Pound! Crack, crack, slahk!

These were the sounds being heard in the basement gym of a small house in New Bark Town. The small town grew to a rather healthy shape. New faces were seen, along with new families. Even the families that lived in New Bark for generations were rather comfortable with the construction. Pokemon wildlife and its surroundings remained the same as ever... it was rather peaceful.

But as quiet the town may be, it became rather lively again ever since the return of the esteemed Pokedex Holder, Gold. He made quite a name for himself as well. In a positive light, the young man wrote many books on his adventures as a Pokedex Holder, and was responsible for discovering the secrets hidden deep within the Pokemon Psyche. However, the media also portrayed him as a rather notorious skirt chaser with many rumors of scandal and one night stands; it even went as far as him having a hidden child or two.

It seemed rather odd for the majority of the New Bark citizens, as much as they appreciate Gold, for him to suddenly return back to his native home... especially when he brought back another highly respected Pokedex Holder, Silver. For the red head, he is known for being one of the toughest Gym Leaders in the Kanto Region, and certainly took over the gym in his stride ever since Green decided to run for presidency in the Pokemon Association. In the end, the New Bark Citizens simply shrugged and did their own thing, and happily accepted Gold and his friend back to his old home. Gold even went as far as paying for the construction of Silver and his own home to make up for his abrupt arrival.

However, there was something that the citizens did not know, for behind the closed doors... Silver and Gold were more than just colleagues and brothers-in-arms. The two men became romantically entangled ever since the age of eighteen, and were content with each other for the last five years. Although it was a rough start, to say the least, and it was even harder considering that Gold had to travel the world while Silver stuck to one place. Yet when the two men saw past their polar differences, the pieces fell into place and they fell for each other. The rumors of Gold being a skirt chaser were, as a matter a fact, simply leaked by Gold to cover his tracks with his 'scandalous' affair with the Viridian Gym Leader, and all of it was on Silver's request. The two men enjoyed their private time together, but for Gold, he admitted to Silver that he didn't mind if the world knew of their relationship. Silver, on the other hand, did.

They enjoyed their time with sneaking around, but by the fifth year of their relationship, it was Gold who asked about settling down. It took some time for the two men to decide where to live, but the raven haired man managed to win his red headed lover over by focusing on their privacy, a quality that Silver liked most. Eventually, the press about Gold's infidelity began to die down, and he started to start his own little daycare center for the locals, for both Pokemon and children alike. For Silver, it was convenient for him since his Gym was rarely challenged, and even if he were to receive a challenge, the challenger would have the schedule for an appointment and Silver would show up.

Life for Gold and Silver was rather fruitful... and yet, Silver couldn't help but become rather agitated. Which is why he is in the basement of their home and punching the punching bag much harder than he usually would. His anger and frustration, feelings he thought that would have flowed away by now ever since he started going out with Gold, would occasionally return every once in a while. The red head started to feel unbalanced ever since the two men settled down together, but it was not as if he was not satisfied, not in the least. But the red head felt as if he was holding Gold back from his dreams of starting a family. They often discussed the idea of a future together, but nearly every time, the raven haired boy would jokingly say along the lines of, "But what should tell our kid what we are? That we're just bros?" And the discussion would end in awkward silence...

A left hook, right jab, upper cut, and a roundhouse kick with his left leg. After a couple of minutes, he could feel his hands and legs starting to sting, something he would rather feel at the moment than constant guilt. It throbbed in his chest as if someone was punching him from the inside, trying to get out. Eventually, the red head started to connect haymakers after haymakers, causing even the house to feel the massive force of each punch through extremely small vibrations.

As Silver continued to train his body, Gold made his way down the stairs with a pre-chilled glass filled with three ice cubes and water in one hand, with a white long towel with the other. The raven haired boy only watched with amused and flirtatious smile on his face... he walked towards one of the seats by the wall and sets it down on the provided table. Gold always loved to watch when he saw his lover train, mostly because of how hot the red head looked. Silver would always wear a black tank top and short pants that be cut off to just above the knees. After the last three haymakers, the amber eyed man took it as his cue to pick up the towel and cold glass, and brought it towards the red head...

When that happened, Silver finally picked up the sounds of someone approaching him, and as always, before he could react, he would feel the towel being wrapped around his neck and he would see Gold going in front of him with his glass, handing it to his right hand. It was their little tradition... either of the two males would always head down to the gym and let out their bad days by just hitting something. At this moment, it was Silver who was having a rather harsh day.

"I hope you know that I could feel your punches from the kitchen, right?" Gold snickered when the red haired man took the glass and started to sip, "Look, we just moved in here a couple of months ago, I don't think our insurance covers, 'Pissed off red-head causes massive destruction' or 'Pokemon piss and property damage.'"

Although Gold' little comical jabs would lighten up the mood whenever either of them are down in the dumps... these were one of the days were it just wouldn't cut it. After the first couple of sips, he handed the glass to Gold and the two men made their way to the table. He wiped himself with the tower in the mean time, "I just... feel like crap, that's all."

"We all get those days every once in a while, but lately? You've been feeling that way for the past couple of weeks, you know."

Silver glared at Gold as they sat beside each other.

"Hey, just saying."

The red head sighed, they know each other too well. Whenever one or the other were having a bad day, they subconsciously made methods on how to handle each other. For Gold, Silver would simply listen to him rant on about whatever was going on. While Silver would be left alone by Gold, and after a specific time limit, he would approach the red head and ask what was wrong... it was rather odd to see the raven haired boy to wait. And at the moment? This was the longest time Silver had ever seethed his anger without Gold intervening.

Silver shook his head and sighed, running his right hand across his long hair while looking at Gold with a stressful look, "It's just, you know that I'm happy with you, right?" Gold nodded his head. "I've just... never thought I'd see the day where we're both settling down, and with each other, no less... and I'm very happy, really happy..."

"But?"

"I just feel like I'm holding you back." Silver's words came out shakily, he couldn't even bare to look at his lover straight in the eyes.

At first, Gold was confused, "Wha? You're not keeping me away from anything you know. I sorta got tired- well, not really, I just didn't feel like traveling the world anymore. Sure, there are loads of sights to see... but it's just not the same without you, you know?" By then end of it, Gold wrapped his right arm around Silver's shoulder, nudging him towards himself, "So what're you... oh." The realization hits him like a stone brick wall, and even Silver could feel his body began to tense up. But Gold did not pull back.

An eerie silence grew between the two men, until Silver had the strength to lift up his head and returned Gold's gaze, "Is this what you really want...? F-For us to be together, I mean, right now and under the same roof."

"Well, I wouldn't have suggested it in the first place now would I?" Gold shot back rather cheekily, trying to brighten the mood by giving him a small grin.

The red head nodded while sighing deeply, "Yeah, but the majority of your decisions? They're all based on impulses... so what if this is one of your decisions, Gold? That being together with me, and doing all of this is just going to end... badly?"

When the raven haired man heard Silver's doubt beginning to waver, he bit his lips before turning his body towards Silver and placing his left hand onto the red head's shoulder. "But there's more to it, isn't there?" Gold caught on quick, and took a shot on guessing on what was also really bothering him, "You don't have to come out if you don't want to, Silver. I'm not going to force you."

"But aren't you sick of all of this hiding?!" Silver hissed back, trying to control himself, "I know how you want us to go out on all of these dates and all that, and... I want t-to go too, it's just... I'm trying to find the courage. I'm trying not to be scared- but what if my father doesn't approve, or people would start to hate on you just because we're gay." Soon, his frustration got the better of him and he began to clench his teeth while looking to the side and staring down at the floor, "I'm trying... I'm trying so hard to just, to just..."

"Then don't try." Was all Gold simply said, before he pulled back and went down on the floor in front of Silver's knees, so that Silver could look at him, so that the red head would know that he's not mad at all. "I'll be honest. I hate all of this hiding. I hate the fact that we can't go out like a real couple or just try and be who we are behind closed doors. But there is nothing worse than forcing yourself to come out when you're not ready. You were fine when you came out to all of our friends... right?" When he saw Silver nodding, Gold's smile grew even brighter, "Well, I kind of wasn't. Blue practically threatened my manhood if I were to hurt you in any way..." the little joke earned Gold a little small chuckle, before he continued. "You don't have to come out if you're not ready. No one's forcing you," Finally, Gold straightened his body and spread Silver's legs open so that he could stand on his knees and raised his right hand, "and the only one who knows when to come out," he then poked Silver's chest, "is you..."

Silver sighed out as he looked down at his cheeky lover, he couldn't help but feel the weight on his shoulders and the guilt that festered in his chest beginning to flow away. The red head always felt comforted by his lover when the worse times came along, and this situation was no different. With a relieved smile on his face, Silver's body began to relax, before he moved forward and leaned his forehead on top of Gold's. They shared their little intimate moment, their eyes closed while hearing each others breath...

"You know, I could never get used to you being so patient..." Silver whispered with a chuckle, "what changed?" When he decided to open up his eyes, he immediately saw beautiful pair of golden eyes staring deep within the windows of his soul.

Slowly but surely, Gold leaned forward, enough to press Silver's body softly against the wall, while having his arms on both sides of the red head's head. They gave each other a teasing smile, before Gold replied, "You really wanna know?" Silver nodded while he began to look up to see Gold starting to stand up, "It's because the moment I set my eyes on you, I knew I was in love. For so long, I thought my love went unrequited. But I was so determined... so determined to just gather the courage and tell you how I felt, that I finally became the happiest man in the world when I took a huge risk on losing you. And although the odds were against me, I'm glad it got us to where we are today."

A massive blush grew on Silver's cheeks while he couldn't help but leave his mouth open with the response... cheekily, Gold too the chance to lean down and softly pressed his lips against Silver's. Such a moment for the two of them was like an explosion, and by the time Gold pulled back reluctantly, they looked into their gold and silver eyes...

They could have said, "I love you," or say something else romantic, but moments or words such as those were completely unneeded, at least, for the two men. Because deep down, they already knew.