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"Good work as always, Champ," Rose praises Leon once again. "You really went all out against your rival. He barely stood a chance."
Leon hums noncommitally. He's not really listening to the chairman at this point, too busy thinking about other things.. It's mostly praises and a job well done anyway, nothing too serious.
Apparently he zoned out hard enough that he needs Rose to snap his fingers mere inches in front of him to snap out of his reverie. "Is something wrong, Leon? Am I boring you?" The chairman's question cuts at him.
"Ah, that's not it!" Leon desperately attempts. "It's all fine and dandy, sir! I'm just… preoccupied."
"I see… must be important for you to zone out that hard. Let's hear it then."
"Don't worry, sir, it's not that important…"
"No, no it's alright. Better to let out your woes now than have it haunt you, isn't it?"
Leon can't argue with that. "Well, the thing is, sir… next year is a special one for my family."
"Right. Your little brother will be ten around that time. The age all aspiring pokemon trainers begin their journey." Rose smiles fondly. To have the chairman recall what he told him all those years ago is a nice feeling.
"Yes." His dear little brother, wide-eyed in admiration. The brother he hasn't seen face to face for years. "And I was thinking… maybe I can surprise him? Give him his starter, offer a little pep talk, all that jazz. And his neighbors too! They'll also be ten by next year."
Rose's grin grows wider. "My, what a lovely brother you are. How can I refuse such an honorable request? I suppose I can arrange for a slow day. Perhaps also a ride, if you wish?"
"Oh, no, no, I couldn't possibly take advantage of your kindness-"
"It's better than you not reaching your destination in time, isn't it?" Rose teases, and Leon flushes a bit. "But if you insist."
"Thank you so much, sir. I don't know how I'll ever repay your kindness," Leon says, already excited for next year's League and what it entails.
Hop has grown into such a fine young man. Leon is honestly a bit proud of it. Such a lovely boy, with the energy of a Yamper and a smile that could rival even the sunniest of days… his heart thrums at the thought. He would make a fine champion. Not that Leon would make it easy for him! He'll fight to the end to defend his title, and keep it to fight for another day.
Or so he thought.
Of course, no one can see Rose coming, or Eternatus, or the dozen other problems that seem to decide to show its face at the exact year of Hop's debut. It's a lot to take in, definitely. Leon feels a bit in a tizzy keeping up with all of it.
Were he a lesser man, he would have blamed his loss on it. He's not in the right mindset. He's still healing. And he knows they would allow it. But Leon is a fair man, and he knows the truth: Gloria won the championship fair and square.
She definitely has what it takes to be champion, Leon muses, with that headstrong determination in the face of danger she exhibits. It's why Leon doesn't feel too bad, laying down his cape. With Victor by her side, Galar is in good hands.
What does make him feel bad is how his family seems to like blaming Hop for his perceived failure.
"He was probably distracting you from your work, isn't he?"
"Such a problem child, making messes you need to pick up."
"Go ahead and chase your dreams at Wyndon, aight? Don't mind this brat, we'll keep him here."
None of that is true , Leon wants to say. Hop has proved himself to be the bravest, most amazing person that I have met. He even caught the legendary dog, for Christ's sake! He's as good if not even better than me!
But they're his family, and as he's come to learn, always ready to shut down anything that questions their belief of the world. To them, Leon will always be the best thing to happen. Hop will always be a burden.
So he keeps quiet.
"This is the third time I heard you sigh today and I've only been here for thirty minutes," Gloria reprimands him at the battle tower office. Leon slumps in his chair in response, gazing at the paperwork on his table.
"Sorry, mate. It's just… it's unfair. Hop shouldn't be kept away from me. He should be able to do what he damn pleases," Leon grumbles, earning a chuckle from his friend.
"Gotta say I agree with you, buddy. But it's not like I can do anything. You know how they are."
"Yeah." Leon sighs (again), halfheartedly grabbing at his pen to continue with paperwork. It goes on for a while before Gloria groans.
"Jesus, fine. I'll do it, I'l convince them to allow your bloody brother to visit."
"I didn't say anything-"
"You keep sighing every five minutes! It's driving me crazy! If bringing your damn brother to you is what it takes to get you to stop I'll do it! I'll even ask Vic!" Gloria raves, stalking out the door and ignoring Leon's pleads. The door slams, leaving him alone in his office.
"...was it really that annoying…"
Hurried steps echo throughout the station as a figure frantically searches for the exit.
Damn it! He shouldn't have stayed so late, now he barely has enough time to reach his destination!
The man dashes in between buildings and through desolate roads, trying hard to make it before time runs out. To do that would waste the efforts of everyone he knows, and this one chance he gets to meet his brother, and the love of his life.
He's going to make the most of this visit. Hop will make sure of it.
Leon is barely lucid when he enters the apartment he lives in, not even bothering to take off his cravat before falling on the couch. Did the apartment always smell this good?
Distantly, he hears a chuckle. "Hello to you too," the voice says. A very familiar voice.
"Hop!?"
"Welcome home," he appears in the doorway to the kitchen, carrying two plates of curry. "Rough day at work?"
He has barely placed the plates on the table before Leon's arms are around him, clinging to him so tight like he's afraid that if he lets go, Hop would disappear. "When did you get here? How? Why are you here?"
Hop merely smiles, patting his big brother in the back. "Victor got the call from Gloria to convince our family to let me visit you," he starts. "At first it's just him, but then Sonia got involved, and she brought along the other gym leaders. Nessa, Piers, even Raihan! Ma, Granny, and Gramps were so pressured they finally let me come here, and well, here I am!" He pushes Leon back a bit, then. "Only for today, though. And this date, for every year after."
"Only today?" Leon growls. "Why, those basta-"
"Lee, they're still family!" Hop cries, snapping him out of it. "It's okay,we can push a little harder next year. And the next. And the year after that."
Leon sighs. "Yeah, you're right." He lays his head next to Hop's. "I'll do it forever, if I have to," he murmurs right to his ear. He giggles at Hop's sputtering, and for a while they lay there in comfortable silence.
"Hey, Hop," Leon breaks it, "do you know what day it is?"
"It's, uh," Leon can feel him shuffling to look at his watch, "7th of July. Is-is there supposed to be anything special? Oh god, did I forget something important?"
Leon wraps his arms tighter, and Hop melts into him. "Kabu-san visited a few days ago," he starts. "Gave me a little tree, told me about Tanabata."
"Oh, yeah. He told me about it too. The myth about Orihime and Hikoboshi, right?"
"Yup," Leon answers, pushing away to look at Hop's face. "Lovers, separated by fate, but they get to meet once a year. Kinda like us, don't you think?" He chuckles at Hop's reddening cheeks. "They say that if you write a wish and hang it on the tree, it'll come true." Leon pulls him closer until there's barely any space between them. "Guess they were right," he whispers before closing the distance between them.
Their lips met right at the stroke of midnight. It was slow and leisurely, a sweet exchange between two people whose love can only be expressed behind closed doors. But that doesn't matter, not here, not now, when all that exists is the both of them. As they pull away, Hop's eyes are shining, and Leon falls a little deeper.
"Well, then," he says, smile turning cheeky, "let's make the most of today, huh?"