In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Twenty-Six

~Sunday 17th March 2013~

Malcolm awoke in a wonderful mood, a smile on his lips before he even opened his eyes, the residual happiness from the previous evening having caused his expression to remain even whilst he slept. During what little sleep he got anyway - Eden was a demanding little minx. Malcolm didn't mind losing sleep over his boyfriend, it was probably the only acceptable excuse that wouldn't leave him in a foul mood.

Malcolm rolled over onto his front, reaching out into the nest of blankets and pillows he had created, searching blindly for his lover. His eyes snapped open when he felt nothing other than the silken sheets and the thick carpet beneath the pile. Squinting in the dawn light streaming in through the glass doors, Malcolm sat up, bunching up some covers over himself.

"Edee?" he called out, looking toward the kitchen area, not having a great view of anything since he was sat on the floor. The idea to sleep in the living room in front of the fireplace had been Eden's and had been a good one. The previous night had been so different for the both of them, so intense, Malcolm knew the memories would last for a lifetime. They may have been together for a few weeks already but last night held so many firsts for them, it was amazing.

Malcolm's shifted his gaze, looking out the sliding glass doors to the garden, seeing Eden perched on the back patio facing away from the house. Malcolm took a moment to admire the curvature of the boy's form, that smile returning to his face once again. Eden was very petite, Malcolm had noted that the day they first met, he was almost bordering on skeletal. But that wasn't a bad thing. Sometimes some people were simply just that thin, Malcolm was sure that Eden would probably be able to build up some muscle easily if he wanted to.

Malcolm rose to his feet, wrapping a blanket around his waist, securing it around his hips before walking out into the back garden and sitting down next to Eden. The boy must have been up longer than Malcolm anticipated because he had already made himself a coffee, staring out absently at everything they had left on the grass. The food, the fairy lights, the clothing strewn everywhere. A mess Malcolm would be happy to clean up.

"Are you OK?" Malcolm asked quietly, his eyes scanning over the distant expression on Eden's face, his stomach suddenly knotted up with nerves. Maybe Eden hadn't enjoyed last night as much as he had, maybe in the heat of the moment Malcolm had made a mistake he didn't notice, maybe-

"Yeah, I just needed a minute out here," Eden's voice didn't hold its usual tone but it didn't sound glum either, more distant that Malcolm may have liked.

"Did something happen?" Malcolm snaked an arm around Eden's waist, pressing a kiss to the boy's head.

"No, everything's fine. Sometimes life just catches up, y'know?" Malcolm frowned, unsure of why Eden was being so cryptic when he was usually so blunt, "you ever just think back, y'know reminisce about... stuff?" Malcolm didn't like where the conversation was going, it was adding to the worry swelling within him, making him feel a little nauseous.

"Eden, please just tell me what's going on," Malcolm didn't want to pester or plead, he wasn't sure whether whatever was bothering Eden might not be something the boy was willing to talk about. Eden tilted his head back, his eyes finally meeting Malcolm's as a lopsided smile worked its way onto his face.

"It would have been Archie's nine hundred and twenty-fifth birthday today," Malcolm's lips parted ever so slightly, his mind forming a thousand different sentences but only silence rolling off his tongue, "it's not a big deal, Mal, I don't need some sort of candlelit vigil or for you to walk on eggshells. You wanted to know what was going on, that's it, that's what I'm dealing with today. Who knows what I'll be dealing with tomorrow?" Malcolm wished he could think of something to say to Eden, something to comfort the boy, and yet he could think of nothing. He was one of New York's best lawyers, he could work under immense pressure, could spend his days looking at gruesome crime photos and reading over decrepit descriptions of the worst acts caused by the human and SN psyche. And yet he just couldn't think of anything to say to Eden.