Fic: Untitled
A little ficlet for thegranddewru, pre-series, but just barely.
Title: Untitled
Rated: G
Characters: Wash, Jayne (because I'm utterly incapable of writing a fic without him)
Notes: Unbetaed, cause I'm lazy.
Word Count: 788
“Why isn’t Kaylee doin’ this with you?” Jayne groused, standing outside the doors of one of the many shops clustered together near the docks on Beaumond. He frowned distrustfully at the door Wash was holding open, made of real glass no less, with the words Kennedy’s Jewels and Collectables etched in flowing script.
Wash frowned impatiently at the mercenary, “’Cause Mal needed her to flush out the engine while we’re land bound.” Jayne opened his mouth and he cut him off, “Mal can’t come cause he and Zoe are lining up the next job, and *you’re* here because not one of us trusts you to go off on your own and not come back with a dozen people screaming for your head on a pike again.”
“Weren’t a dozen,” he muttered beneath his breath, ducking his head beneath the doorway as he followed Wash into the shop.
Like a homing beacon, Jayne drifted toward the back of the shop where a prominent display of antique weaponry would keep him occupied for a good half an hour. Since everything was kept behind glass, Wash figured the damage he could incur was minimal and turned his full attention to the task at hand. With any luck, they’d be out of there and back on Serenity in time for lunch.
An hour passed before Jayne grew bored with knives and joined him, “You done yet, Little Man?” He frowned at the ring Wash held between his thumb and index fingers, studying it carefully. “What on Earth-that-was is that?”
He sighed impatiently, “It’s a wedding ring, Jayne. A symbol of eternal commitment on most planets.”
“Bad idea.”
Wash’s jaw dropped and he turned to the bigger man-- the much bigger man. “You telling me I shouldn’t marry Zoe? Because I’m here to tell you right now, there is not a gorram thing in this verse that’ll keep me from her side. I may not be good enough for her, but there isn’t a man alive who’ll treat her better.” He slammed his hand down on the display case, oblivious to the dirty look he was receiving from the sales person. “I expected this go se from Mal, Jayne, but you? Who are *you* to pass judgment on me? Being a hired gun doesn’t make you part of the crew and I’ll have you know that what Zoe and I have started way before you ever stepped foot on Serenity, so you can just ha wo deh bang.”
Jayne arched an eyebrow, “You ‘bout done, Little man?” He pursed his lips, glaring at him for a few moments before nodding. “Good ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once. Don’t matter how long ya known her or how much ya love her, only gotta understand one thing. Zoe, Mal and me, we watch each other’s backs. If she thinks yer good ‘nuf for her, so be it. I ain’t gotta problem with that. Ya hurt her, you’ll have both me an’ Mal to deal with. Wont no one find yer body after that. Dong ma?”
Wash stared at him, slack jawed.
Jayne picked up the ring and frowned at it, “Like I was sayin’, this is a bad idea. She can’t go wearin’ nothin’ delicate like this. Bound to break or dent or get lost, kinda work we do.”
He looked down at the delicate band in the mercenary’s meaty paw and nodded dumbly. “Right. Hadn’t thought of that.”
Pushing the ring back to the jeweler, Jayne grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the weaponry, “Saw somethin’ perfect out this way.”
“I am *not* buying her a gun as a symbol of our marriage!”
Jayne frowned slightly, “Ya sure? Cause that ain’t a half bad idea.” He stopped abruptly and Wash went crashing into him. “But I meant this.”
Wash frowned at the length of leather cord Jayne was unwinding, “It’s…What is it?”
He rolled his eyes, and continued to unwind it, “It’s a necklace. Wrapped three times ‘round the neck means commitment and loyalty or some such. Were used a lot for the rim ceremonies ‘till they started importin’ them jewels after the war.”
Wash was still looking at him blankly.
“This wont get in the way of her fightin’. And likely same thing her Mama had when she and her Pop got hitched. Women-folk are always gushin’ over stuff like that.” He pushed the leather into Wash’s hands.
He looked down at the leather in his hand, and at the jewelry across the room. Jayne was right, on several counts. Plus, with the money he wasn’t spending on a ring, he could afford a real honeymoon. He nodded to himself, “This’ll do just fine.”
“Good, now can we get some lunch?”