Fic: A Pair of River/Mal ficlets (Firefly)
One of these days I'll write something that's longer than 500 words again, but for now: ficlets!
Title: Airs Along the Ground
Rating: PG
Words: 190
Summary: River, Mal, a horse, and a long open plain.
Notes: Written for hereswith for her birthday, albeit a bit late.
Airs Along the Ground
“You never rode before? Ever?” he asks, disbelieving as he stares at her over the horse's broad back, and all River can do is shake her head, watching his hand stroke the horse with a gentle touch, sweet and loving and unthinking. “'Spose there wasn't much call for riding, fancy Core planet like Osiris.” The horse shifts, and he whispers in its ear, calming nonsense not meant to be shared, then meets her eyes again, the shadow of a grin on his face. “You wanna learn?”
She does, and they blend all three into one; his fingers laced beneath her foot as he helps her up, hop-hop-jump, like a little dance; the horse beneath her, warm and alive and making the world move in a different rhythm than flying, and Mal, lifting himself up to sit behind her, solid and steady against her back.
They fly on feet across the plain, the world blurring to the sound of hooves on turf, and for this moment her world is perfect; free and in motion and wholly contained in Mal's arms, her laughter following behind them on the wind.
***
Title: No Right Minds
Rating: PG-13
Words: 370
Summary: River asks an interesting question.
Notes: Written for comment_fic, on the theme 'Dialogue Prompt' off the prompt Mal +/ River, “I know you ain't quite right in the head, darlin', but I reckon you ain't much wronger'n the rest of us either,” left by rattyjol, who always leaves the best prompts.
No Right Minds
“Does it bother you that they think I'm crazy?”
Mal sighs, wide awake now instead of drifting off to a pleasant sleep like he'd wanted to be. He admits River makes a mighty pretty picture, stretched out naked next to him in bed, but she could use a lesson or two on the proper things to say at a time like this.
“I know you ain't quite right in the head, darlin', but I reckon you ain't much wronger'n the rest of us either,” he says, both trying to placate her and telling what he sees as the honest truth. Wouldn't be sleeping with her if he saw it any other way.
“True,” she says, looking wide awake herself and full of mischief to boot. “You do knowingly accept jobs from people who have intentions of killing you.”
“Hey now, I didn't mean me! Meant more like Jayne, way he went off the other day crying 'bout that broken gun of his.”
“That was logical. It was a nice gun.”
“That ain't the point,” he grumbles, getting involved in this ridiculous discussion despite himself. “Or the way Kaylee 'n the doc keep messing 'round in the engine room? Exposin' parts that sensitive when there's burning hot metal bits spinning about not three feet away, how does that make any kind of good sense?”
“Some people enjoy an element of risk in sex.”
“Yeah, well, not me. I got no issue with keepin' private and comfortable in here,” he says, yawning and pulling her up against him.
“Your bed does make an optimal location,” she says, her mouth curving as she looks up at him. “But you should take into account the fact that you're currently sharing it with a woman who could kill you with one hand. If I wanted to, I mean.” Her voice lowers, thickens, takes on a teasing bit of honey-roughness along with his stolen accent. “You ain't quite right either, you know.”
“Fair enough, darlin'. But aren't you glad of it?”
He doesn't need to be a reader himself to know that the way she kisses him means she's plenty glad, indeed.
Title: Airs Along the Ground
Rating: PG
Words: 190
Summary: River, Mal, a horse, and a long open plain.
Notes: Written for hereswith for her birthday, albeit a bit late.
Airs Along the Ground
“You never rode before? Ever?” he asks, disbelieving as he stares at her over the horse's broad back, and all River can do is shake her head, watching his hand stroke the horse with a gentle touch, sweet and loving and unthinking. “'Spose there wasn't much call for riding, fancy Core planet like Osiris.” The horse shifts, and he whispers in its ear, calming nonsense not meant to be shared, then meets her eyes again, the shadow of a grin on his face. “You wanna learn?”
She does, and they blend all three into one; his fingers laced beneath her foot as he helps her up, hop-hop-jump, like a little dance; the horse beneath her, warm and alive and making the world move in a different rhythm than flying, and Mal, lifting himself up to sit behind her, solid and steady against her back.
They fly on feet across the plain, the world blurring to the sound of hooves on turf, and for this moment her world is perfect; free and in motion and wholly contained in Mal's arms, her laughter following behind them on the wind.
***
Title: No Right Minds
Rating: PG-13
Words: 370
Summary: River asks an interesting question.
Notes: Written for comment_fic, on the theme 'Dialogue Prompt' off the prompt Mal +/ River, “I know you ain't quite right in the head, darlin', but I reckon you ain't much wronger'n the rest of us either,” left by rattyjol, who always leaves the best prompts.
No Right Minds
“Does it bother you that they think I'm crazy?”
Mal sighs, wide awake now instead of drifting off to a pleasant sleep like he'd wanted to be. He admits River makes a mighty pretty picture, stretched out naked next to him in bed, but she could use a lesson or two on the proper things to say at a time like this.
“I know you ain't quite right in the head, darlin', but I reckon you ain't much wronger'n the rest of us either,” he says, both trying to placate her and telling what he sees as the honest truth. Wouldn't be sleeping with her if he saw it any other way.
“True,” she says, looking wide awake herself and full of mischief to boot. “You do knowingly accept jobs from people who have intentions of killing you.”
“Hey now, I didn't mean me! Meant more like Jayne, way he went off the other day crying 'bout that broken gun of his.”
“That was logical. It was a nice gun.”
“That ain't the point,” he grumbles, getting involved in this ridiculous discussion despite himself. “Or the way Kaylee 'n the doc keep messing 'round in the engine room? Exposin' parts that sensitive when there's burning hot metal bits spinning about not three feet away, how does that make any kind of good sense?”
“Some people enjoy an element of risk in sex.”
“Yeah, well, not me. I got no issue with keepin' private and comfortable in here,” he says, yawning and pulling her up against him.
“Your bed does make an optimal location,” she says, her mouth curving as she looks up at him. “But you should take into account the fact that you're currently sharing it with a woman who could kill you with one hand. If I wanted to, I mean.” Her voice lowers, thickens, takes on a teasing bit of honey-roughness along with his stolen accent. “You ain't quite right either, you know.”
“Fair enough, darlin'. But aren't you glad of it?”
He doesn't need to be a reader himself to know that the way she kisses him means she's plenty glad, indeed.