Washie, for betaing this and for all your squeeing and...um...more squeeing and...um...MORE squeeing when reading this first, I thank you. *huggles*

Feedback: Hey all you shiny peoples! This is my first fic and whether your thoughts be good, bad, or so-so after reading it, I wanna know. :) If you see something you like, tell me why! If you see something you don't like, tell me why too! Constructive criticism is my friend! Tis a good thing.

Disclaimer: Yup, here's some Silee goodness! And of course, while I'd love to take credit for both the fic and the characters, I cannot, for Joss, the genius and god that he is, would rain bad, wicked, evil, naughty things upon the land if I did (and NO, people, not the wicked, evil, naughty things as in the case of Zoot, more as in the case of frogs and locusts and evil fox executives :P ) So read away, knowing that all you see before you is Joss', I only borrowed it. Funfunfunfunfun! :D

~~~~Carnival~~~~

Kaylee walked through the carnival with Simon, eating some cotton candy and leaning into her lover’s arms. She looked around as they walked through the chaotic crowds, her bright smile matching the brilliance of the shifting scene against the night sky. The mechanic was so happy that Mal had decided to give the crew some time off when they had landed on Paquin. It gave her and Simon some much needed time together; something they had been sorely lacking in lately. Through the forms of various rides and games, Kaylee suddenly spotted a large turning wheel poking up into the sky.

"Hey, why don't we go on the Ferris wheel?" she suggested enthusiastically, pulling away from Simon and looking up at him with a smile. "We'll be able to see the whole fair all lit up from the top. It'll be all shiny and romantic."

Simon smiled. “Sounds good to me,” He extended his hand. “Shall we?”

Kaylee grinned coyly at Simon and took his hand, acting the lady. Her excitement betrayed her, however, as he and she neared the big Ferris wheel and she bit her lip in anticipation. "Oh, it'll be so shiny!" she said to Simon as she looked up at the big structure lit up against the sky. “I've always loved Ferris wheels. They're so nice and peaceful. You can't hear this racket when you're up in the sky." She told him, motioning to the chaos of the carnival around her. “It's as near as flyin' on a world as you can get without takin' off your own self on a ship.”

“Then why get on?" Simon teased as they waited for their turn to get into one of the colorful baskets. “We were already on a ship before."

"Come on Simon!!" she said, rolling her eyes and pulling him up to stand on the platform in front of the ride.

After they had given the ticket-taker five tickets apiece to get on the ride, they climbed into a green basket with a multi-colored parasol, much like the one Kaylee had back on the ship, giving them shade from above. The man whom they had given their tickets to made sure they were secure in the basket and then raised the couple up slowly, stopping the ride to allow others to get on and off.

The higher Simon and Kaylee got, the less sound broke through to their ears and the smaller people became. Kaylee rested her head on Simon's chest, and Simon put his arm around Kaylee as they looked out into empty sky and down at the hustle and bustle of the carnival.

They went around on the wheel once, coming back down to the world and its noise as they passed the ground then going right back up into the sky again. Kaylee watched the ground and the ant-people walking on it as she and Simon moved through the air. She smiled and snuggled deeper into Simon, loving every moment that passed in his arms with no interruptions, no sound, and no distractions. It was just the two of them, alone with themselves...finally.

The ride went around two more times, and both times the couple stayed in place, snuggling and enjoying the silence around them. It wasn't something they got often – the time alone or the silence.

Finally, the ride slowed and stopped, leaving the two lovebirds high in the air, at the very top of the Ferris wheel. From here they could see for miles into the starry night sky. Kaylee sighed and smiled as she looked off into the distance.

Simon felt Kaylee smile and matched her happiness with his own. “We should get the captain to let us do this more often," he murmured into her hair.

Kaylee looked up at Simon with soft eyes, “We should. It sure is worth it."

“You know," he said, fingering the green basket with a smile. "Way back, dating to before people left Earth That Was, one of the things green represented was romance and love."

Kaylee smiled up at him, "Is that so?"

“Yup," Simon replied, looking down at her, still smiling. "So, isn't it lucky we're surrounded by it?"

Kaylee smiled and Simon leaned down to kiss her. Kaylee leaned into the soft kiss, matching her warmth with his, their tongues dancing around each other's. They parted and neither wanted the moment to end. Kaylee snuggled back into Simon's chest as the giant wheel turned again, bringing them back to the present.

As they came down slowly, the intermediate stops bringing them back to earth, their euphoria drifted down as well, and they were left calm and happy in each other’s arms. “Love you Simon," Kaylee whispered to him a few stops from the end of the ride.

"Love you too, bao bai," he told her back, gently kissing the top of her head and smoothing her hair down. "Love you so much."

Chinese translations:

bao bai: sweatheart

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