Disclaimer: Do I look like Joss Whedon to you? Yeah, didn't think so. Ergo, I don't own Firefly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Simon watched Kaylee from the doorway of the engine room as she worked on fixing something or another. He had never really bothered to learn what anything in the engine room was, just like she'd never bothered to learn what anything he did involved. They were each skilled at their own trade and tarried not about each other's work. It worked perfectly for them that way.

Simon was completely enthralled by Kaylee. The way she moved, the way she walked, her expressions, her eyes and smile. She was so beautiful. He watched her in silence as she tightened a bolt here, reached to flip a switch, or bent to rewire something. His eyes didn’t stray from her form as she set down her wrench and crossed the room to her hammock, sitting down and swaying gently from the momentum.

Simon's eyes were trained on Kaylee's hand as she brought it up to her neck, closing her eyes and rubbing at the muscles in her shoulder. She hadn't noticed him yet and it made Simon smile. He slowly approached her, making very little noise, nothing more than a scuff of his heel against the cold metal deck plates. However, it was enough for Kaylee to open her eyes and look thoroughly startled.

"Wo de ma, Simon!" Kaylee exclaimed lightly. "You scared me somethin' fierce!"

"Duibuqi," Simon said lightly. "I was just watching you work."

"I can't imagine it was too interestin'," Kaylee chuckled.

"You'd be surprised," Simon said with a smile.

Kaylee smiled brightly and felt a light flush rise in her cheeks. Simon had been watching her again. She got used to it, he'd sneak in sometimes to watch her work. There were times that she noticed but said nothing, and then there were times like these where she didn't notice and was pleasantly surprised. She cocked her head slightly and looked at Simon, meeting his blue-eyed gaze and continuing to rub a sore m