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

A/N: Thanks, as always, to my awesome beta reader kispexi2! Couldn't do it without you!

Translations can be found by hovering the mouse over the Chinese.

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Old Flame

"Simon! Simon Tam! Oh, my God! It is you!"

At the sound of Simon's name, shouted in an unfamiliar voice, Mal's hand automatically went to the gun at his hip. The arrest warrants for Simon and River had been rescinded six months previously, after The Academy and its purpose had been exposed, but he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of them being off the ship and out in the open, especially when they were far enough away from the Core that someone might not know there was no longer a reward being offered for their capture.

He looked around for his lover, trying to spot him in the throng of humanity clogging the streets. Where is he? And how could someone else have spotted him in this mess? he wondered as he continued to scan the area. Finally he was able to see through a gap, and there, not six feet away, was Simon being lifted off his feet and into the arms of a blond giant. He doesn't seem to be strugglin' none. Matter of fact, looks to be huggin' the giant. What the…? Mal struggled to reach Simon and the other man.

"Tiān a, Simon, I have been looking for you for years. Where have you been?"

"Hiding, of course." By this time, Simon was back on his own two feet and looking around for Mal. He spotted him moments before he broke through the crowd.

"Hiding? Whatever for? Oh, come on, we can't talk here." Grabbing Simon by the hand, the man tried to pull Simon with him out of the crowd.

"No. Wait." Simon stood his ground, waiting for Mal to join them.

"Everything all right, Simon?" Mal asked as he finally reached them. He still had one hand near his gun, just in case. He really wanted to drape his other arm around Simon's shoulders to warn the other man off, but thought it best to keep both hands free in case of trouble.

Simon looked up at Mal with the biggest smile Mal had seen in quite some time. "Yes, Mal, everything's fine. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Giles St. James. Giles, this is my...friend...Malcolm Reynolds."

The two men nodded as they sized each other up. Up close, Giles wasn't much bigger 'n Jayne. Just had an aura about him that made Mal a mite tetchy, probably 'cause he had Core written all over him. He just knew this man was, or had been, more than Simon's 'friend', and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He tried not to be jealous, but rememberin' the hug Simon had given Giles, and the smile that was as big as all outdoors on his face when he introduced them, it was difficult. He knew Simon had had other lovers, but this was the first time he'd met any of them. Not sure he'd ever care to meet any others.

Giles, on the other hand, flicked a glance over Mal, seeing nothing but an ignorant gun-slinger. No way was this man a friend of Simon's, probably just a bodyguard, and thus able to be ignored. "Come on, Simon. Let's find someplace we can talk."

"Yes, it'll be nice to catch up. Mal?" Simon turned to Mal questioningly.

"Right behind ya, Doc."

Simon cocked an eyebrow at that. Mal seldom called him 'Doc' anymore. He decided to ignore it, and gave Mal a quick smile.

The trio walked down the street until they came to a bar. It wasn’t a dive of the type Mal usually frequented, but neither was it as upscale as the type Giles frequented. Giles held the door for Simon to enter before following him in, leaving Mal to face a closing door. Reopening the door, Mal crossed the threshold in time to see Simon and Giles taking a seat in a booth meant for two.

By this time, Mal was gittin' more'n a mite tetchy. He was tryin' to be understandin' 'bout Simon meetin' up with an old friend, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He took up a position at the bar, keepin' an eye on Simon and hopin' for the best.

Simon was still so astounded at running into Giles that he wasn't really paying attention to what was going on. As soon as he realized that there was no room for Mal in their booth, he looked around for him. Spotting him at the bar, he tried to give him an apologetic look, but Mal was ignoring him. Uh, oh, this isn't good. He started to get up and go over to Mal. Unfortunately, Giles seized his arm, and he was forced to retake his seat. He decided he'd better cut this reunion short. He and Mal hadn't had an argument for a long time, and he didn't want to have one today.

"So, Simon, you want to tell me why you've been hiding for the past, what, five or six years?" Giles asked.

Simon looked at him incredulously, but before he could respond, the waitress came by for their drink orders.

"I'll have a martini, dry, and he'll have a glass of white…," Giles ordered.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee," Simon interrupted. "Thank you," he smiled at the waitress.

"No wine, huh?" Giles just shrugged, then reminded Simon, "Hiding?"

"You're not serious, are you, Giles? Surely you knew about the arrest warrants for River and me?"

"Oh, is that all?" Giles scoffed. "You had to know those were issued for your own protection. Your father wouldn't have let anything happen to either of you. Speaking of which, we need to wave him and let him know you've been found."

"Our own protection? Wouldn't have let… No. We don't have to let him know anything. I want nothing to do with him, and neither does River."

"Come on, Simon. You can't still be holding a grudge against him, can you?"

"Holding a grudge? Is that what you think I'm doing? The man ignored what was being done to River and disowned me, and you think I'm 'holding a grudge'?" Simon was trying very hard to hold onto his temper, but he was fast remembering why he'd left Giles. Giles had always thought he knew what was best for Simon, acting more like a parent than a lover. It had started wearing thin, but the final straw had been Giles' attitude regarding River and The Academy. While Simon tried to rein in his temper, the waitress brought their drinks.

Sipping his martini, Giles said, "Of course that's what you're doing. You've held one against me, too, ever since I said River was fine at The Academy."

"Excuse me! Haven't you heard the news about The Academy, and what happened to all the children who went there?! Do you still think River was fine there?"

"Well… maybe not," Giles replied hesitantly, before quickly regaining his composure. "But now it's time to get off your high horse and come home. Your parents miss you. I miss you. I want you back." Then, as an afterthought, "Where is River, by the way?"

"She's at home. Our home! Where she's going to stay! Where I'm going to stay!" Simon was so angry he didn't even notice that he was standing, and drawing quite a bit of attention. Mal noticed, though, and headed over to the booth.

Giles stood as well. He tried to take Simon in his arms as he said, "Simon, băo bèi, don't say that. Please, just come home with me."

Simon shoved Giles as he yelled, "Don't touch me! And don't call me that! You have no right! You don't even know me anymore! I'm not the same person I was six years ago, but you sure are! Still patronizing me! Treating me like a child! Well, I am not a child! I've found a new home! A new family! And I have no intention of leaving them to be with a tā mā de hún dàn like you!"

By this time, Mal was standing right behind Simon. Simon turned around and pulled Mal down for a searing kiss. "Let's go home, Mal."

"Whatever you say, băo bèi." And giving Giles a mocking salute, Mal slung his arm across Simon's shoulders and walked with him out of the bar while Giles watched in stunned disbelief.

Epilogue

Mal and Simon were back on Serenity, in Mal's bunk. It had been a near thing, getting to the bunk before Simon had ripped Mal's clothes off, but they'd done it. Good thing, too. Wouldn't wanna be lyin' in the cargo bay for all to see at this point. Mal grinned to himself. "So," he said, "this is home, and you're gonna stay, huh? Even though we have some pretty serious disagreements on occasion?"

"Yes, this is home and I don't plan to ever leave. We may fight, but you've never patronized me. Ridiculed and teased, yes. But never patronized."

"What about when I used to call you 'boy' and 'son'?" Mal smirked.

"All right, you haven't patronized me in a long time," Simon sighed. "What I was trying to say, before I was so rudely interrupted," Simon poked Mal's arm, "is I love you, and the only way I'll ever leave is if you kick me off the ship." He curled up against Mal's side, his fingers tracing idle patterns on Mal's chest.

"Well, I got no plans to kick you off. Should know that by now." Mal covered Simon's hand with his own.

Simon rolled on top of Mal and looked him in the eye as he answered, "I do know. So, when are you going to make an honest man of me then?"

Commitment