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Raihan used to love his matches with Leon, used to love goofing off with him before the match and going out to eat after. He used to look forward to spending the night on Leon’s giant couch wrapped in blankets watching terrible movies. Outwardly he still does, but he dies a little bit inside every time he hangs out with his best friend.
It all started two months ago, after their exhibition match to open the Gym Challenge. Mid battle he realized he was in love with Leon. It was the look that Leon gave him before Gigantamaxing Charizard. He knew he had feelings for Leon, but it was at that moment he thought maybe Leon liked him too.
He brought it up later that evening, they were wrapped up together in the massive grey blanket Leon kept on his couch, Leon was basically sitting in his lap. He could smell his shampoo and cologne when he let his chin rest on his shoulder. The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, “I think I’m in love with you.” He whispered against Leon’s hair.
Leon had gone ridged in his arms, and Raihan’s heart sank. “I might love you too.” He whispered, “but we can’t.”
“Why?” he had asked, while Leon extracted himself from Raihan’s hold, and the simple answer was, Chairman Rose.
Just when Raihan thought things couldn’t get worse, for the first year since he was twelve, he had not won the semi-finals, he would not be the one that would be challenging Leon for the champion title. Hop’s little friend, the one Leon had endorsed, was. They deserved it really, they had obliterated his Gym Challenge team, so whole handedly that he had actually switched Mayflower out for Darude for the tournament. Darude, was his first partner, he had met him as a Trapinch, but he was too high level, and a bit wild, for the Gym Challenge. Mayflower had always been a bit more docile than Darude, she was also five years younger.
Raihan should be in the Gym Leader box with the other Leaders watching the Championship match. But he couldn’t, so he was sat in Leon’s locker room, waiting for his best friend, to come back. He was done waiting, Chairman Rose was in prison now, he couldn’t pretend anymore. This match shouldn’t even be happening, Leon was still injured, three of his ribs broken, a concussion, and multiple cuts stitched together, he could hardly stand, but he was adamant. Raihan loved that about him, he was determined, always put everything before himself. But he was injured, and he was facing off against the kid who had captured the beast that almost killed him.
Raihan didn’t even notice the match was over, the pounding in his ears louder than the crowd. Leon trudged into the locker room, cape in hand, and cap missing, and an odd look on his face.
“Raihan? What are you doing here?” He questioned, his voice not as boisterous as normal.
Raihan stood, walking slowly towards the other man, taking his hands once he was close enough. Leon let his cape drop to the floor and laced his fingers with Raihan’s.
“I hate this, I run into you and try not to touch, acting like it’s not killing me, but it does. I know we said we would just be friends, but I can’t lie, and I can’t pretend, man I’ve tried but bottom line is I still love you and I hate this.” The words pour out of him, his well-planned speech gone, all that’s left are his raw emotions. “Missing you, hoping you're somewhere missing me. Hoping you'll call, hoping I'm awake when it rings. We took this time to figure out what we wanted but my heart's breaking, I can't take this time and space, it sucks, I hate this. I know we said we'd just be friends, but I can’t.”
Tears were running down his face, and Leon had dropped his head, hair falling in curtains around his face, blocking it from Raihan’s view. Leon gripped his hand tighter. His shoulders starting to shake, A loud sob escapes him and his knees crumble. He pulls Raihan down with him, wrapping his arms around his neck, and sobs into the front of Raihan’s hoodie.
Eventually he calms enough to speak, his voice is rough and quiet. “I lost.” Those two simple words changed everything. “I’m not the Champion anymore. And I can’t lie and I can’t pretend either. I love you so much, these last few months sucked. I want us back and I don't need another night to sleep on it.” Leon pulled his face away from Raihan’s chest. Tears and snot coving his face, Raihan pulls his hand into the sleeve of his hoodie to wipe Leon’s face clean.
“I lost to them too, twice.” Raihan laughs, “But you will always be my champion.”
“Can I kiss you?” Leon looks up at Raihan, who smiles softly and nods.
Leon doesn’t wait another second, surging up and kissing Raihan. Leon’s lips are soft, compared to Raihan’s sandstorm chapped lips. The kiss soft and slow, and kind of gross, Leon’s face is red and hot and sticky, and Raihan’s hoodie is soaked and covered in snot but it’s perfect.
“Let’s skip dinner, come back to my place, Darude can take us” Raihan says against his lips.
“Can I stay the night?” Leon pulls back and rest his head on Raihan’s shoulder.
“You can move in if you want, I’m not letting go of you anytime soon.” Raihan shifts his legs to be crossed instead of sitting on his knees, pulling Leon into his lap.
“Don’t tempt me, I’m going to have to move out of the Champion suite at the Rose of the Rondelands, and I know Chaz would love to see Mayflower more, I wouldn’t be surprised if they mated if we move in together.
“I’m not joking, move in with me.” Leon sits up and gazes into Raihan’s eyes, mildly waiting for the ‘Psych’ coming, but it never does. Raihan’s eyes are honest and vulnerable, as if he will shatter if Leon says no.
“Okay” Leon whispers, and Raihan basically tackles him to the floor laughing.
The two men eventually pull themselves up off the floor, Leon didn’t bother changing out of his uniform, but he did root around in his gym bag for a while, until he came up with a dark blue hat with the Hammerlocke Stadium logo on it, and proudly placed it on his head. “You gave me this hat when you became a Gym Leader, do you remember?”
“Of course, I remember every hat I have ever given to you for your collection. You always smile so bright when you get a new hat. Not the smile you give to the press, it was a genuine smile, full of joy. I live for that smile.” Raihan says reverently.
“You have a crinkle by your eye when you are happy you know, I would always bring you new hot sauces from my different trips, because it would mean I would get to see the crinkle.” Leon laughed, zipping his cape into his gym bag and holding his hand out to Raihan. “Ready?”
Raihan smiled, the little crinkle appearing next to his eye. “Let’s go home.”