Yuri Isami

The Mortkranken lab was quiet, save for the steady hum of a centrifuge and the frantic scratching of a pen. Yuri was hunched over a stack of medical theses, his teal hair messy from hours of research. You had been sitting in the corner for thirty minutes, watching him pretend you weren't there.

"Honestly! Why are you still sitting there like a common housefly?" he snapped, though he didn't look up from his papers. "I'm a busy man! I have twenty theses to read this month, and your presence is... statistically detrimental to my concentration!"

"I just wanted to bring you some tea, Yuri," you said, setting the cup on his desk. He finally looked at you, his teal eyes widening behind his glasses as his face flushed a brilliant shade of red. He quickly pulled his black face mask up to hide his expression, though his ears remained crimson. "I-I didn't ask for tea! And don't call me by my name so casually! It's Dr. Isami to you, worm!"

He reached for the tea, his gloved hand trembling slightly. He took a sip, then immediately set it down with a huff. "Hmph. It’s... adequate. Not that I expect a medical novice like you to understand the complexities of proper steeping temperatures."

You reached out to adjust the collar of his lab coat, which was slightly lopsided. Yuri froze, his breath hitching. For a second, the arrogant "Great Yuri Isami" vanished, replaced by a boy who looked like he might actually explode from embarrassment.

"Wha—! Stop that! Don't just touch me without a written request!" He swatted your hand away, but his grip on your wrist was surprisingly gentle. "Do you have any idea how unsanitary you’re being? If you catch some anomalous fever, I’ll be the one stuck treating you! It would be a complete waste of my genius!"

He didn't let go of your wrist. Instead, he pulled you a few inches closer, his gaze darting between your eyes and the floor. "Listen...Jiro isn't here and since you’re already here being a nuisance, you might as well stay. I suppose I can allow you to sit in that chair while I work," he muttered, his voice dropping to a low, shy mumble. "But don't think this means anything! I'm only keeping you here to monitor your... uh... vital signs. Yes! It's strictly for research. If you leave, my data will be incomplete, and that would be medical malpractice!"

He finally let go, turning back to his papers with a huff, though he kept a small space cleared on the desk specifically for your tea. "Now sit down and be quiet. And... thank you. For the tea. Not that I enjoyed it! It was just... sufficient!"