Mocha 3 & CCM 14 (last Mocha!)
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, Post NIEE
Challenge: Mocha 3 (might as well) & CCM 14 (saturated)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, cookie crumbs
Word Count: 1,298
Rating: G
Summary: How the Talk got planned and how the three figured out their 'attack'.
Notes: This piece has been demanding a cookie crumbs since I wrote it. So this is it. Lots of amusing fluff-type. Also, my last Mocha! (Part two of the Summer Challenge!)
Colin sat back one night, sipping an ale. “So, Morgan and Mal have finally made it official,” he said as he, Russ, Sorin, and Dean sat outside Sorin’s small house in the garden, enjoying the gorgeous summer evening.
“Good for them,” Sorin said, ignoring their lantern as it guttered out, leaving them to deal with only the natural light of the moon.
“I think it will be good for both of them,” Russ put in.
“You are both missing the point! Mal’s dating Morgan,” Colin said. “We could have so much fun with this.”
Dean snickered. “You are evil, Colin.”
“Hey, now, just keeping things interesting! And Morgan’s like a little sister. Er, like another little sister, since Jez is technically mine, even though she attempts to kill me when I remind her of that. But my point is that we have a duty since she is an only child,” he said righteously. “Who else is going to give Mal the Talk?”
“Her father?” Sorin asked, amused. “Do you forget that we like Mal?”
“That’s not the point!” Colin said.
“I could be on board with this,” Russ said thoughtfully. “I think we can agree that the last thing we want is Morgan getting hurt. And although I don’t think that Mal will...we could enjoy this.”
Sorin sat back. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. But if I’m doing this, I get to go last.”
“Deal,” Colin said, just happy to have the other two on board. “I’ll go first!”
**
It took some time before Colin had a chance to get Mal alone. He and Morgan, as they had been almost from the moment Mal had joined the organization, were practically inseparable. He couldn’t argue with that though, because the two of them got results like very few of his other agents managed, except perhaps Russ and Dean.
Therefore, the moment Mal was there on his own - Morgan had gone off to accomplish a short mission by herself - Colin sprung. He sat down across from Mal, leaning over his desk in an attempt to sort of loom while still sitting. “So you and Morgan have made it official.”
“Yes?” Mal said and Colin could hear the question in it and strove to keep a solemn face and maybe even manage to look stern.
“Morgan’s been working for me a long time.”
“I know that,” Mal said, eyeing Colin worriedly.
Colin steepled his fingers as he stared down his nose at Mal. The truth was he did like Mal quite a bit and he knew that Mal hadn’t had the easiest time of life either, but he both couldn’t resist and wanted to protect Morgan, a habit engrained in him almost since he’d met Morgan when she joined at sixteen. “And I care a lot about her wellbeing.”
“So do I,” Mal said and Colin could see the hint of a smile around his eyes. Time to pull out the big guns.
First step, the full name. “I’m just saying. I don’t want to see her hurt, Malcolm. It was bad enough watching her in the months following the incident with Chris, not to mention how that still affects her.” Colin slipped the serious comment in there, just to remind Mal, although he was sure the other man couldn’t forget.
“I know the story and I know how she is. Honestly, Colin, we do commu-”
He cut him off with the final threat. “You hurt her and you will regret it for the rest of your life. I run a spy network. The best ever and you can’t hide from that.”
Mal nodded very solemnly. “I promise I won’t hurt her,” he said, so Colin decided the point had been made so they moved on to current business.
**
Colin quietly told Russ it was his turn and Russ thought about it a lot before approaching Mal. Colin had filled him in on the route he had taken and Russ had a good idea of how Sorin would deal with the situation and he didn’t want to repeat either. It needed to be its own separate threat, both ridiculous and very serious at the same time. Morgan deserved only the very best and, while he was sure Mal was the very best, he wanted to remind the younger man of that fact.
“Look, Mal, I like you,” Russ started, one day when Mal and Morgan were visiting and Russ had gotten Dean to entertain Morgan out in the garden.
“Thank you?” He could tell by the look on Mal’s face that the man knew generally what was coming, but wasn’t sure how Russ was going to deliver it.
“Morgan’s been my friend for a while now. And she’s like the little sibling I never had. Do you get me?”
“Yes, clearly,” Mal said.
Russ sat forward, holding his gaze firmly, keeping his voice low. “You know what I’ll do?”
Mal shook his head, eyes a bit wide, to Russ’s amusement.
“I will string you upside down, by your toes, leaving you outside for the wolves until...”
“I get the point!” Mal interrupted, holding up his hands. “No need for any more description. I won’t hurt her, promise!”
Russ smiled calmly, sitting back in his chair. “You had better. She deserves the best.”
“I will do my best,” Mal said and then hastily sprung from his chair and bolted from the room. As soon as Russ was sure he was out of hearing range, he burst into laughter, getting up himself to find Sorin and inform him it was his turn whenever.
**
Sorin caught Mal’s eye one day a week or so later and decided it was time for them to have their little chat, so motioned the younger man over. A look of something akin to terror crossed Mal’s face and he said something to Morgan who only laughed, kissed him on the cheek and sent him over as she went to help Dean with the garden.
Mal wasted no time upon reaching him. “Can I cut you off at the pass?” he asked.
Sorin barely kept from smiling at that and was tempted, for an instant, to tell him yes, but he knew what Colin and Russ had said and thought one more point needed to be made before Mal and Morgan were left to their, hopefully, forever happy relationship. “No, just listen. I know you have your own demons, Mal, and I know that sometimes there will be bad days. Morgan has her fair share of those as well.” He held Mal’s gaze, speaking from experience and knowing Mal knew that and that would make it all the more potent. “What I ask of you is that you don’t hold them in. You share everything with her from the good to the bad to the just plain shitty. You apologize when it’s your fault and you treat her right all the time, no matter how bad of a day it is. Do you understand?”
Mal all but shot to attention and Sorin was reminded that he was, first, a soldier, and a damn fine one at that. “Yes, sir!”
Sorin now let himself smile, patting Mal on the shoulder. “Oh, and if you do break her heart? You are in deep trouble, Malcolm Rees.”
“I am well aware. I promise that if anyone’s heart gets broken, it will be mine.”
He nodded, not bothering to hide his intense amusement. “Good choice.”
Mal took that as a dismissal and turned, but Sorin wasn’t quite done.
“Oh, and Mal?”
The younger man looked back at him. “Yeah?” he asked, obviously less nervous now.
“Good luck. I have all the faith in the world that you two will be very happy.”
A broad grin broke across Mal’s face. “I hope so too!”
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, Post NIEE
Challenge: Mocha 3 (might as well) & CCM 14 (saturated)
Toppings & Extras: Caramel, cookie crumbs
Word Count: 1,298
Rating: G
Summary: How the Talk got planned and how the three figured out their 'attack'.
Notes: This piece has been demanding a cookie crumbs since I wrote it. So this is it. Lots of amusing fluff-type. Also, my last Mocha! (Part two of the Summer Challenge!)
Colin sat back one night, sipping an ale. “So, Morgan and Mal have finally made it official,” he said as he, Russ, Sorin, and Dean sat outside Sorin’s small house in the garden, enjoying the gorgeous summer evening.
“Good for them,” Sorin said, ignoring their lantern as it guttered out, leaving them to deal with only the natural light of the moon.
“I think it will be good for both of them,” Russ put in.
“You are both missing the point! Mal’s dating Morgan,” Colin said. “We could have so much fun with this.”
Dean snickered. “You are evil, Colin.”
“Hey, now, just keeping things interesting! And Morgan’s like a little sister. Er, like another little sister, since Jez is technically mine, even though she attempts to kill me when I remind her of that. But my point is that we have a duty since she is an only child,” he said righteously. “Who else is going to give Mal the Talk?”
“Her father?” Sorin asked, amused. “Do you forget that we like Mal?”
“That’s not the point!” Colin said.
“I could be on board with this,” Russ said thoughtfully. “I think we can agree that the last thing we want is Morgan getting hurt. And although I don’t think that Mal will...we could enjoy this.”
Sorin sat back. “Okay, you’ve convinced me. But if I’m doing this, I get to go last.”
“Deal,” Colin said, just happy to have the other two on board. “I’ll go first!”
**
It took some time before Colin had a chance to get Mal alone. He and Morgan, as they had been almost from the moment Mal had joined the organization, were practically inseparable. He couldn’t argue with that though, because the two of them got results like very few of his other agents managed, except perhaps Russ and Dean.
Therefore, the moment Mal was there on his own - Morgan had gone off to accomplish a short mission by herself - Colin sprung. He sat down across from Mal, leaning over his desk in an attempt to sort of loom while still sitting. “So you and Morgan have made it official.”
“Yes?” Mal said and Colin could hear the question in it and strove to keep a solemn face and maybe even manage to look stern.
“Morgan’s been working for me a long time.”
“I know that,” Mal said, eyeing Colin worriedly.
Colin steepled his fingers as he stared down his nose at Mal. The truth was he did like Mal quite a bit and he knew that Mal hadn’t had the easiest time of life either, but he both couldn’t resist and wanted to protect Morgan, a habit engrained in him almost since he’d met Morgan when she joined at sixteen. “And I care a lot about her wellbeing.”
“So do I,” Mal said and Colin could see the hint of a smile around his eyes. Time to pull out the big guns.
First step, the full name. “I’m just saying. I don’t want to see her hurt, Malcolm. It was bad enough watching her in the months following the incident with Chris, not to mention how that still affects her.” Colin slipped the serious comment in there, just to remind Mal, although he was sure the other man couldn’t forget.
“I know the story and I know how she is. Honestly, Colin, we do commu-”
He cut him off with the final threat. “You hurt her and you will regret it for the rest of your life. I run a spy network. The best ever and you can’t hide from that.”
Mal nodded very solemnly. “I promise I won’t hurt her,” he said, so Colin decided the point had been made so they moved on to current business.
**
Colin quietly told Russ it was his turn and Russ thought about it a lot before approaching Mal. Colin had filled him in on the route he had taken and Russ had a good idea of how Sorin would deal with the situation and he didn’t want to repeat either. It needed to be its own separate threat, both ridiculous and very serious at the same time. Morgan deserved only the very best and, while he was sure Mal was the very best, he wanted to remind the younger man of that fact.
“Look, Mal, I like you,” Russ started, one day when Mal and Morgan were visiting and Russ had gotten Dean to entertain Morgan out in the garden.
“Thank you?” He could tell by the look on Mal’s face that the man knew generally what was coming, but wasn’t sure how Russ was going to deliver it.
“Morgan’s been my friend for a while now. And she’s like the little sibling I never had. Do you get me?”
“Yes, clearly,” Mal said.
Russ sat forward, holding his gaze firmly, keeping his voice low. “You know what I’ll do?”
Mal shook his head, eyes a bit wide, to Russ’s amusement.
“I will string you upside down, by your toes, leaving you outside for the wolves until...”
“I get the point!” Mal interrupted, holding up his hands. “No need for any more description. I won’t hurt her, promise!”
Russ smiled calmly, sitting back in his chair. “You had better. She deserves the best.”
“I will do my best,” Mal said and then hastily sprung from his chair and bolted from the room. As soon as Russ was sure he was out of hearing range, he burst into laughter, getting up himself to find Sorin and inform him it was his turn whenever.
**
Sorin caught Mal’s eye one day a week or so later and decided it was time for them to have their little chat, so motioned the younger man over. A look of something akin to terror crossed Mal’s face and he said something to Morgan who only laughed, kissed him on the cheek and sent him over as she went to help Dean with the garden.
Mal wasted no time upon reaching him. “Can I cut you off at the pass?” he asked.
Sorin barely kept from smiling at that and was tempted, for an instant, to tell him yes, but he knew what Colin and Russ had said and thought one more point needed to be made before Mal and Morgan were left to their, hopefully, forever happy relationship. “No, just listen. I know you have your own demons, Mal, and I know that sometimes there will be bad days. Morgan has her fair share of those as well.” He held Mal’s gaze, speaking from experience and knowing Mal knew that and that would make it all the more potent. “What I ask of you is that you don’t hold them in. You share everything with her from the good to the bad to the just plain shitty. You apologize when it’s your fault and you treat her right all the time, no matter how bad of a day it is. Do you understand?”
Mal all but shot to attention and Sorin was reminded that he was, first, a soldier, and a damn fine one at that. “Yes, sir!”
Sorin now let himself smile, patting Mal on the shoulder. “Oh, and if you do break her heart? You are in deep trouble, Malcolm Rees.”
“I am well aware. I promise that if anyone’s heart gets broken, it will be mine.”
He nodded, not bothering to hide his intense amusement. “Good choice.”
Mal took that as a dismissal and turned, but Sorin wasn’t quite done.
“Oh, and Mal?”
The younger man looked back at him. “Yeah?” he asked, obviously less nervous now.
“Good luck. I have all the faith in the world that you two will be very happy.”
A broad grin broke across Mal’s face. “I hope so too!”