“You’re thinking,” River stated, walking straight into Gabriel’s room and sitting beside him on the bed. She’d done this countless times in the past week since Gabriel had found himself a nook on Serenity. Gabriel never minded her intrusions.

Looking off-handedly at River, his expression devoid of any emotion, Gabriel responded with what could quite possibly have been obvious to her. “I’m always thinking.” *You know that, already*, he thought.

“I still like to hear you say it,” River informed him. “I like to hear your voice.”

Gabriel unconsciously ran his fingers through his longish hair, as River had seen him do so many times before. “Not many people hear it,” he stated.

River scooted closer. “I like it when you talk, especially for that reason.”

Gabriel waited for ten seconds of silence before standing. “What is it about me that you find so gorram interesting?”

River grinned, pulling him back down onto the bed by his shoulder. “Why does it matter?” She clutched his calloused hand in her tiny digits. “You need to relax; you’re almost as bad as my fong luh boob of a brother.”

Gabriel eyed her incredulously. “Don’t be comparin’ me to your brother. He’s a good guy. He don’t deserve that.”

“Oh, you’re too hard on yourself.” River stood and performed a small flourish in the middle of his room. “You are more than you give yourself credit for.”

Gabriel stared absently at the floor, apparently ignoring River’s sitting back down beside him and gripping his hand again. *I’m no good for you*, he thought to himself before he could stop. “Liou coe schway duh biao-tze fuh ur-tze!!!” he shouted, immediately cussing at himself.

“There’s no need for that,” River assured him, applying a bit more pressure to the squeeze on his hand. “People can’t help what they think, only what they say.” She gave him a shy smile. “Just then, you were having problems with both.”

There was a pause, and then Gabriel smiled. His smile turned into a laughing grin, and in turn, her smile widened. “First time I’ve heard you laugh,