Three Mal/Inara song fics for your reading pleasure...
Hey all! New to the comm...^-^...I nicked these straight from my ff_fanfic entries because I'm too lazy to rewrite disclaimers...Also, I put them all in one entry because they're all short pieces. The longest one is the second one...
Title: Two Quarters and a Heart Down...
Summary: Mal's perspective on Inara as they dance in 'Shindig'. Inspired by 'Dance, Dance' by Fall Out Boy
Rating: G
Characters: Mal, Inara, mentions of Atherton
Pairing: kind of Mal/Inara
Spoilers/Timeline: Set during 'Shindig'. No spoilers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or Fall Out Boy. Just the DVDs and two copies of From Under The Cork Tree. The series forever belongs to Joss, the lyrics come from the whacked, crpytic mind of Pete Wentz, and the music and the misery was written and played by Patrick Stump and Fall Out Boy.
Author's Note: I originally wrote this to finally start on a challenge I took up in ficalbum but I got booted because it took so long to start(Mal/Inara is harder to write than I thought). Even if I'm not allowed back in, I'm still going to finish the challenge because From Under The Cork Tree is Mal and Inara, even if Peter doesn't realize it.
1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3...
This dance...I don’t know how Inara puts up with it. Not just the gorram dance we’re trying to attempt, but this dance she does in front of these people. How she pretends to be in love with Atherton or anyone of her customers for that matter.
But Atherton...he treats her like some sort of trophy.
1, 2, 3... 1, 2, 3...
To these men, she’s nothing but a prize. If she’s on their arm, they’re the richest ones. She’s nothing but extra money spent on a pretty doll. They don’t see the soul. The woman she is. The things that make her truly beautiful. Everything behind the dance and the mask.
1, 2, 3...Oof!
I really hate dancing anyway.
Dance, Dance
We're falling apart to half time
Dance, Dance
And these are the lives you'd love to lead...
____________________________________________________________
Title: A Little Less Regret, A Little More 'What If...'
Author: sweetnovicane
Summary: This fic takes place after Inara leaves and Mal, Inara, and the crew are left wondering the possibilites. Inspired by 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More 'Touch Me'' by Fall Out Boy.
Rating: PG
Characters: Mal, Inara, Kaylee, Zoe, Wash
Pairing: hints of Mal/Inara
Spoilers/Timeline: If you've never seen 'Objects In Space', this might be a spoiler. It takes place in the months between 'Obejcts In Space' and Serenity
Disclaimer: Every thing Firefly related belongs to Joss Whedon and every thing 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles...' belongs to Peter, Patrick, Andy and Joe.
Author's Note: Well, I did get let back into the comm, so I wrote this when I should have been working on a Spanish project. But Wikipedia is busted. The title though...totally random on my part...
I confess, I messed up
dropping "I'm sorry" like you're still around
Kaylee sat on the crates, watching as Mal seemed to hover around the shuttle where Inara used to be. He did it about every other week or so. She pretty much was out of range to Mal anyway. Whenever he did that, he was oblivious to everything else. And when he did notice, he’d just yell for them to get back to work.
“Is he brooding again?”
Kaylee looked over at Zoe and nodded. “Yeah...it’s like he blames himself for Inara leaving. Which it probably is, but I never say it out loud around him.”
“Hey, what are you two doing down there?”
Both women looked up at Mal leaning over the railing. Zoe, keeping a straight face, answered, “Just talkin’, sir.”
“Yeah...well...stop talkin’ and get back to work!”
“Yes, sir,” said Zoe as Kaylee got down from the crates and Mal disappeared towards the cockpit.
And you're just the girl all the boys want to dance with
And I'm just the boy who's had too many chances
Inara looked out over the water of the training house as the sun started to set. A few of the girls walked by, whispering and giggling to each other. Inara sighed. The whispers and giggles seemed to increase since Inara first arrived. Probably spreading rumors and telling stories about her reputation. Little fantasies of the rich men she had been with and story book tales of her with rogue, passionate men. She only laughed. She remembered doing the same thing when she was training to be a companion.
It did make her wonder though. Could it have worked out with him? Would they ever have something? Anything.
Inara let out another sigh. “Who am I kidding?”
I don't blame you for being you
But you can't blame me for hating it
Mal sat in his room, watching Kaylee’s capture again. Why he punished himself like this, he wasn’t sure. It pained him to watch her pack, but it hurt him even more to watch her move and listen to her talk. Especially when she said, “The captain doesn’t know what he wants.”
He feared she was right. It took him so long to even think about making a move that she was gone before he could say anything.
Mal kind of wished he could take back everything he said to insult her. But then again, he’d be saying the same things if she had stayed. That dance those two were always locked in with the same words being tossed around. ‘Whore’, ‘Petty thief’, and several curses in Chinese.
Was it too strange to miss all of that?
I'm just off a lost cause
a long shot, don't even take this bet
“Do you think they could have worked out?”
Wash looked up at Zoe, puzzled. “What?”
“The Captain and Inara,” repeated Zoe, “Do you think it could have worked?”
Wash shrugged as he looked straight forward into the black sky. “I don’t know, honey. I wouldn’t bet on it. Inara was going to leave sooner or later. If the Captain wanted to do anything about it, he should have. I wouldn’t have bet on them to make it anyway.”
“Would you have bet on us, baby?”
He looked up at Zoe. “Don’t make me answer that. You know it makes my head hurt if I do.”
You can make all the moves, you can aim all the spotlights
Get all the sighs and the moans just right
The lesson of the day seemed a blur to Inara after the girls left. It had become like that a lot lately. She hated teaching them this dance. The art of Companionship, as time honored as it was, was often lacking in any passion. If you could get all the moves right, a lot of clients, and a good reputation, you were considered a success.
But actual passion between a companion and...anyone? It was like an unspoken taboo.
Inara often wondered if that’s the reason she stayed away from Mal, but she shook it off. It was too late to wonder ‘What if...’ about her and Malcolm Reynolds. It was too late the moment she left Serenity...
So say, what are you waiting for?
_______________________________________________
Title: I'm Not Sure If It Matters
Summary: Inara's leaving and River's picking up interesting thoughts
Rating: PG/light PG-13
Characters: Mal, Inara, River with mentions of Kaylee and Simon
Pairing: Mal/Inara from the perspective of River
Spoilers/Timeline: Set after Objects In Space
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or Fall Out Boy...blah blah blah...you know the drill.
Author's Note: This was an experiment for my ficalbum challenge. Inspired by 'Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying' by Fall Out Boy. I was trying to do Mal/Inara from the point of view of River but I'm not sure if it came off too well...:/
“This has been said so many times that I'm not sure if it matters...”
River stirred from her place on the sofa. She rose up and silently walked towards the hanger, where the rest of the crew was. They were either carrying boxes for Inara or waiting to bid her farewell. River leaned over the railing and stayed perfectly still to watch them.
Kaylee hugged her and pulled away, wiping her eyes. “Do you really have to go, Inara?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. Don’t cry Kaylee.”
“Just don’ forget about us, okay?”
Inara smiled and patted Kaylee’s head. “Don’t worry...why would I want to forget Serenity?” “I know this hurts...”
River cocked her head at the whisper and pulled back from her grip on the railing. She slowly stepped down the stairs and stood outside the group, watching them with interest.
Mal walked over to Inara and scratched his head. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”
Inara looked down at her hands and back up at Mal. “Only for now. It’s not like you will never see me again, Captain.” “Now talking's just a waste of breath...And living's just a waste of death...”
River’s eyes grew wide. Did this woman truly wish for death? Or was it just a strange poetic lust for the Captain? She tried to shake off the thought and started to walk towards the infirmary where she knew Simon would meet her later...
“Tell me you'd like boys like me better in the dark lying on top of you...”
The thought spilled from Mal and into River’s ears. She winced at his comment. His jealousy of Inara’s customers was always apparent, but to hear that come from him...well, it damn near struck her speechless.
“River, are you alright?”
River looked up at Simon and sighed. “He said why put a new address on the same old loneliness,” she said quietly as she walked towards the infirmary to get some quiet, but that was impossible. Her head always buzzed with thought, be it her own or someone else's. It always buzzed.
The buzz from those two would silence, but she knew a new, lonelier buzz would come from the Captain. But you didn’t have to be psychic to know that. It practically bloomed in his presence...
Title: Two Quarters and a Heart Down...
Summary: Mal's perspective on Inara as they dance in 'Shindig'. Inspired by 'Dance, Dance' by Fall Out Boy
Rating: G
Characters: Mal, Inara, mentions of Atherton
Pairing: kind of Mal/Inara
Spoilers/Timeline: Set during 'Shindig'. No spoilers.
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or Fall Out Boy. Just the DVDs and two copies of From Under The Cork Tree. The series forever belongs to Joss, the lyrics come from the whacked, crpytic mind of Pete Wentz, and the music and the misery was written and played by Patrick Stump and Fall Out Boy.
Author's Note: I originally wrote this to finally start on a challenge I took up in ficalbum but I got booted because it took so long to start(Mal/Inara is harder to write than I thought). Even if I'm not allowed back in, I'm still going to finish the challenge because From Under The Cork Tree is Mal and Inara, even if Peter doesn't realize it.
1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3...
This dance...I don’t know how Inara puts up with it. Not just the gorram dance we’re trying to attempt, but this dance she does in front of these people. How she pretends to be in love with Atherton or anyone of her customers for that matter.
But Atherton...he treats her like some sort of trophy.
1, 2, 3... 1, 2, 3...
To these men, she’s nothing but a prize. If she’s on their arm, they’re the richest ones. She’s nothing but extra money spent on a pretty doll. They don’t see the soul. The woman she is. The things that make her truly beautiful. Everything behind the dance and the mask.
1, 2, 3...Oof!
I really hate dancing anyway.
Dance, Dance
We're falling apart to half time
Dance, Dance
And these are the lives you'd love to lead...
____________________________________________________________
Title: A Little Less Regret, A Little More 'What If...'
Author: sweetnovicane
Summary: This fic takes place after Inara leaves and Mal, Inara, and the crew are left wondering the possibilites. Inspired by 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More 'Touch Me'' by Fall Out Boy.
Rating: PG
Characters: Mal, Inara, Kaylee, Zoe, Wash
Pairing: hints of Mal/Inara
Spoilers/Timeline: If you've never seen 'Objects In Space', this might be a spoiler. It takes place in the months between 'Obejcts In Space' and Serenity
Disclaimer: Every thing Firefly related belongs to Joss Whedon and every thing 'A Little Less Sixteen Candles...' belongs to Peter, Patrick, Andy and Joe.
Author's Note: Well, I did get let back into the comm, so I wrote this when I should have been working on a Spanish project. But Wikipedia is busted. The title though...totally random on my part...
I confess, I messed up
dropping "I'm sorry" like you're still around
Kaylee sat on the crates, watching as Mal seemed to hover around the shuttle where Inara used to be. He did it about every other week or so. She pretty much was out of range to Mal anyway. Whenever he did that, he was oblivious to everything else. And when he did notice, he’d just yell for them to get back to work.
“Is he brooding again?”
Kaylee looked over at Zoe and nodded. “Yeah...it’s like he blames himself for Inara leaving. Which it probably is, but I never say it out loud around him.”
“Hey, what are you two doing down there?”
Both women looked up at Mal leaning over the railing. Zoe, keeping a straight face, answered, “Just talkin’, sir.”
“Yeah...well...stop talkin’ and get back to work!”
“Yes, sir,” said Zoe as Kaylee got down from the crates and Mal disappeared towards the cockpit.
And you're just the girl all the boys want to dance with
And I'm just the boy who's had too many chances
Inara looked out over the water of the training house as the sun started to set. A few of the girls walked by, whispering and giggling to each other. Inara sighed. The whispers and giggles seemed to increase since Inara first arrived. Probably spreading rumors and telling stories about her reputation. Little fantasies of the rich men she had been with and story book tales of her with rogue, passionate men. She only laughed. She remembered doing the same thing when she was training to be a companion.
It did make her wonder though. Could it have worked out with him? Would they ever have something? Anything.
Inara let out another sigh. “Who am I kidding?”
I don't blame you for being you
But you can't blame me for hating it
Mal sat in his room, watching Kaylee’s capture again. Why he punished himself like this, he wasn’t sure. It pained him to watch her pack, but it hurt him even more to watch her move and listen to her talk. Especially when she said, “The captain doesn’t know what he wants.”
He feared she was right. It took him so long to even think about making a move that she was gone before he could say anything.
Mal kind of wished he could take back everything he said to insult her. But then again, he’d be saying the same things if she had stayed. That dance those two were always locked in with the same words being tossed around. ‘Whore’, ‘Petty thief’, and several curses in Chinese.
Was it too strange to miss all of that?
I'm just off a lost cause
a long shot, don't even take this bet
“Do you think they could have worked out?”
Wash looked up at Zoe, puzzled. “What?”
“The Captain and Inara,” repeated Zoe, “Do you think it could have worked?”
Wash shrugged as he looked straight forward into the black sky. “I don’t know, honey. I wouldn’t bet on it. Inara was going to leave sooner or later. If the Captain wanted to do anything about it, he should have. I wouldn’t have bet on them to make it anyway.”
“Would you have bet on us, baby?”
He looked up at Zoe. “Don’t make me answer that. You know it makes my head hurt if I do.”
You can make all the moves, you can aim all the spotlights
Get all the sighs and the moans just right
The lesson of the day seemed a blur to Inara after the girls left. It had become like that a lot lately. She hated teaching them this dance. The art of Companionship, as time honored as it was, was often lacking in any passion. If you could get all the moves right, a lot of clients, and a good reputation, you were considered a success.
But actual passion between a companion and...anyone? It was like an unspoken taboo.
Inara often wondered if that’s the reason she stayed away from Mal, but she shook it off. It was too late to wonder ‘What if...’ about her and Malcolm Reynolds. It was too late the moment she left Serenity...
So say, what are you waiting for?
_______________________________________________
Title: I'm Not Sure If It Matters
Summary: Inara's leaving and River's picking up interesting thoughts
Rating: PG/light PG-13
Characters: Mal, Inara, River with mentions of Kaylee and Simon
Pairing: Mal/Inara from the perspective of River
Spoilers/Timeline: Set after Objects In Space
Disclaimer: I do not own Firefly or Fall Out Boy...blah blah blah...you know the drill.
Author's Note: This was an experiment for my ficalbum challenge. Inspired by 'Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying' by Fall Out Boy. I was trying to do Mal/Inara from the point of view of River but I'm not sure if it came off too well...:/
“This has been said so many times that I'm not sure if it matters...”
River stirred from her place on the sofa. She rose up and silently walked towards the hanger, where the rest of the crew was. They were either carrying boxes for Inara or waiting to bid her farewell. River leaned over the railing and stayed perfectly still to watch them.
Kaylee hugged her and pulled away, wiping her eyes. “Do you really have to go, Inara?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. Don’t cry Kaylee.”
“Just don’ forget about us, okay?”
Inara smiled and patted Kaylee’s head. “Don’t worry...why would I want to forget Serenity?” “I know this hurts...”
River cocked her head at the whisper and pulled back from her grip on the railing. She slowly stepped down the stairs and stood outside the group, watching them with interest.
Mal walked over to Inara and scratched his head. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”
Inara looked down at her hands and back up at Mal. “Only for now. It’s not like you will never see me again, Captain.” “Now talking's just a waste of breath...And living's just a waste of death...”
River’s eyes grew wide. Did this woman truly wish for death? Or was it just a strange poetic lust for the Captain? She tried to shake off the thought and started to walk towards the infirmary where she knew Simon would meet her later...
“Tell me you'd like boys like me better in the dark lying on top of you...”
The thought spilled from Mal and into River’s ears. She winced at his comment. His jealousy of Inara’s customers was always apparent, but to hear that come from him...well, it damn near struck her speechless.
“River, are you alright?”
River looked up at Simon and sighed. “He said why put a new address on the same old loneliness,” she said quietly as she walked towards the infirmary to get some quiet, but that was impossible. Her head always buzzed with thought, be it her own or someone else's. It always buzzed.
The buzz from those two would silence, but she knew a new, lonelier buzz would come from the Captain. But you didn’t have to be psychic to know that. It practically bloomed in his presence...