Will Graham (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
empathicfault) wrote2023-06-18 11:04 am
empathicfault) wrote2023-06-18 11:04 am
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[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]
Will was reading, but he knows that knock. He sets the book- Clinical Veterinary Advisor: Birds and Exotic Pets- down and shifts Winston off his lap, heading for the door immediately.
"Hi," he says, on opening the door. He tugs it open wider to offer Malcolm a quick escape into his cabin. "What happened?"
"Hi," he says, on opening the door. He tugs it open wider to offer Malcolm a quick escape into his cabin. "What happened?"
[ Will nods. ]
I think he's trying to move on from Malcolm, but feelings don't always follow what you tell them to. I'm pretty much an expert on that.
But even when Neal was at his angriest, he never raised a hand to me. He's a good guy. I'm trying to give him time.
I think he's trying to move on from Malcolm, but feelings don't always follow what you tell them to. I'm pretty much an expert on that.
But even when Neal was at his angriest, he never raised a hand to me. He's a good guy. I'm trying to give him time.
He ducks inside, but doesn’t go far. One of his hands absently squeezes the other, but he’s sort of waiting for Will’s arms to be done closing the door so he can throw himself into them. In the meantime, he’s fidgety. Almost squirmy.
“Has something happened to Shaw? Is she being weird with you too?”
“Has something happened to Shaw? Is she being weird with you too?”
...Me? No. He doesn't like me. I can't really blame him.
He's still willing to have me in art class, though. So I'll probably keep going.
He's still willing to have me in art class, though. So I'll probably keep going.
Will closes the door quickly and does, indeed, move to hug him immediately. Malcolm clearly needs it.
So his words are slightly muffled as he responds. "Shaw? There was the coma, and she's had a rough time before that. Why? What'd she say to you?"
So his words are slightly muffled as he responds. "Shaw? There was the coma, and she's had a rough time before that. Why? What'd she say to you?"
Hmmm...probably wouldn't hurt to try. But he's someone who can have a pleasant conversation with just about anyone, even people he hates. I don't know if that sways him at all.
Although- he might be different around you, since you're close.
Although- he might be different around you, since you're close.
Malcolm all but melts into him. Will Graham: better than xanax.
“She started off, like, interrogating me about our sex life and stuff and then when I set boundaries there she said she was trying to get to know me.”
“She started off, like, interrogating me about our sex life and stuff and then when I set boundaries there she said she was trying to get to know me.”
Will makes sure Malcolm has properly settled into the hug before he responds. It gives him time to think over that somewhat cryptic response. He is reminded of when she'd recently awakened, though.
He takes a little time to tug Malcolm back to the couch. "Was it our sex life, or our relationship in general and then it moved in that direction?" He'll just address that one first.
He takes a little time to tug Malcolm back to the couch. "Was it our sex life, or our relationship in general and then it moved in that direction?" He'll just address that one first.
You are?
[ It's not weird, he's just not expecting it. And that question takes precedence right now. ]
[ It's not weird, he's just not expecting it. And that question takes precedence right now. ]
[ He breaks into a chuckle. ]
Well, you're right about that. And hearing all my problems reduced down to 'relationship issues' made me feel like a dumb kid.
But- I'm not exactly here to take it easy, right? I'm...trying to take the help, now that it's actually being offered.
[ It would be extremely ungrateful of him not to, after he asked and begged for help for so long back home, only to be met with silence or accusations. ]
Well, you're right about that. And hearing all my problems reduced down to 'relationship issues' made me feel like a dumb kid.
But- I'm not exactly here to take it easy, right? I'm...trying to take the help, now that it's actually being offered.
[ It would be extremely ungrateful of him not to, after he asked and begged for help for so long back home, only to be met with silence or accusations. ]
[Shaw makes a face, though it's not really directed at him.]
I didn't mean for it to sound like that. They're really massive, complicated, existential relationship issues. And, uh, anyway-- I'm pretty sure a lot more things can be boiled down to that than people would admit.
I didn't mean for it to sound like that. They're really massive, complicated, existential relationship issues. And, uh, anyway-- I'm pretty sure a lot more things can be boiled down to that than people would admit.
He considers that.
“A lot happened in a short time,” he says, attempting to unravel it as they sit. “She wanted to know if I was in counselling with anyone ‘other than’ you, which, you’re not even a counsellor. I swear I told her like six different times that I do talk to other people. And she told me we’re going too fast and she wants me to ‘pump the breaks’ and I told her I don’t even know how. Every time I didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss something with her, she got upset and said I had to, basically, give her slack because she was ‘trying’, which is what Sweeney has been doing a lot lately too…” He lifts his head to look at Will. “Please tell them to stop.”
“A lot happened in a short time,” he says, attempting to unravel it as they sit. “She wanted to know if I was in counselling with anyone ‘other than’ you, which, you’re not even a counsellor. I swear I told her like six different times that I do talk to other people. And she told me we’re going too fast and she wants me to ‘pump the breaks’ and I told her I don’t even know how. Every time I didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss something with her, she got upset and said I had to, basically, give her slack because she was ‘trying’, which is what Sweeney has been doing a lot lately too…” He lifts his head to look at Will. “Please tell them to stop.”
Will puts his arm around Malcolm's shoulders as they sit, and Winston jumps on the couch and lays his head on Malcolm's lap. He's been a little more cuddly and aware of Malcolm since the wolf change. The other two needed more coaxing.
Malcolm's request is honestly kind of adorable, but Will can tell that he's feeling extremely vulnerable. So he cups Malcolm's face and brushes over his cheek lightly with a thumb. Comforting gestures. "I'll talk to Harkin, okay? I don't know if I can get Shaw to stop. It's part of her job. It's my fault, really- it's my relationship baggage she's trying to sort through. She pegged us as vulnerable to codependent tendencies not long ago, and...she's not wrong."
He leans over and kisses Malcolm's forehead. "We just have to be careful, that's all that means."
Malcolm's request is honestly kind of adorable, but Will can tell that he's feeling extremely vulnerable. So he cups Malcolm's face and brushes over his cheek lightly with a thumb. Comforting gestures. "I'll talk to Harkin, okay? I don't know if I can get Shaw to stop. It's part of her job. It's my fault, really- it's my relationship baggage she's trying to sort through. She pegged us as vulnerable to codependent tendencies not long ago, and...she's not wrong."
He leans over and kisses Malcolm's forehead. "We just have to be careful, that's all that means."
"I told her we can't pretend we don't feel what we feel because we can both tell anyway." He pauses. "Careful how?"
He's not sure if Will means actual possible relationship pitfalls or what being careful of those means doing or if he just means careful around Shaw.
He's not sure if Will means actual possible relationship pitfalls or what being careful of those means doing or if he just means careful around Shaw.
Will is deeply, desperately tempted for it to be the latter, just so he can keep some of this for himself. He reminds himself that he's not giving up everything for scrutiny, just enough to appease Shaw. Enough to make sure he isn't twisting things in a way that'll hurt Malcolm. He doesn't have to get Malcolm involved in that sort of carefulness, too.
"Careful that I'm not isolating you, that I'm not losing myself to you or vice versa. Careful in that we at least consider an outside perspective on our relationship. Even if...I don't think anyone else is going to fully understand it."
"Careful that I'm not isolating you, that I'm not losing myself to you or vice versa. Careful in that we at least consider an outside perspective on our relationship. Even if...I don't think anyone else is going to fully understand it."
[ He still looks amused. ]
I bet you're right. And I know you didn't. That's just how it hit me in the moment. Probably because I was feeling defensive, because I know you're right.
[ And after a long moment's thought: ] It's a lot easier to ignore the intensely toxic nature of a relationship when you're romanticizing everything about it.
I bet you're right. And I know you didn't. That's just how it hit me in the moment. Probably because I was feeling defensive, because I know you're right.
[ And after a long moment's thought: ] It's a lot easier to ignore the intensely toxic nature of a relationship when you're romanticizing everything about it.
Malcolm smiles softly at that last part. The most enchanting thing about this is being seen and still accepted. More than accepted. Seen and still sought. He thinks maybe people can understand that much but they can't understand how far into their cores it goes in their case.
"Well... we still have our own friends that we still spend time with. See? This is the safest place to gauge that, because we have friends to use as a metric."
He scratches Winston's head absently.
"I don't mind Shaw being nosy in the interest of her duty to you. It's just... she was doing the thing that Sweeney's been doing where she had a meltdown every time I disagreed with her or misunderstood her. That's the part I want them to stop. I talked to both of them before I even met you. I just want them to be normal about it."
He takes Will hand and presses a kiss inside his wrist.
"I told her you were staying over more because she implied she wanted me to be more... wardeny in my thinking and I thought she would appreciate a heads up about where you'd be spending a lot of time. And then I thought... she seems the type to maybe help herself to your space if she wants to check in, so I added that she should knock, though. She asked if I was bragging. You know. About having all the sex all the time. I was like... you just asked me to be Wardeny about this; why can't you see the context?"
"Well... we still have our own friends that we still spend time with. See? This is the safest place to gauge that, because we have friends to use as a metric."
He scratches Winston's head absently.
"I don't mind Shaw being nosy in the interest of her duty to you. It's just... she was doing the thing that Sweeney's been doing where she had a meltdown every time I disagreed with her or misunderstood her. That's the part I want them to stop. I talked to both of them before I even met you. I just want them to be normal about it."
He takes Will hand and presses a kiss inside his wrist.
"I told her you were staying over more because she implied she wanted me to be more... wardeny in my thinking and I thought she would appreciate a heads up about where you'd be spending a lot of time. And then I thought... she seems the type to maybe help herself to your space if she wants to check in, so I added that she should knock, though. She asked if I was bragging. You know. About having all the sex all the time. I was like... you just asked me to be Wardeny about this; why can't you see the context?"
[ Will had been thinking about his relationships back home, actually. So her talking about someone 'who thinks you can do no wrong' gives him a little emotional whiplash. He looks at Shaw for a moment before responding. ]
I know it doesn't seem like it, considering Malcolm's enthusiasm. But he is aware of my issues and what might trip me up. I think he's maybe hopeful that I'd make the right choices, but he's borne the full brunt of me withholding information when I first got here. He knows what I'm capable of.
I know it doesn't seem like it, considering Malcolm's enthusiasm. But he is aware of my issues and what might trip me up. I think he's maybe hopeful that I'd make the right choices, but he's borne the full brunt of me withholding information when I first got here. He knows what I'm capable of.
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