"That," Neal says, tone once again acidly delicate, "was the result of Jesus calling saying he needed to talk to Malcolm because Will told him what happened. Then telling Malcolm not to try being Will's warden, which he hasn't been. And he said, in all his infinite knowledge of their relationship, that Will and Malcolm might need some distance from each other right now and that Will needs his warden, not a boyfriend."
He fills one of the infusers as he talks. "Malcolm rightly called him on his concern, at which point he told Malcolm he could yell and be as defensive as he wanted--which Malcolm wasn't doing or being--but if Shaw said he was overstepping, he needed to back off. Malcolm saw Will after it happened for--what did you say it was, twenty minutes? Thirty? So, yes, overstepping by miles, wildly intrusive, particularly given he hasn't called Rawne--more restraint than I would have--or done more than ask Shaw for the fucking reasoning behind her choice to glue herself to Will and allow him absolutely no privacy for an indeterminate amount of time."
Neal takes a deep breath, pausing to check how the water is coming. "At that point I stepped in because I wasn't in the least interested in another episode of This Is Your Life: Barge Asshole Edition where the object is to convince Malcolm that he is in fact the one to blame for every bad turn in every fucking conversation in which he's ever taken part."
He fetches the kettle and pours the freshly heated water carefully over the infuser, far more carefully than necessary. "Jesus told me to ask Will what he said, at which point Malcolm asked Jesus to elaborate on that. He wouldn't. Because I was present. But he would absolutely bring up the fact that Will said something, dangling it out there like a worm on a lure to get a private conversation with Malcolm later."
The absolute disdain on Neal's face as he brings Norton his cup is tempered a little by the way he relaxes at the other man's presence. He kisses Norton's temple and sets the mug down in front of him. "When Jesus continued to refuse to answer, and then told Malcolm to talk to Will himself after spending the first half of the goddamned conversation telling Malcolm to stay away from Will, Malcolm expressed his displeasure. Which is what you heard."
no subject
He fills one of the infusers as he talks. "Malcolm rightly called him on his concern, at which point he told Malcolm he could yell and be as defensive as he wanted--which Malcolm wasn't doing or being--but if Shaw said he was overstepping, he needed to back off. Malcolm saw Will after it happened for--what did you say it was, twenty minutes? Thirty? So, yes, overstepping by miles, wildly intrusive, particularly given he hasn't called Rawne--more restraint than I would have--or done more than ask Shaw for the fucking reasoning behind her choice to glue herself to Will and allow him absolutely no privacy for an indeterminate amount of time."
Neal takes a deep breath, pausing to check how the water is coming. "At that point I stepped in because I wasn't in the least interested in another episode of This Is Your Life: Barge Asshole Edition where the object is to convince Malcolm that he is in fact the one to blame for every bad turn in every fucking conversation in which he's ever taken part."
He fetches the kettle and pours the freshly heated water carefully over the infuser, far more carefully than necessary. "Jesus told me to ask Will what he said, at which point Malcolm asked Jesus to elaborate on that. He wouldn't. Because I was present. But he would absolutely bring up the fact that Will said something, dangling it out there like a worm on a lure to get a private conversation with Malcolm later."
The absolute disdain on Neal's face as he brings Norton his cup is tempered a little by the way he relaxes at the other man's presence. He kisses Norton's temple and sets the mug down in front of him. "When Jesus continued to refuse to answer, and then told Malcolm to talk to Will himself after spending the first half of the goddamned conversation telling Malcolm to stay away from Will, Malcolm expressed his displeasure. Which is what you heard."