A/N: This is set in the medieval era. Steven's a young aristocrat and Riley's a runaway orphan. They're currently both nine. This is the pilot chapter, so it'll be short

Fret not though, there will be more...things in the later chapters. Yes.

I am very disappointed that this ship doesn't get enough love, yet I ship this like my life depends on it, so here I am.

Anyway ladies (and possibly gentlemen), I present to you SteelFedoraShipping.

It was a cold winter night; snow was falling lightly from the sky. Riley walked on th streets alone with nothing but a small bag, rubbing his hands together to keep warm. He ran away from the orphanage just a few days ago because everyone accused of being a thief.

Riley's parents were great treasure hunters and explorers, but they died at sea in the midst of a storm. He was left in the orphanage since then, only to be thrown around like a rag doll. He got sick of everything and left with what little belongings he had.

The streets seemed to be more lively than usual, and he came to remember it was Christmas. His parents used to make the effort to spend time with him on this day every year no matter how busy they were, and they never failed.

This was the first year he spent Christmas alone.

His footsteps came to a halt in front of a house he found so familiar, yet empty. There were seals almost everywhere, and the doors and windows were tightly shut with nails hammered in place.

That was once a place he called home, now it's just a house just as broken as he was.

Riley was so lost inside his thought, he didn't notice someone was standing behind him.

"Hey," A soft, meek voice called. "Are you alright?"

Riley turned his head slightly to his left and saw another boy around his age. He had steel blue hair and eyes, and a slightly shorter stature than he did. He was, however, better dressed than he was.

"Who are you?"

"Oh! I'm sorry." The boy seemed a little flustered. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but my name's Steven. What's yours?"

"…Riley." He answered simply, shooting the boy a puzzled look. "Are you lost?"

"No, but you looked really sad earlier." Steven commented, shuffling his feet.

"It's dangerous out here," Riley warned, dodging his comment. "Aren't you afraid that I might hurt you or something?"

"No, you're a good person – I can tell." Steven shook his head, flashing a reassuring smile. "Besides, aren't you cold with just those clothes?"

"…I'll live." Riley immediately brushed him off. He appreciated the concern, but he didn't lie it when it felt like pity. He had his attention diverged from Steven, his eyes fixated on the house.

Steven wondered if he had said something wrong and looked down in guilt. He noticed the cloak he was wearing and stared at it for a good while before taking it off and putting it around Riley's shoulder. It took him by surprise and he turned back, only to be greeted by how close Steven's forehead was to his lips.

He blushed. Dear Arceus, why did he feel the overwhelming urge to lean in and kiss his forehead?

"There, I'm done." Steven chirped after he finished fastening the cloak on, taking a step back. The moment he did, Riley pouted in discreet disappointment.

Not that he'd so openly express it anyway.

He felt the fabric with a hand. It was made of velvet, dyed a royal blue and lined with silver, with a crest beautifully woven onto it.

"It's…warm…" That was all Riley managed to say, but he meant it with every fiber of his being. He held the cloak closer to him, feeling the warmth envelop his cold, worn out body.

"It's yours," He smiled.

"What about you?" Riley questioned looked at Steven. He appeared to be much frailer than him. Besides, he could tell that the cloak must be of great significance because of the crest.

"It'll be fine – I'll just say I lost it." Steven laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. A woman's voice called his name and he jumped a little. "Oh…I have to go."

Steven turned on his heels and was about to leave, but was stopped by Riley.

"Wait!"

He turned back for a while, puzzled.

"…thank you." Riley managed a small smile.

"Merry Christmas!" Steven beamed and waved to him before he ran out of his line of sight.

Riley's smiled faded as he looked into the sky. Maybe it was a good idea to flee from that dreaded place after all. He only met the boy for a short time, but he felt an almost immediate attachment to him.

He fervently hoped that he would meet him again.