Too Scarce A Good Thing (PG)
Title: Too Scarce A Good Thing
Author: lvs2read
Rating: PG
Pairing: pre-Mal/Simon
Spoilers: Set Post-BDM, with all that entails.
Disclaimer Owned by the almighty Joss Whedon. I'm just having fun playing.
Author's Notes: My entry in the Slash-a-thon. Written for cassiejamie who wanted pre-slash, first time (anything you want to mean first time), and Simon laughing. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks, as always, to itinerant-vae for the beta. Couldn't do it without you, hon!
Too Scarce A Good Thing
It wasn't often that Mal saw Simon laugh. Smirk? Yes. Smile? Sometimes. Grin? Occasionally. But out right laugh? Not very often at all.
At first he'd wondered if Simon ever stopped being serious long enough to laugh, but one night at dinner the shepherd told one of his abbey stories, and Simon laughed right along with the rest of them. Not one of those controlled chuckles he'd expected of a Core-bred, stiff-necked, pompous doctor neither. No, Simon had laughed loud and long, his whole face alive with it, and some little barrier in Mal's heart had cracked. Just a little bit. He'd repaired it later, of course, but he was never too sure he'd done a proper job of it.
Next time he heard Simon laugh was when Simon enlightened Kaylee about the evils of saké. Knew then he'd not mended that barrier properly, because the picture of Simon naked on some statue, singing lewd songs, was more than a mite appealing. Especially the naked part. He shoved that image behind the barrier quick as he could, but he doubted it was fast enough.
Now, though, he could hear Simon laughing in the kitchen, and that did not sit right. At all. Ain't no one laughed on his boat since that day on Miranda. There'd been smiles and private joy, and more than likely some private tears as well, but no laughter. Laughter was something they'd left behind on that God-forsaken moon, and he wasn't sure he wanted it back.
Flipping three switches above the console, he strode off the bridge, prepared to tear into the doctor like he hadn't since before that fateful day. Simon needed to show some respect to folks that were grieving, and he knew just how to get that point across. At the end of his fist, if necessary.
He stopped dead at the sight before him. He'd been so focused on Simon's laughter, that he hadn't heard the other sound. The sound of Zoe's laughter running lower and softer under Simon's, but there nonetheless. Zoe, who'd barely cracked a smile these past months, sitting there laughing 'til tears rolled down her cheeks while the gorramn doctor sat there and laughed right along with her. It should've been him. He should've been the one to make her laugh again. Was a time it would've been him. But seemed like now wasn't that time, and he couldn't find it in him to be angry at Simon. Was too good to hear her laughing again.
Swallowing his jealousy, anger forgotten, he put a smile on his face and walked down the stairs into the kitchen. May just as well get some coffee while he was there. If he played his cards right, might even find out what was so funny.
"Captain." Zoe wiped her eyes, still chuckling, and nodded at him as he quirked an eyebrow and walked by. "I was just telling Simon about the first time we caught Wash playing with his dinosaurs. You remember?"
Did he remember? He doubted he'd ever forget. Grinning and shaking his head at the memory, Mal said, "I do indeed. He was so mortified. Tried to gather all them toys up and shove 'em in his pockets, except he kept dropping 'em all over the deck. And then they kept slipping out of his hands every time he tried to pick 'em up. He ended up on his knees under the console, swearing as only he could. Know I learned a few new phrases that day." He lifted his mug in Zoe's direction. "Teased him about for weeks after, as I recall."
Her chuckles had subsided, leaving a soft smile on her face. "That we did, sir. Until one day he decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and set them all out on the bridge in plain view. He never took them down again, and pretty soon we quit teasing him." The look she shot Mal made him shift uncomfortably. "You ever play with them?"
Knew he didn't like that look. Only hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Um… I might have. Sometimes. Bridge gets kind of lonesome, middle of ship's night." He was almost afraid to look at them for fear of seeing shock and contempt in their eyes, but Simon just smiled gently at him, tearing at those walls again.
As for Zoe, she was smiling reminiscently, a far away look in her eyes. "That's what he said, too." She stood and picked up her mug. "Think it's time I called it a night, unless you need me on the bridge, sir?"
He waved her off. "Nah, it's fine, Zoe. I'll get it tonight."
She nodded her thanks and turned to Simon. "Thanks, Doc. I needed that."
Simon tipped his head in a quick nod, that gentle smile still on his lips. "My pleasure, Zoe. Thank you for sharing your memories with me."
A lift of her mug in their general direction and she was gone, leaving the sound of her laughter a silent memory in Mal's mind as he turned to the doctor. "Suppose I should thank you as well. Been too long since I've heard her laugh like that. Sounded good."
Simon stood and pushed in his chair before picking up his mug. "It's quite all right, Captain. Wash was my friend, too. I like hearing stories about him." He motioned towards the bridge, grinning. "Would you like some company? Human contact to stave off the need to confer with toys?"
"I would take it as a kindness, Doc." Mal smirked and swept his arm before him in invitation, somewhat surprised by, but not at all averse to, Simon's suggestion. "Can't have the crew thinking their captain makes a habit of indulging in childish fantasies."
"No, of course not." Simon's grin grew wider, and there was a hint of devilment in his eyes. "Although? If you indulge in fantasies other than childish ones? I don't think we want to know about them either."
Mal couldn't believe his ears. Was that a heavy-handed attempt at flirtation on the part of his straight-laced doctor? Only one way to know for sure. 'Course, that'd mean flirting back, which'd mean letting his barriers down all the way. Might be it'd be worth it, though. For the sound of Simon's laughter.
Author: lvs2read
Rating: PG
Pairing: pre-Mal/Simon
Spoilers: Set Post-BDM, with all that entails.
Disclaimer Owned by the almighty Joss Whedon. I'm just having fun playing.
Author's Notes: My entry in the Slash-a-thon. Written for cassiejamie who wanted pre-slash, first time (anything you want to mean first time), and Simon laughing. Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks, as always, to itinerant-vae for the beta. Couldn't do it without you, hon!
Too Scarce A Good Thing
It wasn't often that Mal saw Simon laugh. Smirk? Yes. Smile? Sometimes. Grin? Occasionally. But out right laugh? Not very often at all.
At first he'd wondered if Simon ever stopped being serious long enough to laugh, but one night at dinner the shepherd told one of his abbey stories, and Simon laughed right along with the rest of them. Not one of those controlled chuckles he'd expected of a Core-bred, stiff-necked, pompous doctor neither. No, Simon had laughed loud and long, his whole face alive with it, and some little barrier in Mal's heart had cracked. Just a little bit. He'd repaired it later, of course, but he was never too sure he'd done a proper job of it.
Next time he heard Simon laugh was when Simon enlightened Kaylee about the evils of saké. Knew then he'd not mended that barrier properly, because the picture of Simon naked on some statue, singing lewd songs, was more than a mite appealing. Especially the naked part. He shoved that image behind the barrier quick as he could, but he doubted it was fast enough.
Now, though, he could hear Simon laughing in the kitchen, and that did not sit right. At all. Ain't no one laughed on his boat since that day on Miranda. There'd been smiles and private joy, and more than likely some private tears as well, but no laughter. Laughter was something they'd left behind on that God-forsaken moon, and he wasn't sure he wanted it back.
Flipping three switches above the console, he strode off the bridge, prepared to tear into the doctor like he hadn't since before that fateful day. Simon needed to show some respect to folks that were grieving, and he knew just how to get that point across. At the end of his fist, if necessary.
He stopped dead at the sight before him. He'd been so focused on Simon's laughter, that he hadn't heard the other sound. The sound of Zoe's laughter running lower and softer under Simon's, but there nonetheless. Zoe, who'd barely cracked a smile these past months, sitting there laughing 'til tears rolled down her cheeks while the gorramn doctor sat there and laughed right along with her. It should've been him. He should've been the one to make her laugh again. Was a time it would've been him. But seemed like now wasn't that time, and he couldn't find it in him to be angry at Simon. Was too good to hear her laughing again.
Swallowing his jealousy, anger forgotten, he put a smile on his face and walked down the stairs into the kitchen. May just as well get some coffee while he was there. If he played his cards right, might even find out what was so funny.
"Captain." Zoe wiped her eyes, still chuckling, and nodded at him as he quirked an eyebrow and walked by. "I was just telling Simon about the first time we caught Wash playing with his dinosaurs. You remember?"
Did he remember? He doubted he'd ever forget. Grinning and shaking his head at the memory, Mal said, "I do indeed. He was so mortified. Tried to gather all them toys up and shove 'em in his pockets, except he kept dropping 'em all over the deck. And then they kept slipping out of his hands every time he tried to pick 'em up. He ended up on his knees under the console, swearing as only he could. Know I learned a few new phrases that day." He lifted his mug in Zoe's direction. "Teased him about for weeks after, as I recall."
Her chuckles had subsided, leaving a soft smile on her face. "That we did, sir. Until one day he decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, and set them all out on the bridge in plain view. He never took them down again, and pretty soon we quit teasing him." The look she shot Mal made him shift uncomfortably. "You ever play with them?"
Knew he didn't like that look. Only hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Um… I might have. Sometimes. Bridge gets kind of lonesome, middle of ship's night." He was almost afraid to look at them for fear of seeing shock and contempt in their eyes, but Simon just smiled gently at him, tearing at those walls again.
As for Zoe, she was smiling reminiscently, a far away look in her eyes. "That's what he said, too." She stood and picked up her mug. "Think it's time I called it a night, unless you need me on the bridge, sir?"
He waved her off. "Nah, it's fine, Zoe. I'll get it tonight."
She nodded her thanks and turned to Simon. "Thanks, Doc. I needed that."
Simon tipped his head in a quick nod, that gentle smile still on his lips. "My pleasure, Zoe. Thank you for sharing your memories with me."
A lift of her mug in their general direction and she was gone, leaving the sound of her laughter a silent memory in Mal's mind as he turned to the doctor. "Suppose I should thank you as well. Been too long since I've heard her laugh like that. Sounded good."
Simon stood and pushed in his chair before picking up his mug. "It's quite all right, Captain. Wash was my friend, too. I like hearing stories about him." He motioned towards the bridge, grinning. "Would you like some company? Human contact to stave off the need to confer with toys?"
"I would take it as a kindness, Doc." Mal smirked and swept his arm before him in invitation, somewhat surprised by, but not at all averse to, Simon's suggestion. "Can't have the crew thinking their captain makes a habit of indulging in childish fantasies."
"No, of course not." Simon's grin grew wider, and there was a hint of devilment in his eyes. "Although? If you indulge in fantasies other than childish ones? I don't think we want to know about them either."
Mal couldn't believe his ears. Was that a heavy-handed attempt at flirtation on the part of his straight-laced doctor? Only one way to know for sure. 'Course, that'd mean flirting back, which'd mean letting his barriers down all the way. Might be it'd be worth it, though. For the sound of Simon's laughter.