[For funsies] Um. Oops?

[badinlatin]

Author Note: Set immediately after Mal comes back from Milliways shenanigans.

---

Mal's door back to the ship always moves around. Usually it's to Inara's shuttle, but he can end up anywhere from the bridge to Jayne's bunk.

Awkward.

This go-round though, he's happy to not immediately show up in front of Inara. Instead, he walks out into the bridge and sits in the pilot's seat - just for a moment.

Not that he's stalling.

Comments

[badinlatin]

"I thought you liked it when I did things to your clothing."

[makesmeatease]

"Malcolm Reynolds!"

[badinlatin]

"What? Don't lie and say it ain't true."

[makesmeatease]

"I am entirely too proper to be having this conversation. On the bridge."


HMPH.

[badinlatin]

"You know River don't care what we do."

Just because she can hear all of it.

...which gets awkward, the more Mal thinks about it.

[makesmeatease]

Inara's smile grows a little pained. "I know she doesn't care. I like to pretend that if we keep such things to my shuttle, however, she doesn't know."

It's wishful thinking.

[badinlatin]

Mal leans forward to reach for Inara's wrist - all the better to pull her closer to him.

Mal puts on his best, most charming smile for his wife, holding her hands in each of his own.





"Sit with me."

[makesmeatease]

She doesn't really resist, just a playful tug on his grip as she comes to settle herself in the pilot's seat with him--on him-- her bare foot coming to brace herself on the console in front of them.

"There. Sitting with you."

[badinlatin]

Mal slouches a bit so that his nose hits between Inara's shoulderblades and he inhales.

Inara always feels just so.









After a minute: "Why am I the one that always gets the crazies?"

[makesmeatease]

She shivers at his nose, and sighs a little laugh.


"Because you're Malcolm Reynolds...and the 'verse likes to throw these things at you."

[badinlatin]

"I get the good stuff too though. Now and then."

[makesmeatease]

"All the crazy is to remind you of how awesome the good things are." She snuggles back into him.

[badinlatin]

"That being said - Blanche was [incredibly aggravating]."

[makesmeatease]

Inara laughs. "Poor Captain."

[badinlatin]

"My life is so troubled."

Inara is so light, on Mal's lap and at Mal's fingertips. He brings his hands up and across Inara's stomach as though he'd never ventured there before, lazing about.

[makesmeatease]

She shifts, squirming against his light fingers -- light fingers always tickle more.

Turning, she buries her nose in his hair. "Yes," Inara murmurs. "Poor, poor you."

[badinlatin]

Mal told Blanche that he had his true love waiting for him at home.

"Love you, lao po."

[makesmeatease]

"Oh, zhàngfu" His hair tickles her lips as she smiles into him. "I love you, too."

[badinlatin]

"Are you ready to turn in? Not that sittin' up with you ain't lovely and all -- "

But Inara likes her privacy.

[makesmeatease]

"Enough star-gazing for the night." Inara agrees, letting her feet reach the ground, so she can stand.

She holds out her hand for him to take. "Come on, qin ài de."

[badinlatin]

Mal very politely ignores Inara's hand so that he can bend at the waist and loop an arm behind her knees so he can sweep her up into his arms when he stands.

"Off we go."

[makesmeatease]

Her head tilts back as she laughs. Inara tightens her arms around his neck and she kisses him soundly on the lips.

[badinlatin]

Mal returned safely to his ship and his wife and his crew after adventures in another universe.

He doesn't drop Inara going down the stairs from the bridge, or up the catwalks to Shuttle Two.



Good day.