Ursa Major, Ursa Minor
folder
1 through F › Firefly
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
34
Views:
8,787
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Category:
1 through F › Firefly
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
34
Views:
8,787
Reviews:
21
Recommended:
1
Currently Reading:
1
Disclaimer:
I do not own Firefly, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Muscle Memory
Chapter Five:
Kaylee lent River her cortex radio for her and Jayne’s dance practice. They had cleared up Jayne’s weight lifting area and set the radio on a crate.
Neither of them wore shoes—only because Jayne had said something to River about being afraid to step on her toes. On the catwalk above them, everyone in the crew was gathered with bags of protein snaps—ready to watch the show.
“Waltz first,” said River.
Jayne sagged with relief. “’S the one I know best.”
He mentally counted out the beat to the song, took River’s right hand and dropped his left to her waist.
He managed to refrain from stepping on her delicate little feet.
“Just like riding a bike,” said River.
“Huh?”
“Earth-that-was saying. Muscle memory retains everything you’ve ever done. Including dance.”
“Muscle memory, I get that.”
Jayne’s hand twitched against her waist. Jayne’s large hand… Warm, big… How would it feel on the rest of me?
River blushed—something she had been doing ever since she’d seen Jayne clean-shaven.
“So we don’t have ta work on the waltz none.”
“Any.”
“Any. Whatever. Let’s work on the jive.”
He let her go and fiddled with the radio to find a more upbeat song. As he loped across the floor back to River’s side, he tried to remember what the hell went with the lifts and throws—just about all he could remember about the jive.
River grabbed one of his hands and smiled. “Don’t worry about the steps.”
“’S an important part of the whole dancing thing, isn’t it?”
She winked at him. “Like riding a bike, remember?”
“How ‘bout a horse?”
“Hm, same thing.”
River suddenly broke out in a few twisty steps and Jayne twirled her with one arm, brought her back to his chest, and swung her between his legs then back up into the air and against his chest again. She laughed and it was like everything came back to him.
He laughed along with her and just let his muscle memory take control of the situation.
On the catwalk, Simon dropped his protein snaps in surprise.
*
An hour later, Jayne and River were completely exhausted and they still had to review the tango.
“I’m hungry,” Jayne complained.
“And sweaty.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You aren’t exactly fresh as a daisy yourself, River-girl.”
River pouted and pinched his chin.
“Ow!”
“Food.”
“Right.”
They limped up to the mess barefooted (Jayne complained about the feeling of the grating on his heels) and raided the pantry for anything that didn’t require preparation. They sat at the table and shared a can of peaches between them. Much to River’s amusement it had a dent in it from when she dropped it on Jayne’s head.
Mal found them hunched over the can in the middle of a fork fight.
“How goes the practice?” he asked.
Jayne swallowed his mouthful before speaking (something he hadn’t done since he left home). “Fine. One dance left. Takes me a while to remember the gorram steps.”
“Didn’t think dancin’ was in your repertoire,” said Mal.
Jayne smiled. “Didn’t ask, did ya?”
“He never does,” River mumbled around a peach slice.
Mal frowned.
Jayne made his “I don’t really care” face and speared another peach.
“Ma said ‘ain’t no son of mine gonna live like a poor Rim bred hun dan when he can get hisself cultured in at least one way,’” said River. “Jayne won a high school competition,” she said with a wink for Mal.
Jayne glanced sideways at her—peach halfway to his open mouth.
“Ma had good intentions,” River grinned and bit half of the dripping fruit off his fork.
Jayne decided to change the subject. “Why you always stealin’ my food?”
River’s grin widened. “It’s fun to tease you.”
He ate his remaining bit of peach and cracked his toes beneath the table.
*
Only Inara was present to watch the tango practice. Kaylee had Simon down in the engine room and Mal and Zoë were up on the bridge relaxing. She picked out the music and helped Jayne count the beat out loud before he started leading River through the first steps of the tango.
Once again, muscle memory took hold and the mercenary lead the little assassin across the cold metal floor with the passion of a conditioned ballroom dancer.
Inara held her breath as they glided effortlessly to the rhythm of the music. River only had to correct Jayne three times on his steps, but between that it was like watching something ethereal. The connection between the pair was so much more noticeable when they danced like this and Inara was grateful that she was able to witness it.
River was her friend and (as much as she would deny it out loud) so was Jayne. Both deserved happiness. And if they couldn’t see what was happening right before their eyes, then perhaps they would need a push.
Just a nudge in the right direction. Towards each other.
Inara nodded to herself. She could do that. She was in the business of making people happy.
TBC
Kaylee lent River her cortex radio for her and Jayne’s dance practice. They had cleared up Jayne’s weight lifting area and set the radio on a crate.
Neither of them wore shoes—only because Jayne had said something to River about being afraid to step on her toes. On the catwalk above them, everyone in the crew was gathered with bags of protein snaps—ready to watch the show.
“Waltz first,” said River.
Jayne sagged with relief. “’S the one I know best.”
He mentally counted out the beat to the song, took River’s right hand and dropped his left to her waist.
He managed to refrain from stepping on her delicate little feet.
“Just like riding a bike,” said River.
“Huh?”
“Earth-that-was saying. Muscle memory retains everything you’ve ever done. Including dance.”
“Muscle memory, I get that.”
Jayne’s hand twitched against her waist. Jayne’s large hand… Warm, big… How would it feel on the rest of me?
River blushed—something she had been doing ever since she’d seen Jayne clean-shaven.
“So we don’t have ta work on the waltz none.”
“Any.”
“Any. Whatever. Let’s work on the jive.”
He let her go and fiddled with the radio to find a more upbeat song. As he loped across the floor back to River’s side, he tried to remember what the hell went with the lifts and throws—just about all he could remember about the jive.
River grabbed one of his hands and smiled. “Don’t worry about the steps.”
“’S an important part of the whole dancing thing, isn’t it?”
She winked at him. “Like riding a bike, remember?”
“How ‘bout a horse?”
“Hm, same thing.”
River suddenly broke out in a few twisty steps and Jayne twirled her with one arm, brought her back to his chest, and swung her between his legs then back up into the air and against his chest again. She laughed and it was like everything came back to him.
He laughed along with her and just let his muscle memory take control of the situation.
On the catwalk, Simon dropped his protein snaps in surprise.
*
An hour later, Jayne and River were completely exhausted and they still had to review the tango.
“I’m hungry,” Jayne complained.
“And sweaty.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “You aren’t exactly fresh as a daisy yourself, River-girl.”
River pouted and pinched his chin.
“Ow!”
“Food.”
“Right.”
They limped up to the mess barefooted (Jayne complained about the feeling of the grating on his heels) and raided the pantry for anything that didn’t require preparation. They sat at the table and shared a can of peaches between them. Much to River’s amusement it had a dent in it from when she dropped it on Jayne’s head.
Mal found them hunched over the can in the middle of a fork fight.
“How goes the practice?” he asked.
Jayne swallowed his mouthful before speaking (something he hadn’t done since he left home). “Fine. One dance left. Takes me a while to remember the gorram steps.”
“Didn’t think dancin’ was in your repertoire,” said Mal.
Jayne smiled. “Didn’t ask, did ya?”
“He never does,” River mumbled around a peach slice.
Mal frowned.
Jayne made his “I don’t really care” face and speared another peach.
“Ma said ‘ain’t no son of mine gonna live like a poor Rim bred hun dan when he can get hisself cultured in at least one way,’” said River. “Jayne won a high school competition,” she said with a wink for Mal.
Jayne glanced sideways at her—peach halfway to his open mouth.
“Ma had good intentions,” River grinned and bit half of the dripping fruit off his fork.
Jayne decided to change the subject. “Why you always stealin’ my food?”
River’s grin widened. “It’s fun to tease you.”
He ate his remaining bit of peach and cracked his toes beneath the table.
*
Only Inara was present to watch the tango practice. Kaylee had Simon down in the engine room and Mal and Zoë were up on the bridge relaxing. She picked out the music and helped Jayne count the beat out loud before he started leading River through the first steps of the tango.
Once again, muscle memory took hold and the mercenary lead the little assassin across the cold metal floor with the passion of a conditioned ballroom dancer.
Inara held her breath as they glided effortlessly to the rhythm of the music. River only had to correct Jayne three times on his steps, but between that it was like watching something ethereal. The connection between the pair was so much more noticeable when they danced like this and Inara was grateful that she was able to witness it.
River was her friend and (as much as she would deny it out loud) so was Jayne. Both deserved happiness. And if they couldn’t see what was happening right before their eyes, then perhaps they would need a push.
Just a nudge in the right direction. Towards each other.
Inara nodded to herself. She could do that. She was in the business of making people happy.
TBC