I do not own or have any rights to Firefly and will make no profit from this story. I just like to play with the characters sometimes.

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"Doc, quick!" Zoe shouted, half dragging and half carrying Mal into the infirmary. The young doctor came running from the room to help her get Mal inside and lift him onto the exam table.

"What happened?" He asked quickly assessing the situation, not seeing any visible signs of injury. "I don't know, we were sittin' there waitin' on the drop and he kinda' yelped, said he got stung by something on his leg, then a few minutes later he just passed out."

Simon quickly ripped Mal's pant leg open to find the wound. On the soft flesh of his inner thigh of his right leg, there was an angry red welt and there in the center was a puncture.

"It's some kind of poison. He's burning up, we have to get his fever down." Simon told her as he quickly grabbed a cooling blanket to drape over the captain.

Zoe, not knowing what else to do, wet a rag to dab his forehead.

Simon then took a blood sample so he could figure out what kind of poison they were dealing with.

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"How is he?" Kaylee asked in a quiet voice, slightly startling Simon.

He turned to see her standing in the doorway, a plate of food in her hands.

With a small smile he turned back to the task of adjusting the cooling blanket and putting a fresh towel on Mal's forehead.

"It'll take a few days, but he will be alright." Kaylee came further into the room, her eyes never leaving the captain.

"He's so pale." She whispered. Simon turned back to her, taking the plate she had brought him for dinner and setting it on the counter.

"Kaylee," He said, taking her hand causing her to look into his eyes. "He will be fine. I had the right medicine and Zoe got him back here in time. There's no need to worry."

She looked a little more at ease as he comforted her. "Ok, I'll try not to 's just hard, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to the captain."

Simon pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tightly. "Trust me, I know what you mean." He whispered, thinking over the events that had led him and River from Persephone to this moment.

"You should go get some sleep, come back in the morning. There isn't anything else you can do for him tonight." Simon told her as he pulled away, letting her go.

Kaylee brushed at a tear on her cheek and gave him a shaky smile. "Are those doctor's orders?" She asked trying to lighten the mood. "Yeah, doctor's orders." He told her with a lopsided grin. "K' night doc." She told him as she left the room.

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Simon was looking over a new set of blood results on the captain.

It had been two days since Zoe had brought Mal back to the ship but his fever was still holding strong. If the fever didn't come down in the next day or so, Simon knew that Mal would be in serious trouble.

"Wha, no!" Simon jumped at the sudden outburst from the captain. In the man's fever induced delirium he would occasionally yell out in his sleep. "Gorram ruttin' Alliance!" Mal mumbled. Simon just shook his head and went back to looking over the results in front of him.

The night was wearing on, everyone but the doctor was in bed, fast sleep. The ship was dark and quiet. Simon had switched his focus back to his scans and tests on River and the lack of progress was getting frustrating.

"Arg!" Simon barked as he banged his head down on the counter in front of him. Slamming it down a few times for good measure then sitting up to rub the aching flesh. He could feel tears burning behind his lids as despair set in.

Even though he was a surgical genius, his sister was damaged and there was nothing he could do for her. And now, once again he was proving just as worthless when it came to his captain. Lying there on his table, burning up with fever was the man he had secretly fallen in love with and there was nothing he could do to fix him.

"Oh Mal" He whispered as the tears scalded down his cheeks. He went over to the older man and stood gazing at him for a moment. "I love you Mal." He whispered, then sighed.

After adjusting his blanket Simon turned back to the counter, leaning his hands against it and hanging his head in defeat.

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The hot hand on his shoulder startled him.

He jumped and tried to turn but a hot body pressed him against the cool metal counter in front of him. Two arms came up around him, pulling his lower half tight against his captor's. Simon could feel a hard bulge against his butt and moaned softly.

Hands caressed his chest, pulling hastily at the buttons on his shirt before finally ripping it open in frustration. The sharp ting of buttons hitting the metal echoed in his ears as a hot mouth descended on his neck. His spine tingled at the thought of a man's hands roaming his skin after so long. His head tipped aside to allow the hot mouth on his skin better access.

A hand was suddenly cupping his aching cock, shattering the moment. His eyes popped open and he began to struggle against the arms around him.

"Wha, who ?" He stuttered out. "Hush baby, quit squirmin'." He heard Mal's rough whisper in his ear. He gasped as the shock wore off and he relaxed against his captain. His arm twisting behind him and around Mal's neck, turning his head far enough to fuse their lips together. Both men groaned as their tongues twisted together.

Mal was distracted enough by Simon's hot mouth that the young doctor was finally able to turn around. One arm went around Mal's neck and the other around his hip, grabbing a handful of his firm butt, pulling him as close as possible.

Simon whimpered in frustration. His body burning in annoyance at not being able to get closer. Mal yanked Simon's shirt down his arms trying to get to the soft skin underneath. "Oh god Mal!" Simon whimpered as he pulled his mouth away to breath.

Mal's mouth fell back to his neck. "Oh Mal, fuck" He hissed when he felt Mal's teeth nip sharply on his pulse point. "We should stop, you're sick." Simon panted trying to regain some control, but it vanished as Mal's hand found its way into his pants, squeezing his throbbing cock.

Simon's eyes crossed at finally feeling the pleasure of Mal on his most sensitive flesh, it had been almost a year since he had a lover and now that he was with the man he wanted most, he felt ready to explode.

"Mal, wait, we have to stop." But his words were met with more defiance as the hand around his shaft tightened and slowly stroked him. Simon gasped and laughed lightly. "Ok, you win." He whispered, grabbing a handful of hair and pulling Mal's face back up to kiss him again.

The two men started stumbling back toward the bed. Simon pushed the top of Mal's soft sweatpants down making them fall off a moment before Mal bumped against the table and thumped onto his butt.

Simon stood before him panting hard, his ruined shirt slipped off his arms, his eyes were half lidded as the gleamed with lust and excitement. Mal looked up coyly as he reached forward to unbuckle Simon's belt, then used the end to pull the younger man closer.

"I've wanted you so long." Mal whispered, his tongue flicking out to lick his naval. Simon groaned as he grabbed Mal's head, tipping it back for a deep kiss. "Me too Mal, I want you." He moaned as Mal pushed him away and yanked the belt completely out of the loops.

A moment later his pants were pooled around his feet and he could feel Mal's hot breathe on the tip of his aching cock. "Suck it Mal, oh god, please." He begged. After a slow gentle lick to the tip of his cock, it was surrounded by Mal's hot wet mouth, eagerly sucking him in.

Simon could feel his knees buckle and reached out, grabbing a handful of Mal's shirt to help hold himself up. His eyes crossed and he shouted out quietly.

He'd had lovers before, but the exquisite feelings Mal was building in him were like nothing he'd ever felt before.

His other hand grabbed Mal's other shoulder, squeezing to keep himself upright and keep control.

"Oh god, oh fuck, Mal, oh yeah baby, oh Mal, harder!" Simon cried and whimpered against his lover's hair as he could feel his balls tightening already. Mal's enthusiasm and Simon's own desire made it impossible to resist sharing his climax which was only strokes away.

Mal could feel Simon trembling and suddenly sucked harder and stroked faster, hoping to push him over the edge, which it did.

"Malllllllll!" Simon cried throwing his head back and gasping as his hot cum spurted into Mal's mouth. Mal continued to suck him gently as he went limp and the tremors subsided, his hands running across the doctors back.

Simon sighed in pleasure, tipping Mal's face up and meeting their lips. He could still taste his salty cum in Mal's mouth. Simon finally pulled away, kicking off his pants as he went to retrieve something from a drawer before coming back to the bed.

He gently pushed Mal back and climbed up next to him, nuzzling into Mal's neck and kissing him deeply. "Thank you Mal, I really needed that. From you. Now it's your turn." He whispered, before pressing the small tube into Mal's palm and turning over, pressing his backside into Mal's crotch.

He felt Mal's cock twitch against his flesh and he began to shiver in anticipation. He felt Mal's cool, wet cock nudge against his hole and clenched his eyes shut, waiting for the first moment of pain.

"Relax baby." Mal uttered against his neck as he licked and kissed his young lover. One hand tweaking his nipples, the other caressing lower until he was stroking Simon's rehardening cock.

"Just relax bao bay, I'm gunna' slide into you, so smooth." He whispered, gently biting Simon's ear lobe. All Simon could do was gasp and writhe in pleasure under Mal's affection. "You won't be able to hold on long once I'm inside of you, touchin' places no one else ever has. Milkin' each drop outta' you." Simon whimpered at the promise of pleasure to come.

With that Mal slammed his hips forward, impaling Simon on his cock. Simon cried out at the sudden invasion, his body not reacting until Mal was seated balls deep in him. Simon's tight asshole clenched down, making both men cry out together.

Mal continued to work his lover's cock until his body relaxed again and he could thrust his own desperate cock into the other man. "I'm gunna' fuck you so gorram good boy." Mal whispered thrusting hard into Simon.

For a few moments both men could only whimper and cry out at the exquisite pain and pleasure of being joined. "Harder Mal, fuck me harder, I'm almost there." Simon called out, his arm bent behind him to hold onto Mal, his other hand joined Mal's to stroke his cock. Both of their bodies were strained, stretching their muscles to maximize the pleasure.

As Simon's second orgasm hit, he clenched his ass again, squeezing Mal almost to the point of pain. Mal's eyes crossed as his hot cum shot into the younger man's tight asshole. "OH gorram." Mal panted before collapsing on to his back, slightly rolling away from Simon. Simon turned over to lay his head on Mal's chest.

After a few moments Simon propped himself up and looked at Mal clearly for the first time since they had touched. Their eyes locked for a moment and Simon's heart sank to his toes, breaking in the process.

In the captain's eyes all he could see was fever. Mal was still delirious.

Mal's eyes slowly shut and his breathing evened out as he fell deeply asleep.

Tears once again burning his eyes, Simon rolled off the bed and pulled his clothes back on. He wrestled Mal back into his pants then wet a towel to give him a quick sponge bath, before recovering him with the cooling blanket and checking his vital signs.

When he was done he made sure everything was in place before heading to his own quarters. Sitting under the hot spray of the shower he broke down, sobbing his heart out.

He knew he is in love with Mal. The experience they had just shared had burned the memory of any other lover's touch from his mind. He had touched Heaven. He had held a whisper of a future of pleasure. Then found it all to be a lie. Mal hadn't really touched him, hadn't really wanted him. In his delirium he had sought comfort in the only form nearby and willing.

It took awhile but Simon was finally able to calm down and compose himself. He redressed and went to check on his patient one more time before he finally went to bed. Falling asleep wasn't easy.

As he began to nod off he would feel the echoed whisper of a caress against his stomach or spine, a hot pressure on his neck, the tickle of hair against his cheek. And he would be wide awake again, his heart, and cock, throbbing, as disappointment, heartbreak, and shame set in.

Shortly before the crew starting stirring, he finally fell asleep.

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"There ya'r sleepy head!" Kaylee's chipper voice called out, as Simon stumbled into the infirmary, yawning. He opened his eyes to see the entire crew spread around the room.

In the center of the room, Mal sat up in his bed, wide awake. Simon's breathe caught and his heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked. He felt a small wave of despair as the same eyes looked back at him that had every day since they met.

"I thought I should wake you up, but you've been workin' so hard lately and when I peeked in you looked like you could use the rest." Kaylee said as she moved from her perch on the captain's bed so Simon could check on him.

"Thanks" He mumbled as he checked the display next to Mal's bed. Mal and the crew were all chatting but the noise faded as his skin tingled at his captain's nearness. Simon's eyes fluttered closed as he took in a deep breath through his nose, and then held it for a moment before exhaling.

"You alright doc?" A voice broke through the haze. He opened his eyes, turning his head to see Mal looking back at him with some concern. "Yeah, fine, just tired." He asked turning back to the display.

"How are you feeling Captain?" He asked trying to return to doctor/patient rolls. "Well doc, I don't know what you been doin' to me, but I ain't never woke up feelin' so good in my life." Simon wanted to laugh at that, remembering exactly how the captain had become so exhausted that he'd woke up feeling so rested.

"Good to hear Captain, everything looks good, returning to normal. One more day of rest and I'll declare you well again." Simon said only briefly looking at Mal.

The crew cheered as he backed away from the group, not knowing how to act and not having the energy to pretend. Kaylee jumped up and threw her arms around him.

"Thanks doc, you're amazin'." She said as she hugged him, then kissed his cheek. Slowly she pulled back, her eyes flickering from his eyes to his lips. She leaned in to kiss him and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

"No Kaylee, I can't." A strangled whimper came out as he pushed her away. He ran to his room, straight to the toilet and threw up. He wiped his mouth and barley managed to crawl over to his bunk.

A few minutes later Zoe stepped into the room with a glass of water. "Geez Doc, you getting' sick?" She asked, setting the water down and helping up to sit on his bunk. "I don't know. I'm really tired. It's been a few long nights here and now that Ma, the captains feelin' better it's kind of a load off my mind."

Zoe smiled at his slip but didn't say anything. "Here doc, you said yourself, everything is fine now. We can look after him, you get some rest." Zoe told him, handing him the water, then pulling the shot gun out.

"Sedative?" She asked looking down at the vial of green liquid. "Yeah, thanks. You know where the antidote is right? Just in case?" Zoe nodded sticking him in the neck, Simon hissed at the sharp pain. "We got it doc, you just get better now, can't be lettin' your health go. Who'd fix ya' up?" Zoe asked with a wry smile. Simon managed a half grin for her.

When Zoe stepped back to refill his water for him, he looked across the hall. Mal was laughing at something Kaylee said. His heart soared and ached as he watched the captain while sleep settled in.

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Simon walked into the quite kitchen to make himself a snack. He hadn't woken up till after the crew was already asleep, missing dinner, and when he'd gone by the infirmary had been empty.

Of course Mal hadn't held to his wishes that he stay for one more night. But he supposed the Captain would be closer to Zoe in his own bunk.

Sighing Simon filled the tea pot. His head hung between his arms resting against the edge of the counter as he waited for it to boil.

The hot hand on his shoulder startled him.

He jumped and tried to turn but a hot body pressed him against the cool metal counter in front of him. "You alright doc?" He heard Mal's sweet voice. Simon wanted to cry. To break down and bawl right there.

"Doc?" He asked again. "Fine Captain. You should be resting." Mal pulled away and leaned against the counter next to Simon so they could see each other's face. "Couldn't sleep, woke up feelin' too good earlier, haven't gotten tired yet." Mal said looking around the galley.

"Besides, this is the longest I've been away from my girl for awhile." Simon felt a tear in his eye. He thought there was an attraction between Mal and Inara. "And where is Inara tonight?" Simon asked bitterly. Mal's eyes snapped back to Simon. "The ship Doc. I'm talkin' about Serenity." Simon felt a little ashamed and wouldn't meet Mal's eyes, going about making his tea.

"You ran out awful quick earlier. You feelin' alright? Maybe, feelin' regretful bout somethin'?" Simon was stunned by the odd question. "Huh?" He asked in a moment of complete ineloquence. Mal shook his head, uncrossing his arms and pushing off the counter. "Never mind doc, it's late, we both need some rest. See you in the morning."

Mal shifted awkwardly like he wanted to say something, he took a step then stopped looking at Simon. The younger man finally met his eyes but neither man spoke. As Simon watched him it was almost as if something clicked into place in Mal's head. Suddenly Mal's hands where like metal bands around his biceps, pushing him back into the counter, Mal's mouth suddenly on his.

Hot and desperate, his tongue pushed into Simon's mouth. One of Mal's hands was in his hair, the other pulling their hips together. Both men whimpered desperately.

Simon wrapped his arms around Mal hugging him tightly. The kiss was passionate, seeking, comforting and desperate as the men clung to each other, grinding together.

Something about their embrace made it impossible for either man to hold back and soon they were both moaning in completion into the kiss.

"It wasn't a dream." Mal whispered as he buried his face into the crook of Simon's neck. "I was so scared it was a dream." Simon was utterly speechless at Mal's words and the emotion in them. "Say somethin' doc." Mal whispered.

Simon could feel his lover stiffen in his arms. "No Mal, it wasn't a dream, it was real." Simon said putting a hand on his captain's cheek, pulling his face back to meet his eyes. "Mal." He whispered before kissing him deeply.

"Stay with me tonight doc?" Mal asked breathlessly when the kiss ended. "Of course I will." Simon breathed out, rubbing his nose against Mal's. Mal's sigh of contentment made Simon's heart sing. The pain melted away as Mal held him, until only love remained.

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They lay wrapped in each others arms, naked, sweaty and trembling. Both men were sated, content and overjoyed to be together. Sleep was easily claiming the young doctor this night. Just as he was falling asleep he heard his lover whisper into his neck. "I love you too Simon." A smile bloomed on his face as he tried to cuddle even closer to his lover. "Love you Mal." His last thought was of the fluttering of Mal's lips on his neck as they both fell asleep.