Mal-The Tams, a quiet moment post-marriage.

[badinlatin]

Serenity has been away from Southdown for only a few days, and Mal has been more scarce than usual. Not even in Inara's shuttle, where he now sleeps almost every night except for when they're in the middle of a job, but working on...something, on his little desk in his matching little crew bunk.

Late in ship's afternoon, Mal looks to his latest project - two small pieces of notarized paper, obviously worn and showing multiple wax seals on the outside of the paper sheathes - with a final glance of satisfaction. Folding it in an altogether practiced motion, Mal smoothly climbs the ladder out of his bunk, starting to make his rounds through the ship, hoping to catch one or two people in particular.

Comments

[simon_doctor]

There's two people in particular sitting in the passenger lounge, quietly talking.

Simon's low, pleased laugh is clearly audible from across the room.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's smile lights up the room.

Doesn't seem as though the honeymoon is going to wear off for a long time yet.

[badinlatin]

Nothing wrong with that.

Mal clears his throat carefully to announce himself, a smirk and a wave.

[simon_doctor]

Simon glances over, and waves back cheerfully. "Wei, Captain."

[gonna_live]

And now Kaylee is beaming at Mal. "You comin' to bother us?" Affectionately.

[badinlatin]

"What I'm here for, I thought - Captainly duties and all."

Mal reveals two oiled paper sheathes from behind his back. "Got presents if y'all are interested," he explains, moving from his entrance to where they are sitting.

[simon_doctor]

"...Oh, you didn't have to ..."

Simon's slow pleased smile apparently isn't listening to a word he's saying.

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's face says quite eloquently: oooooo, what is it?.

"Suppose 'interested' is a good way to put it."

[badinlatin]

"Well, they're both essentially the same thing, but I figure I'll let one o' you open each."

Handing one sheath to Simon and one to Kaylee, he waits nervously for their reactions.

"Been thinkin' on it for awhile, and figured now was as good a time as any--"

[simon_doctor]

Simon opens the sheath and draws out the contents.

He frowns in puzzlement.

"It's the deed to ..."

And his voice slows, and almost fails, because he's seen the names at the bottom. His name, and Kaylee's, and River's.

"It's the deed to Serenity."

[gonna_live]

Kaylee's looking at the same thing, only --

-- Captain Frederick Harbatkin, Merrin Richards, Thomas Richards, Edwin Young --

And looking up at Mal.

With her throat closed up.

So much for saying anything.

[badinlatin]

Darn. Now Mal has to know what to say.

"Well - heh, um - I keep a lot o' fake papers up in my bunk, for the ship. Helps pull through checkpoints and such. Ain't shown too many folk the original, though - 'cept Zo', when I bought the ship proper. After you 'n Jayne got on the boat, Kaylee, I added everyone to the deed. Didn't tell no one, 'cause, well -- I just didn't, I suppose."

Mal stares at the now-empty sheathes; easier to focus on than the confused stares. "They hadn't been updated in a long while." Shepherd Book's name is not anywhere to be seen. "After...everythin', I just figured it was time."

Added very quickly, "I ain't plannin' on goin' anywhere or nothin'. Just...if the situation presents itself. You got somewhere to stay."

[simon_doctor]

"Captain ... Mal, this is ..."

Simon swallows, hard. The lump in his throat won't go away.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you."

[gonna_live]

Words are overrated.

Silently, Kaylee gets up, and hugs Mal. Tightly.

Crying. Just a little.

She'd had no idea. None.

[badinlatin]

This is probably why he hadn't given her any reason to think otherwise. He hugs her back, attempting to keep a little bit of levity in the moment despite the enormity of what he just pulled off.

"Ain't goin' nowhere, xiao meimei. Happy weddin'."

[simon_doctor]

Simon's not crying. Not even a little. That brightness in his eyes is just a trick of the light. Really.

He holds out a hand to grasp Mal's.

[badinlatin]

Mal looks up from leaning into Kaylee, staring at the proffered hand with a cross of surprise and chastising glare.

Mal grabs Simon's arm at the elbow - an old habit of handshakes he never got rid of - pulling Simon in for an ever-so-masculine hug, patting his back with a bright laugh.

[simon_doctor]

Simon emits a tiny startled noise, but then returns the hug with good grace.

...Yeah, he's grinning.

[gonna_live]

When it occurs to Kaylee to stop having the reaction oh my god we're on the papers for Serenity, she starts having the reaction oh my god we're having a group hug.

And then she starts to laugh.

[badinlatin]

Pulling back, Mal only manages to laugh even harder.

"Wow, this is...definitely enough cute 'n cuddly for me."

It takes Mal a moment to pull himself together enough to roll the papers back up into their covers.

"Glad you like it."