For those of you who would like to see the prompt table I'm working from Go Here.

These stories are all standalone's unless otherwise noted.

Thanks to Tamsibling for the beta!

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Note: This is the sequel to: ‘Candle Wax’ and Ring. Best to read those first.

Additional Note: This is for Kaynara, who is forever telling me that I need to write more Mal/Inara.

I don't write them normally, because I'm just not good at getting their dynamic down, but below is my attmept.

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42.Relationships

Once the laughter had died down, Jayne stood and sneered at everyone in turn. “Yeah, just get it outta your systems now. Just remember, I know where ya’ll sleep.”

“Yes, but I have a big, strong warrior woman to protect me,” Wash quipped, smiling proudly at his wife.

“Or break you.” Zoe added as she stood.

Wash’s smile fell instantly. “Oh. That’s not so fun.”

Jayne raised an amused eyebrow. “When she’s done breakin’ you, she’s welcome ta try me on for size.”

Jayne ignored Simon’s disgusted look and Mal’s attention was diverted between trying not to look at Inara, and paying attention to Kaylee getting far too close to the doc for his own comfort.

Zoe regarded Jayne for a moment before slowly swiveling her head to address the Captain. “We can spare him.”

When Mal hesitated, pulling his eyes from Inara with difficulty, he rolled his eyes. “No, you may not kill Jayne.”

The mercenary snorted smugly but backed quickly toward the crew bunks when Zoe’s hand dropped to her sidearm. “Too bad,” she muttered, relaxing her arm.

A dreamy smile spread across Wash’s face. “Ohh, I love it when you’re all forceful.”

“As entertaining as the evening has been, I must retire.” Inara stood, drawing everyone’s attention, her skirts falling gracefully around her legs.

“It’s time for bed, River,” Simon agreed, standing a bit too quickly as the alcohol he had consumed threw him off balance enough for him to reach out and grab the closest steady object – which happened to be Kaylee.

The brilliant smile the mechanic turned on him was nearly blinding and Simon barely heard River as she leaned forward and whispered, “Don’t need to be tucked in.” With a playful smirk, she flattened her hand on his shoulder and gave him a little push toward Kaylee. “But you do.”

Before Simon could frame a response, River was gone, and he felt a warm flush creep down his neck as one of Kaylee’s strong hands rested at his waist, the other on his forearm.

“You two kids have fun now!” Wash quipped as he led his wife out of the galley and toward their bunk, a happy smile on his face.

Jayne shot the pair a knowing sneer and leaned against the door to watch. As Mal opened his mouth to speak, Inara interrupted him. “It’s late.” When the man’s eyes didn’t leave Simon and Kaylee, she leaned forward and said a bit more firmly. “For everyone.”

Mal shook his head and stared at her for a long minute. “That an invitation?”

Inara’s shot him a feigned look of indignation. “You wish.”

Simon and Kaylee continued to be absorbed in their own little world as Jayne’s eyes darted between both infuriatingly stubborn couples.

“You’re jealous,” Inara said simply, a smile passing across her face.

It was Mal’s turn to shoot her an indignant look. “Hardly.”

Inara took a step closer and whispered, “You’re upset Jayne saw my – slinky stuff.”

Mal’s eyes narrowed, his attention completely on the infuriating woman standing in front of him. “You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?” Inara challenged.

Kaylee giggled then, drawing their attention away from their standoff.

“Ya can’t stand, Simon.” Kaylee supported a good deal of his weight, her eyes dancing as she studied his face.

“Sure I can,” the inebriated doctor insisted as he leaned away from her and swayed, nearly falling over as he let go of her arm.

“Ya need help.” Kaylee reached him again, her smile growing.

Mal took a step forward but was stopped by a hand on his arm. “Let them be.”

Mal scowled at Inara and she returned the look, the two of them appearing decidedly childish to Jayne’s amused eyes.

Simon let Kaylee wrap her arm around him and the two stumbled toward the passenger dorms while Mal’s eyes glared daggers at his medic’s back until they could no longer be seen.

“Oh you need to lighten up, Mal. He isn’t going to hurt her.”

Mal’s head swiveled slowly toward Inara, completely forgetting about Jayne leaning against the wall a few steps away. “Is that so?”

Inara thrust her nose into the air and crossed her arms over her chest. “It is.”

“Don’t seem to me you’re at all qualified to be talkin’ ‘bout relationships seein’ as you specialize in lovin’ and leavin’ ‘em.”

Inara’s eyes flashed and her lips pursed with anger, but the only suitable response she could come up with was, “It’s my job, Mal.”

“Yeah, bet you say that to all the boys.” The disappointment and jealousy in his voice was evident and as much as Inara wanted to break through that barrier and either slap the man or kiss him senseless, she couldn’t take that step. Not when he was so unwilling to take it with her.

Instead, she cocked her head and scowled. “As a matter of fact, I do.” She whirled on her heel and strode angrily out of the room, her chest heaving with more emotion than she wanted him to witness at that very moment.

It took only a split second for Mal to decide to follow her, leaving Jayne to determine which couple he wanted to spy on, the two more than like passed out in the passenger dorms, or the rousing entertainment of yet another Mal, Inara argument.

Realizing, as the seconds passed, and he was still standing against the bulkhead, he knew there would be no fun to be had in following the Captain. And the doc's inability to hold his liquor probably just ended with him passing out somewhere uninteresting. Jayne shrugged once and headed to bed.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” Mal yelled across the catwalk, determined to get Inara’s attention before she reached her shuttle.

“Quiet, Mal!” Inara hissed as she whirled on him and waited for him to get closer. “People are trying to sleep.”

Mal squinted over the railing. “That better be what they’re doin’.”

“Oh would you leave Simon and Kaylee out of this for a moment. You know this has nothing to do with them.”

Mal stared at her, determined to feign confusion. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Of course not. You never do,” she said sharply and continued on to her shuttle.

Mal caught her just inside and whirled her around to face him. “Speak your peace woman!”

Inara’s eyes burned with a furious fire. “Did you just enter my shuttle uninvited, again?!”

"Well, it is manly an' impulsive. Now don't change the subject." “Because you never do,” she shot back, eyes ablaze.

“What’s this really about, ‘Nara?” he asked, giving her the chance to open up.

“Perhaps you should answer that same question,” she snapped back, giving not an inch as she met his gaze.

Mal crossed his arms over his chest and stoically refused to answer.

“You’re mad I’m leaving.”

“Ain’t happy ‘bout it,” Mal admitted.

Inara held her breath, thinking she’d finally made a dent in that stubborn armor of his. The man was more emotionally stunted than Simon Tam on his worst day.

He shrugged and glanced around the shuttle. “Gonna miss the rental –“

Inara’s eyes flashed with pain but she quickly averted them so that he wouldn’t notice. “I’m sure you’ll find someone more than capable of paying your rates.”

‘’Nara –“ Mal stepped forward, reaching out a tentative hand. He knew he’d just wounded her by appearing more concerned about the monthly fee she paid, rather than for her as a person and a friend. He wanted to stop hurting her. He just didn’t know how.

Inara took a silent moment to compose herself and then looked him squarely in the eyes. “A business arrangement, Mal. That’s all this has been.”

“Right.” He agreed half-heartedly and took a step back.

“Goodnight, Mal.”

“’Nara –“ He took another step back as she walked toward him, effectively placing him outside the shuttle.

“What, Mal?”

He hesitated, the words sitting on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be said. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and he couldn’t think, much less speak.

They stood for a long moment, simply looking at one another until Mal swallowed thickly and took another step back. “Night, ‘Nara.”

She didn’t answer, simply reached out and slammed the shuttle door closed. Inside, she sank onto her bed with a heavy sigh, a solitary tear breaking free at the lost opportunity.

Outside, she didn’t see Mal flatten his hand against the door and bow his head, mourning, in his own way, the moment that had been lost.

~*~

“Simon, ya need ta get into bed,” Kaylee whispered from her place on the floor. “I can’t lift ya.”

Simon didn’t even open his eyes, simply leaned his head back against the wall. “No. This is good.”

“No it ain’t. Yer gonna be all stiff in the mornin’.” She tugged half-heartedly on his arm, trying to direct him to the bed just a step away.

Thanks to the copious amounts of alcohol he’d consumed, he didn’t even think twice before answering, “Already am.”

He didn’t see Kaylee’s eyes brighten at his admission, or feel her guiding his head to pillow against her chest.

Simon fell asleep leaning against Kaylee, completely unconcerned with where he was or whom he was with, while Kaylee didn’t sleep for a good long while, her mind racing with thoughts about what the morning would bring.

END

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