A/N - It's slash, so don't read if you don't like. A tad OOC, too, but it's just a fluffy little fic I wrote during a Chem class (yeh, radiation is boooring). Thanks Lvs2read for bata-reading!

The dingy bar was unusually crowded. Every single table was occupied, and more than a few customers were standing by the walls. Hundreds of empty bottles and glasses covered almost every available surface, and thick clouds of smoke floated up to the ceiling.

In a corner, as far away from the pounding music as possible, sat three people, one of whom was Zoe. She was calmly holding her wine-glass in both hands, her curly hair pulled back into a rough bun at the base of her neck. If one looked closely enough, they would see that a barely-noticeable smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a knowing little smile that was only emphasized by the merry twinkle in her dark eyes. To her right sat Mal, one hand loosely on the butt of his gun, the other holding a glass. The flashing lights reflected off the brown-red drink, making it even more blood-like. His eyes wandered, passing, uninterested, over the girls swaying on the dance floor and the group of rowdy youngsters shouting something, lingering suspiciously on the half-dozen drunk soldiers a few tables away. Sighing, the Captain returned his attention to the young man sitting next to him.

Simon was giddy from the loudness of the music and the alcohol. He never could hold his liquor, not as well as Mal and Jayne, anyway, and thought that that last tequila had perhaps been a mistake. Nonetheless, he felt unusually carefree, as though all his cares had been lifted, if only for a little while. He adored River, but sometimes he couldn't help feeling that he needed a little break, a few hours of freedom from all the responsibilities and duties.

He felt gentle fingers brush his hand; a tiny, precious gesture he and Mal liked to share in public. He smiled a little, feeling like he was falling in love with Mal all over again. He loved the older man with every fiber, every