Chapter Text
The gym challenge was blazing.
Challengers were appearing at all eight stadiums. The Spikemuth and Hammerlocke gyms only had a handful of eager challengers compared to the others. So far, it made it easier to schedule rematches with less trainers flooding through the doors.
At Hammerlocke, not a single trainer had managed to defeat Raihan yet. They either couldn’t make it past his gym trainers, or choked during the battle with him. But this year’s group was determined, saying that they’ll be back for a rematch after training and reworking their strategies. Raihan always sent them off with a little hint of advice and saying that he looks forward to their return.
Since the omega had only a max of one or two battles a day, it gave him time to take some extended breaks throughout the day. He’d go off and surprise his trainers with lunch, do some workout exercises with Duraludon, or just take a leisure walk around the town.
One day in particular, he found himself in Motostoke. The gym had been closed early on the lack of challengers and rematches. He sent his gym trainers home early, locked up, then set off for the industrial city. Raihan had been wanting to ask Kabu a few questions about caring for his Torkoal since they both have one.
After having a nice conversation and getting plenty of advice from Kabu, Raihan found himself in the Battle Cafe of Motostoke. All of the talking had him feeling rather parched. He ordered a honey milk tea with extra boba from the cafè owner, Dwight, and sat at one of the booths inside to enjoy it. Just as he made himself comfortable, he noticed a familiar face enter. It was Nessa, who waved as soon as she spotted him. She ordered a milk tea of her own and joined Raihan.
“Fancy seeing you in Motostoke.” Nessa stated.
“Came here to get some Torkoal advice from old man Kabu. Just chilling here for a while before heading back.” Raihan took a sip, munching on some boba. “What brings you here?”
“Just visited the Boutique to check out the newly released items they just got in.” Nessa responded, taking a long sip of her own drink.
The two gym leaders chatted and caught up, as they didn’t get to see each other often. Nessa explained how busy she’d been the past few months with challengers. Nonstop early morning until the evening. Not to mention her modeling work on top of that. Majority of the trainers were split up between Ballonlea and Circhester currently. Raihan mentioned how he’d had a few battles here and there, but had yet to be defeated.
At some point in the conversation, Raihan brought up how much he’d been spending time with Leon. How he had the champion spend most weekends together. Either hanging out at one of their places, going on cafe or lunch dates, wandering the Wild Area together and much more. While the omega didn't mind hanging out with the alpha, he just found it a bit weird. As he explains this to Nessa, she just gawks at him in shock.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun hanging out with Lee, but it’s weird that he constantly takes me places and gives me things.” Raihan said, finishing the last of his boba tea.
“You mean… you haven’t noticed?” Nessa questioned.
The dragon tamer raised an eyebrow. “Noticed? Noticed what?”
Leaning back and crossing her arms, Nessa stared down her fellow gym leader. “Come on, Raihan. I know you know what Leon has been doing.”
“I honestly don’t.” Raihan
Nessa dropped her head with a sigh. She took a moment to gather herself before speaking. “Seriously man? Look, Leon’s been courting you. He clearly has a thing for you, Raihan.”
“What? Courting me?” The omega roared with laughter before quickly bringing it down to a hushed chuckle to avoid disturbing other patrons in the cafe. “Lee isn’t to me like that, Ness.”
A roll of the eyes from the beta model. “Think about it. He takes you out to lunch and dinner, pays for it all, and gives you little gifts. Let’s not forget that you even said that he calls all of these little outings ‘dates.’ Please tell me what alpha goes that far for an omega that they don’t have feelings for?”
Nessa goes on to point out and explain all of the signs Raihan had missed. She watched as the waves of realization hit the omega over and over again. However, she could understand why Raihan had been so blind to everything. The man has never been courted before. Due to having to keep his omega status a secret from the public, it didn’t allow for him to casually date or court.
Raihan silently took in everything she was saying. Maybe she did have a point. Maybe Leon really was into him, but they were friends…right?
In the back of his mind, all of the times that Leon brushed shoulders with him while standing in line for something sparked a feeling inside him. Or when their hands brushed against each other while Leon gave him a plushie that the alpha won from a claw machine at the arcade. Or even at the end of each supposed “date,” Leon had made a habit out scenting him before leaving.
Eventually Nessa said that she needed to get back to Hulbury, as she had some things to do. Just before leaving the cafe, she told Raihan to give what she said some thought. Also to think about Leon and his feelings towards him. Raihan couldn’t deny he’d been thinking about his friendship status with his champion friend. He needed more time to think about everything.
——————
In the following weeks, Leon became busy enough to the point where he didn’t have time to hang out with Raihan. It didn’t bother the dragon tamer as much as it should have. It gave the man some much needed time to gather his thoughts. He’d spent those weeks mulling over just how much he felt about the alpha.
In the end, he reached a conclusion: He was in love with Leon.
Now that he’d come to the realization, Raihan felt a little weird being around the champion.
Of course things were still the same. Leon still took him on “dates” when they managed to find some time to meet up. And now that Nessa had helped him figure out that they were in fact real dates, it made him nervous. But he did a good job of keeping it hidden.
When the two finally have a chance to see each other again, it’s after Lee has invited Raihan out to hang out at his place the previous day.
“What do you think about going to dinner?” Leon asked, glancing over at the man typing away on his phone.
“Sure. Feeling like ramen? Oh, or maybe that new buffet place that opened downtown?” Raihan answered.
“I was thinking something a little more…fancier.”
This made the gym leader finally look up. “Like what exactly.”
“You know this hotel has a restaurant downstairs right? It’s open to the public besides just the hotel guests. It’s a little more upscale than most places.”
Raihan held up his hands. “Wait a second. I know you said you’d make it up to me about us not being able to hang out, but this is a bit much. Just treating me to lunch would have been fine.”
“If I recall correctly, you said that I could do whatever I want.”
The gym leader sighed in defeat. “Yeah… I did say that.”
Leon grinned. “Great! So tomorrow at six?”
————
It was nearing five in the evening and he was just about done getting ready. The gym leader was standing in the mirror fixing his tie. It wasn’t often that he dressed up, only when he had to attend one of Rose’s league galas. So whenever he had to put on a tie, it took him forever to get it just right. This evening, however, he seemed to be struggling more than usual.
Was he… nervous?
Just when he’d given up out of frustration, he heard the chime of his doorbell. Throwing the tie down onto the counter of his bathroom, he went to answer the door. He expected it to be his neighbor or a postal courier with a package. What he was not expecting was a sharp looking Leon on his doorstep.
“Uh, hey…” Teal eyes gazed over the champion’s attire for the evening.
The alpha was dressed in a ruby red button up, charcoal slacks and a matching charcoal vest. The red and gray were accented with a white tie and matching handkerchief tucked into the chest pocket of the vest. Raihan has seen Leon dressed up plenty of times before. But something about the alpha standing at his door looking insanely handsome had the taller man blushing.
“I know I’m a bit early, but I wanted to pick you up before dinner tonight.” Leon sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
“You didn’t have to do that. I would’ve been fine with catching a taxi to Wyndon alone.” Raihan said.
“I know but I wanted to.” The alpha took the time to let his eyes roam over what the omega was wearing. Raihan's outfit consisted of something similar to Leon’s, but instead of a red button up, it was a deep indigo with a black vest and slacks.
“You look really nice.” Leon told the other man, who blushed again.
“Thanks. You look nice too. I’m sort of missing my tie though… Couldn’t get it tied right.”
Leon let out a chuckle. “Don’t worry, I’ll help ya.”
After helping Raihan with his tie, the two called a Corvikight taxi and headed off to Wyndon. The cabbie touched down right at the entrance to the hotel. Upon entering the lobby, a line could be seen coming from the restaurant entrance. However, Leon led him right over to the podium where the waitress stood.
“Reservations for two.” He spoke to the lady.
“Oh yes. We have your table, Mr. Champion. Right this way.” The waitress responded before guiding them to their table.
The two men were led towards the back of the restaurant to a section that was more secluded. The booths looked much nicer than the ones in the front and each had their own curtain for privacy. It was also much quieter since there were less patrons nearby. After handing them their menus and taking their drink orders, the waitress left Leon and Raihan alone.
“You really went out with this, huh? Got us a fancy reservation and everything.” Raihan said as he glanced up at the other man over his menu.
“Perks of being the champion.” The alpha said with a small smirk.
Some time later the waitress came back to get their entree orders. Leon had once again surprised Raihan by having an appetizer served beforehand. The nerves the gym leader felt earlier were gone now. With food in front of him to focus on, and Leon chatting away about his champion duties had him feeling much calmer.
By the time their entrees came out, both men were having a good time with each other. After an amazing dinner, the meal was finished off with a top-tier dessert. Raihan’s sweet tooth got the better of him and he ordered one of the larger sizes of a strawberry roll cake with ice cream on the side. He instantly regretted his decision when the dessert was placed on the table. The roll of cake was nearly the size of his head. In the end, he ended up splitting it with Leon.
Once dinner was over, the two exited the restaurant. Raihan thought that maybe Leon would invite him up to his penthouse, but that wasn’t the case. Instead, he insisted that they go outside and see the ferris wheel. Now that it was well into the evening, the lights were on and looked magnificent up close.
After taking a moment to appreciate the rainbow hue of colors, the two made their way to the boarding platform at the base. The alpha looked over at the ferris wheel attendant and gave him a nod. The attendant nodded back and let the men into an empty carriage. Unknownst to Raihan, Leon had pulled some strings behind the scenes to make sure they weren’t disturbed for a while.
As they began their ascent, Raihan and Leon took in the sights of Wyndon at night. A small flock of Murkrow flying overhead. A pair of Nickits sulking around in the alleyways. The bright lights from Wyndon Stadium flashing, accompanied by the cheering of the crowd watching an intense battle.
“Good call on coming back here at night. The city looks amazing at night.” The omega said, gazing out towards the metropolis.
“I can think of something that looks even more amazing…” Leon smoothly replied.
”Oh yeah? What’s that?” Raihan asked.
”You.”
Raihan turned to look back at his champion friend. Maybe he’d misheard what he said. But when he caught eyes with Leon, he was met with the most intense gaze he’d ever seen Leon have. Those golden eyes were filled with passion and something else he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Raihan couldn’t help the blush that bloomed across his. face However, that didn't stop him from slowly being drawn to those eyes.
Raihan stepped into Leon’s space, standing toe to toe with him as the other man slowly reached out, pulling the dragon gym leader closer by his waist. In turn, Raihan wrapped his arms around Leon’s neck without a second thought.
Neither of them were sure who moved first as their lips pressed together. But neither of them could also ignore the spark and warmness that spread through them as they kissed. Raihan barely registered as Leon pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, nor did he recall his hands gripping the back of Leon’s suit.
Raihan was the first to pull away, teal irises staring widely into Leon’s as he tried to regain his lost breath. Leon stared back at him, just as breathless, but with a loving smile gracing his features. A smile tugged its way to Raihan’s lips as well, nearly turning into a grin before he pressed his lips against Leon’s once more.
The ferris wheel had come to a stop, their carriage at the very top. When the two pulled away a second time, Leon once again gazed at him as if he was the only other person in the world.
”Well I’m not sure how to say this, although it's probably incredibly obvious right now… but I love you, Raihan.”
Raihan let out a small chuckle before replying. “It is indeed quite obvious, but I love you too.”
”Will you… be my mate?”
Not trusting his voice, Raihan nodded before breathing out a soft, “Yes.”
Leon let out a deep sigh, visibly relieved as he guided the other man closer to the window to take in the amazing view. “I’m glad the feeling is mutual. I’ve fancied you for years.”
“Years? How many?”
Leon nodded. “For about three years now? Around the time I became champion. Maybe a bit longer.”
“That long? Why didn’t you say anything?”
“How could I? I was scared… Plus there was a lot at risk.”
”Like what exactly?” Raihan questioned.
”I mean… we’ve known each other forever, Rai. On top of that, the public thinks you’re an alpha like me. It’s not really common for two alphas to be attracted to each other and mate. So because of that, I didn’t want to ruin my status as Champion or lose my friendship with you.”
Raihan hadn’t even thought of that. If Raihan had truly been an alpha and the two had made it known to the public as being two mated alphas, the backlash could have been bad enough for Leon to let go of his Champion title.
Now it was Raihan’s turn to let out a sigh of relief. “It’s great to know you were the same as me. Not wanting to ruin our friendship and all.”
Leon gently pulled Raihan into a warm embrace. Heavy amber with soft notes of lavender filled the gym leader’s senses as he buried his face into the other man’s neck. The two stayed like that for a while, just enjoying being in each other’s arms. Silently taking in the moment of their united feelings as the moonlight basks over them from their carriage high in the sky.
When they finally pull away, the scenery outside begins to shift, signaling that the ferris wheel has begun to move again. As they begin their descent, both men can’t stop smiling at each other, almost looking like lovestruck sweethearts.
**”Ya know, I’m going to be honest for a second. I was a bit scared that you wouldn’t notice the signs of me courting you. Almost thought I was going to end up staying in the friendzone.” Leon admitted.
”Well…at first, I didn’t notice. Sure, I was a bit confused when you started calling all of our outings ‘dates,’ but I thought that was just you being silly. I’ve never been courted before ”
”So…” Leon begins, “I’m glad we know that the feelings are mutual and all but what now? Do we want to keep this a secret or make this known to everyone? Whatever you choose, I support you.”
Raihan mulled it over for a minute, thinking of how everything would play out.
If they kept things between the two of them, they wouldn’t have much to worry about. A few other members of the league might find out, but they would most likely be pretty accepting of their relationship. He was sure that even Chairman Rose would be fine with it. On the other hand, if they became public, they could face backlash from the people of Galar. Or even worse, if Raihan’s omega status was leaked, then he would start getting all kinds of hate from his fans. To the point where even he might have to give up his position as a gym leader. He also would hate for something to happen to Leon because of him.
Just the thought of it all stressed him out. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to deal with all of that quite yet. Or ever. So for now, keeping it a secret was the safest and best bet.
”Let’s just keep it a secret. Enjoy just the two of us in our own little bubble for now.” Raihan suggested.
”As you wish.” Leon said, bringing Raihan’s hand up to his face to give the back of it a gentle kiss.
The Galar Hurricane finished its descent and the carriage arrived back down to the starting point. Leon swiftly guided Raihan out of the carriage and the two started walking back towards the Rose of Roselands hotel.
”It’s gotten pretty late.” Leon said as he checked the time on his phone. “Did you want to fly back to Hammerlocke or stay here for the night?”
”I’ll stay with you. I don’t want to leave you quite yet.” Raihan said, leaning onto Leon’s shoulder.
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
The champion reached into the chest pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a chain necklace. It was silver in color with a little blank charm hanging from it. However, the charm did have a small golden jewel with an engraved heart around it.
”I know this might seem like a bit much…” Leon said as he held up the necklace. “But the alpha in me couldn’t help but get you a little present if we decided to make things official. And the final stage of courting wouldn’t be complete either without something like this.”
Raihan looked down at the necklace, finding the beauty in it even though it was just a simple necklace. “It’s beautiful, but why is the tag blank?”
“Well, I had the idea to put my initial on it, but I wasn’t sure if we were going to become official or not so I waited. But since we are, I can make arrangements for that later.” Leon answered.
With that said, he pulled out another box. It housed his own matching necklace and charm with a teal jewel. Now that Raihan could see both charms together, he realized that each of them had a design that matched up with the opposing charm. It was a little cheezy, but it was a very Leon thing to do, and he loved them either way.
The dragon tamer couldn’t help but smile and give the other man a kiss to his cheek.
Leon pocketed the other necklace before unclipping the hooked portion of the chain and motioned for Raihan to turn around. Doing as he was told, Raihan spun around, waiting patiently for the other to secure the jewelry around his neck. When he felt the chain clip together and settle around his neck, he turned to face Leon again.
“It looks good on you.” Leon said, that same loving gaze on his face as he met those teal eyes again.
A small blush graced the omega’s face. “Oh hush… But thank you. Thank you for everything this evening.
“It’s no problem. I’m sure we’ll be having many more amazing nights like this, my omega .”
The blush on Raihan’s face spread like wildfire. Oh Arceus, this alpha was going to be the death of him.
Leon couldn’t help but chuckle, finding his blushing mate adorable.
“Come on. Let’s go back to my place.” The alpha said, wrapping an arm around the other’s backside to lead him up to his penthouse suite.
—————
Six months later, the gym challenge was at its conclusion.
Trainers worthy of making it to the Champion Cup were ready to face off against each other and the tough trainers headlining the Finals before going up against Galar’s champion himself.
This year, to celebrate the opening of the Champion Cup, the chairman planned an exhibition match to get the crowd hyped and kick off things.
And what better matchup than Galar’s two strongest trainers, Leon and Raihan.
Leon stood in his position on the pitch, his cape flowing in the wind as he turned to face the area where his opponent entered the field.
As usual, Raihan waved to the crowd and flashed his signature toothy smile before walking confidently over to his own position.
“Best of luck to you, mate.”
“Same to you, champ.”
Both trainers threw out their pokeballs, releasing their ace partners. A gust of wind blew as the pokemon landed on the field, causing it to rustle up their clothes. To those watching the close up broadcast on the screen, they may have witnessed a glint coming from both men.
The silver chains around their necks catching the light as the charm flipped over, showcasing the opposing initial of their lover.