FIC: Taking Care

[srichard.livejournal.com]

TITLE: Taking Care (Nineteenth in the Riverrun Series)
RATING: NC-17
PAIRING: River/Mal
SUMMARY: River needs some time to be taken care of.
NOTES: Serenity spoilers.



It wasn't long after that that Mal had to go take care of some business on Paradiso. The munitions Bourne had organized were stepping up their production, and he needed to arrange a transfer to the fleet, which was by now over a hundred ships strong. He was gone for three days, and the business went well. He saw Harrow and Monty, got face-to-face reports on what was going on, and generally, things were going fine—well, as fine as they could be in a war. River's plan was still sound, though—once they got those children out of the Academy, they'd be stronger by far.

He returned late one night, and the first sound he heard as he opened the door to River's quarters was a soft, helpless sobbing. "River girl?"

"Go away," River cried softly. "Too many voices, don't want them, want quiet..."

Mal shut the door behind him. "Hey." He squatted down in front of her. "Just me, darlin'. Thought you were kinda partial to my voice..."

"Mal..." River looked up at him, and he was grateful to see that her eyes were perfectly sane, if distressed. "They talk to me, all day long, asking questions..." She fell forward into his open arms.

"What kind of questions?" he said, rubbing her back gently.

"Where to position the ships, how to do things...all the time. Everybody. Even Fess. Even Zoe. They never left me alone, Mal..."

Mal swore softly. "I'm sorry, darlin', I should have expected this." With him gone, River had obviously been in charge, and he had foolishly given little thought to how she would handle that kind of responsibility. Usually, he acted as a filter, dealing with most questions himself and only passing on the ones that required River's genius brain and specialized knowledge. "Won't happen again."

"Feel so tired," she wept against his shoulder.

"I know." He put her back from him for a moment to kiss her forehead. "Don't you worry. I'm gonna take care of you tonight."

She sensed some flash of purpose in his mind and whined slightly. "Mal, I'm tired..."

"Shh...I know. Won't have to do nothin' at all. Come on." He stood, extending his hand to her.

River took it trustfully, allowing him to draw her up. He led her into the bathroom and began running some water. It was nice to be planetside with a hookup, so they could be so liberal of the stuff. Patiently, like an attentive father, he stripped her down and began washing her, careful of the delicate skin and the still-healing wound on her stomach. "So beautiful, my girl," he said, in a soothing voice.

"I love you," she whispered, resting her hands on his shoulders, docile to his touch.

"Love you too," he replied, kissing her lips softly, almost chastely as he began drying her off. So pretty and perfect, his River: she made him catch his breath every time. When she was clean and dry, he led her to the bed. "Lie on your stomach."

She looked at him a little inquiringly, and he rested his hand on her cheek. "Mean to make you feel better, River, not hurt you. Want you to just give over to me tonight, that's all."

She turned her head, nuzzling at his cheek softly, then did as he had said, stretching out on her stomach. Mal found some oil and poured it on his hands, then moved to straddle River, beginning with the tight, unhappy muscles of her neck.

She whimpered a little in pain as his fingers worked at the hard knots, but didn't pull away. Gradually, she began to relax, little moans of pleasure rather than pain escaping her.

"That's it, that's my girl," Mal said softly, lowering his head to kiss the back of her neck. He moved down, giving equal attention to her shoulders before working his way slowly and meticulously down her spine. He liked feeling her soften under his hands, like stiff mess of molasses candy. He felt almost unworthy to touch her, but she was his, unlikely as it seemed, and she loved him, wanted his touch. It was enough to break his mind.

He didn't stop with her back, rubbing and caressing the firm mounds of her ass, and those beautiful, slim legs. When he'd rubbed even the soles of her feet...God, he loved her feet...he moved off of her. "Turn over now," he said in a husky voice.

River obeyed sluggishly, looking up at him with dark, rather vacant eyes. She was in a kind of relaxed, waking dream, wholly submissive to his touch.

"River," he whispered, then kissed her. He meant it to be a light kiss, but it spiraled out of control quickly, and their breath came hot and shuddering and uncertain as River's arms crept up to circle 'round his neck.

He broke the kiss for an instant. "Nope. Hands up here." He guided them gently over her head. "I'm takin' care of you tonight, remember?"

She nodded, and her eyes drifted shut. Her face was very peaceful, and she was smiling slightly.

Mal felt his own arousal stir further at her sweet acceptance. "You like that?" he inquired softly. "Doin' what I tell you?"

"Sometimes," she replied dreamily. "In here. Like this." Her eyes opened and fixed on him. "Don't get any ideas, though."

"No, ma'am," he said, grinning. He put some more oil on his palms and began rubbing her breasts. They were small, but he loved the way they just filled the hollows of his hands. "My pretty girl." He leaned down to kiss her eyelids so that she would close them again.

Moving down, he spread her thighs and was pleased to find her wet. "Good girl." He kissed the pale skin of her stomach reverently.

"Am I?" River said softly. "Your very good girl?"

"Yeah," he replied huskily. "You are." He slid a hand between her legs, stroking her wetness, making her gasp. "My girl," he said emphatically, needing badly to take her, claim her once more as his own.

River bucked up against his hand slightly. "Feels so good..."

He didn't answer her, just undid his breeches with his free hand and freed his cock. He was already hard as hell for her, and he rubbed himself against her, dragging his cock along the slick heat of her cunt. "Feel what you do to me, darlin'?"

River nodded, smiling a little. "Want...I love the way it burns. You burn me, Mal..."

Her saying that made any blood that was left in his brain rush south, and he pushed himself inside her without much ceremony, drinking in the little gasp she gave. He thrust at a slow, steady pace, using his hands to shift and angle her until she was crying out every time he pushed inside her, her face contorted with need.

River's back was arching, her breasts pushing up towards him, though she kept her hands obediently above her head. Mal leaned down so he could take one soft breast into his mouth, nipping and sucking at it. Everything was coming together then, the perfect angle of his cock thrusting inside her, and his teeth on her breast, and her crying out and writhing as best she could in his strong grip, and his name escaping her mouth over and over, "Mal, Mal, Malmalmalmal..."

She came, then, fell apart in his arms so wild and sweet and deadly that he could scarcely control her thrashing limbs, and it tore his release from him almost violently. As the flashing lights before his eyes receded, he panted heavily, burying his face in her neck. "Jesus, River. Jesus."

He collapsed beside her, panting, and pulled her limp form close to him, holding her against his heart. When he could speak again, he whispered, "Better?"

"Mmm..." was all River said, safe and close in his embrace. Really, it was all she needed to say.