I haven’t done one of these in FOREVER!!
Here’s a little snippet from the Trip/Mal long fic I’ve been working on. Chapter 7 is currently kicking my ass, so I’m procrastinating until I can stop beating my head against that wall that’s sprung up with it.
In this snippet, Trip’s mom gets to “meet” her grandson and a realization is made by one of them...(also, it’s apparently novel canon that Trip’s brother Albert is gay, and I don’t know why that makes me so ridiculously happy, but it does)
Elaine tutted under her breath as she shook her head. “I’m sure Malcolm doesn’t truly hate you, Baby, but if everything you’d told me about him through the years is true, then maybe he has a very good reason for being wary.”
“I’d give him wary if I thought that’s all it was,” answered Trip, his brows knitting together in frustration, “but it’s more than that. I know he blames me for what happened, an’ he’s got every right to. It was my idea t’ go into the room, but everything after was an accident. He’s been avoidin’ me for the last three months. Almost four. An’ anytime we are in the same room, we end up fightin’ like cats and dogs.”
“From what I understand, you two have always been that way.”
Trip shook his head. “This is different. The fights we used t’ have were almost always ‘bout work. They didn’t get personal most of the time. Used t’ be we’d fight over protocols an’ system modifications, an’ an hour later we’d be laughin’ along like nothin’ happened. It’s not like that anymore.” His heart heavy, Trip frowned and turned his eyes down to L.G., absently stroking that silky soft thick hair of his as he murmured, “I gained a son, an’ all it cost me was the loss of my best friend.”
Silence fell over the cabin as Trip stared down at his little boy, his thoughts drifting off to all the arguments and bickering he and Malcolm had done through the years. All the times one of them would suddenly pop up at the other’s elbow, silent apology in the air, and ready to set about taking care of what needed to be done. The drinks they’d share together afterwards and the playful, teasing conversations. All the secrets they’d confided in each other. No, they hadn’t shared all their secrets with each other, but they’d shared enough that Trip knew how, when, and where Malcolm developed his fear of drowning; the name of the first girl Malcolm had ever kissed; even the reason behind why most of his relationships never lasted. He knew all the things Malcolm was allergic to and how he liked his evening cup of tea, even what his favorite color was. In turn, Malcolm knew things about Trip few other people knew.
Trip missed all that. He missed it more than he cared to admit, more than home, more than his grandma’s pecan pie, more than being down in engineering, even. Not having Malcolm around hurt like a part of him were missing. It sounded weird, but it was true.
Elaine’s soft voice had Trip finally lifting his head again, blinking back the tears he hadn’t noticed were threatening to fall. There was a look on his mom’s face he’d only seen a few times before, the dawning realization of something that tugged at her heart. The last time he’d seen that look had been the day Bert had awkwardly tried to come out to their parents.
“Oh, Trip,” she whispered, her blue eyes full of pained compassion, “he doesn’t know, does he?”
Confused, Trip swiped at his own eyes with the back of his hand. “Doesn’t know what?”
“Doesn’t know that you…” Elaine trailed off, lips pressed in a tight thin line as she stared across deep space at her son. With a shake of her head, she waved his question off. “Nothing. It’s nothing. What are you planning to do with L.G.? I’m guessing Starfleet is having you recalled to Earth?”
