abrightboy | No One's Born Broken

Entry tags:

No One's Born Broken

For

tinstar.

Gil came and went. Dani came and went. Ainsley came and then left with their mother, who refused to even hear him out about telling the truth. He stared through the window at the motionless man in the bed for some indeterminate amount of time, his hand clutching his phone in his pocket.

Finally he let his eyes leave the figure through the window and he took his phone out of his pocket. He stared at that for a long moment, then scrolled through his contacts until one name rolled onto the screen: Raylan Givens.

He looked through the window, then looked at the name. Then he pressed it.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

"Best part'a the day, if you ask me," he replied.

As much as he loved hearing Malcolm talk, he was interested in very literally just laying there in silence with him, and so didn't offer anything else. He just wanted to be without thought or effort or mind for what came out of his mouth and how much of his heart went with it for a few minutes.

Malcolm wanted him to go back to sleep, but when he heard Raylan's breathing even out, he stayed where he was, soaking in the warmth of that embrace.

He stayed a couple of hours, but then the need to pee was overwhelming, and trying to get out and back in without waking his partner seemed like pushing his luck, so he got up and started his morning routine the best he could manage it in a hotel.

Yoga-wise, he stuck with a simple sun salute, arching up into Cobra Pose by the time Raylan's eyes opened.

He'd tried to stay awake, but the steady breathing, relief, and raw solid warmth of Malcolm next to him was more than effective at knocking the Marshal back out and hard enough that he didn't even stir, beyond shifting to accommodate the new void and going right back to his soft snores.

There was no telling how long he'd been under but eventually, the snores softened to nothing and then a deep breath as Raylan shifted and stretched himself in the bed before looking over and smiling at the sight that greeted him. Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

"Mornin' Sunshine," he sounded, voice still sleep rough.

Malcolm looked over at him, smiling broadly at him like he'd been gone for days.

"Hi!" He pushed himself up onto his knees. "I made coffee," he said brightly, as he got to his feet to crawl onto the bed and steal a kiss. "But maybe we'll get good coffee on the way to the bar," he suggested before pressing another kiss to Raylan's mouth.

God, he could almost live on that smile alone. One hand lifted towards Malcolm as he headed over, a smile curled on Raylan's lips as he hummed into the stolen kiss contentedly, that hand sliding up and around Malcolm's weight to pull his weight in against him for that second kiss.

No sir, you don't get to even think about just slipping away again.

"We can't waste good coffee. Did I oversleep?" Bleary eyes only half looked for his phone before he was looking at Malcolm again. "Daily affirmation?" He still liked hearing those too.

Malcolm settled easily on top of him at that hand's guidance, still smiling happily. He shook his head at the first question.

"Just enough, I'd say," he replied with a grin. Clearly he'd needed the rest and if Malcolm could be the guardian of his sleep...well at least one of them was getting it.

At the next question, the grin appeared again. "I have the strength to overcome any challenge," he related. "That one works for both of us," he pointed out, fingertips drawing swirls along Raylan's shoulder.

"Mm, more specifically the challenge of getting up and not pulling you down here, stripping you naked and having my way with you," he warned with a husk to the words that meant he was oh so far from joking right now. He was a man who like a little morning romp. What a great way to start a day.

"Pour me one while I hit the head? Then you can rush me into my pants and out to the bar with you. I promise most of the apartments will still be there." But it made him a little giddy how enthused Malcolm was about it. It wasn't some concession or compromise that would be held against him later, he hoped. It didn't feel like it was being.. weaponized.

Malcolm laughed almost self-consciously, but was clearly pleased with the notion all the same. He just wasn't used to having that kind of effect on anyone.

"You sure know how to make me not concerned about getting a bit of a late start," he declared, kissing Raylan one more time before rolling off him to let him go pee. Now on his back, he fully intended to watch him go before he got up to pour the coffee.

"Is this bar anything like the last bar I went to in Kentucky?" he asked idly. Ie how much shutting up did he need to keep in mind.

But about the apartment, he was genuinely excited to create a space with Raylan that belonged to both of them, where he could go any time and not worry about the Kentucky Rules. Where they could spend more time together because Raylan didn't have to take time off work to spend the night with him there.

Raylan could only hum into the kiss he leaned up into. He could do with a few late starts with Malcolm, an unofficial honeymoon, but he figured that could be saved for Miami. A reward to them both for actually getting there. With a grunt and a sigh, he rolled himself out of bed and onto his feet, yawning as he shambled towards the bathroom.

"Not quite. Lexington isn't Harlan County, which is good because I got less personal contacts," he answered before vanishing behind the door long enough to take care of what he needed to before walking back out with fresher breath and a less bleary disposition.

"Besides," Raylan continued as though he hadn't been gone for a few minutes. "I don't work there on Official capacities unless I'm forced. It's more.. relaxed. I'm more just a tenant then a Marshal though that did get me a discount on rent."

When he came out of the bathroom, Malcolm was holding out a cup of coffee for him.

"I thought kicking troublemakers out of the bar got you a discount on rent," he teased.

Collecting the cup, Raylan reached out to collect Malcolm too and draw him against him as he leaned against the counter top. "Well," he granted with a bob of his head. "It does help." The statement came before a long, cautious sip of his coffee and a concessionary bob of his head at the taste.

"I'd hesitate to call this good, but it is coffee. You had some yet?" Yes, as much as he could swerve them away from talking about the bar job and room Malcolm had talked him out of, he would.

Malcolm let himself be gathered quite happily, resting his cheek on Raylan's shoulder, tracing a pattern across his chest with one hand.

His fingers liked to be doing something.

He nodded his answer to the question, which Raylan probably felt more than saw.

"One cup. Before yoga." He angled his head up to look at Raylan's face. "Are you going to mention my involvement in your report about yesterday's arrest?"

He liked Malcolm's fingers doings. It was comforting in his own way; made him feel a bit like an art piece, something to be explored by Malcolm's senses, to both their benefit. It also helped encourage his own brush of his thumb up and down against Malcolm's side.

Raylan looked down as he felt Malcolm's head angle up and smiled. "Course I am. Can't let you escape credit for helping the US Marhsal's Service. Plus the locals have already got you there." Inconsistencies were not looked on kindly in their line of work. "But if they ask me why you came down, I'm sending 'em to you, all I know is that you are apparently, on vacation."

"Still think you'll manage to get around Lexington well enough without me? We've got uber but yellow cab still runs out here."

He smiled. "I am on vacation," he confirmed. "I think I'll be all right. I'll try not to get beat up or anything," he promised. He looked up again. "I'll text you if I find something good." He paused as something occurred to him. "...Is that okay or will that make it worse? Should I just wait until you call me?"

"I think you mean to add 'again' to that," Raylan teased softly, bringing the hand up from Malcolm's waist to gently finger the bruises on his cheekbone. After pulling Malcolm's head in so he could press a kiss to his forehead, Raylan hummed behind a nod. "Texting me is fine. They won't even know it's you. Got you in my phone as Whit Mal."

But he kinda hated it. Malcolm were neither of those abrupt shortenings and he hated this half hiding thing he felt he had to do.

"All Undercover like." Which wasn't really the truth. If Raylan was really concerned, he'd put in Harlan Power Co.

Malcolm laughed lightly as Raylan kissed her forehead. "One headbutt does not count as getting beat up," he protested in good humour. At the revelation about Raylan's phone, he took that in good fun as well, cocking an eyebrow at Raylan. "Undercover texting. Salacious. I told you every day is an adventure here."

Malcolm pushed himself up onto his toes to bring a kiss to Raylan's mouth. "I'm going to get dressed," he said, before dropping back down onto the flat of his feet and padding back into the bedroom. He didn't bother shutting the door as he riffled through his bag. "There's more coffee in the pot if you want another cup," he called as he pulled a deep green suit out of his bag, along with a white shirt and royal purple tie. "I'm pretty sure that it's more passable than the coffee in your office," he teased.

"It sorta does," he argued playfully. He was relieved that Malcolm didn't seem to be agonizing over everything as much as he was and met the kiss with a soft little back of the throat sound, hand reluctant to leave him as he padded away and Raylan turned to lean on the counter and watch him move about.

Glancing over at the pot, Raylan refilled his cup before ambling towards the bedroom himself. Frankly, he wanted to watch Malcolm get dressed for once and his own clothes weren't time consuming at all. He could dress and still enjoy his coffee.

"Black tar would be more passable then what the US Marshal's serves. I think it's an intimidation tactic. If nothing's good, no one will wanna get dragged in." Setting his cup on the dressed, Raylan found and pulled his jeans on before hunting around for his undershirt.

"But I like yours better," he said with a look over as he pulled on said undershirt.

"Once we get the apartment, we can experiment with different beans and different roasts," he told Raylan as he pulled his pants on. He picked up his shirt and shrugged it on, starting to button it. "Until we find your favourite," he said, looking up from his buttons with a grin.

It faltered as he remembered something, and he looked down to watch his fingers slide the buttons into their slots.

"Um, I should tell you that Tim knows my birth name," he confessed. "I think he might have pulled my FBI file the first time I came here. He knows who I am." He looked at Raylan. "I might need a different undercover name in your phone."

"Do you experiment or is the one in New York your solid favorite?" Malcolm didn't seem to have a lot of solid favorites, Jello and soup preference aside so Raylan wasn't sure on his philosophy on the idea in whole.

Coffee fell aside at the mention of what Tim knew and Raylan pulled on his over shirt as he looked over with a sigh. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Tim is no slouch when it comes to diggin' around. Maybe I'll just change it to Harlan Power Company since you bring in so much light." The last came with a little smart assed smile as he started working up his buttons.

Malcolm just looked at him for a moment. He wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting to that news, but a very sweet little quip wasn't it. He'd just picked up his tie and he dropped it back onto the bed to step closer and press a lingering kiss to Raylan's mouth, wrapping his arms around him, looking up at him.

"When I got the french press, that one was recommended to me, but when we have our own place, we have to find our own blend," he explained. "So it always tastes distinctly like home."

Raylan took Malcolm's sudden movement with a lift of his smile as he met the kiss, hands slipping around his waist to greedily keep him there for a few seconds longer than necessary.

"Tastes like home, huh?" His smile spread a little more as he leaned down to steal another lingering kiss from Malcolm. "They make a coffee that tastes like you?"

Malcolm laughed brightly, one hand sliding up his chest to wrap around his lapel.

"Probably not," he acknowledged, "but I might taste like it after a cup...." He smiled. "We can get you a really big travel mug so you can bring it to work. Instead of drinking tar."

He hummed a chuckle. "I'll have to bring enough for the whole class and I don't want to share the taste of home with them. I'll just have to get up early enough to enjoy it at home before I go in."

The comment reminded him of the time and he checked his watch, stealing another kiss before he slipped away to find his own tie and get it put on.

"Speakin' of, we should get a move on if we wanna hit the bar before I'm late."

"Right!", Malcolm replied, turning up his collar and grabbing his tie, tying it deftly before turning his collar back down and grabbing his jacket and shoes.

As they headed out to the car, Malcolm smoothed down the front of his jacket. "Do I look okay?"

For the task. Obviously an expensive suit looked 'okay' at the very least, in general.

Looking up from the edge of the bed where he sat perched as he pulled his boots on, Raylan looked him up and down before giving him an amused look.

"You always look okay." Even on his 'lowrent' days, Malcolm managed to look like a million dollars and far fancier than anyone in Lexington, despite their attempts. Gathering his badge, gun and hat, Raylan slipped on his own suit jacket and nodded again.

"Ready?"

--

It only took them 15 minutes to get to the bar, a two level building that was taller than it was wide, textured walls sun-yellowed and bearing a giant neon sign that read 'BAR'. The door, at least, was a larger oak one, giving the building a sense of stature, despite it's signage.

"It's no Hilton, but it worked," he commented as they pulled up.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 21 of 52

No One's Born Broken

He will, absolutely, fall back asleep.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject