"It wasn't too intense. It wasn't new information," he assured. "That's not what I-.." He inhaled sharply again with a shake of his head. Malcolm didn't know what he thought. He didn't think it was hero worship. He thought it was someone that saw the good in as many people as he could as a mechanism to help pull them out of their specific ruts. A way to manipulate them toward doing what he wanted to in a situation.

He might be drunk, but he remembered the handbook.

"You don't know what kinda Marshal I am. And I can be as good as pie at the core, but that doesn't mean that I don't.." He stopped, mouth closing and opening again as he changed tact. "You're kinder than I am. That's all."