When Silver awoke to the ringing of his alarm clock, he reached out to silence it, only to find a weight on him. His face flushed red as he realized Gold's arm was wrapped around his waist and the younger man was pressed up against him with his head resting on the same pillow. Silver flicked the switch on the clock and the ringing stopped. Golds eyes fluttered open, and before Silver could make another move, he felt Gold's finger tips push his hair away from his neck. A pleasurable shiver ran through Silver's entire body when Gold's lips descended on the sensitive skin. He left several drawn out kisses on Silver's neck, and Silver had to hold back from moaning when Gold's breaths brushed his ear. It was already morning time. The last thing Silver needed was Gold getting him stirred up on top of that, so he rolled onto his back.

Gold propped himself up on his elbow, smiled down at Silver and said, "Hey."

Silver rubbed the sleep from his eyes and answered, "Hi."

Their eyes met and as soon as Silver saw the expression on Gold's face, he knew what was about to happen. He found he was right when Gold leaned down and kissed him, softly, without a hint of the desperation from the night before. Despite that, it somehow felt even more intimate, which Silver didn't think was possible.

After Gold pulled away, he flipped onto his back, using Silver's bicep as a pillow. A silence fell between them, and now Silver had reached the very thing he'd been dreading: the awkwardness. He'd never been in a real relationship before, so he had no idea what he was supposed to do. Last night, he'd been running on pure instinct and desire, but now the fire had died down. While Gold's last relationship hadn't exactly been ideal, he'd at least had one, so Silver could only hope Gold was a bit more knowledgeable than him.

Silver cleared his throat awkwardly before asking, "So what happens now?"

Gold turned his head to look at Silver and said, "What do you mean?"

The awkwardness was only becoming worse with every passing second. Silver knew what he meant, but words had never been his strong suit. So he did the only thing he could do, he kept it simple and asked, "Is everything gonna be different now?"

He could tell from the look on his face that Gold was holding himself back from laughing. No doubt Silver's uneasiness had to seem ridiculous to Gold, especially after how confident he'd probably seemed the night before. He had been the one to initiate the kiss, after all.

But, just like he always did, Gold maintained his understanding and answered, "Not really. I just get to punch any guys who decide to flirt with you."

Silver had to chuckle at that. Even when Gold had slapped him those two times, it had been obvious he'd been holding back, so the thought of Gold going off and punching anyone was nothing short of hilarious. Gold then caught Silver off guard when the younger man rolled over and pulled Silver into another kiss. This time, Gold lingered for several more seconds and really tested Silver's ability to reign himself in when he took Silver's lower lip gently between his teeth right before breaking the kiss. For fuck's sake, it was as if Gold was trying to stir him up, and while he didn't exactly hate it, it was too soon to be thinking about such things. Their relationship had only just started.

Gold touched their foreheads together and, with an intentionally sultry tone, said, "And I get to do that whenever I want."

Well, that was it. After such a blatant attemtpt to provoke him, Silver wasn't about to let it go without some kind of reaction. But he wasn't gonna let Gold be in charge this time. Placing his hand firmly in the middle of Gold's chest, he shoved the younger man down onto his back. He heard Gold breathe out a gasp before he descended upon him. Gold's hands rested on either side of Silver's face, and Silver heard the younger man groan lightly when he similarly scraped his teeth over Gold's lower lip.

When their lips came apart, Silver smirked and said, "Let's not pretend this isn't a two-way street."

Silver had never seen Gold swoon before, but he was certain that was what Gold did because on top of bright red cheeks, Gold had a dazed look in his eyes. Silver couldn't help the pride that swelled in his chest from knowing he'd drawn such an adorable reaction out of Gold. Seeing that starry-eyed look on Gold's face, it was as if Silver had been given a gift he never knew he wanted but one that now he knew he was definitely going to want again.

He rolled off of Gold and sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed. He looked down when he felt his feet brush against something and he found the duffle bag lying on the floor with several stacks of the cash spilled out next to it. He vaguely remembered it falling off of Gold's lap when their kiss had started, but there had been something far more pressing on his mind at that moment. He bent over and started shoving the cash back inside of the duffle bag as Gold joined him at the edge of the bed.

Once the cash was safely back in the bag, Silver zipped it up and dropped it in Gold's lap before saying, "I imagine you'll be wanting to take that to the hospital."

Gold grinned and set the bag on the corner of the bed. "Does that mean you're not coming with me?"

As much as Silver wanted to go with Gold, he had to be at work within the next hour. So he said, "Sorry. Work."

He could tell Gold was just as disappointed as he was, but it couldn't be helped. Gold stood and gathered his clothes before putting them back on, much to Silver's dismay. Not having to hold himself back from gawking at all of that bare skin was one of the perks of them officially being a couple.

Once Gold was dressed he picked up the duffle bag and said, "It's a shame. Mom is definitely gonna want to thank you."

Thank him? For the money? His skin crawled at the thought. He didn't want to be thanked for that. He hadn't done it to earn thanks or Miranda's gratitude. He'd done it because he didn't want Gold to have to lose her, and because he didn't want to lose her. He didn't think he deserved to be thanked for doing it when his motivations weren't entirely altruistic.

His face must've been revealing his thoughts as Gold said, "You don't want me to tell her, do you?"

Silver shook his head. No. He had no desire for acknowledgement or thanks from Miranda. Knowing she had a greater chance of living was enough.

Gold sighed and slung the duffel bag onto his shoulder. "I won't say anything, but she's not stupid. I leave to go to your house and come back with enough money to pay for the treatment? She's gonna put two and two together."

He knew Gold was probably right, but he still didn't want Gold announcing any of this to Miranda. All he wanted was for her to get the treatment and get better. Taking a step closer, Gold reached a hand out and took Silver by the chin. He tilted Silver's head up and gave him a quick kiss. He smiled warmly and said, "I'll be back later."

Silver knew he would probably get used to it sooner or later, but right now, every single time Gold kissed him, his chest fluttered like he was a damned schoolgirl with a crush. This time was no exception.

As Gold straighted back up, Silver said, "All right. I'll see you later."

But something occurred to him as Gold started leaving the room. He had to go to work. What if Gold got back before him? He wouldn't be able to get in. Rushing over to the table next to the bed, he pulled open the drawer and said, "Hang on, Gold."

Gold turned back right as Silver drew a spare key out of the drawer. He held it out to Gold and said, "Here. Just in case you get back before me."

Gold didn't take the key right away, and instead asked, "You're... giving me the key to your house?"

Silver shrugged his shoulders, not thinking it was any big deal, and answered, "Yeah? Why not?"

Gold's hand shook as he reached for the key, and when Silver looked at Gold's expression, he found out why. Gold seemed to be very excited about this gesture, although Silver couldn't imagine why. They were in a relationship now, and Gold spent a lot of time at his house anyway, so giving him free access to the house just made sense.

Gold slid the key into the pocket of his jeans and said, "You've made a terrible mistake. Now you're never gonna be able to get rid of me."

When their eyes met again, Silver saw the same look he'd seen in Gold's eyes the night before: the pure, unyielding adoration that made Silver's whole body weak. Before he could stop himself, he stepped up to Gold and wrapped an arm around his waist. He pulled him in, kept their eyes locked, and said, "Get rid of you? I was planning to keep you."

Silver smirked and his chest burned with pride for the second time that morning when, once again, Gold swooned. He felt Gold's body go slightly limp in his arms and he could feel the increase in his heartbeat. Oh yeah. This was definitely something Silver knew he wasn't going to be able to get enough of. Watching Gold turn to butter with only a few words was nothing short of intoxicating.

Gold seemed to come to his senses and pushed away before saying, "Okay, I have to get going. The doctor isn't gonna pay himself."

Silver grinned and nodded as Gold left the room. Silver didn't move until he heard the front door open and close. Only then, did his feet seem to want to come unglued from the floor. Left alone with the quiet, the situation finally fully sunk in. He'd done it. Somehow, despite all of his doubts and all of his hesitation, he and Gold were together. Gold was finally his. He hadn't been ready for the absolute bliss that was going to crash over him in those moments, and he had to put his hand on the wall next to the bed to steady himself.

Was this what it felt like? Real happiness? Real contentment? He couldn't be sure because he'd never experienced it before, but considering how utterly flustered he was, it seemed like the most logical explanation. He'd lived most of his life with a weight pushing him down, a weight he hadn't realized was there until now; because now... it was gone.

Gold arrived at Dr. Nicholas' office expecting to have to answer twenty questions over where he had gotten so much money so quickly. Thankfully, the good doctor seemed perfectly willing to look the other way, and simply gave Gold the rundown of what was going to happen. After being given a manilla envelope filled with information about the treatment, Gold left Dr. Nicholas' office and headed off to Miranda's hospital room. When he arrived, he found her sitting up in the bed flipping through the channels on the TV.

She turned to him and grinned as she said, "Well, someone looks happy."

He smiled brighter. She had no idea. He set the envelope to the side, bolted toward her, and hugged her tightly. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes before he was able to stop them, and he said, "I am."

He pulled away, kissed her gently on her forehead and went on, "You're getting the treatment, Mom."

Miranda's eyes widened slightly and she said, "What are you talking about? Dr. Nicholas said the insurance company won't cover it."

Hoping he might be able to keep her distracted with jokes, he said, "Mom, please. You really thought the future Champion of the Pokemon League was gonna let that stop him?"

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Nice try, young man. Where did you get the money to pay for this?"

Shit. Well, it had been worth a try. She'd always been able to tell when he was lying, so he knew there was no point in trying. Not telling her anything, though, that was different. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and answered, "It doesn't matter. What matters is you're getting the treatment."

She sighed and switched off the TV before letting her eyes fall to the bed. She remained silent for several seconds, and in those seconds, Gold could see the cogs in her head turning. She was doing exactly what he told Silver she would do, she was putting two and two together. Once she was finished, she looked at Gold and said, "Silver..."

He kept his mouth shut, knowing that he wouldn't be able to verbally deny it, but she took his silence for what it was, an admission that she was right. She crossed her arms again, this time much more uncomfortably, and asked, "Where did he get it?"

Gold knew then that he'd reached the end of his ability to keep it quiet and said, "Mom, don't. He doesn't even want you to know it was him. Can you please just let it go."

"No," she responded bluntly. "Because neither of you would be trying so hard to keep this from me if there wasn't a reason."

"Mom..."

"Tell me the truth, Gold," Miranda interrupted. "Did Silver put himself in danger to get the money?"

Gold covered his eyes with his hand and released a heavy sigh. This was why he hadn't wanted to try to keep any of this hidden from her in the first place. She was too smart for her own damn good and stubborn, sometimes to a fault. Still, he'd told Silver he wouldn't tell her anything, so he kept his lips sealed yet again, which only served to answer her question.

He saw Miranda's eyes start to mist over when she asked, "Is he okay?"

Crying? No. He absolutely was not going to let her cry, not now, not when things were looking up, and not with the great news he had yet to give her. He climbed into the bed beside her, which was very easy due to how little space she took up, and wrapped his arms around her.

Her head rested on his shoulder and he took hold of one of her hands as he said, "Silver is fine, Mom. He's... he's better than fine."

He knew she would get his meaning, and when she turned her head up to look at him, he saw her eyes dry almost instantly. Her hand gripped his tighter, and she beamed when she said, "You did it?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead again. "It's official."

He was certain if she'd been physically capable, she'd have launched herself from the hospital bed and did a jig in the middle of the room. Instead, she threw both arms around him and hugged him as tightly as she was able to, all the while laughing a cheering.

Once she'd reasonably calmed down, she said, "It's about time."

Now that she was feeling better, Gold slid out of the bed and went for the envelope Dr. Nicholas had given him. He handed it to her and said, "Everything we need to know about the treatment is in here. He said he can start the first wave on Monday."

Miranda took the envelope and opened it. She pulled out the giant stack of paper and said, "Well good. I'm being discharged today, so that gives me three days."

"Three days?"

She grinned. "Three days before I'm stuck back in this hospital again. Plenty of time to throw a quick barbecue together to celebrate."

Gold's cheeks burned as he guessed that she probably wasn't talking about celebrating the fact that she was getting the treatment. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Mom, you can't have a barbecue over me and Silver. He would hate that."

She shrugged and started flipping through the papers. "Then I'll just say it's to celebrate me getting the treatment. He doesn't have to know."

"Mom..." Gold groaned.

She raised a hand to silence him. "Hush. You're gonna let me have this."

He knew arguing further was pointless, so he shook his head and sat back down next to the bed, happy to be able to spend time with his mother without dread looming over his head. Just one more thing he had Silver to thank for.

Silver stood behind the counter toward the end of his shift, checking the clock every few moments. Over the past few months, he'd noticed himself becoming increasingly more excited to leave work after his shifts. He knew it was because he'd been looking forward to spending time with Gold, but now that excitement had quadrupled. After holding himself back for so long, finally knowing that Gold was his was akin to jumping into a cool lake after spending an entire day working in the heat. His heart raced and his chest ached with the desire to rush home immediately to see if Gold was there waiting for him. He knew it was foolish. In fact, he felt ridiculous, like he was some doe-eyed girl pining over a boyfriend. But happiness far outweighed the foolishness, and when he heard the bell from the front door jingle, he turned quickly to see Vanessa walking in.

Never had he been so glad to see her. He waited impatiently for her to put down her things and settle in, and when she was finally done, he punched out. He took his pokegear from under the counter, threw a quick "bye" over his shoulder, and bolted for the door. She stopped him, however, by shouting, "What's the hurry?"

Dammit. He'd been hoping to avoid this. He turned back to her and said, "Sorry, Vanessa."

She smirked and leaned on the counter like she always did. "This is the first time I've seen you this excited about leaving. So...? Spill. What happened?"

He knew what she wanted, but he was still determined not to give it to her. If she found out him and Gold were an official couple, there would be no living with her. Crossing his arms awkwardly, he said, "I believe I already said I wouldn't be telling you anything."

"Yeah," she said, "And I told you I'd bug you till you did. So why don't you save us both the trouble and answer me. Did you finally ask him out? Are you two dating?"

Silver groaned aloud and rolled his eyes. He really didn't want to tell her anything, but he knew she wasn't joking when she said she would never let it go. She was probably about as stubborn as Miranda. So, hoping she might be satisfied, he muttered, "Yes."

He flinched as soon as the word let his mouth and waited for the inevitable wave of cheering that he was certain was about to erupt from Vanessa. But he heard nothing. He looked at Vanessa and was blown away to see her simply smiling. She stood up straight and walked around the counter toward him.

She stopped right in front of him and said, "Good. I'm happy for you."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're being... surprisingly calm about this."

She glanced at the floor, and, for the first time since he'd met Vanessa, she looked like she was actually thinking about what she was gonna say. She started fidgeting with her hands and said, "I know I can be a pain but... Silver, we've been working together for a year now, and you used to look so sad all the time. It was like you were here but not here at the same time. I never saw you smile, not once, until you started hanging out with that guy."

It was Silver's turn to be speechless. He'd always known Vanessa was a little bit nosey, but he'd never realized she was observant enough to notice something like him not smiling. Nor did he realize she even cared. As far as he could tell, she'd never treated him any differently than she had any of their other co-workers.

Her fingers linked together and she cleared her throat before saying, "So I thought, maybe if I bugged you enough that you might actually go for it. Then, I don't know, maybe you could actually smile more?"

Silver's eyes grew slowly wider at each of Vanessa's words until he was certain his eyes would dry out. All this time, she'd been trying to help him? He'd simply been assuming she was a nosey gossip who just enjoyed poking her nose into peoples' business, but he'd evidently been sorely mistaken. But why would she feel the need to help him like that? He'd never done anything for her. In fact, he'd always been slightly cool toward her due to her bubbly personality clashing so heavily with his more stoic one.

"Vanessa..." he started to say.

"Nope!" she interrupted. "Don't say anything! I already have to go wash my mouth out after being so damn mushy! Just... go home to that hot guy and I'll see you later."

She started to head back to the counter when he suddenly blurted out, "Gold."

She stopped and turned. "What?"

He hadn't planned on telling Vanessa Gold's name. It had been more of a reflex from her calling him "guy" every time she and Silver spoke. But now that he'd said it, he couldn't very well take it back, so he said, "His name is Gold."

Vanessa smiled back at him, and he saw her cheeks go slightly red when she said, "Bye, Silver."

He nodded a farewell and left the mart, more than ready to get home. When he reached his front door, he was disappointed to find it still locked, indicating Gold hadn't come back yet. He quickly brushed off the dismay, though, because Gold had said he would be back later. Deciding he could kill time by watching some television, Silver changed out of his work clothes and settled in on the couch. He cycled through the channels until he saw one of his favorite films was just about to start: The Planet of the Apes. That would keep him sufficiently distracted, so he hit play and sat back, content with knowing Gold would arrive soon.

By the time Miranda was discharged from the hospital and Gold had taken her home, it was already well into the afternoon. He hadn't planned on staying out this long, and he was more than ready to get back to Silver's house. After saying a quick goodbye to his mom, Gold and Altaria returned to Olivine. Gold found Silver's lights on and saw the flicker from the TV, so he knew Silver was there. He turned the doorknob and was about to announce that he was there when he noticed Silver lying on the couch, hand under his head, fast asleep. He closed the door quietly and approached the sleeping redhead. This was the first time since that time in the hot tub that he'd caught Silver asleep. The emotional scars Silver had from his difficult life were always present in his features, even though he'd obviously tried to move on. But Gold saw none of that. He looked... peaceful. Content.

Gold's fingers twitched with the desire to touch him, so he reached out and ran his pointer finger over Silver's warm cheek. The contact apparently stirred Silver as his eyes opened and fell on Gold. Gold couldn't help but grin. Silver, lying there with sleep in his eyes was nothing short of adorable. Silver started to sit up as he said, "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep."

Gold squeezed in next to him on the couch and, right as Silver tried to sit up all the way, Gold placed a hand against the redhead's chest and pulled him back down so that his head was resting on Gold's thigh. Silver looked surprised at first, but relaxed after a few seconds.

Gold ran one of his hands through the long, red mane and said, "It's okay. You had a long night."

Silver half-smiled and let one of his arms drape over his stomach when he asked, "So, how'd it go?"

The soothing feeling of Silver's hair sliding between his fingers was just too addictive, so Gold kept his hand where it was when he said, "The doctor said she can start the treatment on Monday."

To Gold's surprise, Silver turned on his side so that he was facing him. Not that he was complaining. That only made it easier for him to keep running his fingers through that hair he'd been dying to touch.

"Good," Silver said.

Gold leaned his head back and said, "Yeah, but I was right. I didn't tell her anything, and she still figured it out."

He could see the mild annoyance on Silver's face, but he wasn't about to apologize. He'd told Silver she would figure it out, but he'd insisted on trying to keep it from her anyway. Maybe this would teach him that trying to keep secrets from Miranda was utterly pointless.

But, he still had one more piece of slightly annoying news to tell him, so he swallowed heavily and went on, "And, as you can imagine, she wants to have a barbecue before she goes back to the hospital."

He heard Silver chuckle lightly before he said, "Of course she does."

Gold sighed, knowing that he was getting to yet another part that might annoy him. "Yeah, and she's gonna tell you it's to celebrate her getting the treatment, but it's not... I told her about us. She was feeling bad over the whole money thing, so I had to tell her something to cheer her up."

He wasn't sure if Silver had been ready for Miranda to know. It was obvious by his nervousness that morning that relationships were still kind of weird for Silver. The last thing Gold wanted was to make him more uncomfortable.

Silver, though, looked up at Gold with obvious confusion in his eyes and said, "You sound like you're trying to justify telling Miranda. Why?"

Gold shrugged his shoulders. "I've known you for a while and you don't strike me as the kind of person who likes to have their personal life announced to everyone."

Silver laughed softly at that and shook his head. Raising one of his hands, he balled it into a fist and playfully punched Gold in his chest before saying, "I swear, I've never met anyone in my life who worries like you do."

He took the hand he'd used to punch Gold and entangled it in one of Golds hands. "Telling Miranda is hardly "announcing it to everyone." Besides, I told Vanessa."

Vanessa? Silver had only mentioned her a few times. She was a co-worker, evidently a chatty one. But Silver had never given him any indication that they were friends, or even close acquaintances, so why would he tell her?

"You told Vanessa?"

Silver squeezed Gold's hand a little tighter and said, "Look, I'm not gonna sing it from the rooftops or anything, but... I wanted this, Gold. I've wanted it for a while. So, I don't care who knows, and I don't give a shit what anyone has to say about it either."

I wanted this. Those three words kept ringing through Gold's ears for several seconds after Silver said them. For the third time that day, Gold's muscles lost their strength, his cheeks flushed red, and his chest exploded in fireworks. He'd never, in his whole life, pictured Silver as the kind of person who would be able to do this to him: to make him melt by barely doing anything at all.

The hand he'd been using to run through Silver's hair moved down to his neck, and he said, "I swear. It's like you're doing it on purpose."

Silver's eyes met his, and Gold saw the sly expression behind them when he said, "Maybe I am."

Gold's eyes zeroed in on Silver's lips, and the redhead seemed to know what was about to happen as Gold barely had to exert any effort when he pulled him up. Silver's arms wrapped around Gold's neck, and when their lips were only an inch apart, Gold mumbled, "Maybe?"

Silver moved the last inch forward on his own, and Gold exhaled a satisfied sigh through his nose when their lips collided. One of Gold's arms grasped Silver tightly around his waist while his other hand slid up and pressed against the back of Silver's head. Just like it had the night before, Gold's vision turned to stars and his brain turned to mush. The only words his brain could focus on were the three words that had sent him barreling into this kiss in the first place: I wanted this. In his mind, he already knew Silver wanted him. He wouldn't have bothered kissing him in the first place if he didn't, but Gold wasn't prepared for how alluring it was going to be to actually hear the words spoken. And he was equally unprepared when Silver opened his mouth wider and just barely brushed his tongue against Gold's lower lip.

Gold's entire body tensed up, and, in his dulled state of mind, he responded immediately, parting his own lips and letting Silver in. Gold thought his brain might shut down when he felt Silver's breaths drift into his mouth, and his body shuttered at Silver's tongue sliding over top of his. Gold had been kissed before, many times, but never had he experienced the level of intimacy he was feeling in that moment. Inhaling Silver's breaths, tasting him, and feeling parts of him that very few others had was so overwhelming that Gold was startled to attention when his jeans suddenly became tighter. And with Silver's continued assault of his mouth, the tightness only became worse. As good as it felt, and as much as Gold didn't want to stop, he forced himself to put a hand on Silver's chest and gently push him back.

Silver's lips shimmered with their mutual saliva, and his eyes were alive with a mixture of contentment and confusion, the latter probably due to Gold pushing him away. Silver's fingers linked together behind Gold's neck and he asked, "What is it?"

Gold's eyes averted and his hands dropped down to Silver's waist. He wasn't sure how to explain because he didn't want to say he'd been turned on by their kiss. He was still painfully aware that Silver had never been with a man, and he didn't want to risk freaking him out by admitting he'd become sexually aroused. So, hoping Silver might not become suspicious, Gold simply said, "I just... need to stop."

It was wishful thinking, of course. As soon as those words left Gold's mouth, Silver's eyes dipped down, and the blush on Gold's cheeks intensified when Silver noticed the bulge in his jeans. Silver sighed with obvious annoyance and took hold of one of Gold's wrists. His breath caught in his throat when Silver pulled that wrist down and pushed Gold's hand against an equally large bulge in his own jeans. Gold swallowed heavily as his jeans tightened even more, and he instinctively yanked his hand back.

His eyes met Silver's and the redhead returned to resting his head on Gold's thigh when he said, "I'm not some virgin 16-year-old you just brought home from prom, Gold."

He heard Silver's words, and he understood what he'd been trying to do, but Gold's head was still spinning with what had just occurred. First, he heard Silver verbally confirm that he wanted him. Now, he had undeniable proof that Silver was also turned on by him. In his mind, he'd known that Silver was well-versed in sexual experiences. He'd mentioned being with multiple women in the past, but they were women. As such, Gold hadn't expected Silver to be so easily aroused by a man. Not that he was complaining.

Still, he had to explain to Silver why he'd pushed him away, so he said, "I know. It's just... I rushed into this part before, and it didn't exactly work out."

Gold's chest stung when Silver's eyes averted and he turned his head. Gold hadn't thought anything he'd said had been particularly offensive, but he could tell Silver was hurt. He was about to ask him why when Silver said, "I'm not him."

It sounded less like an outright denial and more like a plea, like Silver was begging him not to see him in the same light as Anthony. Gold wanted to kick himself in that moment. Stupid. How could he have been so stupid as to bring up Anthony, especially knowing how apprehensive Silver had been about starting this relationship in the first place?

He knew he needed to encourage Silver quickly, so he took Silver by the chin and turned his head back when he said, "I know that. I'm sorry, Silver. I didn't mean to... I just don't want to rush things, okay?"

The hurt drained from Silver's face, and he took one of Gold's hands. The touch eased some of the tension that had built up in Gold's body over the past several seconds, which was a welcome relief. Silver half-smiled and said, "All right. Whatever you want."

Gold shook his head. "It has to be what we both want."

Silver gave Gold's hand a light squeeze, and Gold saw a bit of red appear on his cheeks when he said, "Gold, this is already more than I thought I was ever gonna have in my entire life. I'm not gonna get hung up on the details."

Like always, seeing Silver blush from embarrassment was nothing short of adorable. Gold knew perfectly well that Silver didn't like talking about his feelings, so Gold cherished these rare instances when he did talk about it. Not only was it great to be able to know what Silver was thinking, but it made Gold want to swoon all over again when he thought about how Silver only opened up like this for him.

Running a hand through Silver's hair again, Gold said, "You are doing it on purpose."

Silver smiled up at him, and Gold was about to pull the redhead up for another kiss when a knock at the front door grabbed their attention. They looked at each other for a second, both confused at this turn of events. Gold couldn't remember anyone ever stopping by Silver's house in the past, so this was strange. Silver stood and headed for the window next to the door, peeking out to see who it was. As soon as he saw, he immediately opened the door and Gold was shocked to see Giovanni walk into the house.

"Dad?" Silver said.

Giovanni took the hat off of his head and said, "I just came by to check up on-"

Giovanni stopped when his eyes met Gold's, and Gold felt something he didn't feel very often: awkwardness. He would never claim to be an expert at dealing with people, but he'd always fancied himself as a people person. He could strike up a conversation with almost anyone without trouble, but now, facing down Silver's dad, he had no idea what to say.

Giovanni looked at Silver and said, "Sorry, Son. I didn't realize I was intruding."

Silver shook his head and said, "You're not."

He then motioned for Giovanni to follow him and Silver led Giovanni in Gold's direction. When Giovanni was standing only a few feet away, Gold wiped his now sweaty hands on his jeans and held one of them out to the older man.

Hoping his voice wouldn't shake, Gold said, "Hi. We didn't get to actually meet last time."

Giovanni took Gold's hand, and Gold swallowed heavily when he felt how strong Giovanni's grip was. The old man grinned softly and said, "Indeed. It's good to meet you, Gold."

With that awkward introduction out of the way, Gold was relieved when the three of them sat down, Gold and Silver on the couch and Giovanni on the recliner. Silver leaned forward and asked, "What's going on, Dad?"

Giovanni drew his pokegear from his pocket, showed it to Silver, and said, "I set it up so that when the vault's door was opened I would receive a message. Was it you that opened it?"

"Yeah," Silver answered.

Placing the pokegear back in his pocket, Giovanni went on, "My contacts in Viridian City mentioned a disturbance being reported near the gym. I'm assuming Team Rocket. Were you hurt?"

Before Silver even said anything, Gold knew what was about to happen. Silver was going to lie to his father again and say nothing happened. Unlike last time, however, Gold was in on the conversation. So when Silver started to deny that he was injured, Gold interrupted, "They hit him over the head and tazed him."

Silver turned to him, eyes flaring when he said, "Gold!"

Gold's eyebrows ran together and be bit back, "No. You don't get to lie to cover your ass. I'd have gone with you if you'd have just told me what you were doing, but you didn't. You ran off by yourself and you got hurt."

All of the annoyance lifted from Silver's face, and the redhead turned his head, seemingly unable to come up with a rebuttal. And after their conversation last night, Gold wasn't surprised. He'd made it more than clear to Silver that he didn't approve of him being so reckless.

Seemingly trying to smooth things over, Silver said, "I'm fine, Dad. It was no big deal."

No big deal? Gold's left eye twitched, and he had to hold himself back from scolding Silver again. As much as he wanted to tell Silver to stop making light of it, he'd already scolded him in front of his father once. It seemed cruel to do it again.

Giovanni did not press the matter further, however, and simply asked, "What did you take?"

"Some of the cash," Silver answered.

The old man's eyebrows raised slightly and he crossed his arms when he said, "You ran off by yourself and risked being attacked by Team Rocket for the sake of getting cash? You've never cared about money, Silver. Why would you risk your life for it?"

Silver didn't answer right away and instead turned to look at Gold. Gold looked back and saw a questioning look in Silver's eyes. Gold's chest grew warmer as he realized Silver was asking permission to answer. Silver knew that, in order to answer the question, he would have to tell Giovanni about Miranda's cancer. Grateful for his consideration, Gold smiled before nodding, giving Silver the "go ahead."

Silver said, "Gold's mom has cancer. We needed the money to pay for her treatment."

Giovanni's expression shifted from confused to what Gold knew was pride. He'd seen that look before on his own father's face, so it was easy to see. Though he obviously disapproved of Silver being reckless, he was also proud of him for doing something so selfless. And as Gold turned to look at Silver, he had to admit that he was too.

"In that case," Giovanni said. "If such healthcare expenses ever crop up in the future, tell me and I'll wire you the funds. There's no reason for you to risk going to the vault."

Gold's eyes widened and his first instinct was to say, "Wait, what!?"

Did Giovanni just say that he would pay for all of Miranda's future medical expenses? Why would he do that? They'd only just met. He didn't even know Miranda. Gold was about to object when Giovanni raised his hand to silence him.

The old man smiled warmly and said, "No arguments. It's a small price to pay to ensure neither of you has to risk going back to that vault until I can root out the thugs who are after it. It's a slow process considering my circumstances, but I am making progress."

He understood where Giovanni was coming from, but it still didn't feel right. There was no telling when something else might happen with Miranda. The seizure proved that. What if Giovanni wound up footing several, high-cost hospital bills for a woman he'd never even met? It just... seemed wrong, but the old man had made it clear that he would not listen to any arguments, so Gold remained silent, no matter how uncomfortable it made him.

Giovanni then stood and said, "Well, I'll leave you two alone, now. I just wanted to check in. Call me if you need anything, Son."

Silver nodded, and Giovanni started toward the door, but Gold's mind was still swimming. It wasn't right. It would never be right to take money from Giovanni to pay for Miranda's expenses when he'd never spoken a single word to her. He couldn't let it happen this way, he wouldn't.

Before Giovanni made it to the door, Gold stood up and said, "Hang on!"

Giovanni stopped and turned around, a quizzical look on his face. Gold's fists clenched and his shoulders tensed when he said, "If you're determined to do this, then you should at least meet my mom. She's having a barbecue at our house within the next couple of days. You should come."

He could tell immediately by Giovanni's expression that the old man was open to the idea. However, he looked past Gold and to Silver, presumably asking if Silver would be okay with that. Gold turned in time to see Silver nod his approval.

Putting his hat back on his head, Giovanni said, "Very well. Have Silver message me the time and the day and I will try to be there. I can't make any promises, of course."

Of course he couldn't. Being on the run from both the law and Team Rocket probably made traveling very difficult. Gold would have to remember to tell his mother that Giovanni might be coming and that she needed to conveniently forget to invite Sheriff Jim. After saying his goodbyes, Giovanni left, and the room went silent apart from the sound of the clock ticking on the wall.

Silver was the first to speak and said, "Thanks for doing that. You didn't have to."

Gold took his seat back on the couch and answered, "The man just offered to pay for my mother's medical expenses. That was the absolute least I could do."

It still didn't make any sense to Gold for Giovanni to make such an offer to a person who, as far as he knew, was only Silver's friend. Wait, that's right. Giovanni didn't know about him and Silver. The redhead hadn't told him. Why? Was Silver afraid that his father would disapprove of Silver being with a man? Gold knew next to nothing about Giovanni, so he wasn't sure what the old man's views were. Was he against same-sex relationships?

The thought made Gold's skin crawl, so he had to ask, "Why didn't you tell him, you know, about us?"

Silver's cheeks went red and he raised his hand to scratch the back of his head. "I, um, don't really need to. He already knows."

Gold quirked and eyebrow. "How? It literally just happened?"

Silver's face became redder and redder with every passing second, and Gold couldn't imagine what was making him so uncomfortable. Silver leaned against the back of the couch and wound his fingers together before saying, "When he was here the other day, he asked about you. And I never exactly denied that we were together, even though we weren't yet."

Now it was Gold's turn to blush. Not only had Giovanni inquired about him, but Silver had given the old man the impression that they were a couple even before it became official? As happy as that news made Gold, he couldn't help but wonder why Silver would do that.

Hoping Silver might shed some light on the situation, Gold said, "You... didn't deny it?"

To Gold's utter confusion, Silver chuckled lightly and shook his head before leaning it back to stare at the ceiling. The color in his cheeks lightened a bit, and he said, "You got inside my head. I don't know how you did it or when it happened, but it fucked with my instincts. I first noticed it when that neanderthal showed up at the barbecue."

Gold had to hold himself back from laughing at Silver's use of the word "neanderthal." It matched Anthony so perfectly, but Gold could sense Silver was trying to be serious, so he maintained his calm and listened.

"I don't know how else to say it," Silver went on. "It was like... I reacted like you were mine, even though you weren't, and I guess that carried over to when my dad asked about you."

Gold had always known that Silver spoke his mind. It was one of the first things he ever learned about him, and it had been the source of a lot of pain for Gold in the past. But now, it was serving to test how many times Gold could swoon in a single day. Because of Anthony, Gold knew the difference between a person who was possessive because they wanted to own you and a person who was possessive because they cared for you. Silver was the latter sort of person, and it was terribly exciting to think of Silver one day going "alpha" on Anthony, or any other man who tried to hit on him.

Leaning closer to Silver, Gold breathed in his ear, "Don't be stupid. I've been yours for a while."

He saw the shiver run through Silver's body as the redhead turned to look at him. The sultry expression on his face made Gold's heart thump a little faster. Throwing on one of his typical smirks, Silver said, "Is that right?"

Gold leaned in closer and whispered, "Yeah" before closing the gap with another kiss. Silver's arms wrapped around him and he gasped when Silver suddenly pulled him closer. As Silver allowed him to push him down onto his back, Gold reveled in the absolute bliss that had overtaken him. This day, it had started out perfectly, and it now seemed it was going to end perfectly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a day.

But he knew one thing: he could definitely get used to it.