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[abrightboy]

This is Bright. Leave a message.

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Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm is in the middle of his morning routine when Will comes back. There is coffee in the French press and classic rock playing on the record player and he's doing pull-ups under the stairs, but he lets himself drop back to the floor as Will goes into the kitchen and follows, a little hesitant because he doesn't know what made him look like that but lingering nearby because at some point that facial expression will need a hug.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will gulps some water as Malcolm approaches, and then he's looking up at Malcolm with wide, guileless eyes.

"Yeah...I graduated." His face breaks into a smile, and he lets out a breathless laugh about it.

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm just stares at him for a very long moment.

"...What? You... you did? Just... just now? But... that means you're alive." His eyes widen. He looks like he doesn't know whether to burst into a musical number or lunge into Will's arms. "You're alive, Will. Alive!"

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

"I am!" Will says with a laugh and a grin, caught up (for once) in the enthusiasm. He keeps Malcolm from having to make a choice by darting over to give Malcolm a tight hug- perhaps a bit tighter than expected. "I'm alive, and we can start our life together-continue it. Move on to the next chapter."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm doesn't mind that, the tightness of it. He clings to him.

"They can't... take you anywhere now that I can't find you," he whispers. "If you disappear, you'll still exist. They can't take you away from me. Not for good."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

"No one can," Will says, voice almost as low as Malcolm's whisper. "I'll come find you. We'll find each other. Of course, that's assuming anyone ever manages to pull us apart. Which I doubt."

Will closes his eyes and just breathes. It feels easier, somehow. Like he's getting more oxygen with every inhale. "We're safe," he says quietly. "Well- as safe as we want to be." Because they both do enjoy some risky behaviors sometimes.

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looks up at him, eyes shining with joy and relief. Then he pauses.

"Wait!" He gestures for Will to stay right there and runs over to the record player, putting on Magic Carpet Ride because.... well. It's just fitting because they can do that now. Go on a magic carpet ride. And a moment later he's plastered to Will again. "I want to celebrate tonight. Are you going to work today? Are you going to let some people know? It's okay but I want tonight. Here. Just us."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will waits, and grins as Malcolm puts some music on. He puts his arms around Malcolm again, not quite as tightly as before. And he sways them back and forth with the music.

"I would love to celebrate with you tonight," he says quietly into Malcolm's ear. He lets that settle with the music for a moment, but then he adds, "I'll probably let some people know. But I'm not huge on celebrations with more than just you, most of the time."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm’s grin broadens when Will starts them swaying. Just like that they’re dancing now and he loves dancing with Will.

“I already have some ideas,” he says. “Just us; I promise.” But he can go pretty overboard for just them. Valentine’s Day. Their anniversary. “That’s my favourite too.”

He slides his arms up to drape loosely around Will’s neck and leans up to give him a soft kiss.

“I knew you would do it.” Another kiss. “Congratulations.”

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

The kiss between them radiates warmth and peace and contentment. Will blinks lazily as he stares at Malcolm's face. He's memorizing the moment, and making another portrait for their wall.

"Thank you. It would've been a much harder path to navigate, without your help. I might've made it, but...I can't imagine it." Another soft kiss, as if they're too far apart otherwise. "You've helped me trust again. You helped me trust myself."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm doesn't protest his contribution this time. He's practically glowing with happiness. He'll steal another kiss, even though they're freely given.

"I love you so much. I'm so happy for us," he gushes. "I'm so excited for everything we're going to do and... just... we have a future. A future. And nobody can take it away from us."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will closes his eyes, looking blissful at that prospect. It's easy to envision the future now, even with all their plans and their tendency to have their plans explode. They can go places together now.

He opens his eyes slightly and smiles at Malcolm. "We'll have to toast the future tonight. Remind ourselves of every single plan we've thought up and maybe make some more. But for now...have you had your coffee yet?"

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

"Coffee? Oh! No. Do you want some coffee?" He's already slipping out of Will's arms to grab two mugs from the cupboard. "I think this is the best day of my life," he muses as he sets them on the island to reach for the French press, then suddenly pauses, remembering what Root said to him. He looks at Will apologetically. "Not to make it about me," he adds quickly.

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will gives Malcolm and easy smile. "I don't mind if you do. I'll take the compliment. It's a pretty damn good day for me, too. Let's have some celebratory coffee."

They have coffee nearly every morning, but he's pretty sure this one will feel special. In fact...

Will walks around the counter to put a hand on Malcolm's shoulder. Then it slides down until he's holding Malcolm's left hand. And then Will goes down on one knee, looking up at Malcolm with more calm than he feels right now. He'd intended to wait until the evening, but he just can't. Might as well cement this day as the Best. He touches the ring he gave Malcolm, running his fingers over it.

"I'm alive now. So. Malcolm Bright, would you be willing to share our lives, and every beautiful and terrible thing in them? Will you marry me?"

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

He isn't expecting it either. Well. He's expecting it. At some point. But it's now. Will takes his hand and he turns to face him and he's on his knee and... it's now. It's now. For a second it's like he can't remember how to breathe, but his body figures it out and a somewhat dazed smile becomes a giddy grin.

"I've never wanted anything more in my life," he breathes. He takes a breath, nodding, so he can recover his voice to say "Yes!" He laughs a simple, happy laugh. "I'd love to. Yes, please."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will hadn't expected anything other than a 'yes,' but it's still funny how his stomach dropped out just after he asked the question. He holds his breath, too, until the 'yes' is said.

And then he squeezes that left hand and hops back to his feet. He hugs Malcolm tight, practically twirling them around on the spot. He laughs and sniffles and cries a couple of tears. He's never cried out of joy before.

"I've never wanted anything more, either. I know I don't have a ring for you, but...I couldn't wait. Not one moment longer." Something he's only realizing now, himself.

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm holds on to him tightly, losing a few of those happy tears himself.

“You already gave me a ring,” Malcolm says, sliding his left hand over Will’s shoulder onto his chest where Malcolm can admire it. “And I love it.” He looks up at Will. “Can we use the same ones? Is that okay?”

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

"Of course," Will replies, adoration in his eyes as he looks at Malcolm's face, and then down to the ring. "I don't know if I could find one as...perfect, anyway. I would hate replacing mine with another, too."

Will looks back up to meet Malcolm's eyes. "You make me so happy. Anything we do, any traditions we do or do not hold, any way we get married, it'll all just be a cherry on top of an already perfect sundae."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiles broadly, warmly. "We're making our own traditions now. For our family." He leans up to kiss Will tenderly. "We're our family now."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will leans down for the kiss, making it slow and heavy, like it could last for the rest of time. But it's during that kiss that Malcolm's words sink in- how much they mean to Will and how much they have to mean to Malcolm. His hands squeeze where they rest on Malcolm's back.

When he finally pulls away, he's cried more tears and it makes his eyes shine more with the light. His smile doesn't- and couldn't possibly- hold all the feelings he's having right now. "We're family. And I love you. And now? We have more to celebrate."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm kisses him again... and then again...... and then looks up into his eyes again.

"Come back at five o'clock? I want to celebrate properly. I want to..." He glances around. "I want to get some stuff ready and celebrate properly." He looks up at Will again. "Just us."

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will looks at the time- and then hates that he did. Because he's actually going to be a little late for his shift. He didn't think this had taken up that much time.

"Just us," he agrees, pulling back enough to squeeze Malcolm's hands in his own. It's intended to allow him to separate, but it ends up merely resulting in another kiss.

He finally breaks away with a groan and tells Malcolm. "I should go. Don't want to leave the whole thing up to Steve. I'll be back at five. On the dot. Maybe a couple minutes early."

It's unsurprising when the rest of the day seems to take forever. But the dogs at the kennel seem to pick up on his enthusiasm, and he's able to run the giddy energy out on Deck with them.

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm spends the day busy enough that he almost - almost - feels rushed as he puts the finishing touches on the room. He puts on romantic music, sets up the large bouquet of daisies and lillies in the middle of the kitchen island and hides the chamomile plant in the linen closet. He puts the bottle of good champagne he got from Neal in a bowl of ice and lays two place settings with champagne flutes at the two middle stools at the counter. Then he takes the covered dishes from the kitchen counter and sets them out on the kitchen island as well. He's bouncing on the balls of his feet as he straightens the fork at one of the place settings, waiting for Will to get home, practically vibrating out of his skin.

He feels like he's bursting with happiness. He feels like he literally might explode from it.

Re: Good news!

[empathicfault]

Will doesn't know what to expect, but it isn't this. The atmosphere in their cabin feels almost fantasy-like in its pleasantness, and it feels like every detail hits him at once.

It's a couple of minutes early, but...well, he did warn Malcolm. He takes the leashes off the dogs with a practiced ease. They run off into the living room, chasing each other.

"Hello, fiancé," he says, smile wide on his face and lights in his eyes. "I'm finally home."

Re: Good news!

[abrightboy]

Malcolm, standing by the kitchen island, attempts decorum for approximately twenty seconds, until Will calls him 'fiancé' and he grins, throwing himself into Will's arms, wrapping his arms around his neck to give him a very enthusiastic kiss.

"Welcome back," he says when it breaks. "I missed you."