He was in a hurry. Really. It was absolutely necessary that he get to the med lab, and right now, too! So he should really ignore the sounds coming from the engine room. None of his business. What did he care if- Oh, hell. Simon Tam veered off his path and followed the muffled sound of a woman bawling her eyes out, cursing beneath his breath in a manner that he would never be caught dead doing aloud. This was stupid. He was in no position to deal with female tears, least of all Kaylee-tears! What did he think he was doing? Honestly! He would do better to turn around right this instant and return to his original course. Only by the time he decided to do that, Simon was pushing open the door to the engine room and stepping in. “Kaylee?” “Go away!” He swallowed, and looked around. His heart was pounding inordinately hard. There was no reason to be so nervous! No reason at all... Simon's breath caught as he saw the huddled form in the far corner, her knees drawn up to her chest, her shoulders shaking. “Kaylee, what's wrong?” He went to her slowly, haltingly, wanting to make her stop crying but terrified of what would happen if he tried. She looked up at him, wiping one forearm roughly over her face, not seeming to notice the fact that it did nothing to hide her tears. “Leave me alone,” the girl managed, eyes wide and redrimmed. Simon knelt, holding out his hands helplessly, opening and closing his mouth. He was utterly at a loss. “Should I get Inara? Or Zoe, or-” She shook her head, sniffing, taking in a gulping breath. “I don't-” Kaylee broke off, and suddenly Dr. Tam found himself with an armful of warm, sobbing mechanic. She latched her arms around his neck, burying her face in the curve where his shoulder met his throat, and shuddered out her sorrow. “Uh,” Simon said eloquently. He could see his reflection in the mirror nailed to the wall opposite where he knelt, and thought he had never seen his eyes that shocked. “M-my ma, she just- just- just waved me, and-” Breath. Gasp. “My dog, she's DEAD! I left her all alone when I c-came here, and- and-” Simon felt a rush of relief. A dog? It was just a dog? Good lord, he'd thought her family had been blown away! “I loved her s-so much, Simon!” The relief was promptly replaced with guilt. He swallowed, noticing for the first time that his arms had found their way around Kaylee's back. The guilt grew stronger as he noted how smooth the curve of her back was, and how pleasantly rounded her waist. 'No. Bad. Bad thoughts.' “I'm sorry,” he said, vaguely proud that he didn't have to clear his throat first. “That's terrible.” 'Why am I comforting her? I can't comfort anyone except River, and she's crazy!' Kaylee nodded into his neck, breathing in at the same time, which brought her- er- feminine endowments- into close contact with his chest. Simon found himself taking in a sharp breath. 'Oh no. No, no, no.' “Mmm,” Kaylee sighed, her tears slowing, her body relaxing from its tight line. Simon began to gnaw at his lower lip, thanking god that she couldn't see his face. This was bad. This was very bad. He needed to get out of this situation right away! How horrible was he, reacting like this when she was in obvious pain! “Ah, Kaylee,” he began, “I think maybe-” “Thank you,” she said, drawing back a little, sniffing. “I needed a hugbuddy.” “A what?” “A hugbuddy. I always feel better. I just didn't think you'd-” Simon pulled away a bit sharply, unhooking her arms from around his neck. “What? That I wouldn't be a good hugbuddy? That I'm too cold and impersonal to comfort anyone?” Previous beliefs aside, he was hurt that she would think such a thing, and had no idea why. It made him highly uncomfortable, actually, but wait, she was talking. “No,” Kaylee said, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. “I just didn't think you'd let me hug you.” Dumbstruck. Yes, that was a good word. “What?” She didn't think HE'D let HER hug HIM? Kaylee shrugged a little. “Well, you don't seem to like me all that much,” she said softly, looking down. Simon gaped at her. Or, he would have gaped, had he been capable of that kind of undignified expression. Which he wasn't. So this was not gaping, it was... extended staring. Um. “I like you, Kaylee,” he protested, voice startlingly quiet, and suddenly, he found that he couldn't meet her gaze. “Really?” Simon gave a short nod. “So you didn't mind being my hugbuddy?” A long-forgotten, slyly lewd voice from his med school party weekend days spoke up in the back of his mind: 'wouldn't mind being another kind of buddy with you, either'. He cut it off with vicious precision and cleared his throat. “Not at all. And I'm very sorry about your dog.” “Thanks,” she said, sadness warring with a new smile that made him distinctly wary. He gave a tight, nervous smile and stood, offering her a hand. She took it, and the tingle he felt as he pulled her to her feet was in no way comforting. Simon let go fast, and couldn't resist the urge to flex his fingers as if an electric current still ran through them. “Let's, ah, let's get you to the kitchen. I think there's a hot chocolate packet leftover from the last time we were planetside. I hear that's a good remedy for tears,” Simon offered, by now having completely forgotten his urgent trip to the med lab. Kaylee bit her lip and smiled at him, her face still blotchy and red from crying. “That the common prescription, then?” “Doctor's orders,” he replied, obstinately ignoring the recently reawakened lewd voice that was currently jumping around in the back of the mind shouting 'you're flirting! You're flirting!'. “Then I guess that's what we'll do. Thank you, Simon,” she added more seriously. As they exited the engine room, Simon gave her a little grin, against his better judgment. “That's what hugbuddies are for.” Mal, who caught this comment in passing, paused and gave the younger man a strange look before striding off. To Kaylee's giggles and Simon's blush, the captain muttered, “I don't even wanna know.”