Inara heard the quiet sobs as she passed his room, she had to stop and listen, to make sure it wasn't her ears deceiving her, but it certainly sounded like crying. Crying coming from Malcom Reyndolds' bunk. She looked up at the control room, expecting to see Wash and then frowning a little as she realized that he wouldn't be there, instead he saw River Tam looking back at her with her dark brown eyes, she looked sad.
"He hasn't done this. I haven't. You have. You like to cry, women do. See him." She inclined her head towards the stairway and when Inara didn't move she did it again, frowning slightly. "Go." With that she turned back to the controls and Inara put one foot on the stairway, climbing down as it opened she imagined the possible scenarios. He'd most likely yell at her for coming down, possibly even throw her out. But as she stopped at the foot of the ladder she saw him on the bed, sitting up and looking at two pictures in his hands, one of Shepard Book and the other of Wash. She didn't move for a moment, instead watched him, unsure of what to do.
She had seen many versions of Malcom Reynolds, but this one was new to her.
"I'm not some zoo animal you can just watch, it's mite annoying." He didn't look up at her, or make any movement at all.
"Oh no, of course not... I just, I just thought that maybe you'd want some company." The woman walked over and hesitantly sat beside him on the bed, looking at the pictures in his hand, she had cared for both of them, both bringing in separate things to her life. The Shepard who had accepted her even though she was a companion, and the pilot who had helped her and saved her life more times than she could count. She hadn't noticed the tear falling down her own cheek until a thumb brushed it away. She looked up at the owner, Mal had softer hands than you would grant a man of his line of work, she closed her eyes briefly at the touch and then looked back at him, he hadn't moved his thumb away, instead he cupped her cheek gently.
"Mal-" She began speaking but he cut her off with a soft kiss, his lips moulding to hers perfectly, warm as they were as he deepened it, he tasted like the finest wine and was just as addictive, it was over all to quickly but he didn't let go of her, instead he looked at her with those eyes that seemed to know everything and rubbed her cheek gently with his thumb. Whispering one word as he pulled her in to kiss him again.
"Stay."