A/N: A big thank you to Kispexi2 for being my beta reader once again! You've been a huge help! Any errors remaining are strictly my own.

DISCLAIMER: Don't own it, never did, never will--just having fun playing.

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EXHAUSTION

Simon was exhausted. He'd been up half the night with River, trying to calm her after one of her frequent nightmares. After her terror had abated, she hadn't wanted to go back to sleep, and who could blame her. He'd hated the idea of sedating her again, so they'd sat up for several hours until she fell asleep in his arms. He'd settled her in her bed, but by then was too wired to sleep himself. Instead he went to the infirmary to browse the Cortex for anything new he might find regarding her condition. He may have dozed for a while, but it hadn't been a restful sleep.

Later that day they'd made planetfall to deliver, and take payment for, their latest job. Unfortunately, the job had gone south--again. Fortunately, no one's injuries had been too severe, but it had taken all his energy to get everyone patched up--again. On the way to the kitchen for some tea, he'd spotted the couch in the lounge, and thought how inviting it looked. "Oh, why not?" he'd thought. "Dinner will be soon, and I'm not sure I can make it to my bunk, anyway. Might as well take a nap here." The thought becoming the deed, he lay down, and promptly fell asleep.

***

Voices come to him, as if through a tunnel, the sounds of dinner in the background, but he can't rouse himself enough to join his shipmates at the table. Instead, he lies there and lets the sounds wash over him.

"Shouldn't we wake him, Cap'n? He's gonna miss dinner."

"Boy knows where the food is, lil' Kaylee. Don't you fret, won't hurt him none to miss one meal."

"I think I heard him up late last night with River," says Book. "Sleep will do him good."

"You keepin' my doctor up late again, girl?"

"He's doing it backwards; walking up the downslide."

"Hey, keep your gorram hands off my food, moon-brain!"

"Jayne."

"Wha'? Plenty of food on the table, why's she always gotta snatch mine?"

"Even so, no reason not to keep a civil tongue in your head."

"Mmph."

"S'all right… apeman."

"Hey!"

"Oh, look, honey. The apeman… I mean Jayne, is …"

"Hush, husband. So, Captain, any word on another job?"

"Not yet, but…"

The voices fade as he drifts back to sleep.

***

"Oh, Simon, what'm I gonna do with you?"

Simon slowly wakes up to these whispered words. He realizes that someone has covered him with a blanket, and the lounge is mostly dark, the only light spilling in from the kitchen. He feels someone brush the hair off his forehead, and opens his eyes. "Hey," he smiles sleepily at the face he sees so often in his dreams.

"Hey, yourself, son. Feelin' better?"

"Yes, thank you. Did you put the blanket on?"

"Nah, that were Kaylee. Thought you looked cold."

"Mmmm. How long did I sleep?"

"Well, it's 'bout midnight, now. An' you slept through dinner. So I'd guess about six hours?"

"Six hours!" Simon almost bolts off the couch, would if Mal wasn't blocking the way. "River…"

"Is fine. Kaylee and Inara got her settled for the night. Lotsa gigglin' goin' on, last I knew."

"Oh, okay," Simon subsides back onto the couch. "I didn't mean to sleep through dinner. Is there any left?"

"I imagine we can find somethin' if you're hungry."

"Not particularly, but I suppose I'd better eat. Don't want the captain getting mad at me," Simon smiles, "for not taking care of myself."

"Damn straight, boy. Come on, let's see what we can find." Mal leads the way into the kitchen.

Once there, Mal opens the cooler looking for any leftovers. While he digs around, Simon enjoys the view. Those pants do wonders for Mal's backside, and he itches to get those suspenders down and that shirt up so he can feel skin. He feels all the blood rushing from his brain to a much more interesting part of his anatomy. Remembering the whispered words he'd heard on waking, he steps towards Mal.

"Ah, here it is. Knew there was some soup in here." Mal closes the cooler, and walks towards the stove. Getting a pan from the cupboard, he pours some soup in it, and turns on the burner. "Won't be long now, and you'll have somethin' hot in you," he says as he turns, and almost bumps into Simon who is standin' a mite close. "Wha'?"

"Mal, I'm not a boy. Nor am I your son. And I can think of several things you can do with me." Simon reaches up and pulls Mal down for a kiss. He nibbles at Mal's lower lip, sliding his tongue along the seam, asking for entrance. When he doesn't get it, he bites the lip he's been nibbling. Not hard, just enough to make Mal gasp, then he slips his tongue into that wonderful mouth. Oh, Mal tastes better than he's ever dreamed. He thinks he could go on kissing him forever.

Suddenly, Mal pulls back. "Whoa, where did that come from?" he pants. Kissin' Simon is somethin' he's thought of only in the deepest, darkest corner of his brain. And only when his subconscious takes over, and he's dreamin', does it go farther than that.

"Oh, I've been wanting to do that for a long time. Almost from the moment I stepped on board. Until tonight, though, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

"Until tonight? What happened tonight?"

"I heard you as I woke up, and I felt you touch my hair." Suddenly unsure, Simon asks, "I didn't misread you, did I?"

"Umm…Oh, good, soup's hot." Reaching for a bowl and spoon, Mal fixes Simon's dinner. "Sit. Eat."

"Not hungry," Simon starts to leave.

Mal grabs his arm and pulls him to the table. "Sit. Eat."

"Oh, all right," Simon gives in ungraciously.

A few seconds pass as Mal watches the tension build in Simon. Finally, letting out a whoosh of breath, he sits down next to Simon. Caressing his arm, Mal sighs and speaks, "No, you didn't misread me. Just caught me by surprise, that's all. You didn't indicate that you'd heard or felt anythin' when you woke up, so…" He shrugs.

Simon's face lights up, and he leans over for another kiss. Mal pulls back, though, and says, "Eat! And don't pout. Don't want a rumblin' stomach when things get interestin'."

Simon laughs and finishes his soup in record time.