WARNING: This chapter gets a little somber, so be prepared.

Lyman knew he was making a mistake. He knew he shouldn't have opened up, and indulged in his feelings. He wasn't going to deny it anymore, he possessed really strong feelings for his housemate. He didn't want to call it love. He's never felt love for someone before, not romantic love. So he still wasn't entirely sure. All he knew is that he wanted to be close to him, to hold him, to call him his. But look where that got him.

He'd been sitting at the same table for about 40 minutes, unable to escape the pain in his chest. He could've just left, but something was telling him not to. He felt like leaving would only make things worse. He looked over to see that the two Pokemon were no longer dancing, but instead chatting on the sidelines. He grumbled to himself and looked away.

This is what I get. I shouldn't have let him and Lucy get to me. I was right not to let people get close, and maybe this wouldn't have happened. I don't like him. I don't like him. I don't love him...

Too wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the Lucario he had on his mind walking up to him. He was shaken out his own mind by said Lucario calling for him repeatedly.

"Lyman. Lyman. Is everything okay?"

Lyman looked up, and was met with a worried look.

"Huh?"

The Lucario put a paw on his shoulder.

"Are you alright? Why are you sitting alone?"

Lyman looked away and crossed his arms.

"I'm fine. I just wanna be left alone right now."

Lucien smiled down at him.

"Nonsense! This is party, come on let's dance!"

He grabbed his arm, trying to pull him to the dance floor. Lyman snatched his arm away from the Lucario, much to his surprise.

"I don't dance. And I said I want to be left alone."

He looked away, and Lucien huffed at how stubborn he was being.

"Come oooon. If you wanted to be alone, then why stay? I've been wanting to dance with you all night, so come on. Pleeeease?"

Lyman's resolve weakened hearing that the Lucario was waiting to dance with him, but then he remembered Monty practically grinding on him while he just let it happen. His heart hardened again, and he growled.

"No! What part of 'I want to be left alone don't you understand?!"

The Lucario flinched at the raising of his voice, and backed away with a saddened look. Lyman's eyes widened as he looked around, he was getting a few stares, and he noticed Lucy looking at him, disappointed. He growled before stomping to the bathroom, walking into a stall and slamming it closed.

He looked down at the tiled floor angrily, his leg shaking uncontrollably. He grabbed his head and growled loudly.

"RRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH!"

Why did I do that?! What's wrong with me?! He wanted to dance and I yelled at him! I am a colossal fucking moron. GAH!

His chest began to burn, and tears threatened to form in his eyes. If he did have any chances before he just ruined them. He looked up in thought.

Why am I like this? Why can't I just be honest? Why do I push people away?

It was then that he realized he could still do something right. He had lived his whole life pushing people away because he was afraid. Afraid that he'd do something to ruin it and end up alone. Afraid his looks and achievements would get in the way again. He let it follow him to freshman year, and actively took steps to avoid doing anything with anyone other than Lucy, Alex and Cyrus.

It didn't follow him this time however. Here was someone who actively tried to get to know him, and hadn't judged him based on his looks and liked him for who he was. And he was was trying to push him away again. His brows furrowed.

Fuck.

Lyman stood up and wiped his borderline tears. He'll be damned if his emotions were gonna stop from getting what he wanted. And right now, what, or rather who, he wanted was Lucien.

He left the stall, fixed his hair and his costume, and looked in the mirror. His reflection revealed a look of determination. He exited the bathroom, and scanned the room for Lucien. He found him sitting with Lucy and Cyrus, talking and giving them that fake smile he normally gave people to mask how he usually felt. He steeled himself, and walked up to them. He cleared his throat, earning him the attention of everyone in the vicinity, yet the Lucario didn't drop his fake smile. Lyman looked down at Lucien, a slight blush on his face.

"Can we talk?"

Lucien raised a brow, dropping his smile.

"I thought you wanted to be left alone."

Lyman sighed.

"I...I changed my mind. I just wanna talk. Please?"

The Lucario turned up his nose, and crossed his arms.

"Well maybe now I wanna be left alone."

Lyman's ears lowered, and he huffed. He picked the Lucario up and held him like a surfboard, ignoring the surprised looks from everyone in the vicinity. He kept looking ahead, and starting walking toward the exit, while Lucien was blushing and looked around.

"H-Hey! What are you doing! Put me down! People are staring!"

He looked back to see Cyrus giving him a smirk and Lucy giggling. He kept his composure but lifted the Lucario up higher and bit his ear.

"Yeah yeah I don't care. We need to talk. I'll start carrying you bridal style if you don't be quiet."

The Lucario 'meeped' and stayed quiet, still squirming and blushing.

Lyman carried him outside, and eventually Lucien relaxed. It was dark out, and they were the only ones around. Everyone was either at home at the party. Lyman breathed in the cold autumn air, and looked down at Lucien, who was looking at the ground whimpering and blushing. Lyman walked to the nearby park, and sat Lucien down on a bench and sat next to him. Lucien looked up at him and punched his arm lightly, making the Lycan flinch.

"I deserved that. I know."

Lucien pouted and looked up at him.

"You did! I don't get you sometimes. One moment you want to be my friend, another moment you're being an asshole! One moment it feels like we're close, another moment you're telling to go away! It's just so confusing a little hurtful. You don't have to force yourself to be my friend, so if you don't want to be just say so. It'd be easier than keeping up this facade."

Lyman sighed and looked down sadly.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I want to be friends with you, I really do. You're fun to be around, you make me happy, and I wanna get close to you. But...I just have a hard time breaking down my own walls, and it makes me act like how I was earlier. And I'm sorry for yelling at you. You didn't deserve that."

Lyman steeled himself, and looked up at the night sky.

"I usually just find it hard to get close to people, because ever since I was a kid, I was placed on a pedestal by the adults around me, and it made it hard for me to make any real friends, besides the obvious exceptions."

Lucien put a paw on his shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me any more if you don't want to."

Lyman shook his head.

"No no. I feel like I should."

(Flashback)

I was raised on Poni Island in Alola. I lived with my father, Dimitri, my mother, Roxanne, and my little sister Susie. Lucy and Alex were always childhood friends, our parents knew each other, and I've known them since we were kids. They're almost like siblings to me. We didn't struggle much, and my sister and I got whatever we wanted with little resistance. I didn't need many friends in elementary school and middle school, but High School was different. People seemed afraid of me, because I was always looming over them, and my aggressive disposition didn't help. No one approached me, and were always too afraid of me to stick around. Lucy and Alex fit in perfectly. Lucy met Cyrus, and she was always around his friends, and Alex was popular with everyone. I had gotten used to being alone. What made things worse was that I was always aiming for the top. I figured that if I did well in my classes, that people would find me more approachable. But it only made things worse.

The teachers and staff would praise me, call me a prodigy, and say I was a model student. The whispers and murmurs that occurred when I passed by were hard to ignore. People called me arrogant, and cocky, assuming that I was silent and lonesome because I thought no one was worth my time. And it hurt to hear. They're the ones that didn't even try to get to know me, then pushed me away because of their stupid assumptions.

Then, in 10th grade I'd received a letter from the principal, saying he'd used his connections to get a place for me at Atmos. I was the first student to get accepted so early, and he was proud of me. He announced it at a quarterly award ceremony, with me having no knowledge of it. He told me to come to the stage, expecting me to be congratulated by my peers, but no one clapped. Lucy and Alex only gave me sympathetic stares, but stayed silent, and everyone else just glared, making me feel like I didn't deserve it. It almost made me feel like I didn't. It was painful, but I wasn't gonna ignore such an amazing opportunity to slip through my fingers for popularity.

About a month after that, one of the popular jock students tried to give me a hard time one day, and tried to fight me. But we got caught in the middle of it, everyone around tried to make it seem like I started it, but Lucy and Alex came to the office to vouch for me. If they hadn't, I could've gotten expelled, with all the outrageous lies the other students were telling about me. When our peers found out that they're lie didn't work, one of the popular kids had gotten injured by me, and that I got off punishment free, they had went from ignoring me, to hating me fully. But I didn't care. I hated them too. I had set up my walls, and decided that if people wouldn't get to know me, then I didn't care. I graduated with the 2 people I cared about, and I was fine with that.

(End Flashback)

Lucien looked up at Lyman sadly.

"I'm sorry that happened."

Lyman looked down at him with a half smile.

"It's in the past now. I'm over it, but obviously it changed me in a way that made me push away people that try to get close to me. And I'm sorry that I've been putting you through what I have. You're one of the first people I've felt comfortable around in years, and have opened up to and I'm glad I did. I'm...I'm glad I met you."

He gave Lucien a genuine smile, and the Lucario smiled back.

"Me too."

They both sat in silence for a bit, enjoying each other's company. Lyman looked down at Lucien, before finally speaking up.

"So what's your story?"

Lucien looked up at him, confused.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Lyman leaned forward and rest his arms on his legs.

"Well. Everyone has a story to tell, be it a good one or a bad one. It feels right to ask what yours is."

Lucien leaned back against the bench.

"Hm. No one's ever asked for my story before. I usually keep things like that to myself..."

He grabbed his arm and looked away. Lyman leaned toward him, concern all over his face.

"Well that can't be good for you. I'm asking because I really wanna know. Take this as a chance to vent."

Lucien sighed.

"Alright. B-But only because you're the first person to ask, and you told me about your past."

(Flashback)

I used to live in Geosenge town with my mother Ciara Valore, a Lucario and my father Julius Valore, a Pyroar. I lived happily with them as an only child until I learned 8, when my mom laid Twin eggs, that ended up hatching into a Litleo and a Riolu. My little brother and sister Lori and Lionel were introduced to our family.

My Dad worked for a company that developed apparel meant to hold Mega Stones, as well the stones themselves. He worked hard, despite not being able to Mega Evolve himself, and eventually worked his way to the top, directly under the CEO as a trusted executive. He was always offered the seat at the top, but declined because he knew he'd have less time with his family. He worked hard, but no matter what, he made sure to make time for his kids and wife. He was there every morning before school, and at night to make dinner for us all. He always seemed happiest when he was with him family.

My mom was an overnight nurse, and worked just as hard as my father. She took care of my brother and sister throughout the day, and did her job as a nurse at the Shalour Hospital. I asked her why she worked so hard at night, despite dad making a lot of money. She said that she wanted to do just as much as our father, who always cared for his family above all else.

We lived happily for 8 years. But one day, when I turned 16, I came home from High School to find my brother and sister standing over our mom, who'd collapsed. I immediately called the emergency services, and afterwards my father. She'd been taken to the Shalour Hospital, and my father had driven us to hospital to be with her. I was with him when the doctors informed us that she'd passed suddenly from a stroke, most likely from high blood pressure and the stress of overworking herself. My father questioned why he'd never known, she had always seemed fine at home, and was always happy and smiling. The doctor apologized saying she'd been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure a long time ago, and he'd assumed she'd told us. My father turned away, with a solemn look on his face, and said he'd like to be alone with his wife. The doctor left the room, whispering another apology, and I was told to leave.

I met my siblings in the waiting room, both of them sitting and looking around, worried. They asked if our mother was going to be okay, and my heart broke a little when I told them "Mommy's gone".

After that, my father dedicated all his time to his work. He was a shell of his former self, often leaving us home alone to care for ourselves. He spoke less, he rarely left his room when he was home, and often gave us whatever we wanted when we asked. It was almost as if he did it so we could leave him alone as soon as possible. Almost as if he blamed us for what happened to our mother.

He became short with Lionel and Lori, scolding them for little things, and developed little patience around them. Thankfully he never struck them. If he had I don't know what I would've done. But that was when I started doing all the cooking and cleaning. I took my mother's place in my siblings' eyes. I made sure to drop them off at school, take them home, make sure they were fed, attended all their school events, and handled the responsibilities at home. All the while making sure my grades never suffered.

After a while, my father informed us we'd be moving to Unova, saying he'd accepted the CEO position, but that meant he'd have to work overseas at the branch in Castelia. We didn't have a choice, and we had moved within the year. By then I had already resigned myself to thinking that our father didn't care about us anymore, and decided I'd take care of my younger siblings when I got older. I resented him for choosing work over us, and never accepted any gifts he sent. I signed up for Atmos U, did all the paperwork and applications myself, and got accepted.

I wanted my siblings to live the rest of their lives happily, and I'd do as much as I could for them before they became adults, and fill our parents shoes the best I could. At the same time, I made sure to smile and be strong...for them.

(End Flashback)

Lyman stared at him, wide eyed. The Lucario had taken off his mask, and was looking at the ground sadly.

"That's why I work so hard. That's why I have to be strong. I don't want anyone to feel bad for me. I've learned to rely on myself the most, cause I've not had anyone else to."

Lyman looked at him, full of nothing but sympathy for his housemate.

"I'm...sorry that happened. I never expected someone as happy and caring as you to have gone through something like that."

Lucien chuckled.

"It's just how it is I guess. I always put on a mask, like my mom. I try to be happy so the people I care about can be happy too."

Lyman frowned at him, and pat his shoulder.

"I'm sure your mom would be proud of how strong you've become. You're an amazing son, older brother, and she'd be glad to know how hard you're working for them. But you should learn to have faith in others. You have me now, and Lucy and Alex, and Cyrus. We'll help you in a heartbeat."

Lucien wipes his growing tears.

"Thanks Lyman. I appreciate it."

He looked up at him with a waning smile, and Lyman smiled back, before frowning.

"It's okay to cry Lucien."

The Lucario looked at him, confused, and started to tear up again.

"What are you talking about? I'm...I'm f-fi..."

He covered his face with his paws, unable to stop the tears from flowing. Lyman put an arm around his shoulder as he sobbed quietly. He leaned against Lyman, who only embraced him further, comforting him.

"It's okay. You can rely on me now. I promise."