Not much to say here. Thanks for reading!
When morning comes, Morty rouses from sleep, the pillow way more comfy than he remembers the night before. He takes a deep breath and stretches, feeling something heavy next to him when his memories catch up with him. It's like watching a movie on fast forward and his eyes burst open.
He starts realizing his head sits on Layla's chest, her breasts the 'way more comfy' pillow rather than his actual pillow. From the stairs, Nox looks back at him with a bigger smile than normal, the pokemon loving to tease his trainer about his crush on the woman.
Morty sits up slowly, as to not wake Layla, carefully catching the arm she had around his upper back in the process. His body aches from sleeping on the floor but it doesn't stop him from checking on Raikou.
On the porch, the sun starts to break over the horizon, the sky slowly brightening with each passing minute. The electric type stretches out as Morty hobbles over, its red eyes less angry as it takes him in. He bows his head to the pokemon, gesturing for it to take its time as he pulls some berries from Layla's bag.
He sets them in a pile by Raikou and moves away to give it space to eat, which it does without hesitation. While it's eating, Morty eyes the neck wounds from a distance, noticing they're fading already. Not quite closed, but not as much of an issue requiring human intervention.
At least in his eyes.
Layla should look at him, but a glance back at her finds her looking so comfy and peaceful, he can't wake her. Instead, he chooses to wait, grabbing a bar for breakfast and sitting near Raikou as the pokemon lays back down to rest some more.
Through the windows, Morty watches morning arrive, Spearow cry out in glee for a new day and bug types rustle around in the trees. The world comes alive as the storms have passed and the sun finally shows its face. It feels as though a weight has lifted from the world outside, the balance upset by a seemingly small interruption. The kind of interruption Morty wanted to avoid with the Beast Trio waking once more.
A few feet away, Layla finally stirs, yawning and stretching her body out beneath the cover. She tosses it aside and sits up, rubbing the fatigue from her eyes before turning to him. He turns his gaze away, his mind flashing back to his head on her chest, and gestures to Raikou.
"You did it."
"We did it," she croaks, her voice thick with sleep. She coughs while wandering over to them.
In the morning light she looks beautiful to Morty, her skin glowing and her green eyes sparkling in the sun's light. Her curls have fallen in disarray from the bun she made last night, framing her face softly as she approaches. The wrinkle in her clothes, bags under her eyes and blood on her shirt only seem minor when she smiles at him.
"He ate a bunch of berries," he informs her, passing a bar her way. "His wounds look much better."
Layla beams at that, wandering over to Raikou slowly. The pokemon stiffens at her approach, its eyes opening to watch as she holds her hands up and peers at his neck. It tilts its head to the side, its mane sliding away, to give her a better view as she kneels down.
"Wow," she gasps. "They're so much better."
The pokemon grumbles, standing up and moving past her and Morty with a slight limp in its step. She chalks it up to stiff limbs, not daring to stop the pokemon as he steps down past the stairs to outside. The two follow after it, watching as it stretches out on the dirt path, and shakes out its body. Sparks fly from it, scattering on the ground and disappearing, before he lets out a loud cry.
Layla plugs her ears, leaning into Morty as the sound echoes around them, like the sharp clap thunder makes from a bolt of lightning too close.
It turns back to Layla and Morty, its piercing eyes freezing them in place.
Thank you.
The voice slips in and out of their minds as the pokemon bows at them before taking off in the blink of an eye. A flash of yellow between the trees melts away in one breath.
Life filters back in, the sounds returning to normal, the pressure letting off of them and even a bit of wind coming by to greet them. Layla breathes it in deeply, loving the smell of flowers and summer in a scene so autumnal before her.
"That was..." she turns to face him and stops.
He glances down at her, purple eyes glittering in the early morning light, his lips parted in shock at the sight that was before them. His body still holding her close from her cowering from the roar, his hands tight on her waist from the fear he also felt. Now, he's just enraptured in her, eyes flashing to her lips, so soft and plush...
"Gen!" Nox interrupts, bumping between them to get Layla's attention and love.
"Nox," Morty groans, stepping back and rubbing his eyes. "That was amazing."
"It was," Layla chuckles, abiding Nox with a kiss on the head. Her lips feel cold at the contact and she shivers. "I need a shower and to brush my teeth. First, let's call Lance." She lets Gengar go to pull out her phone, already dialing his number when she spots Morty's frown. "What?"
"You have Lance's number?" he asks with a shuffle of his feet. "I didn't know you two were close."
She smiles at him, listening to the phone ring in one ear. "We're just friends Morty, trust me. He has enough baggage- Hey, Lance! Sorry to call so early but there was some trouble last night. Can you come to the Bellchime Trail?"
"Sure thing," he yawns. "I'm assuming Morty is there?"
"Yes, he is," she nods, looking at the gym leader, still averting his gaze from her. "He thinks we're dating, and you haven't even come over for dinner yet."
Lance barks a laugh. "Should I dress up then? I'll bring you flowers."
"He'll quit," she replies, watching Morty break into a small smile. "But for real, bring some people. I think it was a Team Rocket scheme."
She can feel his mood change at the mention and he promises to be there within the hour. After hanging up, she turns to Morty, who has made a call of his own to his Sages about what happened. She regards him carefully, it's adorable, his little bout of jealousy as long as it stays little. Her father was right about needing constant reassurance, just a hint that she was talking with Lance and he got worried...
"Hey," he speaks up as she heads to the shrine. He puts the phone away and moves to stand next to her. "Sorry about that. I just... Lance is very popular, I guess I was just..."
"Worried you had competition?" she tilts her head, her face flushed at her bravery. At his flushed nod, she laughs. "Trust me, Lance is too much of a pretty boy for me. I'd bully him into the ground. Besides, something tells me he's already in love. He's a friend."
"Right, I mean, you don't owe me anything," he stammers, following her inside. "And, um, it's competition for your fr-friendship?"
She laughs. "We're already friends, Morty. Look," she turns on her heel to look at him. "I like you, a lot. I know you dated Whitney and that it wasn't a good relationship. Jasmine gave me a small lowdown on it. If there's still some parts of that stuck with you, I understand. I think you already know I'm not going to be like that or let you get away with anything."
Morty freezes, his heart pounding at her confession, unable to think of something intelligent to say back. "O-oh, I-I..." He feels a bit of fear grab hold of him, watching her toy with her curls, clearly vulnerable, and takes a deep breath. If she's comfortable enough to say it, then the least he can do is say it too.
"I like you too," he whispers. "I just... Sometimes I feel ready, but there are times I don't. You make me want to try, but I'm... ugh, I hate this. I'm scared."
His words melt Layla's walls and she embraces him, around his middle, head in his chest. "I get it. I do. You've come a long way since then. If you want, I can wait until you're more comfortable..."
"N-no," he squeezes her tight. It feels so right to have her this close, like how they spent the night last night and how he awoke this morning. Her touch sets him on fire and he loves it. "I want this, I do. I just have these moments of doubt and I don't want you to think I'm ever doubting you."
Layla understands what he meant then, not that Lance was competition, but he wasn't good enough for her. He'd been led to believe he wasn't worth anything and that breaks her heart. Over the course of the summer, Morty has been nothing but caring and supportive of her issues. Offering her advice when she needed it or distracting her when it became too much.
She pulls back, keeping her arms around him and gazing up at him. "Morty, you're good enough. Why do you think I have the world's biggest crush on you? You're amazing and if I have to take the extra time to tell you that everyday, I will."
"Every day?" he questions, tilting his head. "That's a lot."
"Well, I mean it," she shrugs, smiling up at him. "How about we talk more over dinner tonight and we clean up this mess?"
It seems to be the diffusion he needs, all these intense emotions in his tired state has him on the edge of blasting meaningless questions at her. He nods, not really wanting to let her go, but allowing it in favor of some mindless cleaning. True to his word, Lance arrives in the hour, donning his usual suit and cape, and Dragonite at his side.
"Here you go," he grins at Layla, handing her a flower. "Managed to grab it on my way out of the house."
She giggles dramatically, placing it in her hair. "Oh Lance, you know how to make a lady happy."
"Okay, okay," Morty groans at them. "I will send in my resignation."
The three share a laugh, Morty feeling much better knowing Lance is in on the joke rather than looking down on it. They've always had a professional and respectful relationship; he wonders if it will change as he and Layla date.
The word brings a flush to his face as he clears his throat and gestures for Lance to follow him. "So, here's what happened..."
Agents show up not long after Lance, a few take pictures while others gather up the collar for evidence. Wesley shows up with Juniper beside him, both looking fierce in their uniforms. It brings Layla comfort to see her mother on the scene and she practically collapses into her arms.
"Long night?" Juniper runs her fingers over Layla's curls.
"The longest," she sighs. Then she remembers the blood vial and perks up. "Come with me."
She pulls her mom into the shrine, past the others to her medical bag near where they slept. Wesley joins them, curious as to how she managed to care for Raikou last minute with simple supplies. She takes out the vial of blood and holds it up for them to see.
"They were injecting it with something," she explains. "I doubt we could keep it here to test it. So I think testing it now wouldn't hurt. If something's wrong, we'll know first and can find it faster that way."
Wesley beams. "Amazing job. The lab can analyze it and dispose of it as well. We don't know if legendary pokemon even have special properties in their blood, but this is a start."
Layla gleams under the praise, handing it over to a tech for safekeeping as the scene gets logged. Morty and Lance speak about what happened at length while the others slowly disappear back to the League. Fatigue and stress catch up with Layla as she calls Joy to let her know what happened, Juniper offering to set up a meeting to speak with Joy about Raikou's appearance, and then opting to retire to her hotel.
Picking up the medical bag, she spots Nox wandering up to her with a bright red leaf in his hands. He gestures to the flower in her hair from Lance and holds up the leaf to it with a shy look on his face. It warms her heart to see him so taken with her and she accepts the leaf, wrapping the daisy Lance gave her in it before replacing it behind her ear.
"Heading to the hotel?" Morty's voice startles her from behind. He coughs realizing he scared her. "Sorry. I'm too quiet."
"No, you're not," she smiles, turning back to him. "And yes. I am. I need a hot shower, a hot meal and a fat nap."
"Did you still, um, want to have dinner?" he asks, reaching up to adjust his headband.
She smiles. "Yes, want me to cook?"
"No, I'll cook something," he shakes his head. "You've cooked enough for me."
"I won't make the tea though, it has to be drinkable," she laughs.
Her good mood transfers to him and he relaxes. "Sounds like a plan."
Before Layla leaves, Lance calls out to her and jogs over. "Just want to ask your thoughts on what was up with Raikou."
She scrunches her face in thought, her mind a little heavy with a need for sleep. "The collar dug into his skin, so I don't think they were just catching it to have it. My guess is they wanted to either knock it out to do tests or find a way to control it. Raikou is known for being hard on humans, so it would make sense catching it would be tough the traditional way. What do you think?"
Lance writes down her ideas, nodding along to her words before pocketing his notebook and considering it for a second. "I agree with both your theories. Knowing Team Rocket, it could be both... I'll let you go now, try not to get involved with more Rocket stuff, okay?"
"Hey, I didn't even go looking for it this time like I wanted," she shrugs. "I'll call you if I get swept up in more of it though."
He rolls his eyes. "Get out of here."
She does so, laughing at his frustration, and feeling much lighter than she has in a while. The walk back to the hotel goes by fast, she must look crazy with her frizzy hair, baggy eyes and probably pit stink. She orders food as soon as she gets into her room and strips away her clothes to step into the steaming shower.
Out of the shower, she slips on baggy sweats and Morty's sweater, she works on her hair until her food comes. She tosses it up and thanks the hotel service before shutting the door and rushing to the kitchen island. While hotel food is normally not her go to on trips, the reviews said they made the best chicken roasts with veggies and she couldn't help it.
Anything could satisfy her at this point.
Full stomach, clean hair and body, Layla sends out messages to everyone of the events and warns them she's going to sleep for the day.
OoOoO
Morty should have said he was going to order takeout, what was he thinking? He can't cook, at least not as well as Layla! She's going to laugh at him and take back everything she said earlier.
When he told Eusine about it all, he was supportive of Morty's offer, telling him she'd appreciate it either way and that helps. But will she really?
He sighs, looking at the assortment of breakfast foods he made, pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast and some chopped berries. It was a stressful day and Eusine had mentioned she liked breakfast foods, so he thought it would be nice to have some breakfast for dinner. Looking at it now, he feels kind of dumb, what if she's not in the mood or it?
The front door creaking open jars him out of his thoughts and he rushes down the hall to greet her. His heart flies into his throat seeing her in his sweater and some jeans. She looks comfortable and full of much more life than this morning, her green eyes as deep as a forest in the height of summer when she smiles at him.
"Hey," she greets, kicking off her shoes.
When she reaches for him, for a hug, he freezes, unsure how to proceed until she curls around him. He slides his arms around her, laying his cheek on her hair and breathing in her wonderful scent. "Sorry, I was nervous."
"There's nothing to be sorry for," she murmurs into his shoulder. "Smells delicious, what did you make? I'm guessing... bacon and pancakes?"
"Is that okay?" he pulls away, flushed in the face.
"Of course," she beams. "I always love breakfast for dinner."
He sighs in relief, pulling away and shyly taking her hand in his. "Eusine was right then."
"Don't tell him that."
She laces their fingers together and walks with him to the kitchen, her heart humming happily at how nice it feels to be this close to him. When she woke up, it felt as though years had passed and with the waning sunlight she definitely thought she'd slept for a full day. The momentary panic set her in a whirl of a quick shower and modeling different outfits in front of the mirror.
The thought of having this talk, finally, this talk with Morty had her heart racing and her thoughts a puddle in her skull. Did she actually tell him or was that a dream?
All of the anxiety disappeared when she stepped into the house. The floral, sweet smell of his home envelopes her, Morty's kitchen welcomes her. The hanging lights shining on the delicious breakfast foods begging to be eaten.
Her mouth waters at the sight of fluffy pancakes, thick syrup and crunch bacon just begging for a bite. While Morty grabs juice from the fridge, Layla loads up her plate with pancakes, bacon and eggs to start out. She takes a seat at the breakfast nook and smiles when Morty brings her a cup of juice.
"So," she starts after he gets his own food and sits across from her and they get a few bites in. "What do you feel comfortable talking about?"
He chews slowly, one arm crossed in front of him while the other holds the fork tight enough to turn his already pale skin white. "Well, you pretty much know the gist of it. It's been a few years, but I still lapse every now and then into hearing her words and stuff."
Layla deflates at his words. "Don't be hard on yourself. Recovery isn't linear."
"I know, I know," he nods. "I don't want you thinking you'll be my therapist. I won't be mopey all the time."
"You aren't mopey," she rolls her eyes. "It's okay to have some baggage, everyone does."
"Yeah, I just wish I didn't have this kind of baggage," he shrugs. "I just... I'm nervous about this. I want it, but I'm scared to let you down."
"Morty, you're one of my best friends," she tilts her head. "There will be little difference from our usual except more couple things like dates and stuff. I'm perfectly fine making myself happy, I just want to share it with you."
He flushes, his eyes darting to hers and then away. "There are just things I won't be used to."
"Like being wanted?" she raises a brow, when he nods shyly, she slides her hand across the table to hold his. "Oh, Morty. You make this so much fun."
"Can we just, um, take it slow?" he coughs, setting down the fork to accept her grasp. He runs his thumb over the back of her hand, seeking comfort in her warm touch.
"Of course," she smiles, squeezing his hand. "You are free to set whatever boundaries and I will respect them, just as you respect mine."
"Of course, I-"
"Oh, hello!" Eusine's voice cuts through the moment. Layla folds her lips in, her eyes closing as she should have expected this, listening to his steps hustle down the hallway. "I'm interrupting."
"We know," she turns to glare at him, still holding Morty's hand.
"But for good reason," he holds up his hands, not wasting time in getting a plate and filling it with food.
He scoots in beside Morty, pushing the gym leader closer to Layla, as he gets comfortable. It breaks their contact, but puts them back together as he puts an arm around the back of the seat. She leans close in the crook of his arm, pressing her leg to his as Eusine loosens his bow tie and takes off his gloves.
"So, you'll never guess what happened," he starts, digging into his food without ceremony. "I ran into that kid... Ian? No, Ethan! And we met up with those Rocket crooks."
"What!?" Layla and Morty start together, sitting up with wide eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. They were trying out some new machine to capture Raikou," he waves off their surprise, shoving a whole egg in his mouth. "They were using something called a 'Miracle Crystal' to lure it in. I think that's what caused the uptick in electric types coming in."
"Did you tell the G-men?" she demands.
"No... Of course I did!" he rolls his eyes. "I called your mother an hour ago and gave her all the details. I gotta go in tomorrow to sign the statement."
"This is insane," she breathes, leaning back against the cushions. "What are they trying to do?"
"I don't know, but they're being stupid," Eusine replies. "The trio are definitely all over the place though. I saw Suicune in Cianwood a couple weeks ago. Entei could be in Kanto for all I know."
"Do you think they're going after all three?" she glances between the two of them. "What would even happen if they're caught?"
Morty shrugs, his fingers coming to brush her cheek lightly. "I don't know. Raikou caused those thunderstorms, Suicune could cause high winds and Entei... Well, Mt. Silver isn't a volcano, but Cinnabar..."
"God, I hope the G-men will catch them before that," she sighs, focusing back on her plate. "I know I said I wanted experience, but I should have kept my mouth shut."
"Ah, they're working you hard?" Eusine smiles at her. "Good. You were getting too lazy at the daycare."
She kicks his leg. "Stop being a jerk."
"I mean, I'm happy for you," he groans, leaning to the side to soothe his leg. "So, are you guys getting married or what?"
"Eusine," she glares at him, hearing Morty nearly choke on his food. "Stop it."
"Sorry, bro," Eusine chuckles. "I couldn't help it. You two had heart eyes every time we hung out. I should have tried harder to keep you apart."
"You're the worst," she rolls her eyes. "Now we're going to date even harder."
"No!"
Eusine ends up staying for the rest of the night, joining them on the couch for a more detailed version of the events that transpired. All three of them met and helped Raikou in some way, what are the chances?
"They were trying to capture it," Eusine confirms. "They said they're doing experiments, just not what kind. The crystal could control it to a point, so they came up with a collar to see if they can have more direct control."
"Do you know what they were injecting in it?" Layla frowns. "There were little holes on his neck, syringe sized holes."
"I have no idea..." he considers it.
She can't look into it anymore, she promised everyone she wouldn't, including herself. The attack from Archer was too much, he proves he easily crosses the line to get people out of the way. His threat would no doubt turn into a promise if he finds out she's on his tail again.
When she says as much, Eusine's face hardens and Morty's grows somber.
"Yeah... That's fair, I don't trust that asshole," Eusine grumbles, leaning back. "I will continue what I'm doing, I'm not letting Suicune out of my sight."
"Does that mean you're leaving again?" Layla pouts. "I haven't made you food in a while."
"You don't have to tell me twice," he sighs. "Yeah, I think I'm on its tail. I can't stop now."
"Well, I won't be home for at least a few days more," she groans. "It's gonna be a long week."
"More time with Morty," Eusine teases. The two flush and he rolls his eyes. "You two are like children."
"And you're an asshole," she glares at him.
"Thank you, now," he stands up. "I'm going to the bathroom, after that we're leaving."
"'We'?" she raises a brow.
"Yes, I'm not letting you stay the night here," he nods, pointing a finger at the both of them. "Save room for Jesus."
"Eusine!"
Morty flushes, hiding in his headband and scarf as Eusine skips to the bathroom, dodging the pillows Layla lobs at him. Even though he's embarrassed, he feels good about how the day turned out and about moving forward with Layla. The whispers in his mind threaten to take over, but he forces himself to remain present and think of what Layla said.
They're already friends, there's just more stuff to share between them...
"Don't listen to him," Layla returns to the couch, misreading his worry. "You want to go slow, we can go slow."
He smiles at her. "I know. I tend to ignore Eusine about 99% of the time."
"I should head back though," she says, leaning on him a bit. "I have to meet with Joy and I volunteered to take the late shift tonight."
He wraps his arm around her, pulling her close. "That's okay. Thanks for having dinner here."
"Of course."
Layla leans on the arm around her shoulder, pulling her back to his chest as they wait for Eusine to break the moment again. Her heart pounds being this close to him, she closes her eyes to revel in it a bit longer. She never expected it to be so comfortable and normal, as if they had been doing this all along...
"Alright, say your goodbyes," Eusine returns a moment later, his eyebrow raising at the sight of the cuddling. "Morty, you don't hold me like that ever."
"I was practicing on her," he replies without missing a beat.
Layla laughs. "Eusine it's too cozy, so only if you're spending the night."
He pumps his fist as if he won a prize. "Okay, let's go."
At the door, Layla gives Morty a hug before wishing him a good night and skipping off with her arm looped in Eusine's. It's a beautiful night now that the storms have subsided and everything can breathe again. Rattata scamper around the streets as they pass, chittering and chuffing at Murkrow or at each other. There's no pressure weighing down on them in the air and no deafening rain beating down on them. It's so normal.
"What are you grinning about?" Eusine nudges her.
"How nice it is outside," she replies without missing a beat. "And Morty."
"Ugh, now I have to deal with you two being all lovey dovey?"
"You like it," she teases. "But really, your support means a lot."
"Of course. You two are my best friends, I want nothing but the best for you," he rolls his eyes. "Unfortunately, I will not be taking sides in arguments."
"Take his side," she shrugs. "I have Jasmine and he has you. It doesn't have to be sticky."
"It will be anyway."
"But, we can always figure it out."
Eusine grunts and she hugs his arm tight. She knows all about his issues with love and how his parents' marriage ended. Fighting, screaming and lots of nights spent in tears well in the early morning. The thought of his best friends dating must scare the crap out of him.
"It'll be okay," she murmurs as they approach the Pokemon Center.
"It's just something new and a change," he replies in a neutral tone. "I know I can trust you two, it's just... I can't have my life in pieces again."
"It won't," she states.
It could. But to start a relationship off with doubts will only cause it to fail and she refuses to have that with this one. Morty is too important to her and they have a lot ahead of them.
"I'm sorry to bring it down," he huffs as they pause outside the door. He turns to face her, the light from inside causing part of his face to glow. "I am happy for the two of you. And I don't mind third-wheeling on your dates."
Layla snorts. "Of course you can come."
"Be good to him," Eusine grins. "I know he'll treat you well. I just know you have a shorter temper than even I do."
"That's a lie."
They say their goodbyes with a hug and Layla enters the center with a smile and newfound energy to get through her night shift. Morty on her mind as well as Eusine's words of support. She supposes that's one good thing to come from Team Rocket's nasty plots, a new relationship and stronger bonds.