abrightboy | Happily Ever After AU

abrightboy

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From:

abrightboy

"Europol. That does sound romantic," Malcolm teases. "You know, you can stay wherever you want soon and they won't be coming for you."

From:

conning

Neal makes an ironic little noise. "Europol wasn't nearly as close as I was lead to believe at the time."

Thanks for that, Peter. A pause, contemplative silence as he tries to wrap his head around that. "I don't know what it will feel like, to be... in the world without a target on my back."

From:

abrightboy

"Well. I might distract you when you start to think about it," Malcolm tells him, fingers fidgeting at his sternum. "But. I was just." He trails off. Maybe saying it outloud is bad luck or something.

From:

conning

Neal makes an appreciatively amused little noise. Waits for a moment, to see if Malcolm will go on. When he doesn't, Neal kisses him. "You were what?"

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm presses his lips together, then smiles against Neal's shoulder before lifting his head to look shyly at his face.

"I was wondering what kind of place we might go for our honeymoon. You know. Eventually."

From:

conning

Neal lights up at that. "Well, who says it has to be one place? Why not a Grand Tour with Ravello as the endpoint?"

From:

abrightboy

He... seems pleased with that topic. Malcolm perks up.

"A Grand Tour of Europe?"

From:

conning

"Yeah. We could go to a bunch of my old haunts. I could introduce you to... some interesting people on both sides of the proverbial fence."

Neal grins shamelessly.

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm laughs lightly, delighted.

“Are you saying you want to show me off to your friends? Because you should be warned that I’m not super great at first impressions,” he sort of jokes.

From:

conning

"Trust me, half of them aren't either."

Neal sighs happily, pressing his face against Malcolm to breathe him in. "Honeymoon. ...What do you feel about weddings?"

From:

abrightboy

“I haven’t given them much thought,” he admits. “This is the first time they felt like… something for someone like me.”

And people around them would still think they were rushing into it if they heard this conversation.

“Like a lot of things, I guess. Life things. Having a life.”

From:

conning

“We’ll sort them out.” There’s a sleepiness in his tone now that he doesn’t try to fight, content to fall asleep in the warmth of this conversation.

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm hears him drifting and, instead of answering, lets him go, listening to his breathing even out. It doesn’t take him long to drift himself and by the time his terror comes and goes, he waits for Neal to fall back asleep before slipping out of bed.

When his phone buzzes on the bedside table, he’s across the apartment, cooking eggs and humming.

From:

conning

Neal is awake enough to realize it’s Malcolm’s phone, and muzzy enough not to look at the display. He answers with a groggy crispness that makes it clear he’d rather not be talking.

“Malcolm Bright’s phone, his secretary speaking.”

From:

abrightboy

“Oh, good,” Martin says dryly. “You’re still here. I’d like to speak to my son.”

From:

conning

“I am.” Neal lifts a hand to touch the remains of the bruise Rhonda left on his face, hoping silently that Martin is still at least a little sepia green around the eye. “He can’t come to the phone right now. May I take a message?”

From:

abrightboy

“Oh, he can’t. Well, tell him it’s about his sister and see if he can’t find a moment to come to the phone,” Martin suggests.

From:

conning

Ah. “Please hold,” Neal chirps, then presses the mute button and counts to ten before he calls over to Malcolm. “As much as I would like you to stay exactly where you are looking exactly like you do, your dad is on the phone.”

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm turns, expression bright at the sound of Neal’s voice, though it darkens slightly at his news.

He pads over and crawls onto the bed, curling up against Neal before taking the phone and unmuting it.

“Dr Whitly.”

“Your dalliance continues to be as charming as ever.”

“I’m hanging up…”

“Okay, wait. We need to talk about… the Ainsley thing. This morning.”

Malcolm sighs. “Fine. I’ll be there in an hour or so.”

From:

conning

Neal resists the urge to say something smart before Malcolm hangs up. He brushes his fingertips against Malcolm’s cheek lightly. “You want me to come? I can wait outside.”

Edited Date: 16 Mar 2022 12:32 (UTC)

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm nods, pressing his face to Neal's shoulder.

"Yeah. It's not like you don't know the story."

From:

conning

Neal hugs him close, then kisses his crown. “Come on. You were making me breakfast. It was sexy.”

From:

abrightboy

He lifts his head to look at Neal.

"It was?"

From:

conning

"Very." Neal takes the opportunity to kiss his mouth as well.

From:

abrightboy

He brightens noticeably.

“Okay,” he agrees, clambering off the bed to go back to the kitchen to finish whisking the eggs. “Do you want toast?” he asks over his shoulder, getting out a frying pan.