Author: Gilove2dance Title: Apple Pie Prompt #16-Food of Rayne_shippers’ mini challenge table created by bugchicklv Rating: G Pairings: Pre-Rayne Disclaimer: Joss is boss. Word count: 872 Author's notes: Very light. No spoilers. My apologies if people find Jayne too soft. I like a soft Jayne sometimes.

“Jayne.”

He grunted, refusing to look up from his work.

“Jayne.”

“Wha’?” He still didn’t look up, choosing, instead, to focus on his task of carefully stitching together the torn seam of his holster.

“Jayne!”

His head snapped up to glare at the young woman standing very close to him. She was holding out a pad of paper and a short stubby pencil.

“I do not know how,” River said simply.

Jayne growled low in his throat. “Girl, some of us ain’t mind readers.” He stood up, getting ready to leave to bunk for some quiet.

“Please,” she whispered and placed a pale hand on his chest. “Kaylee bought lard, flour, eggs and sugar and you bought apples. Jayne loves apple pie.”

He frowned. “You wanna make an apple pie?”

“Yes,” She gave a small smile.

“I can’t exactly write somethin’ like that down.” Jayne looked around to make sure no one was there to hear them. “You gotta be taught.” River looked at him expectantly. “Aww, hell no, girl. Go ask Kaylee.”

Her chin dropped to her chest, her lips curved downwards and she looked up at him through her lashes.

“Them doe eyes ain’t gonna work on me, Crazy,” Jayne growled.

River sniffed and a single tear coursed down her cheek and fell with a faint splat to the ground.

Jayne sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine. Go run and get the ‘grediants out.”

River squealed and flew out the cargo bay.

“Now stick yer hands in the bowl an’ squish the lard and the flour toget’er.”

River made a face.

Jayne sighed. He took her hands and stuck them in the bowl.

“Urgh, it’s mushy!”

“Suppose to be,” Jayne chuckled. “Yer such a gorram girl!”

River stuck out her tongue at him but continued to squish the lard. Jayne cracked two eggs and poured them into the bowl. River’s look of disgust deepened. Jayne chuckled again and added some water.

Three seconds later, the mixture began to look like dough. River beamed up at Jayne. He grinned back. “There ya go.” He took a handful of flour and spread it over the counter top. Since there was no rolling pin, he filled an empty whiskey bottle with water and corked it.

While rubbing flour on the makeshift pin, Jayne looked over at River. “Ya got somethin’ on yer nose.” He reached over and rubbed some flour on it. “There ya are.”

Her eyes widened and she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. Upon seeing the flour, she glared at the laughing mercenary. River took one sticky hand and wiped it on his cheek. She smirked and turned back to her almost ready dough.

A second later she felt something soft land on her head. Flour bloomed out and caused her to sneeze. Jayne smirked. “You are on, man-ape,” cried River.

She took a handful of flour and lathered it onto his arm. He took some and put it down her shirt. She shrieked and put some down his pants, Jayne’s mouth open in shock. They stared at each other for several moments before dissolving into laughter.

“Ya look like an old woman,” Jayne laughed. River’s hair was dusted grey by the flour.

She made a face at him. “You commenced the battle.” Reaching into the bowl, River pulled out the dough. She gave it to Jayne, who broke off a fist size chunk and slapped it down on the floured counter. He showed her how to use the bottle pin to flatten out the dough.

They then peeled the apples and layered the pan with them and the dry mixture of flour, sugar and a rare spice called cinnamon.

“We should prolly get cleaned up ‘fore Mal or yer brother sees us,” said Jayne as the put their pie into the oven. River wrinkled her nose and nodded.

“Thank you, Jayne.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. He tensed, unmoving for several moments until finally he relented and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He gently squeezed her close then pushed her away.

“Go on then,” Jayne rumbled gruffly. As he watched her leave the mess, he couldn’t stop the smile from tugging on his lips.

Mal entered the mess to find an enticing odor and his two gun hands slightly damp. He sat down as the rest of his crew ambled in and filled their spots around the table.

River was cutting a pie into perfect ninths with one slightly larger piece. She then walked around the table handing out plates with a scrumptious looking piece of pie.

She saved Jayne for last and placed the larger piece in front of him, kissing his cheek. Mal stared in shock at the mercenary as a faint blush coloured the other man’s cheeks. Everyone else was to busy digging into their pie to have noticed this exchange. River smiled and went to her seat.

“Wow, River, this is amazing!” exclaimed Simon.

“Thank you, but the credit does not go only to me.” River took a small bite. “Jayne taught me.”

“It weren’t nothin,” he grumbled as everyone stared at him. However, when everyone’s attention returned to their pies, Jayne smiled back at River.