NOT a usual Gadgeteer stop--by Dark Mrowlidash.
If you didn't read the summary, I'll sum it up now, this is NOT about the Monster Rancher anime, but about the GAME Monster Rancher 4. Enjoy if you like. Go away if you don't. Reviews are nice. Flames feed the Dragons. I don't own anything.
Pair: PollockPhayne
Now read.
It was the beginning of October, and the wind knew it, swirling about the ranch in little gusts, carrying leaves and bits of things with it. Yet it was calm, and cool.
The ranch was big, as most successful ranches are, and yet there wasn't a lot of sound coming from the training field. Many gadgets lined this field.
And also in the field, sat a boy. In a chair, half-sleeping.
The boy's eyes were closed. He was dreaming of nothing, thinking of nothing. Just relaxing in the cool of the wind.
And then he heard it. A faint tune, being carried to his ears. A whistling that could only belong to one man in all of IMA.
He did not look up. He did not open his eyes. He decided that he would let the whistler come to him, rather than he try to draw him forth with his eyes.
The unheard footsteps grew closer, the whistling was louder, the man was approaching.
The boy continued to sit, as if unaware. The man, finally reached his chair.
The whistling stopped.
"Hey, Phayne.", he said. "I know you're not asleep so look at me."
The boy honored the man's request. He slightly tilted his head, cracking an eye open.
The man before him was a familiar sight. Not old, but not young, silver hair catching the waning October light, eyes warm, smile full of an almost irritable charm. He was calm like the boy, and composed in a way that could only come with age--but, he had a sorrowful aura around him, like a neglected animal. An aura he wanted to see removed. And yet...
He was so free, and he showed it with his movement. He moved with the wind, never against, and the wind moved with him. He had no ranch, no monsters of his own. Just himself and his wares and his customers and no one else. Nobody else to bother him.
And nobody else to comfort him.
"Pollock. It's been a while.", said Phayne, finally acknowledging his existence and turning fully towards him, opening both eyes.
"I know. When was the last..."
"February."
"It has been a while.", Pollock said, cocking his head to the side and looking upward.
"So...", Phayne said, trying to find a good conversation. "How's Gadget sales?"
"Good, as usual. I've got quite a bit of gold now, maybe enough to rival you?", he jested.
"Maybe in a thousand years, my friend.", Phayne said, giving a slight smile at 'my friend'.
Pollock just grinned. "Fine then. Anyway, how's your monster raising going?"
"Kyo's just fine.", he said, pointing to a ShogunMogi that was meditating with fervor in its Stonehenge Gadget.
"I see you're putting that Gadget of mine to good use."
"I do that with all your Gadgets. It's the only way to raise good monsters.", Phayne said, nodding at his vast ranch.
"You've certainly got a lot of talent, Phayne. If I was a rancher I wouldn't be this good. What rank is Kyo now? B?"
"A. Just attained it. And Kyo's still kicking. We'll be S before long.", said Phayne, confident.
The two feel silent for a while. Both looking around at the great ranch, at Kyo's dutiful meditation, at eachother... eachother's eyes...
"Well.", said Pollock, breaking the silence. "Since I am a gadgeteer, I'm here to sell gadgets. You need anything?"
"I've had my eye on an M Thunder M for quite a while..."
"Now, now, you know that's Swift's business. I don't sell those kinds of gadgets."
"I know, just checking."
"So, anything else you need?", asked Pollock, hoping for something that even he didn't know.
Phayne just thought, slowly. "I have what I need. Is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?" He was so obvious. But he wanted to do something. Something to make the man in front of him happier.
"Why would I need anything?", said Pollock, slightly confused.
Phayne caught himself, he remembered that this was just a routine gadgeteer stop. That this wasn't a time to get to know Pollock. To try to draw him out of his shell. To heal him. And yet he looked almost pleadingly at the man. He knew something was wrong!
"I just thought..."
"That I'm a lonely old man for you to taunt?", said Pollock, Phayne's comment striking just a bit too close to home, with him realizing only too late what he had said.
"I wasn't taunting!", cried Phayne, glaring.
"But now you know, don't you?", Pollock sighed, slumping his shoulders.
"I don't know anything...", Phayne said, rising, "but this."
And then he did what no one expected, what no one saw for a thousand miles coming...
He kissed Pollock. He kissed him on his lips and it felt so amazingly right. He just knew he'd regret it later, and whatever Rio had to say would sure sting, but he had to and he did and he felt better for it.
And Pollock, his face seemed to turn redder with each movement of his tongue, with each caress of Phayne's roaming hands on his body.
When Phayne broke the kiss, he felt weak, and lay himself slackly against Pollock, twining his arms around the man and looking up.
Pollock could only stand, not entirely sure what had just happened, and not sure if he wanted it to end, or repeat.
"Phayne... what on earth have you done?", said Pollock, slightly breathless.
"Nothing much. I just kissed you, that's all.", Phayne said, usual attitude back in place.
Pollock smiled both outwardly and inwardly. This charming boy just seemed to worm his way into everyone's heart. He cuddled him against his chest, happy to have such a wonderful thing in his arms.
"Now now, you can't keep me! You have more stops to make.", said Phayne, laughing.
"I know...", said Pollock, saddening again, knowing that he would have to wait several months to see Phayne again, this boy who in one action managed to change his life.
"Don't worry. Go deliver gadgets to others, and keep in mind that one day soon, you're going to see me again. The months will fly!"
"Maybe you have a point.", said Pollock, gathering himself and allowing Phayne to unglue himself from his chest. "I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that.", Phayne said, smiling.
Pollock smiled back, and turned to leave, when Phayne stopped him.
"You've forgotten something.", said Phayne, smiling again, this time more fiendishly.
"What?", said Pollock, having an idea.
"What about my return kis--"
Phayne was cut off. Pollock had seized him in a hug, laying his lips across Phayne's and not caring about anything.
When he was finished, he let go of Phayne, grinning like a total fool.
"Bye now, Pollock. I'll miss you."
"Take care now."
And with that, the master gadgeteer walked away.
Phayne smiled at the wind, which blew about his somewhat rumpled hair playfully, like Pollock's hands might do one day. One beautiful day.
---
And in the distance, it was heard...
"Swift's going to be sooo jealous..."
END