Malcolm x Raylan: Cowboy Surprise

[tinstar]

Art was suspicious right off the bat when Raylan took a week off with the express note that his phone would be Out Of Order til the next Monday, but the Chief Marshal wasn't going to look gift horses in the mouth. Not when it suggested he'd have a few days of peace, until Raylan caved to turning his phone back on again. Still, he watched the younger Marshal walk out of the office and promised himself to check into the state of Harlan within 3 days to make sure that the place wasn't on fire. The smoke would reach him before he called, he was sure.

But Art didn't have much to worry about - Raylan had no plans on staying in the state for his vacation, beyond one day spent closing up Arlo's and securing it the best way he could before getting on a plane to New York City. He wanted to surprise Malcolm - it'd been near two months since they'd last seen each other and frankly, Raylan was tired of missing him. They'd called and texted, stayed in a fairly consistent, if odd houred, touch but it wasn't the same.

Once he landed, Raylan rented a car and navigated his way towards Malcolm's apartment, stopping to grab a bouquet of flowers. It was.. Extra, but Raylan didn't want to show up empty handed, just in case. Thirty minutes later, Malcolm's door buzzer was being hit, like Raylan was here to deliver something. Well, he was, but that was half the fun.

Comments

[abrightboy]

"Oh!" His eyes widened. "The ahi tuna steak is supposed to be amazing; you should try that," he advised.

He paused and looked up impishly "and 'than me' was correct; it's the object of the preposition. 'I' is nominative."

[tinstar]

Raylan's face lifted in consideration as he kept looking over the menu.

"Smartass," he accused out loud for the first time, face curled in amusement as the waiter came back with a silver coffee pot and creamer to pour out for Malcolm before asking for their order. Raylan actually took Malcolm's suggestion and ordered the ahi tuna steak, flipping the menu closed and handing it over with a friendly smile.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm grinned at the accusation. They couldn't say it wasn't something that they had in common. He ordered the soup of the day, which was a garden vegetable.

He didn't take much notice of Raylan's iced tea as he took a sip of his coffee, no creamer, just like at home.

"The tuna is supposed to be meaty, rather than fishy. But very heart healthy," he said.

[tinstar]

They couldn't and Raylan wouldn't dare to suggest otherwise. He hadn't thought about the tea since he'd ordered it, so he didn't hesitate in grabbing it for a drink. The attempt was quickly aborted with a cough as he set it back down in favor of covering his mouth.

He glanced up at Malcolm. "Sorry." Maybe it was just for show, maybe it was because he was honestly thirsty but Raylan took another, smoother drink.

"I'm tryin' to take care of my heart. And other things. Liver not included."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm canted his head slightly at Raylan's reaction to the drink, but seemed to skate past it.

"Maybe there are new added benefits to living longer in your life now," he suggested.

He paused, then gestured to the drink, watching Raylan's face. "Did it go down the wrong tube?"

[tinstar]

"Maybe so." He could definitely see the biggest benefit for caring across from him. "Might have to start runnin' on my days off."

The tea was given a look, one that Raylan thought was simple enough, but in reality showed his slightly disgusted disinterest. "Nah, I just.." He wiped the sides of his mouth. "Forgot where I was when I ordered. It's fine," he assured, face crumpling in his confidence, hand waving back and forth a little before dropping back into his lap.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm looked at him oddly. "What does that mean?" he asked curiously. He considered the glass. "Is iced tea different where you live?"

[tinstar]

Raylan lifted his eyebrows. "That's Unsweetened Tea." He said it like it explained everything with an accusatory finger pointed at the glass and while some could brush it off as him just having a preference, it was deeper than that. Who knew Iced Tea could be so cultural?

"Which is very nearly a sin, where I live."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiled a little and pushed the sugar dish from his coffee service towards Raylan.

"You can have this sugar," he offered.

[tinstar]

The sugar was eyed before Raylan looked over at Malcolm. "That won't save it, it'll just make it taste weirder. But thank you anyway." He appreciated it, he just wasn't going to use it.

"If the sugar doesn't dissolve with the water when it's made, it tastes different. Plus, too much sugar and it just settles at the bottom." He made another face. Sugar at the bottom was worse.

[abrightboy]

"... Do they put enough sugar in that it won't dissolve at room temperature?" he asked with the same morbid interest with which he discussed the motives behind weird murders. "Because sugar is highly soluable, so that'd have to be... a lot."

[tinstar]

Raylan frowned a little at him. "It doesn't work like that. It's only about a cup and a half to a quart, if you like it sweet. Cold doesn't dissolve as effectively. This?" He pointed at his cup and pulled it over, tugging Malcolm's sugar cup closer to spoon three spoonfuls in.

Was that a lot? He didn't know.

But as he stirred it, only about 1/2 of it even thought about dissolving, leaving a good 1/4 at the bottom even as he continued to beat it. When he stopped and sat back, Malcolm would see the granules swirling at the bottom before settling.

[abrightboy]

He didn't drink sweet drinks. Was three teaspoons in a glass a lot? It seemed like a lot.

"So now it's ruined?" he hazarded. "You can order something else," he offered.

[tinstar]

Raylan scoffed a chuckle. "I'm going to have to. I could have taken it without the sugar, but now that it's in there." He pushed it away from him a little with a look.

"Do they serve anything that's not wine or brewed?" He glanced around for a waiter. "I'm supposed to be on vacation, right?" He could have a drink with lunch.

[abrightboy]

"It's a restaurant. Have whatever you want," Malcolm said with a laugh. "You are on vacation." He took a sip of his coffee. "What do you feel like having?"

[tinstar]

"It's probably too early for scotch, isn't it? Beer," he nodded instead, opting for a more responsible option. "I'll ask him when he comes back with the food."

[abrightboy]

"Plus it'll lead into stadium beer," Malcolm pointed out. "I think they actually have a whole list of craft beers that they keep on tap here."

[tinstar]

"Been a long time since I haven't had something out of a bottle. Just keep away the IPA's. They're not beer, they're a pisswater experiment."

Raylan lifted his chin and eyebrows as he spotted a food laden waiter coming their way, adjusting his jacket a little as he shifted in his chair. It... wasn't theirs. Raylan slumped a little in his seat with a soft breath.

"How's the coffee?"

[abrightboy]

"It's decent."

Malcolm held a hand up and their waiter suddenly appeared.

"What do you have on tap?" he asked.

[tinstar]

Raylan blinked at the sudden appearance and lifted his face and eyebrows a little as he listened to the waiter dutifully recite their current labels. Was that some Rich Person Superpower?

None of the names rung a bell.

"A pint of your most popular, light toned, non-IPA beer, please." He'd trust him. Anything was better than Sweetened Unsweetened tea.

[abrightboy]

The waiter nodded and quickly returned with a beer in a tall glass with a slice of an orange on the rim, setting it down in front of Raylan.

"That'll be a white ale," Malcolm told him when the waiter left.

[tinstar]

"White ale," Raylan echoed, pulling up up for a drink after pulling out and discarding the orange slice. "It's not bad."

He gestured vaguely towards the restaurant. "Is that how it always is? You lift your hand and people just appear?"

[abrightboy]

Malcolm shrugged a shoulder. "Yeah." He reached over and picked up the discarded orange slice, taking a bite of it. "These waiters go to special training, they're not... students or something. They're career waitstaff."

[tinstar]

"They have a waitstaff school?" His face displayed just how foreign that idea was but he waved it off with a shake of his head. "'Course they do. Is that the same as butler school? Or is that a different course."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smirked a little bit and poked his orange peel towards Raylan.

"I think you might be making fun of me," he noted good-naturedly.