"River?" Inara questioned. River was wearing the silky dress Inara had given her, dancing around the room to music only she could hear. Inara was enjoying watching her, but River was here so that they could talk, after all. "River!"
"You worry too much, " 'Nara" River informed her, twirling over and offering a hand. "Dance with me."
Inara pulled her down onto the bed. "We really should talk"
River pouted. "Fine. Talk."
Inara swallowed, a thousand questions entering her head at once. She sighed. "River, what are we even doing?"
The younger girl pondered this a moment. "We're living. Being. Caring." She shrugged. "Nothing's really happened yet that requires a definition."
"Yet" Inara pointed out. "So you'd like something to happen between us."
"Well, yes." River frowned slightly. "Wouldn't you?"
Inara eyed her, amused "I'm pretty sure you already know the answer to that question."
"You're conflicted. You think I'll get jealous of your clients. You think I'm too young. So many logical arguments, yet none of them strong enough to stop you from wanting me." She grinned.
"River!" Inara exclaimed. "Could you not make it sound so...base? It's not about the sex."
River shook her head, eyes twinkling. "I know, but it's definitely something I'd like to try with you."
"Anyway" Inara continued, glaring. "If we were to make this...official...you wouldn't get jealous of my having clients?"
"No" River replied bluntly. "It's your job." She grinned. "Besides, I can read your mind, remember? I know how you feel about me. Why would I need to be jealous?"
"Fine" Inara agreed. "And what about your brother? The rest of the crew? How do you think they'd feel about this?"
River grimaced. "For the most part, they'd be happy. Mal won't be. And it'll take my brother a while to get used to it." She pondered a moment. "To be honest, I'd suggest we'd keep it to ourselves for a bit."
Inara nodded. "I agree." She stood, moving to pour them each a glass of wine. "And you are young, River – in years at least. I want to make sure I'm not taking advantage of you."
River smiled. "Old souls are rare. We are meant to seek comfort in each other's company." She accepted a glass of wine. "I have much to learn from you, Inara. But my lack of expertise in the arena of love does not make me innocent to the realities it contains. I am aware. I come forewarned. You need not worry about the discrepancy between us."
Inara sat back down beside her and raised her glass. "Then cheers, River. To whatever it is that we are. May the path we walk together be a happy one."
River clicked the edge of her glass against Inara's "May we be happy" she stated simply, sipping the wine delicately.
"Do I have to?" River questioned as she sat down to dinner.
Simon sighed. "I thought we'd gone over this, mèimèi." He'd had this discussion with River a million times.
"I'll eat when I'm hungry" River's brain felt fuzzy. She hadn't had that much wine. Just a glass. Not like the time she and Simon had stolen a bottle of brandy at someone's party and the world had started spinning and she'd thrown up all over the roses. She just felt...displaced.
Inara, knowing River was a bit tipsy, passed her a roll. "Perhaps we can put something aside for later." She suggested. River, who was picking at the bread, decorating the table with crumbs, nodded.
"As long as you eat" Simon sighed again. River stuck her tongue out at him and Kaylee chuckled.
"I wish I'd had a brother to fight with" she commented longingly.
"You have me to fight with" Simon pointed out, tickling her side.
"It is fun to fight with Simon" River agreed merrily, beginning to organise her crumbs into lines.
"I was the only child on the ship I grew up on" Zoë put in. "I have to say it was lonesome at times"
River turned to examine Inara. "And you?" she questioned.
"I left my family very young to move to the capital. I don't have many memories of them" Inara explained. "The family I remember is the girls I trained with on Sihnon, though many of them disliked me because I surpassed them in skill." she smiled at River. "You remember Nandi. I cared for her very much."
Zoë quirked an eyebrow at the Companion. It was the first time she'd heard Inara speak of her past in any sort of detail. Inara caught her eye and looked away. What is she hiding? Zoë wondered.
The wine made River sleepy, and she leaned against Inara's arm. "Why don't you go to bed, River?" Simon asked her, forgetting all about her avoidance of dinner. He wanted to talk to Inara – he knew River hadn't been sleeping alone.
River nodded. "Alright" She got up and left the table, heading for Inara's shuttle.
After she'd eaten, Inara excused herself to the group and left the mess.
"Inara?" The Companion turned around at the sound of Simon's voice.
"Yes, Simon?"
"I wanted to talk to you about River."
Inara leaned against the side of the hallway. "I thought you might."
"I know she hasn't been sleeping in her room."
Inara didn't speak, waiting to see where this conversation was going.
"She seems very attached to you" Simon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "And I know I haven't exactly been available to her. Kaylee said last night she feels like she's pushed you two away." He paused nervously. "I just wanted to make sure it's not too much trouble. The amount of your time she's taking up. I mean, you don't seem to mind, but it's very generous of you."
Relief flooded the Companion's mind and she smiled. Simon's own innocence kept him blind. "Oh, Simon. I don't mind at all."
The tension left Simon's shoulders and he smiled too. "I'm glad. I was just worried..."
Inara squeezed the top of his arm gently. "Bié dān xīn. Don't worry."
"Are the nightmares bad?" Simon grasped for information.
She shook her head. "River will talk to you when and if she wants to, Simon. It isn't my place."
He nodded. "Of course. Sorry."
Inara turned to go. "Good night"
"Good night. And thank you."
River was already asleep when she entered the room. Inara lit some incense and changed into her bed-clothes, thinking to meditate a while on all that had happened. River stirred as she moved about the room.
" 'Nara?"
"Hey mèimèi" Inara came to sit on the bed, putting a hand on River's hair.
"Coming to bed?"
Inara shook her head. "I'll be up a while"
"Okay" River closed her eyes again and Inara stroked her hair gently until her breathing evened.
"Zùo gè měi mèng (Sweet dreams)" Inara whispered, climbing from the bed.
