Fanfic: Searching for Completion (Green/Red) part 2
Title: Searching for Completion
Pairing: Green/Red
Series: Game-verse
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life isn't fullfilling until you find the one that makes you complete. Green and Red had both been searching for something, btu neither knew what it was for many years. Green-centric; slight character study on his part.
Link to part 1
Green sighed and checked his watch. Ten minutes before the gym closed. He stretched and rubbed his neck. Finally, this day had been long enough. Maybe he could shut the gym down early, with ten minutes until closing, it wasn’t like any more trainers were coming-
Just as he thought that, the door to the leader’s room was pushed open.
Damnit, Green scowled. Taking a heavy sigh, he began his usual, “So you’re here to challenge me for the Earth Badge? I warn you, I don’t lose easily-”
Green stopped; he forgot those words he had said hundreds of times.
Before him, a pair of striking crimson eyes stared him down.
Green felt his heart race.
Red.
Red stood before him; taller, leaner, older, but other than that, exactly as he remembered. His old rival still wore a baseball cap over his limp black hair-still held a neutral expression on his face. And if Green wasn’t mistaken, that was the same yellow backpack he had when they were both kids.
“Red…” Green breathed, hoping this wasn’t a dream. “You’re-what’re you doing here?”
Red said nothing; as usual, he let his actions do the talking for him. He removed a pokeball from his belt and got in a fighting stance-that jerk, Green hadn’t seen him for four years and now he was challenging him to a fight!
Green’s heart raced-not from the shock now, but from the anticipation. No, this was exactly how things should be. They last saw each other at a battle four years ago, and now… “All right,” he said, removing a pokeball of his own. “But I warn you, I’ve been training hard for four years. I won’t let you beat me this time!”
Red nodded, releasing his pokemon in a flash of light.
It was the most intense battle Green had in a long while. Red had been training for four years too. Pikachu’s thunderbolts lit up the gym, sending his second pokemon fainting away.
“Rhydon, go!” he yelled, sending out his Ground type. “Earthquake!”
Red withdrew Pikachu before the move hit. He sent out Blastoise instead.
Prick.
Green withdrew his own, and struggled to remain at a constant advantage. Speed was the key, and especially up against that damn Pikachu…one fatal error here, and it would all be over-
He was twelve years old again, battling against his rival. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t seen Red in four years…it didn’t matter that so much had changed in that time…here, now, in this arena, he would. Not. Lose.
“Arcanine! Dig!” he yelled as he and Red were at their last pokemon. Red hesitated-his eyes wide as he looked on his Pikachu alone on the field.
Then Arcanine struck with a roar, and Pikachu fell back with a cry-he had fainted.
“I did it…” Green breathed as Arcanine returned to him, wagging his tail. “I finally beat you!”
He was euphoric-he had finally beaten Red, champion of Kanto and Johto, perhaps the greatest trainer in the world-his old friend, and old rival and now-
Now?
Red collected his fainted pokemon, and without a word, turned to the door.
Green wasn’t going to let him get off that easy. “Hey!” he yelled back to him. “Look…sorry I beat you, okay? You don’t need to act like those whiny kids who come here all the time.”
“I’m not upset,” Red answered without even turning his back. “Now I know how things stand.”
Green blinked. Even after four years, Red was still a pretty weird guy. “What-what does that mean?”
Red did look back at him now-those eyes of his always piercing right through Green. “You’re stronger than me now…so that’s it, then.”
That made things even more confusing. Red turned away as Green still tried to figure it out. “Where are you going?” he asked, seeing Red with his hand on the door.
“To train.”
That hit Green hard. Red was going away again? But-but-he just came back! Just came back and-now he was-
No.
No, damnit!
It was as if he had used Extremespeed-the door was cracked an inch before Green’s hand slammed it shut.
Red looked surprised, confused-Green let out a shaking breath and kept his own eyes on the ground.
“You bastard,” Green panted again, trying to keep his voice-his body-from shaking. “You think you can just show up, fight me, and leave for years again? What the Hell is wrong with you? You think I haven’t been waiting for some news-any news-about you and then you show up here and-”
“You…want me to stay?”
Yes! “Well…maybe…for a few days,” Green removed his hand from the door, hoping he wasn’t blushing. “You disappeared for four years, idiot. I want to know what’s been going on with you and-”
“Okay.”
Green forgot whatever else he was going to say. “That’s-that’s it?” he had expected Red to protest, stubborn idiot that he was.
Red shrugged. “If you want me to stay, then I will.”
Green felt his cheeks heat up, but he ignored it. “Good.”
“I knew you were a gym leader. Johto’s got a radio program that follows famous trainers.” Red told him, as he sat at the tiny metal table in Green’s apartment. They had ten-minute stew and store-bought biscuits for dinner. They could’ve gone to a restaurant, but Green wanted to keep Red from attracting too much attention. A champion at his level might be bothered by fans, you know.
That’s what he said to himself as he led Red to his apartment, anyway.
“Kanto’s got a radio tower now, too,” Green explained, putting the dishes in the sink. “Silph Co. bought the old pokemon tower and turned it into a radio tower.”
“The pokemon graves…?”
“They were moved,” Green said quickly, not allowing too much reflection. He didn’t have time to go visit Raticate’s grave much these days anyway. He did refuse to buy a radio for ages in protest, but got over it once Mr. Fuji assured him that the pokemon graves were all moved with respect to their new location.
“So how was Johto, anyway?” Green changed the subject.
“Lots of old buildings.”
Though he was finished cleaning up, Green remained at the sink. “And with you. You ever get completion?”
“Almost…but not yet.”
Hmph. “Good. Gramps will be happy to hear that. He probably can’t wait until you show the pokedex to him.”
Red was suspiciously silent after that. Well, he was usually silent, but this was a different silence. Green couldn’t take it. “What?” he demanded, turning around and glaring at his old friend. While Red’s eyes opened wider in surprise, he said nothing.
This did not surprise Green in the least.
Green was forced to let a breath, and look anywhere but his old rival-on the floor of the tiny living room, Eevee and Pikachu were getting to know one another. While they were sniffing each other, Pikachu sneezed and sparks flew. Eevee squeaked and skidded back, a spark having landed on her nose.
Both Green and Red went to comfort her, but Red got their first. He took a berry out from his pocket and holding it out to Eevee.
Eevee sniffed the berry, then licked it off Red’s hand. She seemed to brighten up instantly, giving a squeak of thanks before jumping into Green’s arms.
As Eevee nuzzled into Green’s hands, Pikachu let out a guilty, “Piii…” and looked at the ground.
“It’s okay,” Green assured the pokemon. “She’s fine now.”
“He’s not used to it here,” Red explained, patting Pikachu on the head. “It’s not like Mount Silver-there’s a lot more he can damage here with his sparks.”
Green’s jaw dropped open. “You were on Mount Silver?”
“Yeah.”
“That huge mountain in Johto?”
“Yeah.”
“But-that place is supposed to be covered in snow! What was it like?”
“Snowy.”
Green shot Red a look. “You’re a funny guy, you know that?” he said, sitting down in a chair with Eevee in his lap.
Red scratched Pikachu behind the ears. “It was good for training.”
“What is it with you and being obsessed with training?”
Green thought that Red would just shrug and not answer-anything that couldn’t be answered in a few words was beyond Red’s vocal expressiveness-but was surprised when Red explained, “I just want to be stronger.”
“But you are stronger! You’re champion of two regions! Youngest champion ever! You don’t need to train more-you already are the strongest trainer in the whole world! Your pokedex is almost complete! Isn’t that enough?”
Like his penchant for using few words, Red was also not very expressive facially. But at that moment, Green got a glimpse of something in Red’s eyes. He couldn’t be sure what it was, with Red’s eyes on his Pikachu, but if he didn’t know any better, he would think that Red almost looked…sad? “It’s not enough.”
It should be! Green wanted to scream at him. No one in the world is on your level! I’m not on your level! Why don’t you just quit traveling already? Quit traveling and stay he-stay somewhere! Stay somewhere so I know where you are and don’t spend years thinking about you…worrying about you…dreaming about you…
As always, Green swallowed his own emotions. “Idiot,” he sighed, looking away.
“Why do you want to come see me at the gym, anyway? It’s pretty boring.”
“Not boring to me,” Red told him, as they walked through the streets of Viridian the next day.
Green explained, “It goes like this-in the morning its exercises with the gym trainers, and in the afternoon it’s waiting for challengers. If it’s a slow day for challengers, then it’s back to the exercises and the everyday gym business. It’s really boring on slow days. And since its Tuesday, you can bet it’s a slow day.”
Green was right-it was a slow day. After the trainees got over the initial excitement of the Youngest Kanto Champion Ever visiting their lowly gym (though Green was quite amused at the stunned expression on Red’s face when he was asked to autograph their pokeballs), he instructed the trainees on new techniques-“Listen, you’re using a heavy-weight pokemon. It’s going to be really slow. You need to use that to your advantage. Your pokemon hits hard, but it’ll always hit second. But pick up a Quick Claw or use Trick Room, and it’ll be unstoppable.” “Don’t use Fighting against a Flying type. It never works.” “If you really want to get a good ice type, then take a trip to Sinnoh-I hear there are a lot of good ice types there-”
He had been at this for almost an hour when he paused, noticing Red leaning against the wall and watching him with interest. “What?”
“You’re a good leader,” he said in his usual monotone.
Green flushed, scratching the back of his neck. “Not-not really. I just do what every leader does. If I have advice, I give it. I’m not that great-”
“Not everyone can be a gym leader. I couldn’t.”
“Sure you could! You’ve done so much-I bet you could-”
Red shrugged, looking towards the gym entrance. “No, I couldn’t. You need to be able to lead people to be a gym leader.”
“Right,” Green rolled his eyes. “I forgot you’re a weird loner.”
Red didn’t even look offended. “That’s right.”
Green smirked, “Well, if that’s the case, I suppose there’s another reason you could never be a good leader.”
Red glanced back at him now. “That is?”
“You need to be able to talk to people to be a leader.”
A small smile found Red’s face.
Their conversation was interrupted as one of the gym trainers came toward them, keeping his head bowed out of respect. It was one of the newer trainers; only came to the gym a month ago. “Mr. Kanto Champion!” he said, averting his eyes as if looking at Red was rude. “Please allow me to battle you!” Red blinked in surprise.
Green snorted. “Are you kidding? You’re good, Theo, but he’ll trounce you. Hell, he trounces me nine out of ten times. Besides, that’s not in the training plan for today; we have other stuff to do-”
“It doesn’t matter!” Theo said, looking up now. He was a tiny kid, but his dark eyes were full of fire. “He’s the greatest trainer in the region, maybe the world! I’d learn loads even by losing to him!”
“Wait a minute!” Another trainer, a more hotheaded one by the name of Ralph stomped up them as well. “I want to challenge the Champion! It was my idea before yours!”
Green glanced at Red; Red’s eyes were wide, as stunned as ever. Green thought he should be used to this by now, being the Youngest Champion Ever and all, but maybe a year on top of a mountain made him forget what being a celebrity meant.
Still, Theo and Ralph were starting to squabble, and being gym leader and all, he’d have to stop it. “All right, you two,” he said, stepping between them. “Since you both want to fight him, then how about this? You fight him together?”
“Together?” Theo asked.
“Yep,” Green said, his eyes meeting Red’s. Red nodded; he understood.
“But…a double battle…isn’t that unfair?” Ralph asked.
“Oh, he won’t be fighting alone,” Green smirked, withdrawing one of his pokeballs. “Why don’t we see how you two fare against the two youngest champions ever in Kanto?”
Green laughed about it all the way home that night. “Did you see their faces when I said they’d be fighting both of us! Theo nearly pissed himself!”
Red only smiled slightly, but Green knew well enough that he was amused. Red had certainly enjoyed the fight-he was full on smirking once it was over, with Theo and Ralph thoroughly beaten. Green would have never allowed something like this to have gone on if Red hadn’t been there, but maybe break in routine was okay once in a while. Red was a weird guy, but he was probably the only one who allowed Green to break free from the rigidness of his life.
“And did you see them scream when Pikachu thunderbolt’ed them? It was hilarious!”
“I was in a bit of trouble with their ground types, though,” Red admitted. “Your gyarados saved me.”
Green blinked a moment. Red was thanking him? “Well…it wasn’t a problem; he was already out and…”
“We make a good team,” Red said abruptly, something that shocked Green, since Red never said anything out of the blue. Heck, he hardly ever spoke at all.
Green couldn’t help but smile, a warm, fuzzy feeling entering his heart. “Yeah…I guess we do.”
As they entered his apartment, Green felt at the happiest he had been in a long while. Red was here, they were getting along-it was almost as if they were-
Green started toward the kitchen stove; he didn’t feel like cooking, but making a cup of tea would keep his mind on the task and not on Red. Of course, Red sat down at the table, watching him do it. Damn that guy. When you wanted him around, he wasn’t, and when you didn’t want him around, he was always right there-
“I know this must seem weird,” Red said, again, out of the blue.
“What do you mean?” Green asked, not looking back.
“Me, coming back.” Was it Green’s imagination or did Red sound nervous?
Nah, couldn’t be. “It’s no big deal,” Green waved it off. “You’re that type of guy.” Well, that wasn’t true, it was a big deal, but it wasn’t like Green was going to admit it.
“I left for four years. I know I wasn’t a very good friend-”
Green nearly dropped the kettle.
He whirled around. “What-what do you mean you weren’t a ‘very good friend’?” They weren’t even friends, right?
Officially, at least.
Red blinked. “I left for so long and never even wrote, so-”
Of course he didn’t get it. “I mean…” Green focused his gaze at the refrigerator. The fridge didn’t have those sharp crimson eyes that could always look right through him. “The part about us being friends.”
“We’ve always been friends, haven’t we?” Red answered, matter-of-factly.
Green set the kettle down on the counter before he dropped it. He suddenly felt woozy. A rush of something settled over him. Shock. Relief. Happiness. Confusion. He put a hand on the counter to steady himself and asked, “We’ve…always been friends?” But they were rivals for years, weren’t they? He thought Red hated him back then! So why now-
Red smiled slightly. “We fought a bit when we were younger, but that’s what kids do, right?”
Right? The knowledge that Red had never hated him-never resented him-had always considered them friends-it was almost too much.
Red noticed something was wrong. “Green?” he asked, standing up from the table and going to him. Green wished he wouldn’t. “Are you…?”
Green forced himself not to look in Red’s eyes. “I thought you hated me, back then. I mean, I was a brat, always picking on you-”
“We were kids. It doesn’t matter-”
“It mattered to me!” Green snapped. “That’s why I thought you never wanted to come see me-why you hadn’t spoken in four years-I thought that you hated me for everything I did!” He didn’t know why he was shouting, didn’t know why he was angry-but it felt so damn good.
“I never hated you.”
Green gulped. If Red never hated him, if that had nothing to do with it then why- “Then why did you disappear for so long?”
Green expected Red to have a stupid answer; training, focusing on the pokedex, something like that. Instead, Red stared at the floor, shuffling his feet. After a long moment, he said, “I was training, completing the pokedex, but…I thought you were the one mad at me.”
All anger in Green’s chest suddenly dissipated. “Why would I…?”
Red still didn’t look back at him. “You know. Everything with the professor…and the whole pokemon champion thing…I thought you were still upset so I never-”
Green let out a long breath. “You are an absolute idiot. You thought I was mad about that? You beat me fair and square; I got over it. And about…that other stuff…” he paused. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Red had to protest. “But he is your grandfather-”
“I know he’s my gramps, thanks for reminding me!” snapped Green, turning back to the counter. He could really use that cup of tea now. “Not that he seems to remember that...”
“He hasn’t even visited…?”
“Of course not, why would he bother when he’s got so much important research back home! When I called Sis, she said he told her to tell me that being a gym leader is hard work. Just that! Not an ‘I’m proud of you’ or even a ‘congratulations’! Just to remind me that I’d be working my ass off! Well, thanks Gramps, thanks so much-not like I couldn’t have figured it out for myself!” Green knew he was ranting, but he didn’t care.
He knew his gramps didn’t give a damn about him-probably considered him a failure since he was pokemon champion for five minutes before his little favorite Red came along to take that from him-no, he didn’t blame Red for it, he never did, but when it came to his gramps-
“You know the last thing he ever bothered to say to me? Sis told me he asked how far I had gotten on my pokedex-again with the stupid pokedex! Maybe it’s a useful invention, but the way he goes on about it, he thinks more of that stupid machine than me!” Green grabbed a mug from the cupboard.
“I don’t think he-”
“What does it matter what you think? He’s not your gramps! He actually gives a damn about you!” Green slammed the mug down on the counter so hard that it shattered. He felt pain, smelled the metallic scent of blood, but at that moment, he didn’t care. Green faced Red; eyes wild, panting in near-rage, but it dissipated as he saw the shocked, hurt look on his rival’s-friend’s-face.
Damnit.
Looking away, Green muttered, “Sorry. It’s not-it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have dragged you in to this-”
It was never Red’s fault. Red never asked for the professor to like him best. Green knew that, but…
His hand was starting to sting. Blood dripped onto the perfectly white linoleum floor. On cue, Red said, “You’re bleeding.”
Green lifted his hand. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that bad…”
Red took his hand, squeezing slightly on the cut. Their eyes met; a desperate emerald to an intense ruby. Green felt his breath grow sharp.
He was a trainer; a pokemon battler at heart. Whenever he was in a bad mood, a good pokemon battle always set it right. When dealing with something he couldn’t control, he battled it. That’s why he teased and tormented Red for those years, as a way to deal with his neglectful grandfather. That’s why it felt so damn good to yell and rage-because he couldn’t fight this one emotion, this feeling-
He was never like Red; Red kept his emotions hidden from others, while Green wore his heart on his sleeve. When he was mad, he yelled. When he was sad, he cried. But some emotions that were too strong, he bottled up and up, ‘til they were near exploding. His anger at his gramps for ignoring him all those years was one of these. And the other-
This feeling that thrilled and tormented him for so long, even though only now he realized what it meant.
Red continued to stare at him-God, Green hated those eyes so much, the way they could pierce him and burn through him and set him on fire and-
Red hadn’t let go of his hand. Green felt his heart thump in his chest, wondering what the hell was going on and why Red hadn’t moved-why Red was still staring-why he wanted Red to keep staring-why all of this was-
“Red,” he breathed, wondering if it was his imagination or if Red really had gotten closer-too close-damn him, why did he have to get so close and his eyes-so deep-staring into him and exciting him and why did he have to smell like wilderness and mountains and everything natural and distant-dreamlike-and his mouth was moving but Green didn’t know what the Hell he was saying and maybe he had stopped listening and maybe he didn’t care, but all he knew was that Red was getting closer and his lips were parted and at that moment they looked so. Damn. Kissable.
“Vee!” Eevee sneezed in the other room.
And the moment was broken.
Red dropped his hand like fire, his piercing eyes found the floor. Green’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding, but this time it was out of fear than excitement. “Red?”
Red didn’t look back at him. Damnit, now when Green wanted him to look back- “Sorry,” Red muttered, in a soft voice so unlike his usual monotone. “Sorry, I need to…” Red turned on the spot, scurrying into the other room.
Green panicked and ran to Red, who now plucked Pikachu out of the floor. “Red, wait-” He grabbed Red’s arm. “What’s gotten-?”
“I need to go,” said Red quickly, shrugging out of Green’s grip. “I have to…train.”
An inexplicable squeezing mixed with anger filled Green’s chest-Damnit, Red was leaving again? “Like Hell you are!” snapped Green, grabbing Red a second time and pulling him back. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Let go of me.”
“You’re not going to run away for years without telling me-!”
“I said let go!”
Wham!
Green fell back onto the carpet, stunned-Red had punched him. Rubbing his cheek, Green looked up in disbelief-for a brief moment, his and Red’s eyes met. Red didn’t look angry, he looked-sad? Pikachu, sitting on his master’s shoulder, looked upset too-the pokemon’s eyes looked from Green to Red, as if unsure of what to do.
“Sorry.” Red muttered one last time, and then hurried from the room.
Green lay there on the floor, staring at the spot where Red had vanished. It was as if he had been frozen-he heard Red rushing down the stairs of the building, but he couldn’t find the strength to go after him.
He knew it now; he knew it by the way Red had looked at him-the way Red had reacted after that moment in the kitchen. That moment where Green had finally come to terms with his own feelings-only to frighten Red with them.
Red wasn’t just leaving-Red was leaving because of him.
The trainees at the Viridian Gym muttered to themselves in the weeks following-they had never seen their gym leader throw himself into work like that. Green opened early and stayed late. He decided spontaneously that the gym needed remodeling and and worked hours into the night to complete the task. He even got his registration in order for the next gym leader conference set to take place in Sinnoh.
When asked about his new habits, Green told them with a hard look in his eyes, “I decided to finally get serious.” It was testament to how much his trainees didn’t really know him when they accepted it without question.
Green didn’t give a damn about “getting serious” about being a gym leader. He needed something to occupy his time these days-something to keep him from stopping and thinking about the horrible, clenching feeling in his heart that was there every time he thought of Him.
It was his fault Red had left so suddenly, and Green knew it. In those moments when Green had finally admitted to himself how he had felt all these years, Red must have seen it. And when he had-
Green wished he could take it all back. He lay awake for hours some nights, wishing and hoping there was a way to go back in time and change things-make it so Red never found out-but there was nothing he could do now.
He knew for certain that Red was never coming back again. “Being friends” was one thing. Having someone you always considered a friend admit to liking you-that was a different matter.
Still, he couldn’t help it when every time his phone rang, the tiny leap in his heart as he imagined Red calling-but that was stupid. Red wouldn’t call-Green wasn’t even sure Red owned a phone-but it was always gym trainees, official pokemon league stuff, his Sis, occasionally Leaf, or some weird kid that always called to set up matches-but these days, if it wasn’t official business that he had to take care of, Green wouldn’t bother answering.
Truthfully, he’d rather just be left alone.
He wasn’t left alone for long. Near a month after Red had gone, a frustrated Leaf stormed into the gym. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded, not caring that she had interrupted a serious training session. “You’ve ignored my calls for a month! If you were busy, you could’ve just sent me a quick text instead of pretending that you never got it-”
The trainees were staring. He heard some whispered mutterings behind him, some that suspiciously sounded like “girlfriend?”
Normally Green would protest at the notion that he was going out with one of his old friends-but now, he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Listen, Leaf, I was busy-”
“Don’t give me that! You’re never busy, you slacker! What’s gotten into you? You’ve been ignoring my calls and you look…” she trailed off; the anger was starting to disappear on her face.
“Look like what?” he asked, worried now-was it really that obvious?
Leaf looked behind him to the crowd of trainees, now hanging on to their every word. Green glared back at them-they all began to talk very loudly amongst themselves, but he knew they would hang on to her every word if she said anything else. “Listen,” she said, softer now. “We’ll talk later, okay? After you finish training.”
He didn’t need to talk to her. He could just blow her off-tell her his wellbeing wasn’t any of her business-tell her to go back home and stop bothering him-
Still…
“Fine.”
“So what has gotten into you?” Leaf demanded as soon as Green let her into his apartment. “I’ve never seen you like this!”
Green didn’t answer-he knew where this was heading, but that didn’t mean he wanted to speed it up.
“I’ve never seen you this mopey!Now what happened?”
Green swallowed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Don’t give me that! Something happened, I know it! Now what-”
“It’s none of your business!” he snapped. “Just don’t-”
“Does this have anything to do with Red?”
Green froze-how could she know? Red wouldn’t say anything-Red hardly talked as it was-
She must have discerned by the look on his face. “I knew it,” she sighed. “Red hasn’t been answering my letters either; about the same time you stopped calling me back, now that I think about it.”
Green bit his lip-still, she didn’t know anything-he could still pretend it was nothing. “It’s no big deal, Red came to visit a few weeks ago and-”
“Red came to visit?”
Curse him and his big mouth. In an attempt to brush it off, Green walked past Leaf to pet Eevee, curled up on the couch. “He did. It’s no big deal.”
Leaf stomped over, a hungry look in her eye. “So what happened? Something happened, right?”
“Nothing happened,” he said quickly. “Now if you’re going to keep bugging me-”
“Green,” when he looked back at her, all anger had faded from her face. She looked worried. “You and Red…you’re my best friends. I’m just asking because I’m worried about you. If-if there’s anything I can do to help you, then…”
Green swallowed, staring at the floor. “There’s nothing you can do,” he sighed, slunching down onto the couch. “It’s not something that can be fixed.”
Leaf sat next to him, her hand covering his. “Just tell me.”
His eyes met hers. Leaf knew that he was gay; she discovered it soon after he had, and had laughed that she had known all along. But letting her know how he felt about Red was different; the desire to take his secret to the grave conflicted with the knowledge that letting it out would help. Maybe. He bit his lip; his mind locked in a furious conflict, until-
“Something did happen,” he sighed, looking away. He spoke in a rush, “I was talking about something stupid and Gramps got brought up-you know what that does to me-I guess I must’ve looked pretty upset cuz Red looked pretty concerned and then-” Green gulped; he wasn’t sure how he could continue. “I was stupid-upset-wasn’t thinking-should’ve just never gotten mad like that and then he-he must’ve noticed.” Green’s heart was already squeezing in his chest as he relived it-Red suddenly backing away, looking fearful-the way he rushed out, embarrassed-he could almost feel that punch again-
“Noticed what?”
Green’s hands clenched into fists. “He noticed it.”
“I don’t get it, Green. What are you talking about-?”
“That idiot noticed how I feel about him, okay!” Green roared, eyes wild. “He must’ve seen something on my face and then he freaked out and left! He wouldn’t listen to me and-and-didn’t mean to-never wanted this-I’m such an idiot…” There were tears in his eyes. Green clenched them shut.
Silence. He expected Leaf to say something-anything!-surprise at learning his true feelings for his old rival. Shock at the way things went down. Maybe even anger at Red-or himself-but all she did was put an arm around his shoulders and pull him closer.
“Green,” she said, her voice softer, pitying. “It’ll be okay.”
“How do you know?” he grunted, though in a wavering voice. She had never had her heart ripped out and stomped on. And ripped to pieces. And eaten by a Snorlax.
Now she pulled him into a hug. Green tensed-not sure how to react to this-“Trust me, Green. It’ll be okay.”
She was speaking to him like a child, patting him on the back and all. She must have suspected this, but that was no excuse for treating him like a five-year-old bitten by a rattata.
Still…after all he had gone through, after bottling up everything and throwing himself into his work to get his mind off it, maybe this was nice.
Being told everything would work out was nice to believe for now, even if Green knew it wasn’t the truth.
Green cursed under his scarf as his numb fingers fumbled to get the gym key into the lock. What the Hell was with this sudden blizzard, anyway? Viridian never got this cold the past four years he had been here!
He always hated locking up the back door. The key had trouble fitting in the old lock. He knew he should have gotten a locksmith to look at it, but he put it off and only now was starting to regret it…
“Damnit,” Green muttered as he accidentally dropped the key into the snow next to the doorstep. As soon as it was Monday, he was calling a locksmith. This was ridiculous. He crouched down, fingers freezing as he scrambled around for the key-Damnit, where the Hell did it-
“Green? Is that you?”
Green froze, and this time not from the cold.
He recognized that voice. And there was no way that voice could be here, and now. It can’t be…
He turned.
Professor Oak stood before him, wrapped in a long, brown winter coat and earmuffs, not looking at all bothered by the cold. “Hello, Green.”
Green didn’t waste any time. “What the Hell do you want?”
Oak’s eyes widened; stunned. “Is that any way to talk to your grandfather?”
Oh, don’t give me that shit! “For you, it is.” Green rolled his eyes, turning back to the pile of snow where he lost the key. “And you know why, too.”
He bent down again, shivering fingers sifting through the snow. If he didn’t find the key soon, he might be stuck listening to his gramps and then-
“I do know why,” Oak conceded. “And I came here to talk.”
Finally! Green snatched up the key. “I don’t want to talk,” he growled back, slamming the key in the lock. A few seconds of jiggling got it to click. Stuffing the key back in his coat pocket, he growled, “It’s not like you can just ignore me for my whole life and then expect me to care when you show up.”
He marched off toward his apartment. Right now, all he wanted was to get somewhere with heating, a heavy blanket, and a mug of hot chocolate. Listening to his gramps attempt to make excuses for all those years wasn’t what he had in mind.
“I know,” Damn, was the old man following him too? Jeez… “And I’m sorry.”
Green stopped walking.
It was freezing out, but suddenly, he felt on fire. “Sorry? You’re sorry?” Green turned around, facing his grandfather. “You’re sorry for treating me like crap all those years? For forgetting I was your own grandson? You’re the closest thing I have to a parent, and yet you acted like I hardly even existed! And now you come here and say you’re sorry-!”
“You have to understand,” Oak said, hands in his pockets and his gaze unwavering. “Your parents had just died. Perhaps you remind me too much of your father…in any case, I never really understood you. The one that I saw myself in was-”
“Red,” Green snarled. “I know, Gramps. You let me know plenty of times.”
“And that’s why I came to apologize. I feel like I inadvertently drove you away. I never meant to-”
“If you never meant to, then why didn’t you even care when I left? Why didn’t you care when I became champion? You never even called when I moved to Viridian! The only times you ever checked up on me were to hear about the stupid pokedex! Fine, it’s a neat invention, but it doesn’t replace me! Maybe if you did more than reprimand me the few times we talked-”
Oak stepped forward, his loafers crunching in the snow. “I thought letting you go on your own and treating you like an adult was the best thing for you. But now I see that I was wrong.”
“I didn’t-I didn’t want to be coddled, damn it!” Greens clenched his fists. “But maybe treating me like family for once-!”
“I did try.”
“What do you mean, you tried? You never tried! You never cared!”
“Who do you think told Lance that there was a child waiting outside the Pokemon League that would make an excellent gym leader?”
Green’s mouth fell open, eyes wide and surprised. “Wait-that was-you did-?”
Oak nodded. “I realized perhaps I had been a bit too harsh with you. I thought perhaps criticism would help you become a better trainer. Now I realize it was too much for you, after you had just lost what you had worked all your life to attain. I hoped maybe you would take the job of gym leader in order not to lose hope.”
Green swallowed. So this job, this position of gym leader that everyone said he was a natural at-it all was because of his gramps that “never cared”? “You could have told me.”
Oak sighed. “I didn’t know how. You always reminded me too much of your father…it was tough on me for many years. But,” He smiled, “I am proud of you, Green. You don’t know how much. I just was never able to say it until now.”
That fire inside Green smoldered to wilting ashes. All his life he had wanted to hear those words-to have his grandfather finally acknowledge him-tell him he was proud-and now-“Damn you,” Green hissed out, squinting his eyes to keep the tears from coming, “Damn it, Gramps, you should have said-just once! If you had-”
“Old men makes mistakes just like young ones do,” Oak nodded, coming and putting a hand on Green’s shoulder. That one gesture made up for years of missed hugs-missed nods of approval-missed gestures of family-
Green lifted his scarf up over his face, as if covering up from the cold, but if Oak knew he was wiping those few tears that leaked out, he didn’t say it. “Can I call every now and then?” the professor asked.
“I’m busy,” Green muttered. “Real busy with the gym and training-”
“Just to check up on you. They wouldn’t be long calls.”
Green gulped and nodded, “Fine…every once in a while…for a few minutes…not too long…”
Though Green said this, Oak nodded, his heartfelt smile indicating he understood all.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Daisy,” Green said into the receiver as he lay on the couch, absently patting Eevee in his lap. “It’s near spring, and I’ve been putting the trainers through a new regimen-once the weather gets good, we get an influx of trainers so it’s best to be prepared-”
“Do you do anything but train anymore?” Daisy sighed.
“I used to talk to Leaf, but she’s traveling in Johto right now and is pretty busy. I talk to Gramps every once in a while, whenever he feels guilty enough and calls me. It’s mostly silence though. Dunno why he offered to call if he’s not going to-”
“Well, I’m happy he’s doing that. I’ve asked him several times to call you, and he said he was always too busy to do it. I don’t think he would have come to Viridian at all if Red hadn’t yelled at him-”
“What?” Green nearly dropped the receiver, heart pounding. Eevee squealed in protest as she fell of his lap. “Red did what?”
“Grandfather didn’t tell you? Red came to see him, months ago-it must have been around the beginning of Fall-and he was angry. He yelled at Grandfather, and I’ve hardly ever seen him talk. I was upstairs at the time, but he said things about you and told him to stop neglecting his only grandson who needed him.”
Green felt his cheeks heat up-his heart pounding now, but no longer in shock. Eevee squeaked and nuzzled his hand that was now ignoring her. “Red…he said that?”
“Yeah. Red sounded like he was about ready to drag Grandfather all the way up there to see you-and after getting over the shock, Grandfather promised he would see you. After that, he was never the same-every time you got brought up, he got a guilty look on his face. He didn’t get the courage to do it until winter, though.”
Green gulped. “So Red…he did that for me?” Red know how I felt about Gramps…and he tried to fix it…
“Well, Red said he was only in Pallet to visit his mom, but he didn’t stay long after yelling at Grandfather, so I think-”
But Green had stopped listening. His heart was practically floating in his chest-trying to imagine the whole thing but giving up upon realizing it was near impossible to imagine Red yelling at anyone.
Still, Red had done that for him. Despite how Red felt after he left, he still cared enough to try to fix the relationship between Green and his grandfather…
Damn him, Green thought to himself, going back to petting the irritated Eevee. If I ever see him again, I’ll have to thank him.
Right after I punch his lights out.
Green bolted awake as he heard a crash in the living room. “What the Hell?” He squinted and glanced at the blue neon numbers on his bedside table-four in the morning. He gave a groan; what was Eevee getting into now?
As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he spotted Eevee on her bed in the corner of the room, wide awake and confused. “Vee?” she asked, ears twitching.
Footsteps. Loud footsteps. “Damnit,” Green hissed, his hand scrabbling on the bedside table. Burglars? He grabbed a pokeball, and hoping very much it was Arcanine’s (it was way too dark to check) Green stood up. “Stay here,” he muttered to Eevee, reaching for the door and holding the pokeball out in front of him.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Green threw the door open, hand flipping the light switch. “Hey!”
The lights came on.
Green nearly dropped the pokeball. His heart was pounding now, but for an entirely different reason. “What the-What the Hell are you doing here?”
Red. Red had come back. Though now he was huddled on the floor, wincing and cradling his foot; he must’ve stubbed it on the couch. Green rolled his eyes; that’s what he got for sneaking around at four in the morning!
Pikachu looked up at his master in concern, but squeaked as he turned to see Green. “Vee?” Eevee peeked out from behind Green’s legs, giving a happy squeal and bounded towards Pikachu. As the two pokemon nuzzled each other, Green stomped over to Red, scowling. “Okay, just what the hell is going on?”
Red looked up at him-again with those piercing eyes-but said nothing. “Look, you,” growled Green as he knelt down, placing his pokeball on the ground. “You can’t just barge into my apartment in the middle of the night! If you forgot something, then I would have just mailed it to you! Jeez, you’re so-” In the corner of his eye, he saw that the apartment door was still locked. “And how did you get in here, anyway?”
“Window.”
Sure enough, the living room window was wide open. It had been unusually warm for a spring day, but he didn’t think it would attract intruders, especially since- “I’m on the fourth floor!”
Red held up a pokeball from his belt. “Charizard.”
“You…you flew up here?” Red nodded.
Green let out a heavy sigh. Of all people, why did he have to fall for this idiot? “Okay, so you’re here, what do you want?” He probably sounded a little more than annoyed, but damn it, that was fine with him. After Red stormed off nearly six months ago, he could be short with him if he wanted.
Red was quiet for a little while. He was usually quiet, but it was times like these that Green absolutely couldn’t stand it. Besides, Red was doing everything possible to avoid looking at him, and that was driving Green up a wall. “Will you just answer the damn question?”
“Leaf.”
“What?”
“Leaf told me to,” Red was staring at the carpet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Leaf…?” Green felt a flush coming on as he remembered Leaf’s words, “It’ll all be okay, Green.” So she had gone to tell Red to come back? She shouldn’t have done that if Red didn’t want to…if Red was still too embarrassed to…
And speaking of “telling people to do things”… “Daisy told me to talked to Gramps.” Well, “talked” probably wasn’t the right word. Red gave a sharp nod. “Why?”
Red gulped. “Because he was making you sad.”
Green’s cheeks grow hot, and surprisingly, he thought he spotted a hint of a blush on Red’s cheeks. But that was impossible; he was probably exhausted from the trip. Green’s gaze wandered to Eevee and Pikachu, who were now playing with Eevee’s squeaky ball. “You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.”
Red was absolutely the most confusing person on the planet. “If you wanted to,” Green gulped, preparing himself. He knew that it was nine-out-of-ten chance that the answer was going to hurt, but-“Then why the Hell did you run off last time? I spent six months wondering what that was about! So you’re going to tell me. Right now.”
For a guy who hardly ever spoke, when he did, Red never made things simple. “I left for four years for training. Seeing new places. New pokemon-”
“I know this,” Green scowled. “You wanted to be the best trainer ever; always searching to ‘complete the pokedex’ and-”
“I never said I was searching to complete the pokedex,” Red looked at him now-there was something in that gaze, but it was about as easy to decipher as the way through Victory Road. “But I thought…I thought that’s what I wanted.”
Green sighed and rolled his eyes. “And what does this have to do with-”
“When I left-that time-” Red seemed to be pushing himself to say this; his gaze fixed on the carpet. Green sucked in a breath, preparing himself for the inevitable heart-crushing. “I was scared. When you were upset, I almost-I thought you wouldn’t want me around if I had-”
“Wait, what?” Green cut him off. “What are you talking about? I thought you left because…” a faint pink came on his cheeks. “Because you noticed…”
“What are you talking about?” Red blinked, now focusing back on him. Now that he was looking right at him, Green noticed that Red looked a bit-if possible-flustered as well.
Green swallowed. Was it possible that Red had left for an entirely different reason? And-Green couldn’t help the thump, thump of his heart as he noticed how nervous Red was-that maybe the reason Red had left for so long after that moment they nearly kissed (for that’s what it was) in the kitchen those months ago-was because he-?
“Leaf found me. Made me come back. She said…” The blush deepened on Red’s cheeks. Green had never seen him blush like that.
Green reached out a hesitant hand. Nervously, he placed in on Red’s shoulder. Red didn’t move away. “What did she say?”
Red didn’t answer. Damnit, Green was not going to take that this time! After a few seconds of silence, he grabbed Red’s collar and pulled him back. “What did she say?”
Green half-expected Red to punch him and storm out again, but he did not. “She said that maybe the thing that was bothering me…” Crimson eyes met his own. “was the same thing you were going through.”
Green could barely think over the rapid beating of his heart. “She was right.”
“I know that now,” Red murmured. For a few seconds they stared at each other-crimson to emerald gaze-and Green’s heart was pounding in his ears and everything felt warm and wonderful and then the next second Red grabbed his shirt and slammed his lips on Green’s.
Only a second of spastic thoughts ran through Green’s mind before he thought, Oh, screw it, and pulled Red closer. Red’s hat fell off and Green’s fingers threaded themselves in Red’s hair as they kissed-it may have been a minute, it may have been an hour, but Green didn’t care-all he cared was that this felt so good and so right.
Red pulled away, cheeks flushed smiling slightly, and Green was sure he was the same. “We are,” he said through panting breaths. “The two biggest idiots in the world.”
Red pulled Green back in for another kiss.
Though they had searched for years and had stumbled along the way, Green knew both of them had finally found what they had been looking for.
At last, they were complete.
Pairing: Green/Red
Series: Game-verse
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Life isn't fullfilling until you find the one that makes you complete. Green and Red had both been searching for something, btu neither knew what it was for many years. Green-centric; slight character study on his part.
Link to part 1
Green sighed and checked his watch. Ten minutes before the gym closed. He stretched and rubbed his neck. Finally, this day had been long enough. Maybe he could shut the gym down early, with ten minutes until closing, it wasn’t like any more trainers were coming-
Just as he thought that, the door to the leader’s room was pushed open.
Damnit, Green scowled. Taking a heavy sigh, he began his usual, “So you’re here to challenge me for the Earth Badge? I warn you, I don’t lose easily-”
Green stopped; he forgot those words he had said hundreds of times.
Before him, a pair of striking crimson eyes stared him down.
Green felt his heart race.
Red.
Red stood before him; taller, leaner, older, but other than that, exactly as he remembered. His old rival still wore a baseball cap over his limp black hair-still held a neutral expression on his face. And if Green wasn’t mistaken, that was the same yellow backpack he had when they were both kids.
“Red…” Green breathed, hoping this wasn’t a dream. “You’re-what’re you doing here?”
Red said nothing; as usual, he let his actions do the talking for him. He removed a pokeball from his belt and got in a fighting stance-that jerk, Green hadn’t seen him for four years and now he was challenging him to a fight!
Green’s heart raced-not from the shock now, but from the anticipation. No, this was exactly how things should be. They last saw each other at a battle four years ago, and now… “All right,” he said, removing a pokeball of his own. “But I warn you, I’ve been training hard for four years. I won’t let you beat me this time!”
Red nodded, releasing his pokemon in a flash of light.
It was the most intense battle Green had in a long while. Red had been training for four years too. Pikachu’s thunderbolts lit up the gym, sending his second pokemon fainting away.
“Rhydon, go!” he yelled, sending out his Ground type. “Earthquake!”
Red withdrew Pikachu before the move hit. He sent out Blastoise instead.
Prick.
Green withdrew his own, and struggled to remain at a constant advantage. Speed was the key, and especially up against that damn Pikachu…one fatal error here, and it would all be over-
He was twelve years old again, battling against his rival. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t seen Red in four years…it didn’t matter that so much had changed in that time…here, now, in this arena, he would. Not. Lose.
“Arcanine! Dig!” he yelled as he and Red were at their last pokemon. Red hesitated-his eyes wide as he looked on his Pikachu alone on the field.
Then Arcanine struck with a roar, and Pikachu fell back with a cry-he had fainted.
“I did it…” Green breathed as Arcanine returned to him, wagging his tail. “I finally beat you!”
He was euphoric-he had finally beaten Red, champion of Kanto and Johto, perhaps the greatest trainer in the world-his old friend, and old rival and now-
Now?
Red collected his fainted pokemon, and without a word, turned to the door.
Green wasn’t going to let him get off that easy. “Hey!” he yelled back to him. “Look…sorry I beat you, okay? You don’t need to act like those whiny kids who come here all the time.”
“I’m not upset,” Red answered without even turning his back. “Now I know how things stand.”
Green blinked. Even after four years, Red was still a pretty weird guy. “What-what does that mean?”
Red did look back at him now-those eyes of his always piercing right through Green. “You’re stronger than me now…so that’s it, then.”
That made things even more confusing. Red turned away as Green still tried to figure it out. “Where are you going?” he asked, seeing Red with his hand on the door.
“To train.”
That hit Green hard. Red was going away again? But-but-he just came back! Just came back and-now he was-
No.
No, damnit!
It was as if he had used Extremespeed-the door was cracked an inch before Green’s hand slammed it shut.
Red looked surprised, confused-Green let out a shaking breath and kept his own eyes on the ground.
“You bastard,” Green panted again, trying to keep his voice-his body-from shaking. “You think you can just show up, fight me, and leave for years again? What the Hell is wrong with you? You think I haven’t been waiting for some news-any news-about you and then you show up here and-”
“You…want me to stay?”
Yes! “Well…maybe…for a few days,” Green removed his hand from the door, hoping he wasn’t blushing. “You disappeared for four years, idiot. I want to know what’s been going on with you and-”
“Okay.”
Green forgot whatever else he was going to say. “That’s-that’s it?” he had expected Red to protest, stubborn idiot that he was.
Red shrugged. “If you want me to stay, then I will.”
Green felt his cheeks heat up, but he ignored it. “Good.”
“I knew you were a gym leader. Johto’s got a radio program that follows famous trainers.” Red told him, as he sat at the tiny metal table in Green’s apartment. They had ten-minute stew and store-bought biscuits for dinner. They could’ve gone to a restaurant, but Green wanted to keep Red from attracting too much attention. A champion at his level might be bothered by fans, you know.
That’s what he said to himself as he led Red to his apartment, anyway.
“Kanto’s got a radio tower now, too,” Green explained, putting the dishes in the sink. “Silph Co. bought the old pokemon tower and turned it into a radio tower.”
“The pokemon graves…?”
“They were moved,” Green said quickly, not allowing too much reflection. He didn’t have time to go visit Raticate’s grave much these days anyway. He did refuse to buy a radio for ages in protest, but got over it once Mr. Fuji assured him that the pokemon graves were all moved with respect to their new location.
“So how was Johto, anyway?” Green changed the subject.
“Lots of old buildings.”
Though he was finished cleaning up, Green remained at the sink. “And with you. You ever get completion?”
“Almost…but not yet.”
Hmph. “Good. Gramps will be happy to hear that. He probably can’t wait until you show the pokedex to him.”
Red was suspiciously silent after that. Well, he was usually silent, but this was a different silence. Green couldn’t take it. “What?” he demanded, turning around and glaring at his old friend. While Red’s eyes opened wider in surprise, he said nothing.
This did not surprise Green in the least.
Green was forced to let a breath, and look anywhere but his old rival-on the floor of the tiny living room, Eevee and Pikachu were getting to know one another. While they were sniffing each other, Pikachu sneezed and sparks flew. Eevee squeaked and skidded back, a spark having landed on her nose.
Both Green and Red went to comfort her, but Red got their first. He took a berry out from his pocket and holding it out to Eevee.
Eevee sniffed the berry, then licked it off Red’s hand. She seemed to brighten up instantly, giving a squeak of thanks before jumping into Green’s arms.
As Eevee nuzzled into Green’s hands, Pikachu let out a guilty, “Piii…” and looked at the ground.
“It’s okay,” Green assured the pokemon. “She’s fine now.”
“He’s not used to it here,” Red explained, patting Pikachu on the head. “It’s not like Mount Silver-there’s a lot more he can damage here with his sparks.”
Green’s jaw dropped open. “You were on Mount Silver?”
“Yeah.”
“That huge mountain in Johto?”
“Yeah.”
“But-that place is supposed to be covered in snow! What was it like?”
“Snowy.”
Green shot Red a look. “You’re a funny guy, you know that?” he said, sitting down in a chair with Eevee in his lap.
Red scratched Pikachu behind the ears. “It was good for training.”
“What is it with you and being obsessed with training?”
Green thought that Red would just shrug and not answer-anything that couldn’t be answered in a few words was beyond Red’s vocal expressiveness-but was surprised when Red explained, “I just want to be stronger.”
“But you are stronger! You’re champion of two regions! Youngest champion ever! You don’t need to train more-you already are the strongest trainer in the whole world! Your pokedex is almost complete! Isn’t that enough?”
Like his penchant for using few words, Red was also not very expressive facially. But at that moment, Green got a glimpse of something in Red’s eyes. He couldn’t be sure what it was, with Red’s eyes on his Pikachu, but if he didn’t know any better, he would think that Red almost looked…sad? “It’s not enough.”
It should be! Green wanted to scream at him. No one in the world is on your level! I’m not on your level! Why don’t you just quit traveling already? Quit traveling and stay he-stay somewhere! Stay somewhere so I know where you are and don’t spend years thinking about you…worrying about you…dreaming about you…
As always, Green swallowed his own emotions. “Idiot,” he sighed, looking away.
“Why do you want to come see me at the gym, anyway? It’s pretty boring.”
“Not boring to me,” Red told him, as they walked through the streets of Viridian the next day.
Green explained, “It goes like this-in the morning its exercises with the gym trainers, and in the afternoon it’s waiting for challengers. If it’s a slow day for challengers, then it’s back to the exercises and the everyday gym business. It’s really boring on slow days. And since its Tuesday, you can bet it’s a slow day.”
Green was right-it was a slow day. After the trainees got over the initial excitement of the Youngest Kanto Champion Ever visiting their lowly gym (though Green was quite amused at the stunned expression on Red’s face when he was asked to autograph their pokeballs), he instructed the trainees on new techniques-“Listen, you’re using a heavy-weight pokemon. It’s going to be really slow. You need to use that to your advantage. Your pokemon hits hard, but it’ll always hit second. But pick up a Quick Claw or use Trick Room, and it’ll be unstoppable.” “Don’t use Fighting against a Flying type. It never works.” “If you really want to get a good ice type, then take a trip to Sinnoh-I hear there are a lot of good ice types there-”
He had been at this for almost an hour when he paused, noticing Red leaning against the wall and watching him with interest. “What?”
“You’re a good leader,” he said in his usual monotone.
Green flushed, scratching the back of his neck. “Not-not really. I just do what every leader does. If I have advice, I give it. I’m not that great-”
“Not everyone can be a gym leader. I couldn’t.”
“Sure you could! You’ve done so much-I bet you could-”
Red shrugged, looking towards the gym entrance. “No, I couldn’t. You need to be able to lead people to be a gym leader.”
“Right,” Green rolled his eyes. “I forgot you’re a weird loner.”
Red didn’t even look offended. “That’s right.”
Green smirked, “Well, if that’s the case, I suppose there’s another reason you could never be a good leader.”
Red glanced back at him now. “That is?”
“You need to be able to talk to people to be a leader.”
A small smile found Red’s face.
Their conversation was interrupted as one of the gym trainers came toward them, keeping his head bowed out of respect. It was one of the newer trainers; only came to the gym a month ago. “Mr. Kanto Champion!” he said, averting his eyes as if looking at Red was rude. “Please allow me to battle you!” Red blinked in surprise.
Green snorted. “Are you kidding? You’re good, Theo, but he’ll trounce you. Hell, he trounces me nine out of ten times. Besides, that’s not in the training plan for today; we have other stuff to do-”
“It doesn’t matter!” Theo said, looking up now. He was a tiny kid, but his dark eyes were full of fire. “He’s the greatest trainer in the region, maybe the world! I’d learn loads even by losing to him!”
“Wait a minute!” Another trainer, a more hotheaded one by the name of Ralph stomped up them as well. “I want to challenge the Champion! It was my idea before yours!”
Green glanced at Red; Red’s eyes were wide, as stunned as ever. Green thought he should be used to this by now, being the Youngest Champion Ever and all, but maybe a year on top of a mountain made him forget what being a celebrity meant.
Still, Theo and Ralph were starting to squabble, and being gym leader and all, he’d have to stop it. “All right, you two,” he said, stepping between them. “Since you both want to fight him, then how about this? You fight him together?”
“Together?” Theo asked.
“Yep,” Green said, his eyes meeting Red’s. Red nodded; he understood.
“But…a double battle…isn’t that unfair?” Ralph asked.
“Oh, he won’t be fighting alone,” Green smirked, withdrawing one of his pokeballs. “Why don’t we see how you two fare against the two youngest champions ever in Kanto?”
Green laughed about it all the way home that night. “Did you see their faces when I said they’d be fighting both of us! Theo nearly pissed himself!”
Red only smiled slightly, but Green knew well enough that he was amused. Red had certainly enjoyed the fight-he was full on smirking once it was over, with Theo and Ralph thoroughly beaten. Green would have never allowed something like this to have gone on if Red hadn’t been there, but maybe break in routine was okay once in a while. Red was a weird guy, but he was probably the only one who allowed Green to break free from the rigidness of his life.
“And did you see them scream when Pikachu thunderbolt’ed them? It was hilarious!”
“I was in a bit of trouble with their ground types, though,” Red admitted. “Your gyarados saved me.”
Green blinked a moment. Red was thanking him? “Well…it wasn’t a problem; he was already out and…”
“We make a good team,” Red said abruptly, something that shocked Green, since Red never said anything out of the blue. Heck, he hardly ever spoke at all.
Green couldn’t help but smile, a warm, fuzzy feeling entering his heart. “Yeah…I guess we do.”
As they entered his apartment, Green felt at the happiest he had been in a long while. Red was here, they were getting along-it was almost as if they were-
Green started toward the kitchen stove; he didn’t feel like cooking, but making a cup of tea would keep his mind on the task and not on Red. Of course, Red sat down at the table, watching him do it. Damn that guy. When you wanted him around, he wasn’t, and when you didn’t want him around, he was always right there-
“I know this must seem weird,” Red said, again, out of the blue.
“What do you mean?” Green asked, not looking back.
“Me, coming back.” Was it Green’s imagination or did Red sound nervous?
Nah, couldn’t be. “It’s no big deal,” Green waved it off. “You’re that type of guy.” Well, that wasn’t true, it was a big deal, but it wasn’t like Green was going to admit it.
“I left for four years. I know I wasn’t a very good friend-”
Green nearly dropped the kettle.
He whirled around. “What-what do you mean you weren’t a ‘very good friend’?” They weren’t even friends, right?
Officially, at least.
Red blinked. “I left for so long and never even wrote, so-”
Of course he didn’t get it. “I mean…” Green focused his gaze at the refrigerator. The fridge didn’t have those sharp crimson eyes that could always look right through him. “The part about us being friends.”
“We’ve always been friends, haven’t we?” Red answered, matter-of-factly.
Green set the kettle down on the counter before he dropped it. He suddenly felt woozy. A rush of something settled over him. Shock. Relief. Happiness. Confusion. He put a hand on the counter to steady himself and asked, “We’ve…always been friends?” But they were rivals for years, weren’t they? He thought Red hated him back then! So why now-
Red smiled slightly. “We fought a bit when we were younger, but that’s what kids do, right?”
Right? The knowledge that Red had never hated him-never resented him-had always considered them friends-it was almost too much.
Red noticed something was wrong. “Green?” he asked, standing up from the table and going to him. Green wished he wouldn’t. “Are you…?”
Green forced himself not to look in Red’s eyes. “I thought you hated me, back then. I mean, I was a brat, always picking on you-”
“We were kids. It doesn’t matter-”
“It mattered to me!” Green snapped. “That’s why I thought you never wanted to come see me-why you hadn’t spoken in four years-I thought that you hated me for everything I did!” He didn’t know why he was shouting, didn’t know why he was angry-but it felt so damn good.
“I never hated you.”
Green gulped. If Red never hated him, if that had nothing to do with it then why- “Then why did you disappear for so long?”
Green expected Red to have a stupid answer; training, focusing on the pokedex, something like that. Instead, Red stared at the floor, shuffling his feet. After a long moment, he said, “I was training, completing the pokedex, but…I thought you were the one mad at me.”
All anger in Green’s chest suddenly dissipated. “Why would I…?”
Red still didn’t look back at him. “You know. Everything with the professor…and the whole pokemon champion thing…I thought you were still upset so I never-”
Green let out a long breath. “You are an absolute idiot. You thought I was mad about that? You beat me fair and square; I got over it. And about…that other stuff…” he paused. “It wasn’t your fault.”
Red had to protest. “But he is your grandfather-”
“I know he’s my gramps, thanks for reminding me!” snapped Green, turning back to the counter. He could really use that cup of tea now. “Not that he seems to remember that...”
“He hasn’t even visited…?”
“Of course not, why would he bother when he’s got so much important research back home! When I called Sis, she said he told her to tell me that being a gym leader is hard work. Just that! Not an ‘I’m proud of you’ or even a ‘congratulations’! Just to remind me that I’d be working my ass off! Well, thanks Gramps, thanks so much-not like I couldn’t have figured it out for myself!” Green knew he was ranting, but he didn’t care.
He knew his gramps didn’t give a damn about him-probably considered him a failure since he was pokemon champion for five minutes before his little favorite Red came along to take that from him-no, he didn’t blame Red for it, he never did, but when it came to his gramps-
“You know the last thing he ever bothered to say to me? Sis told me he asked how far I had gotten on my pokedex-again with the stupid pokedex! Maybe it’s a useful invention, but the way he goes on about it, he thinks more of that stupid machine than me!” Green grabbed a mug from the cupboard.
“I don’t think he-”
“What does it matter what you think? He’s not your gramps! He actually gives a damn about you!” Green slammed the mug down on the counter so hard that it shattered. He felt pain, smelled the metallic scent of blood, but at that moment, he didn’t care. Green faced Red; eyes wild, panting in near-rage, but it dissipated as he saw the shocked, hurt look on his rival’s-friend’s-face.
Damnit.
Looking away, Green muttered, “Sorry. It’s not-it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have dragged you in to this-”
It was never Red’s fault. Red never asked for the professor to like him best. Green knew that, but…
His hand was starting to sting. Blood dripped onto the perfectly white linoleum floor. On cue, Red said, “You’re bleeding.”
Green lifted his hand. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt that bad…”
Red took his hand, squeezing slightly on the cut. Their eyes met; a desperate emerald to an intense ruby. Green felt his breath grow sharp.
He was a trainer; a pokemon battler at heart. Whenever he was in a bad mood, a good pokemon battle always set it right. When dealing with something he couldn’t control, he battled it. That’s why he teased and tormented Red for those years, as a way to deal with his neglectful grandfather. That’s why it felt so damn good to yell and rage-because he couldn’t fight this one emotion, this feeling-
He was never like Red; Red kept his emotions hidden from others, while Green wore his heart on his sleeve. When he was mad, he yelled. When he was sad, he cried. But some emotions that were too strong, he bottled up and up, ‘til they were near exploding. His anger at his gramps for ignoring him all those years was one of these. And the other-
This feeling that thrilled and tormented him for so long, even though only now he realized what it meant.
Red continued to stare at him-God, Green hated those eyes so much, the way they could pierce him and burn through him and set him on fire and-
Red hadn’t let go of his hand. Green felt his heart thump in his chest, wondering what the hell was going on and why Red hadn’t moved-why Red was still staring-why he wanted Red to keep staring-why all of this was-
“Red,” he breathed, wondering if it was his imagination or if Red really had gotten closer-too close-damn him, why did he have to get so close and his eyes-so deep-staring into him and exciting him and why did he have to smell like wilderness and mountains and everything natural and distant-dreamlike-and his mouth was moving but Green didn’t know what the Hell he was saying and maybe he had stopped listening and maybe he didn’t care, but all he knew was that Red was getting closer and his lips were parted and at that moment they looked so. Damn. Kissable.
“Vee!” Eevee sneezed in the other room.
And the moment was broken.
Red dropped his hand like fire, his piercing eyes found the floor. Green’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding, but this time it was out of fear than excitement. “Red?”
Red didn’t look back at him. Damnit, now when Green wanted him to look back- “Sorry,” Red muttered, in a soft voice so unlike his usual monotone. “Sorry, I need to…” Red turned on the spot, scurrying into the other room.
Green panicked and ran to Red, who now plucked Pikachu out of the floor. “Red, wait-” He grabbed Red’s arm. “What’s gotten-?”
“I need to go,” said Red quickly, shrugging out of Green’s grip. “I have to…train.”
An inexplicable squeezing mixed with anger filled Green’s chest-Damnit, Red was leaving again? “Like Hell you are!” snapped Green, grabbing Red a second time and pulling him back. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Let go of me.”
“You’re not going to run away for years without telling me-!”
“I said let go!”
Wham!
Green fell back onto the carpet, stunned-Red had punched him. Rubbing his cheek, Green looked up in disbelief-for a brief moment, his and Red’s eyes met. Red didn’t look angry, he looked-sad? Pikachu, sitting on his master’s shoulder, looked upset too-the pokemon’s eyes looked from Green to Red, as if unsure of what to do.
“Sorry.” Red muttered one last time, and then hurried from the room.
Green lay there on the floor, staring at the spot where Red had vanished. It was as if he had been frozen-he heard Red rushing down the stairs of the building, but he couldn’t find the strength to go after him.
He knew it now; he knew it by the way Red had looked at him-the way Red had reacted after that moment in the kitchen. That moment where Green had finally come to terms with his own feelings-only to frighten Red with them.
Red wasn’t just leaving-Red was leaving because of him.
The trainees at the Viridian Gym muttered to themselves in the weeks following-they had never seen their gym leader throw himself into work like that. Green opened early and stayed late. He decided spontaneously that the gym needed remodeling and and worked hours into the night to complete the task. He even got his registration in order for the next gym leader conference set to take place in Sinnoh.
When asked about his new habits, Green told them with a hard look in his eyes, “I decided to finally get serious.” It was testament to how much his trainees didn’t really know him when they accepted it without question.
Green didn’t give a damn about “getting serious” about being a gym leader. He needed something to occupy his time these days-something to keep him from stopping and thinking about the horrible, clenching feeling in his heart that was there every time he thought of Him.
It was his fault Red had left so suddenly, and Green knew it. In those moments when Green had finally admitted to himself how he had felt all these years, Red must have seen it. And when he had-
Green wished he could take it all back. He lay awake for hours some nights, wishing and hoping there was a way to go back in time and change things-make it so Red never found out-but there was nothing he could do now.
He knew for certain that Red was never coming back again. “Being friends” was one thing. Having someone you always considered a friend admit to liking you-that was a different matter.
Still, he couldn’t help it when every time his phone rang, the tiny leap in his heart as he imagined Red calling-but that was stupid. Red wouldn’t call-Green wasn’t even sure Red owned a phone-but it was always gym trainees, official pokemon league stuff, his Sis, occasionally Leaf, or some weird kid that always called to set up matches-but these days, if it wasn’t official business that he had to take care of, Green wouldn’t bother answering.
Truthfully, he’d rather just be left alone.
He wasn’t left alone for long. Near a month after Red had gone, a frustrated Leaf stormed into the gym. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded, not caring that she had interrupted a serious training session. “You’ve ignored my calls for a month! If you were busy, you could’ve just sent me a quick text instead of pretending that you never got it-”
The trainees were staring. He heard some whispered mutterings behind him, some that suspiciously sounded like “girlfriend?”
Normally Green would protest at the notion that he was going out with one of his old friends-but now, he couldn’t bring himself to care. “Listen, Leaf, I was busy-”
“Don’t give me that! You’re never busy, you slacker! What’s gotten into you? You’ve been ignoring my calls and you look…” she trailed off; the anger was starting to disappear on her face.
“Look like what?” he asked, worried now-was it really that obvious?
Leaf looked behind him to the crowd of trainees, now hanging on to their every word. Green glared back at them-they all began to talk very loudly amongst themselves, but he knew they would hang on to her every word if she said anything else. “Listen,” she said, softer now. “We’ll talk later, okay? After you finish training.”
He didn’t need to talk to her. He could just blow her off-tell her his wellbeing wasn’t any of her business-tell her to go back home and stop bothering him-
Still…
“Fine.”
“So what has gotten into you?” Leaf demanded as soon as Green let her into his apartment. “I’ve never seen you like this!”
Green didn’t answer-he knew where this was heading, but that didn’t mean he wanted to speed it up.
“I’ve never seen you this mopey!Now what happened?”
Green swallowed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Don’t give me that! Something happened, I know it! Now what-”
“It’s none of your business!” he snapped. “Just don’t-”
“Does this have anything to do with Red?”
Green froze-how could she know? Red wouldn’t say anything-Red hardly talked as it was-
She must have discerned by the look on his face. “I knew it,” she sighed. “Red hasn’t been answering my letters either; about the same time you stopped calling me back, now that I think about it.”
Green bit his lip-still, she didn’t know anything-he could still pretend it was nothing. “It’s no big deal, Red came to visit a few weeks ago and-”
“Red came to visit?”
Curse him and his big mouth. In an attempt to brush it off, Green walked past Leaf to pet Eevee, curled up on the couch. “He did. It’s no big deal.”
Leaf stomped over, a hungry look in her eye. “So what happened? Something happened, right?”
“Nothing happened,” he said quickly. “Now if you’re going to keep bugging me-”
“Green,” when he looked back at her, all anger had faded from her face. She looked worried. “You and Red…you’re my best friends. I’m just asking because I’m worried about you. If-if there’s anything I can do to help you, then…”
Green swallowed, staring at the floor. “There’s nothing you can do,” he sighed, slunching down onto the couch. “It’s not something that can be fixed.”
Leaf sat next to him, her hand covering his. “Just tell me.”
His eyes met hers. Leaf knew that he was gay; she discovered it soon after he had, and had laughed that she had known all along. But letting her know how he felt about Red was different; the desire to take his secret to the grave conflicted with the knowledge that letting it out would help. Maybe. He bit his lip; his mind locked in a furious conflict, until-
“Something did happen,” he sighed, looking away. He spoke in a rush, “I was talking about something stupid and Gramps got brought up-you know what that does to me-I guess I must’ve looked pretty upset cuz Red looked pretty concerned and then-” Green gulped; he wasn’t sure how he could continue. “I was stupid-upset-wasn’t thinking-should’ve just never gotten mad like that and then he-he must’ve noticed.” Green’s heart was already squeezing in his chest as he relived it-Red suddenly backing away, looking fearful-the way he rushed out, embarrassed-he could almost feel that punch again-
“Noticed what?”
Green’s hands clenched into fists. “He noticed it.”
“I don’t get it, Green. What are you talking about-?”
“That idiot noticed how I feel about him, okay!” Green roared, eyes wild. “He must’ve seen something on my face and then he freaked out and left! He wouldn’t listen to me and-and-didn’t mean to-never wanted this-I’m such an idiot…” There were tears in his eyes. Green clenched them shut.
Silence. He expected Leaf to say something-anything!-surprise at learning his true feelings for his old rival. Shock at the way things went down. Maybe even anger at Red-or himself-but all she did was put an arm around his shoulders and pull him closer.
“Green,” she said, her voice softer, pitying. “It’ll be okay.”
“How do you know?” he grunted, though in a wavering voice. She had never had her heart ripped out and stomped on. And ripped to pieces. And eaten by a Snorlax.
Now she pulled him into a hug. Green tensed-not sure how to react to this-“Trust me, Green. It’ll be okay.”
She was speaking to him like a child, patting him on the back and all. She must have suspected this, but that was no excuse for treating him like a five-year-old bitten by a rattata.
Still…after all he had gone through, after bottling up everything and throwing himself into his work to get his mind off it, maybe this was nice.
Being told everything would work out was nice to believe for now, even if Green knew it wasn’t the truth.
Green cursed under his scarf as his numb fingers fumbled to get the gym key into the lock. What the Hell was with this sudden blizzard, anyway? Viridian never got this cold the past four years he had been here!
He always hated locking up the back door. The key had trouble fitting in the old lock. He knew he should have gotten a locksmith to look at it, but he put it off and only now was starting to regret it…
“Damnit,” Green muttered as he accidentally dropped the key into the snow next to the doorstep. As soon as it was Monday, he was calling a locksmith. This was ridiculous. He crouched down, fingers freezing as he scrambled around for the key-Damnit, where the Hell did it-
“Green? Is that you?”
Green froze, and this time not from the cold.
He recognized that voice. And there was no way that voice could be here, and now. It can’t be…
He turned.
Professor Oak stood before him, wrapped in a long, brown winter coat and earmuffs, not looking at all bothered by the cold. “Hello, Green.”
Green didn’t waste any time. “What the Hell do you want?”
Oak’s eyes widened; stunned. “Is that any way to talk to your grandfather?”
Oh, don’t give me that shit! “For you, it is.” Green rolled his eyes, turning back to the pile of snow where he lost the key. “And you know why, too.”
He bent down again, shivering fingers sifting through the snow. If he didn’t find the key soon, he might be stuck listening to his gramps and then-
“I do know why,” Oak conceded. “And I came here to talk.”
Finally! Green snatched up the key. “I don’t want to talk,” he growled back, slamming the key in the lock. A few seconds of jiggling got it to click. Stuffing the key back in his coat pocket, he growled, “It’s not like you can just ignore me for my whole life and then expect me to care when you show up.”
He marched off toward his apartment. Right now, all he wanted was to get somewhere with heating, a heavy blanket, and a mug of hot chocolate. Listening to his gramps attempt to make excuses for all those years wasn’t what he had in mind.
“I know,” Damn, was the old man following him too? Jeez… “And I’m sorry.”
Green stopped walking.
It was freezing out, but suddenly, he felt on fire. “Sorry? You’re sorry?” Green turned around, facing his grandfather. “You’re sorry for treating me like crap all those years? For forgetting I was your own grandson? You’re the closest thing I have to a parent, and yet you acted like I hardly even existed! And now you come here and say you’re sorry-!”
“You have to understand,” Oak said, hands in his pockets and his gaze unwavering. “Your parents had just died. Perhaps you remind me too much of your father…in any case, I never really understood you. The one that I saw myself in was-”
“Red,” Green snarled. “I know, Gramps. You let me know plenty of times.”
“And that’s why I came to apologize. I feel like I inadvertently drove you away. I never meant to-”
“If you never meant to, then why didn’t you even care when I left? Why didn’t you care when I became champion? You never even called when I moved to Viridian! The only times you ever checked up on me were to hear about the stupid pokedex! Fine, it’s a neat invention, but it doesn’t replace me! Maybe if you did more than reprimand me the few times we talked-”
Oak stepped forward, his loafers crunching in the snow. “I thought letting you go on your own and treating you like an adult was the best thing for you. But now I see that I was wrong.”
“I didn’t-I didn’t want to be coddled, damn it!” Greens clenched his fists. “But maybe treating me like family for once-!”
“I did try.”
“What do you mean, you tried? You never tried! You never cared!”
“Who do you think told Lance that there was a child waiting outside the Pokemon League that would make an excellent gym leader?”
Green’s mouth fell open, eyes wide and surprised. “Wait-that was-you did-?”
Oak nodded. “I realized perhaps I had been a bit too harsh with you. I thought perhaps criticism would help you become a better trainer. Now I realize it was too much for you, after you had just lost what you had worked all your life to attain. I hoped maybe you would take the job of gym leader in order not to lose hope.”
Green swallowed. So this job, this position of gym leader that everyone said he was a natural at-it all was because of his gramps that “never cared”? “You could have told me.”
Oak sighed. “I didn’t know how. You always reminded me too much of your father…it was tough on me for many years. But,” He smiled, “I am proud of you, Green. You don’t know how much. I just was never able to say it until now.”
That fire inside Green smoldered to wilting ashes. All his life he had wanted to hear those words-to have his grandfather finally acknowledge him-tell him he was proud-and now-“Damn you,” Green hissed out, squinting his eyes to keep the tears from coming, “Damn it, Gramps, you should have said-just once! If you had-”
“Old men makes mistakes just like young ones do,” Oak nodded, coming and putting a hand on Green’s shoulder. That one gesture made up for years of missed hugs-missed nods of approval-missed gestures of family-
Green lifted his scarf up over his face, as if covering up from the cold, but if Oak knew he was wiping those few tears that leaked out, he didn’t say it. “Can I call every now and then?” the professor asked.
“I’m busy,” Green muttered. “Real busy with the gym and training-”
“Just to check up on you. They wouldn’t be long calls.”
Green gulped and nodded, “Fine…every once in a while…for a few minutes…not too long…”
Though Green said this, Oak nodded, his heartfelt smile indicating he understood all.
“Yeah, I’m fine, Daisy,” Green said into the receiver as he lay on the couch, absently patting Eevee in his lap. “It’s near spring, and I’ve been putting the trainers through a new regimen-once the weather gets good, we get an influx of trainers so it’s best to be prepared-”
“Do you do anything but train anymore?” Daisy sighed.
“I used to talk to Leaf, but she’s traveling in Johto right now and is pretty busy. I talk to Gramps every once in a while, whenever he feels guilty enough and calls me. It’s mostly silence though. Dunno why he offered to call if he’s not going to-”
“Well, I’m happy he’s doing that. I’ve asked him several times to call you, and he said he was always too busy to do it. I don’t think he would have come to Viridian at all if Red hadn’t yelled at him-”
“What?” Green nearly dropped the receiver, heart pounding. Eevee squealed in protest as she fell of his lap. “Red did what?”
“Grandfather didn’t tell you? Red came to see him, months ago-it must have been around the beginning of Fall-and he was angry. He yelled at Grandfather, and I’ve hardly ever seen him talk. I was upstairs at the time, but he said things about you and told him to stop neglecting his only grandson who needed him.”
Green felt his cheeks heat up-his heart pounding now, but no longer in shock. Eevee squeaked and nuzzled his hand that was now ignoring her. “Red…he said that?”
“Yeah. Red sounded like he was about ready to drag Grandfather all the way up there to see you-and after getting over the shock, Grandfather promised he would see you. After that, he was never the same-every time you got brought up, he got a guilty look on his face. He didn’t get the courage to do it until winter, though.”
Green gulped. “So Red…he did that for me?” Red know how I felt about Gramps…and he tried to fix it…
“Well, Red said he was only in Pallet to visit his mom, but he didn’t stay long after yelling at Grandfather, so I think-”
But Green had stopped listening. His heart was practically floating in his chest-trying to imagine the whole thing but giving up upon realizing it was near impossible to imagine Red yelling at anyone.
Still, Red had done that for him. Despite how Red felt after he left, he still cared enough to try to fix the relationship between Green and his grandfather…
Damn him, Green thought to himself, going back to petting the irritated Eevee. If I ever see him again, I’ll have to thank him.
Right after I punch his lights out.
Green bolted awake as he heard a crash in the living room. “What the Hell?” He squinted and glanced at the blue neon numbers on his bedside table-four in the morning. He gave a groan; what was Eevee getting into now?
As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he spotted Eevee on her bed in the corner of the room, wide awake and confused. “Vee?” she asked, ears twitching.
Footsteps. Loud footsteps. “Damnit,” Green hissed, his hand scrabbling on the bedside table. Burglars? He grabbed a pokeball, and hoping very much it was Arcanine’s (it was way too dark to check) Green stood up. “Stay here,” he muttered to Eevee, reaching for the door and holding the pokeball out in front of him.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Green threw the door open, hand flipping the light switch. “Hey!”
The lights came on.
Green nearly dropped the pokeball. His heart was pounding now, but for an entirely different reason. “What the-What the Hell are you doing here?”
Red. Red had come back. Though now he was huddled on the floor, wincing and cradling his foot; he must’ve stubbed it on the couch. Green rolled his eyes; that’s what he got for sneaking around at four in the morning!
Pikachu looked up at his master in concern, but squeaked as he turned to see Green. “Vee?” Eevee peeked out from behind Green’s legs, giving a happy squeal and bounded towards Pikachu. As the two pokemon nuzzled each other, Green stomped over to Red, scowling. “Okay, just what the hell is going on?”
Red looked up at him-again with those piercing eyes-but said nothing. “Look, you,” growled Green as he knelt down, placing his pokeball on the ground. “You can’t just barge into my apartment in the middle of the night! If you forgot something, then I would have just mailed it to you! Jeez, you’re so-” In the corner of his eye, he saw that the apartment door was still locked. “And how did you get in here, anyway?”
“Window.”
Sure enough, the living room window was wide open. It had been unusually warm for a spring day, but he didn’t think it would attract intruders, especially since- “I’m on the fourth floor!”
Red held up a pokeball from his belt. “Charizard.”
“You…you flew up here?” Red nodded.
Green let out a heavy sigh. Of all people, why did he have to fall for this idiot? “Okay, so you’re here, what do you want?” He probably sounded a little more than annoyed, but damn it, that was fine with him. After Red stormed off nearly six months ago, he could be short with him if he wanted.
Red was quiet for a little while. He was usually quiet, but it was times like these that Green absolutely couldn’t stand it. Besides, Red was doing everything possible to avoid looking at him, and that was driving Green up a wall. “Will you just answer the damn question?”
“Leaf.”
“What?”
“Leaf told me to,” Red was staring at the carpet as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“Leaf…?” Green felt a flush coming on as he remembered Leaf’s words, “It’ll all be okay, Green.” So she had gone to tell Red to come back? She shouldn’t have done that if Red didn’t want to…if Red was still too embarrassed to…
And speaking of “telling people to do things”… “Daisy told me to talked to Gramps.” Well, “talked” probably wasn’t the right word. Red gave a sharp nod. “Why?”
Red gulped. “Because he was making you sad.”
Green’s cheeks grow hot, and surprisingly, he thought he spotted a hint of a blush on Red’s cheeks. But that was impossible; he was probably exhausted from the trip. Green’s gaze wandered to Eevee and Pikachu, who were now playing with Eevee’s squeaky ball. “You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.”
Red was absolutely the most confusing person on the planet. “If you wanted to,” Green gulped, preparing himself. He knew that it was nine-out-of-ten chance that the answer was going to hurt, but-“Then why the Hell did you run off last time? I spent six months wondering what that was about! So you’re going to tell me. Right now.”
For a guy who hardly ever spoke, when he did, Red never made things simple. “I left for four years for training. Seeing new places. New pokemon-”
“I know this,” Green scowled. “You wanted to be the best trainer ever; always searching to ‘complete the pokedex’ and-”
“I never said I was searching to complete the pokedex,” Red looked at him now-there was something in that gaze, but it was about as easy to decipher as the way through Victory Road. “But I thought…I thought that’s what I wanted.”
Green sighed and rolled his eyes. “And what does this have to do with-”
“When I left-that time-” Red seemed to be pushing himself to say this; his gaze fixed on the carpet. Green sucked in a breath, preparing himself for the inevitable heart-crushing. “I was scared. When you were upset, I almost-I thought you wouldn’t want me around if I had-”
“Wait, what?” Green cut him off. “What are you talking about? I thought you left because…” a faint pink came on his cheeks. “Because you noticed…”
“What are you talking about?” Red blinked, now focusing back on him. Now that he was looking right at him, Green noticed that Red looked a bit-if possible-flustered as well.
Green swallowed. Was it possible that Red had left for an entirely different reason? And-Green couldn’t help the thump, thump of his heart as he noticed how nervous Red was-that maybe the reason Red had left for so long after that moment they nearly kissed (for that’s what it was) in the kitchen those months ago-was because he-?
“Leaf found me. Made me come back. She said…” The blush deepened on Red’s cheeks. Green had never seen him blush like that.
Green reached out a hesitant hand. Nervously, he placed in on Red’s shoulder. Red didn’t move away. “What did she say?”
Red didn’t answer. Damnit, Green was not going to take that this time! After a few seconds of silence, he grabbed Red’s collar and pulled him back. “What did she say?”
Green half-expected Red to punch him and storm out again, but he did not. “She said that maybe the thing that was bothering me…” Crimson eyes met his own. “was the same thing you were going through.”
Green could barely think over the rapid beating of his heart. “She was right.”
“I know that now,” Red murmured. For a few seconds they stared at each other-crimson to emerald gaze-and Green’s heart was pounding in his ears and everything felt warm and wonderful and then the next second Red grabbed his shirt and slammed his lips on Green’s.
Only a second of spastic thoughts ran through Green’s mind before he thought, Oh, screw it, and pulled Red closer. Red’s hat fell off and Green’s fingers threaded themselves in Red’s hair as they kissed-it may have been a minute, it may have been an hour, but Green didn’t care-all he cared was that this felt so good and so right.
Red pulled away, cheeks flushed smiling slightly, and Green was sure he was the same. “We are,” he said through panting breaths. “The two biggest idiots in the world.”
Red pulled Green back in for another kiss.
Though they had searched for years and had stumbled along the way, Green knew both of them had finally found what they had been looking for.
At last, they were complete.