Author's notes: thanks for the feedback so far. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as the first, and that you leave me a review when you're done. Thank you for reading!

Although Gary had not stopped by the house for years, all it took was a small tap on the front door before he was allowed entry.

"Who is it?" Delia's voice rang from upstairs. Gary smiled at the sound of her voice and called back.

"It's just me, Gary!"

There was a slight pause. Then Delia came padding down the stairs, face alight.

"I haven't seen you for such a long time!" she cried, wrapping her arms around the now very tall, very handsome nineteen-year-old Gary Oak. She held him at arms' length and scanned his features. He had high cheekbones and unruly hair that accentuated the playful look on his face. His eyes retained the confidence he'd had since being a little boy. He was dressed smartly, in navy trousers and a simple black turtleneck jumper.

"Just look at you, you've grown so much! It's still so hard to believe that the young professor on the TV is the same little boy who used to play at being a Blastoise with my son." Gary blushed a bit at the memory. He privately hoped that the TV reporters wouldn't interview Delia. "How are you?!" She asked, genuinely excited. She had always liked Gary, believing him to be a good influence on her son when they were growing up. Of course, their rivalry had caused her some worry, but from what she understood they'd settled their differences and were now on good terms. Besides, she'd never turn away Professor Oak's grandson!

Gary paused, unused to a motherly figure who would ask and care about such things. "I'm very good, thank you." He paused. "I have something for you!" He opened the front door to collect a big bouquet of flowers and a card he'd left outside as a surprise. "Happy Valentine's Day!" he said cheerfully, handing them to her. Delia looked between him and the flowers with a look of joy and disbelief.

"I'm so lucky!" she gushed, accepting the flowers and inhaling their sweet scent. Inside was a collection of sweet little Persim and Sitrus berries from the Hoenn region, and turquoise tulips picked from Johto with velvety petals.

"These are so lovely. I must find a good place for them. Thank you so much Gary, how thoughtful of you!" Gary smiled as he watched her find a vase and set about trimming the stems off the flowers. He took this opportunity to glance around the house.

Not much had changed since his last visit all those years ago. Delia's house was still impeccable – a stark contrast to the chaos he often allowed in his house. She'd changed some of the photographs around slightly, updating them with newer ones of her son and his friends, and bought a new fridge, but other than that everything seemed very familiar. A card had been placed on the mantelpiece.

"It's ever so funny," Delia said, brows furrowed in concentration at her task, "but already today I received some flowers and a card for the first time in years! And now I have even more to enjoy!"

A smile tugged at the corners of Gary's lips. "Oh? Who's your admirer?"

"Well, that's the thing," Delia replied, placing the flowers in the vase and arranging them until she was satisfied, "it wasn't signed! They didn't leave their name! It just said that they wished me a 'day filled with all the things a good lady like me deserves.' But I could have sworn I've seen that handwriting before..." She looked up at the young professor, beaming. "Thank you once again for my flowers, Gary. You really didn't have to." She admired her gift for a moment more.

"If you're looking for my son, he's out. I expect he's at your Grandfather's house. I think he said something about visiting his Pokémon. It's hard to tell when he's running out the door and stuffing his face at the same time." Delia shook her head, tutting. She tore her eyes away from her latest bouquet with a smile.

"Thank you so much for the flowers, Gary. And it's nice to see you again! You just remember, I'm only a phone call away if you need anything." She drew the professor into her arms again, mothering him just a little more than was absolutely necessary. She sensed rather than saw Gary roll his eyes at her, but she let it go.

"Thanks, Mrs Ketchum," Gary said politely. He said his goodbyes and left the house. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he began the walk across to his Grandfather's lab.

It was unseasonably warm for a Kanto February. The occasional chatter of birdsong escaped from the treetops, and some residents were setting about sorting their garden, trying to make the most of the fortunate weather. A couple of them stopped to say hello, surprised to see Gary back from his recent ventures in Sinnoh.

Before long, Gary was opening the door to his Grandfather's lab, letting himself indoors. He smirked as he cast his eyes around the living room area – Delia had been working for the Professor as an aide, although one of her first jobs had been to tidy the 'atrocious' mess, as she'd described it. She'd not only done an excellent job, but it seemed as if his Grandfather was attempting to maintain some level of order in cleanliness – no easy feat for a Pokémon Professor with a Muk which likes to ooze around!

Gary had just finished making himself a cup of tea when his Grandfather came in and saw him. "Gary!" he said, delighted to see his Grandson again. He gave the boy a warm hug. "Delia said you'd be coming. She called just a few minutes ago." Gary's mouth quirked into a smile for the briefest of moments, but the elder Professor didn't notice. "It's wonderful to see you again. Was the journey alright?"

Gary grimaced. "The flight was terrible. The flight attendant managed to pour oran berry juice all over me, I was stuck next to a crying baby the whole time, and to top it off the whole plane had been decorated for Valentine's Day. Then this girl started arguing with her boyfriend because he hadn't proposed." His grandfather tutted in sympathy. "Anyway, I've been allowed ten days here before I have to get back. It's nice to be someplace warm."

"To you, perhaps! For me and a lot of the Pokémon it's still freezing!" Professor Oak complained, laughing.

The elder of the two hadn't changed much since the last time Gary had seen him face-to-face some eight months ago. His hair was still grey, his eyes still held a kindness to them, but his wrinkles had not deepened. And he was still the most renowned Pokémon Professor, despite efforts from other up-and-coming researchers to usurp him of this title. Gary was very proud of his Grandfather, and he admired him a lot.

"Yeah, well..." Gary gestured to the living room, "I see Mrs Ketchum's been keeping the place clean and tidy."

"Ah, yes! Well, she might even be dropping by later to listen in on some of our discussions, if you don't mind of course." It wasn't really a question. "We're both very interested to hear your stories about those two Piplup you've been taking care of."

Gary nodded, and was about to say something when the back door opened, and in stepped his lifelong friend and rival, Ash. It took his friend a little longer to notice him, but when he did, his face burst into a big grin. "Gary!"

"Ashy-boy," Gary replied in greeting, unable to resist. Ash rolled his eyes as if expecting no different.

"Yeah, yeah, it's good to see you too. How've you been?"

Gary shrugged. "Alright, I suppose." A little yellow Pokémon in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He smiled. "Here you go, Pikachu. It's good to see you again, buddy." He stroked the top of his head, then handed the electric mouse the Pokéball containing Umbreon. Knowing exactly what to do, Pikachu pressed the button with his nose, and out came Umbreon. "Go on, Umbreon. Go play with Pikachu. I'll come find you later." At that, his Eeveelution chased Pikachu outside, the two Pokémon burning their excess energy. Gary watched fondly for a moment before turning his attention back to his childhood friend.

Gary was pleased to see that Ash was definitely still shorter than him by about two inches. His hair was slightly longer than he remembered, but it had maintained its lustre. Whether it was down to his maturity or recent accumulation of tournament wins, Ash was holding himself differently – he had an air of quiet confidence about him, his enthusiasm for Pokémon endless.

Above all else that made the elder of the two smile, however, was how obvious it was that Ash was pleased to see him.

"How long 'til your next tournament?"

Ash shrugged. "About three weeks. Figured I'd stop by to visit before I have to defend my title."

"You'll be fine," Gary said, and he meant it. He bore no ill will towards the clearly superior trainer, and he had been genuinely thrilled to tune in to his last match just in time to witness Ash's spectacular win against a wannabe champion from the Kalos region.

"Yeah," Ash agreed casually, although the determination in his eyes suggested that he was taking it very seriously. "Anyway, do you have some free time whilst I'm up? Wanna hang out at some point?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could.

Gary glanced at his grandfather. "Not right now," he admitted, "but I'm sure I'll be able to get away for a little while this evening. After 6 alright?" Ash nodded. "Alright. For now though, I need to fill Gramps in on a few things." A smirk curled on his lips. "Y'know, like my groundbreaking research whilst you were messing around fighting Pokémon like a ten-year-old."

Ash rolled his eyes. Some things never change. "Yeah, yeah, we both know you clean Pokémon dung every day. Well, have fun explaining that. I'll be outside spending more time with my Pokémon." With that, the young trainer bid both professors a temporary goodbye, and he left the lab.

"It's so nice seeing you two getting along so nicely," Professor Oak said with a smile, knowing that the back-and-forth between the two was nothing more than friendly banter. "Tea?"

"Please," Gary replied gratefully, taking a seat at the nearby table. He accepted the fresh tea his grandfather made for him, happy to know he remembered exactly how he liked it. He sipped thoughtfully for a moment, gazing at the wall but really seeing nothing at all. His mind was elsewhere, fixing itself on what could happen that evening.

"So it's Valentine's Day and I'm giving Ash a card this year," he said as casually as he could. He saw his grandfather nod in the corner of his eye, and Gary looked at him. The professor was smiling encouragingly, but also as if he'd known he was going to do that all along.

"Why this year, Gary?" he asked, sipping his own tea as they chatted. He'd suspected for a long time that his grandson was gay, although he'd only officially known for several months. 'As long as you're happy and healthy,' he'd said at the time, 'then that's fine by me.'

The younger of the two shrugged. "I don't know. It just feels right." He took a deep breath, wrapping his hands around his drink. "Besides, I feel like I've been wasting time. I know we're still both really young, but if I have an opportunity then I need to take it. Does that make sense?" Gary asked. He wished he had someone his own age to talk to, but sadly he was only really close friends with Ash, and that for obvious reasons was out of the question. All he knew was that he really, really liked Ash – he looked forward to their phone calls far more than a friend probably should, and he caught himself daydreaming about his friend far more than he actually cared to admit.

Most friends probably don't dream about their friend in the shower or sucking their cock, either.

"Hmmm..." the professor responded, his own gaze distant now. "Yes, yes it does," he said slowly. "There's no point asking yourself 'what if?' if you could have done something about it." He shot his grandson an encouraging look. "I think Ash likes you, too. Delia said she's seen a real change in Ash since he's come back. One of the first things out of his mouth was when you'd be visiting!"

Gary felt his chest puff with pride. He opened his mouth to speak, but in came Delia Ketchum through the front door, and their conversation was de-railed. She'd changed her clothes and applied a light dusting of blusher to her cheeks, Gary noticed. He glanced between the two adults and had to suppress a smile. He wondered whether his grandfather would allow this opportunity to pass him by.

He hoped not.

Gary felt like he'd been talking non-stop for a good ninety minutes before they were interrupted by Ash's return from visiting his Pokémon. Gary smiled at him, rolling his eyes at the professor and Delia, who were examining his reports closely.

"They'll be at this all night." He glanced at the clock. "Well, feel free to keep a hold of those for now. Me and Ashy-boy have a catch-up to get to!"

"You do that," Professor Oak said absent-mindedly, although Gary did not miss the slight smile that had appeared on his grandfather's lips as he announced what he was doing. Anxiety stabbed his chest for a moment, but he pushed it to one side and picked up his bag from the nearby table on his way out with his best friend.

"We'll be over at my house later if you need anything," Delia said absent-mindedly as they left.

They didn't need to discuss where they would be going – they always did the same thing when they met up like this as adults. They were heading towards the place they used to play together as Charizard and Blastoise – a quiet little area beside the water with the odd tree scattered about to give them some privacy. As they walked, they did the usual of trying to irritate the other person.

"How was dung collecting?"

"Not bad. How's it feel being an absolute loser?"

"Not as bad as someone who pokes about in dung every day."

"You can't think of anything worse to call me than a dung collector, can you?"

"Shut up!" Ash retorted, throwing his bag onto the ground beside the tree as they arrived at their old haunt. It was just as he remembered it. He shivered, the breeze a little stronger now that they were closer to the sea. He pulled his jacket around himself and zipped it up a little higher, thankful for the Swanna down packed inside.

"You cold?" Gary began rummaging in his bag before his friend could answer. He produced a can of beer with a triumphant flourish. Ash accepted with a grin. The two friends sat in silence as they opened their drinks and took the first cool, refreshing sip together.

"You know alcohol actually makes you colder, right?" Gary asked absently, his gaze also on the ocean. Scattered patches of land lined the water route, although a slight fog had obscured some of the little islands from their view. Ash made a non-committal grunt.

They sat very much like this for a while, sitting and watching the Wingull out at sea, occasionally chatting or trading the odd insult. It was a familiar and comfortable atmosphere, although inside Gary was still nervous. Without even asking, when they had both finished their first drink he produced another one from inside his rucksack, the cool February air helping the cans to retain the cold.

They traded some more insults, and even more time passed before Gary felt bold enough to give Ash his gift.

"Hey, remember when we were last here on a Valentine's Day as kids?" Gary desperately tried to ignore the hammering of his heart against his ribcage. He prayed to Arceus that discomfort and anxiety did not show on his face, because this was Ash and he really needed this to go well. He tried to keep his gaze level and fixed on the horizon, his posture neutral.

Ash frowned, thinking. Gary gave him a few seconds to remember, more impatient than usual at Ash's poor memory. A moment later, recognition crossed Ash's face.

"Oh yeah... didn't I make you a card with a Charizard and Blastoise on it?"

"And a big red heart," Gary added, conscious that he was talking too fast, or that there was a tremor in his voice, or that something about him was off and that Ash would for once be perceptive enough to notice. He risked a glance at his friend and saw that he was smiling at the memory. "I'm glad you remember it." He paused, quashing his fears one last time before producing his card to the black-haired teen beside him. "H-happy Valentine's Day, Ash." He said, chiding himself for the stutter.

Ash slowly accepted the card, staring. The card was very similar to the one he'd given Gary all those years ago – except his own name was written in elaborate, glittery cursive, and there was not a single trace of glue peeking out from beneath the felt heart that had been stuck beneath his name. He opened the card and had to take in a deep breath.

This time, the Blastoise was handing over some flowers to the Charizard. The Pokémon had been drawn and coloured in so carefully, with meticulous attention to detail. Around the Blastoise's neck was Gary's trademark pendent, and atop the Charizard's head was Ash's hat. Beside this was written

'Dear Ashy-boy,

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love, Gary x'

Ash stared at the card for a tad longer. All the while Gary was watching his every move, his stomach taut with nerves. It felt as though tiny Ekans and Butterfree were wrestling in his tummy, and he was pretty sure he was blushing. He bit his lip, nervously waiting for a response.

Slowly, Ash looked up at his friend, and a radiant smile lit up his face. Gary smiled too, relieved.

"Aww, thanks, Gary!" Ash cried, glancing back down at the card. "This card's great! It's so much better than the card I made for you that time."

Gary blinked. He'd pictured such a variety of reactions – Ash leaving him, Ash punching him in the face, Ash hugging or possibly kissing him, possibly even offering him a polite yet awkward "You're my best friend, but I'm not gay" speech... but he hadn't been prepared for the possibility that Ash didn't realise that it's actually a Valentine's Card saying I like you, dumbass.

"Y... yeah," Gary said eventually. He swallowed, wishing that one motion could remove his disappointment. All that hard work for nothing. Ash was still examining his card, admiring the artwork. "I'm, uh... I'm glad you like it."

"You bet!" Ash gushed, beaming at his friend. Gary returned the smile reluctantly, although Ash didn't seem to notice. "It's great!"

Gary smiled again, hoping he looked appreciative. He busied himself by taking another sip of his beer, trying desperately to quell his frustration. He wanted to yell out the obvious, that he had a crush on his friend and that this was an actual Valentine's Day card, stupid.

But he just couldn't. The moment was gone, and he just didn't have the confidence to pursue this anymore. The Ekans and Butterfree in his stomach stopped their wrestling to reveal a sensation of strange emptiness – the realisation, perhaps, that his friend just didn't see him in that way. It was oddly more crushing than any overt rejection could ever be.

Another moment went by in silence, before Ash asked for another drink, and Gary was only too happy to oblige. He took another long mouthful from his own, and resigned himself to an evening of discomfort.

It was late. They were by now a little drunk, and they'd sensibly decided that they were heading home ("So you don't fall in the sea and get eaten by Magikarp, Ashy-boy!" Gary had said with only a slight slur). The rest of the evening had slowly devolved into more insults being thrown as they drank more and more, before they both realised they were getting louder and louder and probably needed to leave before they got too drunk and silly and Officer Jenny was called.

Ash gripped onto Gary's arm as they stumbled about in the darkness and quiet of Pallet Town. Ash giggled for no apparent reason, prompting Gary into alternately giggling and shushing him in response. Thanks to the alcohol, their bodies kept knocking into each other, forcing them off balance so that they were staggering rather than walking. Gary didn't really care, trying to properly savour the feeling so that he could recall it in the lone hours of the morning when he had to face up to Ash's reaction to the card, but his mind was like a sieve, leaking the memory as quickly as he was trying to retain it.

They were just outside the Ketchum residence when Ash tugged on Gary's arm, hard. They both stopped.

"Ash, what're you-" Gary was cut off by Ash leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. Gary stared down at his friend, surprised. Ash was still holding onto the elder's arm, so they were standing very close.

"I hear that's what you do on Valentine's Day," Ash mumbled, echoing what he had been taught all those years ago. He looked up almost shyly at his friend.

A smile slowly crept across Gary's features. Then, a smirk. "Oh yeah?" he asked, an eyebrow arching. "Well, we can both do a lot better if it's Valentine's Day."

There was a moment where they both looked at each other, processing what had just been said. Gary's smirk had slipped from his face, replaced by a cautious yet hopeful look. Ash's cheeks were dusted pink, and not just because of the alcohol. They both understood Gary's offhand comment, and its implications - the little challenge there. Ash suddenly became very aware of his breathing, of the feel of Gary's arm beneath his hands, of how close they were to each other; closer than friends would ever be.

Then, as if they were synchronised, they crashed towards each other, mouths meeting, hands running across each other's bodies wildly. There was nothing innocent about this kiss – it was hot and wet and sexy. Gary pressed his body flush against Ash's, backing him up until his back hit the wall behind them. His hands found their way inside Ash's sweater, running up and down the soft, unexplored skin there. Ash's fingers were buried in his hair, dragging him down, holding him in place with a tight grip. Gary groaned as he flexed his hips, feeling his cock stir with want. Ash whimpered, surprised, but clearly interested as his hands moved down to grope Gary's ass and press him closer against him, liking the feeling of being trapped, of being held...

"- Goodnight, Delia. It's been a wonderful evening."

Gary was just about to tear his lips from Ash's so he could kiss and nibble along his friend's neck when he heard his Grandfather emerge from the Ketchum household. The two broke apart in a flash, staring at each other. Ash was gazing open-mouthed at his friend, panting and unable to comprehend what had just happened. Likewise, Gary was flustered, hair a mess and clothes in disarray. His eyes were wide. Then the porch light came on and the elder Professor noticed the two boys standing there, staring at each other.

"Oh! G-good evening, boys," Professor Oak said, a little startled. If he noticed the boys' closeness, he didn't show it. "Are you coming home, Gary?"

Gary looked between his Grandfather and his friend for a moment, not sure what he ought to do. He shot Ash an apologetic look. "I'll call you," he mumbled very quietly before he moved away, staggering across to his Grandfather. Fortunately the elder researcher didn't comment on his drunkenness, nor on the state of his clothes.

Besides, he was banking on his Grandson failing to notice the state his were in, too.

Ash stood pressed against the wall where Gary had left him for what felt like a long time. He touched his fingers gently to his lips, trying to mimic the crush of Gary's lips against his own. An aftershock of arousal coursed through him as he recalled how it felt to be pressed hard between the wall and Gary's lean body.

After a mere minute or two, Ash went inside his house. His mother was standing by the window looking out, and wearing a dressing gown. She seemed surprised to see her son.

"Oh, Ash! Did you have a nice evening?" she asked. She pretended for both their sakes that she couldn't smell the alcohol on his breath.

"'m fine, mom," Ash mumbled, wandering through to the kitchen where he got himself a glass of water. "It was good tonight. I'm going to bed now though."

"Okay," Delia said, waiting until her son went upstairs before turning her attention back to the retreating backs of Gary and Samuel Oak.

Ash felt as though he was wading through water as he made his way upstairs. He only banged into the walls twice before he successfully arrived back in his room, fumbling to switch on the light. He was relieved to see Pikachu was curled up on his bed. The Pokémon had opened one eye at the sudden noise.

"Ssh, Pikachu, go back to sleep," Ash whispered, hoping he sounded reassuring. Pikachu regarded him for another moment before allowing his eye to close again, rearranging himself so that he was more comfortable on his trainer's bed.

For a second Ash stood, trying to reconcile how different he felt inside with how familiar everything was in his room. It didn't seem right that he should have had such a transformative experience, and yet the rest of the world hadn't seemed to have noticed. It was very bizarre.

Slowly, he peeled off his clothes from the day, tossing them into the corner of his room to deal with 'later'. He kept replaying the moment he was being kissed over and over again, and he turned over the card in his hands as he climbed into bed, tracing his fingers over the gritty sparkles that spelt out his name.

After what felt like ages, but also no time at all, Ash's phone began to ring. His heart buzzed in response as he noticed that, yes, the person calling him was Gary.

He swallowed, hard, and answered the call.

"Hey," he breathed.