Kaylee's Gift
A shyly given birthday gift, and the giddy girl who recieved it.
Spoilers: None
Rating: PG
Character: Kaylee, Simon
Disclaimer: Joss owns everything in the 'verse.
Notes: Carmen Sandiego and Yana were helpful beyond belief. As was Bex, who listened to all my whining, amongst other things. ;)
Kaylee was admiring a simple bead bracelet for sale in the town's small marketplace when a shadow fell across her. Sure that it was the Captain, here to tell her it was time to return to the ship, she was surprised when she looked up and found Simon by her side instead.
"I have something for you," Simon said quietly, taking Kaylee's hand and leading her away from the others.
"For me?" she asked, a delighted grin lighting up her face.
"It's not very fancy or anything," Simon said, apologetically. "But it's something I thought you might enjoy."
She looked at him quizzically as he bypassed all the marketplace stalls to stop beside the door of a small building. "I don't understand. What're we doing here?"
"I know you feel more comfortable staying on ship, but River and I are staying planetside for the night and…" He fidgeted nervously and then opened the door, revealing a cramped room with two small cots and, half-hidden in the corner behind a screen, a claw-footed tub. "You had mentioned –"
"Oh my gawd, Simon! It's a bath tub! A real honest to gawd bath tub." She ran to the corner of the room and stroked the rim of the empty tub lovingly. "Does it work?" she asked, looking up at him excitedly.
He offered her an indulgent smile. "Yes, it works."
"A bath tub!" she squealed, climbing into it fully dressed. "The last time I took a real honest to gawd bath was when 'Nara took me to that fancy spa place. 'Course, that was 'fore the trouble began and the Cap'n scooped us up and took us back to the ship."
Simon's face screwed up with concern. "Inara took you to a spa?"
"Oh, not like that, Simon," Kaylee said with a giggle as she squirmed excitedly in the tub. "Tweren't nothin' like a fancy Companion spa. But it had a bath tub. Just about like this one. With real pretty porcelain handles."
He looked at the plain brass taps. "I'm sorry… it's not quite the same –"
"It's perfect," she said, running her hands along the cool metal in a gentle caress. "Just perfect."
Simon glanced towards the door. "I should get back to the others. River's really not very good in crowds at the moment and goodness knows what the Captain and Jayne are saying about us right now."
"Go," Kaylee urged him as she reluctantly climbed out of the tub. "There will be other bathtubs."
"Oh! No, I didn't mean… It's for you. The bath, that is," he stuttered, embarrassed. "A belated birthday gift.
"Really?"
He smiled indulgently at her. "Really."
"That's so sweet of you," Kaylee gushed, climbing right back into the tub, a dreamy look on her face.
"Regrettably, it's only for the afternoon and not to keep," Simon admitted, blushing in embarrassment.
"S'ok," she told him. "Ain't no one's ever gotten me such a nice gift, not even a temporary one. Unless you want to count the coil the Cap'n got me last year, but that was more a gift for Serenity than for me."
"Zoe said I should give you this, too," he said, pulling out a small yellow duck from his coat pocket. "To go with the bath. I'm not sure –"
She giggled at his awkwardness as he handed the small object to her. "I love it," she assured him as she wiggled around in the empty tub.
He smiled, relieved that she liked both of his gifts. "I think Mal said he'd be ready to leave in about an hour," he told her. "That should give you plenty of time to enjoy a nice long soak before you have to join the others to catch the mule back."
"Well then, I guess I better get started," she said as she climbed out of the tub again and twisted one of the taps to trickle hot water into it. "Go see to River. I'm just gonna be right here, enjoyin' my bath," she said, a cheerful smile on her face, as she bustled about getting ready.
Embarrassed by the way she so unabashedly started undressing in front of him, he hastily edged towards the door. "Ok. We'll see you in an hour."
"In an hour," Kaylee repeated, her attention already completely focused on the bath and the little yellow duck, which was floating in the scant inch of water at the bottom of the basin. "You and me got some real live bathin' to do."
*End*
Posted by Cassie on 03:24 PM