Getting Silver to open up about his feelings was like squeezing blood from a turnip. Even now, even after he'd come to realize his birth parents weren't worth it and come to accept his friends as his true family, he remained somewhat distant and stubborn.

Lance knew and understood that it wasn't any flaw of theirs, that Silver could just be difficult about these things and that the best thing to do was to be patient. He knew the way Giovanni and Ariana had treated him would never completely go away, even as he healed there would still be scars. All he and the others could do was offer their unconditional love and support and hope he'd take it.

But Lance still worried.

Today, Silver had woken up cranky and listless, barely saying a word to anyone all through breakfast and then immediately taking to the room that had once been his before he'd moved into Lance's. An hour later he'd poked his head into the den and announced he was going out.

It was near evening now, and Silver still hadn't come back. Ethan and Lyra were naturally beside themselves with worry and even as Clair grumbled about what an idiot he was it was clear she, too, was worried. As for Lance, he'd tried to distract himself with his work but his thoughts always returned to Silver, so frustrated and alone and depressed and hurting as he was.

Finally unable to take it anymore, he shoved his work aside, headed into the den and told the others where he was going. He had a good idea of where Silver might be right now. It was a place Silver had often promised he'd never revisit, but always did whenever he was especially upset.

-x-

Upon arriving at Tohjo Falls, he landed and recalled Dragonite. Silver, fortunately, was nowhere near the cliff's edge or the falls; huddled in a corner, he didn't even have his Pokemon out with him. This was not a good sign.

Sighing, Lance slowly approached him and sat down.

"Silver." The younger trainer's head snapped up; his face was angry but his eyes looked lost and sad.

"Didn't I tell you I'd come back when I was ready?"

"You're coming back now," Lance said firmly. "It's too cold to stay here all day, you'll get sick."

"I said no." Silver tried to inch further away, but Lance wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. "H-hey, let me go!" Silver protested.

"What's going on, Silver? You've been upset since this morning," Lance said. "Please...you know we're always here to listen to you. Why don't you talk to us?"

"I don't want to," Silver snapped. "It's stupid, anyway, just a bunch of stupid shit I shouldn't even be upset about anymore." Lance frowned.

"It's about them, isn't it." Silver gave him an angry look and turned away.

"Just drop it."

"No." Lance's hold on him tightened. He knew it wasn't right to force Silver to confide in him, but keeping things bottled up usually did him more harm than good. "Talk to me, Silver."

"There's nothing to talk about! Just...go back, Clair's gonna throw a bitch fit if she finds out you're at the falls too," Silver said.

"She knows, Silver. She let me go and said she'd kick my ass if I didn't bring you back safe and sound." Lance chuckled a little in spite of himself. "She cares more than you think she does." Silver snorted.

"Good for her. But I'm still not going back yet." Lance's expression grew serious once more.

"Then I won't, either. I'm staying here until you talk to me."

"We'll be here all night, then." Silver shrugged. Lance roughly placed a hand on the back of Silver's head, forcing him to turn and face him.

"I'm not playing around," he said. "I'll wait here all night if I have to, Vincent." And Silver stiffened, his eyes widening. Vincent, his given name, the name he'd discarded along with his former self when he'd left home all those years ago. Even as he'd forced himself to come to terms with his past, Vincent Vittorio was for all intents and purposes dead.

Lance was the only one to ever use his real name, and only when he was dead serious about something.

"...I-I told you never to call me that!" Silver yelled, but his facade was cracking and Lance knew collapse was iminent. He drew Silver closer, cradling the younger trainer against him and rubbing his back.

"Please," he whispered. "I hate seeing you like this. I love you so much, all I want to do is help you."

"You're such a fucking sap," Silver muttered, his voice breaking. "Just because I had a dream about them last night and woke up thinking about them doesn't mean..." He trailed off as the tears he'd been holding back probably since that morning began to fall. Lance tightened his hold, rubbing his back more firmly.

"Silver," he whispered. "I'm here. I'm here..."

"It shouldn't even hurt. I hate them so much, I knew they never gave a damn!" Silver sobbed angrily against his shoulder.

"They were supposed to." Lance ran a soothing hand through his hair. "They were your parents. They should have cared."

"I hate them," Silver repeated, fingers clutching the fabric of Lance's cape. "I hate them..."

"I know."

Eventually, Silver's tears stopped and he looked up at Lance, his eyes puffy and his face red. Lance reached out to gently brush away the last of his tears, which of course Silver rolled his eyes at.

"Are you okay now?" Lance asked. Silver nodded a little.

"I guess so," he said. "...thanks. You know, for coming out here. I guess maybe I did need it...it's still hard for me to talk about these things, you know? I hate dealing with my own weaknesses."

"I know," Lance said. "But try to remember that none of us think of you as weak, Silver. We care about you, and we want you to be comfortable."

"I am. At least, more than I used to be," Silver said. Lance smiled, gently brushing a lock of Silver's hair behind his ear.

"I love you," he said. Silver nodded.

"I know." Even now Silver had trouble saying it back, but Lance knew he did.

"Let's go home." He helped Silver up and led him to Dragonite, getting on first before pulling Silver along with him. He was surprised when Silver settled into his arms, nestling closely. "Silver?"

"Don't think too much of it! I'm just cold and tired, okay?" Lance chuckled; even now he still insisted on maintaining his tough image, and Lance had come to find it more cute than anything.

"Whatever you say." He wrapped his arms securely around Silver, kissing the top of his head as Dragonite set off for home.

Vincent Vittorio is the "real name" I came up with for Silver in my headcanon. Has a nice ring to it, I think...Vittorio I actually picked up from a kink meme fill, I thought it fit. :) Only Lance ever calls Silver "Vincent" and only in Serious Business mode.

And Tohjo Falls somehow became Silver's personal Corner Of Woe. idk. XD