Begin With the End in Mind

by vegetables

The end of the road is never particularly bright. - SundaeShipping, Harley/Max, Harley/Masato.

4. Part Four

Part Four

-Max-

I had been awake for several minutes. I was completely still, lying on my side and not saying a word even as I felt Harley turn in his sleep. I was clueless as to what to do, more clueless than I had been last night with him on top of me. I wasn't even sure if I was supposed to do anything right now.

I felt so odd. Here I was, lying in the same bed as Harley, him having done so many strange things last night, things that made no sense, and yet, were somehow completely familiar to him. In just one day, he had done some of the most corrupt things to me, having made me climax inside his mouth after I swam, then touching me as he, too, was naked and erect just last night. And, then, there was the way he touched me in other places. The thought of having actually enjoyed that disgusted me now.

Harley had been so insistent on the two of us doing it all, too. Worst of all, I had let him and had come to his room knowing it was probably what he wanted. When we fought at the end of the forest, he had even outright suggested he wanted to "have fun." None of our activities seemed wrong until after it was all over, and that frustrated me. Being caught up in the moment didn't even begin to describe it.

I thought I had enough courage in me to make him stop, because honestly, how were his actions anything besides indecent? Harley himself had called it obscene, but I wasn't sure he meant that in a negative way, since he seemed to want me to do corrupt things with him. I felt a chill run through my body at the thought of having enjoyed what Harley did. It just didn't seem normal! Harley justified it by saying there was nothing to be ashamed of, but when I felt this humiliated, I couldn't believe him.

I wondered once again if May ever came anywhere close to having been this intimate with someone. Drew and her had been together for a rather long time, and it was reasonable question. I was curious, but I didn't want to think about it, honestly. Thinking about May with a guy disturbed me and even got me a bit worked up. She seemed so proper in terms of that kind of stuff, seemingly turned off by it because she had never really struck me as being the type to be interested. Maybe I just assumed that because she was my sister, but it wasn't that I was disgusted by the thought of her in those kind of activities; I just didn't want her to be involved in those kind of activities.

When I felt Harley stir once more, I became more self-conscious. I was suddenly aware I was naked and very close to the man's body. I could even feel the heat coming from it, and because of the thin sheets, his breathing was rather apparent, too.

Slowly, I moved away, sliding towards the end of the bed and managing to place my right foot on the floor. I stepped completely off and gathered my clothing from the floor, nervously throwing it onto my body in a rush. When I was finished, I grabbed my glasses and tiptoed into the bathroom. There, I examined myself in the mirror, realizing how drained and untidy I appeared. I tried my best to straighten out my hair just before I washed my face with a simple splash of water.

I felt and looked better, but I still had a bit of discomfort rising into my mind, knowing Harley was in the other room, sleeping. Well, hopefully he was asleep. Some part of me feared that he was pretending, but I saw no real reason he'd want to avoid me like that. Admittedly, if Harley had awakened while I was still lying down, I would'vekept my eyes shut and played to be in a deep sleep.

When I walked out of the bathroom—putting on my glasses as I did so—I went into the living room. The slivery light of dawn shone through the window curtains and was spread out across the entire room. It made the room look bare and lonely. I suddenly felt lonely, but I had no intention of returning to the bedroom with Harley.

I actually had somewhere to go. It was just after eight o'clock and was just the right time to go to the Gym. Now was probably the best time, but I almost felt like I couldn't leave the hotel. I knew I physically could and had every right, but it felt wrong to just leave Harley. I considered waiting for him to wake up, but I was too gutless to face him now, and I knew just walking out would be a lot easier for me. But, still, it seemed rude.

On the coffee table, there was a complimentary notepad and pen with the hotel's name and logo. I bent down in front of the piece of furniture, beginning to write out a short note to Harley. When I was done, I ripped the individual sheet off the pad and placed it in the middle of the table. The note read:

I went to challenge Morty.

I stared at it for a while, not satisfied. It seemed short and ill-hearted, a complete dismissal of Harley's hospitality for letting me stay here last night, regardless of why he might've wanted me to stay. I sighed and quickly added to it:

I'll be back, okay?

I wasn't sure why I wrote it. Was it true? I saw no reason for the two of us to continue hanging around, especially after I earned my badge. But, even now, there was no reason. Harley had tried to lie about never visiting the Tin Tower, a way of making me feel bad and allowing him to come with me. Obviously, he wanted to be around me, and whether or not that was because he wanted something… more… it still felt nice to have someone care that much.

For a moment, a flicker of weirdness ran through my mind: the thought of still being with Harley in the next town. It was just plain frightening that I allowed myself to think that way, as if I wanted him to be around. I mean, I didn't! There was no way I could want him around because he was weird, and I still felt like he was manipulating me on some level.

All my humiliated feelings began forming again, and I was fed-up. I grabbed my bag, putting it on a single shoulder and quietly walking out of the room. I made it down to the lobby, smelling various breakfast foods coming from the lounge. Even though the combination of spices and fried ingredients smelt delicious, I wasn't hungry. I didn't feel as if I lost my appetite, but I felt full as if I had just eaten a meal. Aside from the crowd around the lounge, the lobby was quite vacant. A group of people stood at the main desk, either checking in or out.

When I stepped outside, I discovered it was actually quite cold out. It was still early in the morning, and the chilly breeze was likely to go on until around noon. I glanced over at the Tin Tower, which looked shiny and surprisingly bright compared to how it appeared last night. It looked empty, though. In fact, the whole town was pretty sparse, save for the teahouse. I wondered why Harley hadn't shown any interest in visiting there, since aside from alcohol, he had penchant for tea. I wouldn't have minded going there, actually. I heard the owners had the complete evolutionary forms of Eevee.

Sighing, I pushed the thoughts aside and continued to walk through the city. Towards the very back of the town was the Gym. I became more and more excited as I walked, contemplating using Kirlia and Murkrow, and perhaps Stantler, if it became necessary. I didn't have a chance to train him or anything, but he still looked strong and capable of defeating a Ghost Pokémon.

I reached the Gym quickly, having jogged most of the way out of excitement. The structure almost resembled my house and the Gym back home, being very traditional and modestly plain. Some of the Gyms I had visited (a perfect example being Wattson in Hoenn) were extravagant and gaudy, so I appreciated the simple look of this one. Now, I was hyped. I ran the rest of the way to the front entrance, throwing open the doors in a jovial style.

Inside, there was a small front desk and various decorations, including a large painting of a Suicune. I examined the painting for several minutes, looking at how the creature's head was perched and its front legs extended far in front of itself. For a brief second, I wished Harley were here with me so I could say something about the painting out loud. I had always thought like this, wishing I had a traveling companion, simply so I could talk to them. Usually, it was May who came to mind, but since I had been around Harley the last few days, I figured that's why he popped into my head first.

"May I help you?"

I turned around to see a blonde-haired man standing there. It was Morty. I had seen enough photos of the man, and unlike some Gym Leaders, he looked exactly the same as he did in pictures. I pursed my lips and tried my best to smile. I had never been particularly good around strangers, but I at least thought I did a fine job pretending to be comfortable.

"Hi," I greeted. "My name's Max, and I would like to challenge you to a battle."

Morty gave an odd blink before his lips spread out into a smile, and he nodded energetically. "Certainly. To be honest, I haven't been challenged in over a week."

"Really?" I wondered, quite surprised. "That's weird."

Morty shrugged. "I think it's because of the weather we've been having."

I nodded and then changed the subject back by saying, "I already have four badges, so this will make my fifth."

The blonde man laughed, as if he was used to statements like mine. "That is, of course, if you win."

I grinned at him with determination, feeling very much like Ash all of the sudden. Morty began walking towards another area of the Gym, motioning me to follow. As we walked, I thought about asking about Ash, knowing he had been to this Gym. I didn't always do this with Leaders, but Morty seemed like the type of guy to remember a lot.

"You battled with Ash Ketchum, didn't you?" I asked.

Morty automatically turned to me, seeming to brighten up. "Ash?" he echoed. "Yes, I remember him quite well."

I blinked, but smiled right away. "Really? He's a friend of mine."

"Ash is a phenomenal trainer, that's for sure," Morty stated with complete assurance. "He told me he saw the legendary Ho-Oh."

Appearing to go off in a reminiscent thought, I said anyway, "Yes, he told me about that, too."

"That was almost five years ago when I met Ash. He's easy to remember because, well, he helped me out with some trouble here in town. How is he, do you know?"

"Yeah, he's fine," I informed the Leader. "He's in Sinnoh right now."

Morty and I reached the back of the Gym, which was a large battlefield, complete with an automatic score board, which was actually turned off at the moment. There was a small pedestal underneath it, and I guessed was for the judge. There was no one there now, but I was quite all right with that. I just wanted to battle, and judges were not a part of any regulations.

The man stopped when we entered. "This will be a three-on-three battle. How does that sound, Max?" He turned to me and waited for an answer.

Morty's stare actually made me uncomfortable. For some reason, I had a feeling he could see right through me and was completely aware of all the personal issues I was having with May, with Harley, maybe even my parents, too. I was definitely embarrassed now, thinking he knew what I had done with Harley last night. Even worse, I feared he could even read my very thoughts! It was anxiety at its worse, but Morty's almost deadpanned stare truly had me paranoid.

"T-That's… fine with me," I answered.

"Good to know," the blonde man said, then went off to walk to his side of the arena.

I walked over to my small outlined box, too, digging into my backpack on the way and grabbing Murkrow's Pokéball.

"The judge isn't here, so I hope that's all right with you," Morty explained from the other side of the arena.

"Yes, it's fine," I replied, loud enough for him to hear.

"All right, then," Morty said, grabbing a Pokéball from his belt. He positioned himself correctly, throwing the ball dramatically as he yelled, "Go!"

Bursting out of the ball was a floating black and purple creature, one I had seen several times before: Gastly. Its sharp white fangs intensified its mean grin, and I subsequently followed suit and threw out Murkrow's Pokéball. Murkrow did not flinch at the grainy grin on Gastly, either not noticing or not being intimidated. Murkrow just flew about, shifting from the right to the left in the air as he prepared for the battle.

"Let's begin!" Morty shouted, substituting as the judge.

I clenched one fist and then extended my free arm towards the battlefield as I ordered, "Astonish!"

Morty's brow, just visible below his blue headband, creased just a bit, knowing that my Dark-type would prove to be a bit difficult to beat against his Ghost. Nonetheless, he kept a confident smile and countered my attack with, "Confuse Ray!"

Murkrow's attack hit first, a ball of black and gray slamming onto Gastly's pale form in an exploding blast. Gastly grunted, but flew higher, its mouth open with a continual smile that just wouldn't go away. I was almost reminded of Harley, who never really stopped giving me smirks and grins and smiles. Ugh.

"Lick!" Morty yelled.

Murkrow flapped its wings powerfully, trying its best to avoid Gastly who floated quickly over and began circling around him. Murkrow dodged the Gastly's first Lick, gliding downwards and landing on the battlefield. Gastly followed, managing to get extremely close.

"Murkrow, use Peck!"

Murkrow extended its neck and gave a quick thrust of its beck. He missed when Gastly swooped away, ending up getting its tongue on Murkrow's back and giving it a gross, slimy graze of the tongue. Murkrow made a noise of both pain and disappointment. Thrown off, Murkrow hit the ground roughly, barely landing on its thin feet.

"Good job," Morty applauded to his Gastly. "Now, use Curse!"

Instead of following Murkrow near the ground, Gastly floated up in the middle of the arena. Its form shuddered all of the sudden, and the ghost howled in pain as its body lit up in some strange pink glow. The pink light then slashed onto Murkrow, but my Pokémon did not even flinch. Instead, Gastly fell to the ground, completely knocked out.

"W-What?" I exasperated, completely confused.

Morty smiled and reclaimed the Pokéball from his belt, returning his Gastly. "Looks like you won this round," he admitted smoothly. He then took another ball and threw it into the arena. "Go, Haunter!"

The Pokémon growled, even before the red faded from the Pokéball's light, ready for battle. Its limp hands curled, crawling at the air to appear fierce.

Still confused on what happened with Gastly, I tried to remember what Curse did. My brain was fried, too stunned by having won the first round to be able to recall anything about the attack. I bit my lip, suspicious, but went ahead and ordered Murkrow to use, "Pursuit! Hurry!"

Murkrow returned into the air. The Haunter, who was definitely stronger looking than Morty's Gastly, took no time floating—or, really, soaring—towards Murkrow, laughing in its creepy way and just circling around Murkrow in a taunting sort of way. Intimidated, Murkrow did not attempt to land an attack, and instead, just watched its foe taunt him before suddenly glowing with that familiar pink light and hitting the floor.

Completely taken aback by its sudden loss of energy and strength, Murkrow grunted softly in pain, unable to get up.

"Murkrow…!" I gasped, and then it hit me. I remembered what Curse did to Pokémon. I let out a frustrated groan, feeling pretty retarded for not having recalled Murkrow to avoid the effect.

Morty laughed, but it wasn't malicious. "You don't seem very surprised now," he commented.

I sighed, adjusting my glasses in a nervous fit and admitted, "Well, I was too caught up in the victory to even remember what Curse does."

Morty shook his head. "Not a good thing to happen to a trainer."

I felt discouraged and insulted at the same time. I gritted my teeth, recalling Murkrow and grabbing Kirlia's Pokéball. "Come on, Kirlia!" I called out, throwing the ball.

Kirlia, the strongest in my team, would normally be saved for last, but I didn't want to risk anything with using Stantler, especially since Murkrow had just fainted. I pushed in my lips in a nervous uncertainty, watching as Haunter's thick fingers tapped around in the air as if Morty and it were waiting for me to make the first move. So, I did.

"Kirlia, Confusion!"

Kirlia eyes lit up but did not release the attack just yet. She waited then bounced up, attempting to get closer to Haunter and spurting the bright attack onto Haunter. But, when it hit Haunter, the Pokémon didn't even seem to feel it. I furrowed my brow, watching as Morty's expression stayed unreadable.

"Haunter, Confuse Ray!"

Haunter cackled in its own gargled way, emitting circular blue globs that surrounded Kirlia for several seconds before disappearing into her body. Kirlia began to stumble, unable to balance herself. Now confused, Kirlia ended up falling backwards.

"Get up, Kirlia," I pleaded in an assuring tone. "You can shake it off!"

Kirlia listened, determined to stay in this battle for a while.

Just as she did, though, Haunter flew by her, and Morty yelled, "Shadow Punch!" and Haunter's fist slammed into the side of Kirlia's head, sending her right back onto the ground.

"No!" I yelled, watching as Kirlia struggled to get up again. "Kirlia, you can do it—come on!"

Haunter circled her again, and I could sense another Shadow Punch coming her way. Morty seemed confident, though it lacked snobbery, and I was glad for that. Nothing was more frustrating than an opponent making you feel stupid with their cockiness.

Kirlia stood, finally, but Haunter was coming towards her again. I tightened my fist and yelled, "Teleport!"

Kirlia just missed the incoming punch, appearing at the far end of the arena, near Morty. Successful with avoiding that, I knew I had to get Kirlia to attack in a way that wouldn't fry up her mind more than it already was thanks to the Confuse Ray.

"Haunter, Sludge Bomb!"

A Poison attack wouldn't have made anything better, so I quickly mustered up all the hope I had and ordered, "Magical Leaf!"

Kirlia's expression was flustered and sickly, but she clumsily dodged the sludge that splattered near her and twirled around to let out her power. The multi-colored leaves flourished throughout the room, twisting and spinning around Haunter so there was no way to avoid the attack. The leaves shot towards Haunter, hitting its body cluster by cluster and causing the ghost to weakly fall to the ground.

"Haunter, don't let that knock you out," Morty encouraged.

Haunter listened to the assurance and reclaimed its position in the air, still looking drained and weak. This was a good thing for me, however, and I knew that if Kirlia continued to think through the Confusion, she could knock Haunter out with a last attack.

"Okay, Kirlia," I shouted, "Future Sight!"

Kirlia concentrated the best she could, sensing the next attack from Haunter.

Morty tried to avoid this prediction by saying, "Haunter, you know what to do!"

And, apparently, Haunter did, though it tried its best not to let onto what it was going to do. I saw its fist twitch for a moment, and I knew then that it was planning on another Shadow Punch. Kirlia would know this, too, and I smiled, proud that I managed to catch onto the next attack.

Haunter floated towards her in a rush, but Kirlia, very aware of the attack, teleported away and used its countering Future Sight. Haunter was taken aback, and the attack landed directly onto the creature, sending it flying backwards and hitting the wall near Morty.

"Damn!" Morty cursed lowly, though I still heard it. He sighed and turned around to return Haunter. "Well, Max, I'm quite surprised you beat my Haunter," he told me through a grin.

Coming from my opponent so early on was rare, but I accepted the compliment. Before I could respond, though, I became distracted by Kirlia's grunt. Not having snapped out of her confusion, I decided it was best to recall her just as Morty threw his final Pokéball into the arena. Just as I suspected, it was a Gengar. Large and completely wicked looking, I was fearful that Stantler wouldn't be able to have the easiest time beating it. I still had faith in my new Pokémon, though, and so I grabbed Stantler's Pokéball and threw it.

"Gengar, I'm counting on you!" Morty told his Pokémon.

The creature replied with a nod to its trainer. Its expression even softened as he looked at Morty.

Stantler's hoofs clicked loudly on the arena floor as the creature paced about calmly, knowing it was in a Gym Battle. I had spoken to Stantler when I was at the Center last night, much like I did to all the new Pokémon I caught. Stantler seemed to warm up to me quickly, and I knew he would give it his all in this battle.

"Stantler," I called, "Psychic!"

Despite the fact the attack would be powerful against the Gengar, I couldn't help feeling transparent for how I was going to use Stantler in the battle. Stantler was a Normal-type Pokémon, and its limited Psychic powers would end up being a disadvantage.

"Gengar, Lick!"

Gengar moved fast. The creature ran, going from right to left continuously before it jumped onto Stantler's back, making my Pokémon jump in surprise. Stantler tried shaking off Gengar, but was stilled when Gengar licked its back and then jumped away. I could tell Stantler felt the worst of the attack because he trembled harshly, more than Murkrow had before.

"Stantler, Psychic!" I repeated, my Pokémon not having the chance to attack before.

"Shadow Ball, hurry!" Morty voiced. His body seemed rigid, sensing he could possibly lose but still retaining confidence in himself and Gengar.

Both attacks emitted at the same time, though Stantler's Psychic traveled slower than the dark spheres from Gengar. Colliding, both our Pokémon felt the remaining tremors. Gengar turned away, hiding its face from the explosion as Stantler lowered his head and let the attack hit its antlers.

"Astonish!" I ordered.

Stantler galloped closer to Gengar, making sure to move in various directions to avoid his opponent from trying anything head-on. At good distance, Stantler's antlers lit up and emitted the powerful blast of Astonish, hitting Gengar and making it slide back as it tried to stay on its feet.

"Dream Eater!" Morty shouted.

Stantler, still so close to Gengar, flew all the way back when the ghost's powerful and painful attack radiated onto the arena in a spectacular combination of purple and gray. Stantler fell on his side, automatically revealing defeat.

I let out a heavy sigh, disappointed more in myself for not having trained Stantler at all. I felt like I had another reason to be sort of hostile and moody towards Harley for having, well, distracted me from anything last night. I became very red, feeling like Morty could sense my thoughts again. I recalled Stantler, switching to Kirlia's Pokéball.

"I know you're tired, but I know you can do it," I quietly voiced, then releasing her onto the arena.

Gengar growled, seeing Kirlia was tired. Luckily, I could sense Kirlia's confusion had worn off, which was a definite pro in having her battle Morty's strongest Pokémon. I smiled at Kirlia, knowing that she would give it her all even through her exhaustion.

"Kirlia, use Double Team!"

Kirlia's form multiplied, not only surrounding Gengar, but also spreading out throughout the field. Gengar routinely searched for the real one, but could not narrow it down.

"Gengar, Hypnosis!"

"Kirlia, quick—use Magical Leaf!"

The real Kirlia—located smack in the middle of the field—rapidly spun around and around, letting the leaves float around before stabbing at Gengar just as its eyes lit up, readying to put Kirlia to sleep. But, the slam of the many leaves stopped and distracted him from continuing the Hypnosis. The ghost fell forward, but recovered as fast as it could.

"Don't let it put you to sleep!" I warned Kirlia. "Use Confusion!"

Gengar was attempting to emit hypnotic sleep waves, but Kirlia's blast once again stopped it, even hitting harder than the Magical Leaf. Gengar groaned in pain, but remained on its feet with a cocky grin.

"Try your Dream Eater again!" Morty suggested orderly.

"Teleport, then use Psychic!"

Our Pokémon were ready to attack at the same time, but Gengar was too slow, and Kirlia teleported to him, using her Psychic in full power. The bright and colorful attack hit Gengar at close range, making the ghost twirl dizzily around in circles before hitting the ground in a loud thump-sound. Completely unconscious, Gengar just lied on the floor, defeated.

"Yeees!" I cheered in triumph. I threw my right arm up in a victorious gesture, and Kirlia came to my side to join my happiness. I kneeled down, embracing the small Pokémon. "Thank you so much, Kirlia!"

Morty recalled Gengar and approached me with a smile. "Max, that was quite impressive."

"Thank you," I said, getting back to my feet. "But, I need to train my Stantler more. I just caught him yesterday."

"I would've never known. He put up a nice fight." The blonde man looked up at the clock above the door we came through. "This battle ended just in time, too."

"Why is that?" I wondered.

"I have a class to teach," he explained, gesturing for us to walk out of the arena.

"A class?" I further questioned. "On what?"

"On Ghost Pokémon," he told me. "I hold them once a week. If you want, you can stay for it."

We began to walk, Kirlia at my side. I was very curious about the class, but surprisingly, I very much wanted to go back to the hotel and brag to Harley about my victory. I was actually disappointed in myself, since it was unlike me to pass up the opportunity to learn more about Pokémon. Despite my disgruntled conscience, I answered:

"I have somewhere to go, but thank you—it means a lot that you'd allow me."

Morty nodded in understanding. We reached the main entrance, and Morty went behind the small counter and grabbed a red case. He placed it on the counter and opened it. "You earned your Fog Badge, that's for sure," he said, taking out a small, grayish blue badge and handing it to me.

I took the badge and examined it with pride and happiness. There were two white ovals of eyes on the blobby figure of what resembled a ghost. "Thanks!" I said once again, then bent down a little to show Kirlia.

She beamed happily, very proud of herself, as she should've been. I patted her head, then dug into my backpack and grabbed her Pokéball along with my badge case.

"You deserve to rest," I told her, recalling her into the ball. I then looked up at Morty and said, "Thanks for battling me." I placed the badge into my case and tucked it away into my bag.

"My pleasure, Max. Good luck in your next battle."

I nodded in response, walking out of the Gym with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't believe I won! It felt so fantastic, and I was so eager to tell someone. I decided to call my parents when I spotted a sign that read Phone hung on a pole near the teahouse. I was surprised they'd advertise something like that at such a traditional place, but I supposed it didn't matter. I dashed up the steps leading to the teahouse, skipping many at a time to try and get to the top quicker.

I spent some time catching my breath at the top and then readjusting my glasses. I walked slowly towards the first entrance, passing a dewy path, which was curvy and outlined by stones. The entire environment was a large garden, complete with an artificial pond and a bench and wooden awning where a couple sat, chatting lowly. There were several structures of stone shrines scattered throughout the garden, but the large bamboo-made building in front of me was the main teahouse, a small square door inviting me inside.

I slowly slid the translucent shoiji door open, stepping inside. To the left was a long, red mat of guests' shoes and to the left, another mat of free, unused slippers. I switched footwear quickly, then stepped up the single step and walked to the counter where a woman stood, smiling at me in a greeting. She was dressed in a light yellow kimono, her hair up in a bun and only the most delicate pats of makeup on her face.

"Hello, young man," she said cheerily. "How may we help you this morning?"

"Hi," I replied, suddenly feeling very on-spot with what the lady was asking. I felt rude for just coming here for the phone, but I didn't feel like having any tea. "I'm sort of in a hurry…" I balked as I tried to formulate a sentence.

"A hurry?" she finished for me. "We're happy to make you something to go, though it's not the most traditional way to participate in a tea ceremony." She smiled anyway.

"Oh, well, um, that's okay, I guess," I stuttered. "I was wondering, though, would I be able to use your phone?"

"Of course you may," she answered. "It's located near the changing rooms." She tilted her head only a little, gesturing towards it. "Now, what would you be interested in trying? We have some azuka tea cakes, if you want to try those."

I pursed my lips and then answered, "Um, sure I'll take some of those, if that's all right."

"Of course," she said, nodding. "I'll be back in just a few." She gave me another nod of her head, disappearing into what I guessed was the preparation room for the tea.

I walked towards the direction she gestured, entering a small hall that led to the bathrooms and changing rooms. The phone sat on a table in the middle of the hall. It was not a videophone, but I expected this anyway. I picked up the device, dialing my home number. It took several rings for someone to answer, but finally I heard the voice of Kenny:

"Hello?" he said.

"Hi, Kenny," I greeted. I hadn't talked to him in forever. "How are you?"

"Max?" he wondered. "Hi! I'm fine. How are you?"

If he only knew. Although I was fine at the moment, especially since I just earned my Fog Badge, I knew deep down I was still struggling to grasp the issues of Harley. There was no way I could ever tell my parents—or even Kenny—about what had happened. These thoughts clouded my mind from answering Kenny right away as I thought about what they would say if I had told them.

"I'm fine, too," I finally answered, hoping the pause wasn't that long. "I just earned my fifth badge."

"Fifth? That's great, Max. From where?"

"In Ecruteak. The Fog Badge."

I could just sense Kenny was smiling. "That's amazing, Max. I'm very proud of you. But, listen, if you want to speak to your parents, you're gonna have to try again later. They went out this morning to the city."

"They did?" I wondered. "Oh… Well, okay, that's fine. You can go ahead and share the news with them. I'm not sure when I'm going to have another chance to call," I explained.

"Okay, I will," he said. "But, anyway, what else has been going on?"

Once again, I had to think to myself, if only he knew. Or, if only I could tell him! Honestly, what would he have thought? Was it even acceptable to tell him? I even thought that maybe it was wrong to divulge that type of information, not only on the personal level of it being strictly between Harley and myself, but because I still felt what we had done was immoral.

I sighed, and answered, "Nothing really exciting. I caught a Stantler yesterday, though."

"That's exciting, though," Kenny argued happily. "It sounds like you're having a great time in Johto."

"I am," I said honestly. "I should go now, though. I'm at a teahouse."

"Oh, okay, Max," Kenny replied. "I'll talk to you later then. Have a good day."

"You, too. Bye." I hung up after his farewell and turned around to head back to the main area of the teahouse. As I walked by some of the rooms once more, I noticed the area where some of the tea ceremonies were held. There were only a few mats laid out, occupied by the few people inside. It was dead silent, too.

Back in the entrance of the teahouse, the lady was waiting with a small box wrapped in a red cloth.

"Sorry about that," I told her sincerely. "How much for this?"

The woman put a hand up and shook her head slowly. "No, no, we do not charge for this," she explained. "Only if you participate is there a fee."

I blinked. "Are you sure?" I asked. "Because I feel obligated."

"Don't," she assured. "Have a nice day."

"Thank you!" I smiled at her and took the wrapped-up box from the counter. I began walking out of the building, switching back to my shoes and going outside.

After I went down the exhaustingly long steps of stairs, I walked back towards the hotel. I had no idea what time it was, but deep down, I had a feeling Harley might have been still asleep. He had woken up before me yesterday, but I still thought Harley was the type of person to sleep his life away each day.

Inside the hotel, I made my way up the second floor, dragging my feet as I walked down the hall towards his room. I suddenly felt my heart sink with uncertainty, so unsure about how Harley was going to act when I got into the room and even further unsure about what he planned to do for the rest of the day. When I got to the door, I froze. And, since I had proven to be an absolute retard the past few days, I realized I had no key to get inside.

I grumbled, putting the back of my hand to my forehead as I sighed in annoyance. How could that have slipped my mind? I hadn't seen the cardkey anywhere, but that wasn't a good enough excuse for not having thought ahead. Now, I just felt like turning around and leaving. I had all my stuff with me; I could very well leave the city and go to Olivine or Mahogany Town. It was no problem, really. I mean, why should I even care about leaving Harley without a proper farewell anyway?

But, I couldn't get myself to do it, and I had no idea why.

So, I lifted my hand up, giving a light tap on the door with my fist before knocking harder and louder. And, strangely, it didn't take more than a second for the door to fly open and for me to see Harley standing there, dressed and tidied up. He even had his hat on, and his hair was neatly brushed.

"Maximus!" he exclaimed through a seemingly amiable smile. He even reached out, collecting me into the room by motioning in quickly.

I did so, confused by his hurried gestures. I looked around the suite, seeing nothing weird going on, and since he answered the door so fast I guessed there was nothing going on. I furrowed my brow regardless, looking up to Harley in confusion.

"What's going on?" I voiced anyway.

Harley replied, "Nothing." But, then he continued, "That note of yours had me absolutely furious."

"Furious!" I repeated with shock. "How?"

"Despite what it said, I thought for certain you had no intention of coming back," he admitted.

"Oh," I said. "Well, I'm here."

Harley's mouth extended in a melted sort of smile. "That you are." His smile then flattened, and he wondered, "You didn't forget something, did you?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I just… came back…" I then dug into my bag and took out my badge case. "Look," I said, pointing at the latest edition.

"Ohh!" he chirped in an exaggerated tone. "Congrats, Max." He eyed me in a familiar way, beginning to reach down to my face.

Before he touched me, I moved away, heading towards the living room and placing my bag and badge case onto the table. I then lifted up the wrapped box and said, "I have food."

Harley followed, his lips pursed in what I guessed was the result of me having moved away from his touch. He sat down on the couch, taking the box from me and unwrapping the cloth slowly. "Let's see what my Maximus brought me."

Truthfully, I hadn't brought it for him at all. I didn't even think about that. I had just taken up the offer from the lady. But, I supposed he was happier under the assumption I had brought it for him, so I didn't say anything. Instead, I cautiously sat down next to him, keeping myself a safe distance away on the other side of the couch.

"You brought me tea cakes!" he beamed, moving some of his hair away from his view. "Max, you're the sweetest."

I shrugged. "Stantler didn't do too well against Morty's Gengar," I revealed, guessing he might have been somewhat interested. "He still tried his very best, and it was impressive, but I should've spent time training him."

"Spent time? What time did you have last night?" He ended his inquiry with a chuckle, smiling knowingly at his own remark.

I turned red and then rolled my eyes. "Well, I need to train him," I restated.

Harley took a bite of one of the tea cakes and shrugged. "When did you wake up?" he asked after swallowing.

"Around eight," I said. "What time is it now?"

Harley shrugged again and continued to eat the small snack.

"I'm sorry I had you, um, concerned that I wasn't coming back," I told him. And, even though I hadn't been certain I was going to return, I did. And, part of me was glad because I had avoided leaving on rude and impolite terms.

The man gave me a look of resentment. "Mm, well, Maximus, I wanted very badly to wake up next to you."

I gaped, thrown off by his sudden statement. I glowed red, turning away and staring at the floor. I adjusted my glasses, unsure what to say. Was I supposed to apologize? Did he want me to apologize?

Harley clapped his hands together to get rid of the crumbs from the tea cake. He placed the box onto the table, still half full, and commented, "Those were good. Where did you get them?"

Having changed the subject, it didn't seem to phase Harley how embarrassed I currently was. I knew that I could probably be comfortable around Harley if he didn't insist on mentioning and alluding to the things we'd done.

"At the teahouse," I stated. "It was pretty there."

Harley nodded. "Yes, I've been." He placed his feet onto the table then slung an arm behind the back of the couch, turning towards me. "What do you want to do now, Max?"

"I… um, I…" I began answering right away, but quickly stopped myself. I had no idea what he was suggesting, if anything at all. I sucked in my bottom lip and narrowed my eyes. "I earned my badge. There's not much else I want to do. I don't really care about the Tower."

Harley lifted his eyebrows. "You don't? I thought for sure you would."

"I don't care that much," I clarified further. "We don't have to do anything at all, though."

"I like the sound of that, Max."

Why did he have to say my name so much? It was either "Max" or "Maximus," and truthfully, both were pretty disturbing coming from him. I didn't even want to begin to think about what I had gotten myself into by insisting we didn't have to do anything, because that meant being in the room all day with Harley… and I wasn't sure what that would lead to at all…

"Is something wrong?" he asked after a long period of silence.

And, why did he always ask that when the answer was so clear already? Of course there was something troubling me; of course I was still confused and unsure and so embarrassed about everything. Harley, the more experienced of us, was either so experienced that he forgot what it was like to be in my state of mind, or he didn't care. Maybe even both. Worst of all, there was no way I could open up and share what I was feeling, because it mortified me. I had shared some of the issues I was having with May, yes, but I didn't go too far into it. And, this—him and I—was a subject completely different and far more personal and embarrassing to talk about. And, I only wished I had the courage to tell him that.

Sighing, I gave a small shrug of the shoulders and began with, "It's still weird."

"What, us?" He smacked his lips together. "I can't help you with that."

I looked up at him immediately, furrowing my brow as I glared at him. "How can you say that? You're the one… doing things!"

Harley chuckled, putting a hand to his mouth like some chortling king. "Things that you aren't stopping." He then gave an annoyed look. "Look, we've been down this road. What more can I tell you?"

"A lot," I insisted. "For one, you can tell me why you decided to do any of it."

I could tell my vague wording amused Harley. But, it made it easier for me to talk, and I wasn't going to complicate it by being descriptive. Still, the man kept giving me a dead look, one that was uninterested in the conversation.

"I like you," he stated matter-of-factly and slightly on-edge. "You're sweet and cute, and I can't believe—"

"—how much I look like my dad?" I finished for him.

Harley waved a hand in dismissal. "Well, it is intriguing, but no. I see Max, not Norman."

"How can I believe you?" I demanded. "You're still the same guy who tricked my sister and tried sabotaging so many of her Contests! I should've never allowed this to go so far!"

The man's expression flattened again. "You can believe me because if I goddamn wanted to, I could go into your little hometown and seduce your father like that,"—he snapped his fingers in sync with his words—"but instead I'm interested in you, because you're a fucking tart, and you really have no idea how that affects me."

I suddenly felt very ridiculous and inferior. He was basically yelling at me, and what he had said was just disturbing. My father would never even consider having a relationship with a man, let alone Harley. And, what had he called me? A tart? What on earth was that?

"My dad doesn't like men. My dad isn't like you," I decided to say.

"Or, like you?" he quipped.

I clenched my fist, embarrassed and unnerved. "I told you already that I'm not…"

"That you did, and yet it didn't seem to stop you from letting us go a step further last night, now did it?" His eyes widened to emphasize how great he thought his point was, and he even smiled at me. Just a second ago he was angry.

"You—"

He cut me off, saying, "No, you're not going to blame me either. You were a willing participate, and I have a dirty tissue of your jizz to prove it."

"Stop talking like that!" I asserted. "You're used to all of this. I'm not."

"We can make you used to it."

I groaned, putting my face in my hands, horrified by how easily I was beaten in this game and unwilling to even try further. "I think I hate you," I said, but geez, did it lack force.

Harley laughed amusingly. "Like I said, Max, you have no idea how you affect me."

While I didn't know for certain what that meant, I had my suspicions, and it bothered me. Was it really me who made him act so lechery? I never really considered I caused it. I didn't want to; at least that's what I thought. I mean, I was already so uncomfortable with what we had done, and if it was me who was provoking him to want it, wasn't this all my fault? My mind was fogged and crowded with thoughts.

"Don't be ashamed!" he then stated with mirth. He slapped my back playfully, but it sort of hurt. "I've never wanted a kid your age. So, you're special."

I became jittery with nerves again, fidgeting and fretful. Kid. He still thought I was a kid, and although it was true, did that mean that's all he saw in me? Was I not a successful and independent Pokémon trainer, too? Did he have any admiration for me being out on my own? It was obvious Harley had quite the list of past… companions… and though that was beginning to bother me, I was curious to know whether he was treating me differently than anyone from the past. I wanted to ask, but I had no idea how to approach the subject.

"Listen, Harley," I voiced. "Maybe we should go and do something here." I said this because I didn't want to be stuck in here all day with him, and also, I knew there had to be something we could do.

"I have an idea," he proposed, "and I'm sure you'll like it because you're desperate to go out and train your little what's-its-name. How about a rematch from the other day?"

"A rematch? You mean, you want to battle again?" I watched as he nodded, putting his hand on my shoulder and stroking the edge of my collarbone. "Okay, I don't see why not."

"Then let's go," he excitedly said, grabbing my arm and pulling me up.

When I got to my feet, he purposely made sure I banged into him, my chest hitting his side. He kept me there, not letting me move by putting a single arm around me, basically forcing me into an embrace. I was too startled to move. It wasn't a hug; it was more of a possessive claim. He kneeled down in front of me, rubbing my back with his open palm. I felt his lips linger around the side of my face, his breath hitting me and making some of my hair move.

"Harley," I warned, not liking where this was going.

He chuckled, the soft laugh right near my ear. He whispered, "I hope nothing goes astray between us if I end up being victorious."

"I beat you the other day, and you didn't hold it against me," I stated.

"No, I didn't," he acknowledged. His lips pressed into my lower chin, a motionless, simple kiss that made my entire body shiver.

I was about to turn my head, slightly curious as to what would happen if I let his lips touch my own. Suddenly, though, he stood up, stretching routinely and disappearing into the bedroom. He returned only a second later with his bag over his shoulder, but I hadn't even moved an inch. I watched as he opened the door and looked back at me to make sure I was coming.

xxxxx

-Harley-

The entire time, Max had been following me gingerly, keeping up at good pace but still behind, probably because he wanted to avoid being so close to me. It was indeed insulting, and in many ways, hurtful, but I didn't say anything. The boy was having a bundle of issues, most of which I had no control over. I mean, at this point, what could be he confused about? It couldn't be more obvious that he craved my attention, otherwise he wouldn't still be with me, let alone have come back to the hotel this morning.

As we walked outside, heading towards the secluded, more wooded area of the city, I could hear Max's shoes scraping against the dirt. Now he was dragging his feet. It didn't take long to reach a shaded, incredibly green and shrubby area, which was close to where Max and I had our spiff the previous day.

"How about here?" I voiced, gesturing around the side of the forest.

Max had his arms folded, looking delightfully precious with his backpack on and his lips pursed. He shrugged and said, "It's fine."

I placed my bag on the ground, taking out Wigglytuff's ball and smiling at Max thoughtfully. "Seems we're not the only couple training," I noted, pointing towards the inner area of the forest where several people were having battles with each other.

"Couple?" the boy mimicked. But, he then shook his head, discarding the comment.

Max didn't seem too enthusiast about this battle, but he started preparing himself anyway, taking out a Pokéball from his backpack as he walked a good distance away from me so our Pokémon could battle. Obviously, something was on his mind, and really, as he walked away, his back towards me, seeming so melancholy, it sort of appeared as if he were leaving me, or something. I had been under the strong assumption he left this morning, and while I had been angry about it, I knew that in given time, I would have become despondent. No one had ever done something like that; no one had actually left me. And, of all people to leave, Max would've been the most upsetting, because I hadn't even had the chance to claim the boy the way I wanted! And, fuck, he wasn't going anywhere until I did.

I gave a confident grin when the boy turned to face me. I placed a hand on my hip, making sure Max caught the gleam in my eye, there especially for him. I couldn't see his reaction well, but I made the logical assumption he rolled his eyes at me. Afterwards, though, he threw the ball, letting the creature inside land in the distance between us. His Stantler, who looked remarkably well rested despite its battle with Morty, appeared and lowered its head, showing off its antlers. I copied Max, letting Wigglytuff out. Both Pokémon gave looks that revealed they were ready for battle.

"I hope you're okay from this morning," Max said to Stantler.

The thing looked bloody fine, geez, Max. In many ways, I could tell Max was reluctant to start the battle, and it surprised me that I was more eager than him. Since he didn't seem like the kind of lad to be tired after one battle, I suspected his reluctance was due to me. Again, I was insulted, and I decided Max and I needed to have another talk after the battle.

I tucked some hair behind my ear. "Any day now," I urged, offering him the first move.

I could hear Max sigh all the way over in my direction. "Fine," he mumbled. Then, much more enthusiastically, "Stantler, start with Sand Attack!"

His Stantler kept his head lowered, scraping its hooves back and forth against the dirt, collecting it up and making a dusty display around its body as it increased its attempted to lower Wigglytuff's defense. Wigglytuff waited patiently for my order, but I continued to watch Stantler standing there with a serious expression on its face.

"Okay, Wigglytuff, Rollout!" I suggested, pointing in the direction of dear ole Stantler.

Wigglytuff tightened her body into a ball, proceeding to rolling about the dirt, underneath Stantler's legs, around Stantler's body, until it had the poor thing confused and sneaked up behind it and slammed into its back legs.

Max clenched his fist and shouted, "Stantler, Stomp, hurry!'

Stantler was quick, moving its hoof up and stomping down onto Wigglytuff's body, stopping my poor baby in her tracks and forcing it to unroll. Wigglytuff flipped back onto her feet, her long ears flowing in the sudden gust of wind.

"Doubleslap!" I yelled.

"Tackle!" Max countered.

Our Pokémon were hesitant as we both called our attacks at the same time. Stantler made the first move, rushing towards Wigglytuff but sadly missing when the pink creature jumped up and began slapping it in the face with her ears. Stantler growled in pain, somehow managing to buck its head upwards, its antlers making direct contact with Wigglytuff's head. Wigglytuff grunted, sliding on the ground, away from Stantler.

"Take Down!" Max demanded.

And, Stantler was stomping its fat feet towards my little Wigglytuff. Wigglytuff had recovered quickly, now displaying her angry, dark expression to both Max and Stantler. I'd have to chide her for looking at Maximus like that, but I suppose she had good intentions at the moment.

"Sing!" I proclaimed firmly.

Wigglytuff's voice was heard in an instant, but she moved around to avoid Stantler approaching, still managing to direct her attack on it specifically. It took a while to affect, but Wigglytuff did not give up, and eventually, Stantler stopped in its tracks, falling on its side, snoring.

"That was cheap!" Max shouted at me from across the field.

I gave a confused expression, letting my eyes sparkle with innocence. "All's fair in love and war," I recited for him. Then, more seriously, "It's a fucking attack, Maximus."

"Stantler, wake up!" he coaxed as loud as he could, his vocal cords incapable of reaching a very high level. "Come on, wake up!"

"Wigglytuff, Body Slam!"

Wigglytuff readied herself by inflating her body and running over to the sleeping creature. She slammed all her weight onto the Stantler causing a startled screech from the thing before its eyes fell back and it went unconscious. The battle was over, and I had won.

A haughty, thick grin extended onto my lips, and I gave myself a well-deserved cheer. Wigglytuff deflated herself, hobbling over to me for some ego-stroking. I spent a fair amount of time priding her, rubbing her ears and cooing at her darling little pink self before I returned her into her ball. I then stood, watching as Max disdainfully returned his Stantler. He looked royally pissed.

"Maximus," I began, slinking my bag over my shoulder, "don't be a sore loser."

"Ha," he sarcastically spewed. "Maybe when I see you listen to your own advice."

"Excuse me," I groaned at him, "did I not handle my loss the other day fairly well?"

Max considered this, but continued to give a displeased look. "At this rate, Stantler's never going to get stronger," he muttered, walking towards a grassy and clean area of the forest and sitting down in a fit.

Although childish, I was amused, and in so many corrupt ways, intrigued. He could be so darling sometimes. I chuckled lowly and followed him over to the smooth grassland, sitting down carefully next to him. I placed my bag back on the ground and told him:

"Don't be silly, Maximus. All Pokémon need a little training."

"Stantler are supposed to have high attack power," he acknowledged.

"Well, yours is tough," I admitted. "I'm sure things would've been different if my Wigglytuff didn't use Sing."

Max groaned and switched to sitting cross-legged so he could rest his elbows on his knees and lean his head into his palms. He muttered, "I still think it was cheap."

I laughed at his ironically bitter attitude, very surprised to see him act this way. After all the times he chided me on holding a grudge about losing to his sister, he was acting the same way towards me. I guess the two of us were more alike than I realized, and I was glad. So glad, in fact, that I couldn't help but wrap an arm around the boy, pulling him close to me.

Max did not fight. But, he did not help me move his weight over either. When I managed to have him lean up against me, I rubbed his upper-arm with my palm spiritedly, remembering how fabulous it was to have this boy beneath me last night, touching me.

"So, what's wrong with you?" I asked, finally deciding to prod into the issues and act like I cared about hearing and fixing them.

"Huh?" he said, boggled. When he saw my raised brow, my inquisitive look, he bit his lip.

"I'm not sure why you're so embarrassed about talking about it," I told him, still making sure I was massaging his upper-arm. "I'd like to think I was once in that wee little mindset at one point in my youth."

"Well, if that's true," Max said, half-interestedly watching the other trainers battle, "then why don't you know what I'm thinking?"

I shrugged. "I don't think you're very certain yourself," I pointed out. "But, I know a few things. For one, you're sort of startled by the amount of enjoyment you receive from me, but come on, Max, it can't be that surprising. I'm sure you've wanked off enough to know how things work."

I watched as Max's mouth opened to defend himself until he realized there was no point and clamped his mouth shut. Max might have been familiar with touching himself, but he wasn't familiar with touching others, and I could understand his issues there. Then again, he had been so willing to help me out last night that I wasn't sure where to stand. I also suspected he wanted to talk about me more than anything else, so, I kindly offered:

"Anything you want to know?" I straightened and centered my hat, waiting for him to speak.

Max turned red, looking down at the grass as he began to pick at some of it. He then looked up to make sure the battling trainers weren't watching us since I still had my arm around him. "Um, well," he started unevenly, "I was sort of wondering if I'm the one who made this all happen."

I patted his back now. "No, Max, don't blame yourself. Well, maybe you should, because like I said, you're one hell of a tart, but I think I might be a bit more… noticing of it than others." I laughed at myself, then added, "So, if you're wondering if you make me hard, then yes, you do. Oh, you do." I exhaled whimsically.

Max became jittery, shrugging off my touch. I obliged, letting my arm fall as he continued to pick at the grass. "Sometimes I think about how old I am…" he alluded, his voice so distant.

I rolled my eyes away from his sight. He was twelve years-old, so what? Granted, he shouldn't have possessed such charms, but since he did, there shouldn't have been a problem. I didn't say this, of course, instead telling him, "There's nothing wrong with it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I assured eagerly. "But, are you knowledgeable of how much further this can go?"

"Further?" he mused. Then, instantly, he turned red again, and I knew he remembered what I was talking about.

Oh, how I was delighted to have my finger up his taut ass! Max had responded to it, too, and I knew he was curious about more. "Yes," I nodded, crooking my neck so my face was leveled next to his. I whispered, "It feels a lot better if you give it time."

Max's shut his eyes and blushed heavier. "And, um, I assume that means…"

I decided to save him the trouble of descriptions and just said, "Yes!"

"But, Harley, that's so unnatural and weird," he stated without hesitation.

I pursed my lips in frustration. I mumbled between my tightened mouth, managing to clearly say, "But, take it from me, it's not nearly as scary if you give it a try." I nudged him playfully, and Max became all flustered again, like the darling he was.

"I don't think I want to…"

"Pfft!" I hissed in disbelief. "It wasn't that long ago. I'm sure you remember how good it felt. Imagine if that wasn't my finger and something else of mine."

"Harley…" Max muttered, leaning his forehead into his elevated knees, embarrassed.

"Mm, what?" I wondered, grabbing his arm and pulling him to me again.

He struggled this time, seeing some trainers begin to walk back towards the city. They would eventually be passing us, but I didn't give a care in the world. I took his other arm, basically lifting him up and dragging him onto my lap.

"Harley!" he shouted, his glasses sliding off a bit. "Stop!"

I laughed continuously, watching the two girls walk by us, not really giving us a second glance since they were chatting. Max settled down after this, sinking into my lap a little. I made his head lean back as I ran my hand through his hair, then pushing up his glasses properly. Max narrowed his eyes, still feeling pretty retarded, I presumed.

"I'm so fucking glad you came back after your battle," I told him once more.

Max sighed. "What does that have to do with this?" he wondered, gesturing his eyes towards me roughly cradling him in my arms.

"A lot," I said. I brushed some of his dark bangs back, leaning my head down and pushing our lips together.

"Ermm!" Max grunted, pulling away. "Stop."

My expression flattened, and I roughly questioned, "Why?"

"People are around!" he declared as if I didn't know.

"So, are you saying you'd be more than willing to cooperate if we go somewhere private?"

Fucking hell, I could feel myself grow slightly hard at my own words. Just the thought, the notion, the idea of having my cock fill that boy's ass was just, ahh. I shut my eyes momentarily, simply pressing my lips on his chin.

"Can we just go now?" he asked me.

"Fine," I agreed, loosening my grip and allowing him to stand up quickly.

Max grabbed his backpack, then looked at me oddly when he noticed I had my hand extended towards him. It took a moment for it to register with the boy, but when it did, he took my hand, trying his best to lift me up. I helped, mostly, standing up and dusting off my bottom from grass debris. I then grabbed my bag and began leading the way towards the hotel.

Even as we walked, I could still feel the slouching in Max's shoulders, the continual pouting displayed by him for losing the battle. He may have lost, yes, but he was nonetheless still around me like the needy faunlet I always suspected he was. The two of us were mostly silent, and I knew Max was thinking about our most recent kiss, thinking about how public it was even without people looking at us.

When we eventually reached the hotel and got into the room, Max was quick to put down his bag and scramble over to the far side of the living room. He was looking out the window, watching the not-so animated view as a way of avoiding me in close quarters. I walked off into the bedroom, throwing off my boots and taking out a cigarette before I also threw down my bag. As I lit it, I thought about how Max's skin had felt underneath my lips maybe ten or fifteen minutes ago.

Mmm, Max's skin not only tasted good, it smelt good, too. He smelt so sweet and fresh, just like the way his mouth tasted. I was saddened I hadn't had the chance to slip my tongue into his mouth to get that taste when the boy was straddled in my lap. Right now, my mouth was filled with the smoke from the cigarette, which I let escape through my nose and out into the air.

As I turned, however, I was quite surprised to see Max standing in the doorway. He seemed like he wanted to say something to me, but he either couldn't get the words out or thought that I should say something first.

"What is it, Maximus?" I asked slowly.

Max's eyes narrowed, proving he wanted to speak. "I feel weird," he told me.

Curious, I raised an eyebrow and wondered, "How?"

The boy cleared his throat and continued, "I'm not sure how to say this. But, before—I mean, after, um, yesterday and the pool, I…" Max let his words trail away before he rephrased himself completely with: "When I think about… us and um, things, I feel weird."

I chuckled lowly, wondering if he was talking about being bloody aroused. It was more wishful thinking on my part since I was quite sure Max would remain embarrassed when thinking back to our two rendezvous, at least for a while. But, it wasn't out of the question to assume he could be interested all over again when he thought of us. And, why wouldn't he? The two of us were fan-fucking-tastic together.

"See," he continued on again, "I assumed it would become less strange to think about, and truthfully, it does sometimes, but, well, I dunno, I was just sort of wondering if maybe you think about it, too?"

"Max, first of all," I began, taking a drag of my cigarette as I paused, "I never thought what we did was strange. Believe me, you should be glad when you're no longer weirded out by it because that means you probably are moving past the embarrassment."

"But," he protested, "it's still weird. I mean, it's you and me… and before it, I never thought any of that was even possible."

He looked so goddamn cute right now, he truly did. He should've been thankful I didn't pounce on top of him the moment he finished that sentence. God, I wish I did, too. The way he creased his brow, the way his eyes widened when he emphasized on words—it was too much.

My smile widened so much, and I said to him, "Maximus, I think about the fun we had quite a bit. More than that, really. It was fabulous, and I am very interested in, well, expanding the fun as we already discussed."

"And, by that… you mean…"

I swayed my way over to him, watching as he actually came further into the room instead of backing out. "Yes, Max," I answered, kneeling to be at his height with the cigarette trapped between my lips. Normally, having to adjust my height would bother me, but for my little faunlet, I enjoyed it.

"I—" he cut himself off, and instead asked, "Will it hurt?"

My heart must have melted at this! Oh, did he ever sound more delicate and darling? I wanted to tell him that it would feel like the best goddamn thing he ever felt, and while that would eventually prove truth, I knew it would hurt my boy at first. The thought of him squirming and even possibly bleeding because of it actually made me sad. I didn't want him to think I had any intention of causing him pain, especially when my goal was for him to experience the greatest pleasure of his life.

"It might," I stated truthfully, "but, if you trust me, you'll enjoy it, love it even."

"Trust you?" he echoed, his tone becoming rough. "I don't trust you!" He busied himself by throwing off his shoes, glaring at the floor all the meanwhile.

I pursed my lips hard, unsure and terribly insulted at the same time. It didn't surprise me, though. How could it? Even after spending so much time with me, Max still felt like I had an ulterior motive. And, I didn't. My want of knowing where May was and what caused their spiff was far into the past, and what I wanted now was to, well, screw the kid.

I closed my eyes and breathed in more smoke. Still kneeling, Max's eyes were leveled with my own, and his pupils shook with uncertainty and possibly hurt, too. I wasn't sure what to say to him. I placed a hand on the slope of his neck, rubbing it with my thumb slowly.

"Why?" I asked in a serious tone.

Max was surprised by my seriousness, gaping for a moment before telling me, "Because you're older, and it's you, Harley."

The way he said my name killed me once more. I loved it. If only he could begin and end all his sentences with my name. "Don't worry about my age," I assured once more. "It hardly a concern. And, me? Well, Max, I'm sure you've been aware it's good ole Harley since the day we met again at the Center, right?" I crushed my dead cigarette against the wall, most improper like, and let it drop to the floor, not caring about staining anything with the ashes.

Max frowned, then sighed, and I was baffled when he gave me this look that was needy and almost impatient-like. His eyes even briefly fell, looking at my lips. He wanted me to kiss him. Out of the very fucking blue, he wanted my lips on his. I grinned, not even thinking twice before I pressed my lips against his, letting it widen and inviting our tongues to touch.

Max was frozen, not moving a bit. I put a hand to the back of his head, pushing him further into me as I tilted my head, allowing greater access. Max stifled a small grunt, unable to breathe. I broke the kiss, so dazed by his want for the kiss to even think about anything else. But, he still hadn't responded. I noticed that. The one time he responded—last night after we wanked each other silly—he had been shy and slow, but, oh, it was glorious.

"Maximus, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Something's bothering you," I told him, stroking his hair through my fingers.

"So, are we…?" He didn't even finish.

I closed my eyes tight, knowing what he was hinting at before I even had the chance to suggest. Could this be at all possible, or was I hallucinating? It was how early in the morning, and he was ready and willing? Oh, for goodness sake, I was becoming fully hard, and I had to control my breathing.

So close to him, I let our faces touch, kissing him gently on the side of the nose. "If you want," I whispered softly. "But, are you sure?"

Max shut his eyes. "I… think…"

He could not tease me like that. I would have to kill the kid if he did. But, I supposed I'd have to persuade him into it the further we got, and oh, that was awhile away. I had every intention of letting this draw out as much as possible, so I could savor just about everything.

"We'll see where it goes," I assured him, smirking.

xxxxx

-Max-

Harley's face leaned in, and although I was so sure I wanted to feel his lips against mine, I was frightened. I was so frightened. What was I agreeing to again? Had I even agreed to anything at all? I couldn't think.

Our mouths pressed together, and I tasted the familiarity of the man. The tobacco was very present on his tongue, metallic and hot. But, it was also wet and slippery, and I hated that. His arms slunk beneath my underarms, lifting me up just a bit so our chests touched. Harley broke the kiss, but his face remained close, the side of his head leaning into my shoulder. I felt him breathing in strongly, smelling me, and this made me stiffen with nervousness. But, then, I felt his tongue there, tracing around my collarbone. It felt wonderful, it truly did. And, I felt terrible for even thinking that.

I shut my eyes slowly, exhaling as I felt myself react to his touches. I felt dizzy and needy, and above all else, I could feel myself become incredibly aroused by his tongue continually licking my skin, always remaining wet and warm. His hand pressed onto my chest, sliding down to my stomach and underneath my green, long-sleeved shirt. His hand was heated, just like his tongue and his mouth and his breath.

Sliding up my ribcage and to the middle of my chest, his fingers tapped my skin in a way that made my breath quicken. He turned his head, letting his tongue glide up neck. Feeling like I was going to fall backwards, I held onto his shoulders. Harley moved away, looking at me thoughtfully and smiling.

"Mm, Max," he breathed out, "let's move this over here."

I blinked. He stood at full height, pulling me with him and pressing me against the bed with his knees. I knew he wanted me to lie down, so I did, very slowly. He crawled on top of me, his legs at both sides of my body. He began messing with the waist of my shorts, unzipping them and pulling them off. Terribly embarrassed by his hands' positions, I blushed heavily. Yet, my arousal rose exceptionally when his fingers grazed back up my thighs, pulling down my underwear and revealing just how aroused I was by all of this. It was indecent and so unlike me, but I couldn't help it.

I prepared myself to be touched, and sure enough, Harley's hand wrapped around me, agonizingly slow as his fingers contacted one by one. I scrunched up my face, controlling my body's movements and controlling any sound coming from my mouth. Where was this going to go? And, why couldn't I stop thinking about everything? Harley seemed perfectly content, so unaffected by my conflicted thoughts but so eager to touch me and make me feel good. He looked down at me, teasing my body with flicks of his fingers and grins from his face.

My thoughts stopped. His hands moved away, caressing my inner thighs by slithering up and down. He was so close to my arousal that I trembled. I was stunned when he did not fully touch me there the way he had a moment ago. I thought I did something wrong until his hand continued up, against the fabric of my shirt and to my collarbone again. He began stroking my cheeks, looking at me in a very serious way. His pupils did not move one bit, but his eyes bore into me before he leaned in and placed his lips on mine. I felt like I should respond so that I was no longer pathetically lying down motionless.

His tongue hit mine, and I allowed his to slide past before I lifted my head, sucking in air through my nose and tilting my neck to the right. Harley made some unintelligent noise in the back of his throat, pressing harder against me, teeth grazing teeth in an almost uncomfortable manner. His lower body would not touch mine, but I felt the heat and hardness lingering near my stomach, knowing it was him, still clothed. I wondered why he hadn't progressed to stripping himself more. I tugged at the back of his jacket, and he opened his eyes, breaking our kiss so he could remove the article of clothing. Before continuing, he pulled his thin, black tank-top off, too.

The man's mouth brushed against the side of my chin, and like in a hypnotic trance, I lifted my hand and touched his shoulder. He shrugged it down to his chest, and I felt my face turn red as I let my palm linger there for quite some time. I breathed in heavily, so surprised by the warmth of his skin. He grinned down at me, closing his eyes and obviously thinking of something important. This worried me, so I moved just slightly away from his body.

Then, his eyelids flung open. He stilled me right away, letting his hands drop to my hips and lift my shirt, making it bunch around my neck before pulling it all the way off. Now completely bare, I burned with self-consciousness, my breathing hitched and rough. He leaned his body against mine again, lowering our bottom-halves into contact. I made the most pathetic noise of my life, sounding so desperate and lame. The collision continued, and knowing that Harley was indeed making me feel so full of desire made me wonder whether or not he actually had more control than me. I had only expressed this kind of desire to myself, but Harley… Harley didn't make me feel completely stupid when I expressed it to him. And, if I was already exposing myself in the most intimate way, could I trust him?

When Harley leaned back up, removing his pants and letting the attire drop to the side of the bed, I adjusted myself, leaning my back against the two pillows to sit upright. This was the third time I had seen Harley naked. Even now, I found something new about him, and this time, it was his hipbones. They protruded finely as he rested on his knees, over my body. My eyes lingered below his hips, to his erection. I had avoided looking at it before, and even now I felt like I should have looked away. This was wrong. So wrong. My mind was suddenly telling me those things, saying that if I had any decency, I would listen and leave.

But, Harley was on top of me, and he was bigger and stronger in every which way. I was so scared of the possibility of him being inside me. Was that possible? And, how much would it hurt me?

Harley started to soothe me, touching my inner thigh again, letting his fingers travel nearer and nearer until he cupped his hand around me, giving me the most relaxed but lecherous smirk. Then, his hand moved, stroking all the way up my length until I let out some sort of hiss that I tried my best to silence. Harley repeated the movement, running his hand up and down at a suddenly alarming speed, using his other hand to climb up my body and fuse our mouths. I was glad to have him back on my mouth, shutting me up completely from my growing volume.

Again, I just felt pathetic, especially given the fact Harley's speed was lessening and our lower-halves were losing contact. I bit my bottom lip when he moved his mouth away, watching Harley move between my legs. He slipped his arms under my thighs, lifting up my legs. I gasped, unsure with what he was trying to do. Harley made a hushing sound, further lifting my knees by the crook of his arms. I felt ridiculous when he was through. My legs were up high, exposed and making me feel very unattractive. How could Harley look at me like this? Moreover, how could he grin and appear even more pleased?

"Max…" Harley purred out. "Relax, okay?"

I tried to nod, but it was weak, and I wasn't that convinced anyhow. I tried to concentrate on something else, particularly his long, purple hair, flowing off his shoulders and messily scattered on his around neck and back. I still felt silly, though, especially with Harley between my widely spread legs.

"Relax," he repeated, petting my knee with his thumb.

I sucked in air. Harley pushed my legs apart the further down he went, eventually hovering over me, our chests touching. I gasped as Harley not only made a jerk of his hips to allow our lengths touch but stretched my muscles uncomfortably. It hurt being so wantonly lain out like this, and I had to control my legs from just giving up on me. But, Harley soon distracted me. He sucked at my neck momentarily, kissing me fully on the lips in a still way, as if he was trying to get me to deepen it. And, I did. I moved my mouth in the most sensible way possible, trying to let the kiss feel comforting for the both of us.

The man's free hand reached up the side of my face, taking off my crooked glasses and doing so without even breaking the kiss. His other hand moved under his own mouth, wetting it and letting it descend the same direction it had been last night: between my legs, past my erection and away from my view. I shivered, my mortification reforming when his finger traced over my entrance, his movements so sure and so expert. And, he pressed inside me. I clenched my teeth and felt a crazy burn of pressure that was foreign all over again.

Harley made more hushing sounds, trying to get my muscles to relax so the pressure wouldn't be so bad. I tried, but it was hard when his finger kept moving to reach the area he had managed to touch before. I wanted to feel that odd, odd sensation. It was different than when he touched me elsewhere, because it was inside me, somewhere I had never touched before and yet proved to posses the ability of a thrilling reaction.

I squirmed, my fists clenching around the sheets to distract myself. Harley's back straightened again, and he was no longer that close to me. He wiggled his way back between my legs, purposely letting our thighs touch intimately. The finger inside me was turning, suddenly going back and forth and hitting the place that made me suck in my lower lip, preventing a gasp of excitement.

Harley smirked, watching my expression scrunch up, watching my legs arch and my feet clench. His finger was in deep, going in further with each flick of a touch. I gasped many times, the best I could do to quiet down otherwise louder noises. Harley rubbed our bodies together now, our lengths kneading. My eyelids fell closed when he slid his finger out in a quick and very rough way.

I knew, vaguely, in the back of my mind, why he was repositioning himself now, lifting my legs up in that uncomfortable and humiliating way all over again. I was so nervous now, so frightened and very, very unsure. I wanted to move away, make him stop. And, he felt this in me, I could tell. To comfort me, he wrapped his hand around me, fondling me quickly before he took his length into his own hand and used his other arm to push his way between my legs.

"Harley, I…" I let my sentence fall, looking at him worriedly. "I… don't know now."

My legs up high, he was able to kiss my knee. He kept his mouth there and said, "It'll be okay, Maximus."

"But, I… I think it's going to hurt."

"It won't for long," he stated in an uneven tone.

Harley's hand was impatiently and desperately stroking himself, his face displaying need and desire. He wanted this so badly, I could tell, and I felt so obligated to agree now. Was he intending that? Was this his way of manipulating me into agreeing? But, the fact he wanted my permission made me smile distantly. He could have been violent about this from the beginning, but instead, he wanted my consent. He wasn't as viscous as I sometimes thought. And, as inexperienced as I was, I couldn't believe that despite being beneath Harley, I did not feel the least bit possessed by him. In fact, with him above me—trying to please me, trying to do things just for me and wanting my consent—I was actually the one dictating what was happening and the extent of it all. I couldn't believe it.

I was so comforted by the realization that I gave a small nod, although I was still skeptical and concerned. But, this movement of my head, the accord I gave, made Harley's eyes close, an expression of relief, happiness and anticipation. He wetted his entire hand with his saliva, moistening his length before he moved forward, the tip beginning to press into me.

"Harley—" I automatically gasped, doubt flooding me.

"Just wait," he assured me in a haste, shutting his eyes.

I clenched my teeth, my fist, my feet, all my muscles. He used his free hand to stroke me, sending a weird mix of pain and pleasure through my body. He was now beginning to fully penetrate me, pushing in slowly as he lazily pumped me in his hand. The man's head fell backwards, and he let out a type of moan I hadn't heard before, so lost and thrilled by what I was allowing him to do.

He cursed and made even more surprising statements while I just breathed heavily, feeling myself stretch as he pushed in, feeling myself burning with strain as he dived forward. I wanted to tell him to stop. It hurt. It was awful. I hated it. How could this feel good like he said it would? Tears welled up in my eyes, and instead of letting out noises of pleasure, I made sounds of discomfort.

"Wait, wait," he went on again, trying to assuage my pain by making my length slide around his enfolded hand.

I continued to gasp in pain, but I would wait. I had to because it was pathetic to give up on it so quickly. If I could leave home, become independent, face all the troubles I had on my journeys, I could do this now. And, I was eased by the thought, letting my muscles relax. No longer feeling the weird pressure, Harley's hips tilted, aiming to have his hardness press into me enjoyably. He did this several times, and then, suddenly, I felt it, and against my own wishes, I let out a moan.

"Yes, Maximus, that's it," Harley hummed happily, continuing to move inside me.

"Harley…" I breathed, closing my eyes tightly and pressing my head back into the bed pillows.

Slowly, he began to move, in and out. He groaned in pleasure, his arms tightening around my elevated limbs. His thrusts were leisure and timid, but I felt the eagerness in his hips, the want to go faster. I pressed onto him, inviting him further, wanting more despite the burn. His hard length felt so weird inside of me, but as he thrust, as he drove himself in and out, I was beginning to feel good, feel enjoyment. I moved my legs, and the grip from his arms loosened, allowing my limbs to spread between him, against his sides.

"Goddamn, Maximus," the man breathed, moaning savagely as he helped bring my legs up his body and around his waist.

This position lessened the pain almost completely, making it easier for me push down as he pushed in. I felt so heedless and lewd, but at the same time, I was so eager for more. As he thrust warm and fully into me, he pumped me in his hand, sending delight through my body, sending a foggy blur through my mind. He kept doing this, too, pushing in and out, hard and fast, hovering over my body and his eyes lolling back as he moaned out my name in a melted, passionate way.

I stifled down so many moans, letting them come out as huffs and grunts. I couldn't, however, control the movements of my hips, the movements that pressed down onto him. My hips twisted and jerked, my legs spread and bent—all while he pushed in, in, in, until I bit my lip, my muscles contracting harshly just as I let out my release unexpectedly into his enfolded hand.

"Harley—!" I gasped, my head falling backwards, his name coming out of my mouth so subconsciously.

Harley continued to penetrate my body, giving himself several more thrusts until I felt his body shake in his own completion. "Ahh, Max," he grunted, his back arching and his chest projecting out as I felt his hot release spill into my body.

My entire body collapsed. My legs fell, sliding back to his sides. Strained, feeling like a thrown marionette, my muscles were sore and weak. Harley managed to continue holding his weight on his knees, but he was breathing harshly, his head still lolled backwards as he looked up in an expression of disbelief, and strangely, utter fulfillment. A smile eventually extended onto his lips, and he looked down at me, some hair messily matted down by the sweat on his forehead.

"Fuck, Maximus," he groaned through a wide smirk. "Oh, you are un-fucking-believable."

I shut my eyes, catching my breath. Instead of shame assailing me, I felt pride. I was washed down with aftershock and disbelief like Harley, but I was so amazed that I had done this, that I had let Harley do it and that I had enjoyed it so much. I bit my lip, feeling Harley's face hover near mine, pressing his lips on my cheek.

"Mmm," the man moaned, still lost in his amazement. He kissed me gently, then brushed my hair around, smiling all the meanwhile. "You kill me, I swear," he said, wiping the hand stained with my release onto the sheets.

I didn't know what to say. I returned his kiss despite it, but my eyes shut and my muscles tightened when I felt him begin to pull out of me. No longer moistened by his saliva, it hurt terribly, rough and inflamed. He dropped a hand below us, feeling around where he pulled his length out and letting his fingers touch. Just the dry tip of his finger stung, and he brought his hand back up to view, revealing it just the bit dampened with redness. I was faintly bleeding.

My eyes widened, not even expecting this. Harley frowned at both my expression and my wound, but he wiped the blood away, caressing my shoulder comfortingly. Soon, he moved beside me, lying on his back but still rubbing his palm around my neck.

"Are you all right?" he asked, turning to his side and pressing his lips on my upper-arm.

It was a silly question to ask since I was bleeding, but honestly, I still felt fine, complete and satisfied. "Yes," I told him after a deep breath. "I am, Harley. That was…"

"Amazing? Unbelievable? Intense? Fucking, downright thrilling?" He smiled, making a humming satisfied sound. "Or, all of the above?"

I pushed in my lips and closed my eyes. "I… um…" I shrugged. "It's hard to believe any of it. I can't even begin to believe—"

"Neither can I!" he exclaimed before I could finish. "I think if I were to be killed right now, I'd die a happy man."

I began to turn red, feeling the acclamation was a bit too much. Harley sat up, tugging at the sheets and draping them across our bodies. I moved to get under, Harley doing the same. The fine, soft sheets covering my body made me feel less exposed, and I felt better. Harley draped an arm around me, pulling me close to him. I adjusted myself against him, finding it otherwise rude to pull away.

Harley's fingers brushed through my hair, and pressing my face into his shoulder, I breathed in his scent. That lavender, smoky, warm scent filled my nostrils, and I was so amazed that I hadn't clamed up. I didn't even want to get away—I was comfortable here, with him. I wanted to stay. Being in the same bed as him was oddly pleasant even though the only other person I had ever shared a bed with had been with May.

May…

The thought of her, the thought of her now as I lied next to Harley was uncomfortable and strange. I suddenly began to think about a million things concerning her, like what she would have thought if she knew, or, again, if she had even done anything like this. I turned red, now embarrassed.

Harley felt the change, and wondered, "What's wrong?"

I bit my lip, pressing my face into his shoulder even more to avoid his stare. I wanted to ask him if he thought Drew and May had done anything, but it would've sounded stupid and weird. So, instead, I asked, "Why didn't you do, um, that the first time?"

"That?" he echoed. Then, realizing what I was asking, he countered with: "What would you have done had I tried, hmm? I won't lie—I wanted to do that, oh yes, but I knew you wouldn't have agreed, and fuck, it wouldn't have made it so great now, would it?"

I shrugged at this last question, thinking once again about his desire for my consent with the whole thing. Would it have made it less enjoyable for him had he done it unwillingly? I didn't want to think about it since it was far too dark, but I couldn't help being so amazed all over again. Finally, I gained the courage to ask, "Do you think May ever, well, you know…?"

Harley's head thudded against the pillows, and he made a disgusted sound. "Max, why would you ask such a thing?" He made another sound of nausea. "I would hope not."

I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why?"

"Because, Maximus, doesn't the thought sicken you? The idea that anyone would have her is quite gross."

I groaned in annoyance, wondering why every conversation about May had to turn into an insult. "You said Drew and May were affectionate—or at least May was—so do you think that meant anything?"

"Max, the thought is not what I want in my head," he reaffirmed. Harley slapped his lips together and silenced anything else from me by saying, "But, I do I think you beat her to losing your virginity, Maximus."

Virginity. That word sounded so weird. I didn't want to think about it now, knowing that in reality it was Harley who had taken mine, that he was probably right when he suggested May had never done anything, and that even though I was younger, I had somehow achieved having sex way before her. I blushed and bit my lip, once again groaning in annoyance. Harley patted the back of my head, and even though I couldn't see his smile, I could feel it.

"Don't tell me you're going to get all prim and proper now," Harley complained. "You have a terrible habit of letting yourself submit to our dirty little activities and then acting like a prude moments later."

I knew this was true, so I couldn't be too insulted. I defended myself anyway, pointing out, "Maybe it's a matter of being caught up in the moment."

Harley embraced me closely, almost possessively. "You're such a tease, darling."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but I liked how his arm felt around me, the way he stroked my shoulder blade. I never had anyone hold me so close, so intimately. To be nestled and snug like this was bewildering, a mix of sensations that felt so pure and fine. And, knowing it was all coming from Harley made it even more amazing.

xxxxx

-Harley-

Unbelievable! Oh, where to begin with it all, where, where? If greed was good then I was great, because that—that—was the best fucking moment of my life, I decided. I couldn't remember ever enjoying someone the way I enjoyed my Maximus. Being inside him, having his taut ass constrict around my hard cock, well, God almighty, if that kid was not the definition of a faunlet, who was? Just watching his brow crease with frustration, his eyes well-up with tears, his mouth gape with cries of pain and pleasure—fuck, what an astonishing achievement for the both of us.

I knew it: I knew if he allowed me to fuck him, he would enjoy it. And, he even came in my hand again, letting out his release shamelessly. Remembering the warm feeling, I had to bring my hand to my mouth and taste the small essences of his seed between my fingers. I grinned, resting my chin on his head softly, smelling his hair and looking down as he stuffed his face into my shoulder. My God, even after all of that he craved my touches still, brilliantly pushing himself against my body.

I really was a greedy fuck. I wanted to do it all over again, regardless of the evidence of pain I had inflicted on him, which I did feel bad for causing. I hated the sight and feel of his blood. I knew that it was bound to happen, and I swear that I could feel the tearing as I pushed into him, but I had been greedy, wanting simply to get my cock in there and try and ignore the distressful gasps he made.

Well, it was over now, and there was no use dwelling on it. The poor boy would probably be sore for quite some time, and I knew I'd have to give him time to heal before I even attempted to try and get him to agree to shagging again. Oh, yes, we were doing that again, I had already decided! But, actually, if I had to give him time to heal and wait, then… Well, how long was that all going to take?

I thought about this for a moment, wondering what Max would consider us to be if we lasted longer than this single romp. I mean, the last time I had fucked someone had been just over a week ago, a young man I had met right there in Goldenrod City before I had decided on getting a hotel room. I had spent the first night in the guy's apartment, and since I had, well, the tendency to get up in the morning long before my company awoke, that guy had been no exception. I wasn't too good with morning-after reunions, so that was usually the routine. But, with Max, the issue had never even crossed my mind because I had already spent so much time with the kid. I hadn't been afraid to wake up next to him last night, and I had even been disappointed when he was gone this very morning.

And, now, since I had successfully shagged him, there should have been no reason to see him again, let alone spend more time together. But, Lord help me, I wanted to—I really did. He wasn't even half as annoying as I originally thought he could be, and now, every time I laid eyes on him, I didn't see May's little brother. Nope, I saw this adorable tart who had teased me up until just moments ago, when he agreed to let me put my cock up his ass and come into my hand.

I exhaled deeply, feeling Max blink against my skin. I scooted him up, kissing the side of his face. I tried to relax and stop the reminiscing of our wonderful fuck, and for a second, I was fairly successful when I concentrated on how soft Max's skin was. Of course, thinking about his soft skin made me think about the soft skin on his inner thighs. Near his cock. Near the cock that had been in my hands only minutes ago.

I grunted, sitting up and losing contact with Max. I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering whhhy Max had to be in my thoughts all the goddamn time. So, I let the silence end.

"Is my Maximus hungry?" I asked, another attempt to distract my perverted thoughts.

Max's expression revealed he was confused why I had moved away. He accepted it, though, leaning back to his own side of the bed and looking up at the ceiling. Being away from his body was for the best, otherwise I would've been forced to have my way with the boy all over again.

"No," he answered in a sigh. I hoped he wasn't too disappointed the embrace ended. I could've explained that it was for the best, but I had a feeling he wouldn't have understood my reasoning.

"You haven't eaten a single thing all day," I pointed out, placing a hand on his stomach, which really felt hollow and in need of food.

Max furrowed his brow, not liking how I sounded so parental, I guessed. "I think I should take a shower," he told me, biting his lip. "Is that all right?"

I looked over at the clock, seeing it was five p.m.. We had hours to go until it was bedtime, and I felt that perhaps it were best if he did go take a shower and get out of my sight before I pounced on him. I grinned, putting my hands behind my head. "Of course, it is, Maximus."

Max sat up, giving me a questionable look. His lips were pursed in confusion, and he looked sincerely lost as if he didn't know whether or not he should go. I patted his thigh, which was visible from underneath the silky sheets. I let my hand rest there, feeling up his leg slowly. He blushed, turning warm, and I urged him to come closer to me. Hesitant, Max was slow, but he made it, his face lingering in front of mine.

I grinned. "Someone's getting comfortable around me," I noted, kissing his nose.

His blush deepened. "It's not that, it's just…"

I silenced him by putting a finger up to his lips. "Don't lie to me," I said, sliding my hand down his body.

"Stop," he ordered, looking away and blushing. This particular expression reminded me of the first time I ever got flirty with him: the time I had slunk an arm around his body as I smoked a cigarette, right after we ate dinner in my Goldenrod hotel room.

I kissed him fully on the lips, having to tilt my head to get in good contact with his small lips. I then let go of him, holding my arms up to gesture he was free to go take a shower at that point. Max sighed, crawling off of me and gathering his clothes. He properly covered himself with them before slinking off to the bathroom.

I got out of bed, grabbing the one robe from the doorless closet and putting it on lazily. The light green material was soft and thin, feeling pleasant against my skin after being damp from sweat. I grabbed my box of cigarettes, finding that I only had a few more. I lit one up, taking a long drag as I leaned my head back, thinking about the adorable look on Max's face just a moment ago. I walked out to the living room, passing the bathroom, which was closed. On the coffee table remained the box of tea cakes my darling boy had bought for me, an act I truly felt was made as a way to try and seduce me. Yep, little Max was the tempting one here and always had been. I grabbed a cake, eating it slowly as I walked back to the bedroom, pacing impatiently, I realized.

I finished eating the cake, continuing to smoke while I tidied up my clothing scattered around the room. It took a long time for me to finish my cigarette, mostly letting it all go to waste, really. When I finished, I discarded it and went to lie on the bed again, feeling completely useless. I did notice, however, the water had stopped in the bathroom.

I thought back to when we were in Goldenrod, a scene very much like this taking place. Back then, Max had taken a shower to clean himself off of the pool water, but now, I wondered if he was showering as a way to get away from me, not to mention clean himself off from my touches. I decided I wouldn't let it bother me, though. I didn't have the energy to mull over whether Max thought, deep down, everything we had done was wrong, especially since I wanted to hang around him more.

After several more minutes, I heard the bathroom door open and the sound of a towel waving about in the air. I sucked in some air, imaging how Max was drying himself off now. I closed my eyes, wishing I wasn't so goddamn lazy so I could get up and have another cigarette. I had gone through almost a whole box in just a few days, and I was simply a casual smoker. Max's presence had increased the amount of tobacco that had gone into my system, most likely a stressful distraction I used to get my mind off of the boy's faunlet body. If so, now I should've been able to completely quit since Max was all mine. Quitting was unlikely to happen, though, just because I really had no desire to stop.

A clearing of a throat made me open my eyes, seeing Max basically drowning in a large towel. I could tell he wasn't sure whether to come back into the bedroom, but I motioned him to anyway.

"Is there a reason you made such a big deal about the tub?" he wondered, snuggly wrapped in the cotton towel.

"I like to take baths," I stated, moving over to make room for Max in the bed.

Max crawled back into the bed, his towel still tightly around him, not even letting loose for a second. Oh, how he got so shy after everything was done and over. Here he wanted to cover up his perfect little body, and it was both darling and frustrating at the same time. Darling because it showed how perfectly innocent and sweet he could be; frustrating because I don't think he'd ever allow me to have my fun when afterglow ended.

I sat up, lifting his towel partly off his thigh, cocking my head in curiosity. "Are you still bleeding?" I asked.

Max narrowed his eyes, pursing his lips when he felt my fingers linger behind him, around his taut ass. "A little," he revealed shyly.

I prodded about just a bit, feeling no present blood. I was glad. His body jerked, however, when I touched him further, my unclean hands stinging against his spick and span skin. I stroked his hipbone as he relaxed on the bed, his towel shrugging off his shoulders only a bit. I managed to get him under the covers eventually. He looked like a helpless, sick child. His glasses were somewhere on the nightstand, but he didn't need them, and besides, I liked the way he looked without them right now. It contributed to his delicate manner.

"Max," I began suddenly, grinning at him, "I must admit something to you."

Max furrowed his brow again, looking concerned. "Um, what?" he wondered, resting his wet head against the pillow.

"As you already know, I am very fond of you, since you're a tart and all." I grinned wider.

Max rolled his eyes. "Okay…"

"And, though you're beginning to get all shy on me again," I continued, gesturing towards the way he was wearing the towel, "I fear that tomorrow morn you'll only be shyer, and well, perhaps regretful."

"Oh. Well, I… I don't think so," he told me. "I mean, Harley, I let you."

That's right, Max, you sure did! I didn't let myself sound anywhere close to this level of excitement when I spoke, however. "I sure hope not," I admitted dully. "I do want to know what it meant to you, though."

Max blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean. To me, wooing my little Maximus meant many things, most especially that I could finally relax and not be tempted to just jump you all the time. I also would like to think that this could be the beginning of something very fun."

Max's complexion burned red and pink. He even moved the bed sheets half over his face. "I don't know what it meant," he said. "I mean, it was… nice, I guess… I think…"

This was ironic, I thought. Here he was, trying to formulate some kind of reasonable explanation for why he expressed desires for me when I had just spouted the truth behind my affection without balk. Our roles really should've been reversed. If I were some sensitive teenage girl, I would've had every right to storm out of the room, crying. But, I knew Max's stuttering was due to his embarrassment, and I wondered if he would ever be able to admit that he was attracted to me.

"Well, my sweet," I hushed Max, stopping him from going on, "let's not strain your head by admitting something you're not ready to."

"No, Harley, it's not that," he defended quickly. "I just honestly don't know what this all means, or what's going to happen tomorrow morning… or the next day… or anything. I'm sorry."

I waved a hand in dismissal. "We're in the same boat for the latter," I unveiled. "But, I suppose it's not something we need figure out now, don't you agree?" I scooted my body over, crawling over his and trapping him playfully beneath me.

Max narrowed his eyes all over again. "I guess not. But, now I'm bothered by what's going to happen tomorrow."

Despite my ultimate goal being to screw the kid, I never had the intention of molesting him and running off afterwards. I always figured it would be a mutual goodbye, but now, now it seemed to be a mutual conflict of what we wanted to happen next.

"Then how about we just take this one day at a time, mmkay?" I suggested. "That way, we can stay together for a bit. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

"You mean, um…" His entire fucking body burned with embarrassment! "Um, you want to travel with me?"

"Bingo," I said, poking his face. "I just like you that much."

"You really want to be around me?" he asked, seeming so unconvinced.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Think about how glorious it would be, too. Every town, a new hotel to stay at with me! We can eat at all the best fucking restaurants together, and we can battle, and I'll be contributing to your training."

Max still wasn't convinced. "You'll get annoyed with me," he said.

"Now why would that happen?" I wondered, sliding a hand through his damp hair. "To be honest, you'll probably get more annoyed with me."

This made Max smile. "Maybe," he admitted jovially. "Have you even traveled with anyone before?"

I blinked. "Why, no, I haven't. I'm sure I know the etiquette, though."

"I haven't traveled with anyone else after Brock, Ash and May," he told me despondently.

"So, we're both lonely," I concluded, though I truly never considered myself lonesome at all. Max just happened to be the first lad I wanted around me this long. I grinned like a maniac, just thinking about what we could do on a journey together!

"What happens if, um, this doesn't exactly go as planned?" Max inquired next, biting the inside of his cheek as he raised a single eyebrow.

"We can find the answers on the way," I assured him again.

Max let himself smile a bit. He craned his neck, allowing me to kiss him when I tried. Our lips mashed together beautifully, and once again, I just couldn't goddamn believe it all. This truly was the beginning of a fucking beautiful life experience, and I couldn't wait for it to start.

End of Part Four