abrightboy | No One's Born Broken

Humming softly into the last kiss, Raylan sighed a little, obviously soaking up the reassurance and comfort as he listened, jaw turning into the traveling fingers as he lifted his eyes back to Malcolm's.

"I love you too." God help him he was actually gonna get to come back home to this tonight, and huge part of him couldn't wait. He hummed and stole one more before turning Malcolm around. "Lead the way back down before we get distracted."

He was so easily distractible when it came to him.

Malcolm grinned at him over his shoulder as he headed down, delighted butterflies in his own stomach from Raylan's attention.

He gave the bartender a little wave as he passed.

Moving down with him, Raylan couldn't help smirking at the bubbly way Malcolm waved goodbye at the bartender and Raylan tipped his hat with a parting-, "Might be back later tonight to talk to ya.. Or not at all, we'll see." With a little shrug and a nod from the bartender, Raylan followed Malcolm back to the car and slid in.

"Alright. Stop two."

The courthouse was only ten minutes from the bar, not something to be missed and it passed too quickly before Raylan was pulling into one of the side lots and cutting off the engine.

"I'll text you when I'm done and we can convene somewhere?" He knew Malcolm was going to be texting him before that, which was still okay, but he wanted to cover the end plans, since that was only gonna be a handful of hours. Hopefully.

Malcolm nodded. "We can meet at a coffee shop or something," he suggested, glancing around to make sure nobody was in a position to look in the windows before giving Raylan's leg a little pat, then getting out of the car.

He made a concerted effort not to look back as he walked down to the curb, flagging down a taxi, but as he got in, he looked over, looking for Raylan in case he hadn't disappeared inside yet.

"There's more than a few around to choose from," he replied, catching Malcolm's fingers as he withdrew for a small squeeze before Raylan let him go. Taking his time to adjust his hat and get out, Raylan was still lingering by the car as he eyed Malcolm safely getting into a taxi.

Now he could go to work.

As soon as he stepped in the office, he knew he was gonna get some shit, if by nothing more than the smug little curl of Tim's lips that he pointedly ignored as he said his good mornings. But Tim wasn't one to let him off so easy.

"You get your visitor all settled?"

Raylan gave him a look. "He got himself settled, but yes. Isn't even gonna peruse action against the Marshal's Service for the damage he took from that headbutt." As though it'd ever work. Tim's eyes narrowed a little bit, jaw shifting thoughtfully.

"I don't suppose you want to keep him outta the report, do you?"

Raylan scoffed. "Why? He was there, wasn't he?"

Rachel came out of Art's - Her office and looked at them. "Come here, you two."

They glanced at each other, suddenly comrades again as they filed into the 'principle's office. Raylan was in trouble again for having shot that guy in the calf but, like always, he was gonna get away with it with only a slap on the wrist.

Once that was over and they'd been dismissed to actually write their report on what the hell happened, now with Acting Chief Brookes oversight, Tim didn't stop.

"You gonna tell me what's up with you and the guy from New York or are you gonna make me dig?"

Raylan only lifted his eyebrows with an almost mockingly sweet pull of his smile.

"Only if you're gonna tell me why you're takin' to having a drink fifty miles outta town."

Tim eyed him and grunted before turning to his paperwork. "No way in hell."

Raylan grinned and did the same.

At the second property, Malcolm texted Raylan that it was a 'contender'. So was the third. When he got to the fifth property, he was looking around the apartment Raylan had found, when the landlord mentioned a unit being available on the top floor. It had a small roof garden and a large bank of windows that angled towards the sky. The bedroom had a skylight.

'I found it,' he texted Raylan. 'He'll hold it for you to see when you're done work. I'm getting a tea. See you soon. xxxooo'

The messages were checked as they came in and Raylan itched to see what had settled in Malcolm's tastes. But Rachel had another meeting for him and he could only text back a quick: Can't wait to see it. Or you.

"Excuse me, are you busy with something else?" Rachel asked, one hand finding her hip.

Raylan tucked his phone away with an innocent look and shook his head. "I'm all yours, Chief." The dubious look and 'Mmhmm' that he got in return wasn't a confident one.

45 minutes later, Raylan was in his car and texting Malcolm. I'm off. Where can I meet you?

Malcolm sent him the address of the coffee shop where he was drinking herbal tea and perusing a tourist guide to Lexington.

His face lit up as soon as he noticed Raylan walking in, though he waited at the table, rather than going to him. His eyes stayed on Raylan, though.

Arriving shortly, Raylan stopped to get a coffee at the counter before joining Malcolm at his little two seater table with a pull of his smile.

"I hope it wasn't too terrible out there in the big city of Lexington, for ya," he said, teasingly. "So you found it, huh? Which one? How late is the guy gonna be there?"

"Lexington has been very hospitable," he said. "The landlord lives in that neighbourhood; he'll meet us there when I call." He pushed the paper with that building on it towards Raylan. "It was this place, but they had a bigger place on the top floor come available. It's a great place; I think you're going to like it."

He nodded shortly to the report of Lexington before picking up and skimming over the listing with a little lift of his eyebrows and an approving expression to match his little nod. "I remember the building. It's a nice one. I'd ask how much different the top floor apartment is, but I guess I'll see soon enough... What do you say to an early dinner after that?"

To possibly celebrate having found an apartment, but Raylan wasn't into counting his chickens before they hatched.

"I could eat," Malcolm said. He took the paper back and tucked it in with the others, unable to control his happy vibrating. "The top floor has a bigger square footage, but it's also right in the roof so there's a ton more light. I can't wait to show you. Are you ready? Do you want to go now?"

It was also more expensive than the lower floors, but Raylan wanted to marry him - marry him - so he was just going to have to get used to being wealthy.

Raylan grinned almost impishly. "Now works for me."

The sooner they went through with an apartment here, the less trepidation he'd feel about them actually getting a house out in Miami. This would be proof that it could manifest, maybe even possibly smoothly. He wasn't even going to question the price on the apartment - so long as they had it and each other.

Standing, he led them outside and into the car, quickly putting them on the road towards the apartment.

"How'd the landlord feel?"

"He seemed all right," Malcolm told him. "He didn't lie to me about anything, but he did look at my suit and upsell me to a better apartment," he conceded. "But it's the apartment, so maybe he was just doing his job."

"The apartment, huh? Do I really even need to see it?" he asked with a teasing smile as he glanced over. "Should I just pack a bag and ask where we sign?"

"It's our apartment," Malcolm reminded him. "If you don't like it, we're not getting it," he declared matter of factly.

"Considering what you saw this morning, anything that's better than that, I'll like." He was an easy man to please, all things considering. "What's more important is if you like it. I'm sure I will but if you want me to find something to hate about it to make you feel better, I'm sure I can.. be unhappy with a door or something," he offered conversationally, with a full attempt to look innocent.

Malcolm laughed. "I guess if I have to paint a door, I have to paint a door." He looked at Raylan with mock confusion. "They have Youtube videos about how to paint doors, right?" he joked back.

As they got within a few blocks of the building, Malcolm called the landlord and let him know they were coming. As he hung up, he looked at Raylan again. "It's available now, so if we want it, I can probably get basic furniture in there as soon as tomorrow, while you're at work."

Raylan just rolled his eyes in response over a grin. "They've got videos on everything as I hear it." As if Harvard wasn't a good enough education for Malcolm to figure out how to paint a door.

"Why do I have a feeling it's only available now because of you?" he asked with a squinted sidelong look as he came around the last corner. His heart raced a bit at the idea that come end of day tomorrow, they could have their first, temporary home together.

Pulling them into a parking space, Raylan turned off the car and slid out, looking up at the building, thinking about what it'll be like to call it home, for however short a time it was. He looked over at Malcolm and nodded, heading towards the door.

"I'm not saying I slipped a hundred dollars into his hand, but I will say that the previous tenants are already gone and there's no reason to make us wait until the first of the month," he noted lightly.

He led the way up to the building, shaking the landlord's hand. He introduced Raylan without any indication of their relationship and the landlord unlocked the front door and led them into the elevator. It was an eleven storey building and the apartment they were going to was one of only four on the top floor. The landlord let them into the apartment and then informed Malcolm he'd be in the lobby if they needed anything else. He closed the door and left them alone.

Malcolm held his arms out to gesture to it. "Open plan kitchen and living room," he pointed out. "And this whole wall is windows," he said with an expansive gesture. But they angle up, so it's hard to see in them unless you're... I don't know. In a helicopter or something." He walked to the side of the apartment opposite the kitchen and pushed open a door. "The bedroom is in here. It's pretty sizeable. Room for a little sitting area in the corner. Skylight." He pointed up. "We have to put the bed under that," he suggested. He led him to the next door. "Bathroom. Could use a little work; I'm not wild about the colours. But it'll do. But look at this," he continued, leading Raylan to the far end of the wall of windows. There was a door. Malcolm opened it and led him out onto a small roof terrace. He hadn't told him about that part until they got there, because he wanted it to be a surprise. He turned and looked at Raylan's face. "I know you like sitting outside in the evening. We could make it nice. Get some patio furniture," he said, gesturing to where it could go. "We could even build a little herb garden right here," he said, indicating some space along the wall." He looked at Raylan again, finally falling silent for comment.

Of course. Raylan could only chuckle as he followed, shaking the landlords hand with a pleasant 'How do you do'. Keeping up the tail of their little train, Raylan looked around as they got up and into the elevator, and stepped off with a little lift of his eyebrows. The eleventh story, huh? He'd never lived above floor 2.

Hazel eyes followed the Landlord back to the door before it closed behind them and Raylan let Malcolm take him on the tour, letting him observe the security risks of the place. He didn't say much as they went but his face talked a lot.

He liked the wall of angled windows, but only after Malcolm pointed out said angle. The size of the bedroom was nice, and the skylight got a crooked smile. Well, no one was going to be repelling in, were they? Bathrooms were bathrooms, though this one was a mile and half better than the one he had in his motel room, for all it's functionality.

But the terrace. "You didn't mention a terrace," Raylan said, shifting his hat a little as he looked out over the view it gave them before looking over at Malcolm with a closed lipped but utterly pleased and surprised smile. "It's a good view. Might even be able to see some stars."

He turned to look back inside, mentally envisioning what them being here would look like.

"You like it." He took a deep breath. "I can't say I don't." Though the terrace very clearly sold it. "How much is this gonna run us a month?"

Malcolm pressed his lips together. The rent was fine by him, but he was concerned Raylan would think it was too much.

"Fifteen hundred dollars," he confessed. "But that includes utilities," he added quickly. "And all this. And it's very private." Even the terrace was private; it didn't face any other balconies or, because of the building's shape, share a wall with any of the other top floor apartment terraces. "Anyone who wants to peek in on us would have to work hard at it." He gesturing back towards the apartment itself. "And it's very defensible."

By the time Malcolm got to the last 'and', Raylan was already shaking a hand out, fingers splayed back and forth as he smiled.

"Malcolm, it's fine. I like the place. And we can handle the rent. Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't bump it up to sixteen and a half." One hand reached out for Malcolm, if he wanted it, to draw him in.

"The price is good. Call the landlord. Tell him we'll take it."

Malcolm took the hand gladly, happily drawn in.

"We can work on it a bit at a time, but I'll get basic furniture in during the day and we can come back here when you finish work tomorrow," he rambled some more. "Sit on our new terrace and relax," he suggested with big, bright eyes.

Raylan's smile was warm as he slid his off hand around his waist. "Dare I ask what you classify as basic furniture? Patio sittin' space and a bed aside."

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