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“Raihan,” Leon mumbled, frowning.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
“I can’t, Rose will-”
“Rose can suck my dick.”
“Raihan!” It never failed to make Leon laugh. He always loved Raihan’s crude humor.
Raihan only chuckled, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets. “Really, though, please come. For me?” he asked, flashing that cute smile that always made Leon's heart skip a beat.
He sighed, conflicted.
Raihan wanted to sneak out of Leon’s flat, fly their Pokemon to Hammerlocke, and watch the fireworks there. He wouldn’t tell Leon why there were fireworks or how long they'd be out, and it almost made him say no. Rose was already mad at him for something irrelevant, and if the chairman caught him sneaking out, they’d both get in so much trouble. But it was late. Meaning Rose wasn’t at the office where his flat was. So, the chances of them getting caught are low. Extremely low.
A small smile grew on Leon’s face, reflecting Raihan’s already-formed smirk. He could risk it, get caught, and be scolded, or nothing could happen, and he could spend time with his best friend. He hasn't had many chances to hang out with Raihan recently, as the league was in play, making their schedules packed for the rest of the season.
“Fuck it, let's go,” Leon said suddenly, a wide grin spreading across his face. The thrill of the adventure and the joy of spending time with Raihan outweighed the potential consequences.
Raihan couldn't help but laugh, patting Leon's back. “There you go!”
Before he knew it, Raihan and his Flygon stood beside the glass door of his porch, preparing to fly out. Leon summoned his Charizard, touching his muzzle to stop the dragon from yawning too loudly. Leon placed his finger on his lips. Charizard seems to get the hint.
As Raihan flew out, Leon got onto Charizard’s back, arms wrapped around the Pokemon's neck. Once Leon was secure, Charizard flew out. They flew to the roof, both of their ‘mon’s resting on the edge, wings out to balance.
“We can race,” Raihan suggested, but it was more of a statement.
Leon smiled more, leaning forward. Charizard stretched out his wings and huffed, adjusting his footing. “Of course,”
After Raihan told Leon where to go, he said a quick countdown. Leon barely had the time to register that Flygon had flown off. His legs squeezed Charizard's ribs, the dragon pushing off the roof's edge and soaring into the air.
Raihan’s Flygon was fast, as Raihan spent all the Pokemon’s life training to be ridden. He remembered the small halter he made out of rope, a temporary one to get his then Trapinch used to the feeling. He kept it throughout Vibrava’s short time, and when his Flygon fully evolved and grew into her new skin, he finally got her a nice, custom halter made from Bouffalant leather. Leon remembered Raihan rambling about it and how excited he was to put his work to use finally. Raihan was always one to spoil his Pokemon.
A shout beside him made Leon snap out of his thoughts. He looked to his side and saw Raihan, his goggles making his eyes look like his Flygon’s. Leon momentarily forgot they were racing, only being reminded as Raihan zoomed off.
Leon giggled, holding Charizard’s neck tighter. He could feel his partner breathe, feel every beat of his wings. “C’mon, Char, you can catch up!”
The dragon drifted down, gliding momentarily before batting his wings harder. The harsh change in speed made Leon barely slip, making his heart drop. He should really get a saddle like Raihan. Leon’s eyes closed, the wind poking his eyes like the sharp prickles of pine needles. He shoved his face down, feeling his hair whip around his face and neck. He laughed, loving how light he felt. He loved riding his Charizard, even if he was going so fast he could barely hold on. It was a feeling nothing else could replicate. No matter how fast a flying taxi went or how quickly he ran, flying on his partner’s back was always the best.
He only lifted his head when he felt Charizard swoop down, slowly hovering to land on the roof of the Hammerlocke gym. Leon slid off the Pokemon’s back, stumbling as his body got used to being on the ground again. He giggled, Raihan grabbing his arm to stabilize him.
“I won.” Raihan said, smirking.
Leon rolled his eyes. “You have fancy gear.” He retorted, rubbing Charizard’s neck.
“Fancy gear isn't what makes someone a good flyer.” He argued, letting go of Flygon’s halter. The bug-like dragon chirped before buzzing over to Charizard. The two dragons shared a headbutt before one tackled the other, making Leon sigh and shake his head.
“Right, sure,” Leon said, waving his hand. Raihan crossed his arms, holding his chin high. Leon only chuckled, smiling, too. “Well, when are the fireworks starting?”
Raihan tilted his head and walked to the edge of the roof, leaning against the small wall that prevented anyone from falling. Leon joined him, standing next to Raihan. He couldn't help but admire Raihan's height as he stood beside him. They were both sixteen, Raihan only a few months shy of seventeen, yet his best friend was almost a whole foot taller than him! Although he was jealous, he was also amazed at how much Raihan towered over nearly everyone, even the adults. But he can’t be too surprised since Raihan had always been taller than everyone, regardless of age. Leon was a bit shorter than he would have liked, but he tried to convince himself that he would hit a growth spurt once the testosterone shots started to take effect. As he blinked, he realized that Raihan was pointing and talking. He turned his body and looked at the pink and orange sunset Raihan was pointing at.
“The fireworks start the second it gets dark.” He heard Raihan finish. He looked down at Leon, seeing him rest his chin on his arms.
“How close will they be?” Leon asked, a hint of worry in his tone. Leon’s never been one for loud noises, even if most days there was always the loud squawk of a Corviknight taking off into the sky or the sound of the announcer in the stadium. He’s learned to manage some of the noises. However, he was still getting used to how loud Raihan’s Duraludon can be in and out of battle.
“They’ll be pretty close, but don't worry,” Raihan swung his small travel bag over his shoulder, opening the drawstring before digging around. He pulled out a small box, opened it, and showed Leon the small orange globs that were earplugs. “I brought these for you.”
Leon smiled more, looking at Raihan. “Thanks.” He took two of them, pressing them in his ears and adjusting them before resting his head in his arms again.
They stood there in silence, watching the sunset. The sky slowly transitioned from the gorgeous peach clouds into a dark sea of shimmering stars. Leon was waiting for the fireworks to start, as it was dark enough now, but no signs of any were present. He turned to Raihan, who was also staring into the same horizon Leon was. “Where’s-”
He yelped, cut off by the first bang and flash of colors in the sky. He whipped his head back, watching the colors dissolve into the wind. He was tense. It was still loud, even with the earplugs. He waited again, expecting more fireworks. He was quickly taken aback once five fireworks flew into the air, the squeal making Leon cringe. He jumped again when they all burst. The colors danced around each other exquisitely, displaying the iconic blue and orange colors of the Hammerlocke gym.
He felt Raihan nudge his shoulder, saying something Leon couldn’t quite hear. “What?” Leon asked.
“Get ready,” Raihan repeated, his smile causing the corners of his eyes to rise.
Leon took that as a sign to prepare for the noise and grabbed the wall, readying himself. Although, he didn't expect the explosion of colors and sounds to erupt so rapidly. He audibly yelped again, shrinking down and covering his ears. He had to shut his eyes, the lights being too bright. As he squeezed his eyes shut, his hands pushed against the sides of his head, trying to block out the noise. Suddenly, he felt something snap over his head, pressing against his eye sockets. He peaked, seeing red and the now desaturated colors of the fireworks. He fully opened his eyes and let his hands down, feeling them get replaced by Raihans. He looked up, seeing the taller boy standing behind him, smiling softly at him. Raihan mouthed a quick “You good?” and Leon only nodded.
He looked back into the sky, realizing Raihan had put his flying goggles on him to make the colors less bright.
They watched the fireworks, and Leon found the noise and colors more bearable with Raihan's help. He had never liked fireworks, but if Raihan was always there, he could learn to love them just like he'd learned to adapt to Raihan's random, spontaneous acts.
Leon couldn’t see the fireworks' true colors due to the goggles' red tint, but he didn't mind. He could guess what colors they were. The fireworks went on for what felt like an hour to Leon—it was only ten minutes. He watches as the last round of fireworks fizzles out, seeing the school of hues disappear. He thought they were over, so he reached up to remove the goggles, but Raihan grabbed his hands. “Hold on,”
His hands were back on Leon's ears, cupping them gently but firmly. Just in time, too. A giant firework exploded in the sky, causing them to look up. Leon's eyes widened, seeing the silhouette of a dragon paint the sky. It was stunning. He’s never seen such detail in a firework! The color faded, and the delayed rumble boomed before the sky looked dull. He didn't take the goggles off, worrying there would be another one.
Raihan took his hands off Leon’s ears and gently removed the goggles, putting them back in his drawstring bag. “How was that?”
Leon smiled, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the now brighter night sky. “That was so pretty! I don’t normally like fireworks, but the goggles and earplugs helped.” And your hands on my head. He thought the last part to himself.
Raihan flashed his iconic smirk, moving a loc out of his face. “Yeah? I'm glad that worked. I forget you don't like bright lights.” He chuckled, rubbing his neck.
Leon smiled more, his cheeks heating up. “Sorry,”
“Ah-” Raihan cut him off, narrowing his eyes and smiling. “No apologies.”
He nodded, his cheeks heating up more. “Thanks for letting me wear your goggles,” he said, watching the taller move from behind. “And, for covering my ears.” He added, looking away.
“No problem,” Raihan said, looking back into the sky. “Thanks for coming to see them with me.”
“Of course,” Leon said softly, leaning on the wall like Raihan. “What were the fireworks for anyway? You never told me.”
Raihan kept his gaze on the stars. The moonlight shone off his skin in the best way possible. The soft white glow accentuated his features. “Eh, nothin’ too important.”
Leon tilted his head to the side, curious. “I still wanna know.”
Raihan tried to act mellow, but his lips slowly turned upward at the corners. “It’s really nothing special. They’re just celebrating the new Hammerlocke gym leader.” He turned his head to look at Leon. He was definitely smiling at this point.
“Oh,” Leon muttered, not fully realizing what he said. “Wait, what? Did you-” his eyes widened once he realized what Raihan said.
Raihan laughed, biting his lip as he nodded. “Yeah! I’m officially the Hammerlocke gym leader!”
Raihan had been an apprentice of the—now previous—gym leader at the Hammerlocke Stadium for almost five years now, and every year, he seemed to be getting closer to becoming the gym leader. But Raihan told Leon that his coach didn’t think he’d be ready till he was twenty. But, it seems that wasn't true.
Leon instantly smiled. “Really?! That’s awesome! I thought your coach said you weren't going to be ready for a few more years?”
“I think he was trying to surprise me,” He said, bouncing on his heels—something he only did in front of Leon. “He told me the news yesterday!”
Leon smiled more, leaning closer to Raihan. “I’m really happy for you, Rai! I know you worked really hard for it,”
Raihan looked away, his cheeks heating up as he waved his hand. “You don’t need to flatter me,”
“I’m just trying to compliment you!” Leon said, slapping Raihan’s arm playfully. They both laugh.
The newly acclaimed gym leader slumped against the wall, putting more weight on his arms as he leaned over the barrier. He looked down before looking at Leon next to him, and Leon swore his heart skipped a beat the second they locked eyes. The look on Raihan's face wasn't one Leon had seen often. He looked sincere, genuine, and handsome. God, Leon wanted to look away, but Raihan’s eyes seemed to trap him in place like a Pokemon using Whirlpool.
“You make me feel so happy, Leon. I hope you know that,” Raihan said, making Leon jolt slightly.
“What?”
Raihan stood up straight, making Leon look up at him.
“You heard me,” Raihan said softly, his voice sounding like silk. Smooth and velvety. It was different from the roughness in his usual tone.
Leon swallowed nervously. He heard Raihan, but he wasn't sure if Raihan actually said that to him. He kept his gaze on him. It was so easy to get lost in his friend's eyes. He usually despises eye contact, but how was he supposed to look away from the warm, salty sea of his friend's eyes?
He was leaning down, making Leon take a step back. “You look like a cheri berry, and it seems you need one too.” Raihan teased, noting how still and tense Leon was, just like a paralyzed Pokemon.
Leon looked down finally, blinking. He almost apologized, but he stopped himself. “It’s just cold out.” He said, playing with a strand of his hair.
Before he could say anything else, Raihan was already taking his hoodie off. He tossed it to Leon, smiling. “Wear that.”
Leon blushed more. It smelled like dirt and his cologne, with the subtlest scent of marijuana that Raihan could never entirely drown out. He hesitated before pulling the hoodie over his head, huffing when its weight sat on his shoulders. It went down to his knees, the sleeves a few inches past his fingertips. Raihan was still growing into the jacket himself, as he got it custom-made by a fashionista. He said it was expensive and had a few more inches to grow into before adulthood, so he purposely got it in a bigger size. He didn’t want to pay that money again to make it bigger—which is ironic for him to say, considering he smokes in his hoodie all the time, causing it to reek most of the time and probably ruining the quality of the fabric.
“Thanks,” Leon said, lifting his arms so his hands stuck out. He wasn't cold, and he had a feeling Raihan knew that. Leon hugged himself, looking back into the empty sky. “You make me happy, too.” He mumbled, a small smile on his face.
Raihan wrapped an arm around Leon, pulling him closer. Leon kept his eyes locked into the abyss of the sky, hyper-analyzing the stars just to have an excuse not to look into Raihan’s eyes again. He tried to stay calm, but how was he supposed to do that when every hug and touch from Raihan made his chest swell?
“Leon,”
The boy in question looked up, cursing to himself as a new batch of Butterfree’s seemed to hatch in his stomach. “Yes?”
Raihan’s arm went from his back to his arm before cupping his cheek. Leon was never good at social cues or hints, but the way Raihan was looking at him made him think for a moment. The second Raihan leaned closer, Leon knew what was happening. He tried to ignore the thoughts, thinking this wasn't happening. No way Raihan felt the same. He wasn’t going to kiss him like Leon wanted.
“Can I kiss you?”
Until Raihan asked so casually, Leon nodded before he even processed what he said, his eyes shutting before their lips touched. Raihan’s lips pressed against his, making him tense. He’d never kissed anyone before, nor did he know how to kiss. However, Raihan was as patient as ever, slowly guiding Leon through it. It was clear Raihan had experience. Leon knew this. It’s not a secret that Raihan gets around.
Eventually, Raihan pulled away, and Leon relaxed his face, looking back to the horizon. Raihan only laughed. “Can’t even look at me after I kiss you?”
He forced his head to move, taking his eyes off the stars and back onto the trapping iciness of Raihan’s eyes. “Why’d you want to kiss me?”
The question surprised Raihan. “Why?” he repeated, a smile forming again. “Because I like you, Leon. Do I not make it obvious enough?”
“What?” Leon said instinctively. Raihan would’ve joked about him saying “what” for the hundredth time today, but he knew he couldn’t help it. Leon blinked, mouth opening and closing before he finally got words out. “You like me? As in, like-like me?”
It prompted a snort from Raihan. “Yeah? Did you really not know?”
“You never told me!” Leon said quickly. “You know I'm not good at picking up on hints.”
Raihan shook his head, crossing his arms. “My bad, then.” His smirk grew, his snaggletooth poking at his lip. “Well, I like you, Leon. As in, like-like you.”
It took Leon a moment to process what Raihan said, and despite them kissing already, Leon just now felt the Butterfree go wild in his stomach. Leon pulled him into a hug, his head resting on his chest. They hugged each other in silence for a moment before Leon looked up. “The kiss was nice,” he said with a sheepish smile.
The corners of Raihan’s lips curved up, and Leon copied him. “Yeah?” He was bending down again, his hand snaking up to his neck. Leon stood on his toes, meeting him halfway more confidently. Their lips touched again but differed from their kiss a few moments ago.
Raihan was pulling back, and Leon chased his lips before his heels touched the ground again. “How about that one?” Raihan asked.
“Good,” Leon responded, his cheeks a deeper shade than Flygon’s lenses.
The other playfully pouted. “Just good?”
Before Leon could respond, Raihan kissed him again and again and then some more. They giggled in between kisses, arms holding them close together. He focused on Raihan and how kissing him made him feel. The Butterfree’s in his stomach felt like they were trying to escape. His heart was beating out of his chest; he could hear it in his ears. He felt light and airy, like flying on his Charizard, and he wondered if he had found something better than flying on the dragon's back.
Leon was so glad he snuck out that night.