milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Lunchtime. Thank goodness. Inara is starving, her stomach occasionally making embarrassing grumbling noises as she makes her way to an open seat at the bar.

She quickly dives in to her soup and sandwich, people-watching between bites, her favorite relaxing activity at Milliways. Come say hi!

[ooc: Mun is at work, so apologies for slow tags! Need a diversion before html breaks my brain :D]

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Mal looks down at himself, his goofy cane really being the only outward example of physical deficiency.

And he's not wearing the duster he carried for so long.

Mal wonders if that factors in for Inara in this, at all.

"So -- I heard I got in a pissing match with Jayne?"

Inara blinks a few times before breaking in to a genuine smile.

"Oh yes. I believe it was trying to see who could bench press more. I'm afraid you strained your back trying to prove yourself."

"Sounds like me."

Also sounds like baby steps towards that cane of his, but Mal doesn't add that.

"Yes, it does." Inara smiles. "And you've been quite the baby about being laid up. I've had to bribe you with fresh meals from the bar to keep you quiet."

Here's where Mal shifts, slightly (but always enough for the Companion to notice).

"Ever think he does that on purpose?"

It's the first time he's referred to Mal's Inara as a different person than himself.

It's not lost on Inara. She cocks her head and looks at him closely.

"I would think that you could answer that better than me."

"Not sure that would be entirely fair, actually."

He's essentially the walking translator to the inner workings of Serenity's captain. The old man's pretty sure that Inara having more of an upper hand on him than she already does would be possibly a very bad thing.

"Probably not," Inara admits. But her eyes are twinkling a bit. "But when has that ever stopped us?"

Exhale. "...That's very true, Inara."

She deserves something. The old man leans forward, wide eyes going for sincerity.

"You are never apart from me. That's all that's worth saying."

Inara takes a deep breath. She doesn't trust herself to speak just yet. She holds on to his hands tightly, not looking away from him.

Finally, she manages to say, "Good. That's...very good."

That's all she needs to know for now.

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