Serenity slips through the blackness, a stone sliding across the frosted ice of a frozen lake, smooth as fingers brushing against skin. The blackness lazily observes her, something in the nothing, an infinitesimal world in the undisturbed, silent emptiness of space.

Within, all is hushed and still. You can almost hear the slumberous breaths of the crew, some low and guttural; other’s sweet, near silent. The night carries, from the softly lit warmth of the mess, through the dim artificial brilliant blue of the corridor and up onto the bridge.

Buttons and switches and screens inefficiently light the room in inches of red, orange, green, blue. A distant humming from an unknown source and the occasional bleep from a machine fills the silence as a lone conscious soul stares out at the passing blackness, lazily observing it, something in the nothing.

Muffled footsteps.

“Hey, sailor.”

He looks up to face her, already knowing what he’ll see, already seeing in his mind the sapphire light on the curve of her cheekbone, the dark mass of hair cascading over her shoulders, her enchanting eyes, deep chocolate brown and the smile... But he looks anyway.

“Hey, baby.”

A pause and she slides the door shut behind her, the hiss and clunk a tribute to their isolation. They’re no longer on the ship, among the lifeless crew, but in the blackness, among the stars.

He silently holds out his hand and she silently takes it, her smooth fingers encompassed by his rough, warm touch. Still she feels pinpricks of excitement shiver beneath her skin, like the first time. Their eyes meet and they smile dreamily at each other, stars reflected in their gazes.

She slips onto his lap as naturally as though she’d been there all along and his strong arms wind around her, holding her close. Her fingers touch his neck and he closes his eyes as they run through his sandy hair.

They kiss.

His lips find hers, their brushing caress, warm, tender, desire stirring within him. She feels it, slightly shifting her position, responding with a gentle urgency, her lips mirroring his. She’s touching, smelling, tasting. As they kiss, one of his hands finds the small of her back, dipping beneath the fabric of her shirt to touch the hot skin beneath. Her heart leaps and with a near inaudible moan she pulls his lower lip between hers, tasting, then parting hers, allowing him to enter. His tongue dips into her, meeting hers with a thrill of ecstasy, tasting her exotic spice.

They break apart a moment to grin at each other, the familiar smile that speaks the unspeakable. They know each other; each curve, each valley, each taste. They smile and their heads touch, she finally allowing her legs to slip around him, her body swelling towards him.

They hold each other for a moment, his face buried in the scent of her hair, their bodies press close together.

“I love you,” he whispers. No one hears but her and the blackness.

She smiles. “I know, honey.” She kisses his neck, her teeth gently nipping at his pale skin before moving down to his throat, her upper-body pulling apart from his. With a quick tempting grin upwards her fingers find the zip to his flight suit, undoing him in a swift movement.

A sudden yearning causes him to take her face in his hands and kiss her firmly, his lips already missing her taste. She smiles against his mouth, reciprocating, letting her hands dip beneath his top, pulling it off his shoulders. He removes his hands from their position to shake if off before pulling her towards him once again, his hands cupping that exquisite area where her legs meet her back.

“Man, why are you so hot?” he asks, exasperated at his boiling need for her.

“I apologise,” she grins, her hand snaking down into his flight suit, gripping him.

“No apologies needed!” he says hastily, his hold on her contracting, dragging her onto him.

The blackness watches silently as Serenity slips past. He peels off her shirt, discarding it on the floor. His eyes glance over her, already knowing what he’ll see, already seeing in his mind the sapphire light on the curve of her body, the ghosts of old scars haunting her chocolate skin which shimmers in the starlight… But he looks anyway.

They kiss.