I wrote this a while ago, but I just realized that I hadn't shared it with you fine people! Shame on me. Hope you enjoy! --- Domestication

When he wakes up, he doesn’t know where he is. The light has gone out and it’s just as dark in front of his eyelids as it is behind. The long, easy intake of breath at his side reminds him, and he sits up, blinking in the darkness for a moment before he draws the covers back over his knees and stands up.

Softly as he can, he moves over to her couch and sits on the edge. His throat is scratching and he reaches out for the mug of tea he left on the table hours ago: cold now, but still better than nothing.

He hears her stir in the bed, and then feels more than sees as she sits up: imagines the covers bunching around her raised knees.

“Mal?”

“Thought you were asleep.” He says before he takes a gulp of the tea. It’s bitter and he grimaces, wishing he had some sugar.

She doesn’t answer and he thinks that she was probably trained to wake if anyone ever stirred in her bed. He can’t be sure though.

He hears her moving the covers away and the sound of her feet as they touch the floor. He knows she will grab for her robe from the chair beside the bed, wrapping it around herself as she moves towards him. His eyes have adjusted now, as much as they can in the dark, and he can just make out the glint of her eyes as she draws closer.

She settles down beside him and he feels the gentle woosh of her breath on his neck as she sits and tucks her feet up under herself. He takes another sip of the tea and feels her eyes watching him.

“Any more where that came from?”

He swirls the liquid around the bottom of the mug. “Last gulp.” He says, before passing it to her, letting his fingers linger on her wrist as she takes it from him. She drains it down to the dregs before placing the mug back on the table.

“The air feels dry.”

He nods, “It does at that. I’ll have Kaylee check the humidifier in the morning.”

He knows she smiles before reaching out to run her fingers through his hair, tidying some imagined curls.

“Do you want to turn a light on?”

“I’m alright,” he says, shrugging, “’less you want one.”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind the dark.”

She sighs then and rests her head on his shoulder.

“Why don’t you come back to bed?”

“I will soon, I just…” He clasps his hands, looks down, and feels the silk of her robe slide against his ribcage. “It’s been six months. I think that warrants some thought tonight.”

He knows she doesn’t need to ask since what. He feels her nod.

“It’s been weighing on my mind as well.”

Her head shifts again against his shoulder, pressing her cheek hard to it, her lips just brushing his collarbone before she stands back up.

“Come back when you’re ready then.”

He catches her fingers and squeezes them for half a moment before she walks back towards the bed. The sound of her robe pooling against the floor fills his ears before he stands as well and makes his way to the shuttle door.

THE END