There was Kaylee, and there was River. And that was how it was. But there were also the times when River could bury herself in Kaylee's skin and they could both forget where the other one began.
River knows.
Here, there is right, and there is wrong, mixed together with emotion and reason. River can hear guilt and censure - mild, hot, shifting through the spectrum in between. Synethesia allows her to taste pity, fear, and sometimes disgust. But Kaylee is there also, soft and warm and bright, and Kaylee knows how to make the voices retreat into a quiet din.
River needs.
Kaylee is scared - with good reason, River is sure. Kaylee can perceive more than she realizes. Her brain processes lightning quick - flashes - delicate - love - wordless pleasure. River is in love with the mind as much as the body. Although, she admits, there are bits of Kaylee's body that she loves the most.
River is not a child.
Serenity is anything but serene to River. Turbulent lives create turbulent emotions. River hears, sees, smells, tastes, and feels all of them. Fear and anger and love coalesce and separate. Passion and indifference stick to her skin like sweat. River can refuse to care. Especially when there are lips to kiss, skin to touch, life to taste.
Kaylee is bright, Kaylee is sure, and Kaylee is hers.
With Kaylee, River just is.