"Pas de Deux" (3/5): Firefly fic
Title: Pas de Deux: Variation Un (part 3/5)
Author: sagedarkwoods
Rating: R
Pairing: Jayne/River
Disclaimer: Firefly and related characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. This is a piece of fiction not intended for profit, only for entertainment.
Notes: Set a bit after Serenity.
Summary: Written for gilove2dance for 2008's serenity_santa . River dances alone, until she persuades Jayne to join her. Based on the five parts of the traditional pas de deux in ballet, but that’s as far as traditional goes for these two.
Variation Un
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as she ran from him. His own thoughts, far more carnal, pursued her through Serenity’s metal halls, through the kitchen, into the common room, past the infirmary (Simon paused, she’s running again, that can’t be good, maybe we need to remedicate, would it slow her recovery). She flew past Inara’s shuttle (breathe in, out, should pick up more incense next time we’re planetside, wonder what Mal’s doing right now), and passed Kaylee, smudged with engine grease (where’s she goin’ so fast, poor mei mei, sweet thing, is Simon in the kitchen I reckon).
She nearly slammed into Zoe, just exiting her bunk, so lost was she in others’ thoughts and trying to escape her own. Zoe held out her hands in front of her, ready to steady River, and looked at her quizzically. “Everything okay, River? You look a mite startled.”
River shook her head slowly. “Just a deer, caught in the searchlights.” She breathed deeply, and Zoe’s eyebrows knitted together.
“Do you need me to get the Captain?” Her voice was steady, calming. River breathed in the calm and grounded herself.
“I am fine, though…” she worried her lip and tugged at a strand of hair. Her brown eyes widened as she looked at Zoe. “I need to understand.”
Zoe pursed her lips and nodded once. “You wanna come in and talk?” she gestured to her bunk.
River shook her head, quickly this time, hair flying about. “No. Too many ghosts.”
The tall woman cast her eyes to the metal grating floor. “Right. Not the best place. Come on.”
They walked together to the common room, and settled on the sofa. Zoe waited for River to speak, looking at her patiently.
The girl twisted a fistful of hair and shifted in her seat. “Jayne is troublesome.”
The corner of Zoe’s lips quirked upwards. “Been troublesome since the day he stepped on this boat. You want me to beat on him some?”
“Not what the girl meant.” She paused, slowly letting go of her hair and resting her hands in her lap. “His thoughts, he moves like… I can’t think. He makes me confused.”
Zoe sat back against the thin, well-worn cushions and smiled. “You’re talking a different trouble. Jayne’s a problem no one’s been able to fix so far. ‘Course, not many have tried. Seems he prefers it that way too, the way he spends his time planetside.”
River made a sour face, her expression evidence enough of what she thought about his planetside adventures with women. “He does not need fixing. He is not broken. The girl… I’m broken.” She pulled her knees in tightly to her chest, and rested her chin on the top of them, her hair falling forward to hide her face.
She felt Zoe shift on the couch, as she tucked some hair behind River’s ear. “You’ve been through a lot,” she started. Zoe grimaced and breathed deeply. “We all have. And from what I’ve seen, you’re a lot more fixed than when you first came on this ship. I think you need to give yourself a little credit.”
River turned her head to look at Zoe, her right cheek resting on her knee. “I am not a girl that Jayne would find himself with were he given a choice. Historically he has shown little regard for me as a female. He has found me more tolerable as of late, but has not shown attraction. Except for stray thoughts… It was incidental. I do not possess the qualities he seeks in a mate.” Zoe’s brow furrowed at the last, and River rolled her eyes. “Mutual attraction is not logical, as the male has categorically shown he prefers large mammaries, whether surgically enhanced or natural.” River looked down at her chest. “I am not in that category.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “More’n a handful is a waste, so I’ve heard tell,” she said, the corner of her mouth upturned. “’Sides, you’ve got them long dancer’s legs. Gotta count for something.”
River pursed her lips, eyes drifting to her feet. She straightened one leg and pointed her toes. “Musculature is strong, and the arch of the foot and calf are shapely,” she mused. “These can be suitable qualities.”
“These are great qualities,” Zoe affirmed. “Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t get it. But, not a lot of people got me and Wash, either.” Her smile faltered, then she shook her head once. “Just try talking to him. Maybe something will make sense.”
“Words are not his strong suit,” River countered, raising her other leg to join the one already in the air.
“Then don’t use words,” Zoe said with a smirk. “He responds better to actions, anyway.” She pushed herself off the couch and walked back towards her bunk, leaving River to her thoughts.
***
Jayne was on the forty-seventh repetition with the weights when River padded into view. She stood at his feet, head tilted to the side, staring at him like he was a fascinating bug. “What’re you looking at?” he grunted on the forty-eighth rep.
“Man-called-Jayne is perspiring,” she noted.
“Yeah. Been working out. S’what happens.” Forty-nine. Fifty. He set the long bar back in place and stretched his arms straight up, the light glinting off his biceps.
“Glistening,” River continued in that same quiet, disconnected tone. “Almost… shiny.” A hint of a smile came on the last word. Jayne caught it and sat up.
“You sayin’ you think I’m shiny, Moonbrain?” He grabbed the towel that hung on the end of the weight bench and brought it up to mop his brow.
“Perhaps.” She swung a leg up and extended it so her heel rested on the bench, a few inches away from his knees. She hid a smile as she noticed his eyes traveling the length of her leg. “Does this please you?” She leaned forward, and placed her other knee on the end of the bench, deliberately letting the hem of her dress ride further up her extended leg. Jayne’s eyes followed the hem’s trajectory.
“Uh.” He swallowed, then met her eyes. “Aw hell, plenty of women find me shiny,” he said, looking away. He remembered what he had been doing, and mopped at his chest with the towel.
River leaned forward, resting her weight on her knee and bending the other so that she was a foot away from him. “You know, dancing is an aerobic workout. It burns calories and builds lean muscle. One can work up quite a sweat.”
“I’m sure it can, princess, but it’s not the same thing as lifting weights.” He smirked at her, his head tilting to match her angle.
“Depends on the weights lifted,” she replied, leaning closer. “And it’s more fun with two.” At that, she plucked the towel from his grasp and dropped it succinctly in his lap. She smiled, and scuttled off the bench quickly, running up the stairs. Jayne felt the tightness in his pants and groaned as he realized exactly why she’d dropped the towel there.
“Gorramit girl, you’re gonna kill me one of these days,” he groaned, and flopped back down on the weight bench. “Or I might have to do myself in, thinking these things.” He draped an arm over his eyes and sighed. “This go se has gotta stop. I’ll get spaced for this.” He stayed prone on the bench for several long, uncomfortable minutes, then he made a decision. Grabbing the towel from his lap, he stood up and walked up the stairs in the direction of Inara’s shuttle.
Author: sagedarkwoods
Rating: R
Pairing: Jayne/River
Disclaimer: Firefly and related characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. This is a piece of fiction not intended for profit, only for entertainment.
Notes: Set a bit after Serenity.
Summary: Written for gilove2dance for 2008's serenity_santa . River dances alone, until she persuades Jayne to join her. Based on the five parts of the traditional pas de deux in ballet, but that’s as far as traditional goes for these two.
Variation Un
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess as she ran from him. His own thoughts, far more carnal, pursued her through Serenity’s metal halls, through the kitchen, into the common room, past the infirmary (Simon paused, she’s running again, that can’t be good, maybe we need to remedicate, would it slow her recovery). She flew past Inara’s shuttle (breathe in, out, should pick up more incense next time we’re planetside, wonder what Mal’s doing right now), and passed Kaylee, smudged with engine grease (where’s she goin’ so fast, poor mei mei, sweet thing, is Simon in the kitchen I reckon).
She nearly slammed into Zoe, just exiting her bunk, so lost was she in others’ thoughts and trying to escape her own. Zoe held out her hands in front of her, ready to steady River, and looked at her quizzically. “Everything okay, River? You look a mite startled.”
River shook her head slowly. “Just a deer, caught in the searchlights.” She breathed deeply, and Zoe’s eyebrows knitted together.
“Do you need me to get the Captain?” Her voice was steady, calming. River breathed in the calm and grounded herself.
“I am fine, though…” she worried her lip and tugged at a strand of hair. Her brown eyes widened as she looked at Zoe. “I need to understand.”
Zoe pursed her lips and nodded once. “You wanna come in and talk?” she gestured to her bunk.
River shook her head, quickly this time, hair flying about. “No. Too many ghosts.”
The tall woman cast her eyes to the metal grating floor. “Right. Not the best place. Come on.”
They walked together to the common room, and settled on the sofa. Zoe waited for River to speak, looking at her patiently.
The girl twisted a fistful of hair and shifted in her seat. “Jayne is troublesome.”
The corner of Zoe’s lips quirked upwards. “Been troublesome since the day he stepped on this boat. You want me to beat on him some?”
“Not what the girl meant.” She paused, slowly letting go of her hair and resting her hands in her lap. “His thoughts, he moves like… I can’t think. He makes me confused.”
Zoe sat back against the thin, well-worn cushions and smiled. “You’re talking a different trouble. Jayne’s a problem no one’s been able to fix so far. ‘Course, not many have tried. Seems he prefers it that way too, the way he spends his time planetside.”
River made a sour face, her expression evidence enough of what she thought about his planetside adventures with women. “He does not need fixing. He is not broken. The girl… I’m broken.” She pulled her knees in tightly to her chest, and rested her chin on the top of them, her hair falling forward to hide her face.
She felt Zoe shift on the couch, as she tucked some hair behind River’s ear. “You’ve been through a lot,” she started. Zoe grimaced and breathed deeply. “We all have. And from what I’ve seen, you’re a lot more fixed than when you first came on this ship. I think you need to give yourself a little credit.”
River turned her head to look at Zoe, her right cheek resting on her knee. “I am not a girl that Jayne would find himself with were he given a choice. Historically he has shown little regard for me as a female. He has found me more tolerable as of late, but has not shown attraction. Except for stray thoughts… It was incidental. I do not possess the qualities he seeks in a mate.” Zoe’s brow furrowed at the last, and River rolled her eyes. “Mutual attraction is not logical, as the male has categorically shown he prefers large mammaries, whether surgically enhanced or natural.” River looked down at her chest. “I am not in that category.”
Zoe raised an eyebrow. “More’n a handful is a waste, so I’ve heard tell,” she said, the corner of her mouth upturned. “’Sides, you’ve got them long dancer’s legs. Gotta count for something.”
River pursed her lips, eyes drifting to her feet. She straightened one leg and pointed her toes. “Musculature is strong, and the arch of the foot and calf are shapely,” she mused. “These can be suitable qualities.”
“These are great qualities,” Zoe affirmed. “Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t get it. But, not a lot of people got me and Wash, either.” Her smile faltered, then she shook her head once. “Just try talking to him. Maybe something will make sense.”
“Words are not his strong suit,” River countered, raising her other leg to join the one already in the air.
“Then don’t use words,” Zoe said with a smirk. “He responds better to actions, anyway.” She pushed herself off the couch and walked back towards her bunk, leaving River to her thoughts.
***
Jayne was on the forty-seventh repetition with the weights when River padded into view. She stood at his feet, head tilted to the side, staring at him like he was a fascinating bug. “What’re you looking at?” he grunted on the forty-eighth rep.
“Man-called-Jayne is perspiring,” she noted.
“Yeah. Been working out. S’what happens.” Forty-nine. Fifty. He set the long bar back in place and stretched his arms straight up, the light glinting off his biceps.
“Glistening,” River continued in that same quiet, disconnected tone. “Almost… shiny.” A hint of a smile came on the last word. Jayne caught it and sat up.
“You sayin’ you think I’m shiny, Moonbrain?” He grabbed the towel that hung on the end of the weight bench and brought it up to mop his brow.
“Perhaps.” She swung a leg up and extended it so her heel rested on the bench, a few inches away from his knees. She hid a smile as she noticed his eyes traveling the length of her leg. “Does this please you?” She leaned forward, and placed her other knee on the end of the bench, deliberately letting the hem of her dress ride further up her extended leg. Jayne’s eyes followed the hem’s trajectory.
“Uh.” He swallowed, then met her eyes. “Aw hell, plenty of women find me shiny,” he said, looking away. He remembered what he had been doing, and mopped at his chest with the towel.
River leaned forward, resting her weight on her knee and bending the other so that she was a foot away from him. “You know, dancing is an aerobic workout. It burns calories and builds lean muscle. One can work up quite a sweat.”
“I’m sure it can, princess, but it’s not the same thing as lifting weights.” He smirked at her, his head tilting to match her angle.
“Depends on the weights lifted,” she replied, leaning closer. “And it’s more fun with two.” At that, she plucked the towel from his grasp and dropped it succinctly in his lap. She smiled, and scuttled off the bench quickly, running up the stairs. Jayne felt the tightness in his pants and groaned as he realized exactly why she’d dropped the towel there.
“Gorramit girl, you’re gonna kill me one of these days,” he groaned, and flopped back down on the weight bench. “Or I might have to do myself in, thinking these things.” He draped an arm over his eyes and sighed. “This go se has gotta stop. I’ll get spaced for this.” He stayed prone on the bench for several long, uncomfortable minutes, then he made a decision. Grabbing the towel from his lap, he stood up and walked up the stairs in the direction of Inara’s shuttle.