Notes: Simon/Kaylee drabble, post-Firefly, pre-Serenity. Joss Whedon's, not mine.
Kaylee knows she ain't exactly hidin' the way she feels about Simon. She never did get the knack of protecting your heart. But then, she's never had hers broken, either, and she hopes desperately that he won't be the one to break it.
There are little signs – the way he looks at her, sometimes, when he really lets his guard down – but she thinks he can't do anything about it 'cause of River. And she understands that, but it don't stop her from wishin' he could.
But she knows River is getting more lucid every day. Maybe soon he won't have to take care of her so fiercely and he can take care of Kaylee instead. He's becoming more bold, and she's looking forward to finding out who'll take that next step.