The Flagship [OPEN]

[leafonthewind]

Wash rarely went anywhere but the bridge of the Quarter - the whole thing felt creepily like an Alliance ship and the bridge was a smaller space, easier to deal with after Serenity's tight places.

Not that it was much better on the bridge. Wash sometimes felt like he was in a vast fishbowl, standing out on the end of the bridge. It was built in the thrust, three sides surrounded by air and railings. Luckily the consoles were high enough that no-one was likely to get vertigo.

Wash went straight to his station, running his hand over the console. Even in a ship this high-tech they knew that the pilot had to feel her to fly.

"She's not my first love but she's well enough," he said.

Comments

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Well he had to admire the guy getting right to the point.

Dean feigned a casual air, even as the inward nervousness increased, "Uh yeah, this planet got a thing where you can get in but you gotta get hitched. Only made sense for Kaylee and me to go together."

[leafonthewind]

"Just, 'hey honey, looks like we should tie the knot so we can go on shore leave?'"

Wash wasn't sure how he felt about that planet. Back home, even the strangest marriage ceremonies were legally binding. He'd heard more than one person on the crew talking about how this didn't count, and it just didn't sit right. Saffron wouldn't have made things as difficult if marriages didn't count off-planet.

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean rubbed the back of his neck subconsciously, and shrugged.

"Maybe? I mean it wasn't much of a ceremony, just some chanting and a funky light show. That's nothing like how a real one should be, you know?" He does think it doesn't count, but he kind of wishes it did? Or at least do a real one on the ship later.

[leafonthewind]

"Funny, we thought that back in my 'verse before we picked the Captain up a bride on Triumph. By accident, you know, because Mal wasn't exactly a marrying type." Wash paused a second. "That's kind of where the comparison ends, though, since she turned out to be a serial marrying con artist. Kicked me in the head. Don't tell Kaylee I said anything even kind of comparing the two of them."

For a second he'd lost track of what he was supposed to be doing. Threatening Dean. Right. There was a reason they had Jayne on the boat to do this kind of thing. Maybe he should try and find Jayne.

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

"Hey ain't my secret to say."

Dean then blinked at him, "wait, wait, are you saying that still counts? That's legit? I mean there weren't even vows or rings or anything!" He sighed and starteds to pace.

"I don't know, man, still think we should do it right. Up here, full ceremony and shit you know?"

[leafonthewind]

"No, no, you're misunderstanding me - If you didn't do that I'd be forced to have Jayne talk it over with you, but since you're doing that everything's shiny. You are doing that, right?"

Dean tended to take things a little hard, didn't he? Then Wash reminded himself that Dean hadn't spent the last few years of his live on Serenity. He didn't speak crazy yet.

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean rubbed a hand over his hair, and paused in mid step, a bit awkward with his bowlegged stance.

"Shit yeah, been wondering how Jayne was gonna take all this. Kaylee said she was gonna talk to him."

He then nodded, "Yeah, yeah I am. I'm serious. I've never had anything this good before. I don't want to screw it up with her like everything else in my life."

[leafonthewind]

It was the second part of Dean's statement that made Wash sigh. He knew there had to be a reason Dean was so weirdly touchy around him - all threatening aside, Wash wasn't very intimidating.

"You've got nothing to worry about, really. You'll have a shiny fun wedding with lots of wine and everything will work out. I'll let Jayne know not to shoot you."

He wasn't even a little bit kidding.

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

He wasn't intimidated, it was more everybody he cared about tended to leave one way or another. Sometimes because he drove them away. Furthermore, he still felt he didn't deserve good things in life, or that the usual Winchester bad luck would rear its head sometime or another. Which it did in a fashion with the Darksoul possessions. That was just too much like crap from his world for his preference.

"Trust me? If you had my kind of luck? You'd worry."

He then added about Jayne, "Yeah thanks."

[leafonthewind]

Oh, that's what it was. "You heard what I just said about our Captain accidentally entering into homicidal nuptials, right? Some people's lives are cursed to be interesting. Being here is proof of that. Doesn't mean you shouldn't take every opportunity to be happy while you can."

Dammit Dean. Wash didn't want to watch him dance around Kaylee because he was afraid of what might happen. Not when Kaylee could be happy.

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean rubbed a hand over his hair again.

"Cursed is right. Whole family's been cursed to have too damn interesting lives. I'm happy with her, just keep expecting the other shoe to drop though."

He then shrugged, "Eh, maybe I should give the apple pie life a try. Probably only shot I'd get at it."

[leafonthewind]

"There's the spirit!" Wash said, grinning. He clapped Dean on the shoulder. "Zhù hè nǐ men yī qiè shùn lì bìng bǎi nián hǎo hé¹. I'll give the same to Kaylee next time I see her."

The translator would get it, of course, but it was something formal enough to need Chinese. Old habits died hard.

[1. Congratulations on your engagement, and good luck with all that lies ahead.]

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean blinked with some surprise before grinning back, "Uh Xièxiè, man." He was trying to pick up some Mandarin here and there. When he could focus on something, he usually learned quickly. He didn't do well in school however, but he never saw the point in most of it, unlike his brother.

"Yeah, sure she'll be happy to hear."