And if Rowan’s reminding himself of that fact at the same time, that’s just a bonus.

“Yeah.”

The silence between them stretches on for a tad longer than comfortable. Rowan’s about to say something, anything, when Mal speaks again.

“How’s your hand today?”

“It’s seen worse,” Rowan says with a laugh.

“Hit the guy pretty hard if the sound of his nose was anything to go by.”

Rowan laughs lightly. “Yeah.”

“Wish I could’a seen it,” Mal laments.

“Are you… okay that I did that?”

“Hell yeah, man. Fuck that guy. Why do you ask?”

“I didn’t want you to feel like… like I had to rescue you or some shit.”

“Kinda did, though. Not like I could’a done much in the position I was in. Or the… the state of mind.”

All Rowan can say to the relief that washes over him is “Okay.”

It’s quiet for a few moments. Rowan listens to Mal breathe softly on the other end of the line. He wonders if Mal’s still on the couch or if he’s moved. Maybe he’s sitting up in bed right now, back against the headboard and legs crossed at the ankles.

He wants to ask him where he is, what he’s doing, what he’s wearing—to paint a better picture for himself as they talk. But he’s too worried that it would sound like he’s trying to start something, and something else comes out anyway.

“Why’d you wanna do a scene with him?” Rowan blurts.

The question maybe catches Mal off guard, because he takes a long few seconds to respond.

“’Cause I needed to see.”

“See what?”

“If you and I actually had somethin’ real or not.”

Rowan’s pulse hammers in his veins.

“And do we?”

It’s hard to keep the edge of hopefulness out of his voice. He wonders if Mal can hear it anyway.

“Uh… yeah.”

His heart soars. Maybe Sheila was right after all.

Rowan wonders if it’s easier for Mal to talk like this. Talk about feelings when they’re not face-to-face. Merely voice-to-voice with miles of space between them.

“He never…,” Mal starts, backtracking almost and taking a deep breath that crackles through the phone. “He never used to be like that. Never ignored a word like that before.”

The moment before is barely acknowledged, but Rowan will take it anyway.

“You said you used to have people watch you a lot. What was different this time?”

“Prob’ly you bein’ there. You’ve got a… vibe, man.”

“A vibe?”

“Like… a presence, I guess.”

“Mal, are you saying I’ve got Big Dick Energy?”

Mal covers his laugh with a scoff. “Fuck off, Red. You know what I mean.”

It’s not pride or ego that makes Rowan agree with it. He and Steven clashed from the second he met the guy.

“So you think he was jealous? Why?”

“New situation, I guess?” Mal asks more than says. “Never really had anyone there that pulled my attention more than him.”

It’s the highest of compliments.