MHA #8, Thursday Evening

[stykera]

The only reason Stark was not at a bar trying to drink his feelings away for the 4th night in a row was because Anakin had said he would be coming by tonight. He could, he reasoned, always head across the street or wander to the other bar later if he needed to. Or if Anakin didn't show.

Instead of drinking yet was standing awkwardly in his living room, watching the door with a serious expression on his face.

He'd had nothing but serious expressions on his face the entire week.

[For the Jedi mentioned above]

Comments

[sith_happened]

Don't hug him right now, Anakin! Ew, ew!

Oh, fine. Hug him.

[stykera]

Stark was in somewhat desperate need of hugs.

Stark was also very unsure about the idea of being hugged by Anakin.

[sith_happened]

Why did Anakin keep turning into a teenager?!

"You didn't like it?"

[stykera]

"I didn't know we were on hugging terms."

Stark didn't get hugs often. Especially after the weekend.

[sith_happened]

"It seemed like a special occasion?" Anakin said.

[stykera]

That was confusing for Stark, Anakin, and his face was showing that plainly.

"Oh. I...all right."

[sith_happened]

Well, Anakin and Obi-Wan both approved of that, apparently, because there they were, smiling at each other.

[stykera]

That just made Stark feel the need to sit down on the floor and meditate.

Which, to be fair, might do him some good if he could do it properly.

[sith_happened]

That looked like a good idea! Teenaged Anakin would join him. "I do this all the time," he said. "I levitate glitter."

[stykera]

"Glitter?" Stark asked, surprised instead of moping over the connotations of glitter for some reason.

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "It involves a lot of concentration," he said. "I did it as a party trick a few times in high school."

[stykera]

Stark waved his hands around, ending with them framing his chin. Why? Who knows.

"I didn't go to many parties then."

[sith_happened]

"I did," Anakin said, striding around ominously.

[stykera]

"Are you leaving already?" Stark asked, trying and failing not to look sad about it.

[sith_happened]

Anakin smiled. "I'm not leaving."

[stykera]

Stark apparently couldn't even look at Anakin's smile and turned away to show off his full head of hair again.

"Good. I...thank you."

He didn't want to be alone, even if he did have nice ginger hair for the moment.

[sith_happened]

He did! And Anakin knew good hair. He beamed at Stark. "Let's eat."

[stykera]

Stark, still sporting the hair, was mildly alarmed at that suggestion. Or maybe at the smile.

Maybe he'd be done making that face after he went and got some plates from the kitchen.

[sith_happened]

The smile was weird. Anakin went back to a small smirk--and being 18--while he waited for Stark to return.

[stykera]

Stark was grinning about something when he returned. Too bad his first smile in days was one with no reason.

"You keep being younger." That wasn't really something to grin about and yet here they were.

[sith_happened]

"It's very confusing," Anakin admitted, smiling back for some reason.

[stykera]

Confusing enough that Stark was suddenly maskless, in a cage, and screaming.

[sith_happened]

"What the frell?" teenaged Anakin gasped.

[stykera]

"I don't know," Stark said uncertainly. "That was...a long time ago."

[sith_happened]

"what happened?" Anakin asked, putting food onto plates and smiling.