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Firmly gripping the hand rail, one step at a time, Brassius made it to the top of the stairs slightly short of breath. Both his heavy legs brought him towards the windmill, which he contemplated with unprecedented curiosity for only a few seconds before looking away.
“I never even considered it might be a possibility.” he whispered to himself though the wind caught his words and brought it to Hassel’s ears following not so far behind, along with a strand of long greenish hair. There was something deeply soothing in the way Brassius gracefully crossed the square to reach the fence at the right of the windmill, Hassel thought. He paused after the stairs, wondering what the best thing to say is, before catching up to the smaller man.
“Are you afraid you’re not up to the task? Brassie I can assure you…”
“No that’s not it.”
Hassel stopped right next to Brassius and looked at him intently, silently, though his friend’s tired eyes didn’t leave the distance. The latter’s face didn’t show much, as usual, besides his usual slight frown. His lips parted just the tiniest bit and closed again a few times, the corner of his mouth twitching once he settled on staying silent. Hassel noticed.
“You don’t need to mull over your words for so long when you talk to me, Brassie.” Hassel gently insisted, “Whatever way you phrase it, I’ll hear it.”
“I’m just not sure how to say it at all.” Brassius stated. He turned his head to look behind him, his gaze seemingly following a fast approaching small figure.
His enthusiastic Dolliv emerged from the stairs, crossed the square with quick tiny steps, and clung onto Brassius’ left leg as soon at she got to it, which cheered him up at the sight as he picked her up before focusing on the scenery again. Held against his chest and facing the city, she lifted herself over the railing, waving at passersby.
Hassel took the opportunity amid the agitation to turn around and lean against the railing, facing Brassius and itching to get a bit closer than he already is.
The green-haired man’s features betrayed some sort of relief, both brows loosening a tad, while the smile on his face faded slowly but didn’t fully go away.
“I just…” he felt a dash of guilt over keeping Hassel waiting for an answer, and forced the words out somehow, “I barely know where to start.”
“Perhaps it could help if I asked more specific questions?”
“No that’s not what I…” Brassius cut himself off with a chuckle, “Hassel don’t worry, I’m not asking you to figure out what’s in my mind for me, please bear with me for a second.”
Brassius took a deep breath, briefly closed his eyes, and carried on.
“I never considered running a Gym. I barely ever thought about it. How could I?” he scoffed although dejectedly, then glanced at Hassel, “I… You know. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been feeling as fine as I am now. I don’t even know if I have before, frankly.” Brassius lowered his eyes to his Dolliv upholding herself over the fence.
“It feels unreasonable. Like it might be clocked.”
Hassel sucked in a ragged breath as quietly as he could so as not to interrupt his friend. A few tears welled up in his eyes, which he tried to hide as well (to the best of his ability, though the quivering of his lower lip betrayed him), before Brassius continued. “Nothing tells me it won’t happen again.”
“The doctors confirmed it’s stable for now, did they not?” the blonde asked truthfully.
“They stated many things over time and amended most of it. I doubt they know a lot more about it than I do. I wouldn’t give them that much credit.”
Brassius paused for a short moment, watching the sun start to set down.
“It’s fine, Hassel. It’s always been like that, and it’ll keep on repeating to some intensity, I’m used to it. It just shook me a bit worse than usual this time.” he explained. “Ever since I’ve been able to comprehend what was happening to me, I’ve been living under the prerequisite that whatever I am doing, I’d mourn it eventually. I’ve barely been allowed to dream of adding things to the list, and it would keep getting shorter over time anyway.”
He lowered his eyes, thoughtlessly setting them on his Surrendering Sunflora sculpture looking back at him from the plaza below.
“So now that I am, I don’t know where to start. That’s all.”
“Well, firstly… a Grass-type Gym?” Hassel suggested.
“Hassel come one.” Brassius responded unimpressed and presumably irritated, though Hassel knew better.
“It’s a start though! Then, what about this place?” he asked, gesturing vaguely to the battlefield further down the city behind him, established at the left of the Gym “If it isn’t a Fairy-type Gym any longer, what would you do with it?”
“I never liked the way they set up the Gym in the first place. The layout is terrible. Also the building clashes with the whole town, it’s unbearable.” he deadpanned.
“All the Gyms are standardized, it’s very unlikely that chairwoman Geeta will let you tamper with it.”
“I know. What a bore.”
Perhaps Brassius had a few comments he’d like to address to the young chairwoman after all, but he highly doubts she would change her ways in the slightest. Though she might not seem like it quite as much as he does, Geeta’s just as stubborn as Brassius is.
“Would I actually be allowed to move the battlefield?”
“Why, this might take a while, but I guess it’s doable. Is this what you meant by “terrible layout”?”
“Non-exhaustively, but yes.”
“Then where?”
“Right where we stand.” Brassius admitted, “Whenever I was able to walk this far, I spent all the time I could spend in this place. The view’s perfect to paint, and there is nothing else to do except for looking at the windmill a little closer, so I brought my carving material when I needed some air and didn’t want anyone to interrupt.”
Brassius smiled at the thought, and carried on “Also it’s in the middle of the town, for crying out loud. I don’t get why they didn’t do that in the first place.”
“That’s my Brassie.”
“Hass I’m being serious.”
“I know Brassie, I know. Don’t hold me accountable if Geeta refuses though.”
“There will be flowerbeds circling it, as our battles’ constant witnesses. I want daffodils, snapdragons, sunflowers. Everywhere. And Surrendering Sunfloras dispersed around town.”
“How many have you made already?”
“Seven. And they keep coming.”
“You are unstoppable.”
“I’m right in the middle of my Sunflora period! Quite avant-garde, if you want my opinion.”
Hassel chuckled and Brassius felt the need to clarify, “I just work around my phases, but this time people like it, so it might last a little longer than usual.”
“Brassie you cannot fool me.” Hassel added, still chortling, “You would never keep making more for anyone’s enjoyment but yours. Arceus knows you tried and abandoned the idea.”
“Well not anyone. But you like them, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. I love everything that you make Brassie, but even paintings and sculptures I liked you gave up or discarded because it didn’t please you enough.”
“When I gift you one, I want it to be perfect, that’s all.”
“Can I still keep the rest?”
Brassius sighed, he could never refuse him anything. “As long as you don’t display them in your living room, I guess it’s fine.”
Satisfied with this response, Hassel hummed and turned around again, happily tapping his fingers on the guardrail. He found himself looking almost instinctively for the Sunflora sculptures that were already placed around Artazon.
From where he stood, he could see a couple of them on either side of the town’s entrance, greeting visitors after a long trip from Levincia. To his far right was another one facing the pool next to the Gym, as if it was the one filling it with its tears (if asked, he’d voluntarily admit his interpretation of anything always involved a bit of projection somehow), and another one near the playground and a few art pieces by an unknown artist.
The knowledge that the still unidentified unknown artist was standing right next to him, and that he unexpectedly decided to display his “shallow old trash” a few weeks ago (after Hassel practically begged him to not get rid of them for months on end) and positioned a Surrendering Sunflora alongside them as a symbol of acceptance, put a grin on his face every time he walked past the spot.
He leaned over the railing, searching for the two other ones recently installed in front of the maze, facing each other.
On their own initiative, Hassel’s eyes settled on Brassius for a little while.
His thorny hair kept getting longer. He’s refused to cut it since he’s been allowed out the hospital, said it reminded him of when he was younger. Hassel has been cutting it for him every so often (to he best of his ability, considering Brassius’ hair type is far different from his own) for as long as they’ve known each other. He wondered if it has already been as long as it is now.
Both his lower eyelids remained dark and puffy-looking (though they always were to some extent, based on some old pictures he got to see).
When he almost caught his gaze, Hassel leaned over the railing and looked up above his head, pretending to look past the windmill, and somehow noticed yet another Surrendering Sunflora in the distance. It wasn’t technically outside of Artazon, but far enough to overlook the whole city from where it stood. It’s like this one was looking directly at him, the windmill, and the Gym, mirroring him in some way he couldn’t fully explain.
It’s facing south… isn’t it? How clever. Hassel thought.
Brassius remarked how Hassel’s eyebrows slightly rose in realization, and his face lit up a bit more.
Wriggling in Brassius’ arms, Dolliv motioned to Hassel to pick her up, which the latter would not have seen if Brassius didn’t held her up to his face.
“You seem lost in thought too somehow, Hass.”
“Always.” Hassel muttered, as he picked Dolliv up, who was still writhing in annoyance for some reason. “Ma’am, will you stop already? What has gotten into you?”
Brassius approached them both, before she slid through Hassel’s hands, crossed the plaza and disappeared downstairs.
“Did I upset her?” Hassel asked with concern.
“No, you didn’t. Don’t worry about it, she’s just like that lately.”
Although not fully buying it, Hassel didn’t insist.
The town slowly drowned in golden hues as they chattered, all its streets quietly emptying. The chilly breeze, typical of early spring evenings, became crisper, but none of them moved from where they stood. Standing side by side. Arms folded on the railing, brushing past each other from time to time. The touch felt electric to Hassel, as if he was going to get electrocuted if they made proper contact.
Truthfully, the sole fact that Brassius was actually there at all, and that they were talking about what’s to happen months from now on top of it, sent him into emotion chaos. They were both admiring the flowers bloom all over Artazon for yet another springtime. Last autumn, they weren’t sure yet if Brassius would ever get to see the flowers blossom again.
Last winter, Hassel almost lost him.
Memories burst anew in his mind without his consent ; he tried to shake them off immediately, knowing he wasn’t stable enough yet to remember. Breathe, Hassel. The smell of rubbing alcohol filled his nose again. Breathe. The dead silence regularly interrupted by the heart monitor’s incessant beeping. Just breathe. His best friend’s scrawny frame confined to a hospital bed, connected to too many tubes, eyes closed, barely breathing, almost like...
Tears started gathering in Hassel’s eyes, which he desperately tried to hold back, all the while admitting he couldn’t. He could never.
Muffling his ragged breath was one thing, a childhood habit he learned as early as he could speak. In fact, there was still quite a few habits of the sort that stuck with him decades after he left the family mansion. Perhaps, they would never go away.
He could never suppress his tears, though.
So as soon as the day he fled, he decided he would stop trying.
All he could think about at this moment was Brassius. Brassius standing next to him. He. Is. Standing. Right there. Just breathe, Hassel. His vision got blurry, but he turned his head to look at him to his left anyway.
Brassius laid his head on Hassel’s shoulder, without a hint of hesitation.
“I missed staying out late until sunset with you, you know.”
Upon Hassel’s lack of response, Brassius looked up, witnessing his friend’s tear streaked face.
“Oh Hass, why didn’t you say anything?”
He barely managed to articulate a few unintelligible words that Brassius only could understand, before the latter put his arms around the blonde’s waist, inviting him to rest on his shoulders for a moment. Hassel promptly accepted his offer, nestling his face against the junction between Brassius’ head and right shoulder.
His own arms encircled his smaller friend to reach his back, holding onto him for dear life so he wouldn’t collapse here and now. Both his legs struggled to keep him upright, Brassius noticed and held onto him a little tighter.
Eventually, Hassel stopped shaking enough for Brassius to presume he could talk again.
“Take your time, you don’t have to answer now. What is the matter?”
“Bwassie, please don’t go anywhere.” he uttered out, still sobbing.
“I’m here Hass, everything is fine.” Brassius softly said, closing his eyes, stroking Hassel’s hair with his left hand until the sniffling and whimpering subsided.
Hassel hugged him even closer, to which Brassius reciprocated with equal fervor gripping both his nape and his back. The taller man’s heartbeat decelerated to match his friend’s, his breathing following shortly after.
They remained quietly entangled through the aftermath of Hassel’s panic.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Brassie *sob*. I’m so glad *sniff*. I don’t want you to go through that ever again. Brassie, I...”
“It might happen again, my dear Hassel. There is sadly nothing we can do about it.” Hassel let out an almost imperceptible whine of sorrow. “In the meantime, I’ll be there for as long as I can be.”
“I’m so glad. But I’m so scared *sniffling*.”
“All good things will end someday, my dear. But that day has not yet come. You don’t have to be scared.”
Their arms slid from each other’s back before their hands intuitively reached the other’s forearm, none of them withdrawing from each other the tiniest bit. Hassel lifted one of his arms as carefully as he could to dry his tears, then intently looked at Brassius, awaiting his next words.
“All things will end eventually, but it means they are still here for us to relish, for now.” Brassius said, smiling at his friends and looking directly into his amber eyes. “We were granted more time, and I intend to make the most of it.”
Brassius knew Hassel might understand what he is talking about. None of them had tried to bring up the subject since Brassius was last admitted at the hospital, though they have been meaning to even before. For about a year, their gazes have been lingering on each other longer than before, their hands grazed the other a lot more frequently, they appeared to those around them as close friends watching for each other’s well-being, and yet...
Although definitely not for the first time, Brassius caught himself desiring something more from his beloved friend.
Hassel did too, just as quietly, he just had more trouble pinpointing it at first.
Perhaps it wasn’t something… more, as if, something additional? Hassel thought months ago. They could share with each other everything they would have kept to themselves otherwise. Hassel wouldn’t trust anyone else to soothe him when memories of his family - specifically his father - resurfaced. They’ve steadily been becoming more tactile, whether in public or in the privacy of either of their homes.
The most comforting out of it all must have been the knowledge that whatever Hassel was feeling would be met with some kind of reciprocation…
...but would Brassius really want what he wants, too?
They remained close, looking into one another’s eyes, Brassius searching for a sign of relief in Hassel’s, and Hassel searching for an answer to his questions in Brassius’.
An answer to...
Brassius brought a hand to the side of his face, lightly stroking it. “Hassel, is it alright if I…”
“… if you?”
Brassius’ eyes darted to his lips for a second. How do ask that to someone you’ve known for more than a decade?
Like I would have if it was a decade ago, I suppose. He concluded.
“Can I kiss you?”
Hassel nodded, they both closed their eyes.
Brassius moved forward to close the distance between them, while Hassel followed suit to catch up to him in the middle. Their lips met hesitantly at first, acknowledging each other’s presence, before Brassius headed for Hassel’s a little more intentionally. The latter tilted his head to the side, finding an angle for them to intertwine to a greater extent. His mouth moved against Brassius’s as they sought more contact from each other, more skin and chaps to map, more sounds to remember, more nuances to each other’s scent.
Bergamot orange, aftershave, cedar, but still sweet somehow. Brassius propped himself up a bit on Hassel’s arms to press their chests together.
His tongue aimed for Hassel’s, licking his lips first to ask for entry, to which he responded with a brief moan of surprise and a squeeze on Brassius’ arm. Still kind of shy due to the unfamiliar sensation, Hassel let his own tongue dance with Brassius’ to the latter’s pace, briefly, before closing their mouths and returning to their prior ministrations.
Rosemary, lavender, clay, earthy overall. Hassel let go of one of Brassius’ hands to free his own one and entangle his fingers in green spiky locks.
Brassius half-opened his eyes to admire Hassel’s kiss-drunk expression. Lost in the feeling of Hassel’s lips moving against his own and his blissed out expression, his hand moved on its own and he settled for capturing the blonde’s face. Brassius softly caressed Hassel’s cheek, then brought his fingers to his nape, combing his already perfectly groomed silky hair before pressing against it to bring his taller friend even closer. He closed his eyes again, letting himself get carried by his sense of touch.
Hassel forgot to breathe. Yet another quiet sound born from yearning left his mouth, unbeknownst to him.
They pulled away just a little to disconnect their lips only and breathe, while the realization of what just happened slowly got to them. Brassius didn’t open his eyes yet, lowering his face and facing Hassel’s chest, lingering close enough to feel his body heat reach him. Hassel felt a sigh of relief escape from his mouth, observing the smaller man’s peaceful face from up close. Their arms didn’t grip each other quite as strong as before.
“See, my dear? I’m not going anywhere.” he assured, making eye contact again.
Still submerged by his emotions, Hassel couldn’t do anything but nod and look down while he pulled himself together.
“I don’t want to assume, but...”
“Hass, I like you too.”
Hassel paused again, looking directly into Brassius’ eyes. He had pictured himself admitting his affection for his best friend, soliloquizing with all the fondness he held for him until he understood, and was taken completely off guard.
“For have long have you known?”
“Hass,” Brassius answered with a breathy chuckle “known which thing, exactly? I figured my affections for you were beyond friendly years ago. When we were on holiday by the seaside, near Porto Marinada, I suppose? Somewhere around that time. I still remember that night we spent at the beach from sunset until dawn and slept the whole day after.”
Hassel blushed heavily and grinned at the thought. The mobile home we rented was covered in sand after that, we spent our last vacation day cleaning the whole thing.
“And I think I understood you might feel the same last year, when you invited me to attend the League’s annual reception with you. I came up with every excuse I could find to avoid it, and you moved heaven and earth to convince me.”
“Brassie you know I would have invited you regardless. What really gave me away?”
“You couldn’t keep your hands off of me, Hass. For the whole night.”
“What? No, I… was it too much? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize, I...”
“No, don’t worry Hass it was fine, I would have told you if it wasn’t. Larry noticed though.”
“… and he told you??”
“Not explicitly. But he might have let is slip, yes.”
Hassel winced, though he couldn’t blame Larry. The man was chronically too exhausted to notice anything, so whatever Hassel did must have been rather obvious if he noticed it.
“Does that mean I’ll actually be invited to those again if I accept the position?”
“Absolutely.”
“I might decline just because of that, you know.” Brassius said half jokingly.
“If you don’t want to go that bad you could always ask chairwoman Geeta to exempt you.”
“Or I could call in sick. Very conveniently. Every single time.” he emphasized with his arm over his head in mock fainting.
Seeing Brassius’ dramatic side resurface made Hassel’s heart flutter. A few tears welled up in his eyes anew, accompanied by a hearty smile.
Abruptly, Brassius’ face became more serious as he set apart their usual banter for a moment.
“If Larry hadn’t said a word about it, I still wouldn’t have noticed, you know. I thought it was just you being you. Then I… started wondering.” Brassius got a little quieter before he continued “I was sent to the hospital shortly after, so I postponed the idea of bringing it all up.”
“And you kept it to yourself because…”
Brassius raised his eyes to meet Hassel’s again.There is no right way to say this, is there?
“Because I didn’t want you to be stuck alone with that if I died.”
Upon noticing Hassel’s eyes widen in shock, Brassius second-guessed whether he should have told him at all or kept this to himself, too.
His body felt like it was abnormally heavy, or a millisecond away from collapsing in on itself.
He hadn’t missed this feeling the slightest bit.
“Brassie, did you intend to take it to the grave?” his voice was so hushed in disbelief, Brassius barely heard him and half-guessed his words.
“I couldn’t just confess and be gone.” he stated, “The weight of it would have crushed you, Hass I couldn’t.”
Brassius’ own voice died down as well when he uttered the last three words.
“You don’t get to decide whether that would have been better for me or not.” he snapped at Brassius way too bitterly for his own liking.
Brassius’ heart gradually started racing, Hassel very rarely flared up. To any distress, and to avoid resembling his father by any means – apart from his facial traits, which he resented if he thought about it too long – he’d usually react with sorrow instead, though Brassius noticed over time he did hide some rage deep inside his chest that he only let out when making a point was necessary. Unlike his patriarch, and as a result of the immediate frustration Hassel felt when behaving like him, it was ever only followed by more weeping. This case was no exception.
“Bwassie you should hab told me then.” his head hung low in both shame and lament.
“And leave you with it? Alone? Absolutely not!” Brassius started getting worked up as well.
“If you really were…” he sniffed heavily, almost unable to continue “...if you had died, and never told me.” I’d never recover from this. It could have happened. Brassie why would you let this happen. “I would have wondered for the rest of my life.”
“It would have been worse if you knew, only for it to end before it even started! Hassel please be reasonable, it wouldn’t…”
“I don’t want your opinion on this matter!” Hassel snarled, suddenly looking at a very stunned Brassius through his blurry tears and clinging to his arms. “I need you to do it for me. I’m asking you to do it.” he added in a much softer way.
A few tears escaped Brassius’ eyes as well and rolled on his cheeks.
“Please. Please just tell me.” the blonde man felt like he was going to collapse “Whatever you feel like you need to tell me I will handle anytime.”
“I just want to know before you’re not here anymore to tell me.” is all Hassel could add before bringing his hands to his face, trying to dry the tears that kept coming and hide his expression he couldn’t control anymore.
Still kind of appalled, Brassius remained motionless, his mind racing with thoughts and failing to make sense of some of them.
When he heard Hassel whimper through the ringing in his hears, he wrapped both arms around the taller man’s torso and brought him close towards himself. He snuggled the side of his face into the blonde’s sweater and kept his eyes open while they darted from one point to another as he pondered what to do from there.
He settled on saying “Hassel I’m sorry.”
“Please next time just tell me.”
“I’ll try to. I just thought it didn’t sound ideal, but...”
“Brassie please.” he pleaded.
“I will.” he promised.
Stirred by the gust of wind, a few petals and leaves swirled around the plaza. Hassel caught Brassius shiver.
“It’s getting late, isn’t it?”
“it is.” He said, removing one hand from Hassel and tugging on the high collar of his pullover. “I haven’t been outside for so long in a while.”
“Better head home, then.”
“Will you walk with me?” Brassius asked, raising his head to meet Hassel’s gaze.
“Of course.” He answered without a second thought.
Reluctantly, they drew away from each other to head for the plaza’s stairs. Brassius looked one more time over to the windmill, smiling softly, contemplating it with curiosity all over again before turning his attention to Hassel following closely behind him. Visual contact followed by a smile, reaching to each other’s hand as naturally as if it’s nothing new.
Well, apart from the extensive physical touch, it was indeed nothing new to them.
Fingers intertwined, walking close to each other, they made their way downstairs, to Brassius’ old family house.
He looked around swiftly, searching for Dolliv. She must be home already, he guessed. Artazon really isn’t a big town anyway, so most of the time Brassius usually let his companions roam freely wherever they felt like it.
Accordingly, the walk from a point to another would never take very long. Brassius enjoyed each day’s particularity nonetheless, through his identical slow recent walks. Though, he hasn’t been outside at such an hour in a while, so the warm orange light overtaking the city and its long dramatic shadows particularly piqued his interest. Due to the sun’s angle as well, the facades looked stunningly flat, he noted.
His body felt light, somehow. As if the usual weight on his shoulders had left for a moment.
The wind didn’t feel like a nuisance, nor did the cold bother him. It was just there, feelings to be experienced, followed by the knowledge that they will be replaced by other ones.
The feeling of Hassel’s hand lightly dragging his own.
Hassel stroked Brassius’ hand with his thumb, and peeked at him.
“Will you take Geeta’s offer, then?” Hassel suddenly recalled he hadn’t gotten a proper answer from Brassius yet.
“I think I will.” Brassius said, without much hesitancy. “I was told the transfer would officially happen in roughly a year from now. So I still have time to see if I do recover as expected, or if I’m in for a relapse, anyway.”
Hassel winced a little, as every time the subject would ever be brought up “Hopefully not.”
Brassius looked over at Hassel too, whose whole front was bathed in the last sun’s rays of light. So beautiful. Like both a Sunflora facing the sun. My dear.
Why Is this kind of things so hard to tell someone so close to you?
They continued their way while sharing their thoughts, a little more absent-mindedly on Brassius’ part at least. The fatigue – or the after-effect of his still very recent emotional storm – started to mute his surroundings. Hassel’s voice seemed far away, though the presence of the latter’s hand in his own reminded him otherwise. His legs felt even heavier. The houses’ shapes became slightly more indistinct. Is that Breloom I can hear?
“Brassie, we’re there.”
Brassius snapped out of his trance. They had arrived indeed. “We are.”
Hassel remained silent for a minute, letting Brassius figure out what he appears to be trying to say.
“Would you like to stay for dinner? It won’t be elaborate, but I can make something up.”
“I’m afraid I can’t, Brassie.” Hassel replied with chagrin laced in his voice “I must be at the League early tomorrow. Also you look like you could use some sleep right now.”
“What about Friday night?”
“Friday sounds good.”
While he was just a few steps away from his doorstep, Brassius didn’t seem resolved to get inside just yet, nor was Hassel set on going home right away either. He looks like he’s still ruminating something, Brassius thought but didn’t have to wait for long.
“About today. Perhaps, there’s more we could address then?”
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“Never!” he interjected with more severity than he intended, “Absolutely not, Brassie. I think there are still a few things we need to discuss, though.”
“Such as, making sure your family don’t get word of it?”
“Well, that among other things.”
“Sure, we’ll do that then.” Brassius approached the blonde and placed his hands on the latter’s shoulders, gaining just the necessary leverage to bring their faces closer again. “Text me when you get home?”
“Will do, my dear.” Hassel blushed furiously, and let his lover close the distance between them.
The kiss was chaste and quicker than the previous, but long enough for them both to feel the frills travel their whole bodies at the contact of their lips. Hassel’s arms rested around the smaller man’s waist as he airily stroked his back, and they separated, intently brushing their noses together in the process.
“See you on Friday, my love.”
“See you on Friday Brassie!”
My love? Hassel thought as he called the Flying Taxi while retreating to the closest Pokémon Center. I didn’t expect it to soon. My Brassie, you’re always more eager than you let on.
My… love? Brassius turned around, mortified at his own choice of words. Shit, shit shit shit why did I say that out loud. Too early. Shit.
Brassius fished his keys out of his pocket to open the door, and was immediately greeted by Breloom yelling at him as soon as he crossed the doorstep.
“Ah, tone it down a notch, will you Bree? I’m sorry for being late, got carried away with Hassel.”
“Bree!” he inquired impatiently.
“Yes, I’m getting the berries right away.” Brassius patted Breloom’s head who leaned into his hand like he’d been waiting for it all day. He noticed Arboliva and Dolliv out of the corner of his eye “Come on you two, you must have been waiting for a while too. Arboliva could you call the others?”
Arboliva acquiesced and went on her way.
“Liv there you are.” he told Dolliv. “What bothered you back there?”
Dolliv cheeped vigorously, then wiggled her arms towards him. Brassius pouted and picked her up in his arms, she stared at him waiting for an answer “Of course I didn’t! When it comes to this, only the ones who are involved may decide when it’s time.” he smiled softly at her. It seemed like she understood. “Besides, I told him afterwards.”
She hugged him and murmured something, to which he responded by doing the exact same thing.
Lilligant came back from the conservatory, followed by Steenee and Gloom. Brassius reached to the Pokéball attached to his belt and released Sudowoodo, before dropping Dolliv off back to the ground and heading on to the kitchen cupboards.
On his way, Brassius remarked it was getting considerably darker outside, and turned on a few table and floor lamps. Under the pale orange light they projected, he dusted a framed picture of a very young version of himself, no taller than Lilligant, and two much older slouching individuals with different shades of faded green hair and wrinkles.
Over time, Brassius’ home was getting filled with handmade Grass-types-inspired housewares, dried flowers hung on the wall, gifts from Hassel and… quite a few Grass type Pokémons. The place was fairly more crowded compared to when he was a child, and a bit dustier, he was aware.
His phone beeped twice, expectedly.
[Hass: Just got home ( ˊᵕˋ )]
[Hass: Wish I could have stayed a bit longer tonight :‹]
[Hass: Perhaps, I could stay over on Friday? We don’t have to decide that now. Just a thought.]
Hass what am I gonna do with you? Brassius typed away immediately.
[Brassie: You can absolutely stay]
[Hass: Would it be fine?]
[Brassie: Rephrasing that. I’d love you to stay]
What is this, a conversation between two teenagers in love planning their first sleepover? His face grew hot at the thought.
[Hass: 𖹭]
It very well might be.
[Brassie: 𖹭]
Brassius put his phone back in his pocket, collected the berries he came for and brought them to his waiting Pokémons in the living room. Once they all began eating, he sat down on his favorite armchair covered in blankets, then reached into the drawer of the adjacent table to pick a worn notebook and the conveniently placed pencil next to it.
Most of the entries he’d written, he knew he wouldn’t read again. They were almost all evidences of times he’d rather not be reminded of, therefore he had the habit of labeling the ones he might want to find again with a sticky bookmark.
He used to determine which ones would be granted this honor afterwards, though he decided this one was sufficiently written in his mind already and needed to be kept preciously.
“To my own self in a little while,
I wish you would always be as serene as
I am right now, observing the structures
bathed in the evening’s golden hues, as if
they weren’t the same as they used to be.
Everything remains familiar, I’ve taken
this path countless times in every
possible direction. But today, the town
is unrecognizable, and the apprehension
that usually comes with familiarity
is absent.
What matters right now only exists for
the sake of this very moment; the leaves’
shadows dancing on every surface, the
wind coming up but cooling no one down,
my body’s inertia one step after another,
the feeling that there isn’t much to look
forwards to aside from repeating the
experience.
The shadows disappear for a moment and
then come back and leave again, and so
does this sentiment of peace, but at least
I am confident that it still exists.
Perhaps it won’t be as easy to forget then?
I suppose you will let me know.
The sun will rise and set regardless,
so don’t fret about it too much.
Affectionately,
Your own self from a little while.”