"Simon...oh, Simon! Yes!"

Mal groaned and pulled his pillow over his head, knowing full well it wouldn't do a damned thing to drown out the sounds coming from Kaylee's bunk. Of course he wanted Kaylee to be happy. He wanted to be happy for her. She'd had eyes for the doctor since the day he first boarded the ship, after all. And hell, Simon deserved to be happy. Mal just didn't need to hear the specific details of their happiness. The things she was currently begging Simon to do to her were not things that Mal wanted to imagine anyone doing to Kaylee. Or things that he wanted to imagine Simon doing to anyone, for that matter.

Oh, God, what had she just said? She was going to do what?

That one was going to be permenantly seared into his brainpan. Lovely.

_______________

Zoe sighed with relief as silence finally settled over the ship. Did Kaylee and Simon really think they were being discreet? During the day, they were together almost constantly. Every day for almost a week now, they had shown up for breakfast together, usually late, and often with one of them wearing the same clothing they'd been wearing the day before. You didn't have to be, well, River to know what that meant. And then there were the nights.

If Wash had been there, he would have spent the past week teasing the young couple mercilessly. That would have been his way of giving them his blessing, of telling them that he was happy for them and wished them the best. And they would have understood that. Zoe couldn't think of a single way to tell them that it was all right, that she was, in fact, happy for them, and that they didn't have to hide on her account.

In the next bunk over, the sounds were starting up again.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." Zoe moaned, reaching for a pillow to pull over her head. __________________

"Simon...oh, that's so good. Don't stop!"

"Kaylee, baobei, meili, Kaylee..."

Jayne pressed his ear against the wall, rolling his eyes. Would be that the doc would get all poetical about a girl while ruttin' on her.

Still, while he wasn't about to admit it, he was a little curious as to what Simon was doing to Kaylee that would make her shriek like that... _________________

"Oh..." Kaylee sighed, sprawled out on top of Simon. "Hope you don't mind havin' me for a blanket, 'cause I don't think I'm gonna be able to move for a while." She let herself relax completely against him, enjoying the warmth of his skin on hers and the sound of his heartbeat under her ear.

"Don't move." Simon whispered. He stroked one hand up her back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You're just fine right where you are." As her tongue traced his collarbone slowly, he closed his eyes and replayed the last couple of hours in his head, committing every little detail to memory. The wet heat of her mouth wrapped around him. The taste of her slickness on his tongue and the sounds she made when he had his face buried between her thighs. The way her eyes fluttered closed and her mouth dropped open as he held her hips and guided her down onto him. The hitch in her breath every time he thrust up into her, filled her.

Ever since they had gotten the urgency of their first time out of the way, he had been able to focus on memorizing every detail of her body, learning what she liked. He had finally been able to make love to her the way he'd always fantasized about, taking his time with her, then letting her have her way with him. His Kaylee definitely liked sex, not that he had any complaints.

His Kaylee. He loved the sound of that. Brushing her dampened hair off of her forehead, he smiled at her.

She smiled right back at him, still looking a little dazed. "Still can't move. Feels like I got no bones. How do you do that?" In the dim light, she saw him bite his lip and blush. "Aw, look at you turnin' all red. All the way down to your chest, too. Wonder if you blush anywhere else..."

He caught her as she started to lift off of him. "Thought you couldn't move yet." He kissed her softly, teasingly, then carefully turned them over, pressing her into the mattress.

"If you keep that up..." Her retort trailed off as his mouth reached her breasts. He took one nipple between his lips and sucked firmly. She let out a shaky breath as he reached down between their bodies and slid two fingers inside her. "Oh...that's...don't stop that." She let herself melt into the bed, settled in to enjoy his attentions. He went slowly, drawing out every sensation, bringing her to the brink of orgasm several times before finally letting her come.

He watched her face as she came back down, smiling at him. She opened her eyes wide when she felt him press against her center, hard again. "Simon, you need to get some sleep. You're gonna be all cranky tomorrow." She didn't even try to sound serious. Truthfully, she didn't care how tired they would be the next day. After she had waited for so long to be with Simon, she was greedy. The more she got of him, the more she wanted.

"It's worth it." Simon whispered in her ear as he pushed into her. She gasped against his neck, instantly pressing up against him. The sounds she made as he started stroking inside her slowly were like a drug. He loved the way she moved with him, urging him on without saying a word.

Kaylee was in heaven. She loved it like this, slow and sensual, every caress and kiss taking her higher. Then there were the times when their lovemaking was almost playful in nature, and she loved those times just as much. It figured that Simon would be so eager to learn everything about her body, what she liked best, how she wanted to be touched and kissed.

She had never been with anyone who paid so much attention to her body. He didn't just make love to her, he seemed to worship her. More than anything, that made her want to return the favor, to make him feel as good as he made her feel. She guessed that she was succeeding, from the way he was panting against her throat and clutching her hips, pulling her up against him as he thrust down into her, deep and hard.

Simon wanted to tell her so much. How good she felt, wet and hot and quivering around him, how the way she was gasping and mewling was making him crazy. How deeply and completely in love with her he was falling. All that he could manage to say was her name, and even that became difficult as she came, keening and clamping down on him. It was an amazing feeling, the physical sensation combined with the knowledge that he could give her that kind of pleasure. He felt a rush of primal, instinctive pride as he watched her tremble. Then she dug her nails into his shoulders and bucked hard against him, and he was lost. He thrust hard into her once more and erupted on a low, shuddering groan.

"Wow." Kaylee's breathless laugh cut through the post-orgasmic haze that enveloped him. "Even when you're tired..."

Simon chuckled as he rolled onto his side, keeping her pressed against him, still inside her. "Maybe it's you. Maybe it's just what you bring out in me."

"Maybe we're just good together." Kaylee murmured against his throat.

"Can't argue with that." Simon replied. But she was already drifting off in his arms, her breath slow and even on his skin. He took a moment to watch her face, so peaceful and beautiful, then pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes. ________________

"I gotta say, I'm almost impressed." Mal said to Zoe and Jayne, seated across the table from him. "In a completely traumatized sort of way."

"Don't know where those kids get their energy from." Zoe agreed.

"Good morning." Inara smiled at the three of them as she entered the dining area. She paused and took in their tired appearances. "Or...maybe not?"

"We didn't get much sleep last night." Mal explained, hoping she would leave it at that.

He never got a chance to know if she would, however.

"Little Kaylee and the Doc were at it all night." Jayne spoke up.

"Oh, my." Inara put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a decidely un-ladylike giggle. "Are you sure they were-"

"Either that, or they were having a very deep and intense discussion, and she was agreeing with him very enthusiastically." Mal interrupted. "Now, please, can we drop this? I'd really like to just put it out of my mind."

"Sir, we should tell them." Zoe said. "For their sake and ours."

"Zoe's probably right, Mal. Maybe if you let them know sooner rather than later, you can avoid humiliating them too much." Inara added.

"That's a good point." Mal admitted. "All right. Jayne, you tell them."

"How will that be less humiliating for them?" Zoe asked.

"Won't be." Mal said. "It'll just be a lot more entertaining for us."

Zoe considered that. "True."

Inara shook her head. "Why do I even bother?" _________________

"Since when are you so interested in medicine?" Simon teased Kaylee, who was perched on the counter in the infirmary.

She grinned at him. "Since you've been so interested in engines." She leaned back invitingly, and he took the hint, stepping inbetween her legs and wrapping his arms around her. Just as their lips met, they heard a rustling sound outside the room, and quickly broke apart. Kaylee slid off the counter just as Inara appeared in the doorway. "Hey, Inara."

"Good morning." The Companion kept her expression neutral, smiling pleasantly at the pair. Even if she hadn't seen them through the window, she would have had no trouble figuring out that she was intruding. "I missed you two at breakfast."

"Yeah, I had to, um...the engine was..." Kaylee stammered.

"I, uh, I overslept." Simon explained at the same time.

They reminded Inara of a couple of children caught sneaking a kiss on the playground. "Well, I just wanted to say hello. I'll let you two get back to..."

"Stowing supplies." Kaylee blurted out.

"Sterilizing the instruments." Simon offered, once again at the same time.

If Inara had been anyone else at that moment, she wouldn't have been able to stop herself from saying 'is that what we're calling it now?' As it was, she had to make a concentrated effort not to laugh out loud as she walked away. _______________________

"She saw us." Kaylee covered her mouth, giggling. "Did you see the look on her face?"

"I doubt she was surprised. She's a Companion, they're trained to read people like books." Simon pointed out.

"We've probably been pretty easy to read all week." Kaylee agreed. "So Inara knows. And obviously your sister knows, and she told the Captain. Do you think Jayne and Zoe know?"

"I know." They looked up and saw Zoe standing in the doorway. "And I know why you've been trying to hide it from me."

"Uh, Zoe...we-" The mortified look on Simon's face was enough to make Zoe feel sorry for him. Kaylee just looked at the floor.

"Save it, doctor." Zoe held up one hand to stop him. "I understand. I appreciate that you two were trying to protect me, but you don't need to. Wash cared a great deal for you both. He would have loved to see you two happy. I loved my husband. But I didn't die with him. And neither did you." She finished her speech quickly, talking to anyone besides Wash about what she was feeling just felt so awkward and wrong.

"Okay, Zoe." Kaylee seemed surprised. As soon as Zoe was gone, her smile faded.

"What's wrong?" Simon asked, placing one hand on her arm.

"Nothing." She lied. "I just remembered, I got some stuff to do. I'll see ya later, okay?" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran out of the infirmary, leaving Simon standing there, wondering what he had done wrong this time. _____________________

"Inara." The Companion wasn't who Simon had been hoping to find in the dining area, but he decided that she might be able to help him all the same.

"Oh, hi Simon." Inara looked up, surprised to see the doctor alone. "Where's Kaylee?"

"I was kind of hoping you might know." Simon admitted, sitting down across the table.

"What did you say?" Inara asked, only half teasing.

"Nothing. At least, I don't think I did...Zoe came in, and she told us that she knows about us, and that she doesn't want us to feel like we have to hide from her. And then after she left, Kaylee started looking...well, the way she usually does when I've said something idiotic, and she took off." Simon explained.

"She feels guilty." Inara told him. "No matter what Zoe said, Kaylee still feels bad. And so do you, it's written all over your face right now."

"I guess I do." Simon admitted. "Part of me keeps wondering if it's all right for us to be so happy, so soon after...after Wash, and Shepard Book...not to mention I feel like I've been basically neglecting River."

"I don't feel neglected." Suddenly, River was right behind her brother, and he jumped, making her giggle. "That's never going to get old." She said to Inara.

"I think you may be right." Inara laughed as she stood up. "I think that's my cue to exit." She gave Simon a light pat on the shoulder as she walked by him.

"I need to put a bell on you, mei-mei." Simon told River.

"I don't feel like you're neglecting me." River repeated. "I'm doing a lot better."

Simon had to admit that much was true. In the weeks since Miranda, she was more and more like the little sister he'd had before she'd left for the academy. She still had her bad moments, but they were fewer and farther between. "I know you are, but-"

"You said you'd fix me, Simon." River interrupted. "You said you would and you did."

"I don't know how much I really did." Simon pointed out.

"You did enough." River insisted. "Now you deserve to be happy. Doesn't Kaylee make you happy?"

Simon was a little surprised at the question. Couldn't River just read his mind and know how happy he was? Then it occurred to him that she did know, but she wanted him to say it. "Of course she does. I...I love her." River gave him her classic 'duh' look, and he chuckled. "I know, I know, I'm such a boob." He leaned back in his chair, smiling. "I love Kaylee."

"You've never said that out loud before." River observed. "I'm not the one you should be saying it to." She jerked her head towards the door. "Go." _____________________

"Thought I'd find you in here." Inara stepped into the engine room, feeling a twinge in her heart when she saw tears on Kaylee's cheeks.

"Hey, 'Nara." Kaylee tried to force a smile. "Oh, don't come in here, you'll get your dress all messed up."

"I don't care about the dress." Inara said, putting one arm around the mechanic's shoulders. "I care about you. Simon told me you were upset. Kaylee, it's all right. Zoe really does want you to be happy, we all do."

"I know." Kaylee sniffed. "And I am happy...and then I feel bad about being happy. I feel bad about not feeling bad enough. I'm losing my mind."

"No." Inara told her. "You're not. The past few weeks have been hard on everyone, there's a lot of mixed emotions we're all dealing with. It's a part of being alive, of surviving."

"Sometimes I almost feel like I need to be reminded that we did." Kaylee sighed.

"And is that where Simon comes in?" Inara teased.

Kaylee's smile wasn't all forced now. "He does make me feel alive. He makes me feel...good." Inara smiled knowingly. "No, not like...well, yeah, like that, too..."

"You two waited a long time." Inara said. "I trust it was worth it?"

"He's amazing." Kaylee said, blushing. "He never treats me like glass, but he's not rough with me, either. I've never been with anyone who felt so right. Guess that's cause I've never been with someone I...really loved." She realized she'd known it for a while. But she hadn't said it yet. "I love him."

"Well, we were all wondering when you would figure that out. I think Zoe and Jayne may have even had a bet going." Inara said. "It's wonderful, Kaylee. It's a new beginning, and I think that's needed on this ship right now."

Kaylee was already off in her own world, giggling and covering her mouth with both hands. "I love him."

"Yes, well, I should probably warn you, as happy as everyone is for you two, they've apparently been able to hear you every night, and they're not so happy about that." Inara cautioned.

"You're kidding." Kaylee blushed. "Oh, that's...well, we'll have to do something about that, I guess. Oh, I'd better tell Simon before Jayne or the Cap'n gets to him. I doubt they'd be nice about it." ____________________

"Mornin', doc." Jayne said, approaching the younger man in the dining area. "You're lookin' downright cheerful. What's up with that? It's makin' me a mite nervous."

"I'm just in a good mood." Simon replied, shrugging. "It's a good day." He wasn't about to tell Jayne the real reason for his good mood.

"That so?" Jayne asked with a smirk.

"Yes, and before you waste any time, there is nothing you can say to ruin my good mood."

Jayne chuckled. "Is that a fact?"

Simon nodded as he started to walk out of the room. "It is."

"Well, all right." Jayne said. "By the way, we could all hear you humpin' Kaylee last night."

"What?" Simon stopped in the doorway and turned around, leaning against the wall a little. He took a deep breath. "All right, this might be the most uncomfortable I've ever been in my life."

"Just out of curiosity," Jayne continued, "Just what were you doing to her that made her squeal the way she did?"

"Strike that 'might be' part." Simon said after a moment. ___________________

Kaylee was on her back under the Mule, trying to fix a tear in the fuel line, but finding it hard to focus. She loved Simon. She had for a long time, and the more time she spent with him, the more sides of him that she saw, the more deeply she loved him. And somehow she was sure, without any sort of doubt, that he felt the same.

"Hi." Her breath hitched at the mere sound of his voice. She was definitely in deep, she thought as she slid out from under the vehicle, wiping her hands on her jumpsuit. Just seeing his face as he crouched down to offer her a hand up made her think of other times she'd been flat on her back with him over her.

"Hey." She said breathlessly, taking the hand he offered and letting him pull her to her feet. "I'm real sorry about earlier, it wasn't you, it was..."

"I know. I understand." Simon wrapped his arms around her and held her securely against his chest. "It's all right, xin gan. It's going to be all right."

Kaylee smiled, pressing her face into his shoulder and breathing in the clean, comforting scent of him. "I love it when you call me that."

"I love you." Simon whispered against her cheek, without even thinking about it. Kaylee froze against him, then after a moment, began to tremble slightly in his arms. He kicked himself. "God, I'm sorry, I shouldn't...it's too soon."

"Bi zui." Kaylee interrupted, pulling back and pressing her fingers to his lips. She had tears in her eyes, but she was laughing. "It's been too long. I love you, too." She threw her arms loosely around his neck and planted a warm, wet kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, laughing, she suddenly found herself pressed up against the Mule, with Simon's mouth covering her surprised gasp.

"Hey, you two!" Jumping apart, they looked up and saw Mal on the catwalk above them, with Inara a few feet behind him. "We work before we play." He admonished gently, shaking a finger at them.

"Sorry, Captain." Simon called.

"No you're not." Mal replied.

"He's right." Kaylee giggled, stilling holding onto Simon.

"And is there a problem with your bunks?" Mal added.

Kaylee had heard that before. "Actually, there is." She whispered to Simon. "Turns out the bulkheads ain't as soundproof as we mighta thought."

"Yeah, I know." Simon groaned. "Jayne told me."

"Oh, no!" Kaylee was almost shaking with laughter now. "I'm sorry, I shoulda come to tell you as soon as 'Nara told me. I hope he wasn't too mean about it."

Simon grimaced, trying to hide a smile. "Worse. He asked me for advice." _____________________

Kaylee's shriek of laughter at whatever Simon had just told her echoed throughout the cargo bay, and Mal smiled slightly in spite of himself.

"See something different about them?" Inara asked, stepping up beside him.

Mal started a little. "What have I told you about sneaking up on a man like that?"

"I don't see a weapon in your hand, so I figured I was safe." Inara replied. "Anyway, answer the question."

Below them, Kaylee was still giggling, pressing her face against the doctor's shoulder. He was laughing, too, in a way Mal had never seen him do before, and holding her like he had no intention of letting go. "All I see is another of my rules being broken."

Inara rolled her eyes and gave him that 'you are so full of crap' look that she had perfected soon after they'd met. "Their faces, Mal. What do you notice?"

"They're...they're smiling. Though that ain't unusual, at least not for Kaylee." Mal said. Inara nodded, giving him a clear signal to continue. "The doc looks...I don't know...younger." It was true, Simon seemed to have lost ten years practically overnight. It occurred to Mal that the younger man actually looked more his actual age than he ever had since he'd been aboard Serenity.

"And Kaylee?" Inara prompted. "I know it's hardly unusual to see her smiling, but don't you see anything different about her smile?"

Mal took a moment to watch his mechanic's face as Simon leaned in close to whisper something in her ear. She was positively glowing, radiating a kind of joy that made Mal smile even wider, just to see it. "Well I'll be damned."

"You can make all the rules you want, Mal." Inara told him, leaning on the railing next to him, as close to him as she could get without touching. "You can't change the way they feel about each other, and you can't convince me that you would even want to."

"Well, no." Mal admitted, turning to her and smirking. "But I can change their sleeping arrangements."

Inara laughed softly and nodded. "I would." ___________________

Translations:

baobei = precious, darling. meili = beautiful. mei-mei = little sister. xin gan = sweetheart. bi zui = shut up.