Simon's Turn Ch 10
(I own nothing!)
"Wha-What?!" My mind was whirring. He read the letter? Of course he read the letter; you dropped it so he would read it.
"Did you mean what you said in the letter?" My face went bright red, well redder than it already was.
"Of course I meant it; otherwise I wouldn't have written it!" I felt hurt, embarrassed, and stupid all at the same time. Why the hell had I written that letter? Simple, because I thought that I would be long gone or dead by the time he read it that's why. I sighed; it was starting to become a habit.
"Well, are you going to throw me off the ship?" He stared at me.
"Now, why would I throw you off the ship?" I stared right back at him confused.
"Why? Well, you obviously don't feel the same! And everything is awkward now that you know."
"Now that I know what?"
"Now that you know I lo-"
"Wait!" I stopped and turned to see Kaylee and River standing, well staggering as Kaylee appeared to be trying to smother my sister, in the doorway. "He doesn't know what the letter says!"
"What?" I was past the land of confusion, had taken a left turn at Albuquerque and was now entering cuckoo town.
"The letter fell in a puddle and blurred the words. He has no clue what it says." River exclaimed still trying to fend off Kaylee.
"RIVER! She was about to tell him!" Kaylee wailed, finally having been dislodged from River.
"You can't get a happy ending by cutting corners. Feelings have to be clear or the magic is lost before midnight." River explained, careful not to let Kaylee become reattached.
"Mal, what the hell is going on?" I turned to look at him.
"Well…"
"Mal." I said my voice stern; he looked at me flashing a sheepish little grin.
"Well, the letter did fall in the puddle, so the lettering was smudged and no one will tell me what it said so I thought I'd ask you." I stared at him. He didn't know. The letter got ruined and now he has no clue what it said. The only things I couldn't figure out was if that was a good thing or not and if I ever wanted him to know what it said.
"Well, why didn't you just say that?"
"It was something you couldn't say to my face if so…"
"So you tried to trick me into telling you."
"If it so important, why didn't you just tell me to my face?"
"Because it's really hard to tell someone that you…very sneaky, Mal, but I'm not telling." I said shoving him out of the infirmary.
(Many hours and pieces of paper later)
"AAAAAARRRHHHHHHH!" Mal groaned. He had been working on the note to see what it said and had come up empty handed.
"Single handedly destroying a forest Mal?" Wash joked.
"No, and don't you have a ship to fly?"
"River's flying at the moment." Wash shrugged.
"Still trying to find out what it says? Though I have to agree with Wash on this one, you're maybe a sheet away from a forest." Book said counting the sheets of paper littering the dining room. Mal ignored the comment.
"I still can't figure it out!"
"He still trying to figure out what that note says?" Jayne asked walking in and skewering an apple on his knife.
"Yep." Mal was beginning to think that his crew needed more to do when Jayne piped up.
"I love you."Mal's head shot up off the table to look at Jayne. Wash and Book sat there slack jawed.
"Uh…"
"Would you two like a moment alone?" Wash asked eyeing Jayne.
"No! That's what the note says. 'I love you'." Jayne said rolling his eyes.
"It fits."
"Wait," Wash looked confused. "How do you know what it says?"
"A girl once gave me a note that said the same thing."
"What happened to her?"
"She turned out to work for the enemy so I shot her." Wash and Book had identical looks of horror.
"I see you haven't seen the wizard about getting a heart yet." Wash snorted when the shock had worn off.
Mal wasn't listening to the impending argument. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts. Simon loved him? And had loved him for some time according to the note.
"But I thought that Mal leaned toward girls. I mean, he flirts with Inara all the time." Jayne grunted.
"Yes, but Simon is no longer male." Book said.
"I'm getting confused." Wash groaned.
"Hey guys." They jumped as Simone waltzed in, her hair fanning out behind her. As she poured herself a cup of tea, Book swept the papers into a pile and into the trash. 'No point in her figuring out we know just yet,' Book thought. 'After all, the Captain is still contemplating.' Book chuckled, well aware of just how right he was.
Mal watched intently as Simone glided about the kitchen. She was very graceful and precise in her movements. And Mal was once again reminded of what this woman was willing to do for those she loved.
"Well?" Mal's head snapped up. Mal groaned. He probably should have been paying attention. Think fast.
I watched as Mal stared at me.
"Hello, not a hard question."
"I'm sorry I was elsewhere what?" I rolled my eyes.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" I said enunciating each word obnoxiously. It was his turn to roll his eyes.
"Yes, please."
I began to make a cup of tea for him when Inara swept in.
" I have job for you."