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Graves knew, before he even saw what he was expected to wear, that blindly trusting Vayne would be his biggest regret.
He’d always loved Halloween, and he’d been trying to convince Vayne to match costumes with him for years- he even had a list of ideas!
He should have known something was off when she asked him- especially when the condition was that she chose the costumes, but he was pleasantly surprised enough not to think twice.
He didn’t even feel suspicious when Vayne handed him a plastic wrapped package with the label torn off. It was odd and ominously plain, but Graves only felt excited to see it.
Before that, the woman had already gotten dressed, putting an almost disturbing amount of effort into a knight costume. She even had a sword- which she said was plastic but Malcolm couldn’t be too sure knowing her. It was overall a great outfit and suited her well so he had to wonder what his would be- a dragon maybe? Wizard? Something fantasy related, obviously.
He takes the package to the bathroom, prepared to get changed as he rips open the plastic and is met with something…pink, glittery, covered in ruffles- he fishes the garment out in confusion before seeing it’s a dress- a very small dress. It’s very easy to see where this is going, shaking the bag upside down to drop out elbow length gloves, tights, a blonde wig, and a small plastic tiara.
Well, he supposes, it could certainly be worse.
Incredibly unsurprisingly, the dress barely fit as he tried to pull it past his shoulders, and he was almost certain he felt something tear- but what mattered was it was on, that was the first step. It was clearly cheap and the fabric was constricting, straining against his pecs in a way he prayed was flattering. The waistband sat too high, meaning the skirt of the dress barely reached his mid thigh. It was clearly not made for someone of his size and stature, looking ridiculous- but he agreed to this and he’s nothing if not a man of his word.
Malcolm later realised, however, the wig came with no cap and he wasn’t exactly eager to spend the night in something that he could tell was itchy just by looking at it, so he tosses it aside. He decided the tiara could stay, it was cheap and plastic covered in aready chipped gold paint, with a pink heart dead centre- but regardless, he places it on his head, it at least made his costume more obvious even though he was hardly selling the image.
The rest was easier, simply pulling on the gloves and tights before reviewing the full outfit in the mirror. At least his leg and arm hair was mostly covered- not that he was ashamed of it, it just didn’t really help him look any less odd in the dress nor did it scream pretty princess. That, unfortunately, was the only good thing he could note. The fabric strained with every movement and he was almost certain he’d heard it creaking. He had no problem with dresses in general, but calling the cheaply made garment he was currently in a dress felt far too generous.
But what mattered was that he was matching with Vayne, and if she was happy, so was he- no matter how rare that was for her. So, he stepped out of the bathroom with a sigh, fully prepared to ask her what the hell she’d done this for before he was promptly hit in the chest by a pair of high heels, just barely catching them.
“Vayne, what in the hell-“ he begins, before the woman swiftly interrupts him, instructing quickly.
“Put those on. You’re not walking around as a princess in your sandals.” She sounds so certain that Graves would even dare wear tights and sandals that he’s honestly offended . He opens his mouth to protest but she continues, seemingly reading his mind “ Or your converse.”
He couldn’t argue with that, she simply knew him too well, so he begrudgingly put on the heels. They were hot pink and glittery- not quite the same shade as the dress but similar enough that they worked. He was most surprised by the fact they even fit- Vayne must have planned this. However, he had to ask “Why couldn’t I be the knight?”
“Why are you asking, Malcolm? You of all people should know not to push gender roles.” Vayne teases back, holding back laughter as she watches Graves struggle to readjust his, now slanted, tiara.
In response, he scowls, rolling his eyes. “I’m asking because this waistband is cutting me in half.” For emphasis he tries to grip the fabric and pull it slightly from his frame only to be unable to get his fingers under its tightly stretched surface. “Couldn’t you have chosen something better?”
“What do you mean? I think it suits you perfectly.” The woman chuckles, before shrugging. “Besides, it came in a set, and people prefer hot lady knights in my experience.”
And that gives away her motives immediately .
“Evelynn is going to be there, isn’t she?” He asks smugly, smirking as he sees Vayne freeze. She knows he’s onto her. He can’t help but scoff “ Buddy, we already agreed you can do better than her.”
“I know I know.” Vayne sighs, knowing she can’t argue wirh him. “And I’m over it!” She insists, and yet, really not helping her case she tacks on “I just wanna show her what she’s missing.”
“So what I’m hearing is you’re not over her and now I’m paying the price.” Graves clarifies, and it’s amusing how hard his friend tries not to look caught out. He doesn’t say more- knowing it would be hypocritical given his own history. Hell- if he thought Tobias would be there (which thank God, he likely wouldn’t) he’d do the same.
“Well at least if you look bad, I look better by comparison.” She admits, bluntly. Graves can’t help but laugh.
“Are you saying I look bad? I personally think this is my best costume yet.” He says sarcastically, gesturing to the ill fitting outfit.
“I don’t know… no wig.. no makeup, kind of lousy by your standards.” She points out, prompting Graves to gasp in mock offense, placing a hand over his heart as if wounded.
“Shauna Vayne, how dare you suggest I wear that absolute sensory nightmare. ” He states, gesturing to the discarded heap of the wig on the bathroom floor. “And I’ll have you know- I didn’t know I would need makeup this badly.”
“Well luckily for you,” Vayne begins, with a sly smile. “I own enough eyeliner for the both of us and we have an hour to spare.”
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While the cheap outfit still looked utterly ridiculous, Graves could admit the makeup helped. He was used to doing more subtle looks, so when Vayne handed him a palette of pink glitters ( why did she own it? He would never know) he was worried as to how it would turn out.
Luckily he found a hot pink shade to match his dress, placing it over the majority of his eyelid with some eyeliner and false lashes to keep definition, going ahead with pink lipstick too.
Unwilling to shave for the sake of the costume, he avoided any makeup that could get caught in his mustache- but even with so little of his face done up, he thought he pulled it off. It took the look from ugly to just over the top and stupid enough to appear as tasteful kitsch. The glitter also had the added benefit of looking very cute in low light, catching it in all the right ways, as was evident when he and Vayne walked through the door.
They were immediately met by the host, Jayce, alongside his boyfriend, the two of them also in matching costumes. Jayce was dressed as some variant of Frankenstein’s monster while his partner (Reggie? If Malcolm remembers correctly) was in a lab coat, presumably the scientist himself. It was a cute idea, Graves being fully prepared to compliment it before Jayce greets enthusiastically “Malcolm! Hey!”
Before Graves can get a word out, Jayce pulls him into a hug, causing him to almost trip. He hadn’t realised just how much the heels added to his height until then. Usually, Jayce towered over him but now they were almost even. It only becomes more apparent as he pulls away- making eye contact without having to look up.
As soon as they do, Jayce’s face lights up impossibly brighter “I love the glitter!” He looks between Malcolm and Vayne. “Are you matching?”
“Yeah, he’s wanted to for years .” Vayne grins, elbowing Graves playfully. Graves rolls his eyes in response.
“Not like this .” The man rushes to specify, earning a chuckle from Jayce. “But I’ll take what I can get.”
“You’re telling me.” Reggie pipes up from beside Jayce. “This isn’t exactly creative for a couple of science students.” He laughs, gesturing to his and his boyfriend’s costumes. “Surely he’s seen enough of me in lab coats.”
“Well sue me, you look cute in them.” Jayce admits, before stepping further into the house, gesturing for the other two to follow. “Anyways- come in, your timing is great!”
As Graves entered, he could already hear that things are just starting to pick up, the music getting louder and already seeing people talking, and drinking. He saw a few familiar faces but it was difficult to tell in the low light. Jayce had committed hard with decorations, most of the light being provided by fake candles and fairy lights in the shapes of ghosts and bats.
The atmosphere was bustling but not unpleasantly noisy, and it wasn’t long before he spotted some familiar faces. He didn’t know who to catch up with first, looking behind him in hopes of asking Vayne for her input only for her to be nowhere in sight. It took a few moments of looking around before he spotted her talking to an old classmate of hers- Senna, if he remembered correctly. He wasn’t going to get in the way of their conversation, instead opting to grab himself a drink before approaching someone else he recognised.
He must have looked odd, a grown man (taller than usual) approaching the group of teens huddled in the corner but he’d been waved over by Seraphine. She was such a ray of sunshine she was easy to recognise despite her outfit- some kind of fairy, Graves guessed. They’d met after volunteering at the same animal shelter, it’d been a while. “Sera! Didn’t expect to see you here.” He greets her, the girl smiling at him.
“Well, I guess I was lucky.” She claims, “You know Jayce’s sister, right?” She asks, Graves nodding in response. “Well she invited Ezreal-“ she explains, gesturing to the boy beside her with the cup in her hand, then back to herself. “And he invited me!” She then shrugs. “Under the condition that we don’t drink any of the alcoholic beverages.”
“Seems fair enough.” Graves shrugs back, not expecting the girl to mind anyway. She always seemed eager to do anything but cause trouble- unlike her friend.
“I don’t see why not.” Ezreal protests from beside her- drawing Graves’ attention to him. He too was in some kind of fairy themed getup, both his and Seraphine’s costumes being draped in delicate butterfly motifs. “I’m like, practically 21.”
Malcolm and Sera both roll their eyes as the brown haired man states. “19 is not practically 21. ” Which Ezreal simply rolls his eyes at in retaliation. “Besides, you don’t wanna get Jayce in any trouble- he’s still tutoring you right?”
Ezreal winces at that, taking a sip from his (hopefully non alcoholic) drink. “You make a good point.”
“I always do.” Graves says smugly in response. “Anywho, love the costumes. Seems everyone’s got good matching ones while I’m saddled with this.” He mutters, patting down the ruffles of his dress for emphasis.
Ezreal laughs at that. “Yeah, you really got the short end of the stick- only one more glittery than you here is probably Taric.” Graves raises a brow at that, confused.
“Taric?” He’d never heard of anyone by that name- another friend of Jayce’s he hadn’t met yet maybe? It seemed a lot of people got roped into the party through friends of friends, it wouldn’t be shocking.
“Jayce’s cousin.” Sera chimes in, taking a sip from her cup before grinning slyly and nudging Ezreal. “And this one’s crush- “
The boy sputters, nearly spitting his drink as he explains. “Shut up, Sera! Geez-“
“Alright alright-“ she laughs. “He’s not around anyway, not like he’ll hear you.” She reassures, before turning her attention back to Graves. “Besides, you might even be more glittery- who roped you into this?”
“My buddy, Vayne.” The man explains miserably. “Wanted to look good in case her ex shows up, and I mean- I don’t look that bad do I?” He tries to justify, Sera smiling as she replies.
“Not at all- it’s cute in an unserious way, you pull it off!” She’s sweet as ever, Graves sees. He’d always been utterly astonished by how someone could be so nice, but then again- he did meet he volunteering at an animal shelter, it can’t be that surprising.
Next, Ezreal pipes up. “Plus, pink is definitely your colour.” He states it also certainly that Graves is inclined to believe him, smiling.
“Really?” He looks down at himself, wincing at how obviously too small the dress was- but he must admit, the shade isn’t bad. “I guess you’re right.” He agrees.
He’s about to ask the others how things have been going for them schoolwise before he notices their eyes drifting to something behind him, and shortly after, he jolts as someone taps his shoulder.
Really, he expects to turn around and see Vayne, but instead his heart plummets to his stomach. It takes a second longer than it should to recognise him- the man is dressed in inconveniently long, dark blue robes, with a hat to match. The fabric is patterned with glittery gold and silver stars, and his long dark hair is laid freely over his shoulders. His face is shaded enough by the hat, that only once he makes eye contact with him, does Graves realise this is Tobias.
He pulls away, seeming to startle the other who brings his hand down, looking down at the cup he’s holding as he mumbles. “I hope I’m not interrupting something, I just saw you as I came in and I thought you looked pretty.” He rambles, almost seeming nervous. “And I was hoping to get your name?”
Graves has to strain to avoid crushing his cup, going from frozen in shock to overwhelmed by anger. He has so much he wants to say, so much he needs to get off his chest- but he wasn’t about to ruin Jayce’s party. Instead, he ends up frowning deeply as he asks “What in the hell are you talking about, Tobias?”
At the sound of the familiar voice, and his name, he looks up and immediately his eyes widen. He’s too shocked to speak, face flushing red as he promptly drops his drink. He’d never been so embarrassed in his life.
“Fuck-“ he says eloquently, jumping back from the mess he’d made, Malcolm having only just managed to step away and avoid dirtying his shoes. “I didn’t- I mean-“
“Save it.” The brown haired man snaps, glaring intensely. “You’ve got some nerve showing up here.” It takes every ounce of self restraint he has not to cause a scene, but his frustration is evident- he came here to have fun and now his night had already been ruined .
Tobias looks down at him, almost confused, frustration beginning to overtake his prior humiliation. “I know we didn’t part on great terms,” he begins, watching Graves tense at his words. “But I think you’ll find I have every right to be here.”
Graves grits his teeth. He knows for a fact Jayce and Tobias aren’t friends- he must be a friend of a friend tagging along. Fucking typical, jumping through so many loopholes just to spite him. “Well the least you can do-“ he starts, voice almost shaking with rage. “Is clean your damn mess, and stay the fuck out of my sight.”
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Tobias can’t help but stiffen at Malcolm’s tone. He hadn’t even really wanted to come but he’d figured it could at least be a good opportunity to mingle over some free drinks- now he regretted it more than ever. He’d yell at Eve later for talking him into it. ‘Come to a party!’ She said ‘it’ll be fun!’ She said- and now here he was making a complete fool of himself.
It wasn’t his fault he didn’t recognise Malcolm. He’d only seen him from the back and across the room. Evelynn had long since disappeared after catching sight of Vayne, so left alone, the man figured it couldn’t hurt to mingle. Naturally his first choice would be the man in the comedically low quality costume. The dress was too small but at least the colour was nice and the skirt served to show off his even nicer legs. Surely it was worth a try- so he steeled himself and approached.
And of course- of course, the man was Malcolm Graves. Just his luck.
He supposes though, that despite the coldness and barely restrained anger, the interaction could have gone far worse. Graves had sworn at him, sure, but after telling him to clean up, promptly stormed off, which Tobias figured was far better than the numerous other reactions the man could’ve had. However, now left standing aimlessly with his cup and drink still spilled before his feet, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and do exactly what Graves had (quite rudely, he must say) instructed.
The kitchen was thankfully nearby and it didn’t take long to find a cloth to attempt to clean with. That wasn’t an issue but he would admit he was bothered by all the stares as he skulked around, pretending he hadn’t just been chewed out publicly. On the bright side though, Graves was nowhere to be seen, leaving Tobias free to grab another drink and pretend nothing happened.
It wasn’t going to be easy given the embarrassment, frustration- hell, the guilt bubbling up in him, but the alcohol in the sickly sweet fruit punch would certainly help. He backs himself into a corner and takes tentative sips, all the while finding himself completely unable to stop thinking about Malcolm.
He should have known the man would be here. Jayce was a decently close friend of his and when Tobias had been with him, he’d been made all too aware on many occasions that Halloween was Malcolm’s favourite holiday. If anything he was more surprised that his costume wasn’t more extravagant, though he could admit the pink was flattering, and the glitter was a nice touch-
And all of that is stuff he should be trying not to think about. He takes a huge gulp of his punch and winces at the bitter aftertaste of the alcohol before proceeding to take 2- 5- the rest of the cup. It takes him a moment to recover, feeling an immediate rush of wooziness but thankfully it has its intended effect, the thoughts of Graves quieting.
Graves ,who he suddenly remembered was wearing heels, god- he was glad to be here if only to have not missed that. And it was nice to see him, it really was- it’d been a while. Tobias was regretting cutting contact, hell, he regretted ever leaving-
Now, he regrets not having more punch to drink.
⋆♱✮☽🦇☽✮♰⋆
Of course, of course the one night of the year where he’s stuck in this outfit, ends up being the night that Tobias barges back into his life. Fucking obviously this would happen to him.
He’s not sure what he’s more mad about- the fact that Tobias had left in the first place or the fact that he had the audacity to come back. In the midst of his frustration, he storms through the house, cup in hand. It isn’t long before he finds Vayne in another room, still talking with Senna.
Ordinarily he’d hate to interrupt but right now he could care less, too focused on the festering concoction of emotions bubbling up in his chest. As soon as he shows up, Vayne turns to him with a grin which immediately falls once she sees his expression. Damn, he must be frowning pretty hard- he tries to look slightly better but it does nothing to make Vayne any less concerned.
“Malcolm? Is something wrong?” She asks, Senna also looking over, more out of curiosity.
It takes a moment for him to find the words, afraid of sounding too incoherent given how much his frustration clouds his mind. What he ends up saying is “Tobias is here.” And that’s enough for Vayne’s expression to quickly morph into one of anger.
“That bastard is here?!” She exclaims, “He’s not even friends with Jayce-“
“I know!” Graves agrees, having been equally shocked. “Probably came with a friend of a friend of a friend.” He says flippantly, and his friend groans in response.
“Man, I should’ve known he’d find a way to ruin this.” She places a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, apologising. “I wouldn’t have put you up to-“ she gestures to his outfit, laughing softly. “ This if I’d knew.”
“It’s okay.” Graves assured with a sigh. “Hell, he shouldn’t even be in town , god knows why he’s here cos it’s sure as hell not just for the party.”
Senna then pipes up, having been shoved out of the conversation. “Sorry, who are we talking about?” She sounds earnest, and given she’s not a stranger, Graves explains.
“Ah- sorry,” he begins, shrugging. “He’s an ex of mine, skipped town to rejoin his family business as if they aren’t the ones who kicked him out in the first place.” He doesn’t notice how hard he’s gripping his cup until it collapses in his hand, splashing liquid all over his fingers. “Shit-“
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you another.” Senna says, taking the crushed cup from him. “This sounds pretty messy, you’re gonna need it.” She ends with a chuckle, venturing to get him more punch and leaving him to redirect his attention to Vayne.
“I just don’t understand why he’s even here, cos it sure as hell ain’t for me. ” He grumbles, and then Vayne suggests.
“Maybe things didn’t work out.” He knows what she’s referring to, he’d warned Tobias before he’d even left that his family couldn’t be trusted. It seemed like the most likely option, prompting him to scoff.
“Well, I told him so, ain’t my problem.” He folds his arms. “And it definitely doesn’t give him the right to approach me like that-“
MVayne’s eyes widen at that. “He tried to talk to you?! The nerve of that fucker-“ she begins to rant, before being interrupted by Senna’s return.
“Sorry I took so long, Lucian wanted to know where I’d been.” She explains, handing Graves a new cup, while also having one of her own. She then frowns as she looks between Graves and Vayne. “Damn, you two look angry. Is this guy really that bad?”
“Oh he’s worse. ” Vayne stresses. “Absolutely shameless .” She seethes, and for some reason, Graves feels the need to clarify.
“I don’t think he knew it was me.” He states, Vayne simply blinking at him, confused. “I mean- he tried to ask for my name, I think if he had known, he wouldn’t have tried.”
“Well,” the woman mutters. “I suppose this isn’t exactly your usual attire.” She gestures to the dress, before continuing. “But I can’t fathom why he’d think it’s a good idea to show up in the first place. You deserve to enjoy your night without having to think about him.”
“As much as I appreciate the sentiment, keep in mind you dressed to impress your ex.” He chuckles, and Senna groans.
“I should’ve known something was up, nobody dressed as a hot knight without reason.” She looks Vayne up and down, accusatorily. “This was for Evelynn wasn’t it.”
“Well,” the woman begins, attempting to defend herself. “It does have the added benefit of looking badass and- “ She gestures to Graves. “Me and Eve have our differences but Tobias is a whole other can of worms.”
Graves groans as a realisation crosses mind. “ Speaking of Evelynn, I’m willing to bet she’s who Tobias is staying with.” When they’d first broken up, he kicked Tobias out since he’d been planning to leave anyway- and Evelynn, being a close friend, was all too eager to help him out. Graves only knew thanks to Vayne going over for dinner and being met with Malcolm’s ex at the door rather than her girlfriend. “Think they’re in kahoots? That this is all a ploy to ruin my night?”
“Not far fetched given your luck.” Senna chuckles, taking a sip of her punch. “But they can only ruin it if you let them.”
She’s right, and Malcolm is certain the steady supply of alcohol will help take his mind off it. He doesn’t want to think about Tobias, or how much he missed him, or how good he looked In that costume, or his pretty eyes or how bad the punch tastes as he gulps down the entire cup in seconds.
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Tobias already knew he was going to have a bad time as soon as he got there. He didn’t mind parties, but a party at your ex’s friends house full of your ex’s friends didn’t sound like much fun. However, Evelynn wanted to come in matching costumes, and considering he’d moved back in on short notice he figured he owed it to her.
Yet she’d left him in order to go chat up a girl dressed as a…ninja? He wasn’t sure- but it wasn’t his business, good for them! Really, it’s not like he was jealous or anything. It didn’t bother him at all that the only guy he tried to talk to ended up being Malcolm- and he also wasn’t even slightly embarrassed about almost spilling his drink all over him. Oh and he definitely hadn’t had too much to drink.
He was only on his fourth? Fifth? He tried to remember- not his seventh for sure, cup. Really he was fine. The steadily increasing nausea was probably just nerves from being around so many stranger, plus seeing Malcolm again definitely didn’t help with that- it was nothing. Almost as if to prove it to himself, he takes a few more sips.
And a wave of nausea and dizziness hits him like a truck, almost knocking him off his feet. Okay he’s no lightweight but he’s also not an idiot: maybe but only maybe, 6 cups of over sweetened alcoholic punch was a tad overkill. All that effort and it hadn’t even served its purpose- Graves was still on his mind and all he had to show for his attempts to quell those thoughts was the feeling that he was going to throw up literally right this second-
He slaps a hand over his mouth on reflex and tries to hold it back, realising his best bet is to try to find the bathroom. The trouble was, he’d never been in Jayce’s home before and therefore didn’t have the slightest idea where it was.
The result is that he scrambles panickedly through the the home, almost tripping over his own robes several times and losing his hat somewhere along the way, though he could care less. He checks almost every room upstairs, stumbling into the bathroom through the process of elimination.
The door is unlocked so he’s shocked to find two men practically all over each other In the bathtub, not naked thank god, but certainly… enjoying themselves. One appears to be a wraith while the other is a vampire. Ordinarily, Tobias might admire their costumes, but right now he was no time to waste, panickedly shrieking at them to “GET OUT!”
The two men scramble to fix their costumes before rushing out of the room, barging past him to get through the doorway. He hears the vampire mutter something about how rude he’d been but in that moment, he can’t care. He slams the door behind him before practically running to the toilet bowl and collapsing against it in a dizzy, nauseated, heap.
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Malcolm had almost entirely forgotten about Tobias until, in typical Tobias fashion, he just had to ruin that for him. After probably too many drinks, and cycling through several topics of conversation, his ex boyfriend became nothing more than an afterthought, just a minor incident within an overall good night.
But then he came barging through the room, stumbling uncharacteristically gracelessly and even leaving his hat behind after it flew off his head. At first, Graves is pissed off to even see him, at least until he catches a glimpse of the sickly look in the man’s face. He can’t be particularly surprised, Tobias had never been a heavy drinker. Maybe he’d simply fallen victim to his own incompetence- bitten off more than he could chew, or rather drank more.
If he were a more immature man, he’d laugh it off and go back to conversation, but something about seeing the man look so out of it makes the idea of simply leaving him to it seem inconsiderate. Sure, they have their differences, but it’s not like Malcolm doesn’t care to at least see if he’s okay, maybe even hold his hair back if need be. He was, at least metaphorically, the bigger man.
With a sigh, he downs the rest of his cup, and leaves the empty plastic on a nearby table, before turning on his heel to follow Tobias. But not without suspicion.
“Where are you going?” Vayne asks, raising a brow. Malcolm knows if he tells her the truth she’ll likely do anything she can to convince him not to, and so he explains.
“Just going to the bathroom.” Which isn’t a lie more than it’s a slight omission of his intentions. It seems sufficient enough that she doesn’t pry further, and so he takes his leave.
He takes a detour to the kitchen, filling a cup with water before stumbling to the bathroom. He even picks up Tobias’ hat on the way, which is probably nicer of him than the man deserves, but Malcolm was trying not to dwell on that.
Trying not to spill the drink as he stumbles up the stairs is difficult- he must have had more to drink than he’d realised. On the bright side, he had the excuse that he’d never do this if he’d been sober.
It doesn’t take long for him to reach the bathroom, knocking first and receiving no response. It’s maybe not the wisest choice but the door swings open, unlocked. As he steps through, he’s met with the sight of Tobias sat by the toilet with his back against the wall, breathing heavily and shakily.
Malcolm almost sighs in relief if only because it’s
evident he’d missed the worst of it, but that wasn’t going to make talking to the man any less awkward. “You done?” He asks quietly, and only then does Tobias seem to notice his presence.
“What’re you doing here?” He mumbles, slurring his words slightly but most importantly- not yet telling him to leave.
“I asked you first.” Malcolm responds, just to be petty really- especially since his reason for being there would be obvious in a second. He carefully sits down beside Tobias, and unceremoniously tosses the discarded hat into his lap. He then hands him the cup of water.
“Yeah then. I think I have to have emptied my stomach after all that.” He mutters weakly, before looking down at this cup in his hand then to Graves, curious. “This isn’t more alcohol, right?”
Graves chuckles. “No, just water.” He specifies before shrugging. “Though it’s from the tap- not bottled mineral water, sorry it ain’t to your tastes.” He says sarcastically, and sees Tobias smirk out of the corner of his eye.
The black haired man takes a small sip before immediately trying to chug the contents of the cup, prompting Malcolm to gently take his wrist. “Slow down, you’re gonna make yourself throw up again.” He says, rolling his eyes.
Tobias glares at him, but listens regardless, lowering the cup and drinking more slowly before sighing, relieved. He avoids looking at Graves, instead fidgeting with the cup before he mutters. “So, what happened to wanting me out of your sight?”
Graves shrugs, before taking the opportunity to take a jab at the other. “Well don’t get me wrong I’m not happy to see you, but I’m not like you.” He begins, shrugging with a dry chuckle. “I’m not gonna up and leave as easily as you can.”
Tobias sighs at that, exasperated. “So you came here just to complain? Typical.” He scoffs, prompting the other man to frown.
“I have every right to complain.” He argues, the other man rolling his eyes in response. “You left me, you never thought how I’d feel-“
“I had to leave, they’re my family, Malcolm.” The black haired man snaps back, with renewed energy. They’ve had this argument before and yet the words don’t sting any less.
“I was more of a family to you than they ever were and you know it!” Malcolm bites back, pushing himself up from the floor, dusting himself off once he gets to his feet. He looks down at Tobias with disdain before turning to leave. “This was a bad idea, should’ve just pretended I never saw you tonight.”
But right as he reaches for the door, Tobias rushes to grab his wrist, pulling him back. He still seems unsteady and woozy, swaying as Graves looks over at him. “Wait..” he mutters, trying to steady himself. “You don’t get it, Mal.”
“No.” The brown haired man admits, yanking his hand back from the other’s grip. “I don’t get why you expect me not to be hurt over you choosing the folks who kicked you out, when I spent the past 10 years of my life loving you like they should have-“
“ I wanted another chance with them!” Tobias cries, looking pained by Graves’ words. He lets the man speak more out of curiosity than anything. “I spent so long being so desperate for them to take me back, getting that letter was something I’d dreamt of for years. It was all I wanted.”
“And judging by the fact that you’re standing here right now-“ Malcolm begins, glaring at the other sternly as he spits every harsh word “It was too good to be true. They kick you out again or what?” The question seems to echo as he frowns, Tobias looking away almost ashamed before muttering something almost inaudibly.
“I left, actually.” Malcolm almost has to ask him to repeat himself, in a state of disbelief over what he heard until Tobias begins to elaborate, “Turns out it gets awkward having to answer a million questions why your grandson hasn’t inherited the business yet, what’s the solution? Invite him back to give him ownership and fuck all else .” He spits, voice laced with anger. “They didn’t want me back, they wanted their reputation back. I couldn’t stay knowing that’s all I’m good for in their eyes.”
Graves has to pause, trying to take in the information he’d been bombarded with, eventually he looks away from Tobias, unsure of how to proceed. He wants to be sympathetic but he’s not sure Tobias deserves it, instead muttering “I’m not gonna say I told you so, but I did tell you so.”
The black haired man chuckles dryly at that, and for a moment Graves wishes he’d said something more compassionate- until Tobias replies. “Fuck, you’re right, you know?” He sighs. “I wish I’d known that- I wish I’d listened before, I should’ve never left.”
“Tobias…” the other man trails off, uncertain of how to feel. He’s still frustrated with him for what he did but god does it feel good to hear those words. It gives him an inkling of hope, nurturing the feelings that never entirely left. Before he can voice it, however, the other continues.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.” He mumbles, looking at Graves with teary eyes. “I’ll get out of your hair, thanks for the water… It was good to see you.” He concludes before stumbling past Graves, in the direction of the door.
But he stops in his tracks as Graves blurts out “I missed you.” He doesn’t mean to say it, in fact he doesn’t know why he’s saying it, but either way he means it. He supposes it’s another thing he can blame on the alcohol. Before he can continue or elaborate however, Tobias’ lips are against his own.
It’s not a good kiss by any means, clearly an impulse decision, in fact Malcolm is surprised none of his teeth are chipped on impact- but it doesn’t matter because it’s Tobias. It then takes a whole other bout of shock as it clicks that Tobias is kissing him . At first his eyes widen in surprise before he closes them, sinking into the contact and kissing back softly. It gets more pleasant as they slow down. He brings his hands to cup the other’s face, and Tobias gently pushes him until his back hits the wall.
And then it escalates. The black haired man pulls away, panting, and yet wastes no time leaning down to kiss Malcolm’s jaw. “I fuckin missed you so much, Mal.” He breathes before picking up where he left off.
He doesn’t stop there, biting and sucking down the man’s neck, and god it feels good. It’d been so long since Graves had anything like this - his one night stands never indulged as much as Tobias did. Having him here- having him touch him- it doesn’t feel real, it’s too good be true.
Then he remembers why any of this is happening in the first place. How stupid this is, it’s guaranteed not to end well. They can’t fix things like this. “Tobias-“ he mumbles, cut off by his own gasp as the other sucks a mark into his collarbone. “ Tobias-“
His tone must give something away because only then does the taller man pull back, looking down at Graves with concern. “Something wrong? Need me to stop?” And he looks so worried, Graves almost winces at the tightness he feels in his chest at the sight.
“No- I mean- yes- “ He fumbles, not wanting to upset the other. He can’t do this- not here, not now. He wants Tobias back for more than a quick fling and to do that they can’t do this. Obviously the other will understand but the worries of saying the wrong thing, of driving him away, cause him to hesitate. “I can’t do this.” He says firmly, and feels his heart ache as Tobias seems to wilt.
“Right- God, I’m sorry.” The black haired man mutters, pulling away entirely. “I didn’t mean to get carried away, I understand,” he continues, avoiding Malcolm’s gaze.
“No it’s- I’m not upset. I liked it.” Graves clarifies, though like doesn’t really sum it up all that well. His eyes flicker around awkwardly as he fidgets with his fingers, trying to find the right words. Eventually, he begins to explain, stating matter-of-factly. “We’re drunk, Tobias.”
That prompts the other to chuckle, “Yeah, no shit.” before seeming to realise the implications, his eyes widening as he looks over to graves with the expression of a kicked puppy. “But that was real, right? We both wanted that?-“
“ Yes, it was real.” Graves agrees, nodding. “But as much as I missed you, I…I don’t think I’ve fully forgiven you.” He mumbles, watching as the other droops impossibly further. He’s looking at the floor, almost ashamed, shoulders hunched. Graves thinks he must have assumed the worst. “That doesn’t mean I won’t but this isn’t going to help.” He clarifies. “I want to fix things with you, properly, and that’s not gonna happen while drunk, in Jayce’s bathroom.”
“ Right .” Tobias sighs, finally seeming to relax a little. “You’re right.”
“I usually am.” Graves replies, playfully smug and smirking. “Which you’d know if you listened.” He jokes, the other grumbling in response.
“Don’t rub it in or I might get second thoughts.” Tobias jokes, winking at the other. “Me and Evelynn had a thing, y’know, who’s to say I won’t try again-“ Graves’ eyes widen at that,
“No way you and her-“ but he realises Tobias is being serious, laughing as he states “She went from Vayne to you? What a downgrade.” He jabs; all part of their banter. It was strange how easily they fell back into it
“Hey!” Tobias protests. “I thought you missed me!”
Amused by the other’s whining, Graves simply folds his arms. “Not sure I missed your huge ego, though. Gotta knock ya down a peg.” Tobias chuckles at that, smiling earnestly in a way Graves never realised just how much he’d missed.
“You’re welcome to try the next time we see each other, right now my ego is bruised enough already.” He jokes, placing a hand over his heart. “After all, I did hit on you without recognising you, and I spilt my drink. Feel free to hold that over my head.”
“Oh I very much intend to.” Graves states, ominously before reaching out a hand. “Do you have your phone?” He asks, and for a moment Tobias looks confused, even as he fishes it out. “You said next time, best way to ensure there is one, is to stay in contact.”
Tobias nods as he hands Malcolm the phone, unlocking the thumbprint ID before directing him to contacts. After a moment of typing away, he hands the phone back and saying “I’d let you make one in mine too but Vayne has it, since my dress has no pockets…” He trails off.
“Don’t worry, I’ll send something later.” Tobias says as he puts his phone back in his pocket. He sounds genuinely eager enough that Malcolm finds it endearing. “Thank you.”
“No problem, but maybe text me when we’re both sober. ” Graves specifies, and Tobias nods in agreement. Then, out of curiosity, he asks. “You’re here for good right? Not going back?”
“No, I meant it when I said I left, I don’t think they’d even let me talk to them if I showed up again.” The black haired man explains. “I’m staying with Eve again, so not far from you- assuming you live in the same place?”
“I do.” The other answers. “It always feels too empty without you, too much space for me alone.” He admits, looking away, somewhat embarrassed by the show of openness. “I know we still have shit to resolve but I’m happy you’re back.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t break my nose, if I’m being honest.” Tobias jokes. “No but, really, I’m nearby now and…maybe we could go out for coffee? On me, obviously.”
“Sounds like a plan. Just not tomorrow, I’m going to have such a hangover.” He laughs, and the other tilts his head in confusion.
“I know we’re drunk- but you don’t seem that drunk, you of all people can handle your alcohol.” He states, and Malcolm simply shrugs.
“The night is young, Tobias, there’s plenty more punch downstairs.” He pauses, humming in consideration of the other’s state a few minutes prior. “Non alcoholic too, if you’d care to join me?
“I don’t see why not.”