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F: Wasted
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: Zoe/Inara
Warnings: Angst
Rating: G
Summary: Inara makes an offer. For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
15pairings.
"You could let yourself love again, if you chose to," Inara says, softly. Zoe doesn't start, because she isn't surprised by her presence. First of all, she's a soldier, and her nerves are always straining, even in the relative safety of Serenity. Especially as it has been proved, by Jubal Early, that the safety of Serenity can be penetrated. And especially since Wash was snatched away from her. And, secondly, because Inara can move softly when she wants to, but isn't silly enough to sneak up on her, and so let herself be heard.
"I don't want to," Zoe replies, after a moment of silence that thrums with tension and the soft sounds of Serenity. And then, thinking of Wash with the now familiar wrench, adds, "I can't."
"You can."
Zoe doesn't respond to that. There's no point to it. She had Wash, and their time they spent travelling together, and now she's alone, and no one will want to travel with her, anyway. She doesn't respond when Inara's hand touches her shoulder, either.
"You can, Zoe. You loved Wash, I know that, but loving another doesn't -- "
"It does to me," she snaps.
Inara sighs softly. Her fingers move to tangle in Zoe's hair, gently pulling her to turn her face, meet her eyes. Zoe does -- somewhat reluctantly. Inara's eyes are captivating, always, even when she doesn't mean them to be. "Wash would want you to be happy."
She holds back the temptation to say that she doesn't want to be happy, if it means betraying him. That would be childish. "You're wasting your time, Inara. Like everyone else. Mal's had this talk with me, and Kaylee mentioned it in passing, and Simon stammered through it, and -- "
"Zoe, don't do this. We want you to be happy, too."
"Thank you for your concern, but I don't want anybody and nobody wants me."
Zoe takes that moment to leave, as Inara draws back -- something in her eyes that's maybe pain, maybe some kind of offering. Maybe just that sympathy that isn't pity but an honest understanding of love and loss. She hears what Inara says, though.
"What a waste," she says, clearly, meaning for Zoe to hear. "A waste of everything you have to offer. Think about it, Zoe."
That look in Inara's eyes, Zoe realises -- it is an offer. An offer she might just take up.
Pairing: Zoe/Inara
Warnings: Angst
Rating: G
Summary: Inara makes an offer. For
15pairings."You could let yourself love again, if you chose to," Inara says, softly. Zoe doesn't start, because she isn't surprised by her presence. First of all, she's a soldier, and her nerves are always straining, even in the relative safety of Serenity. Especially as it has been proved, by Jubal Early, that the safety of Serenity can be penetrated. And especially since Wash was snatched away from her. And, secondly, because Inara can move softly when she wants to, but isn't silly enough to sneak up on her, and so let herself be heard.
"I don't want to," Zoe replies, after a moment of silence that thrums with tension and the soft sounds of Serenity. And then, thinking of Wash with the now familiar wrench, adds, "I can't."
"You can."
Zoe doesn't respond to that. There's no point to it. She had Wash, and their time they spent travelling together, and now she's alone, and no one will want to travel with her, anyway. She doesn't respond when Inara's hand touches her shoulder, either.
"You can, Zoe. You loved Wash, I know that, but loving another doesn't -- "
"It does to me," she snaps.
Inara sighs softly. Her fingers move to tangle in Zoe's hair, gently pulling her to turn her face, meet her eyes. Zoe does -- somewhat reluctantly. Inara's eyes are captivating, always, even when she doesn't mean them to be. "Wash would want you to be happy."
She holds back the temptation to say that she doesn't want to be happy, if it means betraying him. That would be childish. "You're wasting your time, Inara. Like everyone else. Mal's had this talk with me, and Kaylee mentioned it in passing, and Simon stammered through it, and -- "
"Zoe, don't do this. We want you to be happy, too."
"Thank you for your concern, but I don't want anybody and nobody wants me."
Zoe takes that moment to leave, as Inara draws back -- something in her eyes that's maybe pain, maybe some kind of offering. Maybe just that sympathy that isn't pity but an honest understanding of love and loss. She hears what Inara says, though.
"What a waste," she says, clearly, meaning for Zoe to hear. "A waste of everything you have to offer. Think about it, Zoe."
That look in Inara's eyes, Zoe realises -- it is an offer. An offer she might just take up.