A bar on the mainland- Saturday evening

[notconflicted]

It had been months since Sia had been able to go out unescorted (even Jessica technically served in a professional capacity), and she only had to go to a whole other galaxy to do it. And the reason why she was here was pretty unexpected after all these months.

She found a table- not the bar since she didn't really want to deal with a bartender as a third party today- and sat down to wait. She wouldn't say she was nervous; maybe wary of how things would go? But if they'd gotten to this point they'd probably be fine.

And if not, she was already in a bar.


[For one!]

Comments

[suitably_heroic]

There'd been a real danger of Sia getting lonely back before... the thing had happened. But bringing that up now was a bad idea, even if it was the first thing to jump to Atton's mind.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "She's always been too stubborn for her own good, so you two are pretty much the only ones who can keep each other from doing anything stupid."

[notconflicted]

"I appreciate that confidence in us," she said dryly.

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey, last time I visited, you guys had a war," Atton said idly. "What'll you be having? I'm making a trip to the bar."

[notconflicted]

"You're the one that picks my drinks," she reminded him. "It hasn't been that long."

And he'd been doing it so long that she had a weird dislike for figuring out her own.

[suitably_heroic]

Yeah, but they'd had a long while of things being strange between them, and Atton didn't want to default to anything. "Fine, let's get on this roulette wheel, then."

He padded up to the bar and ordered two Virgin Marys, returning with them a moment later.

[notconflicted]

Sia eyed the glasses. "And what is this?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Something with tomato juice in it," Atton said. "If it's terrible, it'll be a good reason for us to wash it down with a better drink later."

He set one glass full of red stuff down in front of her.

[notconflicted]

"This feels like a trust exercise," she said, but took the glass anyway.

[suitably_heroic]

"You told me to order for you," Atton said, sliding back into his seat. "That's what you get."

[notconflicted]

Sia took a tentative sip, and decided, "This was a trust exercise."

And she would finish it, because she was stubborn.

[suitably_heroic]

"Beats falling backwards to see if anyone will catch you," Atton said cheerfully, and took a sip of his own.

[notconflicted]

"I suppose." Especially since she realized that she'd be hypothetically wary about that scenario. "So. How have you been?"

She kept it vague, since she wasn't entirely sure how much he wanted to talk.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton shrugged. "Going to work every Sunday," he said. "Apparently Sparkle's involved in some big drama involving photographs and a douchebag back on the island that I'm ignoring?"

So, you know. He was alive.

[notconflicted]

"I absolutely don't want to ask followup questions to that, do I?" Sia asked.

[suitably_heroic]

"I wouldn't be able to answer followup questions," Atton said, "Because that's basically what I said to the guy who started giving me the details about it. Except without the question mark."

[notconflicted]

"Smart of you." There was always the possibility that she'd end up with more information than she wanted the next time she contacted Sparkle. "You're back on the island full-time, then?"

[suitably_heroic]

"For now," Atton said, tapping his foot against the floor. "Until everyone's sympathy runs out and I get Mira's workload shoved on me."

[notconflicted]

"As long as you get time before that happens."

She'd been through a lot of thoughts in the last eight months, but she hadn't stopped caring.

[suitably_heroic]

"Right now is time," Atton said, after a pause.

And then took a gulp of his drink big enough to drown himself with.

[notconflicted]

Sometimes it was probably helpful that bars had always been their go-to places.

"There are things I want to ask, and I'm not sure if I should," she said. Because yes, there was some awkwardness here in knowing what was okay and what wasn't now. Eight months ago she would have been more confident in it, so, might as well admit it.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton sighed. He set his glass down.

"Look, part of me kind of wanted to bolt on this," he said. "But I somehow managed to make it in here, and there are things even I won't run away from when I'm in them."

He eyed his glass.

"So ask away," he said. "I'll say no if I don't want to answer."

[notconflicted]

"All right," she nodded, and sipped her drink that she might just hate. "Do you actually want to go back?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Want to go back to what?" said Atton, who'd get her a real alcoholic one later.

[notconflicted]

"Coruscant. Getting Mira's workload shoved on you," she said.

[suitably_heroic]

"Yeah," Atton said.

He was surprised that he didn't even hesitate.