(I did write this. –sweatdrops- I actually like this shipping a lot more now... I don't know WHY. Ah well. I swear to cheese and moose I am updating See You and TDM soon. I HAD, HAD, HAD to write this. I HAD TO. And I've been so busy... see, there's this test I can take to skip from seventh grade to eighth. –Btw, I'm thirteen, so yeah.- I've been studying my ass off for it.
So I present to you this six-page-on-Verdana-masterpiece. Don't own. Dedicated to all who suffer through my writer's block.)
It wasn't supposed to happen like this.
I was supposed to become a top Coordinator, marry May, and retire from training to a life of riches. That's what my parents wanted. That's what I thought I wanted. I, Andrew Rosalind, better known as Drew, had my life planned out from start to finish.
He wasn't part of my plan. Wasn't supposed to be anything more than May's rival. But he now means more to me than anyone else. So much more.
But he wouldn't believe me if I said that. He thinks, just like everyone else, I love May. But it's not like that. She's my friend, sure, but she's more like a sister. Dating her would squick me out, to be honest. She's too close to me, albeit in a different way.
But he's perfect. He's exotic, yet familiar. He's unknown, yet as normal to me as Coordinating. He's Harley. The 'bad guy'. Whereas I am the supposed 'good guy'.
And for what? What has he done to make himself so terrible? I'm not naive, I know what he's done. But is it really all that bad? May usually won in the end... so why do they care? Why doesn't anyone ever ask why he does things like that?
Have they ever really tried to know him? Or did they need someone to be May's enemy, and hated rival? Were they the ones who painted the lines of black and white?
Andrew Rosalind was thinking about Harley, and god, did he hate that. It usually meant he would either get angry, or angsty. Neither was a nice option for him.
Drew's little reverie was interrupted by Roselia. "Rose. Ro. Ro-se-ro-lia! RO!" She gestured frantically to the door. "What's that? A Contest today?" He snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah!" Drew rushed out the door, calling to his pokemon.
Roselia stared at her trainer. "What's that, Roselia?" She whined, mocking her trainer. "Timmy's down the motherfucking well, Roselia?! Well, let's go to the bloody frickin' Contest, Roselia! WHY IS IT WHENEVER I TALK, NO ONE LISTENS?!" She roared, waving her rose-hands around.Absol decided it would be better if he didn't answer this question.
And as this fic progressed, a small boy named Timmy who had gone down the well died, but no one cares, because I hate Lassie.
So it goes.
Drew skidded to a stop in front of the Contest Hall. Roselia had caught up, after being dragged there by Masquerain. The Contest was a simple one in Slateport, nothing special to anyone but Drew.
Because he knew Harley had to show up at this one. He had to; he lived here, for Jirachi's sake! Contest-goers chatted aimlessly, as Drew frantically searched for Harley. He was telling him today, whether or not it killed him, just like Timmy.
Unbeknownst to him, Harley was actually about five feet behind him. He was simply trying to enjoy the sunlight, when Drew turned to head back.
In the mother of all clichés, they smacked into each other. "Ow! God-fucking-damnit, what the fuck?!" Drew almost snorted in laugher. Harley's voice had suddenly gone up another octave, and he was swearing, something Drew had never actually imagined Harley doing.
Drew smiled. "Right... sorry, Harley. I didn't mean to do that." He cursed himself for sounding like a simpering fangirl, but what was done was done. Harley straightened, and looked down as the moss-headed Coordinator.
"Oh. It's you." He hissed. Drew sighed. This wasn't really going as expected. "Well, who did you think it would be? God!" Harley flinched at this, and Drew, once again, mentally cursed himself a few times.
"I mean... I mean... um." Drew stumbled over his words, usually carefully chosen, whether to rip apart May's confidence, (yeah, oops), criticize Absol, or whatever.
'Um' was simply not, nor ever should have been, in his vocabulary.
Harley raised an eyebrow. "You mean what? Look, I just want to have fun at home without you or your stupid girlfriend in my face! Go to hell!" And with that, he turned on his heel, and stormed off. Drew willed himself not to cry, but the older Coordinator's words were so harsh...
But he didn't normally care! Why now? And why, oh why, Harley? Of all people! He shook his head, and decided he had something important to do before this Contest began...
Go to the florist's.
Slateport's flower shop was bright and cheerful enough, almost like a storybook. Drew could honestly see Harley practically living in here as a child; prattling, matronly women to fuss overhim, pokemon to roam the shop with, and it just had the same sort of feeling that Harley had to Drew. Warm and exotic.
He approached the counter, and asked the woman, "Pardon me, but would you recommend any certain flower for, ah, someone of the male... persuasion..." He mentally added, 'I think' to this, but he restrained his immature, thirteen-year-old giggles. And now his articulateness was back, but now he sounded like a complete dolt.
Great, Grass Ass. He reprimanded himself. The clerk, a plump cheerful-looking woman with wavy amethyst hair smiled. "What's he like, hon?" Drew thought for a minute. "He's... um." Damn! That word was back!
"He's strange. He can be really nice one minute, and then he'll be smashing things and being all homicidal and PMS. He's very feminine, and he's a Coordinator. He's a good cook, and likes to take pictures of things. A lot. I really don't know how to describe him. And I don't think he likes me much at the moment..." Drew trailed off.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "By any chance, would his name be Harley? Harley Davidson?" Drew couldn't help it, and blurted out, "Holy crap, how the hell did you know?!" The woman laughed.
"I'm his mother. My name's Sarah, hon. And yours?" Drew silently cheered himself for apparently, guessing correctly. Harley must have indeed lived in here! Joyness! He was right!
He felt like dancing around the shop, but Sarah interrupted him. "So, do you want a rose for him?" She sounded eager, like she wanted her son to prance in here and declare his undying love for Drew right then and there. Drew had a feeling he was going to be in Harley's arms tonight, whether he liked it or not.
Drew shook his head. "...No. I need something more original. Something that's creative. But I still want it to show I lo—agh, like, him!" Drew preened himself mentally on his smooth getaway from that situation. Even if his pokemon were laughing at him from behind the racks of flowers.
Sarah nodded gravely. "I see. Well! Then may I suggest..." She rifled through a book on flowers. "Hemlock... no, wait, that's poisonous, Venus flytrap... why that is even IN here, I cannot fathom... um. How about a daffodil?" She suggested, snapping the book shut.
Drew raised an eyebrow. A bright yellow flower. Flamboyant and wearing... well, you could call the cup a dress... yeah, it'd be perfect!
"It symbolizes love in the toughest of situations! Daffodils can last through the harshest of winters, only to bloom beautifully!"
...That'd work too. But personally, Drew figured the flamboyance fit better.
She didn't just get him one; she got him an entire bouquet so heavy in fragrance, he almost collapsed from the overwhelming smell of daffodils. She grinned cheerfully over the counter at him. "This'll be perfect! Now go, go, go, the Contest's starting soon!" He rose to his feet, only to collapse again from the combined weight and awkwardness of the daffodils.
That day, at the Contest, Drew saw Harley again, registering. He rushed up to the older Coordinator, and opened his mouth, but Harley would still have none of it. "What now?! You're telling me that Miss Priss is back, is that it!? Just leave me alone, Drew!" He screeched. Once again, he stormed off, leaving Drew staring at the space where he had been. Cacturne was still waiting there, and gave Drew a quizzical look.
Drew sighed, and gave one of the daffodils to Cacturne. "Please just give this to him. Make sure he knows it's from Drew." He implored the pokemon, feeling like a complete idiot, but there you were. Cacturne nodded, and Drew thought he grinned, but personally, he wasn't all that sure.
He registered himself for the Contest, and decided to go prepare. He blinked back a tear as he remembered Harley's words, but decided it was just allergies. Couldn't be anything else.
Cacturne rolled his ochre eyes as he tromped through the hall looking for his trainer. That man had always been temperamental. Cacturne knew how much he hated May, (in all honesty, Cacturne had forgiven the girl; she was a young little naïf, and had no idea how Harley was), but to hate Drew just made no sense.
Was it because he thought May and Drew were dating? Cacturne didn't think they were... or why would Drew have given Harley a flower? Cacturne sighed, and finally breathed easier when he spotted Harley, who was staring out one of the hall's windows.
Harley cocked his head to one side, and blinked at Cacturne. "A flower?" He nodded, and pointed to his arm, the Harley's hair. "Green hair... you mean, this is from Drew?" Cacturne smiled, and nodded. Harley stared at the flower for a minute.
Then he picked it up gently, and smiled. "I see. Thanks, buddy." He turned away back to the window. Cacturne sighed, staring at his trainer deep in thought before going to break Wigglytuff away from some poor girl's now half-dead Marill.
At the training grounds, Harley decided to use Ariados, who had gotten next to no attention in the past, you know, hour. Harley was just a twinge OCD about his 'pretty pokemon'. Drew was practicing on the other side of the field. Noticing Harley had made his choice, he made a show of picking Absol. Harley glared at him, but Cacturne noticed he looked deep in thought as well.
After another hour, they announced the Contest was starting. Drew recalled Absol, and headed back. Harley tried to be inconspicuous, and followed Drew. His eye twitched. He was right. Little Miss Priss was here. She went up, and hugged Drew.
For the oddest reason, he felt jealous. Shrugging it off, he watched the two, as they appeared to bicker a bit.
"Oh. Hi, May." Drew said softly to the Coordinator. She placed her hands on her hips. "That's all I get? A hello? What's up with you?" Drew shook his head. "Look, it's nothing. But it would be better if you left me alone for a bit. Sorry." And with that, he left. She rolled her eyes, but split up, calling to Blaziken.
Harley cheered silently. "Take that, Tent!" He hissed happily. Almost lazily, he continued to stare at Drew, who seemed to notice something. Smirking, he turned back, and waved. "Hello, Harley." And with that, he turned and headed for the hall, ignoring the indignant, decidedly annoyed shriek.
"Damn you!" Harley swore for a moment, and then paused. "The daffodil. Fine. I'll have to outdo him, then!" He swept a critical eye over the gardens surrounding the Contest Hall. Flowers waved cheerfully in the breeze, laughing at him. He sweatdropped. "I should've paid attention when mom lectured." Sighing, he randomly picked a plant that had tendrils and clusters of small flowers in a soft shade of lavender, and proceeded to the hall.
They both ignored each other in the waiting room, yet they both snuck glances at one another when they thought the other wasn't looking. Aww. Harley's Appeal was first.
"Come on out, my pretty Ariados!" He caterwauled. "Spider Web!" The poison spider shot out sticky webbing over the arena, then leaped and cartwheeled over his creation. The audience obviously liked it, roaring their approval. Harley squealed like a kid, recalling his pokemon happily. Drew couldn't help but smile at his antics.
He brushed past Drew as his Appeal ended, and smirked down at the much shorter Coordinator. "Hey, cutie." He purred, sliding his hand down Drew's hip. Drew glared at him, unsuccessfully attempting to stop the amethyst-haired Coordinator's laughter. He growled, "I'll get you back for that." He shot back, and stormed out.
Absol surprised even himself by performing an exquisite Water Pulse, then a Razor Wind. Drew nodded at the Disaster Pokemon. "Great job, Absol." This being one of Drew's first compliments towards him, Absol happily tackled his trainer, sending Drew flying. "Eep!" He squeaked.
"Why, Drew! I didn't know you were a pokephile!" Of all the people, it had to be Harley who saw that. Groaning mentally, Drew glared at him from the floor. "Shut up." He said nothing, but smiled knowingly, further pissing Drew off.
"Just wait until I've kicked your ass!" Drew shrieked. Harley leaned against the wall. "'Kay. Since you're so full of yourself, let's make this interesting. I win, you have to do whatever I want for five minutes. You win, I have to do whatever you want for five minutes. You agree?" Drew nodded.
"Of course. But be prepared. I'm going to win." Harley snorted. "Whatever, hon. See you." And with that, he flowed, (yes, flowed) gracefully to his first-round battle.
With May. Drew smirked evilly. If Harley lost now... he stopped short at that, since now would not be a good time to get horny.
But the tides had turned. Actual Reality had set in on the two, and Harley, being the more experienced Coordinator, kicked her unevolved Squirtle's ass doubly hard. He cackled like a maniac as Ariados played with Squirtle like a yo-yo using String Shot. May was stunned. Drew swore angrily as Harley advanced to the next round.
Absol, who had heard the bet, shrugged up at Drew. Drew bit his lip. And if he lost... oh damn, he did not want to think of the sheer gloating alone Harley would do. Goddamn that beautiful man to his bed for eternity... handcuffed and—
"Okay! No more!" He yelped to an empty room. He stared at his pokemon. Absol stared haplessly back. Then when Drew went to go bang his head against a wall, Absol and Roselia both laughed at their Trainer's expense.
Ah, teenage love. So angsty and syrupy-sweet.
Drew swore heavily under his breath as he assimilated, annihilated, and pretty much destroyed, (He couldn't think of another 'A' word for defeat... annexed? No. Damn!), some poor kid with a Pikachu. He never had a chance.
As he watched the final rounds, he knew it would come down to him and Harley. It was going to. Fate decreed it.
This may seem like an astute observation, but they were the only two left, so really, Drew's still a moron.
Harley patted Ariados' head, and sent him out. Drew sent out Absol. The two of them stared at each other for an instant, and then Harley called, "String Shot!" Drew knew better than that, however, and used Razor Wind to bust the silk strands. Harley's eye twitched.
"Drastic measures, my pretty Ariados! Spider Silk, then Poison Fang!" Drew had no clue what Harley was talking about... but he found out soon enough. Ariados calmly shot a string of silk out to Absol cementing his feet to the ground, then crawled on the string towards him, and sank his fangs into Absol's flank.
Apparently, Absol was an arachnophobe. He fainted dead away simply from the giant spider on his back. Drew stared incredulously, already preparing to die of humiliation. Harley blinked in surprise.
"I wasn't expecting that, but eh, whatever works." He shrugged. Drew swore as he grabbed his stuff in the hall. Absol looked up at him guiltily. Feeling a tug of sympathy for the poor thing, Drew stroked his head, and whispered, "Shhh, it's okay..." Absol brightened up.
Drew remembered what Soledad had told him; if he was nice to Absol, Absol would get better. So THEN he could kick Harley's ass.
He apparently said this last part out loud, since the Coordinator in question waltzed over to him. "Oh, it's not to be kicked, love..." He trailed off, letting Drew's teenage hormonal imagination take over, and raised an eyebrow at Drew. Drew sighed. "So. You won." He steeled himself.
"Yeah. So, can you take this?" He pressed something into Drew's hand. He looked down. A small lavender colored flowers with clusters... "Lilacs?" He blurted out. Harley raised his eyebrows again. "Oh, so that's what that is!" He cheered up. "I had no idea!" Drew was stunned.
"A flower? That's what you wanted to give me?" Harley shrugged. "You gave me one, remember?" Drew nodded. "I actually got a whole bouquet for you..." Harley nodded. "From who?"
"Your mom." Drew told him. Harley yelped. "What!? Jeez, Drew!" Drew was mortified, and afraid of Harley flouncing off again, he shrieked "No, no I mean your mom gave me the flowers, for fuck's sake, don't be a dolt!" Harley pouted at being called a 'dolt' for a minute, and then snapped his fingers.
"Right!" Drew winced. He knew where this was going... But Harley did something completely unexpected...
"Are you dating May?" Drew was stunned. He almost laughed, but for the completely serious look on Harley's face. He steadied himself, and shook his head vigorously. "Oh, no! She's more like a sister, like a little annoying sister." Harley seemed to cheer up immensely at this fact.
He then nodded to himself, and smiled self-consciously at Drew. A faint tinge colored the Coordinator's cheeks, and he blurted out something he and Drew had both been wishing for.
"Can I have a kiss?" He rushed out. Drew was stunned. Harley looked away, and bit his lip. "I mean, it's alright... if you're straight, and you don't wanna. I get it. Not everyone's gay, and—" Drew saw a tear run down Harley's cheek. He instantly wanted to get rid of that emotion, whatever was making Harley cry. It actually physically hurt him to see that tear, much as he hated to admit it. So he made a decision for himself.
Drew yanked Harley down so they were face to face. He smiled gently, and brushed another tear away from Harley's cheek softly, murmuring a little nonsense word. And then he pulled him closer, and kissed Harley fully and deeply for a long minute.
Drew pulled away, and raised an eyebrow at the teen, and said, "Did that seem like something a straight person would do?" He smirked. Harley stood there, stunned. "Wow. You're... a really, really good kisser."
Drew smirked, and pushed him against the wall. "There's four minutes left..." He purred in Harley's ear, biting down gently, making Harley shiver in his arms, and moan softly. God, how good did that feel...
"But I think we could make an extension on our time, don't you?" At first, Harley was pissed mostly because Drew was the one in charge, while HE was the older one, and therefore should be the one getting things done, but when Drew said that, Harley got goosebumps, and nodded dumbly.
"Ah, I, um. Damn, yes." But, in an attempt to prove himself better, he swept his eye over Drew, and remarked offhandedly, "You know, you're pretty short." Drew's eye twitched. "I know. Shut up."
As they left the Hall hastily for Harley's house, praying Sarah was still at work, Harley piped up cheerfully, "Oh goody, that means you can blow me a lot easier!" Drew's caterwaul reply of "Fuck you!" reached the ears of those in Pacifilog Town. Harley's reply made Drew want to both kiss him until his lips bled, and smack him. "I believe that was the point of this, dearest."
However, that night proved to the both of them that while Drew was short enough to make himself rather flexible, height really doesn't matter much when you're doing the horizontal tango.