empathicfault | IC Inbox

You made a fantastic impression.

It was weird. Seeing them. But kind of... good.

[He pauses. Sunshine chirps somewhere in the background.]

Do you want to come over? You don't have to... get all the way dressed or anything to just crawl into a different bed, right?

[ Will is glad it was good, even kind of good. He wasn't sure how Malcolm would take Martin showing up, but at least things didn't get too contentious. ]

Yeah, I'll come over. I'll bring both dogs...maybe some pants. See you soon, Malcolm.

[ He gives the screen such a fond look, he might as well have just called Malcolm a long string of endearments. Then he shuts the comm down and tugs himself out of bed.

He arrives at Malcolm's cabin a couple minutes later, knocking lightly before letting himself in. He does, as stated, have the addition of Buster and Winston wandering in, and some sweatpants. He yawns performatively as he spots Malcolm and heads toward the bed. ]

Mornin'. You always look fantastic when you wake up.

I call it Insomnia Chic. [He's teasing, and even as he says it, he reaches his hand out to beckon Will to join him. Will, who always looks achingly beautiful, no matter how rumpled.] What did you think of them? [Asked as he tugs Will into the bed with him.]

[ Will smirks at the joke and manages to shuck off his sweatpants before he flops onto the bed next to Malcolm. Somehow, he also manages to take the offered hand and brings it up so he can kiss the knuckles. His own eyes twinkle at pretending to be so formal. ]

Insomnia Chic really works for you.

[ And now the question. Will wonders if Malcolm realizes it's a bit of a trap. Will can't just say "they all seem nice," now can he? ]

They all care for you, more than I expected. I... you know I err towards the cynical. And I'm not used to families. I expected less concern for you, on all fronts. Finding that there- or something like it- was a pleasant surprise.

My mom cares for sure. She’s not the best at execution, but she has all the mom feelings. I’ve always been close to my sister. At least since the arrest. We only had each other for a while.

[He tangles their fingers together after Will kisses his knuckles, drawing a smile even as he was talking.]

And… to Martin…… I’m more like something he made, and he cares about someone ruining all his hard work. But that’s pretty much the closest thing you can get to love from a malignant narcissist. He was from earlier than me, though. Before his escape. Before I stabbed him again.

[His features crease. Soften. He studies Will’s face.]

I’m sorry you didn’t get to talk to Hannibal.

[ Will is about to address what Malcolm said about Martin- the nuances he'd found while talking to the killer. That there was definitely pride there, that it's one of the few things he thinks Martin really feels.

But Malcolm mentions Hannibal and Will's mouth opens to say it's for the best. He can't get those words out. Disappointment crosses his features as he looks down at their connected hands. ]

Yeah. It would've been- it could only have been a disaster, but...still, I wish I'd seen him.

I wanted to talk to him too. [He presses a gentle kiss to Will's mouth and snuggles close. Yeah, this is why he wanted to have this conversation in bed and not over the network.] Every master manipulator is different.

[ Will doesn't respond until about halfway through the kiss, caught up in his own mind for a moment. But once he realizes what Malcolm's doing, he hugs him close. Having this talk in person was definitely a good idea. ]

It's true. I wish you could've talked to him, too. It would've been good to get your opinion, on...everything.

[ Will reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose, then rubs his eye before settling back down. ]

He doesn't waste time. He would've tried to mess with you immediately. I was expecting more of that from your father, but he seemed to be spending time getting his bearings. Probably the better option, considering the fact this was all network-only.

It's not always obvious when my dad is manipulating. Or fishing. Or setting up a manipulation. It's easier to just... not trust anything he says.

[He kisses Will's jaw.]

I wanted to see what his style was. I wanted to see what he tried on me. I wanted to see how he reacted.

[ Will melts a little under the kiss, fingers rubbing where he can reach on Malcolm's shoulder. ]

He would've found you interesting, immediately. Would've tested to what you would and wouldn't respond to, which questions you liked asking. He'd do his best to make you feel like you were in charge of the conversation.

I couldn't tell if Martin was trying anything in particular. I'm wondering if he felt at a loss with the limited access and information he had...

It is always best to keep him wrongfooted and the situation kind of did that. What he likes to do to isolate me is drive subtle wedges in between me and anyone he meets that I care about. Plant little seeds of unhappiness he hopes the host’s own imagination will grow.

Ah. [ Will's smile is a little wry. ] I'm familiar with that technique. A lot harder to do when the target is surrounded by friends and family, admittedly.

[ Will leans in for a gentle kiss this time, pulling back with a small smile. ]

Even if he didn't talk to them, I'm sure he could tell you were different. Bet that was infuriating, changes he didn't have a hand in.

[Malcolm smiles, his eyes widening a little. It surprises him that he hadn’t thought of that. And he’s also delighted.]

God, I hope so!

[ Will always loves surprising a smile out of Malcolm like that. He grins in response, the small smile now nowhere to be seen. ]

He'll have a harder time poking holes in your resolve after this place.

I did stab him right before I got here. But he was from before that. He didn’t know.

It sounded like he didn't know a lot of things you'd been through.

[ And because what he has to say next is delicate, Will gently brushes Malcolm's hair back and kissed his temple. ]

Having met him, there's no way he'd die from one stab, you know. I'm sure he'll survive to guilt trip you another day.

[Malcolm lifts his head to look at Will’s eyes. He wishes there was less hope in his own gaze; he knows Will will see it.]

Do you think so?

[ Will's smile is warm and reassuring. ]

I do. He's too stubborn to go from that. He'll be okay.

[ He kisses Malcolm's forehead, hugging him close. And he hopes the bastard comes out of it with a shaky hand, at least. ]

Well, the police found us right after it happened, so maybe he’s back in his cell at Claremont already. [He melts against Will as he’s hugged, happy to soak up the warmth.] And we can visit him there so you can get a proper look at his cell.

Well, I've already had a good look at his cell, in that memory of yours we shared. But I'd still like to see him in it after we get back, so that'd be nice.

[ Hearing about the police arriving does make him a little concerned about whether Malcolm will be in trouble with them, but- for now? They've broached the topic enough. ]

Ainsley was worried that you'd never come back, you know. That I'd whisk you away or you'd like this place too much. Hopefully I eased her worries.

I’m glad you did. I wasn’t sure what to say. I want to see them again, but part of me isn’t sure about going back. Maybe we can take her on a trip with us somewhere. So once we leave she knows we can always come back.

I think that'd help, yeah.

Don't want you to miss out on more time with your family, if you want it. You don't have to...go back to your old version of normal, in order to have that.

Now and then. In manageable doses. Note to anyone who thinks I’m A Lot: I’m the least A Lot in my whole family.

[ Will laughs lightly, breathing in the smell of sleep and comfort from Malcolm. ]

I did get that impression. I'm honestly glad I had the screen in between us for this first meeting.

Yeah, it takes some working up to, the whole Whitly experience. Dinner at my mother’s legacy townhouse on the Upper East Side, for example.

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