Response to prompt: post
Title: Turning, Turning We Come Out Right: Part 2/3
Author: Majesta Moniet
Characters: Mal, Inara
Rating: PG
Word Count: 400
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or profit from the use of its content.
Wasn’t much to look at. Wasn’t much of anything, really.
But that’s the way he liked them: broken in and ready to be made into something new.
Leaning against the rotting fence post, he crossed his arms and surveyed the tall, weed-infested grass and small three-room house dusty from disuse.
“So, this is what you’ve been looking for all these years?”
He glanced over his shoulder as the companion silently joined him by his side, her gaze calculating the land for its worth and finding it lacking. Never did look much past what was in front of her eyes anymore. It used to be that she’d see potential in almost any worn thing or situation. Heck, she’d seen something in him.
Once.
She’d changed. They’d all changed.
“Yep. Ain’t she something?”
“Something? Yes. Something to live in? No.”
He gestured widely with his hand at their surroundings. “Fifty acres. All fresh for the working. I’ll build a barn right over there by the tree line and put in some sturdy fence to keep the cattle. There’s talk in town about coyotes taking advantage of shoddy fencing…”
“Mal.” Her small, soft hand settled on his arm, and the questioning look in her eyes was more than he wanted to deal with. “Is this really what you want?” The soft, sincere lilt of her voice was enough to keep him from feeling belittled and realize that she was actually concerned.
He cleared his throat. “There’s more to me than gunslingin’ and thieving, Inara. I am more.”
“I know,” she soothed. “Believe me, I know. But,” she sighed and shook her head. “What would you do here? Live alone? Take care of a ranch by yourself? What possible-”
“Why do ya gotta think so much? You’re always worried about the ‘later’, the ‘what’, and the ‘how’. Sometimes something just feels right, so ya go with it!”
“I’m just being realistic…”
“Realistic?” he laughed cynically. “And how has your reality been, Inara? Still going from man to man never finding anything ‘cause you’re not even looking for something. You’re just…there, existing.”
She was offended, even though she didn’t show it, he could tell. It’d been a long while since he’d last mocked her lifestyle, and there was hardly a point to it now.
“I chose this life, and I’m happy with it,” she said tightly. “I hope you’ll finally be happy with yours.”
Author: Majesta Moniet
Characters: Mal, Inara
Rating: PG
Word Count: 400
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or profit from the use of its content.
Wasn’t much to look at. Wasn’t much of anything, really.
But that’s the way he liked them: broken in and ready to be made into something new.
Leaning against the rotting fence post, he crossed his arms and surveyed the tall, weed-infested grass and small three-room house dusty from disuse.
“So, this is what you’ve been looking for all these years?”
He glanced over his shoulder as the companion silently joined him by his side, her gaze calculating the land for its worth and finding it lacking. Never did look much past what was in front of her eyes anymore. It used to be that she’d see potential in almost any worn thing or situation. Heck, she’d seen something in him.
Once.
She’d changed. They’d all changed.
“Yep. Ain’t she something?”
“Something? Yes. Something to live in? No.”
He gestured widely with his hand at their surroundings. “Fifty acres. All fresh for the working. I’ll build a barn right over there by the tree line and put in some sturdy fence to keep the cattle. There’s talk in town about coyotes taking advantage of shoddy fencing…”
“Mal.” Her small, soft hand settled on his arm, and the questioning look in her eyes was more than he wanted to deal with. “Is this really what you want?” The soft, sincere lilt of her voice was enough to keep him from feeling belittled and realize that she was actually concerned.
He cleared his throat. “There’s more to me than gunslingin’ and thieving, Inara. I am more.”
“I know,” she soothed. “Believe me, I know. But,” she sighed and shook her head. “What would you do here? Live alone? Take care of a ranch by yourself? What possible-”
“Why do ya gotta think so much? You’re always worried about the ‘later’, the ‘what’, and the ‘how’. Sometimes something just feels right, so ya go with it!”
“I’m just being realistic…”
“Realistic?” he laughed cynically. “And how has your reality been, Inara? Still going from man to man never finding anything ‘cause you’re not even looking for something. You’re just…there, existing.”
She was offended, even though she didn’t show it, he could tell. It’d been a long while since he’d last mocked her lifestyle, and there was hardly a point to it now.
“I chose this life, and I’m happy with it,” she said tightly. “I hope you’ll finally be happy with yours.”