Rayne fic for [livejournal.com profile] mystic_notions's request

Sep. 14th, 2006 11:31 am
toxic_corn: Summer Glau is pretty. (cute jayne&river)
[personal profile] toxic_corn
Title: 5 Times River Thinks Jayne Isn’t the Man for Her (And 5 Times She Knows He Is)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine. They're Joss's. I make no money. Don't sue.
Notes: Again with the Five fic meme. I'm winding down for awhile to finish other fics I've started but if I get your request, I promise to get on it as soon as I can.

For [livejournal.com profile] mystic_notions


1. Slightly Snobby


“So then I felt that any superfluous motion would upset the balance and I – You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”


Jayne jerked guiltily. “I’m listenin’!”


“You’re the one who asked about my day,” River said, struggling to keep her voice from sounding angry. “I didn’t mean to bore you.”


He glanced away from her sheepishly. “Well, it’s hard to follow when you use all them fancy words.”


River opened her mouth but closed it again. How could she argue with him? She knew going into this relationship that Jayne wasn’t her intellectual equal. It never seemed to matter before but now… Why was she even with this man?


During her dejected ponderings, Jayne had gotten defensive, muttering to himself. “Got no need for all them big words. Only one word that means a gorramn thing to me, anyway.”


“What would that be?” River asked. Food? Trim? Vera?


Jayne looked startled that she’d heard him and hesitated before answering. “River.”


“Yes?”


“No, that’s it. I only need to know River.”


His honest response brought tears of shame to her eyes. “Jayne, will you promise me something?”


“Yeah,” he said without having to stop and think about it, further twisting her heart.


“Don’t ever change.”


END


2. Yes, Jayne, It’s the Bubbles


They’d only been on this dusty moon ten minutes and Jayne had already cornered a whore.


Everyone at the table kept glancing at her, wondering when she was going to act. They seemed puzzled as to why she wasn’t over there, ripping the brazen hussy’s bleached blonde hair out by the roots. And normally, she would be doing just that. Her man attracted a lot of attention and it wouldn’t be the first time she had to fight to stake her claim.


But he’d been the one to initiate contact with the whore, not the other way around. That changed things.


River stared down into her drink, blinking rapidly when her vision started to blur. It all seemed so childish now. As if she and Jayne were going to last for all time, living happily ever after on Serenity. It had only been a matter of time before he got bored of her and she’d been a fool to think this day would never come.


She was shocked by how much it hurt, though. Couldn’t he have at least had the decency to break up with her before finding someone else?


“Babydoll! Finish yer drink ‘n let’s go!”


Startled, River looked up into Jayne’s beaming face, unsure that she’d heard him correctly. “What?”


“Come on! I was talkin’ t’ Cheyenne over there and she’s lettin’ us use one o’ the rooms upstairs for tonight!” He bounced on the balls of his feet. “They got real hot tubs and everything.”


River shuddered in relief and wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezing tightly. “That sounds wonderful.”


Pleased, Jayne stroked her hair. “Wow, you must really like them bubbles, huh?”


END


3. Throwing in the Towel


After so long, River was finally ready to give up: Jayne was never going to notice her. She could dress herself up fancy and drop hints left and right and get as much alone time with him as she could and he wasn’t going to see her as anything but the doctor’s not-as-crazy-as-she-used-to-be sister.


She headed to her room for a quick nap, deciding that the next time a nice gentleman tried to buy her a drink, she’d take him up on his offer for once. It seemed silly to reject a man on the hope that a blind man would no-


“Ahhh!” she cried out in surprise, jumping back a few steps.


Jayne jumped as well, dropping the flower and folded paper he’d been holding onto the floor. “Jesus! Why ya gotta go screamin’ in a little space, girl?!”


“What are you doing in my room?” River countered, trying to calm herself down.


“I was just, uh…” He bent and scooped up the articles he dropped, shoving them behind his back. “Nothin’. I was leavin’.”


“What are you hiding?” River asked.


“Nothin’!” Jayne insisted and tried to edge by her.


Like a flash, River snatched the paper out of his hand and unfolded it.


“Give it!” Jayne snapped and made a grab for it. But she hopped away so she was standing on the bed, holding him off with one of her long dancer’s legs.


“Dear River,” she read aloud. “Please do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight. Love Jayne.” She stared at it a long moment and let her foot drop so Jayne reached over and grabbed it belatedly. “Is this a joke?”


Jayne turned red. “’parrently.”


“I thought you didn’t like me,” River said, trying to figure out what was going on here. “You’ve never seemed to notice me before.”


Jayne realized she wasn’t screaming at him or laughing at him so he relaxed a little. “Oh, I’ve noticed ya.”


She ducked her head for a moment to hide her pleased smile and then peeked up at him through strands of her hair. “You’ve never said anything.”


“Yeah, well.” Jayne rubbed at the back of his neck. “You started dressin’ up all fine so’s it looked like you were aimin’ higher than sumbitches like me.”


River found she couldn’t respond for a moment. Her heart was pounding so hard she wouldn’t have been surprised that everyone up on the bridge could hear it. “What… what made you try asking me anyway?”


He made a face. “Yer brother had a talk with me.”


Wo de ma,” River said, pressing her palm to her face. “What did he say??”


“That’s ‘tween him and me,” Jayne said. He unfolded his note and looked at it while he gruffly asked, “So you wanna have dinner with me tonight or not?”


“I do,” River said, softly.


Jayne’s tightened features relaxed. “All right. Guess I’ll just… meet ya in the bay when it’s time to eat.”


River nodded. “That sounds nice.”


He shuffled off to leave but then stopped and handed her the red rose clenched in his fist. “Almost forgot. This is for you.”


Smiling, she accepted it and breathed in its gorgeous scent. “It’s lovely, Jayne. Thank you.”


“Yeah.” He gave her a half smile and then left before he could make a fool of himself.


With a squeal, River threw herself onto the bed and sniffed the rose again before beating her heels excitedly against the mattress. She had the best big brother in the ‘verse.


But they were still going to have a long talk.


END

Note: I just couldn't let But You Don't See Me end as such a sad fic so this here was the follow up. That's right, I am a sap for happy endings, why do you ask?


4. Let Go


River sifted through all the old captures with a sad smile on her face. She and Kenny at the carnival, Kenny at the helm while she sat in his lap, the two of them asleep on the couch in the common room. She dropped them into the box, along with some of the gifts he’d given her over the years and a few of his belongings she’d kept when they’d gotten the news last year. The thought still made her heart hurt. Kenny had been her first everything and to have that taken away…


She had Jayne now but sometimes it felt like she was using the big man as a replacement. He could surprise her with how gentle he could really be, but he didn’t have Kenny’s sensitivity, that understanding she’d had with him which meant she didn’t need to go to great lengths to explain herself like she felt she had to do with Jayne. He tried and she loved him for it but…


“What’re ya doin’?” The man in question stood in the doorway, watching her carefully.


“I was just putting these things away,” River said softly. She opened her closet door and shoved the box into the far corner of the closet. Before she could shut it again, Jayne had come in and halted her movement.


“What is it?”


“Just… some old things.” She wished he’d just let this drop.


“Kenny’s stuff?”


River pursed her lips before answering. “Yes.”


“Why the hell didja just jam it all in the back like that? Jesus woman, show some respect.”


To say she was surprised would be a gross understatement. “What?”


“The boy was your first love,” Jayne said, opening the closet door fully. “I know ya care about me ‘n all but yer still in love with him.” He grabbed the box and moved it closer to the front of the closet. “He’s in yer thoughts so he should go closer to the front here. So you don’t forget him trying to make me happy.”


River stared at him for a long moment, wondering how she could’ve grossly misjudged him. “Jayne?”


“Yeah.” He stared down at the box of Kenny artifacts.


She linked her fingers with his and gently nudged the box back into the corner of the closet. “I’m not going to forget him,” she said softly. “But I do need to make room for somebody else.”


Jayne hazarded a glance at her and seemed staggered by all the love shining in her face.


“I’m sorry I’ve made you feel second to a dead man,” she said. “Can you forgive me?”


“Ain’t nothin’ to-” But he saw that she really needed him to take this seriously and said, “Yeah, I forgive ya.”


River launched herself into his arms and kissed his cheek. He wasn’t Kenny. But he was Jayne. And that was so much better.


END


5. Domestic Troubles?


“I stay here all day looking after your progeny!” River said in a stage whisper, not wanting to scare the children.


“It’s not like yer all alone, you got Ma to help ya!” Jayne’s tone was just as hushed and just as angry as her own.


“She can’t be here all the time! Not only do I raise your children, I keep this house from falling apart, keep my medication straight so I don’t terrify Nettie again by having an episode, and I volunteer at the school when they need me! I don’t have time to make sure your supper is on the table whenever you decide to breeze back home!”


Jayne stared at her in stunned surprise. “Breeze back home? Woman, that ain’t fair ‘n you know it! We both agreed that me workin’ out in the black made more money and was safer than workin’ in the mines here! Wouldja rather I went down in those holes ‘n worked until I got damplung like Mattie ‘n came home tired everyday, too tired for playing with the kids or to love you right?!”


“At least you’d be home.” River ran from the room and shut herself up into their bedroom.


She and Jayne had never argued like that before and it seemed that they were about due for one. It looked like they’d both been sitting on a lot that was bothering them. She sighed and dropped to the bed, rubbing tiredly at her eyes.


Maybe getting married had been a mistake. This whole arrangement was so tiring and heartbreaking, getting used to having Jayne home and having him leave so soon again. She might just cut her losses and ask for a divorce if it weren’t for the children. And if she didn’t love Jayne so much that it hurt.


The door opened and tiny footsteps patted over to the bed. “Mommy?”


Their youngest, little Nettie, looked at her with Jayne’s eyes. She clambered onto the bed next to River and curled up with her head on Jayne’s pillow.


“My Nettie,” River said, reaching out a hand to gently tweak one of her daughter’s dark braids.


“You made Daddy sad,” Nettie said, not quite accusingly. “He thinks you don’t love him anymore.”


River frowned. “Did he tell you that?” Manipulating her through the children didn’t sound like something he’d do but…


“No,” Nettie said, relieving her of her worry. “I can just tell by looking at him that you made him sad. He’s trying to act like he’s okay but we’re not dumb.”


She knew that behavior well, had seen it before, and it never failed to break her heart. “Oh, dear,” she sighed.


Nettie was yanking at the covers so she could slip under them. “Uh huh. You should go tell ‘im you’re sorry. You always tell me an’ Jamey you shouldn’t go ta bed angry.”


“That’s right, I do always say that. I guess I’d better take my own advice then.”


“Guess you’d better.” Nettie’s voice was muffled from where she’d ducked her head under the covers.


River found Jayne in the kitchen stirring something in a bowl while their son Jamey stood on a chair nearby, stuffing bread into the toaster.


“Ma, we’re havin’ breakfast for dinner,” Jamey said, beaming proudly. “Pop says Cobb men hafta help their women when they can so me ‘n him are makin’ dinner for ya.”


“That sounds delicious,” River said, not taking her eyes from Jayne. “Jamey, I think you left your bike in the driveway, could you go put it in the shed before it gets stolen again?”


Jamey looked doubtfully at the toaster before seeming to decide that the bread would heat up fine without his supervision. “’Kay.” He ran from the room at top speed and slammed the front door behind him.


“I’m sorry,” River said. “I miss you when you’re gone and I just…”


Jayne set the bowl on the table and pulled her into his arms, setting his chin on her head. “Naw, it’s okay. I’m sorry for harpin’ at you about dinner when you already do everything around here. It wouldn’t kill me to help out when I can I s’pose.”


“Can I get that in writing?” River teased.


He tickled her side until she giggled and begged for mercy. Then he released her and gave her a swat on the butt that turned into an affectionate caress.


“Go lay down for awhile,” Jayne said. “I’ll bring you dinner when it’s ready.”


“Bring Nettie’s too,” River said. She blew him a kiss and went back to the bedroom, where Nettie made a tiny lump in the center of the bed.


“Move over,” River ordered her and poked the Nettie lump so it giggled and scooched over to make room. “Daddy’s making dinner.”


“It’s eggs, huh?”


“Yes, how did you know?”


“It’s the only thing he knows how to make.”


They both giggled and cuddled under the covers waiting for their breakfast-dinner in bed.


END

Date: 2006-09-14 07:12 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] princat.livejournal.com
Much love for these. Especially since a couple of these make me feel better- that I'm not the only one that goes through these moments with the signif other...:)

So lovely

Date: 2006-09-14 07:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annabelleofga.livejournal.com
These are so beautiful. Everyone underestimates Jayne, it seems.

#1- You captured perfectly how just one word from the one you love can make you feel all squishy and glowy inside. I love that Jayne made River realize that her priorities had gotten out of order.

#2- Again, no one ever expects Thoughtful!Jayne. Jayne + whorehouse = Faithful? That made me grin with surprise. Now I can go think about Jayne + Tub o'Bubbles = Drooling Hotness. More grins :)

#3- Aww! I really like Simon now. He really is the best brother ever. Wish one of mine would fix me up with the man of my dreams. Oh, wait, he's fictional.

#4- Dearest Kenny, Gone but not forgotten....why? I guess some people actually prefer Vanilla. And Puppies.
*Last sentence - perfect!!

#5- Fantastic domestic realism. True love always has some bumps in the road. You made this beautiful and honest. Wives get snippy when they don't get enough attention and/or appreciation. Jayne is so the perfect man. Thanks for sharing with us {smooches!}

Date: 2006-09-14 08:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Thank you. I've never been married but I try to write these with the viewpoint of what married life would be like for me. I'm actually relieved to find that I have a somewhat realistic idea of how that would be. :)

Re: So lovely

Date: 2006-09-14 08:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
:D Thank you so much. Like the Spanish Inquisition, no one ever expects Thoughtful!Jayne. Though in that second one, I don't think he was being so much thoughtful as psyched at the prospect of having River all to himself for the night without having everyone on the ship hear it. :P And bubbles!

*wipes at smooched cheek and giggles* Aw, shucks.

Date: 2006-09-14 08:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] princat.livejournal.com
Oh, married life- work, work, work, understand that even when they're the trying kind they're always going to be saying dumb, annoying, insulting things- but the best of them will know instantly by your body language when they've messed up- and apologize even when they honestly don't know what they've done. :) there it is, in a nutshell.
And when they do housework- never, ever tell them that they aren't doing it 'right', some is better than none! lol

Date: 2006-09-14 11:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angel932.livejournal.com
After yesterday you will be surprised to hear that I'm GLAD you brought back poor dead Kenny one last time. And why am I glad? Because it brought out the sweetness that we all know is at the squishy chocolate center of big bad Jayne. *is a little teary*

These are all lovely, by the way!

Date: 2006-09-14 11:47 pm (UTC)
mystic_notions: (Rayne)
From: [personal profile] mystic_notions
Wow! These are all awesome and perfect to come home to after a long day at work. I love what you did with the prompt.

Date: 2006-09-15 12:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aikiariyen.livejournal.com
With a squeal, River threw herself onto the bed and sniffed the rose again before beating her heels excitedly against the mattress. She had the best big brother in the ‘verse.


But they were still going to have a long talk.


Now don't that just sound like my 'big brother'? Ahhh... and he's even studying to be a doctor. Shame I'm just not a crazy genius and he's actually a month younger than me...

Date: 2006-09-15 12:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lattelady6.livejournal.com
Those were just lovely...but my favorite was the first one. It hit just the right note. From where I read here I think Jayne just may love River. What do you think?

Date: 2006-09-15 02:45 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curi-o.livejournal.com
I love these. They are definitely all echoes of "Underneath it All" (or, you know, umm... what you called it. My dialup is awful slow for traipsin' all over the cortex 'net.), but they've all got their very own special way of makin' us remember why, exactly, we love Jayne.

P.S. *sigh* Now I know I'm beatin' a dead horse here (but we want steak!), but... the OVC for Firefly... Adam's mouth moving. (Okay, me imagining Adam's mouth moving.) And see, I was starting to turn all fangirl soft on the whole thing, too. I was starting to go, "Well, they all love him, and he is kind of funny and a really great Jayne and Joss seems to... appreciate his talents. And he is sex on legs. Maybe he's not so bad after all."

But then there was the Jayne page and I could not believe the arrogance. I tried awful hard not to just go... "Gaah! Arrogance!" but it wasn't a jump. I took a step and there arrogance was. But it's such pretty arrogance and that throws me a little, because I have always been a fool for the pretty.

You better not be up reading this, TC, when I post it. You better be in bed dreaming of naked Jaynes jumping over fences or something like that. Because six is awful damn early to be awake, and neither of us are kept wives.

Date: 2006-09-15 03:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
the squishy chocolate center of big bad Jayne

*giggles* That is the best description I've ever read. I'm glad you liked the Kenny part, I sort of have complicated feelings for the guy so it's nice that you enjoyed his send-off even if it was just for Jayne's moment. :)

Date: 2006-09-15 03:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Yay, I'm glad that you enjoyed your fic(s). I was hoping that I interpreted the prompt the way you meant it and if I didn't (sorry!) I'm glad you enjoyed the end product anyway.

Date: 2006-09-15 03:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
LOL Wow, your "big brother" is that cool, huh? My four years younger than me "big brother" is a jerk so I'm all jealous now. :P

Date: 2006-09-15 03:16 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Oh, that first one gave me trouble! I wanted River to be using lots of technobabble over something until I realized that I'm Jayne and don't know any. XD So I went the safe route and wrote the tail end of some complicated thought she was having.

From where I read here I think Jayne just may love River. What do you think?

He might. ;)

Date: 2006-09-15 03:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Yeah, I had You're Really Lovely Underneath At All in mind and chose to highlight Jayne being a jerk in different ways than was explored in that fic. (I hate being redundant and repetitive. It makes me all angrified.) But thank you, I'm glad it worked for you!

*mystified* Adam was arrogant? I don't remember, I'll have to read over the Jayne page again. And wow, naked Jayne's jumping over fences? He'd have to be real careful!

Date: 2006-09-15 03:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aikiariyen.livejournal.com
Lol. Mine's truly awesome. He'd probably do that for me if he thought it was needed, no matter if he didn't like the guy.

Date: 2006-09-15 04:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fairandbright.livejournal.com
D'awwww! Do you have any idea how amazing a writer you are? *le sigh* Everything was so perfect! This was my favorite line:

With a squeal, River threw herself onto the bed and sniffed the rose again before beating her heels excitedly against the mattress.

That is the perfect visual to accompany her excitement at Jayne finally noticing her! *loves*

Date: 2006-09-15 04:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] momin8r.livejournal.com
wonderful!!! my favorite was #4........and *sigh* over the last line......and #5 was definitely familiar...many a time i've had that same argument with my lovey hubby!!! take care :D

Date: 2006-09-15 04:31 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
*blushes* Thank you. Since I've always admired your fic, I'm going to treasure that comment and keep it in a shiny box on my bookshelf.

And that action of River's? It's what I used to do when I was a little kid and realized it was Christmas morning. XD

Date: 2006-09-15 04:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Thank you! I remember my aunt and uncle having the dinner argument so it's familiar to me as well. :P

Date: 2006-09-15 05:05 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fairandbright.livejournal.com
Haha, a date with Jayne is definitely up there with Christmas morning! :D

Date: 2006-09-15 06:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jaynedancing.livejournal.com
*Deeply appreciative silence, foot firmly on floor, not in mouth*

Date: 2006-09-15 08:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karanina.livejournal.com
Awwwwww I love the bubbles one, and the one word=River one, and dinner invitation one, they are my favs, but they're all so sweet!!!!

Date: 2006-09-15 12:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jynnantonnyx28.livejournal.com
OMG I LOVE!!! :)

"Don't ever change" <--- so sweet!

The last one was wonderful too.

Date: 2006-09-15 04:41 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ceslas.livejournal.com
#1 and #4 were just lovely! I love how your short shots inspire my plot bunny- *Hint* I got a real interesting place the two earlier Jayne moments I snurched from you to fit in. Will be posted soon (Another Five things meme- can I say that it is one of my favorite meme's ever!)

Love the 1st one again, after the third reread...going to read again....

Date: 2006-09-15 10:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Uh, glad you liked it? XD

Date: 2006-09-15 10:24 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Thank you! :)

Date: 2006-09-15 10:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
Thanks! I don't think any of us wants Jayne to change any time soon. :P

Date: 2006-09-15 10:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
*is intrigued* I inspired a fic? I can't wait to read it! I'm glad you liked these, I agree that this has been one of the best meme games ever. :D

Date: 2006-09-16 05:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curi-o.livejournal.com
Yah, I ranted about it (the OVC thing) to troy_gal in a post on the R_S page by maryordinary... actually, I wrote a lot of comments on that page. Several are humorous and some are... more opinionated than others.

Date: 2006-09-17 08:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] icebreather.livejournal.com
eee -- Jayne IS 'so much better' -- and he having the sensitivity, and fortitude, that he shows with Kenny's box -- it's no wonder we love him.
Great Nettie and Jamey in #5.

Date: 2006-09-18 04:23 am (UTC)
mystic_notions: (Default)
From: [personal profile] mystic_notions
Sorry it took me so long, I didn't get an email. You interpreted it way I had hoped you would. I didn't want to tell you how I wanted it written because I know how muses can rebel when you want them to do something, so I just left it up to you to decide how to do it.
I like your writing style so I knew you would come up with something great.

Date: 2006-09-18 04:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] toxic-corn.livejournal.com
That scene with the box actually came from this really abysmal fic I wrote back in eighth grade in which I Mary-Sued myself into a story with various pop stars. *hangs head* But I resurrected the concept for this and I think it worked.

Nettie and Jamey popping up in #5 was a subtle hint that I'd taken a long enough break from them and I needed to finish their series. :P Little boogers.

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