TRAUMABEANS AU

[conning]

boop

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[abrightboy]

"We should investigate," Malcolm tells him. "Maybe we can help her."

[conning]

Neal gives Malcolm a tentatively hopeful look. It's easily as worried as it is hopeful. "Maybe. Yeah. I... You won't get in trouble, doing something like that?"

[abrightboy]

“…Trouble?” Malcolm questions. “I don’t understand.”

[conning]

“Would the marshals or the FBI…” Neal makes an airy gesture. “I mean, the stuff with Kramer is still pending.”

[abrightboy]

“I don’t care about Kramer,” Malcolm tells him. “I care about you. And your family.”

[conning]

Neal smiles a little, reaching out to touch Malcolm's face. "I don't want to cut things short here, but... I mean, we can always come back."

[abrightboy]

“We can come back any time we want,” Malcolm tells him with an answering smile. “We’re very rich, you know.”

[conning]

Neal grins at that. “From what I hear, there’s Milton money involved.”

Guilt and worry creep in again. “Would… would you hate it if we got a car back to the city today? Or tomorrow morning, anyway?”

[abrightboy]

"We can go right now," Malcolm tells him. "Start packing. I'll call for a car," he says, taking out his phone.

[conning]

Neal kisses Malcolm warmly, keeping him from making the call for a good thirty seconds at least.

Plus whatever time Malcolm needs to remember how to breathe afterward.

[abrightboy]

When they reach New York, Malcolm directs the driver to Neal’s apartment. It’s late in the evening. He’s sure that Neal will want to go to Ellen tonight or first thing in the morning.

“If you want to call her, I can unload the bags and bring them upstairs.”

[conning]

Neal nods, immediately pulling out his phone. Ellen isn’t happy to find out he’s back in the city, even if she isn’t surprised.

Neal convinces her to let them come over tonight, knowing full well he’s not going to be able to sleep. It occurs to him too late that Malcolm might be tired, but…

Neal shakes his head, ignoring his own pause. No, he wants to talk to Ellen tonight.

“Okay. Yeah. We’ll see you soon.”

He looks over at Malcolm as he brings the bags into the apartment, meeting him by the bed and pulling Malcolm into his arms. “Up for one more car ride? Well, two. There and back.”

[abrightboy]

“To Ellen’s?” Malcolm confirms. He nods. “Is it far?”

It doesn’t matter; Malcolm doesn’t sleep much. He’s just excited to meet her.

[conning]

“Brooklyn,” he says, and it’s hard to tell if the apology in his voice is for another hour to go thirteen miles, or if it’s because they’re going to Brooklyn.

[abrightboy]

“Better get going, then,” Malcolm tells him, giving him a gentle kiss before ushering him out the door and back to the car.

[conning]

Neal is practically vibrating by the time they pull onto Ellen’s block. It’s a nondescriptly pleasant neighborhood, narrow brick townhouses tucked in next to each other like old books jammed on a library shelf.

Ellen opens her door as they get out of their cab, smiling warmly at Neal, and then looking Malcolm over with interest. She waves them inside from the top of the steps. “Well, come in. I put the kettle on.”

[abrightboy]

Malcolm gives her a respectful nod, looking around with interest as they walk inside.

“Have you lived here long?”

[conning]

The space is tidy, generic, the only real personalizations the books and the numerous plants. The books are a mix of romance and true crime. The plants are riotously colorful.

"About two months," she says, smiling ironically. "They moved me after Neal came to see me on Roosevelt Island."

Neal starts to apologize and she rests a hand on his shoulder, giving him a little squeeze. "It was worth it."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looks at Neal curiously.

“You feel responsible for her situation,” he notes. “Isn’t it the other way around?” he asks, looking to Ellen for confirmation.

[conning]

Neal stares at Malcolm, somewhere between bewildered and protective of Ellen. “What? No she’s not.”

Ellen gives Neal’s shoulder another little squeeze before heading into the kitchen. “He’s right, Neal. We all went into witness protection because of my investigation.”

“But you lost your spot on Roosevelt Island because of me.”

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looks over at him with his own vague confusion.

“How did you know where she was?” he asks.

[conning]

“I told him,” Ellen says dryly. She starts pouring hot water into mismatched mugs, and Neal goes to where he knows he’ll find her teas, picking mint off the shelf without noticing that it’s unopened. Without noticing that what they have whenever he sees her isn’t her first choice.

Every so often he has a moment of cluelessness.

“That’s not the point. She always tells me,” he says to Malcolm. “But I went there, and I drew attention to it. Kramer followed my anklet’s signal. She would have maybe been dragged into talking at the commutation, or he would have tried to at least.”

[abrightboy]

“Does…n’t… she tell you because she wants you to go there…?” Again, he looks to Ellen for confirmation.

[conning]

“Yes,” Ellen says.

“It’s for emergencies,” Neal says, then looks at her. “Wait, what?”

She comes over and claims the box of tea, pressing a hand against his cheek. “Neal. I never pushed because I know how much you like your privacy and you didn’t want to let anyone find out more about where you’re from. How you grew up. But I told you where I was because I wanted to see you, too.”

[abrightboy]

Malcolm thought it was obvious.

“You’re usually a lot better at reading people,” he notes. He gestures between them. “You have a blind spot.” No judgement; just FYI.