Disclaimer: Firefly and all related elements, characters and indicia © Mutant Enemy Productions and 20th Century Fox Television, 2003. All Rights Reserved. All characters and situations—save those created by the author for use solely on this website—are copyright Mutant Enemy Productions and 20th Century Fox Television.

Notes: Thanks to sffan, Heather, Pip, Nefert11, and TaraLJC for super shiny betas! And my gratitude goes to everyone who quelled my fears at attempting NC-17 and supported me in the writing of this...

And to Tara, as always. This one's for you! A very, very belated happy finishing Lex Tallionis and happy Birthday. And thank you for letting me borrow cousin Mac:)

This story is set in Tara's version of the 'verse, and I borrowed some things (with author permission), but AU (maybe) of some events in Lex Talionis... So while this story stands alone, some things may make a bit more sense if you read her stories first (mainly That Old Yeh Shen Story and Lex Talionis).

Starlight, Starbright by liquideyes

"Ain't this place romantic?"

"Only you would find romance in a hayloft!" Mac sighed and then giggled. Kaylee and her cousin lay side by side in a pile of sun-warmed straw, exhausted after working all afternoon in the barn with the horses.

"Oh, come on Mac, ain't this just as shiny a place for a tryst as you can think? All private, an' the like..." Kaylee grinned.

"But what about the horses?" she asked.

"We've seen them in season. 'Sides, not like they can see us up here. They ain't gonna squawk!" At twelve years of age, and living practically next door to her cousin's family farm, Kaylee knew all about the facts of life. "Only place better would be right 'side an engine, thrummin's so loud, you feel it's the only place in the 'verse..."

"Until someone walks in!" Mac giggled again.

"That's the one problem I can see. It's the same way with all the places that got machines, people always about. And I can't see a way of fixin' that, so hayloft it is."

"You ain't planning nothing, are you?"

"Ma-ac! Just thinking is all... Michael O'Brien's awfully nice, though..."

"Kaylee! Mary Ellen would kill you if you tried anything."

"Can't stop me from thinkin' 'bout it!" Kaylee said, catching the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she smiled, obviously relishing the idea. "And don't tell me you ain't thinking 'bout Brian, right this very minute!" Mac turned a deep shade of scarlet, and sighed.

"He won't give me the time a' day. Thinks just cause he's a couple years older, he's gotta lord it above us all. We used to be friends, but now...I don't want nothin' to do with him. I just wish he weren't so shuai..." she grumbled.

"He ain't cuter than Michael, no way!" She let out a gusty sigh "I like his hair, it's just the colour of this here straw, though I betcha it's softer. I wanna run my hands through it..." Kaylee blushed, somewhere between disbelief and relief at voicing that last thought.

"You mean like this?" Mac dug her stubby fingers into the straw and threw a handful of it right into Kaylee's face. Kaylee shrieked and gathered some straw of her own, advancing on Mac to try to shove it down her cousin's shirt.

The war was on, boys temporarily forgotten. Bits of straw flew every-which-way as did hands, legs, and assorted yelps, squeals, fragments of Chinese and laughter. A chestnut gelding below whickered softly and snorted, clearly not impressed with what was happening to his bedding.

As the dust settled, two young girls lay on their backs panting, faces red with exertion, and bits of straw poking out of their clothing and tangled in their hair. Kaylee's hair tie seemed to be missing, as one of her light brown braids had unraveled half-way.

After Mac had caught her breath she asked, "What do you think your first kiss is gonna be like?" The subject of boys was never forgotten for too long. This was a question that the girls had considered -- at length -- many times before. The answer barely changed, but they always enjoyed talking it over.

"It's gonna be perfect. It'll be someone I really like. We'll be talking, and he'll take my hand and tell me I'm pretty. Then he'll lean over and kiss me..." The girls sighed at the mental picture that those words painted.

"Who knows, maybe it will be right up here in this hayloft!"

Kaylee giggled and threw her last remaining handful of straw that she had been hiding behind her back towards Mac, and the tussle began anew.

***

Kaylee climbed up into the old hayloft, knowing the way both by familiar feel and by the starlight that cast its glow, illuminating the darkness from the high window. It had been quite a while since she'd been up here with her cousin Mac, but she still remembered it like it had been yesterday. She missed those sleepovers, and late night girl chats. Sure, they had caught up when Serenity had docked in Riverside. But it wasn't quite the same. The connection was still there, but time changes most everything. Though not necessarily for the worse. Kaylee had squealed over her new baby cousin; counting toes, and playing. It had been real good to see her kin.

She grabbed Simon's hand, guiding him up. He took the soft, worn blanket that they had borrowed from the ship and spread it out over the hay. He sat down and Kaylee nestled against him, resting her head against his shoulder and her hand on his thigh. The loft was smaller than she had remembered it, but it was nice and cozy. She looked up through the window and gazed out into the night sky. Even when home, her eyes still gravitated towards the stars. Some things would never change.

But some things did.

"Why don't I think that I'm the first boy that you've brought up here?" Simon teased, breaking the silence that had settled over them. "Maybe cause you're not!" Kaylee grinning at the over-the-top hurt face that he made before giving his side a poke, glad that they had got to the point where he could tease about the differences in their relative experiences. "'Sides not much more happened than kissin'. Michael O'Brien, when I was thirteen."

"Should I be worried?" Simon asked, smiling.

"Nah, was only kissin' and 'sides, he's married now. And there are other things that I always wanted to do up here... never had the chance." Kaylee's hand started tracing patterns on Simon's denim-clad thigh.

"Always wanted to do?" Simon's eyebrows raised.

"Yup, always." She repeated solemnly, before dissolving into giggles at the look on his face. She reached over to give his hand a squeeze. "I'm glad of the fact that I could bring you up here. It's all romantic..."

She looked up at him expectantly, eyes shining with a mix of mischief and desire, lips curved in a Mona Lisa half-smile. Starlight danced over her features, but she shone still brighter. So bright Simon couldn't take his eyes off her. "You're so..." he paused, as if there were no words adequate for what he was feeling, and seeing. He brought her hand to his mouth, letting his lips trail over her palm and pressing a soft kiss there. She moved it to rub his cheek, relishing the feel of his slight stubble as it further sensitized her skin.

"... mêilì," he breathed as Kaylee drew his face down to hers, brushing her mouth across his teasingly before taking his bottom lip between her own and sucking. He moaned, mouth opening, as he buried his hand in her hair. Kaylee took advantage of this, sliding her tongue between his parted lips, tasting him. Simon moaned again.

Their kisses always hinted of strawberries and spice laced with a trace of engine grease and medical disinfectant. Sometimes, Kaylee could almost taste the smell of spring rain, fresh like new beginnings.

Simon's other hand started roving, moving lower, under the hem of her cotton sundress, bunching it up at her waist. His long fingers ran along her thigh. Kaylee's hands were busy too, nimbly unbuttoning his cotton shirt. As she finished the last few buttons her hand snaked down still further to stroke him through his jeans.

Kaylee broke the kiss. "So, it looks like I do get my wish!" she said impishly.

Simon chuckled, but was not to be distracted. The hand that was formerly embedded in soft brown hair softly stroked the back of her neck before tugging at the zipper of her dress and nudging it from her shoulders. Kaylee let out a little gasp as cool air hit her skin, which turned to a whimper as Simon placed burning kisses along her collar bone.

Drawing back for a moment, he pealed off her dress, pulling it over her head. He buried his face between her breasts, and turned his head slightly, capturing a nipple, tonguing it through the pale pink cotton. He unclasped her bra.

"S-simon!" she gasped shakily between sharp intakes of breath when he replaced his tongue with a stubble-roughened cheek.

Simon transferred his attention to her other breast, tracing careful concentric circles over her skin with his tongue. Kaylee's hands slowly tightened on the blanket beneath them as Simon's tongue drew closer and closer to her nipple, moving in maddeningly tiny increments as her breathing became more and more ragged. Then just as he was about to reach it, he stopped.

"Tianna!" Kaylee's eyes, which had drifted shut, flew open. "Si-mon!" Her body rose in search of his mouth, but he was far enough away that her movements were futile. Lust-and-love darkened eyes begged him mutely to continue. He simply gazed at her for a moment, smiling. Then he gently leaned down, wet her nipple and blew a cool stream of air over the pink nub, which puckered, hardening instantly.

"Tianna!" She whispered, shuddering.

Kaylee lay back, sinking into blanket-covered hay. Simon leaned over her, his hot, wet mouth descended on the taut nipple and gently suckled. Kaylee's hands moved to convulsively clutch at dark brown hair. Her breathing started to become more laboured as waves of pleasure settled low in her belly and spread slowly, like the stars filling the sky on a clear evening.

Simon shifted and thoughtful surgeon's fingers traveled over the curve of her hip and the smooth skin of her stomach. Fingers that made patterns as abstract as constellations, and raised goose bumps more numerous than the stars, before working their way down to caress her through damp cotton. Her thighs fell open at his touch as she arched into his hand. He hooked his thumb into the top of her underwear and she arched again to allow him to remove her last article of clothing. His name became a nearly silent litany as he found her center, softly stroking. Almost too softly. It nearly undid her. Her hand closed around his wrist, keeping him firmly in place. Not that he was planning on going anywhere.

Simon took his time. He was too Simon to do otherwise. Not that she was really complaining. He was sweet and tender, and oh so precise. And thorough. Definitely thorough. It wasn't what she had been used to from earlier experiences with other lovers. It was better, because it was Simon. And because, on occasion, she could get him to completely lose control, despite his proper upbringing. This relationship was one that was full of the shiny and new for them both.

Her limbs began to quiver, nearing release. Simon's lips found hers, capturing them in an ardent kiss as his fingers increased their speed and pressure. She came undone. Her hips bucked and she convulsed, moaning into his mouth. She loosened her hold on his wrist as he let her down gently, fingertips soothing her heated skin.

Kaylee kissed Simon hard and pulled them up into a sitting position. She ran her hands over his lower back before divesting him of his shirt. And unbuttoning the fly of his jeans. "Your turn!" she grinned wickedly in anticipation, and his erection, now free of its confines, jumped at the teasing note in her voice. She pushed him over so he was flat on his back and slithered her way down his body, removing pants and grey cotton boxers as she went. Needing to taste and touch. She devoured him like he was a strawberry flavoured frozen fruit bar. Her tongue traced his length, taking long, wet licks and swirled delicately around his head. She then followed with gentle, but insistent, sucking as her mouth closed around him.

"Kaylee..." Simon keened, and his hands moved to her shoulders, gently halting her movements. "Please. I want to be --" his chest heaved as he drew in a ragged breath, "I want to take you with me."

They locked gazes. His blue eyes were dilated so wide that they were nearly black, and just as bottomless as the spaces between the stars. In response, she lithely drew a long leg over his hips, straddling him. Resting her hands lightly on his lower abdomen, she sank onto him as slowly as she could manage, eyes never leaving his. Then strong hands gripped her hips and she started to ride.

Kaylee liked looking at Simon. He was a pretty package to be sure, like a box wrapped in fancy paper, but it had grown to far more than that. She liked watching his face. It didn't matter what he was doing, she just liked watching the interplay of thoughts and ideas flicker behind his eyes, and at the corners of his mouth. And what she liked most of all was that she could make him smile.

Kaylee mewled as she met his thrust. Ok, maybe she liked making him do that second most.

Right now, he looked caught between pleasure and pain. But Kaylee knew that it was mainly pleasure. Dark eyebrows drawn together, forehead creased, mouth open. Trying to breathe, but unable to get oxygen into his lungs. Trying to hold on, to hold out for as long as possible. She clenched around him, and he groaned, but refused to give in and let go. So Kaylee let her hands travel upwards, sliding along sweat slicked chest before coming to rest on strong, smooth shoulders. She leaned over, brushing her breasts against him and tenderly kissed his furrowed brow. Then she thrust down, the change in position causing him to hit a particularly sweet spot. Her breathy gasp was accompanied by muscles contracting, hard. Then a final thrust and he surrendered -- to her, to them, to feeling everything.

Their exultant cries interwove as they came, bright and sure and sudden, blazing like a shooting star.

***

Simon awoke, feeling the prickling of hay where his leg had rolled off the blanket. But the other half of him was warm, intertwined with the girl lying beside him, her arm draped over his bare chest. She had somehow remained completely on the blanket, though he could see a little bit of hay poking out from behind her ear. He smiled, watching her face as she slept.

He had changed. There was a time when he would never have made love in a hayloft. It wasn't the weirdest place he had been naked, recalling a certain night involving too much sake and a statue of Hippocrates. But that memory seemed to come from a different life, and in a way it had. And in that life he definitely wouldn't have found the hayloft romantic. No, back then it would have been silk sheets in a high class resort of some kind, all carefully arranged. Not that he didn't have fantasies of Kaylee wrapped in nothing but a silk sheet that would eventually slide down her body, pooling on the floor. But now the setting didn't matter. With Kaylee, even -- or maybe especially -- in a hayloft, was the most natural thing in the 'verse.

Simon felt Kaylee shifting, hand reaching to rub her eyes, a sure sign that she was waking up. Simon liked that he knew that about her. He noticed all sorts of things; doctors had to. Details were important. He also smiled at the fact that he knew what side of the bed she preferred and the way she looked, sleep rumpled. Or what she sounded like moaning his name.

She blinked a couple times, yawning, and looked up at Simon, before settling back down and resting her head against his shoulder. "This is nice," Kaylee sighed, contented, stretching like a kitten along the length of his body. She was cocooned in the familiar, hay and blankets on one side, and Simon on the other. Two worlds, not so much colliding as melting together at the edges. Like when she had saved those bits of candles and melted them togeter to make a bigger and better one for Simon's birthday cake.

"Yes, it is. I'm glad you brought me here." He reached over to gently remove the hay from her hair, trailing a finger down her cheekbone, tracing the curve of her lips, before giving her a quick good morning kiss. "So, anywhere else interesting you've always wanted to make love?" Simon asked, conversationally, while Kaylee blinked.

"Well, I always liked the engine room… pulse of the heart of the ship echoing in my head, throbbin'... blocking out the rest of the world. An' it's all greasy... and smooth... an' hot..." Kaylee purred, hand absentmindedly caressing Simon's chest.

Simon let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding in a rush, and he reached with strong arms to pull Kaylee towards him. She fit herself snugly against him, thinking that they fit just right, like a proper catalyser fit into her engine. He wrapped his arms around her, leaving no spaces between them. And no doubt in her mind the effect her words had had on him. She wriggled just a little and his breath caught in his throat.

"I don't think I can wait until we get back to the engine room... but maybe next time," he whispered hoarsely, his warm breath tickling her ear. He gently nibbled on the lobe, and her last coherent thought was that they would definitely be late for breakfast.

Translation Note:

mêilì = beautiful shuai = handsome tianna = Oh God