Chapter 4- Everyone has someone
Summary: She has him, he has her
Warning! This chapter is rated T—M

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Simon ran down the steps with a frantic Kaylee following closely behind. Mal turned around with a bored expression on his face. He stepped in front of River protectively although he knew that she wasn't in danger.

"Calm down doc," he sighed.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN? YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?" Simon scoffed.

"Say it one more time. I don't think you captured how you really feel 'bout it," Mal replied sarcastically.

"She's a girl! A mentally traumatized teenage girl!"

"Yeah. I know."

Simon swung at him, but he was anticipating it and easily dodged the blow.

"SIMON!" River and Kaylee shouted in unison.

"You are not to touch or even look at my sister again!"

Mal folded his arms. "I'm not gonna stop bein' with her. Not for you or anyone."

"Honey, try to-" Kaylee attempted.

"You are the worst possible man for my sister!"

"What about Jayne?" River asked.

"Second worst possible man!" Simon corrected.

"I know I'm not some young smart rich fella that you would of picked for her, but I love her and I'm gonna do right by her."

Kaylee squealed in delight. "You love her, Cap'in?"

"Yes. I love her."

"I love him too," River added.

Simon sputtered for a moment. "Love? You're in love with each other?"

They nodded.

"When? How?" he asked.

"Sweetie, you're blind. They've been. They are. It don't matter how, although I'm hopin' to find out…" Kaylee winked at River.

"I'm not askin' you to like this, but I'm askin' you to accept it," Mal said plainly.

"If you don't, I will beat you up again and then he'll chuck you out of the airlock. It is his boat," River added with emphasis.

Kaylee took that as her cue to lead Simon away again and attempt to calm him down.

"That went well," Mal said happily.

"Well? He tried to punch you!"

"Tried. That's why it went well! My pretty face is still intact."

She rolled her eyes, but didn't disagree. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good luck on the job. Make sure to avoid getting hurt."

"I love how worried you get 'bout me," he grinned.

"That's part of it. The other part is that I don't believe that Simon will help you if you're injured. I'll see you later."

He frowned. He hadn't thought of that.

****

The job went smoothly. The hardest part of the day was dinner. Between Jayne's awkward comments, Simon's glaring, Wash's teasing, and Inara's reserved brokenhearted manner, it was the most uncomfortable thing they had ever endured and that was saying something.

"I hope dinner isn't like that every night," River groaned once they reached her room.

"If it is, I say we start eatin' alone."

She laughed. "I think that they'll get used to the idea of us. You did."

He smirked at her while taking his boots off.

"Jayne thinks you've gone crazy."

"Maybehaps I have, but this boat needs some more crazy."

"I think not. I'm enough."

"Aw come on! Bein' crazy is better in pairs. Besides, you're gettin' better. Someone has to fill in. I don't think I could take a normal ship."

"Fine. But when there's a mutiny…"

"Some faith in me you have."

She kissed him on the cheek and started to change into her nightgown. He shut his eyes quickly and turned towards the opposite wall. She giggled.

"You don't have to do that," she said as her fingers trailed across his shoulders. "You can look now," she added in a whisper.

They climbed into bed. She tucked herself in between his arm and side. He gave her a quick kiss and muttered "G'night."

He fell asleep almost instantly. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. Some nights when she'd wake up alone long ago, he'd always be awake in his bunk unable to even relax. He'd have nightmares too. Sometimes she'd overhear them. The explosions. The gunfire. The screams. They were gone now and all she could hear was his deep breathing. She was glad that she could bring him the same comfort he brought her.

She lightly ran her hand down the side of his face and down to his chin. She paused for a moment to run her thumb across the dimple there and then she continued around the other side. He stirred a bit in his sleep. She traced his features with light fingertips finally trailing her thumb across his lips. He grunted like he usually did if she woke him. She grinned and kissed him gently.

"Best way I've ever been woken up," he grumbled sleepily.

She kissed him again, only this time harder. Her lips strayed from his, wandering across his jaw and chin. They moved down his throat and across his neck, sending pleasant chills down his spine. She kissed the top of his chest after she undid one button. Then he stopped her.

"Whoa there darlin'. What happened to takin' it nice 'n slow-like?" he asked while carefully prying her soft little hands off of his shirt.

"It's been slow enough."

"No it hasn't."

She gave him her best "I'm finding you comically idiotic right now" look.

"I don't wanna go too fast is all. You know that I love you and you know that I'm yours, but I'd feel like I was takin' advantage if we were to…you know…this soon in our relationship."

"Don't worry, Captain. If anyone is going to take advantage it's going to be me."

"Really?" he smirked.

She grinned wickedly with a smoldering look in her eyes. "Would you like to find out?"

"You know I do but-"

The rest of his sentence was swallowed by her mouth and then stifled by her quick tongue. He kissed back, already forgetting what he was going to say. He figured that he was going to hell anyway, might as well enjoy sinning while he was still alive.

She pulled away to resume unbuttoning his shirt. She worked her way down the row, leaving a lingering kiss on the skin she had just uncovered.

She finally got the last one undone and swiftly returned her mouth to his, slipping the shirt off of his shoulders and tossing it to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her, effectively pulling her closer. Somehow he managed to pull the nightgown over her head even though her lips and arms never left his flesh for even a second.

He let his hands roam her bare back while he left a trail of kisses across her collarbone up to her jaw. Her hair fell down his shoulders as he flicked his tongue across the nape of her neck.

They shed the rest of their clothes, adding them to the growing pile on the floor beside his boots.

He gingerly picked her up at the waist and flipped them over. She shuddered at his delicate touch. His rough hand slid up her cafe at a snail's pace while the other rested on her hip. She pulled him down to her mouth once more. He broke the kiss to lick and kiss his way down her throat all of the way down to her navel and back up again. She tugged on his hair, biting her lip to stifle a moan when he found a particularly sensitive spot on her abdomen with his tongue. He returned his lips to hers.

She groaned into his mouth, matching his rhythm, and holding onto his sweat covered body. She balled her fists and buried her face into his shoulder so she wouldn't dig her fingernails into his flesh and so her cry wouldn't be heard. Her back arched as she went over the edge. He followed shortly thereafter and nuzzled his face into her neck, attempting to catch his breath.

He wrapped his arms around her once again picking her up and flipping them over so she could rest on his chest. She curled up across him with her head lying on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead and brushed her hair neatly back behind her ear.

"I'm so in love with you," he grinned.

"Not as much as I am with you," she slyly smiled.

Her hand mindlessly stroked his bare chest. She liked cuddling better without the shirt. She could feel his heartbeat easier that way.

Everyone has someone. Kaylee and Simon. The blonde and his wife. Jayne and his guns. Shepherd and his God. Inara and her clients. And now, she had Mal. And he had her. There was no doubt about it.

"G'night River," he whispered, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight…Mal."

He beamed. "It was about gorram time you called me by name!"

"I said goodnight Mal," she teased.

He laughed. "G'night sweetheart."

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The end

I'd like to say thank you to all of you who reviewed, faved, and subscribed to the story alerts for this story. It means a lot to me so thank you! Sorry to leave a cliff hanger like that and take this long to update (I had to meet my boyfriend's extended family) but I hope it was worth the wait.

Should there be a sequel? If so should Inara stay or go? Please let me know! I love you all thank you so much for sticking with it until the end!