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[abrightboy]

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[abrightboy]

Now there is a very good point. It's not like he's had the chance to consider doing this with someone who had instant healing before.

"...I don't know. When I was a kid, the psychiatrist told my mother that trying to wake me or hold me down might make the visions worse, but... how could they be worse?"

What he does know is he's never woken up from one to a hug before and that sounds actually great.

[empathicfault]

Will reaches up to brush an errant strand of hair back on Malcolm's head, and then presses a kiss to that cleared spot. "Sounds like a good time to try and experiment a little, then. I'll see what I can do when we reach the morning."

He is telling himself to not restrain the arms, though. That's much less hug-like and much more straitjacket-like. He doesn't know about Malcolm, but he wouldn't appreciate waking up to that.

He smiles and tugs Malcolm gently towards the bed. "I assume you'll still want the restraints on? Minimize the risk of finding out what's on the other side of the window and all," he says, a little playfully.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm breathes out a laugh, relaxing a little more, and he nods.

“I’d feel safer,” he admits. “In that I’d feel like we were both…. safer.”

[empathicfault]

"I figured," he replies, pulling Malcolm over to sit on the bed. "Get comfortable, I'll settle around you. Do you need anything else... glass of water?"

He'd forgotten until just now that some people actually have bedtime routines and don't just pass out whenever.

[abrightboy]

“Oh. No. I only take meds in the morning. Gotta… dial down the mania and psychoses before going out in public,” he jokes weakly. “But if you’re awake when I’m not, help yourself to anything,” he says, gesturing towards the kitchen before pulling his legs up onto the bed and shuffling under the blanket before picking up one of the cuffs to slip over his wrist and work to fasten. “And let me know if you get… uncomfortable. In any sense of the word.”

[empathicfault]

"I will," Will promises Malcolm, even if he does follow it up with something of a joke. "If I am gonna sleep, though, I can usually sleep anywhere. I doubt I'll have a problem."

It also helps that his body's pretty tired out from everything the past day or so. He lets Malcolm figure out the cuffs before he slides onto the bed himself, letting the blanket fall at his midsection. His arms find their way around Malcolm's waist and squeeze him gently in a hug. "Thank you for letting me stay," he murmurs. "I'm happy we can try this."

[abrightboy]

"I'm excited," Malcolm whispers like it's a secret he can't keep in anymore.

[empathicfault]

"You know? Me too. Which isn't exactly the best way to try to go to sleep, but--" Will gives Malcolm a quiet kiss. "Laying here with you and trying to sleep honestly sounds fantastic, too."

[abrightboy]

It's the warmest he's ever felt, he's certain. Not on the outside, of course, but on the inside. It feels intimate and cozy and safe.

Safe. But he does fall asleep in time and he sleeps soundly... for almost four hours. Then he pulls to the right... and then the left. He mutters something and then pitches violently towards the edge of the bed, the restraint under Will pulling taut.

[empathicfault]

Will takes longer to fall asleep, but in the meantime he basks in the glow of their connection. He feels wanted. He feels seen. And even though this isn't the stab in the gut- that forced conjoining- that connects him to Hannibal, it still feels strong. It feels solid, and real, in a way he knows he couldn't have ever had with Molly. It wasn't that he was dishonest with her...there was a piece of him that she just couldn't possibly have understood...not until she saw it in the Dragon. Malcolm could see him, all of him, and he was pulling closer...

He drifts off to these thoughts, and dreams of his stag and a wolf, running down a wooded path at night. They're both black and inexplicably covered in feathers. They dart into each other's paths as if they're both playing. The wolf finally trips and starts to roll, now just a bundle of fur under the hooves of the stag- but the stag also stumbles--

His eyes blink wide open, just before he feels the pull of the restraint under him. Will's turned away in his sleep and has half-kicked the blanket off- not that it matters with the way Malcolm is bucking. Will has gotten very used to reorienting himself quickly and shifts, turning towards Malcolm. He wishes he could say this was due to his planning earlier, but it's honestly just instinct to put his arms around Malcolm's midsection again. His face is very much in elbowing and punching range as he tries to rub Malcolm's back.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm struggles against the restraints, against the hold around him, but he can't get over the side of the bed and he lurches back again, his shoulder plowing right towards Will's face.

[empathicfault]

Will gets smacked by that shoulder right in the eye- and partially on the bridge of his nose. He shakes his head slightly and readjusts, managing to get under that arm a little more snugly. He presses his face against Malcolm's chest and does his best to radiate calm. His breathing is still slow and he ignores the blooming bruise. It'll probably be gone before he gets the chance to look at it, anyway.

"It's Will," he says softly, wondering if maybe the sound of his voice will get through. Maybe it'll rumble in Malcolm's chest. "We're okay, it's just morning. This is Will. I'm here. We're okay."

[abrightboy]

"...Will..." He murmurs... "Where's Will...?" He struggles. "Where is he?" he says a little louder. "WHERE IS HE?" he shouts, starting to thrash.

[empathicfault]

He'd resolved to let go if Malcolm's movements escalated. Still, hearing that something got through just has Will holding on tighter. He doesn't try to stop the thrashing, just makes sure he clings to Malcolm's side like a particularly warm barnacle. "I'm here, Malcolm. This is Will. I'm here, I'm safe. We're okay, I promise."

Some of that gets muffled, but that's okay. He looks up at Malcolm's face, craning his neck, and repeats the words.

[abrightboy]

Suddenly he bolts upright, screaming, reaching, both restraints pulled taut as he grapples for purchase at nothing.

He blinks as he wakes, looking around, disoriented.

[empathicfault]

Will shuts his eyes briefly at the screaming, but it does seem to be just about the end of it. Will curls his legs under himself at the change in position and looks up at Malcolm at his eyes open. His small smile is hopeful.

"Hey, there. I'm here. Good morning." He says it even though it's probably still too early to technically be 'morning'. It's a way to try and reset a little. "You back with me?"

Will's hair is very mussed, but probably not any more than it would be if he'd slept on his own. He rubs Malcolm's back again, now that they're not moving so much.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looks at him for a moment, then reaches up to touch his face, restraint jingling lightly with the movement.

"You're still here." His throat is a little raw from the screaming. "Is... are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

[empathicfault]

"I'm still here," he confirms, shifting to a proper sitting position and reaching up to cup Malcolm's chin with his hand. His smile widens as he looks in Malcolm's eyes and confirms that he's awake.

"I'm fine. You got me with your elbow, but it doesn't hurt," Will assures him. "Are you okay?" His thumb brushes over Malcolm's cheek.

[abrightboy]

It's a little damp, though Malcolm hasn't noticed the tears that escaped somewhere in the shouting and screaming and fighting.

"I'm... fine..." He pauses. "I'm... better than usual, actually." His expression creases slightly and he reaches for him, though one arm doesn't make it all the way around him, the restraint not reaching that far. "Thank you for being here."

[empathicfault]

Will automatically leans to let Malcolm hug him a little more easily. "I'm happy to be. Especially if it helped at all."

He sits back a bit and reaches for one hand, so he can work on unbuckling the restraint. "Here, I'll help...do you remember your dream, at all? You were asking for me."

He won't push anything right now, especially if Malcolm doesn't want to talk about it. But he's so curious.

[abrightboy]

“…I did?” He thinks about it. “No, it was John Watkins.” He pauses. “Oh, it was John Watkins, but someone asked about you and… somehow he had you. Well. He put you somewhere. Not the basement. I was in the basement. I’m always in the basement with him,” Malcolm rambles.

[empathicfault]

Will nods through Malcolm working it out, moving to the restraint on Malcolm's other hand. "Yeah, that...makes sense, unfortunately. I tried talking to you while you were moving. I said my name, that I was here. I guess that changed your nightmare a little."

He's not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but at least he managed to do something.

[abrightboy]

Far from upset, Malcolm looks charmed.

“You tried talking to me? Nobody’s ever done that before. My mother hired a nurse that knew judo to look after me last time I got out of the hospital and I refused to sleep until she left. Can you imagine getting judo’d by a stranger in the middle of all that?”

[empathicfault]

Will is mostly working on that cuff. But once Malcolm is free, he looks up at Malcolm's face, finally processing what's being said. Will stares for a moment, then breaks into a disbelieving chuckle. "I'm hardly in a position to say so, but your mother has some of the worst caretaking instincts. Honestly. I can't imagine."

He shouldn't have said so, probably, but this isn't the first time he's heard of Malcolm's mother trying to tackle Malcolm's problems in completely the opposite way he would. "At least she was trying," he adds, slightly apologetically. "Your throat sounds sore...I could start up some tea?"

[abrightboy]

“She does try,” Malcolm agrees, then concedes “but her attempts are often heavy handed and overbearing.” He perks up at the offer of tea but suggests “Can we make coffee instead? I can only have it first thing in the morning. My meds kind of work against it. …Or… it works against them. Anyway. I’ll show you where the coffee stuff is!”

He clambers out of bed, reaching for Will’s hand, not that he needs help finding the kitchen.