// awoken.

“I think it’s far more about your masochistic tendencies than the time of day, babe.” Malcolm shot back, strong-arming his growing smile into a teasing smirk instead. Payton’s warm hand encircling his wrist was a comfort, a steadying presence that beat back some the stomach-churning pain that he had been clenching his teeth against all morning. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.” He added, mentally reflecting on the many things that he would like to do to and with the man in front of him.

As much as Malcolm may have put on a front that he did not like Payton’s forward and focused affection, the way that the other man didn’t hesitate to make sure he knew that it was him that he was looking for and needing soothed parts of his heart and soul that he didn’t even realized needed soothing. Malc was fine being alone and had fought against the idea of a relationship for a long time. He had seen his parents, had witnessed their spiral against one another, and that was a hard image to shake out of his head. When Payton was standing next to him, blue eyes gentle and focused on nothing else but himself, those intrusive memories blurred. “You try to keep that coffee from me and I will lock you in the trunk of this car.” Malcolm threatened, twisting his wrist in Payton’s hold so that Malc could wrap shaky fingers around the other’s arm instead, lifting his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to his palm. “I would have taken on that boyfriend label sooner if I knew it’d get me delivery.” He added, not being able to help but rib the VP.

//

As the lips of the other were considerately caressed against his flesh, Payton exhaled. Finding an unusual comfort in his grasp, as if the simplistic show of attraction was enough to ease his mind and land him back into reality beside Malcolm. "Getting you to accept a label, is about as easy as tellin' someone who can't swim not to sink while in the deep end." Shaking his head, he let cerulean hues land on the other male, searching his features. As if he was continually waiting for the other shoe to drop, or some unknown force to take away his momentary happiness. Partly because it seemed the unspoken trend of his life, though thankfully, he knew a fight would be put up from both sides if anything of the like ever happened.

Chris: Hey man, how are you?

Chris: How's Malcolm healing up?

Payton: Long days, longer nights.

Payton: Stubborn as all hell but he makes it look easy.

//

There were a limited number of places that Malcolm could go while still favoring his injury. Not only was he at a disadvantage should he run into someone that had an issue with the patch on his back due to the injury itself, but he was still in so much pain that he was either sweating his ass off and trying to not to retch his guts out or flying on pain meds- no in between. That day, he had chosen to try to do without the meds that were stashed in the pocket of his leather jacket that was currently tossed over one of the many tool boxes in the garage. Due to that, Malc needed something lowkey to keep his mind off the burning ache in his shoulder and fiddling with car engines was good for that.

The sound of his last name had him straightening from where he had been leaning over to peer inside the hood of a old ass Corolla, awkwardly fiddling with the inner workings of the machine with one hand since he was respecting Cami’s suggestion about religiously wearing his sling. Recognizing the voice of his boyfriend before he had even laid eyes on him, a smile formed on Malcolm’s lips then he was rolling his eyes at his less than subtle announcement. “You need me to tuck you in in the mornings too, Fischer?” Malcolm shot back, wiping his grease covered hand on his black jeans and raising a brow at the other man in challenge. “Figured I’d just leave you to get that beauty sleep you been needing.”

//

"Rude," Comes his clever retort, strides growing shorter as he approached Malcolm. "--you know what it does to me when you insult me this early in the morning." Reaching out, fingers grasped at his wrist, encompassing the pad of his thumb atop his pulse there. It was steady, and a recent echo that Payton found himself reaching for at all times. It brought him peace, and some sort of comfort he couldn't encounter anywhere else. "And as far as being tucked in goes, you know me, I'll try anything once."

closed starter for: @paytonfischer​

First night after she left Remy’s was maybe the worst for Ana. Her dark apartment left her no feeling of safety at all, forcing her to let every light turned on and the tv blasting some late night movie so she would not feel so alone. As expected as it was, she could not fall asleep so she ended up watching the movie, just to maybe tire herself and fall asleep naturally or just get her mind off of everything that had happened. 

But then her body jerked up as she heard a hasty knocking at her door, although before getting any kind of idea she heard Payton’s voice calling her name while the loud knocks continued. She got up from her couch immediately and carefully proceeded to open the door just to reveal Payton standing in the hallway. She could not feel more glad to see someone at that time and just a simple look at him formed a bulge in her throat. “You got my message?”

//

Waiting just outside the door, Payton rocked back on his heels. He was anxious, though he was doing his best to compose that side of himself. Because the last thing he needed to be doing was putting Ana more on edge as he awaited the blonde to come to the door. And when she ultimately released the locks, and he could see her frame, a small streak of light pooling in through the crack he exhaled. "I got your message."

Looking over her, he nodded his head just once before he moved inside her apartment, a hand reaching out to squeeze her arm along the way. It wasn't until they were inside safe, that he turned towards her, gaze sweeping over the woman. "They're a dead man now, you know that?" Payton was more than aware of Ana's capabilities, but it didn't mean he would idly sit aside after something like this. In fact, he was already buzzing with the need for some type of revenge. "What can you remember?"