Then takes a breath. "That was badly phrased, and poorly delivered."
He brings Malcolm the tea, not yet drinking from his own. "I don't care if it's normal. People liked Dorian--"
Neal catches himself and lowers his voice a little. "People like others who deserve it less. You do your best, every fucking day, and then everyone points and judges when you get pushed far enough that your best is out of reach for an hour. Fuck them."
Malcolm’s smile is a little watery. “There aren’t many people I’ve ever been able to just be around. Will has been working on helping Shaw to understand me, too. And I appreciate you both. I really do. I’ve never had a friend that would fight for me, either. I just… I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to be a thorn in your other friendships, but… thank you, Neal.”
"I don't know," Neal says, quietly frustrated, though not at Malcolm. "I can make all the points I want about how not everyone is going to like you no matter what you do, but-- the degree to which that's true for you is wrong. It's just... wrong."
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Then takes a breath. "That was badly phrased, and poorly delivered."
He brings Malcolm the tea, not yet drinking from his own. "I don't care if it's normal. People liked Dorian--"
Neal catches himself and lowers his voice a little. "People like others who deserve it less. You do your best, every fucking day, and then everyone points and judges when you get pushed far enough that your best is out of reach for an hour. Fuck them."
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"I guess I just don't know what I keep doing wrong."
literally a month later......
Re: literally a month later......