One more story to come before all the angst starts....

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“A Companion, huh?” It was their last day of freedom and Kaylee was leaning back against Simon as they sat in the garden, clad in nothing but their robes. As she thought about it, she couldn’t remember them even bothering to get dressed the entire time they’d been in the secluded little cottage. “You paid a –“

“It was a long time ago and it wasn’t like that,” Simon said, not looking at her. His eyes were focused on the fountain and the sunlight reflecting off the water within.

Kaylee rolled her eyes at him. “You ain’t that old, Simon.”

“That life – it doesn’t seem like I lived it anymore.” Everything was so different now. He had found a more rewarding life, laughter and love between the metal hull of Serenity, than he ever did in all the years he lived and worked on Osiris.

“How’d ya meet her then?”

Simon sighed. “She was another man’s escort to an event I attended.”

Kaylee’s eyes widened and Simon shook his head to clear up her already false perception of what had happened.

“We danced once and talked. I was – well, drawn to her. I suppose that isn’t uncommon. I – wanted to know more. I’d met Companions before, of course, they are everywhere on the Core worlds. But she had some otherworldly quality to her. She was very down to earth – homely even. She had this – magnetism that drew me to her.” Simon inhaled slowly.

It wasn’t a world she was intimately familiar with even though she had known Inara for a few years now. But Kaylee couldn’t help but feel a little jealous as she noticed the warm tone in his voice. “But she was taken.”

Simon nodded. “For that night, yes.”

“So you – hired her – later?” There was a somewhat astonished tone to Kaylee’s voice.

Simon felt instantly defensive, though he knew he shouldn’t. “I never paid her for sex if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That came later though?”

“Yes.”

“What was she like?”

Simon glanced down at Kaylee, wondering why she was so curious. He really didn’t want to discuss this. It wasn’t one of his best memories. “What was your last lover like?”

Kaylee arched her neck and frowned at him. “Not talkin’ about my sex life. We’re talkin’ ‘bout yours.”

A grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he tried to lighten the tension he felt growing between them. “We can talk about yours next then.”

Kaylee turned around and settled against him again. They’d talked about this when he’d first told her last night, but she wanted to talk about it again. “I ain’t never lived with a Companion, ‘fore. Weren’t none of my men so –“ a sly grin spread across her face “–good.”

Simon felt a small smile tug at his lips. He knew this would happen if he told her about this. He’d get all defensive and she would get not-quite-jealous – though there was absolutely no reason for it.

“We were exclusive for six months. I wanted her to leave the Guild.”

“You wanted her to marry you?” Kaylee gripped his hands and wrapped them tighter around her waist.

Simon shook his head. “No, we never discussed marriage. I definitely wasn’t ready for that step.”

“Why didn’t she – leave the Guild?”

“Wasn’t sure she wanted to be tied down, I suppose. She missed the House and all of the notoriety that came with it, perhaps. Maybe with my hectic schedule at the hospital, she wanted more.” Simon shrugged. He didn’t truly know.

All he knew is that he’d come back to his apartment after a particularly long, stressful day in the ER and she was packed, ready to leave. She’d only told him that she couldn’t do it anymore. Couldn’t be exclusive to one man. It had hurt him terribly at the time, but he realized, by the time he broke River out of the Academy, it was better that he had not left anyone behind.

Kaylee could hear the sadness in his voice and misinterpreted it. “You loved her, huh?”

Simon glanced down at his wife and pressed his mouth to her hair. “I thought I did. I was really hurt when she left. But I never realized what true love was until I met you.”

When Kaylee arched her neck to look at him this time, there were tears in her eyes.

Simon noticed and pressed his mouth to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. “There isn’t anything I don’t love about you. And I think I knew it from the moment I stepped onto Serenity.”

Kaylee frowned and nuzzled his cheek. “Coulda told me.”

“No, I couldn’t. Not then. I had River to look after. She was my life. I had to take care of her.” Memories came flooding back and Simon sighed. “And – truth be told, I probably didn’t want to get hurt again.” He pulled her into his lap and kissed her long and hard. “We lost a lot of time, though. Time we could have been together if I’d just have taken the chance.”

Kaylee closed her eyes and buried her face in his neck. “I know you was carin’ for River. I didn’t really have any right ta come in the middle. Ya gave up everything ya had for her.”

“I’d do it again.” Simon held her tightly, breathing in the intoxicating scent of her hair, her skin. “I’d do it for you.” He hugged her tight and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for all of those months I ignored you. It couldn’t have been easy. And I know I hurt you.”

“Naw, like ya said. Ya had River. She needed ya more than me.”

“I need you both.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands and stared into her pretty eyes.

“I ain’t goin nowhere now I gots this pretty ring on my finger.” Kaylee held up the band, now on the correct finger, smiling happily as the light glinted off the metal. “An I know River won’t ever leave ya.”

“I’m just glad she’s better.” Simon took her hand and kissed each finger, lingering a little longer over the one on which the ring rested. “She may never heal completely, but I think she’ll be able to lead a normal, healthy life.”

Kaylee nodded silently and stood, tugging on his hand until he understood that she wanted him to stand. “Need ya,” her eyes danced as she watched the smile pass across his face. “In a bed this time.” She squeezed his hand and led him inside, stopping at the side of the bed to slide the robe off her shoulders.

Simon watched her fingers as they parted his own robe, and then trailed down his muscular torso after pushing the material off his shoulders.

Kaylee stepped into his arms and dropped a hand around his swelling erection. She gave it a few firm strokes as she met his heated gaze. “Want ya ta show me somethin’ new.”

Simon groaned as she drew her clenched fist along the length of him, realizing that she wanted to know more about what he’d learned by living with a Companion. He hesitated but when her teeth dragged along his collarbone and her free hand reached around and squeezed his rather beautifully sculpted backside, he knew he was putty in her hands – and judging by her sly smile, she knew it to. He would do whatever she wanted, so long as she always touched him like this.

~*~

As they lay panting against one another, Kaylee lifted her head and rested her chin on his damp chest.

Simon’s hands were still tangled in her hair, but when she looked up at him, he carefully brushed a few stray strands away from her flushed cheeks. He let his fingers trail over her lips as she parted them to speak.

He could sense a hesitation and regarded her carefully before asking, “What is it?”

Kaylee took a deep breath. She’d waited for the right time to broach the subject and had been too afraid every time. But their honeymoon was nearly over, and she wanted to talk to him about it before they got back to the ship. “I – want a baby.”

Simon tensed, instantly remembering the last conversation they’d had on this subject hadn’t ended well. They had both grown since then, but Simon still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea. Not right now. He knew Kaylee had sensed his hesitation. He could see the sad look pass across her face before she lowered her head to rub her cheek against his chest.

“Kaylee –“ he began.

Kaylee shook her head and closed her eyes. Somehow she knew he wouldn’t react favorably. Her voice was muffled as she said, “never mind.”

Simon swallowed nervously. He knew that tone and he could feel her body tense even as she snuggled tighter against him. “Bao bei, talk to me.”

It was all the encouragement Kaylee needed and when she lifted her head, there were tears in her eyes. “I keep seein’ our baby in my head, Simon. All that dark hair an pale skin, an pretty blue eyes. I want your baby so bad.”

Simon’s heart fumbled over itself. He felt like such an ass for making her cry over this. And on their honeymoon of all times. He cupped her cheeks in his hands. He didn’t want to see her cry. He couldn’t bear it. “Whatever you want, bao bei. You know I can’t say no to you.”

“But you don’t. I can’t have a baby without you, Simon. An if you don’t want one –“

He covered her lips with a finger. “Hush. I do want a baby. I do. I can picture her with your bright eyes and beautiful, big smile.”

Kaylee’s mood changed instantly and she shimmied up his chest so that their lips were a few inches apart. “Really?”

Simon nodded. “Seeing a baby, our baby, growing inside you – ” He wasn’t sure how to put into words how that would feel. He loved her so deeply and he very much did want to have a baby with her.

“You thought about this?” Kaylee’s eyes were wide as she listened to him.

Simon smiled sheepishly. “A bit.”

“Then you wanna have one?” The hope in her eyes was unmistakable.

Over the last year, he’d learned when not to speak the moment words came into his head. Instead, he chose his response carefully. “How about a compromise?” Simon hoped she wouldn’t be too upset. “Wait a few months?”

The pout returned and her bottom lip trembled. Seeing Kaylee cry was his greatest weakness.

Simon hurried to prevent her mood from deteriorating. “We just got married, bao bei. Let me enjoy my wife for a few months before we bring a baby into our lives, hmm? We’d need to figure out how to care for an infant on the ship, clothe and feed it when we can barely care for ourselves.”

Kaylee nodded and she leaned forward to brush her mouth against his. “Say that again.”

He returned the kiss, feeling his body begin to respond to her closeness. “Hmm?” He nibbled at her bottom lip and groaned when she pushed her hands into his hair. She knew it drove him wild but he kept toying with her, forcing a confused look onto his face.

When she frowned at him and playfully batted at his chest, he laughed and caught her hands. “Oh, right. My wife. Yes. That’s you, Kaylee Tam.”

The smile returned, bright and luminous. “Yeah. That’s me.”

“Think we better make the most of our remaining hours of privacy.” His hands moved gently over her back.

“Yeah.” Kaylee lifted her head to receive his kiss and, even after nearly three straight days of making love, they still couldn’t get enough of one another. She hoped that feeling never ended.

A deep kiss here, a teasing caress there, and they were both roused and ready for more. Simon took her slowly this time, savoring their closeness, the feeling of her tight, wet heat enveloping him, her full, swollen lips as they moved against his.

By the time they’d both reached their end, they were exhausted, and simply lay tangled together, unable to sleep, and completely unable to move.

“Thank you for bringin’ my folks to the wedding,” Kaylee finally said after a few silent moments of simply listening to the lulling sound of his heartbeat.

“I just asked if it could be done. Mal and Inara worked out the details.” Simon brushed his lips against her temple.

Kaylee lifted her head. “But it was your idea.” She lifted the hand she had rested on his chest up to his cheek and slowly trailed a finger along his jaw. “Thank you. Wouldn’ta been the same without ‘em.”

Simon tried not to sound resentful. He was glad her parents had been there. But some part of him had missed his own. “I know.”

Kaylee immediately knew she’d said the wrong thing as soon as it came out of her mouth. She leaned up and slid her hands around his cheeks and held his gaze to hers, knowing he wanted desperately to avert it so she wouldn’t see the pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Ti wo de pi gu.” She cursed her own insensitivity. “I didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t –“ Tears welled in her eyes at the pain she saw him struggle to mask.

“I know, bao bei.” Simon said when he could trust his voice again. “Don’t worry about it. You didn’t cause my parents to be how they are.”

Kaylee kissed him long and hard, slid a hand into his hair to pull him even closer into it. “How did such awful people have such great kids?”

That brought a smile to Simon’s lips and he kissed her again, softly, tenderly. “Oh, I remember a time when you didn’t think I was so very great.”

Kaylee smiled hesitantly. “That’s because you were actin’ like a teenager with his first crush.”

Simon twirled a stray lock of her hair around his finger. “No. First love. There’s a difference.”

Kaylee’s bottom lip trembled at the tenderness in his eyes. “I love you, Simon Tam.” She kissed him hard, her tongue plundering his mouth for as long as they could stand it before they needed air.

He slid both hands into her hair and held her head close. “I love you, Kaylee Tam.”

All heartache was forgotten as they kissed and cuddled, closing their eyes for a short nap before they had to return to the loud mayhem and injury that always seemed to follow closely on the heels of Serenity and her crew.

END

Chinese Translations

Ti wo de pi gu - kick me in the bottom