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. . . but yes. He does. I should say I wasn't properly happy here until the day he returned to my side.

[...]

then hell

thats all that matters right

[He doesn't think she needs his reassurance or approval, buuuut he can't imagine that admitting to being in a relationship with yourself from a parallel universe is easy, so: HERE HE IS, going on the record as saying he doesn't give a damn so long as it's working out for her. He'd be lying if he said he didn't find it a little weird, but as a guy who died, came back to life, then got thrust into the role of defender of humanity by a baby with a desk job, he's hardly one to talk about anyone else's life being weird. That's without even mentioning the fact that he was seeing a fox demon-turned-sorta human up until recently.]

We rather think so.

[She doesn't need his approval, no, but she's pleased to have it nonetheless. This is the first time in two decades she and Robert have ever had the chance to tell people about what they truly are. It's also the first time either of them have had anyone they cared enough to tell.

She lets that linger for a long few seconds, then adds:]

And he is very pleasing in all aspects of our life, a fact that I will emphatically deny I ever told you, should you repeat it outside of this conversation.

bow chicka wow wow

[aaand we're back]

Excuse me?

[Buddy, she's from 1909.]

[WHOOPS.]

oh nothing just trying to say im happy for you doc

I'm certain you are. I'm equally as certain that isn't what you meant. Don't make me ask

[Kurama, ah, no--]

again.

speaking as a detective can i just say some mysteries are better left unsolved

[Well, now she's going to have to ask Kurama, once the sting of his and Urameshi's breakup lessens.]

Entirely unrelated . . . may I stop by soon?

[Oh! Well, that's a switch in gears.]

uh yeah sure

why, did you leave something here

[He knows she and Kurama hang out on a fairly regular basis, so it doesn't seem like an impossibility that she might've.]

No. I want to see you; it's rather been a while.

[And she's worried about him, but she knows enough not to say that.]

[...

Well, shucks.]

okay then yeah feel free

i dont have anyplace to be

[Not that he ever DOES, really, but. Yeah. HE'LL BE HERE WHENEVER SHE ARRIVES.]

Good.

[It's about five minutes later she knocks at the door, because SURPRISE, she was lurking around the neighborhood.]

[Yusuke had managed to wind down over the course of their textual tête-à-tête, but now that he knows he's going to be seeing Dr. Lutece in person, he's right back to feeling nervous and agitated. Shit, wasn't the reason he texted her in the first place was so that he wouldn't have to deal with any awkward face-to-face interaction after she saw him as a stupid, weepy little kid? Not to mention his wanting to avoid any possibility of being looked at like he was sewer scum because of what's happened with Kurama and Keiko. Then again, that hadn't come up at all during their conversation just now, so maybe it won't come up now? ...

Regardless, when Yusuke answers her at the door, it's with his usual irreverent swagger. Despite his recent visit back home, he looks more or less exactly as he did before he left: sharp-eyed and vaguely mischievous, with hair that's been meticulously combed back into his trademark pompadour. He grins at her and steps aside so she can come in, telling her:]

Hey! You sure didn't waste any time getting here. Must've really missed seeing my face, huh?

[Pbbbbbt, Parappa agrees from within the shop. As usual, the kappa is busily attending to the floors. He pauses in his sweeping and gives Rosalind a jeering look. Hey. 'sup.]

[Yusuke gets a slight smile, quick but warm, as his greeting. Parappa, on the other hand, receives nothing but a cold glare. Fuck off, that's what her look sneers in return, and then she focuses back on Yusuke, because that's more than enough time wasted on that repulsive little creature.]

That and your cooking. Would it be much of an imposition if I asked for a free meal alongside a chat?

[(Truthfully, it is odd, seeing him once again grown after she'd spent an entire evening with him as a child. But it was odd seeing Kurama after she'd spent a fortnight thinking his name was Fawkes; the dissonance will pass).]

[Dr. Rosalind Lutece, Yusuke decides wryly, is not very much like Atsuko Urameshi at all. That seems like an obvious and flagrantly awkward observation for him to make until one considers that he spent that very same evening mentally comparing the two women out of homesickness and a fondness for the doc that'd apparently endured the impromptu shrinkage of his body and mind. It's difficult to look at her and not think of a gaping sensation of loss and misery that'd been assuaged only by fingers in his hair and murmured reassurances, but he tries not to focus on it overmuch.

He does, however, note that her smile is still very pretty, brief though it may have been. That's not something he thinks is liable to change no matter how young or old she is.

The request surprises him, but it doesn't offend. Honestly, he finds that he welcomes the thought of having something to do with his hands for a while. He tips his head and regards her playfully.]

I think I can probably whip something up for you real quick. But only because you asked so nicely. C'mon. You want some tea, too?

[Yusuke leads her up the stairs to the apartment. Naturally, Parappa stays behind, but he doesn't allow Rosalind to go without blowing a raspberry at her.]

Please.

[It's odd to climb the familiar steps and enter the apartment without Kurama walking in front of her. Rosalind keeps expecting a flash of red hair or a wry voice to call out from the other room.]

Another way Robert surpasses me: he's the far better cook. It's only recently I've started eating a bit better; I ought to have solicited all my meals from you.

[It's an idle statement, because Rosalind is more focused on the posture and expression of the boy in front of her. She watches him carefully, even as she closes the door behind her and takes a seat.

She's going to have to approach this carefully. He'll avoid and deny if she simply asks, but nor does she intend to leave without bringing the topic up.]

Yeah?

[Yusuke toes his shoes off at the door and heads for the kitchen. He sounds distant and preoccupied, but despite how one might interpret his tone given the circumstances, it's nothing to do with anything he's been wigging himself out over: he's only trying to do a mental inventory of all the ingredients they've got on hand. Let's see, he knows they've got a shitload of eggs. . .

A minute or so passes, and then he returns, carefully handing her a steaming hot cup of tea.]

You should've asked me. I might not've even made you show me how to make fireballs. What're you in the mood for?

[Yusuke gets another smile for that cup of tea. It's not something she thinks about, but rather offers freely, which is . . . odd. But perhaps not that odd, not when she thinks about it for a few seconds. She was already fond of Urameshi to begin with, and after seeing him bawl his eyes out in her lap, well. A few smiles isn't quite as risky an action as it might otherwise be.]

Anything. [A beat, and then, more honestly:] I know very little of Japanese food, beyond what Kurama has made me try. I leave the choice up to you.

[All right. Time to see if even the mention of his name will get a reaction.]

[Yusuke... doesn't flinch. Nor does he do anything else that would indicate surprise or discomfort. In fact, he seems perfectly at ease with that passing mention of Kurama, and he is! Mostly. Of course she'd talk about him sooner or later. They're friends, they see each other all the time, it's normal.

In any case, he grins at her, finding himself oddly pleased about being given the freedom to surprise her with something she may not have tried before. He has a couple ideas for what he could make her that won't leave her waiting for ages, but he's thinking he might wanna go with something simple. You never know with those foreign palates, and his relationship with Rosalind is as such that he isn't as inclined to be a jerk and spring something crazy on her as he would be if she were anyone else. Such as, for example, a certain male R. Lutece, who was doomed to be fucked with the instant his other half mentioned his sensitivity about titles. Rest in peace.]

All right, one mystery dish for Dr. Lutece comin' right up. Hang tight, I'll be back soon. Lemme know if you need anything.

[And AWAY HE GOES, disappearing back into the kitchen. It doesn't take long for things to become noisy in there: there's the rush of running water from the sink, the clang of pots and pans being set on the stove, the brisk chop-chop-chop of a knife against a cutting board. Soon enough, the sizzle of meat joins the chorus, and the apartment begins to fill with the delightful aroma of whatever Yusuke's chosen to prepare for her.

Lest anyone think he's about to work in silence, though, his voice eventually floats out into the room Rosalind's sitting in, loud enough to easily be heard over the ruckus he's making.]

Oh yeah, uh...

Before I forget, thanks. Y'know, for giving Keiko a place to stay. We're kinda short on space here, and anyway, she wouldn't've wanted to stay with a couple of guys, so...

[He trails off, sounding a little awkward. Well then.]

Edited 2017-04-27 02:29 (UTC)

Of course.

[She stands, moving to lean against the doorway of the kitchen. She can't see much of what he's doing, or even indeed his expression, but that's all right. This way they won't have to shout.]

Miss Yukimura's a delight to have around the house, truth be told. If for no other reason than now Robert's outnumbered two to one, though that's hardly the only reason I enjoy her company.

. . . how are things, with you and her?

[Yusuke's currently standing in front of the stove supervising a frying pan full of sliced onions and strips of beef. There's a covered pot of rice sitting on the burner next to it, left to stand while he finishes cooking what's left of the meal. It's a bit of a surprise seeing Rosalind at the doorway after having spent the last several minutes bustling about the kitchen on his own, but her appearance isn't unwelcome; it's only when she asks him about the status of his and Keiko's relationship that he suddenly seems perturbed, pausing and looking at her with wide eyes.

Shit. Crap. The pit of his stomach goes cold. Okay. Okay, easy, Urameshi. No need to act like you're on the verge of pissing yourself. A split-second passes before his expression abruptly shifts, hardening into a look of such cool neutrality it seems rather unnatural in combination with the wry easiness of his voice when he replies.]

... fine? I mean, she saw me while I was runnin' around in coveralls, so that's awkward, but...

[He shrugs and returns his attention to the pan, poking its contents with the spatula in his hand. Another short beat of silence, and then, trying his damndest to ignore the fluttering of nerves in his chest, he asks:]

Why, did she call me a pain in the ass or something? 'Cause you're gonna have to get used to hearing that a lot. I'm kind of an expert at getting on her nerves.

[Despite everything, that isn't meant to be self-deprecating. He relays that information with the unvarnished straightforwardness of a weatherman providing a forecast. Cloud are gathering, rain's gonna fall, Yusuke Urameshi is really good at irritating the hell out of Keiko Yukimura. Comes with the territory of being childhood friends and having nearly a lifetime's worth of experience learning which buttons to press to make her mad.]

Edited (DAMN I AM LOSING SO MANY WORDS TONIGHT) 2017-04-27 03:42 (UTC)

No, we're not quite at that stage in our friendship yet. I imagine it's a matter of time.

[Rosalind pauses for a long few seconds. His expression would have said quite a bit even if she hadn't known the full story already. God, he looks . . .

Well. He looks an awful lot like her, actually, when she's confronted with some emotion she doesn't like and refuses to allow anyone else to see. She'd learnt how to do it just at his age, as a matter of fact. It's not such a strange expression on her face, but to see it on the normally bright Yusuke is jarring.

Best get this over with quickly, then. She hadn't just brought it up to torment him. Rosalind glances away, picking a point on the wall and staring intently at it.]

. . . I'm aware I'm not anyone's first choice for confidant, and certainly not yours. But. If you wish to . . . to speak of, of what's happened between you and Kurama and Keiko . . . that is, if you want to . . .

I'm willing to listen. Is what I'm trying to get at.

... so that's what this is about.

[It's less of a statement of surprise as it is one of confirmation: after all, he'd suspected this was the case the second Rosalind came in wondering about him and Keiko, though he'd hoped she was only asking because he'd brought Keiko up in the first place or because Keiko's new here and she knows they know each other or... hell. He doesn't know what he'd hoped; all he knows is that his gut instinct was correct, and that this is one of the rare instances when he wishes it hadn't been.

Yusuke grunts, keeping his head down and his eyes on his cooking as a familiar grim weight settles heavy on his back. His shoulders draw in tight, as if accommodating the constricts of some small, claustrophobic space. This was the last thing he wanted to speak to the doc about; dammit, it's like he'd thought earlier, the whole reason he hadn't tried to seek her out for a face-to-face meeting was because he didn't want to deal with possible scrutiny over all the stupid, shitty things that've been happening recently.

And yet, he isn't pissed off about it. Irritated, yes; reluctant to broach the topic at all, of course. But he isn't angry at Rosalind for bringing it up, not in the way he'd been whenever Kurama would try to discuss it with him, and that's. . .

He couldn't say what it is that's making the difference here. Maybe it's because he's too fuckin' tired to pick a fight for once. Maybe it's because he isn't afraid of hurting Rosalind the same way he is about hurting Kurama and Keiko; he's afraid of alienating her, sure, but not of breaking her heart.

Maybe it's because she'd seen him at his smallest and weakest and she hadn't abandoned him or made fun of him in the aftermath, and he's still experiencing the stupid emotional shockwaves from that despite his best efforts to ignore them.

Or maybe it's just because she sounds like she feels as awkward talking about this as he does and she's asking him about it anyway. It takes a second for him to gather his courage, but eventually he chances a look at her, studying her expression with a somewhat guarded one of his own. She isn't looking back at him; she's staring at the wall, which is a damned strange sight to see after he's had all this time to become accustomed to her and her usual razor-eyed, in-your-face confidence.

She looks uncomfortable, that's for sure, but she doesn't look angry. That's... surprising in a way that's somehow funny. He isn't sure why he's amused. It isn't at her expense, that's for sure. Maybe he's finally starting to crack up under the pressure of all this. Whatever the case may be, he finds that he's smirking of all things when he next speaks. It isn't a cruel or even particularly humorous smile he's wearing, but the lighthearted wryness of it is an improvement on the stony look he'd been wearing before.]

You worried about me, doc?

Yes.

[She answers without hesitation, and she wonders if he'll realize how significant that is. She wouldn't have done that five months ago. She wouldn't have even considered it, too leery about being seen as weak to bother expressing her concern. Rosalind glances over at him, her expression careful.]

I don't think you're going to fall apart if I don't check in. But yes, I've been worried about you.

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