Never Forgotten, Never Forgiven - Mal and River
Character: Mal Reynolds, River Tam
Fandom: Firefly, Serenity
Word count: 321
Rating: G
Notes: After the big damn movie
Prompt for scifi_muses
what I've felt
what I've known
never shined through in what I've shown…. The Unforgiven
It still felt wrong. Didn’t know how long it’d be before sitting down in the pilot’s seat didn’t feel off. Even with the new chair, it was like I was a trespasser. Hoped that someday I’d stop feeling like that since Serenity was my boat. But this was a bad day, finding one of Wash’s ugly ass old shirts wedged into the back of a drawer had brought our loss home again.
Didn’t know what to do with the shirt either. Did I give it to Zoe, so she could have that wound ripped back open? Did I just toss it out in the trash and shit all over his memory.
“Mal?” River came up behind me. For a change I didn’t jump. Most of the time I did. “It’s too bright.”
“That it is.” I’d shoved the shirt back where I found it. But she knew about it. She knew about everything. “Don’t know what to do about it.”
She crouched right in front of where I’d hidden it. Her long pale fingers smoothing over the drawer, but she didn’t pull it out. “It has blood on it.”
“Whole bridge is soaked in blood, little one. Ain’t nothing goin’ to fix that neither. No matter how good we make the girl look. She’s still got blood all over her.”
“Don’t let it stain.” She pressed her fingers over my heart. “It’s not your fault, Mal. You need to forgive yourself.”
“Don’t know if I’ll be able to do that, darlin’. Broke Zoe’s heart.”
“Zoe’s strong. Strongest of them all. She’ll be okay. I am.”
“You always make me nervous when you talk normal.”
She cocked her head to the side, giving me a lopsided smile. “Be crazier for you later. Now it’s time for dinner. Simon cooked.”
“Oh god,” I let out a snort. “We’re all goin’ to die for sure now. Course could be worse. Could be Jayne’s stew.”
Fandom: Firefly, Serenity
Word count: 321
Rating: G
Notes: After the big damn movie
Prompt for scifi_muses
what I've felt
what I've known
never shined through in what I've shown…. The Unforgiven
It still felt wrong. Didn’t know how long it’d be before sitting down in the pilot’s seat didn’t feel off. Even with the new chair, it was like I was a trespasser. Hoped that someday I’d stop feeling like that since Serenity was my boat. But this was a bad day, finding one of Wash’s ugly ass old shirts wedged into the back of a drawer had brought our loss home again.
Didn’t know what to do with the shirt either. Did I give it to Zoe, so she could have that wound ripped back open? Did I just toss it out in the trash and shit all over his memory.
“Mal?” River came up behind me. For a change I didn’t jump. Most of the time I did. “It’s too bright.”
“That it is.” I’d shoved the shirt back where I found it. But she knew about it. She knew about everything. “Don’t know what to do about it.”
She crouched right in front of where I’d hidden it. Her long pale fingers smoothing over the drawer, but she didn’t pull it out. “It has blood on it.”
“Whole bridge is soaked in blood, little one. Ain’t nothing goin’ to fix that neither. No matter how good we make the girl look. She’s still got blood all over her.”
“Don’t let it stain.” She pressed her fingers over my heart. “It’s not your fault, Mal. You need to forgive yourself.”
“Don’t know if I’ll be able to do that, darlin’. Broke Zoe’s heart.”
“Zoe’s strong. Strongest of them all. She’ll be okay. I am.”
“You always make me nervous when you talk normal.”
She cocked her head to the side, giving me a lopsided smile. “Be crazier for you later. Now it’s time for dinner. Simon cooked.”
“Oh god,” I let out a snort. “We’re all goin’ to die for sure now. Course could be worse. Could be Jayne’s stew.”