A/N: I definitely remember coming up with the idea for this and starting some sort of draft, but where said draft went is another question. I think I actually remember the draft being longer than this actually is. In retrospect, I should be working on all those multi-chaptered stories but I still have the rest of the summer. I'll probably be writing a lot during the time that I'll be trying to get rid of my jetlag going back home, ha.

Anyways, Johto trio-centric, with a little bit of MangaQuest/SpecialJewel if you squint a little.

Park Benches and Tree Tops

They were both slightly awkward, Gold noticed. He had made plans to meet up with Crys and Silver, and had gotten there early, climbed up a tree and fell asleep. By the time he had woken up, the two other Dex Holders had already reached the meeting spot, a bench with a vantage point that allowed him to see them but not the other way around.

Silver, first of all. Stoic, and a man of few words, Gold could still remember when he had almost (obsessingly, admittedly) chased after him, determined to play the hero and 'vanquish' the bad guy. Silver had a good heart, underneath all the silence, though his surly appearance may have indicated otherwise.

And there was also Crys. She and Silver were definitely alike in some subtle ways. She had the same good heart and intentions, but her sense of responsibility seemed to get in the way of the interpretation of her actions. She wasn't completely social – he could remember days where she would lock herself in the lab, even when Professor Oak wasn't in, versus hanging out with actual people (most notably him).

She was getting better though. She rescheduled appointments so that they saw a lot more of her, and she still went out of her way to help people. He could remember accompanying her to visit the elderly couple who ran the day care center because the man had fallen ill. She spent three days there, tending to all of the eggs while the man's wife attended to him, and he recalled the gentle, motherly face when she took care of the baby pokemon.

Back to Silver and Crys. They were both sitting on the bench, almost on opposite sides, Silver staring one way and Crys watching her knees. Gold continued to stay silent, fighting the itch to say something. It was almost like they were a new couple on their first date, he noted. It definitely had the same awkwardness and it spooked him out a little. Where would he fit into the equation? He watched as Crys finally struck up a conversation, Silver saying something to make her look up and smile that rare little smile.

He was not jealous.

"Hey guys!" He said loudly as he jumped down from his tree. Silver raised an eyebrow and Crys jumped a little, a light blush rising to her cheeks.

Okay, so maybe just a little bit.

X

"So, I guess we're waiting on Gold again, aren't we?"

"Did you expect anything else?"

"No, I just wish he'd keep his appointments with us."

"… But I'm glad Gold is who he is, you know?"

"Yeah, I do."