fandomhigh | Summer Shenanigans- Wednesday, August 11

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Summer Shenanigans- Wednesday, August 11

Oh hey, Anakin and Beaker weren't here today! Instead there was a short brunette with a megaphone. She didn't need it, she just liked it.

"Welcome to today's Shenanigans. Grandfather's not here. I'm Jaina and I'm going to be your drill instructor today," she announced. "Today you're going to be doing a mud run. You will get dirty, you won't like it, and I won't care."

Jaina hadn't realized it was Truth Day, that was just how she talked to people.

"We have five obstacles for you to get through to make it to the end, where you will win absolutely nothing. Maybe my grudging respect. No teams today, it's every being for themselves. And I don't know hardly anyone's names so whoever I point to has to come down here and participate, and I know who I'm pointing to so don't think you're getting away with anything."

EVERY BEING FOR THEMSELVES
Annie
Astrid
Belle
Din (and Grogu)
Dwight
Faye
Harry
Sakaki
Stark
Troy
Wanda

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"He's the reason I go to paintball," Stark agreed. "Shooting him is more fun than shooting anyone else. Although I didn't mind being on a team with him last week as much as I said I did."

He hadn't meant to add that last bit. It just sort of came out and now he was just looking a little confused by it.

"Aw, he's your friend. That's cute," Faye said with a smile, and then she immediately looked a little horrified at herself. "I didn't mean to actually say that out loud."

But she'd thought it in response, and...was this maybe a thing today? Because that was absolutely not going to work for Faye, no thank you.

"He is," Stark said. "At least I think he is. I hope he is. He seems like a friend. It's a friendly rivalry. Or feud. I think. I don't want to know if it isn't really." Well. This was awkward now.

"I didn't mean to say any of that."

"That's...weird," Faye said slowly. "I kind of want to go hide but I'm really scared of that girl."

Not something she would normally just come out and admit!

"I don't want you to hide," Stark said quickly. "But you can, if you need to. I'd understand if you did. I don't think she's actually going to do anything, besides cover us all in mud. Or make us cover ourselves in mud."

"She might chase me. That's enough," Faye told him, way too easily, before adding, "And I like that you don't want me to hide, you're so cu--"

And there went her hand, clasping quickly over her mouth as Faye looked over with wide eyes.

"I don't think I am," Stark said. "But I like that you think it. I won't let her chase you. I don't want anyone chasing you."

"Stop it, you're adorable," Faye said, because she'd stupidly thought it might be safe to move her hand. "Obviously. What is happening?"

"I don't know why you think that," Stark protested. "I'm just...me. No one else ever thinks that. You're much cuter than I am. Much prettier. You're beautiful." Well, the last few statements he didn't mind saying out loud. The first few, less so.

"I think the island is...doing an island thing."

"It's not about how you look," Faye assured him, rolling her eyes. "I mean, I like how you look, but -- goddammit, I hate that the island's doing a thing. Now I really want to hide."

At least she'd figured out how to sort of roadblock herself for a second there, before she said something...feelings-y.

"Well I don't know that. I didn't. I'm not used to this. I'm not used to any of this. It doesn't happen often, almost ever, and I get worried because I worry about everything sometimes and...please don't run and hide."

"What do you get worried about?" Faye asked, trying to look less antsy because he'd asked. "I'm not going anywhere right now. You asked. I won't because you asked, but only because you asked."

Shit.

"Too many things," Stark said. "That something will happen. That you...that you'll decide this is all a mistake." That he definitely would rather not have said out loud.

"I'm not used to being happy. Or to having someone do something, or not do something, just for me. Not for a long time."

"I make you happy?" Yep, that was the part Faye was going to focus in on, for the moment, because she honestly couldn't believe it. "Really? I always figured everyone's just sort of being nice to me by pretending I'm fun to be around. Most people are liars."

Wow.

"And I like doing things for you. Makes me happy." And that slipped out, totally unbidden, and Faye was just going to pull out her cigarettes, now. (Though she was scared enough of Jaina to just anxiously tap the pack against her leg rather than actually light one.)

"Of course you do!" Stark was mildly indignant about that. "You make me very happy. I thought you knew that. I'm not going to lie about it." Not today, obviously, but not other days either.

"I'd like to make you happy. I'm just not sure I know how," he continued, uncertainly. "I worry about that, too."

He might end up wanting to drown himself in mud before the day was out, at this rate, but maybe it was better to get these things out.

"You make me extremely happy," Faye replied, and she was just going to drop her head into one palm with a resigned sigh. "I just also worry. A lot."

Which might have been something of a revelation, because Faye would prefer that everyone continued to think that she didn't worry or think about anything, personally. All Faye thought about was robbing people and how to dress for maximum cleavage, everyone! That was all!

"I'm glad I do," Stark said. "And relieved. Very relieved. And...you could tell me. If you're worried. I'll listen. If you wanted someone to listen. I'd like to listen if you wanted to talk."

"But you might hate me if I told you everything," Faye insisted, proving that even on Truth Day, the truth about her insecurities would have a greater impact on things than the truth about...like, her actual life. "Like how I'm not really turning twenty-four on Saturday. And how I secretly like cuddling a lot."

Oh, god, both of those were huge, life-impacting secrets and now they were just out there.

Edited 2021-08-11 18:39 (UTC)

"Why would I hate you?" Stark asked. "I don't think I'd hate you. I don't hate many people. You would have to try very hard to make me hate you. And I don't think you would."

"Wait. Saturday? You didn't say that before. You just said August. We need to do something I need to do something. For you. With you. What would you like? We can do whatever you like. The number doesn't matter. I don't even know how old I am. And cuddling...you should have said so. I would have protested more when you threw me out of my own bed."

"I liked it, that's why I did that," Faye said, whining a little in frustration at herself at how that had just slipped right out. "I've never celebrated my birthday, actually. I only know it because it was on my chart when I woke up."

Faye, you could stop talking. That was an option.

"I'd like anything you did, Stark, because I like that you think of me and oh my god this has to stop."

"I don't want to get it wrong," Stark said quietly. "Especially if this is the first time. That makes it more important. I don't have enough experience with birthdays. I haven't got one. It should be something you like. We could go somewhere. If you wanted? I liked going to Mars. Very much. Even the dancing. And after Mars...you knew that. But I like staying here there are plenty of things to do here. If you want."

"We should do something here," Faye said decisively. "It doesn't have to be a big deal. Just the fact that you care this much is kind of doing it for me."

Faye really wanted to stop talking, but it was like every thought in her head was just becoming words without her permission.

"You won't get it wrong, but if you do too much I might freak out." There! That was helpful information that she wouldn't normally relay, instead of just emotionally-compromising weirdness.

"That's fine," Stark assured her. "Here is fine. There are even places here I've never been. Never had a reason to go." He wasn't going to take himself to a fancy-ish restaurant, after all.

"If you don't want to do anything you don't have to. We don't have to. I do care. A lot. But I don't want to do anything you don't want. I don't want you to freak out. Usually that's what I do. Not other people."

"I don't want you to freak out," Faye told him. "When you were upset in the hole I hated it so much and I worry all the time I'm going to hurt you and it's the worst and that's why I don't do this because feelings are the fucking worst."

Stop. Stop talking, Valentine. Stop.

"I'll -- think about my birthday. No one's ever wanted to celebrate it before. I don't even know what's normal." And you know what would help her stave off a freakout? Focusing on him, and so she added, "Did you say you don't know how old you are?"

That weirdly made her feel a little better.

"I try not to freak out. It happens less than it used to. You helped, in the hole. You helped a lot. I think I would have been much worse if you hadn't been there. Why are you so worried about hurting me? You haven't hurt me yet. You've only helped and I don't think feelings are so bad."

And Stark had a lot of feelings Faye. So many.

"I don't. No one kept track. It wasn't important. I wasn't important. Just...useful. Valuable. And time here and time there hasn't always been the same. I could guess? But I don't know."

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