Work Text:
2008
The place is dark, unkempt and dirty. If the four years Josuke and his mother had spent at the mansion hadn’t been enough to leave it in a presentable state, you can imagine how much ruined the place has gotten since then. At least, the remains of a table made enough of a seat for both of them- As they waited.
The man and the ghost are both silent, and for Josuke looking at the moss growing on the wall is way easier than facing what’s happening right now. Though he was the one that had said they needed to talk. To be…the bigger person, y’know. Even If he was still shocked after finding out ghosts were real and that his childhood best friend was dead, and also still twelve.
‘’Why did you even come back?’’ Rohan abruptly broke the dense silence. Guess he still wasn’t the patient type. ‘’You just…Disappeared. And now you are suddenly here. Acting like you are afraid of me.’’
Rohan’s voice was severe, worthy of an old soul. But as Josuke turned to see his childish, red face, it was obvious he was about to break. It was as If all fear was gone, and Josuke could see what he had longed for this whole time, to see his friend again. To hug him.
‘’Believe me or not, I came back for you…It wasn’t exactly easy, trying to get you off my mind.’’ Josuke looked absent, mourning as he said this, and he could tell Rohan hated every second of it. He tried to continue anyway. ‘’But I thought that you may had moved on already. The moment I could come here on my own, I mean – Still, I had the tiny hope that you would still be around.’’
Rohan let out a bitter laugh.
‘’Move on, yes. Me. Known for moving on’’ He stood up, and pointed at himself dramatically as he said this, ‘’Come up with a better excuse If you don’t want to make this worse’’
Josuke sighed.
‘’I didn’t exactly believe you back then, when you told me you were dead’’ He admitted, because as dumb as it sounded like, it was the truth. Rohan should give him some points for taking this so well, you know. ‘’I just came back here to find you and fulfill all the promises we made back then.’’
Now it was Rohan’s turn to be surprised, which quickly changed to something between indignation and amusement, as he folded his arms. ‘’You may be the dumbest person I’ve ever met in the two centuries I've been stuck here.’’
‘’That’s probably right.’’ Josuke smiled, trying to ignore the weight of Rohan’s words as best as he could; to try not to think how much time Rohan had been here, all alone. So instead, he got up and grinned; ‘’Would you allow me to get a reunion hug at least?’’
Rohan didn’t answer right away, or even with words, but eventually opened his little arms avoiding Josuke’s gaze. And of course, he was immediately met with the larger man’s tight, loving embrace, and a good place to finally drop his tears, some that belonged there, and some that didn’t.
‘’I-I missed you, idiot.’’ The child sobbed, holding onto Josuke as If he could disappear any second. ‘’So much, that you could never know’’
Josuke’s big hand caressed Rohan’s back, to then go up his soft hair. ‘’I missed you too, Roh.’’ He felt the same smell of humid ground, the same ice-cold skin, and the same warm feelings that only his innocent first love could evoke. It was embarrassing, but he was crying too.
‘’And this time, I’m not going away, I-‘’ His words were stopped by Rohan’s tiny finger on his lips.
‘’You are not making more promises. I know better than trusting a liar’’ However, there was that mischievous little smile Josuke had missed so much,
‘’But I am going to make sure you deliver on all you once said.’’
1990
Josuke was currently curled up into a ball in his room, definitely not crying, and very pissed off.
‘’If anything, I’m glad you are finally leaving. So, hurry up.’’
That’s what Rohan had said when Josuke delivered the tragic news, as If all they did that summer wasn’t worth a penny. But there was no way that wasn’t a lie!
But it’s not like they were leaving forever; as ridiculous as it sounded, the huge building had turned into something of a vacation house for Josuke and his mother. Their life was in the small town of Morioh, and living permanently in that big, empty place, well… It’s also wise to mention that you shouldn’t ask about renting or selling it, because the woman would get into a pissy mood over all the failed attempts. Wonder why that was.
‘’Boo!’’
The younger kid jumped in his sad little wall corner. When did Rohan even enter! — Well, It didn’t matter. ‘’Go away!’’
‘’Come on, you said you are coming back next year. You are just being a baby.’’ Said Rohan while crawling on his knees to sit next to him.
To that, Josuke offered the polite reply of sticking out his tongue.
The older boy rolled his eyes and just stayed there for a while, in silence. Thinking.
‘’If this is about what I said… It’s just difficult for me to accept I miss people.’’ He finally said, deadpan expression and eyes on the floor.
The pompadoured boy tilted his head, brow arched. ‘’My mom says missing someone is part of loving them. I didn’t really get it, but after grandpa died it started to make sense.’’
It was funny, Josuke was talking about something that made him sad and Rohan was the one who got gloomy all of sudden.
‘’I will try hard, so that one day, you also miss me.’’ The little boy said then, both to himself and in an attempt to cheer Rohan up.
Rohan just let out an ironic chuckle.
‘’Good luck on that.’’