Firefly: Malcolm Reynolds/Simon Tam: five ways to say I love you
Title: Belonging
Author: shanaqui/edenbound (ficjournal)
Theme: a way to say "I love you"
Rating: G
"You're staring at me."
"Shouldn't be so pretty, then," Mal says, smirking a little.
The others have all gone to bed by now -- of course. Mal wouldn't be saying any such thing in front of the others. Simon rolls his eyes at him and finishes off his drink. "I think we should go to bed. You're more drunk than I thought."
"I'm not that drunk," Mal says, quietly. He's inspecting the bottom of his cup, now, as if something there might bite him next time he drinks. "I'm thinkin'... could have lost you today, in that fight. Don't know why you insist on fightin' with us now. You're not a bad shot now you're used to it, but you haven't got the experience... Could've got shot."
"But I didn't," Simon says, shrugging. "And I won't."
"Can't say that for sure. Nobody knows what the 'verse is gonna throw at 'em next. So I figured I should say..."
Simon reached out quickly and covered Mal's mouth with a hand. "I know," he says, quickly. "I know what you want to say. Don't. I know how you feel, and you know how I feel. I think..."
"You're goin' the long way round to say you think it'd jinx it," Mal says, when Simon lets his hand fall. He nods slightly. "Can't say I don't agree. Let's just go to bed, then."
For a moment, their eyes meet, and Simon smiles crookedly. "Never thought I'd end up... like this."
"Sometimes, I think you deserve better," Mal says, as he turns to put their cups in the sink, to tidy up a little. Simon shakes his head.
"No," he says, quickly and with certainty. "I belong here."
And at the helm, River smiles to herself, curling up tighter in the chair and hugging her knees. "We belong here," she tells Serenity. "We're never going to leave."
Author: shanaqui/edenbound (ficjournal)
Theme: a way to say "I love you"
Rating: G
"You're staring at me."
"Shouldn't be so pretty, then," Mal says, smirking a little.
The others have all gone to bed by now -- of course. Mal wouldn't be saying any such thing in front of the others. Simon rolls his eyes at him and finishes off his drink. "I think we should go to bed. You're more drunk than I thought."
"I'm not that drunk," Mal says, quietly. He's inspecting the bottom of his cup, now, as if something there might bite him next time he drinks. "I'm thinkin'... could have lost you today, in that fight. Don't know why you insist on fightin' with us now. You're not a bad shot now you're used to it, but you haven't got the experience... Could've got shot."
"But I didn't," Simon says, shrugging. "And I won't."
"Can't say that for sure. Nobody knows what the 'verse is gonna throw at 'em next. So I figured I should say..."
Simon reached out quickly and covered Mal's mouth with a hand. "I know," he says, quickly. "I know what you want to say. Don't. I know how you feel, and you know how I feel. I think..."
"You're goin' the long way round to say you think it'd jinx it," Mal says, when Simon lets his hand fall. He nods slightly. "Can't say I don't agree. Let's just go to bed, then."
For a moment, their eyes meet, and Simon smiles crookedly. "Never thought I'd end up... like this."
"Sometimes, I think you deserve better," Mal says, as he turns to put their cups in the sink, to tidy up a little. Simon shakes his head.
"No," he says, quickly and with certainty. "I belong here."
And at the helm, River smiles to herself, curling up tighter in the chair and hugging her knees. "We belong here," she tells Serenity. "We're never going to leave."