Atton's Apartment in New York, Friday Night

[suitably_heroic]

You know, the days had ticked away, and for almost 48 hours Atton had been able to ignore it. It was a win for him, even if it was a small one. 48 solid hours of ignorance before realization hit him like a hammer, and he wound up sitting on the floor of his mostly-empty bedroom, staring at the window.

Was this ever going to be easier?

Maybe some other year. Maybe not ten years after exactly (or was it eleven? It was so easy to lose track, with that one year in the middle...). But maybe sometime? The lightness he'd felt these past two months hadn't come from nowhere. It hadn't just appeared. He'd... he'd done the work. He was doing the work. He was getting better.

And still he was back on the floor.

The door opened. Creaked. Almost startled him, until the familiar Force signature wafted over him and he looked up over his shoulder even though he couldn't see the front door from here. There was a rustling, a faint sense of confusion, worry--

Then Dane's face, peeking in through the door. "Hey," he said quietly. "Picked up some soda and some snacks. You wanna come out into the living room? It's probably more comfortable."

"Why are you--" Atton heard his voice creaked. He swallowed. Wetted his lips, eyes set determinedly at the window. "Why are you here? You're not skipping--"

"I moved some shifts around," Dane said. He passed quietly into the bedroom, brushing past the doorway. "Just making sure I'm not gone five nights in a row for the next couple of weeks."

Atton's brow crickled into a frown. "Why?"

"Because it's August, and I know what August means, Jack." Dane held his hand out. "And don't worry, I took the 17th off, too. We can go do something. Or we can hang out here on the floor. Whichever."

Oh.

Oh.

"Yeah," Atton said slowly. He felt like he was moving at half speed, reaching out for Dane's hand like that. Letting the guy pull him up. "Yeah. You're right. Sofa's probably more comfortable."

August. He hated August.

[[ can be open for calls, etcetera. ]]

Comments

[totalwildcard]

Someone, somewhere had no idea there was any angst to be had.

Hey are there tootsie rolls in space?

Harley was clearly having a very happening Friday night.

[suitably_heroic]

sorry what

He'd have texted something more, but his brain was still a mess.

[totalwildcard]

To be fair, Harley was pretty used to getting whated at regardless of what the other person was or wasn't going through. At least the sorry was an upgrade!

Tootsie rolls
In space
Are there
I'm settling a bet

With herself. Purely with herself.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton prided himself on having done the homework on Earth culture. He'd lived here for years now. By some metrics, almost half his life.

And yet.

what in space is a tootsie roll

[totalwildcard]

What, was she supposed to communicate that in a way that wasn't just a picture?

And yeah, sure, she should've been able to tell the answer from the questions he was asking, but she had optimism, okay!

[suitably_heroic]

no space does not have tootsie rolls, Atton texted, squinting at that picture. at lesat not my space.

He'd blame the typo on his state of mind once he saw it.

[totalwildcard]

Awwwww sucks for your space

[suitably_heroic]

just looks like candy to me??

[totalwildcard]

CLASSIC candy, Harley informed him.

Followed by a smattering of emoji that cleared nothing up.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton squinted at those emoji for a while, trying to make sense of them, but he couldn't find the energy.

look it's gonna be a logn month and i dont speak emoji, he texted. hope you didn't lose the bet

[totalwildcard]

Oh I lost but it's fine, don't worry!!

He had definitely not been about to worry.

Also Harley was alone, so who had she been betting againt? Unimportant!

Whats so long about 31 days?

[suitably_heroic]

just have a bad history with augusts, it'll be fine.

He was already regretting mentioning it.

[totalwildcard]

Well that makes more sense

Even if it did cut the wings off some very fanciful theories Harley's busy brain had already conjured up. R.I.P. beautiful theories!

Bet ya don't wanna talk about it either

[suitably_heroic]

It's incredibly depressing and you have candy on the brain. Well, that was as good an excuse as any.

[totalwildcard]

And with Harley? Particularly good.

Well YOU could have candy on the brain TOO

Said the shrink, who knew better than that.

[suitably_heroic]

dane brought snacks, Atton dutifully reported. no candy though.

[totalwildcard]

FIRE HIM

[suitably_heroic]

That got... like a sixteenth of the laugh it might have normally gotten, but still. Atton held the phone up for Dane to see.

"She's got a point," Dane said thoughtfully.

Atton shook his head.

nah i like this one, he texted. theres nachos

[totalwildcard]

Well you shoulda said, that's different
NOT AS GOOD AS CANDY
But better than """snacks"""

Weird hangup to have, but, well. Harley.

[suitably_heroic]

nachos are a type of snacks i don't know what your hangup is, Atton texted helpfully.

[totalwildcard]

Snacks can mean any old trash, I was worried!!

Or something!

[suitably_heroic]

you're worried about what SNACKS I'm eating during my yearly depression month

He really wasn't at his sharpest today, was he.

thats almost kind of moving

[totalwildcard]

Depression meals are serious business Atton

So maybe it was less about the snacks. Although it was a little bit about the snacks, too.

Doesn't matter if its a day or a month

[suitably_heroic]

Atton loved her, just for a moment, for not poking any closer to what was going on.

so what should be my depression meals huh

[totalwildcard]

Squirt cheese is G R E A T and a classic

Or maybe it was what Harley gravitated towards?

In fact, on second thought, she could own up to it:

Got me through an UGLY breakup

[suitably_heroic]

you mean like cheese in tubes? weird. but i'm willing to try it.

That was a victory in and of itself.

[totalwildcard]

YESSS DO IT!!!

He would just have to imagine the fist pump that went with that text.

[suitably_heroic]

FINE, I WILL.

He probably wouldn't leave the house for it today.

But he might tomorrow, and that was a win.

[totalwildcard]

Harley would probably have been ordering some to his place right now if she'd had the address.

Probably for the best that she did not.

GOOD!!!

[suitably_heroic]

THANKS!!

You probably could've left it there, Rand.

[totalwildcard]

Probably!

WHY ARE WE YELLING??

[suitably_heroic]

I DON'T KNOW! YOU STARTED IT!

[totalwildcard]

OKAY THEN IT'S JUST FOR FUN!!!!!

Of course.