MHA #8, Thursday night

[stykera]

Yesterday had been extremely odd, and exhausting, even for here. Today had been fine for Stark though. Much less chaotic. He hadn’t turned into anyone or anything he shouldn’t have, for one thing. That was always a positive. His mask had stayed where it was meant to, which also helped make for a more pleasant day. Wine class had presumably been fine as well but now he was back in his apartment and settling in for the night.

He’d eaten (a meal not entirely made up of sugar, even) and cleaned up the kitchen. It could be an early night, he thought, or maybe he would curl up on his couch and watch a food program, or look for recipe inspirations for class tomorrow. Maybe even both.

For now, he’d shower. Perhaps shave. It would be better to have a freshly shaved head before facing paintball tomorrow in case Anakin tried (or accomplished) anything. That sounded good to Stark. A shower, a shave, and a quiet night in.

So that’s where he was, in the shower (without his mask, because it was easier not to get the straps wet than to dry them after) in his empty and locked apartment. At least, the door was locked the last time he checked.


[Stark is clearly expecting nobody. I am expecting 1 or 2 neighbors for maximum awkwardness! :D]

Comments

[flourish_or_perish]

"Generally," Faye agreed, rolling her eyes. "Look, I wouldn't have done it if I'd known you were going to scream and be all scared. That was definitely not what I was going for."

Much less this addition of a third person. Though, like...she could make that work, potentially. She had stupid feelings about Stark, sure, but like...there was a lot of male nudity going on here. Maybe this could turn out really well for her?

[stykera]

"I wasn't scared!" That was a lie, Stark.

"I was startled." And scared. Maybe still fighting an urge to flee. But he felt REAL bad about it, if that helped?

[flourish_or_perish]

"You screamed like you thought I was gonna murder you."

Which, like, to be fair...she could have totally been there to murder him. It wasn't like she had announced, 'HELLO, STARK, I'M HERE FOR THE SEX WE TALKED ABOUT.'

But Faye also kind of figured she hadn't needed to, either.

[stykera]

"Nobody ever sneaks up on me for a good reason!" And aside from that one night in April nobody really came in his apartment except to make sure he wasn't being murdered after he started yelling. That was sort sort of a theme with Liam.

"How was I supposed to know you weren't here to murder me?"

[flourish_or_perish]

"First of all, if I was here to murder you, you wouldn't hear me coming."

Okay, that was neither remotely comforting, nor was it actually true. Faye was kinda sneaky, not, like, a ninja or whatever.

"But also I've never acted like I was going to murder you before, have I? I wasn't even gonna throw you over the balcony in Japan."

See? Because she liked you, Stark. And she was super good at showing it.

[stykera]

Faye, now Stark was going to be worried that you were sneaking up on him all the time! He's already at a disadvantage with that whole only having one eye thing!

"You never acted like you were going to break in and fri-... startle me, either!"

He had not been going to say frighten, how dare you.

"You didn't threaten me in Japan," he allowed. "But I didn't know you were you until I saw you! You could have been someone else!"

There was literally nobody else on this island who wasn't a raccoon or squirrel who had any reason to break in. That was beside the point.

[flourish_or_perish]

"Like who?" Faye demanded, not at all jealously, how dare anyone suggest as much. "You should've expected me. I made myself pretty clear the other day."

...no, no she had not, she had been deliberately obtuse, actually. But Faye was all irrationally mad at about five different things right now so it was unfair to expect her to make any sense.

[stykera]

"I don't know who! Someone!" Nobody. Nobody else was going to break in.

Stark tightened his grip on the towel because that kept at least one of his hands still.

"I...I didn't think you were serious! The other day."

[firstofitskind]

"... Serious about what?"

Look, Liam was a very worldly almost-nine but sometimes he was still a little oblivious.

[flourish_or_perish]

"Of course I was serious!" Faye yelled, actually kind of annoyed that she had to explain herself, here.

So annoyed that she was actually going to cross over and grab Stark by the face to kiss him. Because seriously. How dense could you be?

...sorry, Liam. She totally still knew you were there, she was just. You know. Faye.

[stykera]

Stark could be very dense, apparently, because he really hadn't seen that coming. At least he didn't faint? He just looked thoroughly shocked at being thoroughly kissed. Shocked, but not at all displeased.

He was however, very aware that he was still only wearing a towel (that he had miraculously not dropped when Faye kissed him) and that Liam was still there. He made a very small regretful noise before leaning back.

"I can see that now," he said, sounding only slightly dazed.

[firstofitskind]

“Ohhhhh,” Liam said, the little light bulb flicking on. “Oh.” He repeated. “I’ll just. Uh. I’ll be... going. Now.”

[stykera]

Stark turned to face Liam, still keeping hold of the towel because this was awkward enough, thank you.

"I...thank you. For checking on me. Shouldn't have screamed." Except for how he had definitely been frightened because someone broke in to his apartment and a little scream was a perfectly reasonable reaction under these circumstances!

"I think I'll be all right."

Faye was definitely smirking at Liam right now.

[firstofitskind]

"... Anytime," Liam said, not at all distracted by two attractive people kissing right in front of him as he tried to back awkwardly out of Stark's apartment.