Complicated...
After his argument with Inara, Mal heads to his bunk, head reeling and ring burning a hole in his pocket. That...didn't go exactly as he had imagined it in his head, didn't imagine thathe'd say things to Inara that he couldn't even say out loud to himself.
He splashes cold water over his face and dries it, staring at the reflection in the mirror before turning away. Standing in the middle of the room, he pulls the ring out of his pocket and holds it up, slipping it over the tip of his forefinger so it doesn't fall.
He's turning it over and playing Inara's words to him over and over in his head:
You give her the ring tell her how you feel you live, you love you have babies and then you die...
If River can be lucky enough to make love to a man who feels about herwhat you do, and she does about you only a bastard would stop that. Are you a bastard? Now take the damn wedding ring to her put it on her finger tell her you love herand take her to bed......
"How could it be that simple?" he whispers to the empty room. He's not expecting an answer.
He splashes cold water over his face and dries it, staring at the reflection in the mirror before turning away. Standing in the middle of the room, he pulls the ring out of his pocket and holds it up, slipping it over the tip of his forefinger so it doesn't fall.
He's turning it over and playing Inara's words to him over and over in his head:
You give her the ring tell her how you feel you live, you love you have babies and then you die...
If River can be lucky enough to make love to a man who feels about herwhat you do, and she does about you only a bastard would stop that. Are you a bastard? Now take the damn wedding ring to her put it on her finger tell her you love herand take her to bed......
"How could it be that simple?" he whispers to the empty room. He's not expecting an answer.