The SILVER Team (PLOT)

"Really?! That's AWESOME! Thank you thank you thankyouthankyouthankyoutheniusugfnjfdsi--EHEEHEEHEEHEEHEEHEE!" Pure excitement must've proved too much for the little guy, because he shot into the air like a rocket, giggling like crazy. Artorias was soon laughing along with him, the weight in his chest now feeling as light as it'd ever been. It didn't take long for Daisy to poke her head out from her spot in the jacket nest, roused from sleep by the noise. The little Zubat's ears twitched rapidly, no doubt trying to figure out what the heck was going on around her. Artorias trotted over to the younger bat and settled next to it, wrapping his tail around both the jacket and Daisy. Normally he would let her curl up on his back, and sometimes even his head, but the Zubat had just woken up and was distracted by the antics of her Noibat friend. Artorias couldn't blame her; Mikhail's laughter was pretty much bouncing off the walls with him at this point.
”Hey! Mikhail! What're you so excited about?”


Well, the mood was definitely feeling lighter, that was for sure. Red sank back into the tormented shirt-truth be told, it only made him look shorter-where Blue couldn't see even half of his face. It made him look like a tiny ball of fury, one that could no doubt kick Blue's ass. Wasn't there some saying about how short people were always the cruelest fighters? Well, Blue could definitely believe that. "Being taller only gives me better access to your knees," Red said back, continuing the banter, "The bigger you are, the harder you'll fall." Damn. Now that was savage, but Blue wasn't one to be bested so easily.
”Ouch. Harsh,” Blue responded, almost as if he was pushing for a challenge. Actually, no, there was no “almost” about it-a challenge was what he lived for, and this exchange made him forget about all of the other shit that had been going on. For a little while, at least. Blue couldn't deny that this exchange was enjoyable in itself; the sheer normalcy of it was relieving. He was so used to tension and stress that the absence of it was almost surreal. ”But I bet you couldn't get one kick in, even if you tried.”

”Hey! Mikhail! What're you so excited about?”

The tiny voice caught Mikhail's attention and he swerved midair to dive down toward the jacket and its inhabitant. He didn't land terribly well -in fact, he more face-planted than anything else- but the pain of the impact didn't deter his enthusiasm in the slightest. He hopped to Daisy, his grin bigger than his giant amber eyes.

"I'm gonna get trained!" he cried, bouncing in place and then dropping back to the jacket, rolling around and giggling as he did so. "Imma get strong and big, just like Momma, and then I'll be so strong, no gross-faced meanies are ever gonna get me!" He whirled back to his feet, stretching his not-impressive wingspan and struck a dramatic pose. "I'm going to be... awesome."

---

”Ouch. Harsh,” Blue easily replied, the banter continuing. Red watched from his clothy turtle shell as his anxiety shifted in his chest. It wasn't fear or dread-- it was... excitement? Was he eager? The memory of those old feelings had long been lost to the tempestuous tide of his shame and grief, so feeling them again was... foreign and strange. Not unwelcome, though. Definitely not unwelcome. ”But I bet you couldn't get one kick in, even if you tried.”

Blue's smirk was just as it used to be, back when they were kids-- full of confidence. Yet... maybe it wasn't? The expression Red saw at that moment was missing the condescending smugness that had carved Blue's identity in the former's mind. Still, nostalgia managed to further Red's spunky spirit even as his face remained half-hidden by his shell.

He bet that he couldn't get a single kick in?

Oh.
Oh no.

Them's fightin' words.

Red slipped his hands out of the sleeves, stopping at the wrists, and balled them into tight little fists. His face still half hidden, his eyes narrowed as a small competitive smirk curled his lips upward. "Fite me," he mumbled, bouncing his fists a little. "You won't be able to count the amount of kicks I'll get in."

Daisy giggled at the other bat's less-than-impressive landing. She struggled to pull herself out of the jacket even as Mikhail began to bounce and roll around, chirping a word of thanks as Artorias helped her get into a more comfortable spot. "I'm gonna get trained!" The Umbreon chuckled lightly as Mikhail began to roll around, his already soaring enthusiasm no doubt doubled by Daisy's re-appearance. It was surprising that he hadn't face-planted back onto the floor already. "Imma get strong and big, just like Momma, and then I'll be so strong, no gross-faced meanies are ever gonna get me!" As the Noibat stretched out his wings, Daisy frowned down at her own, unable to emulate the other bat's movements. Artorias did not miss it, and he wondered how she would handle the news of Mikhail's training. There was no practical way to train the Zubat, as she was unable to move on her own, and Artorias knew how easy it was for children to feel as if they did not belong. Would such a thing depress her, or cause jealousy? "I'm going to be...awesome.”

”Who's gonna train you?” Daisy asked with a bit more cheer, her big ears pointing up in the way they always did when she felt curious. ”That would be me and Blue,” Artorias answered, still as light in tone as before, ”Maybe someday he'll be even more awesome than I am.”


Blue actually did laugh when Red took on a “fisticuffs” pose; there was just no way he could ever take it seriously with how tiny Red's hands were, especially when poking out of that shirt. Yet, despite how absurd this was, Blue felt his competitive spirit rising more and more. Red was taking the bait, so why not make this an actual challenge? If Red couldn't actually kick him once, then he had to say Blue was the most amazing person he'd ever met in his life. Nyeheh. Immature, but the look on his rival's face would be priceless. "Fite me. You won't be able to count the amount of kicks I'll get in." Fight me? Oh my god, it was like having the Internet back. Blue wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or not.

”You look ridiculous,” Blue said while holding back more laughter, before attempting to look completely serious. It probably failed horribly, but oh well. ”But okay, you're on. And if you don't get even one kick in, like I said, then you have to talk about how great I am.” Blue had no interest in boosting his own ego, merely in finding something that would make “losing” seem unappealing. Man, were his knees going to hate him venomously later on, because Blue was 99.9% certain that he's going to get the shit kicked out of him, especially with such an unimaginably excruciating losing condition. ”And no backhanded compliments either!” His smirk seemed to grow a little bit after that. He had to have at least one rule, lest his unlikely victory be turned against him.

”Who's gonna train you?” Daisy asked, and before Mikhail could speak, Artorias answered. ”That would be me and Blue.” Mikhail looked up at the elder pokemon with those giant, bright yellow eyes again, adoration pouring from them. He was still in disbelief that it would actually happen-- nothing this amazing ever really happened to him. ”Maybe someday he'll be even more awesome than I am.”

"You think so?!" he cried, his eyes growing so large, they might have popped out if he were a cartoon. The giggles got him again and he rolled around on the jacket more, kicking his feet and wailing into the cloth in pure, unadulterated joy. Yeah, this was definitely the best freaking day.

---

”You look ridiculous,” Blue commented in between laughs, but Red's playful glare did not waver and neither did his little fists. He was ready. ”But okay, you're on. And if you don't get even one kick in, like I said, then you have to talk about how great I am.” Red scoffed at the gamble; like he had compliments to spare. Maybe backhanded ones-- ”And no backhanded compliments either!”

Red "hmph"ed, but kept his fighting pose up. This would be easy. In fact, it would be so easy that he didn't even feel good about giving himself a prize in the wager. He was just that assured to win. Before Blue could stand or move, one of Red's legs shot out from beneath the shell shirt and lightly kicked Blue in the hip. He quickly retracted it, then withdrew his fists. "I win." To keep Blue from retaliating too quickly, he pushed with his feet to roll himself backward and away from the other man, curled tightly into a ball until his back hit the other wall. "One kick. To your butt. I kicked your butt."

"You think so?!"
”I know so,” Artorias asserted, though he wasn't sure if the other even caught the words through that sheer elation. ”After all, you're young and full of potential, while I am an old man.” The Umbreon wasn't even that old, but he'd been getting “grandpa” jokes from Blue's other Pokemon for years; this time, he was determined to be the one to make that joke first. How many times has he heard “get off my lawn” or “kids these days”, anyways, even though those were human catchphrases? It wouldn't be surprising if Mikhail thought Artorias was way older than his actual age. But then, I suppose most young people immediately think of adults as “old...”
”I'm gonna be super cool too!” Daisy exclaimed suddenly, her fangs poking out as she smiled mischievously. It wasn't everyday she got to meet someone who not only acted close to her age, but was also of a similar species. As much as Artorias loved the little Zubat, he had to admit it wasn't always easy to get her to speak to anyone other than Blue. It was good to see her opening up more to another Pokemon. Truth be told, Artorias found it hard to imagine anyone not being affected by Mikhail's boundless energy...for better or worse. ”I'm gonna become a Crobat and be five feet tall, and nobody will mess with me.”


Despite Blue's set condition, Red doesn't set one himself-was he really that confident in his supposed victory? What a show-off...Blue loved it. He loved it significantly less so when Red, like a snake...with legs...gave what felt like a light tap to his hip in a matter of seconds. Blue hadn't even gotten the opportunity to get back up on his feet; he gaped at the spot where he'd been “kicked” for a few seconds, unsure if he was relieved to have been spared a mightier attack or rightfully embarrassed. What, was his equilibrium off? Blue had never seen such awful reaction times; it must have been a new world record. He can see that record now: "Local Man Literally Cannot Predict Movements, Continued Survival Judged Dubious At Best."

"I win." Unwilling to let this go further unchallenged, Blue kicked at Red, but the other slipped away-or rather, rolled. His rival had become naught but a ball of human and cloth. No, not just a ball of human and cloth, but one located outside of his feeble reach. Is this what they meant by “pride goeth before a fall?” To be bested by a small man wearing a shirt in such a ridiculous manner-woe was Blue, shame upon his family, and shame upon his Umbreon. "One kick. To your butt. I kicked your butt."
”How could I be so easily defeated?” Blue lamented, dramatically flopping onto the floor to further prove his point. Oh, woe was him, to be so swiftly bested by Red. When he sat back up, it was an act of exaggerated defiance. No, he would not let the chance to bounce back from this loss slip through his fingers. As Red had put it-fight me. ”I demand a rematch.”

Mikhail barely heard the sage Umbreon speak as he giggled and rolled around on the soft jacket. ”After all, you're young and full of potential, while I am an old man.” The sentiment only furthered Mikhail's elation, though he did pause a moment on his back to stare up at the craggy ceiling. In the gray and stony shadows, he could see visions of his future. Of his wings stretching out and slicing through the frigid clouds. Of talons that could grab whatever prey he wanted and pull it with him into the sky. For a moment, there was no mountain above him. It was open air, an overcast sky hiding a clear blue paradise just beyond his reach.

And... soon... he'd finally be able to grasp it.

”I'm gonna be super cool too!” Daisy's tiny voice brought Mikhail back into the wet alcove and he whirled onto his wings and feet to look at her. She seemed to have caught onto his spirit. His visions placed aside, he immediately joined his new friend's side to support her. ”I'm gonna become a Crobat and be five feet tall, and nobody will mess with me.”

"Heck yeah you are!" Mikhail cried without hesitation. "You're gonna be unstoppable! We're gonna be unstoppable! We're gonna be giant bats and no one will ever mess with us!" He giggled and bounced around Daisy. "I can't wait to start! I can't WAIT!"

---

”How could I be so easily defeated?” Red's grin, though cloaked by the shirt, refused to ebb away. He felt so light and silly, he couldn't keep his face straight. Blue flopped about dramatically for a moment, dragging on the woe of his utter, humiliating and inevitable defeat before he rose again, his expression filled with determination. ”I demand a rematch.”

"You would," Red teased as he curled his barely visible toes. "Only fops and gluttons ask for seconds. Very well. We may do battle again, but on one condition-- if you can catch me." He rolled away again, past the giggling bat children and their supervisor only to get stuck on the Rhydon's leg. He was trapped upside-down, with his head smushed against the ground and his hips leaning against the rock pokemon. "Shit." His feet, now exposed from his position, flailed quickly, but his body remained curled in the shirt shell.

"Heck yeah you are! You're gonna be unstoppable! We're gonna be unstoppable! We're gonna be giant bats and no one will ever mess with us! "I can't wait to start! I can't WAIT!"
"Yeah! We'll be awesome!" Daisy chimed in, her own excited energy quickly rising to try and match that of her new pal. She had only vague memories of flight herself, having had the ability snatched away by that horrible burrowing Pokemon...but a little Zubat could dream. With childish optimism, Daisy hoped that somehow, evolving could bring back what she'd lost. Crobats had two pairs of wings, right? For a moment, she could imagine both her and Mikhail as bats bigger than trees, soaring through the sky, everything on the ground looking up in awe. Yeah, that would be them. That'd be her. Daisy giggled at the thought of how Blue and Artorias would be small enough for her to carry them anywhere, instead of the opposite. She was going to be amazing.

Artorias gave a light chuckle at their shared cheer; it was good to see them both act so confidently, Daisy especially. "Both of you will be great," he said, but as soon as the words were out, they were immediately followed by a yawn. Today had truly taken a lot out of him, truthfully; that he was even still awake was a surprise in itself. Unlike two very perky children, Artorias didn't quite have the energy to stay up through what would probably be the entire night. "Though I'm afraid your moment of triumph will have to wait at least a little bit. This old man has tired bones." Such was the downfall of old age...or, at least, being mentally older. Artorias always was the one to keep all of the kids in line, even ones that were his age or barely younger, and that meant he needed his sleep.


Blue just about scoffed in mock indignation upon hearing Red's "dignified" response, though dignified might not have been the right way to describe a man with a t-shirt stretched over his entire body. "Totally Uncool" sounded much more fitting, in Blue's oh so humble opinion. "You would. Only fops and gluttons ask for seconds." Fops? Ha, lame. And who was he calling a glutton? Blue was no glutton, only a warrior with wounded pride, and mark his words he would show this Human Shirt what was what. This time, he meant business. There was no room for losing; that first attempt was a mere fluke anyways. Beginner's luck. Blue was ready to be a winner. "Very well. We may do battle again, but on one condition-- if you can catch me."

"Catch you-?" Before he could utter another word, Red was already rolling away like an absolute madman. "Get back here!" The stars aligned and by a miracle delivered from the heavens themselves, Red rolled right into his inevitable doom-getting stuck on Tarkus' leg. The Rhydon didn't look too pleased about a small human being caught on him, but at least he didn't move. That would've cost Blue both his victory and his dignity.
"Nyeh heh. You're mine now," Blue said as he approached, eager to claim his rightful victory. Tarkus gave him an annoyed glance before shifting his leg back, allowing Blue the opportunity to flop right on Red. The Human Shirt would not escape this time. Whether trapped by Rhydon or by Blue himself, his days as a reckless ball of fabric were over. "Sorry, there's no escape."

Daisy's triumphant proclamation only succeeded in making Mikhail envision the both of them soaring over the forests and lakes as giants, their grand wingspans blotting out entire sections of wilderness as they flew over them. "Both of you will be great," Artorias soothed, yawning as he did so. The small bat blinked and soon found himself yawning. In all the excitement, he hadn't even noticed he was tired! "Though I'm afraid your moment of triumph will have to wait at least a little bit. This old man has tired bones."

Mikhail yawned again and plopped against the Umbreon's warm, soft fur. "It's ok, Mr. Umbreon," he quipped as he settled further into the other pokemon. "You're still cool, even if you're old." And with that, he passed out, blissfully dreaming about he and Daisy ruling the skies in their magnificent evolved forms.

---

"Nyeh heh. You're mine now," Blue's victorious stupid voice sounded from just beyond Red's limited field of vision. Damn the luck. His rolling technique had betrayed him. His feet flailed in trying to find his opposition without leaving the safety of the shirt, of course, in vain. The rock aiding in keeping him captive shifted, earning more than a little surprise from Red. This could have been his chance-- "Sorry, there's no escape."

Red grunted with effort as Blue's weight was essentially dropped onto his body. Dammit. His feet continued to flail, but he refused to submit. Never give up, never surrender. Beneath the shirt, Red took a quick survey of just how Blue was positioned with his fingers, poking and prodding lightly and rapidly. Once he obtained the information he needed, Red's limbs shot out of their shell and latched onto Blue in an Octillery-like hug, the spindly appendages grasping their new host in an ironclad grip.

"You are mistaken," Red spoke, his face still half-hidden by the shirt. "It is for you there is no escape." His crimson gaze narrowed playfully. "You are the one who is mine. Nyeheheh."

Mikhail must have been been as tired as the Umbreon himself was, judging by those yawns and the way he slumped onto Artorias' side. All his energy must have been used up in that maelstrom of excitement, like a fire burning bright and fizzling out in seconds. With the chaos of the day, Artorias couldn't say he was surprised that both of them were worn out like this. "It's ok, Mr. Umbreon," the Noibat spoke into his fur, "You're still cool, even if you're old." The Umbreon smiled at that. Odd that Mikhail did not use his name-had Artorias really not mentioned it even once during their entire conversation? Oh well. The bat could always be informed tomorrow, when the three of them were awake and alert again. Artorias laid his head down, letting Daisy snuggle into the fur of his neck. As it was with Mikhail, only minutes passed before the Zubat drifted off as well, secure in the presence of her Umbreon guardian.
”Goodnight, you two,” Artorias murmured before closing his eyes, allowing both his body to finally relax and sleep to wash over him.


Feeling completely confident in his own victory, Blue must have underestimated the depths of Red's cunning. Before he could begin to doubt whether his trap was actually inescapable, the smaller man launched his counterattack, imprisoning Blue with a hug that could be accurately described as the equivalent of Alcatraz. He struggled to slip back to freedom, but it was all to no avail. This was nothing more than a Pyrrhic victory, now that Blue is caught in the jaws of the enemy shirt once more. "You are mistaken. It is for you there is no escape." Still, Blue defiantly attempts to break free of his captivity; never shall his stubborn self admit defeat. "You are the one who is mine. Nyeheheh.”

Blue stopped his struggling, giving Red an only slightly exaggerated quizzical look. Now that was some word choice, even for two fully-grown adults acting exactly as little kids would. It was like being presented with a shiny new idea on how to bounce back from his humiliating defeat; Blue knew exactly how to get out of this one now. "Nyeheheh" indeed. ”So that's what this hug's all about?” He thought his mischievous smirk wouldn't be able to grow any further, but this had definitely proved him wrong. ”Wow. I never knew you felt so strongly about my amazing self. I have no choice but to accept your embrace.”

Red did not like the sneaky twinkle in Blue's eye. Twinkling meant mischief and shenanigans. ”So that's what this hug's all about?” Red's gaze narrowed a bit in confusion; what was Blue even blabbering about? ”Wow. I never knew you felt so strongly about my amazing self. I have no choice but to accept your embrace.”

Damn. Blue seemed to have gotten him... Red's face scrunched up a little in anger, as it looked as if he was about to be dethroned... But unfortunately for Blue, Red was far too stubborn to just let Blue emerge victorious. Especially when he'd worked so hard for his own victory. No. It would not end here. There may be a day when Blue would finally rise above Red and truly be triumphant, but it was not this day.

Not this day.

"Your attempts to gross me out are in vain," he muttered, narrowing his eyes further and allowing a small smirk to grace his own face as he stared Blue down. Using his arms and legs hooked onto Blue in the full-body hug, he strengthened his hold to bring himself closer. Their faces mere inches apart, Red kept his awkwardness at bay for just a moment. This was for winning dammit. "I won't be intimidated by your kooties, Blue. I call your bluff."

"Your attempts to gross me out are in vain." Okay, Blue had to admit he didn't expect Red to get that close; now there was barely any space between them. He'd played his last card, but now it was like someone had dropped rocks onto his gut-just what was Red planning, and why did it feel like the mountain's temperature had mysteriously increased? This was getting more intense by the second. "I won't be intimidated by your kooties, Blue. I call your bluff." There it was, the killing blow, the end of the rebellion. Blue had only attempted said bluff as a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, but with Red's face literally inches from his own, it was suddenly becoming all too real. Kooties? Well, he'd only been kidding about that whole “strong feelings” thing, of course, but this embrace was actually kind of...nice? Wait, what? The hell am I thinking? Blue has just suffered humiliating defeat, and he's thinking about a hug. That was some backwards logic. He floundered for words, some miraculous, final counterattack, but his mind stubbornly refused to give him words. All it could think about was how, now that they were seeing him when he was happy instead of pissed off, or in a state of despair, Red was actually...kind of cute...

Wow. Was it hot in here, or what?

No, wait, that can't be right. No way in hell was that right. This was Red he was thinking of-his childhood rival, the same guy who'd always been better than him, and for a good chunk of today they'd both hated each other. Right? Had Blue actually hated Red even before they'd found some common ground? That-that didn't make any sense either. This wouldn't have happened if such animosity was real, and still lingering between them. The sudden burst of joy after so much misery must have messed with his brain somehow, made these feelings bubble up. Blue didn't even know what those feelings were, truthfully, now that “mischievous” was being mixed up with “jovial”, and those two were pushed between confusion. Christ, it was as if he was thirteen years old again. Actually, did I even think about these things when I was thirteen? If Blue had been thinking straight, he might have simply surrendered in defeat and left it there. These feelings weren't much of anything, simply brought on by what were definitely uncontrollable circumstances, nothing that couldn't be buried and forgotten about.

But...Red's face was right there. Would it be better to bury the feelings and potentially lose any sort of chance to show, “hey, they exist,” or suffer even more humiliation, especially if this was merely a spur-of-the-moment emotion? Tarkus wasn't even near them anymore, and the other Pokemon were asleep...maybe, then...why not? He was about 99% certain this was what people did when someone they might have found someone to be...nice-looking and wanted to show it. Well, who could it hurt? Everyone. And, you know, the person right in front of you.
Shut UP. Nobody got anywhere in life by being cautious and reserved all the time. Sometimes, you had to take a plunge off the cliff.

”Fine,” Blue said, bracing himself for what no doubt be the inevitable nuking of whatever bond they had formed today. No, wait, that was too negative-this was going to go well. Definitely. Without a doubt, nothing was going to go wrong. Maybe he'd be a little awkward about it, but really, that was the only problem. ”You win.” And with that, Blue kissed Red, lingering for about five seconds before he fully realized what he'd just done.



......
...Fuck.
Did he actually just do that?
Oh fuck.
He tried not to think about the fact that his cheeks were probably now a very fine shade of red and instead focus on how the hell that had happened. What in god's name could have brought such an impulse over him? Maybe it was because of how high the emotions of today had ran, leading from “I literally want to kill you” to “Both of us are screwed up” right up to “Now we are acting like children.” Wow, somehow that line of reasoning made even less sense now then it did before. Blue felt torn between rapidfire apologizing, hiding his face from the rest of the universe, or both at the same time. Instead of any of those, his nerves led him to short laughter,  Am I drunk? I think I'm drunk. There's no way I'm not drunk. Man, was he starting to regret not simply admitting defeat and doing absolutely nothing else. How could he have been so stupid as to just act without first thinking, "wow, maybe I should approach these budding feelings with a rational mind and wait for a good opportunity to express them?" Blue mentally kicked himself repeatedly for being such a giant, goddamn moron.

”Wow. Uh, I really made this awkward,” Blue finally said, ”I-wow, I'm sorry. I need to re-learn personal space. I'll just, um-I'll-” His words once again failing him, he tried to give a sheepish grin...but honestly, it probably gave the impression of ”I wasn't thinking please don't kill me.”

The smirk that Red so proudly wore began to fade as Blue's silence stretched on and on. Confusion soon took his prideful taunts' place and, out of habit, his head tilted to the right ever so slightly as watched Blue's slowly redden. Was... Blue blushing? Why... Why was there blushing involved? Red's mind quickly fired a thousand reasons why Blue was blushing, but of course, they were all immediately disposed of because they were all stupid and ridiculous. The only one that even made remote sense was that Red was somehow choking him and this was just a color someone turned before going purple. But Red was nowhere near Blue's trachea. Soooo that was out.

However, just as Red was about to actually inquire as to what exactly was going on inside that dumb spiky hair, Blue finally broke the silence himself. ”Fine,” he began, his voice...a little shaky, maybe? The strange tone of voice evoked more confusion and a little bit of concern from the soldier. Dear god, had he broken Blue? ”You win.”

What happened next was something that Red could not have predicted, not in a thousand years. He had always prided himself with being prepared or having good reflexes, but one of the few things he'd never expected, never anticipated--

MOTHER OF GOD, WHY IS BLUE'S FACE ON MINE?

Red suddenly found he was paralyzed. Utterly paralyzed. He would never move again. In the five seconds that Blue held their intimate contact, it felt that each of those seconds was a millennia. Red couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. His grip on Blue's shoulders went rigid, likely from the paralysis. Because he couldn't move. Because how could he move-- BLUE WAS CURRENTLY ON HIS FACE.

However, in the flurry of emotions, fear and panic chief among them, was one tiny voice that soon made Red's own face flush with color. Well, this... is kind of nice...

YOU SHUT YOUR FILTHY MOUTH, RED. OH WAIT, YOU CAN'T, HIS FACE IS ON YOU. THIS IS NOT 'NICE'. 'NICE' IS NOT 'COLLIDING FACE WARS'. THIS IS HORRIBLE. THIS IS A HORRIBLE THING HAPPENING. WHY AREN'T YOU STOPPING THE FACE SMASHING? IT'S STILL GOING DO SOMETHING.

Despite the two warring voices in his head, he found he could indeed do nothing to halt the contact. His heart was in his eyes and his feet simultaneously somehow, and his stomach had replaced his heart and had spontaneously been filled to the brim with bricks. It was a miracle he didn't drop dead right then, right there. But for all of his flustering, he couldn't bring himself to admit.... that... he hated it.

Suddenly, after the million years that the kiss lasted, Blue finally broke it, revealing his blush had gotten much, much deeper. It looked more like a sunburn now. ”Wow. Uh, I really made this awkward,” Blue joked, likely trying to diffuse the strange tension between them. Red didn't laugh, however, as he was still paralyzed, and only looked at his old rival with wide alarm. ”I-wow, I'm sorry. I need to re-learn personal space. I'll just, um-I'll-” He fumbled a bit more and managed to give Red a sheepish, embarrassed grin, but the latter could only stare in utter shock.

As Red's mind flooded with racing thoughts and jabber, his body did the only autonomous thing it really knew other than breathing-- Red retrieved his arms and legs back into the shirt and slowly ducked his head back in, the wide vacant stare still very much present. Without a way to keep his balance, he rolled a little onto his back, still in the shirt, with his feet dangling out of the protective cloth. He couldn't think on trying to hide them, though. He couldn't think of anything other than the face wars.

Well... the tiny voice from earlier began. At least he didn't try sticking his tongue down your throat.

Yeah... not sure if that's something to celebrate. Or maybe it was.
Oh dear God.
This was why alcohol was invented.

Blue had expected many things to happen after his little stunt. Being punched in the face, yelled at, maybe being threatened with a gun, swiftly followed by Red pretending he did not exist for the rest of their lives. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? What he didn't expect was Red basically going into a coma. His stare held no emotion or reaction, let alone the sheer fury Blue had anticipated-had that one kiss stolen his very soul? I've killed him. My God I've killed him. How was Blue ever going to explain to Artorias that he made his rival drop dead by kissing him? It was the perfect crime. It was the perfect unintended crime. Maybe now was the perfect time for Blue to sink into the earth and vanish from sight, so that his humiliation could be forgotten in the coming eons. He could only watch, like a deer caught in the headlights, as Red withdrew into the shirt and turned into the human equivalent of a pill bug, completely, undeniably defeated. There was no more fight left in him, that was for sure, and it was rather unnerving to witness.

...does this count as a win?

If so, it was a hollow victory indeed. Blue's still-smoldering embarrassment immediately dismissed the idea; he was struggling to accept that this was real life and not some incredibly vivid fever dream. No way would the Blue of reality do something so reckless, so thoughtless, so stupid.....or maybe he would. Thank God Artorias was asleep, and the kids too, and that Tarkus was not still in sight, waiting to judge him. With a bit of luck, both he and Red would repress this memory, allowing it to drift out of their lives with little to no consequences, and they could go back to being friendly rivals. Yeah, keep dreaming, Blue. He'd started this whole mess, and now he was stuck with it. Red was still looking a little, uh, dead over there, and Blue wondered if he should say something. The awkwardness in the air was building to the point that he could probably slice through it with a butter knife; not to mention, he still didn't know if the other man was even still alive, or slowly suffocated by the ignominious kiss. Blue inched over to Red, being a thousand times more mindful of personal space than he'd ever been in his entire life.

"Red, my buddy, my pal," Blue said in the most casual tone he could muster-that is, horrifically uncomfortable and trying with all the effort existing on this planet not to acknowledge what just happened. If you don't think about it, it never happened. "You're not dead, right?"

Blue kissed him.

Blue kissed him.

Blue fucking kissed him.

Nevermind that they were mostly bitter rivals for many of the years they'd known each other, or that you know, they'd just bared their very souls to each other. Nevermind that Red had never really been romantically involved or interested in anyone before, since his puberty years were spent on the top of a frigid, isolated mountain. The feeling that lingered and caused his lips to tingle remained the focus of Red's frantic mind because it could not get past the fact that Blue, of all people, had taken his first kiss.

His kiss-ginity was now Blue's.

He had completely withdrawn into his shirt-shell, his face tucked into the small grove his knees created. His eyes were still wide as he stared down at them and his mind struggled to comprehend everything that the last ten seconds entailed. What did it mean? Did... Did Blue always feel like this? Oh God, how long had this been building? Had he been gay for Red the entire time they were traini-- holy God, had Blue always been gay? Red had never put much thought into that spectrum of things, as he'd never felt compelled to. It had never been his business. But since Blue had planted his face on Red's, it was now kind of his business and these were now legitimate questions.

Red had not been aware that Blue was awkwardly approaching and visibly flinched when the other man spoke. "Red, my buddy, my pal," he began in one of the most awkward tone of voice Red had ever heard. It would have been funny if Red weren't completely mortified. "You're not dead, right?"

If I don't answer, will he try to give me mouth-to-mouth? The thought was enough to freeze Red's body once more in trepidation, but his continuing silence likely wasn't helping his case to Blue. His mouth floundered a bit as he attempted in vain to produce some sort of sound, but his throat had long since closed. Quickly defeated, he shifted a little in the shirt and poked out a timid thumbs up through the currently vacant head hole. After a small moment, he retrieved it and remained curled in a tight ball, still unable to move.

How in God's name was he supposed to talk to Blue ever again?

---

The night and following day were more than awkward. Hell, Red outright couldn't speak a single word to anyone -least of all Blue- for at least three whole days. He avoided being close or alone with his old rival much of the time, often keeping to the other side of the alcove and refraining from social activities with busywork and the shelter's upkeep. Any attempts from Blue to breach this were met with a timid sort of skittering that was reminiscent of his younger days.

It had been a full week since the Kiss-pocalypse and Red was still struggling to come to terms with how he felt on the entire thing. Emotions had become a bit foreign to him after essentially committing himself to sociopathy for four years and day like that day, even without the kiss, had been little less than a goddamn roller-coaster. Still, abstaining from social situations had given Red a little more peace of mind to sort his feelings out, even if it was possibly at the expense of Blue's peace of mind.

The truth was that... he hadn't hated it. In fact, after being alone and miserable for so long, essentially tortured, Red had felt at peace for the first time in... years. Just playing and goofing with Blue, being able to begin to take the burden he'd been carrying on his shoulders down, brick by brick... It was something Red couldn't just overlook. The one shining spot in a sea of abysmal anguish wasn't anything Red could ignore. And, yeah, the kiss hadn't been something Red had ever expected, but he couldn't honestly admit that he wished it to never have happened.

So... where did that leave him?

Again, Red had never much been inclined to ponder on romantic excursions, since they were few and difficult to come by on a blizzard-worn mountain top. He had also never wondered on what attracted him, as there had been no need. He'd been so focused on training and avoiding people for so long, all thoughts toward actually interacting and being with people had mostly gone out the window. So it was strange to try and view Blue in a new light when that particular perspective was wholly foreign and unknown.

But really... if he were to explore this strange new world of relationships and not hermiting himself on a mountain top, who would he trust more to guide him through it other than... his friend? Red knew he had few friends and many of those had the last name of "Oak". He would never trust someone outside of that small circle of people with something such as this. Hell, before last week, he wouldn't have trusted any of them for fear of humiliation so astounding, he would have somehow managed to embarrass himself out of existence all together. But... Blue already made the first fuck up. And it was a big one.

So... why not?

The rain had been relentless for the past week, tantalizing them with sunshine only to cruelly rip it away a day later. The ground needed to be dry for at least a few days for safe travel-- a number that depressingly grew the longer the rains persisted. Mikhail was happily foraging for berries in the sprinkling mists, leaving the alcove quiet for a few precious moments. Red paused as he mended the tarp in his hands, his mind suddenly drawn back to reality as his thoughts continued to ponder on Blue and everything surrounding him. He had kept himself mute for a week; if there was to be any progress between them one way or another, Red needed to speak.

He quickly finished the mend on the old tarp and stood, quickly spotting the only other human in the mountain. Gently clearing his throat, he made his way to Blue, his voice barely audible, "Could I, uh... talk to you?" He glanced down to Artorias, who was likely highly suspicious of the entire thing. Red gestured to the path that lead deeper into the mountain with a slight nod of his head and added, "Alone?"

The rest of that night went by about as awkwardly as Blue expected. The coming days saw little to no change, with Red dodging any attempt at socialization in graceful manner that must have been honed over several years. That left Blue to stew in his thoughts and emotions, as chaotic as they were; he stubbornly refused to tell any of his Pokemon what had happened. The mere thought of doing so unleashed a flood of embarrassment that made the man want to drown himself in the endless rainfall. Unless he was struck by lightning and had the ability to experience humiliation fried, only Blue would know of what went on that night...and Red. Dear God.

To say that his feelings towards Red were complicated would be the greatest understatement of the past millenia. After the first night, Blue handwaved what had happened as mere impulse, a sort of emotional drunkenness caused by the sheer mental rollarcoaster the rest of the day leading up to that moment had been. A fleeting attraction, and nothing more. But as the days crawled by into a full week, and Blue had to get used to perpetual silence from his ex-rival, he was forced to face the facts; the feelings weren't going away.  That stupid kiss may have been him acting rashly, yes, but it was still a legitimate expression of emotions Blue didn't know what to make of. How long had he felt this way for Red, even if he didn't realize it? What did Red feel about this entire mess? Was he pissed at Blue for doing something so incredibly dumb and unthoughtful? Though a galaxy's worth of questions ran laps around his mind, Blue knew perfectly well that he wasn't going to be getting answers any time soon. And who's fault is that?

Hell, romantic relationships had rarely, if ever, crossed his young mind. Even as an adult, the stress of his personal life followed by the near-complete loss of the world he knew left little time for figuring such things out. Sure, there'd been times when other men would catch Blue's eye, but it was never anything substantial. Intimacy simply couldn't make the cut onto his list of priorities, but now...now was way different. It was hard to deny this freshly-realized attraction when Red was not just the only person he could call a close friend, but also the only human company on this mountain. Mikhail's constant chatter and his own Pokemon kept him from going stir-crazy, but really, all Blue wanted to do was speak to Red. If only there was some way to keep his ex-rival from darting away every time he tried to speak to him, so they could sort this mess out.

This entire time, Artorias had looked with suspicion on the way the two men were acting. They usually treated each other with some degree of awkwardness and distance, but this is far more than simply giving each other personal space. The Umbreon had attempted to get answers out of Blue, but he'd been met with rapid denial of any strangeness and a dance around the questions, one elaborate enough to probably earn his trainer a gold medal. Artorias simply narrowed his eyes and moved on, determined to find out what had gone on one way or another. It was almost like living among teenagers trying to cover up evidence of a wild house party; one of them would let something slip eventually.

He spotted Red's approach before Blue did, wondering if today would be the day they finally admit why they are acting so weird. "Could I, uh... talk to you?" Artorias met Red's look, trying to discern the intent of this talk, while Blue himself looked like he'd just seen a cat walk on water. It must have been days since Red last spoke to him, and now the man decided out of nowhere that he wanted to speak. No, Artorias couldn't blame him for experiencing a bit of shock. "Alone?

"Yeah, sure," Blue responded with a hint of nervousness, giving his own glance towards the Umbreon by him; Artorias could take a hint. He gave one more doubtful look at the two before traipsing away.

"Yeah, sure." Red could already tell that Blue seemed to be as nervous as he was, but he tried to not let it show. Crimson eyes looked to the suspecting Umbreon, waiting for some sort of comment, but it seemed that Artorias was gracious and patient enough to oblige the silent request for privacy. Red watched the pokemon trot away for a while, making sure they were actually alone before Red looked back to Blue, unsure of where to begin.

How did he say this? What did he even want to say, again? His mind blanked as it confronted the situation, all his speculating and planning completely for naught. His eyes focused on Blue's for a moment as he fought down a creeping blush in his cheeks. What did he say? What did he say, what did he say?

Oh... fuck it. He was always bad with words.

Heart pounding, he took a small fistful of Blue's shirt for leverage -Blue was too damn tall- and quickly vaulted himself to his tippy toes. In a single smooth motion, he pushed himself up and gave a single, quick peck to Blue's lower lip. He quickly released and averted his eyes, the blush now completely in full swing. "Ok."

With Artorias now out of both sight and earshot, Blue could now place all of his focus into being completely uncomfortable. Speaking of which, would there ever be another moment when he wasn't uncomfortable? He and Red might be making eye contact, but not a single word was spoken, a week's worth of awkward silences building itself into a sturdy barrier between them. Having not expected Red to suddenly speak to him out of nowhere like this, Blue was at a loss for words. What would he say, anyways? Red was the one to initiate conversation, and it wasn't like Blue could read his mind and somehow find a way to break the ice. "Break the ice," oh great, now Blue was starting to blush too, could this get any more humiliating-

His mind short-circuited right in the middle of his jumbled thoughts as Red made the first move; in one fell swoop, he managed to grab Blue's shirt and deliver the lightest possible kiss all before the man could even begin to comprehend what was happening. Despite lasting about a nanosecond, the contact still left him feeling...quite dazed. Dumbfounded. Probably looking like a complete idiot, too. And he realized the entirety of the last week in all of its unease was utterly worth it. Seeing Red blush like that made him wonder if he looked the same way. Wow, okay, now Blue understood why neither of them had shown much interest in...in this sort of thing before. "Ok." Yep. That about summarized it. What were words, again? Had he been robbed of the ability to speak? It wouldn't have been very surprising.

"Great talk," Blue finally managed to say, still in a state of mild shock over the fact his impulsive interest had actually been acknowledged in such a fashion. He hadn't quite finished questioning whether this was actually reality, and not some sort of fever dream.

The long awkward silence between them made Red momentarily doubt that perhaps this hadn't been the right answer. That after a week's worth of consideration, maybe Red had come to the horrifically wrong conclusion. "Great talk," Blue finally spoke, his own blush causing Red's to deepen. Yeah, it hadn't really been the most... romantic thing, but they were both pretty inept at this.

"Yep," was Red's tiny answer, averting his gaze to the crags and his feet-- anywhere except for Blue himself. For another while, they remained awkwardly speechless, likely waiting for the other to make some sort of move rather than make one themselves. It extended to the point where Red could no longer bear it. He grasped his arm, as if to anchor himself in the current of his own turbulent emotions, and broke the silence first.

"I uh... I'm sorry for... you know... not talking for a week." He chanced a glance up at Blue's gaze, then pulled it immediately back down to the ground. "I was... trying to decide whether or not to... uhm... do... that."

History books could be filled describing in painstaking detail the awkward silences that took place between them. For days the two would stand there, unable to make eye contact, without a single word being exchanged... Blue waited for what must have been a millenia, anticipating something else from Red, though he couldn't think of what. Eventually, he began to wonder if he was the one expected to make the next move-that made sense, right? Blue had shown interest first, Red just kissed him back, so logically he should be the one to react. Christ, did that mean he was the reason this discomfort was stretching for so long?

Okay, think of something, Blue, anything. "Our height difference is really cute"? No, that's stupid, and he had a feeling that Red wouldn't appreciate the thought. He couldn't just go and try to take it all back, either. That'd be cruel and...well, you know...kind of a lie. A really obvious lie Red would never in his life fall for. What, then, should Blue say to try and make things a little less weird between them? Red may have been known for his silence, but Blue was the king of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Arceus himself must have taken pity on him, for Red spoke before Blue could go and somehow blunder things up even further, something he could easily file as a personal talent. "I uh... I'm sorry for... you know... not talking for a week." Red could barely even look at him for more than a few seconds, and Blue suddenly felt rather guilty. There was no need for the other man to apologize when he'd been the one to act like an idiot and kick off this entire horribly awkward process. Again, he found himself asking why he had to occasionally do such incredibly dumb things. This one wasn't so bad though...I mean, he did kiss me back. "I was... trying to decide whether or not to... uhm... do... that."

"It's fine. I mean, I was the one who started all this, so..." Forming the rest of the sentence was like pushing a boulder up a hill, but somehow Blue managed to do it without passing out or screaming incoherently. Good for him. "I don't blame you for not talking to me." He began to wring his hands, unable to look directly at Red; both of them sure had made a habit of doing that. Eye contact? Who needed it? Neither Blue nor Red had ever even heard of such a thing. With a smidgeon of his previous confidence, Blue attempted to at least show an emotion other than just "nervous" or "awkward to the point of unbearable". "That was a good choice you made, though. In my opinion."

"It's fine. I mean, I was the one who started all this, so..." Red glanced up as Blue struggled to finish the sentence. Not that he blamed the other man, really. Frankly, every coherent thought that left either of them was nothing less than an outright miracle. "I don't blame you for not talking to me." Blue wrung his hands and Red couldn't help but see his own free hand fidgeting and worrying a piece of his own tee. Well... Great minds and all of that? Oh, God, the apocalypse wasn't going to kill him-- the stroke from trying to deal with all this awkward nonsense was what was going to fucking kill him. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Blue quipped, "That was a good choice you made, though. In my opinion."

The contrast in tone, as well as some of the old confidence Blue had been known for, was enough to break much of the tension in Red's chest and the latter couldn't help but let out a small laugh. It was more of a spit take, but Red took what he got. He felt the color in his cheeks burn with the "praise". Goddammit, Blue. "Thanks," he managed to say while still lightly laughing, chancing a glance up at the other man before pulling it back down to his feet. His very interesting feet. "I uh... I figured you'd be a fan of it."

The laughter he got in return for his quip may not have been the most impressive, but the simple positive affirmation was enough to clear away at least a little bit of the awkwardness hanging over them. Blue no longer felt the need to mess with his hands as some form of distraction, however fleeting. "Thanks," was Red's reply in the midst of his laughter, which only fueled the return of Blue's confidence. Sure, not everything between them could be solved with a joke or two, but he could damn well make them anyways. "I uh... I figured you'd be a fan of it."

"Well, you found my ultimate weakness," Blue joked again, wondering what Red would think of that as soon as the words were spoken. Ooh, he bet all the money that he didn't actually have that it was somewhere along the lines of "Goddamn it, Blue." But why make things even more awkward? They'd dealt with so much awkwardness, he might be permanently ill if he ever thought about the word again, or applied it to anything in his life. There was that first impulsive kiss, the "Week of Despair", now Red had returned the affections...with each passing minute, Blue is becoming more assured that this is, in fact, the right thing.

The idea for another attempt at lighthearted humor popped up in his mind not long after. Heh, this would be a good one, maybe even enough to get Red to look up from his feet. Or not. Now that Blue finally had some clarity again, he could think about how...you know...cute Red's shyness actually was. Blue decided to save that little comment for later, when things were more comfortable between them. "Though we should probably head back, before anyone gets worried, or..." Pretending to look like a guilty teenager worried about getting caught, he spoke in a stage whisper to Red, "...Suspicious."

It seemed that Blue was faster at recovering from the tension than Red was; a disadvantage for the short soldier. Damn. "Well, you found my ultimate weakness," Blue joked again, earning a slow shake of Red's head. Despite his gentle ire for the cheap humor, Red couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Or the blush. Goddammit, Blue. If he wasn't careful, Blue would get him into another giggle fit. "I'll keep that in mind," he murmured between chuckles.

He finally chanced looking up to Blue when he spoke again. Red immediately recognizing the mischievous twinkle in his eye. Oh no. Oh something was coming and he probably wasn't ready for it. "Though we should probably head back, before anyone gets worried, or..." The actions and expressions were exaggerated, as if they were hiding from some parental figure. "...Suspicious."

Red outright snorted, immediately covering his mouth with a hand and wide, gleeful eyes. Still snickering, Red lightly smacked Blue's arm. Bastard, making him snort. Oh, he knew he wasn't going to hear the end of that. Nope. Not gonna live that down. "Oh my God, you made me snort." The giggles crept into his stomach and began to bed, preventing him from stopping. "Ass."

Blue's joke was right on target-heh, score one for him, ten out of ten. Red snorted, and the both of them dissolved into completely-mature laughter; he barely even notices the other smacking his arm. This is just gold. They really are acting just like teenagers right now, but who cares? It's hilarious. "Oh My God, you made me snort." Blue gives a smirk in response-he's a real bastard, isn't he-but soon enough, he's giggling right alongside Red. Now the tension between them is pretty much completely gone, and he's rather pleased with the outcome. Nobody can resist the Blue or his wide variety of stupid jokes, not even Mister Stoic Red. "Ass."

"Me? Why, I never-I'm completely innocent," Blue protested, but he couldn't keep a straight face. God, he might not ever stop laughing. His entire face is starting to hurt, but honestly, he cannot care less. Blue's going to keep this in his mind for the rest of time, pulling it out of his memory pockets just to embarrass Red. Hey, if everyone else always remembers his humiliating moments, why can't he do the same? It's only fair; his logic is sound. Thinking that brings out another giggle. "Don't worry, I'll put this in the scrapbook of embarrassing moments just for you."

"Me? Why, I never-I'm completely innocent," Blue proclaimed in a vain bid to defend himself, despite his overwhelming guilt. "Don't worry, I'll put this in the scrapbook of embarrassing moments just for you."

Red chanced a look up at Blue, his harsh facade shattered by the warmth of his grin. He hadn't been one for such joviality since his younger years, and even then his happiness had been more or less subdued. Still, the two boys were caught in a giggle fit and neither really saw a need to end it themselves. After so much heartache, so much anger and hate and all of that negativity, this humor and lightness felt so... wonderful. If Red had doubted himself at all in his decision, the sound of their mutual laughter dismissed it immediately. They both desperately needed something like this. It didn't have to be serious, or anything. Just... this. Whatever it was. His expression softened as he stared up at Blue's dumb hair and his cheeky smirk-- that was the face of his friend. His only friend, really.

Ducking his head a little, Red leveled out his gaze to the path Artorias had padded on some time ago. It wouldn't have come as a great shock to Red if the Umbreon were somewhere close by to keep an eye on them, but the thought of the Dark type reminded him that there were other things to tend to. After a moment's hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Blue again, resting his head against the other's chest. "...Thank you."

For once, only happiness lay between the two of them: not anger, not frustration, nor (God forbid) awkwardness. Blue felt as jovial as that night a week ago when he and Red had been joking and playful after a day of anguish, with none of Blue's impulsive nature getting in the way to ruin things. This was how things should be. Even if neither of them really knew what the hell they were doing, Blue wouldn't change this for anything. He'd go through that entire "week of despair" again, if it meant getting to relive this moment; that genuine look of joy on Red's face made everything worth it. Their responsibilities, the Pokemon that weren't with them right then, all of it simply lingered in the back of Blue's mind, not yet important. All he wanted to do was enjoy this time they had together, regardless of how long it continued to last.

After a little more time passed, Red approached him again, bringing Blue into a gentle embrace, one he returned without a second thought. For a second, he felt a twinge of gratitude for being as tall as he was; it let Red put his head against Blue's chest, a gesture that was still somewhat foreign to him (with Red, at least), but also sweet. Blue wished they wouldn't eventually have to move away from each other. Like this, he not only felt safe, but...it was also a comfort. A reassurance that this was indeed happening, that Red hadn't rejected him despite having every reason to do so. They weren't children anymore. The world was different, and the time of Blue's bitterness was long gone. It was time to start anew. "...Thank you."

Blue wondered, only for a moment, exactly what things Red was thanking him for. Some were obvious, of course, but...ah, it didn't matter. Overthinking would only tear apart the moment, and he couldn't do that to the other man. This time, Blue didn't need humor to respond to Red; perhaps he wouldn't need words at all.  Would his steady presence be enough to make a statement? It's almost unbelievable, really, how all of this came about because he decided to venture to one cold, solitary mountain. Blue didn't know it was fate or mere coincidence...and honestly, he didn't care either way.

"You're welcome," he said back, his voice for once sounding soft to his own ears, "And thank you, too. For everything." For staying with him even after everything between them. For trusting him. For not pushing him away despite Blue's tendency to do dumb stuff. For...a lot of things, really, too many to list. But deep down, Blue had a feeling Red would know what he meant by "everything", even if they weren't all spoken.