Inara opened her shuttle door frowning as the smell became even stronger then inside. She hasn’t smelled a smell like this since – ever! It was so nauseating she was risking meeting the dinner she ate last night. She saw Simon coming, holding a surgical mask to his face,

“What is this smell?” he asked, disgust evident in his voice “Smells like sulphur…ugh!”

Inara’s eyes were actually watering by now and ever the gentleman, Simon handed her another mask from his pocket.

“I think it’s coming from the galley, where are the others?” she asked as she looked around for any member of the crew.

“Kaylee’s in our bunk Zoe and Jayne are in their bunks too. The smell isn’t this awful as out here. I’ll just go back to ask Kaylee if she needs anything, there must be a problem with the toxic waste.” He theorized, disgust evident in is expression.

Inara headed to the galley and what she saw was something she would remember for the rest of her life.

Mal was fumbling with pans and green gunk was all over the place, including him. He managed to turn off the oven and sighed…his expression was both disappointed and sad and just plain defeated – defeated by ex-veggies.

He threw the pan and some utensils in the sink, not caring about the noise they made. Inara felt sorry for him, everyone made fun of his cooking…Simon liked to remind him that he wasn’t any better than him and the more he tried, the bigger the disaster.

Mal noticed her presence and the sad expression he had stopped her from laughing or commenting.

“Just say it.” He muttered as he turned around and sat on a chair “The other are probably dead from laughter or from the smell.”

Inara knelt in front of him, getting what she wanted – a surprised look and him diverting his attention from his self-pity to her “Mal you were planning on cooking something special. I can tell because of all the things on the cupboard but today wasn’t your turn to cook. It was mine, why did you try to cook today?”

He just looked at her and those sad eyes where almost making her cry “Mal it’s just you and me…it’s ok.” After Miranda they where somehow closer they talked in the middle of the night without fighting and that was a big improvement.

“It’s your birthday and I guess…”

“Oh Mal.” They’ve been getting closer since Miranda, she wouldn’t call them a couple just yet but there’s definitely been a great improvement. They spent nights talking at the dinner table and rarely bickered – nobody’s perfect – and when they did, one of them always apologized (usually Mal after harsh glares and cold shoulders from Zoe and Kaylee).

Right now he was looking at her, wide blue eyes who were expecting her chocolate ones to make fun of the colossal disaster Malcolm Reynolds just made. Instead she smiled, his favourite genuine Inara smile when her eyes sparkle and looked at him as amusement shone from the face which has been haunting his dreams since he first laid eyes on her.

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In silence they cleaned he kitchen and Inara wasted all the air freshener they had, they were tired and he knew she wanted to ask him something and was holding back.

She was passing him by to put a mug in the cupboard when he stopped her by grabbing her elbow firmly but gently. She looked up at him in question.

“C’mon ‘Nara I know you wanna ask me something…” he noticed, with pleasure that calling her ‘Nara was having it’s effect.

“It’s just…” she began, obviously choosing her words, gorramn Guild “it was my turn to cook tonight. Why did you try to cook?”

“Well, cause it’s your birthday…and nobody should cook on his birthday.” he finished looking intently at his boots.

“Mal?”

He looked her and then her lips were on his .

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First fanfic ...pls be gentle. Reviews keep me happy *-*