She’d been acting strangely ever since Miranda. Everyone knew it.

First it was because she decided to stay with them, even though she had a lucrative position at the academy. Mal was the first to pick up on this, but he said nothing.

She was like the heart of Serenity; why would he want her to leave?

After a month or so, she began to take clients again, to Mal’s chagrin. He reinstated her rent and the “strictly business” attitude that went with it, if only to irk her.

Half a year went by as it did before; the chiding, the seduction games, which ultimately lead to the iced over feelings between them that occasionally wore thin at times when they almost gave in.

Then the ice broke, completely, and melted away. Spring had come. It began one night, the two of them alone in her shuttle, arguing of all things. The anger, the chiding remarks became the brilliant sun that wore the ice thin. Mal’s lips on hers was the proverbial stone that broke it. The scary part came when he found her kissing back.

Passion.

The following morning, he awoke in her bed, in a tangle of limbs and bed sheets. He stole a glance over at her and smiled. Spring had come. Of course, with spring, there are bound to be showers, the first of these being the two deciding on how to leave the shuttle as to avoid suspicion. Inara went first, giving no one motive to look in her shuttle. Mal followed minutes later.

For the next month and a half, their secret meetings took place in much the same way. Eventually, their fights became staged, pretenses to sneak away to the courtesan’s shuttle.

And both foolishly clung to the notion that no one knew of their secret gatherings. Zoe was the first to speak up. It was late one night and Mal was stealing away to the “love shuttle.” Mal fumbled to make an excuse when he was caught in the act.

“I’s just goin’ to uh…collect the rent,” Mal said sputtered.

“Sure you ain’t makin’ a deposit,” Zoe questioned with an arched eyebrow.

Mal fumbled about his words before an intelligi