Author's Rants: Okay, I have absolutely no idea where I'm going with this, but after spending probably a grueling hour storming the Elite Four with a team of level 50 Pokémon, 12 Hyper Potions, 20 Full Restores, 1 Max Revive, 1 Ether, and 3 Revives (which upon beating Steven I shouted "YES IN YOUR FACE" to the screen) I feel like I need this. As a sort of last 'victory dance' bit. I guess. So I think I'll brainstorm a bit before writing to save you the torture.
--NarutoKyuu
(Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon (thank goodness) Warnings: boyxboy, random characterization. Notes: Tensaishipping, AU-ish, I have a strange belief that May and Brendan are 16 and Steven is in his early twenties)
May always thought Brendan was strange. She sort of thought it was an understatement when she walked into his room one day unannounced. He was curled up in his chair next to his desk, jamming buttons away on a little handheld consol. Then she noticed that he was yelling at the machine.
Then for some reason it all suddenly clicked. She chuckled, leaned against the back of his chair, and said, "You're actually playing that?"
Brendan made this sort of grunt that she assumed was an affirmation.
"Why go through that again? I mean, you already had to deal with it once in real life." It was strange, really. For some bizarre reason there had been a game released, pretty much based on their (what had seemed like) boring life. Apparently it wasn't as boring as they thought.
Brendan groaned in frustration and he placed the Gameboy Advance SP on the desk. "Dang it!" He angrily shut it off and finally looked at May. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
May shook her head with an amused smile on her face. "Why do you play that? Well, other than the fact that you have no life?"
Brendan glared. "I do have a life, thank you very much. I was just wondering how accurate this thing was. I even managed to get the same exact team and everything."
May laughed. "How long have you spent on this?"
He shrugged. "I think last time it saved it said I spent at the very least a hundred hours on this."
May smirked. "So. How accurate is it?"
Brendan frowned. "The way it's going right now, pretty close." Pause. "Sadly."
"How many times have you lost to him?"
"Lost count. That last one was so close too."
May sat down on his bed and crossed her legs. Leaning back on her hands and looking pretty smug, she asked, "So was that the whole reason you've been pretty much wasting away playing the game?"
Brendan sort of did a strange stalling thing where he would seem to start to talk, then stop, then start again for a surprisingly long while. Then he figured she probably had her own guesses as to why he had been (insanely) cursing at his handheld game, so he might as well come clean. He replied with a very simple, "No."
"Knew it. Of course, it's not that hard. I mean, you surprisingly came home and stayed for an unusually long amount of time, and not to mention that he hasn't been around either."
Brendan had to resist slapping himself in the face. What had he been thinking when he told her about that? Oh right, he hadn't been. He had been teased and goaded, poked and prodded, and even blackmailed (if he recalled correctly) by the brunette before she had gotten the prized information. Trying to keep his cool, he simply asked, "So?"
She gave him a look that clearly said, 'We are not going through this again.' "Ever since you've been – hum…what's the correct term for this…oh well, it doesn't matter – well, together I guess, you can barely last a day without him."
When she laid the truth out like that, it seemed overly ridiculous to him. Did he really act like that? Or was she dramatizing it like she did with a lot of other things?
She must have seen his disbelieving face so she added, "And you know how Wally visited for a few days?"
"…yeah? What of it?" he asked cautiously, not entirely sure he wanted to know. After May had somehow pried the information away from him, she had been quick to tell Wally as soon as she could. He still didn't know what she had hoped to accomplish by doing so (and didn't think he would any time soon) and if she had accomplished whatever she had been trying to accomplish.
"Just that he noticed too. So don't try to escape this."
Brendan grumbled out a, "Fine." Then he begrudgingly said, "He's visiting Kanto."
"Aw," May cooed, "So he just left you here all alone to wait it out?"
Irritated and flustered, Brendan replied, "His father sent him to get something or other. I forgot." He crossed his arms and glared at the floor. "The other day I was checking if they had any upgrades for my PokéNav, and I stopped by the president's office. I don't know what compelled me to, but that's beside the point. We actually started talking for a while and for one reason or another he even mentioned to me on how he was having his son pick up something for him all the way in Kanto."
May grinned, leaned forward and prodded his cheek. "Look, you're getting so mad, you're actually blushing. It's like you're blaming this all on the president."
Brendan shoved her hand away and blushed even more, out of embarrassment. "I'm acting childish, huh?"
May leaned back once more and smiled. "Since it's not all that bad, I actually find it kind of cute."
Brendan couldn't keep himself from pouting. "You're not helping. Let me sulk in peace."
May laughed. "No way. This is fun. And maybe I can do a little backseat gaming."
"And you say that I don't have a life," he mumbled loudly.
She chucked his Mudkip doll into his face. "Hey! It's simply a hobby of mine."
As he protectively held the Mudkip, Brendan had to restrain himself from tossing the much larger Wailmer at her. "What kind of hobby is that?!"
May childishly stuck her tongue out at him. "An enjoyable one. Now stop arguing since you're going to lose anyways and start playing so I can help you win."
Brendan silently resigned, but as the game started up, he (not so) discretely muttered, "But I didn't need your help the first time and so I'm not going to need it this time either."
.:~:.
A few days later or so, Steven found himself in a much similar situation that May had been previously. Having returned from Kanto, he took the next chance he could to visit Brendan.
Approaching Brendan (who was curled up in his chair) he asked, "What are you up to?"
With a completely serious expression, Brendan turned around and silently showed Steven the screen of the SP.
Taped to the screen was a small piece of paper. Written hastily in what was easily recognizable as Brendan's writing was: You thought I couldn't beat you again, right? Well. In. Your. Face.
Steven sort of stared blankly at the screen while his brain tried to register what that meant. He lifted the paper and looked at the screen. Then he smiled and patted him on the head like a dog. "Good job."
Brendan just pouted, pulled off the paper, put it somewhere on his desk, and went to save the game.
Steven raised his eyebrows in question, hugged him from behind (chair and all), and kissed the top of his head. "Are you mad at me?"
At first Brendan shook his head no, but changed his mind half way and waved his hand in a way that meant "kind of."
Steven rested his cheek against the raven hair and hummed in thought. "Because I left and didn't bring you along?"
Brendan nodded.
Steven kissed his cheek, near his eye. He mentally sighed, knowing Brendan was being difficult to get back at him, but he was willing to play along. He brushed his lips against Brendan's ear. "I missed you."
The teen silently resigned. "Why didn't you tell me before you left?"
Steven pressed his lips to the back of his head. "I didn't want to have you travel so far."
Brendan squeezed the older man's hands and frowned. "But you know I came from Johto. It's not that much farther."
"I'm sorry…I didn't have enough time to tell you either. My father wanted me to leave right away, and you were out searching for Latios."
Brendan twisted himself (rather uncomfortably) around in the chair and pressed his lips against Steven's. The kiss was short and sweet, and when he pulled away, he was smiling. "Sorry, I'm being kind of unfair right now, huh?"
Steven turned the chair around so that Brendan didn't look as uncomfortable and kissed him full on the lips. The younger's breath caught as he slowly responded. Once they pulled away and Brendan started breathing again, Steven kissed his forehead. "It's alright." There was a pause before he added, "I like a challenge."
Brendan stood and hugged him, burying his face against his shoulder and chuckled. "What was that last part?"
"You're amazing…?" Steven feigned confusion.
Brendan pulled back just enough to look up at his face and pouted. "Don't lie. You said I was difficult."
Steven hugged him tightly. "But I said that I liked that about you."
The teen frowned and narrowed his eyes. After a long pause he said, "Fine. I'll let it slip this time."
Steven gave him a small kiss. "Thanks, Yu(1)."
Brendan played with Steven's collar. "Hey, can we go somewhere else? I have this creepy feeling we're being watched." He glanced around and whispered, "I honestly think it's May."
Steven smiled. "Alright. Where to?"
Brendan grabbed his hand and gently led him down the stairs. "Anywhere but here."
.:~:.
When she was sure they had left, May tumbled out of the closet. It was uncomfortable hiding in there. She stretched and rubbed her back, which she thought had been pressing against the corner of a box. Wally came stumbling out a few moments later, relieved to not be cramped up in the closet anymore.
May grinned at him. "See, what did I tell you?"
Wally sat on the bed. "When you told me I didn't think they were that serious." Pause. "But then, I guess it would be weird any other way."
"I know, strange isn't it?" May agreed. After a silence May looked at him curiously. "You don't like Brendan, do you?"
Wally's eyes widened in shock. "No!"
May laughed and said, "Alright," but didn't believe him for one second. Still grinning, she said, "Let's follow them."
"…this is considered stalking…you do know that, right?" he asked as they snuck out the house.
"Yup. You don't have to come along if you don't want," she replied happily.
Wally remained silent and followed her.
1 "Yu" after Brendan's Japanese name, Yuki.
Author's Rants: Er…okay…that was awkward as heck…and for those that have stuck through to the (abrupt) end…thanks…
Man. Sorry. I just had to get this out today.
I hope this was at least slightly well written. And thanks for reading.
--NarutoKyuu