"Well, there are a couple of people from the Gull I should check in with first. Maybe I'll wait until the watch has been figuratively called."
Neal drew a breath to speak, then let it go. A beat. "You can't help what happens when you sleep. They know that. I do too. Something you can't help..." He shrugged, one-shouldered. "As unpleasant as it might be, something you can't help isn't the sum total of who you are. I think it's pretty clear the cowboys know that."
He glanced down, then looked back at Malcolm's face like the little self-conscious tell didn't happen. "And besides, I heard what you were yelling the night I was here before we got taken. Even in your sleep, you were worrying about someone else."
Neal cleared his throat, picking up his fork and focusing on that instead of Malcolm. "You're a good man. Anyone can see it. ...And people who know how rare that is will go a long way to protect it."
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Neal drew a breath to speak, then let it go. A beat. "You can't help what happens when you sleep. They know that. I do too. Something you can't help..." He shrugged, one-shouldered. "As unpleasant as it might be, something you can't help isn't the sum total of who you are. I think it's pretty clear the cowboys know that."
He glanced down, then looked back at Malcolm's face like the little self-conscious tell didn't happen. "And besides, I heard what you were yelling the night I was here before we got taken. Even in your sleep, you were worrying about someone else."
Neal cleared his throat, picking up his fork and focusing on that instead of Malcolm. "You're a good man. Anyone can see it. ...And people who know how rare that is will go a long way to protect it."