It had been two months since the eventful scenes surrounding Kaylee’s twentieth birthday party. By mutual, unspoken consent, Hat and Mal had kept silent as to their budding relationship and assumed that no one else was aware of it. Hat felt embarrassed and thought she would be teased mercilessly if it was common knowledge that the man she was supposed to hate – or at least spar with incessantly – was actually her lover. Mal, for his part, just couldn’t bear the volley of “I told you so”s he knew he’d be on the receiving end of - especially from Inara the instigator of the union. If there was one thing he hated, it was a Companion in the right!

It wasn’t as if their behaviour had changed. Neither of them was of the demonstrative affection sort and they rowed just as much as they ever had – both in public and in private. It just so happened that making up was a whole ‘Verse of fun more than it used to be. The only irritating grit in the oyster was having to sneak back to a cold bed early each morning – something that palled very quickly and made even the very enjoyable element of secrecy that little bit less pleasurable.

Hat’s alarm clock, lodged under her pillow where she knew she’d hear it, went off and she pulled herself out of a wonderful dream where she was wrapped warmly in a bed with Mal, snoring, next to her -only to discover, it wasn’t a dream at all. It was all still new enough to thrill her again each morning – but it was very hard to be that thrilled at 4.45.

“Mal!” she nudged him gently, “Mal!” He made an unidentifiable sound and tightened his grip round her waist, nuzzling at the back of her neck. “*Wei* MAL!” her voice became insistent.

“Wha’?” he mumbled groggily.

“Time to go back to your own bed. Its 4.45.”

“*Tzao gao* You know yer killing me, don’t you?”

“So you wanna tell everyone we’re up to stuff then, do ya? You really want that humiliation?”

“Not really, but . . . Hey! You really think it’d be humiliating for the crew to know you’re sleeping with me?” He s