Chapter Text
Lucian sat at the table in a cafe within Sinnoh with his brother Will, who just gave him a skeptical glance whilst leaning back in his chair. The corner of the younger Psychic Elite's lips curved for a brief second.
"This is quite uncharacteristic of you, brother. . ." he commented, "Isn't scheming more my deal?" he teased.
Lucian shifted his glasses up his brow, a sigh leaving his lips, "Yes, do go on and poke fun all you want, Will. You know, as much as I do, that your partner is. . well, to be quite blunt about it, a wild card. He doesn't know how to make up his mind or keep his hands to himself. "
The smile that once painted over Will's lips faded for a moment, "I am quite aware of that, unfortunately. So . . ." he tilted his head at his elder brother, ". . I assume you have an end goal to this plan of yours?"
Crossing his arms, Lucian gave a nod, "More or less, yes. By the end of the night, I would honestly like to get the message across that we are both in committed relationships and our partners aren't to be shared."
Will reached for his coffee that rested on the table, a tired sigh leaving him as he closed his eyes behind his mask. "That sounds like a nearly impossible task." Taking a small sip from his glass, he looked down in thought. "Convincing Grimsley to double date for an occasion meant to spoil his co-worker may be much more difficult than you think. I've had. .conflicting conversations with him in the past."
Lucian studied the look on his brother. The distant expression that clouded his eyes, even with his mask shielding him from the world, he could see that there was an emotional struggle behind those misty lavender eyes.
"Did you want to talk about it? Unless. .the topic is too sensitive for you to open up about."
Will shook his head, setting his cup down, "No, it's fine. If anything, I think you would be one of the few people who would understand."
Lucian nods, waiting for Will to continue.
"On Shauntal's birthday, we returned to my place, as he still had things thereafter the Galla. He seemed distant when I tried to start a conversation with him. I don't like probing into his thoughts without permission, but he wasn't talking to me. So, I took a glance into his thoughts and saw what happened before Grimsley called to inform me he was ready to leave."
He gritted his teeth, an unusually annoyed grimace fixated on his features, "He had the nerve to kiss her and act like it was nothing. I asked him about it, and he simply shrugged it off, looking away from me. We. . ended up having quite the argument after that. I told him I wasn't sure if I could trust him to keep his hands to himself and that what he did was completely uncalled for. He could've said his peace without touching her. .but he just had to delve into temptation. He didn't even seem sorry about it, which I think is what burns the most."
Lucian sympathized with him, as he had a somewhat similar conversation with Shauntal. Thankfully they were able to get things worked out. He knew how upset and morally confused Shauntal was about the whole situation.
"Were the two of you able to come to a compromise, at least?" Lucian inquired.
"Sort of. ." Will uttered softly, "He promised to keep things platonic, but I have a gut feeling that he might try a fast move under the table."
"I see. So, do you think the plan will work?"
Will held his chin in his hand as he focused his gaze on the table, visualizing the idea that Lucian placed in front of him.
"You wish to have a double date with Shauntal, Grimsley, and the two of us, yes? While I don't think Shauntal will mind, I believe he will. However. .if I make this a game for him, he can't say no. It's always been a weak point of his. So long as we are close to our partners, I don't see why things wouldn't work out. Now the only thing is, they plan on doing things on New Year's Eve and if I recall correctly, they're going to a festival."
Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose, " That could be a problem. I'm sure we can get new attire somewhere but the fact that he's using a holiday to cover for her birthday..."
Will took out his Rotom phone and did brief mental math, "He should be finished with his battles by now. I'll send a text to him for starters."
Taking a moment to send Grimsley a text, he waits two minutes before his Rotom buzzes, notifying him that he had a message. Reading what it said, a slight smirk played upon his lips.
"Ah, it seems he's free to chat. Allow me to set the stage, brother."
Lucian took hold of his cup of coffee as he observed Will make a call to Grimsley. Ringing only twice, the dark-type gambler answered the video call.
"Good evening, Will. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call this evening?" Grimsley inquired as he leaned his back against a wall, giving him a classic grin.
Will held his chin in thought, tilting his head for a moment, "I have a proposal for you if you'll hear me out?"
"Oh?" Grimsley sounded as if he was certainly interested in whatever Will had in mind. "I'm listening."
"Very well. I am aware that you plan on taking Shauntal out in a few days. I believe you mentioned that it would be on New Year's Eve, yes?"
Grimsley nods, "More or less. You didn't seem to be bothered by it when I mentioned it at first. What about it?"
"Well, I was wondering if you would consider allowing Lucian and myself to tag along as well? Consider our company as..judges of a sort. With us there, we could judge the game I have in mind."
Grimsley narrowed his brows at the mention of Lucian, "Okay . . .What sort of game did you have in mind?"
It was at this point that Will grinned from ear to ear, "To keep your hands to yourself, most pointedly, away from Shauntal. If you can accomplish that, then you should be free to watch the fireworks. If not..then I'll take you by the collar and drag you home." Will placed a finger over his lips with a suggestive grin, "You wouldn't want to disappoint your guest and leave early, now, would you? Your punishment won't be anything you'd enjoy either."
"Hm...How very tempting. I almost want to toss my hand in early.."
Lucian simply rolled his eyes at the remark. Their flirting was something he didn't sign up for today.
"Now now, no need to be a spoiled sport about it. Are you sure you don't wish to play?"
The sound of thoughtful humming could be heard from Grimsley. He weighed the pros and cons of participating in the game that Will presented him with. His usual betting coin twirled between his fingers as he considered what he had to gain.
"If the reward at the end was worth it, I would consider going along. Aside from the fireworks, what else is there to look forward to?"
Will chuckled softly, "The annual fireworks won't be the only fireworks you can look forward to." There was a sort of dark glimmer in his eyes, shaded by his mask.
There was a pause, the sound of his coin being flipped as Will tilted his head for a brief moment.
"You drive a hard bargain, but I'm in. Was that all you needed?"
Will gave a nod," For the moment, yes. I'll contact you later once I am home. "
"Fine by me. I'll speak with you later then."
With that, they ended the call and Will tucked away his Rotom as a knowing grin formed over his lips. "It seems that things are going well thus far. Do you need a moment to call Shauntal about the news?"
He shakes his head, "No. She more or less knew that we were going to take care of things. I spoke with her earlier this morning."
At that, Will rose a brow, "Her time or ours?"
A slight grin crept over Lucian's lips, "Her's. I won't go into details, but she needed someone to talk to this morning to help her rest."
Will mirrored Lucian's grin, tilting his head with curiosity, "Something tells me that you were doing more than just talking. You didn't actually visit her back in Unova this morning, did you?"
"My lips are sealed," Lucian uttered, taking a sip of his coffee. Though he knew very well that his brother could easily peer into his memories to see both the phone and physical conversation and more he had with Shauntal that morning, they knew each other's boundaries.
Thankfully, Will could take a hint and recoiled his inquiry to respect Lucian and Shauntal's privacy. The grin Lucian wore told him all he needed to know. He was a little envious of how close the pair were but overall, he was happy to see that his usually reserved brother finally had a reason to smile these days.
"At any event. . ." Will uttered as he adjusted his sleeves, "I need to prepare a few things. I suppose we will meet during New Year's then?"
Lucian nods, "I'll see you then. Do try not to be late."
_______________________________
Standing from his seat, he gave the other a low formal bow, "I wouldn't dream of it. Until we meet again, dear brother."
Shauntal leaned her back against a wooden fence that was used as an old barrier between the festival grounds and the parking lot. Her hair was up in a neat lavender bun with a pair of black chopsticks that were connected by a small chain within her bun. The kimono she decided to don this evening had a primary color of dark purple with a bright neon blue on the cuffs and a water painting of a Chandelure.
She occasionally looked up from her Rotom phone to see if she could spot either her co-worker or date for the evening. Shauntal made sure that she arrived early enough so she could avoid the large crowds. Even though she was a member of the Elite Four for Unova, she wasn't a huge fan of being overcrowded by the living.
{Ghosts were a different story. They could fade and go through walls to give her space if needed. People, unfortunately, couldn't do that.}
"Where are you guys...?" she muttered to herself.
She hadn't heard from Lucian since that morning -- as he gave her his usual good morning text, despite their time differences; and she last spoke to Grimsley the night before about where they would meet as well as the time.
Glancing at the time on her Rotom, she frowned a bit. It was almost noon, and they had agreed to meet around ten. How long did it take for them to get ready..?
She had promised Lucian that she would keep her notebook back home, which lead to her hands feeling anxious. Taking a deep breath, she looked around once more. Maybe they were held up in traffic? Or there was an accident on their way in? Either way, she tried to push away the negative and look on the bright side.
She was going to have an amazing day with friends at a festival and enjoy the festivities with them...at least when they arrived.
Thankfully, she didn't have to wait for too long as the sound of Lucian's voice could be heard behind her. Turning around, she saw her beloved speaking to Will while Grimsley stood beside his partner.
"You don't need to have all those accessories, Will. You'll lose them in the crowd." Lucian uttered as he approached the entrance where Shauntal waited.
Will scoffed, clearly looking offended, "I disagree. It's not just a fashion statement, it completes the outfit! Something I doubt you would understand."
"Lucian!~"
The older psychic looked forward and could only smile as Shauntal rushed into his arms. Leaping forward, she tackled him into a tight embrace with a giggle. He, in turn, lifted her into the air and twirled her about, giving her a loving kiss. She sighed for a moment in his arms before breaking their kiss.
"I'm glad you guys finally made it. I was starting to think something happened..." she uttered with a soft pout.
Lucian looks to his left where his brother stood with a small smile.
"My apologies, Shauntal. Someone was taking forever to get ready."
Once again, Will scoffed at his brother, "The image of perfection takes time. You can't achieve such a goal in mere seconds, though that would be quite impressive. Tell me, Shauntal. You're a woman of delicate taste, are you not? What do you think of my outfit?"
Will did a small turnaround to show off his attire, allowing Shauntal to properly judge what he wore. Arms dramatically held out at his sides, Will ensured that every fashionable angle of his kimono and lavish accessory was in her view.
Aside from the black kimono he wore, there was an additional red sash that was wrapped around his small waist with a traditional scimitar attached to his right hip. As the blade glimmered against the sunlight within his turnaround, Shauntal could tell that the prop he wore was anything but fake.
He wore black and white metallic bracers that read 'Peace of Mind' and 'Death within Destruction' in kanji painted with red and black ink respectively. On the left side of his hip was a black hand fan that tied into a loop within the sash. Decorating the back of his kimono was a shiny Xatu, vibrant orange and white stripes on its wings fanning over his shoulders.
Shauntal smiled a bit, "It's a wonderful outfit, but I don't know if you're going to be allowed in with that weapon on you."
Lucian, who wore a simple teal and red kimono, glared at his brother through his glasses, "I believe I recall telling you that was unnecessary."
Will rolled his eyes, as he turned his attention towards Grimsley, who wore a red and black kimono. "At any rate, we should get inside. Festivities await us beyond the gates."
Lucian gave a nod as he promptly took hold of Shauntal's hand and led her in, walking ahead. The pair had idle chatter while Will and Grimsley stood back a bit. Will took a moment to observe his partner. Tilting his head, he studied him. He tried reading his facial expression, but Grimsley just had a blank look on his face.
"Grimsley, my love, what's wrong? You haven't said a word since we left." When the dark-type gambler didn't respond, a sigh left Will's lips as he nudged his arm again to the other, making him shake his head.
"Hm? What is it, Will?"
The young Psychic gave him a long look. "Did you hear anything I said?"
When Grimsley shook his head, Will palmed his forehead. This was going to be more of a chore than he imagined. He adjusted his mask for a brief moment, an attempt to regain his composure before he held Grimsley's hands within his own.
"You've been tight-lipped since we left for the festival. I want to be here to support and love you but it's difficult when you don't talk to me. You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I don't like prying into your thoughts, but I feel, lately, that's the only way I'm ever able to get anything out of you. It's not exactly a productive way of communication."
Grimsley looked away from Will, glancing back to where Shauntal and Lucian were. He saw how the pair were giggling and sharing smiles, and inside jokes. His heart dropped seeing the two of them together.
Will was starting to get irritated and rose his voice, his grip on the gambler's hands growing tighter, "Grimsley! Look. At. Me."
The gambler jumped at his tone, "Wh-what...?!"
"Do you recall the game we agreed upon? It starts now. I don't want to catch you reaching for her. Period. As you can see, she is quite content with my brother. She doesn't need you adding complications to her life. I know you are open to sharing partners, but I most certainly am not. I thought we already went over this, but I feel like this is going to be a broken recording every time you see her."
"I just. .miss her."
"You see her at work every damn day. What could you possibly miss? You can be friends with a woman without having the urge to reach out to them. If you're craving attention or affection, just lean on me. I would be more than happy to oblige. Just. .this emotional tug of war needs to stop. You're only going to get hurt in the process and take others with you, which is quite unfair to those of us who are trying to be honest with how we feel about our partners."
There was a pained expression on Grimsley's face, lips turned to a thin line as he rubbed his brow. "Fine. I'll play along. Just don't be surprised if I become needy during the festival. "
Will brought Grimsley's hands to his lips, giving his beloved a look of longing, "That's all I can ever ask from you." he whispers against the other's knuckles. "Now, shall we rejoin the others? We've delayed long enough."
Lacing their fingers together, Will rejoined Shauntal and Lucian with Grimsley following behind. A single glance between the brothers was all that it took for them to notify one another that their issue was addressed, or at the very least vocalized.
Lucian gave an understanding nod before wrapping an arm around his beloved. He whispers against her ear, "Was there someplace you wanted to go, sweetheart? You can pick the first shop to visit as a way of apologizing for being so late."
Shauntal gave a nod as her face immediately lit up. "Yeah actually! There's a stand that's selling books from Paldea. I wanted to check it out.”
"Sounds like a wonderful idea."
She opens a pamphlet she picked up by the gate that had a vendor map of where everything was. Shauntal pointed to the bottom of the map, showing where they currently were, and looked at the vendors listed. It appeared that it wasn't too far from where they were. Pointing in the direction they needed to go, Shauntal gave Lucian's arm a playful tug, causing him to be dragged off by his beloved.
Will and Grimsley walked behind them, looking at the various vendors. Every so often there would be young trainers who would recognize the pair and wave as they passed by. Will was all too eager to return a wave or two, absorbing the attention as Grimsley barely acknowledged them, though nodded once in a while. Glancing to his side, Will rose a brow at Grimsley.
"Hey, lighten up a little. We can take a small detour if you'd like. Something for just the two of us to do?"
"I suppose. . ."
A sigh left Will. He knew that raising his voice was completely out of character for him earlier. In his defense, however, his partner wasn't exactly communicating with him. He truly despised using his abilities to peer into the mind of individuals when it came to his loved ones; but when they refused to say anything or give any sort of indication that something was wrong, the cold shoulder he usually received was less than helpful.
It wasn't exactly a fond feeling, especially when he was trying to be helpful. If anything, it was quite frustrating. He knew that it was a matter of trust to look into the minds of loved ones. Just because he was a mind reader, it didn't mean he enjoyed prying needlessly.
He looked around to see if he could find any place that could lighten the mood. To his surprise, there was a photo booth nearby. The corners of his lips curved as he removed the fan from his sash. Perhaps he could convince Grimsley to open up a little more if they had a spotlight on just the two of them.
"Fancy taking a picture? A special occasion requires at least a photo to recall the memory. "
Grimsley turned to Will, "Really? Hm...I suppose since there isn't anything else to do."
Pulling Grimsley by the hand, he led him to the booth but found himself pausing as there was a specific sort of ticket needed to use the booth. Beside the booth was a gaming vendor that allowed players to toss golden rings over nails that varied in height with a different value of pictures allowed to be taken from the booth.
"Oh?"
Well now, this was certainly something up his alley. Grimsley watched for a moment while a pair of children made an attempt to toss five rings each over the various nails that held prizes. Unfortunately, they couldn't get any of the nails. It appeared that a few of the nails were tilted at an angle that would make obtaining a prize difficult.
Grimsley gave a grin. Oh, this was too easy. Stepping forward, he paid the vendor, as Will watched a few steps back. It was almost as if the vendor had the better tickets purposely crooked so no one could get them. Grimsley tilted his head for a moment, calculating how to properly toss the rings.
"Hold on a moment kids. Watch this..."
The children that failed to play the previous round stood nearby watching in awe as Grimsley tossed each ring at an angle, taking a step backward to reach a nail in the far back as the final prize.
- 5 Pictures WIN
-2 Pictures WIN
- 8 Pictures WIN
-5 Pictures WIN
-15 Pictures WIN
"Woaaaah! That was so cool! How did you get all of the big ones? They were super impossible." the little girl grumbled.
Grimsley folded an arm over his chest, tapping his chin in thought, "You're right. It was nearly impossible to get it. Someone rigged the game so that so few, if any players, could win. " his attention turned to the gentleman who was behind the counter with a cold glare, " I'd suggest you change your game before someone else from the League finds out. You wouldn't want to be accused of running a scam, now would you?"
"N-no! Of course not!" His eyes went wide in fear as he scrambles for a moment to gather the picture tickets Grimsley won, "Please don't report me to the authorities! I-I'll fix things, I promise!"
Chuckling softly, he took the tickets before turning to give each of the kids a 5 Picture ticket. They thanked Grimsley and rushed to the photo booth, passing by a grinning Will. While they waited for the kids to finish, Grimsley shared a look with his partner.
"What's the grin for, Will?"
"Oh, nothing in particular. I just love watching you put men who are beneath you in their place. That was quite an entertaining scene to watch."
Grimsley merely shrugged his shoulders, "It was nothing, really."
"I hardly think so. You've certainly made those children's day."
As he spoke, the pair could hear the kids giggling as the photos of them making silly faces that imitated various water-type Pokemon started to print from outside the booth.
"Well, it wasn't like I was going to use all of those tickets anyway," he uttered with a dismissive wave. "I'll probably give one to Shauntal so she and her nerdy boyfriend can take pictures together."
Will raised a brow, chuckling a little, "I'll spare Lucian in telling him you said that. Though, need I remind you that nerd has a sharper mind than you? He rendered you speechless."
". . .that was only because I hadn't come up with a decent comeback yet. I would've thought of something if I had the time to."
"Having a hard time accepting your defeat, love?" his teasing inquiry was accompanied by a smug smirk.
"Ah, shut it..."
With a flick of his wrist, a dark glimmer could be spotted through Will's mask as he opened his hand fan, leaving just the view of his mask, "Make me. . .~"
The scowl on Grimsley's face slowly turned to a knowing smirk, "I know what you're doing and I'm not falling for that, not now."
Not caring that they might have an audience from any passerby, Grimsley pushed Will's fan away as he gently took hold of the other's chin, two digits luring him closer, whispering against his lips, "Once we are alone, I'll make sure you eat your words and then some. You're quite bold to try to tempt me in public though. I'll give you that."
Their lips brushed against one another for a brief second as Grimsley settled a firm hand on the shorter male's waist. When he pulled back, Grimsley merely gave him a grin, "You were saying?"
For a psychic who had triumphed over a great number of opponents, it was certainly a surprise to Will that Grimsley managed to render him speechless, even if it was for just a few seconds. A blush that rivaled the shade of red on Grimsley's kimono washed over Will's cheeks.
He masked his flustered state with a soft laugh, looking away for a moment to check if the children were still using the booth. "There's the gambler I fell for. Finally managed to get out of your sulky mood?"
"For now, at least. I have someone here to focus my attention on." the gambler, still having his hold around Will, pulled him closer, quickly redirecting his partner's attention back to him, "Thank you for coming with me today. I know...I meant to focus my attention on a friend for her birthday but I now realize that I would feel incredibly lonely if I only had her here. As you mentioned before, she's content with Lucian and...."Grimsley weaved his fingers through the others, working around the fan that he held. His actions caused a knowing grin to slowly creep over Will's lips. It was nice to see that his partner was finally taking their relationship seriously.
"...I don't want to lose you over doing something stupid. You're mine, just as much as I am yours."
Will's gaze softened as he gave his partner's hand a reassuring squeeze, "I know. It certainly took you a while to figure that out though, now didn't it?" he teased. Looking back over his shoulder, he notices the children gathering their pictures and waving to them as they ran off. Will glances back to Grimsley, his lips curved into a plotting grin. "Shall we?"