She had let him spoon her as they fell asleep that first night. Let him watch her back. Let him wake her with fluttering kisses to her shoulder and neck. Stretched herself out for him, long and lean and beautiful to see.

“Zoe,” he breathed. His eyes were all a question as she turned to meet his gaze.

“It’s time we got up,” she said instead of the million things that ran through her mind. He nodded and stroked her curls, then allowed her to get up and slip into her discarded robe. He watched her without a word as she tied the sash around her waist and hauled herself up the ladder and out of his bunk.

Breakfast was quieter than usual. Wash barely said a word, which was unusual, and neither did Zoe, which was not. Mal grimly noticed the lack of a grin on Wash’s face and mentioned it as he shoveled egg protein into his mouth.

“Bad night?” he asked the pilot.

Wash’s eyes darted to Zoe, and then back to his plate. “I wouldn’t say that,” he said, a hint of a smile dancing at the corner of his mouth.

Mal looked to Zoe, who shrugged, her expression implacable.

She honestly hadn’t known what to expect from Wash. He seemed surprisingly capable of keeping a confidence, even from Mal. She still didn’t know what to expect when he cornered her, alone in the corridor, after breakfast.

“Is this supposed to be a secret?” he asked her, his countenance openly questioning.

“Do you want it to be?” she asked, avoiding his gaze. He placed his hand on the wall next to her shoulder.

“Yes.” He moved in on her, kissed her on the mouth. With a lingering caress of his hand along her arm, he turned and made his way up to the bridge.

*****

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Simon and Kaylee were nuzzling over egg protein. Mal was still sulking over a problem with Serenity’s secondary converter, which Kaylee had informed him had to be replaced completely between mooning gazes at her doctor. It would be expensive to replace, and business had been slow since they’d made the stand over Miranda. P