Outside MHA #4, Tuesday morning

[stykera]

Summer was leaving. Stark wasn't really ready for that but he was as ready as he could be. And she'd told him before and he had a chance to say goodbye (and some other things that might need to be said) and it wasn't the same as any other time and he was going to remind himself of that as often as necessary.

So they were going to go to brunch, this morning, before she left. Before he want and played paintball without her and started to try to adjust to this latest shift in their dynamic.

So he was here, knocking on her door as he'd done so many times before. It was the same and it was very different and he was going to try his best not to be weird about it.


[For she who lives there...until later today anyway *sob*]

Comments

[stykera]

That sounded like the correct choice for RageFest though, didn't it?

"Just for a few minutes? Without an audience. Besides Pancakes." And any squirrels lurking around. There were always squirrels lurking around. Always.

"I don't need an audience."

Well, an audience of one.

"If you don't mind." He winced. "Yes, I would. Please."

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer pushed down an urge to check the time to see how much she even had before she was meeting with Liliana, but let's be real, it was Liliana, and there was still a good chunk of morning left, that rendezvous wasn't scheduled for a while now.

And then she stepped back and pushed open the door more in invitation.

"I don't mind," she assured him. "Come on in, Stark."

[stykera]

He really didn't intend to take too much time. He didn't want to babble. He just wanted to say a few things and then maybe there could be brunch babbling instead. Bellini based brunch babbling?

"Thank you," Stark said softly as he stepped forward. "I just...I have a few things I want to say. Things you probably know already. I just want to say them while I have the chance."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"Well, that doesn't sound ominous or foreboding at all," Summer said, eyeing Stark carefully as she tried to figure out exactly what it was she should be bracing herself for.

Was she going to have to skip brunch and throw herself out the window? Or was Stark just being....well, Stark?

[stykera]

"Nothing ominous! No foreboding. Just talking, for a few moments. That's all. I promise."

If she threw herself out the window he'd have to take her to the clinic and it would be so awkward.

"I just..." He turned to make sure the door was shut.

"Please try to come home."

That was one of the big points.

"And...I'm going to fucking miss you, Summer."

He already missed her, sort of.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer knew this was hard for Stark. She knew he had a lot of insecurities around abandonment. Hell, a good part of the foundation of their friendship had been built on her helping him through his previous breakup. But still...

"It's not like I'm frelling dying, Stark," she said, because if he was going to hit her with her f-bomb, she was going to throw one of his right back. And sure, sure, she also knew that that was a touchy subject, too, but if she spent all her time dancing around all of his issues, she'd miss RageFest entirely. "I'm just going and doing something else for a little bit. Especially because it's been a while, and I think this is just something I really need right now."

[stykera]

"I know that," Stark said. "All of it. I promise you I understand."

He did. It was hard but he did understand.

"I would never want to keep you from something you want. Something you need. I want you to know that. I hope you do."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"And I do know that," Summer said, and she tried not to sigh, but it came out anyway as she shook her head. "So can we please just skip the whole dramatics," she gestured a little toward the now closed door, "that makes it sound like you're never going to see me again and just makes me feel bad and go have a nice brunch together before I leave? Without all of..." Another wave we of her hand. "...that hanging around?"

[stykera]

"I wasn't trying to be dramatic," Stark protested, weakly. "That's just how I speak, sometimes. And I don't want you to feel bad. I'm sorry if that's what I did. It wasn't my intent. I want you to be happy."

He shook his head, breathed out through his nose, and tried again. "I just wanted to remind you you're important, and loved. And that I'll buy you as many bellinis as you like before you go."

It wasn't that he thought he would never see her again it was just that past experiences colored his views and, well...he worried.

"I'm sorry. Can I hug you now?"

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer just sort of looked at Stark for a moment, him and all his overthinking and overly expressed concerns and emotional flailing, and she sighed a little, and moved over to him.

But not to hug him. Instead, she moved over to him to take her arm and link it in his and started moving with him toward the door.

"No," she said, "not now. Brunch first, then hugs and feeling sad about it after. Deal?"

[stykera]

"I am trying not to be sad."

Sad was for later, Summer. Probably tomorrow night when he was faced with the first Wednesday night without jello at the bar.

"There could be more than one hug, you know. It's not against the rules. I checked."

He had done no such thing.

"But I did promise brunch. I think a hug, then brunch, then another hug."

He might even press his luck and try a kiss goodbye after a few drinks for each of them.