Warning: The latter half, again, contains a masturbation scene.

Days turned into a week full of pursuing Diamond and simply being with him every possible chance. Pearl was making some progress but wasn't feeling confident at how oblivious Diamond still was. Diamond would smile and he wouldn't reject the touches but he had his doubts that he knew their intention. He had to come on stronger, be more direct without being blunt, but that took more patience than he thought he possessed. Brushing against him 'accidentally' and complimenting him and the like had too much ambiguity to it to get his point across. But what was he to do?

He looked at the TV upside down from where he lay on the floor of Diamond's bedroom, Wii remote in hand as they played another round of tennis. He wasn't even focused on the game, simply flicking his wrist occasionally as he watched Diamond. He smiled a bit; Diamond had a handsome face from any angle really. He was sitting in a chair a body's length away and some odd feet to Pearl's left, eyes flickering about the screen. Diamond seemed pretty focused on the game, trying to win and failing somehow despite Pearl's disinterest. The monotony of the match was coming to resemble Pong in the blonde's eyes and he was questioning why he thought it would be fun to go to Diamond's for a change. The swinging rackets and the ball bouncing and the crowd bouncing around as well, music notes and cursing all became burned into the forefront of his mind. If he closed his eyes he could imagine the scene with eerie precision. The screen shifted, the right side victorious for the umpteenth time with the left hanging their heads in defeat.

"How do you keep winning? You're not even paying attention!" Diamond teased, fist pressed to his lips in thought.

"You almost had me for a second there." He smirked smugly, but was genuinely happy to have Diamond's attention on him again.

"Oh yeah." He laughed, letting the controller sway from the strap at his wrist. "What's your secret?"

"C'mere, I'll show you."

Diamond obliged, crawling over to his spot on the floor and laying back similarly beside him. He started another match and he watched Pearl serve rather forcefully. His inept hand swung, missing completely as Pearl scored two points without even trying. He tried again, and though he returned the serve his smile retreated as he completely missed, the blonde returning his hit effortlessly.

"What am I doing wrong?" He asked, looking over at Pearl with bright eyes.

"Well, here," he took Diamond under his arm and they shifted so that they were comfortably lying together. Pearl dropped his controller and put his hand over Diamond's, "Ok, like this. See, focus on what you're doing and do precise motions."

Diamond felt his heart jumping. He shifted and leaned more into Pearl who held him closer and closer until their legs were tangling themselves and Pearl was practically spooning him. His steady hand atop his as he guided his motions was doing a number on his sanity. He didn't know why, but ever since he got back Pearl just seemed different in his eyes. He was enjoying the contact far too much and Pearl was responding all too willingly to feed off his responses and draw out more. He liked that Pearl had control of things, he liked that he wasn't rejecting him even though it was absurd to be lying in such a position; it felt strangely right.

"L-Like this?"

He tried, arguably worse than any other time before. He couldn't think straight with Pearl holding and watching him. Pearl shook his head, taking his hand again and demonstrating once more. They repeated the process a few more times, each time Diamond got worse, his hand shaking as he continued to ease himself into the blonde. Pearl held him close, fingers toying with the belt loops on the hip of his friend's pants as he steadied his body against his own. Diamond pressed into him, Pearl pushing back in response, and their hips moved against each other subtly a few times while Diamond pretended he was still attempting to play.

"Are you messing up on purpose?" He teased, whispering into Diamond's ear as he showed him one last time before returning his hand to its place at Diamond's hip.

When Pearl stopped moving the controller for him he didn't continue, rather staring blankly ahead without seeing. "Pearl?"

"Yeah?"

He shifted, rolling over to face Pearl who also rolled back into his original position on his back. Everything seemed to have his attention except for him which made him feel… Sad? Annoyed? Jealous? Possessive? He wasn't sure, but propped himself up on his elbows out of the blonde's grasp as he looked down at him now.

"Pearl," he started, but he had nothing to follow it up.

Pearl liked where this was going, he couldn't have been happier with the way they had managed to position themselves though he was disappointed to have him move away. He tried to avoid eye contact, he was afraid to see his face and wanted to hold on to the good feelings he had for as long as possible. But he could feel Diamond watching him and while he liked the attention he wasn't sure what it meant. He heard his name a few times and he finally looked at the raven whose blue eyes were closer than he had ever dreamt they'd be. They were perfect, just like he was, and framed so delicately by his thick lashes. He blushed; he didn't even try to hide the way his feelings read on his face as he brought his hand to stroke the back of his friend's neck.

"I know I've never told you this but you really do have the most breathtaking eyes," he said tenderly, almost in a whisper.

Diamond felt his face burn like he had suddenly come down with a fever as hot as Stark Mountain. He was shocked, the words barely processing at first, but then he couldn't fight the shy smile that spread across his face. He looked into Pearl's eyes, admiring them as well. How long had they been so beautiful? Like a sunset or wildfire, so distinctive and yet he had never seen them this close before. He shifted, leaning over Pearl who knotted his fingers through his thick black hair and pulled him in closer. He was excited but so anxious; he didn't understand what was happening. As Pearl started closing his eyes all he became aware of was the sound of his heart pounding in his chest.

But their moment was ruined by his mother who interrupted at the most inopportune time, breaking the trance they were under before their lips could meet.

"Diamond, Pearl, it's time for dinner," Diamond's mother's voice came from the other side of the door. "You can pause your game, just hurry down."

Pearl held his eyes closed, a pained expression of irritation and slight embarrassment as Diamond pulled away to sit up. He sighed, smiling a bit awkwardly at the blonde who stood up and stretched with a yawn.

"So…" Diamond started, hands stuffed in his pockets as he kept his gaze fixated on the dresser corner.

Pearl made his way for the door, hand lingering on the knob before speaking. "I'm going to go home, if that's ok."

Diamond frowned but nodded in response.

A tentative pause, "… I meant what I said. And," he hesitated as he thought what to say next, unsure what would be the appropriate wording. "I would've meant… well, that kiss, too." He smiled a bit at Diamond as their eyes met before he exited the room silently leaving Diamond with a sea of thoughts pooling in his head.

SQUEAK! ...Well, that's attractive. Diamond took a seat on his old bed; the springs greeted him with a sound that wasn't terrible sounding but a nuisance in any case. How long has it been? Months? Years? He couldn't recall the last time he had really been home but today it felt like the first time he had felt at home since he had gotten back. Photos from his childhood, old birthday cards and knick knacks, pokedolls still littering the floor and his bed barely made. It was as though he had never left. If he closed his eyes, he had always been here; never straying from the perimeters of the town, never sneaking out to sit by the lake with Pearl, never overcoming the Pokemon League and never flirting with his best friend, guy friend at that. Nope, he imagined never having left and how amazingly simple life was here. Home; plain and simple when nothing else is.

Looking around he never thought he would miss such a quiet town like Twinleaf or his mother and her sometimes overbearing nagging or even his bed that squeaked likely from Pearl convincing him to jump on it during sleepovers.

Pearl… He smiled warmly. That's what he truly had missed the most, his blonde, headstrong companion. He never quite understood why Pearl had to run off and find himself, Especially without me… he frowned. He could easily manage without him he was certain. Nothing ever stopped him from getting whatever he had his heart set on. If he wanted something then he went out and got it, it was as simple as that. If only I was that lucky… Maybe it's because Pearl was resourceful, determined and confident or that he was aggressive and passionate while Diamond was sensitive, at times shy and processed things more slowly. But he wanted to be wherever Pearl was, and somehow learning to be more independent was an obstacle he never thought he'd have to tackle. But he had always had Pearl; Pearl always knew what to do and took care of basically everything. In the end Diamond had managed surprisingly well alone which had a bittersweet feel to it.

He kicked his legs as he sat on the edge of the bed, thinking about earlier. He really tried to think through things, but he had no explanation. They were so close it was mind-blowing like he could almost feel his lips on his. But why the sudden zest about it? He had never really thought about it before but he felt so desperate, like he had waited his whole life for a moment like that somehow. Tossing his beret aside he rose from the bed and sauntered over to the bathroom, his footsteps muffled by socks he discarded at the door.

Diamond mumbled to himself as he began undressing in his bathroom. Warm, exposed feet created a suction-like affect as they passed over the cool tiles. The room was awash in light, everything white with the exception of the beige shower curtain. A lonely painting of a lake in the summer hung on the wall. The boy sighed, his scarf felt like a noose, suffocating him but the fleece fabric slid off with unexpected ease. As he unbuttoned his crimson shirt he thought of Pearl on top of him when they had ran into each other the other day. It felt dangerously risqué, accidental or not, and it was exciting despite the awkwardness.

"Oh…" He winced at the image, blushing as his virgin mind flooded with impurities. He slipped out of his jeans and turned on the water. Geez, what happened to the hot water? Despite the initial shock of the frigid cascade, he stood there feeling the water flow over him. The boy smacked his cheeks and shook his head, droplets of water flying off in all directions from his ink black hair.

"Diamond, Diamond, Diamond. He's your best friend," he made gestures with his hands as he spoke. "Why did you even let yourself think that way to begin with? What if this complicates our friendship? …What if you mess up and he runs off again?"

He adjusted the water and let soap bar lather his body casually. Dating your best friend rarely worked out anyway and Pearl hardly seemed the type of guy who would want a relationship with him, what did he have to offer? He looked at himself, flexing his biceps lazily and poking at them with an embarrassed but amused expression. He didn't have the body of a sex god by any means, but he was still pretty proud of his body. But then there was Pearl…

He really did have to admit that Pearl wasn't a bad looking guy especially now that he had matured some. Pearl was a charming boy; he was thoughtful and charismatic. And sure Diamond had never really pictured himself with another guy but Pearl wasn't just any guy. Their relationship was already special and naturally very much unlike the ones he shared with anyone else. His heart had always swooned over Missy, all of his efforts and romantic endeavors revolved around her, but there was just something about Pearl, something he didn't quite notice until today. He could remember having some feelings for Pearl when they were younger but everyone had a bi-curious phase right? He frowned at the rationalization, knowing full well it was not at all a solid reasoning to stand on. But it seemed so easy to envision them together now, like a kiss wouldn't feel as absurd as it sounded in his head or that whispering sweet nothings wouldn't get him smacked by the blonde. But he still felt conflicted.

His partially aroused appendage twitched as he bounced between sexual fantasies and realistic concerns about pursuing them. Pearl and him? Was he going insane? This isn't right…

But it feels right, so maybe just this once I could… pretend it is… He felt rebellious, for once, as he envisioned himself sliding into Pearl and thrusting into his supple body... Pearl sliding into him… There's a thought. Grasping himself and stroking it to life, he tried to figure out which sounded more enticing, blushing that being dominated seemed to be the better mental image. He leaned back against the shower wall, and his cocked head hit the tiles with a soft thud. He slicked his hair back and felt his chest rise and fall rhythmically in time to his increasingly rough caresses. Already so desperate from the longing whose intensity he was only now becoming aware of. His tongue flicked across his lips and he tasted the diluted, lukewarm water as droplets raced from the fringes of his hair down his face and body.

He keened softly, it was more than the intimacy that he craved with Pearl but he couldn't sift through the mush between his ears to find his feelings. He didn't want to deal with it all.

The water raced over his body, caressing every inch of skin in a heavenly liquid as the steam began to seep into his lungs like a haunting miasma of wanton desire. His gaping mouth heaved sighs and fought moans as his hips began to move on their own forcing his arousal into his slicked hand. The steady hum of the water striking the porcelain tub as the water filled the bath enough to nearly reach his ankles all became white noise as he pressed his flushed cheek to the wall. Despite trying to manage without for several minutes he allowed himself to drink in the image of his best friend hungrily and he closed his eyes, straining them closed and gagging on his vocalization.

"A-ah-ahhh!" Diamond spewed onto his stomach and he hunched his back with a chorus of heavy exhales as his muscles released their tension spastically in exhaustion. Steadying himself on the slick floor, he tried to catch his breath as he reached around and turned off the water, letting the insipid stickiness slide off in rivulets down his lightly sculpted body. He felt dirty, not that he hadn't masturbated before but to the image of him entering his best friend? Lovely, he sighed.

He got out of the shower and grabbed the towel from the rack as he looked at the fogged mirror. Swirling the vapor askew he saw a blurred reflection of himself. Seemingly apathetic eyes, glazed by lust, and flushed cheeks came into view and he blushed more at himself. He ran the faucet, setting his toothbrush as he began brushing his teeth, the taste of mint invigorating his senses. He thought about how to approach the situation but nothing came to mind. He sighed through his nose, spitting the foam into the sink and rinsing his mouth of the remnants. He gathered his clothes from the floor and walked to his room.

He wasn't sure what to do or how to feel but he just continued on to his room through his dark and lifeless house. He tossed his clothes on the floor by the door and sat in his towel out of laziness as he looked around indifferently once more. These feelings, what was he to do with them and why didn't he have any answers? Maybe it was because he was at times shy and processed things more slowly, maybe it was because he was over thinking it or not thinking it over hard enough. Maybe it was because he needed to do some soul searching. Yes, that seemed like a good idea but maybe, just maybe,

He was afraid of what he would find.