Diamond spent the next six days with the lingering high he had gotten from Pearl kissing and clinging to him. And what's more today was New Year's Eve. He had a date today and he could hardly contain his excitement. He looked through every drawer in his room in attempt to find something decent to wear. He decided on black jeans and a crimson button up and he fastened and refastened the buttons nearly a hundred times in his rush. He combed his hair until it had a glossy shine and slid his beret on. He brushed his teeth throughout the day and tried not to eat anything that Pearl wouldn't like tasting. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, but he was expecting fireworks tonight. No more games, tonight is the night.

It was around nine, and Diamond looked anxiously around his room. This must be what Pearl feels like all the time, he thought. Scanning his room he saw laundry in a pile in the same place it always sat, some of the drawers weren't shut all the way and Pearl's card sat on the desk. He opened the card and the small package fell out. He took it in his hands and examined it. He still couldn't believe how things had changed since he had gotten home.

This is crazy… He smiled to himself and stared at himself in the mirror above the dresser. His reflection stared back blankly as always, but at least he looked pretty sharp dressed up. He slid the condom into his pocket and after some surveying he found a bit of cologne in a small box. Not too much… He cautiously misted himself. It smelled good, not terribly strong but if you were close enough one could appreciate the scent.

Pearl had been more restless than ever since he had left Diamond's house on Christmas. It took every ounce of self control not to kiss his trembling lips and not to leave a hickey on the poor boy's neck. The sexual tension between the boys was unbearable and oh, this night was going to be steamy. Pearl took hours getting ready for his date. He styled his hair with such precision that not even the wind could tousle his blonde locks enough to mess them up. And he used mouthwash every time he ate anything; he even remembered to dilute it with some water.

Everything has to be perfect, he thought. If it's not the best then… Well, it just has to be the best. He searched his drawers frantically and peeked in the closet for a classy getup. Most of his clothes consisted of skinny jeans and striped shirts but he managed to find a nice blazer to put over a simple dress shirt. He evaluated himself in the closet mirror, he had to admit he cleaned up nicely but something seemed off.

"I look too mature for my age, although I look almost like a secret agent." He pressed his fist thoughtfully to his lips. "I need sunglasses, don't I?" He searched everywhere but he hardly wore shades even in the summer so it was easier said than done. "Mom picked the perfect night to go out of town with friends, huh? How am I going to find some shades or anything for that matter?" He slid his hand into his pocket absent mindedly as he pondered where to look next and pulled out a pair of sporty looking shades. Wow, what luck.

Finally satisfied with his appearance he pulled on his shoes and headed for Diamond's house. It wasn't terribly cold and much of the snow had actually melted. The only place snow ever seemed to stick was Snowpoint City and Mt. Coronet. Pearl knocked on the door and tried to whistle to calm his nerves but he never knew how to whistle anyway so he just gave up. The knob twisted and Diamond answered the door.

"Wow, you look great," Pearl's voice was soft and his cheeks started feeling warm again.

Diamond blushed, "Oh, thanks. You look nice, too. Like a secret agent or something."

"That's what I thought!" Pearl made an exaggerated gesture and started to laugh as he removed the sunglasses. "Well let's go, slowpoke! It's already almost ten."

"It won't take that long to get to Jubilife, don't worry," Diamond's voice was calm as to not contribute to the excess energy Pearl was emitting.

"I know that," he rolled his eyes. "But c'mon let's go!"

He took Diamond's hand and they ran as fast as Diamond could follow. They cut through Sandgem town, which was very quiet except for the Berlitz mansion which sounded like quite a party was bustling within. They cut through Route 202 with ease and in no time they had arrived in Jubilife City.

Jubilife City was a very metropolitan city and was always bustling with people. But today it was jam packed with people from all over the region for an all night party sponsored by JubilifeTV, naturally. The huge monitor showed coverage from all the major cities of the region and the Gym leaders each said a few words on behalf of their town. There was loud music and people of all ages dancing and drinking in the streets.

Diamond looked around at the crowd, it was complete pandemonium and it was barely eleven. Like zombies they wandered, slurred words and loud cheers from every direction. Flashing lights everywhere and the sound of kazoos and other noise makers blared in their ears with the feel of a strong bass under their feet from the approximated dance area. As he turned his attention back to his date he saw Pearl's lips move but couldn't hear what he was trying to say.

"WHAT?" He tried to yell over the crowd.

".THIRSTY?" He shouted back.

Without a response Pearl dragged the boy over to the bar and got them some sodas. They sat back and took in the chaotic atmosphere; this was the closest thing to a club in all of Sinnoh that either boy was aware of. Pearl surveyed the area, the craziest dancers were on the main road, the drunkest people were near the open bar across from the trainer school and the most obsessive fans were screaming and sobbing in front of the monitor as the gym leaders spoke. No surprise that the most deafening screams came once Volkner got his screen time. It was impossible to hear him but he smirked with a type of modest narcissism, it was as though he could hear all the girls and boys screaming for him in Sunyshore and he put a hand up to silence them.

Look at him, 'Oh yeah I'm only the most desired bachelor in Sinnoh, the hardest gym leader to reach and defeat and I make all the girls and boys think naughty thoughts. No big deal.' Pearl pouted, of course he, too, had fallen victim to his charm but still he found himself a bit jealous. He dreamed of being so successful, charismatic and poised. The way Diamond watched the screen with such captivation as the man spoke practically hypnotized by each movement of his lips or flash of a smile. It twisted his stomach, What does he have that I don't? Blue eyes? Spikey hair? A beachfront home? He grimaced, arms folded in annoyance as he observed the other blonde trying to figure out the secret to his charm.

Diamond watched his friend scoff at the monitor, Everyone loves Volkner. I wonder what's wrong. After giving it some thought, he leaned in and spoke into his ear, "Jealous are we?"

Pearl shot him an incredulous look and formed his lips around a firm, "No."

Diamond sighed, I'll take that as a yes. The monitors were now airing commercials for places all over the region. He leaned in again, trying to level his voice as seductively as he could, propping his arm on the counter casually. "You know, Volkner is pretty slick but I bet he's not as sexy as you when you pout…"

Pearl choked on his drink, the fizz burning his nose slightly, but he tried to compose himself. He raised a brow at the boy, smirking before leaning in himself.

"You think I'm… sexy?" He purred.

Diamond pretended to think about it teasingly then nodded with a grin. Pearl smiled and sipped his drink, swirling the liquid about the cup as he looked around again. He liked that Diamond was more comfortable with him and not needing to hide his feelings anymore. But he still wasn't sure where they stood; he hated the amount of patience he had to find within himself in the past month. He was so ready to move ahead, he had waited his whole life it felt to tell him how he felt but it was still too soon.

He sighed, the other people at the bar were obnoxiously loud, and snarky men were luring the women away into the crowd and dark alley ways, Should I do something about that…? Meanwhile, the bartenders were surprisingly barely buzzed and keeping up with the large crowd despite the ceaseless waves of people who had no business having even another drop of alcohol. He looked over at Diamond who was toying with the hand that wasn't currently holding his soda. The watched as various regions flashed clips of concerts and listened intently to the array of music that played. They chatted, flirted, decided against dancing as they enjoyed the atmosphere. They took a walk around the city and before they knew it the screen flashed a stopwatch and the hostess reappeared after the stream of commercials.

"Let's go," Pearl called. Diamond obeyed and he followed Pearl into the crowd.

The hostess on the monitor was obnoxiously excited about ringing in 2011 and informed everyone that there was only a few minutes left of 2010. They snaked their way into the heart of the crowd in front of the large screen where everyone seemingly hypnotized by the clock watched the number descend. Pearl clung to Diamond's arm affectionately shaking him excitedly though he couldn't have looked calmer in the midst of the disorder.

The countdown started, everyone in kindergarten unison counted backward from ten. Ten… Diamond caught Pearl gazing at him. He looked thoughtfully back; he had seen that look before. Yes, Pearl had stared at him so tenderly, so longingly before. Nine… Eight… Pearl's heart raced, Diamond had his usual blank face but his eyes were soft and he was quivering a bit with anxiety. Seven…Six…Five… They stood there looking at each other intently. In that crowd of thousands there wasn't a single person there that could have distracted them. No one more important than that boy hanging from his arm or that boy he was clinging to. Four… Three… Two… One!

The crowd roared in a chorus of deafening screams and cheers and it could be assumed that the hostess said "Happy New Year" or something to that affect. But no one cared what she had to say the entire night and that didn't change now. The crowd was bustling all around them, friends and strangers embracing, couples kissing… Pearl's eyes burned into Diamond's, his lips trembled and he tried to compose himself best he could. But naturally, Pearl beat him to the punch. He twisted Diamond around and in one fluid motion caught his lips with his own.

Diamond relaxed into the kiss and when they pulled away he watched his amber orbs reappear behind blonde tresses, both their cheeks burning a deep pink. Pearl kissed him again this time unlacing their hands and wrapping his arms around the boy's waist. The kiss was rougher than the first. The next kiss was even more aggressive and he gripped at Diamond's lower back while he ran his fingers through his silky blonde hair, tugging a bit at the locks. He felt his way through the motions, his lips moving against the blonde's instinctively.

They broke apart breathlessly and Pearl searched his blue-grey eyes, no sign of regret only nervous excitement and lust. He knocked their foreheads together lightly and fixated his attention on his nervous friend who hung from his neck. He smiled wide, flicking his tongue out across the boy's lips, Diamond trying to catch it in his mouth but caught the imp's mouth instead.

This kiss was a passionate one, slow and deep but progressively more forceful. He let his tongue search the latter's mouth for that devious muscle of his and they danced around each other painting each other's mouths with their taste. He let out a slow moan into the enmeshment as Pearl let his hands slide lower, groping his ass possessively and pulling him in closer. The muscles moved against each other rhythmically, animalistic and possessed by desire. Diamond mewed into Pearl's mouth as their hips brushed against one another sending intense chills through him. He flinched away overwhelmed, breaking contact as they stood there panting.

"I thought you'd never try to kiss me…" He smiled, pressing their foreheads together again.

Diamond blushed shyly, averting his attention away. "I was too nervous."

"I don't want you to be nervous around me anymore. I want you to tell me everything and I want to show you everything," his voice was stern but loving as he looked into his perfect blue eyes. "I want to erase any doubt you have about my love for you. You're perfect and I only want to be with you…"

Diamond wanted to cry, he never felt so happy or so relieved in his life. He embraced his friend, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. Pearl squeezed Diamond tightly and smiled, it was all so surreal. It was only ten minutes or so into the new year and so much had happened.

The crowd was still a rambunctious lot and no one seemed too concerned for anyone but themselves. The monitor showed various cities full of out of control citizens and people who were acting up in the presence of a camera. Footage of other regions that had already or were anticipating the new year flashed on the screen and images of champions and elite four members could be seen. After some thought Pearl returned his attention to Diamond who was grinning wide and watching the screen with mild interest, still holding Pearl tightly like a lifeline.

There was little doubt in his mind of what he wanted to do next. Nodding determinedly to himself, Pearl leaned in to whisper ever so secretively into Diamond's ear.

"My mom's out of town…"

Diamond perked up and looked at Pearl stunned. Every rebellious teen knew what that meant, but he couldn't believe what his friend was suggesting. A mischievous grin graced Pearl's face and he bit his lip suggestively and looked shyly at Diamond, holding eye contact for brief moments at a time. He swallowed his nervous energy, eyes piercing Diamond's as the beret clad teen squeezed his shoulders apprehensively, eyes clouded with indecision and excitement.

Again he whispered looking him straight in the eye this time, "Let me make love to you, Diamond. I promise I'll be gentle." His voice was tender and he tried not to let lust make him sound harsher than he intended.

Diamond was speechless, he blinked at the boy and tried to speak but his lips couldn't form words. He watched Pearl who watched him hopefully but patiently when he remembered something. He slid the package from his pocket and held it up with a nervous smile.

"Maybe you could show me how to use this?"

Pearl grinned wide, laughing a bit at the gesture as he observed the package in the teen's hand. "I have a better idea," he kissed his jaw.

"I'll show you how much more fun we can have without it…"