A/N: This chapter had to be broken into two separate chapters due to length. Full Author's notes will be at the end of the next 'chapter.'

"Missy seemed happy this morning…" Diamond began after what felt like hours of silence.

They were nearly to Snowpoint City now and Pearl had seemed apprehensive all day since they had left her lodge. The sifting snow was knee deep with sporadically scattered pitfalls where it was as high as Pearl's waist. Despite this grass still managed to peek through the rifts, green finger-like strands reaching toward the salvation of the winter sun in the stonewashed sky. It was a calm late afternoon and more than anything they were thankful to have escaped the treacherous blizzard of Route 217. The footprints of various pokemon were scattered around the Acuity Lakefront that interwove through the grassy patches like the unintelligible intercrossing mazes of a child's activity book.

Pearl had his arms seemingly frozen to his chest as he hunched himself up in attempt to stay warm. His scarf wrapped around his head covering his face up to his nose and covering his ears best he could manage as he walked determinedly ahead with Diamond trailing behind in a familiar fashion.

"… I guess."

The blonde shrugged, something was definitely off about her today, that much was true. Her whole presence had sent everything askew in record time, including what should have been a peaceful night's sleep.

He couldn't remember the last time he actually woke up as early as they had that morning. It felt like old times in all its cruel irony as he had to struggle to get Diamond out of bed with her in the next room. Their romp had been a passionate frenzy, the tension of the situation still reading on their tear stained cheeks with the taste of saline a silent reminder of raw fear and emotions lingering in the air. Its sensuality had quickly given way to a carnal desire and need to feel as close to each other as possible, to feel the validation only skin on skin contact could solidify as he felt him cling to him desperately in more ways than one. It was a physical pleading for forgiveness and Pearl had not denied his lover the peace of mind though his own was only temporarily pacified. He stayed awake much of the night watching him sleep in his arms, his own t-shirt the only article of clothing on Diamond's satiated body. Imagining that this might not always be a reality made the surreal feel of the oncoming twilight hour feel like a lucid dream moments away from a nightmarish reality.

He wasted no time in getting them up and ready to leave but he couldn't avoid leaving without running into her of course. Yes, she certainly seemed happy in her own subdued way. She even attempted to apologize to him. She was actually pleasant and bearable though this was especially unnerving. She was so gracious about everything but he still caught her watching him specifically with an uncanny and ominous look. He wouldn't trust her as far as he could throw her but Diamond took little convincing of how trustworthy she was. But Pearl knew she wasn't sorry, it was impossible for her to apologize genuinely; she would never be able to understand if she was in the wrong. In her world it was always everyone else no matter what, even when there were moments when she did realize she had messed up she just didn't care. There wasn't a guilty cell in her body.

He winced, shaking his head to rid himself of the unpleasant thoughts and recollections of the past twenty-four hours. In his agitation he barely noticed how he was pushing himself on more adamantly, the gap between himself and Diamond widening. Diamond could feel the negativity emanating from his boyfriend; he had wished that it would have been swept from his conscious after what he had believed was them moving past it all last night. He struggled through the snow, varying layers of ice and soft unpacked flakes mixed in the depths below his hidden knees. He sniffled up some air, feeling the entirety of his air passage as the dry air filled the mucus membranes of his insides before exhaling a heavy cloud of guilt and sadness into the air. He began to catch up once more, trying to maintain some form of conversation with him.

"I'm glad we're all on good terms again," Diamond said sheepishly with a faint smile.

"Don't hold your breath," he scoffed with an aggravated smirk twitching his lips, Diamond frowning at his response. "But at least we're finally onto what I had originally planned for yesterday."

"What's the plan, babe?"

"It's a surprise."

His tone barely projected any sense of enthusiasm at what should have been a playful tone. He looked up at the sky, face escaping the comforting humidity of his fleece scarf's confines, biting at his arid lip thoughtfully as he took note of the sun's positioning in the sky. He narrowed his eyes, huffing a voluminous stack of visible frustration into the crisp air. Diamond caught up to him, slipping his arm cautiously around his shoulders, hoping to comfort him.

"What's wrong?"

He huffed, closing his eyes in a way that meant to imply he would have pinched the bridge of his nose had his hands not found sanctuary in the crooks of his elbows.

"It's too early for your surprise, we have to kill a few hours but I have no idea what to do around here."

"Well, we could always walk around town and find something to do," he shrugged looking about their barren surroundings. "Or would you rather get a room and warm up?"

He laughed a bit to himself, the air making the inside of his mouth and throat instantly dry because of it but shook his head.

"It would be cruel to warm up before heading out again for what I have planned, trust me. But come on, whatever you'd like to do we're going to do today."

"You sure?" He smiled sheepishly at first, his grin growing wider as Pearl, wincing at the cold, wrapped his arm around his waist, placing his hand in Diamond's back pocket.

"Anything for you, babe. Sorry I've been a bit... distant with you," he mumbled, eyes fixated on the ground. "There's not a hell of alot up here but keep your eyes open."

They walked together into town with the tension decidedly dispersing as they walked past the Pokemon Center indifferently looking for something entertaining in the humble city. Snowpoint City was exactly what it sounded like, the pinnacle of snow with a city somewhere amidst the unforgiving drifts of icy flakes. Thick billowing smoke stacks drifted through the air from every house, the assumed heat calling the boys who had long since gotten used to the feel of snow in their shoes, between their pant legs and melted into their once comforting socks. Children ran through the farthest part of the quaint town in a secluded part near the forest. Laughter filling the otherwise tranquil silence as they chased one another in and out of the trees' maze with little struggle against the pitfalls where the snow nearly went over their heads.

Diamond smiled wistfully at them, nostalgically as he remembered playing in what little snow Twinleaf had with Pearl but also feeling a bit of a paternal instinct flare when a child would trip or they began bickering. He barely noticed how they had stopped walking, both watching them play like they were both thinking the same thing as they side glanced at one another solemnly.

With a sigh they held each other closer as they continued wandering through the residential area and into the more metropolitan section that had various shops, the gym, and other attractions for entertainment purposes like a modestly sized movie theater. The sidewalks and roads had much less snow accumulation as though it had all been transported to where they had entered from. It crunched beneath their shoes, the feeling of the genuine traction of solid ground almost foreign to them as they continued on aimlessly.

Pearl thought hard about what to do, his original plans thwarted by yesterday's mishap, he wasn't entirely sure how to outdo himself on such short notice. There had to be some other date he could devise, he just had to improvise. He looked at his reflection in the windows of the various shops, mostly clothing or sporting equipment stores with few novelty and artisan shops passing them by.

Why does it have to be today? Come on come on! He clenched a fist determinedly, Ok, Pearl, You think fast we can think of something. Or you know what, don't think at all! Yeah, just do anything, it'll be fine. It always is. You can't let her ruin this special day.

He nodded to himself, fiery willpower burning in his orange eyes. If only that fire would translate to the rest of his body. He shivered, feeling the wind pick up and caress his skin in a way that made him wish he weighed even ten pounds more if it meant the slightest increase in comfort. He winced past the wind, eyes watering slightly as he looked over at Diamond who was looking into the pastry shop across the street.

Pearl inwardly face palmed, shaking his head as he looked farther down the street with determination. He grumbled to himself, Diamond was much smarter than he was, in this instance anyway, for having such a warm jacket. Pearl's sweater hardly warming him in a town where subzero temperatures were as common as bidoof in this region. He was tempted to steal it from him as they stood at the corner, Diamond the only one vigilant of the roads as Pearl stared enviously at his jacket.

They walked on; clothing stores seemingly the only thing on this side of the street, a large toy store opposite them looking eerily out of place. Pearl's eyebrows raised in revelation as he looked at the oncoming shop windows. Of course, how did he not think of it sooner?

"You want to go shopping for some fabulous clothes?"

Pearl asked, fronting a stereotypical gay tone as he let his free hand slack from his wrist femininely.

"You're such an ass," he laughed, reaching further around to force Pearl's arm down to his side again.

"Come on, we'll get you something snazzy, something new. Anything you want."

"I don't need you to spend your money on me, babe."

"New scarf? New hat? ... A tighter pair of pants?"

"Hm! Yes, a new pair of pants for the hotel room floor."

"A new shirt for you to steal from me for bed?"

"It's really fine, Pearl. I love you for offering but I don't need anything special."

"Dia- er, Diamond, sweetheart, don't be silly. Of course you do, today is about you remember? (And I need a jacket before I die in this deathtrap)." He smirked; his own needs aside, he noted how Diamond's wrist was missing the presence of his poketch. He really doesn't know what today is does he? "Come on, let's go."

He led them into the first store they came across not caring to see if it was even a clothing store. The walls were brimming with clothes of every color and style, the floor extending out to a second floor by a grand staircase. The whole of the store was a sophisticated warm beige, black and gold accents with crimson drapery where appropriate. White marble flooring gleamed as though new under the soft mood lighting. It had a subdued atmosphere, though the decor alone seemed to speak volumes of the store on its own. The chandelier above the main desk in the center of the room was rivaled only by the one in the Berlitz lodge, that in and of its self making a clear statement that they were in over their heads. The mannequins were styled with the latest fashions, clothes that Diamond never would have thought to wear not that he had any reason to look so sharp. Or at least he didn't used to have a reason.

As they cautiously walked onward everything seemed to scream incredible expense and luxury, how the younger women walking about could afford these clothes was beyond their reasoning. Only a select few socialites stuck out as truly belonging in a place like this, indifferently examining the garments as though they were nothing noteworthy. Diamond sheepishly held Pearl's hand as he looked around with a slight frown that this was the store he had picked, he was afraid to even look at the price tags as they passed through the women's department headed for the stairs to the men's department.

But Pearl walked with a sense of dignity that gave reason to overlook their appearances, rugged from travel that clearly made them look out of place. He finger combed his hair a bit and adjusted his collar, smiling warmly at a bewildered Diamond as he pecked him on the cheek.

"Don't look at the prices, whatever you want it's yours."

"Pearl, do you have any idea how crazy you sound? Look," he grabbed the sleeve of a simple black sweater "They want almost a thousand pokedollars for this-this piece of fabric!"

"Really, Diamond? You think I mind buying you designer clothes?" He put a hand on his hip with an incredulous smirk tugging on his lips. "Live a little."

"It's so expensive Pearl," he frowned, feeling the shoulder of a shirt he tried to envision on himself without hinting desire to the blonde.

"Don't worry about it, really. Besides, you think daddy lets his wife and son run around unarmed?" He reached in his messenger bag fishing out a plastic card he shook haughtily in his hand. "I'm not Miss Stupid-ass Berlitz but you know my parents have quite a bit of money. We just don't rub Sinnoh's nose in it or care to spend much of it. It sort of just accumulates anyway the way we all toss our money into our savings without splurging once in a while."

He smiled, shaking his head at his statement. "Are you sure? Let me at least help pay then, please."

"Nope! But," he leaned in closer "I expect you to model everything for me before we buy anything."

He laughed nervously a faint blush tinting his cheeks.

"Model? I think you've got a better physique for that and last time we were in a dressing room... Well, things got a bit steamy."

"Like that's a bad thing," he laughed as they wandered into the sea of clothing racks.

"Since when are you someone who wants to go shopping, for clothes no less?"

"Well, for starters I'm fucking freezing," he swore quietly. "So I wanted a new jacket."

"I would have given you mine!"

"I know," he confessed guiltily. "But we need some new clothes for when we go out anyway, unless you still find my blazer and button up combo appealing after all these months."

They laughed quietly at the prospect. He did have a point he had to admit, neither had an arsenal of clothes for the various outings they had or he anticipated they would venture out on.

"Plus," he said with a small smile "I just want to spoil you a bit. I want you to feel like a million pokedollars, I don't care if that means I have to spend every cent to my name on you. You're worth it all tenfold."

"Aw, Pearl," Diamond cooed his name affectionately. "What did I do to deserve this?"

"You're mine, I don't need a reason and I don't need a special day either."

He smiled softly, covering it with his fingers. That was one thing he truly loved about Pearl, he was spontaneous. He was sweet when he wanted to be, too. Diamond knew he would never have dared to say half the things he had said to him in these past months to anyone else, like he had a secret piece of Pearl all to himself. He could just throw his arms around him and kiss him, screw the shopping and just go back to the hotel... But instead he looked around cautiously. Too many people around. He grabbed his hand, leading Pearl over to a corner, bringing them to crouch down behind a rack of sweaters quickly.

"Wh-?"

He cut him off, hands cradling his face as he pulled him into a firm kiss. Pearl hummed into it indulgently, a smacking sound escaping as they parted.

"I love you."

Pearl smiled, laughing at Diamond's need to hide their kiss in such a manner. He plucked his hat from his head, Diamond protesting at the reveal of his disgruntled hat hair. He shushed him playfully, using it to conceal their faces as he brought Diamond by the chin into another kiss, lips massaging each other rhythmically. They fought their smiles as they tried fervently to focus on their lip's movements, several intense lip locks passing before they ceased.

"I know."

They rose, brushing themselves off casually with smug grins on their faces as they began browsing the racks separately. Diamond looked through the clothes, trying to target things based on color, mainly looking for anything blue, as he pulled a few things off the racks, examining them carefully before returning them and moving onto the next piece. Pearl on the other hand was fervently looking through everything at record pace not knowing what he wanted but not wanting to miss anything. Seeing nothing of interest, he moved to a different area from Diamond.

He laughed to himself as he went through the shirts, questioning why anyone would wear some of them but also inwardly at himself for opting to shop at all. His mother tried to take him out shopping all the time and he didn't enjoy it at all. But knowing he would get to see Diamond dressed up and, if nothing else would get to watch him undress was more than enough motivation to get him to stay. And making him feel spoiled for what arguably could be the first time in his young life was more than enough reward for him. Yes, this turned out to be a good substitute to dinner at some fancy restaurant. It would be fun and was actually accomplishing something, you couldn't argue with that logic.

He plucked a few tops from various parts of the store and grabbed some new slacks and jeans as he and Diamond wandered away from each other, meeting up again in the jacket section where Diamond had already pulled a couple and was comparing them intently.

"Find anything you like, babe?"

"Yes," Diamond draped his selections heavy over Pearl's arm, holding one of the jackets up to Pearl's body. "Do you like this one for you, or this one? This one might fit more snugly on you, it comes bigger but-"

"I thought I said we're here for you, these are clothes for you right?"

He lifted his full arm inquiringly with a scolding look on his face.

"I know but I just found a couple shirts I thought would look cute on you and picked these two out for you just now. Don't worry," his tone was calm, a slight smile to soothe his worries.

"Okay then. Hm... First one, I'll try it on later. Uh, okay, pants, shirts, new socks, a jacket for me," he went through the clothes one by one quickly. "Hah, boxers for you."

"Briefs for you," he interjected with a sly smirk.

"Shut up for Dia," he smiled, rolling his eyes as he finished going through the pile. "You should get a blazer or a vest, too. It'd look nice on you and I think you need to try on at least one pair of tight pants."

He grimaced, toying with the waist of his jeans uneasily. "You think I can fit into a pair of skinny jeans?"

"You act like you weigh a million pounds or something, of course you can. Go pick out a pair of black ones and come back so we can try all this stuff on."

"Yes, dear," he sighed with a small grin as he found his size in a stack of jeans, suspiciously eying them as he returned to Pearl, holding them up for his approval.

"Perfect," he smiled wide, nodding toward the dressing rooms.

The dressing rooms were all in a line on the wall, a customer service desk beside them and the disgruntled sounds of women trying to squeeze themselves into clothes presumably too small coming from behind the doors. A young woman was loitering about the area a wavering smirk as she listened to the ladies from the other side of the doors. Voluminous auburn waves cascaded from her head framing her face elegantly with a sheen that was second to the floor's glossy tiles. From the way her pants fell about her feet it was hard to tell if her height was her shoes' doing or if she truly had a model's lanky figure.

She hummed softly to herself, looking over at the sound of their advancing steps. She made eye contact almost flirtatiously, smiling as she turned to approach them, heels clicking in a way that caused confidence to pulse through her with each step. The sound seemed to metronome the ambient music in the air like a laid-back snapping of an approving listener. The boys watched her come toward them, the V neck blouse with the accent of her necklace drawing their eyes guiltily to her chest as they bounced with a youthfulness that would have had any man ready to throw themselves at her feet.

"Gentlemen," she said curtly, still donning a playful smile. "May I help you?"

"Miss," Pearl nodded to her, smirking at her borderline cynical confidence. He raised his full arm to her matter of factually. "We have to try these on."

"Of course, right this way. There's two available rooms right here and here."

She gestured to two doors, separated by a single room in the center where a woman had slung a dress over the door, glitter transferring from the fabric to the door.

"A-Actually, we'll only need one room."

She eyed them suspiciously then smiled coyly with an incredulous raise of her eyebrows.

"In that case, the one on the far end is free as well... Right this way."

They followed her to the aforementioned room, producing a key from her pocket and with a quick flick of the wrist she had the door opened invitingly. She moved to the side; hand in pocket as she leaned against the door languidly.

"I just cleaned these rooms, too," she sighed jokingly, winking with a mischievous giggle under her breath that only a woman could make sound pompous and feminine at the same time.

"Hopefully you enjoyed it, you're about to do it again," Pearl laughed dryly, Diamond sheepishly bringing a hand to cover his mouth as Pearl put a hand at his lower back to guide him into the room.

"Hah! Call if you need anything else, boys."

She shut them in, her heels clicking as she meandered away leaving them alone in the confines of the spacious room. There was a bench in front of a large mirror, a rouge curtain draped around it elegantly but was the only color in the room. Pearl hung their clothes from the hooks, stepping out of his messenger bag's strap as he approached Diamond from behind. He helped him out of his coat and placed their bags together in one corner of the room, watching Diamond silently as he examined himself in the mirror.

"You look great," He slipped his arms around his waist, holding him close and pecking him on the cheek.

"I guess we should start trying stuff on, huh?"

"I guess we need to undress then, huh?"

Pearl answered his question with his own question, running his lips from his collar to his jaw gasping lightly into Diamond's ear. He tugged Diamond's shirt up to expose his torso, running his other up his abdomen then back down slowly, unbuttoning his pants quickly and tugging them down. Maybe tighter pants wouldn't be such a bad idea... Diamond watched in the mirror, biting at his lip before letting a lustful sigh escape his lips. He watched Pearl's hands hungrily, Pearl making eye contact through the mirror with a shameless grin as he watched himself lick Diamond's cheek.

"Mm, you're liking that mirror an awful lot," he whispered into his ear, smiling cattily at the way he shuddered at the words. "We should put one over the bed, huh?"

"Pearl! Ah, we should try clothes on first..."

"Alright."

He raised his hands in surrender as Diamond removed his hat and scratched his head lazily. He smoothed out his shirt, sitting on the bench and looking up at Pearl with heavily blushed cheeks and a small smile.

"Me first, eh?" He pulled his shirts over his head, Diamond smiling wider as he took in his image with interest. "I'm afraid getting out of these jeans isn't going to be as hot," he laughed uneasily, taking a seat next to Diamond as he fought to get them off. "It's not funny! These suckers got wet so they're like glued to my skin. Shit. You know what? I'm not wearing these out."

"Well, you do look better without them."

"Ooh, well thank you." He leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. "I think you'd look better if you lost the boxers, personally."

He winked at Diamond who tried to stretch his shirt forward to his knees shyly. Pearl laughed endearingly at his innocent gesture, turning his attention to the hanging clothes searching for one of his shirts. He pulled a sweater from one of the hangers, feeding his arms through the sleeves before wriggling into it. It was a comfortable black cotton pullover, ribbed cuffs and bottom with two small white stripes just above the right sleeve's cuff. It was well fitted, loose enough to allow for layering beneath but tight enough to meet Pearl's standard of comfortable snugness. He pulled on a pair of looser than usual grey jeans, leaving the fly down as he turned to face Diamond.

"That's really nice on you," he nodded eagerly, scooting over so he could see himself in the mirror better. "They're still a bit snug but it's odd to see you in jeans like that."

"I have tighter ones don't you worry."

They smiled, Diamond shaking his head as he pulled Pearl closer by the hips, zipping and buttoning the jeans for him as he hooked a couple fingers around the rim tugging to see how loose they were.

"I think you can get away without a belt," he murmured thoughtfully.

"Thanks, mom."

Diamond puckered his lips, batting his thick lashes at Pearl trying to imitate his mother. Pearl laughed, scrunching his nose as he lightly bonked his boyfriend on the head with a nonthreatening fist. He pulled the sweater over his head handing it to Diamond who folded it obediently while Pearl grabbed his next shirt. This one was a short sleeved collared button up, the fabric a deep malbec that was soft to the touch. It contrasted nicely against his complexion, complimenting his striking eyes even better. The row of buttons was orderly arranged between two stitched lines, a breast pocket on each side, two buttons holding them closed. It was a simple but fashionably casual shirt that could have risen to many occasions if prompted. He left the top two buttons undone, the dip where his collar bones met just visible enough to catch one's eye tastefully.

"That's a nice color on you and- Ooh! This feels so nice, what is it made of?"

"Like hell I'd know," Pearl shrugged at him helplessly. He toyed with the collar, twisting to get a good look at himself before nodding approvingly. "I do like this one alot, but these pants better with it."

He easily slipped out of the jeans and stepped into a pair of khaki slacks. He buttoned them dutifully and spun around as he looked at the whole outfit closely. He lifted the shirt a bit, noticing the way the pants sat a bit below the waistband of his briefs with apprehension. They fit exactly as they were intended to, as was customary for most guys his age at least, similar to the fit of most of Diamond's pants.

"A belt will fix that or you could leave your shirt down and no one will see," Diamond said with a soft smile, noting his skepticism about the uncustomary fit of the pants.

"I guess you're right, alright these two are keepers, too."

He stripped down, passing the clothes off to Diamond once more. He went through several button up shirts and pullovers, a vest and a couple new blazers finding their way into the mix. From dinner to dancing he had a new outfit for just about any occasion and a weather appropriate jacket to boot.

He pulled the current shirt over head letting his tangled arms sit atop his head as he looked down at Diamond who quirked a brow at him with a questioning smile. He watched his chest rise and fall with paced breaths, the way his ribcage jutted out slightly when he inhaled, an indication of his lithe physique. He allowed his arms to come down still arrested to the confines of the shirt as he got closer to Diamond. From the way he puffed out his chest subtly and the positioning of his arms it was an obvious gesture that he was trying to show off. Diamond could see the look in his eyes, he wanted his attention and adoration, for him to admire and touch him, to hear all the wonderfully lewd things Diamond could think of.

He reached out, feeling his chest and squeezing his biceps as he bit on his lip thoughtfully.

"... 's sexy, baby," he murmured, Pearl dropping the shirt allowing access to his abdomen as he let his hands run over them down to his waist. "Mm..."

He let out a low hum as Pearl ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm getting... impatient," he said with a hint of a whine to his tone.

"You, impatient?" He said with feigned surprise, smiling at the blonde's rolling eyes. He placed a light kiss on the waistband of his briefs, the temptation to tug them down tingling in his fingertips. But he let out a wistful sigh, cursing himself that it took more for him to throw his inhibitions away than Pearl as he considered the situation realistically. "If we take too much longer don't you think they're going to get suspicious?"

"That girl doesn't care..."

"It's her boss I'm worried about, the lady at the desk."

He groaned stubbornly.

"I'll try to be quick, maybe we can sneak in a quickie somewhere else?"

"Fine..." He groaned childishly, taking a seat on the bench next to Diamond. "You're lucky today is all about spoiling you. I'd love to get in those boxers of yours."

They kissed, Diamond standing to pick out his first garments.

"Oh, I know you would, your underwear leaves little to the imagination," he smirked as he eyed Pearl's lap smugly, the slight bulge that had already started forming visible.

"What can I say, tents were never my thing. You could use some help with yours though, it's not quite erect," he sneered back at Diamond who turned an instant shade of deep red, bringing a hand to cover his partially erected appendage self-consciously.

"Sh-Shut up, whatever," he stammered, turning around as he removed his shirt, Pearl admiring his milky skin.

"Love you, too."

Diamond buttoned up his first shirt, a charcoal grey shirt with cobalt blue vertical stripes outlined on each side by a single line of purple thread. The sleeves were rolled up to just above the elbow, a strap buttoned to hold them up. He grabbed a pair of white jeans, playing with the waist a bit and tugging them down a bit to sit a bit lower than his natural waistline. He approached Pearl, hands in pocket, shrugging with a smile as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"Damn, you look stunning," Pearl beamed, Diamond fighting a wide grin modestly. "It brings out your eyes, it's just- wow."

"I like it," Diamond smiled wide, turning to see the back.

"I love it."

Diamond tried on a few more shirts, the one he was currently pulling over his head a plain white shirt that would have seemed more appropriate for Pearl he thought with a skeptical look on his face as he tried to push his protruding nipple in. The simple cotton V neck was tighter than he was used to though Pearl was raving about how it was made for him, hugging his torso in all the right places. He wasn't quite convinced, buttoning up a black cardigan over it. The buttons ended a few inches below the dip in the white shirt, though it was equally as formfitting. He adjusted the ribbed shawl collar as he went to grab a new pair of pants, painfully aware that the only ones left were the skinny jeans Pearl had insisted upon.

Dammit...

Pearl laughed as he watched Diamond stare down the pants.

"You should really lose the boxers you know, it's hard enough getting those on as it is..."

"I can't not wear underwear."

"But you can borrow mine," he dug through his bag and produced a pair of black boxer briefs, tossing them to Diamond.

Diamond sighed, turning around modestly as he dropped his plaid boxers and bent down to step into Pearl's underwear. Pearl's eyes were lidded with lust, licking his lips as he looked at Diamond's bare ass before him. It looked better every time he saw it. He moved back to sit down, leaning into the corner of the room as he watched Diamond hungrily. Diamond adjusted himself, one hand stuffed beneath the waist band, smoothing his hands over his hips to appraise their comfort once it was comfortably being cradled by the fabric. This being the second time he had ever worn Pearl's underwear he had to admit once again that they were actually very comfortable.

"These are comfy."

"They're sexy as all hell, too," Pearl exhaled a weak whistle, eyes attentively observing him. "Keep them, please."

Diamond smiled, the grin faltering as he stepped into the jeans. He leaned into the door, trying to push his feet through to the holes with some effort. He tried pulling them up, halfway up his thigh he realized the rest of the fabric scrunched around his ankles needed to be inch wormed up a bit so he could get them up any higher. He had seen Pearl do it a million times, he didn't see how he seemed to jump in and out of them so quickly. Pearl was laughing silently into his hand as he watched, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I can't do this if you're going to watch and grin like an asshole. I'm doing this for you!" Diamond awkwardly turned his back to Pearl so he couldn't see his face.

Okay, just a little more...

Pearl's teasing giggles ceased abruptly as Diamond began the infamous dance necessary to get into skinny jeans. His hips swiveled, hopping as he tried to pull them over his rump. Pearl's mouth lay agape as he watched Diamond's ass bounce slightly with each slight hop, the way his hips tried to maneuver their way into the pants was mesmerizing. He thanked Arceus that Diamond had been blessed with such a wonderful ass, an ass that only he would have the pleasure of groping and prodding which he thanked him a second time for.

I'm the luckiest guy in the world...

"Ah-ha!"

He fastened the pants, squatting a bit and tugging the legs up for more mobility as he walked with a model-like stride over to Pearl who was utterly speechless. He shifted his weight from hip to hip, turning around and smoothing his hands over his hips almost teasingly. He examined himself in the mirror, he never would have thought he'd be in these clothes but he admitted with a satisfied smirk that he looked very nice in them. He looked at Pearl who simply took his image in with a stunned captivation.

"What do you think, Pearl?"

"Holy shit, Diamond, you... You look," he shook his head at a loss for words.

"That good?" He smiled excitedly, genuine happiness lighting up his eyes.

Pearl smiled back warmly, contentment in his heart. This was exactly why he wanted to do this, for that reaction right there.

"You've looked cute, you've looked sexy, you've looked classy," Pearl listed off as he pulled his boyfriend into his lap. He cradled his face lovingly, "But I think you look like a million bucks, babe."

Diamond's face softened for a moment, his elation quickly overtaking his face once more as he smiled wider than ever before. Pearl pulled him into a kiss, breaking apart as their smiles disrupted the contact, each taking a moment to calm their facial muscles enough to ease into the kiss. It was a firm, drawn out one ending with a smack before another and another and another ensued. Their lips pulsed against each other, Diamond gasping as Pearl thrust his tongue in his mouth, licking the roof of his mouth and massaging his own tongue sensually.

Diamond began losing himself in that kiss, it felt so wonderful, everything felt so wonderful and he felt so thankful for this moment, that day, and for Pearl. Pearl whose fingertips had his body's every inch memorized, whose lips and tongue gave the best kisses, whose eyes were so lovely, whose laugh was so contagious, who was so strong willed and passionate and most of all had waited for him all those years. And he thought he was the patient one. He barely had the presence of mind to feel guilty in that moment, choosing to leave everything behind them to indulge in his taste.

Clothes were removed, only bottoms remaining and the offending pants that somewhere in his mind Diamond wondered how he was going to get off. Pearl shuddered under the caresses Diamond extended over his chest and down his arms. Diamond didn't realize just how skin tight these pants were until it was becoming difficult to resist undoing them for some extra space. That coupled with the teasing tingling sensation Pearl was causing as he let his nails brush along the grooves in the fabric like a miniature cobble street along his inner thighs. It was all so overwhelming but when a knock came at the door they had to sigh with disappointment.

"Guys," the woman's voice was the familiar tone of the one who had led them here, her voice in a stern whisper.

"Yeah?" Pearl whispered back, Diamond panting slightly.

"My manager's getting a bit suspicious, she wanted to come check on you but I had to insist that you had quite a bit of clothing and all that garbage," she explained in a strained tone. "You almost done? I haven't heard anything out of you two..."

"Sorry to disappoint you, miss," Pearl said with a smug grin. "We were actually just starting to get into it but we'll have to grab a quick one elsewhere." He looked at Diamond. "You up for it?"

"Is that really a question?"

"Okay, well, try to wrap it up, lover boy." Ah, there it was. Her voice succumbed to its usual tone, less of a stressed whisper and more of a flirtatiously ostentatious snicker under her breath as her shoes clicked away.

Once Pearl had shown him how to get out of the pants, they redressed themselves and exited casually, trying to avoid the attention of the young lady's manager as they did so. Pearl shook the girl's hand as they walked by, whispering a brief thank you as she found a decent sum of money now in her hand. She smiled cattily, liveliness in her eyes.

"Anytime," she winked, depositing the bill into her pocket.

They descended the staircase and got in line at the large circular checkout counter. The girl before them had a stack of shoe boxes on the counter, credit card in hand as she waited impatiently for the woman to finish tapping at various buttons on the screen before her. Diamond had his arm around Pearl's shoulder, tapping on it impatiently with his fingers.

"You think they'd let us change in the bathroom or something?"

"I don't see why not," Diamond shrugged. "What are you going to wear?"

"We need to be dressed warm for our date later, wear one of your new sweaters."

"Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a surprise," he shrugged with a smile as he put their clothes on the counter.

"Did you gentlemen find everything, alright?"

The woman looked up at them over her glasses. Her hair was a smoky grey, hints of black on the sides pulled back tightly into a bun. She looked an almost sickly pale, likely from the general lack of sun in this part of the region, and her exhaustion was etched into the wrinkles in her face.

"Yes, ma'am."

Diamond's voice was friendly, a warm smile on his face as he answered her. She smiled slightly as she rang up the items.

"I've never seen you around here before."

The woman's tone was flat, calmly folding the clothes and stacking them.

"We're from Twinleaf."

"Quite a long way to travel, don't you think?" She looked surprised for a brief moment, still focused on the clothes. "Here for the gym I presume?"

"Not this time," Diamond sighed, watching her with much more patience than Pearl whom he could feel fidgeting in his grasp, his foot tapping inaudibly.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. Cash or credit?"

"Credit," Pearl answered quickly, pulling the card out of his pocket.

"I'll need to see an ID, sir."

"Certainly," he fished it out of his bag, handing it over lazily.

She looked them over a few times, a slight smirk on her face as she looked up at Pearl.

"I thought you looked familiar," she handed the cards back for Pearl to swipe through the machine. "Palmer's son, what do you know? He hasn't been here in months."

"What was he doing here?" Pearl asked incredulously, punching in the number and waiting for the woman to hit the button on her screen.

"The port to the Battle Frontier is in town, you know, it's not so surprising. But, he comes mostly to buy things for your mother; dresses, sweaters, shoes," she said plainly pressing the button lightly. "Sign here. He was in around Christmas time. He got you that sweater here, under your striped one."

She gestured with her index finger as she handed over the receipt.

"Y-Yeah, he did." He smiled slightly. "Hey, you wouldn't mind if we changed into some of these would you?"

"Not at all, you young men have a nice evening."

"You too."