Inspired by Mumford and Sons Dustbowl Dance. Pretty much I heard it and thought of Mal which then made me want to write a Mal/Inara fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly or any of the characters

He'd fought for something he'd believed in, once. Lost more than he'd gained in that war. Lost his hope, lost his faith. So he took his freedom and ran.

She tastes like freedom but he knows that those dark eyes and crimson lips are gorram shackles just waitin' to bind him. Still, he drinks her in like a long drought of whiskey and takes the pleasure while he can.

He supposes that he'd do the same for any one of his crew but he'd just like to think that she's stolen his freedom from him. Seduced him with the feminine wiles that she'd carefully labored at, probably labored at it harder than he ever had in the fields. Still, he stays and fights for her. He takes another chance at fighting for something he believes in and gains more than he loses. They'd lost their cut in the process, had to skip collecting the cargo, but she's still alive. Banged up and bruised, but she's in the infirmary and she's safe.

When he goes down to see her she wraps her hand around his and says, "Do you know what this means?"

He traces his finger down the side of her face that isn't swollen, "That I'm now officially your hero?"

She starts to laugh but her face contorts in pain, "Fractured ribs," she murmurs, "Don't."

"All right then," he sits down in the chair next to her, "Tell me what it means."

"I'm yours, Mal, and only yours."

He tries to contain himself. "I'm sure you'll be better in no time. 'Sides, a little makeup and no one will notice."

Inara says nothing in response, just shakes her head. He can see in her eyes that she's serious and that a part of her is afraid to let it go, but she's willing to do it anyways.

He realizes then that when she kisses him she tastes freedom but sees something else. They're both losing something. He says as much, tells her that she doesn't have to give it up, doesn't have to lose it because of him.

Inara looks at him like he's just said he's tradin' in his ship for one of them fancy, sleek city homes. "I'm not losing anything."

II

The bruises are gone and her ribs are healed and she sneaks into his room.

"Thought I told you to knock," he says with a smirk as she drops her silk robe, exposing the black lacey get up she's got on underneath.

"I apologize," she's got a coy sort of look on her face. "Come to think of it, I believe that Jayne said that I can come by his quarters any time, day or night, unannounced. I may take him up on the offer."

Mal stands and grabs her by the wrist, "Don't even think about it." As he looks down at her he remembers her words-I'm not losing anything-and he thinks he understands. "You really think you can do it?"

"Do what?"

"You know that if I want to keep this ship afloat I can't be buying you all them fancy dresses and what not."

Inara smiles, "I believe that I have enough already."

"And I won't be takin' you to any of your fancy balls."

"Then Kaylee shall escort me."

He leans down towards her but suddenly River's voice floats through the ship calling Mal to inform him of some impending doom. He groans and starts up the ladder.

As he's giving River directions he turns momentarily as Inara enters. She's changed out of her slinky night dress and she's slipped into one of his shirts, somehow she's turned it into a dress with a strategically tightened belt.

River looks up at him. "You're both giving and taking. Reciprocity."

"Or love," Zoe has come up behind them.

Mal coughs, "I don't rightly know that I'd…" but he turns to look at Inara again. Ah, hell. Who is he trying to kid. Dark eyes and crimson lips, curls gleaming a contrast against the collar of his white shirt. She was a Companion, she was cut and cleaned and polished to be perfect in every way. But he's seen the other side of her that none of her clients had ever seen. He's seen her courage, her vulnerability, she's been trained to hide emotions but he's seen her snap with real annoyance and frustration at him. He knows he hasn't seen all there is to her but he's working on it.

"Yeah," he says. "That sounds about right."