Based on: "Nine in the afternoon" by Panic! At the Disco

Summary: Mal and River are alone on the ship and they spend time together in the cargo bay.

"It's nine in the afternoon," she stated from her place behind Mal. He turned around to look at her after setting his mug down.

"What was that, little one?"

"The moon has eleven phases on this planet. It's at its ninth and it's the afternoon."

"That's real interestin'. How's it got the different phases durin' the day? I thought moons only came out a night."

"The moon's surface has a special mineral in the soil. It makes it reflect the sunlight and since their orbits don't interfere with one another, it's always visible from the angle the light hits and reflects off of the surface."

He looked at her, once again astounded.

"You're one sharp person. Anyone ever tell you that?" he asked. She blushed.

"On the rare occasion."

She looked around and then her gaze fell back on him. "Will you come with me?" She extended her hand. He took it.

"Where are you takin' me?" he asked as they started to leave the galley.

"Can't feel the breeze here, Captain."

He shook his head with a sigh and decided to just go with it. They ended up in the cargo bay. She opened the door and was greeted by a warm breeze.

"This planet reminds me of Persephone," she commented.

"It has its similarities I s'ppose."

"That's where it all began. Persephone and then this room."

He recalled seeing her curled up in the cryo box. He was less than happy about her presence on his ship then, but now he that was the day that changed his life forever…and hers.

"I have a case of nostalgia."

She hopped up on a crate and he joined her.

"So much has happened in this room. You've been shot, shot people, met me…"

"I met you here? Really? I don't remember," he teased. She shoved him.

"As best I recall it, you were in a crate and naked."

"You've been naked here too you know."

He turned pink. "You remember that?"

"It's a bit hard to forget."

They laughed. She put her head on his shoulder. He instinctively put his arm around her. She sighed and then a few minutes later, hopped back down. He already missed her warmth. She wandered over to the weight bench, picking up what looked like a journal.

"Jayne's journal. He left it out after rushing after Zoe to go to the bar. Should I?" she asked mischievously opening the cover.

"We shouldn't. Wait, Jayne has a journal?"

She ignored the question, set the journal back down, and then walked over to him. She took his hand and pulled him down off of the crate and into her arms.

"Dance."

"Huh?"

"Dance."

"But I'm not…I don't know anything-"

She set her head on his chest. He held her despite himself and slowly swayed. Hardly any formal dance, but it was movement.

"It's the end of history as we know…it's just the end of the world…" she said into his shirt.

He just smiled. He loved her babble. It was like the lyrics to some song. He twirled her once, quickly drawing her back into his arms again. She laughed and then suddenly became pensive, looking over at the journal again like it said something to her. Probably did, he mused.

"Do you think I can love?"

The question caught him off guard.

"Yes."

"Do you think that I could?"

"Ain't that the same question?"

She shook her head. "Can means the ability to. Could means that I might."

"What do you think?"

"Yes."

"Then you could. You can do…you could do whatever you believe, darlin'."

"Love keeps her flyin' when she oughta fall down."

He smiled.

"You keep her flyin' when she oughta fall down…" she rephrased.

"Is that what she tells you?" he asked.

"Yes."

They looked at each other, both aware that they weren't talking about Serenity.

"It could be…it should…" River whispered. He was lost in those big brown eyes. He reached down, barely feeling her cheek with his hand.

"I know that you feel it to…" she murmured. He couldn't argue that. He knew that they were alone, but he was sure that Simon would come bounding in just in time to punch him or Shepherd's ghost would float in and give him the "Special Hell" speech again.

"It's nine in the afternoon. The moon is full at this time."

He grinned. "Is it now?"

She nodded and motioned towards the open door. There was a large orb in the sky that had the same brightness, shape, size as River's eyes. He didn't realize it, but he had blurted it out.

"Your eyes are the size of the moon."

She laughed when a flush covered his cheeks. She tugged on his shirt, pulling him down to her lips. He could have stopped it, but he didn't. Instead, he met them with a fiery passion he thought that he had long since lost.

"You could, 'cause you can, so you do…" she breathed onto his lips.

"Oddly that sorta made sense to me," he laughed.

She gave him a small smile that widened when he bent down and kissed her again. They pulled apart. She looked pensive again, a small frown on those sweet, tasty, kissable lips.

"We aren't unique anymore."

"Why not?" he asked.

"We were the only two people on this ship that weren't together."

"But Zoe-"

"Is with Jayne…sort of. I've seen it and it's in his journal. He lives up to his girly name."

"WHAT?"

"It's a long story that involves alcohol."

"I can't believe…but they-"

She kissed him again to shut him up. They pulled apart. Her lips just melted it all away. I'll deal with them later, he figured.

"You know…" he began holding her tighter. "Sometimes you just have to conform."

"I didn't know it could feel so good to conform."

"Me neither," he agreed. "It seems right that we're here."

"Why?" River asked.

"This is the room where it all began."

She held onto him tighter with a contented smile.

We're feeling so good, just the way that we do when it's nine in the afternoon.

The end

Thanks for reading! Feedback is more than welcome!