TRP: Goro and Larkin (Drunk)

**Jen:** at 5:27 PM

[Setting: night of day 151, at the castle]

Larkin woke with a jolt at someone rattling the locks at her
door. Her hand found the hilt of her dagger, always beside her pillow, and she
slipped out of bed without a sound. The door shuddered as someone kicked it and
tried the doorknob.

Her mind flickered through the possibilities. Hansel?
Possessed again and out to kill her? No, he could just kick the door in. One of
her enemies out of Skyport? Possible but they'd come quietly and not rattle the
door like an idiot. Goro, needing her help? Oh fuck, maybe Hansel- no, no. Also
not likely. She released the breath that had caught in her throat for a moment
and positioned herself beside the door, listening. If it were Goro, she'd hear
him yelling insults.

"Shit fucking - open up already, dammit!"

Wait. Wait, wasn't that-

More rattling, this time out on the corridor, on Goro's
door, followed by another bang.

"What the hell," Larkin whispered and straightened
up. She went to get the keys to her locks and undid them while a stream of
cursing and the sounds of distressed security mechanisms cut through the door.
She opened it a crack to peer out, dagger poised- then lowered it and stepped
outside.

"What the fuck, Goro?"

She reached for the wall lamp and sparked up the gas light.

**Lina:** at 5:35 PM

"Larkin," he whined. "Help." He made one
final attempt to jimmy the lock that was giving him trouble--he was pretty sure
he had the right fucking key in the right fucking hole, god damn it--then
slammed his hand against the door. "I'm too drunk."

**Jen:** at 6:12 PM

"Yeah. Yeah you fucking are." Larkin stopped
gaping long enough to return the blade to her room, then went to help Goro with
whatever he was doing there.

"What's going on with you?" she asked as she got a
closer look on him. He reeked of booze and there were wet stains on his
clothes. A real mess all over. Something must've happened. He wouldn't get this
wasted unless there was a damn good reason for it.

**Lina:** at 7:46 PM

"I tried to see if I could drink a whole bottle of
whiskey." Larkin's expression didn't change. "Turns out I
can't." Still nothing. "I took a nap with Ombre, though. That was
nice. You know she's real nice?"

December 20, 2018

**Jen:** at 3:54 AM

Larkin kept staring at Goro, waiting for more. Goro kept
looking back, clinging to the doorframe.

Okay, this was all the explanation she'd get then. Larkin
sighed and her expression softened. "Aw, buddy. You're not making any
fucking sense," she reached up to ruffle Goro's hair.

"Let's get you into bed, alright?"

She'd get the story out of him in the morning, provided he
wasn't too hungover. Larkin examined the lock Goro had been wrestling with. The
key was jammed - a completely wrong kind of key, amazing how he had managed to
get it in in the first place. Larkin tried her best but no amount of pulling,
wiggling or cursing seemed to make it budge.

"Man, " she said, giving it a last, unsuccessful
try, "I got bad news for you."

**Lina:** at 9:03 AM

"Whaddisit?" God, he was so fucking glad he had Larkin.
Look at her there, fixing his door and shit. What a goddamn genius.

**Jen:** at 9:06 AM

"Dunno how you did that but you fucked up your lock.
Need a bolt cutter for this and I'm not doing that at five in the damn
morning." She put an arm around his shoulder and pried his hand off the
door. "C'mon, you can crash with me."

**Lina:** at 9:07 AM

"Oh. Okay." He put an arm around her waist and
leaned on her. Not too much. She was pretty small. "I still love you.
You're still a genius."

**Jen:** at 9:11 AM

"Yeah, and you're still a fuck up. Love you too."
So this was drunk Goro? Fucking adorable. He should get drunk more often.

She maneuvered him over to the couch and let him slump onto
it, then went to redo the locks.

**Lina:** at 9:14 AM

"You're a fuck up," he yelled. He reached down to
take off his boots, fumbled with the buckles for a moment, then gave up and
flopped backward. "No. You're not. You're so smart. But fuck you!"

**Jen:** at 9:16 AM

Larkin went to stand next to the couch, looking down on
Goro. Looked like a soaked pancake sprawling there. She smirked. "I was
gonna help you with that but maybe I'll just let you sleep in your boots."

**Lina:** at 9:17 AM

"Used to always." He kicked his feet in the air.
"Better for running away. But Hansel won't let me."

**Jen:** at 9:17 AM

"He's right. It's weird."

**Lina:** at 9:18 AM

"Ha, ha." Goro grinned and pointed at her.
"You agreed with Hansel."

**Jen:** at 9:20 AM

Larkin snatched a pillow from under his feet and held it up.
"I'm gonna suffocate you with this and you're too wasted to do anything
'bout it."

**Lina:** at 9:22 AM

"You love Hansel. You looove hiiiiim." Goro
snorted and covered his face, giggling into his hands. The giggling took on
more of a weeping quality. "I love him too. Larkin, help."

**Jen:** at 9:27 AM

"I don't fucking-" Larkin raised the pillow to
hurl it at him, then halted. "Aw, what the- are you crying now? C'mon,
man." She sat down next to Goro and tried to get his hands off his face.
"Hey. Hey, what' wrong? What'd you want me to help with?"

**Lina:** at 9:31 AM

"I don't know," he whined. He took her hands and
squeezed them. "What do you do when you love someone? I mean, I love lots
of people. But I--" He lowered his voice and looked at her
conspiratorially. "I think I love him love him. But he's not--he's fucking
married and shit, or I don't know, I don't know what they are, but he's all in
love in with Mishka and shit, and I think he might snap my neck and shit if he
gets possessed again and Ombre says it's hard to kill Gruumsh." He let out
a whimper. "Help."

**Jen:** at 9:42 AM

"Uhhm." Ah, fuck. Yeah, that was all the shit
Larkin had expected to happen. Goro getting all fucked up because of Hansel and
fucking Haeth. Putting a damn god on his kill list and getting killed because
he thre his common sense over board for this damned half-orc. This wasn't the
time for an I told you so, though.

"It's, ah.... it's okay," she said, freeing her
hands and wrapping her arms around him. "You're gonna be okay. We'll think
of something. Make a plan, stab some fuckers, burn some shit down. Whatever.
It'll be okay."

**Lina:** at 9:50 AM

Goro had been telling himself he wasn't going to cry again
in his life anymore, but already he could feel his eyes welling up.
"Thanks, Lark. Oh, god, I'm sorry I yelled at you before. God. I'm sorry
for lots of shit. Fuck." He pulled out of the hug and staggered to his
feet, headed for the door. "I need to write a list." No, his door was
stuck closed. "Fuck!"

**Jen:** at 9:53 AM

"No, fuck that." Larkin went after him to put both
hands to his shoulders and steer him back to the couch. "Sleeping is what
you need to do. Lie the fuck down."

**Lina:** at 9:54 AM

"Oh yeah. Oh yeah, I need to sleep so I get my magic
back. I need to heal people. Oh, fuck, Larkin, do you need healing? I think my
wand--" He sat heavily on the couch and fumbled around in his robes.
Pulled out the Leech. "Not that one." Put it away and kept fumbling.
"When's dawn?"

**Jen:** at 10:01 AM

"Right about now." She didn't have any lamps on in
the room but the darkness was already turning to grey with the first morning
light from outside.

Goro produced his
other wand from inside his robe, fumbling and snagging it on the fabric, and
Larkin snatched it away before he could break it. She put a hand to his chest
and pressed him down onto the couch. "No magic before you've slept. No one
wants to be healed by a guy who can't take off his own shoes."

She tossed the wand onto her bed, then sat down on the couch
again and began working open the buckles of Goro's boots.

**Lina:** at 10:06 AM

Goro lay down on his side and closed his eyes while Larkin
removed his shoes. When she was done he waved an arm at her. "Hey hey,
c'mere. I wanna hug you."

**Jen:** at 10:09 AM

She sighed and shuffled over. "Okay, if you'll sleep
then."

**Lina:** at 10:10 AM

He hooked his arm around her neck and dragged her head
against his chest. He let out a contented sigh, and within moments had dozed
off.

**Jen:** at 10:32 AM

Larkin let herself be cradled in this awkward half-sitting
half-lying position until she felt Goro's breathing slow and his arm around her
neck relax. She tried wriggling free without waking him, then halted when it
made him shift. Ah damn. She kept still for another moment, listening to the
rythm of breath and feeling the heat of his body soak through her undershirt.

Actually... this wasn't too bad. Not bad at all. How long
had it been since she'd last shared a bed- or couch - with someone? The last
time she recalled had been with Finch, when they'd run out of firewood one
winter and resorted to sharing the covers to keep warm. This was similiar. Felt
safe.

Larkin pulled her legs up unto the couch and shifted into a
more comfortable position. Adjusted Goro's arm so it wasn't so much of a
chokehold anymore, then let herself drift into sleep.

**Lina:** at 10:41 AM

When Goro next came to, it was broad daylight. He squinted,
eyes watering, head pounding. Larkin was cuddled up on the couch with him.

He smacked his mouth, lips curling back in disgust. Good
god, had he been drinking piss? It was sour and cheesy at the same time,
like... ah. Like whiskey and milk. He felt queasy. Was he still drunk? It had
been hours. It was fucking afternoon or something.

He groaned and shifted. "Lark," he said, giving
her a shake. "I gotta go puke."

**Jen:** at 10:45 AM

Larkin grumbled and flapped a hand at the disturbance,
surfacing from sleep. Her feet were ice cold and her neck felt cramped as if
she... oh, right. She'd slept on the damn couch. What the hell.

"Take the window," she muttered.

**Lina:** at 10:49 AM

He shoved her off and sat up. The room pitched and rolled
like he was on a ship. God. He felt normal mentally, clear thoughts and
everything, but like he was still stuck with all the worst parts of being
drunk. What was this bullshit? He stood up and walked to the window, found it
locked of course, but now that he was here he didn't think he was actually
going to vomit. Just felt like crap.

He went back to Larkin's side and shook her some more.
"I need, like, water and food. Let me out."

**Jen:** at 10:55 AM

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, squinting at him. "Man,
you look like shit," she said and gave him a lopsided smile. "Should
stick with water first, see if it stays down. Keys are on the table." She
nodded in the general direction.

**Lina:** at 10:56 AM

He hesitated. "You don't wanna come with? You don't
look so hot, either." Well, she looked like any normal person did when
they were first waking up. But still.

**Jen:** at 10:58 AM

"If you can wait 'till I put on some pants."
Larkin stood up and pointed at the linen shorts she was in. And boots maybe.
Her feet were really fucking cold.

**Lina:** at 11:00 AM

"I'll wait." He sat on her bed and covered his
eyes, both to give her some privacy and to block out the damn light. God, he'd
been beaten and burned to a pulp yesterday, and only half fixed up afterward,
but this new headache was the worst part. And that one wasn't even Gruumsh's
fault. Well, in a roundabout way, he supposed it was. Fuck Gruumsh.

"Hey Larkin?" he said, eyes still covered. "I
said... some weird shit last night, huh."

**Jen:** at 11:05 AM

"Sure fucking did, buddy." She picked her shirt
off the floor and buttoned it on. "You said you love me and a ton of other
people. And then you cried over love loving Hansel."

Larkin glanced over to where Goro sat for his reaction.
"Hey, you don't have to look away. I'm putting stuff on, not off."

**Lina:** at 11:09 AM

"Love-loving? What does..." He remembered.
"Oh, yeah." He grimaced. Was fucking true, though. Drinking half a
bottle of whiskey just made all his most embarrassing truths spill out of him.

Had... had he taken a nap with Ombre? And slept with Larkin?
God, he was fucking insatiable, apparently.

He moved his hand away from his eyes and blinked unhappily
in the light. "Need my wand. Fix this headache."

**Jen:** at 11:14 AM

"Goro Flatflower, fixing himself up voluntarily?
Fucking miracle right there." Larkin picked it up off the bed and handed
it to him. "By the way, thanks for fucking off without curing mine the
other day. Had to have breakfast with your lover."

**Lina:** at 11:19 AM

"Sorry." His eyes started burning. Fuck. Maybe he
was still drunk. He took the wand but didn't do anything with it yet, slumping
over on his knees instead. "Lark, I'm... I really am sorry. About
yesterday. I know you were trying to look out for me, and I..." He sighed.
"I was a dick." Felt like he should say more. He was often a dick,
after all. "I was scared."

**Jen:** at 11:33 AM

"Uhm..." Larkin stopped pulling on her boots,
confused. Of all the the thing she'd expected to come out of a hungover Goro's
mouth, an apology had certainly been the last. "It's okay," she said
slowly. "Uhm, I mean, it's not okay. You keep lashing out at me for trying
to help, but... ah, I kinda get it?" She cleared her throat, unsure what
to say. "I mean... god." She put a hand to Goro's shoulder then,
squeezing. "I know it's easier being a jerk." Mask knew, she also did
that. "You're still my friend, though. And you can keep being a fucking
dick and I'll still have your back."

Fuck, this kind of talk was hard and she found, as much as
she cared for Goro, it was even harder with him. Somehow.

**Lina:** at 11:39 AM

"I know you will, but... I'm trying to do better,
okay?" He lifted the wand and used a charge on his head. It helped a
little, leaving him with a dull ache instead of the icepick shit. "You
deserve better. From your friends." This was getting awkward. He had to
stop before he started going off on more embarrassing shit, and this time
without the excuse of being drunk out of his mind. "C'mon. Let's go get
some breakfast. Or lunch, I guess."

**Jen:** at 11:46 AM

"Huh, that's... yeah. Good thing to do I guess."
Larkin chuckled. "Maybe you should chug whiskey by the bottle more
often." She held out a hand to pull him up. "Food first,
though."

**Lina:** at 11:50 AM

"Never again," he groaned, letting her pull him to
his feet.

[end]

Title: Drunk. Summary: Drunken Goro is foiled by his own
bedroom locks, so Larkin lets him sleep in her room. He makes some embarrassing
declarations of love, sobers up, and apologizes for how he's treated her in the
past when she tried to help him.