(no subject)
Title: Baby
Series: "When I Grow Up"
Author: Aurieal
Rating: PG
Pairings: Jayne/River
Summary: When I grow up, I want a baby. I'm gonna name it after Ralph Stanley. And I sure won't mind when it cries all night, just as long as it looks like me.
Lady
Pony
Cowboy
River gazed silently out at the black nothing before her, the stars twinkling softly in the distance. It was peaceful on the bridge when everyone was sleeping. Quiet and still, everything the 'day' wasn't.
"What're you still doing up, lil girl?" Mal asked as he stepped onto the bridge to give Serenity a once-over before shutting down for the night. River smiled at him, curling her knees to her chest.
"Not a little girl. Nearly eighteen."
"Alright," Mal nodded. "Still don't tell me why you ain't in bed."
"Your Albatross has something she wishes to discuss with her Captain Daddy."
Mal sat down in the co-pilot's chair, crossing his arms and gazing at her solemnly. She certainly had grown up. Ever since Miranda... "Go on, then. I'm listening."
"She would like... I would like... permission to procreate," she said clearly, watching Mal with wary eyes. He blinked at her. "She would like to reproduce. With Jayne." Another blink. "Please," she amended.
"Don't you think that maybe...just maybe... you ought to be takin' this up with Jayne? 'Cause there ain't no way I can help you there, girl."
River sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "Her Cowboy fears expulsion from the airlock. He will not kiss his Beauty. He will not even touch his Beauty. She is asking Captain Daddy to supply her Cowboy with permission to court his Albatross."
Mal sighed, folding his hands behind his head and gazing up at the ceiling. "You really like that piece of go se?"
"I do," she whispered. He sighed again. So much for his 'no romance' rule.
"...I'll talk to him tomorrow." River squealed and threw herself in his lap to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you, thank you, Captain Daddy!" she cried, leaping from his lap and dancing around the bridge. Mal sighed. Again. He was going to regret this, he just knew it.
"Jayne," Mal said, stalking through the cargo bay. "We're needin' to have us some words." Jayne glanced up from watching River dance around in the pointy shoes 'Nara found somewhere.
"Whatever it was, I ain't the one that done it. Been sittin' there the whole time," he insisted, following Mal into the mess. He flopped down into a chair and eyed the captain warily. "...So what's this about?"
"S'bout you 'n' my lil albatross," Mal answered, crossing his arms and looking every bit the role of 'big, scary captain-man.' Jayne's eyes went wide.
"Ain't nothin' goin' on 'tween me 'n' the moonbrain. I ain't touched her."
"Seems that's the problem," Mal replied, sliding into the chair across from Jayne. "River asked me last night to give you permission to court her."
Jayne's eyes got big. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so disturbing. "What... What did you tell 'er?" he asked slowly. Mal regarded him silently for a moment.
"...Told 'er I would. So. You got my permission." He pushed himself up, stomping towards the door. Jayne blinked.
"Mal!" he called after him, standing quickly. Mal glanced over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow. "...Thanks."
He smirked at Jayne and left the mess, leaving the other man to his thoughts.
Dinner was awkward. Jayne and River kept looking at each other when they thought nobody was paying attention. Neither spoke. Neither glanced up from their food except to look at each other. And when they finished eating, they silently cleared their places and left the mess together.
"...Anyone else find that all manners of creepifyin'?" Zoe finally asked. Everyone nodded. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. 'Fraid I was the only one."
Jayne and River paused outside of River's bedroom. Jayne stuffed his hands nervously in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot. River gazed up at him serenely.
"So I had a chat with th' captain today," Jayne said. River smiled.
"What did you talk about?" she asked softly, taking a step closer to him. He swallowed hard.
"'Bout you. He said I could...court ya."
"Not interested in courting," she told him quietly. His face visibly fell. She touched his cheek, giving him a wicked smile. "Interested in exploring the intimate side of human relationships." Jayne gazed at her stupidly.
"Yer interested in bein'...intimate? Like...sexin'?" River nodded, and his eyes went glassy. She giggled quietly, taking his hand and tugging him into her room.
"We should get started. I will need many lessons," she whispered. Jayne groaned.
"Ta ma de."
"I'm planning on it."
Epilogue
River was glowing with happiness as she gazed across the land from the front porch of her home. Her hand idly rubbed her growing bump of a stomach, feeling the life within her. The little one had woken her up earlier than usual, so she'd stepped outside to watch the sunrise. Her bare toes curled in the dewy grass as she stepped from the porch and lifted her face to the sky.
"Baby girl, whatchu doin' up already?" the gruff voice her husband asked as his arms encircled her waist.
"Your son wanted to watch the sunrise," she told him, leaning into his embrace. He crooned in her ear, hands splaying across her stomach.
"Whatchu doin', wakin' yer Mama up, little man? She needs to get her rest." River smiled, turning her head to kiss him sweetly.
"It's alright. Knew you would be awake soon anyways to mind the horses." She snuggled closer, kissing him again. "Couldn't sleep without my Jayne beside me." He ran his hands up and down her sides, nuzzling against her neck.
"Love you, baby girl," he whispered.
"Love my Cowboy," she replied tenderly, smiling as the sun peaked over the horizon.
Series: "When I Grow Up"
Author: Aurieal
Rating: PG
Pairings: Jayne/River
Summary: When I grow up, I want a baby. I'm gonna name it after Ralph Stanley. And I sure won't mind when it cries all night, just as long as it looks like me.
Lady
Pony
Cowboy
River gazed silently out at the black nothing before her, the stars twinkling softly in the distance. It was peaceful on the bridge when everyone was sleeping. Quiet and still, everything the 'day' wasn't.
"What're you still doing up, lil girl?" Mal asked as he stepped onto the bridge to give Serenity a once-over before shutting down for the night. River smiled at him, curling her knees to her chest.
"Not a little girl. Nearly eighteen."
"Alright," Mal nodded. "Still don't tell me why you ain't in bed."
"Your Albatross has something she wishes to discuss with her Captain Daddy."
Mal sat down in the co-pilot's chair, crossing his arms and gazing at her solemnly. She certainly had grown up. Ever since Miranda... "Go on, then. I'm listening."
"She would like... I would like... permission to procreate," she said clearly, watching Mal with wary eyes. He blinked at her. "She would like to reproduce. With Jayne." Another blink. "Please," she amended.
"Don't you think that maybe...just maybe... you ought to be takin' this up with Jayne? 'Cause there ain't no way I can help you there, girl."
River sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "Her Cowboy fears expulsion from the airlock. He will not kiss his Beauty. He will not even touch his Beauty. She is asking Captain Daddy to supply her Cowboy with permission to court his Albatross."
Mal sighed, folding his hands behind his head and gazing up at the ceiling. "You really like that piece of go se?"
"I do," she whispered. He sighed again. So much for his 'no romance' rule.
"...I'll talk to him tomorrow." River squealed and threw herself in his lap to kiss his cheek.
"Thank you, thank you, Captain Daddy!" she cried, leaping from his lap and dancing around the bridge. Mal sighed. Again. He was going to regret this, he just knew it.
"Jayne," Mal said, stalking through the cargo bay. "We're needin' to have us some words." Jayne glanced up from watching River dance around in the pointy shoes 'Nara found somewhere.
"Whatever it was, I ain't the one that done it. Been sittin' there the whole time," he insisted, following Mal into the mess. He flopped down into a chair and eyed the captain warily. "...So what's this about?"
"S'bout you 'n' my lil albatross," Mal answered, crossing his arms and looking every bit the role of 'big, scary captain-man.' Jayne's eyes went wide.
"Ain't nothin' goin' on 'tween me 'n' the moonbrain. I ain't touched her."
"Seems that's the problem," Mal replied, sliding into the chair across from Jayne. "River asked me last night to give you permission to court her."
Jayne's eyes got big. It would have been funny, if it wasn't so disturbing. "What... What did you tell 'er?" he asked slowly. Mal regarded him silently for a moment.
"...Told 'er I would. So. You got my permission." He pushed himself up, stomping towards the door. Jayne blinked.
"Mal!" he called after him, standing quickly. Mal glanced over his shoulder and arched an eyebrow. "...Thanks."
He smirked at Jayne and left the mess, leaving the other man to his thoughts.
Dinner was awkward. Jayne and River kept looking at each other when they thought nobody was paying attention. Neither spoke. Neither glanced up from their food except to look at each other. And when they finished eating, they silently cleared their places and left the mess together.
"...Anyone else find that all manners of creepifyin'?" Zoe finally asked. Everyone nodded. Zoe breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. 'Fraid I was the only one."
Jayne and River paused outside of River's bedroom. Jayne stuffed his hands nervously in his pockets, shifting from foot to foot. River gazed up at him serenely.
"So I had a chat with th' captain today," Jayne said. River smiled.
"What did you talk about?" she asked softly, taking a step closer to him. He swallowed hard.
"'Bout you. He said I could...court ya."
"Not interested in courting," she told him quietly. His face visibly fell. She touched his cheek, giving him a wicked smile. "Interested in exploring the intimate side of human relationships." Jayne gazed at her stupidly.
"Yer interested in bein'...intimate? Like...sexin'?" River nodded, and his eyes went glassy. She giggled quietly, taking his hand and tugging him into her room.
"We should get started. I will need many lessons," she whispered. Jayne groaned.
"Ta ma de."
"I'm planning on it."
Epilogue
River was glowing with happiness as she gazed across the land from the front porch of her home. Her hand idly rubbed her growing bump of a stomach, feeling the life within her. The little one had woken her up earlier than usual, so she'd stepped outside to watch the sunrise. Her bare toes curled in the dewy grass as she stepped from the porch and lifted her face to the sky.
"Baby girl, whatchu doin' up already?" the gruff voice her husband asked as his arms encircled her waist.
"Your son wanted to watch the sunrise," she told him, leaning into his embrace. He crooned in her ear, hands splaying across her stomach.
"Whatchu doin', wakin' yer Mama up, little man? She needs to get her rest." River smiled, turning her head to kiss him sweetly.
"It's alright. Knew you would be awake soon anyways to mind the horses." She snuggled closer, kissing him again. "Couldn't sleep without my Jayne beside me." He ran his hands up and down her sides, nuzzling against her neck.
"Love you, baby girl," he whispered.
"Love my Cowboy," she replied tenderly, smiling as the sun peaked over the horizon.