[mal/inara and wash] plant life
Another Firefly drabble! Hooray! Except, uh, I didn't really stay true to the prompt. Darling, I'm sorry. You wanted Inara and Wash, and I tried really really hard, but I just couldn't do it. Instead, it turned into Mal and Wash. Inara is in there though, somewhere. Hope it works for you anyway!
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: plant life [inara and wash]
Fandom: firefly
Rating: g
Word Count: 422
“What the hell is it?”
Wash shifts his weight, his feet shuffling on the floor. “It’s a flower, Mal.”
Mal looks down at the single flower in his hands, and then back at his pilot. His eyebrow is raised. “You know, I figured that much. What I’m ponderin’ ‘bout is why you felt the urge to give it t’me?”
Wash’s mouth twitches slightly, and he runs a hand through his hair. “I thought you might like it.”
A pause.
He shrugs. “It’s pretty.”
Mal begins to frown.
Wash lets out a heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I picked some of those flowers for Zoe. You know, wanted to give her something pretty and alive and romantic.”
Mal’s frown grows deeper. His mouth tightens into a quizzical line. “An’... you fancied you’d hand me one too?”
“I, uh... I picked them the last time we were planet side.”
Suddenly, Mal’s hand tightens around the stem of the flower. He feels something in his chest, something like his heart constricting, as the realisation hits him. “When we left... when we took ‘Nara to the Training House.”
He nods, and the look in Wash’s eyes is gentle. “Yes.”
Mal swallows. Takes in the colour of the silky petals; a bright and ravishing red. He bites at the inside of his cheek, tries to stop himself from noticing the sweet scent rising from the plant in his hand.
Wash looks down at the flower in his captain’s hand, then lifts his head to meet his gaze. “It reminds me of her.”
Mal doesn’t trust himself to speak. He wonders how a gorram flower could stir up such powerful feelings in the pit of his gut.
“Just thought you’d might like it.” Wash turns; walks away quietly.
Mal stands there, in the galley, for a few moments longer. He can’t stop looking at it, can’t stop running his fingers over the soft petals, can’t stop breathing in it’s subtle perfume. His stomach lurches, and he forces himself to make his way to his bunk. Eyes still focused on the flower in his hands. Almost like he can’t believe he’s holding it.
When he reaches his bunk, he grabs an empty mug that’s been sitting on his desk for days. Takes it over to the sink, fills it with water. He places it back on the desk, shoving away papers and maps and letters. Gently, carefully, reverently he sets the flower into the mug. Takes a step back.
If it didn’t hurt so much, he would smile.
For: agent_rouka
Prompt: plant life [inara and wash]
Fandom: firefly
Rating: g
Word Count: 422
“What the hell is it?”
Wash shifts his weight, his feet shuffling on the floor. “It’s a flower, Mal.”
Mal looks down at the single flower in his hands, and then back at his pilot. His eyebrow is raised. “You know, I figured that much. What I’m ponderin’ ‘bout is why you felt the urge to give it t’me?”
Wash’s mouth twitches slightly, and he runs a hand through his hair. “I thought you might like it.”
A pause.
He shrugs. “It’s pretty.”
Mal begins to frown.
Wash lets out a heavy sigh, his shoulders dropping slightly. “I picked some of those flowers for Zoe. You know, wanted to give her something pretty and alive and romantic.”
Mal’s frown grows deeper. His mouth tightens into a quizzical line. “An’... you fancied you’d hand me one too?”
“I, uh... I picked them the last time we were planet side.”
Suddenly, Mal’s hand tightens around the stem of the flower. He feels something in his chest, something like his heart constricting, as the realisation hits him. “When we left... when we took ‘Nara to the Training House.”
He nods, and the look in Wash’s eyes is gentle. “Yes.”
Mal swallows. Takes in the colour of the silky petals; a bright and ravishing red. He bites at the inside of his cheek, tries to stop himself from noticing the sweet scent rising from the plant in his hand.
Wash looks down at the flower in his captain’s hand, then lifts his head to meet his gaze. “It reminds me of her.”
Mal doesn’t trust himself to speak. He wonders how a gorram flower could stir up such powerful feelings in the pit of his gut.
“Just thought you’d might like it.” Wash turns; walks away quietly.
Mal stands there, in the galley, for a few moments longer. He can’t stop looking at it, can’t stop running his fingers over the soft petals, can’t stop breathing in it’s subtle perfume. His stomach lurches, and he forces himself to make his way to his bunk. Eyes still focused on the flower in his hands. Almost like he can’t believe he’s holding it.
When he reaches his bunk, he grabs an empty mug that’s been sitting on his desk for days. Takes it over to the sink, fills it with water. He places it back on the desk, shoving away papers and maps and letters. Gently, carefully, reverently he sets the flower into the mug. Takes a step back.
If it didn’t hurt so much, he would smile.