Will tilts his head in reluctant acknowledgement, that Malcolm shouldn't have said anything, and that it was ultimately not helpful. But he smirks a little and adds, "I like you being petty, sometimes, though. Just...hold onto it for better opportunities in the future, if you can."
Even when the subjects they talk about are awful, or frustrating, or depressing, doing it here like this feels cozy and fantastic. Curled up and taking in the entirety of the other, they can release any tension of the day, hold each other up and feel rested, for once.
Will is contemplating that when Malcolm asks about his Becoming. He almost thinks he hears wrong, but Malcolm elaborates, and- Will's expression shifts from confusion to amazed fondness. Who else would ask about something so important to Will?
He opens his mouth and his tongue runs over his teeth before he speaks, a method of delay he's long had while he thinks. "...it's difficult. Words don't really do it justice. It starts with...learning to adapt, to things you would otherwise avoid. Accusations, threats, strange situations. You survive because you have to. But eventually, you realize that's not enough. You cannot just change your methods, you have to change yourself, if you want to live. You learn to navigate the halls you were unwelcome, and even if the steps are stumbling. Even if you feel like a baby deer in world of concrete. You're too fast for anyone to catch."
He sits up a bit as he continues, his cadence and tone confident. "All of that comes before you start looking to change yourself. You desire mastery, you desire not just a life, but a vibrant life. A thriving life. And in the case of my world- and me- that required...blood. And breath. It required an inherent internal change. Initiated by me, planned by me, and executed by me. To Become something greater than I had been. To fulfill the potential that had been lying dormant in me."
He realizes that at some point he had started looking down at their joined hands. He raises his eyes now, to see if that made any sort of sense to Malcolm.
no subject
Even when the subjects they talk about are awful, or frustrating, or depressing, doing it here like this feels cozy and fantastic. Curled up and taking in the entirety of the other, they can release any tension of the day, hold each other up and feel rested, for once.
Will is contemplating that when Malcolm asks about his Becoming. He almost thinks he hears wrong, but Malcolm elaborates, and- Will's expression shifts from confusion to amazed fondness. Who else would ask about something so important to Will?
He opens his mouth and his tongue runs over his teeth before he speaks, a method of delay he's long had while he thinks. "...it's difficult. Words don't really do it justice. It starts with...learning to adapt, to things you would otherwise avoid. Accusations, threats, strange situations. You survive because you have to. But eventually, you realize that's not enough. You cannot just change your methods, you have to change yourself, if you want to live. You learn to navigate the halls you were unwelcome, and even if the steps are stumbling. Even if you feel like a baby deer in world of concrete. You're too fast for anyone to catch."
He sits up a bit as he continues, his cadence and tone confident. "All of that comes before you start looking to change yourself. You desire mastery, you desire not just a life, but a vibrant life. A thriving life. And in the case of my world- and me- that required...blood. And breath. It required an inherent internal change. Initiated by me, planned by me, and executed by me. To Become something greater than I had been. To fulfill the potential that had been lying dormant in me."
He realizes that at some point he had started looking down at their joined hands. He raises his eyes now, to see if that made any sort of sense to Malcolm.