#033 Concerns Of The Heart (Mal/Inara)
Sep. 18th, 2007 11:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xfirefly9xTitle: Concerns Of The Heart
Fandom: Firefly
Characters: Mal/Inara
Prompt: #033 house of pain
Word Count: 571
Rating: PG
Summary: Mal checks up on Inara after Jubil Early’s “departure” from Serenity. (Tag to Objects In Space!)
Notes: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
30_angsts. Also, I’m going to dedicate this one to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dark_draconain, who posted the pic spams (Firefly and Serenity) that inspired me to write more Mal/Inara! =D
“How’s your lip?”
Mal, as if he hadn’t learnt from the last time he’d asked Inara that question, barged into her shuttle as he repeated it, and walked up to her. He refrained from reaching up to cup her jaw like he had earlier so that he could further inspect where Early had struck her, and instead grabbed what looked like an incense holder off the cabinet to keep his hands occupied while his eyes roamed the room like it was the first time he was seeing it.
Inara didn’t spare him a glance and continued about placing the brilliant red silk gown she’d been holding when he’d barged in into a drawer and gently closing it. That gown held more memories than she cared to remember and although it had been one of her favourites, she needed a change.
Only when she was satisfied that it was out of sight and would remain so for as long as she so desired, she turned to acknowledge him. “Mal,” she said simply, almost gazing at him through long, made-up lashes. “What do you want?”
“Uh…how’s your lip?” he enquired yet again, somewhat more awkwardly than the previous times. He shifted uncomfortably and set his eyes on the ‘possible’ incense holder like his life depended on it.
“Oh,” Inara murmured. She automatically reached up to gently run the pad of her index finger over the broken skin and grimaced ever so slightly, as if tracing the blemish had brought back images of what had happened.
Mal couldn’t help but look up again when she failed to continue and his eyes met hers.
“It’s still a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle,” she finished weakly, knowing instinctively that he had seen her discomfort. For a moment too long, she allowed herself to stare into the blue depths of his eyes, before reality caught up and forced her to break free. She focused her gaze on the incense holder still in Mal’s hand and vaguely wondered to herself why she hadn’t taken it off him yet.
“I…uh…” she started.
“Well,” Mal said at the same time.
They both stopped and grinned awkwardly at each other.
“You go first,” Inara told him.
“Oh, it was nothing,” he replied with a shrug that was more uptight than he so clearly wanted it to be. “Jus’ trying to make conversation or the like.” He straightened his posture, perhaps to prove he was indeed being casual, and offered her a non-committal look. “You?”
Smiling to herself, Inara repeated his actions although hers were graceful from years of practice. “Oh, it was nothing,” she said. “Although I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t touch my belongings.”
Mal immediately set the incense holder down where he’d found it and stared at it guiltily for a few seconds before looking back up at Inara.
“Well,” he said again. “I’d better be…you know…off. Captain-y things and all that.” He waved his hands towards the door. He didn’t move.
“Okay,” Inara put in, eyeing him curiously.
Mal nodded slowly as if contemplating something. “Yeah. So…I’ll be out of here, now,” he added on, shaking his head. He gave her a mock bow and retreated; leaving Inara to wonder what would happen with him, if next time something happened to her, it were more than a mere scratch.
She was certain of one thing and only one thing. That would be an interesting day.
Fandom: Firefly
Characters: Mal/Inara
Prompt: #033 house of pain
Word Count: 571
Rating: PG
Summary: Mal checks up on Inara after Jubil Early’s “departure” from Serenity. (Tag to Objects In Space!)
Notes: Written for
30_angsts. Also, I’m going to dedicate this one to dark_draconain, who posted the pic spams (Firefly and Serenity) that inspired me to write more Mal/Inara! =D “How’s your lip?”
Mal, as if he hadn’t learnt from the last time he’d asked Inara that question, barged into her shuttle as he repeated it, and walked up to her. He refrained from reaching up to cup her jaw like he had earlier so that he could further inspect where Early had struck her, and instead grabbed what looked like an incense holder off the cabinet to keep his hands occupied while his eyes roamed the room like it was the first time he was seeing it.
Inara didn’t spare him a glance and continued about placing the brilliant red silk gown she’d been holding when he’d barged in into a drawer and gently closing it. That gown held more memories than she cared to remember and although it had been one of her favourites, she needed a change.
Only when she was satisfied that it was out of sight and would remain so for as long as she so desired, she turned to acknowledge him. “Mal,” she said simply, almost gazing at him through long, made-up lashes. “What do you want?”
“Uh…how’s your lip?” he enquired yet again, somewhat more awkwardly than the previous times. He shifted uncomfortably and set his eyes on the ‘possible’ incense holder like his life depended on it.
“Oh,” Inara murmured. She automatically reached up to gently run the pad of her index finger over the broken skin and grimaced ever so slightly, as if tracing the blemish had brought back images of what had happened.
Mal couldn’t help but look up again when she failed to continue and his eyes met hers.
“It’s still a little sore, but nothing I can’t handle,” she finished weakly, knowing instinctively that he had seen her discomfort. For a moment too long, she allowed herself to stare into the blue depths of his eyes, before reality caught up and forced her to break free. She focused her gaze on the incense holder still in Mal’s hand and vaguely wondered to herself why she hadn’t taken it off him yet.
“I…uh…” she started.
“Well,” Mal said at the same time.
They both stopped and grinned awkwardly at each other.
“You go first,” Inara told him.
“Oh, it was nothing,” he replied with a shrug that was more uptight than he so clearly wanted it to be. “Jus’ trying to make conversation or the like.” He straightened his posture, perhaps to prove he was indeed being casual, and offered her a non-committal look. “You?”
Smiling to herself, Inara repeated his actions although hers were graceful from years of practice. “Oh, it was nothing,” she said. “Although I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t touch my belongings.”
Mal immediately set the incense holder down where he’d found it and stared at it guiltily for a few seconds before looking back up at Inara.
“Well,” he said again. “I’d better be…you know…off. Captain-y things and all that.” He waved his hands towards the door. He didn’t move.
“Okay,” Inara put in, eyeing him curiously.
Mal nodded slowly as if contemplating something. “Yeah. So…I’ll be out of here, now,” he added on, shaking his head. He gave her a mock bow and retreated; leaving Inara to wonder what would happen with him, if next time something happened to her, it were more than a mere scratch.
She was certain of one thing and only one thing. That would be an interesting day.
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no subject
Date: 2007-09-18 09:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-19 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-25 05:22 pm (UTC)It was lovely. M/I is one of my fav pairings ever and I love it when good fic pops up.
Please write more....soon? *looks hopefully*
no subject
Date: 2007-09-26 10:51 am (UTC)If you want to see more, the best place to go is my fanfic index (http://xfirefly9x.livejournal.com/164428.html). Plenty of Mal/Inara there! And I'm hoping to write some new stuff soon(ish) as well. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-03-22 06:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-03-23 02:19 am (UTC)