Sia's Coruscant, Monday

[suitably_heroic]

Atton had been extremely tempted to stay at Fandom and maybe never talk to Sia again after leaving her a series of drunken texts a few days before. But that would involve staying at Fandom, a place that at this point wasn't, exactly, doing great things for his emotional stability.

Not that anywhere was. But still.

And so it was that he showed up around noon on Monday, a bag slung over his arm and Pauline the plant in his other hand, trudging up the steps of the palace.

Might as well face the music.

[[ for sia ]]

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[notconflicted]

"I already knew that," Sia said evenly.

[suitably_heroic]

"Then you know what happened," Atton said, dropping his bag on the floor.

[notconflicted]

"I've never seen you like that," she said.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton sighed. "Yeah, there's a reason for that," he said, squatting down to go through his bag. "Look, I just had a bad night. It happens."

[notconflicted]

"I meant what I said."

Even if he didn't want to talk, that part had to be said.!

[suitably_heroic]

"I know, Si," Atton said, raising up with a bottle of water in hand. "You always do. Painfully earnest, in that stoic empress kind of way."

[notconflicted]

"You're one of the few people who would say that," she said wryly, but Atton was a different story than her empress stuff. "I really am concerned."

[suitably_heroic]

"I know."

Atton brought the water bottle up to his mouth. "Karking hells, I hate hangovers almost as much as I hate being drunk."

[notconflicted]

"Still? How much did you have?"

She'd only ever had one hangover and she'd been gremlin bitten for the fun part.

[suitably_heroic]

"Needed to clear out the liquor supply at my place anyway," Atton said idly. "Sparkle has some rancid taste in it, I gotta say."

[notconflicted]

"Doesn't seem like that mattered," Sia said. "So you decided to go the tough it and... deal with things?"

Or something.

[suitably_heroic]

There was a short silence.

"I just wanted to see if I could be there."

[notconflicted]

"And?"

She felt like she knew the answer.

[suitably_heroic]

"You don't want the real answer to that."

[notconflicted]

"Would it lead me to a different conclusion than the series of drunk texts did?" Sia wondered.

[suitably_heroic]

"Maybe," Atton said.

Once again, he wished he had a drink. And he was really glad he didn't. He'd lost enough control around Sia as it was.

[notconflicted]

Sia sighed. "Please talk to me, Atton. I'd like to help."

[suitably_heroic]

Atton sighed.

"I'm not a problem you can fix, Si," he said.

[notconflicted]

"I'm not trying to fix you, I'm trying to help make things at least a little easier on you," Sia told him. "It's one of those things friends do."

[suitably_heroic]

"Yeah, but you always make it sound like it's a case of 'tell me what you need, and I'll make sure you have it'," Atton said, his shoulders drooping. "I'm a mess. I've been a mess since before you met me. Sparkle got that, that made it easy."

[notconflicted]

"You think I don't get that?" she asked, curious.

She just liked him anyway.

[suitably_heroic]

"I think you think you get that," Atton said.

He sagged into a seat.

[notconflicted]

"What am I not understanding, then?" she asked.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton shot her a dry look. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, slumping into the chair.

"You don't know how to be messy," he said. "You ask me those straight-up logical questions like I'm going to cough up a cheat code or something."

[notconflicted]

"I've been messy, and that didn't go well." They didn't talk for a year after that. "Being logical is usually the best way to get an answer."