Simon walked into his operating room. The sound of crinkling plastic came from underfoot. He lifted his shoe to find a small golden candy wrapper underneath.
"He's been in here, as well, I see." The young doctor clenched his jaw with irritation. He picked up the wrapper and threw it in the waste bin. "All week I have been picking up the wrappers he has been leaving behind."
He glanced at his untencils laid out next to the operating chair. The scalpels, tongs, and everything else had been rearranged into a pile of shiny objects. Among them was another golden wrapper.
"Wait until I get my hands on him." Simon snatched up the wrapper and stormed from the room to the galley.
"Hey, what'cha up to?" Kaylee smiled. She and River were standing over the stove. Swirls of heat curled and ascended from the boiling pot.
Simon looked around the area eagerly. His eyes rested on a handful of golden wrappers where Jayne usually sat.
"Jayne was here, wasn't he?" Simon gathered the merc's remains.
Every few seconds, River stirred the pot with a large wooden spoon.
"Yeah, he was. But he ran offta his room." Kaylee answered. "He said sumthin' bout cleanin' his guns."
Simon narrowed his eyes. He could clearly picture Jayne sitting on his bed with the pieces of his guns lined up around him in neat little rows. His dark brown eyes intent on finding and cleaning every trace of dirt or dust from the tiny crevices. His teeth biting his bottom lip gently as he worked with concentration. "Is that all he does?"
"I dunno" The engineer shrugged.
Doctor Tam left the galley in pursuit of the hired gunman. Picking up golden wrappers along the way, he finally reached the merc's room.
"Jayne" He called angrily as he descended the ladder into the room.
The man in pursuit was laid out on his bed in a sea of golden wrappers. He held a large gun lovingly to his chest.
"Lookin' for sumthin', doc?" Jayne asked gruffly.
"Yes. Why were you in the medical room?"
"Ehh, what makes you think I was there?"
"Because, Jayne, you left this behind." Simon let a wrapper fall from his hand. "And these in the galley" A few more fell. "And these in the corridors." The rest fell from his palm, leaving his hand empty.
"What'cha sayin'?" Jayne swung his feet over the side of his bed and stood up. He was taller than Simon by only a few inches, but much more broader in the shoulders.
"I want to know why you were in the medical room." The doctor wasn't backing down this time.
"I was lookin' to find sumthin'. It wasn't there." The smell of caramel was on his breath. Smooth, sweet, caramel.
"Why don't you pick up your trash?" Simon asked. His eyes, locked momentarily with Jayne's own dark eyes, looked down and traced Jayne's sweet, full, lips. "And don't you know that so much candy can give you cavities?"
Simon could hear the caramel candy clicking on the man's teeth as his tongue tossed it around in his mouth.
"What'cha so worried bout my mouth for when the only mouth ya need to be worryin' over is ya own?" The merc replied defensively.
Simon watched his lips and tongue shape every word. It seemed his eyes were glued to those lips. "What is wrong with my mouth?" He asked.
Jayne took a step closer, closing the tiny gap that was between them. Warmth emanated from their bodies. The scent of vanilla, from the doctor's skin, filled his every being. Inwardly, he sighed happily. Outwardly, he released a trademark grunt. The smell of vanilla overwhelmed him.
Simon reached towards Jayne with both hands and held the sides of his face. He moved quickly, leaning in until his lips tasted the sweet, sugary, taste of caramel on the merc's lips.
It had happened so quickly and ended so fast.
Jayne pulled away as soon as his mind was able to register the kiss.
Simon's face, flushed and embarrassed, also held shock. His hands were frozen, still framing the other man's face. His mind was reeling from what he had just done.
"Please don't kill me." He begged instinctively.
"Don't ever do that again..."Jayne began.
"But it might be better if I die here and now, never ag- "
"At least without a warnin'"
Simon paused. His dark eyes widened. "What?" He rewound Jayne's words and replayed them in his head. "Um...okay." He smiled.
"Okay." Jayne repeated awkwardly.
"So...what do you want me to say? Umm...Look out, Jayne, I'm going to kiss you?"
"Nah, that'll take the fun outta it. Just...just don't take me by surprise like that again." He shifted his weight. "I...I wasn't ready for it. I just wanna be ready for it...next time."
"How about we try again?"
Jayne nodded timidly. He spit out his candy and wrapped his arms around the doctor.
Simon leaned forward again.
"Warning" He muttered breathlessly as he went in for the kiss.
Their lips met. Warmth spread throughout every inch of their bodies.
Simon's tongue explored the taller man's caramel flavored mouth with great passion and curiosity. His fingers ran through Jayne's short dark brown hair and down his back.
Jayne's fingers dung into Simon's back, holding him tighter and even closer. He allowed the vanilla to completely wash over his senses.
Breaking apart, for a few seconds, they opened their eyes to look into the other's face. There were no traces of shame or regret. Only happiness and pleasure.
Jayne smiled. A quiet laugh escaped from the corners of his mouth.
"What?" Simon began a trail of butterfly kisses from his cheek to his neck.
"An' ya worried bout candy." He laughed again.
"Huh?"
"Ya're sweeter than any candy I've eva had." Jayne explained. His voice deep and husky. He raised the doctor's head from his neck and kissed his lips deeply with renewed passion.