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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[suitably_heroic]

"Good," Atton said, stopping by his door-- well, okay, the door of the place they kept assigning him to when he was here.

He sighed.

And let it slide open.

[notconflicted]

Sia waited for him to go inside before following.

And waited to see if he wanted to start this or if she was going to have to do it.

[suitably_heroic]

She had met Atton Rand, right?

"Well, at least this place hasn't gotten dusty since I left," he said, a sigh in his voice.

[notconflicted]

It had been worth a shot.

"So what happened the other day?"

[suitably_heroic]

"I went home," Atton said, not turning to face her just yet. "I got drunk. I sent some bad texts."

[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."