Tomorrow…

Tomorrow…

Tomorrow…

The contest was tomorrow.

Soledad lay sprawled out across the hotel room's bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling her muscles go rigid every time she thought of the fact that the contest battle against May and Drew was tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

She and Harley had used the free days remaining after creating the Ice Storm formation to perfect the said technique, training Lapras in conjuring an icy battlefield as quickly as possible so that Cacturne could then use it as a weapon, while the said grass and dark type was improving his skating skills on the ice; now, he didn't trip whatsoever while skating, being able to regain his balance as soon as it was threatened. Needless to say, Soledad was certain that the Ice Storm formation was as rehearsed as it possibly could be, though its usage in the contest would determine if their hard work did any good.

The contest itself wasn't what Soledad was worrying about, however. It was the aftermath, where she and Harley would reveal their relationship to the audience – and to May and Drew.

She turned to her side, eyes growing dim.

The questions that she was frankly tired of thinking about came back to haunt her mind like they'd been doing ever since she concluded that she would have to tell Drew about her relationship with Harley. What would he say? What would he do? Would he shun her away? Would he accept it? The chartreuse-haired teen that Soledad loved like a son was practically a fuse – and whether the bomb he was connected to exploded or not when she confessed was what was filling her with suspense.

When she thought about it, she hadn't talked to Drew much over the PokeNav since their previous conversation on the day she and Harley had first configured the Ice Storm formation. On the times he did call he did so to check in on her progress, occasionally muttering a reminder to watch what Harley was doing. She would say that she would, ignoring how her heart ached every time she did, obviously hating her for lying. She didn't have to 'watch' Harley; he had changed and he was a good person now.

But Drew didn't seem convinced of that, nor did it seem like he ever would.

Because of this, Soledad's stomach clenched every time she looked out the window, watching time pass as the sun sailed across the blue sky. She wished it would stop – that something would pause time and prevent the contest from coming, even if only for an extra hour. But that was impossible; it wasn't like she had control over the Legendary, Dialga.

Right now she wished she did.

Soledad turned her head, eyeing the empty spot on the other side of the bed. Harley was gone, having gone out to get any supplies they would possibly need for the contest. He said he would be back in a few hours, but Soledad was already missing him, longing to have him next to her and to be in his warm, comforting hold – the only thing that could calm her.

She sighed, swinging her legs over the edge of the mattress and hoisting herself up. She had been lying there, staring up at the ceiling for the last few hours, lost in thoughts about the contest. (Luckily, Harley hadn't questioned her strange silence.) Now time was just edging into the twilight period, and she knew that sitting alone in the hotel room, pondering constantly over tomorrow wasn't going to help ease her. She had to do something to get her mind off of Drew.

She made her way to the door. She figured that a walk around town might help calm her a little. It would give her time to think, and perhaps she could even prepare herself for tomorrow, mentally configuring the speech she was going to give to everyone that would explain about her and Harley's relationship.

Besides, it would also give her something to do until Harley got back.


The weather now looming over Lilycove betrayed the pattern it had been following for the past few weeks. Though having been visible earlier, the setting sun was nowhere in sight, hidden behind grayish, juggernautlike clouds that were slowly coming in from the sea, forming a blanket that hovered above the city and completely filled the sky. The temperature had dropped, convincing pedestrians walking along the sidewalks to hold the flaps of their coats closer to their bodies, the Pokemon that were following a few of them shivering in the cold.

Soledad folded her arms as she emerged from the hotel building, attempting to preserve the heat she felt like she had instantly lost. She looked up, noticing the clouds, and she frowned. A scent of dampness filled the air, signifying what types of clouds they were, and her mind flashed with memories of the night when she realized she was in love with Harley and had stalked out into the streets of Slateport. She couldn't help but wonder if this storm was the same one from that night; the trailing tail of one of the clouds looked oddly familiar.

She shook her head, dropping the subject. Whether it rained or not, she needed to do something to get her mind off the contest.

Besides…she didn't mind the rain.

Gazing both left and right, she pondered on where she could possibly go. The main line of shops downtown, maybe? What would she do there, though? Then again, she had just wanted to take a walk to clear her head, so she didn't necessarily need a destination. She hummed, heading forward, mentally deciding that she would just flow in the direction other people were going and see where they took her.

As she walked along the sidewalk, Soledad scanned her eyes over the buildings she was passing. Small stores, apartments, hotels, and motels – that's mostly what she saw. It was the usual myriad of businesses that consisted a bustling city. Tall skyscrapers could also be seen, their tips peaking above the blockading wall of smaller buildings, fog from the clouds above clinging to them and giving them a ghostlike appearance.

Eventually, she passed by a building that was on the other side of the street, towering over the ones surrounding it, and she couldn't help but turn her head to eye it. It was a large corporate building, portraits of Ho-Oh and Moltres painted across its front, and Soledad then realized that it was the same corporate building she had seen when she and Harley had first entered Lilycove. Glancing at its title – 'Phoenix Industries' – she couldn't help but wonder why the building still seemed…intriguing.

She was jolted from her thoughts when a car suddenly whizzed by, and she scolded herself for standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at a building like an idiot. Without thinking anymore about it, she continued forward, her eyes flickering to the street – in case Harley's car was to whiz by anytime soon, heading back to the hotel.

She sighed when she reminded herself that he probably wouldn't be back for a while.

After turning around a corner, her eyebrows rose when Lilycove City Park came into view – the very same park she and Harley had been training at for the contest. She recognized its green grass that clashed with the asphalt grounds of the outside streets, and the short trees that were planted here and there, mainly covering one side of the area. A black-colored metal fence with elegant designs carved into its surface traced the boundaries of the park, reminding her even more of the park back in Slateport. Figuring that that would be a good place to stop for now, Soledad headed towards it, passing through the entrancing gate and making her way to the middle of the grassy field beyond. To her surprise, the park seemed deserted; there were no trainers or passing people whatsoever. Silence covered the area, the noises from the city all around her somehow sounding distant. Needless to say, such a calm atmosphere was soothing to her – something she surely needed right now.

Before she could close her eyes and enjoy it, though, something appeared in the corner of her eye – another person who was just walking through the park's gate. Soledad turned her gaze to them, blinking when the figure started to become…familiar. Emerald-themed clothes, brown-colored hair, and the visage of a teenage girl…

"May?" Soledad called out, arching an eyebrow.

The teenage girl stopped in place, head darting in various directions as she searched for the source of the call. Eventually, she turned around, sapphire eyes catching sight of Soledad, and a grin replaced her bewildered frown. "Soledad!" she called back, waving. Quickly, she made her way over to the pink-red-haired woman.

"What are you doing here?" Soledad asked.

"Just taking a stroll around town," said May. She let out a short chuckle, adding, "Well, a really long stroll, that is. Drew said he wanted to be alone for some reason, so I thought I'd explore the place."

Soledad frowned at the mention of Drew, having an idea of why he wanted to be alone…

"What about you?" May asked, breaking Soledad from her thoughts.

"The same," she said. Her eyes flickered to the side. "I'm just trying to walk off some of this…jumpiness…for the contest tomorrow."

May flicked an eyebrow. "Nervous, eh?"

Despite not wanting to, Soledad gave a short nod.

May laughed. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with that! I'm kind of nervous, too, just because you and Harley are so good together…I don't know how the battle will go."

It's not the actual contest I'm nervous about, Soledad wanted to say, but she held her tongue.

"But that makes it all the more exciting, right?" May added, grinning. "Of course, talking about the contest probably isn't going to ease any of the nervousness."

"Yeah…"

"So…" May sailed her eyes over the park, as if searching for someone. "Where's Harley?"

Soledad turned her eyes to the sky. "Shopping…"

"Shopping?"

"For supplies."

"Oh." May tapped her chin. "Huh, I'd expected him to be here with you."

Soledad went rigid. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you two seem to be close friends now," May said, and Soledad calmed herself, "I mean, I would've taken Drew with me on this walk, but like I said he wanted to be alone."

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

"Yeah, probably…" May replied. "But I can't help but wonder what they are. He never tells me anything, the grump." She let out another laugh. "I still love him anyway."

At that, Soledad had to smirk.

"Not like that," May added sternly.

Soledad fought the urge to chuckle.

"Anyway," said May, "how's Harley been doing? Is his back feeling any better?"

Soledad nodded. "He's been doing a lot better. He can lay on his back without any problems now."

May smiled. "That's good!" She hummed. "I gotta admit, though, I was shocked when he jumped in the way of that spear and took the hit."

Soledad's head perked up. "Huh?"

"Well, Harley isn't exactly the kind of person you expect to see do something like that…" She shook her head. "But…he saved you, and I can't be more grateful to him for that."

"I can't either…" Soledad said. She chuckled softly. "After all, I probably wouldn't be here if he hadn't done that." Her eyes grew soft. "I'm more grateful to him than anything…"

May nodded, smile returning. Then, her eyes flickered with thought. "Hey…can I ask you something?"

Soledad arched an eyebrow, but then shrugged. "Shoot."

"We don't have to tell Harley or Drew about this, and I know that you said back at that restaurant a while ago that nothing was going on, but I can't help but wonder…If you and Harley were to…stay close friends like this…would it ever have the chance of becoming something…more?"

Soledad's eyes slightly widened, and she turned her gaze away from May's.

"I'm just curious," May quickly added. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"I…" Soledad began, voice trailing off into the unknown. She was practically drowning in the irony of it all, contemplating on refusing to answer. Then again, as she thought more about Harley, her heart answered before her mind could catch up: "…Maybe."

May grinned, and it was obvious that she was fighting the urge to squeal.

Won't she be surprised tomorrow, Soledad thought. Won't everyone be

"Soledad?"

Soledad turned her eyes to May. "Yeah?"

The teen's eyes grew soft. "I just wanted to say that Harley…" She shook her head, smiling. "I've noticed something…you two get along quite well, and you're both a great team. And with everything that's happened recently, I've grown to believe that perhaps he does have a good side. With the way you sounded just now…I've never seen you so happy about someone. What I'm trying to say is that a person like Harley is a priceless friend. Losing him would be a tragedy, so hold on to him as tight as you can."

Needless to say, Soledad was stunned by her words. However, as she thought about them – how they were true – she turned her eyes to the ground, her verdigris irises darkening as a frown formed on her face.

Because losing Harley would be a tragedy to her.

So, what if after the contest, something did happen when they confessed…and she lost him?

The thought scared her to death.

"Well," May said, turning her eyes to the sky. "It looks like it's about to rain soon, so I should probably start heading back. You should, too."

Soledad forced herself to look at May, knowing that not answering would only attract attention to her state. "Yeah…"

"See you at the contest tomorrow, Soledad."

And with that, May was gone, heading towards the exit out of the park. Of course, she waved happily before she departed, though Soledad didn't acknowledge it, too lost in her thoughts to do so.

Eventually, Soledad left the park as well, making her way up the sidewalk and back towards the hotel. She was walking slowly, eyes turned towards the ground, feeling her nails sink into the flesh of her palms. She had taken this walk to help take her mind off of the contest, but now all she could think about was that.

What I'm trying to say is that a person like Harley is a priceless friend. Losing him would be a tragedy, so hold on to him as tight as you can.

She continued up the sidewalk, ignoring how people and cars were rushing past her, trying to get home before it started to rain.

Of course, in the midst of this, she almost didn't notice a cobalt-colored four-door sedan pull up to the curb right in front of her, the window rolling down and a familiar pair of metallic blue-green eyes beginning to stare at her.

"Sol? Is that you?" Harley asked, eyebrow arched, and as Soledad finally noticed he was there, she met his eyes, her heart skipping a beat. "What're you doing out here?"

"I-I was just going out for a walk," she said, her tone lacking firmness, though Harley didn't seem to notice.

He looked up at the sky, frowning. "But it looks like it's about to rain." An amused smile crossed his face. "Do you always go out for walks when it's about to rain?"

Soledad could tell that he was referring to the night when they confessed their love to one another. She wanted to turn her eyes away from his, but she couldn't. "I was hoping to get back before the rain began," she said.

"Well," replied Harley, resting his hand on the steering wheel, the car's motor still running, "ironically I didn't find any supplies we would possibly need for the contest, so the drive to the store was pointless." He smiled. "However, I can at least give a beautiful lady a free ride to her hotel room."

Soledad had to smile at that, her tone soft, yet teasing. "Wow, that's really kind of you, sir."

Harley reached to the side, opening up the passenger seat door. He gestured for her to get in, in which she did without reluctance, relishing in the warmth that seemed to fill his car – as well as radiate from him. The car then moved forward, driving down the now-empty streets and towards their hotel, which came into view a few minutes later, the colors of its exterior clashing with the gray background that was the sky. Harley pulled the car into the leveled parking lot beside the building, driving it up to the third floor that was practically empty of any other cars. He parked his car in the back of the lot.

He pulled the key from the ignition, then leaning back against his seat and letting out a sigh. "Well, we managed to get back before it started pouring," he said with a short chuckle, reaching to unbuckle his seatbelt. Right before he did so, though, he noticed the silence that seemed to overtake Soledad. He turned his eyes to her, noting how her gaze was darkened and turned to the floor, a frown on her face.

It was evident that she was lost in thought – a thought about something depressing.

A tender look crossed Harley's eyes. "Sol…" he cooed. "Is something wrong?"

Soledad shook her head, as if escaping her thoughts, meeting his gaze. Her frown was still on her face, because during the short drive back to the hotel, sitting beside Harley, she couldn't help but think about her most recent concern.

What I'm trying to say is that a person like Harley is a priceless friend. Losing him would be a tragedy, so hold on to him as tight as you can.

She didn't want to lose Harley…

And what if she did?

What if tomorrow ended everything?

She knew that she couldn't tell him that they shouldn't attend the contest; they couldn't run away and leave everything and everyone they cared about behind – she had already established that.

But then…what could she do?

"Sol?" Harley called again. "Is it about the contest tomorrow?"

Soledad looked at him, sighing. "Something like that."

Harley's eyes grew soft. "You shouldn't be worrying about that, Sol." He chuckled. "I assure you, whether we win or not, we're going to be putting on one hell of a show."

How Soledad wished that that was the only thing she had to worry about…

She looked at him again, and the longer she did the longer she just wanted to be in his arms. Because of this, she pushed on her seat until it rolled back, then scooting to the side, patting the small space beside her. "Lay with me?"

Harley glanced at her gesture, an amused smile crossing his face. He unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed over to her seat, laying himself down right beside her, arm encircling her across the chest.

Meanwhile, outside, the rain began to pour. The two coordinators could hear how it pounded the pavement, the sound sounding smothered from the car's walls. Seeing as how the vehicle was sitting not far from an opening in the wall that revealed a small view of Lilycove beyond, they could also see the storm's attempt to drench the city, thunder booming across the air as lightning flashed alongside it.

As Soledad watched it through her window, memories of the night she and Harley confessed to one another flooded her mind. That night, they had found sanctuary in their own world – a world whose boundaries were the walls of the very car that enclosed them; a world where pasts didn't have to matter.

A world where only they existed - no one else.

Soledad closed her eyes. How she longed to experience the same feeling she had experienced the night they confessed.

Her eyes opened. That's what she wanted.

Because, in case this was their last night together…

She wanted to go back – go back to their world.

She turned her eyes to Harley, who was watching the storm through the window. She admired how he looked, gaze glowing in the darkness that partially engulfed the inside of the car. He noticed her stare and smiled softly.

And right there she concluded that the world outside the car could wait for one more night.

Just one more night.

She leaned in and kissed him.

He froze, as if surprised, but just as quickly as he had done that, he closed his eyes and returned the kiss, the arm that encircled her moving up so that his hand could slowly slide into her hair. Her hands grasped his shirt, pulling him down against her, deepening their kiss, and he eventually climbed over her until he was tenting her completely, his thighs pinning her below. Her hands trailed up his chest, passing his arms and meeting on his back, where they then slid down until her fingers skimmed the leather material that made up his belt.

Weakness ran through her; temptation.

Before she knew it, her fingers slipped beneath the edge of his shirt, the warmth of his skin soothing to her cold fingertips. He seemed to shudder from the contact, but he didn't break their kiss, his fingers still snaking their way through her hair.

That is, until she pushed her hands up, his shirt sliding up with it.

At that, Harley suddenly ceased the kiss, pulling away from Soledad, her hands slipping out from beneath his shirt. He now stood on his knees, towering over her as she lay before him, confusion and a little bit of surprise swirling around in his eyes – at what she had tried to do.

Soledad turned her head away to avoid his gaze, feeling both foolish and perverted, mentally scolding herself for even trying such a thing. What had she been thinking?

However, Harley didn't say anything on the matter, only glancing downward, staring at his shirt. He then looked back up to Soledad, and sternness replaced the bewilderment in his eyes.

Slowly, he raised his arms, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling it up and over his head, tossing it to the driver's seat next to them as if it was now a pointless object.

Soledad looked at him, surprise crossing her face, meeting his gaze. She then lowered her eyes, staring at his bare chest, and she almost forgot to breathe.

She climbed to her knees, facing him. Then, slowly, she reached forward with one arm, her fingers skimming across the skin right below his collarbone. Hot. Soft. Just like the night back in Slateport when she had first felt it. She had wanted to feel more of it ever since that night, and soon she pressed her palm against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. Harley closed his eyes and sighed through his nostrils, as if enjoying the sensation of her cool hand on his flesh, and he nearly didn't notice her lean forward, wrapping her arms around him and pushing her lips to his.

Immediately he returned the kiss, their lips caressing one another languidly. His arms came up to encircle her, pulling her closer to him, and she felt herself shudder as she pressed against his chest. They stayed like that for a while, their kiss calm and quiet – until she felt his tongue slide in-between her lips and she tasted that sense of murkiness he always carried, which sent a wave surging through her as if she had been struck with an electric type attack. Her hands clenched, nails slightly digging into the flesh of his back, though he didn't seem to protest as he let out a short growl, tightening his hold around her.

It wasn't long before Soledad mentally figured that the rolled-back passenger seat wouldn't provide the room they undoubtedly needed. She began to lean back, Harley moving with her, too busy kissing her to notice what she was doing, and the two coordinators soon tumbled over, rolling into the back seat and landing sprawled out across it. Soledad now tented over Harley, who blinked in surprise to the sudden position change – though this look faded away when Soledad leaned down and continued their kiss, convincing Harley's hands to come up and grasp her shoulders. Eagerly they pushed the books, blanket, and other objects that had been originally occupying the back seat off of it, getting them out of their way, their kiss becoming more heated as Soledad slid her hands down Harley's chest, yet again admiring how hot and soft it was; torrid satin beneath her fingertips.

That was the warmth she needed right now; the feeling of his arms around her. Harley was the only one who could provide it for her – provide that sense of comfort and safety – and give her a purpose rather than just being Soledad Sierra, famous coordinator. In this world she didn't have to worry about coordinating, or anything else – just the amethyst-haired man she loved.

Sanctuary was here, and until the night was over she had no reason to leave.

Perhaps this was why she didn't pull away when he began to undress her.

Her jacket soon fell to the floor next to them, undershirt and bra going along with it. He glanced downward at her bare chest then raised his eyes to meet hers. He placed a hand on the back of her head, pushing her forward and reconnecting their lips. Shamelessly she pressed herself against him, soon breaking their kiss so she could skim her lips across his jaw line, his stubble feeling prickly against her skin. He closed his eyes and breathed, slightly tilting his head up when she reached his neck, her hot breath caressing his flesh as she felt the firmness of the muscles there, fingers sliding up his arm simultaneously as she inhaled his scent.

As she pulled away, he leaned forward and kissed her again, wrapping an arm around her to hold her against him, using the other one to push himself up. Now they were both on their knees, and Harley ducked his head, his nose brushing Soledad's collarbone. He went lower, now trailing his lips down her skin, going between her breasts and to her navel, exploring with his tongue. Moaning, she lolled her head back, arching into him, her fingers entangling themselves in his hair, which she then used to pull him back from what he was doing. She lowered her head, connecting their lips, drinking in his essence as if it was vital to her very existence.

She was then pushed back, spreading out across the seat. Harley broke their kiss, hoisting himself up with one arm, tenting over her. Verdigris eyes met metallic blue-green, perspiration already beginning to form on their bodies, which matched with the fact that they were panting heavily. She brushed her fingertips across his cheek, wanting to smile but held it in, and cupped his face altogether, pulling him back down so that their lips could meet again. His thighs pinned her from below, chest pressing against hers, and it looked like there was no space whatsoever between them.

Her hands slid up and down his back, relishing in the heat radiating from him. It wasn't long before they slid down far enough to make contact with his leather belt, and she felt more weakness flood through her. Before she realized it they were circling around his waist, stopping when they reached the belt's buckle.

Harley seemed to go rigid, and it was obvious that he knew what Soledad wanted to do. He broke their kiss and pulled away from her, but only by an inch, his face still close enough to hers to where their noses were touching. He stared into her eyes as she stared into his, though he then brushed his cheek against hers as he moved his lips to her neck. She breathed in deeply, feeling him nip at her flesh; and she knew that he wasn't pushing her hands away from his belt for a reason.

So, she unlatched it, sliding it from the slots of his jeans and tossing it carelessly to the floor. He seemed to bury his face deeper into the crook of her neck in response, continuing with placing kisses across it as she unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down the zipper, then grabbing the sides, tugging at them. He shifted his body, aiding her in getting them off in the small space the back seat of the car provided, and they soon fell onto the floor, his footwear not far behind. As if mimicking her, his hands reached for her skirt.

It wasn't long before any clothes below her waist were removed as well. His boxers were slid off last.

Now, there were no more walls; they were both as nude as the day they'd been born. His fingers slid down her side with gentleness, her arms wrapping around his neck. Their eyes remained locked together, and soon he leaned forward, his body pressing against hers, molding to fit it as if they were two pieces to a jigsaw puzzle. His leg fell in-between hers as he kissed her – kissed her with as much meaning the words 'I love you' could ever give. Her fingers lost themselves in his damp hair, coldness running across her stomach as she felt his hands grab the undersides of her thighs, slowly pushing them apart.

And with that, he slid into her.

Immediately Soledad clenched her teeth, swallowing hard as Harley pushed his forehead against her shoulder, groaning. Her nails dug into his back, feeling the deep grooves that had formed there as his muscles tightened, and she closed her eyes as he began to thrust. Warmth pulsated through her – his warmth – filling her stomach like flooding water, shooting up her body with speed. The two coordinators were now connected at both the hips and the heart, lost in each other, though at the same time knowing exactly where they were.

Unknown territory that felt known.

Harley's entire body shuddered, and it wasn't long before he collapsed on top of Soledad, spent. Soledad dropped her head against the seat, breathing as feverishly as he was.

Once the moment calmed down, he raised his head, his tired eyes meeting hers.

"Soledad…I…"

Soledad placed a finger to his lips, silencing him, smiling weakly.

Words didn't need to be said.

She cupped his face, leading him to lay his head down on her chest by her collarbone, his warm cheek pressing against her skin. Still breathing hard, he closed his eyes, not protesting at all. She reached for the blanket that had been tossed to the floor during their session, covering it over the both of them before encircling her arms around Harley, cradling him, her head falling back against the seat as she closed her eyes as well.

Finally, relaxing, they fell asleep in the car, in each other's arms – just like the night when they first confessed.

And, just like that night as well, the rain continued to fall.