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Afternoon Delight

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"Come on!" There was a rustle, the clatter of footsteps on wood, and then Kaylee and River dashed past them and jumped off the dock.

Mostly naked.

Mal slapped Jayne across the back of his head before he could even open his mouth. He looked for Book's reaction. The Shepherd was standing next to Inara on Serenity's ramp, looking a little red around the cheeks. Mal smirked.

"Come on, Simon!"

Simon (fully clothed, up to and including a vest) walked to the end of the dock and crouched down. "I'm not--that is--I don't have anything suitable."

"Si-mon!" Kaylee laughed up at him. "Don't be silly. Whatever you've got's fine. Or nothin'--that's fine too." She pushed herself away from the dock and backstroked away from him. The way that particular style of swimming pushed her...finest assets...out of the water was completely planned, Mal was sure. Unfortunately for Simon, he was just standing up when he got a Kaylee eyeful, and it knocked him off kilter in more ways than one. River shrieked with laughter as he overbalanced and fell into the lake.

Wash and Zoe walked out just in time to see the splash. "Looks like the kids are having fun," Wash observed to his wife. Mal could see the impish look Wash gave Zoe, and the lifted eyebrow she gave back.

"It does, doesn't it?" Zoe gave all the men a long, thoughtful look, then smiled. Mal choked when she lifted her hands to her vest and started unbuttoning.

When she was down to a couple of things that were black and slippery and that Mal would immediately block out of his mind forever, thank you, she walked to the edge of the dock and stood shining in the sunlight. She smiled one last time at Wash, then turned and dove cleanly into the water.

"I am the luckiest man alive," Wash said worshipfully.

"I'm inclined to agree with you," Mal said. He slapped Jayne's head again.

"What? I didn't say nothin'!"

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Wash said and hurtled down the dock, jumping wildly off the end. There was more yelling--this time from Simon, because Wash had almost landed on his head--and the sound of female laughter.

Mal smiled.