The Perk, Saturday Early Afternoon

[stykera]

Stark had gone to bed alone and woken up alone after spending all of last week alone. Now he was at the Perk alone.

All of this was to be expected.

His extremely sugary coffee order with extra whipped cream was also entirely expected. Stark had the coffee and he had a breakfast sandwich even though it was afternoon and he was just sitting, glad to be feeling less restless than he had been for the whole week.

It was shaping up to be a quiet, peaceful sort of day.

[the coffee shop is, of course, open to all and sundry]

Comments

[glowyfacebabies]

Stark should have known better. Just because there had been a couple of years here where he did not have any unexpected visitors didn't mean he ought to come to expect a lack of them.

"I thought you'd be home," a young grey boy said as he entered the coffee shop. "You weren't. So I went to the bakery and you weren't there and you weren't having ice cream either so I got here, eventually. You hiding from me, Dad?"

[stykera]

Stark knew precisely one grey person well enough to not be surprised to see them. This was not Chiana. And Chiana never called him Dad. And yesterday had been a dance at the end of...

Oh no.

He should have listened to radio this morning. He might have at least been warned.

"I'm not hiding from anyone," Stark said carefully. "I'm right here. In public. Anyone could see me. And I wasn't aware I ought to be hiding."

He hadn't made any questionable choices this week, even! He didn't need to avoid anyone! That he knew of.

[glowyfacebabies]

"Good. I hate it when Mom hides and you know it so it's good you're not trying it." The boy nodded firmly, then dropped into a seat at Stark's table and grinned at him. If the grey skin hadn't given it away the grin would have clued Stark in to the identity of the boy's mother.

"Can I have coffee? With chocolate? Mocha, right? Or just chocolate. You know I love chocolate. Or...do you? I don't know which you you are. Are you my you or a different you do you even know me?"

The last question was accusatory and the boy narrowed his eyes as he asked it.

[stykera]

"I'm sorry," Stark said. "I don't. Not yet. But you know me?"

Obviously he did, Stark. He called you 'Dad.'

"I haven't met you yet. The me I am here and now. I'm sorry," he repeated softly. "But...now we have met but you haven't told me your name."

[glowyfacebabies]

"I called you Dad and looked for you in the bakery and your apartment before I found you here," the boy pointed out with a snort. "'Course I know you. Known you my whole life since you're my Dad."

And then because yes, he had known the man his whole life, the boy softened a little. "I'm Neri. Not Nerri like my uncle. Neri." The difference in pronunciation was slight but it was there.

"And you still didn't get me coffee or anything chocolate."

[stykera]

"You can have all the chocolate you like," Stark promised without hesitation. "Neri."

"Order whatever you want. That's fine."

If the boy walked away for a moment or two to get a drink it might give Stark a chance for his poor mind to stop racing.