River settled onto the plush stool in Inara's shuttle while Inara grabbed her brush and some hairpins. As Inara started brushing the young girl's hair, she tried to conjure up the best way to begin the conversation.

"I know Simon asked you to do this." River relaxed into the feeling of having her hair brushed. "Too embarrassed to tell me himself. I still don't understand."

"Sweetie, I didn't just invite you in here for Simon's benefit, you know I enjoy spending time with you." Inara was so gentle on River's hair that she barely felt the tangles catch on the bristles of the brush. "And, honestly, if you had questions about sex, you should have come to me. I'm not easily embarrassed, and I'm willing to share everything I know. I've even talked Kaylee through a lot of questions in the past."

"Simon's funny when he's embarrassed. Red-faced and wide-eyed. Can't hardly speak. He's such a boob." River went about folding squares of Origami paper into various ornate shapes. She was a bit nervous, and her hands were starting to get restless.

Inara smiled in amusement. "Your brother is amusing when he's embarrassed. But you can't get your questions answered if he's just sitting there stuttering." She set down the brush and started pulling strands of River's hair up, pinning them in elaborate twists to her head.

"Don't understand. I feel. Body lit up in fire. Flames that are never quenched. Don't know how. Parts interlocking, need parts I don't have." A tear spilled down River's cheek. She didn’t understand her body. She did, felt, and said things that she can't explain. When she started feeling arousal, she just tried to believe it was imagined, or she was feeling someone else's emotions. She was almost eighteen now, and the need growing inside her was becoming unbearable.

Inara finished with River's hair and moved so she was sitting in front of her. She gently wiped the tear from River's cheek, taking a moment to choose her words.

"River, once a girl reaches a certain age, her body awakens to sexuality. It's normal, and sometimes it's frightening if she isn't told what to expect."

"Menstruation, breasts grow, hair in strange places. Puberty. Got all that." River pushed her chest out, trying to make her smaller, pert breasts stand out more. Inara smiled and shook her head.

"Honey, puberty also includes sexual awakening. You start becoming attracted to a particular sex, be it male or female. Your body responds to the attractions." River's heart started to race a bit. Her body was thrumming. She could feel Simon and Kaylee reach their climaxes, and could feel the heat of Inara's thoughts on Mal. River took a moment to catch her breath.

"You love him, yet you don't have sex. Kaylee said sex was the best expression of love. That's how Simon feels too. But you still haven't let Mal caress you until your knees grow week, or kiss you past all reasonable thought."

Inara blushed a bit. "Mal is... he has trouble admitting to his feelings. It is impossible to engage in an act of an emotion he cannot express." Inara took a small sip of the tea she had steeped as they came into her shuttle. "I do care about Mal, and I know he cares about me. We just haven't gotten to the point where we can express that to each other."

"Someday soon he'll show you. Be patient." River stood up and walked around the shuttle, admiring all the rich fabrics, all stained with the colors of passion. Deep reds, vibrant golds, and ethereal silver. Her whole body responded to the desire embedded within the sensuous velvet, the rapture radiating from the caress of silk. "Tried everything. I drench my body in water, and the heat still rises."

"River, have you ever tried to pleasure yourself? That might help you understand your body, and it might help make the arousal easier to deal with." Inara was watching River run her fingers along every bit of fabric she saw, her body gently shuddering with the feelings she was lost in.

"Don't understand how that works. No love. Just sweat and fingers slipping over skin." River slowly sank to the floor, the emotions leaving her knees too weak for her to keep standing. Inara stood and wrapped her arms around the young girl, gently lifting her so she could sit on the bed.

"If you're comfortable with it, I can show you how to pleasure yourself. I think it might be beneficial for you." River looked at Inara, her eyes filled with unfathomable emotion. She needed to relieve this blazing heat inside her, but she was nervous. She took a deep breath before answering.

"Okay, just tell me how." Inara smiled and had River stand. She held a blanket up to give River privacy and told her to undress and lay under the bedsheets. River turned her back and undressed timidly, her black sundress falling in a pool at her feet. She quickly got under the blankets and nodded at Inara to proceed in her lesson. The satin sheets were already provoking more intense responses in her skin.

Inara pulled the stool next to the bed and sat down. "Okay sweetie, start by running her fingers lightly over your skin, slowly touching lower..."

*****

Kaylee moaned softly, a smile creeping over her face. Her eyes slowly opened and she noticed she was looking directly into Simon's face. She leaned up to look at the timepiece on the nightstand. It was three in the morning, and Kaylee was inexplicably not tired anymore. She moved her leg to drape it across Simon's body, and stopped short when her knee came in contact with his erection. He moaned softly, his hips rising almost imperceptibly. Kaylee's smile turned into a devilish grin.

Since Simon was totally passed out, she slipped out of his arms, unnoticed, then slid under the sheets. She wrapped her hand gently around his length, stroking a couple times, pleased with his quiet responses. Kaylee tentatively brought her tongue to the head, lapping at it softly. She could feel him pulse in her hand, heard him moan just a little louder. Encouraged, she began to lick the full length of him, occasionally stopping to pinch the skin delicately between her lips.

Simon was dreaming. He and Kaylee were on Ariel, laying on the sandy beach beside a luminescent lake. They were both nude, sunbathing happily, when suddenly Kaylee wrapped her hand around him, stroking gently. He tried to tell her this was a public beach, but she just smiled and told him there was no one around. Then he had no mind to protest because her tongue was on him, licking and caressing the head and the underside. He bit back a groan and tangled his hand in her hair as she slowly took his full length into her mouth. She had only done this once before, and the sensation was intense. He tried to be gentle with her, minimizing the unconscious thrusting of his hips. He was already too close, he couldn't risk doing something that might make the ecstasy end.

Kaylee was getting turned on by the sounds Simon made above her, and the way he held her hair between his fingers. Her free hand wandered to her nethers, two fingers sliding inside the already wet entrance, making her moan. Kaylee kept sucking slowly up and down his shaft, holding as much of him as she could comfortably fit into her mouth. Her fingers worked inside of her rapidly, the pleasure building to intense heights. She heard Simon moan her name in his sleep, his hands tightening in her hair.

Kaylee couldn't take it anymore, she had to have him. She released his cock, and slipped her fingers out of herself, then slid up Simon's body. She nibbled gently at his neck and whispered in his ear. "Wake up, honey. I need you."

Simon's eyes opened suddenly, another moan escaping from his lips. "Kaylee?" She was on top of him, biting his neck, her hand stroking him intently. He didn't even have time to recover from sleep before Kaylee positioned him at her entrance, sliding his full length inside her. A hoarse cry ripped from Simon's mouth, and he snapped his hips up. His hands gripped her waist tightly as she started to move. Kaylee was climaxing before Simon could register her rhythm, her inner walls clamping down and forcing his own quick release.

Kaylee collapsed on top of Simon, both of them panting and moaning softly. Simon rolled his hips up a few more times, pressing down on her backside, as he rode out the last of his bliss. He looked over at the timepiece, then grinned at Kaylee. "You woke me up at four in the morning for sex?" Not that he wasn't completely happy with the occurrence, he was just a little surprised.

"Woke up at three, weren't tired anymore. Then I saw that you was all hard, so I had to have ya." She nuzzled into his neck, kissing it softly.

"I'd imagine I was. I was dreaming that you were, uhm..." He cleared his throat, trying to decide how to tell her without upsetting her. "pleasuring me with your mouth." Kaylee jerked her head up, noting the fear that registered in Simon's eyes. So far in the relationship, Simon had been too nervous to ask that of her since she had done it in the engine room. He feared that Kaylee would feel degraded if he requested this of her. He'd dreamed about her mouth around him before, but never this vividly. Kaylee started laughing, confusing Simon further.

"Aww, honey, you weren't dreamin'. That's how I started wakin' ya up in the first place!" Simon's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe he'd heard Kaylee correctly.

"You were... You really had your mouth...?" Simon groaned a bit at the idea that she'd actually been sucking him. Kaylee just continued to grin.

"Yup. Just like this." Kaylee's eyes glinted wickedly as she slid back under the blankets and took him back into her mouth, tasting herself as well as his seed on his skin. Simon hardened instantly, making him bite back a loud groan. This was too much. He was still so sensitive from their previous tryst, and her mouth was so hot and soft around him. His body jerked under her, and he slid his hands in her hair. Kaylee used her free hand to move the sheets from over her head so that Simon could watch her.

"God, Kaylee." Simon unintentionally thrust up into Kaylee's mouth, his eyes fixed on her lips sliding over his length. He wasn't going to be able to take this much longer. He pulled Kaylee up abruptly, and rolled them over so that he was on top of her. He slid inside her without preamble, taking his time to build up her need. Kaylee was keening under him, her hands running aimlessly over his back and arms. She couldn't believe how quickly he had recovered from his last orgasm.

"I need you, Baobei." Simon was whispering hoarsely into Kaylee's ear, his breath making her shudder a bit. She was so close. She started digging her short nails into his shoulderblades, crying out more urgently. Simon's hand trailed down to the juncture between their bodies, finding Kaylee's most sensitive spot. She screamed suddenly, her body tensing and tremoring against him as she came. Simon sucked in a ragged breath, his own climax catching him off guard. Simon collapsed on top of Kaylee, still shaking slightly. They held each other close, while Simon murmured words of love and contentment. Kaylee sighed happily, thinking about the other uses she could get out of that silk blindfold later in the day.

*****

River’s body shook, a light sheen of sweat covering her skin. Inara had left the shuttle, allowing River her privacy. She had two fingers inside her entrance, the back of her palm bumping irregularly against her clitoris. Her mind was gone, all that was left was her body drowning in pleasure. She could feel the sticky wetness pooling between her thighs, coating her fingers. Every increase in sensation caused another flood. She moaned softly, feeling something unknown build within her and suddenly burst, turning her moan into a sharp outcry.

Her body arched off Inara’s bed. The bliss tore through River, leaving her breathless. She lay back down on the bed, gently removing her fingers from herself, getting up to clean them in Inara’s wash bowl. She proceeded to put her dress and panties back on, opening the door to the shuttle to look for Inara.

River felt Inara’s presence in the common room, so she wandered slowly toward her energy. Inara was talking to Zoë on the couch when she noticed River from the corner of her eye. She excused herself, then led River back to the shuttle.

“How do you feel, sweetie?” She smoothed River’s hair, taking out the disheveled pins. River took a moment to think about her answer. “I understand now. My whole body turned to stardust and passion. Made me feel... It’s the only thing that stopped the thoughts. Couldn’t hear anyone else in my head anymore.” River's body hummed a little, the room still buzzing with the intense release of energy from her body.

She walked along, barefoot, then stopped, gently cocking her head to the side. "It's three in the morning. Kaylee's awake. Jayne still hasn't gone to sleep. Can't stop touching."

Inara gave River a quizzical look. "What do you mean, sweetie?" She watched River sit down on the bed again, her eyes closed and a small smile playing across her face. For a moment, Inara thought she saw love in River's smile.

"Thinking of me. Touching, feeling. Can't get me out of his mind." River's smile broadened as she wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her legs up to her chest. "Got hard. I made it hurt. He likes that."

Inara couldn't hide her look of shock. Jayne had a thing for River? It was almost unspeakable. And, what's worse, it seemed as though River had taken a shine to Jayne as well. "River, are you saying that Jayne..?" She needed to hear River actually say it before she could believe what she was insinuating.

"Thinks I'm beautiful. Better than any jian huo he's ever rutted. Grabbed him in the Maidenhead. Never had a girl touch him that strong before. He liked the pain. Shouldn't have knocked him out. Couldn't control who got hurt." Suddenly, River turned her head sharply, and looked at Inara. "Don't tell Simon. He'll hurt Jayne. He tries to protect me, but I know what I want. I want Simon happy with Kaylee, and I want to be happy with Jayne."

*****

Simon had been awake for the last ten minutes, just watching Kaylee sleep. A few strands of hair fell over her face, moving gently with every soft breath she took. She was so beautiful. A pale, pink rose blooming among a field of dandelions. To Simon, even Inara's beauty was surpassed by Kaylee's bright smile. Inara's allure was exotic and rare, but Simon's sweet Kaylee had a fairness that came from being down-to-earth and angelic.

Simon held Kaylee a little closer, his arms tightening just a little. Kaylee sighed softly, nuzzling her face into his chest. She mumbled something in her sleep, then twitched her nose a bit, making Simon repress a chuckle. How had he gotten so lucky? In freeing and protecting his baby sister from the Alliance, Simon had found the love of his life in Kaylee. This was the last place and situation he would have expected to find such happiness. Yet here he was, with the prettiest girl in the 'verse wrapped in his arms, natural as anything.

He leaned in and kissed Kaylee's forehead, gently brushing back the hair over her face with his fingers. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, her sleepy smile broadening as she woke to her surroundings.

"Meili. Meili baobei." Simon beamed down at her, admiring her rumpled hair, the warm glow that bathed her skin. Kaylee smiled back at him and gently kissed his shoulder where her head had been resting. Kaylee wanted to kiss him, but her mouth tasted dry and sticky. She quickly got out of bed, filling a small drinking cup from the sink area. She sipped a bit of it before offering some to Simon. He shook his head, so she set it down and climbed back under the covers.

"Mornin', handsome!" Kaylee grinned and snuggled back into Simon's arms and ruffled his already mussed hair. Simon laughed and started tickling Kaylee fiercely, causing her to shriek and curl up, trying to defend her sides from his deviant hands. She gave up and fought back, pushing him on his back. She straddled him and started tickling him in revenge, laughing loudly as his body jerked under her.

Without warning, Simon's hands gripped Kaylee's wrists. She struggled, making Simon grin. He flipped her over, holding her arms at her sides. He got hard just from having her on top of him. Feeling her smooth skin rubbing against him only managed to harden him further. Kaylee was glaring at him with an evil smile on her face. Before he knew what happened, she'd lifted her legs and pushed him off her with her feet. She got back on top of Simon, this time using her knees to hold down his upper arms.

Simon's erection suddenly became painful. He was staring directly at Kaylee's nethers. He couldn't control himself as he used his hands to pull Kaylee forward by her backside. She shouted as his lips closed around her, his tongue dancing around the edges of her entrance. Kaylee forgot all about trying to keep Simon pinned down. All she was aware of was his mouth on her.

Kaylee's last coherent thought was that her appropriate, Core-bred doctor was finally doin' something wholly inappropriate. Last night Simon had, very briefly, worked his mouth over her panties. But that was not nearly as earth-shattering as what his mouth was doing now.

Simon laved Kaylee's sensitive flesh with his tongue, pulling at it with his lips. An occasional gentle bite would suddenly turn Kaylee's sweet moans into an even sweeter outcry. Simon's only desire was to bring Kaylee to orgasm. He needed her release more than he wanted his own. Kaylee had lifted up a bit to give Simon more access, so he easily rolled them over. Before she could react, his mouth was back on her and he slid two of his fingers into her. That was all it took for Kaylee to burst. She cried out, her inner walls clamping down on Simon's churning fingers. He felt a rush of her release coat his fingers, and he eagerly lapped up every drop that spilled out. Kaylee's walls were still pulsing as Simon got up and slid his length deep inside of her.

The rhythm of Simon's thrusts was intense and quick, leaving Kaylee breathless. Another climax built inside of her, giving her no chance to recover from the first. Simon could tell that she was close, so he slid his hand to the juncture of their bodies, manipulating the bundle of nerves there with his fingers. Kaylee's body became taut under him, the pleasure of release bordering on painful. She opened her mouth in a silent scream, the orgasm tearing the breath from her.

Simon followed moments later, Kaylee's name ripping hoarsely from this throat. She was so tight around him, tighter than she'd ever been. It hurt in such a way that it made him lightheaded from the intensity of his bliss. Simon collapsed onto Kaylee, breathless and exhausted. Kaylee lay under him, moaning softly, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. They just lay there for a little while, catching their breaths and relaxing in each other's arms.

Eventually, Kaylee looked at the timepiece next to her head, groaning. "We missed breakfast, sweetie. Cap'n's not gonna be too happy with us." Simon just held her tighter.

"Don't care what the captain thinks. If he had a single romantic bone in his body, he would understand that I would rather be here with you than anywhere else." Simon rolled off of Kaylee, kissing her neck. "Especially if my other option includes Jayne's vulgar remarks and my sister's public curiosity about sex."

Kaylee giggled softly, pulling the new silk covers up a little more. Simon kissed her cheek and got up for a minute, grabbing something off the floor. As he got into bed, Kaylee saw what it was and smiled.

"Besides, baobei." Simon opened the box. "We've got breakfast right here."

~*~*~*~*~

Baobei = precious/sweetheart

Jian huo = cheep floozy/whore

Meili. Meili baobei = Beautiful. Beautiful sweetheart