Playing for Keeps (2/2)
Title: Shiny and Useless
Prompt: #37 Bread
Rating: G
Word Count: 1110
Title: Shiny and Useless
Prompt: #37 Bread
Disclaimer: I’m just playing with Joss’ toys, but I promise to put them back when I’m done
Rating: G
Word Count: 1110
Counting out the money carefully, Jayne hands a small handful of bills to River.
“There’s yer ten percent,” he growls, quickly shoving his own wad of cash in his pocket before any of the crowded bar’s patrons see it. It’s real easy to get yourself robbed when people know you’ve got fresh winnings and Jayne’s hoping to keep possession of his as long as he could.
River, on the other hand, turns her money over in her hands, inspecting the ink on each of the paper bills while counting and recounting the total sum. She looks up at him with a look of friendly curiosity, as if he wasn’t a mean mercenary who would sell her to the next man to walk up to him for the right price. He wasn’t sure if that should make him feel good because it might be true or mad because it wasn’t. Either way, it was making him feel something and he sure didn’t like it.
“What should she do with the currency?” Her eyes are bright and he looks away, schooling his features into a tight scowl.
“I don’t give a crap what ya do with it, Crazy, as long as you quit wavin’ it aroun’ for any these thievin’ low lives to see.” He steers her through the crowd with a heavy hand on her shoulder.
“Going to give it to Simon,” she announces, carefully folding the bills in half and tucking them in the small pocket of her dress, “for safe keeping.”
The sharp look he gives her goes unnoticed as she continues to gawk curiously at the swarm of people they pass by.
“Ya can’t just hand all yer coin over to yer pansy ass brother. Ya earned that fair and square, there’s no call to go givin’ it away.” The disappointment in his voice is thick and it makes her glance up at him in surprise. He doesn’t like seeing her babied by her brother. Independence is something he treasures, self sufficiency a necessity for living out in the black, and it annoys him to know she’s so willing to stay under the doctor’s lock and key.
“Then what should she buy?” Why his approval of the way she spends her money matters, she doesn’t know, but some strange part of her wants to please him, make him proud of her.
“Get somethin’ for yerself. Somethin’ shiny and useless. Women love that kinda go se.” They push their way through the swinging doors of the bar and out into the open street. Jayne’s hand drops from her shoulder and River masks her disappointment with chatter.
“A frivolous purchase is most unwise when trying to maintain a balanced budget, however you are correct, she would love something pretty and impractical.”
“Well alright then. While we’re passin’ through town, why don’t you pick yerself out something nice, huh?” He grins down at her then quickly clears his throat and resumes his surly frown.
She pauses at the display window of a clothing store, looking intently at a pair of heavy combat boots. A peek down to her own feet show her own worn out boots. The laces are frayed and the rubber soles are coming loose.
Coming over to see what she’s looking at, Jayne shakes his head at her choice. “No, let yer brother buy ya stuff ya need, yer lookin’ for somethin’ like this.” He pulls her with a hand above her elbow to the next shop over. It’s a jewelry store with a window display full of various rings, bracelets, watches, cufflinks and earrings.
“How ‘bout that?” He points to a beaded bracelet in the front of the display. It’s rather ugly and she scrunches up her nose, shaking her head quickly. A silver necklace with a purple and blue butterfly pendant made of gemstones catches her attention though and she gazes longingly at it. The stones are probably fake, but she still thinks it’s pretty.
“Ya like that?” he asks, closely watching her features. River nods, but after checking the price tag shakes her head slowly and looks up at him with sad brown eyes.
“Out of her price range.” He disregards her lament with a swift wave of his hand.
“Price tags are fer suckers. Ya always gotta haggle ‘em down some. Wait here while I go work my magic.” In his excitement, he forgets that he’s supposed to be grumpy and rude and should be offering to buy her some skimpy panties or a lewd toy.
She watches through window as he enters the store and approaches the salesperson, a tired looking man in a shoddy brown suit. He gestures towards the display case, and though River can’t hear what he’s saying, she can see Jayne’s using his intimidating manner and it appears to be working as the salesperson shrinks back timidly. She knows they’ve come to an agreement when Jayne pulls out his wad of money and doles out the carefully counted bills. He looks over his shoulder at her and gives her a wink as the salesperson pulls the necklace out of the display and wraps it in a small black box.
“Got it fer half price,” he boasts, coming back out of the little shop. Doing the math quickly in her head, River knows that even at half price it costs more than she had and she pulls out her small bundle of money to pay him. She starts to hand it to him, but he pushes it back towards her.
“Nah, keep it. Consider it a gift and keep it in mind next time you wanna go cuttin’ on someone.” She knows he doesn’t believe that she’ll hurt him again, but his mouth and his brain have never been very cooperative so she chalks up the insult as part of his rough charm and focuses on the present in his hands.
He pries open the box and pulls out the delicate silver chain. Maneuvering himself behind her, he drapes it around her throat, busying himself with the tiny clasp at the base of her neck. She feels his warm fingers dance across her skin and the light contact sends odd tingles through her. When he finishes, he looks over her shoulder to see the pendant resting against the pale skin of her throat.
“See there? All shiny and useless,” he proclaims proudly.
“Not useless,” she insists, fingering the smooth stones. “Generosity gets its own rewards.” She bounces up on her toes and presses a fleeting kiss to his stubbled cheek.
“Shiny,” he mumbles, a grin quirking the corners of his mouth and this time he doesn’t remind himself to frown.
< Previous: Gambling, Prompt #2 Races
Prompt: #37 Bread
Rating: G
Word Count: 1110
Title: Shiny and Useless
Prompt: #37 Bread
Disclaimer: I’m just playing with Joss’ toys, but I promise to put them back when I’m done
Rating: G
Word Count: 1110
Counting out the money carefully, Jayne hands a small handful of bills to River.
“There’s yer ten percent,” he growls, quickly shoving his own wad of cash in his pocket before any of the crowded bar’s patrons see it. It’s real easy to get yourself robbed when people know you’ve got fresh winnings and Jayne’s hoping to keep possession of his as long as he could.
River, on the other hand, turns her money over in her hands, inspecting the ink on each of the paper bills while counting and recounting the total sum. She looks up at him with a look of friendly curiosity, as if he wasn’t a mean mercenary who would sell her to the next man to walk up to him for the right price. He wasn’t sure if that should make him feel good because it might be true or mad because it wasn’t. Either way, it was making him feel something and he sure didn’t like it.
“What should she do with the currency?” Her eyes are bright and he looks away, schooling his features into a tight scowl.
“I don’t give a crap what ya do with it, Crazy, as long as you quit wavin’ it aroun’ for any these thievin’ low lives to see.” He steers her through the crowd with a heavy hand on her shoulder.
“Going to give it to Simon,” she announces, carefully folding the bills in half and tucking them in the small pocket of her dress, “for safe keeping.”
The sharp look he gives her goes unnoticed as she continues to gawk curiously at the swarm of people they pass by.
“Ya can’t just hand all yer coin over to yer pansy ass brother. Ya earned that fair and square, there’s no call to go givin’ it away.” The disappointment in his voice is thick and it makes her glance up at him in surprise. He doesn’t like seeing her babied by her brother. Independence is something he treasures, self sufficiency a necessity for living out in the black, and it annoys him to know she’s so willing to stay under the doctor’s lock and key.
“Then what should she buy?” Why his approval of the way she spends her money matters, she doesn’t know, but some strange part of her wants to please him, make him proud of her.
“Get somethin’ for yerself. Somethin’ shiny and useless. Women love that kinda go se.” They push their way through the swinging doors of the bar and out into the open street. Jayne’s hand drops from her shoulder and River masks her disappointment with chatter.
“A frivolous purchase is most unwise when trying to maintain a balanced budget, however you are correct, she would love something pretty and impractical.”
“Well alright then. While we’re passin’ through town, why don’t you pick yerself out something nice, huh?” He grins down at her then quickly clears his throat and resumes his surly frown.
She pauses at the display window of a clothing store, looking intently at a pair of heavy combat boots. A peek down to her own feet show her own worn out boots. The laces are frayed and the rubber soles are coming loose.
Coming over to see what she’s looking at, Jayne shakes his head at her choice. “No, let yer brother buy ya stuff ya need, yer lookin’ for somethin’ like this.” He pulls her with a hand above her elbow to the next shop over. It’s a jewelry store with a window display full of various rings, bracelets, watches, cufflinks and earrings.
“How ‘bout that?” He points to a beaded bracelet in the front of the display. It’s rather ugly and she scrunches up her nose, shaking her head quickly. A silver necklace with a purple and blue butterfly pendant made of gemstones catches her attention though and she gazes longingly at it. The stones are probably fake, but she still thinks it’s pretty.
“Ya like that?” he asks, closely watching her features. River nods, but after checking the price tag shakes her head slowly and looks up at him with sad brown eyes.
“Out of her price range.” He disregards her lament with a swift wave of his hand.
“Price tags are fer suckers. Ya always gotta haggle ‘em down some. Wait here while I go work my magic.” In his excitement, he forgets that he’s supposed to be grumpy and rude and should be offering to buy her some skimpy panties or a lewd toy.
She watches through window as he enters the store and approaches the salesperson, a tired looking man in a shoddy brown suit. He gestures towards the display case, and though River can’t hear what he’s saying, she can see Jayne’s using his intimidating manner and it appears to be working as the salesperson shrinks back timidly. She knows they’ve come to an agreement when Jayne pulls out his wad of money and doles out the carefully counted bills. He looks over his shoulder at her and gives her a wink as the salesperson pulls the necklace out of the display and wraps it in a small black box.
“Got it fer half price,” he boasts, coming back out of the little shop. Doing the math quickly in her head, River knows that even at half price it costs more than she had and she pulls out her small bundle of money to pay him. She starts to hand it to him, but he pushes it back towards her.
“Nah, keep it. Consider it a gift and keep it in mind next time you wanna go cuttin’ on someone.” She knows he doesn’t believe that she’ll hurt him again, but his mouth and his brain have never been very cooperative so she chalks up the insult as part of his rough charm and focuses on the present in his hands.
He pries open the box and pulls out the delicate silver chain. Maneuvering himself behind her, he drapes it around her throat, busying himself with the tiny clasp at the base of her neck. She feels his warm fingers dance across her skin and the light contact sends odd tingles through her. When he finishes, he looks over her shoulder to see the pendant resting against the pale skin of her throat.
“See there? All shiny and useless,” he proclaims proudly.
“Not useless,” she insists, fingering the smooth stones. “Generosity gets its own rewards.” She bounces up on her toes and presses a fleeting kiss to his stubbled cheek.
“Shiny,” he mumbles, a grin quirking the corners of his mouth and this time he doesn’t remind himself to frown.
< Previous: Gambling, Prompt #2 Races