MHA #4, Sunday Morning

[stykera]

Stark had had far more jello (and some of Eliot's mystery cocktail) than one glowy alien could handle last night. Stark had also had more positive attention from more people than he was used to having (which may have lead to the overconsumption).

As a result Stark found himself waking up on Sunday not in his own bed but on Summer's couch, where he had apparently fallen asleep last night rather than attempting to make his way up his apartment. Waking up somewhere somewhat unfamiliar threw him for a moment and he let out a confused little "wha-where-huh?" noise as he sat up a little too quickly.

Once he realized where he still was, and smelled the coffee being made in the kitchen, he relaxed and called out "Summer?" tentatively.

At least he hoped it was Summer making coffee.


[Apartment and coffee modded with permission omg, and expecting the hostess. Obvs.]

Comments

[somethingwithturquoise]

"'Wow, Summer, thank you for that bomb-ass birthday party. You really outdid yourself, once again! I can't wait to get to do that all over again next year!'"

Summer paused, as if to let that settle, or linger, or sink in, or something.

"That's it," she said. "That's all it needs to be."

That's all it really should be.

[stykera]

"That doesn't feel like enough," Stark said with a soft sigh. "And sometimes just what something needs to be isn't the same as what it ought to be."

"Maybe... could I... would you be upset if I gave you a hug?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Stark," Summer looked at him with an expression as exasperated as it was plaimtive, "you constantly placate my insatiable ego and go go along with all my terrible ideas for class. Trust me, it's enough."

Then she drew in a breath and looked at him during the moment she held it, then let it out with a sigh. Leaned over to set her mug down so she could free up her hands and open her arms.

"But, yeah, okay," she said. "Bring it in."

[stykera]

Stark didn't get enough hugs in his life. Even if he'd gotten some last night. That was the reason he was hugging Summer maybe just a little tighter than he ought to.

"Thank you," he said again. They were two very small words. They didn't say enough. He wasn't sure he had the words to say enough, no matter how much Summer insisted that thank you was plenty.

"For everything."

Was he supposed to let go now? Oops.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I swear to god," said Summer, who was just going to resign herself to letting Stark cling for as long as he needed to and, for her part, included a consoling sort of pat on the shoulder in her less-clinging but tight enough to count as a good one hug back, "if you turn into a koala right now, I am going to totally lose my shit."

[stykera]

Stark let out a little laugh that was muffled by his face being so close to Summer's hair. Which he was not playing with no matter how tempting that might be.

"Did you put something in the coffee?" he asked, loosening his hold but not quite letting go yet.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Before she could stop it, before she could think better of it, and entirely the fault of that little laugh, probably, she would insist later, Summer just said, "Nothing gross, I promise."

And almost instantly regretted it.

[stykera]

That only set off another soft laugh.

"Nothing gross," Stark echoed, finally letting go. He didn't move back to his end of the couch yet though.

"Not even that... thing that Hannibal brought?"

Yes, he'd noticed!

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer grinned a little at that, and hoped that grin didn't make her newfound relief at being let go and able to pull back a little herself without incident too obvious.

"Say what you will about my jello," she stated, "but at least I haven't put brains in any of them."

Paaaaaause.

"Yet."

Another pause, less confident, with an uncertain frown.

"Or have I? Is it bad that I'm not sure about that, actually?"

[stykera]

"I'm very glad you didn't put brains in any of my birthday food," Stark told her. "Thank you for that, too. And I don't remember brains in any jello before but I haven't seen all of jello. I'm not always there for all the jello."

Just almost every week for 2+ years now, no big deal. Because they were friends.

"Please don't put brains in anything for our class."