Archive of Our Own

Home. Simon says he wants to go home one last time. Mal thinks at first that means the Tam estate back on Osiris, but it doesn't. Home means something different when Simon looks back on his life and finds that the place he has the most nostalgia for isn't the place where he grew up.

So they make a short detour before meeting up with their next client; a little moon called Prosperity. It's a rich man's paradise where the young Tams spent every summer. Their grandparents had a vacation home there, which is now empty since their deaths the year before.

Simon asks Mal, would it be possible, one last walk through the gardens for River, one last sunset over the lake, a chance to say goodbye? And since they haven't had the time or fortune for some R&R until now, Mal agrees.

*****

Mal watches Simon walk around the old house, gray stone and old roses. He's peering in windows, careful not to step on the foliage planted artfully in the beds. The grounds have been kept up very well, there must be a buyer interested in a fine property like this; stately and proud, yet comfortable and accessible. Mal wonders why Simon's parents are selling it. Seems like a nice place.

He glances in a few windows himself before he catches up with Simon. Sees the rich carpets and piano, the fine art above the mantel, walls and walls of books. He can imagine why Simon loves this place. He would fit right in.

"Everyone's down by the lake, Kaylee and Book got quite a haul over at that farmer's market. The fresh apples and meat pastries look good. I was afraid to ask what was in them, but River assured us that they are quite edible."

"Hmmm?" Simon asks, distracted as he reaches out and plucks a blossom off a small tree, he studies the insides of the flower intently.

Probably thinking about pollinators and biochemistry, Mal thinks.

"River's gone swimming at least twice already and Wash and Zoe hared off for parts unknown." Still no response.

"Simon?"

Finally he looks up. "Oh, yes. I'll be there in a little bit. I just want to look around a bit more while it's still light." He drops the flower and it flutters down between his feet.

"All right then." Mal decides to leave him be. For now.

He sees Jayne heading up the hill towards the house as he takes the zigzag path back down to the water.

"Where you off to, Jayne?" he asks tightly, wondering why the merc's t-shirt is soaked right through, while the rest of him is still dry.

"Aw, I figured I'd have a look see at these fancy digs while I had a chance. River said there's a shandy-leer in there made out of five hundred Swann crystals. I don't think I'll get another chance to look at something like that."

"A shandy - a chandelier?" Mal is unsure.

"Yeah. One of them things." He puts up his arms and dances his fingers around in the air with a gleeful expression. "Says that the light dances through 'em and makes all kinds a patterns and such."

Mal is taken aback. "Okay." He draws the word out. "Just mind that you leave Simon alone. He's over in the garden and I think he wants some space. Is that clear?"

"Sure, sure." Jayne is suddenly serious. "I won't bother him at all."

Mal doesn't catch the grin on Jayne's face as he turns back down the path.

*****

Jayne finds Simon almost right away. He's sitting on a stone bench under a big shade tree, staring up at the branches above.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Jayne asks.

Simon smiles at Jayne. "This is where I received my first kiss." He says with a bit of wonder in his voice.

"Oh yeah?" Jayne sits down next to him and looks up into the dark of the branches. "Some little girl planted one on ya right in this spot, huh?"

"Well." Simon laughs. "No. It was actually a little boy. Well, not a little boy, but actually a young..."

"What was his name?" Jayne asks suddenly.

"His name was Eddie VanWeiss and he was my best friend," he says a bit wistfully. He looks over at Jayne and pauses, thinking twice about sharing this particular story, but Jayne is relaxed, staring at the empty fountain across the way, legs spread out in front of him, arms stretched on the back of the bench, t-shirt dripping.

"Why is your shirt wet?" Simon asks. He can see every muscle outlined in stark relief. His gaze lingers.

"It's pretty hot down there. Wanted to cool off some. Was gonna do some skinny dippin' but I got outvoted. You ever go skinny dippin' here?" he asks with a smirk. Simon just blushes and looks away.

"I was climbing this tree," he continues the story from before,"Eddie had dared me to get all the way to the top. It was smaller then, but I was only thirteen." He looks back over at Jayne. "And not very skilled at tree climbing."

Jayne laughs.

"I fell before I got to the top though. Hit my head, hurt my arm, I think I went into shock." His eyes cloud over in remembered pain. "Eddie ran over. I think he thought I was dying." He laughs. "It was all very dramatic. And romantic." He smiles at Jayne then.

Jayne moves a little closer. "I always figured you for a romantic. I expect you're more of a champagne and candlelight type than a rotgut and campfire sort like me."

"Oh?" Simon asks. He glances at Jayne's mouth. "I might just surprise you."

"I'd like that." Jayne's voice is huskier now. "Is that why you asked me up here?" he asks. "To your kissin' tree?"

Simon smiles. "Maybe." He gets up and holds out his hand to Jayne. "I want to show you something else."

Simon takes Jayne around the other side of the house to a set of double doors. They lead into a small ballroom, the floor a mosaic of inlaid fancy wood, while a glittering chandelier reigns over the room. The westward sun shining through the windows casts hundreds of rainbows on the mirrored walls behind. It's beautiful and romantic and suddenly Jayne wants very much to kiss Simon under the chandelier, wants to make his first claim in a sea of light and color. He reaches out and jiggles the doorknob.

"Oh, I'm sure everything is locked up tight," Simon says.

Jayne's digging in his pocket, fishes out a set of lock picks. "Is there an alarm?" he asks.

Simon's eyes widen. "Oh! I, um, don't think so. At least there wasn't one before."

"Well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Jayne chuckles.

*****

Mal's headed back up the hill. It's been an hour since he left Simon up there alone and he doesn't trust that Jayne has let him alone. They have a small blaze going in one of the fire pits and Mal'd like to get the crew all together before it gets dark and they have to head back to the ship. The wagon they rented has to be back in a couple hours and he'd rather not pay the extra fee for keeping it past that time.

The shadows are getting darker and he soon begins to lose patience. Where the hell are they? And then he catches a murmur, a fragment of a word coming from the back of the house. He storms over, harsh words at the ready, but stops at the sight before him.

Simon and Jayne are in the ballroom. Dancing. He raises his hand to rap on the window. Wait. No. That's not dancing. Not exactly.

There are prisms dancing all around the room. They shimmer and flit, catch in tousled hair and sparkle off Jayne's bare chest. Simon's eyes are closed and his cheek is resting on Jayne's shoulder as the bigger man slowly undoes the fly to Simon's pants.

Mal is struck dumb. When did this happen? More importantly, how did this happen? Should he stop it? Then he sees Simon look up at Jayne with a look full of more than just lust, Mal gets it even from where he's standing. He backs away quickly before he sees anything else and tries to close his ears to the low moan that Jayne's hand produces from Simon. He walks briskly back down the hill and pretends like he doesn't care.

It will be easier for everyone that way.