This takes place roughly one week after my fic Facing the Wold, but way before the Valentine's day one, in case anyone wonders.
This took such a long time to write, though, and it feels so good to have it finished! I'm not sure if it's because I didn't have the motivation, because I had other things to worry about, or because I'm trying to write like five different fics at the same time. Maybe all of those reasons?
I also have figured out I'm apparently most productive at night, as I'm pretty sure like 90% of this was written between 10pm and 2am. Yay?
Anyway, please enjoy, and let me know what you think!
To Motostoke!
It's a clear, sunny day as Raihan and Kabu exit Hammerlocke into the Wild Area. It's been some time since New Year and Kabu has finally decided it's time for him to go back home to Motostoke. He wants to go see his Pokémon and not have his gym trainers take care of them forever.
They still have a couple of weeks off before they have to go back to being gym leaders, and all the responsibilities that comes with it. So Raihan kind of invited himself along. Well, he asked Kabu if he could come too, and Kabu had told him he would enjoy spending more time with Raihan. So, here they are.
Raihan is so very ready to travel to Motostoke through the Wild Area. He's been in Hammerlocke so long he's itching to get out a bit. Even if it's only been about a week, but still. Besides, he's going to get to see Kabu's home, so there's something to look forward to. He's only just recently realized he doesn't even know where Kabu lives, even though they've known each other for years.
Soon after they enter the Wild Area, they both release a few of their Pokémon to keep them company and to get some exercise. Kabu lets out Arcanine and Ninetales, while Raihan settles for just Flygon. Having too many Pokémon running around would be a lot to keep their eyes on and they both have Pokémon that aren't very fast and wouldn't be able to keep up with them. Flygon immediately takes to the skies, while Kabu's Pokémon stretch a bit before they start moving around.
"It's so good to be out in the Wild Area again, I almost forgot what fresh air tastes like!" Raihan stretches out, reaching towards the sun, feeling the air and the sun on his skin. He feels like he could run all the way to Motostoke, he's got so much energy.
Arcanine seems to be just as energetic as he is, running around like he's never had a chance to run before. It's probably from not having a chance to move around too much in Raihan's apartment, even with the morning runs he goes on with Kabu every day. It's pretty entertaining, watching the big canine running around, barking at some Zigzagoon and chasing his own tail. Acting like an overexcited puppy.
Raihan laughs at the behaviour, pulling out his Rotom phone from his pocket to film at least some of it. He's never seen Arcanine behaving quite this playfully. He also puts up a couple of the videos on his social media, with Kabu's approval of course.
"You seem to be in a good mood," Kabu notes with a small smile as he's walking up alongside Raihan. His Ninetales is gracefully walking by his side. Though occasionally she sprints ahead somewhere and is waiting for them by a tree or on a small hill, clearly thinking they move too slowly for her taste.
"Of course I am!" Raihan knows he must look like an excited puppy himself, and maybe should try to be a bit more controlled, but he really can't help himself.
"I get to spend more time with you, just us and our Pokémon! Getting to enjoy the sun and fresh air without having to worry about a bunch of people staring and whispering! Why wouldn't I be happy?" As much as he normally loves being the centre of attention, he can do without people whispering, gossiping and pointing fingers at him and Kabu behind their backs.
His Flygon swoops down from the sky and lands in front of them, chirping excitedly, clearly just as happy about this trip as the other Pokémon, and Raihan. She loves flying around freely like this, since she doesn't get much of a chance to do so normally, in Hammerlocke. Raihan really needs to start coming to the Wild Area more often, if only to let his Pokémon run around for a bit.
"It's good to see you have so much energy, since it's a several hours walk to Motostoke," Kabu comments, maybe trying to tell him not to use up all his energy right at the start.
Amazingly enough, they are actually walking the whole way to Motostoke, as opposed to jogging or even running. With all the exercise Kabu does, it wouldn't have surprised Raihan even a little bit. Maybe Kabu also enjoys spending time together like this, just the two of them, no other people. It's a nice thought, at least. Though he does walk at a brisk enough pace for Raihan to not have to shorten his steps to stay at the same pace.
"Of course I have energy," Raihan replies. "Besides, we're stopping for lunch, remember? You promised to teach me to make curry." He's already starting to get a bit warm from the sun and exercise, so he takes of his coat and wraps it around his waist, leaving him in his regular hoodie.
"I did, didn't I?" Kabu says, giving Raihan a very amused look. "I still find it hard to believe you can't make curry at all. I thought it was a requirement for living in Galar." Now he's just messing with Raihan, he's sure of it.
"Yeah, well, I guess I'm not very good at living in Galar, then," he replies instead. He knows it's a bit weird he can't cook even curry. Since it has so many different flavours and variants, most people, even children, at least know how to make their favourites. Raihan has just never really had any kind of talent in the kitchen. Asides from eating, of course.
"I'm a bit curious how you managed during your gym challenge," Kabu says. He seems a bit curious, a bit amused and also a bit concerned. It's a strange mix of emotions, in Raihan's opinion.
But he can wonder about that later. First, he has to make sure Kabu knows he did get through his gym challenge even though he can't cook, without eating grass and leaves or whatever the older man is thinking.
"All thanks to Sonia, really," he tells Kabu. "If it wasn't for her, me and Leon never would have gotten anywhere."
It's fun to think back on it now, just the three of them, starting their journey together, ready to take on the world and rise to the top. Only to realize Raihan and Leon are completely hopeless and will never make it beyond the Wild Area without Sonia.
"I'm sure you're exaggerating just a little," Kabu says. "Surely you would have managed somehow." He doesn't seem to believe Raihan, which he can't really figure out how to feel about. On one hand, Kabu doesn't believe him. On the other, Kabu has confidence that Raihan could have managed, even after knowing what he's like now. Then again, Kabu has never seen him attempting to cook.
"Barely," Raihan says. "I'm really bad at cooking, and you know how Leon is with directions. If it wasn't for Sonia and her Yamper, I'd probably died from food poisoning or something, and Leon never would have made it out of the Wild Area."
He still remembers how worried his mother had been when he left home, and Sonia's reaction when she saw his first cooking attempt. Even their Pokémon hadn't touched it. Leon's hadn't been much better, but he had at least learned to make something. Though they had both preferred Sonia's cooking.
"It's a good thing she was with you, then," Kabu concludes. He's stopped to wait for Raihan who has been falling behind, lost in thoughts.
"It is," Raihan replies absentmindedly, somewhat lost in thought. After a few moments, he jogs those few steps so he's right next to Kabu again. Takes a hold of Kabu's hand, just because he can.
They've been together for about a week, but he doesn't think he'll ever get tired of being able to touch Kabu whenever he feels like. He feels ridiculously giddy and happy just thinking about it. Kabu looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and he's sure he's grinning like an idiot, but he can't help it.
"Oh, yeah. Almost forgot." He pulls out his Rotom phone again and sets it up to take some pictures. Then reaches out to loop his arm around Kabu's waist to pull them close together for a picture.
"Just to remember this by," he explains as Kabu gives him a look. Then moves his free arm up to tangle his hand in Kabu's hair, tilts his face up and kisses him for a second photo, tightening his hold around the older man with the arm still around his waist. Kabu makes a pleased noise, pushing up and against Raihan in response. After a few moments he pushes away from Raihan, probably to keep things from getting too heated. The middle of the Wild Area might not be the best place for those things.
"I'm sure you'll get plenty of things to photograph to remember this by," Kabu says. Raihan notes, with just a bit of satisfaction, that Kabu seems to be just a bit out of breath, his cheeks are flushed, and hair is completely messed up. It's probably one of his favourite looks on Kabu, and never fails to give him that giddy feeling in his chest.
"Or maybe I just wanted an excuse to kiss you," he casually answers with a confident grin and a wink.
"As if you ever needed an excuse to do that," Kabu dryly comments. True enough, Raihan admits to himself. But it's still fun.
"I know," he says instead. "I just like kissing you." They have now resumed walking while holding the conversation going. Rotom quickly returns to his pocket once it notices it's no longer needed.
"I would hope so, considering how often you do it," Kabu says, giving Raihan an amused look that says more than his words.
"Awww, don't be like that!" Raihan pretends to whine as he pouts at Kabu, who doesn't even see it, as he has already turned his attention away from Raihan. "You like it when I kiss you, don't pretend you don't!"
"I never said I don't," Kabu counters, still not looking at Raihan. "I just said you do it a lot, and that you don't need an excuse to do it."
Raihan can hear the smile in his voice, even if he can't see his face. Not like he's not wearing a matching, if not bigger, grin on his own face. And why wouldn't he? Kabu just basically said he likes it when Raihan kisses him and that he doesn't need any excuses to do it. It's practically an invitation for Raihan to kiss him more than he already does! Better not disappoint him, then, Raihan thinks.
They keep walking and soon they reach a small hill where both Arcanine and Ninetales are waiting for them net to a pond. Seems the Pokémon got tired of waiting for the slow humans who wasted their time flirting instead of walking. They're both giving them a look that's clearly telling them to not be so slow.
As soon as they reach the Pokémon, they don't get any further as Arcanine starts whining and barking, and even Ninetales refuses to move further. Soon Flygon swoops down from the sky and chirps curiously at Raihan. Who just now notices they've been walking for a good few hours and he's starting to get kind of hungry.
"Time for lunch, then?" he asks Kabu, who's trying to get Arcanine to quiet down.
"Seems like it," Kabu answers, and once that's been confirmed the Pokémon finally calm down. "And it seems like our Pokémon agree," he adds, looking at them all with an amused look. "Demanding bunch."
"At least they know when they get hungry and demand food," Raihan comments. He notices Kabu is already pulling out some cooking ware from his backpack, setting it up to make lunch. "And they picked a pretty nice spot to stop on," he notes, looking at the grassy area with the small pond, surrounded by a few trees and a fairly large tree stump that will make a good table. It's a very nice and cosy spot for a picnic.
"It seems so," Kabu seems to be barely paying attention to the surroundings, busy setting up. After a few minutes he's opening his coat, causing the two Sizzlipede to crawl out and around. He also releases his two other Pokémon from their Pokéballs.
Centiskorch looks around for a bit before curling around the tree stump, probably waiting for lunch to be ready, while Torkoal looks around more, greets Raihan with a happy noise and settles down to watch Kabu cooking. Ninetales makes laying by a pond look majestic and Arcanine has found a Skwovet in a nearby berry tree and is barking at it, trying to get it down to play.
Raihan follows Kabu's example and releases the rest of his Pokémon as well. Asides from Flygon, he only brought Torkoal, Duraludon and Goodra. He isn't expecting having to do any battling and if things change, there's always the Link Box.
Torkoal makes his way over to Kabu's Torkoal, the two being pretty good friends, apparently, despite not really doing anything except sleep or rest or snooze and make occasional noises at each other. Duraludon is happy to get out but prefers to stay apart from the other Pokémon, not always caring for company. Which is fine. Goodra happily chirps at Raihan, glad to be out and about. She then notices Kabu and makes her way over to him but doesn't give him a gooey hug when Kabu holds his hand up and tells her "No" rather sternly. She's a bit sad at that, being rather affectionate, but soon perks up and makes her way to Flygon for company. At least she doesn't stay sad for long.
Kabu seems very much at home in the Wild Area. Raihan can imagine him spending a lot of time here whenever he's not at the gym. Plenty of room for all that jogging and training, and a lot of space for his Pokémon to get some exercise in, too.
Maybe he should do that a bit more, too. Give his Pokémon some time to relax, play and move around. Looking around and seeing them enjoy themselves makes him feel a bit bad for not thinking about it before now. He'll have to fit it into his schedule, somewhere. Put it down as training, if nothing else works.
Speaking of work, he really shouldn't let Kabu do all the work on the curry, when he's supposed to be learning to make it. While he's been in his own thoughts, Kabu has already started a fire and is preparing to make the curry.
Arcanine has started the fire and Kabu is fanning the flames to keep it going. Looks like he's already made the base for the curry, the only things missing are the berries, the main ingredient and the actual cooking part.
"Anything I can do?" Raihan asks as he wanders over to Kabu. The older man briefly glances at him before going back to tending to the fire.
"You can chop up the berries," he says, pointing to their makeshift table with some berries and a knife.
"Sure, no problem!" Even if cooking isn't really his thing, chopping up some berries should be pretty doable, even for him.
Judging by the mushrooms and the variety of berries, they will be having a normal mushroom curry. Not too sweet, not too spicy. In other words, something both of them are good eating.
As he actually gets to the table to start chopping the ingredients, he notices Kabu's Sizzlipede are right there on the table, nibbling on some berries Kabu has given them. Underneath the table, Centiskorch is glaring at Raihan and hissing as he gets closer. As it does that, the Sizzlipede notice Raihan as well and also start hissing threateningly.
"Ok, your Centiskorch and Sizzlipede really hate me," he comments to Kabu, who turns to look at him.
"I'm sure they don't really hate you," he says, though a little bit hesitatingly, like he's not really sure he believes that himself.
"Yeah, right," Raihan rolls his eyes and gives Kabu the most unamused look he can manage. "Because hissing and biting totally means they love me."
"Well, maybe they're not too fond of you," Kabu admits. "But they don't really hate you either. It's more like..." He trails of for a bit, like he's not coming up with the right words to describe how the Pokémon feel about Raihan.
"More like what?" Raihan finally asks. "If it's something I'm doing, just tell me!" He's still convinced they just hate him and doesn't know how Kabu doesn't notice it. He's heard some people are a bit blind to their own Pokémon's flaws. He just never thought Kabu might be one of them.
"Well, they weren't around during my last relationship..." Kabu starts, starting to stir the curry while still keeping his eyes on Raihan. "So they don't really know what to make of you being around so much. It's a bit like..." he trails off again, turning back to the cooking pot.
"Wait..." Raihan thinks he kind of gets what Kabu means, but, "are you saying they're jealous because I'm spending so much time with you?"
It sounds a bit absurd, but in a way, it also makes some sense. He remembers reading somewhere about how children can start acting out when their single parent starts dating and early on even hate the person they're dating. Didn't know that could also happen with Pokémon, he thinks.
"Yes." Kabu replies. "They should get used to you eventually, if you spend more time around them." He sounds both apologetic as well as a bit sad. It's not like he wants his Pokémon to hate Raihan. The spending more time around Kabu's Pokémon, and by extension, Kabu, sounds really nice, though.
"Awww, you want to spend more time with me?" he can't help teasing the older man a bit, getting up and going over to him in order to pull him into a loose hug and a kiss.
"I thought that was obvious?" Kabu twists around in Raihan's arm to look up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"It is," Raihan says with a smile. "It's just nice to hear." He gives Kabu one more kiss before getting back to the table and the ingredients.
But first he has to deal with Kabu's fiery bugs. All three are currently glaring at him. He squats down so he's on eye-level with Centiskorch, figuring if he can get it to listen, the Sizzlipede will follow.
"Well, you heard the man," he tells it in the most serious tone he can manage, gesturing to Kabu. "I'm not going anywhere, so you better get used to me being around."
Its response is to curl up tighter and hiss at him again.
"C'mon," Raihan tries not to sound too frustrated by the lack of cooperation but doesn't completely succeed, unfortunately. "The other Pokémon are just fine with me being around, so you guys really need to cool down a bit." Normally, he might reach out to the Pokémon with his hand, but he doesn't want to find out if it would use Fire Fang on him if he did.
"At least move over a bit and let me chop up those berries, or there won't be any curry!" If there's one thing he knows about Kabu's Pokémon, it's that they all love Kabu's curry as much as he does.
As he thought, it does give him one more hiss, but uncurls itself and leaves to be with the other Pokémon. The Sizzlipede follow it, climbing on top of Kabu's Torkoal and falling asleep. They're actually kind of cute when they're like that, Raihan thinks. If only they could be like that with him.
Now that the table is free of biting Pokémon, Raihan starts the work of chopping the berries. As he starts cutting them to smaller pieces, he soon notices Arcanine sitting next to him, begging for some snacks. Apparently, he got bored of the Skwovet, and a quick look reveals it's still in the three. When Raihan looks at him, he whimpers and wags his tail slightly, keeping it up until Raihan gives him a slice of oran berry.
"At least you like me, eh?" he says to Arcanine while petting him on the head, getting a happy bark in return.
"If you keep spoiling him like that, you'll never get rid of him," Kabu warns him. "Especially when you have something edible." Sounds like he knows from experience.
"That's okay," Raihan grins at Kabu as he gives Arcanine another piece of oran berry. "We're good buddies. It's okay to share snacks with buddies." Arcanine barks in agreement, wagging his tail and leaning into Raihan's side, almost pushing him to the ground with his size.
"Hmmm, I shouldn't really be surprised," Kabu smiles, amused. "You're the same age and everything, of course you'd get along so well."
"We are? Seriously?" Raihan looks at Arcanine with a grin and ruffles his fur. "That's pretty cool." Arcanine barks happily in agreement, tail swishing all over like an oversized feather duster.
"It sure is something," Kabu says. "I got him for my birthday when I turned twenty-two. He was just a little Growlithe back then. I'm afraid he got terribly spoiled because he was very cute and knew how to use it to his advantage." He watches Raihan give Arcanine yet another berry. "Stop feeding him berries, or there won't be any left for the curry."
"Well, can't have that," Raihan says, pushing at Arcanine when he sticks his nose toward the berries again. "Sorry, buddy," Raihan apologizes when he whines at him. "Gotta save some for lunch."
"Since you seem to be done with those berries, you can bring them over here so we can finish lunch," Kabu says from where he seems to be just about done with said lunch. Apparently, all that's needed is the berries.
"Sure, here you go!" Raihan grabs the remaining berries, keeps them out of Arcanine's reach, and brings them over to Kabu. Who takes his time taking a few berries at the time and stirring them into what's going to be their lunch.
Raihan can only imagine what he looks like, standing next to Kabu, staring at the curry and practically drooling. Next to him is Arcanine, also staring intently at the curry, actually drooling. Judging by Kabu's amused smile, pretty silly.
Soon, though not soon enough for Raihan, the curry is finally done. He somehow manages to wait until Kabu has given the Pokémon their portions before they eat. As soon as he gets the go ahead from Kabu he immediately spoons up a pile of the curry on his plate and digs in.
The amazing taste makes him groan in appreciation. The taste is so perfectly spicy and sweet and sour at the same time and the flavours manage to blend perfectly together in a curry that could belong in one of those expensive restaurants. He gobbles down the entire plate in moments and immediately piles up another. This one he eats a bit slower, actually appreciating the taste.
"Man, your curry is the best," he tells Kabu between the bites. "I could eat this stuff every day and never get tired of it!" He might be exaggerating a bit, but not much.
"It's not that special," Kabu points out, amused at Raihan's enthusiasm. "But maybe now you see the merit in homecooked meals compared to take-out or microwaved meals."
"Mmmm-hmm," Raihan hums in agreement, nodding enthusiastically, mouth full of curry. He swallows quickly before adding "Now you have to teach me to cook, I don't think I can go back to takeout after this!"
"Well," Kabu laughs quietly, "I'll certainly try."
"So good," Raihan sighs as he finishes his curry. He considers taking a third plate, but his full stomach doesn't really agree with that, so he eventually decides against it. He feels full, warm and pleasantly tired. He stretches out with a yawn and lays down on the soft grass, crossing his arms under his head as a pillow. "I feel like I could sleep for a week."
"Don't lay on the ground, Raihan." Kabu has now finished his own curry and is in the process of cleaning up after them as he looks over at Raihan, who's just sprawled out on the grass. "You'll get sick."
"Eh, don't worry, I'll be fine," Raihan waves of Kabu's concern as he looks at the man through half-lidded eyes and gives him a confident smirk. That's when Flygon decides to wander over to Raihan and lay down on his stomach. "Oh, don't do that!" He pushes at her head to make her move. "You're too heavy!" She makes some chirping sounds, insulted, but does move to lay on the grass next to him instead.
"I don't think she appreciates being called heavy, Raihan." When Raihan looks up from Flygon, he sees Kabu has now finished cleaning up after their dinner and is standing above him, looking down at him.
Enjoy it while it lasts, old man, Raihan thinks to himself. It's not often Kabu gets to tower over him, with their considerable height difference.
"Sorry, girl," he turns his attention to Flygon again. "I just meant you can't plop down on my stomach like that when I've just eaten." Flygon chirps in response, already sounding happier. Apology accepted, then.
"We should keep going, or we won't get to Motostoke before it gets dark," Kabu tells him.
As if he didn't know that already. But they still have some hours before the sun even starts to set, so a few more minutes probably won't make any difference. Raihan lifts both his arms up towards Kabu, silently asking the older man to pull him up from the ground. Instead, when Kabu grabs his hands, he pulls the man down on top of him on the grass.
"Raihan!" Kabu exclaims, somewhat shaken from the unexpected fall. He's giving Raihan a very annoyed glare, letting him know this is not an appreciated surprise.
"C'mon," Raihan teases him, still holding on to the man to prevent him from getting back up. "It's not good to exercise right after eating, didn't you know? Might as well take a little break before we keep going. Besides," he adds when Kabu starts to say something, "I like having you like this."
And like it he does, probably more than he would like to admit. There's just something about laying down and having Kabu sitting on top of him, straddling his hips, looking down at him like that. Sends shivers up his spine, in the best way possible. Raihan carefully lets go of Kabu's arms, now confident he won't move away, at least for now, and instead places them loosely around his waist.
"Fine," Kabu finally sighs, relaxing somewhat into Raihan's hold. "But only for a few minutes."
A few minutes turns into nearly half an hour when Raihan keeps running his hands soothingly all over Kabu's back and arms, and the older man completely relaxes into Raihan, almost nodding of for a bit, too. It was all very nice and relaxing.
Until Kabu had the sense to look at the time and immediately jump up, pull Raihan up and tell him of about how they have been laying around long enough and need to keep going. Within a few minutes they have everything packed up, Pokémon in their Pokéballs (asides from Ninetales, Arcanine and Flygon. And the Sizzlipede that crawl back inside Kabu's coat), and all ready to keep going all the way to Motostoke.
The rest of the journey is spent chatting about whatever comes to their minds, everything from the strange weathers in the Wild Area to where the best restaurants in Galar are. (Kabu seems to think they're in Motostoke, while Raihan believes they're in either Hammerlocke or Wyndon.)
The most exciting thing that happens is Arcanine chasing after some Bunnelby, only to nearly fall into the lake when a nearby Mudsdale doesn't really appreciate the disturbance. After that incident, the canine stays close to Kabu and Raihan, leaving all the Bunnelby alone.
The sun is just starting to set when the pair and their Pokémon arrive at the gates to Motostoke. They recall their Pokémon as they enter the city. It's quite a bit darker within the walls surrounding Motostoke, but the streetlights do a good job at providing light.
After the relative peace and quiet of the Wild Area, the noises from the city almost feel louder than usual. Especially when Motostoke has all that steam powered machinery and the heavy rotating wheels all over the place.
Raihan mentions as much to Kabu when they're walking through the city to where Kabu lives. Raihan lets the man take the lead, since he actually has no idea where he lives. The centre of the city? Near the gym? On the outskirts, just barely within the city limits?
"it is quite a contrast," Kabu comments on what he just said, looking over at Raihan. "I'm personally quite used to it, but the Pokémon don't really like all the mechanical noises, which is why I live a bit from here, in a quieter part of the city."
Well, that answers the question of where Kabu lives. Not in the centre and not close to the gym, as the gym is pretty much in the middle of the city. He probably has quite a walk to work every morning. Then again, Raihan can easily imagine Kabu jogging to the gym every morning, regardless of weather, or temperature or anything else.
They walk through the centre of the city, past the gym and up the stream that flows through Motostoke. Gradually, the buildings start to thin out, there's less and less machinery and people and more space and small houses with fenced-in yards and such. Raihan didn't even know there was such a place in the city.
"Here we are," Kabu finally says as they stop in front of one of the houses. It doesn't look like anything special, and really not someplace a Gym Leader would live. It's a relatively small house, just one floor, with a small front porch, some flowers growing on the front lawn next to a stone statue of a Growlithe. Raihan has a suspicion some of those might be from Turffield. Gifts from Milo? Or just brought there?
The only thing that sticks out even a little bit is that the back yard is surrounded by a hedge, in addition to the fence. Raihan can imagine the back yard is for Kabu's Pokémon more than anything else.
"Looks nice," Raihan comments casually. "Cosy. I like it."
"You've seen it for all of three seconds. From the outside," Kabu points out, looking rather amused.
"Are you going to invite me to see the rest of it, or are we going to continue admiring the outside?" Raihan can't help teasing the man, just a little.
"So impatient," Kabu shakes his head, before leading them both to the house. "And no, were not going to stand out here all night."
The entrance is a bit small, Raihan notices as he toes of his sneakers and hangs his coat and hoodie on the coat hanger. There's a single door next to him, behind which a quick peak reveals a bathroom far larger than any one person needs.
"Arcanine sometimes likes playing in the mud, and he usually needs a wash after," is Kabu's answer when Raihan asks about it.
The rest of the house is mainly a large and open place, probably to have room for the Pokémon. The kitchen area is fairly big and is well-stocked and well-used, clearly belonging to someone who likes cooking, and does lots of it.
The dining table is fairly small, only for one, maybe two people. There's a large couch, far too big for one person, probably brought with the Pokémon in mind. The television sitting on an old shelf looks about twenty years old and Raihan guesses Kabu hasn't gotten a new one since he moved to Galar. There's also an old-timey fireplace, and Raihan can totally imagine himself and Kabu cuddling in front of it on some cold evening.
The wall facing the backyard is covered in huge floor to ceiling windows and glass sliding doors that lead to said backyard. There's only one other door in the house, leading to what Raihan assumes is the bedroom.
There's an area that looks like it was once a guest bedroom, but the wall was taken down to connect it to the rest of the house. It seems to be functioning as the Pokémon's sleeping area, judging by the pet-beds, poke-toys and pillows there.
"Make yourself at home," Kabu tells Raihan, walking past him to the kitchen while Raihan is busy gawking at the house. "You can let your Pokémon out as well. I'm sure they would appreciate it."
It embarrassingly takes a few moments for Raihan to notice Kabu has already let his own Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, and the Sizzlipede have crawled from his coat and are nestled in the fireplace. Arcanine leaps to the other side of the room, letting himself into the backyard by pushing the doors open with his snout. The doors automatically close after him. Some Pokémon follow him, others make themselves comfortable in various places indoors.
"Sure, if you say so," Raihan agrees, letting his Pokémon out to explore the new environment. While he's letting them know to behave, and not do anything stupid before letting them go explore, he notices Kabu making his way to the kitchen area, putting on a kettle and taking out some cups from a cupboard.
If he thought Kabu looked at home in the Wild Area, it has nothing on how Kabu looks in his own kitchen. Raihan briefly leans against the wall as he takes in the somewhat domestic scene. He imagines waking up in the morning to Kabu cooking breakfast here. Or coming home after some tough battle, being able to relax with the older man. He soon realizes he's daydreaming and snaps out of it.
We're not living together, he reminds himself.
But it would be nice, wouldn't it? Another part of his mind whispers to him.
And it would indeed be nice, yes. But it's not happening, in the near future at least, so best to keep his mind in the present.
"So, what are you doing?" Raihan comes up behind Kabu, wraps his arms around the man's waist, resting his chin on top of that silvery-grey hair. He looks to be boiling water, but Raihan has been wrong before.
"I'm making tea," Kabu tells him, turning around to give Raihan a quick kiss before ducking out and away from his arms. "I like to have a good cup of tea before going to bed. It's very relaxing."
"You planning on going to bed already, old man?" Raihan teases him, leaning back against the counter, looking at Kabu meandering around in the kitchen. When he looks at the clock, he notices it's only a little past eight. He had been hoping to have some fun with him before sleepy time.
"Maybe," Kabu sounds almost as teasing as Raihan, giving him a small smile. "But since you're here, I'm guessing there won't be much sleeping involved, at least right away."
"I like the way you think," Raihan is right back to flirting. He'll happily keep the old man up all night. "Why don't we skip the tea and go straight to bed?"
"So impatient," Kabu chides him, taking his time grabbing the kettle with the now boiling water and pours two cups, handing one to Raihan. "We have plenty of time." He then takes a box with tea bags, selecting one for himself before handing them to Raihan. "Besides, we need to feed the Pokémon, too, so they're good until tomorrow."
"I guess so." Raihan knows Kabu is right, but that does nothing for his impatience. He knows he's behaving a bit like a hormonal teenager, but there's just something about being here, in Kabu's home, alone with the man, knowing what they're going to do once they actually get to the bedroom.
He sips his tea, decides it needs some sugar and dumps several teaspoons of the stuff into it before drinking it up in a few gulps, nearly burning his tongue in the process. He then looks at Kabu who's calmly sipping his own tea that he just put a bit of honey in. The older man gives Raihan an mused look, no doubt because of his impatience.
Whatever. Raihan decides to make himself useful by making sure to feed the Pokémon so there won't be even more delays. Kabu lets him know where to find the food, but he handles it mostly by himself. Even if he's not very good at feeding himself healthily, he can at least feed Pokémon well.
He even goes to check the backyard to make sure all the Pokémon get in and get food. While he's at it, he also gets a look at said backyard. It really big. Probably bigger than the house itself. There's a small pond, some rocks and trees. It's nice.
Kabu finishes the last of his tea almost at the same time Raihan is done feeding the Pokémon. He watches Kabu put away their mugs before locking the doors for the night, after making sure all the Pokémon are inside. He then turns to Raihan, who really can't contain himself anymore.
"Bed now?" he asks. Kabu smiles and takes his hand, leading him toward that one room in the house he's yet to see.
"Yes, Raihan. Bed now."
Kabu opens the bedroom door and lets Raihan in before closing it behind them. Raihan is rather distracted by taking in the room, but he hears the confused bark from Arcanine as the door is closed in front of his nose.
The bedroom itself isn't the biggest he's ever seen, but the bed certainly is. Far bigger than a man Kabu's size would need. It would probably easily fit three of Raihan.
Asides from the bed, the room doesn't have too much. A work desk with a laptop, papers and a few framed pictures. He'll have to have a closer look in the morning, as he really doesn't have the patience now. There are some drawers, a closet and a door leading to presumably a bathroom. It's cosy, just like the rest of the house.
But right now, all Raihan is interested in is the bed, and more importantly, getting Kabu in the bed. As he turns around to find the man, he finds him standing right behind him. He wastes no time grabbing him and pulling him into a passionate kiss, running his hands all over his body. Hair, arms, chest, hips, everything.
Kabu is also not slacking off, giving as good as he gets. His hands are primary in Raihan's hair and on his shoulders as he hauls himself up to make up for their height difference. They occasionally have to break apart in order to breathe and Raihan takes the opportunity to nibble his way down Kabu's jawline and neck, listening to the throaty groans he pulls from his throat.
Hey, it's perfect, as Raihan likes to bite and Kabu has a sensitive throat. Therefore, they both really like Raihan's teeth on Kabu's neck. It doesn't take long for Kau to be whimpering, arching into Raihan, pulling him into another kiss as they stumble toward the bed.
As soon as they reach the bed, which really took longer than it should, at least in Raihan's opinion, he turns them around and hauls Kabu onto the bed, climbing on top of him. He then slots himself between Kabu's legs, leaning down to kiss him again, pressing the man into the bed as he covers him with his whole body. They're now grinding together, Kabu yanking at his hair and making more of those lovely noises. Raihan starts reaching down, slipping his hands underneath Kabu's shirt with the intention of slipping it of, but that's when Kabu decides to take charge.
The older man somehow manages to get some leverage on the bed, flipping them over so he's on top, looking down at Raihan from where he's straddling his hips. Looking down at him with a cocky grin as he runs his hands over Raihan's torso.
"You didn't think I'd let you push me around the first night in my own bed, did you?" he whispers seductively before cutting of any answer Raihan might have made with another kiss.
Raihan can't say he minds. Not at all.
A/N: I think my next fic in this series might be the smut that's set right after this one. I'll have to see how it goes.