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Malcolm swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. He lifted it to is lips, taking a small sip before lowering the crystal glass back on the breakfast bar with a click of the glass meeting the marble stone countertops.
It was late.
Around one AM, or, it had been the last time Malcolm glanced at his watch. He hadn’t for a while, but he knew it was late.
It was one of those nights where he wasn’t even going to attempt to put himself to bed. It had been a long, rough day at work, and at this point, the night terrors weren’t worth it. He’d really just be subjecting himself to the torture that was tossing and turning in bed while chasing just a few hours of sleep—and that, if you can imagine, isn’t very pleasant when your arms are restrained to the bed.
Malcolm blew out a sigh.
Sunshine’s chitters and tweets from her cage filled the late-night silence. It was comforting—that he wasn’t alone. Even if his company was just a bird, he still felt better knowing she was there with him. Not completely alone in his loft—with his thoughts.
He didn’t want to be alone.
Over the years, Sunshine’s sleep-wake periods seemed to match up with his own. She listened for him, and was always happily trilling away when he woke, or arrived home. She slept when he slept, or when he was out, but she was always the light of his life when he was home and conscious.
The only living being always happy to see him, no matter what.
She was one of the few things that easily brought a smile to his face, no matter his mood, or where he stood with Gil, his family, and the team on any specific day. Her happy chirps and tweets, a cheery greeting whistle she’d give him whenever she saw him after periods of absence or sleep.
He’d more often than not return her soft whistle fondly, smile curling onto his face as she tapped about happily in her cage at the attention. She was easy to please, and Malcolm adored how easy it was to make her happy. The feeling was mutual.
Malcolm released his grip on the glass, pushing himself up on the countertop and making his way towards Sunshine’s cage. It was small for her, he knew, but when he was home, she was usually allowed free run of the loft.
She’d had a bigger cage for a while, when she was younger, but had never seemed comfortable in it. Always preferred a small space when she wasn’t out exploring the loft.
Malcolm smiled softly as his fingers lifted to the cage door, pushing it open and watching as Sunshine tapped along the perch as she waited for her release. She gave him a couple eager trills, head bobbing as he finally reached his hand in as an offering.
Sunshine hopped up onto his finger without a second thought, her small feet tightening around his finger for support as he pulled his hand out, her coming along for the ride.
“Hello, pretty girl,” Malcolm greeted, bringing his hand towards his face, where Sunshine bumped her beak against his nose with a chirp that Malcolm liked to think was a greeting of her own. She couldn't talk real words at him, but in her own way she did. He smiled fondly, stroking her head with his other hand before raising her up to his shoulder, where she liked to perch and accompany him with his free time.
She sidestepped easily along his shoulder as Malcolm returned to his drink, leaning over the counter tiredly. He took another sip, swallowing the smooth liquid as his eyes fluttered closed. She paced back and forth twice before pausing.
He didn’t open his eyes until Sunshine jerked off his shoulder.
He watched her fly around for a moment, taking a couple laps around the room to stretch her wings before she was returning to him like usual; where she’d either land back on his shoulder, or beside him on the counter.
This time, she landed easily on the counter beside him, tucking her wings and feathers in before moving freely along the counter. Her claws tapped on the countertops, but the sound was more comforting to Malcolm than it really was annoying. Her presence beside him.
Malcolm liked watching his bird just existing. Seeing her be so calm in his presence. Her company was a breath of fresh air, because Sunshine only saw the good in him. Birds weren’t as quick to judge as other people were.
Sunshine would never care who his father was, or what the man had done. She’d never look at Malcolm like he was a monster for simply being born with the Surgeon as his father.
She’d never turn away from him for the things he’d done—his odd hyper fixation on murders and solving cases. The interest that turned people off, and raised red flags in potential friends and co-workers because his father was a serial killer. She liked listening to him ramble about the case, or his day and often was just as enthusiastic when chirping back at him.
She never made him feel any different from any other bird owner. From any other human she met—if anything, she held him on his own pedestal.
She greeted him fondly, no matter what.
When he returned after late nights at the precinct, or when he woke her with his night terrors.
When he returned bruised and sore—or completely broken. She wasn’t afraid to settle on his shoulder, or his finger when it was offered, whether he was in pain or not.
She never cared. Never made a big deal of it. Never treated him any differently. She always saw him for what he was... Malcolm Bright; her owner.
And he liked that.
Sunshine was always there for him.
Through the rough nights of no sleep, such as this one.
Through the terrified mornings when he flailed himself awake from a nightmare, her calls from her cage loud and panicked-- grounding him to reality and drawing him in to comfort not only her, but himself as well.
Her soft trills when his mother would visit and leave in the span of fifteen minutes, or when Gil would follow him up for worried check ins. Her chitters that honestly felt more like she was checking in with him like Gil, than just her usual singing she'd do for him.
He watched as she trotted along the counter tops.
Getting into trouble.
She liked to knock his pill bottles over, and toss them over the edge of the counter, but it was more endearing than annoying. He’d smile and laugh and pick them up after she returned herself to her cage. She always found one way or another to be devious, but it was a spark of excitement in Malcolm’s life. She liked the rattle of the pill he was sure, or maybe she just didn't like the bottles on the counter. He wasn't really sure.
Like always, she pushed the bottles off the counter one by one, staring down when they hit the floor like she’d completed a task of some sort before tilting her head at him when he’d halfheartedly scolded her. It never phased her-- but then again, he was never really upset about it. He didn’t make a move to pick them up for the process to repeat itself, so she continued on to be a nuisance elsewhere.
Her next target was a box.
She pecked ineffectively against a box of crackers he’d left out. She’d never get through the clear, plastic-y coating on the box, but he enjoyed the sheer determination she showed as she scraped her beak against the smooth cardboard.
Luckily, Malcolm had caught onto her tricks and what she wanted, reaching into the box and grabbing one of the expensive crackers he probably wouldn’t even eat.
His mother had gotten Louisa to drop off groceries on one of his longer work nights in the weeks prior—an invasion of privacy Malcolm was unfortunately very used too. He appreciated the gesture, but he was content with seltzer water and licorice.
Sunshine broke the cracker to bits easily, dropping crumbs as she walked along, eating very little of it compared to the mess she was making. Malcolm dropped his cheek against his fist, watching her with an adoring smile. She fluffed her feathers as if putting on a show for him before returning to her cracker.
She waltzes her way up to him, climbing up his arm settled on the counter top, crumbs of cracker dropping from her beak as she moves. His eyes follow her as she moves along his wrist and forearm, almost weightless on top of the fabric of his sweater.
He lifted his glass to his mouth, taking another sip as Sunshine climbed up his extended arm to settle on the bony part of his thumb, bumping her head against his cheek as he sips; almost jealous of the glass. He lowered the glass with his wrist, leaving his arm where it was so he could press a kiss to her head.
She nuzzled into him.
Malcolm smiled fondly as he let his hand drop back to the counter. The glass clinked again; this time accompanied by Sunshine's little claws clicking along the marble as she jumped from his hand. She returned to her cracker, taking another piece into her mouth, just to crumble it up.
It was quiet in the loft, so when his phone buzzed from across the counter where it was plugged in, Malcolm could easily hear it between Sunshine grinding cracker in her beak. He paused, eyes lifting slowly from Sunshine, to across the island where his smartphone was lit up with the notification.
He eyed his phone for a second before moving to grab it. His bird followed him, claws tapping on the counter as she chased him around the island. He smiled briefly as he moved to unplug his phone, unlocking it with a swipe of his thumb and opening the text notification.
It was from Dani.
Hey, you up?
Malcolm chewed his lip, looking at the bright 2:04AM on his phone before typing out his response: I’m always up.
There was nothing for a second, so he added Why are you up? If you don’t mind me asking?
Can’t sleep. The reply came a moment later, followed by a simple text of the word Case added as an afterthought. But it was enough for Malcolm.
I get it.
And he did. The case they’d been working on was hard.
A string of murders had come in—four dead, leaving four children orphaned. Their killer had been going targeting single parents, leaving children aging from seven to eleven parentless. It was morbidly disturbing.
It was hitting them all pretty hard—but Dani probably the most, since each of their victims had been raised in the Bronx. Two of four bodies even turning up just a few blocks from where Dani had grown up, Gil had told him when the two were alone in the car.
They’d caught the killer, incredibly fast really, but that didn’t mean those children weren’t going to grow up with their parents. They’d lost something irreplaceable, and it was unsettling. It was cruel, hoe their killer was not only taking a life, but sabotaging the children's lives as well.
Malcolm frowned to himself, hoping Dani was safe. Bronx victims were in his head, and he didn’t want her to be the next one, even if he knew they’d caught their killer—and he’d only been going after single parents, which Malcolm knows Dani isn’t. The thought still stands-- they'd been teammates for over a year now, and friends for a decent percent of that time frame. He didn't want anything to happen to her.
But he still asks the question sitting on the tip of his tongue anyways. Are you home?
No. Malcolm frowned, leaning back against the counter as he waited for the next message. I’ve been driving around to clear my head. Hasn’t really helped.
You okay?
Yeah.
A pause, three unhappy taps of Sunshine’s beak against the edge of the counter.
No.
Not really.
You’re welcome to come over Malcolm invited easily, furrowing his eyebrows as he continued typing after hitting send, I don’t plan on sleeping tonight, if you’re looking for a friend. I have scotch or... perhaps earl grey?
Dani didn’t respond for a second. Malcolm worried his bottom lip between his teeth thoughtfully. Sunshine launched off the counter before, finally fed up with being ignored, and landed herself directly on his thumb.
We never did get around to that grilled cheese, did we?
For a second, Malcolm thought he’d overstepped. It was two AM. It was an odd time frame to be inviting your coworker/friend over for grilled cheese—but it was more the company than the food. Dani didn’t want to be alone. She wouldn’t have texted if she did. And, if he were honest, he didn't really want to be alone either. The case was heavy, and even if they'd caught the perp, it didn't magically make the trauma go away.
Thanks, Bright. He smiled down at the bird trying to bite his phone, I’ll be there in ten?
See you then. Malcolm walked down the stairs with Sunshine still perched on his hand, unlocking the door so Dani wouldn’t have to wait for him to get to her. Doors unlocked, come on up when you arrive.
He didn’t get a response, which was alright considering she was probably driving.
Malcolm moved around the kitchen in a halfhearted attempt to tidy up. He ushered Sunshine off his hand and back onto the counter—and even tried to sweep the cracker crumbs off into his hands to trash, to which she’d nipped his pinky finger. He brushed them all into a pile instead, but knew in the back of his mind it wouldn’t stay a pile for long.
Sunshine watched him move around the loft from her spot by the pile of cracker crumbs. She chittered and chirped at him.
“Bright?”
“Come in!” Malcolm prompted from the kitchen. He heard the door close from his spot, smiling to himself. Sunshine’s head jerked up at the voice and noise, waddling towards him and chittering until he offered his hand.
Dani appeared at the top of the stairs just as Sunshine was jumping off onto his shoulder.
“Dani, hey,” Malcolm greeted with a grin. Sunshine crept closer to his neck, soft feathers brushing against his skin. Malcolm patted her head a few times in an attempt to calm her down, but she just snuggled in closer, keeping an eye on Dani.
“Hey,” she replied, eyeing his shoulder. Sunshine shuffled her feet on his shoulder, tweeting at Dani—but Malcolm wasn’t sure it was a greeting. “I still can’t believe you have a parakeet.”
“It’s not weird,” Malcolm told her as a force of habit. He turned towards the sink, where his pan had been drying from days prior, but Sunshine rotated to keep an eye on Dani. He had a parakeet, so what? Why was that so odd?
“No,” Dani agreed as she stepped out of her shoes, wrapping her arms around herself as she stepped towards the breakfast bar, “I just never imagined you with a pet. I was surprised is all, you don’t seem like a bird person. She’s cute.”
Malcolm turned his head to look at the bird, before shooting a small smile back at Dani, “she is, isn’t she? If only her devious personality was half as cute as she is.”
Dani laughed, sitting herself at the breakfast bar. In the same spot she’d been when Malcolm had found her the morning following his incident with the box of cocaine.
“So, can I get you something to drink? Scotch? Earl grey? Water?”
“Tea would be nice,” Dani replied softly, leaning lightly on the countertop. She eyed the pile of cracker crumbs, and Malcolm turned away as he felt his cheeks heat up. He filled the kettle, willing the flush off his cheeks. “I’ve never even heard of this brand of crackers before.”
Malcolm swiveled around to see Dani reading the box he’d left out.
“Neither have I,” he admitted, “my mother never fails to find me luxurious foods to try in an attempt to get me to eat. It doesn’t work. I’m a man of very little sustenance.”
“Like grilled cheese, licorice and sparkling water?”
“Exactly,” Malcolm shot her a grin. “Luckily, Sunshine is not as picky and will gladly pretend to eat a cracker for the sake of crumbling it up all over the counter.”
The bird on his shoulder ruffled her feathers as if he’d offended her.
Dani hid a laugh behind her hand, eyeing the pile of cracker crumbs with a grin, “that’s a lot of mess for such a small bird.”
“Isn’t it?” Malcolm snorted his own laugh, “are you hungry? I wasn’t kidding about the grilled cheese. I should probably eat something...”
“Sure,” Dani gave a nod, “I haven’t had anything since breakfast either.”
“That’s not good,” Malcolm frowned, moving swiftly to the fridge to pull out the cheese.
“Really? You’re going to scold me about not eating three meals a day?” The humor in Dani’s voice had Malcolm smiling, hiding his grin in the fridge.
“Don’t be like me, I’m a terrible influence.” He grabbed the cheeses that would make the tastiest grilled cheese from what was in there as he listened to Dani’s bright laugh behind him. Her laugh made him happy. He closed the fridge, setting the cheese on the counter. “Nothing too exciting sadly, is smoked gouda and muenster alright?”
“Sounds good to me,” Dani shrugged, leaning a bit on the counter.
“Perfect,” Malcolm grinned, making his was to the side counter where he kept his bread. He was honestly surprised they were still edible. Not even a little stale. It was crusty Italian bread from a bakery his mother had been buying from for years, because Jessica Whitly wouldn’t be caught dead buying commercial grocery chain bread.
Malcolm gathered the rest of the ingredients, and set the pan on the stove top.
“Hey Bright?” Malcolm looked up from where he’d been cutting the bread. In Dani’s hand was one of his pill bottles, “did you lose this and... the five others on the floor?”
“No,” Malcolm snorted, “I know they’re there.”
“Not a very practical place to stash your drugs.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “Set it down,” he suggested as he prompted Sunshine onto his finger. She climbed up easy enough, and stepped off on the counter when he offered her that too.
She looked around for a second.
Malcolm leaned on the counter, raising his finger in a ‘wait a sec’ gestured when Dani shot him a confused look. It didn’t take long for the little parakeet to catch sight of the bottle.
Malcolm shook his head fondly as Sunshine charged forward in an awkward mess of tapping steps and ruffled feathers. She grabbed the bottle by the edge of the cap, taking it to the edge of the counter where she dropped it, watching his clatter on the floor before chirping at it.
“Oh.”
Malcolm laughed. “They’re usually on the counter, I promise. I do take them every morning.”
“That’s actually adorable,” Dani chuckled as she grabbed the bottle and set it on the other side of the counter, watching Sunshine chase after it and carry it to the closest edge to drop.
Malcolm turned back to the counter, only to jerk in surprise at the whistle of the kettle. He’d forgotten about the kettle and the tea in his excitement of the grilled cheese. Sunshine whistled back at it, and Malcolm had to stop himself from laughing as he pulled the kettle from the element.
He poured two teas, pushing one to Dani and keeping the other for himself. She helped herself to the fixings, and he did the same when she was finished, sipping away at her tea. He pulled his scotch towards him, setting the glass and the remnants of his drink in the sink.
“No scotch?” Dani raised an eyebrow, watching as Malcolm stirred his tea.
“Scotch is for sitting alone—or for when Gil’s over. Tea is for friends, Dani—unless, of course, you wanted scotch, because I wouldn't want you drinking alone. I’ve just been nursing that glass all night anyways.”
Dani let out a noise that sounded a lot like an ‘ah’, but didn’t say anything else. Malcolm went about continuing with the grilled cheeses.
He laid out the slices of bread for the sandwiches, turning back around to cut the smoked gouda. The muenster cheese was already in slices.
“Uh, Bright?”
When Malcolm looked back over, he raised an eyebrow at Dani. She gave him a strange look before her eyes dropped to the counter. Malcolm let his eyes follow her’s, where a quiet curse fell from his mouth at Sunshine tearing small pieces off one of the slices of bread. And if that wasn’t bad enough, she was stood in the middle of said bread.
“Sunshine,” Malcolm scolded softly, ushering her off the bread. She bobbed her head at the threat of his hand, but climbed right up even if that wasn’t quite what he was going for. He went with is anyways, “and I guess it’s time to put you away for a while.”
She chittered at him.
“I’ll eat that slice,” Malcolm promised Dani as he walked Sunshine back to her cage. She walked in easily enough, pacing along her perch as he shut her in. “Hot pans and curious birds don’t mix well anyways.”
Dani snorted a laugh.
A little bit of bird had never phased Malcolm when it came to food. More often than not Sunshine would steal bits of whatever he happened to be eating right off his plate. His mother was appalled that he let her eat off his plate, but Malcolm didn’t mind.
“Sorry,” he still apologized, “I don’t usually have... uh, guests? So... Sunshine’s table manners leave much to be desired, I’m afraid.”
“It’s alright,” Dani waved it off with a fond smile, “so long as you eat the piece your bird was standing on. I don’t know her well enough to finish her left overs.”
“Will do,” Malcolm agreed with a lopsided smile. “Did you want to help me? I’ll assemble and you can man the pan?”
Dani’s nose scrunched up in a half smile as she gave him a nod, standing from her chair and rounding the counter to help him. “We’ll just leave the bread with bite marks up so we know which is which.”
They worked perfectly in assembling and grilling the sandwiches. It didn’t take long for the aroma of freshly melted smoked gouda to waft through the air, mixing with the already earthy-citrusy scent of the earl grey tea.
The kitchen was filled with laughter and banter as they worked together, the case from the day pushed back in their minds as they let the atmosphere and scents consume them. It was light, and calm, and for a while in the middle, Malcolm had forgotten that it was nearing three AM as they plated their creations and settled down to eat.
They sat side by side at the breakfast bar, eating their grilled cheeses with easy small talk.
Malcolm wasn’t sure how he’d gotten back onto the topic of Sunshine, but he had—and he was currently animatedly telling his friend of the first (and last) time Sunshine had been allowed out while Malcolm hosted his mother and sister for dinner.
“I really should’ve known,” he told Dani, trying to hold back his laughter, “Sunshine loves pasta and bolognaise sauce—I just, I didn’t think she’d walk across my mother’s pasta. Ainsley lost it, like completely lost it, and my mother, God, I’d never seen her so offended!”
Dani laughed openly, taking a sip of her tea, “and you?”
“I was worried about her feet,” Malcolm admitted, barely managing to contain his laughter, “thankfully it wasn’t too hot. My mother’s a bit of a talker, so our meals had cooled significantly by the time Sunshine realized what we were eating. I suppose that’s why my mother only refers to Sunshine as that retched little parakeet. She crossed my mother’s plate of pasta just to get to mine to steal a piece of pasta.”
Dani grinned back at the cage, where Sunshine was still chittering away. “So, Sunshine’s the life of your weird dinner parties then?”
“She certainly is, or was. She’s no longer permitted to attend,” Malcolm grinned, setting his tea down, “honestly, I really should be thanking Sunshine, because my mother now refuses to come over for dinners, which, I assure you, is a blessing.”
“I kinda wish I could’ve seen that. Your mom seems pretty proper.”
“I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of it between my mother and sister bringing it up every chance they get. If you’re ever talking with my mother-- I don’t know why you would be-- but if you are, just mention Sunshine and it’ll set her off in a rant about her. You won’t be disappointed.”
“I’ll remember that,” Dani snorted as she finished off the remnants of her sandwich.
Malcolm had only eaten half of his, but it was more than he’d planned on eating. He stood, grabbing both his own plate, and Dani’s empty one to set in the sink with the other dishes he’d need to wash tomorrow.
“Would you like another tea?” Malcolm offered. His had long since gone cold, but he was in the mood for another. He wasn’t big on cold tea unless he was desperate.
“You don’t mind me staying?” Dani tilted her head. “It’s pretty late.”
“You’re welcome to stay the night,” Malcolm shrugged, “I know this case was rather difficult for us all, and you’ve got a connection to it... I wouldn’t want to be alone either—but, don’t feel like you have to stay, I promise I won’t be offended if you want to leave. It's entirely up to you.”
“I don’t,” Dani breathed out quickly, “I... don’t want to leave...”
“Then you don’t have too. It’s not the first time you’ve slept over here— and I promise to be much more hospitable this time,” Malcolm told her with a small smile, “besides, I’d just planned to sit around with Sunshine all night, but I do like having company beyond a bird, there’s just something about having a companion who’ll reply with more than a whistle. So, tea?”
“Yeah,” Dani let out softly, “that would be nice.”
“Coming right up,” Malcolm smiled, turning to refill the kettle and set it back on the burner. He pulled both his and Dani’s mugs to the sink to rinse out, “I have a lot of different teas, if you’d like to try something different? My mother has Louisa buy me a new box whenever she decides to impose on my life and stock my kitchen in a hopeful attempt to improve my eating habits. You’d think she’d know I’ll always pick something I know I like over something new, but nope.”
Dani laughed, moving to the cabinet Malcolm had gestured too. She glanced around at all the boxes, reading individual ones as she selected. “You don’t mind if I let Sunshine out again, do you?”
“Please do,” Dani waved him off, barely looking up from the box of Russian earl grey, “don’t let me ruin either of your evenings; you said you’d just planned on sitting around with her.”
“Well, she’s good company,” Malcolm admitted as he finally turned the stovetop on and moved to Sunshine’s cage now that the food was gone. “But you’re also good company, she doesn’t mind her cage if you get overwhelmed at all. She’s quite eccentric if you’re not used to birds—Ainsley doesn’t like coming over when she’s out. Always makes me put her back in her cage.”
“Does your family have something against your parakeet?”
“Possibly,” Malcolm snorted as he opened Sunshine’s cage. He offered his finger, but to his complete surprise, she launched off her perch and flew out. He turned quickly to track her movements, face flushing as Sunshine landed on Dani’s shoulder.
His friend froze abruptly, turning her head slightly to look at the parakeet on her shoulder. Malcolm froze just as fast, mouth agape in surprise. Sunshine swayed in a good-natured movement, chittering softly.
There was a tense silence where neither said anything. Accepting the bird being out was different than consenting to the bird being on you.
“Oh,” Malcolm finally breathed out, “uhm, she doesn’t usually...”
“She won’t bite me, or anything, will she?”
“No,” Malcolm shook his head, inching closer. Dani was moving slowly, almost afraid to jostle Sunshine around, but she seemed content on her shoulder. “Shoulders are a perch to her—but she only really sits on me. Doesn’t usually trust anyone else.”
“Oh?” Dani furrowed her eyebrows, “not your mom or sister?”
“No,” Malcolm huffed a laugh, “she tends to peck my mother’s fingers, and Ainsley won’t allow her to get too close after that one incident where Sunshine landed on her head. Actually... she’s usually pretty particular about who she’ll allow to touch her...”
“Meaning just you?”
“Uh, yeah, mostly. Sometimes Gil’ll get lucky and she’ll let him touch her, but...” Malcolm rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “she’s bonded to me. She must really like you. I’m sorry, let me--”
Malcolm moved to offer his hand to Sunshine, but the parakeet only sidestepped closer to Dani’s neck, hiding in her hair. Malcolm bit his lip as he withdrew. He didn’t want to push too close into Dani’s space.
“Sorry,” he frowned again, “I don’t know what’s gotten into her. I can grab her, if you want?”
“It’s okay,” Dani gave him a tiny smile, “I don’t mind. It’s a bit weird though. I’ve never had a bird on me.”
“She’s harmless-- though she might try to play with your hair,” Malcolm chewed his lip, “maybe we can tempt her away with another cracker, or perhaps one of my pill bottles.”
Dani snorted a laugh as she walked back to her seat, setting the box of Russian Earl Grey on the counter as she went. “I actually kind of like her here,” Dani admitted, “she’s very soft.”
Malcolm let his fond smile show, “she’s a good little parakeet. My mother doesn’t believe me when I tell her how much Sunshine aids with my mental health. She’s very in tune with emotions, and will always sing in the form of a chittery little song when she thinks I need a pick-me-up.”
“I’m glad you’ve got her then,” Dani gave him a small smile as he dropped the new tea bags Dani had selected into each of their cups. The kettle whistled a second later, prompting Sunshine into another game of mimicking, to which Dani turned her head to look at her.
Malcolm forced his attention away from them, taking the kettle and filling their tea cups for the second time. He carefully pushed Dani’s brewing tea towards her, before pushing his back to where he’d been sitting earlier.
His shoulder brushed Dani’s as he moved to sit down, catching Sunshine’s attention. She waddled out from behind Dani’s hair, pausing at the end of shoulder and chirping for his attention. Now she wanted to be with him.
When he didn’t give in fast enough, Sunshine leapt down onto the counter, angrily pacing between the two of them, stomping through the cracker crumbs and trekking her mess everywhere.
Malcolm ignored her, sipping his tea. He leaned on his elbows; hands raised do she wasn’t able to climb up him. Dani bent down to pick up another pill bottle, giving it a rattle before setting it down which instantly distracted Sunshine.
“She’s very easily distracted.”
“Yeah,” Malcolm snorted. “Gil calls her a kitten with a string.”
“I could see that,” Dani laughed, reaching down for a second bottle as Sunshine walked the one in her beak to the edge of the counter. “You mind if I ask if there’s any particular reason you have a bird? Or just because?”
“She’s company,” Malcolm told his friend, “I don’t like being alone. There’s a lot going on up here,” he tapped his temple with his pointer finger as he watched his bird play, “there’s just something nice about having someone around—even if it’s a bird, you know?”
“Yeah,” Dani blew out, “I needed someone tonight too. She does seem like good company.”
“Might I recommend a bird?” Malcolm teased. He didn’t want Dani frowning—not when she’d been smiling all night. “Seriously though, you’re always welcome here. I’ve spent a lot of time alone when I probably shouldn’t have been, so I know it’s nice to have somewhere to go, or someone to be with.”
Malcolm looked fondly down at his parakeet tapping along the counter, before lifting his attention back to Dani.
“So that’s why you got Sunshine?”
Malcolm smiled sadly, “you trying to steal my profiling gig?” The joke fell a bit flat. “Washington wasn’t the most welcoming, and you can imagine they weren’t any more pleasant when they realized who I was... Can't keep it a secret no matter how hard I try-- so, that played out about the same way it had when you and JT found out too.”
Dani winced. They hadn't really said anything, but the hesitance had been there. Malcolm's a profiler, so even if she and JT had kept their comments to themselves, or eachother, Bright could read their body language like a book-- and she was sure it hadn't been the most inviting and welcoming. “I’m sorry about that, Bright. We were too quick to judge.”
“It’s fine,” Malcolm waved it off with a cheerier smile, “basic human response when learning someone’s parent killed twenty-three people. Believe me, I understand completely. And anyways, you’ve both been a lot more accommodating since then, than anyone else to learn the truth.”
Malcolm looked down into his tea before catching Dani’s eyes, “really, no hard feelings.”
“You’re too nice for your own good.”
“I’m not,” Malcolm huffed a laugh over the rim of his cup, “I just treasure those who give me a chance. And it’s easier to be empathetic for someone when you’ve been in their shoes.”
“You’re not making me feel any less like an asshole.”
“Sorry,” Malcolm choked on his sip of tea, sputtering another laugh. “You’re really not. I’m glad we’re friends, Dani. Good ones are hard to come by, but I guess Gil’s a good judge of character.”
“Yeah,” Dani agreed, leaning her head on her palm as she watches Malcolm.
He was sitting in a similar slouched position, but instead of cradling his tea in his other hand, he was holding Sunshine up to his face. A soft, fond look in his eyes as he studied Sunshine's bobbing head as she stepped along the length of his finger. She thought back to Gil’s defense of Malcolm when they’d learned the truth after that first case. The truth of who Malcolm Bright really was.
His continuous promise that Malcolm was one of them, and nothing like his father during those first few uncomfortable cases together as Bright slowly started integrating himself into the team.
She hadn’t believed Gil—not really. The Surgeon’s son being a good guy? It was a leap, a leap too far to accept even for Gil’s sake. But then she’d worked cases with him and got to know him. H'd saved her ass more than once by putting his own on the line.
“Yeah,” she repeated, smile curling onto her lips as Malcolm settled Sunshine back down on the counter and finally looked in her direction, “he really is.”
Dani’s not sure when they moved to the couch, some old movie Bright had put on that he’d promised was worth the watch playing on minimum volume. She’s not sure when she drifted to sleep, or how she’d woken up sprawled across the couch with a pillow tucked under her, and a soft blanket covering her.
All she knows is that she wakes to soft trills and chirps from Sunshine, and the delicious scent of Malcolm’s expensive coffee wafting over from the French press she’d seen last time she woke up in his loft.