Title: Something to Talk About Pairing: Mal & Inara Rating: PG Disclaimer: I Own Nothing Author's Notes: This is just something I put together. I don't believe I have ever tried my hand at writing "Firefly" but I've certainly read a lot of them, and I am, of course, a big fan of the Mal and Inara pairing. This takes place post-BDM but the exact time, I purposely made unknown... or it could be due to my own laziness.

“So.” “So,” Mal repeated, his breathing returning to normal. “What are we going to do now? Will we be keeping this a secret from the crew or will we throw caution in the wind and just tell them?” “Thought I be the one to think up a plan like that.” “You’re taking your sweet time.” “Maybe I wanted you all to myself,” he said with a sly smile. Inara ignored him. “Maybe.” “Do you want to tell them?” he asked a little more seriously. “I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “It just makes things–” Inara couldn’t find the words, but fortunately, Mal did. “Real.” “Yes.”

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“I remember when I was on Sihnon, one of my fondest memories was spending time in the library. Randomly choosing books from the Earth-that-was section. Such beautiful stories.” Mal smiled. “Who were your favorites?” “It wouldn’t interest you.” “Let me be the judge of that.” “All right.” Inara relaxed against him, for the first time letting a man take her in his arms without having to hold back. “At the Guild, they focus a lot on works that shows the negative side of relationships, as another way to teach us not to make the same incalculable mistake. I remember one written recently, a tragic story about a woman named Penelope and her lover.” “Let me guess,” Mal said. “Unlike the famous heroine that shared her name, the lover was no Odysseus.” “Okay, Mal,” Inara said and was suddenly out of his arms and facing him with a look of intense interest. “For a border raised independent ex-soldier and now-smuggler, you are frustratingly well-schooled.” Mal smiled conspiratorially. “That surprises you?” “You constantly surprise me,” she replied rolling her eyes. “Would you rather I act like a dummy?” “Never dream of it,” she said laying a sensual kiss on his lips. “But it’d be nice to know more about you than the snippets me and the rest of the crew learn about on a whim.” “What do you want to know?” For a moment, Inara was surprised he was allowing her to pursue the subject, and it occurred to her just how much about him she didn’t know. It sent a surge of delight inside her to finally glimpse a part that he’s kept so well hidden from his crew and the rest of the universe. “You seem to know a lot of poems.” “That’s something we have in common, then. I spent a lot of time in the library, too.” “The public library on Shadow must’ve loved you.” Mal chuckled. For the first time, the mention of Shadow didn’t leave him grasping for air or brooding over the past. “I wouldn’t know. The library was a little out of the way from where I lived. Despite the number of books I read every week, the commute would’ve played havoc on my daily chores.” Inara stared at him in confusion. “But you just said—” Mal placed a finger on her soft lips, sealing it. “You’re not listening to me. When I said library, I didn’t mean a public one. We had our own.” Inara remained mute even after he removed his two forefingers from her lips. “We had shelves that reached the ceiling filled with all kinds of books, and the windows faced this amazin’ creek where I’d row almost every morning.” “I never would’ve guessed,” she managed to utter softly. “When outsiders think of Shadow, they think it’s just another backwoods planet filled with desert and livestock, but it was more than that. It was – paradise.” Inara rested her head on his chest letting their hearts beat as one while she thought about this new revelation. It answered so much about him, and his knowledge in areas she never imagined he was familiar with. She wanted to ask him more, wanted to know everything about him, but she was afraid of what she’ll discover. Afraid that every opinion she had of the man holding her were all misunderstandings of the worst kind. “Are there any other surprises that I should be warned about?” “Now, Nara. There’s no fun if I tell you.” “So you’ll just shock me into a stupor at every turn, then?” “Sounds just about right.” Inara curses in Chinese, making Mal laugh. “In spite of everything,” he began, “I loved my childhood.” He felt her holding onto him a little tighter. The action made him smile. Inara had a feeling she was going to enjoy getting to know him a little better now.

The End