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The balcony at Lance's office at Indigo Plateau offers a great view of the Kanto region.
Pewter City isn't difficult to spot and Steven even can make out the few lights radiating from Viridian City. If it wouldn't be dark already, he's sure he could see the monorail that connects Kanto and Johto.
It's so different to the view he has in his own office over in Hoenn.
All he can see there is water and when it's dark, he can see the light from Lilycove City's lighthouse.
He sighs, thinking about his home region.
Why did he say yes?
League events are almost as boring as business meetings or Devon parties, and he didn't even have to attend this one, despite the good connections Hoenn has with Kanto and Johto.
After all, the invitation wasn’t for Steven but for Wallace. Steven is merely Wallace’s plus one.
"Do you not fancy a dance?" Lance announces his presence.
He walks up to Steven, taking long strides as always, his obligatory cape blows in the wind, making him look way cooler than he really is. Or even more ridiculous, depending on how you stand on capes attached to formal wear.
Steven crosses his arms when he turns and closes his eyes. "Frankly," he tells his friend, "I am not in the mood for dancing right now."
He leans his back on the railing of the balcony and taps on his arm with a finger.
Steven knows Lance only meant well, but that doesn't change how this situation made Steven feel.
"Now you got the chance to dance with him," Lance tries encouraging his friend, still smiling. “You should take it.”
Steven sighs and finally opens his eyes again, even if only to look sideways. "I know. I already took the chance..."
No matter how often he has danced with Wallace already, it never feels less exciting than when they first danced together.
They have a rhythm that somehow aligns with the music they barely notice when dancing, moving their feet in unspoken synchronicity, all courtesy to Wallace, Steven admits without much shame.
Wallace just always brings out the very best in him, no matter what. Be it battling, dancing, taking care of children - he even managed to show him how his most loved pasta recipe can be refined even further.
Wallace is probably the best person Steven could have the fortune of meeting.
"Then why the long face?"
Lance leans against the wall and pulls out a cigarette. A habit Steven frowns upon and has no problem telling his friend off for.
Before he can say something, though, Lance has already puffed out a breath of smoke, "You don't have to say it. I know it's bad. I'm actually trying to quit, but this evening... I deserve this one."
Steven shakes his head.
"What's wrong, Steven?" Lance presses further after a second drag on his cigarette.
Steven crosses his arms and looks away. "Tell me what's wrong with you, besides slowly killing yourself with tar."
Lance rolls his eyes but doesn't hesitate to continue smoking. "Are you really this mad at me for this evening?"
Steven's head shoots back and his eyes dart a glare to Lance as sharp as Koga's shuriken he showed him earlier this evening.
Lance sighs.
"I'm sorry I kinda tricked you, Steven," he then says, crossing his arms as well, "but I'm not sorry for giving you the opportunity to make a move."
Steven averts Lance's eyes again.
"Wallace likes you; you really should make a move," Lance tries now, switching to a more empathetic and encouraging tone.
Steven looks down to the trees of Viridian Forest.
"But he's so..." Steven struggles to find words that do Wallace justice. "He's so much more than I ever could be."
Lance takes one last long drag on his cigarette before stubbing it out and walking closer to Steven.
"Listen," he says, making the shorter man look at him, "you are the fucking Champion of your region. You are a walking geology encyclopedia. You know quite something about space. A bunch of people find you attractive - Wallace included. Not to mention you are pretty rich."
Even Steven can't hold back a snort at those last two statements.
"Point is," Lance concludes, "you got quite something going on yourself, Steven."
"Thanks, Lance," Steven mumbles, this time not because he's still mad at his friend.
Lance puts a hand on Steven's shoulder and winks, "Only saying the truth."
As if on cue, there’s a knock against the door frame and Wallace joins them on the balcony.
"I hope I don't disrupt you two," he apologises, elegant as ever.
Steven immediately stands upright, arms uncrossing. His eyes light up the second they spot Wallace and the nervous smile that his lips form completely on their own makes Lance grin.
"Lance and I were just chatting," Steven assures the newcomer.
"Actually," Lance corrects him, "I was just about to leave."
Steven shoots him another glare, knowing exactly what the man's intentions are.
"A lot of people want to talk with me,” Lance reasons, “and it's not a good first impression for the new League Leader to basically be not present at their own welcome celebration."
He walks towards the door and before he really leaves, he faces Steven again. "Think about what I told you."
Hoenn's Champion blushes and looks away.
Wallace doesn't waste time to ask Steven what Lance meant, "Is everything alright or is there something that worries you?"
"I-"
Steven pauses.
"We were just..."
He rubs his head.
"I am just..."
He fidgets with his rings.
Wallace raises an eyebrow and lets him continue.
"There is something important and difficult for me to do, but I don't have the courage to do it," Steven finally concludes, ending with a heavy sigh. "At least not yet."
Wallace evens his brows again and nods. A teasing smile slowly making its way on his face. "I think I understand."
Steven's blush deepens and he dodges the turquoise eyes he loves so much.
Wallace comes closer to Steven, giving them a distance of maybe one step. Close enough to gently coax Steven's hands into his own and interlacing their fingers.
Steven looks at their hands, observing very closely how Wallace's fingers brush his.
"Steven."
Steven's head shoots back up.
"You are a wonderful person."
Steven feels the heat rushing to his cheeks.
"But you are even more wonderful," he manages to say.
Wallace chuckles and lets go of one of Steven's hands to brush some loose strands of hair out of Steven’s face.
"I've always hated the comparative of wonderful. Comparing wonderful things makes one lesser than the other, which isn’t fair," Wallace argues with an endearing smile.
Steven's hand holds tight on Wallace's other hand.
"But you are so much more than I ever could be, Wallace," he confesses. "You are a Contest Star, you are a Gym Leader, you fight battles on Champion level, you speak so many languages fluently! You care about the people you love with such openness and determination. You wear your heart on your sleeve and live your life without any shame at all."
Tears are building up in both men.
Steven almost lets go of Wallace's hand, feeling more worthless of holding it with each word he says, but Wallace holds on and squeezes it when he feels Steven trying to slip away. His other hand rests on Steven's arm.
"Steven, dear," he then whispers. He wipes away the first tear that runs down Steven's cheek. "Please don't compare us. Especially when you have so much you can be proud of as well. Juggling your responsibilities as Champion and heir to Devon, yet also managing to carve out time for your hobby and your friends and family, going so far out of your way and attend every contest in Hoenn I'm staring in. You never had to stay with me to watch Lisia, yet you do every time. The way you talk with her about everything and anything makes me smile every single time – I think you should know that I adore and respect you just as much as you respect me, if not even more, although I'm willing to leave that one up to debate. After all, I don't gift you a beautiful and meaningful self-picked stone whenever we meet up."
Steven blushes and joins Wallace’s chuckle.
"If you want, I can say it first," Wallace offers when their laughs ebb.
For a second, Steven thinks about it.
"No," he decides. "Not when it feels like you should have to. When it comes naturally."
Wallace nods and puts his hand back on Steven's cheek.
"May I ask for a kiss, though?"
Steven's heart skips a beat.
Their eyes are locked.
They are so close.
Their hands are touching for quite some time now, and Wallace's right hand even is on his face again.
They are in the perfect kiss situation, Steven realises.
He swallows his nervousness down, eyes twitching to Wallace's lips for a fragment of a second, before they wander back to get lost in those brilliantly shining eyes of Wallace.
This certainly isn't how Steven thought this evening would end. He would never complain though.
But neither will he admit to Lance that his trickery did make things move forwards.
So, Steven nods, barely able to verbally accept Wallace’s offer.