Bedlam Part 1

By Kaynara

He lifted his face from the black of her hair. Pressing his lips into the crook of her neck, he inhaled her scent, took her in until he thought he couldn’t take any more. He tugged her on top of him, felt her knees lock around his hips as her hair fell forward, heavy, fragrant, curtaining his face, cloaking them both. Secrecy. Safety. Serenity. He found himself reaching, pushing the thin gauze of her nightgown up over her hips. When his fingers skimmed the sides of her breasts, she raised her arms in the air, let him lift the material over her head. He felt paralyzed, halted by the beauty of her. Then she took his hands, placed them over her chest.

“Mal. Ren ci de Fo zu.”

He needed to feel her beneath him then, so he rolled them both, pressing her down into the mattress. He didn’t remember taking his clothes off but he must have because he was pushing down on her, pushing against her. He met her eyes, asking for permission none of the others sought. She gave it without moving her lips. And then, for the first time in what felt like forever, he was whole.

Then he felt the rough texture of an army blanket against his cheek and a fierce achin’ in his nether-regions. He woke, like always, alone. Wincing, he hoisted himself up on one arm, looked down at the pillow he was clutchin’ under him like the teddy bear from porn land. He glanced around his bunk, taking in the bare walls, the empty space.

“Every gorram’ night!” he muttered. Groaning, Mal rolled on to his back to stare at the ceiling for another six hours, ‘fore it was time to get up.

***

Kaylee was dreaming. The air pressed cool and dark against her skin but everything else was warm and light. Simon was warm. She stretched her arms up around his torso, glided her hands down his back. She arched her body up, feeling the hair on his legs brush the smooth insides of her thighs. She loved that he was shirtless, loved it more because she was the one wearing his shirt.

“Doctor?” she murm