Word Count: 375 Characters: Inara, Nandi Spoilers: Heart of Gold Rating: PG A/N: Written for the LJ community ff_friday's challenge #2 – a first kiss.

Title: A Cool Autumn Day By: 2x2

Her first kiss wasn’t from a client.

Nor did it come from a boy, or even one of her teachers.

Her first kiss came on a cool, autumn day when she was barely fourteen, not yet a Companion. The sky that day was a brilliant blue, the cobbled streets of the lower city sprinkled with the rusty orange and fiery red of fallen leaves; her hand was held tightly as she was pulled along - a rare moment of freedom, stolen and secret - breathless with fear and excitement.

What she remembers most are the lanterns, red and gold, hanging everywhere, their wishes of luck and long life splashed across them in black Chinese characters, warm light spilling from their candles in celebration of Emperor Sato’s birthday.

And she remembers standing on the hills under the bare-limbed trees, the two of them laughing in giddy excitement as the parade made its ponderous journey toward the Castle below them, the great lions and dragons winding amongst the spectators, cymbals crashing, dancers dancing.

And most of all she remembers Nandi pulling her close, lips suddenly pressed to hers in more than a chaste, friendly greeting.

Much more.

A moment of surprise, she remembers, of eyes meeting eyes, cheeks flushed, breaths coming fast and hard. And then Nandi’s smile - looking as always as though she were on the verge of laughing at her own clever antics – and her own shyer one as she let the other girl take her hand again, the action holding a greater meaning for them both this time.

They’d spent the rest of the afternoon with arms around each other’s waists as they explored the city streets they’d been, as students, forbidden to travel. But Inara remembers nothing of what they saw or did. Only that there had been another kiss, stolen that night before bed, long after they’d both been caught and punished for their disobedience; one that had held her regret and apology, and Nandi’s sad understanding and acceptance.

And now, years later, it is nearly fall again as she places a last kiss from her fingertips to the stones that lie beneath the tree that shelters her first love’s grave.

The birds sing, and the sky is brilliant and blue.