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Raihan started to feel that something was off when Charizard locked him on the balcony at Rose Tower.
He heard a click, turned around and saw Charizard behind the glass doors — and at that moment Raihan could swear that he saw a smug grin on Charizard’s face. He tried the handle several times, making sure that it was indeed locked from the inside, and smiled.
“Let me in, buddy,” he said, depicting the movement of the latch opening with his hand.
Familiarity of the addressing was clearly not to Charizard’s liking; he snorted, turned away and disappeared down the corridor. Raihan tapped on the glass, although he quickly realized that it was pointless. Only option he had now was to wait for someone to walk past and notice him. He pulled the headband down and hid his cold nose in it. Of course it took him getting trapped on the balcony in shorts to notice that winter was around the corner.
Ironically, ten minutes later it was Leon who found him.
“Hey!” Raihan waved his hands, leaning against the glass. “Here he is, my knight in shining armor.”
“What are you doing there?” Leon asked with an amused smile. Charizard was right behind him, staring at Raihan over his shoulder.
Raihan again depicted opening the latch, and Leon obligingly unlocked the doors and shivered sympathetically when Raihan, with his arms wrapped around himself, took a step inside.
“I’m not going anywhere near these treacherous doors ever again,” he said, glancing sideways at Charizard, who was suddenly more interested in the wallpainting than anything else. “You have fierce winds here in Wyndon.”
“Is that so,” Leon said absentmindedly, looking down, and suddenly grabbed his hand. Stark contrast of the warmth of Leon’s palm made Raihan shiver with realization that he was chilled to the bone. “Your hands are cold.”
Raihan's fingers twitched, as if to squeeze Leon's palm in return, and it took a lot of willpower to stop that impulse in the last possible moment. If only he had any composure left to control his body temperature and not to sweat so profusely. Huh, he could swear he was freezing just seconds ago. Raihan cleared his throat.
“Well, it’s cold outside.”
Clearly, his brain and his tongue were not in cahoots today. This awkward handshake could not last longer than a couple of moments, but it seemed to Raihan that an eternity had passed. And then it was interrupted by an irritated growl, and they both pulled their hands away.
“Maybe it is time to put something more appropriate to the season on,” Leon smiled, nodding at the shorts, his unblinking gaze glued to Raihan’s legs much longer than it was needed to make his point. Then he turned around and walked away rather hastily. Charizard measured Raihan with a disdainful glance, snorted, and followed his master.
So now not only Raihan had to deal with increasing episodes of Leon’s uncharacteristic behavior and his own fits of tongue-tiedness; there was more to his plate with this whole Charizard subplot.
Maybe it had something to do with Raihan finally mustering the courage to invite Leon somewhere. They could just, you know, spend some time together, maybe go for a walk, or book a table somewhere nice. Surely, there were places in Wyndon where they could enjoy each other’s company in some dark corner lit only by candles. Perhaps it could even be considered a date.
And each day with his resolve Charizard’s nastiness grew. Raihan was overconfident in thinking that Charizard, being the ace of his lifetime rival, was like an open book to him. He remembered him first as an enthusiastic little Charmander, always clinging to Leon's pants, then slightly insolent Charmeleon, and then Charizard, undoubtedly powerful but yet not confident, only probing the limits of his capabilities. Once he was finished though, the beast dominated every Tournament he participated in with an air of cockiness.
But this was something else entirely.
Raihan could live without finding out this personal side of Charizard, that he was a suspicious, cautious, and possessive creature who loved only two things in his life: Leon and to drag Leon's rivals through the mud.
Well, in the end of the day Raihan was one of them, and he couldn't expect Charizard to be nice to him or anything. But for some reason it was unsettling to experience such disdain from Leon’s partner, with them being so indivisible, two parts of a whole. Well, with disdain Raihan could deal eventually, but then it turned into full-on hostility; and it would be amusing to see how territorial and protective Charizard became if Raihan had not been so busy fearing for his life at this point.
The trick with the balcony, which Raihan could still blame on a coincidence, was followed by a series of others, which quickly got rid of any doubts that might have been left.
On their next camping trip to the Wild Area Charizard accidentally knocked over a plate of curry onto Raihan's backpack when he went to fetch water. Leon was very apologetic as a result, maybe even too much as if he knew that something else was going on, and the rest of the evening Charizard spent burning holes in Raihan with his stare, clearly blaming him for his master’s trouble. Came night and Raihan’s longing to be in the same tent as Leon, Charizard seemed to be patrolling around the camp, restless and ready to snap at the mere sight of Raihan sticking as much as his finger out.
This was followed by an incident in a photo shoot, another incident at Rose Tower this time with a carpet, a couple more incidents in the Wild Area, and Raihan lost count of incidents during the battles. When they battled off record they allowed their Pokémon to let go a little more than usual, but for Charizard it seemed exactly the opposite. His movements became more controlled and deliberate — as in deliberate to catch Raihan in the aftermath of his attacks. None of it when Leon could notice, of course, and Raihan couldn't help but admire such complex schemes. Singed hair and clothes became the new normal.
As did furtive glances between him and Leon and their increasingly awkward conversations, during which they seemed to be too busy staring at each other rather than trying to put words into sentences. Charizard, like a predator guarding his territory with his eyes fixed on Raihan, would spread his wings trying to close off Leon and growl warningly as soon as Raihan got closer than he deemed acceptable.
“What is it?” Leon asked then with concern, stroking Charizard’s snarling muzzle. Such a genius you are, Raihan thought to himself, but Leon’s confusion was sweet. Lately almost everything about Leon seemed sweet to Raihan. Uh-oh.
All that was left was to seize the moment when they would be alone, but it was everything but easy: even when Charizard was not roaming around, Leon always took him in a Pokéball everywhere he went. But even the unwearied Charizard had to visit the Pokécenter from time to time.
That evening after the exhibition match, it took Leon longer than usual to persuade Charizard to return to his ball. Raihan eavesdropped outside the locker room, leaning against the wall. Charizard whined like a spoiled big child he was, and it was obvious from Leon's voice that he was beginning to lose patience.
“You’re acting so strange lately,” he said, sounding a little hurt. “Please, this is just a couple of hours. I'll pick you up right away, I promise.”
Eventually Charizard gave in; Raihan waited a little longer and knocked on the door.
“Yo, Champ,” and in his haste he forgot that this was actually a locker room. And people tend to undress in those.
Leon just pulled the T-shirt off his back, effectively trapping his outstretched arms in it, and looked at Raihan with round eyes and mouth hanging open. Come on, it’s not like we didn’t see each other like this before, is what Raihan would have said under normal circumstances, but those were not normal for a long time now.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the Pokéball lying on Leon's sports bag vibrated, so he had to act quickly; but how could he when his head was void of any coherent thought in the presence of Leon’s pecks.
“Heading to the Center? I'll go with you.” Raihan managed to whisper, gathering the remnants of his sanity.
“What?” Leon’s blush was deep and reached as far as his hairline.
Raihan put the finger to his lips and shushed him.
“I'll be waiting outside.”
With a heart in his throat, he practically ran away, feeling incredible lightness in his whole body. But the same as his limbs weighted nothing, his heart was almost unbearably heavy. When Leon caught up with him, out of breath and disheveled more than usual, Raihan shushed him again and then took him by the wrist and pulled him towards the Center. The hour was late, the streets empty — nobody saw them. He did not dare to look behind him, and Leon was quiet there. Raihan suddenly felt a crawling sense of doubt, and just as sudden he loosened the grip and let go.
The following squeeze of Leon’s fingers on his hand was fierce and firm. With how hot his face became in mere seconds, Raihan once again decided that turning and facing Leon would be a bad idea, and they continued on.
Once inside, he motioned Leon to the front desk and leaned back against the wall, exhaling the first time for what felt like hours. His heart was still in some kind of racing competition, and blood roared in his ears. So loud it was that he jolted when Leon spoke to him.
“I’d rather you won’t shush me again.”
Raihan straightened up, ready for the inevitable, and looked up at him. Some disheveled strands on Leon’s head especially stood out, and the desire to return them to their rightful place was almost palpable.
“Didn’t like it, did you?” Raihan smirked. “How else was I going to sneak you out in a secret?”
“And what is the purpose for all this secrecy?” Leon smiled, and oh, Raihan was lost, he was utterly hopeless.
“To pick a time and place,” he blurted out.
Leon blinked, his smile softening around the edges. Raihan looked him in the eyes and saw there, among all other things he whole-heartedly hoped to see, relief. Like he was grateful he didn’t have to be first to approach this little problem they had. If there was some kind of competition of which existence Raihan did not know until that very moment, then he already lost it.
“Is this a date?” Leon asked, taking a step closer, and in those meaningless inches separating them Raihan could feel the warmth of his breath.
He had several escape routes, jokes prepared in advance to somehow lessen the embarrassment and try to get an upper hand, but from that distance he could see how incredibly long Leon’s eyelashes were, and it was just unfair.
“Of course,” he said, defeated and for the first time content with it. “What else would it be?”
*
Then came the whirlwind of something he was not quite familiar with, scary at times with how much simple touch or affectionate words could do, but other times it was just, simply put, fantastic.
Well, it appeared that everything they sang about in those silly ballads was true, Raihan thought, crushing on somebody and then finding out the feelings were mutual was pretty cool. Warmed up by the reciprocity to the point of burning, it was easy to forget that Leon was first and foremost his rival, a king waiting to be overthrown. Sitting on the throne with him on top of the world sure was nice, but Raihan still had his own dream and wasn’t going to give up on it anytime soon.
There was a Champion Leon, and then there was this really hot guy whom he knew since forever and who lately started to casually take Raihan by the hand, press him into the cold brick walls of Hammerlocke’s backstreets, and touch him with warm lips in the shadows of ancient arches.
He was head over heels for both, but the League was some three months later, so for the time being Raihan’s undivided attention was on the one who didn’t wear the stupid cape.
Maybe it was a little too perfect.
Leon's apartment in the downtown of Wyndon — a spacious penthouse overlooking the city, courtesy of Macro Cosmos — was under constant “moderate” surveillance, as was, you could say, Leon's whole life. They had never been there together until one day Leon threw up his hands in frustration.
“Well, what's the big deal if I bring someone there?” he asked, pouting. Raihan had to bite his tongue not to mention it.
“Have you brought anyone before?” he asked instead, regretting the question the moment he himself heard it. So what if Leon had? It was all in the past. Still he wanted to hear a “no”.
“No,” Leon replied, turning away and rubbing his neck, somewhat embarrassed. Stupid, Raihan wanted to kiss him until they were both out of breath. “But now I want to”.
And that very evening, giggling like children, they rushed past the person behind the reception desk into the elevator; when the apartment’s doors closed behind them, they were trying to catch their breath in vain, bending over with laughter, grabbing at each other's hands. Then Raihan was led to the bed, and that bed was so comically huge that it almost killed the mood. He would have made a snarky remark or two about it if his mouth hadn't been so busy with Leon's neck. And then Leon’s everything.
Too perfect, was his last thought before he fell asleep. Raihan woke up the next morning to his heel being chomped off.
“What the—” he cried, pulling his leg away from those sharp teeth, but they held tight with no intention to ever let go.
Leon stirred beside him, rubbed his eyes drowsily, and gasped.
“Charizard! Stop it now!”
At such moments, it was clear why this man was on top of Galar for so long. Raihan, not being a Pokémon, nor starting anything at all, was also ready to obey and stop.
Teeth loosened their grip immediately and then completely let go. Raihan wiped off cold sweat from his brow and glanced over the shoulder. There was Charizard, snarling, baring his fangs, and looking at Raihan with eyes full of hatred.
“He must have gotten out of the ball himself,” Leon springed out of bed, taking the sheet and wrapping himself in it. “Charizard …”
“It's all right”, Raihan waved his hand, examining the reddened heel. At least the skin wasn’t broken, but it will bruise in no time. “Bet he couldn’t help himself when it just hung in front of his face so seductively”.
Leon smiled, soothingly stroking Charizard's strained neck. Somehow Raihan did not take into consideration that Leon's Pokémon would walk around the apartment. His did all the time.
So now he and Charizard had to share the same territory somehow. And Leon too, Raihan thought, looking at Charizard defiantly. That would not be easy, considering how Charizard looked back at him like he was a perpetrator after Charizard’s precious master. But Raihan won’t yield.
It was all a bit ridiculous, but from that day on the cold war between them turned into active hostilities.
Charizard quickly learned his lesson, and never again he allowed himself to misbehave on Leon's watch. Raihan was completely fine with their skirmish taking place in the shadows, where no one could see that he was competing with a Pokémon for the right to occasionally stay under the same roof as its master. Some days Raihan thought about it and laughed out loud, all alone in his office.
Still, no matter how silly this whole ordeal was, they were staring daggers at each other every time Leon turned his head.
And it only went downhill.
Raihan did not mind that during battles Charizard was ready to literally rip out victory with his fangs and claws; this was expected of all Leon's Pokémon and especially of his ace. But now it was not just about competition for Charizard: he clearly wanted Raihan gone. Not just as the contender. And that desire burned in his eyes with the same, if not larger, passion.
Growing tired of constantly dealing with it, Raihan began to reject Leon's offers to visit him in Wyndon. Mythical dragon from fairy tales was terrorizing the whole city, ferociously guarding his castle and his prince in it. Last time Raihan managed to sneak inside unnoticed, Charizard scraped and wailed under the bedroom door as if Leon had been devoured piece by piece inside. That was indeed Raihan's intention, but they hadn't even started yet.
“I don't think he understands this whole... concept,” Leon said, thoughtful and upset, waving his hand in the space between them. As if they themselves understood it much, Raihan chuckled to himself, running his palms under Leon’s unbuttoned shirt.
On a whim, because brooding Leon was disarmingly sweet, Raihan pinched his nipple; Leon gasped low with surprise, and Charizard with a particularly desperate howl broke down the door.
Managing to survive with only a few grazes and a black eye, Raihan went home to lick his wounds. At least a look of frustration on Leon’s face promised Charizard an equally bitter conclusion to the night. Seemingly, the solution laid on the surface — to meet with Leon in Hammerlocke only, but why would they? Raihan liked the occasional change of scenery, liked the stunning view of Wyndon from Leon's bedroom, and he even grew to like his stupid king-sized bed too. So why should Raihan allow some brazen Pokémon boss him around? Charizard was the one who needed to keep his jealousy in check.
Raihan's own Pokémon didn’t throw a tantrum every time Leon emerged from his bedroom in the morning with his sweatpants hanging low. Sure, they were wary at first, but with enough soothing and reassurance from Raihan they came to terms with it.
Raihan knew about the unique connection between Pokémon and its master better than anyone, but this went far and beyond. With equal amounts of irritation and curiosity Raihan had been watching as Charizard struggled with the desire to submit to Leon's will completely and rebel against Raihan's presence in their lives.
“You are just wasting your time,” Raihan said bluntly during their next camping, while Leon was busy with curry, and Charizard, ever-loyal bodyguard that he was, stood between him and Raihan, who was setting up a tent. “I will not give up.”
Charizard rasped his nostrils, and black smoke began to pour out of them in a thin stream. They locked eyes, and Charizard's gaze was once again full of spite.
“Dinner is ready, guys!” Leon proclaimed.
While they served their Pokémon, twilight descended on the Wild Area. The fire crackled to the chatter of joyous and well-fed Pokémon, and only Charizard was clearly on guard and not for a moment took his eyes off Leon, who sat down close to Raihan and occasionally pressed their shoulders together with a content soft sigh.
“I keep forgetting how nice it is,” Leon said quietly, brushing his palm against Raihan’s thigh. Their schedules were getting more busy, Leon’s specifically, but same as he went out of his way to come to Hammerlocke when he could, Raihan tried to align their free time and make preparations for camping. Leon’s gratitude was unspoken, but this was not necessary.
“Always a pleasure, Champ.”
Charizard growled in protest and stomped towards them, and Raihan felt his Pokémon stiffen, ready to lash out if needed, but Leon was first to react.
“Stay, Charizard,” he commanded firmly. Exasperation in his voice was almost non-existent, but the bond they shared surely allowed Charizard to catch it nonetheless.
He stopped in his tracks immediately, his expression suddenly blank and unreadable. Charizard stood there for a while and then returned to others. Later, when Leon was already dozing on his shoulder, Raihan glanced at him: hunched as in defeat he rarely experienced, Charizard looked rather small and miserable. Or maybe it was just an illusion casted on him by the flashes of fire.
Raihan swallowed and looked down at their intertwined hands. Leon's fingers were warm in his palm and trembled ever so slightly.
*
So continuing power plays with Charizard meant upsetting the person they couldn’t learn how to share. Which was the opposite of what Raihan wanted, actually.
“Do you want me to take him to Hammerlocke?” Leon asked, and the delight was prominent on his face. He hated to part with Charizard even for those few evenings a week he spent the night at Raihan's.
“Why not?” Raihan shrugged. “It will be much faster than the taxi. And he can take a stroll with Flygon before bed. My boy will show him around and keep him busy.”
“Oh, I see”, Leon said and laughed excitedly. “Great idea.”
Raihan put one hand on the small of his back, pulling him close, and with the other took off Leon’s cap and brought it to the face, inhaling the smell of sweat, hair conditioner and something else that he could only describe as Leon himself.
“As if I have any non-great ideas, ever.”
Judging by the eagerness with which Leon peppered his face with kisses, Raihan was on the right track.
A few days later Raihan was expecting them, anxiously pacing up and down the balcony. Eventually Flygon embraced him from behind and put his neck on Raihan’s shoulders. Laughing, Raihan nuzzled him and scratched under the chin.
“Show him that meadow you like so much, will you?”
When Charizard’s familiar silhouette appeared on the horizon, Raihan thought that maybe his assumption regarding the taxi was wrong. Charizard was clearly demonstrating wingspan and strength, but not speed; he made two circles around the castle before finally landing. Leon jumped down, patted him on the back and whispered something into his ear. Charizard, seemingly in a playful mood, roared as in laughter.
Raihan was hesitant — it was Flygon who chirped in greeting first, and Charizard growled in response, but his eyes were on Raihan now. Still, he seemed more suspicious than threatening.
“And here we are!” Leon exclaimed, clapping Charizard on the shoulder one last time and then striding to Raihan. Raihan casted a glance at Charizard when Leon threw one arm around his neck. Charizard looked unhappy, but for once Raihan didn’t feel like one wrong move would result in his limbs being ripped out by those strong jaws.
“Grand entrance, but we expected you half an hour ago,” Raihan smiled slyly, raising his voice.
“The weather in Wyndon has turned real bad,” said Leon with a matching volume and showed a secret smile to Raihan. “You know how fierce the winds are there.”
“You bet I do! But today is your lucky day, because our weather is excellent, right, Flygon?” In response, Flygon propelled into the air and circled around Charizard invitingly.
Charizard gave them a long condemning look, but eventually sighed, spread his wings and soared upward. Flygon gave him a head start and took off after.
Leon put his arm around Raihan's waist, watching them go, and it was the most natural thing in the world for Raihan to turn and press lips to his temple. At moments like this, they matched in all the right places.
“Thank you for inviting us both,” said Leon. “We are very grateful.”
And apparently to show how truly grateful he was, Leon grabbed his ass. Hard.
So this new strategy could be considered a success. After all, Raihan was also a trainer — and a competent one, thank you, despite what some haters might write under his post-match selfies — and being well versed in the behavior of Pokémon was expected of him. This whole Charizard fiasco was frankly Leon's fault, with him being so hot and bothered all the time and significantly damaging Raihan’s critical thinking.
He took his time with the sweet revenge that night. Thankfully, it was a long flight to Flygon's meadow.
Faint gusts of the wind pierced through the heavy veil of sleep and woke him up. Raihan heard how Flygon softly landed on the balcony, and how heavily and unceremoniously Charizard sank down. Raihan knew that Charizard could be graceful when he wanted, but that was clearly not in today’s menu. Claws clattered over the masonry behind the door — unlocked, though the temptation was great. Charizard drew in a few breaths through the nostrils, exhaled loudly, and the low growl rumbled deep in his throat, as if he knew that Raihan was listening. And then it was quiet again.
Raihan sighed, made himself comfortable under Leon's heavy arm and sank into sleep.
Was this the beginning of a beautiful friendship? No; but it was a truce of sorts, and Raihan had to take it or leave it. Charizard now preferred to rather not notice him at all. Only during the battles did the embers flare up to the wildfire, and Charizard was especially smug after being triumphant these days.
Raihan dreamt that his Pokémon, too, could someday look at their rivals this way, with a sense of absolute, undeniable superiority.
But as soon as they left the stadium, Charizard went out of his way to show how little of his thoughts Raihan occupied. Erased was his entire existence, and no amount of treats could warm Charizard up to him. Leon seemed to be torn between wanting to encourage him in those futile attempts at bribing and to gently put a stop to it, because in the end it was just that — futile.
“Don’t mind him,” was usually Leon's verdict. “He will come around”.
Ever the optimist, Raihan thought fondly. But the bitterness he felt because of Charizard’s rejection was as sudden as it was undeniable. Raihan was notorious for finding the correct approach to people and Pokémon both, so maybe it was just his wounded pride speaking.
Or maybe it was just that: Charizard was Leon's Pokémon — his best friend, his integral part, at times even his extension. That part of Leon might never accept Raihan, and he needed to come to terms with it.
It wouldn’t be possible to possess someone completely, would it?
Funny how much unwanted treats could devastate, but here he was. Raihan didn’t know when his heart became so full of Leon that it threatened to burst open, but here he was. Stuck in his heart's selfish desires.
They didn’t sing about this part in the ballads much.
*
The medicine was dripping in IVs like the sand in the hourglass, counting down the infinite time circulating across the hospital room. Drip, drip, drip.
Tasteless and sterile, this eternity stretched along the white walls and floor, the white handrails of the bed and the sheets; over the white face it stretched to finally settle in the deep shadows under Leon’s eyes.
Raihan thought that the place next to that bed wasn’t his when Leon's mother and Hop were already there; it was a family time, and he knew better than to claim affiliation as such. But in the deep of the night, more than a whole day after the incident and them not leaving Leon’s side, they decided to catch at least some sleep in the hotel. Raihan pumped himself with what felt like a gallon of bitter coffee from the hallway’s coffee machine and was eager to reassure them that he would not take his eyes off Leon and call them as soon as he woke up.
He doubted they needed anything from him when the room was monitored by the personnel constantly. But he had a hard time remaining silent, words pouring out like water from a broken pipe. Leon's mother stroked his arm with a confident yet soft touch. Her smile was unwavering in the presence of her sons, but she stepped out alone once, and Raihan happened to see it fell for a very brief moment. It was something he was not supposed to see and he wished he didn’t.
Hop was as bouncy as always, but it was like nervousness was electrocuting him.
“We will be back in the morning,” he said and sounded pleading.
“I promise I won't let him escape to the stadium until you get back.”
When they were gone, Raihan entered the room.
Leon was laying there motionless, like a part of the furnishing, and it was unbearable to look at him. As long as Raihan could remember, Leon was always in motion; sometimes he eventually had to stop for a moment to catch his breath, but he never froze like he did now, a still picture in time and space. A dull pain pulled at Raihan’s heart. He sat down on the chair next to the bed, squeezed one limp hand and was surprised at how cold it was. Cold, too, had never been associated with Leon before that moment. Medicine kept counting down the time of his absence — drip, drip, drip.
Out of the corner of his eye Raihan caught movement: on the table next to the wall were neatly folded Leon's belongings, including his Poké Balls. They vibrated, swaying slightly, but one was rolling so much it could drop to the floor any moment. Raihan got up and closed the door. The room was a spacious one, clearly suited to accommodate large groups of visitors, so he didn’t think twice before letting Charizard out.
Raihan had never heard him make such a sound. A whimper escaped his mouth, the one suited more for a small scared Charmander. Carefully, as if afraid to damage something very precious and fragile, Charizard laid his head at the foot of Leon's bed and closed his eyes. Shiver went up and down his spine, and the flame on the tip of his tail was weak and pale.
Did you think he was invincible? Raihan thought, averting his eyes. Guess that makes two of us then.
Hop told him how it all happened, and as a trainer Raihan could only imagine what it cost Charizard to obey that order. What would Raihan's Pokémon do if faced with the same choice? Unquestioning obedience or unconditional love?
Charizard was strong, and he was loyal. But when push came to shove, it was all about trust, and ultimately Charizard trusted Leon’s judgment to the point of letting him get hurt.
Raihan sat down on a chair again. The palm that he had previously held laid as he had left it. Raihan carefully reached out to uncurl Leon’s fingers and turn it over, and Charizard opened one eye.
“It's not your fault,” Raihan said, brushing the cold skin one last time.
Charizard took a very deep breath and froze, same as his master did.
Raihan did not know how much time they spent next to each other; he sat with his dry aching eyes open, but Charizard seemed to be asleep. The nurse came to change the IVs; she saw Charizard and looked like she was going to protest, but in the end shook her head, did everything in silence and left. Charizard, still without moving an inch, followed her with his gaze and closed his eyes again.
Leon's breath was slow and deep. At this moment Raihan wanted nothing more than to stir him up and say something; he had one or two things in mind. Just a day ago he didn’t plan to say those things out loud any time soon, but should Leon open his eyes this very moment Raihan would in a heartbeat. Cliché or not, he no longer cared. Drip, drip, drip. He was suddenly choking on words that now could only be said to this deafening silence.
He sighed and rubbed his eyes angrily. This was no time to pity himself, now that the first morning light was gradually pouring into the room, and Leon's family would return soon only to find him in such a sorry state—
He didn’t notice any movement at all when suddenly there was a heavy muzzle in his lap. Charizard, still with his eyes closed, opened his mouth — and Raihan spent enough time with this impossible creature to understand exactly what he was told.
Raihan raised a hand and ran it down Charizard’s long, strong neck, and to his surprise it never strained under his touch. Growing bolder, he stroked the rough horns and the sensitive skin between them. Charizard let out a satisfied breath.
“You are right, buddy,” Raihan said around the lump in his throat. “You know him best after all, don’t you?”
It was such a simple realization, really, the one that should have had come to him a long time ago. Please give me the chance to know him better too, he thought.
Charizard snorted — duh — and Raihan, smiling, leaned over, put his arms around Charizard’s neck and briefly buried his face against it. It smelled of campfire in the Wild Area, grass in the stadium, spray from the Pokécenter, apartment overlooking the city in Wyndon, same as Leon's cap smelled like. Raihan squeezed tight and let go, not wanting to overstay his welcome, but it seemed like Charizard wasn’t going to protest at all.
He dozed a bit after that with Charizard's muzzle still nested on his legs, and when he woke up the sun was up, and Leon, with his eyes half-opened and looking at them with a faintest of smiles, was basked in its warm light.