Laurie and Kyle on the porch

[x-wildchild.livejournal.com]

After Kyle gets home from Montana and then Cali, Laurie tacklehugs him, and then discuss stuff. Eamon, Therapy, bread and donuts. Also there is some silly over the top use of fake Shakeapeare.



Laurie was in her normal spot on the main stairs of the mansion when she heard the completely unmistakable sounds of Kyle at the front door. It didn't take her long to get down the stairs and open the front door to greet him with what might be considered by some a glomp-hug, but considering the height differences, let alone the body mass differences, it was more just a really enthusiastic greeting.

Having Eamon around, especially at night when the gaps in her memory bothered her the most had been helpful beyond measure, so much so that she'd even managed to talk to one of the counselors that Xavier's had provided. It was a long way from better, but it was a start and she was just glad to have people in one place again where she could make sure they were, well, that they were, that they hadn't gone missing or taken off for parts unknown.

"Laurie, Laurie geez, I need oxygen." Kyle attempted to peel her off, and ended up just getting a face full of arm. "I wasn't gone that long, sheesh. I had my phone. I totally called in." Every day, twice or three or four times on days he and Dori were traveling. Lots of checking in, to the point of almost being annoying because otherwise people would worry. "Did my cat totally try to move in with you?" Shamu had not been pleased about Kyle's absence, and probably would be sulking.

"He's been keeping me company," Laurie admitted, a slow smile touching the edges of her mouth. She let Kyle go as she looked behind him, hoping to see Dori and give her the same reception. She couldn't have explained it well if anyone had asked her, but having any of the mansion people away lately had left her feeling uneasy, even with the constant checking in. "Dori isn't with you?"

"Dude, we've been back like three hours. I was checking in with Fred." The transition from Kyle to Fred as full-time groundskeeper wouldn't be quite done until August but he was pretty comfortable leaving the younger man on his own for a few weeks at a time. "Dori's probably checking in with, um, her video game peeps, or something."

"Oh," Laurie replied, stepping back as she looked back up the stairs to where'd she'd been sitting. "I didn't hear, I guess."

"I wasn't like, making a big fuss out of it or anything." Kyle explained. "Came in, unpacked, threw all my dirty clothes in the washer, did some stuff." He shrugged, and then finally unpeeled Laurie from the hug so they could sit down on the back steps. "Sides, I mean, wouldn't that have like hurt, you trying to turbo hug me while I had two duffelbags, a bookbag and my phone out?"

"That would have been rather problematic," Laurie agreed, sitting beside him happily enough. "How was your visit with your parents?"

"Eh, you know, profuse apologies, my mom yelled at me, I hadda give them the short and not ugly version of what happened and then my granddad bought me a beer." Kyle said. "And my grandmom taught Dori how to make that crazy oatmeal peanutbutter bread she sends me at Christmas, so I'm pretty sure we'll be eating that forever." He grinned, and jerked his head towards the inside. "There's a loaf for you in your room. I had two, and Sparky promised he'd only eat one in exchange for guarding the other one."

"Thank you," Laurie said, wrapping her arms around her knees, she felt bruised inside, and she didn't know how to ask him the questions she'd been waiting to ask, how'd he'd felt afterwards, what he'd done. She hadn't been able to bring herself to ask Marius either, not yet at least. "Eamon's here."

"Hey, you watched my cat while I was bumming it on vacation and eating bad airport food. Awesome bread and ridic souvenirs are the least I can do." Kyle bumped one of Laurie's knees with his own and then nudged her. "He making you eat and not hide in textbooks and like, you know, get therapy? Because I'm gonna kick his ass if he's not. Just sayin'."

"Not therapy," Laurie admitted, her smile turning slightly different as she thought of Eamon. "Making sure I eat and socialise, yes. We're working on the therapy though. It's harder when I don't remember what it is I'm freaking out over."

"Okay, maybe a little bit of ass poking then." Kyle turned, and poked Laurie in the hip with one well-trimmed claw. "Dude, the point is, even if you're not remembering, you do the therapy anyway. If you can't remember, you can't remember. Whatever therapist the Prof'll get for you guys won't be kicking you out if you're like "I can't remember this, I'm just freaking out." because the point is to work on the freaking out, like, no matter what. There's no like, criteria for it. I still can't remember some of the Mistra shit. Doesn't matter! Therapy! I don't remember half of what Doctor Ass-hab did. Doesn't matter! Therapy!" He pointed a finger at his friend and made a face. "Don't make me tell on you. I'll tattle."

"I'm glad you're back," Laurie replied with a grin, as if that answered everything she might say to Kyle's threat, although to her it really did. "Did I mention that I got Vanessa to sleep over at the mansion?"

"Ooh, you and la blue girl totally got it on?" Kyle said, dodging the swat. "Sorry, Dori keeps talking about this like, terribad porn anime and I totally dared myself to call Vee that. I owe myself half a box of donuts. It's still Mango Madness Month. You want in? Coconut Mango. Key Lime Mango. Mangos all the way down. It's awesome."

"I'd have thought the trip to your parents would have fulfilled your healing factors needs for recovery?" Laurie responded, giving him a brief once over as if checking for signs of malnutrition. "And I dare you to actually say that to Vanessa's face, if only because she'll either laugh at you, or throw you in the lake. Also, I like their mega mango deluxe donut, it's the mango sprinkles that make it great. So yes, I am definitely as they say, in."

She wasn't usually quite so formal in her speech, but it had been ages since she'd felt like being silly, and Kyle could always be counted on to respond to that sort of formality with an equal level of ridiculousness.

Kyle stared at Laurie for a second, and then with clear effort, composed his face into the most blandly polite expression he could, which was pretty ruined by his haircut, tan and the fact that he was wearing a t-shirt with Stitch dressed as Elvis on it. "Yea, verily, thou hath stumbled upon a most fortuitous plan! Forsooth, I shall venture forth to find my lady fair, and when you have likewise sought out your beloved, we shall get ourselves hence to the manor house of Count Donutula."

"It shall be as you say, my Lord Kyle of Xaviers," Laurie responded, keeping her tone and facial expression just as formal. Mostly she just tried to channel Marius, although with a bit more anachronistic language then the man himself would use. "Verily I shall skip hence and drag my man hencewith...henseforth? Somethingsomething, donuts."

Kyle spent about two seconds trying to keep a straight face at the sheer seriousness on Laurie's, but couldn't quite manage it as he burst out laughing, Laurie joining him moments later in a fit of giggles. It was what she needed the most, and she was just happy to be alive and back at Xavier's to enjoy it.