Chapter Text
Beep. Beep. Beep. Green’s heart monitor sprang back to life. His heart was beating again.
A nurse tried to shoo Red out of the room, he snarled at her. Standing protectively over Green, hormones coursing through his body once again.
Doctor Cloud rolled his eyes and brought him a chair and told him to not get in their way as they attempted to stabilize Green.
The sun was rising casting light orange hues into the room. The sunset was extra stunning that morning. Red repositioned his arm so that Green’s entire forearm could rest on top of his skin. He worked his eyes over Green. He was so pale, he looked like he had lost weight too, his skin looked dull, he looked like he would be cold but his skin felt like fire. Red contemplated getting into the hospital bed with Green holding him to get as much contact as possible, but decided against it seeing all the machines and wires hooked up.
Once Green was stable, the last of the nurses walked out of the room, his heart monitor a gentle lullaby singing a song of life to Red. He could only stare at his soulmate, his barely living soulmate and it was all his fault. The what-ifs plagued his weary mind.
If he’d gone after Green when they first bonded, their hormones could have calmed together. Red would have experienced none of the rage that caused him to reject Green. Green wouldn’t have gotten sick. Green wouldn’t be in a hospital bed. They should be together somewhere enjoying their new bond, but they aren’t and it’s all Red’s fault.
He didn’t hear anyone come in, he didn’t hear anyone speaking to him, but he felt someone hugging him. He snapped out thoughts and looked up. His mom was holding him. She was crying, he wrapped her free hand around her waist and buried his head into her side. She ran her fingers soothingly through his hair.
She left at some point, Red vaguely knew he’d been crying if only from the wet spot on her dress where he’d pressed his head. He never let go of Green’s hand. He also didn’t notice the other people in the room, his focus on Green alone.
Daisy and Lance sat close to each other, bodies pressing together, Professor Oak was behind them observing his two grandchildren and their soulmates. Polar opposites in the way they’d handled their bondings. But the history between Green and Red didn’t exist with Lance and Daisy, they were fresh and new to each other, there was no pain that had long been pushed down finally bubbling up.
Delia came back balancing multiple boxes of food. She passed them out to everyone in the room. She took the last two and pulled a chair up next to Red, she gently nudged his shoulder, he tore his eyes away from Green and saw the box she offered. He shook his head. He didn’t need food, he needed to fix Green, he needed to atone for the things he’d done. Food was a luxury he didn’t deserve until Green woke up.
“You aren’t helping him by starving yourself, please eat, dear.” Red shook his head again and turned back to Green rubbing his hand gently with his thumb.
“He cares deeply for you Red, he’d be very upset if he found out you weren’t eating on his behalf.” Professor Oak supplied from the back of the room. Red glared up at him, but took the box anyway. He picked at the food. Delia sighed in relief.
Red wasn’t aware of time anymore. It could have been hours or minutes or years since he arrived. The doctor came in at some point and took a look at Green then gave Red some pointers on how to best help Green’s body. Physical contact as much as possible, talking helps too, being in the room together is good though.
Darkness fell in the hospital room. A whole day had passed. Red felt his mom hug him and watched her kiss Green’s forehead.
“Get some sleep dear, I’ll be back in the morning.” Delia left first. Red heard more shuffling he glanced up to see Daisy hugging the professor then Lance shook his hand. She brushed Green’s bangs from his face. His hair was sticking to his head from sweat from the fever that hadn’t broken yet. She kissed his cheek and softly caressed his face. She looked up and glared at Red, he knew he deserved it and worse.
“I’ll be back tomorrow Greeny-baby, please keep getting better for me. I love you baby brother.”
Lance put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him as they left the room. Red idly wondered if that was new. He didn’t remember them being together when he left, maybe they were soulmates, met due to Green being a former champion.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Professor Oak standing over him. He looked the same as he always did but also older at the same time, the stress from dealing with Green taking a toll on him, and likely lack of sleep.
“Don’t beat yourself up over this, you both handled the bonding wrong, those hormones change you especially if you aren’t together to balance each other. He will get better then you two can work everything out.” Professor Oak gave a reassuring squeeze, he patted Green’s hand and walked out of the room. Red looked around, he was alone, he hoped no one would try to kick him out, he really didn’t want to have to fight a nurse or security guard.
The hormone doctor came back to the room he sat down in the chair across from Red on the other side of Green.
“I’ve been informed that you rejected your bond after not having physical contact for two days after the initial bonding took place, is that correct.” Red clenched his jaw, his nostrils flaring, he tightened his grip on Green as if to apologize for the way he acted, he nodded.
“Ms. Oak also informed me that you hadn’t remembered rejecting the bond until she brought it up. Is that true as well?” The doctor didn’t sound like he was getting ready to chastise him, just curious, like Professor Oak during his journey when Red would find a new species of pokemon. Clinical fascination. Red nodded and risked a glance at the doctor underneath his cap. He looked excited.
“How were you feeling post bonding? Were you angry, sad, scared?” Was this guy an endocrinologist or a therapist?
“Angry.” The doctor scribed a note down in his notebook.
“Great!” Red scowled. The doctor continued, “I’d like to do a study on your soulmate hormones over the next few days while Green heals. This could end up furthering what we know about soulmate bonds and potentially save some lives of people who end up with soulmate sickness. I’d like to take blood samples from you and Green every 12 hours. We’ve been doing that with him already but would like to add you assuming you’ll be staying.” Red thought about it. He couldn't see any harm in some blood work and if it meant that he stayed near Green that was just fine by him. Red looked up at the doctor, finally looking him in the eyes.
“I’m not leaving. You can take my blood here.” The doctor clapped his hand and smiled widely. He left and a short while later a nurse came in and drew blood from both Red and Green. She labeled it with their names and the time and date.
Sometime around midnight Green made a gagging noise, Red jumped up from his dozing and pressed the emergency button on the hospital bed. A nurse quickly came in followed by several more, ready for another flatline.
“He’s choking!” Red shouted, he felt useless as nurses crowded around Green, then he noticed something different than before, Green’s eyes were open. He was awake!
“He’s not choking dear, he woke up, he was gagging on the feeding tube.” She was pulling it out of his mouth as she spoke the other nurses disappearing,
“I know it’s uncomfortable I’m getting it out just be patient a little longer sweetheart” She cooed at Green. She pulled the tube out, Green opened and closed his mouth testing it. His throat hurt, raw from the tube and lack of water, but he was awake and alive. Wasn’t he supposed to die?
Green blinked up at the light in the room, his panic from choking having died down, he could hear a gentle beep from his heart monitor. He wondered if he could keep water down, he was parched. Sensations were coming back to him slowly. He felt the cuff of the blood pressure monitor hug his arm snuggly, to the point of being uncomfortable. He could feel the cold oxygen shooting up his nostrils from the tube in his nose. He could feel the wires and tubes holding him in place, keeping him alive for a little bit longer. He felt something else too, warmth, comfort, calmness, things he’d been sure he’d never feel again after the bond being rejected. He was aware but not at the same time, it felt like a dream. Maybe he was dreaming again.
He went to move his hand but felt a vice grip, a warm and comforting vice grip. He looked down at his hand and saw someone else’s hand there, it was too big to be Daisy and looked too young to be gramps, he slowly followed the hand up to the arm up to the shoulder, up to the neck then finally up to the head. Red. Green gave him a lopsided grin. He was dreaming, he was sure of it, why else would Red be here looking at him with concern and love and holding his hand giving him contact.
“I love you, Red.” Green’s voice was hoarse. It hurt him to talk but he didn’t care, he would tell dream Red what he couldn’t tell real Red, maybe his subconscious would humor him and have dream Red say it back. Red smiled softly he leaned forward and kissed Green, a quick press of the lips, Red brought his free hand up to cup Green’s face, Green melted into the hand, his head feeling like a ton of lead. Green sighed contently, Red whispered, “I love you, Green.” as Green’s eyes fluttered closed. A perfect dream indeed.
The morning light filtered through the hospital room. The sterile white walls made everything seem so much brighter. Green opened his eyes, blinking them open and closed adjusting to the light, he felt better than he had in days. The constant pounding in his head was gone, he could breathe deeply without problems and he actually felt rested, the aches in his body were less pronounced and he felt…loved.
Green wasn’t sure how he was still alive, he remembered everything vividly, the doctor making him admit that Red was his soulmate and that the bond was rejected. He remembered the pain and fear in his family’s faces. He remembered the doctor saying he was going to die unless Red came back. So he should be dead because there was no way Red came back, why wasn’t he dead? Maybe he was dead, maybe he was a ghost right now. He hated ghosts, terrified of them, he became the thing he feared most. He looked around the room, it was empty but there were a lot of chairs around.
The door of the room opened quietly, Daisy walked in holding eevee. Green smiled widely at her. Daisy screamed and rushed to Green dropping eevee on the bed and throwing her arms around Green’s neck and sobbing into his shoulder. Maybe not a ghost then. He brought his hands up and gently patted her back. Eevee spun around happily on the bed, yipping and burying her snout under Green’s hand , begging for pets. Green reletented petting his favorite girl. Daisy pulled away and held Green’s face, happy tears littering her face.
“Green! I missed you so much! I’m so happy right now.” Green beamed at her. He looked around the room. Gramps was tying a balloon to the end of the bed, a smile firmly planted on his lips, he squeezed Green’s foot. Green stuck his tongue out and Gramps laughed and came up to hug his grandson as well.
“You scared me boy! But it seems you are in good spirits now.” Green nodded, he was in good spirits, he felt really really good. Then Green saw an unexpected visitor, Lance. Green looked at him quizzically, wasn’t it family only, Lance was his boss not family. Lance rested his hand on Daisy’s shoulder and held a fist out for Green to bump. Green bumped his fist not petting his eevee into Lance’s. Lance grinned and Green grinned back albeit still confused as to why he was there.
“So I guess I’m healthy enough for nonfamily to be in the room?” Professor Oak shook his head.
“No, they have only cleared the family, although by the looks of you, visiting will be open for anyone soon.”
“Not to sound like an ass,” Green smiled sheepishly at Gramp’s disapproving look, “yeah yeah language sorry,” he looked back to Lance who was standing very very close to his sister. Too close for Green’s comfort.
“Why are you here? Last I checked, bosses don’t count as family.” Daisy laughed and reached her hand up to lightly grip Lance’s hand, he smiled down at her. Green did not like how comfortable Lance was getting groping his sister.
“So I needed to run an errand and Gramps didn’t want me going by myself, I figured I’d see if Lance would go with me, he agreed, we ended up shaking hands when we met and well we bonded.” Green released a puff of air. Daisy chewed her lip, worried that her happiness would hurt her brother who was dealing with a rejected (then reaccepted) bond and no soulmate anywhere near.
“How long ago? You never told me.” Daisy rolled her eyes,
“It was while you were unconscious, dummy.” Daisy said teasing, smacking his arm lightly. Green’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait what was the errand then.” Green scrunched up his face, what was so important that she would have to her dying brother, and that she would need Lance for?
Daisy looked down at her hands Lance looked anywhere but Green. Professor Oak cleared his throat, and began to speak.
“They went to bring Red down to accept the bond again and save your life. Don’t get mad at them, you would have done the same thing if your sister was in your shoes.” The professor gave him a look that said don’t argue boy.
Green thought for a minute, he wasn’t feeling mad, he was filled with joy. Even if Red didn’t stick around, he cared enough to keep Green from dying and for Green that was enough. He wanted more, but this was enough.
Green grabbed his sister’s hand in his own, looking at her with love,
“Thank you Daisy. You always end up saving me.” She kissed his forehead.
A few minutes earlier in the hall the trio had seen that Red was no longer in the room and decided to not bring anything up to Green.
Green smiled softly. He would be okay, he wouldn’t have a soulmate, but he was alive and Red was the reason he was still breathing.
Delia came into the room next, she had a backpack on her back, she smiled kindly at Green, she hugged Professor Oak, he kissed her cheek and she patted his arm. She searched around the room for Red but he was nowhere to be found. No one wanted to meet her eyes after that. Green felt for her, Red hadn’t been there long enough to see his mom, but at least she knew he was alive.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Delia left as quickly as she came in, her voice light and airy, no hint of disappointment.
“So Lance, now that you and my sister are together can I get a raise?” The room erupted in laughter.
Nurses came in shortly after and went to work taking vitals, someone brought in food, Green found himself with a robust appetite. He ate toast bite by bite, chewing slowly, testing his body to see if nausea would return. He finished the entire piece. Professor Oak looked at him like he’d just won the championship when he was able to keep it down.
“I’m sorry for worrying everyone. Thank you for…well.. Everything. I love you all. Well Lance, maybe not you, but I do like you.” Lance laughed loudly and patted Green’s shin.
Green rested his head back and closed his eyes relaxing in the sound of conversation surrounding him. He was surrounded by those that loved him, they may not be soulmates but they were family, and it would be enough. Professor Oak was telling Lance a story about some wild caterpie that had started living in the walls of the house at some point, Daisy talking over him giving her side of the story, Lance laughed along. Yeah this was okay.
The door opened and all the conversation stopped midword. Eevee tensed in his lap. Green lifted his head and opened his eyes. Red walked through the door followed by Delia. Green’s breath caught in his throat. Red ignored the stares of everyone in the room and took the seat next to Green. He didn’t make eye contact but grabbed Green’s hand once again, interlacing their fingers. The contact made Green soar, the feeling wasn’t as euphoric as the initial bonding but it still felt amazing.
Green squeezed gently as if to say thank you. Daisy examined Red, she noticed his hair was wet and was wearing different clothes, he looked clean. As if reading her thoughts Delia started talking about how nice the showers are here for family staying overnight. Overnight? Green turned to really look at Red, had Red stayed overnight. He noticed pink dusted over Red’s cheeks.
“Hey,” Green said quietly. Red gazed up at him through his cap. A small smile just for Green.
“Hey,” he whispered back. Green remembered the dream from last night. He wondered if it was a dream after all.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah” Red wanted to say more, to apologize, but that was a conversation for another day.
“Cool”
Red looked back down at the floor. Green wondered how long he’d have him around for before he’d leave and never return. The thought made his heart heart, but he pushed it to the side of his mind to deal with later, for now he was going to enjoy enough time with Red to get him through the rest of his life without Red.
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Three days after Green woke up he was discharged from the hospital. He would be on vacation for 2 weeks from the gym, Silver would take over in the meantime as he had been while Green was in the hospital.
It was strange for Green, Red had only left his side to shower or use the restroom, the rest of the time he sat next to Green staring at the floor and holding hands. Red did take long showers though. Green felt a wave of guilt every time he saw Red’s uncomfortable expression. It was obvious the guy wanted to be anywhere but there and he was only still there so Green wouldn’t suddenly relapse and die.
Green couldn’t help but feel disappointed when the doctor said he could go home, he tried not to let it show as he played with the hem of the scratchy hospital blanket. He knew that when he went home, Red would leave, he just wanted a few more days with Red, touching Red, seeing him, smelling him. It wasn’t fair.
A wheelchair was pushed into the room and several nurses helped him out of the bed and into the chair, he could walk now but it was hospital protocol. Red had let go of Green’s hand and stood back watching. Green didn’t make eye contact mourning the loss of contact. The nurses pushed him out of the room and down to the lobby, he didn’t see Red anymore. That was it then. Green let his shoulders slump, sinking in on himself. He caught sight of gramps and Daisy in the lobby and picked himself back up, putting a fake smile on his face, it didn’t reach his eyes.
They were riding home in a large van, one of the lab’s vans Green assumed. Lance was driving. The nurses wheeled him right up to the doors. He felt strong hands helping him out of the chair and lifting him into the van. He turned around ready to tell the orderly he was fine and could 100% walk now and came face to face with Red instead. He scrunched his face in confusion, what was he still doing here? Green was out of danger, the doctor even told them looking pointedly at Red that the soulmate bond could be rejected again and Green would be fine, or the soulmate bond can stay intact but separated and not in contact again, either way Green would not contract soulmate sickness again. Green had nodded along fully expecting to watch Red walk out right that moment but he never did, just sat holding Green’s hand staring at the floor.
Green was even more confused when Red climbed into the van and sat next to Green interlocking their fingers once again. Neither said a word, Red stared out the window at the passing trees, Green stared ahead sneaking glances at Red when he could.
They arrived at the Oak home and it clicked for Green, Red’s mom lives next door, he was hitching a ride and being kind enough to give Green some final contact. Lance hopped out of the van and ran around the front to open Daisy’s door and offer her a hand, she giggled and allowed him to help her down. Red let go of Green’s hand. Green immediately missed the warmth. Red pushed the van door open, professor oak crawled out from the back. Green unbuckled his seatbelt and watched Red climb out. Attempting to memorize every line of his body. Red turned back to Green and offered his hand, Green’s eyes widened momentarily and he accepted the help out of the van.
He watched Daisy and Lance playfully bumping into each other as they went into the house, he smiled, happy his sister found her soulmate. Green started making his way into the house, he was slow but steady, his muscles still somewhat sore and weak after his sickness. Red wrapped an arm around Green’s waist, steadying him. Green leaned into it, if Red was offering, he was taking. Red didn’t let go when they reached the door, he only let go when they reached the stairs. This is it Green thought bitterly. Red surprised him yet again, he bent over and scooped Green up into his arms, bridal style. Green may or may not have yelped. He wrapped his arms around Red’s neck for stability and felt himself turning bright red, this time not from a fever.
“All right my grandchildren and their respective soulmates don’t be too wild, use a condom when you consummate the bond! I’ll be at the lab catching up on work!” Professor Oak called laughing loudly as he exited the house. Green turned an even brighter shade of red and noticed Red had a mirrored expression of horror. He carried Green up the stairs to the doorway of his childhood bedroom.
Daisy popped her head out of the bedroom.
“Knock if you need me Greeny-baby! But don’t need me for at least an hour!” She winked at Green.
Lance yelled back, “Make that two hours” He could hear laughing as she slammed her door shut. That was going to be an image he would never be able to unsee, Lance the champion/his annoying boss and his big sister who also acted like an annoying boss. They really were meant to be together, annoying Green together forever.
“Sorry for all of this” Green waved his hand in the air. Red grunted in response. He lightly kicked Green’s door open and laid him gently on the bed.
Green stared down at the floor and gathered all of the courage he had, he was doing this to make Red happy, he was going to set Red free. He picked up his head, face hard with determination.
“Thank you for coming and saving me, and thanks for hanging out for a while too, it really helped me heal. I don’t think it would have been as fast if you hadn’t been there for as long as you were. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time, but I um thank you. And I’m sorry for treating you like shit when we were kids and um” He felt himself babbling, he needed to get to the point before he lost his steam, “Anyway, I’m okay, so you don’t um have to uh feel bad about it or whatever, yeah, like you’re good now. You don’t have to…stick around…”
Green could feel his eyes start to burn, he was not going to cry, he was going to be brave! He looked down at eevee who had let herself into the bedroom and was curled up at Green’s feet. Green realized he hadn’t seen pikachu, right, still on the mountain where Red was about to return. Now Green felt another wave of guilt as he thought about Red’s pokemon stuck alone waiting for their trainer to be done with the world's worst soulmate.
The bed shifted with Red’s weight when he sat down next to Green. He wasn’t speaking, both of them sitting in silence. Green shut his eyes trying to stop the barrage of tears.
“Do you want me to leave?” it was whispered it sounded almost hurt as if Green was the one who didn’t want Red around.
“No! I want you to stay!” Green nearly shouted looking up at Red, then started backtracking feeling too clingy and needy. “I mean do what you want, I don’t want to be a burden on you or anything I’m fine now, really.” Red nodded his head.
They sat for a few minutes and then Red stood up. He walked to a bag that was set on Green’s desk and pulled out a pokeball, he looked to Green for permission. Green nodded. Out came pikachu, who squealed at his new environment before noticing eevee and the two ran off playing, fast friends. Hopefully eevee wouldn’t get too attached and be upset when Red and pikachu left Green wasn’t sure he could deal with double heartache.
“I should probably take my team out and let them get some exercise in the back. They’ve been stuck inside their balls for at least a week now.” Green said, starting to pull himself slowly off the bed, and maybe he was still sore. Red sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
“I actually took them out when I’d go to shower, that’s why I’d be gone for so long.” Green stared at him in awe.
“Thank you.” Red stood up and held a hand out for Green, he took the hand. This was getting strange as if Red didn’t want to leave. Red grabbed the bag of balls from the desk and wrapped his other arm around Green’s waist, he led the two of them to the stairs.
“I can make it down myself, I’m not completely useless.” Red looked like he didn’t believe him but allowed Green to attempt the stairs himself. He moved very slowly, gripping the hand rail tightly, Red had a hand out ready to catch Green if he stumbled. Green made it down the stairs and had a smug look on his face. He turned to Red who looked, proud.
They made their way out to the back yard, Red kept his arm firmly around Green’s waist. He even opened the door. Eevee and pikachu skidded out between their legs, Red held Green a little tighter to steady him, he glared out at the small pokemon.
There was an old bench that they’d rest on in the backyard that the two houses shared. Red led Green over and sat him down gently. He dropped the bag and they began calling out their pokemon. Red’s pokemon immediately went to playing around in the yard. Green’s on the other hand, nuzzled their trainer and covered him in affection. Green did his best to pet and love on each one. Red sat watching a small smile on his face.
“You’re good with them, the obviously care for you.” Green felt himself turn bright red. They sat in silence for a while before Delia made her way in the backyard calling for dinner. The boys went inside and ate. Delia and Red shared knowing gazes with each other, silent communication that Green was not to be privy to. Red took Green back to the Oak house. Red insisted on carrying him due to Green dozing at the dinner table. Green drifted off to sleep before they even made it in the house.
Green woke up to an arm thrown over his midsection and a leg on top of his leg, he was tucked into Red’s chest, he felt warm and safe and confused. He gently lifted Red’s arm off of him and sat up, pikachu and eevee were at their feet curled up together, eevee lifted her head and cocked it inquisitively. Asking why he wasn’t going back to sleep in the huddle.
Green raised a finger to his lips shushing her, she laid her head back down. He may not be sleeping but she sure was going to. He snuck out of bed and made his way as quietly as possible to his sister’s room, he cracked the door open, saw more of Lance than he had ever wanted to see and immediately shut it and went to run anywhere else, of course he ran headfirst into Red.
Red crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Green with an annoyed expression. He motioned with his chin back to the bedroom and then grabbed Green’s shoulders and steered him back to bed and pushed him down.
“Stay.” Red walked out of the bedroom leaving a confused Green still sitting on the bed. Pikachu and eevee had woken up at this point and were rolling around play fighting on the bed. Green could see pieces of fluff shed around his blanket. Yellow and brown. Apparently pikachu sheds as much as eevee does. Green made a mental note to ask Daisy to deshed eevee during her next bath. The pokemon had gotten bored with their game and eevee crawled over to Green sitting her head down on his lap staring up with big baby eyes. He smiled down at her and began petting. Pikachu nudged his other hand with a gentle chu chu the pokemon had never been a fan of Green in the past. Usually it tried to shock him on sight but right now it seemed almost friendly. Green pet him too. Both pokemon were purring in delight.
Green didn’t notice Red leaning up on the door frame until he cleared his throat. Green’s hands momentarily stilled and tensed but he forced himself to relax and keep petting.
“I think pikachu can sense the bond, that’s why he’s suddenly fine with you.” Red stated walking closer. He handed Green a bowl. It was full of oatmeal. Green looked up at him in question. He flopped down on Green’s desk chair using the back of the chair to balance his bowl.
“Breakfast in bed.” He said flatly not looking up from his own bowl. Pikachu had abandoned Green to go beg for food from his trainer. Eevee was too classy a girl to beg, plus she knew she always got to lick the bowl clean.
Green ate slowly. He wanted to ask Red why he was still here, why hadn’t he left, why was he pretending to care, but the words wouldn’t come out. He didn’t want to know the answer, he wanted to be selfish and enjoy Red for a little bit longer.
Red put down his bowl with an audible thump. It startled Green out of his thoughts.
“We need to talk.” Red said flatly, ah there it was Green thought, he nodded his head and looked back down at his oats.
Green opened his mouth to speak but words wouldn’t come out. Red rolled the desk chair in front of Green. He rested his head on his arms leaning his stomach and chest onto the back of the chair. Green didn’t make eye contact, he suddenly lost his appetite and set the bowl down for eevee to finish. She happily lapped at the bowl.
“I’m sorry.” Red said, Green could feel him staring. He lifted his head hoping Red wouldn’t notice the tears that had started to form. He needed some false bravado.
“S’ all good. Don’t worry about me, no need to apologize you already did enough for me, I should be the one apologizing, yeah I’m sorry I made you come down the mountain and stuff. You don’t need to be sorry about wanting to go back and not wanting to deal with whatever this is.” Green waved his hand in front of his face. Red grabbed the hand.
“Stop talking, let me talk.” Red took a deep breath in and continued, “I’m sorry for not following you down the mountain when we bonded. I should have run after you, I should have made sure you were okay with the soulmate hormones.” Green went to open his mouth to protest and Red held a hand up.
“I was angry at you when you came up the mountain the first time I punched you, I regret it. I regretted it as my hand was midair. I was angry at how you treated me when I won the champion title and before on our journey, I was angry that I felt like I was stuck on the mountain because I didn’t want to encroach on you. I was angry at myself for not working to stay friends with you throughout the journey. I know you pushed me away but I pushed you too.”
“I was a shit, Red. It’s not you, it was all me.” Red glared at Green. He clamped his mouth shut.
“You were a kid and so was I. Either way I was angry and then the hormones got to me and I got more angry and I wanted to hurt you. We did it wrong, we should have done like they taught us in school, physical contact for a minimum of an hour after bonding to help the hormones adjust in our bodies, but we didn’t and they messed with our heads. Me more than you.”
“I shouldn’t have run.” Green looked down, it was his fault Red had a hard time adjusting, if he’d just acted mature and stayed on the mountain Red would have been okay. He felt Red’s fingers on his chin, Red lifted his face up.
“Stop.” It was a command but it was said gently, “When you came back I was in a rage, I had been for a while. I saw how happy you looked and I exploded, I just wanted to hurt you, I wasn’t thinking. So I did the worst thing possible, I rejected you.” Green bit his bottom lip, Red moved his hand to cup Green’s cheek. His hands were warm and big and calloused they felt nice on his skin. He unconsciously leaned into the touch.
“After a day or two the rage went away, my head cleared up, but I had forgotten about rejecting you. I was planning on coming down the mountain to find you and apologize, see about working on the bond, if you would have me. I was going to give you a few weeks to cool off then go see you.”
Green looked at Red with hope, maybe just maybe Red wanted him.
“Then Daisy showed up and she told me what had happened, I didn’t…didn’t even remember rejecting you until she told me I did and I only have fuzzy memories of it. I immediately came down to find you. All I could think that entire time was that I had hurt you, I had hurt my soulmate. That you were going to…” Red trailed off tears were falling from his eyes, he let go of Green’s face and stood up. He pushed the chair out of the way and kneeled down in front of Green.
“Your heart had stopped when I got there. I thought I was too late. I screamed that I accepted you. Your heart started and I got a second chance to be who you deserve. I get to be your soulmate” His voice cracked on the last word. Green’s heart soared, Red wanted him. Wanted to be his soulmate. He lurched out wrapping his arms around Red pulling him closer into a hug. Red gripped him tightly back as if he was scared Green would disappear again.
“I love you, Red.”
“Love you too, soulmate.” Red pulled Green into a passionate kiss.
Epilogue
Things were difficult at first but they fell into a nice routine. They stayed at Green’s house but had dinner most nights at Red’s. Green officially quit the gym, the title went to Silver who was more than happy to take it, to prove to the world that he wasn’t his father.
Daisy and Lance got married quickly. A small family only ceremony, she fell pregnant a few weeks later. Green and Red decided to wait to get married.
An invitation came from Alola to help set up the battle tree, the pair took it happily. That’s how Green Oak found himself relaxing in the sand sipping a fruity drink leaning back into his very muscular soulmate’s chest as they watched their teams play together on the beach.
This was the life that Green had pictured. He loved every minute of it.
An article in a scientific journal came out detailing their case, and it won a prestigious award. The doctor bought another pair of expensive shoes.
Fin