Disclaimer: It still belongs to Joss Whedon. Yup.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Simon stormed out of the galley area and strode quickly down the hallway towards the passenger dormitories. He'd had just about enough of Mal's attitude. The captain really had a way of ruffling the doctor's feathers, and this time Simon was so riled he was beginning to seriously consider disembarking Serenity with River at the next docks and not looking back.

Upon reaching his quarters, Simon slid the shoji doors firmly shut behind him and sat down heavily on the bed, putting his head in his hands. He couldn't understand why he let Mal get under his skin so much, but he was sick and tired of letting it happen.

When he heard footsteps in the corridor, Simon groaned. He knew those heavy footfalls anywhere. Mal's combat boots made a characteristic sound when they came in contact with the metal deck plates and Simon knew he was in for more of the captain’s ranting.

He looked up and was met with Mal's gaze when the shoji doors to his quarters slid open. Simon glared at Mal indignantly.

"I would appreciate it if you knocked the next time," Simon said snappishly.

"My ship, my rules," Mal offered. "And I don't appreciate you walkin' out on me when I'm talkin' to you."

"I don't appreciate your insinuations, captain," Simon shot back.

"Whether or not you appreciate 'em isn't my concern," Mal said firmly, arms crossed over his chest. "You're goin' to listen to them anyway."

Simon stood up and crossed the room towards Mal, who had shut the door behind him as not to disturb the rest of the ship's crew with their argument. Anger creased his features and he had to exercise an incredible level of self control to keep from punching Mal.

"You have no right to undermine me like that," Simon snapped.

"You know, doctor, I'm gettin' sick and tired of your attitude," Mal said, anger now creeping into his tone.

Mal stepped forward so he and Simon were barely an inch apart. He stared into the younger man’s steely blue eyes. Mal knew eyes like those could intimidate many a man what with the intelligence and determination shining in them, but Mal wasn't falling for that. What he saw in the doctor's eyes wasn’t a threat, it was an invitation.

"Well captain, unfortunately for you, as long as I’m on this ship you'll be haunted by this attitude. As long as you continue to pick your arguments with me you’ll be hearing this tone," Simon said with an edge to his voice.

"Is that so?" Mal asked with an exasperated snort. "Well then we're just going to have to do something about that now, aren't we?"

"What do you propose we do, Mal?" Simon spat.

That, Mal supposed, was a very good question. He searched Simon's eyes for a long moment. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, what he could do to silence the doctor, but he wasn't sure Simon would respond well to what he had in mind.

Then again, Mal had always heard that enemies made the best lovers. If that was true then Simon shouldn't have anything to argue about when, or rather if, Mal made his move.

Throwing caution to the winds, Mal leaned in to close the few inches of distance between himself and Simon. He brought his hands up to rest them on either side of Simon’s neck, holding him in place as he placed a lingering kiss on the doctor's lips.

Simon was hit so hard with the suddenness of the kiss that it almost hurt more than a flat out punch to the jaw. What scared him even further was that he didn't fight. He just let Mal kiss him. He didn’t kiss back, at least not for a long moment, but he let it go on. He held his breath as the warmth from Mal’s lips made him shiver strangely.

The kiss was broken slowly and Mal straightened, letting go of Simon and clearing his throat somewhat awkwardly. Simon was rooted to the spot as a flush crept over his features. It discomfited him that Mal could make him feel so incredibly incensed and at the same time so incredibly content. He stared at the captain in silence, still collecting himself.

A moment of silence went by before Mal finally found his voice again.

"Well, looks like I've overstayed my welcome," he said pointedly. "I'll be takin' my leave now."

As he turned to leave, Simon stepped forward to put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from reaching for the door to slide it open.

"No, captain," Simon said timidly. "I, uh, I just... that was... You're welcome to stay. I think this is a good opportunity to work out certain... issues... we may have..."

"Issues... Issues! Right!" Mal agreed. "I think that'd be a good idea, doc."

Simon had to break eye contact for a moment as the implications of his words caught up with him. He didn't know what Mal expected of him, what he personally expected to come of the situation. He didn't know why the thought somewhat excited him. He wasn't sly, after all. At least, he didn't think he was. Simon sighed lightly and looked up to meet Mal's eyes again. He noticed that the captain's gaze had softened considerably and that the anger and defiance were gone from the older man's eyes.

Mal stepped forward towards Simon again, closing any and all distance between them. He wrapped one arm around Simon's waist, pulling the doctor tight against him so they were pressed against each other, warmed by each other's body heat. He leaned in slowly this time and pressed his lips to Simon's more gently than the first time. He wanted more, he wanted rough, but he knew that rough wasn't the doc’s style.

Simon's eyes closed as Mal touched his lips to his again. One of his hands drifted up to rest on Mal's cheek, the other one rested on the captain's hip. Simon gave up trying to hang onto his upstanding core inhibitions and allowed himself to enjoy the feel of Mal's lips on his. He hadn't kissed anyone in a long time and it was a welcome feeling.

Simon felt Mal's tongue gently trace his lips, pleading with Simon to part them so Mal could kiss him more deeply. Simon obliged and soon he was kissing Mal back with equal fervor, his tongue clashing with the other man's.

The kiss was long and passionate, and Simon found himself enjoying what it was making him feel. It was so liberating to kiss Mal. It was empowering. He found himself pressing up against the captain more and felt the captain reciprocate, forcing him to step back slowly towards the bed.

Together and still kissing they fell back onto the bed, Mal shifting his weight so that Simon wasn't uncomfortable beneath him. The arm he'd had wrapped around Simon's waist shifted so that Mal's hand was on Simon's hip, caressing the skin there as they kissed.

Mal knew what he wanted, but he wasn't sure that Simon wanted the same thing. Then again, the young doctor seemed to be enjoying the kiss, perhaps he would be open to taking it a little further. Mal decided not to break the rhythm and just to go on with it. He figured that if Simon minded he’d stop him before he got too far.

He noticed how gentle a kisser Simon was. It was just like he thought it would be. The doctor was slow, deliberate in every move he made, in every breath he took as they touched lips. Mal was surprised that his need for roughness was slowly fading, Simon's gentleness being enough to satisfy his desires.

Mal broke the kiss slowly and trailed a few kisses down Simon's jaw line and the stretch of his neck. Simon squirmed beneath him as Mal kissed the cool skin of his collarbone. Both of them were breathless from the kiss and Simon's grip on Mal was tight, holding the captain close to him as the other man made him feel things he wasn't sure he'd ever be capable of feeling with a woman, let alone another man.

Simon felt Mal's fingertips begin to deftly unbutton the buttons of his shirt from the top down as the captain continued kissing his neck. He gasped every so often as he felt Mal's teeth sink into his flesh.

Mal trailed kisses down Simon's chest as he slowly, teasingly unbuttoned the white linen shirt the doctor wore. Simon's skin was cool and pale, absolutely perfect. Mal leaned back, ceasing his teasing for a moment as he undid the last button of the shirt, and looked over Simon's exposed upper body. How a doctor like him got a body like that was a mystery, but Mal didn't care. All he cared about was feeling that body, tasting the skin, making pleasurable tingles course through Simon's body.

Simon gasped as he felt Mal cease his kissing and instead allow his hands to roam over Simon's body. He tossed his head back a little as Mal explored his sides, his chest and collar with his grazing touches. For someone so normally abrasive, Mal was a gentle lover and it pleased Simon to be able to feel what he was despite his earlier inhibitions.

Simon reached up, wrapping both arms around Mal to pull him down so they were close again. Simon nipped playfully at Mal's earlobe, suckling it gently, feeling a shiver creep through Mal's body as they were pressed together.

Mal allowed Simon to minister to him for only a moment before rolling off of the younger man so that they were lying face to face. Mal's arm draped over Simon's waist and slipped beneath his shirt at the back, fingertips massaging gently at the taut muscles in Simon's lower back. His other hand was trapped between them, gently rubbing Simon's inner thigh.

"D'you think we'll still be havin' problems, doc?" Mal asked lightly.

"I think," Simon began softly. "That if we do, we can find some way to work them out..."

Simon leaned forward closer to Mal, nuzzling into the captain's neck. He pondered an old saying he'd heard about enemies making the best lovers. Maybe there was some truth to the old saying after all...