Work Text:
When the realization hit Raihan, it was like a very angry charging Rhydon running at full speed crashed into his stomach, and the metaphorical impact nearly knocked him into the ground.
I'm jealous of that kid.
It was a nasty feeling, understanding the fact that you, a fully grown man in his mid-twenties, was jealous of a teenager. Like a Trevenant had his heart tangled in it's roots and squeezed tight.
O-Of course he'd be jealous! Anyone would be! There wasn't a trainer yet born in Galar, maybe the world over, as strong as that kid. He'd heard from Sonia that they and Leon's little bro had earned the respect of the two heroic Pokenon of legend! It was natural to be envious!
...that wasn't it, though. He knew that much. He'd heard stories of trainers in other regions partnering with mighty Pokemon of myth and might, and he never felt this way about them. He'd even met a few! Galar was one of the more ancient regions, so people would often come here in pursuit of the history of the world, and that young champion of Unova had visited Hammerlocke, with a legendary dragon in tow.
Yet then all he felt was awe and respect. He respected their Champion! But-!
...the second realization he had felt more like a Wailord being air dropped onto his chest.
Oh.
Oh no.
"Flygon--!"
There was a cold rain coming down in Postwick, 'twas the season for it. The Wooloo were snuggled in their sheds, the Skwovets nestled in their nooks, and the Rookidee roosted in the tree branches. The people too, stayed inside, enjoyed the warmth of their homes and the pitter patter of the rain on their window sills.
Which is why it surprised Leon to hear a knock at his door. Had a Wooloo gotten loose again-?
"I'm coming, just a minute."
He rose from the couch, and opened the door to a soaked-to-the-bone, heavily breathing Raihan, whose hands were balled into fists and eyes shone with determination, the kind usually reserved for a battle.
"You want a battle? I'd be happy to, but come in and dry off first-"
"I love you."
There was silence, aside from the ever steadily falling rain.
"I didn't get it, 'ya know at first, why I was jealous of that kid. They're just a kid, they've done nothing wrong! It made me real mad," Leon held a hand out to silence him but Raihan pressed on, "And then I thought 'bout it some more, and that's when it hit me. I wasn't jealous of them, specifically, I was jealous of the fact that they beat you. That now that I'm not the first one to defeat you, that I wouldn't be, wouldn't be-"
The dragon leader had never been the type to stumble over his words, but know they eluded him like a Pokemon using Shadow Sneak.
"-I wouldn't be important to you anymore!"
"Are you finished?" Leon's voice was as calm and confident as ever, and it hurt, oh it hurt like a Bewear hug, he was going to reject him. Raihan nodded, more subdued now that he said his piece. With this affirmation, the former Champion grabbed tightly onto the front of his wet hoodie, and tugged his former, forever, rival through the threshold into a kiss.
It was nothing more than a simple meeting of warm lips against cold ones, feather light, just enough to get his point across. Dumbfounded, Raihan's instincts kicked in and he pressed back, too numb from the chill to do much else. But it was more than enough to ease the pain in his heart, that worry that Leon would leave him behind now that he was no longer his only true rival.
When they pulled apart, Leon had that grin that Raihan normally wanted to smack off after a victory, but now, all he wanted was to kiss him, to feel that smile against his own. Arceus how cheesy he's become, he felt more lovesick than a Luvdisc.
"Is that enough of an answer?"
Now that Raihan had regained some confidence at his place in the other's life, he wasn't going to be passive anymore, "I dunno, I think I want to hear you say it."
Leon never backed down, so he met his challenge with ease, "I love you, Raihain. When we fought, I always thought it was just the exhilaration of being nearly beaten that hard my heart pumping like a stampeding Mamoswine, but when I fight the Champion," it was so odd, to hear him refer to anyone but himself as that, "I don't feel quite the same thing. Sure, its exciting and all, but it's different with you, BECAUSE it's you. You've always been special to me, it just took getting throughly trounced for me to see it."
Despite the cold, Raihan's face felt hot, and he covered his eyes so Leon couldn't see they were getting wet from something other than the rain, "Always have to one-up me, don't you?"
"Since I'm no longer Champion, and the current one is doing a bang up job of beating me at the Battle Tower, I need a new pastime. Now come on in and dry off, you're going to catch cold, and my Mum would skin me if I let that happen under her roof."
Raihan's eyes opened wider than a Noctowl's. He had forgot that this was Leon's childhood home, where is Mum and Pa and baby bro lived. He had just stormed into the house of the nicest woman he's ever met, sopping wet, and confessed to her son. Right good job there, moron! A Quagsire is more aware than you!
The panic in his expression must have been visible, because Leon laughed, already untying Raihain's bandana, "They're not here right now. They went out to eat in Hulberry with the Champ's family, I volunteered to stay with Purrloin, since it's not fond of the rain."
Looking a little past Leon, which wasnt hard because of the good few inches he had on him, there was indeed a shivering Purrloin, purring nervously in it's bed, "It's just us right now. Though everyone will be back soon, so let's get you changed."
"I don't have any clothes with me-"
Leon released him and turned to head up the stairs to his bedroom, "You can just wear mine. They might be a wee bit too tight, but they'll work fine for tonight."
Raihain blinked, he was being invited to stay the night? "Do you even hear yourself?"
Apparently he did, becaus he could see the slight shake of nervousness in Leon's shoulders. It had been demonstrated recently that the man wasn't truly as unflappable as he seemed, and the further evidence of this endeared him to Raihain even more, as of that were possible, "J-Just come on! Before Mum gets home."
Smiling, the Leader shut the door (gently), and reached out to grab the other's wrist, smile growing into a smirk at getting to see the embarassed expression on Leon's face when he turned to see why he stopped moving. Even sweeter yet was the statue-like stillness in his body when Raihan kissed him, (as he was bit warmer now from being inside) that melted into enthusiastic reciprocation. They shared a few more chaste kisses, feeling the youthful excitement one would in middle school when you started dating your crush. When they finally managed to separate for more than a breath, Leon tugged him upstairs.
"This honestly has me more chuffed than I've ever been in my whole life, but you seriously need to change, you're dripping everywhere."
Laughing, Raihan allowed himself to be lead, not caring where he went, so long as it was with this man.•