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Fic post: "Dancing", Firefly, Inara/Kaylee, R
Title: This story doesn't really have a title, although I suppose if you need one, you could call it "Dancing".
Fandom: Firefly.
Pairing: Inara/Kaylee - a smidgen of Mal/Simon if you squint.
Rating: R
Word Count: 2642
Summary: Kaylee makes Inara feel like a teenager again.
Disclaimer: None of it's mine.
Notes: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mgsmurf for the aintappropriate challenge. It might be too sappy for you, I don't know. By the time inspiration finally struck (this Friday) I was too far gone to worry too much, and concentrated instead on getting the fic done at all. This story did not come out easy - ergo, my wonderful but cruel beta, hildigunnur, had her work cut out for her. Also, apparently I skimp on punctuation marks. That one is new. I used to take commas where commas have never gone before. Thank you darling, for coming through every time :) Also, gratitude goes to Wikipedia, for redirecting me to an article about Céilidh when I searched for 'Kaylee', which was what finally made the story happen.
The unavoidable, undeniable fact was really very simple: Kaylee made Inara feel like a teenager again. Or perhaps, like the teenager she never got to be.
During downtime, when Serenity’s engines were running smoothly or when they were planetside for some time, Inara sometimes taught Kaylee how to behave like a lady of the Core planets. Inara’s teenage years had been spent under the scrutiny of instructors and trainers, but she discovered to her delight that turning her old lessons into amusement for Kaylee seemed to make them less painful in her memory.
And Kaylee, who loved pretty things, was all aflutter with excitement every time Inara revealed a new treasure – be it a hair ornament, silky underthings, or one of the simple tools of Inara’s trade. She learned new appreciation for her calligraphy brushes once she’d watched Kaylee attempt to work with more delicate tools than she was used to, and she wondered what Kaylee would say to some of the finer Core porcelain once she’d watched her rapture when Inara served her from her best set.
And when there was space in the cargo hold, they danced. Dancing had always been one of Inara’s favourite perks of her profession. She had never managed any exceptional skill with a musical instrument, though she loved playing. Dancing however – dancing was the pièce de résistance in her arsenal. If her partner was any good, she could dance forever, and draw every eye in the room while she was at it.
Of course, once the Captain found them at it, he had a few words on the subject – and they’d been angry and hurtful ones, at that. ‘Turning her into a facsimile of yourself,’ he’d said. ‘Fuelling some bizarre delusions,’ when, in essence, his understanding of Inara’s work was that she simply was a whore. That last bit, of course, had not been uttered in so many words, but Inara had no misgivings about what Malcolm Reynolds meant. And for once, she’d left him with no misgivings about what she thought.
She’d loved him once, but hurt and history and complications had whittled away that love, until she found herself respecting him for what he was. While she harboured no illusions that he loved her still, the respect was not mutual. Once she’d finally sorted out all her own reasons and sensibilities regarding the crew of Serenity, arguing with the Captain had, however, become easier – mostly because he no longer had the ability he once did of cutting her to the quick. That was a privilege she granted only to few, and she’d withdrawn his when she realized he’d abuse it forever.
Neither of them had been ready. And now that they both were, neither of them were getting what they wanted, anyway. It was almost ironic.
Eventually, he’d left them in peace with their amusement, which was a good thing, because Inara had come to depend on those near-stolen moments with Kaylee – and she found herself appreciating the better things in life with a new fervour, as her occasional apprentice tended to make interesting but hilarious observations that would help keep the smile on Inara’s face at the most unexpected of moments.
More than anything, though, she loved dancing with Kaylee. There were moments she even allowed herself to realize why dancing was her favourite thing to teach – the fact that the exercise left them breathless and flushed, the fact that while Kaylee sometimes had a hard time with the steps, she had an innate grace that astounded Inara on occasion – and probably, also the fact that dancing was intimate. If you let it be. And Inara, master of the craft that she was, knew all the extra steps and curlicues required for that.
Inara had to admit to herself, though, that this went beyond feeling like a teenager – she was acting like one, too.
+++
The dusty moon was so far away from any substantial bit of civilization that Inara hadn’t even opened the client registry when Mal told her their course for the next week. She had anticipated a quiet week to herself – perhaps a bit of meditation, some calligraphy – possibly she’d indulge Kaylee in her latest quest; she had taken it into her head to teach Inara her way around engines in repayment for all the lessons about acting like a lady.
Kaylee bursting into her shuttle, shouting something quite incoherently about a ball, was not in her plans. Though she had to say she didn’t mind it – it was hard to mind Kaylee in high spirits, whatever the reason might be. But her – Inara Serra – going to a ball on Coronado Moon? The idea was absurd. She’d stick out like a sore thumb.
Kaylee, however, would not be persuaded. And she seemed to have everything planned. And she was so excited...
Which was how Inara Serra, a renowned companion of House Madrassa, found herself dressed down in one of the simple training house cotton shifts that she’d never had the heart to throw away, curls braided and face fresh, walking arm in arm with Kaylee down the main street of a town that consisted mostly of clapboard houses, towards the sounds of merriment being made behind the simple wooden church.
She had not been nervous about attending a social gathering for almost eleven years, but she was nervous now. Without her usual armour of face paint and jewellery, she felt defenceless, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to behave in a setting where she wasn’t responsible for anybody’s entertainment but her own. It was easy to go anywhere as a companion, but harder to go somewhere just as a woman – a girl? – trying to have some fun.
Still, Kaylee was good at this. Kaylee was capable of making friends everywhere. Inara was pretty sure that if she only kept close to her, she’d be relatively okay.
Though, it had to be said, keeping close to Kaylee posed problems of its own. Because keeping close to Kaylee meant... keeping close. To Kaylee. Who was wearing one of her flower-print dresses with her hair in pigtails, all bare legs and soft curves and sweet smile. And this was the part where Inara really felt like a teenager, catching glimpses of skin when Kaylee’s skirts got rustled by a gust of wind, finding herself staring whenever Kaylee moved and her outline could be seen through the thin fabric...
It turned out that Kaylee was really good at the socializing bit, though Inara was hardly surprised; after all, she’d seen Kaylee wrap prominent members of Persephone around her little finger at a dance where Kaylee hadn’t really belonged. This ball seemed to be a part of a harvest fair, and the area was full of people milling about, chatting, discussing the years’ take and prospects for the winter. There was a small area where people were dancing and a buffet table for which Kaylee made a beeline as soon as she’d finished with the necessary pleasantries. Inara followed in her wake, amused, and was surprised to have a mug of strong dark beer thrust into her arms, along with a sort of local cinnamon bun.
She had to admit, though, that she was enjoying herself, even despite her general lack of knowledge when it came to discussing crops and livestock. They were still standing near the buffet table, almost finished with their beer, when the fiddlers at the end of the clearing started a fast-beat song, and Kaylee’s face lit up with excitement.
“Come dance!” she shouted over the den. “This song is my favourite!”
Inara tried to protest but found herself dragged towards the crowd of dancing people.
“I don’t know the steps!” she shouted at Kaylee, who just shook her head and made a ‘follow-me’ gesture.
And then they were off. This was a different sort of dancing than the type Inara had gone to such pains to perfect. The beat was fast, the steps were informal, people were simply dancing in circles – Kaylee was on her right and a young local woman with red hair on her left – there were no introductions or switching of dance partners. And she found it unbelievably fun. It was even better than the more formal polonaises and minuets she was used to. People were laughing, Kaylee was doing some impressive footwork next to her, and the glow of the paper lanterns that lit the area was just dim enough to hide any mistakes.
They danced for hours. They danced until Inara’s ankles felt swollen, and Kaylee could barely stand. They danced so much they had to make return trips to the beverage table and refresh themselves with more mugs of the dark beer – which didn’t taste strong anymore. By the time they finally made it back up the ramp of Serenity’s cargo hold, they were holding each other up, sweaty and dishevelled and quite drunk, giggling like madwomen. They met Mal on the stairs, and while he gave them a stern glare, Inara thought she detected a pleased surprise in his eyes – though whether it was at her own flyaway appearance or at their obvious happiness, she couldn’t tell.
“Aww, cap’n.” Kaylee giggled when she caught his glare. “I know we’re late but don’t be mad! We were dancin’!”
Mal lifted an eyebrow. “I would have thought Inara’s notions of dancing wouldn’t quite cover what you two were obviously doing,” he said dryly.
Somehow, this was the funniest thing either of them had ever heard, and they broke into peals of laughter, doubling over where they stood. Mal just stared, then shrugged and continued down the stairs.
Eventually, they got their giggles under control and made it up the stairs and to Inara’s shuttle, where they nearly collapsed onto the soft bed. Inara felt wonderful. Having danced herself to exhaustion and then laughed herself silly, it felt fantastic to just be allowed to collapse onto the first soft surface she could find, heedless of her dress or her decorum.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered, once they both got their laughter under control. “It’s been a really, really long time since I had such fun.” She rolled over onto her side to be able to look at Kaylee ... only to find that Kaylee had done the same thing, and they were suddenly flush against each other, only the thin cotton of their dresses keeping them apart. “Oh!” Inara breathed, as Kaylee bowed her head and closed the remaining distance between them and “mmmh” was what Kaylee sighed into her mouth as she wound her hands into Inara’s hair.
+++
Inara was fairly certain that she hadn’t woken up hungover since she was a teenager, but it wasn’t a feeling that one forgot, especially when one reacquainted oneself with it in such a thorough and exhaustive manner.
She lay in bed, trying not to move, cataloguing sensations as she encountered them. Her eyes were gritty, her hair felt thoroughly mussed and her skin was clammy with dried sweat. Muscles she hadn’t been aware of up to that point had seemingly chosen this morning to make their presence known to her, and there had to be a minuscule construction crew hammering in her temples.
And ... there was a leg slung over her hip.
‘Gose!’ Inara thought to herself, as the events of the previous evening started to come back to her. The leg definitely belonged to Kaylee, and matching her feeling of being no better than a teenager when it came to matters of her own heart, Inara didn’t have the slightest idea of what to do.
Wondering if she’d wake the young woman sleeping next to her if she tried to get up, she decided to take her chances and was rewarded with a mostly clean escape. Kaylee sighed in her sleep and settled better into her bed but she didn’t wake up.
Snapping up a robe and twisting her hair up into a simple bun that she hoped would hide the worst of the tangles, Inara made her way out of the shuttle and through the ship into the galley. She needed coffee to be able to deal with this. And water. Lots of water.
To her disappointment, despite the early hour, she wasn’t the first person to the kitchen. Mal and Simon were sitting opposite each other at the table. ‘Doesn’t the captain ever sleep?’ she wondered, before considering the scene before her somewhat more thoroughly and noticing that while Simon looked immersed in his book, his concentration seemed to be aimed towards the foot he was gently rubbing up and down Mal’s leg, and that while Mal seemed as composed as ever, there was more colour in his cheeks that she’d ever seen him sporting before. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one having dreams unexpectedly fulfilled.
Allowing herself a sly smile, she made her way to the counter to pour herself some water, and start the kettle.
“Morning Mal. Simon.” She said in her brightest tone. Mal looked up, and quirked an eyebrow at her.
“Morning ‘Nara. Late night?” She felt the colour rise in her cheeks at the thought of the state she must’ve been in when they finally made it home, and tried to concentrate on her coffee maker instead of looking up.
“Oh, you know. Kaylee wanted to go to the fair. Seemed right to make her happy.”
Mal was positively smirking now.
“Oh, the unparalleled powers of Kaylee’s smile. Gettin’ Inara Serra outta the silks and shiny fabrics.” He let the silence stretch almost long enough to become an insult before adding softly; “’Twas nice to see the woman ‘neath the frills for once.”
Struck speechless for the second time in less than half a day, Inara tried to focus her concentration on something neutral, saying a short meditation – though not short enough, because halfway through, Mal’s somewhat jarring commentary continued. “Acourse, I reckon’ lil’ Kaylee got to see a lot more of her than I did on the stairs.”
‘Ohdearbuddha, he knows!’ was Inara’s first thought, followed shortly by the logical conclusion; ‘He’ll keelhaul me!’ There was no proper reply to that, so it was probably a good thing that Mal saved her the discomfort of having to come up with a snappy retort.
“No wiles, ‘Nara. I hear you used your womanly companion wiles on my mechanic, you better start locking your shuttle at night, y’hear?”
At least that she had an answer to.
“When it comes to Kaylee, I’m no better than a teenager, Mal,” she sighed tiredly, her hands continuing to make coffee on autopilot.
“Good to know. You two’ll get along fine that way. Now, make two cups of that coffee of yours and get gone before I change my mind about all this,” he said, looking at her pointedly over Simon’s head, which was still intently bent over his book.
And for some reason, she did exactly as he suggested, making her way down towards her shuttle carrying two cups of steaming coffee. She hesitated for a second outside the door of her shuttle before opening it and stepping in.
“’sat coffee I smell?” said a sleepy voice from underneath the covers.
“Yes, it’s coffee. Fresh made,” she replied, feeling sheepish.
“And it’s you bringing it, ‘Nara?” Kaylee was trying to find her way out of the cocoon of silk and brocade she found herself ensconced in.
“Yes, it’s me,” Inara said, still standing somewhat uncertainly by her own bed, watching Kaylee emerge from the silks and send her a brilliant smile that almost made her knees buckle.
“Good.” Kaylee whispered. “That’s the only two things in the whole wide verse I want right now.”
And then she reached for Inara and Inara’s last coherent thought was that perhaps it wasn’t so bad to feel like a teenager every now and then.
Fandom: Firefly.
Pairing: Inara/Kaylee - a smidgen of Mal/Simon if you squint.
Rating: R
Word Count: 2642
Summary: Kaylee makes Inara feel like a teenager again.
Disclaimer: None of it's mine.
Notes: Written for
mgsmurf for the aintappropriate challenge. It might be too sappy for you, I don't know. By the time inspiration finally struck (this Friday) I was too far gone to worry too much, and concentrated instead on getting the fic done at all. This story did not come out easy - ergo, my wonderful but cruel beta, hildigunnur, had her work cut out for her. Also, apparently I skimp on punctuation marks. That one is new. I used to take commas where commas have never gone before. Thank you darling, for coming through every time :) Also, gratitude goes to Wikipedia, for redirecting me to an article about Céilidh when I searched for 'Kaylee', which was what finally made the story happen. The unavoidable, undeniable fact was really very simple: Kaylee made Inara feel like a teenager again. Or perhaps, like the teenager she never got to be.
During downtime, when Serenity’s engines were running smoothly or when they were planetside for some time, Inara sometimes taught Kaylee how to behave like a lady of the Core planets. Inara’s teenage years had been spent under the scrutiny of instructors and trainers, but she discovered to her delight that turning her old lessons into amusement for Kaylee seemed to make them less painful in her memory.
And Kaylee, who loved pretty things, was all aflutter with excitement every time Inara revealed a new treasure – be it a hair ornament, silky underthings, or one of the simple tools of Inara’s trade. She learned new appreciation for her calligraphy brushes once she’d watched Kaylee attempt to work with more delicate tools than she was used to, and she wondered what Kaylee would say to some of the finer Core porcelain once she’d watched her rapture when Inara served her from her best set.
And when there was space in the cargo hold, they danced. Dancing had always been one of Inara’s favourite perks of her profession. She had never managed any exceptional skill with a musical instrument, though she loved playing. Dancing however – dancing was the pièce de résistance in her arsenal. If her partner was any good, she could dance forever, and draw every eye in the room while she was at it.
Of course, once the Captain found them at it, he had a few words on the subject – and they’d been angry and hurtful ones, at that. ‘Turning her into a facsimile of yourself,’ he’d said. ‘Fuelling some bizarre delusions,’ when, in essence, his understanding of Inara’s work was that she simply was a whore. That last bit, of course, had not been uttered in so many words, but Inara had no misgivings about what Malcolm Reynolds meant. And for once, she’d left him with no misgivings about what she thought.
She’d loved him once, but hurt and history and complications had whittled away that love, until she found herself respecting him for what he was. While she harboured no illusions that he loved her still, the respect was not mutual. Once she’d finally sorted out all her own reasons and sensibilities regarding the crew of Serenity, arguing with the Captain had, however, become easier – mostly because he no longer had the ability he once did of cutting her to the quick. That was a privilege she granted only to few, and she’d withdrawn his when she realized he’d abuse it forever.
Neither of them had been ready. And now that they both were, neither of them were getting what they wanted, anyway. It was almost ironic.
Eventually, he’d left them in peace with their amusement, which was a good thing, because Inara had come to depend on those near-stolen moments with Kaylee – and she found herself appreciating the better things in life with a new fervour, as her occasional apprentice tended to make interesting but hilarious observations that would help keep the smile on Inara’s face at the most unexpected of moments.
More than anything, though, she loved dancing with Kaylee. There were moments she even allowed herself to realize why dancing was her favourite thing to teach – the fact that the exercise left them breathless and flushed, the fact that while Kaylee sometimes had a hard time with the steps, she had an innate grace that astounded Inara on occasion – and probably, also the fact that dancing was intimate. If you let it be. And Inara, master of the craft that she was, knew all the extra steps and curlicues required for that.
Inara had to admit to herself, though, that this went beyond feeling like a teenager – she was acting like one, too.
+++
The dusty moon was so far away from any substantial bit of civilization that Inara hadn’t even opened the client registry when Mal told her their course for the next week. She had anticipated a quiet week to herself – perhaps a bit of meditation, some calligraphy – possibly she’d indulge Kaylee in her latest quest; she had taken it into her head to teach Inara her way around engines in repayment for all the lessons about acting like a lady.
Kaylee bursting into her shuttle, shouting something quite incoherently about a ball, was not in her plans. Though she had to say she didn’t mind it – it was hard to mind Kaylee in high spirits, whatever the reason might be. But her – Inara Serra – going to a ball on Coronado Moon? The idea was absurd. She’d stick out like a sore thumb.
Kaylee, however, would not be persuaded. And she seemed to have everything planned. And she was so excited...
Which was how Inara Serra, a renowned companion of House Madrassa, found herself dressed down in one of the simple training house cotton shifts that she’d never had the heart to throw away, curls braided and face fresh, walking arm in arm with Kaylee down the main street of a town that consisted mostly of clapboard houses, towards the sounds of merriment being made behind the simple wooden church.
She had not been nervous about attending a social gathering for almost eleven years, but she was nervous now. Without her usual armour of face paint and jewellery, she felt defenceless, and she wasn’t entirely sure how to behave in a setting where she wasn’t responsible for anybody’s entertainment but her own. It was easy to go anywhere as a companion, but harder to go somewhere just as a woman – a girl? – trying to have some fun.
Still, Kaylee was good at this. Kaylee was capable of making friends everywhere. Inara was pretty sure that if she only kept close to her, she’d be relatively okay.
Though, it had to be said, keeping close to Kaylee posed problems of its own. Because keeping close to Kaylee meant... keeping close. To Kaylee. Who was wearing one of her flower-print dresses with her hair in pigtails, all bare legs and soft curves and sweet smile. And this was the part where Inara really felt like a teenager, catching glimpses of skin when Kaylee’s skirts got rustled by a gust of wind, finding herself staring whenever Kaylee moved and her outline could be seen through the thin fabric...
It turned out that Kaylee was really good at the socializing bit, though Inara was hardly surprised; after all, she’d seen Kaylee wrap prominent members of Persephone around her little finger at a dance where Kaylee hadn’t really belonged. This ball seemed to be a part of a harvest fair, and the area was full of people milling about, chatting, discussing the years’ take and prospects for the winter. There was a small area where people were dancing and a buffet table for which Kaylee made a beeline as soon as she’d finished with the necessary pleasantries. Inara followed in her wake, amused, and was surprised to have a mug of strong dark beer thrust into her arms, along with a sort of local cinnamon bun.
She had to admit, though, that she was enjoying herself, even despite her general lack of knowledge when it came to discussing crops and livestock. They were still standing near the buffet table, almost finished with their beer, when the fiddlers at the end of the clearing started a fast-beat song, and Kaylee’s face lit up with excitement.
“Come dance!” she shouted over the den. “This song is my favourite!”
Inara tried to protest but found herself dragged towards the crowd of dancing people.
“I don’t know the steps!” she shouted at Kaylee, who just shook her head and made a ‘follow-me’ gesture.
And then they were off. This was a different sort of dancing than the type Inara had gone to such pains to perfect. The beat was fast, the steps were informal, people were simply dancing in circles – Kaylee was on her right and a young local woman with red hair on her left – there were no introductions or switching of dance partners. And she found it unbelievably fun. It was even better than the more formal polonaises and minuets she was used to. People were laughing, Kaylee was doing some impressive footwork next to her, and the glow of the paper lanterns that lit the area was just dim enough to hide any mistakes.
They danced for hours. They danced until Inara’s ankles felt swollen, and Kaylee could barely stand. They danced so much they had to make return trips to the beverage table and refresh themselves with more mugs of the dark beer – which didn’t taste strong anymore. By the time they finally made it back up the ramp of Serenity’s cargo hold, they were holding each other up, sweaty and dishevelled and quite drunk, giggling like madwomen. They met Mal on the stairs, and while he gave them a stern glare, Inara thought she detected a pleased surprise in his eyes – though whether it was at her own flyaway appearance or at their obvious happiness, she couldn’t tell.
“Aww, cap’n.” Kaylee giggled when she caught his glare. “I know we’re late but don’t be mad! We were dancin’!”
Mal lifted an eyebrow. “I would have thought Inara’s notions of dancing wouldn’t quite cover what you two were obviously doing,” he said dryly.
Somehow, this was the funniest thing either of them had ever heard, and they broke into peals of laughter, doubling over where they stood. Mal just stared, then shrugged and continued down the stairs.
Eventually, they got their giggles under control and made it up the stairs and to Inara’s shuttle, where they nearly collapsed onto the soft bed. Inara felt wonderful. Having danced herself to exhaustion and then laughed herself silly, it felt fantastic to just be allowed to collapse onto the first soft surface she could find, heedless of her dress or her decorum.
“Oh, wow,” she whispered, once they both got their laughter under control. “It’s been a really, really long time since I had such fun.” She rolled over onto her side to be able to look at Kaylee ... only to find that Kaylee had done the same thing, and they were suddenly flush against each other, only the thin cotton of their dresses keeping them apart. “Oh!” Inara breathed, as Kaylee bowed her head and closed the remaining distance between them and “mmmh” was what Kaylee sighed into her mouth as she wound her hands into Inara’s hair.
+++
Inara was fairly certain that she hadn’t woken up hungover since she was a teenager, but it wasn’t a feeling that one forgot, especially when one reacquainted oneself with it in such a thorough and exhaustive manner.
She lay in bed, trying not to move, cataloguing sensations as she encountered them. Her eyes were gritty, her hair felt thoroughly mussed and her skin was clammy with dried sweat. Muscles she hadn’t been aware of up to that point had seemingly chosen this morning to make their presence known to her, and there had to be a minuscule construction crew hammering in her temples.
And ... there was a leg slung over her hip.
‘Gose!’ Inara thought to herself, as the events of the previous evening started to come back to her. The leg definitely belonged to Kaylee, and matching her feeling of being no better than a teenager when it came to matters of her own heart, Inara didn’t have the slightest idea of what to do.
Wondering if she’d wake the young woman sleeping next to her if she tried to get up, she decided to take her chances and was rewarded with a mostly clean escape. Kaylee sighed in her sleep and settled better into her bed but she didn’t wake up.
Snapping up a robe and twisting her hair up into a simple bun that she hoped would hide the worst of the tangles, Inara made her way out of the shuttle and through the ship into the galley. She needed coffee to be able to deal with this. And water. Lots of water.
To her disappointment, despite the early hour, she wasn’t the first person to the kitchen. Mal and Simon were sitting opposite each other at the table. ‘Doesn’t the captain ever sleep?’ she wondered, before considering the scene before her somewhat more thoroughly and noticing that while Simon looked immersed in his book, his concentration seemed to be aimed towards the foot he was gently rubbing up and down Mal’s leg, and that while Mal seemed as composed as ever, there was more colour in his cheeks that she’d ever seen him sporting before. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one having dreams unexpectedly fulfilled.
Allowing herself a sly smile, she made her way to the counter to pour herself some water, and start the kettle.
“Morning Mal. Simon.” She said in her brightest tone. Mal looked up, and quirked an eyebrow at her.
“Morning ‘Nara. Late night?” She felt the colour rise in her cheeks at the thought of the state she must’ve been in when they finally made it home, and tried to concentrate on her coffee maker instead of looking up.
“Oh, you know. Kaylee wanted to go to the fair. Seemed right to make her happy.”
Mal was positively smirking now.
“Oh, the unparalleled powers of Kaylee’s smile. Gettin’ Inara Serra outta the silks and shiny fabrics.” He let the silence stretch almost long enough to become an insult before adding softly; “’Twas nice to see the woman ‘neath the frills for once.”
Struck speechless for the second time in less than half a day, Inara tried to focus her concentration on something neutral, saying a short meditation – though not short enough, because halfway through, Mal’s somewhat jarring commentary continued. “Acourse, I reckon’ lil’ Kaylee got to see a lot more of her than I did on the stairs.”
‘Ohdearbuddha, he knows!’ was Inara’s first thought, followed shortly by the logical conclusion; ‘He’ll keelhaul me!’ There was no proper reply to that, so it was probably a good thing that Mal saved her the discomfort of having to come up with a snappy retort.
“No wiles, ‘Nara. I hear you used your womanly companion wiles on my mechanic, you better start locking your shuttle at night, y’hear?”
At least that she had an answer to.
“When it comes to Kaylee, I’m no better than a teenager, Mal,” she sighed tiredly, her hands continuing to make coffee on autopilot.
“Good to know. You two’ll get along fine that way. Now, make two cups of that coffee of yours and get gone before I change my mind about all this,” he said, looking at her pointedly over Simon’s head, which was still intently bent over his book.
And for some reason, she did exactly as he suggested, making her way down towards her shuttle carrying two cups of steaming coffee. She hesitated for a second outside the door of her shuttle before opening it and stepping in.
“’sat coffee I smell?” said a sleepy voice from underneath the covers.
“Yes, it’s coffee. Fresh made,” she replied, feeling sheepish.
“And it’s you bringing it, ‘Nara?” Kaylee was trying to find her way out of the cocoon of silk and brocade she found herself ensconced in.
“Yes, it’s me,” Inara said, still standing somewhat uncertainly by her own bed, watching Kaylee emerge from the silks and send her a brilliant smile that almost made her knees buckle.
“Good.” Kaylee whispered. “That’s the only two things in the whole wide verse I want right now.”
And then she reached for Inara and Inara’s last coherent thought was that perhaps it wasn’t so bad to feel like a teenager every now and then.
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“Good.” Kaylee whispered. “That’s the only two things in the whole wide verse I want right now.”
That part made me "aww!" and grin so much. I loved the story.
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p.s.: U seriously picked my interest with that small hint of Mal/Simon... *off to get some good captainXdoc smut* XD