Title: Burdens

Author: Ana Sedai

Rating: PG

Character(s): Mal, River

Prompt: 072 - Myth

Word Count: 900

A/N: Okay, this is 11/100. I now have something resembling a plan, so these should start coming a bit faster.

Also, I have no idea how artificial gravity fields work in outer space, so I'm taking a little license.

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“Alright River, just pull it up easy there, like I showed you, and then-”

“She understands and comprehends. Doesn’t need to be held up.”

River shot a mildly annoyed glance across to Mal where he sat in the other pilot’s chair.

He shot a glare right back.

“Look, just ‘cause you’re a mechanical genius and all don’t mean you’re ready to take on a whole lot of convoluted acrobatics yet. This ship and everyone on her, includin’ you, are my responsibility. So if I say we’re gonna go over something again, that’s the way it’s gonna be. Dong ma?”

They were three days out from Persephone, and while Mal wasn’t expecting any more trouble from Badger than they usually got, what they usually got was considerable. So, he’d figured it was high time River learned more about piloting than just getting from Point A to Point B. Of course, that involved teaching, which wasn’t his strong suit to begin with, and when that was combined with River’s chaffing at the bit to try ever-riskier moves, the occasional flare-up was inevitable. Like this one, for example.

She didn’t drop her gaze, but her eyes softened a bit when she sensed his worry.

“Think everything is your responsibility. Try to hold it all up without falling. You don’t trust enough to let someone else help carry it. Your name isn’t Atlas, though; it’s Mal.”

He sighed. He did that a lot around her.

“I know that, but you know I’m not exactly the most trustful man in the ‘verse. It’s a whole lot easier for me if I just keep on carryin’ things, instead of wonderin’ if whoever helps is gonna drop ‘em. Now, let’s just go over this one more time…”

Four days of living