Disclaimers: Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all characters. I make no profit, but feedback is a wonderful form of payment.

Author's Notes: A big thank you to everyone who has read and commented along the way. I had fun writing it and can't believe it's finished. I promise more S/K fics in the future and maybe even a continuation to this one sometime.

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Cupcakes

When Simon entered his room, he stripped off his shirt and collapsed facedown on his bed. It had been an exhausting twenty-four hours, and he knew he desperately needed some sleep. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, his mind mulling over the injuries of Zoë and Mal, his birthday, the explosion, and especially Kaylee and that kiss.

Kaylee paused outside of the infirmary door, staring at Mal's sleeping form. The day had been equally long for her since she had spent the past several hours re-wiring Serenity. After she had the engine stabilized, she had begun working on her next "project". The mechanic smiled outside of the small medical room before she turned and crossed the common area, entering the short hall to the passenger dorm rooms.

Sleep wouldn't come to Simon since his mind kept conjuring up Kaylee's face. He had to check on her to make sure she was okay. The last time that he had seen her was when she popped in to tell the captain that he had fixed the ship and had done a good job. After everyone left the room, he overheard Book inquire about Serenity's condition to which Kaylee had replied that she had a lot of work to do but no need to worry.

The doctor grabbed a sweatshirt and slid open his door. He wasn't expecting to see Kaylee standing there nor feel her loosely balled fist on his bare chest. Her raised hand had landed on his flesh instead of the door's surface when she had attempted to knock.

Startled, Kaylee let out a barely audible squeak and almost dropped the surprise behind her back. "Simon!" she gasped.

Simon jumped slightly but quickly clutched a hand over hers since it rested, still in its balled state, against his chest. "Kaylee, are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh yes. Shiny," she stammered, staring at his hand protectively covering hers. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" she asked.

"Not in the least. You just surprised me. Pleasantly surprised me," he emphasized, smiling warmly at her. "I was actually just coming to check on you."

"Me? Why for?" Kaylee asked.

"Just to make sure you and Serenity were playing nice," he tried to tease. He watched her eyes shimmer in the dim lighting. "And, because I was concerned about you."

"You were?"

Simon simply nodded. "I know you have been shouldering quite a bit of guilt lately, and well, I just…" He paused, noticing her other arm was behind her back. Growing worried that she had injured herself, he asked, "Kaylee, are you sure you are okay? Did you hurt yourself?" Still holding her hand against his chest, he tossed his shirt aside and moved his free arm in an attempt to reach for her kinked arm.

Pulling her hand out from underneath his warm grasp, Kaylee took a quick step back so she could properly present him with her surprise. "Happy Birthday, Simon. Even if it is a few hours late," she proclaimed, proudly holding the saucer and glowing cake in front of her.

Simon's disquiet was immediately replaced by a surprised smile. "Thank you, but you didn't need to bake this for me tonight. It could have waited until…" He promptly stopped, realizing he was lecturing her, and he desperately didn't want to fall into that pitfall like he notoriously did. "But, I'm very flattered that you took the time to do this for me," he quickly covered, a rosy hue creeping into his ears.

Kaylee could feel her own blush color her cheeks. "I wanted to. 'Sides, I couldn't sleep. I was jus' so happy to have my girl runnin'. Cap is gonna be fine. Zoë is gonna be fine. We're all back t'gether. Jus' like it should be." She stepped further into his room and handed him the tiny cake. "'Twas your birthday. You worked hard today, and you deserved this."

Simon was mesmerized by her perky attitude and thoughtfulness. All hints of sorrow and blame that she had carried earlier were gone. His hands moved to the tiny cake in her hand. His fingers brushed across hers, and he held them plus his cake for a moment. "I haven't had a cupcake in years," he divulged as he lightly blew the candle out and lifted the saucer out of her hands. "Cupcake? Is that wha' you call 'em? Shiny." Her smile was brighter than the lone candle had been before he extinguished it. "'Nara an' I found the pan a ways back, an' I thought it was jus' too pretty to pass up."

Simon couldn't help but smile. Only Kaylee would be excited about a cupcake pan. He couldn't take his eyes off her and only saw her lips move when she asked, "Ain't ya gonna try it?"

He quickly tried to backpedal, but his foot slipped into his mouth when he asked, "Pardon?"

"The cake! Cupcake. Remember? Thing you're holdin' in your paw. Eat it. Food," she hastily replied, a bit agitated but also disappointed.

Think fast, he told himself, aware that their "moment" was ebbing away because of his foolishness…again. "Absolutely. I was just admiring the…the aroma and… Did you make me your special chocolate frosting?" His heart hammered in his ears as he awaited her response. He remembered how proud she was of the frosting the first time. He prayed that he said the right thing, but out of nowhere, a phrase echoed in his head. You're a dead man. He couldn't be sure if he was thinking that thought himself or if River was warning him.

Kaylee watched him fretfully break off a morsel and eat it. She knew he was worried that he had said something wrong. It happened quite frequently, but it was different this time. The look on his face as he tasted the cake was more than enough for her to beam happily, allowing her discontent to disappear. "I think I was able to get the frosting even more chocolate-y than before."

Simon ate a bigger bite and licked a speck of chocolate frosting from his lip. "I would say that you succeeded. This is the best frosting I've ever had." He took the remaining quarter of the cupcake and broke it in two. "Would you be so kind and help honor my birthday by sharing this last tasty morsel with me?" He held a bite in-between his fingers and moved it towards her mouth.

Kaylee smiled and stepped closer, allowing Simon to feed her the piece of cake. He wiped away a crumb from her upper lip with his thumb and finished his portion. "Thank you, Kaylee. It was delicious."

"You're welcome," Kaylee softly said. Her bright eyes watched him place the saucer on top of his dresser and then turn back to face her. When he reached out and clasped her wrist, she moved forward and couldn't resist trailing her fingers up his bare chest. She thought she felt him inhale sharply and immediately locked eyes with him.

Her touch was all he needed to give into what his mind was clamoring for him to do. He tilted his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "I just wanted to say thank you. Again."

When Simon tried to pull back, he felt Kaylee's arms encircle his waist. His lips found hers again. This second kiss, actually third, was deeper. Not a light brush across the lips. Not a gentle kiss on the lips. This one was charged with electricity that coursed through them as their lips willingly parted and their tongues meshed and danced with each other. He pulled her closer to him as the kiss continued.

When they finally broke for air, Kaylee licked her lips and ran her fingers across his cheek. She had wanted that kiss for so long. It was better than she had ever imagined since it was now real and not a dream.

Simon peered into her face. He didn't want to let her go, but he would never rush things. Finding the need to say something, he whispered, "That was the best birthday gift ever."

"Better than the cake?" Kaylee queried.

Unsure of the correct answer, he extended one hand and pulled out the stick, holding her hair up in its bun. As the locks fell around her face, framing it perfectly, he leaned closer and kissed her again, meeting no resistance from the mechanic in his arms.

"I say that's a yes," she giggled softly after they breathlessly parted.

He couldn't have agreed more as he pulled her closer to him, hugging her. He felt Kaylee run her fingers up his back and then push back. She lightly kissed him and then slipped out of his embrace, slowly backing towards the door. He felt a chill as the warmth from her body left him. "Wait!" he unceremoniously blurted out as he slipped on his shirt. "Maybe I could walk you to your door."

"The perfect gentleman," she unabashedly cooed.

Simon flushed slightly as her words reminded him that he always tended to be so proper, especially around her. He couldn't help it. He was brought up that way, and he intended to treat Kaylee with the respect she deserved. He kissed her lips before offering her his arm. "Milady?"

Kaylee felt like a princess, even though, instead of a big, fluffy dress like back on Persephone, she was in a pink floral shirt and her signature coveralls, tied at the waist. She slipped her hand around his forearm and allowed him to lead her through the empty, quiet halls of Serenity.

When Simon stopped outside her door, Kaylee turned to face him. His lips didn't hesitate to cover hers as he pressed her against the hull. He whispered softly in her ear, "Good night, Kaywinnit Lee Frye. Sleep tight."

Kaylee's heart soared as he murmured her full name. Trying to be as proper as she could, she replied, "I bid you a good night as well, Dr. Simon Tam."

Impressed, Simon leaned over and kissed her again. He watched her descend into her bunk before he started back to his empty room. He could have asked her to stay in his room, or he could have followed her into hers; but that was not his style back on Osiris, and it wasn't going to be his style in the black. The right time would come.

Life just kept getting better and better for Simon Tam since he found Serenityand her mechanic.

~End