Having nowhere else to go was more exciting in the beginning than it was now. Three months ago, N had returned, soaking wet at the front door of Touya's house gasping for breath. It took weeks of convincing from a young man named Kyouhei before N had the courage to approach the home. He passed on Reshiram to the brunet, who was confused and intigued by N's decision to let the boy take care of the legendary dragon. Not that he let Kyouhei have an easy time of obtaining the dragon, at any rate. Regardless, he had been unable to find Touya on his own - that was where Kyouhei came in, trying to persuade him to head to the home of Zekrom's trainer. Clearly, Touya was somewhere in the world - but he had to come back home eventually, right? He wouldn't worry his sweet mother?
So N went to his old friend's house on the rainiest day (unintentionally), asking Touya's mother if he could stay with her. She had been hesitant, but so long as the green-haired man helped around the house, she was fine with it. With her boy missing, she was kind of lonely. So he waited and he worked, each day passing with him getting to know more about Touya and his mother. Eventually, as she warmed up to him, she began to learn about the mysterious trainer that her boy had set off to find. Through her, N learned what it was to have had a mother. He genuinely began to enjoy living there.
And then Touya returned, and the Isshu region rejoiced. They had their true Hero of Ideals back! The trainer who saved them from awful Team Plasma! ...well, the first one. That was when they had the marvelous idea of throwing a celebration, of uniting Kyouhei and Touya together. The two boys who saved their world from those awful, nasty Team Plasma grunts. It was enough to make N sick to his stomach from the horrible combination of guilt, social anxiety, and just watching people remind him why he was still reluctant to be more interactive with humanity in general.
Yes, he had learned that humans were not all bad... but he was also aware that no, not all of them were good, either.
At the moment, he was pretty confident that the human known as Hue was the worst possible person in the history of the planet.
Oh, sure, he was Kyouhei's childhood friend. And yes, the two seemed to get along just fine. But standing there during the banquet, completely uncomfortable in the nice shirt and slacks Touya's mother forced him into, N's dislike of the spikey-haired teen did not stem from Hue's initial hatred of Team Plasma. No, from what he understood the boy grew to better understand Team Plasma was made up of a variety of people, and not all of them were the type to steal little girls' purrloins.
No, his agitation with Hue stemmed from something far more childish than a difference in viewpoints: the teen was practically hanging all over Touya. Touya, of whom N had not seen in months. Touya, of whom appeared to be somewhat uncomfortable with the attention the boy was showering him with. Touya, of whom N had been spending the past hour trying to find a way to pull him aside and express everything he could not the last they saw each other. In fact, he had a feeling the brunet didn't even know he was there.
There was a time when N didn't even know what jealousy meant.
Because yes, he was jealous - very jealous, in fact. Jealous of the way Hue could talk so freely and easily around Touya, even though there was a large group of people there. The way Hue didn't have the stigmatism of once being directly connected to the very reason Touya was celebrated as one of the two heroes. That Hue could so easily flirt with someone, especially with a someone who happened to be Touya.
It wasn't the sort of jealousy that fueled fires of rage. This was the kind of jealousy that made N feel small and insignificant, that reminded him of everything that made him different from every person in that room. A reminder that no matter how hard he tried to bridge the gap between human and Pokemon, it would do nothing to win over Touya. Because he was not that suave, confident, mysterious man that Hue was over there being right then. He didn't have that reserved anger that bubbled up to protect Touya's honour, or whatever that made humans melt every time they watched a romantic film.
The kind of jealousy that reminded N he would never be something more than a friend to Touya.
So, off to the side, N watched Hue put his arm around Touya's shoulder, making the brunet smile awkwardly and flush. Half a room away, Kyouhei was eating up the attention, avidly talking to anyone or thing that would have a conversation with him, lapping up the compliments eagerly. Part of N wanted to approach Hue, to tell him that he was making Touya uncomfortable. Didn't he notice? But then he was afraid that it was not his place, that Hue would get angry and then Touya would be further embarrassed.
Or worse: what if Touya wasn't actually uncomfortable?
N so very badly wanted to go over to Kyouhei and ask for his advice, but even if he wasn't afraid of causing some commotion by stepping out of the shadows he was not sure he could even reach Kyouhei through the crowd.
No, he just stood there quietly, letting his jealousy remind him over and over again of his shortcomings, his inadequacy. That he couldn't be someone like Hue.
"Fancy meeting you here, Lord N." A calculated voice said casually, familiar and terrifying all in one go. N almost smacked into the wall he jumped backwards from it so quickly. "That wasn't very polite." Achroma said softly, looking over his glasses and raising a blond brow at the other.
"What are... you doing here?" N asked, trying to catch his breath and calm his heart. All he needed was his father now to show up, and he could effectively call this the worst party he had ever been to. Not that he really had any other parties to compare it to, but... what was the Team Plasma scientist doing here? Was idea of formal wear truly arriving on the scene without his lab coat?
"I'm here to enjoy the festivities, aren't you?" Achroma asked, a smile that could have been casual or filled with malintention. With the scientist, N had never been able to figure that out. Glancing from Achroma to the floor where everyone was having a good time, it stung even further when the ex-king realized his place was in the background with... with the scientist. He shouldn't have been surprised, yet he still wanted to be there next to the brunet, doing what Hue was doing.
"I have come to merely observe the average human interaction during such times of celebration in order to better understand their customs in my attempts of assisting human and Pokemon relations." N replied coolly, hoping to nip the conversation in the bud.
"Truly? Are you examining them in segments, then? You seem to be 'merely observing' the interactions with the Hero of Ideals quite a lot." Achroma commented calmly, smirking slightly when N snapped his eyes away from the brunet and tried to focus on someone - anyone - else. "Just... observing." His smile was sly, and N felt the desire to get away from the scientist increase twofold.
"Is making offhand remarks about my methods in observation your idea of enjoying festivities, Achroma?" N asked, attempting to keep his voice level and the nervousness to a minimum.
"Not entirely, no. I also heard there was going to be cake, and I would enjoy a slice."
"I find the idea that you would set foot out of your lab strictly to question my manner of handling my curiosities and have a singular slice of cake highly unlikely in fact were I to use the information I am certain of regarding your personality and attitude the numbers would show you have more motives than strictly those two."
"Ah, still blatantly disregarding punctuation." Achroma lightly scolded the other. "But, you are on the right track. Though my motives are hardly ulterior, the reason for my being here is already well-aware of my presence. It was, after all, specifically requested." The cold blue eyes of the scientist slid over to where Kyouhei was excitedly speaking with everyone around him. "He's very adorable when his ego is bloated, don't you think?"
N stared between the scientist and his new friend Kyouhei, trying to wrap his mind around what the older man said. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.
"No? Unfortunate. And here I was hoping you had some form of sexuality to you." Achroma gave a dismissive shrug to N's shock and silence, disregarding the conversation easily. "How goes that observation of yours? Picking up on any helpful tricks?" He asked, smirking widely when N tossed him a disapproving frown. "No? Shall I help you, then?" The blonde offered. Before the ex-king could tell him that no, he did not need any of the scientist's help, Achroma already slid his hands out of his pockets and began making his way towards the brunet.
What was he up to? Gritting his teeth, N began to walk forward only to stop himself. He didn't want to be apart of that crowded floor. Couldn't bring himself to enter that sea of people, get anywhere near the crowd that surrounded the brunet. Meanwhile, Achroma easily slid through the bodies as if this was the sort of situation he often found himself in. Reaching Touya and Hue, Achroma said something to the two and offered his hand. Hue frowned at him, saying something but in the middle of his words the brunet seemed to eagerly take the hand. The spikey-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise, while Achroma's face remained a strange combination of devious and courteous.
The blonde pulled Touya out of the tightly knit crowd, and situated their arms and hands. Realization dawned on N, remaining on the sidelines as he watched Achroma began to slow-dance with Touya to the music. A couple of people watched, bewildered and confused as to what their hero was doing dancing with the strange man that probably looked vaguely familiar. A few whispers rippled, and panic rose. What if they recognized who Achroma was? What if they...
And then more people joined the dance floor, taking instruction from Touya and Achroma. Surprisingly, the scientist was good with dancing, leading the brunet along across the room, smiling slightly whenever the other would stumble. And then they started chatting, and N desperately wanted to know what they were talking about. Did Touya even know who he was dancing with? Not even realizing it, N's feet pulled him forward and towards the two, head trying to peek over the crowd to keep track of them. To get close to hear what they were talking about, to see if the bruent was enjoying himself...
There were people all around him, a throbbing mass of humanity and laughter. N could feel himself shaking, his forehead sweating, but he tried to ignore it. Because he trusted Achroma about as far as he could throw a Boldorre, and Touya was someone far too precious to him to leave alone with someone like that. Peering around a couple, he caught a flash of the two - of the blonde spinning a confused brunet and dipping him, leaning in close to the other's ear and whispering...
It was driving him crazy. What was the scientist thinking? What was he doing? The usual rationalities N sought comfort in were lost to the blossoming emotions he was otherwise unaccustomed to. The moment numbers could not comfort or console him, because he had accepted long ago love was not explained that way. It was unpredictable, too varied and intense to merely be measured.
After all, it was why he was finally out of his hiding place, chasing after an almost dead hope.
Noticing the bobbing of green throughout the floor, Kyouhei turned from his collection of admirers. That shade of green, that length... it looked awfully familiar. N's here? When did he arrive? He hadn't even noticed the ex-king was there. But he was there now. Grinning, he excused himself from his (now disappointed) fans to see what the other was up to. Actually, he was surprised. He honestly believed that N would wait back at Touya's house for the brunet to get home, and talk to him there rather than deal with such a large gathering of people.
On his way towards the man, he found himself being stopped. Giving an exasperrated sigh, he turned to scowl at the intruder - instead, finding Hue. "Hey, what's up?" Kyouhei asked, brows rising in curiosity at the annoyed expression his friend wore.
"That dumbass scientist, that's what's up. Did you invite him here? Please, please tell me you didn't, please tell me he just happened to drop in-"
"Who, Achroma? Of course I did. Technically, he did help me stop Geechi. Just, you know, throwing that out there." Kyouhei shrugged indifferently, his casual response turning into snickering as Hue gave him a mortified stare.
"You actually invited that creepy pedophile here?! Kyouhei! Listen, I know he wasn't all bad but he's still... he grabbed Touya and ran!"
"...he did?" Kyouhei tilted his head to the side, frowning at that. "That's weird. Did they leave?"
"Well, no, they're over there dancing." Hue sighed, motioning over where he last saw the two. Kyouhei followed his hand, but was unable to see where they were. He did notice, however, the bobbing green head trying to head over to that direction.
"Oh... Oh! Ohhhhhh...!" Understanding hit, the brunet nodding eagerly as he put the pieces together and grinned. "Okay, yeah, I get it."
"You get it? Okay, can I be filled in and get it now?" Hue asked, taking in a deep breath and trying to see at what point in time his friend thought everything that was happening was a good thing.
"Yeah, but first... why do you care so much? Why's he suddenly a pedophile?" Kyouhei inquired with a growing grin. Hue's face turned as red as his eyes, and he looked to the side while he grumbled something. "What's that? You don't want me to get Achroma under control?"
"That's, I didn't say... ugh, fine." Hue's shoulders slumped. Face still red, he shoved his hands into his pockets and mumbled, "Because he got to dance with Touya before I could ask... just, he hasn't been dreaming of doing that for two years!" Oh. Right. Kyouhei gave a lopsided grin to his friend, and patted his back. He had forgotten Hue had an admiration crush on the Hero of Ideals, a crush fueled initially by admiration for someone who initially defeated Team Plasma. One that Kyouhei assumed was only still there because no one else had come along to capture Hue's eyes.
"Maybe next time you should ask him to dance with you first, then hang all over him." The brunet suggested, slapping his friend roughly on the back. Hue sent him a nasty glare, Kyouhei laughing nervously at the expression. "All right, all right, I'll go fix this..." He sighed, giving a dramatic roll of his eyes as he headed out to track down the blonde scientist. Not that it would be incredibly difficult, just tedious. What with all the people stopping him, wanting to say thank you, congratulations, or, "Oh my Kyouhei, you are the greatest trainer in all of the world please, let me make sweet love to you to show my adoration."
And then he'd have to tell them, "Oh no, I can't have you do that, it'll give my boyfriend the wrong idea." Actually, speaking of...
He finally found them, discussing something quietly only to stop if another couple got too close in attempt to eavesdrop. Kyouhei could kill Achroma sometimes. And others... approaching the two, he tapped the scientist's shoulder. The dancing stopped, the blonde's smile thin but immensely pleased he had been caught dancing with someone else. Still in his arms was Touya, a faint blush but moreso because Kyouhei was giving the blonde a nasty look.
"I honestly can't leave you alone for two minutes, can I?" Kyouhei asked, crossing his arms while he looked at his lover.
"You're very precious when you're jealous, you know. I felt the most effective method of doing so would be to find someone cuter than you. See?" Achroma smiled wider, holding up Touya's arms by his wrists, making him suddenly much more uncomfortable in the situation.
"Let him go. He's going to bust a vein or something if you keep embarrassing him like that." Kyouhei sighed, shooing the blonde away from his fellow brunet. Achroma laughed lightly, moving away from Touya easily but just as quickly pulling Kyouhei into the same position. "You think you're so sly, don't you?"
"Clearly I am, otherwise you wouldn't still be here." Achroma grinned. Staring somewhat dumbfounded at the couple, Touya awkwardly began to move away from them. Bumping into someone behind him, the brunet jumped. Apologizing profusedly, he whirled around to come face-to-face... with a startled N, who was standing rigid as a board.
"N!" Touya gasped, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "What are you... you're here!" He felt breathless seeing the other. Traveled all over the world, desperately trying to find the other. And then here he was, standing behind the brunet at a celebration. Was this surprise his mother had been gushing to him about? Brown eyes watering, not giving the other a chance to explain or respond, Touya threw his arms around the other's neck, burying his face into N's chest and letting words tumble out of his mouth - half of which neither could really make out.
Though awkwardly, N let his own arms wrap around the brunet's waist and hold him close, almost supporting the other. He had forgotten how short Touya was, of whom after his initial jump onto the ex-king had to stand on his toes to keep holding onto N's neck. It felt like forever, long ago since they last saw each other for N to forget how small the other was against him. As if he could pick him up, hold him close and never let go. Pressing his face into brown hair, he sighed contently all of his anxieties and fears falling away into the embrace. His jealousy of Hue, his concern over Achroma... all of that was gone, because Touya was in his arms, happy to tears just to see him.
N hadn't seen Touya cry when he saw anyone else.
After holding each other for a few minutes, Touya gently pushed himself away so he could give his ankles and toes a break. Sniffling, he wiped his tears off with his sleeve. "I'm so glad you're okay... I thought you'd... you wouldn't ever come back. S-so I went out there... and... then I couldn't... but you're here!" He laughed, smiling through the tears. Seeing the other like this, N felt his own eyes begin to water.
"I... I had to find you. I wanted to better understand the world, but out there I only learned so much. I had to come back, because you were the only one... that is, you..." N was losing his words, his heart thumping madly in his chest. "I had to tell you how I feel. How you make me feel." He was getting there, blindly trying to confess and explain everything. How Touya made him feel as though he were flying, how the brunet taught him all these new and wonderful ways of seeing the world.
As he paused, trying to fill in the blanks, Touya placed his hands on the ex-king's chest. Snapping from his thoughts, N looked down at the brunet wondering what was going on. Leaning upwards, standing on his toes again, Touya desperately tried to reach upwards to press his lips to N's - mouth barely a few inches too low to actually accomplish.
"Hng..." Touya sighed, frowning slightly when realizing his attempts at surprising N with a kiss, to help the other along... had failed miserably.
People were all around them both, watching, judging, assessing, doing what people did. But all N could see was that Touya was pouting because he was too short, and this was actually something he could do. There were so many things that Hue could do with the brunet that N never could... but right then, right at that moment, N was the only one who could lift up Touya just enough their lips could meet. As they kissed, embracing tightly, there was no one else in the world that could make the brunet feel the way N apparently did.
Disclaimer: I do not own nor have any affiliation with Pokemon.
A/N:Attempt two at fluff. Clearly I am not having a good night with successfully writing it.