Summary: Zoë thinks aboutthe two men she respects and loves, revealing that there is always more than what meets the eye.

A/N: First, I'd like to thank tenebraeli for her review. Second, I'm going to ramble a bit about what inspired this story. Originally I wanted to do another Mal one-shot since I can relate to the transformation he underwent after the war. Then I decided to make it a little different by taking another point of view.The next logical choice was to talk about the person who knew him best: Zoë. When I started writing, I realized that I had to talk about Wash as well. It turned out that he and Mal weren't so different. That got me thinking about how first impressions aren't always correct, and "Misunderstood" was born.

Disclaimer: I don't own Firefly or its characters.

Misunderstood

Zoë Washburn understood the two most misunderstood men in the 'verse. It wasn't because she exuded empathy. Rather she thought her objective way of looking at things allowed her to see these men for who they really were. One was her captain, the other her husband, but oh they were so much more.


Malcolm Reynolds used to be a likeable guy, but circumstances had a way of changing people. Nevertheless, Zoë's respect never wavered. She had known him when he was just a sergeant and she was named Alleyne. Mal had the biggest heart of all the Browncoats. The man was born a leader, and lead he did. She did her best to support him, but a person could only do so much for someone who had his dream shattered before his eyes in the most horrific manner imaginable.

Browncoats, Serenity Valley, the 57th Overlanders—those were the key words to decrypting Mal. While Zoë dealt with the terror stoically, Mal felt too deeply to make himself numb to all the pain. He wasn't an insensitive bastard, as some might have thought. His experiences taught him how to harden himself to an unforgiving world. As for being stubborn, no doubt he was. One could even say that he was a sore loser, but nobody could accuse him of lacking conviction. When he believed in something, he would fight for it 'til the very end, no matter how crazy the notion was. But as the war had taught them, they would have to survive first.


Hoban Washburn was the sketchiest pilot…no, man… Zoë had ever come across. What was up with those obscenely bright, floral-printed shirts and the toy dinosaurs? If she traveled back in time and revealed their eventual union to her past self, the old Zoë would've laughed. There was no way she could've anticipated marrying this man. He was short, goofy, immature, and a spaz—totally not her type. She went for guys like Mal (although she would never date her captain; that would just be weird).

Despite the strange vibes she initially got from him, Wash had a way of worming into people's hearts. Sure he was an oddball, but he was her oddball. Actually there were times when Zoë was sure that he was the sanest individual on board. His sense of humor often lightened the tension, and what he lacked in physical strength, he made up for with his unwavering devotion. Not to mention he was a passionate man and an amazing pilot. The whole "leaf in the wind" spiel actually made sense to her. He lived like he flew, haphazardly but also freely. There was no resisting the forces that governed the 'verse. Wherever fate led him, he would soar.


Even though she had developed very different relationships with them, Zoë dared to say that Wash and Mal were two faces of the same coin. One was an eccentric but brilliant pilot and a loving husband, the other a bitter but loyal captain and an unsung hero. Both were more than they let on, and they followed nobody's rules. It was likely that no one, not even she, would fully figure out the two. Not that it mattered; she had complete faith in them. Both were destined to change the world. They had already changed hers; now it was the 'verse's turn.