He wished he could say that when they first met he was as taken with Kaylee as she was with him. However, he had found her infatuation with him annoying. It brought too attention to him, especially from the big one preposterously named Jayne, when he desperately wanted to be anonymous.

His main goal had been to protect River. He had risked everything to get her away from the Acadmeny and thus the Alliance. He would have done anything to keep her safe.

Even if that had meant letting Kaylee die.

At the time, it had been his best option. He had seen how the crew treated her in the short time he had been aboard the ship. She was almost like a much loved little sister to the other members of the crew. He had taken the gamble that the crew, particularly its captain, would do anything to save her.

Like he would do anything to save River.

He wasn’t proud of a lot of his actions out here. He had fallen in smugglers and become a thief himself. He had let men die in his presence. All in the name of keeping River safe.

Maybe that’s why he clung so much to his manners. To remind himself of who he once was. Of who he hoped to be once again.

Yet, with Kaylee, he found himself not caring about that.

Of course, it took them almost dying for him to seize what had been waiting for him so long. To be so smart, he could be so dense as she had told him when she took him to her bed. He was very grateful for her patience but he was more appreciative of her tutelage.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of light feet outside his infirmary. He glanced up and saw his sister by the door. River had a sly smile as she entered his space.

“Hello, mei-mei,” he greeted. He left the supplies on the counter and turned to her. “What are you doing?”

“Listening?”

“To what? The ship?”

Her smile grew. “To racy, racy thoughts going through heads.”

Just as quickly as she appeared, River was gone. Leaving an abashed Simon standing in the center of his infirmary.