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toxic_cornSeries: She's a Sticky-Fingered Filcher
Title: T-Rex (4/7)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post Objects in Space
Summary: “I’m Tyrannosaurus Rex: Thunder Lizard. But you can call me Rex.”
Disclaimer: All characters are belong to Joss.
Author's Note: Big, big thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
katsqueaks for the beta work, for pointing out what worked and what didn't work, and for telling me that I don't suck. Previous parts can be found here.
T-Rex
The drop had gone well. Everyone got paid, Mal didn’t get shot, and they’d all gotten some free time planetside before taking off for one of the fancy Core planets so Inara could pick up a client. All of this had the makings for a shiny, happy mood.
In his haste to turn the page of his gun magazine, Jayne accidentally tore it and growled. If one part of his life was perfect, another part had to go to hell, rule of the gorram ‘verse. Before he could really work himself up, he stopped that train of thought and stared hard at the page before him.
“Hiya, Jayne.”
Jumping, Jayne looked around for the source of the gruff voice and saw that across the table from him was one of Wash’s toy dinosaurs clutched in a little hand. He started to peek under the table.
“Up here, big guy.”
He snorted. “Fer cryin’ out loud…”
“I’m Tyrannosaurus Rex: Thunder Lizard. But you can call me Rex.” She paused a moment then added, “Rawr.”
“Yeah, right. I’m tryin’ to read here Rex, so how’s about-“
“Aw, what go se. You’re just lookin’ at the pictures.
Jayne’s eyes widened in surprise before narrowing. “I don’t think that brother o’ yours would like-“
“Don’t have any brothers. I’m an only child.”
Fine, if she really wanted to play…
“’Zat so?” Jayne sat back and crossed his arms, giving up on his reading.
“Yep. I used to have siblings but I ate ‘em to get rid of the competition.”
Jayne snorted out a laugh.
“So, what planet were you all just on? Pomona?”
“Uh huh.” He glanced at the door, hoping no one would walk in and catch him talking to a plastic dinosaur.
“I heard the women on Pomona are… nice.” With a flick of her wrist, the damn toy actually seemed to be leering knowingly at him.
Jayne’s face darkened at the mention of Pomona. “How’s about we change the subject, Rex?”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to presume. I just figured that since River was able to find some male company, than you wouldn’t have any trouble-“
“What?” If Jayne’s face was dark before, it was a full on storm now. His fists clenched.
“Oh yeah,” Rex said, casually. “The crazy girl and Kaylee went out for ice cream and some young dandy offered her a sundae, his treat. Nice lookin’ kid, too.”
This game wasn’t fun no more. He was picking up his magazine and just lifting out of his seat when she continued, “Seemed real heartbroken when she told him she had her own money.”
A smile twitched at the corner of Jayne’s mouth and he sat down. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Kaylee’s been teasing her about it ever since. She thinks River didn’t know what he meant by it.”
“But she knew,” Jayne said, feeling proud for some reason.
“She sure did. So you’re tellin’ me that on a planet where a girl can just walk into an ice cream shop and get picked up, a strapping guy like you was hurtin’ on female company?”
Jayne was silent. He’d gone looking, sure. But not many whores on Pomona had dark hair. And whenever he found one, she’d had the wrong body type. It took hours to find a dark-haired skinny minny and when he had, her eyes were all wrong. He’d ended up going back to the ship, frustrated and angry with himself.
“I looked around and didn’t find anything I liked,” Jayne said, honestly.
“C’mon, I saw you go out in that ugly shirt of yours and you were gone for hours.”
With a loud click everything snapped into place. She was just checkin’ up on- Wait.
“What ugly shirt? You mean my good shirt?!”
“That stripey thing with the sleeves.”
“My good shirt! It ain’t ugly!”
“Pffft.”
Jayne snarled. “Now you listen up good, missy-“
“I ain’t no ‘missy!’” Rex exclaimed indignantly.
“I’m talkin’ to River dammit and I’m callin’ this game to a stop as of right now!” He couldn’t see her but he could tell she was pouting. Gorram girl. “I went out in my good shirt, yes. But I didn’t find anyone I wanted to make time with, dong ma? So drop it!”
There was a long silence. Jayne began to feel a teensy bit guilty for yelling and started to look under the table again, but was stopped once more.
“Oh, hey! A puppet show! Why didn’t anyone call me?” Wash bounced into the room and set about making some tea.
“Because they were not shadow puppets,” River answered.
Wash laughed. “Good point. You know, you’re gettin' to be a real cat burglar, River. I was in the cockpit all day and I didn’t even see you snatch Rex, there.”
River finally stood up and looked at Jayne for the first time. With surprise, he noticed that she must’ve been crying earlier in the day; her eyes were all bloodshot. He really didn’t want to believe it was because of him, but he knew better.
“I’ll go put him back now,” she said over her shoulder to Wash. She looked back to Jayne and smiled softly. “He knows his place.”
Jayne watched her dash out of the room and frowned. Was she…? Did she just…? Naw, she didn’t just claim him. Jayne was his own man and he didn’t have to answer to anybody, least of all some addle-brained girl.
Wash sat down across from Jayne and he could feel the pilot looking at him. But when he snapped his head around to catch him, Wash was sipping his tea, looking like he was trying not to smile.
END
Previous < Umbrella : Next > Reflex Hammer
Title: T-Rex (4/7)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post Objects in Space
Summary: “I’m Tyrannosaurus Rex: Thunder Lizard. But you can call me Rex.”
Disclaimer: All characters are belong to Joss.
Author's Note: Big, big thanks to
katsqueaks for the beta work, for pointing out what worked and what didn't work, and for telling me that I don't suck. Previous parts can be found here.T-Rex
The drop had gone well. Everyone got paid, Mal didn’t get shot, and they’d all gotten some free time planetside before taking off for one of the fancy Core planets so Inara could pick up a client. All of this had the makings for a shiny, happy mood.
In his haste to turn the page of his gun magazine, Jayne accidentally tore it and growled. If one part of his life was perfect, another part had to go to hell, rule of the gorram ‘verse. Before he could really work himself up, he stopped that train of thought and stared hard at the page before him.
“Hiya, Jayne.”
Jumping, Jayne looked around for the source of the gruff voice and saw that across the table from him was one of Wash’s toy dinosaurs clutched in a little hand. He started to peek under the table.
“Up here, big guy.”
He snorted. “Fer cryin’ out loud…”
“I’m Tyrannosaurus Rex: Thunder Lizard. But you can call me Rex.” She paused a moment then added, “Rawr.”
“Yeah, right. I’m tryin’ to read here Rex, so how’s about-“
“Aw, what go se. You’re just lookin’ at the pictures.
Jayne’s eyes widened in surprise before narrowing. “I don’t think that brother o’ yours would like-“
“Don’t have any brothers. I’m an only child.”
Fine, if she really wanted to play…
“’Zat so?” Jayne sat back and crossed his arms, giving up on his reading.
“Yep. I used to have siblings but I ate ‘em to get rid of the competition.”
Jayne snorted out a laugh.
“So, what planet were you all just on? Pomona?”
“Uh huh.” He glanced at the door, hoping no one would walk in and catch him talking to a plastic dinosaur.
“I heard the women on Pomona are… nice.” With a flick of her wrist, the damn toy actually seemed to be leering knowingly at him.
Jayne’s face darkened at the mention of Pomona. “How’s about we change the subject, Rex?”
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to presume. I just figured that since River was able to find some male company, than you wouldn’t have any trouble-“
“What?” If Jayne’s face was dark before, it was a full on storm now. His fists clenched.
“Oh yeah,” Rex said, casually. “The crazy girl and Kaylee went out for ice cream and some young dandy offered her a sundae, his treat. Nice lookin’ kid, too.”
This game wasn’t fun no more. He was picking up his magazine and just lifting out of his seat when she continued, “Seemed real heartbroken when she told him she had her own money.”
A smile twitched at the corner of Jayne’s mouth and he sat down. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Kaylee’s been teasing her about it ever since. She thinks River didn’t know what he meant by it.”
“But she knew,” Jayne said, feeling proud for some reason.
“She sure did. So you’re tellin’ me that on a planet where a girl can just walk into an ice cream shop and get picked up, a strapping guy like you was hurtin’ on female company?”
Jayne was silent. He’d gone looking, sure. But not many whores on Pomona had dark hair. And whenever he found one, she’d had the wrong body type. It took hours to find a dark-haired skinny minny and when he had, her eyes were all wrong. He’d ended up going back to the ship, frustrated and angry with himself.
“I looked around and didn’t find anything I liked,” Jayne said, honestly.
“C’mon, I saw you go out in that ugly shirt of yours and you were gone for hours.”
With a loud click everything snapped into place. She was just checkin’ up on- Wait.
“What ugly shirt? You mean my good shirt?!”
“That stripey thing with the sleeves.”
“My good shirt! It ain’t ugly!”
“Pffft.”
Jayne snarled. “Now you listen up good, missy-“
“I ain’t no ‘missy!’” Rex exclaimed indignantly.
“I’m talkin’ to River dammit and I’m callin’ this game to a stop as of right now!” He couldn’t see her but he could tell she was pouting. Gorram girl. “I went out in my good shirt, yes. But I didn’t find anyone I wanted to make time with, dong ma? So drop it!”
There was a long silence. Jayne began to feel a teensy bit guilty for yelling and started to look under the table again, but was stopped once more.
“Oh, hey! A puppet show! Why didn’t anyone call me?” Wash bounced into the room and set about making some tea.
“Because they were not shadow puppets,” River answered.
Wash laughed. “Good point. You know, you’re gettin' to be a real cat burglar, River. I was in the cockpit all day and I didn’t even see you snatch Rex, there.”
River finally stood up and looked at Jayne for the first time. With surprise, he noticed that she must’ve been crying earlier in the day; her eyes were all bloodshot. He really didn’t want to believe it was because of him, but he knew better.
“I’ll go put him back now,” she said over her shoulder to Wash. She looked back to Jayne and smiled softly. “He knows his place.”
Jayne watched her dash out of the room and frowned. Was she…? Did she just…? Naw, she didn’t just claim him. Jayne was his own man and he didn’t have to answer to anybody, least of all some addle-brained girl.
Wash sat down across from Jayne and he could feel the pilot looking at him. But when he snapped his head around to catch him, Wash was sipping his tea, looking like he was trying not to smile.
END
Previous < Umbrella : Next > Reflex Hammer
