Morning came. Volkner was still passed out, and I felt nervous room service might come in and catch us, so I slid out of bed and got dressed, giving him a kiss on the cheek before slipping out. I was lucky to not encounter anybody I knew until after I'd gotten to the lobby. I was starving and had planned to go out and bring back some sandwiches, but was stupidly surprised to find that, well...

My ass hurt, a lot. And so did my thighs, which felt like I'd been working out for a week straight. I had never felt so sore in that...area... in my life, and I gingerly lowered myself onto a sofa in the lobby, wincing and wondering if Volkner's ass had hurt just as much after I'd screwed him.

"That looks like it hurts." Gardenia had appeared out of NOWHERE, and she eyed me curiously, although her voice was sympathetic. I jumped up quickly, which also caused me to wince a little. She smiled.

"Rough night?"

"Yeah, I-" I cut myself off, creating an awkward moment as I tried to think of something better than having fallen on my ass. Unable to think of anything, I decided to go with just that. I opened my mouth to say so, but Gardenia was faster.

"Volkner should go easy on you; doesn't he know you're just a kid?"

She was grinning. I felt my body temperature dropping quickly, and I did all in my power to sink into the floor.

How...

I shook my head as if confused. "What about Volkner? VOLKNER?" I laughed a little too quickly. Her grin widened.

"Roark, I was in the room next to his."

I gaped. If she'd been next door, there wasn't even any point in lying.

"But... he checked, that room was empty!"

"I complained that my room was haunted, and the hotel said they'd do anything if I didn't spread this around. I asked to be moved to a specific room - 204, the one next to Volkner's."

My mouth was dangling open still. "But why-"

"Because I suspected." She leaned on the railing of the dock, looking out over the water. "I suspected ever since you ran off together on the train and didn't come back... also, your eye kept twitching when you told me about how he'd gotten sick from drinking coffee too fast...you kept smiling at each other during dinner..."

If my jaw had the ability to drop any lower, it would have. She turned around, leaning her back on the rail, and winked.

"Quickie in the bathroom?"

"Gardenia..." I realized how loudly I'd spoken, and moved closer to her, lowering my voice. "Gardenia, please, you can't-"

"I'm not going to TELL anyone! ...Especially not your dad," she added, and then thoughtfully tapped her chin. "I wonder when YOU will, though."

"Never," I stated firmly. It was still sinking in, slowly as possible... I suddenly thought of something, and then blushed.

"How...how much...how much did you hear...?" I grew even redder as it all dawned on me. "Last night..."

She smirked. "I heard talking... then quiet, for a little while, and then...well..." She giggled, blushing a little herself. "You're really cute, Roark... your voice, that is... also, the bed was against the wall between our rooms..."

I felt lightheaded, gripping the rail myself to keep from falling over. I don't think I'd ever felt more embarrassed in my entire life. I closed my eyes, trying to take everything in and calm myself down. I felt Gardenia's small hand on my back.

"Roark, don't be upset. I'm sorry I was sneaky and heard all of that. I just wanted to know, and I knew neither of you was about to announce your plans to get married-"

"We're not getting married," I said, my teeth gritted slightly. I felt angry. "Gardenia, it's none of your business... 'I just wanted to know' isn't a good excuse for snooping in other people's business..."

She sighed, but her hand remained on my back. "I know, Roark, and I'm sorry... and if you tell Volkner about this, tell him sorry for me as well... to be honest, I was curious because, I figured if you guys were..." She paused. "I guess it's not a good idea to ask now if you're just messing around or actually dating..."

I grunted.

"...but anyway, I wanted to know because, I figured if it was true, you don't get to talk to many people about it. And maybe... you'd like someone to talk to."

I glared at the water and didn't answer. Gardenia leaned in close.

"I've had a girlfriend, you know."

...what.

That did it. I snapped out of my angry pouting, turning to look at her. "W...what? Really?" I lowered my voice. "Y...you're gay?"

"No, I..." she smiled, in that way people do when remembering a pleasant memory. "I guess you could say I'm bi..."

"So is Volkner," I cut in quickly. She grinned at me.

"You DO want to talk about it."

I blinked. Honestly, she was right. It crashed down on me in that one instant; just how hard it was that I had nobody else I could talk to about Volkner. She seemed to be reading my mind as her eyes looked into mine.

"So, are you just messing around, or...?"

"He's my boyfriend," I said quickly, blushing at the last word. Wow... it felt amazing to say it out loud in that way. This wasn't, 'we're boyfriends', or 'you are my boyfriend'. It was 'he's my boyfriend' - words of explanation - I'd never spoken them before. Gardenia looked incredibly pleased.

"For how long?"

"Only three months," I said sheepishly. She put her hand on my arm.

"Would you like to order some Chinese takeout back to my room?"

"Yes," I said immediately, and we continued to look at each other, both wearing incredibly pleased expressions.

'''

We sat on the bed in Gardenia's hotel room, eating food and sharing stories, for over an hour. She was so kind, and so curious about Volkner and I, that I ended up telling her the entire story from the start, skipping basically anything sex-related as best I could. I just felt too shy, even though I wanted to talk about it, at the same time, the thought terrified me. I replaced all of it with just kissing, and it was obvious I was fooling nobody.

"…So, after that... after he...said he'd be my boyfriend..." Eee! I squirmed, blushing hard. "We kissed, and..." I looked down at my hands. "That's that."

She smiled, reaching out to squeeze my arm. "Roark... you are adorable. Really, I never would have pinned you for such a cutie pie." I gave a little smile back. "I mean, dating Volkner... must be difficult... I always thought he was a ladies' man, and... y'know... kind of a sex pervert."

"I thought so too!" I said, sitting up straight. "I was so shocked when he started ...coming on to me. And he hasn't even cheated on me, not once!" I paused. "Well, I think."

She winked. "Do you have proof, or you mean you just trust him?"

"No, it's..." I paused again, turning a violent shade of red. I couldn't say the truth: Because of the sex we'd had last night, it just felt like he really had the pent up sexual frustration of a guy who'd gone without for three months. Gardenia raised an eyebrow.

"You're red as a tomato."

"Sorry!" I mumbled, trying to hide it in my hands.

"Is it because the answer is something to do with sex?" She grinned and scooted forward a little. "Did he come really quickly?"

I gasped. "GARDENIA!"

"Well!" She said defensively. "I did hear it all, you know, and the really... um... rough parts, didn't seem to last TOO long..."

Oh yeah - I was being shy talking about sex to a girl who'd heard me doing it. I stared at the sheets.

"Gardenia, I'm still really embarrassed that you-"

There was a sudden and loud banging on the door, causing us both to jump. Gardenia rushed to the door, peering into the peep hole. She gasped, and then swung it open.

"Volkner, hi!"

My head snapped up and I almost fell off the bed. Volkner looked like he was barely suppressing some terrible rage. Had he woken up and heard me telling Gardenia everything? I suddenly felt like crying. I should have asked him if it was okay to tell our colleague our secret.

"Gardenia, good morning," he said, still sounding angry under his cool tones. He took a few steps over to the bed, completely, flat out glaring at me now that Gardenia could only see his back. I shrunk back into the sheets.

"Roark, you need to get Cranidos to the Pokemon Center so Joy can check up on it before the battle with Bastiodon," he said, his voice sounding like it had frozen over. I stuttered.

"Volkner, I-"

"Volkner, it's my fault," Gardenia said, rushing over. I realized she'd come to the same conclusion as I had. Volkner looked at her, surprised. "I... I figured it out. On my own. I confronted Roark... and I tricked him into telling me everything. That's all it was... it's not his fault."

"What are you talking about?" Volkner looked around, blinking at Gardenia's suitcase in the corner. "Gardenia... did they change this to be your room at last second?"

"Y...yeah..." she gulped.

Volkner continued to stare at her, and then turned to stare at me. I must have looked ridiculous, about to cry and shaking from worry Volkner hated me.

"Okay... now I get it," he said. His entire body visibly relaxed and he slumped into the desk chair, setting his chin in his hands. "If you slept here last night, then you heard Roark and I having sex."

I squeaked a little in shock. It was crazy to hear Volkner say that to someone else. Gardenia just nodded.

"So you went to ask him... and he told you everything, because he's a gay little daddy's girl," Volkner continued. Gardenia just nodded again. Now I let my hands cover my entire face. Volkner was swishing the chair side to side.

"So... you were in here... talking about us."

I suddenly burst into tears, tumbling off the bed and crawling over to Volkner, wrapping my arms around his waist and crying into his leg. I didn't even care that Gardenia was right there.

"Volk, I'm so sorry, I know it was supposed to be secret, I'm so sorry, p...please don't dump me, please, Volk..." I sobbed harder. "I'll just miss you more if you d-do... s...so don't leave me... I love you, Volk."

It slipped out along with my tears, so quickly I barely noticed it, but Gardenia squeaked and her hands shot up to her mouth. Volkner petted my hair gently as I cried.

"Roark, I don't care who you tell anymore. I don't even know if I ever cared."

I kept crying as he continued talking.

"I came in here looking so angry because... well, I woke up and I was getting dressed, and suddenly I heard your voice crying Gardenia's name. The truth is... I thought you two had snuck in here and were having sex."

I heard Gardenia giggling, and my head snapped up. "Volk!" I cried, my voice still choked from the crying. "I... I'd never do that to you!"

"I know, I know..." he sighed, continuing to pet my hair. I opted to just let my face sink back into his lap. He turned to look at Gardenia.

"Gardenia, I am sorry about all of this."

"No, no - it's okay!" she said quickly, sitting down on the bed. "I'm sorry I involved myself in your personal affairs. I really am."

Volkner shook his head, standing up, wobbling a bit as he tried to support my heavier body with his skinny arms. "I understand. It's not a very big deal..." He scooted to the door, half dragging my still crying and wibbling self. "For God's sake, Roark!"

I pulled myself together, sniffling like mad, still leaning on Volkner.

"Do you mind, then, if I take this one back to my room?" He said, indicating me. Gardenia smiled.

"Of course not... do you need help carrying him?"

"Nah... Roark, at least walk next door, damn it." I wobbled on my feet, giving Gardenia a pathetic face.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, honey," she said, pushing me out the door. "Go lie down, feel better."

I nodded and left the room, closing the door gently behind me. I followed Volkner into his room, sitting on the bed next to him. I stopped wibbling so much when I saw his face, and even grinned a little - he looked a bit embarrassed.

"Volk..."

I slid my hand over his, and he turned. "What?" His eyes narrowed. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"You were scared I was cheating on you..."

"I wasn't SCARED, Roark, I was pissed. I would have wrung your neck if you had been." He crossed his arms, looking frustrated and pouty. I suddenly stood up, grabbing him and lifting him into my arms like a baby as he flailed and struggled.

"What the-!"

"You'd wring MY neck?" I laughed. "Volkner, I'd probably lose to you in a Pokemon Battle, but when it's just the two of us-"

"Okay, okay, I got it!" He continued to flail, but I gripped him tight. I was thoroughly enjoying having him in my grasp.

"Roark, you need to get ready to battle Byron-"

"Shhh," I said, lowering his tiny body onto the bed, but still keeping a firm grip on him. "I can wait another fifteen minutes..."

His blue eyes stared up at me as I fumbled with his belt, sliding his pants and boxers off, then crawling on top of him. He wasn't squirming in protest anymore. I only regretted I didn't have enough time to do to him what I REALLY wanted to do... maybe later, after the battle.

After a quarter of an hour of getting him to make all sorts of wonderful noises, I pulled on my jacket and boots. I turned to grin at his half naked self, lying limply on the bed, panting and shivering against a pillow.

"Get over that in time to judge us, okay?"

I was halfway out the lobby before I realized both of us had failed to discuss what had slipped out of me when we were in Gardenia's room. I decided it was better that way - I needed a LOT more time to think that one over.

I also realized (and the thought made me turn bright red as usual) that Gardenia had remained in her room all the time afterwards too.

Oops.

'''