A/N: I have always loved this show but never really ventured into writing anything for it. Mainly because I was too young when I was watching it to really write anything proper. But I picked it up again recently and rediscovered my love and figured hey; there's a perfect relationship to write for. Rated M for a reason kiddies.

"hydrogen in our veins, it cannot hold itself, my blood is boiling,
and the pressure in our bodies, that echoes upabove, it is exploding,
and our particles that burn, it is all because they yearn for each other
and although we stick together, it seems that we are estranging one another..."

-Strangeness & Charm, Florence & the Machine

Summary: She may as well have been a virgin whenever she found herself in his bed. Mal/Inara one-shot.

The Purest Element

She had always been a respectable woman. She had worked hard and earned her place in the world, leading a life of luxury and beauty. Wherever she went, she always had clients clamoring for her attention. Her rates were exuberant but none of them seemed to mind the small fortune they would spend on her services. For good reason; Inara was a very, very good Companion and it didn't hurt any that she was also strikingly beautiful. Not the kind of beautiful of any typical woman. She was unique, exotic and it was the fact that her features were so distinctive that gleaned her an edge. No man or woman could ever forget her face once they looked upon it and she had a way of always leaving her mark. But it was her work that she took pride in. After all, she had spent years of her life simply training for her role. It wasn't always about the sex; most of the time, it was the pillow talk that would capture her clients. Companions were not whores for the sole reason that they were trained for more than the simple act of pleasure. It was why what she did was deemed respectable.

But on Serenity, there was no respect from the captain about what she did and he was always openly hostile about it. If she ever forgot how he felt about her profession, he would always kindly remind her. She would, of course, roll her eyes and ignore him. It seemed to work well enough. Or at least, it got him out of her shuttle long enough for her to remember that he was nothing more than a petty criminal. Someone of her stature could never expect a man like him to understand all the work she had to do to get to where she was.

So why was it that when she entered the kitchen and saw the lowlife criminal of a man before her, every shred of that respect seemed to disappear? All of her training, all of her composure and all it took was a look to bring her defenses down. He sat at the kitchen table, hands mucking up his fine dark honey coloured hair, and stared down at the paperwork strewn before him in the dimly lit room. There was no respect when all she could do was notice the way his hair fell before his eyes, or the way his brows knit together while he was in deep thought. His status as a wanted smuggler didn't seem to impact how she would watch his lips part, words lost on his tongue, or how the lack of light darkened his light blue eyes to a deep indigo hue.

"How long did ya plan on standin' there watchin' me?" He broke the silence and she snapped out of her trance.

She defensively brought her hand to her bare throat and touched the skin there, not entirely sure what to say. It was just like him to have the instincts of a hunter.

She stood up straight and said, "I-I was just going to get some tea."

She walked into the room, ignoring the fact that his eyes were on her.

"Isn't it a bit late for tea?" He questioned her.

She turned and smiled at him, "Isn't it a bit late to be doing paperwork, captain?"

The corners of his mouth twitched and the chair screeched as he pulled it back to stand up. He stretched then, raising his arms and standing on his toes and then cracking his neck.

"You are absolutely right, Inara," he started, "It's way too late to be doin' paperwork. So how's about that tea?"

Her heart fluttered. It always did and there was no way to stop it. She smiled genuinely and grabbed the bag of tea leaves from the cupboard. She turned to him then and poised a question, "My shuttle or your bunk?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to contaminate your shuttle. Clients might not like it so much. Plus, I like my bunk better. I know for fact that I'm the only man who's slept in it." He jibed.

There it was; another subtle reminder how he hated what she did. As per usual, she rolled her eyes and ignored it, moving on ahead of him towards the sleeping quarters. She could feel him behind her, following in her footsteps. He didn't say much else. When they reached the door, she waited for him to open it. He cracked it open and slid down the ladder. She followed suit and, like a gentleman, he helped her down, her hand in his. She couldn't ignore the tingle in her skin from where he touched her.

"Sorry for the mess." He said, scratching the back of his head as he took in the sight of his own little room.

The bed covers were thrown aside in haste and there were books and papers scattered all over the place. Some of his clothes were hanging on the chair or laying on his bed. It wasn't terribly messy but it certainly wasn't as neat as Mal usually kept it. None the less, she found it cozy. She always did. Maybe it was because she felt like she was surrounded by him and it was a comfort. She tried to shake the feeling but failed miserably, just like she always did when he was around.

"It's fine." She replied, trying to stay focused on her task.

She made her way to the little teapot sitting on his table. She had been the one to buy it for him. It wasn't uncommon that Mal suffered from insomnia and, in her own effort to help, Inara had taken the initiative of giving him some herbal tea to help him get to sleep. She didn't think he'd have heeded her advice so she was shocked when he had shown up in her shuttle asking her how to use the gorram thing. She smiled at the memory and poured some water into the pot to boil. Just as she was going to plug it in, his hand grabbed her wrist and she was taken aback by how close he was to her now. She looked up into his eyes, waiting, anticipating. But he was always so difficult to read.

He turned her around to face him and then he spoke in a soft voice, "We both know it ain't the tea we want."

She gulped and understood. What she should have done, what a respectable Companion would have done, was said no. She should have left his bunk, gone back to her shuttle and fallen asleep. But his hands had nervously drifted to her waist, where they felt hot against her bare skin, and his lips were only inches away from hers. All she had to do was reach up and kiss him. Technically, she knew she shouldn't. But technically, she had already done this with her captain. It was rare, but it wouldn't have been the first time she'd taken to his bed. He was cautious, didn't want to push for anything. He preferred it when she came to him. And she had. One could even say she had plotted this night. She had specifically chosen this outfit because she knew he was fond of her golden skin. She had known he would be in the kitchen this night, working late on allocating the money from a job.

So when she stepped closer so that her body was against his, she no longer felt the guilt from disobeying her own very stern rules, much less the rules of the Guild. She let him bring his head down, nuzzling into her soft, ebony curls. She let his hands travel the length of her exposed backside. She inhaled sharply when his tongue darted out against the delicate flesh of her neck. It was wrong, she knew that. He wasn't her client. He likely never would be. He most certainly could never afford her services, no matter the jobs he took. On top of all that, he wasn't a man of status or importance. He was everything she would usually avoid. And yet, when his lips met her skin and when his hands were on her, she couldn't help but whimper with the pleasure it caused her. Was it so wrong that the Companion seek out the pleasure she was paid to give?

"Inara..." He whispered against her ear, his breath hot and tickling her skin.

Her fingers clawed at the thin material of his dress shirt as she ached for the feel of his skin against hers. He had the thin straps of her tank top at her elbows and his hands moved slowly up and down her arms. She began to work nimbly on the buttons of his shirt. She fumbled whenever he sucked on the skin of her neck, his nose burying into her. The growing ache for him welled up inside of her, consuming her and she allowed it. Normally, she was used to quelling it but she had lost once before and now, she rarely put up a fight. No man could weaken her resolve quite the way Mal did. Not a single one of her clients.

He pulled off her shirt and exposed her breasts, the soft brown nipples hardening at the sudden rush of cold air. He finished off the few remaining buttons of his own clothes, pulled down his suspenders and threw his shirt aside, completely forgotten as his mouth attacked hers. She moaned into him and his tongue warred with hers something passionate and fierce. There was so much longing in the way he kissed her. Then again, she didn't hold anything back either. Her fingers tangled into his hair while she brought him closer to her, as close as possible. His calloused hands were stroking the smooth flesh of her back, lingering dangerously close to the hem of her pants. But his mouth remained focused on hers. He sucked on her bottom lip and then dipped his tongue back inside her mouth while her nails left marks on the skin of his back.

He pushed forward so that she backed up against his bed and then he gently laid her down. The pants that she wore resembled a flowing skirt with a slit high enough to have Inara without any underwear. He yanked them down regardless and then set to work on the buttons of his own pants. When they too were off, he was on her in seconds, his skin pressing tightly against hers, her breasts pushed up against the warmth of his chest. Inara was at a total loss. It felt so good to have him like this, it rendered her unable to act the part she was so used to playing. That was the main thing with Mal; she never used her perfectly honed skills of lovemaking. It wasn't because she didn't want to, but it was simply because when she was with him, she'd forget. All she could think of was him. Her mind reeled with the thought of having him and she couldn't bring herself to focus on anything else but instinct. None of this was an act.

His mouth moved to her collarbone, covering her in kisses all the way down. He reached her breast and took the nipple into his mouth, eliciting a moan from her and causing her to arch her back. Her fingers were stroking his hair lovingly as he nibbled on the tender flesh. His other hand caressed her flat stomach, the skin prickling with goose bumps where he touched her. He gave her other breast the same amount of attention before moving down her body, placing a trail of kisses as he went. She lifted her legs to grant him more access. His tongue slid into her and she let out a sharp gasp, her eyes falling closed from the wave of pleasure. He licked at her, nibbled and sucked on the tenderness between her thighs. She was wet and ready for him; he knew that before he even started. She knew it. The reaction her body had to him was unlike any other man or woman she had ever serviced.

Her fingers clutched at the sheets beneath her as he drove her closer and closer to the edge, her golden skin gleaming from the sheen of sweat that covered her. Long black curls cascaded down her back as she arched her body forward against his mouth, never wanting him to stop. She let out a moan the closer she got and his hands reached forward, traveling up to caress her skin and gently massage her breasts, the pad of his thumb rubbing over the bud of her nipple.

It wasn't long before she climaxed, her body riding the wave of pleasure that manifested in shudders and short, quick breaths. He came back up to meet her lips in another feverish and hungry kiss and she welcomed it but the ache to have him inside of her was so overwhelming. She could feel him against her belly, hard and eager. It only drove her desire for him even further; she wanted this man, regardless of statuses and occupations and money. She had always wanted Mal; from the moment she had met him, she knew he was different than all the others. He had fascinated her, enchanted her and she had always known he would have loved her fiercely if she only allowed him to. He was proving it to her every night she had found herself in his bed. She had thought the first time would have been enough. That maybe, they'd both get it out of their systems and finally move forward. But it had backfired and now...now, it was impossible to detach.

She leaned forward and started kissing his face; his forehead, his nose, his cheeks, his lips...His hands slid up and down protectively against her back. She kissed his chin, and his eyes, the lashes tickling her lips. Then, she moved down his neck and nibbled at his ear. His fingers played with her hair and then caressed the smooth skin of her bare shoulders and arms. She kissed his throat and then his collarbone. She continued down his broad chest and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on each nipple. His chest heaved with the sharp breaths he took as she worked. She didn't really know what she was doing or where she was going. It had always been so much simpler with her clients. Most of them had a routine she knew they enjoyed. But with the captain, she could never fathom any sort of routine. Their lovemaking sessions usually were intense, carnal, passionate and ongoing through the night. It was raw and untrained and anything but professional.

So it was no wonder Inara rarely knew what it was she was doing. All she was going by was the fact that she wanted so desperately to please this man. She wanted to cause him the utmost pleasure, not as a Companion or a whore but as a lover. And so she kissed his hard stomach, touching every inch of his skin as she could with her lips. Her hands roamed his chest, feeling the quickening beat of his heart and the sweat that was beading on his skin. Just as she reached the trail of soft light brown hair below his navel, his hand found her chin and he forced her to look into his eyes. He shook his head. She didn't understand. She thought he would have wanted it, liked it even. Most of her male clients greatly enjoyed it. But this wasn't her client; this was Mal, her Mal.

He shifted their position so that they were both sitting, and he grabbed her by the hips so that she was sitting on his lap with her legs on either side of his. He then leaned in and kissed her deeply while her hands desperately fumbled around to help him enter her. She guided him inside and cried out into his mouth at the feel of him entering her. He thrust gently into her, rocking them back and forth while she met his rhythm in an effort to have him as deep inside as she could. His breathing came in more laboured with every thrust he drove into her. The mattress shifted with them as they quickened the pace, their need growing more desperate with every passing moment.

He was merciless with the way he moved in her, so desperate to keep her there with him like that. She could feel it in the way his hands roamed her body and the way he pounded into her with urgency. She arched her back and let out a soft moan while he nuzzled his mouth against her breast. His large hands squeezed her curves, forcing her to meet his thrusts just as hard and fast as he was going. Inara was growing dizzy from the pleasure he was giving her. She didn't want it to end. But he was getting tired and so he slowed it down, moving in a beautiful rhythm this time, his hips grinding against hers in a slower rotation so that he could take his time feeling her tighten around him. Her wetness coated every hard inch of him and by now, sweat covered both their naked bodies. He moved his hands so that they cupped her butt cheeks and squeezed as he drove into her deep enough to get her to say his name in a whimper.

"Mal!"

She leaned back in an effort to grant him more power and leverage so that he could continue building up her orgasm. His brows concerted from the effort and sweat beaded his forehead. He clenched his jaw and his facial muscles twitched from his efforts but he didn't dare stop. Not when she was making the sounds she was making, even though it very nearly drove him to his own end. Her fingers clawed at the muscles of his arms as he pumped into her, picking up his pace again. She cried out loudly and he felt her walls tighten around him. Her body arched and all of her skin came alive with gooseflesh, her nipples standing on end as well. She let out one more cry of his name in the quiet cabin before wave after wave of ecstasy rode her body. It was all the captain could take; he groaned and put in one more thrust before he filled her. The muscles of his backside twitched and spasmed as he emptied himself deep inside of her.

When they were finished and satisfied, they were both still sweating enough to have soaked the sheets and they were both breathing hard. Inara wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked his hair as she brought him down to rest on top of her. He nuzzled her hair, the curls sticking to the sweat on her face and shoulders. His hand found one of hers and then their fingers laced, with him squeezing tightly. Her other hand stroked his hair lovingly. They laid there like that, with him still inside of her.

Inara had many clients, all of them different with varying skills and needs. There was a reason she had been taught never to grow attached to any of them. She only truly knew it when she had let Mal into her life and, eventually into her bed. It was torture for her to be apart from him for too long now. Things with her clients never changed except, from time to time, she'd visualize him in their stead and suddenly, she was a lot more believable in her role. None of them seemed to mind and she made sure not to tell them and most specifically, Mal.

She lay there in the bed, with Mal naked and on top of her, very much awake and breathing softly against her neck. She stared up at the ceiling and knew that what they were doing was highly dangerous. She knew it could be their downfall and it could very well end the man she cared for more than anything. But it was all so long overdue and she couldn't resist it anymore. It would never stop, not now. Not when she had finally come to truly understand the meaning of actual pleasure. It enhanced her experiences with her clients but it damaged her to know she could never truly be faithful to him, no matter how much she wanted it.

That was when he sat up, taking her aback and leaving her exposed for his hungry eyes to roam her body. She met his gaze and wondered why he had moved. It was too soon in the night for him to want more from her.

"Did ya still want that tea?" He asked her, brushing away the hair that stuck to his face.

Inara smiled and sat up, grabbing the sheets to cover herself. She then leaned forward and very tenderly placed a soft and chaste kiss on his mouth.

"Why would I want tea at this hour?" She teased, her lips hovering over his.

His eyes lingered on her mouth even as he spoke, "Figured it was customary with your clients and all."

She frowned but playfully drew circles with her finger on his exposed chest while whispering, "But you aren't my client..."

She shifted then so that she was sitting on his lap, her knees on either side of his legs and her hands cupping his face while she stared down into his eyes.

"Besides," she started, before dipping her mouth closer to his, "I'd prefer the whole spooning and cuddling thing normal people do after lovemaking."

Mal's lips twitched into a small smile while his arm came around to wrap her against him, "Is that what normal people do now?"

She giggled and squeezed his jaw. He pushed her back against the bed and wrapped both arms around her while she came to rest her head against his chest. He kept her close and she kissed the spot right over his heart.

Things were complicated and perhaps, moreso now than ever since they had been sleeping together. But she didn't want to think about it. For now, she was perfectly, blissfully happy just staying like this with him. Whatever came of it in the future was not her concern. He was hers for now and that was what mattered; it was the only thing that mattered...

-fin

A/N: There you have it folks. Expect some more fluffy one-shots in the future but I figured this pairing needed the smut out of the way. Hope you enjoyed. All feedback is welcomed. :)