"Insomniac"

By MaturePopcorn

Description: Nate's journey begins tomorrow, and he's too excited to sleep. Hugh invites him over to hang out and forget about nerves, but what transpires is anything but calm! GreySkyShipping, T for kissing.

Author's note: I don't know what made me wanna write this… Probably something to do with me playing Black 2 non-stop for the last week lmao :b Whatever the reason, I hope you enjoy this weird little fluff-fest!

Much love,

~Kisa Alvarez

Chapter 1

Nate turned restlessly in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position. It seemed like it didn't matter how many times he flipped his pillow, it was never cool. He was so anxious for tomorrow he couldn't sleep, he couldn't even rest, no matter what he tried. He had paced his room for nearly an hour, attempted to read textbooks, drank chamomile tea, but nothing worked. "If only I had a Bellossom… I could use sleep powder on myself. Or a Jigglypuff could use sing…"

He shook his head and groaned as he rolled over once again. Thinking about Pokémon was not helpful at a time like this, considering it was the very reason he couldn't sleep. Tomorrow he would be receiving his very first Pokémon from one of Professor Juniper's assistants, and the anticipation was eating him alive. The years of jealousy towards Hugh would finally be over, and he could set out on his very own adventure alongside his friend.

He groaned again, softer this time, as he thought about his best friend. At least, that's what he called Hugh. The brunette had had a crush on the raven-haired teen for years, and he had longed for their relationship to advance, but he was always deathly afraid to initiate anything between them for fear of rejection. If Hugh didn't feel the same way, he might lose his closest friend.

Nate smiled weakly. "I guess it's a good thing Hugh's never read my journal…" The brunette sighed and got out of bed, glancing at the clock on the wall. It read 2:42 A.M., still a long way off from morning. Grabbing his Xtransceiver, Nate stared at the screen for several long seconds, debating on whether to call Hugh. He desperately wanted to talk to him, but it was almost three in the morning, and at the same time he didn't want to be a bother. "Most people would be in bed by now, naturally."

He put the Xtransceiver back down, crestfallen, and slowly climbed back into bed. As he was about to force his eyes closed and at least rest, he heard a ringing from his nightstand.

Nate furiously bolted out of his bed and fell onto the floor in his hurry, scrambling to pick up the phone. He grabbed it by the second ring and slammed the answer button, already knowing who was calling. "Hello?!"

The other end was silent for a moment, then a somewhat exasperated voice came, "I knew you'd already be awake… Do you wanna come over? I know you have a hard time sleeping when you're excited."

Nate grinned and wholeheartedly answered, "Yes! I'll be over in just a second!" before hanging up and rushing to change into daytime clothing. Sporting his usual attire, he tied his shoes and silently slipped out the front door, careful not to wake his mother. He took a deep breath of the early autumn air; it was chilly, but not at all cold yet, and always smelled pleasant. He started his walk to Hugh's house, smiling softly, and stared up at the night sky on the way. Halfway there, he almost didn't notice that his best friend had come out to meet him.

Hugh flashed a rare smile at the brunette, causing him to blush. He thanked Arceus it was so dark outside, then followed the raven-haired teen back to his house. They walked back in silence, simply happy to be in each other's company. Opening his front door, Hugh turned to his friend and inquired, "Do you want something to eat?"

Nate shook his head. "I've had plenty of tea at my house, my stomach is full. Thanks, though," he said, following Hugh into the kitchen.

"Well, I'm getting something. I only woke up a little while ago, and I realised that you'd probably be having a hard time sleeping at a time like this."

Nate chuckled nervously. "Ah, yeah… I guess you know me better than anyone…" He moaned softly. "I can't sleep at all, I'm so excited! Morning is taking forever to get here!"

Hugh shook his head, amused. "Not just morning, didn't the professor say her assistant wouldn't be here until the afternoon?"

The brunette grimaced. "Yeah, but at least in the morning I'll be able to go outside and move around instead of being cooped up in my room," he answered, leaning against his friend's fridge.

"Well, you're here now, so I suppose that must be better."

"Much."

Finished making his bowl of cereal, Hugh made his way towards the stairs to his room, and Nate followed close behind. The brunette couldn't help but stare at the raven-haired teen's body as they walked, which made him both uncomfortable and happy. "Am I a bad person for staring? For even wanting something I'll never have?" He shook these thoughts away and kept walking, focusing his mind on tomorrow and beyond.

In Hugh's room, they both immediately sat cross-legged on the end of Hugh's bed and continued their conversation there. The raven-haired teen was generally a lot quieter than his boisterous friend, so Nate did most of the talking. He had a lot to talk about too, with tomorrow so close, and he bombarded Hugh with questions about Pokémon, from battles to caring for them, Nate seemed to think his best friend had the answers to everything. The brunette finally took a break from the barrage of questions only to take a drink of water.

Suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, Hugh took advantage of the moment of silence to announce to his friend, "I know what will make you feel better." The raven-haired teen leaned forward and, as his eyes closed, Nate's widened in a flurry of emotions. His mind raced with dozens of thoughts in less than a second, each thought bursting in for barely enough time to register.

"What's happening? Is he doing what I think he's doing? I fell asleep a long time ago and now I'm dreaming, aren't I… Do I kiss him back? Do I stop him and question him? Oh Arceus what do I do?!" Panicked, Nate shut his eyes and leaned forward to meet the taller boy.

All at once, their lips collided and pressed together, startling both boys. While Nate's mind exploded with thoughts and feelings, all Hugh could think was simply, "So… So soft…" As Nate slowly realised that the kiss was not a dream and was actually happening, he tilted his head and opened his mouth ever-so-slightly, their tongues now mixing together. He reached his right hand to the back of Hugh's head, running his fingers through the raven-haired teen's spiky hair, as his left hand grabbed Hugh's hand and held it tightly; he wasn't sure why he did this, it just felt natural.

Finally, both boys inhaling sharply, they broke the kiss. Now panting, Hugh blushed the colour of a sunset and stared the bedding, careful not to meet Nate's eyes.

Nate just stared at his friend in shock, unable to process what had just happened. One minute he had been talking about upcoming adventures, and the very next he was kissing his best friend! He opened his mouth to say something, anything, to break the awkward silence that had fallen between them, but his brain failed him and he could think of nothing to say.

Hugh cleared his throat, still refusing to look at the brunette. "S-sorry if that was a little sudden…"

Nate laughed awkwardly, responding, "That was more than a little sudden…!"

Hugh winced, and the brunette quickly continued, "But I liked it!" The raven-haired teen looked up, somewhat suspiciously. "I did! Honesty, I had wanted to do that for years… I've just been so scared you wouldn't like me back, and things would be awkward between us…" He paused, thinking for a moment. "Wait, how did you know I liked you back? You wouldn't have done that without knowing for sure how I would have reacted," Nate inquired. It was his turn to look at Hugh suspiciously.

Hugh turned his gaze now to the ceiling, his cheeks again turning a very visible, bright red. "I, uh, I have my reasons."

Nate frowned. "That's not nearly good enough and you know it; I wanna know what provoked you to do something so forward."

Hugh sighed shakily, giving up. "Alright, just… Don't be too mad, but I kinda… Read parts of your journal…"

It was the brunette's turn to wince. He felt a wide mix of emotions, ranging from betrayal to excitement. He felt happy, upset, and relieved all at once. "Why would you read something so private without asking?"

Hugh turned away from the smaller boy's gaze, murmuring, "I needed to know if you liked me back… It was killing me inside not knowing if my feelings were returned…"

Nate blushed at this. "W-well, it's okay. I forgive you then…" He leaned forward deeply, leaning on his hands against the floor. "As long as you kiss me again…"

The raven-haired boy swiveled his head back around and smiled softly, blushing back at the brunette. "I think that's a fair trade…"

The two boys kissed for what felt like an eternity in their semi-exhausted states, but was really not more than 15 minutes. When they broke away for the last time, Nate yawned widely. Hugh yawned in succession, and the two looked at each other. They giggled together, star-struck at just how happy they were in each other's presence.

Hugh broke the silence, asking Nate, "Well, since Professor Juniper's assistant won't be here until the afternoon, and it's not even four o'clock yet, why don't you spend the night here?"

Nate gave the taller boy a half-hearted laugh. "Like I'll be able to sleep with everything that's been happening tonight…"

Hugh blushed and looked down at the floor, avoiding the brunette's gaze. "Not even if…" His voice trailed off into a barely audible whisper, and Nate just barely made out the words. "Not even if it's in my bed?"

Nate's heart skipped a beat. "H-Hugh?!"

Hugh looked up at Nate quickly. "Not like that! Just to… Cuddle or something."

Nate giggled, repeating, "'Or something'?" Hugh smiled widely at this, loving to hear his best friend laugh. He pulled back the covers and lay down, waiting for the shorter boy to join him before pulling the covers over. Nate got in then, immediately gravitating his body towards Hugh's, and Hugh pulled the covers over them. It took them only a moment to get sufficiently comfortable, with Nate nearly on top of the older boy.

As the two boys lay in bed, Nate's head on Hugh's chest, they both began to feel quite drowsy for the first time all night. Nate wrapped his arms around Hugh's waist and breathed deeply, nuzzling his head against the taller boy. Blushing heavily at this, Hugh ran his fingers through Nate's soft, fluffy hair and whispered, "Goodnight, Nate," no longer caring about the time.

Nate whispered back, "Goodnight…" Then, hesitantly, he added, "I love you."

Hugh's eyes fluttered open, startled, then fell heavy again as the true meaning of the words hit him, making him happy. "I love you too…"

Nate continued, "Does this mean we're boyfriends now?" The way he posed this question made the raven-haired teen chuckle; he had asked it so innocently and almost childlike that Hugh couldn't suppress his amusement. Then he responded, "Yes, I think it does."

Nate smiled softly, his head buried in Hugh's chest, barely still awake. "Good… That's good…" He drifted off with these words, with Hugh close behind. Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten with the sun so close to rising, and the Pidoves and Starlys were already lightly chirping morning songs.

Author's Note, II: What made me wanna write this tiny little fluff of a fanfiction? I dunno. Oh well! Hope you liked it, 'cuz it was an accidental one-shot! Until next time, then…