Mal-Zoe

Ship's pretty quiet, and by the sound of the uncomfortable gurgling in Mal's stomach, dinnertime's come and gone.

This does not mean he has any intention of climbing out of his bunk to get anything to munch on, however. He's got books to keep him company, and his long-ago present from Susan stares at him from across his room forcefully enough that he goes to pick it up, more to flip through the pictures of Earth-that-Was London than to really study the words on the page.

Mal-Inara vignette.

You can't hide.

He hates walking around barefoot; he doesn't know how River does it. Maybe it's because River is lighter on her feet, and walking barefoot across the open deckplates doesn't bother her as much as it bothers Mal. Still, Mal's lack of boots aids considerably in keeping his footfalls silent as he finally climbs out of his bunk and makes his way to the cargo bay catwalks. The lack of suspenders and the untucked shirt suggests he'd been lying in bed awhile, too.

He'd tried to sleep.

You should have known better you should have known better

Not in the cards tonight, apparently.

One hand resting on each side of the doorjamb to Shuttle One, Mal knocks loudly.