Almost two weeks later, I get out of the hospital.
I get off my Murkrow and study the small town and laugh.
It hasn't changed at all since I had last visited.
Sure enough, Gold is slumped against the wall of Elm's lab asleep. Had he been waiting all this time? I notice a small tent and a cooler (I suppose it held food and drinks).
He had.
What was important enough that he had to wait without moving from this one spot all this time?
I walk over and sat there, staring at him. I gently poke his cheek. His eyes snap awake.
"S-Silver!", he gasps. His face is shaven and he smells normal. At least he'd gone inside briefly to take care of himself. "I didn't think you'd actually come!" he looks happily surprised, like when you come home from a hard day of working or school and you find some kind of treat waiting for you.
"Then why did you set up camp over by Elm's lab?" I raise an eyebrow.
"You never know..."
"Yeah, okay. And what did you have to say?"
He is silent. He stands up and helps me to my feet, then finally speaks. "Where did you get your bruises from?" he gestures my bruises with his hand. "They look recent."
"Why do you care?"
"If I'm correct, it's part of the reason why I'm here."
I sigh. "Well, Lance is a little-"
"Abusive?"
"How did you know?"
"I was walking by one day, about to challenge Lance again. I saw you two talking, and I saw him hit you. I asked Karen, one of the Elite Four people about it, and she said she's seen him hit you too in the past. It's apparently happened more than once."
"I know who Karen is, you know.", I growl.
"Come down..."
"Do you know how dead I am if Lance knew that people had seen him hit me?!" I was screaming at him now. "It would ruin his reputation and I would be murdered!"
"I-"
"You have absolutely no right to be sticking your head into my busi-"
I'm interrupted by lips against mine. I tense up in the kiss, but relax and allow him. He pulls away. His face is red and he's staring into my eyes.
Oh Arceus, what have I done?
And why do I like it?
I stare at him back and walk away.
I hear him sigh as I go.