toxic_corn (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
toxic_corn) wrote2007-01-25 01:13 pm
toxic_corn) wrote2007-01-25 01:13 pm
Entry tags:
Firefly Fic: The Present (River/Jayne), R: Chapter Six
Series: The Present
Title: Chapter Six (6/11)
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
toxic_corn
Rating: R
Pairing: River/Jayne
Disclaimer: Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon. I own nothing and earn no money from this.
Summary: A mysterious package from Jayne's past will change the course of his future.
Notes: Another AU. This time, I didn't kill the crew. :D Everything is pretty much the same except River and Simon aren't on board the ship. At least, not right away.
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
CHAPTER SIX
Just as Kat had said, Jayne found River at their old spot. Since they had started high school in the fall, he and River hadn't been spending much time there. Well, that wasn't exactly true. They hadn't been in these woods together in years. River had said something about disrupting the sanctity of the spot with their everyday worries and that it should be saved exclusively for when either of them felt terrible about the 'verse in general.
Now that he thought about it, it kinda worried him that River needed to be here. What had her so upset? Guiltily, he knew he should know what was on her mind. But he'd started playing sports in school and his pop had him working in the factory on the weekends so that didn't leave a whole lot of time for River. And he missed her.
River was sitting on their old picnic blanket, curled up with a book in her lap. He smiled at the sight of her. Over the summer, she'd rebelled against her father and bought pretty colored sundresses, skirts, and blouses so now she looked like a flower rather than a stern little librarian. Barefoot and dressed in pink suited River just fine.
"Hey, Riv," he called out to her. She looked up and he grinned at the brilliant smile on her face.
"Jayne! What are you doing here?" She set her book aside and patted the blanket, encouraging him to take a seat.
"Well, I was lookin' for ya because I wanted your help with somethin'." Jayne sat down, watching her carefully.
She looked disappointed. "Oh. What did you need help with?"
"I wanted t' know the proper way to ask someone to the spring dance." Jayne bit his lip when she looked away from him.
"I... don't really know much about that; boys don't ask me to dances. I'm too young." She nervously tugged at a lock of her hair.
Jayne frowned. "Well, how would you ask if you was me?"
For a moment she was silent, thinking. Finally, she sat up a little. "I would say, 'Sabrina Reese, would you do me the honor of attending the Spring Dance with me?'"
"Sabrina Reese?!" Jayne's jaw dropped. "Why the hell would you ask her?"
"I wouldn't," River snapped. "I was pretending to be you. Everyone knows about you and Sabrina."
Sabrina Reese? Yeah, Jayne had kissed her under the bleachers a few times but that was it. He'd never taken her home to meet his ma and pa or beaten up bullies to protect her or dreamt about her.
"Thing about me 'n Sabrina is that there ain't no me 'n Sabrina," Jayne said. "So are you gonna keep bein' pissy with me or are ya gonna answer one more question for me?"
"I'll answer your question," River said stiffly.
Jayne held his breath a moment before letting it out slowly. "River Tam, would you do me the honor of attending the Spring Dance with me?"
Her face turned pink as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Me?" she squeaked, pointing to herself.
"You're the only River Tam I know," Jayne said with a little smile.
Shyly, she lowered her gaze to her lap. "Well... all right." She looked back up at him, smiling brightly. "I'd love to."
Jayne grinned so hard he knew his face was going to hurt later. "Yeah? Okay. I'll pick ya up Friday at six o'clock." He started to scramble to his feet. "By the way, I uh... sorta voted for you for Miss Apple Blossom."
"You did?" Her face turned a darker shade of red. "I don't even know how I got nominated in the first pl-" She saw the sheepish look on his face and sighed. "Of course."
"You're gonna win," Jayne said, confidently. "I gotta get to the factory now. I'll see ya in school, okay?"
River nodded, smiling. "See you in school."
~*~
Jayne rang the bell of the Tam house and adjusted his tie nervously. He never thought he'd be as grateful to Simon as he was now. When River's brother had found out about the dance, he'd rush delivered a suit, saving Jayne from having to wear one of his pa's old suits that were way too big on him.
The door was opened by Mr. Tam. "Jayne! Good evening, come inside."
He'd never come in the front door before and he did so now with a great feeling of unease. If only he could've come in through the kitchen, chatted a little with Kat, and then he and River could be on their way.
"What time does this function end?" Mr. Tam asked.
Jayne wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead. "Uh, nine o'clock, sir. I'll have River home right after."
"Good man." Mr. Tam clapped him on the shoulder and Jayne smiled robotically.
Mrs. Tam came down the stairs and smiled upon seeing him. "Hello, Jayne. River's almost ready. It was very sweet of you to ask her to the dance; she's so much younger than all the other children, I'm afraid she tends to get overlooked when it comes to these sorts of things."
"She was my first choice," Jayne said, honestly. He blushed when the Tams shared an amused look.
"That's good to hear," Mr. Tam said, nodding. "River! Come on now, don't keep your date waiting!"
"I'm coming!" she called.
For years afterward, Jayne would recall that moment when she first came out on the landing. Her white dress looked sweet and innocent and made her look like a little bride. It didn't have a ridiculous train or anything like that, but the blush staining her cheeks and neck added to the idea that she was about to get married. And Jayne knew right then that one day he'd ask her.
"Is that for me?" River asked when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Huh?" Jayne asked.
She nodded at the pink flower he was holding. "That. Is that for me?"
"Oh." He looked at it stupidly then shook himself. "Yeah. Here."
She accepted it with a soft smile of thanks. "Mother, could you put it in my hair?"
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Tam stepped forward and tucked the delicate flower behind her daughter's ear. "There. It looks lovely."
Beaming, River took Jayne's arm and smiled up at him. He managed a shaky smile back in response.
"Oh, Gabriel, they're so adorable," Mrs. Tam said, clasping her hands. "Let's take some pictures!"
Mr. Tam and Jayne rolled their eyes at the same time and then grinned at each other.
~*~
Jayne hadn't thought he'd have much fun at the dance but he was proving himself wrong. River was the best dancer there and had the most energy so they'd been twirling around most of the night, laughing and talking. They hadn't been able to see much of each other that year due to River getting placed in all the smart kid classes and Jayne ending up in all the average joe courses but they seemed to be making up for it as they danced and talked and laughed with each other.
Then the student body president got up on the stage and interrupted the fiddlers. "Excuse me, could I have everyone's attention, please? It's time to announce who won Miss Apple Blossom."
Everyone quieted down, but all of the students buzzed with excitement.
Jayne squeezed her side excitedly. "Here it comes, Riv."
"I'm not going to win, Jayne," River said, but looked hopeful all the same.
One of the band members started the drum roll as the president opened up the sealed envelope that had just been handed to him. "And, this year's Miss Apple Blossom is...."
The whole room held its collective breath.
"Sabrina Reese!"
River ducked her head in disappointment as everyone applauded. "See? I told you."
"Aw, River." Jayne turned her to face him but she looked off in another direction. So he took her chin in his hand to make her look up at him. "You're the only girl in here who looks anything like an apple blossom."
"I do?"
"Yeah. You're all... white and pink and... pretty." He pulled her a little closer. "You're my apple blossom."
She smiled. "I am?"
Jayne nodded. "Yeah."
"I think that's much better than being Miss Apple Blossom." She hugged him tight and he hugged her back, ignoring Sabrina Reese's lengthy acceptance speech.
~*~
"Thank you for asking me to the dance, Jayne. I had fun." River looked up at him, smiling warmly.
"Thanks for goin' with me," he answered then licked his lips. "Listen, I was thinkin'... the diner in town has the best milkshakes. Would you wanna maybe go there after school with me sometime?"
River nodded. "Yes, I would."
"That's great." Jayne's courage grew a little. "And maybe, if I was to wait outside one of your classes, you wouldn't mind if I walked ya to the next one?"
"I wouldn't mind at all," River said, softly.
"Shiny." He took a step closer. "And if I kissed you right now, would you-"
"Kiss you back?" She beamed at him and stood up on her tiptoes in expectation. He gathered her close and kissed her all soft and gentle-like until someone tapped on the front window to split them up.
They broke apart laughing.
"I'll see you Monday in school," River promised him.
Jayne nodded, backing down the steps. "Okay. See ya then, apple blossom."
Before going inside, she blew him a kiss and Jayne grinned the whole way home.
< Chapter Five : Chapter Seven >
Title: Chapter Six (6/11)
Author:
toxic_cornRating: R
Pairing: River/Jayne
Disclaimer: Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon. I own nothing and earn no money from this.
Summary: A mysterious package from Jayne's past will change the course of his future.
Notes: Another AU. This time, I didn't kill the crew. :D Everything is pretty much the same except River and Simon aren't on board the ship. At least, not right away.
Catch up on earlier chapters at the organizational post.
Just as Kat had said, Jayne found River at their old spot. Since they had started high school in the fall, he and River hadn't been spending much time there. Well, that wasn't exactly true. They hadn't been in these woods together in years. River had said something about disrupting the sanctity of the spot with their everyday worries and that it should be saved exclusively for when either of them felt terrible about the 'verse in general.
Now that he thought about it, it kinda worried him that River needed to be here. What had her so upset? Guiltily, he knew he should know what was on her mind. But he'd started playing sports in school and his pop had him working in the factory on the weekends so that didn't leave a whole lot of time for River. And he missed her.
River was sitting on their old picnic blanket, curled up with a book in her lap. He smiled at the sight of her. Over the summer, she'd rebelled against her father and bought pretty colored sundresses, skirts, and blouses so now she looked like a flower rather than a stern little librarian. Barefoot and dressed in pink suited River just fine.
"Hey, Riv," he called out to her. She looked up and he grinned at the brilliant smile on her face.
"Jayne! What are you doing here?" She set her book aside and patted the blanket, encouraging him to take a seat.
"Well, I was lookin' for ya because I wanted your help with somethin'." Jayne sat down, watching her carefully.
She looked disappointed. "Oh. What did you need help with?"
"I wanted t' know the proper way to ask someone to the spring dance." Jayne bit his lip when she looked away from him.
"I... don't really know much about that; boys don't ask me to dances. I'm too young." She nervously tugged at a lock of her hair.
Jayne frowned. "Well, how would you ask if you was me?"
For a moment she was silent, thinking. Finally, she sat up a little. "I would say, 'Sabrina Reese, would you do me the honor of attending the Spring Dance with me?'"
"Sabrina Reese?!" Jayne's jaw dropped. "Why the hell would you ask her?"
"I wouldn't," River snapped. "I was pretending to be you. Everyone knows about you and Sabrina."
Sabrina Reese? Yeah, Jayne had kissed her under the bleachers a few times but that was it. He'd never taken her home to meet his ma and pa or beaten up bullies to protect her or dreamt about her.
"Thing about me 'n Sabrina is that there ain't no me 'n Sabrina," Jayne said. "So are you gonna keep bein' pissy with me or are ya gonna answer one more question for me?"
"I'll answer your question," River said stiffly.
Jayne held his breath a moment before letting it out slowly. "River Tam, would you do me the honor of attending the Spring Dance with me?"
Her face turned pink as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Me?" she squeaked, pointing to herself.
"You're the only River Tam I know," Jayne said with a little smile.
Shyly, she lowered her gaze to her lap. "Well... all right." She looked back up at him, smiling brightly. "I'd love to."
Jayne grinned so hard he knew his face was going to hurt later. "Yeah? Okay. I'll pick ya up Friday at six o'clock." He started to scramble to his feet. "By the way, I uh... sorta voted for you for Miss Apple Blossom."
"You did?" Her face turned a darker shade of red. "I don't even know how I got nominated in the first pl-" She saw the sheepish look on his face and sighed. "Of course."
"You're gonna win," Jayne said, confidently. "I gotta get to the factory now. I'll see ya in school, okay?"
River nodded, smiling. "See you in school."
Jayne rang the bell of the Tam house and adjusted his tie nervously. He never thought he'd be as grateful to Simon as he was now. When River's brother had found out about the dance, he'd rush delivered a suit, saving Jayne from having to wear one of his pa's old suits that were way too big on him.
The door was opened by Mr. Tam. "Jayne! Good evening, come inside."
He'd never come in the front door before and he did so now with a great feeling of unease. If only he could've come in through the kitchen, chatted a little with Kat, and then he and River could be on their way.
"What time does this function end?" Mr. Tam asked.
Jayne wiped at the sweat beading on his forehead. "Uh, nine o'clock, sir. I'll have River home right after."
"Good man." Mr. Tam clapped him on the shoulder and Jayne smiled robotically.
Mrs. Tam came down the stairs and smiled upon seeing him. "Hello, Jayne. River's almost ready. It was very sweet of you to ask her to the dance; she's so much younger than all the other children, I'm afraid she tends to get overlooked when it comes to these sorts of things."
"She was my first choice," Jayne said, honestly. He blushed when the Tams shared an amused look.
"That's good to hear," Mr. Tam said, nodding. "River! Come on now, don't keep your date waiting!"
"I'm coming!" she called.
For years afterward, Jayne would recall that moment when she first came out on the landing. Her white dress looked sweet and innocent and made her look like a little bride. It didn't have a ridiculous train or anything like that, but the blush staining her cheeks and neck added to the idea that she was about to get married. And Jayne knew right then that one day he'd ask her.
"Is that for me?" River asked when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Huh?" Jayne asked.
She nodded at the pink flower he was holding. "That. Is that for me?"
"Oh." He looked at it stupidly then shook himself. "Yeah. Here."
She accepted it with a soft smile of thanks. "Mother, could you put it in my hair?"
"Of course, dear." Mrs. Tam stepped forward and tucked the delicate flower behind her daughter's ear. "There. It looks lovely."
Beaming, River took Jayne's arm and smiled up at him. He managed a shaky smile back in response.
"Oh, Gabriel, they're so adorable," Mrs. Tam said, clasping her hands. "Let's take some pictures!"
Mr. Tam and Jayne rolled their eyes at the same time and then grinned at each other.
Jayne hadn't thought he'd have much fun at the dance but he was proving himself wrong. River was the best dancer there and had the most energy so they'd been twirling around most of the night, laughing and talking. They hadn't been able to see much of each other that year due to River getting placed in all the smart kid classes and Jayne ending up in all the average joe courses but they seemed to be making up for it as they danced and talked and laughed with each other.
Then the student body president got up on the stage and interrupted the fiddlers. "Excuse me, could I have everyone's attention, please? It's time to announce who won Miss Apple Blossom."
Everyone quieted down, but all of the students buzzed with excitement.
Jayne squeezed her side excitedly. "Here it comes, Riv."
"I'm not going to win, Jayne," River said, but looked hopeful all the same.
One of the band members started the drum roll as the president opened up the sealed envelope that had just been handed to him. "And, this year's Miss Apple Blossom is...."
The whole room held its collective breath.
"Sabrina Reese!"
River ducked her head in disappointment as everyone applauded. "See? I told you."
"Aw, River." Jayne turned her to face him but she looked off in another direction. So he took her chin in his hand to make her look up at him. "You're the only girl in here who looks anything like an apple blossom."
"I do?"
"Yeah. You're all... white and pink and... pretty." He pulled her a little closer. "You're my apple blossom."
She smiled. "I am?"
Jayne nodded. "Yeah."
"I think that's much better than being Miss Apple Blossom." She hugged him tight and he hugged her back, ignoring Sabrina Reese's lengthy acceptance speech.
"Thank you for asking me to the dance, Jayne. I had fun." River looked up at him, smiling warmly.
"Thanks for goin' with me," he answered then licked his lips. "Listen, I was thinkin'... the diner in town has the best milkshakes. Would you wanna maybe go there after school with me sometime?"
River nodded. "Yes, I would."
"That's great." Jayne's courage grew a little. "And maybe, if I was to wait outside one of your classes, you wouldn't mind if I walked ya to the next one?"
"I wouldn't mind at all," River said, softly.
"Shiny." He took a step closer. "And if I kissed you right now, would you-"
"Kiss you back?" She beamed at him and stood up on her tiptoes in expectation. He gathered her close and kissed her all soft and gentle-like until someone tapped on the front window to split them up.
They broke apart laughing.
"I'll see you Monday in school," River promised him.
Jayne nodded, backing down the steps. "Okay. See ya then, apple blossom."
Before going inside, she blew him a kiss and Jayne grinned the whole way home.
< Chapter Five : Chapter Seven >
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Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih!!!
Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih!!!
*squees*
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: ) *big smiles*
I so needed just that today! : )
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Also?
"Yeah. You're all... white and pink and... pretty." He pulled her a little closer.
*dies*
Is it wrong that I see this scene way too clearly?
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I can't wait to see how things are in the present. *Pets angst-y!Jayne*
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*thud*
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Aw, he's so cute with the flirting and the dancing and miss apple blossom nominations...*hugs lil!Jayne*
I have a bad feeling, though. She does end up crazy, after all.
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*sigh* (Also, sorry I got behind on the commenting. Schoolwork and the diseases that are more like viruses--influenza's a virus, right?--got the better of me. But see, I comment now!)
Your stories are always so... idyllic, even when they're angsty. I sort of wish I knew that kind of existence.
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Idyllic angst? That's an interesting concept. *ponders that*
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Yeah, that's it...>:0)
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Oh the Sweetness!!
And I just know that because of all the sweetness in this chapter, I am so going to cry when we get back to the Angst filled chapters!!!
But I so love the tooth ache this chapter gave me from all the sweetness! Totally worth it!!!
Re: Oh the Sweetness!!
Re: Oh the Sweetness!!
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Mega lols for Simon sending the suit, and Gabriel's "Dad=interogation" and window tapping!
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