note: eek! i'm so so so so very sorry for not havin posted this earlier. you've probably all forgotten what's happened! you see i've been really busy with coursework and workin on the script for my comic. i hope you can enjoy this anyway =)

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“And why do you think Bronte uses metaphor here?” Inara asked.

Sephora and Daniel exchanged bemused glances across the mess table.

“Cos it makes her feel clever?” Sephora suggested and Daniel grinned.

“Nara!” Mal came striding in.

Inara frowned. “Mal, we’re in the middle of a lesson.”

“This is important!” he insisted, a grin on his face.

“And urgent?”

“Yes! Important and urgent. Will only take bout half an hour, promise. Then you can get back to your learnin.”

“No rush, Unca’mal.” Sephora slipped from her seat.

“Alright, we’ll take lunch break early,” Inara conceded, before being dragged from the room by Mal.

“Mal, this isn’t fair,” Inara was complaining as her feet touched the floor of their bunk. “You shouldn’t interrupt me, it’s not setting a-” She was cut short by a kiss.

“Do you know what date it is?”

“16th?”

“18th.”

“…And?”

“Well, I was sitting thinkin-”

“You were busy then, obviously.”

“And I thought, it’s nine months until Dan’s birthday.” He gave her a significant glance.

“You interrupted the lesson for that?”

“Ain’t that a thing to be celebratin?”

She couldn’t help smiling. “What kind of celebration did you have in mind?”

“Well,” Mal pulled her into his arms. “I had some things in mind, but I’m open to suggestions.”

They kissed and she allowed him to lay her on the bed. “You know, I’m still angry you interrupted us.”

“I know.” He kissed her then sat upright. “Ok, what’s up?”

Inara lay still for a moment. “What?”

“Nara, when have you last given in so willingly to my wiles?”

She opened her mouth to protest, but shrugged, sitting up too. “I’m sorry.”

“So? What is it? What’s bothering my beautiful wife?”

~

Zuriel saw Kaylee at the end of the corridor