Malcolm chokes out something that sounds like half a laugh and half a sob.

“Might be too soon,” he jokes back weakly. He tries to take a steadying breath, but it still shakes. “Do you th…” But he remembers the previous night’s confession and talking through his concerns about his love life with his best friend suddenly seems like adding insult to injury. He aborts the question and looks down at their hands instead. He swallows. “I got plums, too,” he tells Neal quietly, instead.