Rayne Fic: On My Team
Title: On My Team
Author: nutmeg610
Rating: PG - 13
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing/Characters: Jayne/River, Inara, Mal, Zoe
Prompt: #10 Perfume, from my table
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Joss Whedon does, so don't sue.
Summary: Jayne has more in common with River that he thought he did.
Author's Note: GASP! Rayne fic? Can it be so?
Warnings: This story is about Jayne lusting after Inara, so you don't like? Don't read. There'll be Rayne in it though.
An invisible perfumed curtain draws closed around him whenever she's in the room. Jayne thought of the delineation the first time she stepped onboard Serenity, even though he doesn't know what a 'delineation' is.
And he knows the rules she set forth when she agreed to rent the shuttle, but that doesn't stop him from thinking that if he just saves enough coin, Inara will change her mind and service him. But the need to send money home outweighs the need to be sexed by an honest-to-God Companion, so he waits until the day she can't take the sexual tension anymore and just throws herself at him.
Yeah, right; like that'll happen. Everyone with half a brain knows if she ever loosens up enough to throw herself at someone, it'll be Mal, not him. But he still can dream.
He's even had weird dreams where he and Inara settle down to a simple life out on a homestead somewhere. At least, he thinks it was Inara. Her hair was long, wavy, and dark, though her face and body had been fuzzy. Why did dream woman always have to be so gorram fuzzy?
A familiar scent wafts to Jayne's nose as he sits at the mess table, drinking coffee. He had long ago memorized every scent Inara owns, and even though he's sure it's one of hers, it smells just a little off. Not like her perfume has gone bad; it still smells good, just sweeter somehow.
Turning his head to see what silky thing she's wearing today, he comes nose to chest with River, who appeared sleathily against his side.
Jerking his head back, he is all set to yell at her for sneaking up on a body, when he notices that she looks different. Not really bad different, or good different, just odd different.
"Why fer ya wearin' all that girly stuff on yer face?"
River takes a small step back, adjusting the shawl she wears and smoothing her hands down her dress. Her hair is curled, the top portion gathered to the back of her head and clipped there. Her eyes are lined in brown, and there is gold shimmery stuff across her eyelids. Jayne figures she has on that gunk women put on their eyelashes, because hers are long and separated perfectly, like Inara's always are. Her cheeks are rosy and her lips are plump and red.
Again, Jayne doesn't think it's a bad different, she just looks odd and not like the crazy girl he knows.
She looks slightly nervous as she finishes smoothing her dress, speaking quietly. "Is it not customary for a girl to wear girly stuff on her face?"
Jayne snorts. "Well, I guess so, if it's a special occasion 'er sumthin', like when Kaylee went ta that shindig with Mal. But why ya wearin' it now? We ain't gonna be on-planet fer days."
"I--" she falters, and looks down at her sandaled feet. "Does my appearance not please you?"
He's mid-coffee-swig when she speaks, and he practically chokes as a result. "What?"
Now she's fallen back on the nervous habit of twisting her fingers together. "Is my appearance pleasing to your eye? Women with painted faces attract your attention."
His mouth falling open, Jayne quickly pushes himself up from the table. "You sayin' ya got all gussied up ta git my attention?"
She nods, taking a step forward. "Yes. Have I succeeded?"
"Wha-- How-- Why ya wanna succeed?" Jayne can't be sure if she's playing a trick on him or not. In her two years on the ship, the girl has shown a natural talent for practical jokes, and this is just the sort of thing that will get him laughed at later.
"Because once I have your attention perhaps you will see something in me you never have before."
Narrowing his eyes, Jayne scowls darkly. "Like what? I'll see a lil' girl playing dress up? Does 'Nara know ya stole her makeup an' perfume?"
River's eyes widen. She wasn't sure how Jayne would react, but she was hopeful that he would find her appealing. "I didn't steal. She allowed me the use of it."
"Well, what'd ya do? Mix up her perfumes?"
Frowning, River lifts her wrist to her nose. "No, I only used one."
"Why's it smell different on you then?" Jayne asks, crossing his arms.
"Perfume smells different on different people." she explains. "Each person smells different naturally." She suddenly looks worried. "Do I smell displeasing?"
Jayne sighs and gives an eyeroll. "Why ya care what I think 'a ya?"
Back to the hand twisting, River's face burns with embarrassment. "I thought, perhaps you would..."
"What? Spit it out, girl."
Lowering her head, River wonders how she could have miscalculated the large man's reaction so badly. "Would want me like you want Inara."
He's frozen still for a moment, unable to comprehend her meaning. Then he suddenly starts laughing in disbelief. "You get crazier ev'ryday! You ain't nuthin' like Inara!"
River's muscles lock like his words have physically struck her. "But I painted my face, and fixed my hair--"
"That don't make ya like her!" Jayne declares, the laughter still evident in his voice. "You look in the mirror lately? 'Nara's got knockers the size 'a my head, an' you sure as gui don't! And gettin' fancied up don't make ya learn all them Companion-y moves she got."
Her lip trembling, River stumbles back, losing a sandal in the process. "I-I understand. My body is drastically different from hers, and I am untrained sexually. Therefore I am an unsuitable choice for you." She turns and flees the mess, leaving her right sandal behind. Rolling his eyes, Jayne picks it up. River always goes barefoot or wears heavy boots, which means she probably borrowed the shoes from Inara. His face lighting up, Jayne realizes he has a reason to talk to the Companion. Whistling to himself, he heads for her shuttle.
He raps on the door, and Inara's gentle voice calls out, "Qing jin." He opens the door and steps inside her shuttle for only the second time ever. All at once, the overpowering scent of those weird smoking sticks reaches his nose. Gorram, he hates those things. How can she smell so nice when her shuttle smells so funny?
Inara is tying a silk robe around herself, a bowl of water and a sponge on the floor.
"Aww, did I miss bathtime?" Jayne asks with a disappointed frown.
Crossing her arms, Inara's face is a perfect mask of civility. "Is there any particular reason why you're in my shuttle, Jayne?"
Waggling his eyebrows, Jayne answers, "Well, there could be several reasons. Like maybe you an' me..."
"I don't service crew." she interrupts firmly. "And if that's all you came in here for, you can turn around and leave now."
"Now there ain't no need ta git huffy, 'Nara. Thought maybe I could show ya some new moves that ya didn't learn at the Whorin' School."
To his surprise, a small, amused smile appears on her face. He thinks he's finally getting somewhere when she takes several steps towards him, but she shatters that idea a moment later when she speaks.
"Perhaps my words have never, until this point, infiltrated your thick skull, so allow me to amend that. Even if you had the money to afford me, I would never choose you as a client. And do you know why?"
Feeling a bit disheartened at this point, Jayne tries to smile past it. "'Cause I'm too much man fer ya ta handle?"
The amused smile never leaves her face as her words cut into him. "No. Because you are rude, crude, ill-mannered, annoying, antagonistic, and slow-minded, with deplorable habits, and frankly, after you exert yourself to the point of sweating, you smell bad."
Jayne is sure he could crack some joke to try and soften the blow of her words, but he can't think of anything to say. He stares down at the sandal he's rotating in his hands and holds it out. "Here; the girl lost this in the mess."
Inara's eyes flicker to it briefly, then she shakes her head. "And why would I want it?"
"Ain't it yours?" Jayne grumbles, waving it a bit.
"No. River and I wear different sizes. Now if that's all...?" The question hangs in the air as she gestures towards her door, showing him this isn't a question as much as a strong suggestion. Borderline demand, really.
Finally coming up with something to say, he mutters, "Fer a woman whose job it is ta make men believe what they want to, ya can be a real bitch sometimes." To his dissatisfaction, she doesn't so much as bat an eye as she continues pointing the way out.
"I've been called worse by better men." she replies evenly.
Jayne turns and stomps out, sliding her door shut as hard as he can. He takes only a few steps when he sees River standing in front of him. The makeup is mostly washed off, but dark rings encircle her eyes.
"Her words have cut you to ribbons as you have cut me. We could wrap a room full of presents with them."
Sneering at her, and perhaps taking his anger at Inara out on her, he throws the sandal at her feet. "What d'you know?"
"Plenty." she replies, stepping over her shoe and starting down the stairs towards the cargo bay.
"Take yer gorram shoe!" he yells after her.
Without stopping, she says, "The Prince put the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot. I'll be waiting."
"Well you'll be waitin' forever!" he grumbles back, kicking her shoe aside and heading for his bunk.
Kicking open the hatch door, Jayne angrily climbs down, stomping his foot onto each rung. He locks the door when he reaches the bottom, then flops back onto his bed.
Who does Inara think she is, talking to him that way? Sure, she's from the Core, and a Companion to boot, but Jayne has worked hard for every cent he's earned in his life, and he's not ashamed of where he's from. So what if he's never gone to school? That doesn't make him slow-minded. He can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. His vocabulary isn't great, but he knows some large, fancy words that he throws around every once and awhile.
And what use are manners anyways when you're floating through the black? Taking time to say 'please' and 'thank you' might get you killed in his line of work.
He thinks back to the smile on her face as she dissected his flaws. She enjoyed it, that no-good, sneaky--
Wait a minute...
Jayne sits up straight. She cut him down just like he did to River. Inara said she would never service him, even if he had the coin, because he wasn't the type of man she'd choose, and he told River that she was nothing like Inara, and therefore, not someone he'd choose.
The girl was right when she said they've both been cut to ribbons, and he really doesn't like the fact that she's right about something that applies to both of them.
Rubbing his chin, Jayne thinks hard. Despite what most others think, he does have feelings. He isn't made of stone. They probably think he'll go to bed with whoever, personality notwithstanding. But now, even if Inara were to bump her head, get amnesia, and throw herself at him to beg for sex, he won't give it to her. He happens to only want to sleep with women who actually like him. And that sure as hell isn't Miss Finery and Smelly Smokin' Sticks.
Why does River want him anyways? That doesn't make any sense. Well, she is crazy; maybe it doesn't have to make sense.
Before he can stop and think through what he's doing, he climbs up the ladder out of his bunk. Through the mess doorway he can hear Kaylee giggling and Simon's voice amidst the clattering of pots and pans. He turns down the stairs leading to the catwalks and cargo bay. Once he reaches the catwalk near Inara's shuttle, he looks around for River's sandal, but it's gone. Letting out a swear, he heads down the cargo bay stairs, seeing that Mal and Zoe are playing horseshoes.
"Hey, either 'a ya seen a brown sandal?"
Mal pauses in his swinging the horseshoe to give his merc a nod towards the crates behind him. "'S over there. I didn't know you'd started wearin' womens' shoes, Jayne."
Jayne scowls while Zoe chuckles and he marches over to the crate, picking it up.
"We found it on the catwalk when we was comin' down ta play." Zoe says. "You know who's it is?"
"Yup." he answers, walking to the back of the cargo bay and going down the stairs without another word.
Mal shakes his head and tosses his horseshoe. "I hope that man ain't developin' some weird kinda fetish."
"Wouldn't be the first." Zoe adds.
****************************************
Jayne pauses in front of River's bedroom. He isn't even sure if she's in there, but maybe that's a good thing. He can just leave the shoe and run without having to be all nice and apologize. After all, somewhere inbetween his bunk and her door he realized that he's been unfair to her. It's hard to like someone who doesn't like you back, not that he doesn't like her, he just isn't sure if he could like her, like her.
He decides that he'd better get it over with before he just drops her shoe outside her door and leaves. He taps lightly on the doorframe, River's high voice murmuring, "Yes?" from within.
He opens the door to reveal River sitting on her bed drawing, while her floor is littered with clothes, makeup, and one ornate perfume bottle.
She looks up, eyes wide, her hand pausing in her shading.
"Um..." he falters. Seeing her face makes him forget everything he might of said. His eyes darting around, he sees the perfume bottle lying atop the shawl she was wearing. He picks it up and pulls the stopper out to take a whiff, River's eyes following his every move.
"I dunno how 'Nara's shuttle can stink so bad when she's got good-smellin' perfume."
A ghost of a smile appears across her lips. "Maybe that is why the perfume smells good. To mask the bad smells."
He chuckles as he replaces the stopper. "Most like." He sets the bottle back where it'd been, then adds, "I brought yer shoe."
"I see that." she replies gently.
He waves it in front of her, but she keeps her eyes on his. "I, uh--" He sighs. Why is admitting you were wrong such a hard thing? Maybe because it makes him feel weak.
"Admitting to your mistakes and learning from them makes you stronger, not weaker." she says.
He clears his throat. "Ya think so, huh?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Right, well... can I sit?"
River gestures to the spot beside her on the bed and Jayne carefully sits down.
"Um, so you already know, I guess, 'bout what she said to me... an' all."
"I do."
"An' I got ta thinkin', if what she said made me feel all twisted 'bout inside, I musta made ya feel that way too."
"You did." she whispers. "My insides felt like a storm at sea."
"Oh. Well. Uh, yeah, I guess, what I came here for was to let ya know that... ya ain't that bad." He glances sideways at her to see she's perked up considerably. "I mean, that stuff I said... ya ain't like Inara, but that ain't a bad thing. I mean, ya ain't never said them types a things ta me that she did."
Nodding, she leans her body towards him ever so slightly. "I never would. Like you for you."
"Yeah, 'bout that. You... like me, like me, huh?"
Her cheeks burn and she ducks her head. For some reason, that makes Jayne smile.
"Yeah, ya do."
She giggles behind her hair and bobs her head.
"How come?"
"I-- you-- it would sound silly.."
"Aww, c'mon, can't leave me hangin'." Jayne whines. Now that she's got him interested in what she has to say, he wants her to keep talking.
"I noticed it not long ago." she murmurs, head still down and twisting her fingers together.
"Noticed what?" Jayne's eyebrow lifts curiously.
"T-That when I would enter a room you were residing in, my stomach would flip-flop and my palms would grow sweaty, and I would wish to be in close proximity to you."
"Oh." he smirks.
"You give me hot flashes." she adds softly, demonstrating by waving her hand in front of her face. She chances a look up at him. "It is involuntary. I would stop if I could."
His face falling a little, Jayne looks down at his lap, her shoe still sitting there.
"Oh!" she exclaims, reading his thoughts. "Not because I thought I should not have these feelings for you, but because I feared you would never reciprocate them, and that would hurt my heart."
He glances at her to see she's worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
"I ain't in the business 'a breakin' girls' hearts." he says finally, pushing off from the bed to kneel beside her. "Ya said I had ta put it back on yer foot."
She blinks, unsure what has just happened. Have they just agreed upon something, or not? She lifts up her bare right foot, her left foot still wearing the sandal's mate. Jayne carefully slips the shoe on and stands.
"Mal 'n Zoe are playin' horseshoes. Wanna play 'gainst 'em?"
"Y-You mean, you wish to be on a team with me?" she asks, sounding rather shocked.
Jayne shrugs and heads for her door. "Guess that's what I'm sayin'. Ya in 'er out?"
Blinking the haze that has settled over her eyes at the thought of 'River and Jayne' as one entity, she leaps to her feet, knocking her sketchpad to the floor. "Yes! I mean, I'm in."
"Good. C'mon." He starts walking and she quickly follows, grabbing his arm to stop him before they enter the cargo bay.
"Jayne?"
"What?"
"Just now, in there, you said you weren't in the business of breaking girls' hearts. What does that mean?"
"Means what I said it means. I don't break hearts."
"But... not reciprocating my feelings would hurt my heart, so by eliminating the variable..." she trails off, her wide eyes even wider than normal.
Jayne shifts awkwardly. "I dunno. I ain't so good with this sorta thing. I just thought I weren't givin' ya a fair chance, so..." He pauses to clear his throat, looking around quickly to make sure no one else is around. "I said I wanted ya on my team."
She nods enthusiastically. "And you would like to start there."
"Yeah."
"I agree."
"Ok, let's whoop those Browncoats' pi gu."
"Ok."
They head out into the bay, River still hugging Jayne's arm and Jayne not minding quite so much. Mal and Zoe are still playing horseshoes, but now Inara is standing on the catwalk, watching. Jayne can see her in her bright red silk out of the corner of his eye, but he ignores her and moves on. River's nails suddenly bite into his skin, and he gives her a sharp look.
"Ow! Watch it with them things!"
River ducks her head against his arm, loosening her grip. "I'm sorry. I expressed my jealousy physically."
"Well ain't nuthin' ta be jealous 'bout." He taps his temple. "Can't ya hear that?"
"I can. The only lingering thoughts of her now are of dimissal."
"Damn straight." he says, coming up behind Mal. "Hey, me 'n the girl wanna play ya."
Mal turns and looks at the two in surprise. River is clutching Jayne's arm and he's not shaking her off.
"That a fact?"
River nods. "We are a team!"
"Yup." Jayne adds.
"River and Jayne!" River exclaims.
Jayne clears his throat. "So whaddaya say, Mal?"
His Captain shrugs. This is all manner of creepifying to him, seeing his merc and his crazy passenger getting along. "Fine by me. Zo'?"
"No problems here, sir."
"Ok, then. You two are on."
An hour later, River and Jayne are winning by four games, Mal has a cramp in his wrist, and Jayne hasn't thought about Inara once. When Kaylee comes into the bay from the mess to announce that dinner is ready, he doesn't even notice that Inara is no longer standing on the catwalk, and River beams proudly beside him.
"On my team now." she whispers to herself.
Author: nutmeg610
Rating: PG - 13
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing/Characters: Jayne/River, Inara, Mal, Zoe
Prompt: #10 Perfume, from my table
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Joss Whedon does, so don't sue.
Summary: Jayne has more in common with River that he thought he did.
Author's Note: GASP! Rayne fic? Can it be so?
Warnings: This story is about Jayne lusting after Inara, so you don't like? Don't read. There'll be Rayne in it though.
An invisible perfumed curtain draws closed around him whenever she's in the room. Jayne thought of the delineation the first time she stepped onboard Serenity, even though he doesn't know what a 'delineation' is.
And he knows the rules she set forth when she agreed to rent the shuttle, but that doesn't stop him from thinking that if he just saves enough coin, Inara will change her mind and service him. But the need to send money home outweighs the need to be sexed by an honest-to-God Companion, so he waits until the day she can't take the sexual tension anymore and just throws herself at him.
Yeah, right; like that'll happen. Everyone with half a brain knows if she ever loosens up enough to throw herself at someone, it'll be Mal, not him. But he still can dream.
He's even had weird dreams where he and Inara settle down to a simple life out on a homestead somewhere. At least, he thinks it was Inara. Her hair was long, wavy, and dark, though her face and body had been fuzzy. Why did dream woman always have to be so gorram fuzzy?
A familiar scent wafts to Jayne's nose as he sits at the mess table, drinking coffee. He had long ago memorized every scent Inara owns, and even though he's sure it's one of hers, it smells just a little off. Not like her perfume has gone bad; it still smells good, just sweeter somehow.
Turning his head to see what silky thing she's wearing today, he comes nose to chest with River, who appeared sleathily against his side.
Jerking his head back, he is all set to yell at her for sneaking up on a body, when he notices that she looks different. Not really bad different, or good different, just odd different.
"Why fer ya wearin' all that girly stuff on yer face?"
River takes a small step back, adjusting the shawl she wears and smoothing her hands down her dress. Her hair is curled, the top portion gathered to the back of her head and clipped there. Her eyes are lined in brown, and there is gold shimmery stuff across her eyelids. Jayne figures she has on that gunk women put on their eyelashes, because hers are long and separated perfectly, like Inara's always are. Her cheeks are rosy and her lips are plump and red.
Again, Jayne doesn't think it's a bad different, she just looks odd and not like the crazy girl he knows.
She looks slightly nervous as she finishes smoothing her dress, speaking quietly. "Is it not customary for a girl to wear girly stuff on her face?"
Jayne snorts. "Well, I guess so, if it's a special occasion 'er sumthin', like when Kaylee went ta that shindig with Mal. But why ya wearin' it now? We ain't gonna be on-planet fer days."
"I--" she falters, and looks down at her sandaled feet. "Does my appearance not please you?"
He's mid-coffee-swig when she speaks, and he practically chokes as a result. "What?"
Now she's fallen back on the nervous habit of twisting her fingers together. "Is my appearance pleasing to your eye? Women with painted faces attract your attention."
His mouth falling open, Jayne quickly pushes himself up from the table. "You sayin' ya got all gussied up ta git my attention?"
She nods, taking a step forward. "Yes. Have I succeeded?"
"Wha-- How-- Why ya wanna succeed?" Jayne can't be sure if she's playing a trick on him or not. In her two years on the ship, the girl has shown a natural talent for practical jokes, and this is just the sort of thing that will get him laughed at later.
"Because once I have your attention perhaps you will see something in me you never have before."
Narrowing his eyes, Jayne scowls darkly. "Like what? I'll see a lil' girl playing dress up? Does 'Nara know ya stole her makeup an' perfume?"
River's eyes widen. She wasn't sure how Jayne would react, but she was hopeful that he would find her appealing. "I didn't steal. She allowed me the use of it."
"Well, what'd ya do? Mix up her perfumes?"
Frowning, River lifts her wrist to her nose. "No, I only used one."
"Why's it smell different on you then?" Jayne asks, crossing his arms.
"Perfume smells different on different people." she explains. "Each person smells different naturally." She suddenly looks worried. "Do I smell displeasing?"
Jayne sighs and gives an eyeroll. "Why ya care what I think 'a ya?"
Back to the hand twisting, River's face burns with embarrassment. "I thought, perhaps you would..."
"What? Spit it out, girl."
Lowering her head, River wonders how she could have miscalculated the large man's reaction so badly. "Would want me like you want Inara."
He's frozen still for a moment, unable to comprehend her meaning. Then he suddenly starts laughing in disbelief. "You get crazier ev'ryday! You ain't nuthin' like Inara!"
River's muscles lock like his words have physically struck her. "But I painted my face, and fixed my hair--"
"That don't make ya like her!" Jayne declares, the laughter still evident in his voice. "You look in the mirror lately? 'Nara's got knockers the size 'a my head, an' you sure as gui don't! And gettin' fancied up don't make ya learn all them Companion-y moves she got."
Her lip trembling, River stumbles back, losing a sandal in the process. "I-I understand. My body is drastically different from hers, and I am untrained sexually. Therefore I am an unsuitable choice for you." She turns and flees the mess, leaving her right sandal behind. Rolling his eyes, Jayne picks it up. River always goes barefoot or wears heavy boots, which means she probably borrowed the shoes from Inara. His face lighting up, Jayne realizes he has a reason to talk to the Companion. Whistling to himself, he heads for her shuttle.
He raps on the door, and Inara's gentle voice calls out, "Qing jin." He opens the door and steps inside her shuttle for only the second time ever. All at once, the overpowering scent of those weird smoking sticks reaches his nose. Gorram, he hates those things. How can she smell so nice when her shuttle smells so funny?
Inara is tying a silk robe around herself, a bowl of water and a sponge on the floor.
"Aww, did I miss bathtime?" Jayne asks with a disappointed frown.
Crossing her arms, Inara's face is a perfect mask of civility. "Is there any particular reason why you're in my shuttle, Jayne?"
Waggling his eyebrows, Jayne answers, "Well, there could be several reasons. Like maybe you an' me..."
"I don't service crew." she interrupts firmly. "And if that's all you came in here for, you can turn around and leave now."
"Now there ain't no need ta git huffy, 'Nara. Thought maybe I could show ya some new moves that ya didn't learn at the Whorin' School."
To his surprise, a small, amused smile appears on her face. He thinks he's finally getting somewhere when she takes several steps towards him, but she shatters that idea a moment later when she speaks.
"Perhaps my words have never, until this point, infiltrated your thick skull, so allow me to amend that. Even if you had the money to afford me, I would never choose you as a client. And do you know why?"
Feeling a bit disheartened at this point, Jayne tries to smile past it. "'Cause I'm too much man fer ya ta handle?"
The amused smile never leaves her face as her words cut into him. "No. Because you are rude, crude, ill-mannered, annoying, antagonistic, and slow-minded, with deplorable habits, and frankly, after you exert yourself to the point of sweating, you smell bad."
Jayne is sure he could crack some joke to try and soften the blow of her words, but he can't think of anything to say. He stares down at the sandal he's rotating in his hands and holds it out. "Here; the girl lost this in the mess."
Inara's eyes flicker to it briefly, then she shakes her head. "And why would I want it?"
"Ain't it yours?" Jayne grumbles, waving it a bit.
"No. River and I wear different sizes. Now if that's all...?" The question hangs in the air as she gestures towards her door, showing him this isn't a question as much as a strong suggestion. Borderline demand, really.
Finally coming up with something to say, he mutters, "Fer a woman whose job it is ta make men believe what they want to, ya can be a real bitch sometimes." To his dissatisfaction, she doesn't so much as bat an eye as she continues pointing the way out.
"I've been called worse by better men." she replies evenly.
Jayne turns and stomps out, sliding her door shut as hard as he can. He takes only a few steps when he sees River standing in front of him. The makeup is mostly washed off, but dark rings encircle her eyes.
"Her words have cut you to ribbons as you have cut me. We could wrap a room full of presents with them."
Sneering at her, and perhaps taking his anger at Inara out on her, he throws the sandal at her feet. "What d'you know?"
"Plenty." she replies, stepping over her shoe and starting down the stairs towards the cargo bay.
"Take yer gorram shoe!" he yells after her.
Without stopping, she says, "The Prince put the glass slipper on Cinderella's foot. I'll be waiting."
"Well you'll be waitin' forever!" he grumbles back, kicking her shoe aside and heading for his bunk.
Kicking open the hatch door, Jayne angrily climbs down, stomping his foot onto each rung. He locks the door when he reaches the bottom, then flops back onto his bed.
Who does Inara think she is, talking to him that way? Sure, she's from the Core, and a Companion to boot, but Jayne has worked hard for every cent he's earned in his life, and he's not ashamed of where he's from. So what if he's never gone to school? That doesn't make him slow-minded. He can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. His vocabulary isn't great, but he knows some large, fancy words that he throws around every once and awhile.
And what use are manners anyways when you're floating through the black? Taking time to say 'please' and 'thank you' might get you killed in his line of work.
He thinks back to the smile on her face as she dissected his flaws. She enjoyed it, that no-good, sneaky--
Wait a minute...
Jayne sits up straight. She cut him down just like he did to River. Inara said she would never service him, even if he had the coin, because he wasn't the type of man she'd choose, and he told River that she was nothing like Inara, and therefore, not someone he'd choose.
The girl was right when she said they've both been cut to ribbons, and he really doesn't like the fact that she's right about something that applies to both of them.
Rubbing his chin, Jayne thinks hard. Despite what most others think, he does have feelings. He isn't made of stone. They probably think he'll go to bed with whoever, personality notwithstanding. But now, even if Inara were to bump her head, get amnesia, and throw herself at him to beg for sex, he won't give it to her. He happens to only want to sleep with women who actually like him. And that sure as hell isn't Miss Finery and Smelly Smokin' Sticks.
Why does River want him anyways? That doesn't make any sense. Well, she is crazy; maybe it doesn't have to make sense.
Before he can stop and think through what he's doing, he climbs up the ladder out of his bunk. Through the mess doorway he can hear Kaylee giggling and Simon's voice amidst the clattering of pots and pans. He turns down the stairs leading to the catwalks and cargo bay. Once he reaches the catwalk near Inara's shuttle, he looks around for River's sandal, but it's gone. Letting out a swear, he heads down the cargo bay stairs, seeing that Mal and Zoe are playing horseshoes.
"Hey, either 'a ya seen a brown sandal?"
Mal pauses in his swinging the horseshoe to give his merc a nod towards the crates behind him. "'S over there. I didn't know you'd started wearin' womens' shoes, Jayne."
Jayne scowls while Zoe chuckles and he marches over to the crate, picking it up.
"We found it on the catwalk when we was comin' down ta play." Zoe says. "You know who's it is?"
"Yup." he answers, walking to the back of the cargo bay and going down the stairs without another word.
Mal shakes his head and tosses his horseshoe. "I hope that man ain't developin' some weird kinda fetish."
"Wouldn't be the first." Zoe adds.
****************************************
Jayne pauses in front of River's bedroom. He isn't even sure if she's in there, but maybe that's a good thing. He can just leave the shoe and run without having to be all nice and apologize. After all, somewhere inbetween his bunk and her door he realized that he's been unfair to her. It's hard to like someone who doesn't like you back, not that he doesn't like her, he just isn't sure if he could like her, like her.
He decides that he'd better get it over with before he just drops her shoe outside her door and leaves. He taps lightly on the doorframe, River's high voice murmuring, "Yes?" from within.
He opens the door to reveal River sitting on her bed drawing, while her floor is littered with clothes, makeup, and one ornate perfume bottle.
She looks up, eyes wide, her hand pausing in her shading.
"Um..." he falters. Seeing her face makes him forget everything he might of said. His eyes darting around, he sees the perfume bottle lying atop the shawl she was wearing. He picks it up and pulls the stopper out to take a whiff, River's eyes following his every move.
"I dunno how 'Nara's shuttle can stink so bad when she's got good-smellin' perfume."
A ghost of a smile appears across her lips. "Maybe that is why the perfume smells good. To mask the bad smells."
He chuckles as he replaces the stopper. "Most like." He sets the bottle back where it'd been, then adds, "I brought yer shoe."
"I see that." she replies gently.
He waves it in front of her, but she keeps her eyes on his. "I, uh--" He sighs. Why is admitting you were wrong such a hard thing? Maybe because it makes him feel weak.
"Admitting to your mistakes and learning from them makes you stronger, not weaker." she says.
He clears his throat. "Ya think so, huh?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Right, well... can I sit?"
River gestures to the spot beside her on the bed and Jayne carefully sits down.
"Um, so you already know, I guess, 'bout what she said to me... an' all."
"I do."
"An' I got ta thinkin', if what she said made me feel all twisted 'bout inside, I musta made ya feel that way too."
"You did." she whispers. "My insides felt like a storm at sea."
"Oh. Well. Uh, yeah, I guess, what I came here for was to let ya know that... ya ain't that bad." He glances sideways at her to see she's perked up considerably. "I mean, that stuff I said... ya ain't like Inara, but that ain't a bad thing. I mean, ya ain't never said them types a things ta me that she did."
Nodding, she leans her body towards him ever so slightly. "I never would. Like you for you."
"Yeah, 'bout that. You... like me, like me, huh?"
Her cheeks burn and she ducks her head. For some reason, that makes Jayne smile.
"Yeah, ya do."
She giggles behind her hair and bobs her head.
"How come?"
"I-- you-- it would sound silly.."
"Aww, c'mon, can't leave me hangin'." Jayne whines. Now that she's got him interested in what she has to say, he wants her to keep talking.
"I noticed it not long ago." she murmurs, head still down and twisting her fingers together.
"Noticed what?" Jayne's eyebrow lifts curiously.
"T-That when I would enter a room you were residing in, my stomach would flip-flop and my palms would grow sweaty, and I would wish to be in close proximity to you."
"Oh." he smirks.
"You give me hot flashes." she adds softly, demonstrating by waving her hand in front of her face. She chances a look up at him. "It is involuntary. I would stop if I could."
His face falling a little, Jayne looks down at his lap, her shoe still sitting there.
"Oh!" she exclaims, reading his thoughts. "Not because I thought I should not have these feelings for you, but because I feared you would never reciprocate them, and that would hurt my heart."
He glances at her to see she's worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
"I ain't in the business 'a breakin' girls' hearts." he says finally, pushing off from the bed to kneel beside her. "Ya said I had ta put it back on yer foot."
She blinks, unsure what has just happened. Have they just agreed upon something, or not? She lifts up her bare right foot, her left foot still wearing the sandal's mate. Jayne carefully slips the shoe on and stands.
"Mal 'n Zoe are playin' horseshoes. Wanna play 'gainst 'em?"
"Y-You mean, you wish to be on a team with me?" she asks, sounding rather shocked.
Jayne shrugs and heads for her door. "Guess that's what I'm sayin'. Ya in 'er out?"
Blinking the haze that has settled over her eyes at the thought of 'River and Jayne' as one entity, she leaps to her feet, knocking her sketchpad to the floor. "Yes! I mean, I'm in."
"Good. C'mon." He starts walking and she quickly follows, grabbing his arm to stop him before they enter the cargo bay.
"Jayne?"
"What?"
"Just now, in there, you said you weren't in the business of breaking girls' hearts. What does that mean?"
"Means what I said it means. I don't break hearts."
"But... not reciprocating my feelings would hurt my heart, so by eliminating the variable..." she trails off, her wide eyes even wider than normal.
Jayne shifts awkwardly. "I dunno. I ain't so good with this sorta thing. I just thought I weren't givin' ya a fair chance, so..." He pauses to clear his throat, looking around quickly to make sure no one else is around. "I said I wanted ya on my team."
She nods enthusiastically. "And you would like to start there."
"Yeah."
"I agree."
"Ok, let's whoop those Browncoats' pi gu."
"Ok."
They head out into the bay, River still hugging Jayne's arm and Jayne not minding quite so much. Mal and Zoe are still playing horseshoes, but now Inara is standing on the catwalk, watching. Jayne can see her in her bright red silk out of the corner of his eye, but he ignores her and moves on. River's nails suddenly bite into his skin, and he gives her a sharp look.
"Ow! Watch it with them things!"
River ducks her head against his arm, loosening her grip. "I'm sorry. I expressed my jealousy physically."
"Well ain't nuthin' ta be jealous 'bout." He taps his temple. "Can't ya hear that?"
"I can. The only lingering thoughts of her now are of dimissal."
"Damn straight." he says, coming up behind Mal. "Hey, me 'n the girl wanna play ya."
Mal turns and looks at the two in surprise. River is clutching Jayne's arm and he's not shaking her off.
"That a fact?"
River nods. "We are a team!"
"Yup." Jayne adds.
"River and Jayne!" River exclaims.
Jayne clears his throat. "So whaddaya say, Mal?"
His Captain shrugs. This is all manner of creepifying to him, seeing his merc and his crazy passenger getting along. "Fine by me. Zo'?"
"No problems here, sir."
"Ok, then. You two are on."
An hour later, River and Jayne are winning by four games, Mal has a cramp in his wrist, and Jayne hasn't thought about Inara once. When Kaylee comes into the bay from the mess to announce that dinner is ready, he doesn't even notice that Inara is no longer standing on the catwalk, and River beams proudly beside him.
"On my team now." she whispers to herself.