MHA #4, Friday morning

[stykera]

Because Summer was (almost) always right Stark had stayed, and smoked, and giggled about the word gross, and eventually fallen asleep on Summer's couch with her.

He'd woken up before her, carefully disentangled himself, and headed to the kitchen to try and make breakfast. It just seemed like the thing to do. He was almost tempted to try and make pancakes but thought better of it and was just going for scrambled eggs for now. And bacon, because bacon was always good and it would smell good and he was hungry this morning. The cupcakes, while delicious, hadn't quite been enough.

He was hoping Summer would enjoy waking up to breakfast. Very much hoping that this wasn't a mistake but he thought she would be hungry as well.


[for the gently modded gross redhead who lives there]

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[stykera]

"It's good. It's very good," Stark said, watching her carefully.

It wasn't perfect. Perfect was almost certainly unattainable, especially for him.

"I'm happier now than I have been in a long time."

Maybe he shouldn't have said that. Too late now. He couldn't take it back.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I'm glad that you're happy, Stark," said Summer. "You deserve to be happy, you know."

And she had serious doubts she could really make him that happy, but she also knew that was a pretty low bar, too. Also, he'd gone and called her important, there's no way she could start burning that bridge now.

"Anyway," she said, lest they start drowning in the awkward sincerity of it all, "that's why I kind of got a little weird there. About breakfast. It felt maybe like it was a little...serious.

"S'good, though," she added, with a bite of eggs to prove it.

[stykera]

"I don't want to do anything you don't want me to," Stark told her, looking down at his plate. "I don't mean to...be too serious. Or anything. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I want you to be happy."

Because she was his friend and she was so very important.

"I'm just...I'm me."

Sometimes he got things wrong.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I know," Summer said, softly, as she felt any attempt at finding an even keel slip away from underneath her. Because she knew what words were next on her lips, and they felt like something that shouldn't be said, especially not now, with this conversation. They'd be true, though, even if maybe not like that. Or maybe a little, but she wasn't ready, she didn't want that right now, anyway, and it could make things so much worse, more mixed signals then even hey I need space, let's go to prom together.

And the worst part if all of it was that it was the only thing she could think to say.

She could just not say anything.

Or she could just say something that was almost the same, more disingenuous, s the truth but not the whole truth, but far, far less volatile. Was it being a coward, or just being smart?

"But I like you, Stark," she said, "so it's okay."

[stykera]

Maybe it was the right thing to say in the moment. Or at least a right thing to say.

"I'm glad." Sometimes it was just good to be reminded that people did. Specific people.

"I like you too. I hope you know that."

It wasn't quite the right phrase but it was true. It wasn't enough but it was true.

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Yeah," said Summer, softly still, but she could grin (and maybe breathe) a little easier now. "I kinda had a hunch..."

The grin maybe got a little bigger.

"And I am usually right about most things."

[stykera]

But Stark had been so subtle about his feelings.

"Almost always right," Stark said back, just as softly. "That's why I always try and listen."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Smart," said Summer. "And..." There was a conciliatory nod, a small nibble of bacon, "I appreciate that you."

Since they were being honest and everything.

Well. Semi-honest.

[stykera]

"And I appreciate you giving advice," Stark said, finally taking a bite of eggs. "Always. Even if it hasn't always been something I wanted to hear. And..."

Another hesitant smile.

"I just appreciate you. Always."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"The advice I give," Summer snorted faintly, "is rarely anything people actually want to hear..."

But at least more people had started to actually listen.

And even though things still felt a bit...tenuous, Summer lifted an eyebrow to match the lifted corner of her grin.

"Always?" she challenged. "Even when I put tuna in jello? Or shrimp with chocolate? Cadbury Egg omelets? Why didn't you make those for breakfast."

[stykera]

"I couldn't find the chocolate eggs?" Stark tried. "Or...I didn't want to make anything..."

The word 'gross' was on the tip of his tongue but he bit it back. "Anything too strange."

"And I appreciate when you make strange things. I like to see what you do. And I like how much you like making strange things. Terrible things."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"...awful things," Summer agreed, also on the edge of using a different word, but apparently, this was a thing they did now, saying one word when they really were thinking of a different one. "But I do like making them. And I like seeing your reaction to them. Maybe even more than I like making them. Maybe."

[stykera]

"I like reacting to them," Stark said. "But I think you know that already."

Just like he knew that she liked seeing how he reacted.

"Can we...do you still want to do a class for the summer?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Do you still want to do a class for the summer?"

Yes, she caught the can we. Not the point.

[stykera]

"I do." There was no hesitation there at least.

"I like doing classes with you. I like doing anything with you. Everything we do I like."

Some things more than others but all of the things were good.