4

8-10-04

The clattering of several dishes to the floor was what awoke Inara out of her sound sleep and heading towards the kitchen. She pulled the crimson shawl around her tighter as she whispered into the darkness. "Hello?" the response she received was barely more than a grunt but she recognized it immediately as Malcolm Reynolds. "Mal." she greeted the darkness as a soft "Inara?" was inquired. "It's me. What are you doing up this late." she asked hearing a heavy sigh as a reply. "Just thinkin'." he told her as she gracefully pulled herself into the light, her shadow mixing with his. She bent to retrieve the empty bottle than met with her foot and lifted it to eye level. "And drinking." she told him as he shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah so?" he asked bringing his eyes to her face. "Nothing…just it's much too late for you to be indulging yourself with beer." she said while taking the one from his hand. "You need your sleep Mal." she told him as he chuckled.

"Yeah well what about you Inara don't you sleep…why aren't you curled up in the luxury of your bed?" "Because I came to see what the noise was." "You knew it was me why didn't you just leave me since you are going to anyway." the edge in his voice was something she had not heard in a long time. "You're drunk." "Yeah but it doesn't make my words any less true now does it?" he said with a cocky grin. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she asked angrily and added. "And why are drinking so much Mal." her voice rose. "Why? Why? Inara you ain't blind. You were here when the ship got taken over by a ruttin' bounty hunter, when he threatened to rape Kaylee, when he hit you and I know you where there on that bridge when you said you were leaving and ripped my gorram heart out."

The silence was deafening as Inara felt tears well up in her eyes. "Well Mal were you there when you called me a whore a thousand times over or when you walked out of Nandi's bedroom half naked, or Mal were you there when I sobbed over you? No and so I don't think I owe you the same courteously." she turned to leave and heard the loud scrape of the chair against the floor as Mal stood. "Wait Inara." he said and she stopped for a moment. Turning to him she crossed her arms. "Yes Mal what is it?" the question had scarcely left her lips before his arms were around her. "I love you Inara…God so much." he pulled back and wiped several tears from her chocolate eyes and then tenderly touched the cut on her lip. "I am so sorry you got hurt. And I would rather have a bullet put in me a million times than EVER see that pained expression on your face again." he finished as he bent to kiss her.

He pulled away with a small smile before plummeting to the ground unconscious. Inara took a shaky breath and whispered. "I love you to."

"Good morning." was the first word Malcolm Reynolds could differentiate between the pounding headache that plagued him and a groan was all he could offer as a retort. "Drink this." a voice instructed as the tanned smooth skin of Inaras' hand brushed against him. "Inara?" he asked groggily pushing scraggly bangs from his eyes. "Wha?" "Just drink this." she said as he took the cup from her. He didn't ask another question as he drank the liquid. No sooner had it entered his mouth than he spewed it across her sheets. "Oh god it's awful. What the hell is that ...poison? You trying to kill me?" he demanded as Inara rolled her eyes. "No I am not trying to kill you. Now do as you're told and drink." "I'll be damned if I'm gonna take orders from a woman." he declared. "Fine have a hangover." she said as she rose. "I'm fine just give me my shirt and you mind tellin' a fellow what he's doing shirtless in your bed!" he yelled but seriously regretted it as a new wave of blinding pain sent him back to the comfort of Inara's bed.

Another half an hour had passed before Mal tried to sit up again. "Fine Inara give me that gosei." Her head appeared in the room as she said. "I'm sorry did you want something?" "You know damn well woman that I just asked for your poison." "I didn't hear you." His teeth gritted in annoyance as he said. "Inara may I please have some of your remedy." "Since you asked so nicely." she broke off and retrieved a vial from within the folds of her dress. "Here." she said handing it to him. He swallowed it with a grimace and without so much of a word fell asleep.

When he awoke this time he was in his room fully clothed no trace of his headache haunting him. "Ohh." he groaned and sat up, running a hand through his hair. "What the…" he broke off trying to piece together the events from the night, but it was much too fuzzy and he began to wonder if it had just been a dream. The intercom broke him from his thoughts as Kaylee said cheerfully. "Mornin' captain breakfast is in ten and looks like flapjacks and OJ." "Okay be right up." He told Kaylee as the static died.

"Sleep well?" she asked him as he walked into the room. "Fine mei mei…you?" "Serenity sung me to sleep as usual." she said with as smile as she handed him his breakfast. "Mal." the voice from behind him said. "Inara." he breathed. Those were the only words exchanged between them as both Inara and Mal kept busy during breakfast. But the second breakfast was over Mal pulled Inara to the bridge.

"Inara this is going to sound a tad bit awkward but," he paused and she took the opportunity to query "How do you feel?" "So it wasn't a dream?" he replied hastily. "Look Inara I ain't to good at apologizin' and I…I…" "It's okay Mal once is more than enough."
"Wait a minute once…" "Yeah and I forgive you." "Forgive me…what? when? Huh?" he asked dumbfounded as she brought her lips to his. He couldn't seem to find words after that.

Inara pulled away and walked across the bridge and to another part of the ship. Mal stood there for a moment before saying. "Inara you come back and tell me what the hell that was?" his screams faded into the background as she laughed. She had a one up on the famous Malcolm Reynolds.