drabbles: [roles reversed, apologising, this is how it happens]
You guys give excellent, excellent prompts. As soon as I read them, ideas came flooding into my brain. So hooray for you! You make my muses happy, and that's like, the best thing you could ever do for me.
The drabbles await!
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: roles reversed [inara]
Fandom: firefly
Setting: post-series, pre-bdm
Rating: g
Word Count: 551
Inara lets out a deep sigh, one that comes from the very bottom of her lungs, and she can feel her entire body relaxing. She starts to feel her limbs grow heavy and she feels as though she is slowly melting into the floor.
“Mmm. Kaylee, that feels absolutely divine.”
She hears the young mechanic let out a soft giggle. “Ain’t nothin’, ‘Nara.” Kaylee’s hands continue working through Inara’s hair, the soft pull of the brush moving easily through the dark waves. “All the times you done this for me, an’ I ain’t never thought to return the favour. Thought now was a good time to.”
“Yes, well, it’s just lovely.” She can’t help but close her eyes as Kaylee moves her hands down to give her neck a slight rub, her fingers working deftly over the tired muscles.
The following silence is comfortable. Inara finds herself relaxing more and more, and enjoying the rare luxury of someone else pampering and catering to her. It isn’t something she’s used to, and if it had been anyone other than Kaylee that asked, she would have immediately said no. But the look in the girl’s eyes told Inara that it meant a lot to her. So she said yes.
She never could refuse Kaylee.
She still has her eyes closed, so it’s not as though she can see the shift in Kaylee’s demeanour. It’s more like something she feels, something she senses; something that fills the air. And then she hears the slight, sad sigh.
“What’s wrong, mei mei?”
“Oh, ‘Nara.” Kaylee’s hands still against her neck, and Inara can hear the rising tears in the way her voice shakes. “I’m jus’ gonna miss you, is all.”
Inara turns around, and Kaylee is biting her bottom lip, eyes wide and shining. Inara is struck then, by the reality of it all.
She’s leaving Serenity.
“And I’ll miss you just as much, Kaylee.” She gives her what is supposed to be a comforting smile. It hurts her cheeks. “Probably even more.”
“You don’t hafta go, ni liao?” Her words are rushed, coming out in one quick breath, and Inara is flattened by the pain she feels hearing it. “You could jus’ stay an’ everythin’ can stay the same an’ I can still come see you when I’m feelin’ bad cos Simon made me cry again...”
“Kaylee...”
“You could jus’ ignore the Cap’n! You don’t even need t’see him really, ‘cept for when you pay your rent an’ maybe you can jus’ give it to me an’ I can give it to him for you!”
The mention of Mal throws her. She starts and stops. “This isn’t... My leaving has nothing to do with Mal.”
And Kaylee just looks at her, the tears welling up in her big eyes and threatening to spill over. Inara feels her lungs twist up in her chest, and knows that her words don’t mean anything. To either of them.
She reaches up, pulls Kaylee down, and hugs her tighter than she’s ever held anyone in her entire life. Kaylee clutches at her just as tightly, tears flowing freely, and when Inara finally breaks and starts to cry as well, she isn’t sure who’s trying to comfort who.
Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.
For: goldy_dollar
Prompt: apologising [mal/inara]
Fandom: firefly
Setting: post-bdm
Rating: g
Word Count: 426
“This is sorta nice, ain’t it?”
Inara smiles as she brings the tea cup to her lips and takes a quiet sip. “Yes. It actually is.”
Mal takes a swig from his cup, and lets out a heavy breath as he sits it back down on the table. The galley is quiet and empty; he and Inara are the only ones awake on Serenity at the moment. Their late night tea drinking has become a ritual of sorts. Usually he finds her here, and without words she casually pours him a cup and places it in his hands. Other times, he boils the water and sits down first, and she is the one who walks in from her shuttle, and joins him.
It’s always still and quiet and composed, when they sit down here together. Mal finds it strange that it can be so completely different to the majority of the rest of their time together.
She takes another gentle sip of her tea, and he can’t stop his eyes from focusing on her. Can’t help but watch as she places her lips on the rim of the cup, her eyes fluttering closed as she swallows. She’s all grace; gentle and beautiful and he almost can’t believe how glad he is to have her back on his ship.
“I’m sorry, Inara.”
She looks up at him, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “What ever for, Mal?”
He’s hesitant. He flicks his tea cup, scuffs his heels against the floor, keeps his eyes focused on the wood of the table. “For not sayin’ goodbye.”
The silence is overpowering, and Mal swallows loudly. The sound of it reverberates through his ears. He glances up, and she’s still looking at him like she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His gut rolls about inside of him.
“When we took you to that Companion trainin’ house.”
Her eyes widen just a little bit as she realises what he’s trying to say.
He flicks at his tea cup again, and wonders why his tongue feels so heavy. “I shoulda said somethin’ before you left.”
Inara sees that he’s trying to find the words, that he’s struggling with it but keeps trying. She leans over, and places her hand on his forearm. Her fingers curl into him slightly, and he’s warmer than she thought he’d be. He stops moving his mouth and looks up at her.
“Goodbye is very final, Mal.” She runs a finger over his skin, so lightly that he can hardly feel it. “I’m glad you didn’t say it.”
For: julester1
Prompt: this is how it happens [elliot/olivia]
Fandom: law and order: svu
Rating: g
Word Count: 309
He hears it from Cragen.
“Elliot,” he gives a tired sigh. “It’s for the best. You know that.”
And he clenches his jaw, because he wants to either throw up or punch something. Instead, he nods and walks out of his office.
It’s late when he arrives at her apartment. He knocks, loud and hard, and he hopes that she looks at least a little upset when she opens the door and sees him standing here. He breathes, waiting for her to open the door, and he hopes she looks a lot upset.
“Elliot.”
He’s not disappointed.
He walks in, doesn’t wait to be invited. He feels his blood boiling, feels his stomach aching, and he’s trying to remember everything that he thought of to say in the car on the way over. He can’t remember any of it.
“Why?”
She seems surprised at the harshness in his voice, and he thinks that she shouldn’t be. She should know exactly what this is doing to him.
“I can’t anymore.” She drops her head, and her hair falls into her face. “I just can’t.”
He steps closer, and when he’s close enough to hear her rapid breathing, he feels a pang of something deep in his belly. It feels a little like desire. A little like betrayal. “Can’t what, Olivia?”
She looks up at him, and he wonders when she got this beautiful. “I can’t be your partner anymore. I can’t be around you. I can’t see you every day and not touch you.” She pauses, sucks in a shaky breath. “Elliot, I can’t --”
And he grabs her shoulders and he kisses her. He thinks he’s gone crazy, because this is Olivia and he’s kissing her. But then she’s kissing him back, and the relief hits him so hard that he almost stumbles.
He holds onto her tighter.
The drabbles await!
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: roles reversed [inara]
Fandom: firefly
Setting: post-series, pre-bdm
Rating: g
Word Count: 551
Inara lets out a deep sigh, one that comes from the very bottom of her lungs, and she can feel her entire body relaxing. She starts to feel her limbs grow heavy and she feels as though she is slowly melting into the floor.
“Mmm. Kaylee, that feels absolutely divine.”
She hears the young mechanic let out a soft giggle. “Ain’t nothin’, ‘Nara.” Kaylee’s hands continue working through Inara’s hair, the soft pull of the brush moving easily through the dark waves. “All the times you done this for me, an’ I ain’t never thought to return the favour. Thought now was a good time to.”
“Yes, well, it’s just lovely.” She can’t help but close her eyes as Kaylee moves her hands down to give her neck a slight rub, her fingers working deftly over the tired muscles.
The following silence is comfortable. Inara finds herself relaxing more and more, and enjoying the rare luxury of someone else pampering and catering to her. It isn’t something she’s used to, and if it had been anyone other than Kaylee that asked, she would have immediately said no. But the look in the girl’s eyes told Inara that it meant a lot to her. So she said yes.
She never could refuse Kaylee.
She still has her eyes closed, so it’s not as though she can see the shift in Kaylee’s demeanour. It’s more like something she feels, something she senses; something that fills the air. And then she hears the slight, sad sigh.
“What’s wrong, mei mei?”
“Oh, ‘Nara.” Kaylee’s hands still against her neck, and Inara can hear the rising tears in the way her voice shakes. “I’m jus’ gonna miss you, is all.”
Inara turns around, and Kaylee is biting her bottom lip, eyes wide and shining. Inara is struck then, by the reality of it all.
She’s leaving Serenity.
“And I’ll miss you just as much, Kaylee.” She gives her what is supposed to be a comforting smile. It hurts her cheeks. “Probably even more.”
“You don’t hafta go, ni liao?” Her words are rushed, coming out in one quick breath, and Inara is flattened by the pain she feels hearing it. “You could jus’ stay an’ everythin’ can stay the same an’ I can still come see you when I’m feelin’ bad cos Simon made me cry again...”
“Kaylee...”
“You could jus’ ignore the Cap’n! You don’t even need t’see him really, ‘cept for when you pay your rent an’ maybe you can jus’ give it to me an’ I can give it to him for you!”
The mention of Mal throws her. She starts and stops. “This isn’t... My leaving has nothing to do with Mal.”
And Kaylee just looks at her, the tears welling up in her big eyes and threatening to spill over. Inara feels her lungs twist up in her chest, and knows that her words don’t mean anything. To either of them.
She reaches up, pulls Kaylee down, and hugs her tighter than she’s ever held anyone in her entire life. Kaylee clutches at her just as tightly, tears flowing freely, and when Inara finally breaks and starts to cry as well, she isn’t sure who’s trying to comfort who.
Maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.
For: goldy_dollar
Prompt: apologising [mal/inara]
Fandom: firefly
Setting: post-bdm
Rating: g
Word Count: 426
“This is sorta nice, ain’t it?”
Inara smiles as she brings the tea cup to her lips and takes a quiet sip. “Yes. It actually is.”
Mal takes a swig from his cup, and lets out a heavy breath as he sits it back down on the table. The galley is quiet and empty; he and Inara are the only ones awake on Serenity at the moment. Their late night tea drinking has become a ritual of sorts. Usually he finds her here, and without words she casually pours him a cup and places it in his hands. Other times, he boils the water and sits down first, and she is the one who walks in from her shuttle, and joins him.
It’s always still and quiet and composed, when they sit down here together. Mal finds it strange that it can be so completely different to the majority of the rest of their time together.
She takes another gentle sip of her tea, and he can’t stop his eyes from focusing on her. Can’t help but watch as she places her lips on the rim of the cup, her eyes fluttering closed as she swallows. She’s all grace; gentle and beautiful and he almost can’t believe how glad he is to have her back on his ship.
“I’m sorry, Inara.”
She looks up at him, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. “What ever for, Mal?”
He’s hesitant. He flicks his tea cup, scuffs his heels against the floor, keeps his eyes focused on the wood of the table. “For not sayin’ goodbye.”
The silence is overpowering, and Mal swallows loudly. The sound of it reverberates through his ears. He glances up, and she’s still looking at him like she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. His gut rolls about inside of him.
“When we took you to that Companion trainin’ house.”
Her eyes widen just a little bit as she realises what he’s trying to say.
He flicks at his tea cup again, and wonders why his tongue feels so heavy. “I shoulda said somethin’ before you left.”
Inara sees that he’s trying to find the words, that he’s struggling with it but keeps trying. She leans over, and places her hand on his forearm. Her fingers curl into him slightly, and he’s warmer than she thought he’d be. He stops moving his mouth and looks up at her.
“Goodbye is very final, Mal.” She runs a finger over his skin, so lightly that he can hardly feel it. “I’m glad you didn’t say it.”
For: julester1
Prompt: this is how it happens [elliot/olivia]
Fandom: law and order: svu
Rating: g
Word Count: 309
He hears it from Cragen.
“Elliot,” he gives a tired sigh. “It’s for the best. You know that.”
And he clenches his jaw, because he wants to either throw up or punch something. Instead, he nods and walks out of his office.
It’s late when he arrives at her apartment. He knocks, loud and hard, and he hopes that she looks at least a little upset when she opens the door and sees him standing here. He breathes, waiting for her to open the door, and he hopes she looks a lot upset.
“Elliot.”
He’s not disappointed.
He walks in, doesn’t wait to be invited. He feels his blood boiling, feels his stomach aching, and he’s trying to remember everything that he thought of to say in the car on the way over. He can’t remember any of it.
“Why?”
She seems surprised at the harshness in his voice, and he thinks that she shouldn’t be. She should know exactly what this is doing to him.
“I can’t anymore.” She drops her head, and her hair falls into her face. “I just can’t.”
He steps closer, and when he’s close enough to hear her rapid breathing, he feels a pang of something deep in his belly. It feels a little like desire. A little like betrayal. “Can’t what, Olivia?”
She looks up at him, and he wonders when she got this beautiful. “I can’t be your partner anymore. I can’t be around you. I can’t see you every day and not touch you.” She pauses, sucks in a shaky breath. “Elliot, I can’t --”
And he grabs her shoulders and he kisses her. He thinks he’s gone crazy, because this is Olivia and he’s kissing her. But then she’s kissing him back, and the relief hits him so hard that he almost stumbles.
He holds onto her tighter.