milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

"Five years."

Mal never remembers these things on his own. It's more when he steps up to the bar and he receives a note of congratulations from his mother the Barman and a cupcake from the bar.

"Wow."

Mal orders a Coke to go with the cupcake, requesting also a pad of paper and a ballpoint pen to get some notes written out for later.

Come on by when he settles into a booth. He's got the time, apparently.

[ooc: ~~open. very open.~~ not so open anymore! off to bed. <333]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It looks like it. Maybe I'll get one later."

For the moment, he just sips his coffee.

"So. Save me writing the note - what's the news in the world?"

Mal looks just as pleased as anything to not be using the notepad and pen at his side.

"Not a great deal of news, really. Working, getting the house in order...."

For a moment he sounds faintly unnerved. "They're sending me on a business trip sometime soon."

"And you're worried on it?"

"Not exactly, just ... it's a little strange to hear myself saying that."

"Still getting used to everything. I can understand that."

Business trips are something his father does.

"So speaking of business ... how's yours?"

"Well enough."

And since it's not really useful to Mal to lie to someone who lived on his boat for years, "Could use a new job to crow about. Got some new folk to talk to."

"Oh?" Simon's eyebrows go up.

"Unless you recommend I head to Whitefall?"

Beat.

"Didn't someone try to shoot you last time you went there?"

"Precisely. I'm working on the not getting shot thing."

"Well, I have to approve of that as a goal."

"Well thank you. I am indeed trainable."

A very small smile, amused and affectionate.

"How's Inara? And everybody?"

"Inara is well. She's..."

Bored. Wanting to raise a family. Missing you and Kaylee.

"Putting up with me with her usual amount of grace."

He nods. "And River? I see her here every so often, but...."

"Good. She's doin' good.

"Need to ask her what she'd think on going out on work with us, but I imagine she'd say yes."

Beat.

"I know I don't need to ask you to be careful."

But I'm asking anyway, his tone says.

"That's a good thing to know, Simon," Mal replies, with a tone of finality that makes the extra communication behind it agreed to as well.

"How'd the party go? I know it was a while back, but Ma told me she helped Kaylee with desserts or some such -- "

"Oh -- actually, yes." He's smiling. "Pies. They were very well received. It went well, all in all."

In a rare moment of uncertainty, Mal's eyes narrow in a question, "I don't...'all in all' usually means somethin' kind of didn't."

Simon glances at him in mild surprise. "Hm? No."

Half a beat. "I think I just kept ... half expecting something to go wrong. And then nothing did."

"Good. You both deserve somethin' -- simple ain't the right word."

Simple, he thinks, might be exactly the right word.

"Uncomplicated?" he offers.

(no subject)

badinlatin - 2010-05-25 09:24 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only