yeah.

what more is there to say but that? what happens will happen; the best they can do is prepare themselves for it. which they are.

after one final sip of his coffee, he shifts, turning to look at her.

"come on. i'll make us breakfast."

Lulu Flint

☉

how… utterly domestic.

her face turned a little at the suggestion. perhaps she should have just gone home, after all. besides, it felt odd letting morning break without a game of cards. for so long, the ritual had been the first thing she'd done after waking. she could feel rinc’s ghost in all the spades. now, apparently, she didn’t need them for such an experience.

despite her reservations, she gave a sigh. “mm. okay.” then, mischief twinkled in her eye. she glanced at him, and then slid straight off the roof.

of course, if he looked over the edge, she’d already be gone. back inside, at his kitchen table if he had one.

THEO BECKETT

☉

domestic, sure, but he finds that he doesn't mind it.

still holding his gaze, he blinks once only for her to disappear out of his sights. he looks down, over the edge of the roof, and finds nothing.

"hm."

he chuckles, then slides off the roof, using pillars to break his weight and momentum before landing on the grass with a soft thud.

and into the house he goes.

"do you want anything in particular?"

stepping into the kitchen, he opens up cupboards to see what he has.

Lulu Flint

☉

she looked up as he came around the corner, smiling lightly. her elbows rested on the table and she reclined on them, chin propped on a fist.

why was she lingering so long? this was silly. irresponsible. careless, even. sitting at a kitchen table like this, waiting on breakfast gave her too great a feeling of nostalgia.

oh, well. there was no more falling for the tricks of a man, anyways.

”anything’s fine.”

her brow scrunched a little, remembering that his repertoire was slim.

“i thought you didn’t know how to cook much.” but he had said that he was learning, hadn’t he?

THEO BECKETT

☉

anything...

the choices are limited, however, as he doesn't have much in stock to begin with. he decides on a simple breakfast: scrambled eggs on toast.

"i don't, but i've been practicing."

eggs are cracked into a bowl, soon whisked together as he places a pan on the stove. at the same time, he takes out two slices of bread and sticks them into the toaster.

efficient, as usual.

"there's this cooking show i watch sometimes where the head chef yells at his staff. i don't care for the theatrics, but the recipes are nice."

Lulu Flint

☉

eggs and toast were more than enough. she wasn’t exactly one to feast in the morning, although with theo’s recommendations, it might’ve helped with training. typically, lulu ate no breakfast at all.

“right.”

with face still propped and scrunched a little against her fist, she watched him. her eyes hung on his features, really taking him in while he wasn’t looking.

all he was missing was an apron.

and a reality cooking show in the background.

“you know… it’s weird.” she paused. “just seeing you’re like… kind of a normal person.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

cooking shows, such as the ones he watches, do more than just provide entertainment. they educate, which is the only reason why he knows how to properly make scrambled eggs. none of that high heat, burned eggs nonsense. this is that gourmet shit.

it takes him longer than usual, but it'll be worth it.

"i do hope eating breakfast becomes more normal for you."

for the sake of her health, and for her training, of course.

slightly amused, he chuckles, tossing a glance over his shoulder.

"what did you think i was?"

Lulu Flint

☉

“yeah. probably not.”

she wasn’t going to complain about his serving it, though.

what had she thought of him? how to even put it into words?

“i don’t know. you’re one of the most wanted men in hoenn, aren’t you? scrambling eggs and watching cooking shows just doesn’t seem… uh…” she pursed her lips. gangster? “it makes you seem less menacing.”

she wasn’t sure why. gangsters ate eggs.

THEO BECKETT

☉

"less menacing, more human, maybe?"

the hypothesis is offered as he reaches into the cabinet for some plates.

"i never thought i'd have a life outside of rocket. i didn't think i'd be alive right now, but i survived."

survived the worst of it, hopefully.

he casts a glance over his shoulder, shrugging.

"the best i can do now is to make the most out of it. what little time of it i have left, anyways."

five years, right?

Lulu Flint

☉

yes. she shrugged—unseen, probably, as he reached for plates.

he spoke like he expected to some day have a life outside of rocket. did he put that much faith in her, or was this for another reason? as for surviving… he’d put it like it was a thing of the past.

so what had happened to theo beckett? what was it that he had survived and overcome and managed put behind him so decidedly?

“sure.”

her chin turned curiously in her hand. in most moments, she would have kept all of these questions to herself. at his kitchen table, she decided to ask one she almost instantly regretted. something she had always supposed you just weren’t supposed to ask people.

“why’d you join rocket?”

THEO BECKETT

☉

flames from the stove flick off, subsiding to nothing but remnants of gas as he starts plating their breakfast. toast first, then the eggs, then a bit of garnish to take it to the next level.

he approaches with both plates and some utensils, placing one in front of her before sliding into the seat.

"my mother was ill, and we needed the money."

he peers up, meeting her gaze.

"i thought i could get in, work a bit, then get out when i wanted to."

clearly, that wasn't the case.

Lulu Flint

☉

breakfast was served, and she homed in on the garnish and then glanced back up at theo with a flicker of amusement. despite this, she made no comment, listening instead as she dug into her first bit.

it was good—and certainly much better than nothing at all.

after she’d chewed and swallowed, she questioned, “but you did want to?”

it wasn’t uncommon.

THEO BECKETT

☉

once again, just so it's clear, the garnish theo prepared for them are: cress, cocktail shrimp, capers, green pepper, herbs, tomatoes, salmon caviar, and lemon wedges. true masterchef shit right there.

"leave? i did."

he chews, swallows, then adds:

"they made sure i had nothing to leave for."

Lulu Flint

☉