This is my first Firefly fic. If the characters are too OOC, I apologize. But I tried making them as un-OOC as possible.
Set sometime before Inara tells Mal she's leaving Serenity.
I hope you like it. :D

The stubborn man wouldn't leave the stubborn woman's fortress, despite her obvious discontent. And she didn't shoo him away because he wasn't a fly, though sometimes she felt he was, flitting from thing to thing- always distracted, never satisfied- only to burn out a few days later and rise back up, thriving and new. He also wasn't the cleanest of men, but that was to be expected.

Their arguing slowly went from light to silly to flat-out ridiculous. Then she brought up the ever-popular subject of not having any opportunity whatsoever to service "decent" clients. How they never seemed to land on a "decent" planet.

"There ain't no such thing as a "decent" man out here, Inara. What do you expect? And as for a "decent" planet, 's your problem, not mine."

Inara sighed, exasperated. She didn't even bother to respond, which left Mal to his own thoughts for awhile. She crossed her arms and thought about what to say next- if she should say anything. She stared at the floor and counted the seconds, minutes of silence.

"This isn't working," Inara finally concluded. Mal didn't say anything, waiting for her to explain herself. "I need something else. I can't stay here anymore."

Mal's facial expression softened for a moment. But only for a moment. "I'm sorry. Living here too indecent for ya? Like what you do ain't indecent?" Inara hated his tone and wished she could slap it like it had a face. She didn't reply to that either. She would never be able to justify her career choice. And she wasn't making good money like she used to. What other choice did she have? Stay there? With... him?

"Why do you always do this, Mal? Make me feel like I'm... useless..." Inara trailed off, and then her head suddenly shot up. "You think what I do is indecent? Well, according to you and your standards, that should fit in perfectly with what you do! I'd be a professional at it. I'd be better than you... Does that scare you, Mal? That I'd be better than you at your own damn job?... If it deserves that important of a title..." Inara scrunched up her features. "Ni ta ma de!" Her outburst caught the both of them off guard. She squeezed her eyes shut and wouldn't look at him. Couldn't.

Mal became angrier and angrier by the millisecond. "Because I'm indecent." He started to walk away, leaving everything unfinished to save his own ass, like he was so good at. Only difference was, she managed to stop him.

"Don't you dare! We're not finished," Inara coldly stated. Mal turned around and gave her the coldest look she had ever seen.

"Are we ever finished? Huh? Always carryin' on, not doing a god damn thing." He paused and shook his head, walking toward her. "You know what I love about you, Inara? You're so easy. In more ways than the usual one." Mal was about to leave again, but Inara halted his movements with her voice once more.

"If I'm so damn easy, why haven't you made a move? Why haven't you claimed me as your own?" Too late did Inara realize what she had just said. And she would never be able to take it back.

"Claim you? If you haven't already figured it out, Inara, I ain't that indecent."

"You're blind."

"No. I'm leaving." Mal finally left without a moment's hesitation, though he had so much to say. He just didn't know how to say it.

Inara stared blankly at the place he was once standing. She couldn't help thinking. She loved him. She loved him.

Ni ta ma de is Mandarin for "mother fucker." That's what Google told me anyway. :P
I know this seemed kind of rushed, but I was thinking I'd continue it either with another chapter or a separate story. What do you think? I'd really appreciate some feedback. :D