Prompt: Picnic
"Oh, joy,"Tomlin recited. "Oh, despair that kisses me to sleep every night, and greets me in the morning when I rise. Oh, sadness, my only companion."
"Dang, Tomlin, I didn't know you were so poetic,"Ben commented, licking his ice cream.
"I'm not, I stole this from Zucchini,"Tomlin replied.
"Of course you did. "
"Man, if you did write like that, people would like you more,"Daniel said, unwrapping his sandwich.
"That hurt,"Tomlin said, pouting.
"Good,"Daniel said with a shrug. He bit into his sandwich.
"Maybe we should get Zucchini a therapist,"Vince mused, speaking for the first time. He still wasn't speaking with Joel or Tomlin after yesterday's incident.
"Yeah, it's a little concerning,"Ben agreed.
"I'm sure it's fine,"Tomlin said.
"Hey, spotted lizard!"Zucchini yelled. "Give me my writing back, you old cow!"
"Zucchini!"Joel yelled, chasing after him. He was breathless.
"Leave me alone!"he yelled, pushing Joel away when the latter tried to hold him.
"Give me my journal back!"
"As a matter of fact, I shall not,"Tomlin informed him.
"Shut the hell up, Hamilton, and hand it over-"Zucchini snarled, taking out a Swiss knife -"or it's over for you."
Ben, for the second time that tour, grabbed Daniel Jones for safety.
"Zucchini, stand down,"Vince ordered, standing up, shielding Tomlin (an act he never thought he'd ever do) from Zucchini.
"How could you, Vince?"Zucchini asked, his voice sad. It was soft, quiet, and laced with hurt.
"I'm trying to help you,"Vince said, his voice gentle and soft. "I'll get it back, I promise. Have I ever let you down?"
"I don't..."Zucchini was crying now.
"It's okay, it's okay,"Vince said, reaching out towards Zucchini. "I gotcha."
He held Zucchini as Zucchini cried into his shoulder.
"It's okay."
Tomlin stood up.
"I must say, the orphanage upbringing you mentioned seems so unsurprising, now that I think about it, but the really juicy part was the molest-"
Zucchini screamed, and charged at Tomlin, pushing past Vince.
"Zucchini, no!"Joel yelled.
"You stupid, stupid, piece of-"
"Zucchini, no!"Vince begged, crouching beside the two men. Tomlin was sprawled on his back, with Zucchini on top of him, clutching his throat with his hand. He squeezed it.
"Say goodbye, you miserable cu-"
"Zucchini, please,"Vince begged, touching his shoulder.
Zucchini moved so quickly, Vince barely even blinked. His knee was now on Tomlin's neck, who thrashed violently.
"Don't touch me,"he snarled. It sounded so inhumane, but Vince knew he was just reacting.
"I'm sorry,"Vince said sincerely. "We'll figure it out, I promise. It's okay."
"No,"Zucchini said, crying again. "It's not. It never was. I thought I was doing okay, but this asshole-"he increased the pressure on Tomlin's throat. "I can't anymore, Vince. I'm so sorry. But hey, at least you don't have to put up with me."
"I don't, Zucchini. I don't put up with you. I love you, man. I do. I really do."
Vince held his hand out.
"Trust me, please,"he said, on the verge of tears.
"I can't,"Zucchini said, freely weeping.
He lifted the knife.
"Zucchini, no."
And swung towards himself.
"No!"
Zucchini gasped, realizing he was now on his back. Above him, Joel panted.
"I couldn't let you..."he gasped.
Zucchini cried.
Vince got up from where he laid after seeing Joel pounce, and walked toward the two. He laid down with them, holding Zucchini and comforting him.
Ben took one look at a very exhausted Tomlin and said,"What the hell was this for?"
He and Daniel joined the group.
Aaron and David Smallbone came running in, flanked by men in suits.
"It's okay, it's over,"Joel said, standing up.
"Never mind,"David Smallbone said into his phone. "We don't need the cops. I'm sure. It's over. It's settled."
"Who called the cops?"Joel asked.
"Daniel."
"Ah."
"I couldn't let Zucchini murder him,"Daniel Jones explained.
"No, you're right. We couldn't stop him if we hadn't surprised him."
"Stop speaking like he's a criminal,"Vince ordered, rubbing Zucchini's back.
"He tried to murder me!"Chris Tomlin protested, now sitting up.
"Shut up,"everyone snapped.
"It's okay,"Vince told Zucchini.
An hour later, Zucchini was feeling better and allowed the guys to take him back to the tour bus, where he slept in the back room and watched Psych for the rest of the day.
The tour was postponed. Zucchini got the help he needed. Tomlin announced a makeup tour with Kari Jobe. The fkac one was still unannounced. They'd wait until Zucchini was okay to perform.
He was okay in December, when they did a mini Christmas tour, making it as fun and magical as they could for him. And, as a personal gesture, they visited orphanages and left gifts and presents in every city they performed in. It meant a lot to him.
Now, if they ever crossed paths with Chris Tomlin (which they did at the KLOVE Fan Awards), Tomlin avoided Zucchini and Vince, which was fine with Vince. Vince still didn't talk to him.
X
lol, this was flufftober, and i wrote something that is most definitely not fluff.
No offense, Tomlin. And as a general note: I know next to nothing about him except that he is the one who brought "Good Good Father" into this world, and took my sanity out. Please don't be mad, I needed a scapegoat, and you were perfect. GGF doesn't really help.
Fun fact: When I was growing up, "Our God Is Greater" (2010) was everywhere. I honestly thought that it was a super old song from the seventies or something, and that Tomlin was dead. Imagine my surprise when I find out that "Our God Is Greater" was way more modern that I'd thought, AND that Tomlin was alive and well, and as of now, only 50!
