Disclaimer: Malcolm and Moira belong to the CW and DC

June 1982

" New rule Malcolm, if you recommend more than three books to me some of them have to be soft covers." Moira shifted her back pack again trying to ease her discomfort.

"Fine, here." He grabbed the bag and carried it by the handle on the top since he was wearing a similarly stuffed bag on his back. "Trust me though, they are all worth it." They had spent the past two hours wandering the aisles of the local library while Malcolm explained why each book absolutely had to be read and would change her life completely. She had managed to find one or two to recommend to him, but the majority of his stack had been books he had previously put on hold.

"I'm still trying to figure out how you have time for all of this. The job, tutoring, studying, reading."

" I'll sleep when I'm dead." He shrugged. "So, what's Jeff up to today?" Moira had been spending more time with her ex in the weeks leading up to prom. He was pushing for a relationship and Moira was slowly being worn down to saying yes.

"Oh, you know, guy stuff." She paused briefly as they sat on a bench in the park. "I'm sorry, by the way. I know he hasn't been very nice to you." Jeff couldn't stand Malcolm. He found his observational nature to be annoying and thought he looked down on Jeff. Malcolm shrugged again.

"It doesn't hurt me. I just don't like to see you upset. That's why I don't come over any more when I know he's there. I have nothing against him, he doesn't matter to me."
"How can you be so passionate when you argue , or about books you read but everything in real life doesn't matter?" Moira asked exasperated.

"Because all the drama and the pomp and circumstance is going to be nothing to us in 5 years. I'm not going to remember 90 percent of our graduating class by name or even face."

"But they'll remember you?"

"Of course." He stated with complete certainly. Moira looked off in the distance chewing on her lip. Malcolm put his hand in hers to bring her attention back to him. "And they'll remember you." He said sincerely at first before changing to a teasing smirk. "Once you decide what you want to be remembered for."

"Oh God," She groaned. "Can I at least settle on a college before I start working on my legacy?"

" If you insist." He looked at his watch. "Well, if we leave now, I can help you get all this home and still have time to get into the old tux and head to work." He stood helping her up and grabbing both backpacks. They headed towards the Green family home, not noticing that they were still holding hands until they caught their reflection in a store window. Malcolm stopped to adjust their bags, a perfectly logical reason to break contact.

It all felt too comfortable, too easy. Two months earlier Moira would have barely been able to pick him out of a line up. Now, Malcolm was fast becoming not only a good friend, but possibly her best friend. Yet, every once in awhile they would have one of these flashes where they fell into behavior that indicated more than friendship. They never acknowledged these moments, they would just adjust their behavior and move on. There was no drama, which to Moira seemed to indicate there would be no passion. Besides, Malcolm didn't date.

She compared it to her relationship with Jeff. She and Jeff always seemed to be testing each other. The rules for each were different. She tested Jeff to see if he cared, He tested Moira to make sure she didn't. She actually had no idea where he was at the moment. She had called his house that morning and been told that he had gone on a trip. She had calmly asked Mrs Miller to get Jeff to call her when she got in before hanging up and throwing her pillows against the wall. The few times she would get fed up with him he would show up with flowers, apologize profusely and somehow convince her she had been over reacting. This had been their pattern for years.

Two weeks later, the day before prom, Jeff took off again. This time he told his mother to apologize to Moira because he wouldn't be back in time. Moira cried, angry at herself for letting him make her cry again. She avoided Malcolm. She was worried he would logically explain how this had been bound to happen and that she would be forced to smack him.

That worked until the next afternoon. Her mother, once informed that her daughter would no longer be going to the prom, asked her to go to the store and pick up a few things for dinner. As Moira turned down the aisle she literally ran into him.

"Hi." She said shyly

"Hi." He smiled before looking at her curiously. " I thought you'd be home with a head full of curlers or something right now."

" Um, no. I decided to take your approach and be above the whole thing." Malcolm refused to break eye contact, knowing that she was lying. " And Jeff stood me up." Moira tried to keep herself together, willing the tears in her eyes not to fall.

"Moira, I'm so sorry. He shouldn't have done that to you."

"It's fine, I'm just going to stay home, maybe do some of that reading I've been meaning to do."

" But what about Prom court? You were really excited about that." He asked confused.

"It doesn't matter." She shook her head. " Like you said, who's going to remember in five years anyways right?"

" Right," He trailed off as if an idea was forming. "Well, call me later if you feel up to talking ok?" She nodded. They hugged and went their separate ways to finish their shopping.

A couple of hours later Moira sat in her room staring at the ceiling. She had tried reading and even studying, but she couldn't concentrate. Her wallowing was disturbed by a knock at her bedroom door.

"Yes?" She answered.

"Moira, Honey, can you come downstairs for a moment?" Mrs Green asked before walking away. She rolled her eyes before getting up and doing as she was told. She walked down the stairs and was surprised to see Malcolm, in his tuxedo , waiting in the front hallway.

"Malcolm?"

"Hi." He said. Moira walked halfway down the stairs so she could hear him better.

"Are you on your way to work?"

"No, I asked Mr Kendrick for the night off."

"Then why are you in your tuxedo?"

"Well," He walked towards the staircase and presented her with a small rose. "I know it's kind of last minute, but Moira Green, will you go to Prom with me?"