Trip was tired. Tired of dancing around the reason he'd come, tired of his best friend being distant, just- tired of being tired. Maybe it was the drink, or maybe it was the memory of his swallowed words at T'Pol's wedding, but Trip wasn't doing this again. "Okay, so now the truth. How are you really?"

Jon's eyes slanted towards him, but his expression was more resigned than annoyed. "I already said I didn't want to talk about this."

"Well tough luck." Trip replied. "'Cause it's past time we did." He topped off Jon's drink as he repeated the question, wording it even more bluntly. "So ya went up the mountain an' ya made up with Soval - but have you really talked with anyone about it?"

Jon picked up the drink, swirling his glass a little as he seemed to consider his answer. "I talked with Erika."

Trip nodded, knocking his own drink back before he replied. "Did that help?"

The captain still didn't meet his eyes as a bitter smile crept across his face. "She's so excited; it was like talking to my past self." It didn't really answer Trip's question, though the engineer doubted that the answer was 'yes.' Jon knocked back his own drink, setting down the glass before finally meeting Trip's gaze with a haunted expression. "I was willing to go to Hell to save Earth, and I would do it again." Here his lips twisted again with that same bitter humor, "But how do you come back from Hell?" Porthos whined from his place at Jon's feet, as though he could sense the man's anguish.

Trip was abruptly reminded of a famous quote from Winston Churchill - one that his grandpa used to repeat. "You keep goin'." The words felt solid, and Jon's expression said that he hadn't expected an answer to the question. It had probably been rhetorical, but Trip didn't care. He thought back to Sim, back to their attack on the Illyrians and counted the lines of exhaustion on his best friend's face - one for every encounter out in the expanse. Whatever choices the man made, Archer had more than paid for them, in Trip's professional opinion.

Hell, they all had.

Trip was sick of paying. Jon's smile had lost its bitter edge, "Are you talking about me or you, now?" His tone held a very light teasing, the ghost of what it had once been, and Trip grimaced, recognizing what Jon was referring to.

"I just sort of wish I'd known there was gonna be a weddin' when I went out there."

Jon's expression was sympathetic now, and Trip refilled both of their glasses. He drank his immediately, and watched Jon nurse the other, "I'm glad that you're both close enough for her to trust you with that." It was the closest that Jon had ever come to acknowledging what had been going on between them. He also sounded apologetic - maybe even regretful - and Trip knew that the captain was aware of the way he had isolated himself. "Besides, you're probably the first human to ever see a Vulcan wedding."

"It was definitely somethin'." He had to admit, thinking wistfully of just how stunning T'Pol had looked.

Jon poured Trip another drink before holding the rest of his out, "To Vulcans."

Trip clinked his own glass obligingly as he replied, "Ya can't live with 'em, ya can't live without 'em."

Archer laughed, a sound that Trip hadn't heard in ... a long time, and he grinned in response. They both tipped their heads back, putting their glasses on the table at the same time. Warmth had coated the hurt, and Trip was content in a way that was pleasantly familiar. It reminded him of their second talk after Charles' death, and Jon's next words only made the similarities starker.

"Where are you planning on staying now that you're back?"

"My parents have a weekend in Cancun planned." Trip said, "Why, did you wanna go diving?"

"It sounds like a family event-" Jon began, predictably, though Trip didn't let it get very far.

"You know that includes you," A sudden rush of frustration - even determination - made his words sharp. "My parents would love to see you, you know that."

Jon was fiddling with his glass, eyes downcast for a moment before he glanced up, "I'd like that." His smile was hesitant, but absolutely genuine.

The frustration evaporated and Trip grinned back. "Good." He stood up, feeling himself wobble slightly as he grabbed the bottle, taking his friend up on the half-made offer, "Can I crash here tonight?"

"Well, since we're family ..." Jon stood up as well, less wobbly, undoubtedly because he hadn't drank as much. Trip was glad of it a moment later when the captain caught his arm, preventing him from falling on his face as he took the bottle, setting it back on the table. "Why not?"

"Good." Trip repeated, because getting home on his own would have been hard.

"Better." Jon corrected, keeping his hand on his arm as he led Trip towards the dark bedroom, with Porthos following behind. He wondered for a moment what Jon meant, but then supposed that it was sort of an answer to his question in the beginning. As Jon deposited him on the bed he caught the older man's arm before he could leave; this was Jon's room, after all, not his.

"You mean it?"

For a moment, Jon didn't reply, though he left Trip's hand where it was. Then he sighed, nodding minutely as the smile from earlier turned exasperatedly fond. "Yeah. Thanks, Trip."

"Good." Trip pulled the captain down onto the other side of the bed, ignoring his yelp, "Then go to sleep."

Jon laughed as Porthos jumped up next to him, the dog obviously thought that some roughhousing was happening and wanted to be part of it as Jon pulled his arm from Trip's fingers. "I'm fine sleeping on the-"

"Why? Bed's big enough for both of us." Trip was warm and cozy and he didn't care about propriety one bit. "Hell, it's big enough for all three of us."

Jon's laugh was softer this time, and he gave up to lie down, "Here, Porthos." The dog happily nestled himself between them, and Trip lazily gave up on getting under the covers after trying twice. "Lights at zero percent." Jon called quietly, and the apartment darkened.

"Night, Cap'n."

Jon's voice was smiling in his response. "Good night, Trip."

And for the first time in a long time, it was.

I'll admit that the episode "Home" was somewhat of a disappointment to me, mostly in the sense that I didn't actually feel like I got to see the fallout that I would have liked to. Obviously they don't have to get over it all in one episode, but what I expected was something a little more like TNG's "Family." So I wrote out some of the comfort for the hurt that happened, and decided that it was good enough to share. I hope that you all enjoy it, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!