Fic: No Power in the 'Verse, Part 8/18 (Firefly, River/Mal, PG-13)
Title: No Power in the 'Verse: VIII. Room to Breathe
Rating: PG-13
Words: ~750
Pairing: River/Mal, mentions of Mal/Inara and Kaylee/Simon
Notes: Chapter title and cut text from Incredible Love by Ingrid Michaelson
VIII. Room to Breathe
Serenity is humming with pleasure, and River hums along with her, an old tune from Sihnon learned from Inara.
They are on their way to meet up with Monty, deliver a hold full of smuggled vegetable seeds. River is certain Serenity hums because she likes Monty, likes a short and sweet tryst with another ship that is friendly and comfortable.
River's own humming ceases mid-note, as the sound of Mal's feet on the floor moving towards the bridge is sweeter by far.
She feels her senses swim around him as he steps into the space, couldn't hum anymore if she wanted to for lack of breath.
“No need to stop on account of me, darlin',” he says, taking his seat. “It's a pretty song.”
“No,” she says. “Not all things are meant to be shared. You can hum if you like, though.” She grins at him, still happy after a week to have him back on the bridge with her. “Was too quiet up here without your witticisms.”
He smirks at this. “Was only off duty for two days, and that's just cause that mother hen you call a brother wouldn't let me up sooner. 'Sides, I know you love it up here. Couldn't've missed me all that much.”
“I do like to hear you talk,” she says, keeping her eyes carefully on the black.
“As to that, darlin', I've been thinking,” he says, and she is gripped with a sudden tight fear that he somehow knows, means to ask what she is not ready to answer. She casts about frantically in her mind, but as is so often the case when she tries to read him, her own thoughts are in such a storm at touching his that little gets through. Still, she reads only calm, and so manages to remain still, to hear him out.
“Must be too quiet for you all too often of late, down there in the passenger dorm,” he continues, looking over at her speculatively. “What with your brother being up here more nights than not and us not havin' any passengers at the moment.”
He pauses, and she nods, curious as to his purpose now. “Full of solitude. Serenity bunks with me, though.” She smiles at his confusion. “Right below the engine.”
“Ah, right,” he says, comprehension dawning. “And that's all well and good with me if you'd like to stay on there. But I was thinking that, seeing as how you're an honest part of the crew now, maybe you'd like to come up here and bunk with us.”
The wide-eyed expression on her face, she thinks with the bit of her brain that has not run away with her into visions of shared bunk space, must be quite comical.
Luckily, Mal is focused on flying, hasn't noticed. “Now, I know that empty bunk has got the misfortune of bein' next to Jayne's, and if you conjure he's worse company than the engine, don't think I'd blame you,” he says, finally turning to her and smiling. “But it's close to the bridge, and close to friendly faces should you have any more of those nightmares. All yours if you'd like it.”
She has managed to control her face now, but finds herself breathless again at the magnitude of what he's offering. “Really, Captain?”
“I'd never make you an offer I didn't mean, albatross,” he says, standing and offering a hand to her. “Really and truly yours.”
Pushed beyond caution by the edges of promise, she cannot help herself, takes his hand and rises on her toes to brush a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you, Mal.”
If he's startled at her display of affection, he recovers quickly, ruffles her hair and gives her a push towards the doorway. “Go on now, run 'long and get your brother to help move your things. I expect to see you back up here 'fore we land.”
At the doorway, she turns back, expecting to see him already focused again on the black. She meets his eyes instead, as he's still watching her, and a last smile drifts between them before she turns, joy twining around the hope in her heart.
Part 7 - Master Post - Part 9
Rating: PG-13
Words: ~750
Pairing: River/Mal, mentions of Mal/Inara and Kaylee/Simon
Notes: Chapter title and cut text from Incredible Love by Ingrid Michaelson
VIII. Room to Breathe
Serenity is humming with pleasure, and River hums along with her, an old tune from Sihnon learned from Inara.
They are on their way to meet up with Monty, deliver a hold full of smuggled vegetable seeds. River is certain Serenity hums because she likes Monty, likes a short and sweet tryst with another ship that is friendly and comfortable.
River's own humming ceases mid-note, as the sound of Mal's feet on the floor moving towards the bridge is sweeter by far.
She feels her senses swim around him as he steps into the space, couldn't hum anymore if she wanted to for lack of breath.
“No need to stop on account of me, darlin',” he says, taking his seat. “It's a pretty song.”
“No,” she says. “Not all things are meant to be shared. You can hum if you like, though.” She grins at him, still happy after a week to have him back on the bridge with her. “Was too quiet up here without your witticisms.”
He smirks at this. “Was only off duty for two days, and that's just cause that mother hen you call a brother wouldn't let me up sooner. 'Sides, I know you love it up here. Couldn't've missed me all that much.”
“I do like to hear you talk,” she says, keeping her eyes carefully on the black.
“As to that, darlin', I've been thinking,” he says, and she is gripped with a sudden tight fear that he somehow knows, means to ask what she is not ready to answer. She casts about frantically in her mind, but as is so often the case when she tries to read him, her own thoughts are in such a storm at touching his that little gets through. Still, she reads only calm, and so manages to remain still, to hear him out.
“Must be too quiet for you all too often of late, down there in the passenger dorm,” he continues, looking over at her speculatively. “What with your brother being up here more nights than not and us not havin' any passengers at the moment.”
He pauses, and she nods, curious as to his purpose now. “Full of solitude. Serenity bunks with me, though.” She smiles at his confusion. “Right below the engine.”
“Ah, right,” he says, comprehension dawning. “And that's all well and good with me if you'd like to stay on there. But I was thinking that, seeing as how you're an honest part of the crew now, maybe you'd like to come up here and bunk with us.”
The wide-eyed expression on her face, she thinks with the bit of her brain that has not run away with her into visions of shared bunk space, must be quite comical.
Luckily, Mal is focused on flying, hasn't noticed. “Now, I know that empty bunk has got the misfortune of bein' next to Jayne's, and if you conjure he's worse company than the engine, don't think I'd blame you,” he says, finally turning to her and smiling. “But it's close to the bridge, and close to friendly faces should you have any more of those nightmares. All yours if you'd like it.”
She has managed to control her face now, but finds herself breathless again at the magnitude of what he's offering. “Really, Captain?”
“I'd never make you an offer I didn't mean, albatross,” he says, standing and offering a hand to her. “Really and truly yours.”
Pushed beyond caution by the edges of promise, she cannot help herself, takes his hand and rises on her toes to brush a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you, Mal.”
If he's startled at her display of affection, he recovers quickly, ruffles her hair and gives her a push towards the doorway. “Go on now, run 'long and get your brother to help move your things. I expect to see you back up here 'fore we land.”
At the doorway, she turns back, expecting to see him already focused again on the black. She meets his eyes instead, as he's still watching her, and a last smile drifts between them before she turns, joy twining around the hope in her heart.
Part 7 - Master Post - Part 9