tinstar | Malcolm x Raylan: Cowboy Surprise

Malcolm x Raylan: Cowboy Surprise

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.

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He nodded, leaning in to give him one more tight hug and a kiss before letting go.

"Take care of yourself," he said, following Raylan to the door. He'd stay in the doorway until Raylan got in the elevator.

Gathering his hat and keys, Raylan glanced back with a smile before heading out the door, into the hallway, and into the elevator.

It was his day to get coffee, as Rachel had not so subtly reminded him the day before and in an attempt to start the day off on a good note, Raylan wanted to make sure they couldn't hold that against him. If nothing else. Twenty minutes later and Raylan was walking into the office with 8 coffees with a short, "Morning. Brought the coffee," before setting the coffee down on Rachel's desk and stealing one.

Once the office knew there was half decent coffee, it was every man for himself.

Tim came over to grab one while Rachel snagged one of her own with a look over at Raylan, who was settling down at his desk.

"I'm surprised you're on time."

"Hmm?" Raylan hummed distractedly before turning his focus to her like he hadn't really heard.

"We had a bet goin' as to if you'd even come in today," Tim was happy to explain, the faint lift at the corners of his mouth the closest he came to a smile when he was giving Raylan shit. "I had twenty on you comin' in, but several hours late."

Rachel sat back in her chair and sipped her coffee as she eyed Raylan. "I bet you wouldn't come in at all."

Raylan huffed a self conscious smile that he glanced at his lap before rolling his face back up to them. "Does that mean I get the proceeds?"

"Nah, I do," Art said, coming out of his office. "Did you bring the coffee?"

All three of them pointed at the coffees in unison.

"Well good," Art continued with a little nasal breath of approval as he came over to collect his own. "I bet you'd come in with that innocent look on your face and try to act all casual like you do."

Raylan turned that exact face towards him. "I have no idea what you're talkin' about."

"Uh-huh," Art drawled. "You got somethin' pressin' or can I bend your ear a minute?"

Raylan shook his head and stood up, letting Art lead the way.

Malcolm made his way to the big box for supplies. He didn't head for a garden centre yet; he had to build the herb garden first and figure out where he was placing the colourful ceramic pot he bought for the tomato. He might not be able to manage the construction in one day; he had to force himself to focus on one thing at a time.

Raylan could guess what was coming. A full confrontation of not only how he did his job but how he let the people he went to bed with influence him and what the hell kind of phase was he going through.

"You want a drink?" Art offered conversationally as he shuffled back behind his desk and sat down.

"It's not even ten yet, I think I'm good."

"Good," Art declared with a grunt as he got settled and took a sip of his coffee, hooded eyes locked on Raylan. "You doin' okay?"

Raylan tilted his head a little, eyes squinting. "Look, Art, I know you got somethin' to say, so just.. come on out and say it instead of this pussyfootin' around." He hated this tension.

Art eyed him for a long second. "Okay," he said, nodding as he sat forward to prop his forearms on his desk. "You let that little guy from New York have a lotta range yesterday with that Jeremy kid. I've seen you stonewall and bully the Feebs down. If I wasn't mistaken, you have gone soft for someone... I need to know if that's gonna be a problem. Since Mr. Bright seems to find his way into more and more of our cases." His head tilted with the non question, almost daring Raylan to be stupid enough to tell him he was wrong.

Raylan almost literally chewed over the words as they came at him, jaw working overtime in its growing tightness. This was it; this was the bullet he had to bite. He needed to do this job, but if he had to choose, he would choose Malcolm over his badge. To hell with Boyd, if that's the way it had to be. No matter how much he really did want to see that man behind bars and out of the public for good.

It'd be better for everyone.

"We got the guy," he said evenly.

"Yeah, after a second stand-off where he demanded to see Malcolm and wanted to use you both to get outta here. Why was that, Raylan? What, you think he thought you were partners?"

"Wouldn't be outta the way for him to assume that, considerin'," Raylan argued with a pinch of his brows. "We got the guy, saved the kid, saved the cop. Exactly what is the problem? Inn't that what we're supposed to do?"

Art weighed that for a minute, face stone set in it's hooded brow of suspicion before sighing and leaning back again. "He does do good work," he admitted, begrudgingly.

"Are you sleepin' with him," Art asked, eyes narrowing a little more, but the tone was a familiar one to Raylan; a gently pointed question. "Because you seem to get around sometimes, and after Winona.." Art had watched more than a few set of eyes follow Raylan around over the years, not to mention the cases that Raylan had tainted with his sex life. He wouldn't blame Raylan for finding some affection, the age he was.

It was, ultimately, a fair question.

Raylan's jaw tightened and loosened as he took a breath, eyes dropping for a long moment into his lap before coming back up. "Is it gonna to matter?" This was where he assumed Art would say yes. That he was too attached, too close. That their relationship meant they shouldn't work together. Couldn't work together.

"Only so long as neither of you do somethin' stupid."

Raylan couldn't help but huff a laugh into his lap before lifting his eyebrows at one of his oldest friends that he hadn't grown up with. "Would I do somethin' like that?"

"Yes," Art said flatly.

Raylan chuckled and sighed as he set his coffee down and rubbed his face.

"You goin' to take him to Miami with you?"

"Yeah," Raylan said, shoulders slumping in something of relief. "Yeah, he's gonna come with me."

"He know about Willa and Winona?"

"Yeah. He's good with Willa and Winona.." Raylan winced. "Work in progress."

"I bet," Art replied with a faint lift of his eyebrows. "How'd she take it?"

"She blew up," he said, sitting back with a flop of his hand. "But she hasn't pulled any bullshit yet over it."

"You oughta get papers. You work in a court house Raylan, you've heard how these things go."

"I know," he said, reluctant to get into the details at all. "But we'll figure it out. We always do. Winona doesn't want me outta Willa's life; she'll learn to play nice."

Art snorted. "You got a lot to learn about bein' divorced."

Raylan bobbed his head in concession and a few beats of silence passed. "So are we good?"

Art let a few more moments go by as he thought about it. "Yeah. For now. Until you do somethin' to piss me off."

Raylan smirked. "I'll do my best to avoid that then."

Art nodded and sat forward again to gesture towards the door. "Now get out. Some of us got work to do."

Raylan fought the smile that threatened to spread and nodded, pushing to his feet before grabbing his coffee and heading towards the door.

It was after lunch time before Malcolm texted Raylan.

I don't think I'm going to finish this today. My half built mess is going to be anticlimactic. How is your day going?

I'm out in Harlan. Talk with Art went okay. I don't know what he thinks about it all but I'm not fired.

Most projects take more than one day, don't worry about it. I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got done.

Let me know when you're on your way home. I got something to make while I was out. Do you like scallops?

Will do. I like a scallop. It'll be a few hours

I know. At least a few. And as much as I enjoy the appearance of a Surprise Raylan though the door, a heads up will have food on the table. You're not in Harlan because they were giving you a hard time?

Nah. Ava and Boyd. Once I get back I've got some paperwork to do but that wont take me long.

I miss you.

Malcolm smiled down at the phone.

Well, the upside is that - if you don't procrastinate that paperwork too hard - you'll see my real face instead of my video face.

He paused and took a selfie with his mess of this half built herb garden, grinning at the camera and sent it.

Maybe me having a hard time building rectangles will hold you over. I miss you too.

Edited 2020-09-05 13:02 (UTC)

I like that upside.

The sudden delivery of a picture was, in a word, adorable. None of the people he'd dated so far was into selfies like that, but Malcolm was, technically, part of a different generation and one that was far more comfortable with technology than Raylan was. He grinned at the phone.

It'll have to. I'll see ya soon.

Well, soon was a lie, a few hours was not soon, but after seeing the inside of Tramble Pen and more of Harlan then he wanted to, he was finally headed back to Lexington and his office, for that last bit of work that he would try to power through.

Malcolm got a simple text as he hit the road. ETA 2 1/2 hours til I'm back in Lexington

Drive safe. I love you.

Scallops didn't take long to make and Raylan had paperwork to do still, so Malcolm puttered away at his project a little longer before cleaning up.

They still had the previous day's bean salad as a side and he hoped Raylan wasn't bored of it, though he was pretty sure he'd disapprove of wasting it quite strongly.

The scallops recipe was simple and easy to follow and he was in the kitchen, leaning on the counter, reading a novel with David Bowie on the stereo by the time Raylan was due to arrive.

Raylan reread that last message over again in his mind as he drove, unaware of the soft, half dopy happy smile that was living on his face now. Once he was back in Lexington, he pushed to get through his paperwork, happy to be left alone long enough to do so. Last thing he needed was a phone call, this late, that delayed him more.

But he got none and got to leave shortly after, almost giddy to go home to a place that had someone warm and waiting for him.

He walked in with the same smile that he'd ridden into Lexington with, pulling his hat off as the door closed behind him.

"Knock knock," he announced himself, hanging his hat and ambling over towards the kitchen. "Smells good in here," he praised, immediately heading for Malcolm with an intent to kiss him in proper greeting

Malcolm looked up as he heard the door open, grinning broadly at the sound of Raylan's voice, tossing his book on the counter to go and intercept him on his way, just as intent to wrap arms around him.

"Hi!" he said brightly, just before he got close enough to throw his arms around Raylan's neck and meet the kiss.

Malcolm looked happy. Unbothered. Bright. Good. It was a boost of its own for Raylan who gathered him in one arm, off hand settling on the high of Malcolm's hip.

"Mm, I could get used to this kind of welcome," he murmured when the kiss broke. "Had a good day?"

"It's always better once you get here," he admitted, "but I went shopping... I made a mess...." he explained, gesturing around, then he looked at Raylan. "That's normal stuff, right?"

Raylan glanced around at the mess with a grin, happy it was here too. "Yes, very normal," he assured stealing another kiss before pulling back and away to start getting comfortable. Gun and badge on counter was his first stop before he peeled off his jacket and started in on his tie.

"Do I get to see the garden box? How far did you get on that today?" Did you have fun? It was underlying there somewhere, in his features, in his tone. Malcolm's selfie looked like he was having fun.

Malcolm laughed. "I will show it to you... let me just take these out of the oven," he said, pulling the tray of scallops out and setting them on top before coming back around the counter, his fingers brushing lightly over Raylan's badge as he passed it before heading towards the terrace.

"I only made one of the boxes," he said. "And it's not great. And it's my third attempt. I have to buy more wood tomorrow."

He had fun. And frustration. But it kept his brain busy, regardless. But that smile? That smile had been for Raylan.

He stood in front of it and looked down at it dubiously and then looked at Raylan. It was a little crooked but at least there were no signficant gaps between the pieces this time.

Taking the chance to pull his shirt from his waist, Raylan hummed in anticipation of what he saw on that tray and started unbuttoning his shirt as he followed Malcolm out.

"No one's perfect outta the gate," he assured with a grin as he stepped out and stopped in front of the box. His eyebrows lifting, face curling with a nod of approval. "Four sides and a bottom - looks like a box to me. Good job," he praised, slipping his arm around Malcolm's waist with another nod. "I bet the next one you get together will be better than this too. The whole practice makes perfect thing. Wood is no different."

He looked at the box, then looked at Raylan again. "The instructions make it look so simple," he almost pouted. "I thought I'd at least get it up and painted in a day."

He was not used to finding learning things difficult.

"The guy in the video built the whole thing in, like, an hour and a half."

"Yeah, but I bet he was a pro or something," Raylan dismissed with a bob of his head and a smile. "I bet he didn't manage a box on his first day."

He smiled at Malcolm.

"Ya did good." He looked back inside at the meal and then back again. "How much longer til dinner is done?"

"It's done now!" he exclaimed with some excitement. "I just need to plate it."

He went back inside and into the kitchen, setting nine scallops on one plate and three on the other and a serving of beans on the first plate and couple of beans on the other. He then rummaged in the fridge and set a sprig of fresh parsley on each plate, grabbed a couple of rolls of silverware and carried them over to the table.

"Ta-da!" He looked at Raylan. "What do you want to drink?"

Raylan turned them towards the door, following Malcolm inside and shutting the doors behind them as he went.

"You cooked, I'll get my own drink. And yours too. What do you want to drink?" he asked as he gestured to the table before heading towards the kitchen himself.

"There's sparkling water in the fridge," he said with a charmed smile, sitting down. "I'll have a glass of that."

He slid the napkin ring off his silverware and set the napkin across his lap.

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