nodded and he turned to go.
“Wait!”
“What?”
River stood as well and ripped some fabric from her skirt. She felt Jayne’s gaze on her thighs and felt dizzy, holding her bit of dress out to him.
“The hell?” he asked, looking mystified.
“It’s a token. For luck.”
Jayne shook his head. “You really are nuttier than a fruitcake, aren’t you?” But he took her offering and stuffed it into his pocket on the way to the bar.
River sat back down and looked at her half-eaten brown cow. The glass had misted up. With a trembling finger, she traced “R + J” on its cool surface. As soon as she’d written it, it started to fade.
Frowning, River held the glass up, squinting to see the letters but they were gone. Instead, she was peering through clear glass at Jayne. He was talking quietly with the bartender but glanced her way when he felt like he was being watched. Then, in a move that baffled her, he raised his glass to her and finished the rest of his whiskey.
Put your glass down, River, inner Simon said with a sigh.
Oh. Blushing, she lowered her glass and Jayne grinned before going back to his conversation.
River focused her attention back on her breakfast. It was hardly the most nutritious she’d ever had but she’d liked it very much. Jayne had been right. Would wonders never cease?
The bar door opened just then and in walked the captain and Zoe.
“See, what’d I tell you, Zoe?” the captain drawled. “Wettin’ his whistle on my time.”
“Your time gets to be my time when you lose your ass in the fog,” Jayne growled.
“Well, we got ourselves unlost. Zoe and me met some nice folks on the edge of town willin’ ta hide us after this next job. Mission accomplished, back to the ship.” He turned and walked back out, immediately followed by Zoe.
“Did I call that or what?” Jayne said smugly when River stood up and crossed over to him.
“You did. I’m very impressed.” River smiled and followed him outside. “It seems you’re wise in ways that I’m not.”
Jayne paused as he was climbing into the mule. “You sayin’ I’m smarter than you?”
“Yes, in that particular arena, you’re very wi-”
“Hey, Mal! I’m smarter than a genius! The girl said!”
Mal raised his eyebrow as Zoe started the mule up. “Well, the girl also happens to be crazy, so I’d take that with a big ol’ heapin’ pile o’ salt.”
River couldn’t help giggling as Jayne sulked the whole way home.
