Happy Birthday
Thought it was time to move towards the reality of life on Avery and since this idea was born of my real life work and passion, it fit right in! Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the writing of it!
Title: Happy Birthday
Disclaimer: Firefly owns me, I own words
Timeline: Just getting to settling on Avery
Happy Birthday
She woke up to the sun coming in the window and across their bed. She knew without looking that Mal wasn’t there. He still rarely slept through the night. She could hear the sounds from the kitchen and smiled, remembering the party on the night before.
Her birthday party. It felt like everyone from town had come, bringing food and drink and good cheer. Simon and Kaylee were in one of their happy periods and spent the whole night touching each other and exchanging small giggles. Kaylee and Simon’s gift had been a pair of beautiful boots meant for living in a town like Paraiso. Zoë, looking more content as the weeks on Paraiso had passed, gave her a pair of soft canvas pants that still managed to be feminine, and made the comment that as Inara was spending more time planetside, she would be “needin’ more practical clothes.”
The party had wound late into the night, with everyone laughing even as they left for home. Inara couldn’t remember a party more relaxing and enjoyable. The big ornate shindigs she would attend during her Companion days were nothing like the parties on Avery and she wouldn’t trade back for anything in the ‘Verse.
Mal had spent the evening sitting in his armchair, crooked smile on his lips. Every time Inara caught his eye, he winked and chuckled slightly. She knew he was relieved at her recovery after the difficult delivery of Matthew. Her own emotions were still raw. Inara had been trying to get her own fear under control. Knowing how close she had been to losing both Matthew and her own life had made her worry about things in ways she never had.
This birthday had been extra special. Inara was surrounded by all the people who were important in her life. Mal was happy and relaxed, something that rarely happened and that was itself the best gift Inara could have asked for. Their two children were healthy and vibrant; both taking after their parents in stubbornness and willfulness. Thankfully they enjoyed the activity of social gatherings. Matthew, still extremely small, spent most of the evening in River’s and Zoë’s arms. Alley flitted about like a moth distracted by many flames until the evening wore on into night and then she curled up against Jayne. He couldn’t move anywhere without her, she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. Inara watched her young daughter, thrilled to see Alley so happy after her brother’s attention-getting entry to life. Alley was beginning to understand her role as older sister included accepting Matthew’s presence, but she would not relinquish her sole hold of Jayne to anyone, brother or not.
Inara could feel fatigue pulling at her far earlier than it used to. Mal was by her side without comment in a moment. He knew immediately when she needed to rest. They had not been parted in the months since the terrifying night of the birth. Mal would not leave her except for the most important of reasons. Inara knew he had been as frightened of losing her as she had been of dying, but she also knew that her husband would have to trust that she was all right and go forward with his plans soon.
Inara was still thinking about what that would mean for their future. She felt as much at home in Paraiso as she had anywhere she had ever been, despite it being so totally unlike Sihnon. The warmth of the people, their positive attitude towards the future, unjaded and optimistic, was what she wanted to instill in her children, and what she truly wanted for the man she loved more than life itself. This place reminded Mal of Shadow, his youth and all he held dear in his memories. Inara wanted that for him. And if she were being truthful, for herself.
Mal excused them both from the remaining guests, the family they had built on Serenity. Kaylee was mostly drifting off by then herself. Simon roused her to bring her home. Zoë volunteered to watch Matthew for the night. Mal looked to Jayne, about to open his mouth to tell his little girl to get herself up to bed.
“Nah, Mal, I got ‘er tonight. Ya go on with ‘Nara.” Jayne said softly over the sleeping girl’s long dark waves of hair. She was curled up against his chest, sleeping blissfully.
Mal was going to protest except Inara stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm, “Let her go with Jayne, Mal. She is asleep and will be happier if she is left to be.” Inara glanced at Jayne, he just nodded his head and got up, bringin’ Alley with him like she were no more burden than air itself. The big merc walked quietly into the night towards Serenity. Inara smiled, realizing that she and Mal were alone for the first time since Matthew came.
With a graceful turn of her hand, she beckoned Mal to follow her upstairs. The cottage they rented was warm and inviting as a home and had the benefit of a beautiful bedroom overlooking the fields beyond Paraiso. At night, the stars and moon shone their light into the big windows where it would fall across their bed and reflect off the gold and reds of Sushi and Sashimi in their bowl.
Mal walked after his wife, concern for her tiredness from the party warring with his desire for her. Inara could feel his eyes watching her as they got to the top of the stairs.
Once the door closed on the bedroom door, Mal wrapped her in his arms. Heat from his body warmed her immediately even though she had not realized she had been cold. He held her to him, arms cradling her back, one hand fisting her hair. She turned her face up to his. He just stared into her eyes, expression unreadable.
“Mal?” She asked when he said and did nothing.
“I was so scared of losing you ‘Nara,” he whispered hoarsely. “I really thought I would…”
She placed a finger across his lips, “Shhhh, it’s ok, I am here, I am not going anywhere.”
Mal tipped his head down to hers until they were forehead to forehead, his eyes closed as he breathed in her jasmine scent, felt her body against his. Mal was not a man to cry, but he was near to it standing in the moonlight with Inara in his arms, alive, well, and happy.
“Can ya see yerself stayin here? Raisin our kids on this back of the Rim planet. Ain’t cultured and civilized…’
“I will live anywhere you are Malcolm Reynolds. I am never going to let anything take us apart again. I love you, and I love Paraiso. If this is where you want to make a life, I will make it with you.”
He opened his eyes, forehead still against hers, so they were looking directly blue into brown. No more words were spoken. He took her to bed and she brought him with her.
She stretched languorously before getting out of bed. She could smell coffee brewing wafting up from downstairs and saw a note on the chair by the door. The pants from Zoë and the boots from Kaylee and Simon were there. “Wear these” was written in Mal’s precise hand on a piece of Inara’s lavender stationary. She smelled the paper as she picked it up- yes, she could just smell leather and woodsy spice lingering on it. Mal had grabbed a bunch of the paper when she got a new box and had put it in his desk on Serenity despite her teasing him about it. He insisted he just wanted to have it in case he needed to write a letter home to her. They teased each other about her using her feminine wiles on him, and it was only fair if he could turn them around her once in awhile.
Inara slipped the pants on, blessing Zoë as she did so. They fit perfectly and had that soft, well worn quality that bespoke fabric that would wear like iron and fit like a glove for years to come. The boots were beautifully tooled, brown, with a shallow heel. Inara smiled as she slid her feet into them. She normally wore sandals and feminine shoes, so it was a different feeling to have her foot cradled in a boot that reached halfway up her calf. They too, fit beautifully. Inara remembered asking Kaylee how she knew what size boot to get and Kaylee giggling and pointing to Jayne.
“Jayne knew what size ta get. We was talking about what ta get ya fer yer birthday and he said ya didn’t have no proper boots fer being out planetside. And he just knew what size ya were.” Jayne had blushed to his roots at that. Had gotten real distracted by Alley right about then to.
She went downstairs to the kitchen. Early morning light bathed the room in a pink glow. Mal was sitting out on the porch with a cup of coffee cradled in his hands. Inara poured herself a mug of tea. Mal had made coffee for himself and a pot of tea for Inara. She went out to join him in welcoming the day. Leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek gently.
“Hey there, sleepy head.”
“Hello to you as well. Been waiting up long?” Inara answered.
“Nah, not to long.” Mal was only lying a little. The bed on his side was often cold by morning. He didn’t sleep many hours, most nights he was up before dawn after getting to bed in the deepest hour of the night. This morning there had still been some residual heat on his side of the bed and Inara could remember his arm draped across her slightly before she started to wake up.
“I got something for ya.” Mal stood up, placed his coffee on the railing and led Inara around the side of the cottage. Two horses were tethered to a rail there. Inara recognized the bigger one as Mal’s. He had bought the horse some weeks back from a rancher who had to reduce his herd. It was a tall animal, dark glossy bay with large intelligent eyes. Mal had liked the horse immediately, said it reminded him of a horse he’d had as a young man.
The other horse was a light gold with a light, almost white mane and tail. It was mare with a quick air about her.
“What’s this?” she asked, one brow raised.
“…I-it’s a horse?” Mal replied, stuttering.
“I know that Mal!” Inara laughed, “Whose is she?”
“Yours if you’ll have her.” Mal answered softly.
“What?” Inara was stunned. “How? Why? I mean, we have never talked about this…How did you know…?”
“I waved your friend at the Training House, Sheydra I think. She said you rode as part of your Companion training…”
“You waved Sheydra?!” Inara beyond amazed.
“Well, yeah, I mean, I had to know if you could ride you know?” Mal was scrambling for words. “I know you been trying to get to see all the families around here, what with the school starting and all, and you been catching rides with the Preacher and asking Jayne to drive you in the mule. So I thought I would get you a horse for yourself. I looked around abit for her. Preacher knew a family who didn’t need her no more and I went and tried her. Smoothest gaited horse I ever sat on truth be told. A real nice animal…” Mal was beginning to ramble, Inara recognized the tone of his voice.
“She is lovely Mal.” She replied softly, reaching out to stroke the mare’s neck. Golden coat gleamed in the sun’s light. The silken feel under her fingers was one Inara remembered from many years earlier. She had ridden as a young woman, had enjoyed it immensely as it had given her a sense of freedom that nothing else in school could. And now here was a gift of freedom wrapped in the guise of a horse.
“I don’t know what to say…I never thought…” Inara was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
“Say yes, come for ride with me, visit our new home..” Mal answered in a whisper as he held her in a hug from behind, her back pressed against his chest.
“Yes.”
“Happy Birthday ‘Nara.” He breathed softly.
Title: Happy Birthday
Disclaimer: Firefly owns me, I own words
Timeline: Just getting to settling on Avery
Happy Birthday
She woke up to the sun coming in the window and across their bed. She knew without looking that Mal wasn’t there. He still rarely slept through the night. She could hear the sounds from the kitchen and smiled, remembering the party on the night before.
Her birthday party. It felt like everyone from town had come, bringing food and drink and good cheer. Simon and Kaylee were in one of their happy periods and spent the whole night touching each other and exchanging small giggles. Kaylee and Simon’s gift had been a pair of beautiful boots meant for living in a town like Paraiso. Zoë, looking more content as the weeks on Paraiso had passed, gave her a pair of soft canvas pants that still managed to be feminine, and made the comment that as Inara was spending more time planetside, she would be “needin’ more practical clothes.”
The party had wound late into the night, with everyone laughing even as they left for home. Inara couldn’t remember a party more relaxing and enjoyable. The big ornate shindigs she would attend during her Companion days were nothing like the parties on Avery and she wouldn’t trade back for anything in the ‘Verse.
Mal had spent the evening sitting in his armchair, crooked smile on his lips. Every time Inara caught his eye, he winked and chuckled slightly. She knew he was relieved at her recovery after the difficult delivery of Matthew. Her own emotions were still raw. Inara had been trying to get her own fear under control. Knowing how close she had been to losing both Matthew and her own life had made her worry about things in ways she never had.
This birthday had been extra special. Inara was surrounded by all the people who were important in her life. Mal was happy and relaxed, something that rarely happened and that was itself the best gift Inara could have asked for. Their two children were healthy and vibrant; both taking after their parents in stubbornness and willfulness. Thankfully they enjoyed the activity of social gatherings. Matthew, still extremely small, spent most of the evening in River’s and Zoë’s arms. Alley flitted about like a moth distracted by many flames until the evening wore on into night and then she curled up against Jayne. He couldn’t move anywhere without her, she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. Inara watched her young daughter, thrilled to see Alley so happy after her brother’s attention-getting entry to life. Alley was beginning to understand her role as older sister included accepting Matthew’s presence, but she would not relinquish her sole hold of Jayne to anyone, brother or not.
Inara could feel fatigue pulling at her far earlier than it used to. Mal was by her side without comment in a moment. He knew immediately when she needed to rest. They had not been parted in the months since the terrifying night of the birth. Mal would not leave her except for the most important of reasons. Inara knew he had been as frightened of losing her as she had been of dying, but she also knew that her husband would have to trust that she was all right and go forward with his plans soon.
Inara was still thinking about what that would mean for their future. She felt as much at home in Paraiso as she had anywhere she had ever been, despite it being so totally unlike Sihnon. The warmth of the people, their positive attitude towards the future, unjaded and optimistic, was what she wanted to instill in her children, and what she truly wanted for the man she loved more than life itself. This place reminded Mal of Shadow, his youth and all he held dear in his memories. Inara wanted that for him. And if she were being truthful, for herself.
Mal excused them both from the remaining guests, the family they had built on Serenity. Kaylee was mostly drifting off by then herself. Simon roused her to bring her home. Zoë volunteered to watch Matthew for the night. Mal looked to Jayne, about to open his mouth to tell his little girl to get herself up to bed.
“Nah, Mal, I got ‘er tonight. Ya go on with ‘Nara.” Jayne said softly over the sleeping girl’s long dark waves of hair. She was curled up against his chest, sleeping blissfully.
Mal was going to protest except Inara stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm, “Let her go with Jayne, Mal. She is asleep and will be happier if she is left to be.” Inara glanced at Jayne, he just nodded his head and got up, bringin’ Alley with him like she were no more burden than air itself. The big merc walked quietly into the night towards Serenity. Inara smiled, realizing that she and Mal were alone for the first time since Matthew came.
With a graceful turn of her hand, she beckoned Mal to follow her upstairs. The cottage they rented was warm and inviting as a home and had the benefit of a beautiful bedroom overlooking the fields beyond Paraiso. At night, the stars and moon shone their light into the big windows where it would fall across their bed and reflect off the gold and reds of Sushi and Sashimi in their bowl.
Mal walked after his wife, concern for her tiredness from the party warring with his desire for her. Inara could feel his eyes watching her as they got to the top of the stairs.
Once the door closed on the bedroom door, Mal wrapped her in his arms. Heat from his body warmed her immediately even though she had not realized she had been cold. He held her to him, arms cradling her back, one hand fisting her hair. She turned her face up to his. He just stared into her eyes, expression unreadable.
“Mal?” She asked when he said and did nothing.
“I was so scared of losing you ‘Nara,” he whispered hoarsely. “I really thought I would…”
She placed a finger across his lips, “Shhhh, it’s ok, I am here, I am not going anywhere.”
Mal tipped his head down to hers until they were forehead to forehead, his eyes closed as he breathed in her jasmine scent, felt her body against his. Mal was not a man to cry, but he was near to it standing in the moonlight with Inara in his arms, alive, well, and happy.
“Can ya see yerself stayin here? Raisin our kids on this back of the Rim planet. Ain’t cultured and civilized…’
“I will live anywhere you are Malcolm Reynolds. I am never going to let anything take us apart again. I love you, and I love Paraiso. If this is where you want to make a life, I will make it with you.”
He opened his eyes, forehead still against hers, so they were looking directly blue into brown. No more words were spoken. He took her to bed and she brought him with her.
She stretched languorously before getting out of bed. She could smell coffee brewing wafting up from downstairs and saw a note on the chair by the door. The pants from Zoë and the boots from Kaylee and Simon were there. “Wear these” was written in Mal’s precise hand on a piece of Inara’s lavender stationary. She smelled the paper as she picked it up- yes, she could just smell leather and woodsy spice lingering on it. Mal had grabbed a bunch of the paper when she got a new box and had put it in his desk on Serenity despite her teasing him about it. He insisted he just wanted to have it in case he needed to write a letter home to her. They teased each other about her using her feminine wiles on him, and it was only fair if he could turn them around her once in awhile.
Inara slipped the pants on, blessing Zoë as she did so. They fit perfectly and had that soft, well worn quality that bespoke fabric that would wear like iron and fit like a glove for years to come. The boots were beautifully tooled, brown, with a shallow heel. Inara smiled as she slid her feet into them. She normally wore sandals and feminine shoes, so it was a different feeling to have her foot cradled in a boot that reached halfway up her calf. They too, fit beautifully. Inara remembered asking Kaylee how she knew what size boot to get and Kaylee giggling and pointing to Jayne.
“Jayne knew what size ta get. We was talking about what ta get ya fer yer birthday and he said ya didn’t have no proper boots fer being out planetside. And he just knew what size ya were.” Jayne had blushed to his roots at that. Had gotten real distracted by Alley right about then to.
She went downstairs to the kitchen. Early morning light bathed the room in a pink glow. Mal was sitting out on the porch with a cup of coffee cradled in his hands. Inara poured herself a mug of tea. Mal had made coffee for himself and a pot of tea for Inara. She went out to join him in welcoming the day. Leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek gently.
“Hey there, sleepy head.”
“Hello to you as well. Been waiting up long?” Inara answered.
“Nah, not to long.” Mal was only lying a little. The bed on his side was often cold by morning. He didn’t sleep many hours, most nights he was up before dawn after getting to bed in the deepest hour of the night. This morning there had still been some residual heat on his side of the bed and Inara could remember his arm draped across her slightly before she started to wake up.
“I got something for ya.” Mal stood up, placed his coffee on the railing and led Inara around the side of the cottage. Two horses were tethered to a rail there. Inara recognized the bigger one as Mal’s. He had bought the horse some weeks back from a rancher who had to reduce his herd. It was a tall animal, dark glossy bay with large intelligent eyes. Mal had liked the horse immediately, said it reminded him of a horse he’d had as a young man.
The other horse was a light gold with a light, almost white mane and tail. It was mare with a quick air about her.
“What’s this?” she asked, one brow raised.
“…I-it’s a horse?” Mal replied, stuttering.
“I know that Mal!” Inara laughed, “Whose is she?”
“Yours if you’ll have her.” Mal answered softly.
“What?” Inara was stunned. “How? Why? I mean, we have never talked about this…How did you know…?”
“I waved your friend at the Training House, Sheydra I think. She said you rode as part of your Companion training…”
“You waved Sheydra?!” Inara beyond amazed.
“Well, yeah, I mean, I had to know if you could ride you know?” Mal was scrambling for words. “I know you been trying to get to see all the families around here, what with the school starting and all, and you been catching rides with the Preacher and asking Jayne to drive you in the mule. So I thought I would get you a horse for yourself. I looked around abit for her. Preacher knew a family who didn’t need her no more and I went and tried her. Smoothest gaited horse I ever sat on truth be told. A real nice animal…” Mal was beginning to ramble, Inara recognized the tone of his voice.
“She is lovely Mal.” She replied softly, reaching out to stroke the mare’s neck. Golden coat gleamed in the sun’s light. The silken feel under her fingers was one Inara remembered from many years earlier. She had ridden as a young woman, had enjoyed it immensely as it had given her a sense of freedom that nothing else in school could. And now here was a gift of freedom wrapped in the guise of a horse.
“I don’t know what to say…I never thought…” Inara was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
“Say yes, come for ride with me, visit our new home..” Mal answered in a whisper as he held her in a hug from behind, her back pressed against his chest.
“Yes.”
“Happy Birthday ‘Nara.” He breathed softly.