Fic: Practice? Really? (Kaylee/Simon, Zoe/Wash)

[xfirefly9x]

Title: Practice? Really?
Fandom: Firefly
Characters: Kaylee/Simon, very slight Zoe/Wash
Prompt: #003 Foot-in-mouth
Word Count: 187
Rating: T+
Summary: "Put your foot in your mouth again, did you?" Zoe asks Simon.
Notes: Written for 10_per_genre. 7/9/10.
Beta: lvs2read.

"Put your foot in your mouth again, did you?" Zoe asks Simon. She smiles wanly at him as he shrugs. "Perhaps you should ease up a bit and take a step back to get your bearings. See where you're at," she suggests.

Simon pinches the bridge of his nose between two fingers. Exhales. "I just can't seem to get the right words out," he says with a nod. "Everything comes out wrong whenever I talk with Kaylee. And it's not just with her, either..."

"You do seem to have a bit of a problem."

"I do."

"Perhaps you could practice what you're going to say before you talk to her."

"No, I... Practice? Really?"

"You like her, don't you?" She grins at him. "She likes you."

She watches Simon as he gapes at her, open-mouthed. Waits.

"Simon? You okay?"

"Yeah," he says, recovering. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just..."

"Can't find the words?"

"Something like that."

Zoe smiles at him. "Practice." She nods once and then turned away, heading for the bridge and her husband.

Simon watches her go. "Practice. Right. Okay."

He leaves for his room.