BUTTONS COME OFF SOMEHOW

“The hero of Canton/The man they call Jayne!” I sing, slipping my arms out of my coveralls and giggling as I sip on mudder's milk.

Simon groans, somehow managing to be laying down on the couch when I only got a corner. “Please don’t sing that. It’s already going to haunt my nightmares forever.”

“I think it’s kinda catchy.”

“Kind of vomit inducing.”

I giggle. “Even half drunk, doc, you still use big words.”

“I don’t call you engineer so why do you call me doc?”

“I dunno...Respect? Not every day someone’s smart enough to be a doc.”

“Not every day someone’s smart enough to be an engineer.”

I beam, pleased. “Thanks. I just know my job.”

“So do I.”

They’re breaking out another round of milk and Jayne’s song by the bar. Simon groans, pulling his coat over his head.

“Make it stop! Make it stop!”

I giggle. “Our love for him ain’t hard to explain/The hero of Canton/The man they call Jayne!”

Simon peeks out from under his coat. “You love torturing me, don’t you?”

“You’re such an easy mark.”

He laughs, flipping his back. I think he means for it to stay on the couch, but it falls off instead. “Why you so far over there?”

“Why you so far over there?” I ask. “You’re hogging the couch.”

“You can come over here.”

“Or you can come over here.”

Simon tries to sit up, but falls back. “Urgh. Too much milk.”

“Ok. I’ll come over th--umph! I fell on you.”

“I dun mind,” Simon says, arms not knowing what to do till he puts them ‘round me. “It’s kinda...cozy.”

“Kinda nice,” I say, lifting myself up but not off--enough to see his face. “The hero of Canton/The man they call Jayne.”

Simon laughs. “Will you stop? I think we’re getting enough from the ‘adoring masses’ without you chiming in.”

“How ya gonna make me stop?” I tease.

“I’ll think of something.”

“I can think of something too....”

“What are you doing?” Simon asks as I hum the Jayne song and pick at his buttons.

“Something,” I say, yanking on the top one till it pops off. “Aw. You lost a button.”

“Can you sew?”

“I can do more than sew.” I pop the button in my mouth. “Wan it back?”

“Uhhhh....”

“Open up and say ‘ahh.’”

“Uhhh....?”

I kiss him, blowing the button from my mouth to his. He chokes, trying to sit up, pushing me away.

“Kaylee! I could have died!”

“You could have saved yerself.”

“That’s not the point!” Simon struggles to sit upright, gasping. “It was dangerous, Kaylee. Safety is never anything to play with.”

“Well, I’m sorry, Simon, but you don’t gotta go all fa-tu because I made a bad decision...An’ the button was not my first bad decision tonight,” I add in a mutter.

Simon sighs, looking at his hands. “Kaylee, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“What’s your problem, Simon?” I ask. “Do ya need Mudder’s Milk to be brave? Can’t ya say what’s on your mind when ya ain’t drinking? I’m only pretty to ya when you’re half-drunk?”

“You’re pretty to me all the time, Kaylee.”

“Well, why don’tcha act it?”

“I...I...It’s not proper.”

“Well, why don’tcha start being unproper? It ain’t gonna kill ya to say ‘nice dress’ aboard ship.”

“You don’t wear dresses, Kaylee.”

“If I start!”

Simon sighs, holding out a hand for me. “I’m sorry, Kaylee. I’ll make it up to you anyway you see fit.”

“No more proper talk or ways?”

“No more proper talk or behavior....I’ll try at least.”

“An’ if you like me say you like me?”

“I like you.”

“Good.” I smile, scooting over to him. Simon puts his arms round me and lays back down. “Mmm,” I sigh, smiling into his chest. “I could get used to this.”<6888B9><6888B9><31B2F6><31B2F6>