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

[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.

[stykera]

"I was executed," Stark said, grimacing and waving his hands.

"I... got better."

[sith_happened]

Oh, look, another hug!

[stykera]

Anakin, all that did was put Stark back in the cage and start him screaming again!

[sith_happened]

Oh no!

Anakin turned away to brood.

[stykera]

Stark slumped down, holding his mask against his face.

"I thought tonight was supposed to help."

[sith_happened]

Anakin looked frustrated while behind him some long-dead Jedi Master nodded along. "Fandom is being unhelpful."

"Just like you," the Jedi Master told Anakin.

[stykera]

"Maybe nothing is going to be helpful," Stark said, one tear slowly rolling down his cheek.

[sith_happened]

"Aww, don't cry, Mister," tiny Anakin pleaded. "It'll mess up your mask and maybe rust it."

Tiny Anakin wasn't the most empathetic person.

[stykera]

Well fine, Stark would just take his mask off and turn away. Still looking sad.

"It doesn't rust."

[sith_happened]

"It doesn't?" Anakin replied. "What kind of alloy is it?"

[stykera]

"I'm not certain," Stark admitted, looking fine with that. "I didn't make it. Or the others."

Like the fancy one he'd shoved in the back of the closet the other day because he didn't want to look at it.

[sith_happened]

"Does Amaya make them?" Anakin asked.

[stykera]

"She made me two," Stark said, smirking. "A backup and one... one that was pretty."

That he was never wearing again because it would make him sad. In spite of the smirking.