Malcolm Merlyn (m_merlyn) wrote in newalliance, @ 2015-07-27 16:26:00 |
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Entry tags: | captain marvel, merlyn |
Who: Carol and Malcolm
What: Rest and recuperation for their injuries
Where: Home, at the Sag house
When: July 26th, a few days after this
Status: Complete
Rating: PG-13
It had been a hell of a week. They'd remained at the cabin for two days before deciding that it was safe enough to transport Carol back home to the Sag house. Malcolm winced slightly as he shifted beneath the warm blanket and couldn't remember the last time he'd been injured this badly. In honesty, probably not since his days as one of Ra's 'Seven Men of Death'. His contract work tended to be resolved with no injures to himself, much less extended combat.
He sleepily opened his eyes and smiled, bringing his hand up to lightly caress Carol's cheek with the backs of his fingers. Despite everything, he and Nyssa had been successful. Carol was safe and Ra's al Ghul was dead. Malcolm silently listened to the steady sound of her breathing as she slept, her head resting against his shoulder. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" he murmured softly.
Carol felt the fingers and, as proof she was healing as she didn't cringe, smiled softly before nuzzling Malcolm's shoulder. She was still tender in some spots but most of the minor injuries had healed. Only a few of the major ones remained and even they were starting to heal quicker since Carol was able to rest and eat.
Hearing Malcolm, she sleepily opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Had a sneaky daughter who signed you up for a dating site you knew nothing about," she returned, tightening her arms around him.
"No, that's how we met each other," he replied with a warm smile. Malcolm pressed a kiss to her forehead and carefully tightened his own arm around her. His fingers idly drifted up and down her side and he sighed quietly. "I just... part of me wonders why you love me in the first place, especially now that you know everything. This happened to you because of me, Carol."
She shifted a bit closer to him and so she could look better at him. "We all have a past Malcolm. Some worse than others yes but that doesn't mean people aren't allowed to try and redeem themselves. You stepped up to become Cissie's father when you could have turned her away. You stepped up and told us the truth about your past, what you did when you could have tried to keep it secret." She reached up and laid a hand against his face. "This wasn't exactly my first kidnapping either Malcolm. It's been done by aliens before." Though it was her first time being tortured but that didn't matter right now. Not to her anyway.
"The tables could have always been turned too. You or Cissie can still be kidnapped to get to me if a villain ever found out who I was," she pointed out.
Malcolm closed his eyes and turned his head slightly to kiss her palm. He knew she was right about the kidnapping potential. "I know... but you're marrying a villain," he pointed out.
She shifted to prop herself up and stared at him, her face serious. "I love you. You have a good heart and you are a good man in spite of your past with the League. Or maybe because of it." She lifted her hand and rested it on his chest. "If you truly were a villain, you would have left me to die or done the contract yourself. But you chose to save me."
"It's been a very long time since someone thought I was a good man," he admitted softly. "It's been even longer since I believed it myself. I could never have taken that contract, much less left you to die. I love you, Carol. And I was willing to die to try and save you... to help take down Ra's to keep both you and Cissie safe from him."
Carol smiled warmly to him and leaned over, kissing his cheek. "That's what good men do. They risk their lives for those they love." Her hand shifted and ran through his dark hair. "But Ra's is gone. We're safe. And that's what matters."
"I was so certain that I was going to lose both of you. Death would have been bad enough. But for you to both walk away and never return? It would've been even worse." He sighed as her fingers moved through his hair. "I've made a promise to Nyssa. Should she ever need me as Malcolm or as the Dark Archer, she only has to contact me."
Hearing his words about what he promised Nyssa, she nodded. "We owe her our lives," she returned. "I'd be dead now if not for you and her." She shifted and curled back up against his side like she had done for most of her recovery, using his shoulder once more as a pillow. "...I was...out of it in the car but...were you two talking about Ra's coming back from death?"
"It's possible. He has another daughter named Talia, and also a grandson. There are others who are fiercely loyal to him, not just because he led the League. If they managed to get him to a Lazarus Pit, it's possible they could revive him." Malcolm gently stroked her hair and rested his head against hers. "But the League is under Nyssa's control now."
"A what pit?" she asked. If memory served Lazarus was the name of some guy from the Bible who Jesus had brought back to life. But feeling his hand stroking her hair was soothing and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. "Will she revoke the contract on me?"
"The Lazarus Pit. They're supposedly scattered all over the world, but their locations are a secret known only to a few. And yes, she will... and further prohibit anyone associated with the League from accepting any new contracts on you. Given a little time, we'll be able to find out who placed the original contract and eliminate the threat." Malcolm paused for a moment, then reached over with his free hand to open the drawer of his nightstand. "I have something for you..."
Carol nodded some, trusting that Malcolm would let her know who wanted her dead. Feeling him shift, she lifted her head and stared at him, curiosity on her face. "And what's that?" she asked. Carol wondered briefly if it was a replacement ring but given how much they'd been staying in since the whole rescue, she doubted it.
"Do you still want to marry me?" he asked, holding up the ring for her to see. "I called in a couple of favors to retrieve yours."
Seeing the ring, she pushed up into more of a sitting position and reached out, gently taking the ring. "You know I will," she returned. She slipped the ring back onto her finger before sliding half on him and giving him a deep kiss.
Malcolm smiled against her lips and held her close with one arm wrapped around her waist. He cupped a hand to her cheek and pulled back, breaking into a grin as his eyes met hers. "I didn't know if you'd prefer a new one or not, considering everything that happened. But when he actually managed to find it, I figured I would give you the choice."
Shifting some so she was curled up snugly against his side, she looked down at the ring. "It's a symbol of the man I fell in love with. A good man." She looked at him. "The only thing Ra's did with it was tear it off my finger." She let her hand shift to slide up along his skin, enjoying the warmth and feel of it while being mindful of his injuries. He was going to take longer to heal than her.
"I won't let you down again," Malcolm promised. "You know, I could get used to staying in bed all day with you. It'd be even better if there was lots of sex involved, but we both need to heal up some more before that," he teased.
His words earned a laughed and she kissed him. "After we're healed, I wouldn't say no to a nice long vacation," she murmured. It was sounding better and better the more she thought about it.
"I was thinking someplace warm and tropical. Maybe Maldives? There's a private resort out there that has these amazing beach front villas. Nice and secluded, our own jacuzzi hot tub, crystal clear ocean water to go swimming in..." Malcolm smiled and nuzzled her cheek. "You in nothing but a bikini for a week..."
Hearing him describe a tropical getaway, a slow smile spread over Carol's face. "It has been awhile since I've gone on an actual planned vacation," she murmured. Her blue eyes slid up to meet his and she smiled deviously. "Who says I have to wear anything at all?"
"Mmmm... I like that idea even better. How about in another week or two?" He paused for a moment as an idea occurred to him. "I know Cissie wants to spend time with the two of us, so I could always book a second villa for her and a few of her girlfriends... possibly Tim. I don't know."
Carol smiled. "I think she'd like that. Beach party for her friends and all." She nuzzled his shoulder with her head. "We can maybe spend a few days of just the three of us there decompressing and relaxing then her friends can be flown over to spend time with her at the other villa while we have some time to ourselves."
"Sounds good. We can talk about it when she comes back later." He closed his eyes and leaned back, resting against the pillows and stroking her hair again. "I love you," he murmured softly. "You and Cissie mean everything to me. I meant everything I said before all of this happened."
Carol smiled at the hair stroking and closed her eyes. "I know you did. And still do." Her hand shifted and rested over his heart. "I love you too. And Cissie." She let out a soft, happy sigh. "And that hair stroking is putting me to sleep," she murmured.
"I could stop if you want." Malcolm smiled and pressed his lips to her temple. Just a few days ago, he thought he'd never see her again. But things would be better this time. No secrets between any of them. "What sort of wedding would you like?" he asked curiously.
"I'm enjoying it," she returned. Like him, she was thinking of how close she had come to never seeing him again. Hearing him ask about the wedding, she grew thoughtful. "Nothing too extravagant," she murmured. "I've never really been one for a lot of pomp and ceremony."
"Something small then with just a few friends? Other than you and Cissie, I haven't got any family. Would you want it here in New York, or go away for it? I don't know the first thing about planning weddings, love." Malcolm wrapped a blonde lock around his finger, then slowly unwound it.
She gave a small chuckle. "Like I know anything?" she teased back. "The location doesn't matter much to me. But I like the idea of it being just you, me, Cissie, then maybe a few close friends. I'd...like it if we could invite Nyssa too. I wouldn't be alive if not for her." A thought occurred to her and she gave a small, amused chuckle. "I have no one to walk me down the aisle..." she murmured.
"You don't have a close male friend, or mentor you could ask? Maybe one of your military friends?" he suggested. "I'll make sure we invite Nyssa though. She and I might've had our differences over the years, but I've always considered her a friend. And when we needed someone to trust to watch my back, we could always trust each other."
Carol gave a small laugh. "My military friends weren't exactly guys I'd ask to walk me down the aisle. Some are dead and some are deployed. Mentor wise...well...I've always idolized Captain America given his penchance for doing what people said he couldn't." Though...maybe she could try to find him and ask... They had started to hit off (so she thought) a friendship at that car chase. But the question was where to find him. If she could find him.
Malcolm arched an eyebrow and tried unsuccessfully to keep from smirking. "Captain America? That would be an interesting wedding. Captain America walking Captain Marvel down the aisle, in order to give her away to the Dark Archer. And sitting in the audience would be the new Demon's Head, and Artemis with her boyfriend from the Titans."
That earned a laugh from Carol and she looked at him. "I know. It can't happen. Or more precisely won't given I don't even know him outside of meeting him as Captain Marvel." She shrugged. "We have time. Hell, the public doesn't even know really that we're engaged."
"There was a small press release from my company in the papers, but nothing huge. But you're right... we have plenty of time to figure out all of the logistics. And you, my dear, get to choose where we're going for the honeymoon." He winked and smiled at her.
She smiled some, looking up at him. "Hmm...a place with a private beach sounds good," she winked. She shifted up and kissed him softly. "Someplace warm where clothes are entirely optional..."
"Are you secretly a nudist and just haven't told me yet?" he teased. "Because you seem to have this aversion to wearing clothing when it involves beaches and warm weather. Mind you, I don't have aproblem with it so long as I'm the only one getting to see it."
She smiled more and looked at him. "You mean to tell me you've never been fully bare on a beach with no one else around?" she asked. "Because I think it sounds like fun.
"Actually? No... never have. But you're right, it does sound like a hell of a lot of fun. Just you and me," he said, sliding a hand down her side. "No one else around to interrupt..."
She smiled. "And we wouldn't have to worry about tan lines either." Perfectly rational to be naked on a private beach with the one you loved. She shivered a little as his hand moved along her side. "Well...unless we fell asleep snuggling in a hammock under the sun."
His fingertips dipped beneath the bottom of her tank top, lightly stroking back and forth. "True... and we wouldn't have to worry about getting sand in our swimsuits." Malcolm nuzzled the side of her throat and nipped playfully at her earlobe. "Imagining you naked and dripping with water, the sun shining down on you..."
She shifted herself closer to his hands. "Is someone enjoying what their imagination is coming up with?" she teased playfully, shivering a bit at the nip to her earlobe. "Because I can say I am imagining the same with you." She reached out and traced some of the muscles on his chest. "I do enjoy seeing you shirtless..."
"Someone's enjoying it very much, especially because of how much I missed you after you left." He sighed quietly at the feel of her fingers as his pulse quickened. Malcolm began lightly nibbling along the edge of her ear and let his fingers dip lower. "You do, hmm? And why's that, beautiful?
"Ditto," she murmured. She could feel herself responding to the nibbles and arched more into him. Hearing his question, she lazily opened her eyes to stare at him. "To be perfectly blunt, you're hot." She continued tracing his chest. "And whenever you hold me in your arms, I feel safe. Loved."
"You are so good for my ego," he joked. "I probably look a lot hotter when I'm not covered in bruises and bandages. What about you though, Carol? You're absolutely gorgeous! And you are... loved, I mean."
"Hmm...you do. But they're a sign of how much you care about the ones you love." She smiled at his words and kissed his chest. "I feel like a punching bag still," she murmured. She glanced down at her fingers where her nails were starting to regrow. "I look it still too..."
"No, you look like a survivor. You look like an amazing woman who still believes the best in humanity." Malcolm placed his hand over hers so she couldn't look at her nails. "You look like someone who isn't giving up on me, despite the fact that I gave up on myself years ago by believing that I was just a killer." Malcolm leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her lovingly and letting it linger. "And this time, I won't fail the people I love."
Carol returned the kiss and wrapped her arm around his chest, holding onto him. "I'm a killer too," she murmured. "Maybe not an assassin level killer but I've killed people in the military. I've done a few things I'm not proud of." She looked at him, her blue eyes serious. "For what it's worth, I don't think you failed me. You came for me. Willing to risk your life for someone who might not have even loved you anymore. That is anything but failure."
"It's why I took care of North before Cissie could change her mind. Killing a person... it changes you. The first time you take a life, it feels like you're lost a bit of your soul and you can never get it back. I didn't want her to ever have to go through that." Malcolm rested his head against hers as they cuddled together. "I meant in the future... going forward from now. Whether you loved me or not didn't matter. I was still willing to die for you because I love you."
She nodded. "I don't think I slept for a month after my first kill," she murmured. "At least, not well. And I was even in a plane when it happened." So it wasn't like she had even see who she had killed, just the plane she had shot down. "But I do know why you did what you did in regards to him on a personal level." On a professional level though she still thought North should have been left alive and gone through a court trial for his punishment.
"I know... doesn't change the fact that you two would've preferred he go to court." Malcolm resumed stroking her hair and told her softly, "You can ask me anything... you know that right? Anything you might have wanted to know, or are curious about now that you do know about me?"
"We can't change the past though. So why dwell on the things we can't change?" Feeling his hand back in her hair she smiled and nuzzled his shoulder. "Why did you first leave the League? I mean, something obviously drew you away from Ra's and his group if he thought killing me would drive you back."
"When I first found my way to Nanda Parbat, I thought I had lost all meaning in my life. Rebecca had been murdered, my father and I had always had a trouble relationship, and I was angry at the world. I fell into a deep depression and raged at everyone and everything around me. I became a completely different person from who I was. I was recruited and they offered to help me find a new purpose. But no matter what I did, no matter how many targets I killed, it didn't make a difference in how I felt. I was... broken inside. To be honest, I think I stayed that way until Cissie came into my life. So I left and returned to Star City when I realized that Ra's had a very different world view than I did." He kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.
She listened as he described why he went to the League and left. She knew it was no doubt abridged but it was enough for now. "It sounds...lonely," she finally said, looking at him. She reached up and brushed some of his hair away. "You know, you can ask me anything too."
"It was," he admitted. "There were some people who made it bearable, like Nyssa. But the League isn't big on mercy, compassion, or forgiveness. It's a little ironic. When I was originally on the circuit, they called me 'Merlin the Magician', since my stage name was Arthur King. When I met Nyssa upon arriving in Nanda Parbat, she was just a child. A very, very deadly and well trained child. I showed her a magic trick with a coin and she was the one who named me Al Sa-Her, which means 'The Magician'." He smiled and opened his eyes, gazing into hers. "I know you say I'm a good man and that you love me. But I'm still an assassin and there will still be contract offers sent to me. I won't be bound to the League as I was under Ra's, but that will never become public knowledge."
"Ra's called you that when he had me. I didn't know who he was talking about. My Arabic is a bit rusty. Now if it had been Kree I would have known what he was talking about." A weak attempt at a joke perhaps but she had had enough of the sullen and depressing atmosphere. "I know you're an assassin and I'm not asking you to change for me."
"These days, I hardly ever accept a contract anyways. It's not like I need the money. I think mentioned there were only two or three in as many years?" He smiled at her joke and immedicatly caught what she was trying to do. "These patrols that you and Cissie go on... would you like some company?" he offered.
"I know. More proof you're a good man." At least in her mind. SHe returned his smile, glad he was a bit amused by the joke. When he asked the question though, she gave a big dramatic sigh. "But if you come with us we can't talk about you," she mock whined, her eyes glittering in amusement.
Malcolm rolled his eyes and gave her a playful nudge. "I don't have to go with both of you. I'm just saying that if you ever want some company, I wouldn't mind coming along to watch your back."
She gave a small chuckle and closed her eyes. "I'll keep it in mind once we're both back at full health." A playful grin formed on her face. "Though what part of my back will you be watching?" she asked teasingly.
That earned a giggle from her and she looked up at him. "Well at least I know where you'll be focusing those pretty eyes of yours." She laid her head back down on his shoulder. "How long can we just lay here and do nothing?" she wondered.
"As long as you'd like. Or at least until we get hungry, or one of us has to go to the bathroom. Or until Cissie comes upstairs to see if we're still alive." He grinned and adjusted the blankets for her. At least she was smiling and giggling again, that was a good sign.
While she was smiling and giggling, Carol knew that she still had a ways to go before she was anywhere near okay again. She slept a little better than she had after just being rescued but she often still woke up in a cold sweat, half believing she was still being held by Ra's. She nodded against him and snuggled under the blanket. "Sounds good to me."
Malcolm smiled as she snuggled in and waited until she was comfortable and still. "Get some more sleep, love. I'll make us something to eat next time I wake up."
She gave a soft moan of acknowledgement, slowly relaxing so she could sleep. The sleep would help her heal faster and she knew the true would be same for Malcolm (though slower no doubt). Soon she was fast asleep, contentedly curled up in his arms.