Notes: Mucho thanks to TamSibling for beta’ing this monster that turned into 102 pages by the time I was done with all 100 prompts. Writing in this tense has been one hell of a challenge. One I never wish to ever undertake again.

And thanks to Leighkohl for saving my ass on a few of these prompts and tossing me ideas to keep me going.

For the other parts click here:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

These last prompts are going to be much longer, so, if you've actually followed all of these up until now, enjoy.

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Because of You Part 8

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071. Fall

Inara knew it wouldn’t take long, once Kaylee finally broke through the right barrier, to bring Simon out of his shell. She’d fallen hard for the Core-bred doctor from the moment he’d stepped on board Serenity. Inara had been impressed at Simon’s restraint. She didn’t imagine it would be easy for any man to resist Kaylee’s big beautiful eyes and megawatt smile. Yet he had, for a very long eight months, doing very little to encourage the mechanic’s crush until he decided that he did want to pursue a relationship with her. While still reserved and quiet, Inara notices that Simon is very attentive to Kaylee now, pulling out her chair for her at dinner, getting them a drink, their food, but most of all he now meets her eyes, even if just to smile at her, blush and look away.

It is an endearing quality that even Inara herself finds irresistible in a man. Mal has that quality, to an extent, but he is far rougher around the edges than Simon. He has lived more, experienced more. But he is a stubborn man, refusing to take the step that Simon has finally made.

Some men think admitting to love is their downfall, some abhor the thought, while others live for it.

In the time that she has been back, she and Mal have become closer, they’ve fought less, but something still keeps them from taking the next step. She sees him casting glances her way. Sometimes she smiles in return, other times she ignores him – usually when he’s upset her in that infuriating way he has.

She wants to talk to him, to force him to open up, to find out what he’s thinking, what he wants. But she doesn’t want to take the risk – and maybe that is what has kept him from her side as well. She knows it isn't fair to place all the blame squarely on his pig-headed shoulders - not when she could just as readily force the issue, but her unwillingness to meet him half way, or all the way, is also a barrier between them and one she wishes she could rip away.

Perhaps they are the tragedy depicted in so many fairy tales: the princess in love with the prince and forever doomed to be apart.

Inara is pulled from her musings as Simon and Kaylee leave the dinner table. She smiles knowingly at them, as does River, while Jayne leers at them in a lustfully, envious way. Mal carefully avoids eye contact and Zoe doesn’t even look up.

Inara knows Mal is uncomfortable with this new relationship, but he knows better than to make a remark and ruin it for the couple. He also knows a rude comment from his lips would send her raging and he doesn't want that either.

Zoe doesn't even look up. Her eyes are still haunted by the past; haunted with a love whose death she has not yet come to terms with. It will take time before she can fully heal. However, what is more curious, and in truth worries Inara more, is that Simon doesn't look at Zoe - not anymore, not since Wash. And she does not look at him.

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072. Myth

“Tell me a story?” Kaylee snuggles into Simon’s arms and presses her lips to his shoulder.

“A story?” Simon asks, grinning down at her.

“Yeah, like some nice, romantic fairy tale.” She flattens one hand atop his chest and lets her fingernails tap out a staccato rhythm there.

“Not many fairy tales have happy endings,” Simon says, covering her fingers with his own. “Not many romantic ones, anyway.”

“Why’s that?” Kaylee lifts her head and looks into his pretty blue eyes. “Ain’t none of those people romantic?”

Simon chuckles and Kaylee returns her head to his chest, enjoying the deep reverberation of sound through her body.

“Tragedy sells more papers, or novels; gets more attention.”

Kaylee presses her body against his and is rewarded with a groan. “You got my attention already.”

“Keep doing that and the story will have to wait.”

Their skin is still damp and their bodies still weary but Kaylee raises an eyebrow. “Really?” She trails her hand down his chest and across his abdomen. Just as her fingers reach their target, he snatches her hand away.

“You wanted a story,” Simon says, wondering, not for the first time, if this woman will be the death of him.

She pulls her hand out of his and returns it to its previous position. “Want you more.”

Simon inhales deeply, silently cursing the recovery time of the male body. “I need a few minutes, then.”

Kaylee’s eyes twinkle as she leans over him. “Don’t feel like it to me.”

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073. Secret

She can see it in his eyes when he thinks no one else can see. She is well trained in the arts; seduction, manners, observation. And what she sees now concerns her.

Kaylee and Simon continue to enjoy undisturbed days and nights to work out their newfound relationship. She knows better than to intrude on that time. She used to remember what it was like to be in the throes of newfound passion.

So she waits and watches, observes with no small amount of worry.

“Will need help when the time comes,” River is beside her one morning as Inara is sitting in her shuttle, brushing out her long, dark hair.

“You feel it too?” Inara doesn’t know why she is surprised. She meets River’s eyes in the mirror and is surprised yet again when the girl lowers her gaze.

“He’s right to feel like he does.”

Inara is even more surprised by this admission and turns, a quick denial poised on her neatly painted lips. “You don’t believe that.”

River cocks her head and thinks for a moment before responding. “They would be alive if they had never met us.”

Inara moves swiftly and takes River’s hands. “Don’t say that. You are not to blame for –“

Inara is once again surprised when River’s eyes bore into her, through her, pleading. “Who heals the doctor when he becomes the patient?”

“He is not to blame,” Inara insists.

“I can take the pain, I was made for it, but he can’t, he has too much love, his heart it too big, too open. Please help him to see, to understand.” River turns away and heaves a heavy sigh. “It is the way things were meant to be.”

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074. Truth

Inara finds them sitting close, as is usual nowadays, on the couch in the common room. Simon looked to be reading out of his data book and Kaylee has her head in his lap, looking up at him with adoration swimming in her eyes.

She watches and listens for a few moments then smiles as Simon reads a well known fairy tale to Kaylee. When Kaylee’s attention, as well as her hands, start to wander, Inara grins and decides that perhaps she will speak to Simon another time.

River suddenly appears beside Inara, startling the older woman. “No, now.” River walks into the common room and interrupts her brother’s reading. She takes one of Kaylee’s hands, which is slowly unfastening the buttons on Simon’s shirt, and pulls it away. “Need you.”

Simon glances down at his half open shirt as River pulls Kaylee up and off his lap.

Kaylee shoots him a longing look before turning to River. “What is it, sweetie?”

River pulls the older girl toward the galley while muttering, “Need some help.”

Simon quickly sets aside his data pad and buttons up his shirt, cheeks flushing at being caught in such a position. “Why do I get the feeling that was a set up?” Simon observes to cover his nervousness.

Inara smiles politely, having already thought the same. “Well, I have been wanting to speak with you.”

Simon moves over on the couch and extends his hand. “What about?”

Inara sits slowly and regards him with a critical eye. “Zoe.”

She notices him swallow thickly but his medical training and concern takes over and asks quickly, “Is she ill?”

“Not – exactly.”

Simon’s eyes narrow in confusion. “Then what –“

“River told me that you blame yourself for –“

Simon stands, startling Inara with his sudden movement. “This topic is not open for discussion. I’m sorry. River had no right to pull something out of my head and go to you with it.” At once he regrets his rude tone and turns away.

And River is there, blocking his path.

“River –“

“Who heals the doctor when he cannot heal himself?”

“I’m fine, River.” Simon steps around her.

“Blame yourself for their deaths.”

Simon’s steps falter and he slowly turns to look at his sister. “Stay out of my head.” He turns and walks toward the galley, hoping to find Kaylee.

“Doesn’t make it any less true!” River calls but he ignores her and keeps on walking.

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075. Lie

Simon stalks into the galley hands clenching and unclenching in irritation. He knows he cannot deny his sister’s words, as much as he’d like to, and he isn’t ready to admit that they even exist – to anyone. He can’t help but be angry that she so thoughtlessly pulled this out of his head and went to someone else with that information.

He glances around, looking for Kaylee. Spotting the door to the food storage locker open, he peeks in and sees Kaylee gathering a few cans to set out to cook for dinner. Without breaking a stride, he closes the door and comes up behind her.

At her soft gasp, he wraps his arms around her waist and drops his head to her exposed neck.

“Ohh, Mmm, that’s nice, Simon,” Kaylee whispers, leaning back against his solid chest. She covers her hands over his as they move up beneath the front of her tank top. Despite enjoying his forwardness, Kaylee is concerned about it. She arches her neck and glances back at him. “Everything all right, sweetie?”

“Fine,” he whispers against her skin, closing his eyes against the wave of guilt that sweeps over him as he lies.

As he lifts his head and is about to step away, Kaylee whirls in his arms and wraps her wrists around his neck. “Cap’n’ll have a fit if he catches us in here.”

“Kaylee –“ Simon swallows the flush of embarrassment that heats his cheeks at the thought of using her body to slake his anger.

But Kaylee misunderstands, thinking he’s worried about being caught in the storage room, and giggles, kissing him lightly before taking his hand and moving toward the door. “C’mon, we’ll go to your room.”

Unable to find a sufficient reason to deny her, Simon follows silently, ignoring the look his sister gives him as they walk into and out of the galley hand in hand.

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076. Terror

When Kaylee wakes the next morning Simon is gone, which is unusual. She pouts and then hugs his pillow to her chest, smiling happily at the scent of him that still lingers on the linens. She groans and stretches her stiff muscles, a contented smile lighting her face when she thinks back to just why she is so sore.

As she slides out of bed, she groans, her hand flying to her lower abdomen. With wide eyes, she glances at the bed sheets and groans again. Now this just ain’t fair, Kaylee thinks with a huge frown.

As she makes her way toward Inara’s shuttle to whine to someone who will understand, she stops on the catwalk, hearing someone receiving a stern dressing down from a rather irate Companion. Kaylee giggles when she realizes it must be Mal. After a few minutes, Kaylee winces and decides to interrupt the little fight. She wants to talk to her friend, and the Captain is just causing unnecessary delays.

Kaylee knows Mal is grateful for the interruption and on his way out, he glances at Kaylee, muttering, “She’s finally fallen off her rocker. Her an Zoe this mornin’.“ Before Inara can form a scathing retort, Mal scowls at her and hurries out of the shuttle.

Inara’s mood changes instantly when she sees Kaylee, something else that would have confused and baffled Mal had he bore witness. “How are you, mei mei?”

Kaylee’s wide eyes fill with tears and her lip trembles in a sad pout. “Life is so unfair!”

Inara takes her friend and sits her down on the couch. “What is it?”

“Gonna have to stop sexin’ for a few days.”

Inara raises an eyebrow and then nods, suddenly understanding. “I think we’re all having that same issue this week, sweetie.”

Kaylee’s eyes widen. “You too?”

“River came to me this morning to talk as well,” Inara confides with a small smile.

Kaylee nods and then a giggle pushes past her lips. “Zoe too?”

Inara chuckles. “Well, judging by how Mal was going on about her temper this morning, I would say probably.”

Kaylee shakes her head and then pouts again at her friend. “How’m I gonna wait five days?” She stops and considers this for a moment. “No. How’m I gonna get Simon to wait for five days when I’m already hornier than Jayne at his worst?”

~*~

Much, much later, Mal, Jayne and Simon sit around the table, a big jar of Kaylee’s engine brew sitting between them.

“I’m tellin’ ya, they’re all nuts. Every last one of ‘em!” Jayne takes along swig of his drink. “Stupid moonbrain was all –“

“I’d appreciate you not calling my sister –“

“Did ya see her today?” Jayne’s eyes light with something akin to fear.

“She teased you. That’s all.”

“All?” Jayne gawks at the unconcerned doctor. “That girl needs a boyfriend.”

“No!” Mal and Simon say at once.

“’Nara needs to just stay in her shuttle until this is over. I ain’t never seen it so bad.” Mal observes, drowning his fear of being dressed down by the overly hormonal woman in his mug of Kaylee’s brew. “An even Zoe. Ain’t seen her so pissy in a long time.”

“I’ve never really noticed this at all, really.” Simon says with a shrug. “I mean, of course their cycles would be similar, living on the same ship, and with the events on Miranda, their bodies normal processes were probably somewhat delayed.”

“Don’t need a medical explanation, doc.”

Simon shrugs and Jayne stares at him.

“What you doin’ here then, if’in you ain’t worried?”

Simon opens his mouth to answer and then promptly closes it. It’s really none of Jayne’s business.

But Jayne knows exactly what Simon isn’t saying. “Heh, I know. ‘Cause you ain’t gonna be gettin’ sexed till she’s all done.”

They all fall silent as they hear clomping, far too loud to be only one pair of combat boots, coming toward the galley. And then they hear the voices belonging to three of Serenity’s resident females, calling for them.

“Simon!”

“Mal!”

“Jayne!”

The three men’s eyes widen in utter terror and they all stand up from the table simultaneously, intent on not being found by the hormonal women. They scatter in different directions, leaving their drinks, and the nearly full bottle of brew, sitting on the table

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077. Betrayal

“I know you have some work to do today,” Simon says as he tightens his arms around Kaylee’s shoulders and presses a kiss to the top of her head. “And so do I.”

“Mmhmm,” she murmurs, rubbing her cheek against his chest. After the last few days of forced celibacy, she isn’t going to let him out of bed easily. Though, after an entire night of being sexed so hard she could barely see straight, maybe a few hours apart would do them some good. Kaylee considers this and slides her leg over his thigh.

“Kaylee –“ Simon knows what she’s trying to do and he groans. Ever since that day in the engine room, he has been powerless against any of her womanly wiles.

“I know, Simon,” Kaylee mutters something into his chest. “Just a few more minutes an I’ll let ya up.”

Suddenly, the com unit buzzes over their heads and causes their tired eyes to widen with annoyance. They listen for a moment and then Simon extricates himself from beneath a very tired and sated Kaylee.

“Well, I guess that answers that.”

“Yeah.”

She watches lustily as he gets dressed, appreciating every flex of lean muscle, every piece of bare skin, before it is covered.

On his way out, he bends over and kisses her thoroughly. “Few hours. Come get me when you’re done.”

Kaylee’s face twists into that mischievous little grin he loves so much. “Oh, I will.” She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down onto the bed, reluctant to let him leave her side. She nibbles on his bottom lip before thrusting her tongue into his mouth and then pouts prettily when he pulls away. She knows that if he doesn’t leave now, she won’t let him leave for a good long time.

“Later,” Simon groans against her mouth.

“Gonna hold ya ta that.” Kaylee reluctantly lets him go and pouts at him all the way to the ladder. She watches him ascend before dragging her own self out of bed.

Before Kaylee has a chance to leave her bunk, River climbs down; the hatch already having been opened by Simon when he climbed out to go finish some long overdue work.

“Hi, sweetie.” Kaylee smiles at River while she finishes zipping the overalls to her waist. “Do ya need somethin’?”

River twists her fingers together and approaches Kaylee. “No, Simon does. But – won’t listen to me. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

Kaylee notices the worried look in River’s eyes and pulls the girl over to the bed, sitting down with her. “What’s wrong with Simon?”

River takes a deep breath knowing, feeling, that she is betraying her brother, but not really knowing what else to do.

“He blames himself for them dying.”

Kaylee stares at River, shock slowly registering on her face. “W-what?”

River takes Kaylee’s hands and meets her eyes. “Simon thinks that if we weren’t here, preacher man and Wash would still be alive.”

Kaylee’s mouth hangs open as she processes this information. “He hasn’t – I mean, he ain’t – he’s seemed fine.”

River smiles knowingly. “When he’s with you, he is. He can bury his guilt and sadness in his love for you.”

Kaylee bites her lip and River hurries on to correct the misunderstanding she knows Kaylee is about to have.

“No, no,” River assures the mechanic. “He isn’t using you to forget. He likes you. A lot.” River cocks her head and smiles. “More, too, but those are words for him to say.”

Kaylee exhales sharply and nods her head. “I’ll talk to ‘im.”

River nods and leaves as quietly as she arrived, her heart not much lighter than before. She knows she’s betrayed his deepest secrets. But he would just have to understand.

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078. Loyalty

Later that night, Kaylee waits in her bunk for Simon to finish his work. She’s been distracted and nervous all day, taking great care to pay attention to Simon at mealtimes. She hadn’t wanted to believe what River said, but she finally had to admit to herself that the girl was right – something was bothering him.

Simon was acting differently at the table, and he never looked at Zoe – not once.

Now, she wonders what to do, how to approach him. He needs her help but she is torn. Torn between loyalty to Simon, her friend, and trusting that Simon, her lover, can heal on his own – without her nagging him and making him talk about something he obviously wants to keep to himself.

When he finally comes to bed, Kaylee is already lying down, watching the ladder with an intensity that is not lost on the handsome doctor. She smiles slightly when he instantly comes to her side and sits on the bed. “Everything all right?”

Kaylee takes his hand and presses a kiss to the palm. “Gotta talk to ya, Simon.”

She can feel the tension in the room instantly skyrocket and she sits up. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him long and slow, worrying his bottom lip between her teeth before pushing her tongue into his mouth. After a moment, she leans away and pulls him further onto the bed.

Simon looks down at his still fastened clothes and offers her a wry grin. “This must be serious. I’m still wearing everything I walked in with.”

Kaylee giggles and lifts his arm to put it around her shoulders and leans against his chest. The position is not the most comfortable one and soon Simon kicks off his shoes and swings his legs onto the bed. He lays back and pulls Kaylee with him. His heart beats strongly against his chest, and he knows Kaylee can feel it. After a few moments of silence, he finally asks, “What is it?”

Kaylee is silent for a moment as she thinks about how devoted she is to Simon, how much she cares about him. “River came an talked to me today.”

Simon grins, knowing that his two girls are always spending time together. “Is that unusual?”

“Not the visit, just –“ she hesitates, fearing his reaction. “Just the – topic.”

“Which was?” Simon prompts gently, suddenly fearing into what territory this conversation is heading.

“You.”

Simon inhales deeply. It is as he thought. He tries very hard to be mad at River for talking to Kaylee, but knows he is just being an ass. She tried to talk to him and he’d pushed her away. So of course his genius of a sister would go to his girlfriend. “What – about me?”

“Said you was blamin’ yourself for Book an Wash bein’ – bein’ gone.”

Silence falls and Kaylee can feel his entire body stiffen with tension.

After a few moments, he says firmly, “I don’t want to talk about it, Kaylee.”

“So it’s true then?” She lifts her head and looks at his face. His eyes are focused on something, some rust spot on the wall and he doesn’t answer. After another few moments of silence, she asks, “Won’t ya let me help?”

“There’s nothing you can do, bao bei.” His tone is so final and leaves no room for argument and Kaylee relents – for now.

When she touches his shoulder, she is grateful when he pulls her into his arms and hugs her tightly. They are both tired and Kaylee drops the discussion for now, determined to pick it up in the morning after they’ve had a good night’s sleep.

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079. Lover

Sometime in the middle of the night, Kaylee wakes, her body chilled from the lack of warmth she has become used to lying beside her. She lifts her head and looks around, breathing a sigh of relief when she sees Simon sitting in a chair on the other side of her small room. She watches him for a few minutes, wondering what she should do. This is all so new to her, this relationship, this man who is more than a lover to her, a friend. And her heart breaks to see him in so much obvious pain. Thinking she still sleeps, he hasn’t bothered to mask it, and it hurts her that he feels that he must.

She slips out of bed and kneels beside him, resting her hands on his covered thigh. She smiles slightly, noticing that he’s shed the pants he’d come to bed in for the loose-fitting sweatpants she usually insists on removing before climbing into bed.

“Sweetie?”

When he looks down at her, the pain in his gaze is not hidden, and it causes her heart to skip a few beats.

“Oh, honey.” She stands and settles herself into his lap. “Let me help ya.” She pulls his head to her chest and is grateful when he finally relaxes against her.

He is silent for a long time. He doesn’t want to talk about this, not with River, or Kaylee or anyone. He has never been good at talking about his feelings. He doesn’t need to dim Kaylee’s smile, or her eyes, with his guilt.

But Kaylee’s hands in his hair, tugging it soothingly through her fingers, rubbing his shoulders, weakens his resolve. It has been a long time since he’s felt like he could confide in someone. He’s always been the confidant. And he’s always kept his emotions strictly in check.

“Please let me help,” Kaylee repeats and he closes his eyes against her plea.

But slowly, agonizingly slowly, she draws him out of his self-imposed prison, murmuring to him, holding him so tightly he thinks could suffocate. “There’s nothing you can do.”

“It ain’t your fault, Simon.” Her arms tighten around his shoulders and she presses a kiss to the top of his head.

“You don’t understand.” His voice is muffled against her chest but she can hear it very clearly.

“Yeah, I do.” Her insistence draws his head from where it is pillowed comfortably against her breasts.

“If we’d have gotten off on Beaumonde, they’d be alive.”

Kaylee’s heart stops as she realizes what he’s saying. If he and River had gotten off, they wouldn’t be together now.

“An you’d be dead probably too. ‘Cause the ‘lliance woulda seen you an River in that bar.”

“But they’d have left Serenity alone.”

“It ain’t healthy to think on the past, Simon.”

She can see he wants to say more and she encourages him. He needs to get it off his chest or he won’t heal, he won’t get rid of the guilt.

“I can’t stand to see Zoe in so much pain, Kaylee.” Simon finally admits. He’s a doctor. He fixes those in pain. But in this case, he is helpless to render any aid. Trailing a finger over her lips, he flattens his hand along her cheek. “We’re so happy. I’m so happy with you.” He hugs her, pulling her against his chest and inhaling deeply. “And she’s so devastated. I can’t look at her without feeling guilty.”

“I understand, sweetie. But you gotta let this go. It’s gonna kill ya.”

“I know. I just – I can’t. Not yet.” Simon sighs and buries his face in her neck. “I know I can’t change the past, but I can apologize for it.”

Kaylee doesn’t say anything more, she just simply lets him hold her, clinging to her as if she is the only solid, unmoving thing in his life. Talking has helped relieve some tension, but the guilt is still there, and Simon figures it always will be. They snuggle against one another and close their eyes, content to simply be close.

As sleep finally overtakes him, he thinks about the wonder of the girl nestled in his arms. Kaylee is more than a lover and more than a friend, she is a confidant and she is the most beautiful, precious thing in the ‘verse to him.

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080. Enemy

Simon sighs as she places wide, open-mouthed kisses to his chest and abdomen, moving steadily lower. His head swims with desire and when her lips reach that one sensitive point, his hips arch sharply off the bed. His hands tangle in her hair and he groans, loud and long, waiting, anticipating, and she does not disappoint. She takes it all, works him with her mouth and tongue and hands, until he is crying out beneath her, his body suddenly weak, spent.

He squeezes his eyes shut as the pleasure washes through him, over him, leaving him breathless and panting in its wake.

When he opens his eyes again, Kaylee is gone, and in her place is a wild-eyed amazonian beauty standing over him with a twisted knife dripping with blood – her husband’s blood. She holds the Reaver weapon with such anger and hatred on her face, that he is frozen in place, unable to move.

“A life for a life,” she says and thrusts the blade into his chest.

He screams, loud and long, and bolts upright, nearly knocking Kaylee off the bed. His skin is damp with sweat and he’s breathing so erratically that he cannot stop shaking.

“Sweetie?” Kaylee is awake in an instant, shaking the sleep from her head.

He pushes himself out of bed and stands in the middle of the room, shaking, his eyes darting about the room as if expecting something to jump out of the shadows and eat him.

“Honey?” Kaylee slides out of bed and walks toward him, but he backs away from her, head shaking uncertainly – as if he’s not sure where he is. “What is it? Simon?”

He stares at her almost as if she isn’t real and she swallows thickly, past the fear welling in her heart.

When she flips on the light over her bed, he squints and visibly relaxes, his disorientation with his surroundings lessening with every labored breath.

Kaylee hurries to his side and wraps her arms around him, holding him tightly. “Honey, what is it?”

Simon heaves a huge, breathy sigh and relaxes in her arms, pulling her tightly against his body so as to convince himself that she is real. Then he kisses her deeply, almost desperately, winding his fingers into her hair, his mouth devouring hers. When they part, he relaxes and pulls her back to bed and sighs. “It was just a dream.” He climbs into bed and pulls her into his arms. “Just a dream.”

TBC

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There's 20 prompts left and not all is going to be happy and rosey for our BDH's.