AN- Fixed up some problems in the older chapter. Here's hoping this really, really long one keeps everyone entertained!
My buddy and fellow writer Fowo drew some nice pictures to help inspire me, and although this site is terrible for posting links, it really is worth mentioning. I like that this story is inspiration for some people, and if anybody has the time, please check out her ff profile or tumblr and take a look at her works.
-Cyclone-
Erasure
It was a chilly morning during winter break. Maxie prided himself in being punctual and completing chores as soon as it was required, so he dragged Archie out from his hammock, and the two left the apartment to the more populated part of the city where they could apply for their trainer's card.
The semester had ended on a high note. Archie got all his finals completed, and left his classes feeling confident enough that he hadn't failed them. Obviously Maxie had passed all his classes. Archie didn't need to ask. He just knew.
Archie huffed and watched his breath spread out and disappear into the cold air. He buried his face into his scarf and pushed his beanie as far down as he could while trying not to show off just how worried he was. Maxie was dressed in several layers of clothing. Archie wondered how his roommate was capable of any kind of movement. The two of them stood at the corner of a busy intersection, waiting for the light to change. Maxie was careful with his envelope filled with paperwork. Archie rubbed his heel against the pavement. He wanted to his envelope under a bench.
"It's cold," he muttered.
Maxie shrugged. "It's winter."
Archie had not expected it, with Slateport being so far down south. Lilycove was cold, but the winds here made leaving the apartment almost unbearable.
He looked down at the large envelope in his hands.
It had been a long first semester. He thought about sending a letter to his father. Maybe let him know what was up.
The light changed and they crossed the street. Archie was sure Maxie was moving faster than normal. He supposed he couldn't blame him for taking larger strides. The guy was finally going to get his license and be able to do whatever he pleased with his Pokémon. Archie stared up at the cloudy sky, waiting for the sun to rest right in the middle, and for the day to just be over with.
"Are you feeling alright?" Maxie asked ahead of him.
"Hmm?" Archie scurried over, bringing himself back in pace with the redhead.
Maxie looked over at Archie. There was nothing shielding him from that intense stare, not even the stupid envelope in his hand. He scratched his face and looked ahead, trying to keep himself calm while the redhead finished reading him.
"You're going to be fine." Maxie rubbed his two gloved hands together, still looking quite calm despite that brief look of concern on his face.
Despite what Maxie said, Archie didn't feel too good about his odds. Maxie rested his covered hands against his cheeks, sighing again when he looked at Archie. "You're letting it get to you," he warned.
Archie watched the redhead produce a small pout. "Am I?" he asked.
"You're an adult," Maxie stated. It sounded almost too official. "This region recognizes that it can't hold you accountable for an unfortunate mistake that was made several years ago, and in another region."
Archie felt the ends of his mouth pull upwards into a small smiled. "You sound so sure," he muttered, feeling his face heat up some.
"I'm hardly ever wrong." He felt a warm, gloved hand rest on his shoulder. Archie stopped his in place, exhaling deeply through his nose as he tried to quell the growing anxiety.
Archie leaned close to Maxie. "You were wrong about me."
Maxie twitched and shirked away from the taller man, hiding his face from view. He buried his one gloved hand into his pocket while the other remained to the side, envelope at hand. His rigid movements made him look almost as anxious as Archie. It was nice to look at, even though it wasn't for the right reasons.
"You feelin' alright? "Archie continued to pester. He expected Maxie to hurry away from him. Maybe even give him some kind of dirty look.
"R-really." Maxie lightly coughed. "You're going to make an excellent trainer."
Archie shrugged. "Hmm."
"You're already doing a wonderful job with the Poochyena."
Archie let his stare lower on the single Poké Ball that was situated on Maxie's belt. Staring at it made Archie feel a little naked. He was one Poké Ball short, and would be until Maxie purchased balls for the Poochyenas at home. But even one ball short, he was glad. Maxie would make a decent trainer, and the little Zubat got along well with him, both being so small and serious about things.
His hand lowered on the single ball at his side. "Y'think so?"
"Knowing you," Maxie said while continuing his stride, "I wouldn't be surprised if it evolved in the near future."
Archie tried to imagine that fluffy little Pokémon doing anything beyond chasing whatever he tossed in its direction. He had never really taken the time to train a Pokémon, really train it. The thought of trying to evolve that quirky Poochyena seemed so…distant. Even thinking about his Zubat that way just felt so far away, almost unachievable. He didn't doubt Maxie for a second that he might have what it takes to be a good trainer, maybe even as good as what he thought Maxie might be one day. But actually becoming a trainer?
"You're thinking about it again," he heard Maxie comment.
"How do you know?
"You're wrinkling the envelope," he answered, pointing down at the manila casing that was getting crushed between Archie's tightly gripped fingers. The larger man made a sarcastic roll of the eyes as he relaxed his hold.
"Dang." Archie lifted it up and tried to fix it back into shape.
"Try concentrating on something else," he heard Maxie suggest.
Archie looked around, trying to take Maxie's advice as best as he could.
Maybe he'd write a letter and let his father know he finished his first semester. Or maybe he'd talk about trading Zubat for a Poochyena. Archie chewed the inside of his cheeks. He'd have to mention Maxie before he could talk about the trade though. And he'd have to bring up the fact that Maxie trusted him enough to take care of the little scamp. Oh, but what if the old man started asking questions?
This was getting complicated. Archie pushed the thought of the letter out of his mind again, and tried to focus on something else.
They had passed through the neighborhood, and had entered the shopping district. Archie wasn't sure when it had happened, but it was suddenly louder, and tiny houses and complexes were replaced with small stores and businesses. There were lights. There were people. There was trash. More plastic bags, emptied of its contents and left to flutter in the occasional breeze like a confused Driftloon. The gutters had a collection of colorful debris too big to be pulled in. The winter rains dragged leaves and twigs and had them collect at the corners of intersections.
And there were Pokémon. Several flocks of Wingull were passing through the cloudy sky, filled from an early morning of feasting at the beach. It had rained a few days ago, which meant Grimers were making their way back up the sewers after being temporarily pushed into the ocean. There were alleyways, and although Archie couldn't see it, he knew several kinds of wild Pokémon were hiding in between buildings, in pipes, on roofs, and under dumpsters. He couldn't see all of them, but somehow he could feel them scurrying through the city, trying to maneuver around a setting that couldn't fully accommodate to their needs.
"Archie?" Maxie called. He felt a hand grab his wrist, pulling and stopping him from taking a step into a busy street.
Archie blinked, suddenly aware of everything that he had blocked from his mind. The streets. The signs. Buildings. The driving cars, the traffic, the influx of various noises, and the people who couldn't see or think about the Pokémon.
The Pokémon were all gone.
"Arceus, what were you thinking?" Maxie barely refrained from yelling out. Archie bit his lower lip as he watched the man glare at him.
He wanted to explain he had been thinking about every little Pokémon hidden from plain view, how they crept along the shadows and corners, and how he wanted to find every single one of them and pull them out from there. But Maxie went off, giving the man no time for a reply, immediately turning to chastising as a means to express his concern.
"I can't keep an eye off of you for a second now, can I?" The redhead complained, giving Archie another yank in his direction. He was pulled another several inches away from the street. Maxie looked across the busy traffic, and then brought a hand to the bridge of his nose, fixing his glasses in place."I understand you're nervous," he said, letting his voice drop back to a normal pitch. He sniffed, wrinkling his nose as a chilly breeze passed by the two of them. "I really do. But please try to keep yourself out of harm's way, alright?"
Maxie looked back up at Archie, giving him a look that wasn't quite like the one he had given just moments before. This one was different. It was beyond the platonic gaze of concern, or annoyance, or even just anger, because Archie had been so stupid and nearly walked into a busy street. This wasn't a look of anger. It was excited, and by the time Archie could register it Maxie snapped his head way. The redhead crossed his arms, and whatever Archie was sure he had seen was gone.
Archie looked down at his envelope. "Sorry," he said.
"Just pay attention."
"I will, I will," he insisted, letting a nervous grin begin to form. He wasn't sure whether he ought to make any kind of contact. The light changed and the two crossed the street, and even though Archie was surrounded by so many things, and had so many thoughts trying to reemerge, he chose to keep his attention on the redhead.
The y turned a corner. "…I've been very distracted lately," Archie began.
"Yes," Maxie stated, looking over his shoulder and giving Archie that serious stare of his. "I can tell." He let his hand wander down and touch the small Poké Ball that Archie had given him not too long ago. The harsh look on his face eased when his fingers slid against the red top.
"Do you want to talk more about Team Rocket?" he asked, lifting the hand away from his belt.
"I wasn't thinkin' about Team Rocket." The two stopped in front of a plain looking building that, despite not being open yet, already had a few people waiting outside of it.
"Because I'm more than willing to have another conversation about them," Maxie quickly mentioned. "If it helps rid of any questions or concerns."
"I wasn't thinkin' about Team Rocket," Archie repeated.
There were a few people outside of the building. Archie was dreading the wait. He wanted to believe everything he was told and look forward to turning in all the information required in order to get some stupid card that would let him fight and train Pokémon. A thin piece of colored plastic with his name on it. That's all the card really was. And when was the last time anybody ever approached someone carrying Pokémon and asked them to show their card? Breeders liked to show off their special cards, but most trainers just walked around and collect money for battles that hardly ever resulted in swapping information. Really, a card was pretty impractical if someone took the time to think about it. It was a piece of plastic. A small piece of plastic that he'd have to carry around for no real reason. He and Maxie were carrying Pokémon on them and nobody was giving a flying fuck about it. It was a piece of–
"What were you thinking about?" Maxie asked.
Archie noticed that some of the clouds had moved away. It was cold, but the sun was rising higher, and he could feel some of the heat hit the side of his face as he continued to glare at the building in front of him.
And Maxie was tugging at his jacket, quietly trying to get his attention.
"The city," he answered. "The people…an' the Pokémon that have to live in it."
Some cold wind blew. Instead of trying to fix himself up, Maxie licked his dry lips, nodding his head and allowing himself a moment to carefully come up with a response.
"You've been thinking a lot about them, haven't you?"
"Aye."
Maxie finally got to fix his hair back in place. "That's good."
"Really?" Archie had not really expected a positive response from Maxie. Not after nearly getting himself killed.
"It's better to focus on present and future matters." Maxie pressed his fingers against the corners of the large envelope. "You can't change the past." He lifted his scarf up. "At least, that's how I personally feel."
"I can't stop thinkin' about it," Archie admitted to his roommate.
"It can be hard," the redhead agreed. He fixed up the corners he had wrinkled. He stared at Archie through the corner of his eyes, barely visible with his glasses in the way. "Perhaps over time–"
Archie shook his head. "I don't want it to happen again."
Maxie's scarf could not hide the growing details of a frown. "That's understandable, but this is a huge city."
The two heard some noises and looked ahead of them to see people now heading inside of the building. Archie swallowed, feeling his throat dry up. He was parched. He knew he should have brought a water bottle.
Maxie lifted his arm, gesturing with his pale fingers that they out to go inside now, while the place wasn't too crowded.
Archie took a step forward, distracting himself with Maxie's response. The man had sounded so casual about it. He wanted to fight that kind of dismissive reaction. He knew he couldn't get irritated with Maxie not knowing any better. Most people wouldn't think this much over one disaster.
But Maxie was also smart, and if anyone was to think outside of the box, Archie knew the person most capable would be Maxie.
"I wanna change the city," he announced. He passed through the door that Maxie held open for him, and caught one of the man's eyebrows being raised. Archie waited for Maxie to let the door go and walk up close to him before adding, "Do you know where to start on somthin' like that?"
They waited in a newly formed line. Maxie brought a finger to rest against his bottom lip, letting it part and lower a he quietly thought about Archie's question "Start…on changing a city?" he calmly asked.
Archie beamed. It looked like Maxie might be getting it. "Yeah," he excitedly answered.
Maxie continued with the questions. "You want to change an entire city?"
"Well, no," Archie corrected. "Really, it's more like a startin' point."
He caught a glimpse of the man's teeth as a frown developed. "A bit idealistic, don't you think?" Maxie asked, saving himself face by quickly changing his expression and trying to seem more considerate.
Archie turned his head slightly and counted two people standing ahead of them.
"Well, a little," he confessed, still letting his smile stand. "Doesn't mean I can't try to make the city a better place for 'em, right?"
He watched Maxie break into a small smile, and there it was again. Archie held his ground, suddenly curious to see how long that look would last, watching with some interest as Maxie turned away, letting the blush burst and diminish without it being too noticeable. But this time Archie had caught on to this funny pattern of looking away whenever Maxie had that excitement in his eyes.
"Right," Maxie replied. Archie heard a strange sound, and he looked down to see that Maxie was crumbling his manila envelope.
He chose to continue the conversation. He needed something to distract him from going insane while he waited in line for a card that he was sure he wasn't going to get. Maxie was smart, and usually right, but Archie couldn't shake the feeling that he was wasting his time here. He needed Maxie to distract him as best as he could, even if it meant a few strange looks, turns and shakes of the body.
"Ya don't think it's too big of an idea?" he carefully inquired.
"It's nice that you care enough about the well-being of Pokémon." Maxie began to fix the outer appearance of his envelope, making a face as he straightened out the sides. "It's rather romantic, but I appreciate the reason behind it."
"So…"
"So you'll need to gather support from other people who share the same ideals as you do," Maxie added, looking back in Archie's direction. He was back to being serious again. "Considering you're in a university city, it might be best for you to start a search for any groups that are interested in making the living situation in this city safer for Pokémon."
"Huh…" Archie crossed his arms, wrinkling his envelope. "I hadn't thought about that."
"Our university might even have a Pokémon Welfare club." Both of his hands were on his own envelope, fingers rubbing against the self-made wrinkles. "If not, it wouldn't be too difficult to establish something of your own."
Archie's eyes lit up. "Ya mean I can just create a club fer Pokémon?" he asked, grabbing hold of Maxie. "I can just make up a group and we can all work together an' fix things up fer the Pokémon here?"
"Well, you'd have to get the club approved through faculty first…."
"Oh, Maxie, this is so cool!" Archie laughed. His legs shook with excitement. "This is goin' to be sooo easy…"
Maxie brought a thumb to his mouth and bit it. "You're going to need at least…"
"Seriously," Archie continued. "This is great, Maxie. Dang, yer so smart. Thanks fer tellin' me."
If nail biting were a habit Maxie would be willing to partake in, Archie was sure Maxie would have bit down through the nail.
Archie backed off. "Sorry."
Maxie actually stiffened up when the taller man removed himself from his shoulders. Archie expected Maxie to look over in his direction, but the man kept his eyes on the shortened line, looking rather collected despite the blush.
"Don't apologize," he mustered the courage to reply.
"What?"
Maxie swallowed. "Don't apologize," he began, "when you're complimenting me..."
Archie brought the envelope to cover the smirk spreading across his face. "Oh, ho!" he pressed it against his lips, covering up some of his muffled laughter.
"I don't mean to have it sound like that!" Maxie groaned. "I mean…there's no reason why you should ever feel like you have to apologize for being nice." He swung in place, letting some anxiety break away with the movements from his body. "You're a good person. So thanks…is what I'm trying to get at."
It was hard to not laugh. "Thanks," he said."I'll try to remember that next time I'm strokin' yer ego, ok?"
The line moved up. The two turned and noticed that nobody was standing in front of them. Even with Maxie freaking out over showing some emotion, and Archie a little confused with trying to read what Maxie might be thinking, nothing could stop that horrible feeling developing an exploding into his veins. He was going to get rejected all over again.
The unenthusiastic government worker called the two of them up, and Archie bit the inside of his mouth so hard he could taste blood.
Winter passed. Archie received his final grades and sang his way into Maxie's room, "Aee-Beee-Cee," waving the little report card over the young man's head. Maxie stared blankly at him until it was over. Archie stopped his dance and then suddenly Maxie smirked, cupping his hands and looking up at Archie before remarking, and rather out of tune; "A."
The two scrounged up their savings and made it through the rest of the break without starving to death. Maxie received an letter from Hoenn's established Trainer's Society. The two stared at one another. Maxie shoved it into his pocket, carelessly, practically hectic in attitude and deciding that it was probably nothing too important, and he'd open it later, when he had the time to. Archie appreciated the attempt at keeping the peace, but he knew and had known this was going to be the result, and after a long day of letting some steam out with running and wandering around the city, he got over it, again.
A week later they signed up for classes, and on the way home Maxie purchased two Poké Balls for the Poochyenas. Archie was handed the second ball without a given word from his roommate, out of politeness. Archie was upset he didn't get the card, but some time between handing in his information, and actually seeing Maxie receive his, a strange acceptance had come over, and Archie realized that he wouldn't waste his time anymore trying to train his Pokémon. Legally.
School started, and Archie had the joy of discovering that a regular biology class was just as exciting as chemistry. The second level marine biology course helped make up for the riveting experiences that made up his other classes, more math and science, and this time Archie didn't fail miserably on the first exam.
By the second week Archie was looking around campus to see if there was a club or association that was involved in the livelihood of Pokémon. After the end of "Welcome Week," Archie decided to establish his own version of what he wanted. Nothing against visiting shelters and recycling garbage, but Archie needed more than clubs focused on temporary fixes. So at the end of the month he visited faculty and placed his intent for creating a new society focused on more "permanent" solutions.
Maxie continued his work in the labs, with a schedule very similar to the one from the previous semester. Archie thought this would mean another few months of him hardly seeing the redhead, but he would be on his way home after a long day and spot Maxie out with the Poochyena, sometime the Zubat if it was late enough, resting while the Pokémon played. It didn't take long for Archie to muster enough courage to approach the situation, and even less time for him to send out his Pokémon and have them go at some of the obstacle courses set up throughout the campus. Even though Maxie could be anal about things, he never said a word when he spotted the Poké Balls on Archie when they walked to and from campus, or when Archie let his Pokémon out to play during the one break they shared together.
Archie needed at least fifteen names on the roster at the end of the spring semester if he wanted his club officiated by the beginning of the fall. By the end of the second month, he only had eight. He had exams and labs, and when he wasn't studying he was out with his growing collection of friends, hanging out in the small apartment and learning more about Maxie's past, about another side of Team Rocket, or trying to train his Pokémon in secret.
He never found the time to write that letter to his father. He figured he'd wait till the end of the second semester, once he had everything else done and over with.
He did find the time to go out all night and get lost over by the pier for his birthday. After a long night, and part of the following day, he and his friends stumbled back into the city, and Archie somehow made it home in one piece. Maxie quietly welcomed him and gave Archie a Dive and Net Ball.
Halfway through the third month, with less than a month left till finals, Archie had twelve names on the roster.
His Zubat was a natural and outperformed the few practice battles that he partook in at the university's gym. As he had suspected, nobody was asking where his card was. Everyone just assumed he had one.
Throughout the semester Archie heard Maxie mention a few names, each one quickly followed by a certain kind of look that he had seen being thrown at him once or twice before. He wasn't so nervous about it now. He watched Maxie enunciate their names, the way she smiled back at him, or if it was a he, how they made some brief contact, and Archie was feeling good that his friend was back in the saddle after everything that had happened with Katelyn.
Maxie asked him if there was time for a fleeting romance. Archie laughed and explained he was far too delicate to have his heart broken again.
Maxie inquired if Rocket girls had broken his heart, and then proceeded to point out the differences between them and regular girls. Archie watched the way Maxie moved his hands, smiling when he spoke about them, sounding so crisp and natural Archie wondered if it was really Maxie talking, and not the season causing some changes in his temperament. Archie insisted that he to study before anything else, and each and every time Maxie would nod his head, his eyes looking right through him like he was detecting the lie, but still smiling in agreement.
Archie kept contact with the people who had signed his roster, especially when the weather grew warmer, and spring was beginning to get replaced with the hot, humid taste of summer air. Archie grew nervous. Maxie and that cute brunette didn't work out too well. Archie was doing well in his marine biology courses, and once again he was pulled aside, this time asking if he might consider doing a summer internship at one of the labs down by the beach. Now Archie was nervous, but it was the good kind. Maxie signed his name on the roster, smiling at a distraught Archie while soothing a sick Poochyena.
It grew warmer, and Archie couldn't shake off the feeling that he might not get the club officiated by the end of the summer. He went to Maxie for help, even though he told himself he'd give the redhead a break from all his antics.
Maxie proved himself the greatest guy in the world by sneaking him into the labs, having Archie explain his plight, and earned another signature, putting him just one name away from getting the club legitimized.
Archie battled with his Zubat and won a few times. Maxie battled once in a while, but preferred to have him and his Pokémon in a resting position, Poochyena on his lap, and the Zubat on his shoulder.
Archie kept looking for that final signature while he secretly contemplated asking Maxie for a hand. The guy was always organized, and since he was without a girl to distract him, having Maxie teach him how to run an organization might be a good idea. Team Rocket had taught him a few things about dealing with larger groups and teamwork, but Archie had never lead a club before. He wasn't sure if he could lead, at least without trying to strike fear.
One day he explained his idea to some of his friends at the bookstore, and he earned two more signatures. After some kiss-assing and praise, Archie hurried off and sent in his request to faculty and administration.
All he needed now was a decent name.
It was getting warmer in Slateport. After a long day at the beach Archie and a few of his friends gathered up their spare change, bought some drinks, and took shelter at his apartment. With only a few weeks left before summer, and Archie's grade looking a little better, his Zubat learning sets of different moves, and Maxie willing to teach him how to plan and organize meet-ups and set up an email, he figured he'd get to writing that letter.
Later, when he wasn't so drunk and about to lose the game "Never Have I Ever."
It was late at night, and Archie was on his final bottle. It was more than half-empty now, and since Archie had lost a battle he had to take another swig.
"Your turn, Kevin."
Archie placed his bottle down and looked over to the girl curled up on the couch. Monica had given up halfway through bottle two, and was resting while Jamal insisted that the rest of them continue without her.
Kevin wiped his forehead and stared over at Jamal and Archie's third bottle. "Never have I ever," he sang out, letting a cruel smile form on his face, "had fish n' chips!"
"Damn veggies," Hailey grumbled, raising the bottle up to her mouth. Archie and Jamal gave each other a quick glance and took their drinks.
The front door opened, and Archie looked over and saw Maxie entering the living room, viewing the group of friends huddled around the table, at the sleeping girl, and the empty bottles lain on top and around the coffee table.
"Hey," Kevin chirped. "Well if it ain't Max."
The redhead gripped the strap of his bag, letting a cool smile form as he approached the man sitting on the floor, right next to Archie.
"What do we have here?" Maxie asked. Archie was sure the question was directed at him, and he was about to comment and quite possibly apologize for the mess, but Kevin grabbed Monica's third and unopened bottle and offered it to him.
"We're having a little game, Max," Kevin answered with a few slurs in between his words. ""Never Have I Ever," and your roommate is about to lose." He waved the bottle. "You wanna speed things up for us?"
"Doesn't seem fair for everyone else," Maxie replied rather flatly.
"We'll refresh the questions," Jamal commented. "Max, was it? Feel free to ask us anything that doesn't attack just one of us, and you're good."
"That means me," Hailey added, pointing a finger towards her chest.
Archie expected that Maxie would decline such an offer. It was late, and he had just returned home after several hours of work and study. Then he noticed Maxie was looking back at him, eyes practically fixated on his poor, drunk self. And maybe it was the alcohol, combined with an empty stomach, but Archie was sure the stare was just a little too curious and eager.
Maxie gestured at his bag. "Let me put my things away."
Kevin grinned. "Excellent." Maxie left the living room. Archie grabbed Kevin by the shoulder and pulled him over.
"You know Maxie?"
Kevin grabbed the bottle opener and popped the top off. "Yeah, we're the same year," he casually replied. "Took most of our beginner's courses together, and we shared a group of friends." He placed the bottle in front of the couch where Jamal rested.
"I forgot he and Alex holed up here," Kevin muttered. He looked around the living room. "Whatever happened to those Poochyena?"
"They're trained now."
Archie looked over to the hallways entrance and saw Maxie walk into the living room, a blanket in his arms. He stopped at the seat where Monica slept, letting the blanket unfold before he crouched down, gently spreading it over her body.
"Thanks, dude," Jamal commented, raising his bottle in Maxie's direction.
Maxie didn't reply back. He walked over to the empty seat next to the larger male, and quietly sat himself down and took his drink.
And yet Archie couldn't pretend that didn't just happen. He looked over and stared at Monica, how she was covered up in a bright red blanket, and that he hadn't even considered the thought when she had mentioned getting tired over an hour ago.
Maxie looked bored. "Who goes first?" he asked.
"Do us the honors," Kevin replied.
Archie rested both elbows on the table. He stared at his half-empty bottle of lukewarm beer and wondered if Maxie was looking at him again, thinking up potential questions that hopefully wouldn't involve his past. Archie was sure Maxie had reacted unusually to a game that would leave him inebriated.
"Never have I ever," Maxie began, and right away Archie could detect cruelness to his voice. Somebody chuckled. Archie lifted his head up and dared to look over at Maxie. Sure enough, Maxie was staring back at him, his expression stoic, not a glimmer of that hunger or curiosity that Archie had thought he had seen before. Nope, just pure evil.
"…Cried watching a movie," Maxie finished.
Archie exhaled through his nose while Kevin and Hailey took a sip of their drink.
"Nice, nice," Jamal said. "Looks like we might stand a chance, Archie."
"Looks like it." Archie suddenly felt relieved. And then he felt silly. Stupid. Obviously Maxie had better things to do than play some drinking game because he was in it. And Archie was embarrassed to think his friend might have been up to something.
Kevin rested his bottle on the table. "So, Max," he started, catching the redhead's attention, "How are things with the sediment?"
"Exciting," Maxie replied back. He held on to the neck of his bottle with the index and thumb, slowly twirling his drink. "How are things with the warp panels?"
"Enthralling."
"My turn," Jamal announced. "Never have I ever owned a Pokémon."
Everyone took a sip.
"Archie's in the lead," Hailey laughed, pointing over at the man's near empty bottle. He rubbed his hot face and stuck his tongue at her.
"Did you ever get in contact with Alex?" Kevin asked, letting the neck of the bottle rest against his chin. "He's playing in Sinnoh…"
Maxie's eye twitched. Archie looked away and over at Hailey and waited for her to say something.
"Right…" he heard Kevin mutter.
"Never have I ever partook in a double battle," Hailey said aloud. Kevin stopped and brought his bottle up to his lips, taking another gulp of his drink.
It was his turn now. Archie tried to think up something he hadn't already said before.
"You still trying out girls?"
"Yes." Maxie sounded almost offended by the question.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Kevin hastily added. "I just…I just wanted to see if things were working out. You know how you are…with your options?"
Maxie sighed, covering part of his face with the bottle. "No," he said, "not really."
He had to think up something now. "Never have I ever," Archie muttered. His voice came out slow. He knew he shouldn't have skipped out on the snacks. "Hmmm…been to a concert?"
"What?" Maxie suddenly asked, and everyone took a drink. Kevin nudged Maxie, but he continued to stare at Archie. "You've never gone to one?"
Archie shook his head. "Never had the time." Team Rocket certainly didn't allow too many opportunities to go out, and it wasn't like he had the best social life once he returned to Hoenn.
"My turn," Kevin interrupted. "Never have I ever…kissed a guy."
"Hey!" Hailey complained. "We agreed–"
"Maxie's been around," Kevin said. And sure enough Maxie's face had gone sour as he brought his drink up to his mouth, taking another sip. Nobody said a thing. Hailey wrinkled her nose and followed suite.
Archie quietly stared at his near empty bottle. His face was hot and he wasn't sure if he ought to. Nobody had said a thing about Maxie doing it, and based upon what Kevin had said, he could safely guess it might not be that big of a deal. And if anybody asked, Archie could just lie about it.
"So, you only have a year left, right?"
"Yes, but–"
Archie took his bottle and finished the rest of his beer. He placed the bottle back on the table, wiping his face and feeling upset for losing. Oh, and he had drank to the whole kissing a guy thing. He leaned back and sighed, ignoring the sudden silence that filled the room.
"…seriously?" Hailey asked.
"Boy finished his beer," Jamal pointed out. Archie looked over and noticed how unfazed the man was. "He loses."
Archie looked over and expected Maxie to appear just a little shocked. Of all the things they had talked about, this was one Archie had managed to avoid. Really, any sort of romance he had experienced was something he hadn't bothered to bring up, and Maxie had been good enough to drop the conversation once Archie came up with his excuses. He was expecting Maxie to have some kind of negative reaction.
Instead, Maxie was smiling.
"Archie's been around," Kevin remarked. He looked up at Maxie. "Tell me you had nothing to do with it? "
"I had nothing to do with it," Maxie replied almost mechanically. He was still staring at Archie. The smile was gone, but it had happened.
Archie could take this two different ways. He chose the most natural and let a cocky smile show. "Yeah," he said, letting his eyes rest on the man's thin lips. "Besides, I can do sooo much better."
If there had been any uneasiness in the air, it was gone now. Maxie hurriedly formed a frown, and everyone else applauded Archie for his comeback on the subject. He relaxed, feeling better and no longer worried that the origin of the kiss might be brought up.
"You're next, Maxie," Hailey laughed, her lips already pressed against the top of the bottle.
With his attention turned away from Archie, Maxie went and made the claim that he had never surfed.
Archie rested his arms on the table. His head quickly followed.
"Will you be alright?" Archie asked, looking down at Monica. The small girl held up Jamal and smiled at Archie, giving a quick nod.
"We'll be fine," she insisted. "It's just a short walk to the bus stop."
Archie looked past her, outside where it was so dark, and even though the neighborhood wasn't all that bad, mostly Pokémon running about, Archie had to ask her just more one time.
"I can come along if yah like," he suggested.
"You're leaning against the doorframe," Monica said with a shrug. "I'll be ok. Just help out your roomie with the mess, ok? "
Archie waved her goodbye and closed the door behind him. He walked back into his messy living room, where Kevin wrote down his number on a small sheet of paper. Maxie sat on the couch, arms crossed, staring out and looking completely dismissive.
"Take care of this," Kevin said, sliding the sheet across on Maxie's side. "It'll be nice to catch up on things."
Maxie lowered his gaze down on the sheet. "Will it?" he sarcastically inquired. He raised his eyes up and spotted Archie, and then brought them back down.
"Try not to be so uppity about it," Kevin remarked. "I know a lot of shit happened, and Alex said a lot of things…but I enjoyed your company. You're a smart man, and people like you and I, who care about actual progression, ought to work together."
Maxie plucked the small sheet up from the table and stared at the number scribbled down.
Archie watched as his friend turned and stare at the cracked television. "Take care of yourself, ok?" he added.
Maxie lifted his eyes up and nearly crumbled the paper in his hands when he noticed where Kevin's eyes were.
"I'm fine," he said in a harsh tone. He turned to Archie, and his expression softened. "I'm…perfectly fine right now."
"Well, if you got Archie watching over you, then I suppose I can sort of relax," Kevin commented, expressing a small laugh as he grabbed his things and made his way to the door.
"Sort of?" Archie asked, raising a brow.
Kevin smirked. "And this is where my awesome buddy leads me safely out the door."
Archie rolled his eyes. He let Kevin out, with the man quickly adding a comment about possibly going out to catch some waves next week before a series of storms came along. Archie agreed to the idea before seeing him off.
He closed the door and carefully turned himself around. Maxie was still sitting on the couch. The paper he had in his hand was crumbled up.
"Uhm…"
Maxie brought his other hand up, stopping Archie from continuing. "I have nothing against him as a fellow student," he began, "but as a person?" He got up and walked over to the trash bag filled up with empty bottles and tossed the balled up paper inside. "I despise people who are under the assumption they know me better than I do."
"Sorry to hear that," Archie said. He sat himself down on the couch and spread himself out, feeling the weight of a long day really begin to sink in.
"About what?"
Archie stared up at the ceiling. "Y'know. That things didn't work out between you and him."
Maxie's head appeared over him. "It's not like that. He knew Alex." Maxie disappeared from his view. He heard the man take a seat. "Everybody knew Alex."
"Really sorry that somethin' broke out," Archie added. He grabbed the blanket Monica had used and held on to it, looked over and spotted Maxie staring at the television screen.
"Don't be," he heard Maxie mutter. "And I'm glad things did fall apart. It let me know what everybody really thought about me."
"What do ya mean?"
He watched Maxie's eyes lower. A bitter smile spread across his face. "When people hear that you're attracted to both sexes, certain assumptions tend to arise." His hand gripped his shorts as his voice continued to lower. "And everyone assumed I had done wrong by him, because I'm the selfish one."
Maybe it was the alcohol, but Archie couldn't help but laugh. "Yer not selfish."
Maxie feigned a short laugh. "Yes, well, you're a minority," he said. His hands released their grip on his shorts and were balling up into fists. "I was the confused one. I was the reason why the relationship wouldn't work, because clearly I was the one who was incapable of committing to anything!"
Archie jerked when he watched one of Maxie's fists rise and smack itself down on his leg.
"Dude, don't hit yerself over that," he struggled out. He rubbed is face against a worn out throw pillow, watching Maxie look at him with a pained expression. "It's bullshit. I know yer nothin' like that, and so do you…don't let it get to ya."
Maxie sank into his seat. "I'm not sure if you're one to talk about such things."
"What do ya mean by that?" Archie asked. He held on tight to the blanket, watching Maxie's soft stare rest on him. "Is it cause I was in Team Rocket?"
Maxie sighed. He took off his glasses and placed them on the armrest. Archie watched as Maxie slowly shook his head, letting his hair fall out of place, rubbing his eyes as a sad smile form.
"You're always so busy," Maxie sarcastically began. Archie could detect a minor shakiness to it.
"You know," Maxie continued, getting up from his seat. "I was eight when I realized I was different from the rest of my peers." He reached down and plucked his glasses from the seat. "It was difficult, to say the least. My mother was always busy with the branches. Most of the time I was being watched by some strange grunt." He put his glasses back on. "Even if she weren't, I can't imagine her taking such news well. Can you? How does a child ask his mother what it means to have feeling for some of the boys in his class?"
Archie blinked and realized how dry his eyes had become.
Maxie walked over, standing before Archie with a look he was sure he had seen before. The man brought his hand to the side of his head, letting his finger rub nervously against the frame, his lips pulled in as he readjusted himself.
"I honestly had no idea what was wrong with me," Maxie confessed. Archie looked up and shook his head. Maxie nodded his. "I was never informed that you could be anything else than straight or gay. Normal or…a fag." Archie continued to stare up and watch the shadowed form above him reproduce that sad Deerling in the headlights look.
"For a long time," he listened as Maxie continued, "I was very confused. And when Alex sat me down and told me I still had one foot in the closet, a part of me genuinely believed him." He sighed, bringing his shaking hands down, looking frustrated as he tried to find something to do with them. "And it took a long time for me to accept that this is just how things were, and how they would be for the rest of my life." Maxie lifted his head up. "Every time I hear those phrases, "the more, the merrier," I get so discouraged…because that's what people think of when they learn about that part of me. But I'm not like that. I'm just…like everyone else."
"Yeah."
Maxie went along, letting his hands linger some more as he stood, looking lost, trying to figure out what to with the rest of his body. "I'm just another human. At worst I'm a fool who's fallen in love with another fool." He lifted his hand up and pressed a finger against his lips. "I'm still human though, and my worth goes far beyond who I'm attracted to…"
He looked back down, and even though Archie's vision wasn't the best, and he was tired, and Maxie's silhouetted form made it hard to see, Archie knew he was smiling down at him.
"And then," Maxie said, "We have you."
Archie broke eye contact.
"You're inebriation makes it harder to hide what's going on in your mind," he heard Maxie persist. Archie blinked. "You probably aren't aware of how terribly upset you look right now."
Archie pulled the blanket up. His face was burning hot. The sheets weren't helping.
"Admit it, for both our sakes," Maxie half demanded, half pleaded. "What I said sounds incredibly familiar, doesn't it? "
Archie peered out from the top of the soft covers. Underneath he made a face.
"Yeah," he admitted.
"I figured as much," Maxie retorted, looking more annoyed than anything. "A man like you can have his pick of the girls. And you were always so lazy with your excuses."
"Ouch," Archie grumbled.
Maxie huffed, "And it took a stupid drinking game for you to come close to admitting it."
"Sorry," he slurred out.
"I don't blame you for keeping it a secret," Maxie said. "After you explained some of your past to me, I suppose I can't be upset that you purposely avoided speaking about romance." He fell to a squat, grabbing the cushions of the couch and looking a bit more forgiving than before. "There was no way you could have hoped to maintain a normal, healthy relationship in that sort of environment. And with Rocket boys."
Archie brought his hand out and rested it on top of his forehead. He closed his eyes, trying to think about what Maxie was saying and make the most out of it. It was so hard with his mind so foggy and tired.
But it seemed like Maxie had him figured out.
"Shit," he murmured.
"Exactly," Maxie said. "But…I don't understand why you would choose to remain trapped and quiet about it now." Archie eyes reopened. "I know it can be rather frightening to admit these sorts of things, but you're currently surrounded in an environment that is far more accepting. Now is the perfect time to learn how to express your identity and prepare yourself for when you have to leave this social realm, and move into a more conservative one."
Archie shook his head. "I don't think it's all that simple."
"Oh, It's hard at first," Maxie assured, letting his hand slide up the blanket. "But, over time you'll see that people aren't that bad. Just be confident. Like you were with your friends. If you can laugh about it…"
"How do you laugh about men and women like that?" Archie asked.
"Just be casual about it," Maxie insisted.
He went back to pulling the covers up to his head. "But…you can't actually think…"
"I've had similar thoughts myself."
The confidence radiating from Maxie's voice made the thought a bit more acceptable to Archie.
Maxie had been wrong before. This was incredibly personal. A little too personal. But Archie had listened, and it did make sense to him. And while there were some differences between the two of them, Archie did relate to that horrible feeling of being isolated, of not understanding what made him stand out and be so fucking different from everyone else.
He pulled the covers down and faced Maxie. As drunk as he was he tried to align his thoughts and make some sense with what he wanted to say to the redhead.
"I was seventeen," Archie started. "Is that…weird?"
Maxie shrugged. "Everybody figures these things out at different times."
"At seventeen?" Archie muttered. He pulled away the blanket. Maxie sat himself down and leaned against the couch.
"And then what?" Maxie asked.
Archie chuckled. "Well…I guess I've just been dealin' with it ever since."
"By ignoring it?"
He chuckled again. "Well, more like tryin' to ignore everyone else." He brought himself up into a sitting position, letting his head rest against the cushioned seat while he continued to gather up his thoughts.
"And are you content?" he heard Maxie continue with the questions.
Archie shrugged, raising both hands up. "I'd hate to disappoint someone."
He listened to Maxie get up from the floor, and felt him situate himself right next to him.
"Ah, right," Maxie muttered. "Disappointment."
"Y'know, cause it's only a matter of time when they realize somethin' is off about ya," Archie continued. "Especially girls…"
He felt some vibrations. Maxie moved himself. Maybe closer. Archie continued to stare up, falling deeper in thought.
"It's all the same, really," he went on, "and even if they're really nice, I can't imagine them stayin' too long once they figure out–"
"There's always going to be rejection," Maxie interrupted. Archie closed his eyes and gave a nod. "B-but…" Maxie stammered. "Someone like you…you'll certainly find someone who would be more than willing…"
What could he possibly say to that? Maxie was being way too open-minded. Almost idealistic. So very unlike his usual, practical self. Of course, Archie was feeling more than flattered that Maxie was willing to say such kind, hopeful words to him. But like the trainer's card that he had failed to get after his second attempt, Archie had accepted the fact there were just some things he would have to deal with, whether he was totally fine with it, or not.
And he was…ok with it. Almost totally fine. Sure, he might not have the same nice relationships he got to see on T.V all the time, or get that wonderful feeling he imagined his parents must have experienced when they were still a family, or figure out what the hell men and women were up to when they did the things they did, but there were still so many things out in the world for him to enjoy.
Really, the thought was sort of refreshing.
He opened his eyes, staring up and feeling rather good with himself. Sure, there was that bit of pain that came with thinking about it. Maybe it was Maxie's words. Despite not being able to coax him to think otherwise, they left him feeling a little bit better about himself than he normally would after some heavy thinking.
And then he felt Maxie's hand touch his face.
And Maxie has his other hand reaching out towards him.
And then Maxie pulled him in and kissed him.
Archie remained in place, stunned out of his mind as he felt Maxie's hot lips press hard against his, both trembling against his own, shaking hands cradling his face, and two eyes shut, hiding fear and over-anticipation.
It was very un-Maxie like.
Archie kept his eyes open, taking in this sudden turn of events as best as he could, wondering what he was to do with himself once it was over, because it would have to end eventually, and very soon too. He could tell Maxie was going to be upset about this because he was trying to get more out of this kiss: Archie could feel those lips moving down and trying to bring in his bottom lip in, like that, sucking it, trying to get a sound from him, and it did feel nice, but Archie was too busy trying to figure out how the hell things had escalated this quickly, and wow! Maxie was really good at this. But even though his bottom lip felt wet and tickly, Archie had to push back, because it was in their best interest to. He could not risk upsetting the poor guy for not reciprocating after receiving this much attention.
He grabbed Maxie by the shoulders and pulled the man off of him and back on his side of the couch. Off, because at some point Maxie had somehow, one might suggest unbelievably, even impossibly, moved himself right on top of Archie.
Archie exhaled, tasting the air leaving his mouth and wondering if it had undergone some kind of change. It felt different. Everything felt so different now, and Archie knew it had something to do with Maxie suddenly diving in and kissing him right on the mouth.
He pulled in his top lip and he turned and faced the poor redhead. Maxie face was completely covered with blush. Whatever light freckles he had were now hidden behind a horrible red curtain of embarrassment and shame.
Archie had to think quickly. "Well," he started, forcing the most awkward smile to form on his face, "I have no idea where that came from…but it was a nice surprise!"
Maxie looked like he was about to die a slow, painful death, and Archie realized that he needed to get straight to the point if he didn't want to risk losing his roommate.
"Uhm," he stammered, feeling his own face turn red. "M-maybe I wasn't clear enough."
"I'm sorry!" Maxie blurted out. He covered his face, shaking his head into his palms. He chocked. "I shouldn't have done that. That was incredibly rude of me to do."
"Oh, no!" Archie kept on smiling, trying to pass it off as something far smaller than what Maxie was making it out to be. But really, Maxie really was making it out as something far worse than it actually was. It was a kiss.
"It's just a kiss!" Archie said, practically laughing out the words. "Haha…hahaha! Y'see it's not that big of a deal!"
Apparently it was, because Maxie looked even worse off.
"I mean…" Archie brought his hands down and rested them on his lap. "You…you thought I was into men and women, or just men, right?"
Maxie was staring down at the floor, his glasses threatening to fall off his face. "That was the implication…"
"Yeah, I figured," Archie murmured. "Hmm, well, it was a nice kiss and all, but…"
"You're actually straight," Maxie projected, lifting his hands up once more to cover all the burning red spreading across his face, even behind his ears and down his neck.
"No."
Maxie looked through the gaps between his fingers. Archie was not surprised to see how confused the man looked upon hearing his answer.
"I'm confused," Maxie said. "Was I just coming on to–"
"I don't know how exactly I'm supposed to explain this," Archie interrupted. He brought a hand up to Maxie. He stared. What was he going to do with it? He sighed, bringing it back down. That awkward grin came back.
"Men and women," he started. "Geez, I mean, they both have a lot of nice things goin' fer 'em. I gotta admit that. Everybody has some good qualities to 'em."
Maxie shook his head, looking more lost.
"…Y'know I've always wanted to believe I was just being an idiot," Archie said. "Like, I missed out on some lesson teachin' ya how to read what's on a girl's mind. Men too. I'd be alright if I was into men. Cause they're both equal in my head. I have nothin' against fallin' in love with either...but…"
Maxie leaned in closer. Not uncomfortably close, but enough for Archie to feel bad with what he was about to say next.
"There's…just nothin' romantic about all of this," Archie finally admitted, both his hands out gesturing at the two of them. "It feels like…I know yer kissin' me, but that's it. It's really just a kiss." He smiled. "And there's nothin' wrong with that. It was a nice kiss, Maxie."
And now Maxie looked like Archie might have just finished driving the knife right through him.
Maxie lowered his hands. "Why are you smiling?" he asked.
Archie shrugged. "I don't wanna frown."
Maxie bit his lower lip. "Oh…" He removed his glasses and tried rubbing the smudges off of them. His every move was shaky. Archie patiently waited for Maxie to come out of it. "And this isn't some attempt to make a fool out of me?" he continued, his voice hinting some resentment.
"We've been living together fer a while now," Archie replied. "Y'know me better than anyone else. I'd never mess with you like that."
Maxie nodded his head. "I know." He sighed and put his glasses back on. "You're right."
Archie once again lifted his hand and reached out to Maxie, this time letting it rest on the man's shoulder.
Maxie looked at the hand. "I'm surprised you're willing to bring yourself to do that."
"Why's that?"
"I'd expect you'd be repulsed, after such behavior from me," he replied.
"Repulsed?" Archie rubbed Maxie's shoulder. "Nah, I don't think a kiss is gross or anythin'. Trust me, I wasn't lyin' when I said it was nice. I'm just not feelin' it…"
Maxie raised a brow. "You're not…grossed out by a kiss?"
He shook his head.
"So…" Maxie avoided looking directly into Archie. "…only sex then?"
"Sex?" Archie said aloud. The word really didn't bother him. He was surprised it bothered Maxie even more. "No, I'm not grossed out by sex. It's ok, I guess." He yawned. "It's just not something I'm set out to doing."
Maxie furrowed his brows. "When your Rocket girlfriends…"
"I had a lot of anxiety around it," Archie explained. "But I was never grossed out. Just worried. Confused. Didn't really understand why I wasn't getting excited over it, desired it, bonded over it, and that made me feel pretty bad after a while." He pouted. "It was sort of like…mechanical?"
Maxie nudged himself closer. "And the Rocket boys?"
Archie made a face. "Well, he wasn't a boy, per see. And it was complicated. Very rushed. I didn't really have time to–"
"I see," Maxie muttered. He wasn't blushing as much as before. And he was looking rather calm. That was a good sign. "Yes, this is starting to make some sense now."
"That's good," Archie said, nodding over at Maxie.
"And after you were done with Team Rocket?" Maxie persisted.
"Well, I didn't really try after that."
Maxie smiled. Archie smiled back. "Yes," the redhead continued. "This is starting to come together now." He rested one leg on top of the other and sank into the couch.
"And I'm assuming the older male was a superior?"
"Well, yeah," Archie answered. He scratched his head. "I'm not sure what his title has anythin' to do with me though."
"And since you were in Team Rocket," Maxie went on, his voice falling back into the same smooth, collected rhythm as before, "I can only assume dates and personal time spent together must have been limited."
Archie chuckled. "I've never realty been on a date before."
"Or a concert…"
Archie shook his head. "No, there wasn't really any time for that kind of stuff."
"No time to actually experience a normal relationship between two people," Maxie pointed out. He stared solemnly at Archie.
"What?"
"But it feels good, right?" Maxie asked. "Sex?"
For some reason the question made him nervous. He blamed it on the alcohol and admitted that there was nothing wrong with the feel, just everything that didn't come along with the actual, physical feeling.
"Don't you see?" Maxie asked. He looked a little sad. "All the evidence is there. It's…amazingly simple when you think about it."
Archie shook his head. "What is?"
Maxie sighed. "You've never experienced a healthy relationship with a another person, ever." He peered up at Archie. "You experience the physical aspect, but all the emotional parts, the bonding, the going out, all the normal parts that help develop a regular, healthy relationship…you've never been given that."
Archie had never thought about it that way. And hearing it from Maxie actually made him feel…
He sank into the couch. He was drunk, but everything Maxie had just said had brought him into a temporary state of sobriety. Because Maxie was right. He had never been in a normal relationship before. How could he have spent so much time comparing his past rendezvous with what was depicted in the social world if he never really had anything that could even come close?
"Archie?"
"Yeah?"
This time Maxie's hand was on him. "You understand what I'm telling you, right?"
Aside form the obvious, no. Archie tucked his arms in. "No," he admitted. "Not entirely."
"It means the reason you lack certain desires is because you've been deprived of a healthy environment for them to properly form," Maxie hesitantly answered.
The hand on his shoulder felt heavy. It was Maxie's hand, and it was heavy. Archie couldn't believe it.
Naturally, a part of him wanted to get defensive. Maxie was right about it being so simple. Maybe it was too simple. And Maxie had been wrong before.
On the other hand, Maxie had provided a substantial amount of evidence. He was still a kid when he had left home. There were a lot of things he didn't really know about love. And how on earth was he supposed to have figured it out on his own. Nobody sat him down and explained how to understand what girls were up to when they stared at him a certain way.
And his relationships? Outside of missions, he never really got to hang out with Melissa. Once they were together there was that shift in power, and the two were split apart. They had a long distance relationship. And those never work out! And Stevie never could leave his side. There was hardly any space between them, along with all the other Rocket grunts that the two of them traveled with. And everything he did for her he did because he felt pressured to, because he didn't know to what make of himself if he didn't man up and kiss her before she kissed him. And Nigel was his executive. Even if Archie had refused, the man was in a position of power. And he had seen what happened to grunts that upset him.
The thought lingered in his mind, going round in circles, until Archie realized just how much sense it made once he did apply it to his entire life. Because certain things did feel good, but then certain other parts didn't. And that didn't make too much sense, and Maxie's words sort of did.
Archie stood up from the couch, wobbling in place as he struggled to bring himself to balance. Fatigue and lightheadedness were taking over. He was in no mood to bother with it either.
"Archie?" he heard Maxie call for him.
He stopped at the entrance to the hallway, grabbed the wall and looked over at Maxie. He was still seated. He looked distressed. He looked hurt.
"What?" Archie almost snapped.
Maxie stood up, hands together as he carefully eyed Archie.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Archie thought about each and every time Maxie had looked away from him, how he would hide his face for as long as he needed, and each and every time he had summed it up to modesty, overreacting, anything. And he saw how uncomfortable Maxie looked and was reminded of how the redhead had snuck him in the lab so that Archie might be able to get some signatures for the club, or how he had signed his name up, even though Maxie was always so busy. And Maxie was helping him organize the club for next semester, and was even considering doing some other things for him. He thought about the expensive balls he had been given for his birthday. And he thought about the way he took such great care of Zubat. How forgiving he had been about his past, even though Maxie had made such a big deal about Team Rocket. He forgave him.
Maxie had been taking small steps towards Archie. He continued to think about every moment the two of them had shared since he had moved his things in the apartment, trying to figure out where the redhead had stopped viewing him as just another guy, and when things started becoming something more in Maxie's mind.
His nails dug into the wall as he lowered his gaze and met with Maxie's bright red eyes, each pupil staring so deeply into his own. He understood what it meant. He felt his body stiffen up when Maxie grabbed him by the shoulders.
"Answer me," he demanded. Archie swallowed, feeling Maxie give his shoulder a small shake.
"Frustrated," he whispered. He huffed, and felt his throat grow tight. "I'm feelin' really fuckin' frustrated right now!"
Maxie cracked a smile. "Oh, thank Arceus."
Archie felt Maxie lip's against his again, this time pulling away before Archie could react negatively. And then right after that he watched Maxie lean forward and go again, this time on the cheek. And his hands let go of Archie's shoulder, choosing to wrap themselves around Archie's frame, and as comforting as it felt to be hugged, Archie couldn't shake off that eerie feeling that came with him acknowledging that he was back to square one with figuring things out.
When Archie finally awoke the sun was already set in the middle of the sky. The blinds hardly did a thing, and when Archie opened his eyes he was immediately struck with the blinding pangs of harsh, bright light.
He struggled his way out of the hammock. He struggled his way over to the two Poké Balls resting on top of the apple crate. He sent out his Zubat and Poochyena, greeting them as best as he could without wanting to drop dead, and opened the door for them to go out ahead of him.
Archie changed his top and put on a pair of clean-enough jeans before he made the long trek to the restroom.
When everything was said and done, and he finished washing his face at the sink, Archie found himself staring hard at his own reflection, doubting himself and the past several years now more than ever. The hangover was mild compared to everything else.
He ended up not shaving. Archie walked out of the restroom and wandered into the kitchen, spotting Maxie sitting on the couch, reading through one of his many geology related textbooks. Maxie said nothing to him as he passed, barely taking the time to lower the book to eve catch a glimpse.
Archie stretched, scratched, yawned, and crackled his knuckles throughout the cereal making process. He maneuvered his way around two Poochyenas wrestling one another, and he passed by his Zubat perched on a kitchen chair, munching on a oran berry.
Archie sat himself down right next to Maxie.
"Mornin'," he muttered unenthusiastically. Archie shoved a spoonful of cornflakes into his mouth and began to loudly consume his meal.
"Yes," Maxie replied, sounding a little irritated. Archie turned and waved at the small Zubat resting on top of Maxie's shoulder. Its head tilted to the side. The blue bat hummed and Archie's head ached.
"You eat loud," Maxie commented, lowering his textbook and placing it on top of his lap.
The lack of sleep made sympathizing difficult. "Yer normally out by now," Archie replied.
"I wanted to make sure you were feeling well enough."
"Oh." Archie stopped his spoon midway, letting some of the content drops from it while he fought against blushing. "Yeah." He brought the food into his mouth and finished between chews. "I'm fine. Thanks."
"Archie," Maxie began. "I've been thinking quite a bit since last night." He let his hands rub against the book's cover. "And I've come to certain conclusions, all of them involving you."
Archie nearly chocked on his spoonful of cereal. He quickly removed the spoon from his mouth, dropping it into the bowl and causing some of the milk to splash out.
"As you can probably tell," Maxie continued, somehow finding a way to ignore Archie's antics, "I have feelings for you. The kind that most roommates don't have for one another."
"Mhmm." Archie picked up his spoon and rested it on the table. He stared at the bowl and wondered if he could just drink it all up.
Maxie rubbed his fingers against the pages, blushing a little. "There is a part of me that would like for things to continue as they are, with us helping one another, and still being good friends."
"Uh-huh," he responded.
"But," Maxie interjected, and Archie could hear a few of his fingers tapping against the cover of the book. "I also think, with us discovering something rather important regarding your past, that I should seriously consider doing what I can to help you out." He stopped hitting the textbook with his shaking fingers. "I don't want you to end up like Katelyn, or for you to feel like you can't experience the same happiness as everyone else."
Archie watched the cornflakes in his bowl slowly turn soggy. He took a breath and decided to take the risk and start drinking.
"I think it would be best if I just ask you some questions, and you just answer them," Maxie said. "We'll get it over with and move on from there, how does that sound?"
Archie swallowed, bringing the bowl down before wiping his face. Maxie looked a little nervous. But there was no reason why he didn't think he couldn't trust Maxie to be mature about this.
"Ok," he said. "Lay 'em on me."
Maxie pulled in his bottom lip, giving a short nod. Archie was having a hard time comparing this shy Maxie with the one who had dove in and tried making out with him last night. In another universe, this could very well have been something to laugh about.
"I want to help you organize your eco-club," Maxie stated. 'You have some good ideas, but there isn't a real, solid goal behind anything yet. And I have a few ideas of my own I'd like to bring forth to the table."
Archie couldn't say no to this. This was amazing new. Maxie had ideas of his own? He wanted to know them.
He smiled. "Yeah, that's good. I'm cool with that."
"With everything?" Maxie asked.
"Hell yeah," Archie replied, grinning at Maxie and the Zubat. "Maxie, yer super smart. If you have ideas you wanna share fer the group, I can't possibly say no to that!"
Maxie sat frozen in place. And then he smirked.
"Well," he said, sounding far less worried than before, "if you insist upon it."
"We're gonna get so much work done together," Archie excitedly proclaimed. He brought his bowl up to his mouth and finished off the rest of his cereal. "Next question!" he called. He placed the bowl back down on the table.
"I want you to consider speaking with someone, regarding your current situation," Maxie answered. He held on to the textbook. "I know the idea of seeking any sort of therapeutic help implies that there is something wrong with the person asking for it…"
"You want me to get therapy?" Archie asked.
"Not so much therapy," Maxie corrected. The Zubat on his shoulder turned and clicked at him. Maxie sighed. "We have counselors on campus who are paid to just listen to our problems. I'm not telling you to go out and talk about what happened last night with them." He winced when the Zubat leaned close to his ear and clicked again. "…I just want you to think about it. It's your decision."
Archie crossed his arms. He exhaled, letting himself sink into the worn out cushioned seat. He wasn't so sure about this option. But Maxie had sounded a little worried, so rather than outright reject the idea…
"I'll think about it," he replied.
Maxie gave a quick nod. The Zubat grew annoyed with all his master's movements and flew off from Maxie, fluttering over to the kitchen to join its fellow Pokémon companions.
Archie stretched his arms. "Is that all?" he asked with a yawn.
"It would do me a great service if you just pretended I didn't just go right in and kiss you when you weren't expecting it," Maxie said. His shoulder's lifted as he sort of avoided looking directly at Archie. "No matter how one looks at it, I shouldn't have done that. Not after you drank so much." He sank into his seat. "I should have gone about that in a more acceptable manner…"
It was clear that Maxie was feeling guilty over it. Archie hadn't really thought about the kiss that way, but if it really bothered Maxie that much, then he'd agree to forgive him.
He chuckled. "Alright," he said. "Gone from the memory."
Maxie smiled. Archie got up from his seat and took the empty bowl and spoon with him to the kitchen.
"Anything else?" he called out. He turned on the water from the sink and rinsed his utensils.
"Yes, just one more thing," he heard Maxie reply.
Archie hurried out of the kitchen, passing by the small collection of Pokémon, and sat himself back down on his side of the couch. He spread himself out and gestured for Maxie to continue.
"Well," Maxie began. His voice was a little shaky. "I was wondering if you're free next Saturday night?"
Archie remembered Kevin mentioning something about catching some waves. He supposed he could end that earlier if Maxie needed him to be present for something.
"I guess so," he said. "What's up?"
"You see, there are these clubs not too far from the pier," Maxie answered. Archie noticed how, with each word he said, the more nervous he appeared.
"And they have always have local bands playing weekend nights…" he heard Maxie laugh. "And I remembered you mentioned never having been to a concert before…" Archie's eyes widened when he realized what Maxie was leading up to. "And even though these probably won't be very big, I figured I'd give you–"
"–Are you asking me out on a date?"
Maxie's mouth was left open, voice drained from him after hearing Archie's question. But then he folded his hands, curving his back to rest his chin on top of his hands, and after a quick exhale, made all the fear that had developed on his face, and his posture, and maybe even his voice, disappear.
And now he was staring back at him with a confident, almost fierce look in his eyes, and Archie had never seen Maxie with that kind of energy before, and he wasn't sure how to react to it. And just like that, the roles had been switched around, and Archie was feeling anxious and was anticipating what Maxie might do next.
But all Maxie chose to do was smile at him.
"Yes," he answered. "That's exactly what I'm doing."
That smile. It was so clear, and so determined and impressive that Archie wished he could just smile back, laugh and cheer the redhead on.
"Will you go out with me?"
And Archie had never been to a concert before.
And that's it. I hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know what you thought about it.