TRAUMABEANS AU

[conning]

boop

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[abrightboy]

Malcolm chose it for Neal. He chose specifically to Cheer Neal Up.

"I thought you'd like the..." He waves his hand at the wall. "Architectural... stuff."

[conning]

Neal smiles softly at that, going off on a tangent about architectural stuff that last them through a circuit of first floor and a good portion of the grounds. He doesn't so much run out of things to say as he gets distracted by the view of the back of the building from outside.

"It's surreal. Thinking about all the people who have been here before us. Maybe even for the same reasons."

A pause, a soft noise of amusement. "Similar reasons."

[abrightboy]

"The same reasons. They sell 'romance' as a reason," Malcolm teases. "Romance and escape."

[conning]

Neal snorts, then nods at the ground. "Fair point."

He twines his fingers through Malcolm's carefully, looking down at their linked hands. "Thank you."

[abrightboy]

"You don't have to thank me. It wasn't completely selfless. Look at all the time I don't have to share you," he points out with a self-deprecating laugh.

[conning]

"I love you," Neal says softly. He rests his forehead against Malcolm's, leans into him for the warmth and closeness. "I love you so much."

[abrightboy]

He means him. He means him and not the other him from that place. Maybe he loves that Malcolm, too, but he loves him.

"I love you, too," he whispers back into the space between their mouths.

He lifts his head and studies Neal's face close up.

"Do... do you feel any better here?"

[conning]

Neal considers that. Really thinks about it. Slowly, slowly nods. He looks out at the mountains again, breathing in the sharp clarity of the air. "It... feels like..."

He frowns, trying to figure out how to put it. "It feels like... we broke a curse. Coming out here."

[abrightboy]

“Today upstate New York, tomorrow the world,” Malcolm declares. “Though maybe we’ll stick with baby steps. Like LA or… Canada.” He reaches up to thread fingers through Neal’s hair at his temple. Neal’s far more practiced than Malcolm at these casual touches, but he feels compelled.

[conning]

Neal laughs in surprise, closing his eyes at the touch. How did he get so lucky? How could he have gotten lucky enough to meet Malcolm twice?

"I haven't been to LA in a long time. ...Or Canada, but I've had less reason to go there."

He turns to rest his hands on Malcolm's hips. "Where do you want to go?"

[abrightboy]

“I’ve never been a big fan of travel. My… sleep problems are… disruptive in most hotels or resorts. I don’t do well socially in new groups of people.” He shrugs a little uncomfortably. “This has honestly been the first trip that wasn’t for work that I’ve truly enjoyed.”

[conning]

Neal smiles a little, somewhat ironic, somewhat sad. "Well, we'll have to change that. Rent a chateau or a cabin instead of a hotel room, wherever we decide to go."

[abrightboy]

"I've heard you can rent a whole island," Malcolm says, almost blurting it out, like he can't help it. Like maybe it occurred to him when he was forced to a tropical beach.

[conning]

Neal breathes out a laugh. “I keep forgetting you have that kind of money on hand.”

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looks almost embarrassed but shrugs it off.

"My mother keeps threatening to take it away, but she's bluffing. She feels too much guilt over what my father did to me - even though she shouldn't," he quickly adds, "but, at any rate, she can't intentionally do something she knows would be harmful to me in any way. So. Yeah. Island money."

[conning]

"An island then." Neal kisses him. "Maybe in Italy."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiles up at him in the wake of the kiss.

“Are islands nice there? Do you know the good places to get one?”

[conning]

"Yes and yes." He looks off into space for a moment, a dreamy little smile on his face. "France would be good, too. I haven't been to France in a long time."

His focus returns to Malcolm and he touches the other man's cheek. "European tour," he says, his tone soft.

[abrightboy]

“As long as you’ll be in charge of finding places to eat,” Malcolm tells him. “So we don’t end up at the French equivalent of an all steak meaterie.”

[conning]

Neal laughs. "I wouldn't let that happen."

His phone goes off then, a ringtone that Malcolm will never have heard before, and Neal frowns. He lets go of Malcolm and digs the phone out of his pocket hastily, almost drops it answering. "Ellen? Is--are you okay?"

It's not a name Neal has said before, either. Not to this Malcolm, not in this world.

He relaxes at the answer, taking Malcolm's hand with his free one. Then he tenses again. "The marshals are moving you? When?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm watches him with a sort of concerned scrutiny. He wonders who Ellen is. He wonders why Neal is so tense.

[conning]

He listens in silence for a little while, then shakes his head, apparently oblivious to the fact that the person on the other end of the line can't see him.

"No, I'm upstate." He glances at Malcolm, smiles a little. "Yeah, with him. I can be back in a few hours though--okay, but--"

He bites his lip and goes quiet, then nods, then exhales softly. "Okay. I will. I promise. Call me if anything changes."

Another moment of silent listening before he mumbles, "I love you too."

After a second it's clear the other person has hung up. Neal is slower to do the same.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm frowns faintly. "What was that about?" he asks with concern.

[conning]

Neal looks at his phone, then at Malcolm. He bites his lip.

"There's something else I need to tell you. Not about that other place. About when I was a kid, in WITSEC."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm's eyes widen slightly.

"Was... was that your mom?"