The Inevitable Turn - Mal/Simon
The Inevitable Turn
Ever get that feeling you should just keep your mouth shut? Mal/Simon, part three. Prompt: vengeance.
part one/ part two
Pg13.
Simon was a little on edge for a few days. Mal saw it in the way he sat straighter at the meals, those strangely secretive eyes flickering towards him regularly. He saw it in the way the Doctor twitched as Mal walked past the infirmary.
And it was amusing the hell out of him.
"You okay doc?" he asked once as the edgy man dodged him in the corridor. The metallic thud of his boots was strangely loud, like he was dragging his feet. When there was no reply he quirked an eyebrow. "Somethin' got your tongue?"
"I'm okay," he said, holding the defensive tone he always did recently.
Mal hesitated. Simon waiting, his footsteps stilled. There was tension broken by a charming smile from the Captain. "Good," he said. He was walking away before Simon could be relieved at the lack of retaliation.
So when one night at the table Mal spoke directly to him, he had to shake his attention away from the lumps of food piling his plate to tilt his head just a bit. "Sorry, what?"
"I said," repeated Mal in a tetchy tone, "that I had a question for you."
Zoë glanced at Wash who was suddenly a little too focused on the food. Jayne openly smirked and Kaylee awkwardly picked at her food. Book only shot a sideways glance at the man while Inara cleared her throat delicately. It was obvious they'd been waiting for this moment. Only River carried on eating silently.
"See, that...gift you gave me," he started, ignoring the joint snort of amusement from the happily married couple beside him. "I ain't had much chance to use it."
Simon's guarded face had the hints of embarrassment, mirrored by Book's steel gaze. "Pity."
"S'what I'm thinkin'!" agreed Mal. "Can't let it go to waste. Don't reckon as Wash and Zoe'll be runnin' out any time soon. Kaylee ain't ever gettin' the chance to use it on my ship and Book is celibate so... ain't much else. Can't give it to Jayne. Oaf might get the wrong idea."
"Yeah," said Jayne, seeming unfussed. "Don't want that mix up again."
Simon shot a mildly disgusted look at the merc, like the stare one might give a small squashed insect on a window pane. Mal carried on, ignoring the others, especially Zoë. "Seems to me there's only one choice."
"And what's that?"
"Gotta use it."
Kaylee and Inara were sharing a laugh, almost silent but just about loud enough to make Simon far too self conscious. When there was nothing else for a long, stretched out moment, Simon sighed and attempted to keep a stoic face. "I'm not sure if I can see the question."
"I was gettin' to that," he replied, leaning forwards. His elbows scraped the plate beneath him as those blue eyes fixed mischievously on the doc's slightly pink face. "Was just wonderin', seein' as there ain't no one else... how 'bout you help me use this thing afore it's useless?"
The laughter around the table wasn't even disguised anymore. Open peals of laughter rippled around the table from everyone but River and Book. Kaylee had her head in her hands while her body shook with laughter.
Simon was going to get Mal back for this. As soon as he thought of something suitably embarrassing.
"What, don't like the idea?" asked Mal through stifled laughter. "Ain't pretty enough for you? You're breakin' my heart."
Funny how the opportunity just cropped up that easily. Simon had to work at keeping the smile down as he spoke a little louder to be heard above the rest. "I didn't say no."
The laughter died and so did Mal's smile, though the ghost clung on uncertainly. "...What?"
"Is tonight good for you?"
"...Sure," said Mal. Simon recognised the look that was spreading over his face. It was that special Serenity brand of stubborness that very, very rarely lead to anything not worthy of fireside storytelling.
And, on second thoughts, the Doctor thought maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. "I'll come round your bunk in a few hours then."
"Okay."
"Right. ...Okay."
Shit.
Ever get that feeling you should just keep your mouth shut? Mal/Simon, part three. Prompt: vengeance.
part one/ part two
Pg13.
Simon was a little on edge for a few days. Mal saw it in the way he sat straighter at the meals, those strangely secretive eyes flickering towards him regularly. He saw it in the way the Doctor twitched as Mal walked past the infirmary.
And it was amusing the hell out of him.
"You okay doc?" he asked once as the edgy man dodged him in the corridor. The metallic thud of his boots was strangely loud, like he was dragging his feet. When there was no reply he quirked an eyebrow. "Somethin' got your tongue?"
"I'm okay," he said, holding the defensive tone he always did recently.
Mal hesitated. Simon waiting, his footsteps stilled. There was tension broken by a charming smile from the Captain. "Good," he said. He was walking away before Simon could be relieved at the lack of retaliation.
So when one night at the table Mal spoke directly to him, he had to shake his attention away from the lumps of food piling his plate to tilt his head just a bit. "Sorry, what?"
"I said," repeated Mal in a tetchy tone, "that I had a question for you."
Zoë glanced at Wash who was suddenly a little too focused on the food. Jayne openly smirked and Kaylee awkwardly picked at her food. Book only shot a sideways glance at the man while Inara cleared her throat delicately. It was obvious they'd been waiting for this moment. Only River carried on eating silently.
"See, that...gift you gave me," he started, ignoring the joint snort of amusement from the happily married couple beside him. "I ain't had much chance to use it."
Simon's guarded face had the hints of embarrassment, mirrored by Book's steel gaze. "Pity."
"S'what I'm thinkin'!" agreed Mal. "Can't let it go to waste. Don't reckon as Wash and Zoe'll be runnin' out any time soon. Kaylee ain't ever gettin' the chance to use it on my ship and Book is celibate so... ain't much else. Can't give it to Jayne. Oaf might get the wrong idea."
"Yeah," said Jayne, seeming unfussed. "Don't want that mix up again."
Simon shot a mildly disgusted look at the merc, like the stare one might give a small squashed insect on a window pane. Mal carried on, ignoring the others, especially Zoë. "Seems to me there's only one choice."
"And what's that?"
"Gotta use it."
Kaylee and Inara were sharing a laugh, almost silent but just about loud enough to make Simon far too self conscious. When there was nothing else for a long, stretched out moment, Simon sighed and attempted to keep a stoic face. "I'm not sure if I can see the question."
"I was gettin' to that," he replied, leaning forwards. His elbows scraped the plate beneath him as those blue eyes fixed mischievously on the doc's slightly pink face. "Was just wonderin', seein' as there ain't no one else... how 'bout you help me use this thing afore it's useless?"
The laughter around the table wasn't even disguised anymore. Open peals of laughter rippled around the table from everyone but River and Book. Kaylee had her head in her hands while her body shook with laughter.
Simon was going to get Mal back for this. As soon as he thought of something suitably embarrassing.
"What, don't like the idea?" asked Mal through stifled laughter. "Ain't pretty enough for you? You're breakin' my heart."
Funny how the opportunity just cropped up that easily. Simon had to work at keeping the smile down as he spoke a little louder to be heard above the rest. "I didn't say no."
The laughter died and so did Mal's smile, though the ghost clung on uncertainly. "...What?"
"Is tonight good for you?"
"...Sure," said Mal. Simon recognised the look that was spreading over his face. It was that special Serenity brand of stubborness that very, very rarely lead to anything not worthy of fireside storytelling.
And, on second thoughts, the Doctor thought maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. "I'll come round your bunk in a few hours then."
"Okay."
"Right. ...Okay."
Shit.