Author's Note: Here's my first Simon/Kaylee fluff, and hopefully not my last. It wasn't written for any challenges or anything, just an idea that blossomed in my mind.

Along the Way

By Trisana McGraw

Serenity herself seemed to be sleeping, Simon noted as he padded down silent corridors on bare feet. The hallways were dark and still, with only some small lights around the doorways blinking sleepily as the ship sailed smoothly through space.

By now the twists and turns of the corridors had nearly become imprinted into his memory, so that he had a pretty good sense of his way around the ship. He'd had to learn quickly, or suffer another embarrassing experience, like the time he'd fallen into Mal's bunk, or when he'd interrupted Zoë and Wash; he still wasn't sure which was worse.

The lights in the galley were still on, albeit dimly. Simon stepped through the doorway, his mind focused on getting what he had come for and retreating to his bunk as quickly as was humanly possible. He absently adjusted his white shirt, which hung half open. In the middle of the night he'd awoken and had tugged on his clothes, even as another pair of hands had tried to tug them off. He'd whispered to Kaylee that he would be right back, he just needed a snack, but it had been several minutes before he'd disentangled himself from her warmth to get up. By then he'd been seriously reconsidering the importance of a small snack compared to the beautiful mechanic in his bed.

He was so intent on his mission that he didn't notice Mal slouched in a chair, grasping a mug. Or maybe the sight of the captain whiling away the nighttime hours in the galley had become another natural part of his life on the ship. Nonetheless, when Mal drawled, "Can I help you with anything, Doctor?" Simon jumped and quickly faced him.

"Oh, no thanks," he said. "I was just . . . getting something. If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing up?"

Mal shrugged and took a slow sip of his drink while Simon rummaged through the drawers containing their food packets. "Couldn't sleep." Taking in the young doctor's rumpled shirt and disheveled hair, he grinned. "Your reasons for being up seem so much more pleasant than my insomnia."

Simon was glad his back was turned away from Mal so the captain couldn't see him blush. He pulled out a protein packet and bit into it. It highly resembled soft cardboard flavored slightly with orange, or so he assumed from its color, but he had grown used to the taste. He swallowed and faced Mal again.

"Well, I should be going . . ." he said, waving vaguely in the direction of the door.

Mal nodded, a smile melting some of the weary lines in his face. "Go on, don't keep Kaylee waiting." Simon nodded gratefully and almost ran out, he seemed so eager to return to his bunk, or maybe he just wanted to escape Mal. True, Mal had had initial misgivings when Simon and Kaylee began sleeping together, and he'd also had a few talks with the boy. The talks were nothing bad, but looking back he figured that, judging from how Simon had flinched each time he had gestured with his gun, he might have rattled the doctor a bit.

And well he should, Mal thought firmly. Kaylee was like his mei mei, and he could be just as protective as Simon was of River. But he was looking out for what was best for Kaylee, and if this was it, he wanted her to be happy. And it was doing Simon some good, too, Mal could tell.

Outside the galley, Simon heard a door open behind him, and he turned to see Inara stepping out of her shuttle, wearing a nightgown covered by a robe. Smiling gracefully, she said, "Hello, Simon." Noticing where he had come from, she asked, pausing only once, "By any chance, is Mal . . . in the galley?"

Trying not to smile, Simon replied, "Yes, he is."

Inara nodded absently, having already forgotten him. "Well, good night then," she said, heading for the galley. Simon watched her retreating back for a few moments. Mal may have wanted him to find happiness with Kaylee, but now he wanted to bestow that same blessing on the world-weary captain.

Nibbling on the last of his snack, Simon padded down the hall back the way he had come. As he passed by Wash and Zoë's bunk, he could hear murmurs accompanied by the occasional moan, and he couldn't help but smile. They were doing exactly what he was looking forward to doing.

Once he got back to his bunk, that was. Simon paused and frowned slightly as he surveyed the dark hallway ahead of him. He must have taken a wrong turn, because he should have gotten to the passenger dorms by now.

"Hey," came a rumble from his right, and Simon nearly had a heart attack as Jayne stepped out from the shadows. The mercenary wore a pair of sweatpants and a grin on his face as he noticed the shocked expression on Simon's.

Glancing down, as he always used to do when composing himself, Simon quickly swallowed and looked back up. "Hi, Jayne."

"Having a midnight snack, huh? I wouldn't leave li'l Kaylee alone too long if I was you; other guys might be tempted to spend some time with her too." He chuckled at Simon's new expression, one of panic. "Calm down, Doc. Just remember that talk we had before." Suddenly, a very sharp knife hovered in front of his chest, and Simon took a quick step backward. He remembered their "talk" all too clearly, and he wondered why neither the captain nor Jayne could illustrate a point without their weapons. Still, the protectiveness in both men was commendable.

"Looks like Kaylee roughed you up a bit," Jayne added, his eyes dancing.

"Well –" Simon cleared his throat. "Yes. I should be going now."

"G'night," Jayne called as he moved past him. He waved with his knife as Simon continued down the corridor. Once the doctor was out of sight, Jayne pocketed his knife and sighed. "Lucky."

Simon realized he had made it back to the passenger dorms when he passed Shepherd Book, who was heading for the bathroom. Nodding at Simon, Book inquired, "Going back to Kaylee, are you?"

Simon shrugged in reply, wondering how everyone on the ship had to be in his business all the time. Ah, well; it was just another thing he would have to get used to.

Book raised his eyebrows. "Remember what the Bible preaches about intimacy before marriage," he reminded Simon, an edge of warning to his voice.

"Will do," Simon replied and quickly hurried off, mentally adding, And I'll throw it all out the airlock, because Kaylee and I are fine the way we are.

He had reached his bunk, and he felt his heart rise. If he weren't so eager to get back to Kaylee, he would laugh at himself for sounding like a teenager. But the feelings were so light and carefree that he couldn't bear to tie himself down with the kind of reminders his father would give him about proper behavior. With Kaylee, he could be whoever he wanted to be.

First, however, he had a commitment to his sister. Slowly sliding the door open, he peeked in and saw River curled up, the blankets half-covering her body. Creeping inside, he tucked the blankets around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. She stirred slightly and turned wide eyes on him, as a sleepy smile spread over her face. "Simon," she whispered.

"Shh, go back to sleep, River," he whispered back, stroking her cheek.

She grabbed his hand and held it for a few moments. Then, she pulled her arm back under the blankets and whispered, "She's waiting for you" before closing her eyes.

Simon quietly left her room and stepped into his, right next door. Kaylee was wrapped in the blankets, leaning on one arm. Her hair spilled on to the pillow as she watched him from between half-open eyes. "Took you long enough," she yawned.

"I was hungry," he replied, slipping beneath the covers.

"Mmm," she replied, planting a kiss on his lips. She helped him to pull off his shirt and snuggled up against his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck and shoulder. "Lemme guess – are you one of those people who gets hungry after sex?"

He laughed and stroked her hair, yet with a different touch than the one he had used with River a moment earlier. "Maybe."

She grinned mischievously up at him. "Then I musta been really good."

"You are perfect," he replied, kissing her again. "So very perfect."