-Cyclone-

The Date

Doing pushups while sharing space with a Poochyena often ended with interesting results. For the past several minutes, Archie would lift himself up and close his eyes nice and tight, letting the Pokémon assault his face with rapid licks. And then he lowered himself, and he heard the Poochyena kneel, playfully growling and waiting for the next attack.

Archie opened his eyes and stared at the floor.

Maxie was a smart guy.

And every time he had his face practically licked off, a particular thought about the redhead would enter his mind, lingering for a few seconds, and he would be reminded of the time Maxie had moved up to him, grabbed and kissed him. How appropriate.

Archie figured if he was going to go out and date someone, maybe even try a relationship with them, that it should be someone that he could have a good conversation with. And Maxie had a lot of things to say, and sometimes they were things he didn't even understand, and Maxie could change his diction, bring it down a few or several levels, and reiterate everything he had said, and then Archie could understand it. That was nice.

His Poochyena snorted. "Give me a sec," Archie groaned, closing his eyes and lifting himself up with his arms.

He tried turning away while he thought up another good reason why this date was going to be awesome, and that tomorrow was going to be a good day and there was no way he was going to get anxious about it. The Poochyena licked his ear, and the sensation caused Archie to drop to the floor, covering it while giving the canine Pokémon a rough stare.

Maxie was also a pretty cool guy.

Archie wiped his ear clean and stared up at the gray Pokémon.

The Poochyena was a constant reminder that Maxie had a lot of good qualities to him. Even though the redhead kept mostly to himself, Archie had seen glimpses of Maxie being charitable and caring for those who needed it, him included.

Archie pushed the Pokémon away from his face and contemplated over whether he should really count all the times Maxie had been helpful to him. For all he knew, Maxie only had signed his name on the roster because he was crushing on him. He felt teeth gently gnaw on his fingers.

But then Archie wondered if that was the right kind of thinking. He sat himself up, reconsidering whether it was right for him to place that sort of judgment on someone just because they had feelings for someone else. And if Maxie was willing to offer his services to strangers, then surely he would have been willing to be kind to him even if Maxie was just into girls.

He ran a hand through his hair, assuring himself that this was the correct answer.

It was getting late. Archie got up from the floor and pulled off his tank top. The Poochyena below barked at him. He looked down and smiled at the Pokémon before grabbing something clean to wear.

It had been a rather uneventful week. Archie had expected Maxie to get increasingly nervous, what with Saturday getting closer with each passing second. But whenever he did come across the man, it seemed like Maxie was doing well. In fact, it almost seemed unfair at how calm or pleased Maxie was about the date. And each and every time Archie did bring up, because he just had to mention it, in case he wasn't misinterpreting Maxie being so casual about it, the only sign he would receive that would suggest any sort of worry would be Maxie asking him if he was still up for the date.

And obviously Archie didn't say "no," because he was sort of looking forward to it. There really was a lot to look forward to, especially if he just took the time to think about every bit of what this date did mean. And he had. Archie had several days for him to think about it.

He had been asked out to go see some bands play, something that he had never experienced. Maxie had taken this random comment he had made while drinking and decided to make the most of it by making it a special event of it. And while Archie had not immediately considered it, there was something incredibly pleasing about being asked out. He had been so surprised when Stevie had gone and asked him out before he had a chance to make the first move. It was so stupid, but he had let social norms get in the way of him trying to make the most out of it. He really should have been excited that a girl would ask him out. Normally it was the other way around.

And yet here he was, waiting for Maxie to get home so he could ask about certain details regarding the date…because of social norms.

(Maybe Maxie really was right…maybe he was thinking too much again.)

Archie checked the time once more before leaving his room, making his way into the kitchen in order to get something prepared for Maxie's arrival. His Poochyena rested itself on the floor, next to its companion. Archie went through the cabinets and stared at some cups of instant noodles, hoping the calorie content would be enough to keep his roommate from one day vanishing into thin air.

He opened the cup and filled it up with some water, once again reminding himself of how nice Maxie was. And then he threw the Styrofoam cup of water and sodium filled noodles into the microwave, letting himself go over all the times Maxie had helped him with homework, organizing projects, teaching him how to measure and take proper lab notes, how to do all sorts of things on those fancy computers.

Maxie was patient.

He went through the fridge and pulled out an apple, and just as the alarm on the microwave went off, there was a sound at the door, and both Poochyenas lifted their heads up and began whimpering and barking excitedly. Archie pulled out the hot cup and made his way to the living room, placing it on the coffee table, and giving a quick glance over at Maxie, who was just making his way through the entrance.

Archie grinned and pointed at the small, simple meal he had prepared.

Maxie stumbled over one of the Pokémon, dropping his messenger bag as he looked upon the instant noodles and apple that Archie had somewhat prepared for him.

"For me?" he rhetorically asked, letting a small smile begin to appear at the ends of his lips.

"Yeah, well, we kinda ran out of coffee," Archie answered, looking off to the side in order to hide some growing bashfulness. "And I didn't want ya to go hungry, seein' that the drink is yer main source of energy."

Maxie raised a brow. "Hilarious," he sarcastically muttered, walking over to the table and snatching up the apple. Archie noticed Maxie giving him a good stare before taking a bite from the fruit, letting the smile reform as he chewed.

"I suppose it's the thought that counts," Maxie added.

"Too late to take ya out fer real food," Archie said, trying to dismiss the really nice smile he had thrown in his direction. It was so hard to appear cool and friendly. And it had been a while since Archie had to really think about his actions.

"This is nice," Maxie reassured, taking another bite. Archie scratched his head. Maxie took another bite. Archie made note of Maxie's enjoyment for apples and began to tug at his fingers, once again looking away from the redhead as he collected his thoughts.

Well, Maxie was also polite. But he also had a sense of humor too, and could take a joke when necessary.

"Is something wrong?" he heard Maxie ask.

Archie turned and watched Maxie sit himself down, reaching for his instant noodles, peeling the top off before bringing it up, letting the steam roll against his pale face, and looking so pleased as he blew air into the broth. Maxie was in his own world. A very calm and collected world. Archie wanted to ask Maxie how in the hell he did it.

"Tomorrow," he began, walking over and jumping on his side of the couch. Maxie held on to his cup, managing to not spill the contents all over himself or the furniture.

"What about it?" Maxie actually sounded a little worried.

But Archie couldn't bring himself to feel good about it. "Oh, nothin' bad," he quickly mentioned. "I was just wonderin' whether or not I should bring you somethin'…or if you'd like me to–"

Maxie chuckled. "You mean flowers and chocolate?" he asked, grabbing the fork and sticking it into the cup. And just like that Maxie was back to his usual, tranquil self, save for the mild blush across his face.

"Well, not necessarily that," Archie corrected. "I mean…anythin' really." He nervously laughed while Maxie slurped up some of his noodles, staring at him worryingly.

Archie corrected himself and stopped laughing. "I just wanna make sure yer not the only one doin' all the work." He leaned in close, watching Maxie's blush spread up to his ears. "Cause you asked me out…and made a point about payin' fer certain things…and that's really nice of ya–"

"I understand your concern," Maxie said, wiping his face, recollecting himself, and smiling at Archie. "You no need to worry though, I have everything covered for this date."

"And yer absolutely sure about that?" Archie asked, still putting out the offer to pay for some of the expenses.

"Oh, Archie," Maxie said, twirling his fork into the cup. "Let's not pretend you're not just barely making minimum wage."

"…ouch," he muttered.

Maxie smirked. "And I understand that there are some pressures that come along with going out, particularly for our sex, and that you're probably trying to maintain certain expectations." Maxie took in another forkful of his dinner and patiently chewed it up, leaving Archie to wait for him to finish. And then Maxie swallowed, and Archie leaned in closer.

"But I already said I wanted to treat you, so let me treat you," he concluded, and in a rather strict tone that left Archie with the understanding that there was little he could do to change the redhead's stance.

"But, if it really bothers you," he heard Maxie add in a rather sly voice, "I'd be more than wiling to have you take me out and pay for everything on a second or third date."

Archie snickered. "Uhm, excuse me?" He jabbed a finger into Maxie's shoulder. "What's this about a second n' third date?"

Maxie turned, smirking back at Archie. "Just that," he answered, and so very nonchalantly. "If you really wish to repay for a meal, or tickets, or whatever…then you can do it on a follow-up date."

And now Archie chuckled. "Ha! And what makes you think there will be a second or third date?" he asked.

Maxie brought the cup of salty broth to his mouth and took a small sip of it. "Would you really like to know the reasoning behind it?" he inquired once he brought the cup back down.

"Give it t'me."

Maxie placed the cup on the table and then relaxed into his seat, and the growing smirk on his face made Archie want to grab the redhead and give him a shake.

"You've never had time to go on a date before," Maxie began, stretching out his arms. "At least, not with all those attractive, eager young women on campus…"

"Yeah, and?" Archie practically taunted, crossing his arms.

"You suddenly have the time to go out with me," Maxie replied, grinning cruelly at Archie.

Archie stared. Maxie stared back, his grin easing down to a smirk then to a smile, and then having no other options, looking away from Archie in order to regain his composure and hide some of the excitement he was surely feeling at the moment. Archie watched Maxie's finger intertwine, his face softening somewhat, almost looking a little surprised by his own remark.

This didn't change the fact that the answer had surprised Archie, and now he was desperately looking for some kind of excuse to throw into Maxie's direction. But he didn't want to suggest the date might suck. He was still looking forward to it, and he knew Maxie was definitely risking the most out of asking him on the damn date, so planting those seeds of doubt wouldn't do any good.

"Yeah…" Archie muttered, "Well…yer a nerd."

Maxie snorted. "Says the guy who got all excited when talking about the complex structure of a Relicanth's stomach."

"Swim bladder," Archie corrected, and then he blushed before breaking into a mild laughter. "I guess ya got a point there…"

Maxie grabbed his half eaten apple and took another bite out of it. "Accept it, Archie," he continued, chuckling through his bites, "you have homosexual tendencies."

Archie stopped his laughing. He felt Maxie give him a soft tap on the shoulder.

"And while you very well may be too busy to take care of a girl," Maxie continued, inching his way close to Archie, "I cannot help but wonder just how much time you'd be willing to spare for a boy…because you've already proven that you'd make time for me."

Maxie also had a smart mouth!

Archie feigned a scoff. "Well," he sarcastically muttered.

And…he really liked that. He liked all these sides of Maxie. In another universe, where the two of them were just friends, he was sure they'd be saying a lot of shit at each other, probably having the time of their lives.

Still, there was no hiding the fact that Archie had been pushed into a corner. He couldn't really think of a decent comeback to what Maxie had thrown at him, other than what he already knew. He had no problem with men. There was nothing wrong with liking men, or even women. Archie just…didn't know how to read them very well. At all. He was actually a lot worse at understanding men in a romantic manner than he was at women.

Another reason to date Maxie: he'd figure some things out.

And Maxie was already nice, and smart, and cocky, and ate whatever food he was offered.

And the date would be awesome because Maxie was already so many good things, and they were still friends, and if anybody asked, they could still be just friends. That was always an option.

"Maybe I just really want that free food and to see some music," Archie joked back, not letting the small gap between them ruin his trail of thought.

"Hmm…" Maxie murmured. "Is that really the case?"

Or maybe the date would be really nice, and even though Archie wasn't really sure what he was feeling right now, about himself, or even Maxie, he'd really like the time they'd spend together, and maybe he'd find the time to ask Maxie out on another date, and then he could treat the guy to all the nice things.

Or maybe he should just stop thinking.

Archie leaned in and pushed his lips against Maxie's, shutting his eyes as he felt himself make contact, only opening them when he felt Maxie squirm, but then relax, his spreading smile being felt against Archie's lips. He could detect a very peculiar combination of salty and sweet.

He pulled away and saw Maxie staring at him with a sort of dreamy expression. Not very Maxie-like at all. Or maybe that was Maxie. Maybe Maxie got dreamy and stupid looking when a guy kissed him out of the blue. Archie didn't know.

"What am I feedin' you?" he asked, licking his lips and tasting faux chicken broth with sugary appleness. But other than that, a silent voice in the back of Archie's mind told it him it was just a kiss. Not even that good of a kiss.

Maxie covered his mouth; still looking quite dazed, but overall pleased with the affection. "I take it this means you're still on for Saturday?" he said through his fingers.

But Maxie really liked the kiss, so obviously it couldn't have been that bad. At least it didn't leave him feeling so lost and frustrated as the ones before.

"Yeah," he answered, pushing into the furniture.

"And I'll be meeting you by the pier, correct?" Maxie asked. His voice was shaky. Not the bad kind of shakiness. Ok, so obvious the kiss wasn't bad at all, Archie was just thinking too much about it, and maybe the abruptness of it.

"Yep," Archie said, feeling his face tickle with some anticipation.

"Excellent," Maxie concluded. "And thank you for dinner, Archie," he had the gall to add, right when Archie had thought things couldn't get more hard to bear, "that was sweet of you…"

Archie shot up from his seat. "I'm…gonna finish exercising," he stammered.

Maxie nodded his head, snickering just as Archie stomped off into the direction of his room.

"Have fun," Archie heard Maxie yell out, just as he was about to close the door.


Archie had hoped to catch some waves before it rained, but by the time he and his friends had made it to the beach, the weather had already begun to go downhill. Clouds were rolling in, and the winds were picking up, and even though it hadn't started raining just yet, everyone could already tell it was going to be one of those terrible summer storms that would probably result in their deaths, should they risk going out to surf.

Since they were already out, and because Archie had a few hours before he had to meet up with Maxie, it was decided they'd just spent whatever dry time was left outside battling by the ocean, taking the occasional break to watch and admire the few fools who were willing to brave the growing, rough waves.

Archie's Zubat had gotten stronger over the past several months, enough for him to feel confident sending it out during the day and having it fight against his friends' Pokémon. It won the first battle right away, taking down Hailey's Shroomish without much hassle.

It started to sprinkle. Archie and his two Pokémon watched Kevin and Hailey practice a double battle, with Kevin showing how to manage the stress of keeping an eye on four Pokémon at once. After a few rounds of watching a several Pokémon dance around each other's moves, he was invited up to give it a try.

It got colder, but not enough to deter Archie from sending out his Zubat and Poochyena and have them face Hailey's Surskit and Taillow. They sent out careful orders to simply go after one another, with the occasional demand to avoid certain tackles or hits. Archie did his best, watching his Zubat fly circles around the Taillow, maneuvering around the quick bird Pokémon despite the colds winds and light rain. His Poochyena wasn't so lucky. The little canine Pokémon did well in single battles, but struggled working alongside the Zubat, and was easily overwhelmed by both bird and bug Pokémon.

After a few rounds the light rain continued to fall, and the winds picked up, and Kevin decided that he and Hailey would return back to his place and spend the rest of the day inside. Very few people were out by the shore, and even the more bold surfers had begun to make their way up the pier and find themselves a place to crash until the rain died down.

Archie had about two hours before Maxie would be around, and the bus back to the apartment would take almost an hour in traffic.

He gave Kevin his board and let his two friends go off without him, with Hailey warning him to go find a café or store to rest in until he was to meet Maxie.

When he finished waving goodbye, he found his Poochyena digging holes in the sand, wagging its tail and yipping in delight. Archie grabbed some of his things and stowed it away in his bag, covering himself and his Zubat with a umbrella and waited for his Poochyena to grow bored of digging holes.

A few minutes passed and his Zubat flew ahead and rode some of the mild, low winds. Archie kept an eye on both, giving each a warning when they got a little too far.

More surfers left the water.

The rain grew heavier.

"Hey!" Archie yelled at his Pokémon. "It's gettin' rough," he called out. "Let's go."

His Zubat flew back to him, struggling with the last few feet, flapping its heavy wet wings over until it roughly landed on the wet sand. Archie knelt down and scooped it up, letting the Pokémon cling to his jacket and rub itself dry.

"Poochyena!" Archie shouted, staring out at the Pokémon barking out into the ocean. "Get over here, ya scamp!"

Wind blew in his direction. He wiped some of the raindrops that had landed across his face, and looked down at the bottom of his jeans, then at the growing wet spot his Zubat was leaving behind, and figured it wasn't too bad. He'd be dry before Maxie arrived.

He looked back up and saw his Poochyena was still at the shore, barking madly at the waves.

"Hey!" he yelled again, stomping over to the Pokémon. "Don't get so close to that water! Ya can't swim very well, dumb–"

And he noticed, way far into the distance, what his Poochyena was barking at.

Archie squint his eyes and struggled to make out the figure that was gripping on to a broken surfboard, a helpless victim to the sudden currents that seemed to be pushing the body out further into the sea.

Archie couldn't believe it. "Oh shit."

He looked around the beach, but knew there was no lifeguard on duty. Not at this hour, and not in this weather. He dropped his things and ran to the shore, making out the figure of a man just barely holding on as bodies of water kept crashing against him.

"Poochyena!" he yelled, stopping just as his shoes met with the water. The Pokémon looked up at him with a frightened stare. "Go find help!" he ordered, pointing away from the water and out to the rest of the empty beach. The Pokémon shivered. "Go!" he demanded, his voice booming and causing it to whimper.

He watched the Poochyena run off, barking and trying to get whatever attention it could. He pulled his Zubat off of him and began to quickly undress, ripping off his jacket, his soaked shoes and socks, and finally his shirt, before giving up and running into the water. His Zubat flew after him, hissing and clicking and getting in his way, trying to stop him from getting any further into the water.

"Go with Poochyena!" Archie ordered. The Zubat hissed again.

Archie groaned, pushing the Pokémon out of his way as he moved deeper into the water. Zubat screeched at him. Archie brushed the flying Pokémon aside and dove into the cold abyss, letting a wave pass above him before continuing on.

Archie was a good swimmer, and the currents helped push him further out to sea. He made a few strokes before diving under another small wave, getting closer to the body that was getting pulled away by the strong tides. The wind was getting stronger the further he went, and was pushing him to the side. Archie took in a deep breath, submerging himself in the dark seawater and made his way over to the direction of the floating man.

The force of the flow wasn't so bad underwater. It was dark, but Archie could make out the direction he needed to go. He spotted a few shadowed bodies swimming underneath him, looking up at him like he was some sort of madman. Archie felt the air in his lungs begin to grow stale. He kicked his legs up and burst out of the surface, gasping and taking in a fresh breath of wet air.

He winced, feeling raindrops pelt his face and ruin his vision. He spun in place, turning his head and just barely catching a glimpse of the shore, his Zubat fluttering across the water, and the gray sky above. He was worried he might have lost the stranded surfer, but then he heard someone yell out.

Archie turned and stared at the man gripping on to the remains of his surfboard. Archie brought his hand up to surface, trying to catch the man's attention. But then he noticed the wave that was about to come into collision with the two of them. He panicked.

"Dive under!" Archie yelled.

He wasn't sure if the man heard him, and there wasn't any time for him to yell again. Archie dove back into the water, feeling a pull and a push around him as the wave continued forward. He stared out into the water and could see the shadow of the surfboard appear then disappear, further shattered and swallowed by the ocean.

Archie resurfaced. "Hey!" He called out. He looked around, but could only see water and his Zubat continuing to fly across the sea.

Archie went back under and looked around. Nothing. He resurfaced. He tried again and held his breath, feeling his lungs grow weary from the effort, and then went back up when he was sure he didn't spot anyone underneath the waves.

Finally, he heard his Zubat screech. Archie looked over and saw his Pokémon fluttering several feet away, looking down at something. He paddled over, feeling his body grow tired with every stroke, and came upon the floating form of a barely conscious man. Archie grabbed him and let the man's arm hang over his neck and across his shoulder.

The added weight made keeping afloat notably more difficult. Archie shut his mouth as water smacked his face, gathering the taste of seawater between his lips and in his nose as he began to struggle to shore.

His Zubat flew right above him, looking down and feverishly clicking, trying to make sure its owner and the large man didn't get swept under the waves.

"Zubat, look out!"

His Pokémon turned around and stared at a small wave coming towards the three of them. The Zubat flew up, barely missing it. Archie and the unconscious man were hit, and Archie was pushed back into the water, this time with the extra weight of a large man dragging him down.

His body was tired. Archie held on to the man with one arm, staring up at the limited light above him, feeling his legs getting numb from the cold water and movement. He wished he had taken off his jeans. He felt the hand of the man suddenly grip on to him. Archie turned and caught a glimpse of the man's frightened eyes staring back at him. Archie let go of the man's arm, now using both to make their way back to the surface.

Archie gasped, coughing up some water as he and the man came up. His Zubat flocked right back to him, clicking and begging for him to continue.

The currents were strong. His legs were weighed down with the heavy layer of clothing.

Archie and the man were pushed back under.

He stretched out his arm, reaching out for the surface. Even with the man conscious and helping, it was getting harder for Archie to keep his strength up and make it to the surface.

The tips of his middle finger felt the wind. Archie kicked up, and all fours fingers made it above the surface of the water. He winced, feeling his empty lungs burn. The man wasn't holding on on to him with the same strength as before.

He felt something sharp bite on to his index finger, trying to pull him up.

Archie kicked his legs again, surprised by how little it made a difference. Half of his hand was sticking out, and his Zubat wouldn't let go of his finger, and Archie was sure that he probably should have taken off his pants, because those extra few pounds were about to be the main reason for him drowning.

He kicked again, this time far weaker. His other arm was barely keeping him leveled.

His Zubat let go of his finger.

Archie stared up at the dull light above him. He was sure he was beginning to sink. He felt the palm of his hand splash against the seawater. His legs were numb. His chest burned. His head was feeling funny.

He gave a final push with his legs and arm, hand still trying to reach out for help.

His mind finally began to blur with the lack of oxygen.

And then he felt a wild, intense pain sink itself around his wrist.

Archie's eyes widened, and adrenaline shot across his system as he felt something sharp sink deep into his flesh, and then proceed to pull him up. He paddled up, letting the strength of whatever was pulling him out from the depth guild him.

He reached the top. He gasped, coughing up some water, hissing out in pain at the burning heat going up and down his arm, his other grabbing hold of the man breathing heavily with him. And then Archie turned and stared at what was keeping him anchored above the surface, at a giant bat Pokémon holding on to his wrist with its huge mouth, teeth sinking into his bloodied wrist, staring back down with an intense glare.

It was a Golbat, and before Archie could even think to react to it another wave hit him and the man. But the bat Pokémon held on tight, pulling Archie back up and flapping towards the shore, screeching loudly and beckoning Archie to continue moving with it. Even with the added strength, and the pain keeping him alert, Archie and the man were barely keeping afloat.

Archie took in quick gulps of air as he pressed forward, letting Golbat do half of the work and drag him and the man across the waves, stopping briefly so that the three of them could get smacked by a small rush of water, or struggle and let some winds slow down their pace. He felt the man on top of him begin to lightly paddle, adding some speed. With every added breath he took Archie could feel his strength slowly return, his paddling becoming more rapid.

The winds kept on blowing, and the rain kept pouring, but Golbat wouldn't let go, and would bite down harder if Archie so dared to slow down without its permission.

Eventually Archie could make out the sounds of people calling for them. He heard his Poochyena barking. Golbat keep tugging his wrist, and the pain kept his mind on the goal of reaching the shore.

The man coughed, and once again his grip began to weaken.

"Almost there," Archie huffed, squinting his eyes and catching glimpses of the shore through passing waves.

The man coughed again. "D-dude…"

The Golbat made a rough sound.

Archie agreed with it. "Almost there…" he called out, feeling how hoarse his throat had gotten.

The water grew calmer the closer they got. Golbat didn't let go until Archie could touch the bottom of the earth with his feet, and even then he found himself stumbling and crashing into the shallow waves once his Pokémon did let go. The stinging pain forced him to stand right back up, dragging the larger man with him, the weight increasing with every step he made.

With the water level decreasing below his waist, Archie finally stopped, letting strangers run up and grab the large man, pulling him off of Archie. People surrounded and guided him back to soft, drier sand. Even with all the extra help, nothing could stop Archie from collapsing, rolling over and resting on his back. He legs stretched out. His arm hung to the side. Someone held on to his other, lifting it up and inspecting the wound his Golbat had left behind.

Archie turned his head to the side and stared at the exhausted looking Pokémon resting next to his Poochyena, its open mouth exposing large, bloodied fangs.

Its eyes rested on him. The two stared at each other. Archie coughed, raising his shaky arm up at the giant bat Pokémon and giving it a weak thumbs up for a job well done. Its small ears perked up. Archie dropped his arm back down, feeling his entire body fall into a never-ending ache.

He stared up into the gray sky, letting rainwater hit and roll down his sea-drenched body.

"H-hey…"

Archie turned and looked over and the large man bringing himself up to sit upright. He wiped his face and sniffed, looking down at Archie with most endearing look he had ever seen.

"You saved my life," the man stuttered, covering his face and stopping himself from breaking down.

Archie gave a weak nod. If he had the strength to talk he'd had let the poor guy know there was nothing to cry over.

"You and your Pokémon are for real, y'know that?" the man added. He coughed. A few people gestured for him to rest. He shook his head and continued to look over at Archie, his eyes now filling with determination. "I'll never forget this…what you did."

Archie turned his head back up to the sky.

He felt gentle hands rubbing something across his wrists. He winced at the touch. He heard his Golbat make a few, loud clicks. Archie looked up at the young woman who held his arm up, and frowned when he saw how bad it had swollen up. The entire area was purple and yellow, bruised from being pulled for several minute across the rough seas. The puncture wounds, though clotted, looked horrific, and it was at this point did Archie realize that he hadn't given his hand a test run to see if the appendage even worked.

And then he remembered he was supposed to be meeting Maxie for that date.

"Fuck," he groaned.

"What is it?" he heard the man ask.

Archie turned and looked over at the man he had saved.

He pouted. "I'm gonna miss my date," he admitted, letting a small, hoarse chuckle escape his lips. He rubbed the back of his head against the sand.

"Your date?"

Archie heaved, finding it more difficult to concentrate with so many people surrounding him. It was so claustrophobic. And everyone was staring at him. Good stares, but he was feeling unnerved by it. He felt something being gently wrapped around his wrist.

"Maxie's gonna be pissed, " he muttered.

"...bro, you're not going to miss a damn thing!"

A few people gasped. The man got up from the ground, huffing and puffing as he crawled himself over to where Archie rested. He roughly pushed a few people aside, and hovered right above Archie's view.

"You got a date?" the man asked. "Give me their number…I'll explain everything!"

"What?"

"I'll call them up and I'll tell them you saved my life!" the man bellowed. He sniffed. "You're a lifesaver, a real bro, and I'm not about to have you get stood up for saving my life!"

Archie felt his jaw drop at the offer. Oh, it was a terribly risky move to make. He was sure no amount of sweet talking would save himself from the awkward meeting to come, but at the very least Maxie would know the reason they couldn't go out tonight was because he had stopped a man from being swallowed by the ocean.

"Okay," he said. "Yeah, I'll give you…his number…"

The man beamed. "Perfect!"

Archie smiled. "Thanks."

"Oh, no," the larger man corrected. "I'm the one who should be thanking you. You're the one who went out and risked your life." He turned and grinned at the resting Golbat. "You and your awesome Golbat."

He looked back down at Archie. "What's your name, bro?" he asked.

Archie winced again, feeling the bandage being finished around his wrist. He carefully brought it up to his face, staring at the careful work that had been applied to the area.

"Name's Archie," he answered, feeling a growing sadness as he inspected the many layers that had been wrapped around the wound. He slowly bent his fingers, then tried to get his hand to form a fist, giving up halfway when the pain became too much to handle.

"I'm Matt," the man replied back. "Don't worry, bro, I'm gonna make sure your date understands everything, and I'll set you up good in the future. You can count on it!"

Matt's enthusiasm calmed Archie down, but nothing could change the fact that he was still going to have to look Maxie in the eyes and tell him that they couldn't go out.

That hurt almost as much as his wrist.


Matt was able to persuade the first responders that he would be the one to take Archie to the hospital. With even more persuasion, Archie was able to get checked in and looked at without waiting too long. Most of it involved Matt giving a few looks, making some odd comments, and while Archie might have been a little worried about such behavior, he had to admit that it did speed things up. And Archie was already feeling bad about messing up the night. And he certainly wasn't looking forward to speaking with Maxie later.

The bite wound was bad, but Golbat's saliva ensured that everything had properly clotted. Archie had the wound tended to, and was given some antibiotics, which was more for the bacteria laden ocean than anything else. He was given a prescription for some pain medication and then sent off on his way. Matt was given a clean bill of health, leaving the hospital with only a warning to stay out of trouble.

They visited a Pokémon center, and while Archie waited in the car, cradling his arm and fretting over what to say to Maxie, Matt had Golbat checked in and cared for. Within half an hour they were back on the road.

The ride back to the apartment was made less stressful with Matt talking to him, asking him questions about his life, where he had been, and all sorts of other personal things that left Archie distracted enough to not think too much about Maxie. Archie tiptoed around question regarding his past by changing the subject to something else; placing the focus on what he was currently up to. Matt didn't seem to notice and paid close attention to Archie when he described his studies, his passions, and his goal to create a group that would try to make the city a better place for Pokémon.

Every once in a while Archie would notice the time and feel just a little bad. Matt complimenting Archie for just about everything could only do so much. Archie tried returning the favor on several occasions by attempting to switch the topic towards him, but Matt didn't seem very interested in talking about himself. Brief mentioning's of his girlfriend, his Pokémon, and the few other friends he had were brought up, but Matt didn't really seem too concerned to talk about himself. It got Archie thinking. It had him wondering if the two of them were both trying to keep something hidden.

They arrived not too long after that. Matt took all of Archie's belongings and carried them while Archie struggled his way over to the door, nervously fumbling over his too small steps as he tried to fish his keys out from his damp jeans.

But Maxie was already at the door, opening it as soon as Archie and Matt were close enough. For a good second or so, Maxie had a rather calm look on his face, almost as though he was accepting of the situation, and it caught Archie off guard, so much so that he almost forgot why he had been worried in the first place.

It was only for a second. Maxie noticed the bandaged up wrist, and just like that his jaw dropped. He tilted to the side as Archie tried to hide it from the redhead's view, watching Maxie's glasses drop down his nose as he continued to shift his head and body, until finally Archie just gave up and let the arm hang to the side for the young man to stare in horror.

"I know right?" Archie laughed out, pointing down at his bandaged appendage. "And it's cool cause now I have a Golbat!"

Maxie wasn't amused by Archie's sense of humor.

"Where do you want me to leave your stuff?" Matt asked, following Archie inside of the apartment.

"Just leave it by the door," Archie replied, too afraid to break eye contact from Maxie. "There's a lot of sand n' stuff," he said, looking at the mixed expression on his roommate's face. Maxie approached him, reached out and touched Archie just a few inches above where the bandages began, lightly rubbing against some developed bruise. "Uhm," Archie added, "I gotta clean that up later."

"Got it," Matt replied. He dropped everything down by the front door and then looked over in Maxie and Archie's direction. Maxie's hand suddenly repelled itself away from the bruised skin. He made a look that was somewhere between annoyance and concern. Archie let the arm gently swing to the side, ignoring it as best as he could.

"Right," Matt muttered. "You two probably have a lot to talk about."

"That would be correct," Maxie answered, his voice sounding nothing like the look he was giving as he continued to stare at the bandaged wrist. He was impossible to read. Archie was sure he was upset though, and that made him upset. Which made things worse.

"Well, I don't want to get in the way of that!" Matt practically laughed out. He looked over at Archie and grinned. "Thanks again, Archie."

"No problem" he said. He tried to shove his good hand into his pocket. The collected moisture made fighting through the fabric impossible.

"I'll be sure to call again and see how things are," Matt went on. His cheery disposition was no longer having the same affect on Archie as before. "Think I'll mention that group of yours to my gal. She's into the whole mother earth thing."

"Cool," Archie muttered. He wished his arm wasn't aching so much otherwise he'd be able to forget the whole fiasco and feel good about having someone outside of the few at his university be interested in his group.

"See you guys later." Matt walked over to the door, stopping just as he was about to grab the knob, and then turned back to Maxie.

"You got yourself a really awesome guy there," he announced.

Archie kicked the carpet, feeling his face tingle. Maxie just stood in place, not looking the least bit affected by what was said to him. Archie feared for the worse.

Finally, Maxie responded, "I know." He sounded pretty genuine. Now Archie was sure he wasn't reading the man correctly.

Matt laughed his way out of the apartment, closing the door behind him, and leaving both men to take in the moment before the sounds of his loud steps began to dwindle, and Maxie taking it as a sign to reach out again and gently grab Archie by the arm.

"How bad does it hurt?" Maxie asked. He brought Archie's arm up and let his other hand hover over the inflicted area.

Archie blushed. "Oh?" He had not anticipated Maxie to react this well to the wound. The image of that jaw-dropping look of terror all over his face had made Archie assume that Maxie was just seconds away from losing his mind. His careful, gentle movements and relatively quiet voice was just the opposite of what Archie had expected.

"They gave you something to treat the wound?" Maxie continued, still surveying the covered area.

"Yeah," Archie answered back, feeling less tense as he watched Maxie carefully remove himself from Archie, letting him drop his arm back into place. "Since Golbat's domestic they only had t'give me a shot of antibiotics. I got some pain pills to make the next week more bearable."

"That's good," Maxie replied back. He brought his hand behind his back. "Well…I'm glad you're alright."

"Thanks."

"And how's your Golbat doing?"

Archie smiled. "Its fine. Amazing really." He looked over to his bag and then back at Maxie, grinning widely. "You wanna see how big it got since it evolved?"

"Not particularly," the redhead admitted. Archie watched the way Maxie wrinkled his nose, looking down and hiding his expression from him. And this time Archie was sure it wasn't because he was blushing.

"Hey." He placed his good hand up on Maxie's shoulder. "I'm really sorry about ruining tonight."

Maxie snapped his head back up and stared up at Archie, looking almost mortified. "Oh, no," he stuttered. He shook his head and brushed Archie's hand off of him. "You saved someone from drowning!" Maxie walked off into the kitchen. He lifted his arms up, fingers retracting and stretching out in an attempt to look more relaxed than what he currently was. "I think we can all agree that you rescuing another person from certain death is far more important than us missing a few bands play some music."

Archie eyed his bag while continuing to listen to Maxie struggle to sound absolutely fine with missing out on something that he had obviously been looking forward to all week. It was problematic. Archie had been pretty excited about it. He could only imagine what it might have been like for Maxie, especially since he was the one who had asked him out. This was definitely a bigger deal than what he was letting on.

"And the weather tonight is terrible," Maxie added, opening the fridge and rummaging through it. "Can you imagine us trying to get back home in this weather? Buses are unreliable as it is…and we'd be forced to sit in the cold!"

He hurried over and grabbed his Poké Balls from the bag. Archie walked over and placed them on the table. He didn't want to leave his Pokémon in a wet bag all night long, and he was sure Maxie was going to distract the heck out of him once he did speak up.

"I'm not going to lie though," Maxie suddenly mentioned, holding on and staring down at a carton of eggs, "I was a somewhat worried, maybe even a little irritated…"

Would this be the sort of thing that warranted him getting some tissue paper? Archie was sure Maxie wouldn't cry over this. Guys usually don't cry as much as girls…but then Maxie had made that dreamy look the other day. Arceus, this was hard.

Archie looked around the living room. He saw no boxes of tissues. Should he try to get something? He didn't think it would be ok for him to just leave the room.

Then again, he was still wearing damp jeans…

"And when he had mentioned the Golbat," Maxie went on, his voice shaking towards the end, "I was confused. I didn't really see how that came into play." Archie let that shakiness guilt him into staying in the living room as is. "And then he mentioned the hospital…" And the tremble in Maxie's voice brought Archie to make his final decision and approach the situation.

Archie sneaked his way into the kitchen, fighting the pout on his face as he crept up and tapped Maxie on the shoulder. The redhead jumped, nearly hitting his head against one of the upper shelves of the fridge, and dropping the carton of eggs. It hit the floor with a dull smack, and both men cringed at the following sound of something messy making its way through the cracked shells.

Maxie turned around and glared at Archie. "You–"

Archie grabbed Maxie with his good hand, and then covered Maxie's mouth with his other, wincing with he felt pressure gather around the base of his hand. "I'm so sorry for ruinin' yer night," Archie said. "And don't tell me I didn't ruin it, cause I know this was a big deal!"

He watched Maxie's eyebrows being to tilt outward.

"I'm not sayin' I regret helpin' Matt out," Archie continued. "But I'm so sorry. I can't explain it. I just am. I know yah really wanted to prove a point…"

He lifted his hand away from Maxie. It was aching, and Maxie didn't look so pissed off anymore for having his mouth covered up.

Archie backed off from the redhead. "I know Matt said a bunch of things," he went on, feeling his face heat up as he found himself looking away. Like Maxie. Oh dear. "But I do wanna make it up to yah…you." He scratched his head. His hair was a mess. He missed his bandana. Where was his bandana? And Maxie was just staring back at him like that.

"I still wanna go on a date with you," Archie said, watching Maxie's face burn red, "and I know you said you'd pay fer everythin', but since I took tonight away from you, I wanna make it up by payin' fer this one."

"Oh, Archie, that isn't–"

"Let me take you out," Archie very loudly interrupted. "Right now."

Archie brought his hands up to his chest, feeling his heart beat really hard, trying to think up something to do with his hands, something that wouldn't make his left wrist ache anymore than what it already was. His legs still felt pretty sore and heavy. His hair was a sticky mess thanks to all the salt water and sand mixed in it.

Where in Arceus' name would he take Maxie in this condition?

Maxie took a small step back, crushing the carton of eggs. Both men cringed again. Maxie jumped forward and looked down at the mess he had made and spread all over the tiled floor.

He looked back up at Archie.

"Right now? You want to go out now?" he asked, fumbling over every other word.

Archie nodded his head. "Yep." He fought to keep his eyes on Maxie. So this is what it felt like to be so nervous over another person's wellbeing.

Why do people ask other people to go on dates again if it made them feel so damn scared?

"It's really late," Maxie muttered. The smile developing on his face made Archie all the more frightened. "Where will we go at this hour?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. A club? A restaurant?" The soles of his shoes kept rubbing against the floor. "Where do ya wanna go, Maxie?"

Maxie stiffened up. "You're asking me?"

"Aye," Archie replied. His stomach flipped. Why on earth do people ask other people out on dates? Maxie looked happy, but he was freaking out. This was horrifying. This was worse than trying to swim during a storm. Why would anybody put themselves through this?

Archie watched Maxie's shoulder rise up, his face turning away just a little, not enough to hide itself from Archie's view. He had a smile on his face. A big smile. He was happy. Archie felt so nervous but the smile made up for it. It really made up for it.

"…put on some dry clothes." Maxie walked right up to Archie, so close the man suspected he was about to get kissed. But he didn't. Good. Archie was still trying to calm himself down. This was all very exciting. A little too much. "We're going out."

Archie sighed. "Oh good," he said, relaxing. "Where are we going?"

He flinched when Maxie took his hands. "Who knows?" the man admitted, chuckling. His fingers rubbed across the top of Archie's left hand. "We'll see where the night takes us."

Archie grinned. "Awesome."

Maxie was full of surprises.

"Yeah," Maxie beamed. He then looked behind him, down at the carton of eggs. "We should probably clean that up before we leave."


Somewhere between the edges of Slateport City and Route 110, Archie and Maxie sat on top of a hill, munching on some grab-n-go snacks, drinking cider and staring up at the clearing sky.

Maxie offered up a piece of his donut to his Zubat while admiring the newly formed Golbat flapping around the two, keeping an eye out for any wild Pokémon.

Archie sat on top of his jacket, feeling a little cold. He pulled his beanie down and watched the giant clouds pass towards Mauville. The wind blew, causing the umbrella between the two to start rolling away, getting chased by their Poochyenas.

He felt Maxie rest his hooded head on his shoulder.

Archie was fine with this.

The rain made the air taste fresher, and with the sounds of rustling grass, their Poochyena barking, Zubat humming, and Maxie murmering, Archie almost felt at peace, and could sort of understand why people would risk feeling terrible if it meant nice moments like this.

Maxie's hand rested on top of his leg. Also fine.

He took a sip from his bottle and watched a few stars begin to make their appearance as clouds continued to clear away. Maxie muttered something, but he couldn't quite make it out. His voice was soothing though, so Archie guessed it had to be something good. One of the Poochyena came back, dragging the umbrella by the handle.

He felt Maxie nudge closer.

Archie gripped tightly on the neck of the bottle with his hand, the other feeling some mild pressure as Maxie's hand slipped over it. Maxie yanked off his hood. Archie continued to stare up, feeling somewhat anxious, but trusting Maxie enough to let him get closer, pressing his warm lips against his cheek, giving him a small kiss that, despite just being another kiss, kinda felt nice right now, enough to evoke a small smile.

"I was right," he heard Maxie mutter into his ear. "You do have time for a boy."

Archie didn't respond. He kept his place, letting Maxie go back to relaxing on his side, letting the words sink. Archie pondered over them. His let his blue eyes linger to the side, catching Maxie's body against his. He kept on staring, letting Maxie wrap his arms around his own, rub his head against him, breathing softly, but loud enough for Archie to detect it. The heat from Maxie's body felt nice.

Wasn't this ro-man-tic? All that was missing were the chocolates and flowers.

Archie snickered at the very thought as he let his head rest against Maxie's.


Thanks for reading! I noticed this story has been getting a lot of hits, and I'm so glad. If you have anything you'd like to remark on, be it compliments or criticism, please feel free to leave me a review, send me a pm, or contact me on tumblr (username: happyrye), and I'll gladly reply back.

Thanks again, and I hope everyone enjoyed this latest installment. Happy Writing.