Room 203, Wednesday night

[stykera]

Stark had been even more scarce than usual for the past week or so. How he'd managed that was anyone's guess, but he'd done it somehow.

He still wasn't about to go out and look for company, but he had at least managed to get himself to the construction site this week, unlike last week. Not that he had talked to anyone, but he'd at least been there. And now he was back to hiding in his room, as he was prone to doing. At least the door was open, though only a tiny crack and that may have been unintentional.




[Sometimes I need to remind myself my characters are still alive. This is one of those times. Also, open if anyone feels inclined to poke at an emo alien.]

Comments

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"You," came Anders's voice through the crack in the door.

[stykera]

"Me?" Stark responded. "Yes?"

He knew he should have checked the door.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Did Stark not want to see Anders? Woe.

"I've been looking for you," he continued. Okay, so he hadn't actually been looking for Stark in some big focused quest kind of way or anything, even if it sort of came out sounding like he had, but he had been looking for him.

You know.

Between games of Zuma.

[stykera]

Stark wanted to see Anders. It was just that Anders was a person and he didn't want to see people. Sort of.

"I've been here," Stark said. Except when he wasn't because he was hiding out in new and exciting locales. Like the shower. "Why were you looking for me?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Because we were supposed to go drinking, remember?" Anders pushed the door open far enough to stick his head in and give Stark his best puppydog face.

Not that he expected it to work, but he would have considered it an incomplete effort if he hadn't thrown the puppydog face into it.

[stykera]

Stark was unmoved by the puppydog face. But he appreciated the effort.

"We were," he said. "Right. Are we still doing that? And you don't have to stand in the hallway. If you don't want to."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Yes, dammit," Anders said stubbornly, letting himself all the way into the room because he really didn't want to stand half in the hallway and half out of it. "I've been really mysteriously and coincidentally busy the past week or so too, but I said I was going to take you drinking, and dammit, I'm going to do it. This is not really a thing about having a choice in the matter, you know."

[stykera]

"You don't have to," Stark pointed out. "I made it this far." Because really, that was a solid and convincing argument. "But if you want to, we can. But we don't have to. When?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"You busy tomorrow?" asked Anders, quirking an eyebrow. "It's Phoebe's night at Caritas and I'm usually there anyway, and this way if the alcohol doesn't agree with you Bel can shimmer you back to the dorms or something. And I totally just volunteered my boyfriend for that without asking him."

[stykera]

"When am I ever busy?" Stark asked. "Except for Sunday nights. When am I ever busy when it isn't a Sunday night? But I don't want to bother Bel."

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Hey, don't worry about it," Anders insisted. "That's just, you know, in case it gets that bad, which it really shouldn't. I'll look out for you, I swear. C'mon, dude, you've gotta get out some. I'm worried about you."

[stykera]

"I didn't really get out before, did I?" It was possible at this point that Stark was just in the habit of protesting the idea of going somewhere. "And you don't need to worry. I'll live. At least, this won't kill me. Or it shouldn't. It didn't before. But I'll come. If you're sure I'm not going to be bothering anyone. Are you sure?"

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I'm sure," Anders said, arms crossed over his chest and his most stubborn expression on his face. "I'm going to worry, and I'm going to insist on you getting out for a little bit, and if I have to bribe you with cupcakes, don't think I won't do it."

[stykera]

"I don't think cupcakes will help," Stark said. And if that didn't show just how dire the situation really was...

"I mean, I don't need to be bribed. I'll go. Should I meet you there?" Because that way he could forget to go. Or get lost. Or do something equally stupid.

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders stared at him. Really stared.

"Cupcakes always help, Stark. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." He crossed his arms even more emphatically over his chest and nodded. "I'm coming to get you, and then we'll both go over, got it? I can't let you out in public alone when you've lost faith in the magic of cupcakes."