MHA #4; Monday Morning [10/09].

[somethingwithturquoise]

Even if Summer had thought it would be a good idea to leave Stark alone for a bit while she went to work, she would seriously be way too tired to deal with anything, especially whatever random holiday Apu was celebrating, and you know what? That was fine. She was the boss now, she could do whatever she wanted, and if that meant doing orders tomorrow instead of today, then so be it. Because Stark was definitely not doing much better, and she hadn't gotten hardly any sleep for all the nightmares and screaming, and she eventually gave up and just went into her kitchen to make herself some coffee and cling to the mug with a thousand-mile stare at the backsplash tile and thinking of maybe writing a strongly worded email to the multiverse to maybe stop throwing in shit to give the guy she slept with horrible night terrors that were making no one in this apartment right now happy, the cat especially included.

As she sipped her coffee, she was also staring at that backsplash tile and idly wondering if she should maybe redo her kitchen.

Her brain had been through a lot lately, shut up.

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Comments

[stykera]

"I didn't mean to frighten her," Stark said, frowning as he unwrapped a sandwich. He didn't know that Summer had been crying at the poor cat for days already. "Or you."

He took a bite of his sandwich, barely chewing before he swallowed and followed it with a second bite. Maybe he was hungrier than he'd thought.

"You're right. Very good idea. I was hungry."

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer shook her head as she ate her next bite, chewing and swallowing it before she answered, with a dismissive shrug. "You're fine," she assured him. "She was already pretty irritated with me to begin with, you showing up was just probably a big old 'sigh, FINE, just throw more on my plate while you're at it!'"

She then looked at him thoughtfully with her next bite, reaching over to pick up her coffee again to take a drink as she contemplated the whole frightening her aspect of it, which then just lead her to simply note, "Good. That's a good sign. I'd be way more worried if you weren't."

[stykera]

"Did something happen?" Stark asked before he could think better of it.

Something must have happened but he had no idea what.

"You don't have to say," he added quickly, stuffing a very large bite of his sandwich into his mouth before he could add anything else."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"It's just--" Summer started, stopped. then frowned a little at her sandwich. She took another bite so that her mouth had something else to do while she debated with herself about trying to explain, because, hey, lady, you were all about how good therapy was for you and how a big part of that was actually talking about it when something was wrong, and here was someone who would listen to you read the damn phone book outloud if it meant getting to spend more time with you, so therefor...

"I...got some news on Wednesday," she eventually said, and, right out the gate, she was getting it wrong and she shook her head. "Well, I mean, kind of. Not exactly. It's...it's kind of complicated, but that's why....that's why I was the way I was Wednesday night, and why I've been kind...nonexistant low-key since then, I've been just kind of trying to....process it, I guess, and I'm not doing a great job of it, so she's had to deal with me being all emotional and shit about it..."

She shook her head. "It's dumb, anyway. I should really just go see Dr. Wang about it. It's been a while since we've had a session, anyway..."

[stykera]

Stark took another bite of his rapidly disappearing sandwich and chewed it slowly.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "If you want someone to listen...you know I'm here. For whatever you might need."

The last bite of the sandwich disappeared in his mouth and then he turned to look at her.

"But you don't have to say any more than you want to. Ever."

[somethingwithturquoise]

"I know," said Summer, softly, and that urge to just start spilling her guts out right here and now was strong, but also, the desire to not be reduced into a sobbing, blubbering mess again was pretty fucking strong, too. "It's...it's kind of dumb, anyway, and you've been through enough right now without having to add to it. Probably should just save it for the person getting paid to listen to me be all...."

She waved a hand in front of her in lieu of a good word that wouldn't just make Stark start to immediately protest.

"Whatever."

[stykera]

Stark just looked at her for a long moment before nodding.

"You don't have to say. But I'm here if you need me and I'm here if you want me. Always."

He reached for his mug then, took a long sip of coffee, then set it down again before moving the bag of food to the table as well. Just in case someone wanted to come closer.