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"What's going on?" Mal stumbled into the cockpit. River glanced over at him.
"Proximity alarm."
"I know that but why? No, scratch that, why are we flying through an asteroid field?"
River returned her attention to the viewscreen. "We've just left the field. I had to take evasive manoeuvres to avoid an Alliance ship. Serenity and I have it all under control."
"Oh. Well." Mal sighed. "I guess I'll go back to my bunk then. Get some more shut-eye."
"That's not what you were doing," River said matter-of-factly. "You were pleasuring yourself."
"River!"
She turned to face him. "I shouldn't read your mind. But it was very hard to ignore."
"Fine. Just don't mention it out loud!"
"Why? Are you ashamed?"
Mal shook his head. "No."
"I'm not a child. You can discuss sexual matters with me." She shrugged. "And Jayne mentioned spanking his monkey at breakfast yesterday before you arrived. Simon disapproved."
"Well that's Jayne for you. No manners." Mal gave up. "Keep flying."
"Always," River said.
Mal went back to finish what he'd started, but that was a little more difficult since he kept wondering if River was somehow still in his head. There was little privacy on a spaceship but with a psychic onboard even your own head wasn't truly a private place. In the end he had to conjure up a vivid fantasy to consume his thoughts enough to achieve release.
He'd almost forgotten about the incident until, several weeks later when they made a stop for supplies. River brought back the items on her list along with a carton of cream.
"You like cream," she said and as Mal was about to deny it, he remembered his fantasy. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he took the carton with a smile.
"Yes, I do. Why don't you unpack these things while I go to my bunk?"
River gave him a knowing smile. "Have fun."