So again, I'm uploading this little one shot, so don't expect too much of this tiny bundle of fluff. I decided to give this a try and respond to a friend's fanfiction of the very same pairing. Anyway, enjoy ~
Why is it that when you hold feelings for someone they simply just don't come out? Sometimes you can't seem to measure out the correct circumstance, or the scenery is too bad, or the moment doesn't particularly suit the mood just right. Emotions are complicated as it is, but when you hold strong ones for a person who seems to be untouchable that is when things become troublesome. Biting your tongue, swallowing all of the things you want to say, holding your breath because if you don't do any of these you're risking the possible opportunity for those words that you have locked up in your chest to slip out. Thus, Gold never made a single move to try and convey the feelings he kept deep inside. Why would he situate these trivial matters on someone like his mentor anyway? That would be selfish of him, and he didn't exactly like the idea of Red having to choose sides. They shared a solid relationship where they had a strong bond; Red being the one individual that held Gold's utmost respect through and through, so that would most likely be the origin of this flame inside his heart. It burned brightly but hidden within the shadows of his smiles, his laughter, all of the battles he walked out of triumphantly just to make his teacher offer a smile and a pat on the head as praise.
Red never could be considered someone of many words, far from being the case, but that didn't deter Gold in believing that this person remained amazing in his eyes. The youth enjoyed the closeness the two of them shared, speaking casually over the fire that crackled in front of them during the nights. He cherished the instances where he could observe Red battle against opponents and come out unscathed from every single one of them. Those moments where they slept close to one another and Gold could see Red's sleeping face clearly in the dim light every night were things he would never be able to let go. They were all things he wanted to keep tucked away for as long as he lived in his memory bank, for this is someone irreplaceable and no one could possibly change that. But when Red gets close to him during nights it causes Gold to hold his breath, to watch, to wait, to bask in the sensation of having the one person he feels this strongly for and try to not break the spell he somehow managed to find himself in. He hesitates, he reaches, he brushes fingertips lightly over the pale surface of his senpai's cheek and allows them to drift along the very location after momentarily flinching. The spot had been actually fairly cold, but when Gold managed to connect his fingers with it the cheek felt as if it had been on fire. In comparison, his own cheeks flourished in a light shade of rose as his eyes continued to skim over the other man's expression, taking in every single inch of his features into account.
He wanted to memorize everything, he wanted to engrave this instant in his mind and relive it time and again, never really wanting to wake up from this dream. Taking his sweet time, Gold slowly tipped his head forth so that darkened tresses from either one of them would mix together, tickling his forehead as a result. The breath he managed to capture slowly exhaled through his nostrils once his lungs couldn't take it anymore. In doing this, the waft of his scent soon followed after taking yet another intake of oxygen which caused those thin lips of his to part just a few inches. His mind continued to scream at him to stop, to not continue with this whole ordeal or he could potentially sever the link he shared with the other trainer but his body didn't seem to want to cooperate. It had completely different thoughts in consideration when that shaking palm of his cupped Red's cheek. Gold's heart skipped a beat or two inside his chest cavity, threatening to spring out from where it resided as he continued his trajectory; closer and closer to the sleeping person that remained stilled not too far from where he lay. 'S-Se …' Gold's lips mouthed, remaining silent as if trying to think out loud. Brows would knit together in slight frustration as Gold tried to convince himself that this is ludicrous in itself. Why on earth would someone like Red see him on an equal footing as him?
But those thumps in his chest were now resounding in his head, pounding heavily and egging him forward. And so he did, leaning in further till he could feel the other's warm breath brushing against his own lips due to the proximity. A strangled whimper threatened to escape his vocals; he eased in so that his tiers brushed briefly against the opposite set. If Red were to be awake he could feel Gold trembling against him, he could feel his heart through the kiss Gold presented to his lips, and he could most likely hear the pounding in his chest had he been close enough. Gold pressed his lips further into the connection, feeling the warmth emitted from Red's lips and onto his own which served as comfort; stilling the humming in his veins of adrenaline. He could hold him like this for a while, couldn't he? He could press his forehead against Red and cradle his very existence like the most precious thing that ever existed in this entire life, right? Both hands now cradled either cheek once he pulled away, exposing his brightly flustered face as eyelids gradually parted. Staring at the other that remained laying in front of him, a small smile formed on his lips before a low chuckle slipped in the undertone of his voice.
"Senpai is the cutest…" the teen managed to lace together with a sigh filled with both satisfaction and devotion. Leaning in again, he brushed his lips onto the other's forehead after having brushed his fingers across the area to push aside the loose bangs that had been present. "Thank you. For everything you've done, for staying by my side all this time…" the boy continued speaking in his one sided conversation with eyes half way closed. His palm stroked one of his cheeks, tenderly, continuing his monologue with, "You're amazing and I'm happy to be by your side. Don't ever change." And with those last words Gold brought the other's persona closer to his own, pressing himself against him so that they could share the heat between them. Little did Gold know that while he believed that Red would never find out about this whole thing, swearing up and down that he would take what happened during the night the next day would be taken to his grave would be the fact that Red wasn't really a heavy sleeper. All of those things that had been said, all of the actions that had been taken, he knew everything.
Did he say anything about it? No. A reason wasn't particularly needed for that sort of thing, so he merely enjoyed stroking his Pikachu's fur as it lay on his lap when the next day arose once Gold had left their refuge in search of supplies. The fluff being very comforting to the touch as low cooing noises could be heard coming from the creature; smiling to himself, Red remained thinking about the recollection of those events that potentially strengthened their fellowship between himself and his kouhai. He never really saw him as anything more than just that and more than likely never would, but he didn't see a problem with maintaining things as how they currently were. Nothing he could say or do would change how Red viewed him and seeing how happy he woke up that very morning was enough to keep the Pokémon Champion in high hopes for his pupil. Chuckling to himself, it obtained a glance from the rodent that stayed on his lap up until that point with a questioning look on his face. Grinning down at it, he shook his head causing bangs to sift to and fro, "He really is special."