Fic: Saying Too Much (Firefly, 1/1)
Title: Saying Too Much
Characters: Mal, Inara, overtones of Mal/Inara pairing
Rating: PG
Summary: Inara tells Mal why she left the ship.
Words: 692
Note: Written for the 100 Situations prompt, "careen."
***************
She'd finished the background while Serenity was still careened on her side, having the red paint washed off. Taking the opportunity offered by the removal of that and years of grime, Inara had purchased the paints and asked Jayne to build a scaffold.
She did the work in layers, carefully, adding only a single color or element and then letting it dry before going on to the next one. There was plenty of work to do while the paint dried. By the time she was ready to do the finishing touches on Serenity's new logo, the ship had been returned to the upright position, but it still was several days before launch readiness.
Inara looked forward to her time spent with the paints and brushes. It was soothing at a time when so little wasn't. As she started filling in the stenciled English words, she reflected that she was going to miss working on the logo.
"Never did think I'd ever see you like that."
Some things she wouldn't miss. She looked down at Mal. "Like what?"
He gestured to indicate her appearance, including the paint splatters on her face. "Less than perfect."
"I suppose I'm just trying to fit in. It'll still take a bit of work before I do."
Mal sighed and started to climb the scaffolding. He still moved slowly, mindful of the healing abdominal injury, but he was able to make it up without assistance. "You've done a beautiful job on this."
"Thank you."
"Almost makes me think you really care."
She put the paintbrush down before she could give in to the temptation to smear paint across his face. But she couldn't think of a sarcastic verbal reply, so she answered simply. "I do care, Mal. You know that."
He swung down to sit next to her, eyes on the fresh paint. "Yeah, I guess I do."
Silence fell, and she picked the paintbrush back up. He sat and watched her as she finished another letter. "You mean this to be the mark you leave when you go?"
"I don't leave marks."
"What do you leave? Broken hearts?"
By the look on his face, he was thinking he'd said too much. She looked down, hoping there was someone else around, but had no luck. "Good memories."
"At least you like to think so."
"Well, it's certainly my intent, and no one has ever suggested I didn't." Except you, she managed not to say.
"I was gonna miss the rent money. It sure would've come in handy sometimes, last few weeks. Might've kept the primary buffer panel from falling off."
"I see." She realized she'd stopped painting and went back to it. "Well, hopefully you'll find another tenant soon. Serenity's quite infamous right now; perhaps you can use its notoriety."
He swung his feet onto the rungs and turned around, preparing to climb back down the scaffolding, not looking at her. "It won't be the same as you. Nobody else would've let me set the rent that high."
"I'm sure you won't miss me long."
His eyes caught hers briefly before he climbed back down. "Yeah, I suppose you are."
"Mal," she said as he got to the bottom rung. "You wanted to know why I left. It's because I'd started to love you."
"What?"
Angry at herself for the lapse in control, she refused to meet his eyes. "I started loving all of you. Even the ship. That's why I left before."
"You mind explaining that to me? It don't exactly make normal sense for someone to leave when they love."
She considered him, not knowing where to begin. Finally, she answered, "yes, I do mind explaining."
There was a long pause, during which any number of expressions crossed his face. Some were so fleeting that she couldn't identify them. She was able to identify some of the others, but found she really didn't want to.
Like him, she'd said too much.
Finally, Mal ended his apparent introspection with a shrug. "Suit yourself." He turned and walked the rest of the way into the ship. Her eyes followed him, wondering whether he'd ever bring it up again.
Characters: Mal, Inara, overtones of Mal/Inara pairing
Rating: PG
Summary: Inara tells Mal why she left the ship.
Words: 692
Note: Written for the 100 Situations prompt, "careen."
***************
She'd finished the background while Serenity was still careened on her side, having the red paint washed off. Taking the opportunity offered by the removal of that and years of grime, Inara had purchased the paints and asked Jayne to build a scaffold.
She did the work in layers, carefully, adding only a single color or element and then letting it dry before going on to the next one. There was plenty of work to do while the paint dried. By the time she was ready to do the finishing touches on Serenity's new logo, the ship had been returned to the upright position, but it still was several days before launch readiness.
Inara looked forward to her time spent with the paints and brushes. It was soothing at a time when so little wasn't. As she started filling in the stenciled English words, she reflected that she was going to miss working on the logo.
"Never did think I'd ever see you like that."
Some things she wouldn't miss. She looked down at Mal. "Like what?"
He gestured to indicate her appearance, including the paint splatters on her face. "Less than perfect."
"I suppose I'm just trying to fit in. It'll still take a bit of work before I do."
Mal sighed and started to climb the scaffolding. He still moved slowly, mindful of the healing abdominal injury, but he was able to make it up without assistance. "You've done a beautiful job on this."
"Thank you."
"Almost makes me think you really care."
She put the paintbrush down before she could give in to the temptation to smear paint across his face. But she couldn't think of a sarcastic verbal reply, so she answered simply. "I do care, Mal. You know that."
He swung down to sit next to her, eyes on the fresh paint. "Yeah, I guess I do."
Silence fell, and she picked the paintbrush back up. He sat and watched her as she finished another letter. "You mean this to be the mark you leave when you go?"
"I don't leave marks."
"What do you leave? Broken hearts?"
By the look on his face, he was thinking he'd said too much. She looked down, hoping there was someone else around, but had no luck. "Good memories."
"At least you like to think so."
"Well, it's certainly my intent, and no one has ever suggested I didn't." Except you, she managed not to say.
"I was gonna miss the rent money. It sure would've come in handy sometimes, last few weeks. Might've kept the primary buffer panel from falling off."
"I see." She realized she'd stopped painting and went back to it. "Well, hopefully you'll find another tenant soon. Serenity's quite infamous right now; perhaps you can use its notoriety."
He swung his feet onto the rungs and turned around, preparing to climb back down the scaffolding, not looking at her. "It won't be the same as you. Nobody else would've let me set the rent that high."
"I'm sure you won't miss me long."
His eyes caught hers briefly before he climbed back down. "Yeah, I suppose you are."
"Mal," she said as he got to the bottom rung. "You wanted to know why I left. It's because I'd started to love you."
"What?"
Angry at herself for the lapse in control, she refused to meet his eyes. "I started loving all of you. Even the ship. That's why I left before."
"You mind explaining that to me? It don't exactly make normal sense for someone to leave when they love."
She considered him, not knowing where to begin. Finally, she answered, "yes, I do mind explaining."
There was a long pause, during which any number of expressions crossed his face. Some were so fleeting that she couldn't identify them. She was able to identify some of the others, but found she really didn't want to.
Like him, she'd said too much.
Finally, Mal ended his apparent introspection with a shrug. "Suit yourself." He turned and walked the rest of the way into the ship. Her eyes followed him, wondering whether he'd ever bring it up again.