Chapter Two

Time for Changes

It took a week for Red and Green to travel down Mt. Silver, and onward to Pallet. It was a week of shivering and complaining, on Green's part, and a week of mostly silence on Red's part.

Green was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with that silence, after a month of working on Red he had hoped he'd finally broken into his comfort zone. He didn't want all that work to go to waste just because of one incident with Gold.

That one incident was another thing on Green's mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that something fucked up had happened between the two.

Green mulled over the possibilities as he waited outside Red's old home. Red was inside, gathering his things and having a short visit with his mother. It had been two years since he'd seen her. Green had thought Red would want to stay the night and spend more time with her, but he had instead insisted on leaving as soon as possible.

Green couldn't puzzle out Red's strangle behaviour. The guy had always been strange, but not like this.

Green heard the door creak open behind him and he turned to see Red dragging his suitcase behind him, "I'll pull up the truck." Red nodded at Green's words before he disappeared back inside the house.

Green pulled into the driveway five minutes later; his old truck still drove just fine. He was just hoisting Red's suitcase into the back beside his own when Red appeared, a box of books in his arms. He slid the box into the truck and then got into the passenger's side, all without saying a word.

Green slid into the truck with a sigh, countering Red's silence with his own as he turned the key and pulled out of the driveway, leaving a once familiar home behind.

It was going to be a long drive to Saffron city.

They were still an hour from Celadon when the evening began to fade quickly into night. Green's patience finally faltered and he snapped, "What the hell is wrong with you Red, why are you acting like this?"

A moment of silence followed Green's words before Red finally spoke. "Acting like what Green?"

"Like…like this! Quiet as hell, with that look on your face, seriously it looks like you're trying to burn a hole through the glass with your eyes." Red looked away from the glass to glower at Green. He stayed silent. "For fuck sakes Red; does this have anything to do with Gold, and what happened?"

For a moment Green thought Red was going to continue his silence, but he spoke up finally, "I don't want to talk about it Green. Not yet."

And that was that. The silence continued all the way to Celadon where they were stopping for the night.

The two got out of the truck and walked into the Pokémon center. Red stood to the side, fidgeting and looking mildly uncomfortable as Green talked to the nurse about a room. Green had nearly forgotten that it had been two years since Red had been down that bloody mountain and in public. Green hurried the nurse and himself so they could get to the room faster, Red's fidgeting was beginning to worry him.

By the time they were in their room and settled, both boys were letting out wide mouthed yawns. Red was already in his bed and had his back turned to Green when Green went to pull back the blanket and sheet of his own bed. He stopped midway when he heard Red's voice, barely audible, "I'm glad I left. Thank you Green."

Extremely short chapter I know, I'm juST SO EXCITED HEY GUYS ITS BEEN FOREVER!

I'm so sorry for the giant hiatus, to my old readers and the new ones, thank you so much for sticking with me. I know I'm so awful, but I promised you all I would finish this fic, so finish it I shall.

You shall be seeing much more of me and this fic, I promise.

Sunny