storybroken | [LOCATION: MAIN STREET]

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trip tucker (friar tuck)

[LOCATION: MAIN STREET]

[Trip liked his alcohol. That much everyone knew. Rarely a day went by when he didn't have a drink of some sort. But given the responsibilities of both of his jobs, he rarely got drop dead stinking drunk.

At last call tonight, he'd passed that 5 beers ago. Everything, from Mal's admission then avoiding him to the usual feeling in the pit of his stomach that was somehow made worse by the situation, had come to head and he just hadn't been able to stop.

And now he was walking home through the deserted street, abet slowly and with many detours, so as to avoid the disappointed looks from Leo and Felix. Everything was funny and nothing hurt. For the moment.

And that telephone pole looked fun to swing around right about now.]

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[Trip's glare moves from Chris to Mal once he graces them with his presence. He knows he should thanks Mal for taking care of him last night but right now, he's really not in the mood.]

Oh thanks. Why don'tcha give me my clothes back and I'll get outta yer hair so ya can continue to avoid me. Since apparently it was a horrible dream an' all.

[He makes to stand, sways for a moment as his head pounds again, and immediately sits back down.] After my head stops poundin'. Then I'll go.

[Mal doesn't know who to deal with first, but he decides to answer Chris first.]

Yes, we did something. I brought him home and dumped him in the shower fully clothed. He smelled something fierce. I had to put his clothes in the wash and let him wear your clothes because mine would be too small.

[And now he turns his attention towards Trip.]

I thought it was a horrible dream because you were singing Holding Out For A Hero and complimented my ass, as well as quite a few other embarrassing things.

[ Chris stares at Mal, then turns to Trip. After a moment, he goes back to Mal. ]

Oh. Is that all?

[ Whatever tea Chris is making has about steeped, so he pulls the bag out and sets it aside, sliding the mug in front of Trip's face. It isn't the most pleasant of smells, but at least it doesn't sizzle or bubble. ]

[Trip's cheeks color pink as he hears what he'd done the night before but he wasn't going to let Mal win that easily.]

Well, I apologize for my singin' but are ya really gonna protest my lookin' at yer ass? Ain't that somethin' yer supposed ta like?

[He ignores Chris' smart ass comment to tenatively sniff the cup in front of him.] What's this?

[Oh, there is more Mal can say.]

It's not exactly what I wanted to learn while you were drunk. You also licked my hand.

[He moves over to the stove to assist Chris in cooking. And by assist, I mean take it over.]

Please tell me you have some water left over for my coffee, Christopher.

I'm going to pretend you guys aren't having this conversation. Sound good?

[ Chris flicks some water at Mal before he steps aside. ]

Yeah, yeah. There's enough. [ To Trip: ] Just drink it.

[Trip will happily ignore you Chris as he rages at your cousin.]

Well, didja ever think that if ya would talk ta me when I was sober, I couldn't told ya then? I am not the one avoiding you. [His accent was conspicuously absent to stress that last statement.] And if I licked ya, I musta had good reason.

Will it put me outta ma misery? [Whether he means his headache or Mal, he won't say and just takes a small sip.]

[He is so not awake enough to deal with Trip right now, so he's just going to be very snippy up until he gets his coffee.]

It's a shame you're unable to remember last night or we wouldn't need to have this conversation again. And I'm avoiding you for a reason.

[Now Mal's just going to glare at Chris and make his coffee because seriously, not awake enough for this shit.]

[ Tough luck, Mal. Deal with it. Chris hops up onto the counter and watches, overly innocent as his cousin goes about his morning routine. ]

Yeah, Trip, that's exactly what it'll do. Why don't you ask Mal what's in it? [ 'Cause it's not like Mal ever told Chris about how to make his miracle blueberry hangover cure. ]

[Too bad Mal. Shouldn't have brought him home. Or told him you loved him and then ran away.]

Yeah? Wanna tell me what that reason is again? 'Cuse right now, I'm confused as hell. Last time ah checked, ya actually wanted to be around people ya claimed ta love.

[Chris just gets another glare as Trip takes a larger drink.] ....Blueberries?

[He thought you'd at least be nice enough to berate him after he's gotten his coffee.]

Because I'm a coward and quite terrible at this sort of thing.

[Mal doesn't share it so he knows Chris will visit. This will never change.] And you're never finding out, Christopher.

Never say never.

[ Chris reaches over and tries to snag the kettle so he can make some coffee for himself. He's obviously done this sort of thing before, as Mal's puttering about with breakfast does nothing to deter him. ]

[Trip actually stops drinking and stares at Mal, shocked that he admitted it so easily.]

Oh.

[Back to drinking tea which is amazingly enough helping his headache. In fact, it takes him a minute or three to think of what to say.]

Yeah, ya are kinda bad at it, I won't deny that. An' I don't know what I said last night, but I wanna at least talk 'bout this. Ya kinda left in a hurry at the diner. I was...surprised.

[It helps that this is the second time Mal has said this to Trip, so it's easier for him to admit it.]

You didn't really say much beyond asking me questions and wanting me to give you a chance.

[He goes quiet for a minute and is distracted by what Trip's saying that he's not paying attention to Chris, letting him grab the kettle.]

It's to be expected that you're surprised. I never gave you any reason to suspect me and I never really spoke to you.

[ Dum-dee-dum, just going about his business. Chris is tempted to stay silent, but something has been bugging him... ]

Which begs the question—Mal, why did you tell him?

[First time Trip could remember though which made it the most important.]

Well, that doesn't sound so bad. An' I can say sober that I meant it. [He does Mal. Though right now, he's not sure why.] Or at least, I meant I wanna get ta know ya.

[Chris' question makes Trip look at Mal expectantly, wanting to know the answer himself.]

Ya, why did ya?

[If this was the first time Mal said it, he would be far more awkward about this.]

And I said I had my reasons for not letting you, Mr. Tucker.

[He looks at both of them and sighs.]

Because if I hadn't, I'm quite sure I would've been poked for more information than I had already said at that point.

Why didn't you just run away then?

Care to share what they are? Because I'm gettin' really sick of the run around, figuratively an' literally! What could be so bad that ya wouldn't even talk ta me?! What are ya so afraid of little ole me knowin'?!

[Trip has been half yelling at this point and suddenly sobers. He swallows hard, wanting to ask how the hell Mal had fallen in love with him in the first place without really knowing him, but isn't sure he can with Chris in the room, so he opts for just staring into his tea.]

Coulda just lied fer Christ's sake. Save us all the heartbreak. Hell, I even gave ya an' out with Ruby.

Do you really want to know why? It's because I'm a murderer. I killed a man when I was younger and nearly everyone who knows about it tends to treat me as if I'm some loose cannon about to snap and kill someone else. That's why I didn't want you to know me, because I didn't want you to learn about that. It doesn't help that I'm still a coward.

[He sighs and sees if his coffee is ready, wanting to distract himself from the conversation a bit.]

I don't think it's right to lie to someone, especially when the majority of the town knows that Ruby is very much not my type, our common interest in red aside.

[ Chris gives his cousin a crestfallen look, then quickly turns to Trip to try and intercept. He has no ground to try and deny, but he does have a fact that Mal's conveniently left out. ]

It was self-defense. Mal wouldn't do that for any other reason.

[Well...that wasn't what Trip had been expecting. But, even with how little he knew of Mal, lose canon didn't exactly sound right to him. Still, his gaze locks on Mal's, wanting the truth. He believes Chris but he wants to hear it from Mal.]

Is what he's sayin' right? Was it self defense?

[And a blush does cover his cheeks, as he was one of the few who apparently didn't know about Mal's preferences.]

[Mal really doesn't like talking about this, but there's no way he can stop now without giving Trip the wrong idea.]

Christopher is in fact correct. It was self-defense, though that doesn't really matter to me. I killed a man and sugarcoating it won't change a thing.

It's not sugarcoating. There's a difference.

[ It isn't easy for Chris to talk about either, but it's even harder letting Mal beat himself up for simply protecting his own life. ]

Chris is right. There is a difference.

[He paused for a moment thinking, for once, about his words before he said them. He felt like there was a lot riding on them.]

The Bible says thou shalt not kill. But it sure as hell doesn't say thou shalt let thyself be killed either. Ya ain't the loose canon type, hell, I barely know ya an' I can see that.

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