That First Time

Spoilers- Previous minis Disclaimers- characters ain’t mine. Note- probably not the first you were expecting. xxx

Hobie barely felt the gun fall from his hand. He was too busy staring in horror at the sight in front of him. He caused this.

He took a human life.

He killed a man.

Hobie hadn’t killed anyone before.

He never had to.

He was protected.

His ma protected him.

Jayne.

Mal.

River.

Even Nara had protected him with her bow and her sword.

But they weren’t here this time.

And he just killed someone.

Hobie flinched as a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

“I know you ain’t feelin’ too great right now.” Mal’s drawl washed over Hobie. “But what you done was self defense. If you hadn’t killed him, he sure woulda killed you.”

Hobie was transfixed by the blood. “Is it always like this?”

Mal paused to consider his answer.

“It should never feel right, Hobie. It should never be fun. Killing is a chore, something we do because we have to, not because we want to.” The answer came from his ma.

A sob caught in Hobie’s throat. He turned, dislodging Mal’s hand, and clung to his mother. He buried his face in her neck and sobbed freely.

Zoë ran her hands over his head and neck. “Shh, baby. It’s gonna be all right. I promise, baby. Momma’s here. I ain’t gonna let anything else happen to you.”

Mal looked away from Zoë’s intense gaze. It was already too late.

“I don’t wanna hurt anyone, Momma.”

Zoë felt her heart break in two. Her poor baby, teetering on the edge of being a man and already he had blood on his hands.

This wasn’t the life she wanted for him.

“Then don’t, baby, don’t.”

xxx

end