Ursa Major, Ursa Minor

Chapter Twenty-Three:
Sihnon was also in its summer season when Serenity made landfall. Jayne (who was actually learning a few things about piloting as he watched River) laid a hand on River’s shoulder and gently squeezed before heading to his bunk to get dressed properly for their stay.

Inara had said “no weapons” and for once, Jayne was going to listen.

He dropped into his bunk and packed a few essentials in his duffle (Inara mentioned something about staying a few days). He briefly glanced at the wall that used to be covered in pin-up girls but now held a gleaming Bertha on three support hooks. “No weapons” was a damn hard rule to follow, but Jayne would cowboy up.

Even though it meant leaving Binky and Marie behind as well.

Jayne sighed in annoyance as he hooked both knives on the wall beneath Bertha—then shoved his dancing tuxedo in his duffle bag on a whim.

*

Inara glanced up at the crew quarters as she heard Jayne’s bunk close and was relieved to see him wearing a plain, slogan-free, sleeveless olive green shirt and clean cargo pants that hung over the tops of his boots—not a weapon in sight. His face was still beard free. She’d been worried that her “star pupil” would come down into the hold looking like he usually did.

River sighed happily from beside her. Inara turned to see the younger woman’s eyes trained on Jayne and didn’t bother to hide her “gotcha” grin.

“He looks handsome, mei mei.”

“Mm.”

Inara wound an arm around River’s shoulders and dipped her head to speak quietly to her. “You’ll have to tell me all about it later. And I’m sure Kaylee would want to hear about it as well.”

“Jayne is a very good lover,” River nodded. She was still tingling from some mid-flight finger play…

Mal, just feet behind her, winced. “Captain here. Don’t wanna hear none of that, little albatross.”

“Hear what?” Kaylee asked, dragging Simon behind her. The surgeon was carrying all of their bags.

River pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh. I’ll speak later.”

Zoë slid beside River and hugged her middle. “Do I get to live vi-cariously through you too, River-honey?”

Memories of Wash flooded through them all, but the sting was gone. Warmth was all that remained. Zoë didn’t think she’d ever love another man again, but she could still cherish the love she’d had.

River tugged on one of Zoë’s braids and grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. “Yes. We should have a slumber party.”

Jayne raised an eyebrow and pouted at the thought of spending a night away from her. Christ A’mighty, I am sorely whipped by her. He hefted his bag and dragged hers off the floor without being asked. Acting just like Pa did when Ma…

His brain halted completely.

Jayne’s parents had been deeply in love. Even as a young boy he could feel the emotion they felt for one another like it was a visible thing. Swirling warmth and contentment… If that was love and what he was feeling now for the thin girl across the hold…

Jayne nearly dropped the bags as realization struck.

I’m in love with her…

River was too busy teasing Cap to pick up on Jayne’s full thought. He could tell by the confusion in her eyes as she looked his way.

Tell you later, xuan ni.

She caught the message he projected and nodded shortly.

Mal opened the hold.

*

Sheydra greeted Inara in the same two-kiss manner that River remembered Mother using—except Sheydra actually let her lips meet the Companion’s cheeks. Mother had never done that with her daughter.

Inara introduced everyone to the blonde woman and then carefully pulled Jayne out from behind Zoë and Mal. “And here is my best pupil, Jayne Cobb,” she announced.

Dutifully, Jayne bowed gently at the waist. “Good afternoon,” he greeted—remembering what Inara had taught him. A year ago he would not have been capable of setting foot on Sihnon without making some crack about “whore academy.”

Sheydra ran her eyes all over him and only frowned at his tattoo. “What was his final task?” she asked, ignoring Jayne quite rudely for a woman who claimed to be all class.

“Dancing with me for Sir Whilton at his estate on Londinium,” River piped up from beside her brother.

Sheydra raised a dubious eyebrow and glanced at Jayne again now that he was standing straight and making eye contact. “Dancing?”

“Jayne is actually quite well versed in several dances,” said Inara.

“Inara,” Sheydra interrupted her before she could go any further. “I ask that your guests follow the priestesses to their rooms while you and I have a talk.”

Just like that, the crew of Serenity was taken from Inara before she could defend them right in front of their faces.

“Sheydra, teaching Jayne inspired me, really it did. If you don’t believe me then put him to the test. He remembered all I taught him.”

“A dance, then? Two different styles and a full conversation with myself and the headmistress in-between.”

“Fair enough. And if he passes your test?”

“I will grant you your teaching license and send you a list of candidates that are waiting on Bernadette.”

Inara bowed in agreement and left the entryway with the quiet swish of satin against her legs.

*

“Ya think in a place this big they’d give us separate rooms,” Jayne groused. Mal and Simon looked as if they couldn’t agree more. Whether that meant they’d rather be anywhere other than in the same room as Jayne for a night or two or they missed their ladies as much as Jayne missed his, the mercenary couldn’t tell.

Three crisp knocks sounded on the door. Mal abandoned his bags and turned the knob to peek out.

A shy-looking blonde peered up at him. “Mistress Sheydra wishes to see Mister Cobb for tea.”

Jayne shoved his duffle onto the bed against the window and walked in his strangely silent way toward the messenger girl. Out in the hallway, he had to stifle a dubious expression. The little thing had to be at least two years older than Kaylee and she only came up to his gorram bicep.

“Did Mistress Sheydra ask to see Miss Tam as well?” Jayne asked as politely as he could. He clasped his hands together by his back and took extra short strides to keep from walking ahead of the girl by accident.

She quickly glanced up at his question—clearly not expecting him to speak without an accent. Jayne himself was surprised at how easily it came back to him.

“Yes, she did,” the young woman answered. She quickened her pace as they neared a pair of large, ornately carved wooden doors. Jayne admired the intricacies of the carvings for a moment but was snapped quickly back to reality when the messenger girl yanked the left-hand door open.

She gestured for Jayne to enter and scurried away as quickly as her heavy skirts would allow.

River was already in the room. Sheydra was fixing tea and Jayne didn’t see Inara anywhere.

“Mr. Cobb, please sit.”

Jayne kept his footsteps light and eased himself into the empty sofa cushion beside his girl.

“I have some questions to put to the both of you.”

Jayne clasped his hands across his knees and pressed the pads of his thumbs together to ease some of the nervous tension he was feeling.

Sheydra placed two full teacups on the low table in front of the pair.

“Miss Tam, how old are you?”

River calculated the math in her head for a second and seemed surprised. She’d missed a few birthdays while out in the black for so long. Simon was going to be disappointed. “I am nineteen, Ma’am. Nearly twenty.”

“And you, Mr. Cobb?”

“I just turned thirty-one a season ago, Ma’am,” he addressed Sheydra, following River’s lead with the sort of title he should use. He sipped quietly at his tea and let the heated water sooth the knots in his middle.

Sheydra hummed lowly in the back of her throat. “Where do you hail from?”

“I was born and raised on Kerry, Ma’am.”

“And you, Miss Tam?”

“I was born on Osiris.”

Sheydra poured herself some tea. She was silent as she considered her next words. “Damn.”

Jayne raised an eyebrow at her exclamation but quickly tightened his features back to apathy. It was hard for him to do—his face being naturally expressive.

“Just by observing the pair of you right now I can genuinely say that Inara Serra has earned her license. She taught you well, Mr. Cobb.”

Jayne didn’t quite know how to respond to this.

“I was planning on putting you through some trials, but I am uncertain of what to do now.”

River finished her tea and leaned forward a bit on her cushion. “Perhaps we could just dance as entertainment for the students tonight,” she suggested.

Sheydra smiled softly—the first glimmer of genuine emotion either of them had seen from her. “That sounds like a wonderful idea, Miss Tam.”

River felt Jayne ease back into himself—worry edging away from him like iron shavings being pulled by a magnet. He drank the rest of his tea. Dancin’ with River… Can’t think of any better way to spend the night in this place.

An image flashed in Jayne’s mind of last night: River flying apart on top of him—flushed red and completely stunning as she cried his name into her bitten knuckles.

I take that back…

River was burning with the force of her blush as she caught the image. She had no idea that she looked like that. It was almost embarrassing.

Sheydra summoned her messenger girl again—hiding a grin at the expressions on her two guests’ faces. “Sienna will show you back you your rooms where you can get ready.”

Jayne stood and held a hand out for River to take. He was really pouring on the charm as they left the quiet chamber—wanting to help Inara as much as he wanted to impress her and please River.

*

River returned to the room she was sharing with Kaylee and Zoë and let out a deep sigh of relief. “Sheydra is going to grant Inara her teaching license.”

Kaylee clapped her hands together enthusiastically. “Well that’s just shiny, River! What were ya so worried about, anyhow?”

“Unknown,” River rubbed a knuckle against her temple and dug through her overnight bag for the swishy red dress she’d thrown in once she sensed Jayne do the same with his tuxedo. “Simon missed two of my birthdays.”

Zoë watched the younger woman smooth the dress out on the bedspread. “Yer nineteen?”

River nodded and started undressing. “Twenty in approximately two months’ time.”

Kaylee “wow’ed” and nibbled on a fingernail.

As River pulled the red dress on, the bend of her waist called attention to a massive hickey on her hipbone just beneath her panties.

“Liao bu qi!” Kaylee exclaimed. “Jayne did that?!”

Zoë smiled softly. “You never did finish telling us about that first night. You got as far as him kissin’ you against the crate full o’ beer bottles and then you had to land us on Persephone. I think I nearly made him pass out of embarrassment when I commented on his shirt.”

“Shuo hun shen,” River recited and pulled the straps of her dress over her shoulders. “A very true statement.”

Kaylee waggled her eyebrows. “Keep goin’. I’ve always wondered ‘bout Jayne. One time, way before you an’ Simon came along, we was hangin’ out at a bar on Paquin an’ Jayne hired a girl fer the night and not two minutes after they got themselves upstairs he had her hollerin’ like a banshee. Heard her over the loud music an’ everythin’. Man must be some kinda miracle in the sack.”

River, slightly disturbed at the mention of Jayne whoring, turned her back to Kaylee and dug around another bag for her shoes.

“So?” Zoë prodded.

River let the memories flood through her and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention. “He carried me to my room. We had to stop a few times on the way…”

“Lotsa kissin’?” Kaylee’s dimpled grin was infectious.

“Mm. Very talented. With his hands,” River’s eyes glazed over a bit and she swayed unsteadily on her high heels. “Especially with his tongue.”

“He did that?!” Kaylee’s hand flew to her mouth in a delayed attempt to smother the squeal that escaped.

Zoë got a real wistful look on her face and River tried to block the strong thoughts as best she could. Memories of Wash were private…

“He does that,” River corrected.

“I don’t think I could ever get Simon ta do that fer me.”

River pulled a disgusted face. “Bi zui! I do not want to hear about my brother and his… His…” she shuddered and made a gagging noise. Kaylee laughed at her.

“Just for that, Kaywinnet Lee Frye, I’m not going to finish telling you about our night,” River stuck her tongue out at the other girl.

*

Inara looked up in surprise when the first strains of a familiar song filled the room. Jayne was leading River into the dining hall wearing his tuxedo (though his bowtie was mysteriously missing) and River grinned softly in the Companion’s direction before she schooled her face into one of total concentration.

The rest of the crew had been escorted into the dining hall and told to sit and wait while hundreds of young men and women being trained by the Guild filed in behind them.

Sheydra, sitting beside her best student, placed a hand on Inara’s arm and smiled at her.
“A little entertainment I arranged before we eat,” she confessed. “I spoke with them while you were settling in your room and we came to an understanding.”

River and Jayne paused with the music in the middle of the room. Once again, River performed a dance of promise with a man she was entranced by. But this time, promise had been fulfilled and this tango was a build up instead. Jayne prowled across the polished stone floor with erotic promise in his eyes and the flex of his thighs and arms. He invaded River’s space and she stamped her heels and twirled away from him like a tease—yanking his tuxedo jacket off with the move.

It was like watching a wordless play.

River lifted one leg up to slide diagonally across Jayne’s hip and cat scratched at his back as he pulled her tighter against him with another step.

“An’ they expect us to stay in separate rooms tonight?” he growled into her ear. He pressed his hand against the skin bared by the back of her dress (or lack thereof) and gave her a hidden teasing wink at the intimate contact between their groins.

The music swelled and Jayne quickly manipulated her into a twisting spin with one hand on her hip and the other hand against her long neck.

Jayne pulled her back to him with a smoldering look as the song ended.

They didn’t dare break eye contact for fear of loosing the moment.

“We’re going to need to do this more often,” Jayne whispered heatedly.

River grinned.

TBC

Translations:
Liao bu qi: Amazing!
Shuo hun shen: Loosely translated as “big all over.” I may need to check this out more.
Bi zui: Shut up!