Life on this boat. A Firefly story. #fanfic

River learns to bake.

The next morning, Lou came into the kitchen in a total disarray. River was stood on top of the work counter reaching into a cupboard. There was flour on every surface and three cracked eggs lay splattered on the floor like mini grenades dropped from a height.
"What in the blazes has happened here?" Lou asked.
"Lou needed cheering up. Lou needs a cake. Lou needs a celebration. Lou was so happy her heart was about to burst but then she became very very very sad," River murmured.
"Are you trying to bake?" Lou asked.
"Where do you keep that spice. The one that smells of childhood and christmas?" River asked.
"All my spices are in a plastic container. River get yourself down. We need to clean this mess up," Lou smiled at the young girl.
River climbed down and together they cleaned up most of the mess. Lou gave River the dough to bake out while she got her recipe book out for River.
"Microorganisms feeding on carbohydrates and giving off carbondioxyde gas that makes the food appear to grow and breathe," River said poking the dough cautiously.
"You don't have to make the rolls if you don't like the smell of the yeast," Lou smiled.
"Yeast is a fungus. The wrong strain could kill a whole village or be used as a biological weapon," River said staring at the dough.
"I promise, that is the same yeast I have used for years, sweetheart. It's perfectly safe," Lou said.
"Simon can extract antibiotics from it if we let it mould," River mumbled.
"I am sure he could, but that dough there is breakfast," Lou told her and devided the dough into roll sizes with a practiced movement.
Once the rolls were ready to cook, Lou looked at River.
"Now then. Do you want to try baking a cake?" She asked.
"Yes," River laughed.
Lou got her recipe book down and soon they were stirring and whisking.
"Lou, you feel happy now. Thinking about when you baked with Mama and Saphire and Brooke. Happy thoughts. Memories," River nodded.
"And getting new ones with River," Lou smiled giving River a hug.
By the time the crew started trickling in they were treated to a wild selection of cupcakes, scones and marble cake. All without frosting and served plain on account of a lack in ingredients. River had unsucessfully tried to whip up a cream from the remaining eggwhites and some chocolate flavouring, but that mess was deemed unworthy as human food so Lou had added flour and tried to make a soufflé instead.

"Thank you for helping me feed the rabble," Lou said and kissed the top of River's head.
"When can we bake more?" River asked licking the last of the batter off the spatula.
"Dunno about baking, little snowman, but if you want I'll teach you how to cook properly," Lou laughed and dusted flour from River's nose.

Lou finished clearing up after Rivers bakeoff breakfast and went to the cargo floor to do her daily workout. Even after crying for hours the day before, she still had enough raw emotions left to give the puncing bag a decent beating. Jayne was on the pressbench as she got there.
"Need spotting?" She asked making him almost drop the bar in surprise.
He got himself sorted and sat up on the pressbench looking defensive.
"You think I'm gonna tell you off, huh?" Lou asked.
"Ain't done nothing wrong," he said uncertainly.
Lou sat down on the pressbench facing him.
"Look. You weren't there for breakfast. You weren't there for dinner yesterday and I haven't seen you since I blubbered into your shirt yesterday. I get it. Tears make you uncomfortable," Lou stated.
He scratched his head looking for something to say.
"I would have liked to have you there, just to hold me. But that's not who you are," Lou said.
"I didn't know what to do," he mumbled
"You might next time. Or the time after. I'm not going to ask you to change yourself for me," Lou said.
He looked at her uncertainly.
"I'm not gonna pick a fight," Lou said with a teasing grin. "...unless you want to."
He looked at her for a second before a big fighter smile spread across his face. Lou got up and prepared her boxing stance.
"At least if you're not gonna kiss me, the least you can do is let me beat you," Lou taunted.
"Are those the only two options?" He said lifting an eyebrow making Lou laugh.
"There might be certain rewards..." Lou teased.
"Then I think I might want that reward first," he said grabbing hold of her and pulling her to him.
"Spoken like a true caveman," Wash laughed from the doorway.
"Oh, shut your piehole," Jayne mumbled as Wash walked past with a very amused look on his face.
Lou was holding back her laughter.
"That wasn't funny," Jayne said once Wash was out of sight.
"Oh. But it was," Lou smiled.
"I'll teach you funny," he said with a mock-threatening voice.
"Yeah?" Lou baited.
"Yeah," he mumbled pulling her even closer.
Lou suddenly realised that this was probably going to be the closest thing to an actual hug she was ever going to get. She had to smile at the warm fuzzy feeling inside, but couldn't resist leaning into him.
After a short moment he pushed gently into armslength distance and stared at her face with a weird look in his eyes.
"So... fight or weights?" He asked awkwardly.
Lou felt her face cracking into a huge grin.
"Jayne Cobb. I think I might actually love you," Lou said before she could actually stop the words.
He stopped mid thought looking confused.
"What?" He asked.
Lou was a bit surprised at herself.
"What you gone and said such a fool thing for?" He asked.
"Coz it's true," Lou said uncertainly.
"No it's not," he mumbled.
"You want me to say it again?" Lou asked with a smile suddenly feeling bold.
He stared at her for a few seconds.
"No one has ever said anything like that before." He muttered.
"Well. About ruttin time somebody did then. Don't you think?" Lou laughed.
He pulled her back into another awkward squashy hug.
"So? Weights then?" He asked once he let her go.
"Yeah. Weights," Lou said supressing a laugh.