Not Today
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sweet, fluffy, M/I love. The continuing journey as they start their life as a couple. Post-BDM.
Part 5 of the <a href="http://www.fireflyfans.net/bluesun.aspx?bid=16631"Sneaking Into the Captain’s Bunk</a> series.
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 4005 RATING: 9.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
Fics on a plane! Transcontinental flights are great for the muse! Part 5 of the series. Start there and follow the links. This one comes after "Truth and Tight Spaces".
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Once the crew knew, their days became freer. The others would exchange significant glances, let loose a few snickers or smiles, and then leave Mal and Inara in peace most of the time. Even Jayne recognized the fragility of the pair, and kept his coarse musings to himself. Their relationship evolved slowly – the major differences being he’d stopped calling her whore, she’d stopped calling him petty, and occasionally they’d be caught holding hands at the dinner table or as they walked through the ship in the evening. Most evenings, he’d walk her to her shuttle, kiss her lightly on the cheek, and bid her good night. Only rarely did they spend the night together.
He took her to worlds where she could work and watched her fly off to meet clients with less jealousy than anyone expected. It was always a soft, lingering kiss on the lips and a devilish grin telling her to have fun. She’d explained Guild rules on dating and he complied with every one. And he saved the pain – buried it until after she’d gone. And he made sure to work or weep it all away before she returned. When she returned, he waited for her to come to him, so she’d be refreshed, ready, and completely clean of their scent. She came to him faster each time, sometimes running into his arms. He was careful with her. Cautious. He’d promised to take her anywhere so long as she stayed. And he was not blind to the fact that her rent payment on the shuttle was their only income some months.
Inara climbed into his bunk one night, seeking company. She’d just spent three days with a client on Beaumonde and the following two locked in her shuttle, recovering. Mal was sleeping, sprawled on his back, fully clothed – he was on call that night and needed to be ready. At first, she lin
While your earlier Mal/Inara in the bedroom stories really didn't work for me, this recent exploration of their relationship really does. It manages the rare thing of balancing their respective life choices as equal, and does the very important thing of having Mal accept Inara's job before she makes the choice to give it up. Excellently handled.
That wrapped in some very enjoyable tender moments has made me a very happy reader. :) This is my favorite story of yours so far, hands down.
I also love the idea of Inara at 5 setting fire to marshmallows. She must have been so cute.
I think you need Mal to divulge some of his childhood memories - it's only fair. That's my plot bunny for you!
Why is Mal holding back? Inara is taking the chance to venture forward, why isn't he joining her?
Why is Mal holding back? Inara is taking the chance to venture forward, why isn't he joining her?
Still...I am seriously begging ya to keep this series going! I wanna know about Mal's hesitance and how it's overcome so that the events of "Only You" come to pass. I wanna see something looking at how Mal comforts Inara when she tenders her resignation and when it comes into effect, closing the door on one part of her life and opening up another. I wanna see more of Mal getting nailed upside the head with Buddha statues when he's beside himself trying to deal with stress!
:D
BEB
He lets her decide when and what to sacrifice and that's exactly what she needs to travel a new path.
I think this tone may have been what Joss intended to set or resolve in the BDM ("about a day's ride to get you back to your girls"), but was constrained.
Great writing! Chile's loss was our gain!
I think your picture of how Mal and Inara would try to make things work is simply heartwarming... Mal swallowing his pride, taking Inara to places she can find clients, and letting her go to them, knowing that what they have with each other is deeper and stronger... even if he has to cry her absence out in the privacy of his bunk.
The imagery you use, comparing Inara to melting chocolate... whoo-hoo! Ahem. That was good.
And then the breathy kissing, telling each other that they missed each other, and Inara saying that her client was 'forgotten'... gah. Gah, I say!
Fantastic work, throwing down that generous dollop of angst right afterwards... Inara wishing to herself that the client had been Mal, and having to fight not to say his name... And then you follow with the comforting cuddling. Oh, the heartstrings, they sing with sorrow and joy.
I think the way you have Inara trying to rationalize the scope of what she's doing is incredible... how she's let go of everything that meant anything to her, and Mal is the only thing left now... Brilliant.
The way you've gotten them to the point where they can talk about their fears is wonderfully true-to-form, as is the hesitation that they both feel about Inara's decision. I adored that Mal doesn't immediately shout for joy when Inara voices her desire to not take clients again... and then sympathizing with her confusion and fear, trying to make her feel better by saying that it doesn't have to be such big steps... that's a big step for him.
I love the back-and-forth bit you have between them about holding/loving/kissing, and Mal's comment about what happened the last time he kissed Inara. And then you start in with their seductive verbal dancing... gah.
It's interesting the position you've worked them into... Inara is ready and willing to give herself to Mal, yet he's now the one holding out, because he's not ready.
And so, unable to give themselves to each other, they once again settle for closeness and conversation... sigh. You write their intimate non-intimacy so well, and it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
Inara setting fire to the plate of marshmallows was truly inspired. And then... and then Inara speaks the fateful words back.
And nothing will ever be the same.
I once again offer my humble thanks for feeding my addiction. And just-as-humbly request yet another serving.
As always, most excellent work, VB.
You can't take the sky from me
I can only see Mal and Inara succeeding in their relationship when they do take it slow to rebuild their shattered selves first. After all, Joss did invent a show to show how people lived after overwhelming trauma. Glad you're taking the time to show how they can do it right. It makes this story less a work of fiction and more of a lesson in humanity.
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