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Fic: Unicorns and Cake
Unicorns and Cake - Firefly – Gen (Simon and River Tam) - Words: 575
Written for Whedonland; prompt: someone throws a big, expensive party... and only three people attend
Summary: Simon helps River throw a party.
Content Notes: None. G.
Simon frowned as he stood in the doorway of the dining room, watching as River sat at the head of the long table. A variety of food had been set out, dishes that River had spent quite some time in the kitchen with a recipe program to put together. It was her seventh birthday, and the house was quiet, somehow even more silent than usual with River sitting stock still as she stared at the clock.
She had been adamant about him not attending her birthday party, that it was just for her and her friends from her class. He'd seen her working on the invitations, and wanted to say something then, but then she'd showed him how she'd put each of the students in her class on there, just like another girl in her class had when she'd had a birthday party, because she'd seen the invitations on her classmates desks. Simon hadn't bothered to ask why she hadn't had an invitation.
"They aren't coming," River said. She turned in her seat and looked to where Simon was standing, even though he hadn't announced his presence; River always knew when someone was in the room with her. "Why aren't they coming? I gave them invitations. And I made a cake."
Simon sighed and looked around the dining room one last time before disappearing into the house and going into River's room. Her room, like his, was meticulously neat; only the few toys still on the shelves suggesting that a child lived there at all. He scooped up the two stuffed animals from her bed and hurried back into the dining room.
River was still sitting at the table, her eyes still fixed on the clock, but no longer glancing to the hallway that lead to the front door.
He walked over and placed the purple unicorn with its soft silver horn in front of one plate, and the tiger who looked more like a house cat with stripes by the plate on River's other side. "Now that Unicorn and Cat are here," Simon said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his sisters propensity for being very literal at times, "may I attend your birthday party?"
River stared at him for a moment before sitting up straight in her chair. "It's quite rude to show up to a party without an invitation, but I can make an exception just this once. If you would be so kind as to cut the cake?"
Simon smiled a little as he cut a slice for him and for his sister and moved to take a seat.
"You didn't give slices to Unicorn and Cat. You shouldn't sit down before you've served all the guests, Simon," River explained seriously.
This time, Simon did roll his eyes as he cut two more slices and placed them in front of the stuffed animals. He picked up the tea pot and poured tea for both himself and his sister before turning to to Unicorn. "Would you like some tea, Mrs. Unicorn?" Simon paused and pretended to listen. "Of course. And you, Mr. Cat?"
River smiled as Simon finished and sat down, picking up her fork and grinning at Simon before she dug into her cake.
Simon took a bite of his own slice and discovered that it was really good. There was nothing his sister couldn't do, it seemed, except maybe host a birthday party without a little help.
Written for Whedonland; prompt: someone throws a big, expensive party... and only three people attend
Summary: Simon helps River throw a party.
Content Notes: None. G.
Simon frowned as he stood in the doorway of the dining room, watching as River sat at the head of the long table. A variety of food had been set out, dishes that River had spent quite some time in the kitchen with a recipe program to put together. It was her seventh birthday, and the house was quiet, somehow even more silent than usual with River sitting stock still as she stared at the clock.
She had been adamant about him not attending her birthday party, that it was just for her and her friends from her class. He'd seen her working on the invitations, and wanted to say something then, but then she'd showed him how she'd put each of the students in her class on there, just like another girl in her class had when she'd had a birthday party, because she'd seen the invitations on her classmates desks. Simon hadn't bothered to ask why she hadn't had an invitation.
"They aren't coming," River said. She turned in her seat and looked to where Simon was standing, even though he hadn't announced his presence; River always knew when someone was in the room with her. "Why aren't they coming? I gave them invitations. And I made a cake."
Simon sighed and looked around the dining room one last time before disappearing into the house and going into River's room. Her room, like his, was meticulously neat; only the few toys still on the shelves suggesting that a child lived there at all. He scooped up the two stuffed animals from her bed and hurried back into the dining room.
River was still sitting at the table, her eyes still fixed on the clock, but no longer glancing to the hallway that lead to the front door.
He walked over and placed the purple unicorn with its soft silver horn in front of one plate, and the tiger who looked more like a house cat with stripes by the plate on River's other side. "Now that Unicorn and Cat are here," Simon said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his sisters propensity for being very literal at times, "may I attend your birthday party?"
River stared at him for a moment before sitting up straight in her chair. "It's quite rude to show up to a party without an invitation, but I can make an exception just this once. If you would be so kind as to cut the cake?"
Simon smiled a little as he cut a slice for him and for his sister and moved to take a seat.
"You didn't give slices to Unicorn and Cat. You shouldn't sit down before you've served all the guests, Simon," River explained seriously.
This time, Simon did roll his eyes as he cut two more slices and placed them in front of the stuffed animals. He picked up the tea pot and poured tea for both himself and his sister before turning to to Unicorn. "Would you like some tea, Mrs. Unicorn?" Simon paused and pretended to listen. "Of course. And you, Mr. Cat?"
River smiled as Simon finished and sat down, picking up her fork and grinning at Simon before she dug into her cake.
Simon took a bite of his own slice and discovered that it was really good. There was nothing his sister couldn't do, it seemed, except maybe host a birthday party without a little help.