fandom_clinic | Fandom Clinic, Monday 2/13

Yesterday had included some very unexpected moments. Very pleasant moments that he had no problem occasionally revisiting during the day, to be sure, but certainly unexpected.

Those moments, combined with Stark waking up this morning still feeling the same sort of restlessness as he had yesterday, had him coming to the slow realization of what was happening.

The fact that two of the nurses had shut themselves in an exam room before he arrived was another clue.

"You don't want to go in there," another nurse warned when Stark arrived. "It's gonna need a deep clean."

Stark glanced down the hallway, shook his head, and set down the coffees he'd brought with him.

"Why is Stabby's tank covered?"

"He was googling sexy crabs," the nurse said. "Better for everyone if nobody has to see that."

Stark blinked, shook his head, again, and decided he ought to keep himself occupied today. Perhaps he could do some inventory. Make sure the clinic was well-stocked for this week. Even if some items he was coming across were not helping feelings he was trying to suppress at the moment.

The clinic was open, the alien was in, and the crab needed some privacy.

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Where the alien might be if he isn't busy trying to keep his hands and mind occupied. And where the crab was having some private time.

Well, if Summer had any lingering doubts about what kind of week they were all in for, they were more than likely about to be completely obliviated in due course, as she, now out of her class and on her way to the store, but needing to make a brief pitstop, swung into the clinic with a box and realized this probably could have been fine waiting until tomorrow.

But she was already here, so she went and set the box down on the front desk. "Leftovers from my class," she explained. "Irene came very well-stocked with supplies, so we didn't even need all of these."

Though, really, when doing a sex-ed class the day before Valentine's Day on what she suspected was a pollen week, you could never be too prepared.

"....hi, Stark," she added, almost like an afterthought.

"All of what?" Stark asked, turning to look at the door and then at the box and then, rather shockingly, right at Summer.

"Oh. All of those."

"We... I'm sure we could use some more," he said, shoving the small box of hot pink (of course) condoms he'd just found back into a cabinet.

"Hello, Summer."

It was actually pretty shocking that Stark managed to look at her this time, so much so that Summer's brows lifted a little at it and she started to second guess that maybe it was just her; she was going through some shit right now...

"We overprepared," she offered, maybe unnecessarily, with a shrug of her shoulders. "But I appreciate you guys letting me have them for my class, and the kids know where to go if they need more."

Pollen was just making Stark feel emboldened. Enough that he could make eye contact. And he wanted to.

"Did your class go well?" he asked, sliding the box closer to his side of the desk and glancing at the contents. "Was this all... helpful?"

And Summer would have been relieved, actually, to have Stark's most recent bout of Lack of Eye Contact diseased cured in record time if it weren't for the way Stark actually looking at her was making her feel in that moment...

Jesus Christ, she needed to get her shit together. And she needed to close her eyes for a moment as if that would stop her brain from oh-so-helpfully replaying all too recent events.

"God," she said, "I hope so. I mean, I enlisted Irene to help me out with it; if having her on board doesn't help, then I'm pretty sure nothing could, might as well chalk this bunch up to hopeless."

What, the way Stark was looking at Summer like he hadn't seen her properly in a very long time? And maybe the way he was looking just a little unfocused when thoughts of misdirected messages crossed his mind? Those looks were causing some feelings?

"I've still never properly met Irene," he said absently. Though he'd of course seen her. "How was the party?"

He'd seen the door prize, though he didn't know that was where it had come from.

"It was a good party," Summer said, emphatically, delicately treading around any mention of why he ended up missing it. "She seemed pretty pleased with how it turned out, anyway. And the jello, obviously, was fucking banger.

"You should totally swing by some time and say hi," she suggested. "She's got some really great stuff."

What a totally comfortable and not at all dangerous conversation to be having right now, wow!

"What jello did you make?" Stark asked, though he did have some thoughts on what it could have been.

"I was in the shop once. I... haven't been back." Though the idea was more appealing today than it had been previously. Particularly if he had the right company...

"There was a lot," Summer said. "I'll send you pic--"

Mid-word, Summer seemed to remember the last time she send something that wound up going to Stark's phone.

"--tures," she concluded, with the very quick and clearly necessary clarification of, "of the jello."

Pause.

"Obviously."

Ha ha, what else, right?

"I'd like to see pictures."

A beat. "Of the jello." Obviously!

"Do you have special jello planned for Wednesday?"

Would Stark be able to consume it while making eye contact in a way that had both of them dealing with complicated feelings?

Summer did not consider herself very prone to blushing, but her face did seem to be trying to match hee shirt just then, and she knew she was prone to stupid decisions, every once in a while, for a treat, but was definitely contending with the impulse to be incredibly stupid and maybe having a non-jello-related picture somehow accidentally find its way in with the others. But she was not that stupid...

Oh, god, but to be that dumb...

"Not yet," she said. "Kinda Valentine's-ed out with it after Friday, but I don't really have any other theme in mind yet."

It would probably depend on how vicious she was feeling when she woke up on Wednesday.

Which would have a lot to do,no doubt, with how things work out (or not) tomorrow...

Edited 2023-02-13 16:32 (UTC)

Stark would probably be willing to consume the very anatomically correct jello Wednesday. He would possibly maintain eye contact while doing so. He would probably have to duck his head afterwards to collect himself though.

And he'd certainly be very, very interested in any pictures that came his way, especially if any stupid decisions were made.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something," Stark assured her. "You always come up with something. And I always look forward to seeing your efforts."

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see," Summer said, with a shrug of her shoulders.

And an awkward pause that, if it went too long, was definitely going to remind her of the necessity of her next statement:

"Well, I just wanted to drop those off, I should probably get headed into work now."

"I don't mind waiting."

That wasn't a loaded statement at all, was it?

"I'll see you tomorrow for class," Stark added, hopefully. "And then for jello on Wednesday."

And maybe there could be excuses other days.

"Y-yeah," said Summer, with a little bit of uncomfortable uncertainty, because she had a feeling that if her brain kept going the direction it was going right now even after she left the clinic, then they were definitely not going to be having class tomorrow.

"See you then."

Spoler alert: she would not.

"...bye, Stark."

Stark would be terribly disappointed not to see her in class but would somehow survive. He would just need some assistance.

"I'll see you then," Stark agreed, though the disappointment that she was leaving already was clear.

Don't go in Exam 4. It's occupied.

Today might be completely absurd at work so I may be slower than usual but I'll do my very best!

Fandom Clinic, Monday 2/13

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