1.Colour, 'Serenity', kitchen, 10 x 12

Simon is sitting on the couch, one leg thrown over the other. He is reading - a book is spread open on his laps, and he appears engrossed in it. With two long, nimble fingers he plays with his bottom lip, without realizing he is doing so. He is casually dressed – at least, less casually than normally – in a loose black shirt and grey trousers. His dark hair is tousled a little, as if he had just woken up or as though he had been running his fingers through it. Mal is sitting some metres away, at the table. A steaming cup of something is in his hands, and his topaz-blue eyes are tense. He is leaning forward, ever so slightly, his intent gaze on the unaware doctor. There is something like – but is it really? - longing in those eyes, in the stubborn line of the mouth, in the way his entire body seems to be leaning towards Simon, in the whiteness of the knuckles that grip the cup...

2. Sepia, 'Serenity', corridor, 10 x 12 Simon and Mal are alone. They had clearly just walked one into another - the two are standing at angles to each other, their shoulders touching. They are looking straight into each other's eye; even though Simon, the shorter, has to look up - something that makes him appear vulnerable and young. Mal's hand rests on Simon's shoulder, as though he had put it there to steady the doctor. The captain looks slightly taken aback, though not embarrassed, and a little defensive smile plays on his lips. Simon's lovely, pale face is flushed, a faint blush highlighting his ivory cheeks. He looks as though he is about to double-back. It is evident he is experiencing a mixture of fear, embarrassment and surprise – his lips are slightly parted, and eyes saucer-wide, but even though he probably shouldnt, he loves the warm touch, the comforting weight of that hand. The whole picture is rather dark, the corridor being inadequately lit, and the tenseness of the moment is very evident. Tenseness that had come about because of such a mundane thing as bumping into someone in a corridor.

3. Colour, bar, 10 x 12

Mal and Simon are sitting across each other. There are people all around them, but the crowd is blurry, for the focus of the photo is just these two. Mal is holding a glass of tequila, his face radiant with delight and the positiveness that alcohol inspires. He is not grave or serious, as he tends to be, but is enjoying himself. A small smile tugs at his lips, and there is a twinkle in the depth of his ocean-coloured eyes, showing that the smile is sincere. Simon is laughing, with one hand smoothing his chocolate-coloured hair. He is looking at Mal, head bowed a little, so that he is looking up, almost coyly. He has unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, something that makes him look incredibly at ease. Their hands lie on the table, inches apart from each other, looking as thought they are about to touch. There is an overall atmosphere of light and happiness about this photo – the two are really enjoying themselves, and seem completely comfortable with one another - maybe because they just are, or because of the alcohol.

4.Colour, 'Serenity', sitting quarters, 10 x 12

The two are wearing the same clothes as in the previous photo. The photo is very slightly unclear, with a sort of smoky haze all over it, but the details can still be made out. Now, the two are kissing. Mal's hands are wound around Simon's slender waist, supporting the younger and shorter man. Simon's hands are thrown around Mal's neck, as though he is pulling the captain closer. Simon is leaning into Mal, every inch of their bodies touching gently, but there seems to be no hunger, just a sort of desire for contact, for warmth, for comfort, perhaps? Their lips are touching gently, too, without hunger or passion. It is a gentle kiss, one full of uncertainly, perhaps due to lack of skill, or simply fear. One cannot be sure. This is how a first kiss looks like – tentative, probing, but sweet and warm. Mal's touch seems reverent, almost worshipping - he has the air of man who is handling a holy relic of some sort, an imagine of a saint, or god, for example. Simon seems a little shamed of his own boldness, like a boy who has dared to kiss his first ever crush. Still, it is evident he would not have it any other way. There are candles blazing on the table behind them, their glow giving the kissing couple a sort of golden aura, like the halos of angels, curving around their figures, making their hair gleam, and making Simon's ivory-white skin seem almost like a mixture of silver and gold. A clock nearby tells its late – well into the night – and the emptiness of the place makes the whole situation even more intimate.

5.Sepia, 'Serenity', Mal's quarters, 10 x 12

The narrow bed is unmade. The blanket is on the floor, in a heap, with a shirt and trousers keeping it company. A tall pillar candle blazes on the bedside table, illuminating the two faces. Both are sleeping. Mal's face is strangely tranquil, sated and satisfied., every sharp feature lighted by these emotions, which seem almost unnatural on his usually stern, heavy face. His lips are swollen with kisses, and parted. One languid hand rests on his smooth, bare chest. The other lies on the perfectly-muscled back of the man beside him. Simon sleeps on his side, his face nuzzled in the crook of Mal's neck, his lips grazing the older man's skin. One of his elegant, skilled hands is draped across Mal's stomach tenderly, the other hanging off the bed. Their legs are entwined, and both hair – the darker and the lighter – is tousled and damp with sweat. Whereas Mal seems at peace, Simon does not look calm. His face, despite the fact that there is a certain glow of satisfaction on it too, seems weary and there are dark circles under his eyes that signal many sleepless nights. The tortures and hardships that his life had put him through make his face heavier, and he cannot shed that heaviness like Mal, who seems to forget about all when he is asleep. Or had this night with Simon made him forget?