Chapter Text
Hugh was beautiful.
Nate felt his heart flutter as he stared at his rival under the fireworks that started exploding five seconds ago. He only woke up 5 minutes before it was time for the new year, courtesy of Rosa with her bucket of water, but Arceus was glad he didn’t miss this scene that looked like it was from some cheesy romance anime.
The warm hues clashing with harsh blues looked stupidly good on Hugh, alright? Anybody in their right mind would agree with Nate. The way the lights reflected off his hair, the way his eyes seemed to be glowing, everything about him…
He was objectively ethereal! Nate was supposed to be the actor, so what is Hugh doing being so PRETTY?!
It was almost as if Nate was in his own little world despite the ear-killing sound of fireworks and the loud cheers from people around him.
After what felt like an eternity of staring at his childhood friend and rival, his homie, his bro, he was finally snapped out of his trance by a harsh slap to the cheek.
Nate almost fell on his bum at the impact and tried to find the perpetrator.
Rosa strikes again.
“What was that for?!”
“You’ve been staring at your “homie” for a whole minute!” Rosa said, crossing her arms. “You look like a lovesick—“
Before she could finish, Nate frantically muffled her with his hands and hissed, “Don’t say that so loudly, he’s going to hear you!”
“And why are you scared of that, aren’t you strictly “bros”?” Rosa interrogated, narrowing her eyes.
“ROSA!”
It wasn’t as noticeable under the fireworks that were still blasting away, which thankfully made it harder to hear the two’s conversation, but Nate’s face was noticeably flushed.
Rosa opened her mouth to continue before promptly closing it as Hugh turned around and approached them with a smile on his face. “Yo, a pretty display, huh?”
Nate shook his head like a wet dog to try to clear his mind before looking back up at Hugh, who fortunately didn’t pay any mind to it. “Yeah! Hella pretty!”
“You bet. Burgh spent all day making sure the fireworks show would be a work of art.” Rosa said at Nate’s side, giving him a skeptical look as if to telepathically communicate “we will be talking about this later whether you like it or not”.
“Well, guess I gotta thank him later,” Hugh hummed. “Haven’t had such a dramatic new year since forever.”
“That’s Burgh for you, making sure the year starts off with a bang!” Nate grinned, linking his arms with the two. “I’m gonna go check out Cheren's doin’!”
“I’m guessing we don’t have a choice in the matter?” Rosa asked as Hugh simply sighed as Nate dragged them away.
“Nope!”
——————————
It was around 1:30 AM when the festivities starting the new year were over due to the absence of alcohol and all the minors there drained from playing tag (courtesy of Nate and Rosa).
Nate, who wanted nothing more than a good night’s rest to start off the year, forgot about his upcoming doom until Rosa dragged him into a forest after they separated with Hugh.
Oh shit.
“Alright, what the hell was that whole display about?”
“Can we not do this at 1 AM?!” Nate asked before shuddering under Rosa’s gaze that he could barely even see due to the darkness. Ok, no, apparently not. 1 AM it is. “It’s not gay if you have socks on?”
“…New year, new you, socks on or not,” Rosa deadpanned. “You are gay.”
Nate wasn’t sure whether he wanted to start wheezing at the monotone voice she had or defend his heterosexuality, so instead, he ended up doing both. He sounded like a dying child simultaneously being squished to death by a wailord. “AM NOT!”
Rosa seemed more amused now, trying to hide a cocky smile. “Sure, not like you, I don’t know, stared at Hugh as if you were a love-stricken damsel.”
“Well, what about you!” Nate tried to fight back in a panic. “You would also stare at him with how good he looked, don’t lie!”
“Nate. I’m a lesbian.”
He forgot about that part.
The boy scrambled to try to find a comeback from that, before groaning. “W-well, he’s still objectively handsome! Prove me wrong!”
“How will I do that when you’re head over heels?”
“I am NORMAL about Hugh.”
Rosa just sighed, putting her hand on Nate’s shoulder and looking down. “Nate.”
“…Yes?”
“You are the dumbest person I have ever spoken to,” Rosa said, looking up at him. “And I speak to Hugh on a daily basis.”
“B-but you’re just wrong!” Nate cried as Rosa stared into his soul. “We’re just friends!”
“NATE. Friends don’t look lovingly at each other under the fireworks!”
The air was tense for a while as Nate’s mind was going everywhere, trying to form a comprehensive response to Rosa’s accusations of homosexuality. Finally, something came out of his mouth that kept opening and closing moments prior.
“Ok FINE,” Nate sighed, defeated. “I might be in love with Hugh but what am I to do about it?”
Rosa looked incredibly smug with her victory over Nate, backing away from him and shrugging. “Well I dunno, I don’t fall in love with dudes. I’m just here to force you into your feelings.”
“Real good friend, Rosa,” Nate said, his voice laced with sarcasm.
“I know,” Rosa replied. “Anyways, go ask Cheren or something for advice, he’s the one with a boyfriend.”
“Oh right, he does have Hilbert,” Nate pondered for a while at the suggestion before agreeing. “I guess I don’t really have anything else to do.”
“That wasn’t a suggestion, you’re doing it whether you want to or not.”
“…Oh.”
——————————
It was… 3 am and time for Nate to face his fears after tossing around his bed trying to watch videos of cute lillipups in a final attempt to clear his mind of Hugh. It didn’t work, as cute as Jeremy the herdier may be. Nate was still in love with his best friend.
….and of course, He fucked it. He fucked it so hard and it's only been 3 hours into the year.
It was 7 AM
Nate thankfully managed to get 4 hours of sleep in despite his mind not shutting up, but he usually woke up halfway through the day. Clearly, something was wrong! He’s still in love with Hugh! “Arceus, it really wasn’t a dream.”
Well, you know what that calls for. Mr Natural Harmonia Gropus to (hopefully) save the day!
Opening his phone, he cringed at seeing his text sent to N that was originally supposed to be for Cheren. He was still not over Hilbert and Cheren apparently not being in a relationship together. They do everything a couple should do!
Whatever, it’s not like he’s going to just text his teacher “YO YOU AREN’T DATING HI,BERY WHATTTT I THOGHT YOU WERE THATS CRAZY”. He just has to break the news to Hugh and Rosa who always assumed they were dating at… some point after Hilbert returned. He’ll do that later, though. It’s N time now.
Alright.
It was cookie time. Except his house did not have anything for cookie baking.
Who to go to for cookie baking materials? Bianca… Cheren… hell, even Hilda and Hilbert are there.
But of course, Nate knows all of those 4 will be confused as to why in the world he needs specifically heart cookies, so Rosa it was! Thankfully he has the keys to her house… because he can. Her parents wouldn’t mind!
“HEYYYY ROSA!” Nate yelled as he ran into her room at the godly hour of 7 AM, slamming the door against the wall.
This earned a loud groan from the tired girl, who glared at him as if he was the scum of the earth and not a fellow hero. “What the hell could you want at 7 AM on a Sunday?”
“I need to make LOVE COOKIES!”
“…For Hugh?”
“For Hugh.”
Rosa made an even louder growl of distress before pushing herself up from the bed and drinking a huge gulp of water before finally responding to Nate. “Of course. Of course, you’re making “love cookies” instead of just confessing.”
“Well, what’s the fun in that?” Nate grinned cheekily at Rosa’s tired expression. “Y’know what they say, love’s an adventure!”
“I will give you my entire PC if you can find one person who unironically says that.”
“I did!”
“You don’t count, you’re not a person,” Rosa pointed at him, eye twitching. “You’re the human embodiment of an atomic bomb that was built wrong but explodes randomly at the worst time.”
“How in the world do I even reply to that?!” Nate said, stepping back into the wall. “Can you just give me your kitchen for a second, pleaaaaase??”
“It’s not like you’re going to leave me alone if I say no,” Rosa said as she stretched her arms before getting up from bed, not giving into the human version of baby doll eyes Nate was giving her. She doesn’t fall for that. Nobody does except Hugh, really. “I don't have the materials for cookie baking either, though.”
“…You don’t?”
“Why would I?!”
“I dunno, who else would? The Striaton restaurant brothers?”
“They run a restaurant, not a baker-“
“SAME THING!” Nate interrupted, pulling out his Xtransceiver to text the 3 brothers out of a fit of desperation, sitting down on the side of Rosa’s bed.
“…Whatever you say,” Rosa sighed, leaning over to take a peek at Nate’s Xtranseiver.
After around 10 seconds, Nate finally managed to find Cilan’s contact and immediately called him without a thought in the world.
“YOOOO, vegetable!”
Rosa was already loathing the next few hours of her day. First day of the year… deep breaths Rosa, deep breaths.
“Nate?” said the man on the other side of the call, ignoring the strange nickname. “May I help you today?”
“Can you help me bake some cookies?” Nate asked out of nowhere, to the surprise of Cilan. “I know you’re busy but neither I nor Rosa’s house has the materials and I’m in a time crunch!”
Nate wasn’t really, but with how fast his heart was beating around Hugh, he might as well die the next time he talks to him if he doesn’t get his shit together soon.
“…I-Wh- Sure?” Cilan replied, confused. “What for?”
“Well, sir, a certain Nate found himself falling in lov—“
“ROSA!” Nate screeched, tackling her in embarrassment before looking back at his Xtransceiver, albeit flustered. “Mr. Cilan, she meant to say that I have a very important and urgent occasion coming up and would like your help!”
“Ah, of course,” said Cilan, a tinge of cluelessness still in his tone after the display Rosa and Nate pulled off on the other side of the screen, but deciding not to pry for his own sanity. “If you’re that desperate, you can come in right now. We don’t open until 9:30 AM today and we’re not that experienced in baking… but we can see if we can help.”
“Really? Thank you so much!” Nate beamed, ignoring Rosa’s piercing glare. “I’ll be there ay-es-ay-pee!”
Cilan gave a polite nod before Nate ended the call with a satisfied smile on his face, grinning at Rosa. “See, it worked!”
“Who in Zekrom’s name says ASAP in real life?”
“Me!”
“Whatever. Get out of my room.”
Nate simply hummed before skipping away back to his own room, much to Rosa’s annoyance.
It was 8 AM and Nate basically spedrun the tasks of brushing his teeth and eating the fastest breakfast he’s ever eaten. It was time! When Nate released his Braviary and was about to fly off by himself, Rosa burst out of his house and released her Mandibuzz, and yelled at him. “You are NOT going there without me!”
“Why do you want to come?!” Nate responded with the same volume, thanking Arceus that Hugh was somewhere else busy training by himself.
“I am not letting your sorry ass lie to the brothers about YOU KNOW WHAT!” Rosa stomped, giving him a look while getting on her Mandibuzz, ready to follow him to Striaton.
Nate let out a loud groan as he flew into the air, knowing that Rosa won’t give up easily and simply accepted his fate. “Fineeeee!”
On the ride there, most of the conversation was simply bickering over which kind of cookie Hugh would like the most.
They just decided on chocolate chip cookies.
“And here we are!” Nate said when his Braviary finally reached the ground in front of the Pokemon center at Striaton, followed by Rosa and her Mandibuzz shortly after.
They didn’t spend any time running over to the local restaurant, Nate bursting down the door with no care in the world for manners and yelling “GOOD MORNING!”
Rosa sent the 50th nasty look of the day at him and smacked his head, hissing at his behavior. “It's 8 in the morning and I think the last thing these employees need is barely-a-teen white-boy McGee screaming in their ears!
“YOU’RE THE SAME AGE AS ME!”
“SHUT THE FUC— Oh hi Cress!”
”Good morning!” The blue-haired and oldest brother sent a simple wave, ignoring the ruckus, and pointing to the kitchen food-nakey area at the back of the area. “Here’s your destination.”
Nate rushed into the area and looked like a child at Disneyland as Rosa trailed after him like a tired older sister.
“Ay, birdnest head!” The loud voice of Chili called when he saw them. “You finally got here!”
“Oh, good to see you too, Dorito Cheeto,” Nate retorted with a smirk at the youngest brother’s chagrin.
“Very original…” Rosa muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Nate to hear. He pretended he didn’t.
“Pfft, whatever. Cilan told me you were popping in before business hours to steal our cookie-making stuff,” Chili said, leaning against the wall and gesturing to the ingredients and materials on the table. “No idea why we even have these at hand but you can take some.”
“You bet I will!” Nate grinned, already rushing around the area to check out what the kitchen had to offer.
Right before leaving, Chili looked back at the two, specifically Nate, and put a hand up to his mouth as he said, “That doesn’t mean you get to spray all the whipped cream can into your mouth, though!”
“Damn it!”
——————
It has been 20 minutes and they were not doing a great job.
Rosa found a decent recipe to follow, but of course, she and Nate were not the best bakers. They had eyeballed the flour measuring step and had just been debating over creative liberties they can take with the cookie dough when it really should’ve been in the oven already.
“We are not adding kool-aid to the cookie dough, Nate!” Rosa shrieked adamantly, slapping an unopened pack of kool-aid out of his hands and onto the messy table.
Nate let out a cry and whined. “You didn’t let me put soy sauce in the cookies either! You’re no funnnn!”
“Do you think Hugh would like THAT in his chocolate chip cookies?” Rosa rebutted, head in hand. “Aren’t these supposed to be professions of your undying longing for him? How you want to place your bed next to his in Minecraft?”
“ROSA!” Nate screeched as his face turned red, terrified that everyone in the restaurant heard her. “Ok, ok, no kool-aid!”
Everyone in the restaurant did indeed hear him, but it wasn’t any surprise. The most anyone reacted was Cress hissing “I TOLD YOU!” to Chili near the front of the store.
“Just roll the dough already,” Rosa threw the pin at Nate, who fumbled a bit before catching it.
Nate finished rolling the dough and Rosa cut them out with some heart cookie cutter she found in the huge ass box of cookie cutters that the brothers just had hiding in the restaurant the entire time. After that, it was time to put them in the oven.
“What temperature do you even set it as?” Nate asked as he shoved the tray of cookies into the oven.
“Around 350,” Rosa responded as she pulled out a timer on her phone, waiting for Nate to start the oven to start it.
Nate entered the number and turned the oven on before grinning proudly and turning back to Rosa. “I told you I could do it!”
“You tried to add fucking gatorade to the cookie dough.”
“It sounded like a good idea at the time, alright?”
Before Rosa could judge him even more, Cilan walked into the room and smiled at them. “I see you two made the cookies without many issues… besides the gatorade bit.”
“I CAN EXPLA—“
Before Nate could “explain”, Rosa kicked him in the shin causing him to yelp and stumble over. “You are NOT explaining shit young man!”
“WE’RE LITERALLY THE SAME AGE!”
Cilan just chuckled at the behavior of the two childhood friends (they were basically siblings at this point, though) and tried to hide the amusement in his voice. “Ahaha, I won’t judge. What matters is that you made the cookies without blowing up the restaurant.”
“Did you have that little faith in us?!” Nate grumbled.
“Well… you’re not the most famous for your kitchen prowess,” Cilan said, trying to put it as kindly as possible.
“You can just say he sucks to his face, don’t worry,” Rosa reassured.
Nate wailed. “Nobody loves me in this household!”
“Good,” Rosa deadpanned.
Cilan just nodded before turning around and going to the exit of the room, needing to do some final preparations before the restaurant opened. “Well, I hope you two have fun with those cookies, I’ll be at the front if you need anything.”
Nate and Rosa both made sounds of acknowledgment before going back to their own conversation.
After a while of the two bickering about random topics and kind of cleaning up the mess they made, Rosa’s phone began ringing signaling that the cookies were finally done.
While Rosa turned the alarm off, Nate put on mittens and got the tray out of the oven. He then poured them all into a random ass container he had in his bag with a satisfied expression. “Alright! Operation make love cookies is done!”
“So, how are you gonna give these cookies to him?” Rosa questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“Umm… that’s a problem for the future me!”
“Of course you’d say that,” she shook her head. “Your future self is going to collapse in gay panic in front of Hugh and regret everything.”
“Will not!”
To that Rosa simply gave Nate the look.
She let out a sigh and just began walking out, everything in the kitchen was already clean. “So you’re going to give him them today?”
“Course! I’m not a pussy, Rosa!” Nate grinned, jabbing his thumbs toward himself proudly.
“...”
“Don’t give me that look!”