"Anyhoo, yes, I should imagine so. A few days of lock down to sort out what's going on and determine what needs to be done long term is one thing, but if it stretches on too long that becomes an unreasonable punishment for what was...if not entirely self-defense, exactly, certainly provoked." He shrugs. "I might get accused of undermining another warden's authority, but I'm comfortable with that. I'd wait a week, however. Everything else aside, Will did murder someone and a week with Chaperon Shaw is better than a week in Zero. After week there'd be a stronger case to be made that continued lock down is excessive for the circumstances."
"A week?" He looks from Norton to Neal and nods. "I can do a week, if it comes to that." It's a time limit; the longest he'll have to potentially go without seeing Will. That's all he wanted. Some of the tension ebbs out of him.
"Then it's settled. If there's no change after a week, we make other arrangements."
And if a teensy bit of Norton's motive for going above and beyond in supporting Malcolm and Will's relationship is lingering fear that Neal might leave him for Malcolm if Malcolm became available, well, he'll just keep that bit to himself. It's not the only reason. He does consider Malcolm a friend. And he does think that total lack of privacy perpetuated for too long could become disproportionately punitive for the circumstances. But he's honest enough with himself to know it's not just altruism driving him.
Neal nods slowly, satisfied, his own temper cooling a little as Norton takes point. It's a relief to calm down, which is a strange feeling. He slips an arm half-way around Norton's waist and hooks his thumb over the top of Norton's slacks. Not suggestive--steadying. Grounding. Letting someone else pilot the emotional forklift for a few minutes.
“Thank you so much. Both of you.” He splays a hand on his own chest. “Really. I just. Feel like I’ve been shouting into a void all day. I don”t know what I’d do without you. Thank you.”
"Always glad to be a calming influence," he says, usually being more the opposite. "And to help a friend. I can't imagine how I'd feel if someone said I wasn't allowed to see Neal indefinitely, but I'm very sure there's be sneaky assignations before long." He glances up at Neal and rests a hand on his shoulder.
Neal's expression softens out of the tension he's been carrying most of the day. Neal reaches up to give Norton's hand a squeeze. "Oh, without a doubt."
"Everyone else made it sound like I was being selfish," Malcolm admits. "Like what I wanted was more important than what was good for him. But he wants to see me, too."
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abrightboy) wrote2030-05-05 08:18 pm
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He clears his throat and settles himself down.
"Anyhoo, yes, I should imagine so. A few days of lock down to sort out what's going on and determine what needs to be done long term is one thing, but if it stretches on too long that becomes an unreasonable punishment for what was...if not entirely self-defense, exactly, certainly provoked." He shrugs. "I might get accused of undermining another warden's authority, but I'm comfortable with that. I'd wait a week, however. Everything else aside, Will did murder someone and a week with Chaperon Shaw is better than a week in Zero. After week there'd be a stronger case to be made that continued lock down is excessive for the circumstances."
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And if a teensy bit of Norton's motive for going above and beyond in supporting Malcolm and Will's relationship is lingering fear that Neal might leave him for Malcolm if Malcolm became available, well, he'll just keep that bit to himself. It's not the only reason. He does consider Malcolm a friend. And he does think that total lack of privacy perpetuated for too long could become disproportionately punitive for the circumstances. But he's honest enough with himself to know it's not just altruism driving him.
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"Sounds good to me."
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