She had never seen him cry before, not even when his best friend - and pilot of his ship - had been killed. Yet there he stood, staring out at the black of space as tears spilled silently down his tanned cheeks. His blue eyes were even brighter with the sheen of unshed tears, and she found her chest becoming painfully tight as she gazed at their reflection in the glass. She found herself blinking away a faint burning sensation, her breath hitching slightly. Confused, she looked past him out into the black, letting the stars calm her. When he was upset it affected her more than anyone knew, as if their souls were somehow connected and their emotions became shared, and so she wished to comfort him as well. Yet every time she parted her lips to speak, her insides turned cold and she had to fight the urge to shrink back into the shadows.
She was suddenly aware of eyes upon her, and she tilted her gaze upward to see that he had turned around and was staring at her, a surprised look on his handsome face.
He had the bluest eyes she had probably ever seen, pure blue irises unmuddled by the usual flecks of gold or brown that others had, surrounding jet black pupils that shone like the polished stones she had seen in the market on Persephone. They held a myriad of expressions, and each one could be relayed without him ever uttering a word. Everyone aboard Serenity could tell plainly when he was upset or happy, angry or sad, or any mixture of feelings, and they could go from one to another in...well, in a blink of the eye.
"River," he said, raw emotion still evident in the way the second syllable of her name came out silent. "I didn't see you there."
Rather than utter a reply - which would most likely have come out cryptic and frustrating for both of them anyway - she stepped forward and pressed herself gently against him, knowing that he would automatically embrace her. Sure enough, his arms folded around her trim figure and his head bowed until his nose touched the very top of her dark head. She felt him exhale deeply, his breath stirring her hair, and she closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the silent warmth between them.
"Mal?" She finally murmured against his chest. "Why are you sad?"
He was quiet for a long while. Then, softly, he said, "I guess I was just missin' everyone. Wash, Book, Mr. Universe...all our friends went on to wherever it is waitin' for all of us." He squeezed her only a bit tighter and then added, "But now you're here, I don't feel quite so lonely. We lost some, but we still got quite a bit to be thankful over."
River smiled. Already she could feel the tightness that wasn't hers easing from her chest, fading away the longer they embraced each other. He would be okay.
She could see it in his eyes.