simon_doctor | (no subject)

(no subject)

"...handed us each one chocolate, and closed the bag. With this look of we never speak of this."

Simon's sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, with Kaylee's feet (in warm fuzzy socks) in his lap.

He's grinning.

"And we drove back to the Abbey in complete silence."

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"A little more. The day of the wedding."

He reaches for the closer of the two glasses of lemonade on the bed-tray, and takes a sip.

Storytelling is thirsty work, after all.

"...okay, so, spill."

Mmm, lemonade.

He sets down the glass, and looks at her sidelong.

"Remember the buffet table?"

At least he did not spill the lemonade.

"Yeah..."

"Wash and I were over near it at one point, you know, getting food ... and there was this one dish that was covered."

He gestures illustratively.

"Domed silver cover, very elegant. And Wash took off the cover to see what was there, and ..."

See, Kaylee remembers that cover. And what was under it.

"You're kidding -- "

"Those very same contraband chocolates."

He's laughing too, by now.

"Look at the two of you." This comes a moment later, accompanied by a warm, affectionate smile. "Off havin' adventures and not tellin' nobody. How come you didn't?" Beat. "Or did you?"

"Why didn't we tell anyone before, or after?"

More lemonade.

"...both."

Ruefully: "Well, before, I didn't really want everybody to know that I'd lost track of buying the ring."

He ducks his head slightly, but there's still a little thread of laughter in his voice.

"And after ... well, there was still a little of that afterwards. It was a little embarrassing."

"It was funny," Kaylee points out, and she's giggling again.

"It's funny now."

So's he.

Kaylee reaches for her glass. Takes a sip. Puts it down.

"It would've been okay if it went south." With a smile that's a little crooked.

"I know."

A little more serious.

"If for some reason it hadn't worked out ... it's not as though it would have ruined everything. I just ..."

A small shrug.

"Wanted to have that. I wanted you to have that. If I could."

Kaylee regards him for a moment. Pushes herself up, wincing only a little bit. Sits with her hands in her lap.

Says, soft, "Ain't every day somebody pulls off a heist for my sake."

In mild protest: "It wasn't a heist. We paid for it."

"...Simon, you had disguises."

"Yes, but ..."

He considers that.

"It was a caper," he pronounces finally. "Not a heist."

"Well, now that we got our vocabulary straight." She's rolling her eyes. "See if I ever try to say thanks ever again."

"Well, I couldn't very well let you thank me for something I didn't do," he says, deliberately sententious.

"Why, what would happen if I did?"

Deadpan: "Civilization would collapse."

"...that's all?" Kaylee shakes her head. "Think that's a risk I'm willin' to take."

Simon's deadpan expression dissolves, and he starts to laugh.