The 'Rithmetic of Love
Title: The 'Rithmetic of Love
Author: Megan [__dream_on]
Category: Sushi!fic; short story
Word Count: 3,904
Timeline: After “ Never Runs Smooth” by quillscribe and before “ Inara’s Gift” by hfleming8
Characters: Kaylee, Simon, Mal, Inara, Jayne & Zoë (with mentionings of River)
Pairings: Simon/Kaylee and Mal/Inara
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Contains great amounts of fluff, some cursing, and not enough sexual references (and absolutely no smut? What’s WRONG with me?)
Disclaimer: Joss is boss. terimaru owns the fishies (and we all worship her for it).
Summary: Kaylee wants more out of her relationship with Simon, while Mal and Inara work on an addition to their family - kind of.
Author’s Notes: Written for terimaru & browncoat_2x2 for starting the Sushi!verse and turning my normally boring nights into ones of thorough enjoyment. terimaru did the beta for me and came up with the quote and title for this fic because she’s amazing. I couldn’t resist the pull of Kaylee/Simon (*les sigh*), you’ll have to forgive me.
“In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.” - Mignon McLaughlin
”Haven’t seen him around much.”
“Who? The Cap’n?”
“Yes, the Captain. I guess he’s been preoccupied.”
“Seems natural, though, don’t it? For him to be busy with ‘Nara and all. I think it’s romantic.”
Kaylee smiled and snuggled a bit closer into Simon’s body, her face pressing into his neck. She loved moments like this, just lying in the dark of her bunk, her body twisted and twined about Simon’s. It was the second most natural thing to her, second only to fixing up the engine.
Simon’s right hand stroked her hair, his left rested gently over her right arm, which she’d slung across his chest. He felt her inhale deeply, probably committing his smell to memory - as he often did in the afterglow like this, letting his nose bury itself in her hair and getting lost.
He mulled over her words, letting them bounce around in his mind, considering what value she placed on them. Was she hinting that she might want that kind of commitment soon? He’d seen the way she’d watched them at the wedding, her eyes greedy and hopeful, as if she was imagining herself in Inara’s place. It’d been a year since then.
“I guess it’s romantic to an extent. I never did consider myself much of the marrying kind, though. Especially not after…”
His voice trailed off and Kaylee pulled back from him, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her expression was neutral - something she’d learned a while ago was a necessity with Simon. Getting up in arms about something he said caused too many spats and used up an awful lot of energy.
She didn’t need him to finish his sentence to know what he was going to say. It was another thing she loved about their relationship now - she could read him. When Simon entered the life of a fugitive, all thoughts of a legal marriage disappeared. It would be the fastest way to draw the feds right to him. But that was years ago. Surely he’d thought about it since then - especially since they’d been growing closer and closer together.
“You ain’t reconsidered? Hardly anything more romantic than marriage, Simon. Standin’ before God and all your family and friends and sayin’ ‘This is who I wanna spend every day for the rest of my life with.’ Maybe even startin’ a family…awful romantic.”
Simon fell silent again, his heart thudding in his chest. She was just speaking generally. It was nothing to panic about. He shifted his weight, rolling onto his side. His arms curled around her, his forehead pressed against hers, the tip of his nose brushing hers.
“I like what we have better. We can see each other whenever we want and take time apart when we need it. With no commitment no one gets hurt. It’s perfect.”
His head dipped to brush his lips over hers and he was surprised when she didn’t kiss him as he’d anticipated. Instead, he was met with stony silence and rigid lips. When he pulled back, he felt her wiggle out of his grip.
The mattress shifted as Kaylee slipped from the bed, bending to scoop up her discarded clothing. She dressed hurriedly, her brow furrowed in a look that told Simon he’d said the wrong thing - again. Once she was dressed, she retrieved his clothing and tossed them to him with more force than was really necessary. Simon’s face silently voiced his confusion and it only infuriated her all the more. After another moment of silence, she spoke, her voice not at all as calm as she’d hoped it would be.
“You don’t want to see me. It’s perfect ignoring me when you don’t feel like dealing with me. That’s it, ain’t it? No commitment, huh? You ain’t committed a bit to bein’ with me.”
Simon opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t get a word out before Kaylee’s brow quirked and her hands fell to her hips. “Tell me that ain’t so, Simon. Say you’re committed up to your eyeballs. Say you’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout marryin’ me, makin’ an honest woman out of me. Otherwise, get the ruttin’ hell out of my bunk.”
Kaylee watched his eyes swiftly dart from side to side, as if searching the air for some answer that would appease her there. When he took a breath to answer again, she could read the disappointment on his face, see that he wasn’t going to say anything she wanted to hear.
“Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng! Get out!”
Her voice had risen to a yell and he winced as it boomed in the bunk, filling every particle of empty air and making it impossible to escape. He slipped from her bed, thrusting his legs into his pants and pulling them up, his heart in his throat. Whatever you do, Tam, don’t cry.
Her hands formed fists at her side, using the tension to keep the rage alive in her. If she let it fade, she’d be reduced to tears, and it wasn’t something she wanted him to see. She couldn’t be weak now. She couldn’t let him crawl back into her bed. She wouldn’t let him use her like that - especially now that she knew he didn’t feel the same way about her as she did about him.
It only took him a moment to cross the room to reach her, leaving the rest of his clothing on her bed. She stiffened as his arms closed about her, but she didn’t pull away. He took it as a good sign, his nose rubbing gently against hers in an Eskimo kiss.
“I’m sorry, Kaylee. Can we not fight? We were having such a good night. Let’s just get back in bed and talk about this tomorrow.”
He wasn’t prepared for her slap and he felt his neck pop as his head swung to the right, his teeth rattling together. It took him a moment to get his eyes to focus again, his hand lifting to rub his left cheek. He knew there was a red mark where her hand had landed; he could feel his skin starting to sting as an after-effect from the slap. He met her eyes and drew in a breath, steeling himself against the anger he saw there.
“Chur ni-duh. If you won’t leave, I will.”
And then she was gone, leaving him in a room full of stunned silence and the smell of her hair.
~*~*~*~*~*~
They had two days before they touched down on Avery. The whole crew had only become more attached to the residents of Paraiso. Mal knew that there would be mutiny if he tried to put a stop to their visits there, which were becoming longer and longer. In fact, if they weren’t making runs for Abel, they hardly left the planet. Simon had himself a bon-a-fide medical practice in town, an actual building instead of a clinic. He had a secretary that booked appointments, and waved Simon when there was an emergency. Molly had recommended her nephew, Joshua, a young boy of fifteen, whom he was training to be a doctor. Simon let him handle the emergencies under his very careful and specific instructions. Just last week, Simon had bought a plot of land and started on plans for a house. Mal would be a liar if he said the idea hadn’t crossed his own mind - especially with the current state of affairs between him an Inara.
He and Inara had decided to try for a baby. She’d been to Simon for fertility training - learning the best positions and times for conception. Mal had even made a few baby toys and stored them away in a box under their bed.
He’d just finished adding the latest addition to the box, a little wooden horse he’d been whittling in his spare time, when Inara crawled into bed, fresh from the shower. Her hair and skin were still a bit damp, but it just made Mal smile. After tucking the box back under the bed, he pulled down the covers on his side of the bed and stripped out of his clothes before sliding into the bed. He’d never slept nude before his nuptials, but he found clothing between the two of them felt odd, hindering and uncomfortable.
Mal’s arms wrapped around her slender frame and pulled her against him, her back pressed against his chest. His mouth found her ear and he traced his tongue around the shell of her ear, letting the slight lavender taste of her soap settle on his taste buds for a moment. Her bottom wiggled against him in a way that caused him to groan and her to giggle - because she knew exactly how she was affecting him. She felt him swell against her and wiggled a bit more, though it was quickly her turn to moan.
Inara nearly melted against him the moment his hand took possession of her breast, his thumb rolling over her nipple and causing it to pucker and harden. His lips pressed against her jaw and then down her neck, his hips lifting to press the head of his erection against the back of her thigh.
The feeling didn’t last. Mal heard a thud as the door to their shuttle hit the wall and bounced back. Before he could find his pants, or his gun, Kaylee had flung herself facedown onto their bed, between the two of them. His eyes widened, both in alarm and annoyance, and he tugged the covers up to his neck before clearing his throat.
”Kaylee, what in the tyen shiao duh do you think you’re doin’? This ain’t your bunk. Can’t just burst in whenever you feel the need.”
He was using his captain-y voice on her. Inara knew right away that was a mistake. Obviously, whatever reason Kaylee had for barging in was a good one. She wasn’t usually this intrusive. She didn’t take any measures to cover her own nudity - after all, it was only Kaylee. Instead, she simply rolled over to face Kaylee, her hand falling to her back, rubbing in a soothing manner. And the next thing anyone in the room heard were Kaylee’s heart-wrenching sobs.
”Ssssshhh, mei-mei. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it. That’s what family’s do, right? You tell us what’s wrong, boa bei.”
Mal’s look shifted to one of shock. He’d seen Kaylee cry before, but it’d never been like this. Always, it’d been a few tears, and a bit of a runny nose, and then she was back to smiling. Nothing had ever caused her to cry like this.
Kaylee gulped for air, struggling to explain the reason for her tears, but the sobs won the battle and before she could get a word out, she was drowning in the sound of them. They were the worst kind of sobs, too - the kind that rip through you, leaving you breathless and a little empty feeling.
Inara was patient. She continued to caress Kaylee’s back, her lips by the younger girl’s ear, humming softly in an effort to soothe whatever pain away. Mal, though, seemed entirely at a loss of what to do. This was out of his league. He did, however, feel anger swell in his chest and he knew for certain that he’d kill whoever had made her cry like this.
While Kaylee was distracted with Inara, Mal fished around for his pants and cleverly pulled them on under the covers, just in case Kaylee happened to glance over. He was just exiting the bed, intent on making his way for the door to interrogate the crew when Jayne burst in.
“What’s all the wailin’ a-whoa.”
Jayne’s eyes had managed to spot the one piece of bare flesh in the whole room in a manner of seconds and it caused a whole other kind of anger to surge through Mal.
”Get your shee-niou eyes off my wife, Jayne. ‘Nara, cover up, darlin’. We got company.”
Mal didn’t have to glance behind him to realize she’d covered up, the pout on Jayne’s face told him plain that his wife wasn’t giving a free show. When Jayne finally turned his attention to his captain, Mal quirked a brow, his arms crossing over his bare chest.
”What is it that you came in here for?”
Jayne pointed to the bed, where Kaylee was still laying, sobbing up a storm. Mal was almost certain that he could fill Inara’s fishbowl with the amount of tears Kaylee had shed already. Mal shook his head in response, his gaze moving to the bed, his shoulders shrugging.
”Don’t rightly know myself. You didn’t say nothin’ to upset her, did you?”
His tone had become accusing, his gaze whipping back to Jayne with a deadly spark that caused Jayne to back up a few steps.
”I didn’t say nothin’ to her. Just saw her run through the kitchen like the devil’s at her heels and then I heard that racket. Hear it all over the ship, as a matter o’ fact.”
Jayne had just gotten the statement out when Zoë edged her way into the room, her hand on her hip, her fingertips brushing her gun holster. With her hand in that position, she could draw and fire in under five seconds - Zoë was there to make sure there weren’t any bigger problems, like a stow-away.
“There a problem, sir?”
Mal was beginning to get frustrated. Between Kaylee’s sobs, Jayne ogling his wife, and the pure frustration over the fact that his crew was slowly assembling in his shuttle, he was running on his last nerve.
“Yeah, there’s a problem! Kaylee’s leakin’ over God-knows-what and everyone’s filin’ into my shuttle like I invited you all to a tea party or somethin’.”
Zoë wasn’t paying attention to him. Her eyes were on the bed and Mal knew he’d lost her the second her hand left her hip. Her face softened when she took in Kaylee and Inara on the bed and before he could open his mouth, Zoë was joining them.
Mal turned to look back at Jayne, only to find that the man had disappeared. Great. He was stuck in his shuttle with a wailing female and two mother hens. He considered heading out to the kitchen, but what kind of a big brother would he be if he just left? Kaylee would probably be a mite insulted to find out he’d simply walked out. Instead, he kept himself busy by feeding Sushi and Sashimi. When he was done with them, he dropped food into the other three fishbowls in the room and silently wondered when his ship had turned into a gorram Goldfish Sanctuary.
It was about then that Kaylee’s sobs subsided enough for her to start speaking. She was gasping still, but the words made it out this time. Mal was thankful for that - he hadn’t known any woman could cry quite so much, or quite so loudly.
“He doesn’t wanna marry me! Wants to keep havin’ sex, but he won’t make no commitment.”
Inara pressed a kiss to Kaylee’s temple, brushing her hair back a bit and offering a gentle smile. “He says that now, but he’ll change his mind.”
Kaylee wasn’t ready to accept that as an explanation. “You don’t know that.”
”You’d do best to listen to Inara, little one. May not know your Simon like you do, but she knows men.”
Kaylee turned to look at Zoë, tears welling back up in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering a bit. Mal had been standing off to the side, goldfish food still in hand, just listening. But it was when he saw that hopeless look on Kaylee’s face that the anger came back
”I’m gonna kill ‘im.”
“Mal.” Inara’s voice broke through the red veil that had fallen in front of his eyes, using that calm, assertive tone of hers - the one that warned him that whatever he was planning wasn’t a good idea.
It didn’t seem to matter, though. Mal hadn’t been the only one thinking along those lines. Before he could start out the door to find the doctor, Jayne filled the doorway again. He wasn’t alone this time. Simon was thrust into the room, apparently having been dragged here by Jayne by the back of the shirt. One of his eyes was blackened and he looked less than pleased. Inara released a gasp at the sight of him.
Jayne’s attention this time was solely on Mal.
“I figured since I weren’t the one made her cry, had to be ‘im. Wasn’t willin’ to come up and make it right, though. Had to muscle him ‘bout a bit.”
“Maybe you should muscle him ‘bout a bit more, Jayne.”
The words were out of his mouth before Mal had even thought them through. And though the fairly delighted look on Jayne’s face told him that it was probably a mistake, he was angry enough that it didn’t really matter. Simon had made his little Kaylee cry; therefore, Simon had to pay.
Jayne didn’t get a chance to advance on Simon. Inara and Zoë had both slipped from the bed, and while Zoë ordered Jayne to leave Simon alone and take Kaylee back to her bunk, Inara cornered Mal.
”What do you think you’re doing? Hurting him isn’t going to help her any. A woman doesn’t want a man to marry her because he’s scared of what her family might do to him. Kaylee wants Simon to want her on his own. And the only way that’s going to happen is if you-“
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Leave him alone. But scaring him’s more fun.”
Inara wasn’t amused. Once Zoë had ushered Jayne and Kaylee out, Inara moved to help Simon out. Mal crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over his head. This wasn’t the way tonight was supposed to work out. He should have shot Simon just for ruining his night.
Inara returned half an hour later, after forcing Simon to put an ice-pack on his eye and helping him clean up his room some. She slipped into bed, her arms wrapping around Mal’s still form. Her chest pressed against his back, and her mouth pressed gently against the nape of his neck.
When she felt him stir against her, she smiled and slipped one hand south, wrapping her palm around him. “Mal, look what I found.”
He chuckled and hardened in her hand, a weight lifting off his shoulders. Maybe tonight wasn’t a total failure after all.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaylee’s melancholy lifted the moment Serenity touched down on Avery. It was fair season again and within three hours of docking, she and River had run off, hand-in-hand, to ride as many rides as possible before closing.
It wasn’t a big surprise when Kaylee had decided to stay onboard Serenity instead of renting a room at the inn where Simon usually stayed. What was surprising were the glares Jayne had been throwing Simon’s way recently, and the way River had been spending less and less time with her brother - sometimes flat-out ignoring him.
They’d been docked for a week. They had another week before they left on a run and the whole crew had been enjoying their time off. Except for Simon, who didn’t seem to understand the meaning of “time off”. He’d been working like a dog in that clinic of his and it hadn’t passed Kaylee’s notice. Against her better judgment, she’d made it a habit to walk past the glass windows of his clinic at least twice a day - and she always made sure to be walking and laughing with someone while she did so. On this day, her walking partner happened to be Jayne.
Simon had been leaving when he’d bumped into them. It was shocking enough to see them out together, but even more shocking since Jayne hardly ever left Lizzie’s when they were in town. Simon shifted his weight and stared at Jayne until the man had the good sense to get gone, something Kaylee didn’t look like she appreciated too much. She was just about to call out for Jayne to wait up when Simon let his hand fall to her arm.
“I miss you, Kaylee.”
She had to stop herself from swooning. No way was he going to win her back with just that.
”I went to the fair yesterday. I won you a stuffed bear.”
”Oh? Am I supposed to marry that, then? Let you off the hook?”
Simon winced, but he supposed he deserved it. “No. I won it throwing balls at a clown’s face. I pretended it was Jayne. I managed to throw a ball into his mouth and they gave me this huge, snuggly bear and I thought, ‘Kaylee will love this.’ But then I remembered that you aren’t speaking to me.”
”I’m speaking to you now, ain’t I?”
”Kaylee, please.” He was practically begging her to hold her tongue, to stop pushing him away for two seconds. His grip tightened on her arm and he pulled her into his chest, his head dipping. “I didn’t think things would be this lonely without you. I like coming home to you every night and I can’t sleep when I’m not holding you. I haven’t slept in a week - probably more than a week. All I know is that it feels like forever. I’m not ready to give up on us.”
Her eyes glistened and he realized he was on the right track. Apparently, speaking plainly and truthfully did have its merits. She opened her mouth to respond, but he wasn’t exactly done, so he lifted a finger and pressed it to her lips.
”I’m not saying I want to marry you this instant. But I’m not saying I don’t want to marry you at all. Kaylee, I love you, but I’m not ready for that step yet.”
He loved her! The words were still echoing in her ears and it took her a moment to let all the words sink in. Even though it wasn’t exactly what she’d wanted to hear, it was enough. Before he could add anything else onto his impromptu speech, she wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him to her for a kiss so passionate it made his toes curl and his head spin.
Jayne hadn’t wandered too far away. Sure, Mal hadn’t ordered him to keep an eye on Kaylee, but Mal had his hands full with Inara. Zoë had somehow become the resident babysitter, and River had tendencies to lock herself away in Abigail’s kitchen, trying to learn all she could about cooking and home remedies. It was then that he made sure someone was looking out for Kaylee.
He didn’t start walking across town to the little cottage Mal and Inara had rented until he saw Kaylee drag Simon back inside the clinic. He walked at a slow, leisurely pace, his hands in his pockets while he whistled an upbeat tune.
Once at the cottage, he rapped twice on the door and had the decency not to stare too long at Inara’s bare legs when she opened the door wearing one of Mal’s shirts, her hair unkempt, and her cheeks flushed.
”Just wanted to let ya’ll know that lil’ Kaylee and that doctor of hers seemed to have made up nice. Ain’t headed for the chapel yet, so no need to get dressed.”
Translations
Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng!: Frog-humping son-of-a-bitch!
Chur ni-duh: Screw you.
tyen shiao duh: name of all that’s sacred
mei-mei: little sister
boa bei: sweetheart
shee-niou: cow sucking
Author: Megan [__dream_on]
Category: Sushi!fic; short story
Word Count: 3,904
Timeline: After “ Never Runs Smooth” by quillscribe and before “ Inara’s Gift” by hfleming8
Characters: Kaylee, Simon, Mal, Inara, Jayne & Zoë (with mentionings of River)
Pairings: Simon/Kaylee and Mal/Inara
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Contains great amounts of fluff, some cursing, and not enough sexual references (and absolutely no smut? What’s WRONG with me?)
Disclaimer: Joss is boss. terimaru owns the fishies (and we all worship her for it).
Summary: Kaylee wants more out of her relationship with Simon, while Mal and Inara work on an addition to their family - kind of.
Author’s Notes: Written for terimaru & browncoat_2x2 for starting the Sushi!verse and turning my normally boring nights into ones of thorough enjoyment. terimaru did the beta for me and came up with the quote and title for this fic because she’s amazing. I couldn’t resist the pull of Kaylee/Simon (*les sigh*), you’ll have to forgive me.
“In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything, and two minus one equals nothing.” - Mignon McLaughlin
”Haven’t seen him around much.”
“Who? The Cap’n?”
“Yes, the Captain. I guess he’s been preoccupied.”
“Seems natural, though, don’t it? For him to be busy with ‘Nara and all. I think it’s romantic.”
Kaylee smiled and snuggled a bit closer into Simon’s body, her face pressing into his neck. She loved moments like this, just lying in the dark of her bunk, her body twisted and twined about Simon’s. It was the second most natural thing to her, second only to fixing up the engine.
Simon’s right hand stroked her hair, his left rested gently over her right arm, which she’d slung across his chest. He felt her inhale deeply, probably committing his smell to memory - as he often did in the afterglow like this, letting his nose bury itself in her hair and getting lost.
He mulled over her words, letting them bounce around in his mind, considering what value she placed on them. Was she hinting that she might want that kind of commitment soon? He’d seen the way she’d watched them at the wedding, her eyes greedy and hopeful, as if she was imagining herself in Inara’s place. It’d been a year since then.
“I guess it’s romantic to an extent. I never did consider myself much of the marrying kind, though. Especially not after…”
His voice trailed off and Kaylee pulled back from him, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her expression was neutral - something she’d learned a while ago was a necessity with Simon. Getting up in arms about something he said caused too many spats and used up an awful lot of energy.
She didn’t need him to finish his sentence to know what he was going to say. It was another thing she loved about their relationship now - she could read him. When Simon entered the life of a fugitive, all thoughts of a legal marriage disappeared. It would be the fastest way to draw the feds right to him. But that was years ago. Surely he’d thought about it since then - especially since they’d been growing closer and closer together.
“You ain’t reconsidered? Hardly anything more romantic than marriage, Simon. Standin’ before God and all your family and friends and sayin’ ‘This is who I wanna spend every day for the rest of my life with.’ Maybe even startin’ a family…awful romantic.”
Simon fell silent again, his heart thudding in his chest. She was just speaking generally. It was nothing to panic about. He shifted his weight, rolling onto his side. His arms curled around her, his forehead pressed against hers, the tip of his nose brushing hers.
“I like what we have better. We can see each other whenever we want and take time apart when we need it. With no commitment no one gets hurt. It’s perfect.”
His head dipped to brush his lips over hers and he was surprised when she didn’t kiss him as he’d anticipated. Instead, he was met with stony silence and rigid lips. When he pulled back, he felt her wiggle out of his grip.
The mattress shifted as Kaylee slipped from the bed, bending to scoop up her discarded clothing. She dressed hurriedly, her brow furrowed in a look that told Simon he’d said the wrong thing - again. Once she was dressed, she retrieved his clothing and tossed them to him with more force than was really necessary. Simon’s face silently voiced his confusion and it only infuriated her all the more. After another moment of silence, she spoke, her voice not at all as calm as she’d hoped it would be.
“You don’t want to see me. It’s perfect ignoring me when you don’t feel like dealing with me. That’s it, ain’t it? No commitment, huh? You ain’t committed a bit to bein’ with me.”
Simon opened his mouth to respond, but he didn’t get a word out before Kaylee’s brow quirked and her hands fell to her hips. “Tell me that ain’t so, Simon. Say you’re committed up to your eyeballs. Say you’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout marryin’ me, makin’ an honest woman out of me. Otherwise, get the ruttin’ hell out of my bunk.”
Kaylee watched his eyes swiftly dart from side to side, as if searching the air for some answer that would appease her there. When he took a breath to answer again, she could read the disappointment on his face, see that he wasn’t going to say anything she wanted to hear.
“Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng! Get out!”
Her voice had risen to a yell and he winced as it boomed in the bunk, filling every particle of empty air and making it impossible to escape. He slipped from her bed, thrusting his legs into his pants and pulling them up, his heart in his throat. Whatever you do, Tam, don’t cry.
Her hands formed fists at her side, using the tension to keep the rage alive in her. If she let it fade, she’d be reduced to tears, and it wasn’t something she wanted him to see. She couldn’t be weak now. She couldn’t let him crawl back into her bed. She wouldn’t let him use her like that - especially now that she knew he didn’t feel the same way about her as she did about him.
It only took him a moment to cross the room to reach her, leaving the rest of his clothing on her bed. She stiffened as his arms closed about her, but she didn’t pull away. He took it as a good sign, his nose rubbing gently against hers in an Eskimo kiss.
“I’m sorry, Kaylee. Can we not fight? We were having such a good night. Let’s just get back in bed and talk about this tomorrow.”
He wasn’t prepared for her slap and he felt his neck pop as his head swung to the right, his teeth rattling together. It took him a moment to get his eyes to focus again, his hand lifting to rub his left cheek. He knew there was a red mark where her hand had landed; he could feel his skin starting to sting as an after-effect from the slap. He met her eyes and drew in a breath, steeling himself against the anger he saw there.
“Chur ni-duh. If you won’t leave, I will.”
And then she was gone, leaving him in a room full of stunned silence and the smell of her hair.
~*~*~*~*~*~
They had two days before they touched down on Avery. The whole crew had only become more attached to the residents of Paraiso. Mal knew that there would be mutiny if he tried to put a stop to their visits there, which were becoming longer and longer. In fact, if they weren’t making runs for Abel, they hardly left the planet. Simon had himself a bon-a-fide medical practice in town, an actual building instead of a clinic. He had a secretary that booked appointments, and waved Simon when there was an emergency. Molly had recommended her nephew, Joshua, a young boy of fifteen, whom he was training to be a doctor. Simon let him handle the emergencies under his very careful and specific instructions. Just last week, Simon had bought a plot of land and started on plans for a house. Mal would be a liar if he said the idea hadn’t crossed his own mind - especially with the current state of affairs between him an Inara.
He and Inara had decided to try for a baby. She’d been to Simon for fertility training - learning the best positions and times for conception. Mal had even made a few baby toys and stored them away in a box under their bed.
He’d just finished adding the latest addition to the box, a little wooden horse he’d been whittling in his spare time, when Inara crawled into bed, fresh from the shower. Her hair and skin were still a bit damp, but it just made Mal smile. After tucking the box back under the bed, he pulled down the covers on his side of the bed and stripped out of his clothes before sliding into the bed. He’d never slept nude before his nuptials, but he found clothing between the two of them felt odd, hindering and uncomfortable.
Mal’s arms wrapped around her slender frame and pulled her against him, her back pressed against his chest. His mouth found her ear and he traced his tongue around the shell of her ear, letting the slight lavender taste of her soap settle on his taste buds for a moment. Her bottom wiggled against him in a way that caused him to groan and her to giggle - because she knew exactly how she was affecting him. She felt him swell against her and wiggled a bit more, though it was quickly her turn to moan.
Inara nearly melted against him the moment his hand took possession of her breast, his thumb rolling over her nipple and causing it to pucker and harden. His lips pressed against her jaw and then down her neck, his hips lifting to press the head of his erection against the back of her thigh.
The feeling didn’t last. Mal heard a thud as the door to their shuttle hit the wall and bounced back. Before he could find his pants, or his gun, Kaylee had flung herself facedown onto their bed, between the two of them. His eyes widened, both in alarm and annoyance, and he tugged the covers up to his neck before clearing his throat.
”Kaylee, what in the tyen shiao duh do you think you’re doin’? This ain’t your bunk. Can’t just burst in whenever you feel the need.”
He was using his captain-y voice on her. Inara knew right away that was a mistake. Obviously, whatever reason Kaylee had for barging in was a good one. She wasn’t usually this intrusive. She didn’t take any measures to cover her own nudity - after all, it was only Kaylee. Instead, she simply rolled over to face Kaylee, her hand falling to her back, rubbing in a soothing manner. And the next thing anyone in the room heard were Kaylee’s heart-wrenching sobs.
”Ssssshhh, mei-mei. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it. That’s what family’s do, right? You tell us what’s wrong, boa bei.”
Mal’s look shifted to one of shock. He’d seen Kaylee cry before, but it’d never been like this. Always, it’d been a few tears, and a bit of a runny nose, and then she was back to smiling. Nothing had ever caused her to cry like this.
Kaylee gulped for air, struggling to explain the reason for her tears, but the sobs won the battle and before she could get a word out, she was drowning in the sound of them. They were the worst kind of sobs, too - the kind that rip through you, leaving you breathless and a little empty feeling.
Inara was patient. She continued to caress Kaylee’s back, her lips by the younger girl’s ear, humming softly in an effort to soothe whatever pain away. Mal, though, seemed entirely at a loss of what to do. This was out of his league. He did, however, feel anger swell in his chest and he knew for certain that he’d kill whoever had made her cry like this.
While Kaylee was distracted with Inara, Mal fished around for his pants and cleverly pulled them on under the covers, just in case Kaylee happened to glance over. He was just exiting the bed, intent on making his way for the door to interrogate the crew when Jayne burst in.
“What’s all the wailin’ a-whoa.”
Jayne’s eyes had managed to spot the one piece of bare flesh in the whole room in a manner of seconds and it caused a whole other kind of anger to surge through Mal.
”Get your shee-niou eyes off my wife, Jayne. ‘Nara, cover up, darlin’. We got company.”
Mal didn’t have to glance behind him to realize she’d covered up, the pout on Jayne’s face told him plain that his wife wasn’t giving a free show. When Jayne finally turned his attention to his captain, Mal quirked a brow, his arms crossing over his bare chest.
”What is it that you came in here for?”
Jayne pointed to the bed, where Kaylee was still laying, sobbing up a storm. Mal was almost certain that he could fill Inara’s fishbowl with the amount of tears Kaylee had shed already. Mal shook his head in response, his gaze moving to the bed, his shoulders shrugging.
”Don’t rightly know myself. You didn’t say nothin’ to upset her, did you?”
His tone had become accusing, his gaze whipping back to Jayne with a deadly spark that caused Jayne to back up a few steps.
”I didn’t say nothin’ to her. Just saw her run through the kitchen like the devil’s at her heels and then I heard that racket. Hear it all over the ship, as a matter o’ fact.”
Jayne had just gotten the statement out when Zoë edged her way into the room, her hand on her hip, her fingertips brushing her gun holster. With her hand in that position, she could draw and fire in under five seconds - Zoë was there to make sure there weren’t any bigger problems, like a stow-away.
“There a problem, sir?”
Mal was beginning to get frustrated. Between Kaylee’s sobs, Jayne ogling his wife, and the pure frustration over the fact that his crew was slowly assembling in his shuttle, he was running on his last nerve.
“Yeah, there’s a problem! Kaylee’s leakin’ over God-knows-what and everyone’s filin’ into my shuttle like I invited you all to a tea party or somethin’.”
Zoë wasn’t paying attention to him. Her eyes were on the bed and Mal knew he’d lost her the second her hand left her hip. Her face softened when she took in Kaylee and Inara on the bed and before he could open his mouth, Zoë was joining them.
Mal turned to look back at Jayne, only to find that the man had disappeared. Great. He was stuck in his shuttle with a wailing female and two mother hens. He considered heading out to the kitchen, but what kind of a big brother would he be if he just left? Kaylee would probably be a mite insulted to find out he’d simply walked out. Instead, he kept himself busy by feeding Sushi and Sashimi. When he was done with them, he dropped food into the other three fishbowls in the room and silently wondered when his ship had turned into a gorram Goldfish Sanctuary.
It was about then that Kaylee’s sobs subsided enough for her to start speaking. She was gasping still, but the words made it out this time. Mal was thankful for that - he hadn’t known any woman could cry quite so much, or quite so loudly.
“He doesn’t wanna marry me! Wants to keep havin’ sex, but he won’t make no commitment.”
Inara pressed a kiss to Kaylee’s temple, brushing her hair back a bit and offering a gentle smile. “He says that now, but he’ll change his mind.”
Kaylee wasn’t ready to accept that as an explanation. “You don’t know that.”
”You’d do best to listen to Inara, little one. May not know your Simon like you do, but she knows men.”
Kaylee turned to look at Zoë, tears welling back up in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering a bit. Mal had been standing off to the side, goldfish food still in hand, just listening. But it was when he saw that hopeless look on Kaylee’s face that the anger came back
”I’m gonna kill ‘im.”
“Mal.” Inara’s voice broke through the red veil that had fallen in front of his eyes, using that calm, assertive tone of hers - the one that warned him that whatever he was planning wasn’t a good idea.
It didn’t seem to matter, though. Mal hadn’t been the only one thinking along those lines. Before he could start out the door to find the doctor, Jayne filled the doorway again. He wasn’t alone this time. Simon was thrust into the room, apparently having been dragged here by Jayne by the back of the shirt. One of his eyes was blackened and he looked less than pleased. Inara released a gasp at the sight of him.
Jayne’s attention this time was solely on Mal.
“I figured since I weren’t the one made her cry, had to be ‘im. Wasn’t willin’ to come up and make it right, though. Had to muscle him ‘bout a bit.”
“Maybe you should muscle him ‘bout a bit more, Jayne.”
The words were out of his mouth before Mal had even thought them through. And though the fairly delighted look on Jayne’s face told him that it was probably a mistake, he was angry enough that it didn’t really matter. Simon had made his little Kaylee cry; therefore, Simon had to pay.
Jayne didn’t get a chance to advance on Simon. Inara and Zoë had both slipped from the bed, and while Zoë ordered Jayne to leave Simon alone and take Kaylee back to her bunk, Inara cornered Mal.
”What do you think you’re doing? Hurting him isn’t going to help her any. A woman doesn’t want a man to marry her because he’s scared of what her family might do to him. Kaylee wants Simon to want her on his own. And the only way that’s going to happen is if you-“
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Leave him alone. But scaring him’s more fun.”
Inara wasn’t amused. Once Zoë had ushered Jayne and Kaylee out, Inara moved to help Simon out. Mal crawled back in bed and pulled the covers over his head. This wasn’t the way tonight was supposed to work out. He should have shot Simon just for ruining his night.
Inara returned half an hour later, after forcing Simon to put an ice-pack on his eye and helping him clean up his room some. She slipped into bed, her arms wrapping around Mal’s still form. Her chest pressed against his back, and her mouth pressed gently against the nape of his neck.
When she felt him stir against her, she smiled and slipped one hand south, wrapping her palm around him. “Mal, look what I found.”
He chuckled and hardened in her hand, a weight lifting off his shoulders. Maybe tonight wasn’t a total failure after all.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaylee’s melancholy lifted the moment Serenity touched down on Avery. It was fair season again and within three hours of docking, she and River had run off, hand-in-hand, to ride as many rides as possible before closing.
It wasn’t a big surprise when Kaylee had decided to stay onboard Serenity instead of renting a room at the inn where Simon usually stayed. What was surprising were the glares Jayne had been throwing Simon’s way recently, and the way River had been spending less and less time with her brother - sometimes flat-out ignoring him.
They’d been docked for a week. They had another week before they left on a run and the whole crew had been enjoying their time off. Except for Simon, who didn’t seem to understand the meaning of “time off”. He’d been working like a dog in that clinic of his and it hadn’t passed Kaylee’s notice. Against her better judgment, she’d made it a habit to walk past the glass windows of his clinic at least twice a day - and she always made sure to be walking and laughing with someone while she did so. On this day, her walking partner happened to be Jayne.
Simon had been leaving when he’d bumped into them. It was shocking enough to see them out together, but even more shocking since Jayne hardly ever left Lizzie’s when they were in town. Simon shifted his weight and stared at Jayne until the man had the good sense to get gone, something Kaylee didn’t look like she appreciated too much. She was just about to call out for Jayne to wait up when Simon let his hand fall to her arm.
“I miss you, Kaylee.”
She had to stop herself from swooning. No way was he going to win her back with just that.
”I went to the fair yesterday. I won you a stuffed bear.”
”Oh? Am I supposed to marry that, then? Let you off the hook?”
Simon winced, but he supposed he deserved it. “No. I won it throwing balls at a clown’s face. I pretended it was Jayne. I managed to throw a ball into his mouth and they gave me this huge, snuggly bear and I thought, ‘Kaylee will love this.’ But then I remembered that you aren’t speaking to me.”
”I’m speaking to you now, ain’t I?”
”Kaylee, please.” He was practically begging her to hold her tongue, to stop pushing him away for two seconds. His grip tightened on her arm and he pulled her into his chest, his head dipping. “I didn’t think things would be this lonely without you. I like coming home to you every night and I can’t sleep when I’m not holding you. I haven’t slept in a week - probably more than a week. All I know is that it feels like forever. I’m not ready to give up on us.”
Her eyes glistened and he realized he was on the right track. Apparently, speaking plainly and truthfully did have its merits. She opened her mouth to respond, but he wasn’t exactly done, so he lifted a finger and pressed it to her lips.
”I’m not saying I want to marry you this instant. But I’m not saying I don’t want to marry you at all. Kaylee, I love you, but I’m not ready for that step yet.”
He loved her! The words were still echoing in her ears and it took her a moment to let all the words sink in. Even though it wasn’t exactly what she’d wanted to hear, it was enough. Before he could add anything else onto his impromptu speech, she wrapped her arms around him, and pulled him to her for a kiss so passionate it made his toes curl and his head spin.
Jayne hadn’t wandered too far away. Sure, Mal hadn’t ordered him to keep an eye on Kaylee, but Mal had his hands full with Inara. Zoë had somehow become the resident babysitter, and River had tendencies to lock herself away in Abigail’s kitchen, trying to learn all she could about cooking and home remedies. It was then that he made sure someone was looking out for Kaylee.
He didn’t start walking across town to the little cottage Mal and Inara had rented until he saw Kaylee drag Simon back inside the clinic. He walked at a slow, leisurely pace, his hands in his pockets while he whistled an upbeat tune.
Once at the cottage, he rapped twice on the door and had the decency not to stare too long at Inara’s bare legs when she opened the door wearing one of Mal’s shirts, her hair unkempt, and her cheeks flushed.
”Just wanted to let ya’ll know that lil’ Kaylee and that doctor of hers seemed to have made up nice. Ain’t headed for the chapel yet, so no need to get dressed.”
Translations
Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng!: Frog-humping son-of-a-bitch!
Chur ni-duh: Screw you.
tyen shiao duh: name of all that’s sacred
mei-mei: little sister
boa bei: sweetheart
shee-niou: cow sucking