Disclaimer: Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon.

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It was a rare silent night aboard Serenity. The corridors were empty, the lights were dimmed, even the hum of the engine was barely audible. The crew members were all sleeping peacefully. All save for Simon, in any case.

Simon lay awake in his quarters, staring up at the ceiling. He’d only just put River back to sleep after a nightmare and he couldn’t get back to sleep himself. There were too many thoughts crowding his mind, too many memories from the day before.

He’d gone and blown it with Kaylee again. He’d said something before thinking it through and he’d hurt her. It was really becoming a habit and he hated it. He wished he could just keep a civil tongue around her like he did around everyone else.

But the truth was that she just wasn’t like anyone else. She was so much more than anyone else Simon knew. She took his breath away. She was the only one he’d ever encountered that could render him speechless and thoughtless. She was a whole other kind of amazing to him.

Simon sighed lightly and sat up. He couldn’t let Kaylee wallow in any kind of hurt. He had to find her, had to apologize. He wanted to sit with her, look her in the eyes and tell her he was sorry for all the hurt he’d caused her, not just earlier on that day but in the past. He knew it was just a thing of his thoughts, though. Some kind of a brilliant dream. He could never work up the courage to reach out and touch her, gently cup her cheek as he spoke, use his words like he was used to using them. He knew he could never kiss her like he so desperately wanted to.

The young doctor stood from his bed and reached to the nearby chair, picking up his sweater and shaking it out a little before slipping it on over his head. He found his shoes quickly enough and slipped his feet into them, already heading towards the door.

Slipping out into the corridor, Simon walked along the halls towards the galley. The lights were off everywhere and it seemed as though everyone was in their quarters. Simon sighed softly and made his way through the galley area and on into the corridor below, a faint light from the engine room catching his eye. He decided to check there first. He knew that Kaylee liked to be with Serenity when she’d been upset.

Simon reached the end of the corridor and stopped in the doorframe to the engine room. At first glance he saw nothing, no one, but upon looking around a second time, Simon just barely made out the shape of Kaylee in her hammock, dozing peacefully in the dim light emanating from a small lamp at the far side of the room.

He stood in the doorframe and only inched a little closer. Kaylee was so still, so unmoving, immobile. She looked like a statue, a brilliant, angelic effigy. The only indication that she was sleeping, that she was more than perfect porcelain, was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Simon slowly took a step closer. He inched nearer to Kaylee one foot at a time until he was at her side. Kneeling slowly, Simon watched her, listening to the soft puffs of air emanating from between her slightly parted lips. Her lips were so full and beautiful, so soft looking that he just wanted to kiss her.

She looked so happy in her sleep. Simon wanted to apologize, but he didn’t have the heart to disturb her when she was so obviously content lying in such warm comfort. He settled on watching her.

Simon sat back against a nearby wall of the hull, his eyes fixed on Kaylee. He felt sleepy all of a sudden. Seeing Kaylee at such peace after putting up with him made him feel more at peace as well. It calmed him, soothed his frayed nerves.

Leaning back and shifting around until he was comfortable, Simon decided to just close his eyes for a moment. He would wait for Kaylee to awaken. He needed to apologize to her the first chance he got.

Letting his eyes flutter closed, Simon listened to the hum of the engine, to Kaylee’s shallow breathing near him. He sighed softly and relaxed, quickly drifting off even in the uncomfortable position he was in.

He was still now, just like Kaylee. It was an a unifying stillness that neither would remember when they woke up, but it was perfect for the time being and it suited their sleeping selves just fine.