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It was a late summer afternoon at Blueberry Academy. It wasn’t a particularly hot day, but the air was thick with humidity as sunlight filled the classroom. The sky was a bright blue. A slight breeze drifted through the trees and carried the scent of flowers to those who passed. A flock of Pikipek flew overhead as fluffy white clouds rolled by. Overall, it was a pretty normal day.
Kieran sighed as he stared out the window. The class was so boring. He wanted it to be over as soon as possible so he could go to his favorite place in the whole school. There was something he needed to do. For now, he just had to wait for class to end. And then he would finally get to see that one special person…
As soon as the bell chimed, Kieran was already packing his bag and rushing out the door. He hoped that he could make it there in time. He had to get there quickly, or else he'd lose the opportunity to meet him.
Kieran's heartbeat quickened as he dashed down the hallway. There was a chance that Florian would be in the League Club Room today. He'd practiced talking to him multiple times in his dorm room: what would he say? What was he going to do? What if he gets all tongue-tied and messes up? There were so many what-ifs, the thoughts were driving him crazy. There was no doubt about it: he had it really bad for the current Champion, so much that he’d go to the League Club Room every day if he could. Yes, he had resigned from the club and was technically no longer a member, but Florian, bless his heart, told Kieran that he was welcome to visit at any time. How ironic it was: if it weren't for Florian, Kieran wouldn't have become a champion at all; he’d still be a regular student at Blueberry Academy, a shy little boy from Kitakami with half of his hair covering his face and cowering behind his big sis, a nobody just like everyone else. He wouldn’t have had the courage to do half of the things he’d done if it weren’t for the other boy. If only Florian knew…
As he reached the door of the League Club Room, Kieran bit his lip and turned his gaze towards the ground. His fist tightened around his jacket as he stepped forward. What if Florian wasn't there? What if Florian was there, but he wasn't willing to talk to him? After everything Kieran had said and done, were they really going to start over as friends? How could they possibly stay friends when Kieran harbored feelings that went beyond the scope of friendship? He was young and confused, but he knew that he wanted more with Florian than just friendship. Whenever Florian smiled at him or even just looked his way, it felt like there was a swarm of Vibrava flittering around in his stomach. Seeing Florian with other students left him with a pang of hurt in his chest. He felt lonely and excluded, even though the other club members reassured him that they were still friends. He didn't like it when other people were around Florian, especially other girls. He's mine! Not yours! Get away from him! His mind would scream.
As soon as Kieran opened the door and stepped into the League Club Room, he froze. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened in surprise.
Florian was right there. Florian was here today.
He couldn't tell if he was feeling exhilarated or terrified. Florian brought out many strong emotions within him. They'd been through a lot, after all. Not everyone gets to say that they met someone from a different region, found two legendary Pokémon together, battled in a Champion Match against each other, and explored the deepest parts of a crystal cave so dangerous that only trainers with special permission were allowed access to it…
"Are you okay?" Crispin suddenly asked Kieran from behind, startling him and causing him to hit his head on the nearby wall. "You're blocking the doorway."
"Oww... Geez, you scared the snot outta me!" Kieran glared at his classmate as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. "And yeah, I'm fine. Sorry 'bout that."
Mustering up all the courage he had, Kieran entered the League Club Room and made his way over to Florian, who was busy typing something on the computer keyboard. He gulped nervously before reaching out and tapping on Florian's shoulder, causing him to turn around. As soon as Kieran's eyes met Florian's, the other boy broke out in a wide grin.
"Hola," Florian greeted.
"H-hey, Florian." Kieran took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "Let's battle!"
Kieran cringed at how high-pitched his voice was. His face flushed redder with every passing second Florian stared at him. Even Crispin was giving him the side eye. "U-um, it's okay if you don't want to! Yeah, no worries," he stammered, silently cursing as he blushed all the way up to his ears. He was embarrassing himself so badly in front of his crush, and he couldn’t do anything about it. This wasn’t going the way he’d planned it at all!
Florian paused for a moment, looking as if he was considering something before he nodded enthusiastically with a smile. "Sure, why not?"
Kieran breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Great! Let's head over to the entrance, then."
He hated how nervous he sounded. It's just Florian, a voice spoke in his head. He's just an exchange student from Paldea. A very attractive, cute, smart, and amazing student...
"Um, everything okay?" asked Florian. He tilted his head as a small frown formed on his lips. "You kinda spaced out for a moment."
"What?" Kieran blinked, trying hard to ignore the way Florian's honey brown eyes gazed at him. "Oh! Y-yeah, I’m fine," He forced his voice to sound casual. "I'm gonna make sure I win this time!"
"What will you do if you lose?" asked Florian. He leaned in slightly, smiling again. "Is there some kind of special prize?"
Kieran felt heat creep onto his cheeks. "That’s… That’s a secret.” he shot back. Of course he’d try to confess, but he wasn’t about to tell Florian that. "What about you? What would you do, Florian?"
Florian’s eyes looked up as he placed a finger to his lip, looking as if he was thinking about something. "Hm. I guess that’s a secret, too."
The two of them stood on opposite ends of the battle court. Brown eyes met golden ones, and the two boys were locked in an intense staring match. Kieran had only two Pokémon left, while Florian still had five. He didn’t know what was going to happen this time. They’d battled each other plenty of times before, but something about battling Florian always sent butterflies erupting in his stomach. Maybe it was because battling Florian was fun. Or maybe it was the fact that perhaps, just perhaps, Florian enjoyed their battles as much as Kieran did. Whatever it was, he was determined to beat Florian. He wanted to know what the other boy’s secret was.
As Florian stood on the other side of the court, his eyes furrowed with concentration and his hair being tossed around in the wind that whipped up a bit more with every passing minute, Kieran thought that Florian was the most beautiful thing he'd ever looked at. He wanted to etch this moment into his memory for all eternity. He'd never get tired of battling Florian.
Their Pokémon clashed on the battlefield with swift yet graceful movements. From far away, it looked more like a dance than a battle. Yet every move Florian's Pokémon used was also an aggressive blow that landed on Kieran's own team like a bolt of lightning. He was finding it hard to keep up. Florian had improved even more since the last time they battled. He'd also grown and matured since then—he’d definitely gotten taller, his features were sharper now, and he’d developed more muscle tone. How had Kieran missed all of this?
It was only when Kieran had one more Pokémon left that he realized he'd let down his guard. A small mistake was enough to cost him his victory. The second the Ultra Ball dropped from Florian's fingers, Kieran knew what would happen next. His heart pounded as he sent out Hydrapple, hoping that he could turn this battle around.
"Got me backed into a corner, huh?" Kieran whipped out his Tera Orb and Terastallized the dragon apple Pokémon as quickly as he could. From the other side of the court, he could see Florian smirking back at him, and before he knew it, Florian was holding his Tera Orb high above his head, the glow of light engulfed his Tera Orb growing bigger until the Pokémon in front of Florian transformed into a giant, crystallized version of itself.
"Armarouge, use Expanding Force!"
"Hydrapple, Tera Blast!"
Both trainers yelled out simultaneously, causing both Pokémon to unleash their strongest attacks at the same time. With five simultaneous cries, Hydrapple’s smaller heads unleashed a bright beam upward which cloaked the largest head in some kind of protective light. Hydrapple’s largest head inhaled as it began charging up some energy, and then the energy was released toward Armarouge. At the same time, Armarouge leaned forward, using its psychic energy to control the dragon Pokémon telekinetically before trapping it in some type of psychic-powered box. The box clamped down on Hydrapple at the same time its Tera Blast hit Florian’s Armarouge, leaving the audience stunned by the sheer power and ferocity of both Pokémon’s attacks.
A few seconds later, both trainers pulled back as their Pokémon’s attacks ceased, both of them panting in ragged gasps as they waited for the smoke to clear. Once it finally subsided, Kieran’s eyes searched the battle court wildly, until he caught a glimpse of his fainted Hydrapple in front of him.
"Hydrapple, return!"
Kieran took a step forward and recalled his Pokémon. Florian’s Armarouge had taken Hydrapple out in just one quick strike. But Kieran didn’t feel disappointed; if anything, he was filled with excitement, and adrenaline rushed through him as he grinned at the other boy. Florian’s Champion title was well-deserved. He also treated his Pokémon dearly and was an absolute sweetheart outside of battle. And he had an amazing personality to go along with it… There was absolutely no way that someone as perfect as Florian would reciprocate his feelings, right?
Kieran decided that he’d train some more and get stronger. He’d challenge the BB League again, or maybe just go straight to battling Florian. But it would all be for fun. No more putting pressure on himself and harshly criticizing other people around him. He wouldn’t let his negative feelings get in the way of battling again. He promised himself that he’d also take care of himself more—
"Hey, good match." Florian’s face appeared in front of him, startling Kieran and causing him to lose his balance. Florian smiled good-naturedly and held out a hand. "Your Hydrapple almost got me this time."
Kieran glanced between Florian’s hand and face. "Thanks," he mumbled. Without hesitation, Kieran grabbed Florian’s hand tightly. He couldn’t stop himself from blushing as he gripped it. It was just a handshake. Why did he have to think obsessively over every little thing? It’s not like Florian even liked him like that anyway.
Something about the way Florian took a few seconds too long to retract his hand made questions arise in Kieran’s head. Did he just imagine that, or did it actually happen? Why would he do that? The real Florian was friends with everyone, and he was probably just being nice for the sake of being nice. But even though there weren't any emotions involved in the handshake, Kieran somehow found the gesture comforting. As Kieran pulled away, Florian smiled brightly, and the warmth inside of Kieran's chest grew brighter and hotter, as if there was a supernova waiting to happen.
Florian's words became a blur at that point. Kieran felt heat rise in his cheeks, and his heartbeat quickened until he felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest. He averted his gaze from the boy in front of him, his golden eyes shifting around, trying to look at anything but Florian. And then his lips started moving on their own and he was mumbling under his breath. He couldn't help himself. He opened his mouth and uttered the words he had kept secret for so long. The words that he should've said a while ago, but he hadn’t known how to say them. He was desperate to know Florian better, and he wanted to know more about Florian’s life. He wanted Florian to be his.
He didn’t notice how Florian’s smile gradually faded, as well as how he suddenly frowned and took a step closer toward Kieran, leaning in to try and hear what he was busy mumbling. "What?" he asked. His soft yet deep voice sounded slightly concerned. "Did you say something?"
Kieran looked up to meet Florian’s eyes and swallowed hard. His throat seemed to close up as he spoke unsteadily. "I…" He opened his mouth. Closed it. "I, um…" And then his voice went quiet.
He could feel Florian's hot gaze staring into his eyes, demanding an answer. "I can hear you muttering under your breath," he remarked. "If you've got something you want to say to me, you can say it to my face. It's okay."
Kieran gulped and tried again, but the words wouldn't come out. The words wouldn't even form in his brain. Instead, they came tumbling out his mouth before he could even comprehend what he was saying. "I… I think you’re beautiful."
Kieran's eyes snapped shut as he waited anxiously for Florian’s reaction. He didn’t notice how Florian had stopped moving, or how he stared at Kieran with his mouth open, as if all the words at the tip of his tongue had dried up like dead leaves. Arceus above, why did he have to go and say that?
What’s worse, Florian probably thought that Kieran was weird now. He didn’t even know if Florian liked guys. I shouldn’t have told him. Why did I say that? Kieran opened his eyes, only to find Florian staring back at him, shocked and confused, but somehow not disgusted like Kieran thought he would be. In fact, he looked… flustered? Pleased? Maybe even happy? What the heck was going on?
"Wha… why’re you just standin’ there? Please, Flor, just say something! I’m feelin’ really embarrassed right now." Kieran stammered desperately. "You don’t—" But Kieran didn't even manage to finish his sentence when Florian abruptly moved closer, grabbing Kieran’s hand and intertwining it with his own. Kieran’s eyes darted down to where their hands were joined, and when his gaze returned to Florian, the other boy smiled warmly. "Let’s go to my dorm room. We can talk more over there."
And just like that, Kieran found himself following behind Florian, still clutching onto his hand as his mind buzzed. They both said nothing as Florian gently guided Kieran up the stairs before the two boys walked through the lobby together, Florian leading the way. Once they arrived at Florian’s room, Kieran’s eyes shifted around from left to right, examining his surroundings. The room was almost completely empty. It was almost as if Florian barely spent any time in there.
Florian flashed a quick smile at Kieran before guiding him to sit on the bed beside him. "So, did you mean it?" he asked.
Kieran shivered as he felt Florian’s thumb caressing his own hand gently. "Mean what?"
"That I’m beautiful."
There wasn’t much room for argument. He’d said those words loud and clear. There was no turning back from this. Either Florian would accept those words, or he’d probably turn Kieran down in a nice way. He was being set up for heartbreak.
Still, Kieran nodded slowly, pushing past the wall of embarrassment and shame that held him back from saying what he truly felt. "Yes. I meant it, Flor. I think you’re beautiful. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen."
"Even prettier than your sister?" Florian smirked, causing Kieran to let out a giggle.
"Hehe, yep. Don’t tell her I said that, though."
A gentle breeze swept by, making Florian’s hair flutter lightly. He reached out his free hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Kieran’s ear, before resting his palm against Kieran’s cheek. For a moment, their eyes were locked in a deep stare. Both boys leaned in closer as their eyes fluttered shut, and before Kieran knew it, Florian’s lips met his own in a gentle kiss. His lips were slightly chapped and dry, but the kiss still felt wonderful. Their first kiss was short, chaste, and warm, and it lasted only a couple of seconds, but when Florian slowly pulled away, Kieran found himself leaning forward to chase the warmth that he craved. His heartbeat thundered wildly in his chest as he pressed his lips to the other boy’s once more.
Kieran had never felt so alive. It felt as if his heart were beating to the same rhythm as Florian’s, and every kiss and movement made him feel little tingles all over his body. That weird sensation of having butterflies in his stomach persisted, and he found himself latching onto Florian with both hands. He ran one hand through Florian’s hair, and he placed his other hand over the one that was resting on Kieran’s cheek.
After another few moments of kissing and some giggling, the two boys sat back, leaning on each other’s shoulders as they smiled contently. It didn’t take long before Kieran broke the silence. "So, you know my secret now… I think it’s only fair that you tell me yours, too." His fingers played around with the ends of Florian’s hair as he spoke.
The corners of Florian’s lips curled upwards slightly as he glanced at Kieran briefly before responding, "I think you’re beautiful, too. From the moment I laid eyes on you, I wanted us to at least be friends. You have gorgeous hair, and your eyes are so pretty. And after spending so much time together, I think you’re not just attractive on the outside. I adore your personality, and I think it’s beautiful, too. You’re so kind and sweet to others, and you put your needs behind other people’s. You’re hardworking and diligent, but you also care deeply about your Pokémon and the people you love. I’m just really, really happy to have you in my life, Kieran."
"Oh…" Kieran’s gaze shifted to the side as his fingers came up to play with his hair. He felt like he was going to combust at any moment. "Wowzers, that's probably the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me. I, um... Ack, my heart's poundin' so hard right now."
Florian laughed heartily before he leaned in and pecked Florian on the cheek. "Be my boyfriend?" he asked sweetly.
Kieran’s eyebrows shot up and his face heated up so much that it almost felt like a Flame Orb. "B-boyfriend?!" He couldn’t believe this was happening. Florian had asked him to be his boyfriend. He couldn’t be happier, to be honest.
He was stunned at Florian’s words, unable to react, and it was only when he noticed Florian’s smile waver that he spoke up. "Y-yeah. I’d like that."
He lifted his other hand and gently caressed Florian’s cheek, and Florian smiled tenderly at him in response. "Yeah?"
Kieran nodded. "Yeah."
"Do you mean it?"
"With all my heart. I swear on my entire collection of BP."
"Gosh, I wanna kiss you so bad right now."
"Then do it."
And as soon as those words left his lips, Kieran found himself being tugged toward Florian, who eagerly captured his lips with his own, holding Kieran tightly to keep him close. He could get used to this.