Out Of Excuses
Late in the evening, when Mal and Inara were the only ones left in the mess, they shared the final bottle of Kaylee's freshly made wine. The next morning it hit them just how much they'd had to drink.
Mal awoke first, groaning as he blinked in the harsh light shining from the overheads. He swiped at his hair and then held his head. Everything was too bright. Everything felt sharp and painful except for... what was that beside him? It was so soft! Wait. Who was beside him?
"Mmm, Mal?"
His eyebrows skyrocketed and then fell just as fast when the motion sent him a wave of nausea. Moaning again, he rolled over to lie on his stomach. Brown eyes, startled, caught his when he moved his head to the other side and tried to get comfortable. "Inara?"
"Mal?"
"What? Did we?"
"Apparently," she murmured.
He noted the softness of her sheets on his bare skin. "Huh."
"Yeah," she agreed.
He brought a hand up to rub his eyes. Beside him, Inara shifted slightly; he could feel her very unclothed side glide along this for a moment and then she settled back down far enough away that they weren't touching. He could still feel her warmth.
"Well, uh," Mal said. "I should...go?"
She didn't reply but her eyes locked onto his again and she didn't look away.
"Captain-y things," he added.
Still, she said nothing and still, he didn't get up, dress and leave. They stared at each other. Mal sighed. "Are you outta excuses too?"
Inara's lips curled up at the corners. "Are you?"
"Hell, my excuses never were that good to start with."
"Good." She moved towards him, slowly.
He ran his tongue across his lips, swallowed and closed the rest of the distance between them. Tentative kisses grew more passionate until the need for air won out and they broke apart.
"Wow," Mal said.
Inara smiled nervously at him. "Aren't you glad we ran out of reasons not to do this?"
The look in his eyes was enough answer. "That's for sure."
fin.