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The air was muggy and thick with the scent of petrichor. Spark tilted his head back up to the graying sky as a fat drop of rain bounced off of his phone’s screen, momentarily disrupting his view of the map he had pulled up of the park. He wiped the phone on the front of his orange hoodie before pulling it back up, tilting it slightly to swing its compass in the correct direction. He hadn’t been here before, but according to the map (and a handful of his teammates heading in the opposite direction) there should be a pavilion and PokeStop just up ahead on the trail. After only a few more twists and turns obscured by foliage, the picnic area opens up to a small wooden pavilion sheltering a picnic table and pair of vending machines. His phone pings and he gives it one more glance before pocketing it and strolling over towards the dark clothed figure standing next to the Stop.
He gives a jaunty wave. “My good fellow, would you have happened to come across the rapscallion that has been tormenting my fellow Team Instinct members?” Spark asked with a ridiculously dapper accent as he tipped his non-existent hat. “It has been reported that the ne’er-do-well have been spotted in the area along with an absolutely horrifying beast with teeth said to render a skeleton clean in under thirty seconds.” He raised his eyebrows towards the small Mawile that barely came up past the Rocket’s knee.
"Mawaah," the steel-type murmured around a mouthful of crackers… and bits of the foil package they came in, apparently.
Spark reached down and ruffled the mouth on top of Mawile’s head, expertly twisting his hand out of the way as the appendage lazily snapped at him. “Good to see you too, Precious,” he greeted as he stepped past her towards her trainer instead. Precious grumbled before going back to devouring her previous prey with little to no grace.
Arlo rolled his eyes as he popped the tab on the canned drink he had just finished fishing out of the bottom of the vending machine. He took a dainty sip of it, pinky extended. “I have no idea what you speak of, good sir. Should I see the knave in question as well as their hellish beast, I shall inform you post-haste.”
Spark let out a laugh as he leaned in to give his boyfriend a peck on the cheek, causing him to scrunch his nose in mock disdain. “Hello to you too. So, what’s this about your baby bullying my minions?”
“Oh? They’re your minions and not your ‘Fellow Team Instinct Members’ now? Guess my superior lexicon is rubbing off on you,” Arlo said, smirking around his drink before taking another swig. “But anyway, Precious here was somewhat upset that someone got the last bag of her favorite snack and,” he paused for a moment, humming before continuing. “Convinced them that it was in their best interest to relinquish it to her custody.”
“She got bitey with them?”
“She got bitey.” Arlo confirmed solemnly. “But unlike her, I actually have manners. Thirsty?” He tilted his wrist in Spark’s direction, clearly offering the canned coffee he was just drinking from.
Spark took the drink from him, “Sure you don’t mind? I could have cooties, you know,” he teased as he raised it to his own lips.
Arlo shrugged carelessly. “Not that big of a deal,” he said as Spark knocked back the shared drink. “I’ve already had your tongue down my throat before.” Amongst other orifices, he added mentally.
Against all odds, Spark somehow managed to swallow the coffee rather than spit it out of his nose when he choked at Arlo’s crass comment. His absolute asshole of a boyfriend laughed at his misfortune as he coughed, slapping him on the back to clear his lungs. “Oh you’re such a dick.”
“You know what they say. It takes one to know one, dear.”
‘Well, you would know best, considering how often you tell me you only keep me around for mine,” Spark snarks back. Their teasing is interrupted by a deep roll of thunder that both can feel in their bones. Moments later the barely-there drizzle that Spark had walked through only a few minutes before transitioned into an absolute deluge. The two of them stare out and the wall of water coming down around them beyond the edge of the pavilion’s sturdy roof before turning to each other. “Did you uh, happen to bring an umbrella with you?”
An hour. It had been downpouring for an hour solid with no sign of letting up. At its desperate pleas for mercy (also known as a 5% battery), Spark pocketed his phone. The two leaders had whittled away the time by passing it back and forth playing various puzzle games as well as showing off a few photos and videos Spark had taken during the past few weeks of research. The ‘snikt’ sound of Arlo popping open another canned drink caught his attention and he glanced over to watch him sluggishly knock back what was his… third? fourth? coffee since they’d been there. He looked… exhausted. He knew Arlo was a bit of a workaholic but the guy was basically dead on his feet. Or, well, his ass seeing as he was sitting on the other side of the bench.
“Dude, you look like you’ve been to a Jigglypuff concert. Why don’t you take a nap?” That suggestion had earned him a flat look from Arlo. He sighed before adding, “There’s no one else here to judge you for snoring if that’s what’s holding you back.”
“That’s what caffeine is for.”
Spark put his elbow back on the picnic table, tugging the edge of his coat open in a clear invitation. "Come on, I'll keep watch. Even if you just close your eyes a bit, it'll help. Like that one episode of Myth Busters with the giant enemy crab–"
Arlo gave an exaggerated sigh before sliding closer along the bench and slumping against the blonde's left side. Spark kept his smile to himself when he felt the tension leave the other's body as Arlo rested his head on his shoulder.
“Just like, fifteen minutes,” Arlo mumbled, tugging off his glasses and passing them over to Spark, who neatly folded them up and tucked them into his other pocket for safekeeping.
“Mmhmmm…” So more than thirty minutes but less than two hours, Spark internally translated. He didn’t even smirk as his boyfriend raised an eyebrow up at him, as if hearing his thoughts before deciding it wasn’t worth clarifying and just deciding to make himself comfortable. It was barely more than five minutes before Arlo was out like a light.
Making sure not to jostle the other, Spark reached over and gingerly took the half empty can out of Arlo's loosening grip, setting it on the picnic table next to him. He slipped his arm around Arlo's middle, causing him to snuggle closer. At this point the only way he could have possibly been closer is if Arlo straight up climbed into his lap. It was…nice. Being trusted like this. Feeling the silky curls of his hair brushing against his collar, catching the faintly citrussy scent of the other's shampoo. He still hadn't been able to identify exactly what it was; Spark wanted to have it on hand if Arlo decided to crash at his place. A thought for another time, perhaps.
Arlo slept through the dull roar of the rain and distant rumble of thunder. Even the occasional whipcracks of lightning didn't seem to stir him, his breath ghosting slow and softly against Spark's shoulder. At some point, Precious had gotten bored of harassing some poor amphibian that had caught her interest as it croaked around in the deepening puddles at the edge of the pavilion, and hiked her way up onto the picnic bench next to her trainer. Spark decided to turn a blind eye to the Mawile’s… requisitioning of the coffee can and the following sounds of aluminum being crunched between her teeth.
“Are you even allowed to have caffeine?” Spark asked, glancing over at the pokemon as she sat on the table, legs kicking back and forth as she feasted on her forbidden snack. Well, whatever. Arlo probably shouldn’t have any more of that today anyway, and it’s not like a creature that regularly digested metal would be adversely affected by whatever was left in the can.
Eventually, the storm blew on through, leaving thin streaks of late afternoon sun peeking through the mist. Spark nuzzled into his hair, pressing a kiss there. “Time to get up, sunshine,” He murmured. The slightly more rested Rocket leader responded by nipping at his neck before accepting his glasses back.
“Oh… kitsune no yomeiri…” Arlo murmured, glancing up at the golden sky just beyond the pavilion, heedless of the drops of rain still falling.
“Mmm?” Kitsune… that was ‘fox’, obviously. The other word wasn’t familiar though.
“Oh, It’s what we called a sunshower back where I grew up.”
“What's that got to do with foxes though?”
“Look it the fuck up if you're that curious.”
“You are such a dick. Marry me.”
That sent Arlo off into a fit of fox-like snickers. “Is that how you ask for someone's hand? No wonder you're a bachelor.”
Spark gasped in offense. “Hey, that's confirmed bachelor, there's a difference!” Arlo merely rolled his eyes as he pulled a weathered pokeball from one of his pockets, a stark contrast from the more high end or specialty balls he seemed to prefer for his team.
With a burst of light, the Charizard unfurled his wings, shaking them out much like a dog and swinging his tail around. Spark quickly sidestepped the fiery appendage while the Mawile stalking up behind him got clotheslined.
“Is my presence so abhorrent that you can’t wait to get away from me?” Spark pouted dramatically, ducking under a puff of embers from the fire type.
“Still on the clock. Ain’t no rest for the wicked and whatnot,” Arlo lamented. “Though I guess I could be convinced to give you a fraction more of my time.” He leaned in, looping his arms around Spark’s shoulders and pulling him down until their lips met.
Their kiss was broken up by Arlo suddenly gaining height on him, his Charizard having snaked his neck between his legs, lifting him up off the ground and sliding him back along his neck as he stood to his full height, claws coming to rest on his trainer’s legs. He glared down at Spark with a huff of smoke, clearly unimpressed with the human who thought he could put his hands all over his trainer.
“Ugh, fine, you are so impatient–” Arlo quickly recalled the snappy Mawile that was trying to chew on the lizard’s tail, pocketing her ball before straddling over the crouched Charizard’s shoulders. “Looks like Don wants dinner. Until next time, I guess.” He turned, pushing his glasses firmly into place as he braced himself. Charizard had barely taken a step off of the pavilion and into the soggy grass before crouching and launching them into the air with a single powerful downward thrust of his wings. Spark winced as he was splashed with muddy water as the dragon took off with his trainer.
“You’re partner’s a dick!!” Spark shouted up after them as the oversized lizard smirked maliciously down at him.
“I know!” was Arlo’s almost jovial reply as they took off.
Spark sighed, pulling up his shirt front to wipe the muck and bits of grass off his face. He wondered if his team mascot would still give him a ride even though he looked like he got mauled by a Mudkip…