For the entire day after Mal and Inara walked back on board Serenity, very late – or possibly very early – after their dinner date Kaylee had kept quiet. She knew Inara had cooked breakfast: up early herself she came across the Companion …ex-Companion putting the last of the plates away. At least she assumed Inara had cooked. Mal wasn't known to willingly pick up a frying pan.

Kaylee had gone to speak, but Inara just smiled at her, closed the cupboard door and headed back to her shuttle. The mechanic noticed that the hem of her dress was stained, and her feet were bare. 'Nara never walked in bare feet …

Lunch had come and gone, then dinner, and still no mention was made by anyone about the date the night before. Laughter, some risqué jokes – mainly from Jayne – and halfway decent food made for a good mood that lingered after everyone headed for bed.

Most headed for bed. Kaylee took her time, shooing Simon downstairs to his room and promising to be there soon, making work in the galley until she was alone with Mal. She knew he'd be the last one out, doing his rounds as he called it, before turning all the lights off and going to bed.

She could tell he was looking at her, a slightly amused slant to his lips as she tidied the few pots of herbs they'd managed to obtain.

"Well, figure I'll be off to my blankets," he said at last, standing up and pushing his chair back. "'Less there's something you wanna say to me."

She turned, glaring at him as she crossed her arms. "Well?"

He copied her. "Well … what?"

"How did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"The date!"

He managed to look confused. "You mean me and Inara?"

"Course I do!"

"We went out. Basically, that's it. Don't think there's anything else to tell."

"And?"

"And what?"

"What happened?"

The smile that had threatened to blossom finally did. "We had a nice time. That's all."

"I don't believe that."

"Okay. Don't. But it's all you're gonna get from me."

"Cap'n –"

"What happened – if anything happened – is between 'Nara and me. Dong mah?"

They stared at each other for a full twenty seconds.

"Cap'n, I love you, but you can be damn annoying sometimes!"

"Only sometimes, mei-mei? Guess I'd better try harder." He winked at her and walked away, back to his bunk. Not the shuttle, she noticed.

And now she was lying in bed, Simon snoring softly next to her, and she couldn't sleep.

Oh, they'd had a good time, that was obvious. And no-one said anything in case they broke the spell, caused whatever was going on to … well, stop going on. But it itched, like a healing wound, and she desperately wanted to pick the scab off it. 'Cept that might leave a scar, and there were enough of them around Serenity at the best of times.

She sighed. Then again, louder, only Simon didn't take the hint.

"You're no help," she muttered, sliding along to the end of the bed so she could get up. Being always the gentleman, Simon slept on the outside, but it made it difficult when she needed to get up to pee or something. Still, he'd gotten used to her occasional night-time meanderings, so he didn't wake.

Dragging on her robe she slid the door open, looking back once more just to see if he'd noticed, but he just rolled over into the warm space and snuggled down.

"Men." Kaylee shook her head and went silently up the stairs to the galley in the hope that a snack might help her sleep.

Someone else had a similar idea. Jayne was sitting at the table, his great boots on the wood, chair tipped at an unnatural angle. His hand was going rhythmically between a bag of protein crackers and his mouth, and for a moment Kaylee became fascinated by the movement.

"Can't sleep?" he asked at last, the motion stilled.

"Nope." She shook her head and hurried behind the counter.

"Too much sex?"

"'N' if it was you do you think I'd tell you?"

"Well, you were busting to ask the Cap and Inara if they'd got sweaty."

She glared at the back of his neck. "Just 'cause you tell all and sundry about your exploits don't mean everyone else is the same."

He glanced over his shoulder towards her. "He wouldn't 'fess up, huh?"

The glare intensified until he should have burst into flames, but he just smirked at her.

"No," she admitted.

The chair thudded to the ground and the big man stood up, stretching. He seemed to fill the room when he did that, as did the undefinable odour of Jayne.

"Ya wanna keep out of it," he said, yawning hugely.

"They're family."

"Don't mean you got the right."

"I just wanted to know!"

Jayne scratched his chest and hitched his pants a little higher. "Figure you oughtta leave 'em to it, Kaylee-girl. If Inara don't say anything either then she ain't gonna like you meddling where you ain't wanted. 'Sides, they're friendly. Didn't see 'em biting the heads off chickens, didya?"

"No, but –"

"Then no buts." He picked up his crackers. "Give it time. Either they'll end up spending a week getting groiny, or one of 'em'll shoot the other. Nothing we can go about it, 'cept wait and enjoy the show."

"Jayne, you're horrible."

"Yeah." He grinned. "But I ain't the one likely to get my nose bit off when I poke it somewhere." He ambled out of the galley.

Kaylee stood with her hands on her hips. Wasn't anyone interested? Didn't anyone feel the same need to know as she did? Didn't anyone else care?

"Xiong can wang ba dan de biao zi," she murmured.

"Sweetie, should you be saying things like that in the middle of the night?"

Kaylee jerked her head up. "'Nara."

The older woman smiled. "I couldn't sleep, so I thought a cup of tea might help. Join me?"

"Shiny."

Kaylee sat down, drawing the chair closer to the table, watching her friend's actions. Inara was so graceful there wasn't one movement out of place as she boiled the water, took bags from one of the drawers and brewed the tea. They didn't speak until she brought the cups over.

Sitting down and cradling her hands around the rough china, she smiled at Kaylee. "Well."

"Well."

"It was good."

Kaylee wrenched her neck lifting her head so fast from where she was blowing on her drink. "What?"

"You wanted to know. It was good. Better than good." She smiled, her dark hair falling in curvy tresses around her shoulders.

"Did you … have sex?" Kaylee asked, her throat tightening a little in anticipation.

"No." Inara smiled at the disappointed look. "But we're not going to."

"Not … Why?"

"Not until we're sure." Inara lifted her mug and delicately blew across the surface.

"Sure of what?"

"That's it what we both want."

"But you do. Right? I mean, you both want it?"

Inara laughed. Just a soft sound that made Kaylee's heart beat a little faster. "Oh, mei-mei, of course we do. But if we do make love, it's going to be for the right reasons, not just to fulfil some urge."

"But you want to."

"Very much." Inara sighed, as if the admitting of it made it that much more real. "I long to feel him next to me, touching me. When we kiss …"

"Fireworks?" Kaylee suggested.

"Supernovas," Inara corrected. "Great big ones, that blot out the sky."

Kaylee grinned. "That sounds pretty good."

"It is." She looked down into her tea, maybe looking for the future. "He wants more than just a fling. He wants … he said, if it happens it's going to be forever."

"And you?"

Inara nodded. "Me too. But he doesn't want the Companion, he wants me, and I don't know if there's enough left for that."

"Course there is!" Kaylee said stoutly. "Hell, ain't you been pussy footing around each other long enough to know that?"

"Oh, it's the real me that gets annoyed with him, I'll grant that. But the rest?"

"Maybe we ought to find it."

Inara smiled a little. "How? Any wonderful Inara-finding plans in that pretty head of yours?"

"You think I'm pretty?"

"Yes, and don't get sidetracked."

Kaylee grinned. "Oh, I got a few. Like maybe you and me should go shopping soon."

"Shopping? How's that going to help?"

"Can't hurt."

Inara laughed. "I suppose not. And you'll tell me when I'm being too … Companiony, won't you?"

"Sure I will." Kaylee yawned. "Hey, that tea works."

"And you haven't even tasted it. Miraculous."

"Sure is." The young woman stood up. "Better get to my bed."

"I'll finish this first."

"Don't go sitting up too late. Don't want bags under your eyes."

"Now that really wouldn't be Companiony," Inara giggled.

Kaylee smiled. "See? That ain't being a Companion. Sounding like that. You keep doing that, the Cap'll not be able to withstand your wiles."

"Wiles aren't going to come into it, Kaylee."

"No. Guess not." She put her untouched tea down the drain and left the cup on the side. "Forever, huh?"

"Forever."

"Sounds mighty fine to me. G'night." She waved vaguely and walked out of the galley.

"Sounds mighty fine to me too," Inara said softly, a smile playing across her lips.