The Perk, Saturday Morning

[stykera]

In the past week Stark had spent 2 days barely moving from his couch, 3 nights trying to drink his feelings away, and 1 very odd evening with Anakin. It hadn't been a very good week. He didn't have very high hopes for today.

Still, he was trying not to just hide out in his apartment, no matter how tempting that was, because he did know that wasn't going to help. He wasn't sure what would help, right now, but at least if he was outside somewhere there might be a friendly face or two.

The barista had suggested the pistachio coffee so he had one of those and some sort of breakfast sandwich when he found himself an open table by the window. He was occasionally taking very small bites of the sandwich without really tasting it. But at least he was eating something, unprompted, this morning. Of course, he was also occasionally shredding a napkin into increasingly smaller bits without realizing that. Hopefully he wasn't going to end up accidentally eating that.



[Very open for caffeine and sad glowy alien needs. It's still negative temperatures outside here. Ugh. Winter.]

Comments

[thedadalorian]

Well, hopefully an adorable, alien child would help him feel better. Because Din and Grogu were there to get some breakfast as well and that meant the kid was immediately toddling on over to say hello.

"Stark," Din said with a little nod.

[stykera]

An adorable alien child wouldn't hurt, at least. Even if that adorable alien child and his dad were forever linked in Stark's mind to the person responsible for his current state. It was a small island. Nearly everything was linked.

"Hello, Din."

Grogu almost got a smile. It was a less sad look, at least. "And Grogu."

[thedadalorian]

The smallest of islands, Stark!

"How... are you doing?" He was doing great at being emotionally available here.

[stykera]

Too small. He might need to leave or he'd just be sad forever.

"I'm..." It was almost tempting to say fine but there was really no reason to lie to Din. "Not well. But I'm here."

[thedadalorian]

"Want a breakfast... thing. The kid loves them." Ergo Stark had to like them, right?

[stykera]

Stark's taste in food did tend to coincide with that of children for the most part.

"I have..." Stark frowned, looking down at his plate which seemed to be a mess of crumbs and tiny napkin bits. Had he finished the sandwich or had he crumbled it up or was it a combination of the two? "I thought I had one. I haven't been eating much."

Not even when Anakin brought over enough food for days. The island's nonsense had gotten in the way.

[thedadalorian]

"I'll get you one," Din promised, giving the kid a look to stay in place and not wander off into danger somehow.

Not that he really needed to, because now Grogu was trying to give his leg a hug.

[stykera]

Stark's leg (much like the rest of Stark) could use a few good hugs.

"Thank you." Unclear if that was to Din or to Grogu or both.

"Do you want to come up?" That was definitely to Grogu. Who, if he did get picked up, was going to have serve as an emotional support kid for a bit and suffer through being held.

[thedadalorian]

Grogu made the universal grabby hands sign up 'up' at him as Din went to order things for the pair. And something for himself once he got to the privacy of home.

[stykera]

Hopefully Stark's general aura of miserableness wasn't too much for a tiny Force-sensitive alien because Grogu was getting carefully picked up and placed on Stark's lap.

"Did you know I needed company?" he asked very quietly.

[thedadalorian]

Well, he was basically an emotional support alien toddler. There was that.

Grogu just reached up like he wanted to pat Stark on the cheek.

[stykera]

Sad, lonely, space men needed support sometimes.

"Thank you," Stark said very seriously, leaning his head down a little.

[thedadalorian]

Which was when Din returned with croissants. Filled with chocolate. Because the kid liked them, you know.

So, enjoy that, Stark.

[stykera]

"Thank you," Stark said again, reaching for one to take a bite.

If he ate it quickly he wouldn't absently just pull it apart into little flaky bits.

"I appreciate it."

[thedadalorian]

Hopefully also to show a good example for the kid.

"No problem," Din said, take the seat across from him.

[stykera]

"How have you been?" he asked. He could try and have a conversation that wasn't just 'I am heartbroken and confused.' He could try. "Both of you."

[thedadalorian]

"A couple days ago was strange," Din ventured as the kid took tiny bites of the croissant in Stark's lap. "With the turning into... random things?"

[stykera]

Did the mustache make appearances?

"Anakin brought food that night," Stark said. "It was...an odd evening. Very odd."

[thedadalorian]

They wouldn't speak of it. But yes. Yes, it did.

"How'd that go?" Look, he was vaguely aware of a weird older brother sort of thing there.

[intheeyeofthebeholding]

It was rotten out, yes, but Jon had been spending far too much time at home this week. And with the way he was feeling, he might have to spend more time at home soon. So he might as well come out for some decent tea today.

He nodded at Stark as he passed by. "Good morning."

[stykera]

"He kept being younger. I kept being..." Tortured and/or unconscious. You know, the usual. "In unfortunate positions. He was trying to be kind."

[thedadalorian]

"Well, it could have been worse then," Din said. "You two went to school together?"

Here. Which was weird.

[stykera]

Stark nodded. "I met him here, then. We both left and came back." In very different ways.

"So I've known him a long time."

[thedadalorian]

"It's good to have someone like that around at least," he replied. You know. During times like this.

[stykera]

Good wasn't how Stark would describe it (or anything right now) but sure.

"Hello, Jon," he said, returning the nod.