Bed and Wine: Part 4

By Kaynara

Mal goes home to Shadow. A continuation of the Bedlam/Bedfellows series. Serenity *spoilers.*

It’s Joss’s verse--I just borrow it.

***

If there was one thing Mal Reynolds missed out here in the Black, it was waking up with the sunshine. Tomorrow, the bright rays would sneak through his sister’s lace curtains, spreading over the bedcloths till they reached his face, warming and wheedling, coaxing him into opening his eyes. Tomorrow, he’d see daylight when he blinked. Today he dressed in the dark, ran a comb through his hair and strolled down to his kitchen for coffee.

He came up short at the doorway, leaned against the frame watching her.

Inara wore one of Kaylee’s old sweatshirts, a soft worn gray with the sleeves cut out, and blue silk pajama pants that musta belonged to the doc. Her hair was long and loose, dark, riotous curls pouring down her back. She was feeding Raven from a bottle.

Mal posed in the doorjamb, careful not to make a sound.

She was talking in poetry, softly spoken words designed to soothe the fretting baby.

“Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing

Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before”

Inara adjusted the bottle so the little chick could get a better grip. Mal watched the baby’s tiny fingers curl around Inara’s hand as her little lips sucked keenly at the milk.

“Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore”

Mal could see the child’s eyes, wide and blue--would they stay that shade or turn dark like Zoe’s?--so solemn and earnest, staring gratefully at the source of the nourishment.

“Lovely.” Inara smoothed the jet hair, soft as down. “You make him smile, you know. You give smiles to everyone on this ship.”

“Ahem.” Mal stepped into the kitchen. Inara jumped, startling the baby who whimpered once, found a more secure mouth-hold on the bottle and settled. “Mornin’.”

“Good morning,” Inara sai