That's Just Wrong
That's Just Wrong
They're just getting evil now. Mal drags River into it. Prompt: lie.
part one/ part two/ part three/ part four
Pg13.
When Simon next saw Mal, he looked tired. Simon had been on the edge for the longest time, now, waiting to see what the Captain would do; however, it was starting to seem like he honestly wasn't about to play any more tricks.
Inara was tense, too, for obvious reasons. River wasn't the most relaxed she'd been and seemed to be scowling a lot more, mostly in the direction of her brother. The entire ship was strained and Simon was wishing constantly that he just hadn't retaliated that first time. This had gone too far. He should have known better.
He was caught watching Mal one lunch time. It was just them and River, eating more slowly than the rest who had already left their plates empty and dirty on the table. River didn't usually eat this slowly and Mal seemed to be too lost in thought - or too close to falling asleep - to make his movements any quicker.
"What?" snapped Mal when he noticed where Simon's eyes kept lingering. He looked incredibly unimpressed and now he had River watching him, too.
"I was just wondering why you look so tired," replied the Doctor, using his most careful tone.
Mal's eyes flickered over to River. She looked a little confused. "I haven't been getting much sleep," he said. Simon thought that sounded a little ominous in the careful tone he was using. There was a flash of something in his eyes and River made a little 'oh!' sound and Simon could just feel her trying to keep down the grin.
This didn't look good. "Mal, what do you-"
"Never mind."
Something in the way River was looking down at the table, now, clenching her hands together and blushing like she'd just been told a dirty secret. Maybe she had. Simon was starting to be horribly suspicious. "What's going on?"
"Brother's all disquiet," said River, her voice barely a murmur. "All busy inside. Do you know, Simon? Have you seen where I go at night?"
The words were enough to make him forget the giggle he heard in her voice. He paled intensely and looked between her and the Captain who were sharing looks for which he hated to think of the origins. "Lao-tian, bu."
"Somethin' the matter, Doc?"
There was a glint of evil in Mal's eye. Simon was starting to feel the outrage raise in his chest, a tight fist of anger growing far too quickly. "You can't be serious."
"About what?"
"This has gone too far. You can't think that that's okay just because of a few jokes. You can't use River like that."
He was ranting to hard to feel the table shiver with the laughter from River at his side. Mal was utterly straight-faced. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, Doc."
River snorted and Simon looked around at her. "River, did he hurt you? You can tell me."
"Silly brother," she said. "Mal would never hurt me. Quite the opposite…"
Simon thought that maybe his entire world just fell apart as he thought of Mal and River together. No. Surely this was… a joke. Right. He bristled even more than before. "Captain."
"Yeah, Doc?"
Simon changed his mind before he could say anything more and looked to River instead. "I expect this from Mal but did you have to stoop down to his level?"
"Your level too, Simon," she chirruped, and Simon left the room to the sounds of their laughter.
They're just getting evil now. Mal drags River into it. Prompt: lie.
part one/ part two/ part three/ part four
Pg13.
When Simon next saw Mal, he looked tired. Simon had been on the edge for the longest time, now, waiting to see what the Captain would do; however, it was starting to seem like he honestly wasn't about to play any more tricks.
Inara was tense, too, for obvious reasons. River wasn't the most relaxed she'd been and seemed to be scowling a lot more, mostly in the direction of her brother. The entire ship was strained and Simon was wishing constantly that he just hadn't retaliated that first time. This had gone too far. He should have known better.
He was caught watching Mal one lunch time. It was just them and River, eating more slowly than the rest who had already left their plates empty and dirty on the table. River didn't usually eat this slowly and Mal seemed to be too lost in thought - or too close to falling asleep - to make his movements any quicker.
"What?" snapped Mal when he noticed where Simon's eyes kept lingering. He looked incredibly unimpressed and now he had River watching him, too.
"I was just wondering why you look so tired," replied the Doctor, using his most careful tone.
Mal's eyes flickered over to River. She looked a little confused. "I haven't been getting much sleep," he said. Simon thought that sounded a little ominous in the careful tone he was using. There was a flash of something in his eyes and River made a little 'oh!' sound and Simon could just feel her trying to keep down the grin.
This didn't look good. "Mal, what do you-"
"Never mind."
Something in the way River was looking down at the table, now, clenching her hands together and blushing like she'd just been told a dirty secret. Maybe she had. Simon was starting to be horribly suspicious. "What's going on?"
"Brother's all disquiet," said River, her voice barely a murmur. "All busy inside. Do you know, Simon? Have you seen where I go at night?"
The words were enough to make him forget the giggle he heard in her voice. He paled intensely and looked between her and the Captain who were sharing looks for which he hated to think of the origins. "Lao-tian, bu."
"Somethin' the matter, Doc?"
There was a glint of evil in Mal's eye. Simon was starting to feel the outrage raise in his chest, a tight fist of anger growing far too quickly. "You can't be serious."
"About what?"
"This has gone too far. You can't think that that's okay just because of a few jokes. You can't use River like that."
He was ranting to hard to feel the table shiver with the laughter from River at his side. Mal was utterly straight-faced. "I dunno what you're talkin' about, Doc."
River snorted and Simon looked around at her. "River, did he hurt you? You can tell me."
"Silly brother," she said. "Mal would never hurt me. Quite the opposite…"
Simon thought that maybe his entire world just fell apart as he thought of Mal and River together. No. Surely this was… a joke. Right. He bristled even more than before. "Captain."
"Yeah, Doc?"
Simon changed his mind before he could say anything more and looked to River instead. "I expect this from Mal but did you have to stoop down to his level?"
"Your level too, Simon," she chirruped, and Simon left the room to the sounds of their laughter.