Artistic Pretender

Title: Spiky Reciprocity
Series Title: Wandering Home
Author: FabledFigment
Disclaimer: There is no original content, except for the original content. All Hail Joss.
Timeline: Post BDM with sufficient ‘growing-up’ time for River.
Rating: M
Series Rating: NC-17

Previous

*

The mule was a tight fit for five, but with no payload the weight just made her run slow.

River found herself on the hump between the back seats, wedged between the two Cobb brothers. Mattie seemed to take up more space than he should up close. She already expected that from Jayne.

At least Mattie stretched his arm out on the back of the seat and leaned away. Jayne just sat there, crowding her.

With all his forebrain, he complained to himself about how uncomfortable he was with her arm and leg pressed into his side. With all his aftbrain he thought about how good the same sensations felt. The contradiction was disconcerting.

River sighed. Seeking a more comfortable position, she shifted her shoulder behind his.

Heat curled in her stomach when she realized that move pressed the side of her breast into his arm. He noticed that.

On a curve in the road she was pressed farther into him. Mattie managed to keep his seat.

Interestingly, River found that the spikes were stronger when they were in physical contact. She tried to analyze why and came to the tentative conclusion that she was producing part of the total emotion.

River shifted slightly. Yes, that particular spike was hers, followed almost instantly by his. Interesting. She knew she was attracted to him, she hadn’t quite realized how much.

She definitely needed some serious self analysis, or perhaps just a simple acknowledgement that she toyed with him because it made her produce her own delicious little lust spikes.

As quickly as that, her perception shifted. That one piece of information completed the puzzle in a new way. She rephrased her realization. She pushed at Jayne because she was attracted to him and wanted him to be attracted to her.

She felt as if scales had fallen from her eyes.

By the time the mule whooshed into the cargo bay, River was wondering why she hadn’t had this realization sooner.

Mattie and Jayne both jumped out as soon as the mule came to a full stop. Mattie was fascinated with the cargo bay, peering around eagerly. Jayne was distancing himself from her.

“Jayne?” River unhooked his guns from her belt and began to hand them to him.

As he turned towards the sound of her voice, River was treated to a rare glimpse straight into him. He was conflicted, as usual, but the purity of his…emotion startled her.

She knew then. Yes, she was sure. She wanted him focused on her like that indefinitely.

She smiled, feeling shy. “Thank you for trusting me with them. I’ll help you clean them later if you’ll let me.”

Jayne sniffed and nodded, taking Tracy from her. “Hang on to those.” He said. “Might be out of character if you don’t wear them around. I’ll get you some more reloads.”

River nodded and put them back on.

Jayne stepped back, turning to Mal and clearing his throat. “I’ll just go clean up. Ma wants us there earlier than she says, she always does.”

“I… I should shower.” River stuttered. Her toes curled when she caught the image Jayne produced. She stood, wondering that her legs held her up. She reached for Jayne’s shoulder and vaulted out of the mule. That first spike was hers. His came an instant later.

Curious.

There was so little to differentiate them. The texture was so similar. No wonder she hadn’t noticed she was causing part of the total. She turned towards the stairs.

“I won’t be long.” She called.

*

Jayne breathed easier as soon as River was gone. This thing where he noticed her was getting out of control. He needed some trim in a powerful way.

“Jayne?”

“Yeah, Mal?”

“We still need to do some talking.”

Jayne swallowed. “Yeah, Mal, I know. The job?”

“Handled.”

Jayne nodded. He reached into the mule again and pulled out their shot up targets.

“I’ll be quick.” Jayne said.

He took off after River. That should be enough head start. It wasn’t, of course. She was in the hall, headed for the shower when he topped the stairs.

She paused, looking at him, fixing to say something. “I had fun today.”

“That was good shooting.” He agreed, hoping she didn’t notice he was taking her star pattern into his bunk. He realized a second later that by thinking about not letting her see, he might as well have told her outright.

“Thank you.” She bit her lip. “You too.” She looked down. Around. “They’ll be waiting.”

“Right.” He opened his bunk and jumped down, swinging the hatch shut.

Jayne breathed in, savoring the smell of his own private space. The faint odor of River lingered from earlier. He sighed. No getting away from her at the moment.

Jayne unrolled River’s target and looked at it. The lines were straight and even. Each point of the star had a faint overlap where two bullets had passed, one from each gun.

Every time he thought he had a handle on understanding that girl she did something new. Shooting his targets after he hit them? Amazing.

Even the time his shot missed, she made her shot anyway. He’d gotten hotter for her with every round.

Her reload was just as fast as his, and the way she smiled up at him when they were both ready?

His groin tightened again. He needed to flog the log if he was gonna sit next to her at his Ma’s table tonight. They would be sitting side by side. Ma would see to that. She still thought that River was the girl who could settle him down for good. He could see it in her eyes.

Jayne tacked the star pattern to his wall, covering whatever was already there without caring.

He unbuttoned and set to work celebrating himself. He had plenty of crystal clear images from today to work with.

*

River was standing under the shower spray when she began to feel Jayne’s self-sexing.

She closed her eyes, focusing on it. So many of his images were violence related. River gasped. He was masturbating to the memory of her holding a pistol in his face?

“Wo de ma.” she breathed aloud.

The movement of her soft washcloth took on new meaning. She braced herself against the wall. When the first warning chimed, she barely got herself rinsed before the water cut off and the warm air began to blow. She finger combed her hair while the jets of air dried her body. Then she piled her hair up so she could smooth on her not-quite-floral lotion before dressing.

She dressed more femininely to have dinner with his mother. A sundress, her new blue one with the lacy neckline. She would wear her gunbelt, but cover it with her white crocheted sweater. She…

She shook her head, slowly to avoid dislodging the mass of wet hair on her head. She wanted to make a good second impression. She sighed. No, she wanted to catch Jayne’s eye. Self deception was pointless.

Apparently she wasn’t going to do any of that introspection she’d promised herself. She took a deep breath. She really was going to make a play for Jayne.

Tonight.

She stared at her reflection. She wanted him. On some level it startled her, but yes, she did. In fact, it was the most natural thing in the ‘Verse.

She gathered up her boots and soiled clothing.

Jayne was in the hall waiting. He’d propped himself against the wall. He smelled faintly of recent sex.

“Decided on a shower my own self.” He muttered.

She nodded, smiled shyly and stepped past him, inhaling surreptitiously.

“River?”

She turned back, trying not to let her breathing become ragged.

“Wear shoes.”

She looked down at the boots in her hands and back up at him.

His eyes traced the lines of her calves and feet.

“Ma threatened a social. You won’t want to dance barefoot with the locals. They’ll break those pretty little feet.” He radiated a faint, confused jealousy.

River licked her lips and blushed. “I’ll just go clean them off, then.” She held up her dusty boots.

He pushed away from the wall, headed for the shower.

“Jayne?”

He turned back, looming over her in the suddenly small space.

“I… If there’s dancing, will you dance with me?”

He paused, looking hard at her.

She could feel the dryness of his mouth. It mingled with her longing.

“Not if you ain’t wearing them boots.” He managed.

Jayne disappeared into the shower room.

River heard him groan before the door swung shut. The little room smelled of her.

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