Shore Leave or That Youthful Feeling

By Kaynara

***

Post-BDM. The crew visits a drinking establishment on Beaumonde—no, not that one. Shameless Mal/Inara fluff ensues.

***

Almost disgustingly fluffy, save for a bit of Mal-brooding. Wow, I feel dirty. I'll try to angst it up next time. :)

Special thanks to my Flan B gals, Leiasky, Tamsibling and Leighkohl, for beta-ing. And to AWindsor for helping me teach Mal how to flirt. ;)

***

Considering the sequence of events resulting from their last visit to the Maidenhead, Mal thinks it prudent to take his crew to the drinking establishment down the street, lest they run afoul of any old friends. He actually has it in his head that they'll have a fine evening of crew bonding and conversation, even means to buy the first round of drinks. His crew, it seems, has other notions. Soon as they step through the door, his crewmates disperse in six different directions—five, actually, as Simon and Kaylee disperse together—leaving Mal to stand alone in the entryway, a stupid expression on his face as he watches them go.

“Y'all just...have fun then,” he calls after their retreating backsides.

Shaking the abandoned-puppy look from his face, he ambles over to the bar, angling apologetically between a pair of middle-aged women on barstools.

“Ladies. Sorry,” he says, trying to decide if one of them just stroked his butt on purpose, and ai ya, don't make eye contact.

There's a band playing—some techno-rock noise that makes his ears bleed. He tosses a few coins on the counter for a drink, “and make it a double, please.”

A double shot of whiskey later and he's feeling a little better about life. Or, at least life is quieter and less bright.

He laps the perimeter a time or two, sipping from a bottle of Blue Sun-brand beer, known throughout the 'verse for being cheap and...well, cheap. Trying not to wonder if it's wise to allow eighteen-year old River, or Jayne—he doesn't know how old Jayne is, would guess the man's long since abandoned his thirties—to d