Secrets Kept

by MetalPrincess13

Secrets can eat you up from the inside, especially ones dealing with sexuality and relationships. Tracey is the only one that knows Gary's secret, mostly because he's part of it. Oakshipping slow-burn.

35. Chapter 34

Secrets Kept

How about some more fluff and steaminess? Fair warning, this chapter gets awfully steamy! I'd hoped to have it done at the start of June, but the scene in Gary's room took like three weeks to finish. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

...

Chapter Thirty-Four

The lab was quiet and largely empty, a bit odd for a Friday afternoon. The professor was out of town for the weekend, May was due to return home from her classes in Viridian any time, Tracey was outside with his pokemon, and Wyatt was - for once - quietly working on a school assignment at his workstation in the lab. With no distractions, Gary had managed to complete all of the data entry that had built up over the week and still had some time to spare.

It was a good thing, as he still had plenty to catch up on after being away from the lab for nearly a month. Wyatt had done a fantastic job at keeping up with the water habitats, but Gary had still needed to clear out the spring algae blooms, which had been a three-day project on its own, never mind the dozen other tasks that had built up while he was gone. The bats were due for their physicals again, the meadow that the grass types enjoyed needed its spring maintenance, the pond pump that kept breaking needed replacing, the tauros needed to be rotated to their other field, the horse barn still needed its spring cleaning…

It was just the usual seasonal chores and they still had plenty of time to do them. Fortunately, their weekend camping trip had seemed to renew Tracey's energy and they had managed to get mostly caught up in the week since they had returned. They still had work to do, but they had apparently caught up enough for May to come up with an idea that Gary was a little less than thrilled with.

"We're going to do a little something for your birthday tonight," she announced as she entered the lab.

Gary looked up from his computer at May's voice, frowning. "Didn't we already do that?" They'd had pizza and birthday cake when he came home from Sinnoh. That was plenty enough for him, especially after the weekend with Tracey.

She smiled. "I meant with your friends."

Gary shook his head. The professor had just left the night before for a conference in Johto and though he would only be gone for three days and they were used to managing the lab without him, the absolute last thing Tracey needed was May throwing a party. "No," he replied flatly.

"What do you mean no?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Gramps is out of the lab and Scyther –"

"I don't mean anything wild," she cut him off with a roll of the eyes.

"May–"

"Oh, stop arguing," she sighed. "I already know it. We can't afford to have you and Wyatt hungover this time around, and I don't want to stress out Tracey, but after the last month, I think you guys could all use a chill night with a few beers and some junk food. I didn't even buy any alcohol other than beer. It'll be fine."

Gary groaned. As much as he agreed with that particular sentiment, he had been looking forward to spending some quiet time alone with Tracey. They hadn't had nearly as many of their quiet drawing sessions together since Scyther's initial turn, but now the elderly bug type had improved enough that Tracey was actually feeling up to the drawing sessions. A few drinks with friends sounded good, but not right now when all he wanted to do was spend time with his boyfriend.

But if it was only beer and snacks, with just a few friends… Well, that wasn't too bad. May had done worse, after all.

"Fine," he relented, knowing there really wasn't anything he could do to change her mind.

She ruffled his hair playfully and pressed a noisy smooch to his cheek. "It'll be fine," she repeated. "Promise."

"If you say so."

May grinned and reached out to ruffle his hair again, only to be swatted away. "Brat," she teased. "I've got some stuff to do in the house, I'll be back to help with food prep in a bit, okay?"

With that, she disappeared back into the house. Gary shook his head with a quiet sigh and opened up a new window on his computer.

With May occupied for a little bit, there was enough time to work on some of the data analysis for Professor Birch. He opened up the spreadsheet, found the next tab to work on and set to work. This sort of task was usually quite boring, mostly involving highlighting fields, entering a few codes, and letting the computer run the analysis. Gary usually found himself absently doodling while letting the computer do the work and today was no different.

His thoughts wandered as his pen moved across a sticky note, sketching out the scene of Houndoom and Umbreon bounding in the field outside. Drawing on sticky notes may have been more wasteful than using a sketchbook, but the lab always had a plentiful amount of the little square pads, thanks to May's excessive use of them. Besides, Gary liked leaving a few of them on Tracey's desk or May's computer screen, and he'd noticed a few of them ending up pinned up on the bulletin board near May's workspace. So what if it was a little silly and childish, leaving drawings for his sister like he had done when he was younger? He was just trying to keep occupied and she was always happy when she spied a new one on her desk. He liked his sister, regardless of how much as she could annoy him.

A ding from the computer told him that the current analysis was done and he moved on to the next one before starting another doodle, his thoughts turning back to his sister.

May had been different lately. He wasn't sure when the change happened, but it was definitely recent. He had just been a little too preoccupied with Tracey to fully notice it until now. She was partying less, being more responsible, and had even upped her course load at the university in Viridian. She still went out with friends to bars and clubs on the weekends, like any other twenty-one-year-old might, but she wasn't throwing parties or going to them the way she used to. Gary liked the change.

May felt more like the big sister he'd known through his childhood: firm and sometimes pushy, but kind and always quick to offer a helping hand whether or not he actually needed - or wanted - it. Sure, she was bubbly and nosy to the point of annoyance, impulsive and stubborn to a frustrating degree, and sometimes an absolute pain in the ass, but she was a good sister. Gary supposed he couldn't entirely hold it against her – other than the bubbly and nosy parts, he was much the same way.

He set his pen down long enough to highlight the next set of data, enter the correct code, and click the button to let the computer do the rest. Before long, Tracey came in from outside. He took a moment to fuss with the clipboards by the door before pausing at Gary's desk and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"You'll have enough to wallpaper the lab bathroom in no time," he teased, looking over the doodle-covered sticky notes that were now all over the desk, joining the several other collections of doodles that had been building up for months.

This was a new thing Tracey started in the time since returning from his Sinnoh trip: random kisses as greetings every time he entered the lab to find Gary working on one of the computers, or writing on a clipboard – anything that didn't involve samples or microscopes really, so long as no one other than Wyatt was in the lab with them. It brought a silly little smile to Gary's face every time. He tilted his head back to smile up at Tracey, who dipped his head down again to press a quick peck to Gary's lips.

Gary reached up and threaded his fingers through Tracey's hair, attempting to pull him in for a deeper kiss, and Tracey gave in and let Gary take over. It was risky, kissing like this in the lab when May was around, when Darren and Adrian would likely be over soon, but for the moment, Gary couldn't care less about that…

Until Wyatt cleared his throat from across the room. They broke apart quickly, Gary turning back to the computer while Tracey leaned against the desk casually, just as they did everytime Wyatt warned them. Gary glanced over at his friend, but Wyatt only snickered from across the room.

"You're so fun to fuck with." He grinned, shaking his head.

Gary narrowed his eyes and threw a crumpled sticky note at him. It was too light to make it all the way across the room and landed harmlessly in the middle of the lab.

Wyatt snickered again as he returned his attention to the schoolwork spread out before him. "Check the time," he warned.

Glancing down at the clock in the corner of the computer screen, Gary understood why he had interrupted them. May would soon be back to help with feeding the pokemon and cleaning up for the evening and Darren would be here any time, likely with either Arian or Chase in tow. He groaned, remembering what had been on his mind before Tracey had come in from outside.

He looked back up at Tracey, ignoring the ding from his computer that signified the current analysis finishing. "Did May tell you about tonight?"

Tracey nodded. "It'll be fine." Gary fixed him with a doubtful look and Tracey gave a small chuckle, leaning in to press another quick kiss to Gary's cheek. "I'm not worried," he assured him.

"He's just annoyed he can't sneak off to make out with you," Wyatt interjected, not even looking up from his work.

Tracey shot Gary an amused smile despite Gary's eye roll. "I'm sure we'll manage," he assured him.

Gary didn't doubt that. He knew it would be fine, provided nothing went wrong with any of the pokemon. Everything should be fine, but that didn't change the fact that he just wanted to have a lazy night with Tracey in the comfort of his bed, with the string lights on and a movie playing in the background.

One day – someday soon, hopefully – they wouldn't have to worry about this. They would be able to just go into one of their bedrooms together without having to come up with an excuse. For now though, he would take Tracey at his word when he said he wasn't worried and just go with it. What was the worst that could happen?

…

… … …

…

Tracey was neither surprised nor annoyed by May's plans for the night. He'd been wary – rightfully so, he felt – but that had dissipated once he saw what she had brought home on her way back from her morning class in Viridian. After several weeks of agonizing over his pokemon and feeling lonely while Gary was in Sinnoh, even Tracey was looking forward to a few hours of relaxing. He'd enjoyed himself last time he'd joined May and Gary in the kitchen for a beer after a day in the lab…

Granted, that night was what had led to these last six months of a wonderful relationship with a boyfriend that he absolutely adored, so he was definitely biased there. Either way, it wasn't a lot of alcohol, it was only a few people, and everything was going well in the lab. Tracey was certain everything would be fine, but his boyfriend wasn't quite as easily convinced.

Given the fact that Gary had left every party that his friends had managed to convince him to go to, Tracey was hardly surprised by him not wanting one, but May on the other hand…

"I don't get it," she blurted in the kitchen that evening. "Did something happen that I don't know about?"

They had finished their work for the day while Gary was still wrapping up in the lab with Wyatt and Darren. With a little bit of spare time, they were taking a few minutes to wind down before Gary and his friends were done.

Tracey frowned and took a small sip of the beer May had passed him the moment he had entered the kitchen. "What do you mean?" he asked warily.

"Gary."

That didn't exactly clear anything up. "He never liked having parties while your grandfather's out of town," Tracey reminded her, returning his attention to the sketchbook in front of him.

"I know that," May replied. "I mean with drinking. He didn't like having parties here, but he still always drank with his friends. Now everyone says he's never at parties, or if he's there, he always leaves early. I haven't even seen him hungover in months."

Tracey was well aware of this, and the reasoning was just that Gary had something he'd rather do than drink with the other teenagers. These days he preferred spending his time with Tracey, drawing together, watching movies, just talking… and participating in some other, more hands-on activities. But May didn't know the reasoning like Tracey did. She only saw a sudden change with no explanation.

"Isn't that a good thing?" he pointed out, adding and smoothing out a few lines in his sketch of Arcanine.

"Well, yeah! I mean, look at him: he's working with other professors, he's doing other projects, and he's happy! I'm just trying to figure out the change… and where he disappears off to all the time," she added as an afterthought. "He's probably just wandering around in the woods with Umbreon but…" Her voice trailed off and she shrugged her shoulders, a faint frown upon her face.

She was worried about him, Tracey realized. She didn't know that every time Gary seemingly disappeared, he was really just in Tracey's room. For the first time, Tracey wished he could tell her about their relationship, if only to ease her worry, to show her that there was nothing to be worried about. But that wasn't his place and he would never so much as consider breaking Gary's trust like that.

Instead, Tracey set his pencil down and gave her the most reassuring smile he could manage. "Gary's fine, May. He's just bored with parties and drinking."

May lifted her eyes from her drink, her gaze curious. "You know what's going on with him, don't you?"

His heart rate spiked at that but he forced himself to take a calm sip of his drink. He and Gary were close and she knew he talked to him – but that didn't mean she suspected anything. "There's nothing going on with him," he assured her. It wasn't a total lie – there wasn't anything bad going on with him, and that's what May was most worried about. It was honest enough for what she needed to know. "He's just in a better place and doesn't want to get drunk with his friends all the time."

"Yeah, you know how he is," another voice spoke from the doorway, "all he cares about is pokemon and what his next research trip is gonna be." Wyatt walked straight to the refrigerator and retrieved one of the beers May had filled it with. He caught Tracey's eye in a casual glance as he cracked the can open and took a long swallow. "For someone who does so much cool shit, your brother's fucking boring."

May giggled and shook her head while Tracey shot Wyatt a discreet smile, grateful for his interjection. She was quiet for a brief moment as she took another sip of her drink. "I guess I'm worrying over nothing," she finally said, waving it off.

There was still a faint frown on her face. Wyatt may have diverted her attention, but she wasn't entirely convinced. That was fair, all things considered.

Tracey met her eyes and gave her another reassuring smile. "I would tell you if something bad was happening with Gary, May," he promised. "There's nothing to worry about."

She returned the smile and nodded. "I know you would, and I know you help keep him out of trouble – unlike you," she said, turning to Wyatt with a smirk and a tiny laugh.

Wyatt held up his drink with a grin. "Just doing my job to make him less boring. Can't let him die a virgin, can we?"

Caught by surprise, Tracey choked on his drink and narrowly avoided spitting the sip he had just taken all over his sketch. Wyatt snickered into his drink and May sighed, passing Tracey a kitchen towel before fixing the blonde boy with a stern look.

"Tracey doesn't want to hear about Gary getting laid, Wyatt." She glanced between Wyatt and Tracey, then dropped her gaze to the glass in her hand. "Still a virgin?" she mused. "So he isn't seeing anyone then…"

Not liking the direction this was heading but unsure of how to redirect, Tracey returned to his sketch. The memory of some of the more recent things he and Gary had done together came to mind and he tried desperately to not think too hard about them here in the kitchen. The last thing he needed right now was another obvious reaction to something either May or Wyatt said.

Wyatt, however, was utterly unperturbed and shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "Told ya, he's only interested in pokemon. The only girl in Pallet that's into pokemon enough for him to be interested is you, and he definitely doesn't want to date you."

"How reassuring," May replied dryly, rolling her eyes. She still didn't look entirely convinced and Tracey could see the wheels turning in her mind as she took a sip of her drink, her brow furrowed thoughtfully.

"What am I walking in on?" an amused voice asked from the doorway.

The three occupants of the room looked up to see Darren, without Gary, thankfully, considering the conversation. It was Wyatt, of course, who responded with a cheerful, "We're talking about how Gary definitely doesn't want to fuck his sister."

"Wyatt," Tracey sighed, fixing him with a reproachful look that May seconded.

"Thanks for clearing up that mystery," Darren deadpanned.

"We're talking about how Gary keeps disappearing from parties," May explained, still glaring at Wyatt.

Darren's eyes flicked ever so briefly to Tracey before going right back to May. "Well, he's not being an asshole, so it can't be too bad." He shrugged his shoulders and walked past Tracey to the refrigerator to retrieve a beer of his own. "I'm not worried." He leaned against the counter and took a sip, glancing between Tracey and Wyatt, his eyes eventually settling on the latter. "How was the beach this morning?"

With that, the conversation shifted off of his boyfriend and Tracey was able to breathe a little easier. May quickly grew bored with the other boys and soon enough wandered off to check on something or other in the lab after a few moments and Tracey felt the tension drain from his shoulders. He hadn't realized just how much he had stiffened with that brief conversation. It wasn't that it bothered him, it was just that… Well. They were creeping up on seven months now, and those months had been filled with no small amount of kissing and touching. It was a little awkward to be in the room with May speculating about her brother's sex life when just the night before, Gary had been sneaking a hand down his pants and whispering fantasies into his ear.

His face heated and he kept his eyes on his paper, focusing as hard as he could on his drawing. That single memory had his shorts feeling a little too snug. The thought of Gary stroking him between humid kisses and heated murmurs filled him with the desire to do nothing other than track his boyfriend down and kiss him senseless, touch him and reduce him to a trembling mess.

Lost in his thoughts as he was, he didn't hear the approaching footsteps outside the kitchen until a hand briefly settled between his shoulder blades. He jumped, startled, and cursed quietly when his pencil left a far longer line than he'd meant to draw.

"Sorry," his boyfriend's amused voice came from behind him.

Tracey turned and smiled at the sight of him. Gary was smiling as well, his hair hanging in his face, still damp and messy from his recent shower. It was a sight that Tracey always found immensely adorable. There was a strong temptation to tangle his fingers through that messy hair and pull him in for a kiss, but he fought it back and instead murmured a quiet greeting. His boyfriend's smile told him that he had either noticed or suspected.

He'd probably been dealing with the very same temptation.

"Finally!" Darren exclaimed. "I was starting to think you'd bailed on us again."

Gary rolled his eyes. "Don't tempt me." Though it was said with a half-smile that Wyatt and Darren only laughed at. He retrieved his own drink from the refrigerator before settling against the counter next to Wyatt, across from Tracey.

The conversation moved on easily enough as Tracey continued drawing and, soon enough, the kitchen was full of the same laughter and banter that always came along with those three together. May returned from whatever she had been checking on, and Adrian and Chase arrived shortly after. The kitchen was noisy and crowded with five teenage boys chatting and goofing off, but Tracey stayed regardless, continuing his drawing and occasionally chiming in or laughing along with the others. He had only ever joined them like this the one time before – the night that they'd kissed here in the kitchen, only to retreat upstairs and spend an hour making out before making what Tracey thought was one of the best decisions he'd ever made.

That had been in October and he was surprised to see just how much had changed. Gary had been in a good mood then, but the change wasn't as subtle as Tracey would've thought. Now he was so much more at ease and relaxed – Tracey had noticed that difference whenever they were alone together, but this was the first time he had seen it around May and his friends. Every smile reached his eyes, every laugh was genuine, and he treated Tracey to the same teasing smiles and sly glances that he always did when they were alone together.

It was hard to keep from paying too close attention to his boyfriend with him standing directly across from him, and it was made all the harder when Gary joined him at the table.

Suddenly he could hardly focus on his sketchbook. With Gary being in such close proximity, it was a true test of self-control to keep his hands to himself. It wasn't that Tracey wanted to do anything wild, but it had become such a habit to hold hands and share casual touches and quick kisses that it felt strange to have to keep a physical distance. They could still have brief, discreet touches around another person, but they couldn't do that in a room full of people, especially not with May's sharp eyes.

But it felt so open and normal, and the same as any other night that Tracey had to stop himself from leaning in and stealing a kiss after a shared laugh. He caught himself before he had even moved, but Gary was suddenly very interested in his near-empty bottle. He'd noticed. Tracey didn't know why he was surprised.

Gary glanced up at him and caught his eye, his gaze darkening, lips curving in a mischievous little smile. Tracey's stomach swooped: Gary wanted him to kiss him.

They couldn't do this.

Alcohol clearly made them both bolder, and suddenly kissing in the middle of a conversation was not the way to come out. Tracey looked away and finished the last bit of his drink, wondering if there was perhaps a way they could slip away for just a little bit.

There was a way, he realized after a moment – a very easy way, in fact.

He stood to place the bottle in the bin under the sink and turned back to Gary. "I just remembered that I was going to check on Scyther and that nidorina one more time," he told him, hoping that he would understand where he was going with this.

The nidorina didn't exactly need checking on, though it wouldn't hurt. She only had a minor injury that was healing just fine, and Gary had already given her the evening antibiotic dose. Still, Gary nodded, catching on quickly. "I'll help you," he offered, climbing to his feet and finishing off the last of his drink as well.

Tracey noticed Wyatt's curious glance and quickly looked away as he scooped up his sketchbook and waited for Gary to follow him. He waited until they were far enough down the hallway to brush his fingers against Gary's hand, and smiled when Gary took his hand and twined their fingers together.

As soon as they reached the lab, Tracey tossed his sketchbook on one of the lab benches and ducked into the backroom to grab a handful of Scyther's favorite snacks. After an extra second of thought, he grabbed one of the small field first aid kits, just in case. They likely wouldn't need it, but on the off chance they did, he didn't want to have to come back to the lab for it.

"Oh, you weren't saying that just to sneak off?" Gary asked, apparently surprised, but following him towards the door outside nonetheless.

"I always check on Scyther at night and May will expect a report if we say we're checking a specific pokemon," Tracey reminded him. He held the door open and waited patiently for Gary to join him.

"Good point." Gary paused in the doorway and leaned in to catch his lips in a hungry kiss.

Unable to resist even long enough to close the door behind them, Tracey threaded his fingers through Gary's hair and parted his lips, allowing Gary to control the pace. It was deep and passionate – typical Gary. Tracey wasn't about to complain… but he would redirect his boyfriend. After another kiss.

Or two.

Or three.

"Okay," Tracey gently pushed Gary away after the fourth kiss. "We need to check on the pokemon first."

Gary blinked dazedly a few times before realization flickered across his face. "Oh, right. The pokemon." He quickly turned back to the open door and stepped outside into the night, Tracey following with an amused shake of the head.

"How much have you had to drink?" he called after him, laughing. He knew the answer but he couldn't resist teasing him just a bit.

"Two beers," Gary supplied easily as Tracey fell into stride beside him. "Same as you. I'm not drunk." He caught Tracey's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze as they made their way across the grass to the hospital barn.

It was far smaller than the ponyta or tauros barns, but it was comfortable with spacious stalls and a fenced yard lit with solar-powered lights so that the pokemon could enjoy it any time. There was a sunny patch full of wildflowers, along with a few shady trees and a small pond. While it was reserved for sick and injured pokemon, a few of the older pokemon came and went as they pleased, and a few others were more permanent residents. Tracey had spent a significant amount of time out here in the last few years and, despite being close to the lab, it was quiet and peaceful.

Scyther was resting beneath one of the large trees, Venonat keeping him company as she so often did. In the branches above them was a pidgeotto that Scyther got along rather well with – she had an injured wing that had never healed quite right and so she mostly stayed there in her favorite tree. Tracey smiled when he saw the pokemon perk up at the sight of them and hurried through the gate when Gary held it open for him.

Eager to spend a few minutes with his pokemon, he entirely forgot to thank his boyfriend and barely noticed when Gary pulled the first aid kit out of his hands. He felt the kiss that Gary pressed against his cheek and was aware of him heading into the barn, but that didn't shake his focus on the pokemon. He felt a twinge of guilt a few moments later when he realized that Gary had been checking on a rather feisty nidorina by himself while he had been sitting comfortably beneath a tree, but he pushed it away. Gary would have told him to spend the time with Scyther if he had tried to follow him anyway.

It occurred to him soon after that it was taking Gary longer than expected. He might have been giving him his space with Scyther, letting him have a few extra minutes alone while he checked in on the other pokemon in the barn. Gary was always doing little things like that, and Tracey saw no reason why this time would be any different. Tracey took a breath and turned back his pokemon, offering Scyther another berry and patting Venonat with his other. Pidgeotto cooed from her spot on the lowest branch and Tracey held another one up for her. Venonat gently headbutted his hand, giving him a questioning chirp and earning herself a berry as well. He smiled and relaxed against the tree behind him, making a mental note to bring some berries in for Marill as well.

A moment later, he heard a bit of snuffling and displeased complaining from the nidorina in the barn, followed by Gary's voice. He couldn't make out anything his boyfriend was saying, but he was speaking in the same low, gentle voice he always used with hurt or scared pokemon. Tracey loved hearing that voice. There was something about it that made him smile every time.

Trusting that Gary had it under control, he directed his attention to the pokemon and continued to relax with them. He gave them each a few more berries and spent some time staring up at the stars until the barn door opened a few minutes later.

"So, there's good news and there's bad news," Gary's voice came from the doorway.

Apparently it hadn't gone as easily as expected. "What happened?" Tracey asked cautiously. He hadn't heard anything so it couldn't have been too bad.

"She was scratching at it again," he explained, leaning in against the door frame. "It wasn't bad, just a little blood. I cleaned it and put a new bandage on it." He shrugged his shoulders. "She'll be fine."

That sounded relatively normal and wasn't particularly concerning, but there had to be more to it than that. "Is that all the news, or just the good news?" he asked, still wary.

"That's the good news."

"And the bad news?"

Gary held his arm up to reveal several long scratches along his forearm, two of which were bleeding. "She wasn't happy about it."

A flash of guilt rushed through Tracey at that. "Gary!" Tracey leapt up from his position under the tree and made his way over, even as Gary rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"It's not that bad."

"You're bleeding," Tracey pointed out the obvious.

"It's just a few scratches," Gary replied calmly, idly examining the wounds. "They're barely even bleeding now."

It was more than barely bleeding, but it didn't look too bad. That didn't make him feel any less terrible for being so unshakably focused on his own pokemon. "I should have helped you," he murmured apologetically as he examined the scratches closer.

Gary shook his head, not at all willing to hear it. "She probably would've stung me if there was anyone else in there. It's fine, Tracey." He still sounded largely unfazed as he watched a drop of blood trail down his arm. "I would've thought it would take more alcohol to start affecting the blood flow," he mused thoughtfully.

Ever the scientist. Tracey shook his head, torn between amused and exasperated. "C'mon," he sighed, tugging at Gary's uninjured arm to guide him back to the lab. "Let's get you cleaned up."

He led Gary straight to the backroom and set about retrieving some supplies from one of the medical cupboards while Gary tossed the used first aid kit in a bin on the counter for May to restock later. Bandages and antiseptic in hand, Tracey turned back to Gary, who was already at the sink, washing his hands and the scratches.

"I've got it," Tracey said quietly, but Gary ducked out of his reach and turned off the water, moving away to grab a handful of paper towels.

"It's fine, Tracey," he assured him again, laughing a bit as he wiped away the remaining dampness on his skin.

Tracey reached for the towels to help him, only for Gary to sidestep him and lean against the opposite counter. "C'mon, Gary. You wouldn't have gotten hurt if I had helped you out, at least let me help with this."

"That's tauros shit and you know it," Gary retorted calmly. He tried to take the antiseptic bottle from Tracey's hand but Tracey held it out of reach with a frown.

"Fine," Tracey relented, "but let me help." He reached for Gary's arm only for him to again move out of his reach. He couldn't help but laugh as Gary shot him a grin and moved to the opposite side of the room. "Do you always have to be this stubborn?"

"Yep." Gary tossed the towels in the trash with a grin and once more reached for the bottle in Tracey's hand only for him to pull it out of reach again. "Fine, I'll get my own," Gary laughed.

He sidestepped Tracey and headed to the cupboard, but Tracey caught his uninjured arm and tugged him closer, laughing once more. "Gary, c'mon." He had to wrest a handful of bandages out of his hand while Gary squirmed out of his grasp and moved across the room again with another laugh.

Their back and forth continued another few minutes, their laughter only growing louder as Tracey tried his best to get Gary to hold still long enough to let him clean the scratches. It was utterly childish, chasing his boyfriend around the room to tend to a few scratches that were hardly even bleeding anymore. While it was fun and he absolutely adored seeing this silly side of his boyfriend, there was a reason they had come down to check on the pokemon. Gary seemed to have forgotten about that in his eagerness to be an absolute pain – a pain that Tracey was quite happy to deal with, but he was painfully aware of the time limit they had. May would get worried about them before long.

It wouldn't be the end of the world if they didn't get to sneak in a quick makeout session, but that was why they had come down here! He was torn between letting this game with Gary play out and stopping it so that they could get to the kissing part sooner. Fortunately for Tracey, Gary was paying more attention to him than to where he was going and backed himself into a corner soon enough, and Tracey was struck by an idea.

He wasn't entirely sure if it was the best idea – the last thing he wanted was to overstep – but if covering Gary's mouth had made him moan the way he did that one night before Sinnoh, then…

It would be fine.

He waited until Gary reached for the bottle of antiseptic next and caught his uninjured arm, pinning it to the wall behind him, delighting in the surprised gasp that escaped his boyfriend. Moving quickly, Tracey dipped his head, closing the distance and distracting Gary with a deep, hungry kiss that had him melting against the wall in an instant. Tracey had to stop himself from getting too swept up into it, especially when he felt Gary's fingers tangle in his hair, a moan escaping him. Sighing blissfully, he dipped his head further, trailing hot kisses along Gary's throat as he set the supplies on the counter. He wrapped his arm about Gary's waist and let his newly-freed hand wander, waiting until Gary was panting against the wall to release his pinned arm.

"I was hoping you would do that," Gary breathed as Tracey drew back to finally properly examine the scratches.

Tracey wasn't surprised. He shook his head fondly and pressed a quick kiss to Gary's cheek. "Brat," he teased, smiling at the cheeky grin that Gary gave him in response. "You're lucky you're cute."

"You know you love me," Gary teased right back. His voice still held an edge of laughter, his grin still in place.

Tracey focused on the wounds, his smile softening as he felt his cheeks heat and his stomach swoop at those particular words. "That I do," he murmured without a second thought. He opened a gauze pad and reached for the antiseptic so that he could clean the blood smeared along the deepest of the scratches.

Gary pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, blushing fiercely and biting his lip as he looked everywhere but at Tracey. Only then did Tracey realize what he had said. He paused, shaking his head and chuckling a bit – it was a slip, but it was true. Ever since watching Gary play with Blastoise at the waterfall, he had known it. Catching Gary's eye, he gave him a gentle smile and was met with a different smile, far softer and sweeter than he usually saw from him. That smile made everything feel warm and comfortable

Ducking his head again, Tracey made quick work of wiping down the scratches and bandaging the worst of it. "There," he said once he was finished, "Good as new." He raised Gary's hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss against his knuckles, earning another blush and smile.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," an exasperated voice came from the doorway. They jumped apart, Tracey drawing away and dropping Gary's hand to lean against the other counter as casually as he could with his heart racing. "You're supposed to get laid, not injured!"

"Fuck off," Gary retorted, his cheeks nearly scarlet as he looked pointedly away from his friend.

Everything from this evening caught up to Tracey and he couldn't help but burst into laughter. Between May's unnecessary concern, Wyatt's unique sort of support, the small amount of alcohol, chasing Gary around the backroom, this last moment or so with Gary, and then that reaction, all he could do was laugh – and once he started laughing, he couldn't stop.

"Pokemon okay?" Wyatt asked pointedly.

"They're fine," Gary snapped back. "Get lost." Tracey couldn't help but laugh even harder at the irritation in his voice.

"May's gonna want more detail than that."

Gary glared at him. "She scratched it open again and got pissed off when I bandaged it. Go away."

Wyatt laughed, unperturbed by Gary's response. He shot Tracey a grin and a cheeky wink before turning back to "I'm gonna tell May you're hanging out with Scyther – don't be lame!" He reached around the door to turn the lock and pulled the door closed behind him.

Tracey had nearly calmed down from his laughing fit, but it came right back at that. He heard Gary huff a small laugh and felt his fingers tousle his hair, but he was laughing too hard to do anything other than rest his head against Gary's shoulder and laugh some more. "Sorry," he choked out after a moment, still snickering.

Gary pressed a kiss to his temple. "I have a feeling you needed that," he murmured. His voice was warm and amused, and that was all it took for Tracey's laughter to calm.

He nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "I'm glad he's the one you told first," Tracey admitted, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Yeah," Gary sighed, "me too." He gently pushed Tracey away just enough to meet his eyes with another smile, this one with an edge of mischief, and Tracey knew exactly what was coming. "But now that he's gone, and we don't have to worry about May–"

Tracey caught his lips in a kiss before he could say anything else, and Gary readily accepted it, parting his lips with a soft groan as he let Tracey take over. With his boyfriend quickly melting against him once more, Tracey wound his arm around Gary's waist and pulled him close. It was more intense than what he usually led with, but Gary eagerly drank up the affection and poured even more passion into it. Eager to pick up where they had left off, Tracey returned to his mouth to Gary's throat and let his hands wander. The hand at Gary's waist trailed up and down, eventually slipping beneath his shirt, fingers splaying across the smooth, warm flesh. His other hand stayed at the back of Gary's neck, fingers sliding into Gary's hair and tangling there as he delighted in every little noise of pleasure that escaped his boyfriend.

One of Gary's hands clutched at him, fingers flexing and digging in everytime a nip or kiss tugged another soft moan out of him, only spurring Tracey further on. He was utterly enamored with this side of Gary: the side willingly giving up control and trusting Tracey to do whatever he wanted. It felt special and warmed him from the inside, but this wasn't the time to think about that, not while Gary's other hand was roaming over his body, trailing down his chest and stomach.

He paused when Gary pushed gently against his chest and drew away to ask what was wrong, but was immediately pulled in for a deep kiss. It was his turn to melt into it, but it didn't last long.

"There's something I wanna do," Gary murmured against Tracey's lips, his tone colored with mischief and desire alike.

He shivered as Gary's hands slid down his sides, coming to rest on his hips. One hand slid in further, resting at the fly of his shorts as Gary met his eyes, seeking permission before going any further.

They probably shouldn't. They were in the lab, and this was a room everyone used every single day… But it wasn't like they were going to go all the way, and when else were they going to get a chance to be alone like this? It didn't help that Gary was looking at him with such an intense and hungry gaze, sending a thrill of anticipation through him. The bold want in his eyes always made Tracey feel a bit weak at the knees and he was grateful for the counter behind him with those lust-filled eyes on him.

Not yet had never been further from mind.

Tracey nodded breathlessly. "Go for it," he whispered, delighting in the mischievous little smirk that appeared at those words.

"I was hoping you'd say that," Gary murmured against his lips. He gave Tracey one last kiss, tongue barely dipping into his mouth as he undid the button and zip.

A shaky groan escaped Tracey as a hand slipped into his shorts and Gary's lips trailed along his jaw and throat. Few things felt as good as Gary's mouth on his throat with his hand stroking him… though he had a feeling that was about to change. Gary slowly sank to his knees, tugging the shorts down Tracey's legs as he went. His thoughts cut off rather abruptly as Gary's hands were suddenly on sensitive bare flesh, his mouth peppering hungry kisses down his stomach.

…

… … …

…

Gary was bored out of his mind. After all the travel over the last several months, the little trip with Tracey, and his renewed hobby of surfing with Wyatt, the teenage parties in Pallet were just boring. They hadn't been his thing back when he came home and, though he now enjoyed hanging out and having a few drinks with his friends, he was convinced that parties would never be his thing. It was one thing when it was just a few of them hanging out with some snuck beer, but it was completely different when the whole group was together with the other teenagers around.

It just wasn't his thing but, unfortunately for him, late May had brought an increase in parties, thanks to the school year coming to a close. He had been able to avoid most of them, but not this one. It was Darren's graduation party, so he had to show up for at least a little while. He'd barely been there an hour and he was already itching to be back home, but he would stick it out a little while longer, regardless of how uncomfortable he was feeling. It wasn't that the party was going poorly, everything was actually quite relaxed. There was just one problem: all the talk about school.

It was something he hadn't had to think about for months, but now he was struck by the realization that his best friend was about to go off to college and he had no idea what he was doing. He knew there was an expectation for him to go – going to university was a necessity really, if he wanted to have a serious career as a researcher. That didn't mean it was something he was looking forward to, and with Adrian and Darren spending the entire time talking about school, he had grown more and more bored by the minute. Darren was excitable, understandable, Gary supposed, but he could do without hearing about the music program that he had been accepted to in Cerulean for the seven-hundredth time this week. It didn't help that Adrian had been talking to everyone who would listen as he debated between programs and schools. Being a few months younger, he wouldn't graduate until next year, but he was far more excited about college than Gary thought any sane person should be.

Gary found himself lost in his thoughts while his friends went on and on about it. He'd been so focused on getting back in the field, and for what? To just have to give it all up to sit in a classroom some more? He truly couldn't stand school. He hadn't liked it as a child, he hadn't liked it at sixteen, and he highly doubted he would like it at eighteen. Or ever. Academia was too stifling and rigid with too many arbitrary rules, and that was just school! Not to mention how miserable being unable to travel had made him. One year of misery had been bad enough, he couldn't imagine four.

It was no surprise to anyone when he snuck off at the first chance with only the slightest bit of encouragement from Wyatt. Darren wasn't going to be thrilled with him for leaving early again, but he certainly wouldn't be surprised and would probably just give Gary another one of those knowing smiles. Damn, he really needed to tell him. Clearly he already knew – Gary wasn't sure how, but that didn't matter. His response when Gary had returned to the last party after the time with Tracey in the back room of the lab had made it clear enough.

"Must've been a hell of a fight with that nidorina," he'd said, biting back a laugh. "Might want to fix your hair or May's gonna think you were doing something else."

He definitely knew.

Gary would still tell him. It was just a matter of time and place. He and Darren hadn't been alone long enough outside of the lab for him to actually say it. As soon as the right time came along, he would tell him.

But he wasn't going to think about that right now.

The night was cool enough that it felt refreshing after being in a stuffy house and having a few drinks, but not so cold that Gary regretted not wearing one of his hoodies. Regardless of the pleasant weather and clear night sky, he was eager to get home. May had a date tonight and his grandfather would likely be reading in his office down in the lab. He and Tracey would have a little more privacy than usual and he was absolutely going to take advantage of it.

The house was quiet when he entered, the kitchen and living room both empty upon peeking in. He grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen and quickly made his way upstairs, pausing in Tracey's doorway when he reached his boyfriend's bedroom. Tracey was at his desk, sketchbook open before him, too absorbed in what he was doing to notice Gary's presence. The window was open, leaving the curtain fluttering in the breeze as the radio played quietly in the background.

A soft smile formed as he watched his boyfriend for a moment. He could just barely hear Tracey quietly singing along to the radio – it was his favorite nineties rock, something that amused Gary immensely, though he could never bring himself to mind. He would listen to Alice In Chains every day if it meant he got to hear Tracey sing every one of those days.

Gary knocked softly on the open door and bit back a laugh when Tracey jumped at the sound. "Hey, Trace," he greeted with an amused smile.

Tracey returned the smile with one of his own, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Gary in the doorway. "Hey! I didn't expect you back so soon."

Gary made his way into the room, leaving the door hanging wide open, and sat across from Tracey in the extra chair. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Tracey's cheek before settling with his chin resting in his hand. "I was bored," he explained. "Got sick of hearing Darren and Adrian talk about college."

There was a brief quiet as Tracey digested that bit of information. "That's right. Darren's graduation party was tonight, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Gary sighed. "He's all excited about going to Cerulean in August." Mike and Brandon were headed off to Saffron as well, and when he had moved home, Gary had planned to be heading to Pewter at the same time. He hadn't even thought of those plans in well over a year. It was as though they had fallen entirely out of mind.

"You don't sound very excited," Tracey observed.

"I mean, I'm happy for him, but we were both supposed to be leaving in August, and now…" He trailed off with another sigh, his gaze falling to the desktop between them.

Tracey was quiet again, his brow furrowed in a thoughtful frown. "I don't think you've mentioned school once since you got out of your classes," he said slowly. Gary shook his head and Tracey's frown deepened. "Have you thought about it?"

Gary shook his head again. "No," he groaned, running a hand through his hair.

How could he have possibly forgotten? The whole reason he had moved home and dealt with school was to go to university and get a degree and be a serious researcher in a lab, but none of that sounded particularly appealing now. He supposed there was a reason he hadn't thought about it, but the only thing that had changed since August was dating Tracey.

Had he really been so distracted with kisses and fantasies that he had completely forgotten about his plans for the future? What if his grandfather asked about what he had been doing instead of thinking about school? He doubted the excuse of 'I was too busy thinking about sucking your assistant's dick to think about school' would go over very well.

That was one way to come out, he supposed. It absolutely was not the way he would do it, but it certainly would be honest.

Entirely unsure of what to do, he felt almost frozen in place. There wasn't an easy fix here and he was sure his grandfather would be very much annoyed with him for letting something as big as this fall through the cracks. It wasn't something he was looking forward to in the slightest. As he thought about it, however, something occurred to him. His grandfather had never brought it up. Not once since he had tested out of his remaining classes back in August.

"I don't know what to do," he admitted softly. "And I'm worried that Gramps is gonna be pissed, but he hasn't even brought it up."

"He hasn't?" Gary shook his head and Tracey was quiet for a moment. "If he hasn't brought it up, then why would he be mad at you?"

It was a reasonable question, and Gary was well aware that he didn't have a reasonable answer. Not one that didn't feel like paranoia. "Why wouldn't he be?" he asked, unsure of what else to say.

"Because you didn't do anything wrong."

"No, just stupid."

"It's not stupid, Gary," Tracey said, frowning a bit. Gary very much disagreed but didn't feel like arguing it. "Think of how much you've done since this time last year: you've been to four different regions, plus Sayda, you designed a whole new habitat for the reserve, you're working on three different projects with Ivy and Birch, and you've been helping Wyatt with school while working in the lab. You've been busy."

It didn't sound quite so bad when he put it that way, but that didn't make Gary feel much better. He shrugged his shoulders listlessly and dropped his gaze to the desk, fiddling with one of the colored pencils scattered across the desk. "I guess," he reluctantly agreed.

"It's really bothering you that you forgot about it, isn't it?"

Gary nodded and a quiet fell over them once more. It wasn't like him to forget something so big, and that was a bit unsettling, but Tracey was right. He'd been busy – happy, but busy – and so it made sense for him to not think about something that hadn't been pressing at the time. He'd thoroughly enjoyed everything he had done: all the work with Birch and Ivy, the time in Sinnoh and Johto, and even the work he did designing the new marsh here at the lab. Everything felt right in the world when he was working with pokemon everyday and traveling frequently. Given the choice, he would gladly go back to traveling constantly, especially if Tracey was able to go with him.

In that moment, he knew without a doubt that he wasn't about to let school get in the way of research – and, more importantly, happiness – again.

An academic career was absolutely not what he wanted: he wanted to go on adventures with Tracey. The thought of exploring regions with him, searching for pokemon, collecting field data, and however many drawings along the way... It all sent a thrill through him, and an even larger thrill went through him at the thought of cuddling beside campfires every night, makeout sessions behind waterfalls, holding hands along forest paths.

Damn. Was he always this much of a sap?

Maybe so, but he was allowed to be romantic with his boyfriend. That's why they were dating in the first place.

He didn't voice any of those thoughts and instead put down the pencil he had been absently fiddling with. Momentarily overwhelmed by the sheer amount of fondness he felt for the watcher, he stood and came around the side of the desk to stand in front of Tracey, who peered up at him curiously. Offering his boyfriend a small smile, Gary slipped into Tracey's lap and began kissing along his jaw and neck, ignoring the open bedroom door. There was a sudden and intense need to be close, to touch, to hold, to just be.

Tracey sighed beneath his touch, his arms automatically wrapping around him, one hand trailing up and down Gary's side, the other curving about his waist, pulling him closer. Spurred on by that soft sigh and the warmth of his boyfriend against him, Gary cupped Tracey's cheek in one hand and pressed his lips to Tracey's. It started slow, Tracey's lips massaging his so gently and tenderly that it was almost overwhelming. Soft and loving, it took Gary's breath away just as much as their intense, frantic, and deep kisses did. His fingers curled into Tracey's hair and he ran his tongue along Tracey's lips, diving in as soon as they parted for him.

The arm around his waist pulled him even closer and the hand on his back moved up to his hair, tangling in the messy strands. He groaned into Tracey's mouth as the hand on his waist slid down further. The kiss only intensified, growing deeper as their touches grew heavier and their hands wandered.

They were interrupted by an irritated squeak from the bed - apparently they were going too far for Marill's taste.

Tracey pulled away, taking a moment to breathe. "Where'd that come from?" he asked quietly, gazing up at Gary.

Gary's hands stilled in Tracey's hair and his eyes flicked over his face, taking in his darkened eyes and the amusement – and bewilderment – beneath the want. He was probably wondering if he was drunk and how long he should indulge this, but Gary hadn't had any alcohol. There hadn't even been any alcohol at the party, except for the tequila that had been snuck in, which Gary had pointedly avoided. He had just gotten caught up in thinking about a future he hadn't known he had wanted.

He fidgeted slightly while Tracey waited for him to put his thoughts into words. "I want… I want to do stuff with you -" he started haltingly. He winced at how horribly that had come out.

Now Tracey was definitely going to think he was drunk.

Tracey raised his eyebrows and glanced down between them. "I'm aware," he laughed gently. He slid his hands down Gary's arms until he could grasp his hands.

Gary's gaze fell to their clasped hands, pink staining his cheeks. "No, I mean… Ugh, I'm an idiot," he muttered, shaking his head.

Tracey dropped one of Gary's hands and dug his fingers into his side in an unexpected tickle attack.

"Hey!" Gary squirmed, swatting his hand away as he raised his eyes to once more meet Tracey's gaze.

But Tracey's hand was already seeking out his, grasping it and twining their fingers together again. "You are anything but that," Tracey replied firmly.

Gary sighed, his glare fading quickly as his eyes dropped away again. His cheeks burned and he didn't dare glance up at Tracey as he pushed on. "I want to keep doing what I'm doing, but I want to be able to do it with you. Just traveling and exploring and that sort of stuff."

Tracey cupped Gary's cheek in one hand, giving him a soft smile when Gary turned his head to press a kiss against his palm. "I want that too," he admitted, "but mostly, I just want you to be happy." He leaned in to press a gentle kiss to Gary's lips and flashed him a reassuring smile as he drew back again. "You don't have to make any decisions about school right now. You've already missed all the deadlines for fall admissions anyways - might as well take the year off, right?"

"Yeah," Gary sighed, fiddling with the edge of Tracey's shirt.

That seemed the easiest solution for now, though he still had his doubts as for what his grandfather would think, and he still didn't have an idea for what to do afterwards. He felt very much like he had at the end of the first leg of his training journey: unsettled and uncertain, looking ahead at a future that was unclear. Johto had set him on his path as a researcher and he'd returned to Pallet with goals and plans to continue on that path. Now, the path was unclear again.

"When I came home, I had everything planned out," he admitted quietly, still not quite able to meet Tracey's eyes. "And then… I dunno. Everything kinda fell apart."

"You were dealing with a lot," Tracey acknowledged.

"I know. It's just," Gary broke off with a sigh, hesitating for a brief moment. "It's like I forgot I even had a future. I couldn't imagine it anymore."

Tracey took his hand and squeezed as he leaned forward to rest his forehead against Gary's. Gary closed his eyes, unable to face the flicker of pain and concern that appeared in Tracey's eyes when he said that. He doubted Tracey – or anyone else, really – had realized that his depression had reached that point. He hadn't even realized it at the time and he was the one living through it.

"Well," Tracey began, taking a breath and meeting Gary's eyes. "If you can't imagine that future anymore, maybe it's time to consider a new one."

Gary's lips quirked into a small smile. "One with you?"

"I'd like that," Tracey admitted, his smile returning at the sight of Gary's, "but worry about yourself first, okay?"

"Okay," Gary agreed. Umbreon gave them a warning growl from her spot on the bed and they paused as the professor's footsteps started up the stairs. Gary pressed one last quick kiss to Tracey's lips before climbing out of his lap and returning to his seat.

The footsteps paused outside the open door barely a moment after Gary had sat back down. "Oh, Gary! I didn't realize you were home," the professor's voice came from the hallway.

Gary waved a dismissive hand and picked up one of the pencils on the desk, playing with it absently. "I got bored and figured I have to be in the lab tomorrow anyway, so…"

"Ah, yes," the professor nodded. "You've been starting earlier. It must give you more time to spend with your friends in the afternoon."

He shrugged his shoulders with a noncommittal hum. Sure, he spent plenty of time with his friends and went surfing with Wyatt most days, but starting in the lab earlier was entirely to have more time alone with Tracey on the ranch. If his grandfather wanted to think that it was because of more time with his friends, then that was fine by him.

Fortunately for them, his grandfather didn't linger. "Well, I'll leave you boys be," he said with his usual kind smile. "Good night."

"Good night, Professor."

"Night…"

The professor left the room, leaving the door open as he went, and Gary felt Tracey's gaze turn back on him.

"You should talk to him," Tracey said quietly. "About the school stuff," he clarified when Gary glanced up with a questioning frown.

"I don't want to do it," Gary replied, his gaze settling on the drawing in front of Tracey. "School, I mean. I'll talk to him in the morning, I just…" He heaved a sigh and shook his head, still unable to quite get his thoughts to settle. "I dunno. I don't really want to do it and I don't think he's going to like that."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to him now?"

Gary shook his head. "I'd rather hang out with you."

Tracey set down his pencil and smiled. "Well then, how about we watch a movie in your room?"

"Okay," he agreed easily, a wry smile curving his lips. A movie in his room meant kisses, wandering hands, and – given the way the last few movies had gone – probably even more.

"Why don't you go get it set up?" Tracey stood and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "I'll meet you in there in a few minutes."

Gary nodded, his smile morphing into a grin as he also stood and followed Tracey to the doorway. While Tracey headed down the stairs, presumably to the kitchen to fetch some snacks, Gary peered down the far end of the hallway to gauge how much privacy they would have. Fortunately, his grandfather's bedroom door was closed. It seemed he was headed to bed and they would definitely be left alone.

Good. He wanted to continue those kisses from before their interruption.

He took a moment to toss all of the pillows on his bed against the headboard and arranged the blankets to be as comfortable as possible. Tracey appeared in the doorway with an armful of snacks and drinks while Gary was debating between movies, locking the door behind him and heading towards the bed and setting the snacks on the bedside table. Gary decided to just go with whatever movie was already in the player and pushed play without even looking at the screen before making his way over to his boyfriend, ignoring the television entirely as he crawled into Tracey's lap. He hovered over him just long enough to drink in the sight of that amused smile before sliding his fingers into Tracey's hair and dipping his head for a kiss.

So what if he was being predictable.

Tracey didn't seem to mind. He wrapped his arms around Gary, just as he had in his room, readily returning the kiss. Long and deep, it went on for several minutes – just gentle hands and soft lips and a building feeling of absolute affection that made Gary want to stay right here and never leave.

It ended entirely too soon. "You're not even going to pretend to watch the movie, are you?" Tracey asked, drawing back slightly, his hand resting at the back of Gary's neck.

Gary shook his head, his hands still trailing down Tracey's chest. "I just want to be with you," he murmured. He ducked his head for another kiss, but Tracey pulled back again and peered up at him.

"The school stuff is still bothering you, isn't it?" he observed.

"That's a problem for tomorrow," Gary replied. He wanted to shut those thoughts off for the rest of the night. An extra day or two wouldn't make that much of a difference. "Let me forget about it one more night."

Tracey, of course, seemed to understand and gave him a sympathetic smile. "Only if you promise to talk to your grandfather about school before you go to the Orange Islands."

Fair enough. He hadn't planned on putting it off for that long. "I will," he promised. Gary leaned in to seal the promise with a kiss and sighed blissfully when Tracey met him halfway.

What started as soft and gentle soon turned heated and desperate, breaths coming in quick pants and gasps between hungry kisses as their hands wandered. Every touch seemed to grow heavier, each kiss more heated. The sounds of the movie faded into the background as Gary's hands moved down Tracey's chest, eventually coming to a rest at the waist of his shorts. What they had done at the last party and the few movie nights they'd had since then came to mind and he groaned, want filling him.

"Can I?" he breathed, eyes flicking up to meet Tracey's gaze.

There was that amused smile again – he was being predictable again but couldn't bring himself to care. Tracey nodded and Gary undid the button in a movement that was starting to become rather practiced. Tracey caught his lips in another kiss but Gary pulled away before long and moved down his body, letting his hands wander over every bit of warm skin possible, pressing kisses here and there until he came to the undone shorts and reached in. He palmed Tracey's length through his boxers as his tongue laved against a sensitive spot on his hip that he had found last time. A smirk curved Gary's lips at the tiny gasp that drew from his boyfriend. He couldn't wait to hear more.

Letting his teeth graze lightly against the curve of Tracey's hip, Gary continued to tease his length through the fabric until he couldn't resist any longer. Pressing one last kiss to Tracey's hip, he tugged down the boxers, pulled his length free, and lowered his head, delighting in the resulting groan.

He trailed his tongue along the underside, languishing in the weight of it in his mouth. All of his fantasies hadn't held a flame to the real thing and he moaned, eyes fluttering shut as Tracey's fingers tightened in his hair. They'd done this twice more since the party a week earlier, but he hadn't had his fill yet. He doubted he would ever have his fill of those soft pants and gasps, the fingers tangled in his hair, the way Tracey looked at him – so hungry and desperate, but still so soft and full of adoration.

He met Tracey's eyes briefly, his cheeks heating at that intense gaze. It always made him feel so loved and wanted, but tonight it made him feel seen and understood. Not wanting to get overly sentimental when he had his handsome boyfriend beneath him, he quickly dropped his gaze and instead focused on the thick length in his mouth, bobbing his head and teasing the underside with his tongue in the way that drew a ragged gasp from Tracey every time. A little thrill went through him with every sound and he quickly lost himself in his determination to drag as many noises out of Tracey as possible.

Tracey, however, had other plans.

"Hey…" his voice was gentle, his hand moving from Gary's hair to stroke his cheek. Gary glanced up and raised his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "C'mere," Tracey said, his voice just as soft as he pulled Gary back in for a kiss.

Gary went willingly, one hand still stroking Tracey's length while his lips parted, accepting his tongue as readily as he had his cock.

Tracey shifted, gently pushing Gary off of him and onto the pillows, their lips never parting once. His hand slipped beneath Gary's shirt, stroking his side and groaning when Gary pulled him down atop him. Gary shivered at the sound and he arched against Tracey, gasping as Tracey's mouth moved down to his throat. A quick nip to the sensitive spot on the side of his neck drew a soft whimper and his hips rolled. His fingers tangled deeper in Tracey's hair when his shirt collar was tugged aside and Tracey's lips quickly sought out a particularly sensitive spot on his collarbone, trailing hot kisses and tiny bites along his skin.

Gary groaned, hands grasping Tracey's hair and shirt as though they were lifelines. They hadn't even gone that far yet and he was already coming undone with only a wandering hand and a few kisses. It would be embarrassing if he wasn't so desperate for Tracey to keep going, to leave love bites and marks across his chest and down his stomach, to keep groping his way across his skin, to trail his hands down, caressing and kissing every inch of his body. With him diving so eagerly into pleasuring Tracey, taking his time to savor every second and stroking himself as they went, they hadn't had a chance for Tracey to return the favor yet.

Tracey drew back suddenly, his hands moving to the hem of Gary's shirt, tugging gently and meeting his eyes with a silent question. Rather than answering verbally, Gary moved to pull his shirt off but Tracey caught his hands and pushed them back down to the bed. He met him with a quick kiss, pulling away before Gary could deepen it, and moving further down the bed. A tiny, frustrated sigh escaped Gary but it died away when Tracey smoothed his hands up Gary's sides, tugging his shirt up and pressing gentle kisses along his exposed stomach as he went. Gary shivered and bit his lip, trying to steady his breathing and quiet the tiny whimpers that Tracey's ministrations were drawing from him.

As soon as his shirt was tugged over his head, Gary pulled Tracey back in for a deep kiss. One of his hands moved upwards, pulling Tracey's shirt with it. They broke apart just long enough for Gary to toss Tracey's shirt aside and immediately came back together, each kiss more intense than the last, until…

"I want to try something new," Tracey murmured against his lips, breathless.

Surprised, it took a second for Gary to reply. "Yeah?" he asked, equally breathless.

"You know how my mom sent a bunch of stuff for the waterfall?" Gary nodded, curious where this was going. "Well, Tara snuck something else in the box…" He reached over and retrieved something from behind a stack of books on the bedside table.

Gary's stomach gave a delicious swoop at the sight of the small bottle that he must have brought that in with their drinks. The thought of taking things another step forward sent a wonderful rush of heat and want through him. He nodded eagerly and reached for the tv remote to turn up the volume, just to be safe.

"You sure?" Tracey asked.

"'Course, I'm sure," Gary gave a small laugh. "I trust you, Trace."

Tracey's smile softened but his gaze was serious. "Tell me if you want me to stop." Gary doubted that would be an issue. He moved to undo his jeans but Tracey caught his hands once more and leaned down for a quick kiss. "Let me," he whispered.

Something about that had Gary melting against pillows, sinking into the comfortable warmth of his bed as he nodded. He couldn't help but pull him down to catch his lips again, and he sighed as Tracey's hands moved slowly down his bare torso.

Tracey moved further down the bed, once more trailing kisses down Gary's stomach until he reached his jeans and paused. He took his time undoing the button and zip, tugging his jeans down and peppering kiss after kiss along every bit of bare skin. Gary's eyes slid shut, his fingers threading through his boyfriend's hair as Tracey finally took his cock in his hand and gave a few lazy pumps.

"Finally I get a chance," he teased, flashing a quick grin before lowering his head.

Gary huffed a laugh and bit back a moan as Tracey's lips pressed humid kisses along his length. "You could've stopped me any time," he said, each word forced out. It came out breathless and a little broken, not remotely close to the nonchalant teasing he was going for. He couldn't bring himself to care, not when they were finally doing this. He couldn't even bring himself to care that Tracey was taking his time exploring, caressing and kissing every inch of skin he could reach when Gary was absolutely aching for him to either take him in his mouth or put the bottle of lube to use.

It was almost overwhelming how gentle and tender Tracey was, every touch feather-light, eyes full of adoration even as he scattered kisses along the insides of his thighs. Gary took a shuddering breath as one hand trailed lower, fingers ghosting over his entrance.

The bottle clicked open and Tracey's eyes raised to meet his in a silent question. Gary nodded. He was tempted to ask Tracey if he really thought he would change his mind, but the bottle clicked shut and a slick finger pressed against him, shutting down that temptation and any other coherent thought in his head. Tracey's other hand smoothed along his stomach and side as a tiny whimper escaped Gary. He slid in slowly, giving Gary a chance to adjust, though it wasn't entirely necessary.

Even when he began to move in and out, it was at a torturously slow pace that left him feeling breathless and desperate for more.

This was fantastic, but he knew how it felt when he went further on his own and couldn't wait to find out how much better it was with Tracey doing it instead. He tried several times, but all that came out of his mouth were gasps and moans. "Two," he finally managed to gasp out.

Tracey's eyes snapped back up to his face. "Hmm?" His free hand smoothed over Gary's thigh, followed by a soft kiss, and it was all Gary could do to hold in a sharp gasp.

He squirmed under that questioning chocolate gaze – a move that quickly reminded him of their current position when Tracey's finger slid deeper and a moan escaped him. "Fingers," he gasped out. "I –" He wasn't sure if he had moved again or if it was Tracey's hand, but another moan poured from his mouth before he could stop it. "I like two fingers," he managed to gasp out.

Tracey smiled and lowered his head to scatter a few gentle kisses along his inner thigh, his other hand reaching to give Gary's cock a quick stroke. Arching against him, Gary whimpered, the sound giving way to a low moan when Tracey withdrew his hand, only to return a second later with two fingers sliding in easily.

"Fuck…" It was so utterly blissful that all he could do was close his eyes and let the sensations roll over him.

His hips rolled again, meeting the gentle thrust of Tracey's fingers. Heat coiled within his abdomen and a shiver ran through him. This was so much better than every time he had done it himself combined. Deeper and torturously slow, Tracey continued scattering kisses across his thighs and the occasional nip pulled harsh gasps from him. He was certain Tracey could push him over the edge with just this alone, but then Tracey took him into his mouth once more and it was all Gary could do to keep from crying out at that moist heat enveloping him.

A soft groan rumbled through Tracey and a jolt of pleasure rushed through him and, not wanting to take any chances, Gary pulled the nearest pillow over his face, muffling a particularly loud moan.

Tracey's movements paused. "You okay?" he asked.

Gary nodded rapidly, lifting the pillow briefly. "Keep going," he begged, pulling a chuckle from Tracey before he lowered his head again.

It was almost too much. Every part of his body felt hot, every movement brought another jolt of pleasure, and with so many sensations, Gary felt as though he were drowning under Tracey's affection. Heat pooled in his abdomen, swirling and building until it was too much.

His legs shook, back arching and body trembling as he came with a gasped cry. Everything was blissful and warm and so incredibly sensitive as Tracey's hands smoothed over his thighs, soothing that wonderful overwhelm with gentle kisses along his stomach.

Tracey crawled back up his body, scattering kisses to his flushed skin as he went, until he was able to push the pillow aside and catch Gary's lips in a deep kiss. Gary could taste it on his tongue but that only spurred him on to deepen the kiss even further. He groaned and pulled Tracey down next to him, eagerly moving down his body to pick up where he had left off earlier.

Even with lazy, languid movements, it was over quickly and he dropped against Tracey's chest afterwards, spent and tired. Their hands found each other amongst the covers and their fingers entwined, and Gary felt his heart flutter at the closeness.

Despite how good everything felt, this was likely his favorite part of fooling around with Tracey. There was a wonderful quiet intimacy in lying together with no barriers, Tracey's fingers in his hair, listening to the soothing sound of Tracey's heartbeat as he traced abstract patterns over his stomach and chest while they caught their breath.

It was perfect, and he would be absolutely content to do this every single night.

…

… … …

…

The morning came too quickly, just as it always did when they spent the night together, and Gary found himself blinking sleepily as the alarm on Tracey's phone went off. Tracey groaned and reached across Gary to retrieve his phone from its spot on the bedside table. He turned off the alarm and dropped the phone next to them, immediately dropping his hand atop Gary's. A tiny, sleepy smile tugged at Gary's lips as his eyes slid shut and sleep claimed him once more.

When he woke again it was to Tracey's startled yelp.

Gary's eyes snapped open as he scrambled off of Tracey's chest, peering around frantically. "What's wrong?"

Tracey was staring at his cell phone. "I turned my alarm off!"

The panic drained out of Gary and he dropped back onto Tracey's chest, dragging him back down against the pillows. "It's fine," he groaned.

"It's almost ten!"

"We were up late," Gary mumbled against the warm flesh of Tracey's bare chest. With the realization that they had fallen asleep entirely nude came the memory of just what they had done the night before. His stomach swooped, warmth flooding him as his hand smoothed over Tracey's chest. He had fallen asleep so warm and comfortable, and had hoped that waking up would be a continuation of that, full of kisses and wandering hands.

"Gary, your grandfather–" Tracey started to sit back up but Gary pushed him back down, eager to stay in this cozy warmth for a little longer, even if it was only another minute or two.

"He knows that you haven't been sleeping well, it's fine." But Tracey was already sitting back up and climbing out of the bed, leaving Gary to fall back against the pillows with a whine. "I was comfortable!" he complained, though he curled up beneath the covers, peering out from beneath them hopefully.

Tracey chuckled as he tugged on his shorts from the night before. "Puppy eyes aren't gonna help," he teased. He reached over to ruffle Gary's hair and grinned when Gary melted into the touch, emerald eyes sliding shut contentedly.

He retracted his hand and Gary's eyes snapped back open with another complaint. "Tracey…"

"The Umbreon impression isn't going to help either," Tracey replied, giving him a smile as he picked his shirt off the floor.

"What if I do an Arcanine one?" Gary asked, looking up at Tracey with the most pathetic look he could manage. "I promise I won't set anything on fire. I just want belly rubs and people food."

Tracey shook his head, an amused smile curving his lips. "It's not belly rubs that you want," he said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I have to get dressed – in clean clothes," he added hastily before Gary could point out that he was already dressed.

"You don't have to get dressed if you stay here."

Tracey shook his head again. "I'll see you downstairs," he promised as he turned and headed to the door, closing it behind him.

Gary sighed and deflated against the pillows. Revisiting last night would have to wait. He groaned after a moment and forced himself out of bed, yawning his way through dressing before heading out of the room and towards the bathroom. Tracey was at the sink brushing his teeth and Gary loosely wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, resting his head against Tracey's back as he waited for him to finish. He had nearly fallen asleep again when he heard the water turn off.

Tracey turned and Gary stayed put, slumping against his chest with his eyes closed. Between staying up late and doing so much, feeling so much, Gary felt as though he could sleep another several hours and still find himself slumped sleepily in Tracey's arms like this. The sheer ecstasy from last night was still there, layered with affection and fondness and the desire to just stay wrapped in those warm arms. He felt the chuckle rumble through Tracey's chest and only sank further against him with a tired groan, eyes still closed.

Gentle fingers mused his hair, scratching lightly against his scalp and Gary melted against him. "You can go back to bed for a bit, you know," Tracey reminded him. "It's Sunday, there's not a lot to do."

"I'll be fine," he mumbled into Tracey's shirt. Extra sleep sounded good but he preferred to stay with Tracey. There would be plenty of time for a nap later. Maybe they would even be able to steal some time to take an afternoon nap together.

Tracey's hands moved to rest on his shoulders, gently pushing him away so that he could meet his eyes with a soft smile. "You're adorable when you're this tired," he teased. "I'm gonna get some breakfast, want anything?" Too tired to even think about food, Gary shook his head. Tracey pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you in the lab."

He left him alone after that and Gary waited until he heard Tracey's footsteps on the stairs fade away before taking his time getting ready. A cool shower perked him up enough to grab a quick breakfast and he was fully awake by the time he made it down to the lab. Tracey was already there, looking over the tasks for the day and chatting with the professor, who was stationed at one of the lab benches, fussing with one of the microscopes.

"I'm sure you needed the rest," he heard his grandfather say. The professor looked up at the sound of Gary's footsteps and smiled. "We let Gary sleep in all the time, it's only fair that you get to on occasion as well. Right, Gary?"

"Nope," he replied with a grin. "Tracey's not allowed." He headed straight to his desk and started up his computer while glancing over his list for the day.

Tracey narrowed his eyes but couldn't hide his smile. "Guess you can't take any more days off to go surfing then," he shot back.

"Oh, none of that, boys." The professor's voice was warm and amused, and they shared a quick grin as Tracey crossed the room.

He paused beside Gary's desk, lowering his voice a bit. "Did you still want to talk to him?" he asked, tilting his head towards the professor. "About what we talked about last night," he added when Gary glanced up questioningly.

It took a second to remember what they had talked about before they had moved over to his room. Gary groaned. He had almost forgotten again. "Yeah…" he sighed.

"You sound so enthused," Tracey teased, smiling when Gary rolled his eyes. His smile softened as he glanced over at the professor. "Go talk to him, Gary. You'll feel better."

"I know." He sighed again. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to have first thing in the morning, but he figured it would be best to just get it over with. "Alright, I'll do it… I'll catch up with you in a bit?" he asked hopefully.

Tracey nodded, smiling. "I'll be taking care of the horses."

Of course he would. He always started with the horses. "I know," Gary replied fondly, returning the smile. It was the same thing every day – check in on Scyther, take care of the horses, resist the incredibly strong urge to kiss him in front of his grandfather… That was the basic morning routine in the lab.

He waited until the computer had fully booted up and Tracey had headed out the door before he turned to his grandfather and watched from a distance as the older man swapped out one microscope slide for another. Gary glanced back at the computer screen and back to his grandfather, debating on putting it off until later, but he had a feeling Tracey would send him right back inside if he tried that. Either that or he would bug him about it all day until he finally gave in. It wasn't unreasonable to want to put it off – especially with the nerves twisting his stomach at the thought of bringing it up – but he knew putting it off would only make it worse.

Gary finally stood with a groan and made his way across the lab. He stopped on the opposite side of the lab bench from his grandfather and rested his arms atop it, waiting for his grandfather to wrap up with the microscope slide he was focused on. He didn't need to wait for long.

"You look like you have something to say," the professor observed, glancing up from the microscope after a short moment.

"You got that from looking through a microscope?"

"No," he chuckled, shaking his head as he jotted down a few notes on the pad next to him. "I got that from you standing there quietly. You do that when you need to talk to me about something that you don't want to."

Gary groaned again. Was he really that easy to read? "You know me too well."

"Oh, nonsense!" The professor finished his notes and took a moment to swap out microscope slides, sparing Gary a glance and an inviting smile. "What's on your mind?"

Something about his grandfather not having his focus directly on him always made it easier to speak. Gary took a breath. "You know how Darren's graduation party was last night?" he asked.

"I do recall Wyatt mentioning it."

"And you know he's going to Cerulean in August?"

"Ah, yes." The professor nodded. "An impressive feat, being accepted to their music program. He seems quite excited. I don't believe I've heard him talk about anything else since he got his acceptance letter." He glanced back up at Gary with another small smile. "I do notice, however, that someone else hasn't talked about his plans. Is that what's on your mind?"

Gary hesitated only briefly before nodding as well. He decided to jump right on in with the thing that was bothering him most. No point in putting it off. "You never said anything about school," he started slowly. "Why?"

There was a brief quiet as the professor fiddled with one of the knobs on the microscope. "Well, you had only just started acting like yourself again," his grandfather said thoughtfully. "I thought it best to give you a bit of a break. Why do you ask?"

"I…" Gary wasn't quite sure why that particular detail had bothered him so much. "I guess I just forgot it was a thing – no one said anything!" he defended when his grandfather gave him an incredulous look.

"Gary, that was the whole reason you came home for school," the professor said pointedly. Gary fell quiet, gaze dropping to the dark counter between them as he felt his face heat. He was right, and Gary suddenly felt even more foolish than he had the night before. "How could you forget that?"

He had been wondering the same thing. "I don't know," he admitted.

"That's not like you," the professor observed quietly. "Out of sight, out of mind, hmm?" Gary nodded, still quite embarrassed. "Well, you've kept quite busy," the professor mused. "I suppose I didn't say anything because I thought you would work on it when you felt ready… Apparently I underestimated just how much you dislike school."

The final bit was added on with a sly smile, his eyes gently teasing. Gary huffed a small laugh. "I mean, I made it kinda obvious."

His grandfather nodded with a chuckle and turned back to the microscope. "That you most certainly did," he agreed. "Well, I suppose it's a little late to do anything for the fall, isn't it?"

"That's what Tracey said."

"Hmmm. I see…" The professor wrote down a few notes and looked up from the microscope slides to look at Gary. "And did Tracey say anything else?"

Thrown off by the question, Gary frowned. "Why?" he asked, perhaps more cautiously than was entirely necessary.

"Because you two are close and Tracey has a good head on his shoulders. I trust him when it comes to you."

That was… reassuring, at the very least, though a touch of worry crept up in the back of Gary's mind. Did his grandfather suspect something? Or was he just commenting on their friendship?

"Oh," he replied, unsure of what else to say. It took a minute to remember that he hadn't answered his grandfather's question yet. He hesitated slightly, unsure of what he would think about it. "He suggested taking the year off since it's already too late for fall admissions," he finally said after a moment.

His grandfather nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I don't imagine you would let the year go to waste."

Gary paused, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Was he going to agree to it that easily after all the arguments they'd had over school his first year back? "You're okay with that?" he asked, cautious not to get his hopes up.

"I don't exactly have much choice in the matter."

The words were spoken kindly but Gary still cringed a bit at them. "Sorry…"

The professor chuckled and shook his head. "No need to apologize. I could have pushed you on it months ago, but I cared more about your well-being at the time. There are far worse things you could be doing than taking a year off before university… Are you going to forget about it again if I encourage you to take the year off?"

"I somehow get the idea you're not gonna let me forget a second time," Gary deadpanned, though he flashed his grandfather a quick grin as relief filled him.

"We'll come back to this in a few months," the professor replied pointedly.

Hopefully, they wouldn't still be keeping their relationship a secret in a few months. No – they definitely wouldn't be keeping it a secret in a few months. That might make a future conversation easier, but still… it was school. It wasn't something he wanted to have to revisit. "Looking forward to it," he groaned, pulling another chuckle from his grandfather.

"You're a terrible liar, my boy."

"Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

"Oh, I'm quite grateful for it."

Gary laughed and looked at the clipboards, eager to wrap up this conversation and catch up with Tracey. "I'm gonna go help Tracey now," he announced, starting towards the door.

"Gary." He paused halfway to the door, turning back to his grandfather. "I know you had plans when you came home, but it's alright if your path ends up different from what you expected. There are plenty of options out there."

Gary nodded. "I know," he replied quietly, hoping this was the end of the conversation.

"Even if you don't go on any research trips other than the ones this summer – travel, train… do something," the professor pressed, a bit unnecessarily. "Take the time to decide what you want to do. The last thing we want is a repeat of–"

"Trust me, I don't want that either," he interrupted, already knowing where this was headed.

"I doubt you wanted it the first time around either," his grandfather replied gently and Gary fell quiet. "There's no need to rush a decision."

"Alright," he agreed after a moment. "Can I help Tracey now?"

The professor gave him a smile and nodded. "Perhaps you two could do a few more camping trips this year. The last one certainly seemed to do him a lot of good."

That gnawing feeling that came up so often around May and his grandfather flared up again but Gary forced himself to give a casual grin. "I think he'd like that," he replied, nodding as he took a steadying breath and turned back to the door.

That gnawing feeling to tell him would have to wait. One serious conversation was enough, Gary didn't have it in him to do another right now.

Regardless of that, he felt more at ease, at least with the school situation. He had time to think about it, to figure out what he wanted to do, and it seemed his grandfather was going to encourage him to find his own path. For the next few months, the only expectation would be to not waste time, and considering Gary was forever finding new projects in the lab, he knew that wouldn't be a problem in the slightest. To make it even better, he now had an excuse to go on more weekend trips with Tracey.

…

… … …

…

A few mornings later found Gary at the beach with Wyatt. He'd had to force himself out of bed at the sound of his alarm, but he was glad he did. They had made it to the beach while the sun was low, the sky still streaked with orange as the sun rose over the ocean. The morning was beautiful, the waves were large, and they'd had a good time for a few hours, but now it was time to get some breakfast and head to the lab.

Gary retrieved his phone from the dashboard as soon as they rinsed their boards and returned to the Jeep. In a true rarity, he had gotten up earlier than Tracey and hadn't seen or spoken to his boyfriend yet, but fully expected to see at least a few messages from Tracey. Some sort of good morning with a few photos of pokemon was the norm, maybe a sketch thrown in if it was a really good morning.

But today there was nothing.

Maybe Tracey had forgotten to plug his phone in. It happened on occasion, often enough to not be entirely alarming.

"You've got that look," Wyatt's amused voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Stop worrying about your boyfriend."

Gary rolled his eyes. "I'm not worrying," he retorted.

Wyatt snorted, clearly unconvinced, but Gary ignored him and raised his phone to take a picture of the nearby lighthouse. If Tracey hadn't been able to send him any pictures, then he could at least send him one instead. The sun was still rather low behind the lighthouse, at just the right angle to create a brilliant lens flare – Tracey always liked to see those pictures. He tried to ignore his friend as he started to send the picture to Tracey, but paused when Wyatt peered over his shoulder.

"Damn!" Wyatt reached out and tilted the phone so that he could better see the photo, ignoring the glare Gary shot his way. "Another one of your fucking hidden talents! Can't you ever just suck at something?" Gary's glare faded at the question and was replaced with amusement as he raised his eyebrows at the phrasing. "Say it!" Wyatt cackled. "I dare you!"

"Fuck off," Gary retorted, eyes returning to his phone as he typed out a quick message to Tracey.

"You first - oh wait," Wyatt's phone chirped and he rolled his eyes when he looked down at the screen. "Mom's texting me," he held out his phone to show Gary the text from Darren.

– you guys didn't get eaten did you? –

Gary rolled his eyes good naturedly. Darren did this every time they went out, but he couldn't exactly blame him.

With Wyatt distracted, Gary took the chance to check his phone and frowned when he saw no response from Tracey. Maybe he had left his phone in his bedroom… but then Gary noticed something that made him pause.

Wyatt peered over his shoulder. "Left you on read, huh?"

"That's weird for him." Maybe he was in the middle of something and would reply when he was done, but even that was a little odd for Tracey.

"Maybe something's going on at the lab?" Wyatt suggested.

Gary's frown deepened. That was definitely possible, but he knew there wasn't anything planned so that meant something had happened. That couldn't be good. "Maybe," he murmured.

"C'mon, let's get some food and get over there, yeah?"

"Yeah…" Gary agreed, still frowning at his phone. He didn't have a good feeling about this, but Wyatt didn't seem willing to let him dwell on it.

"Hey, your boyfriend's fine," he said, nudging Gary's shoulder with his own. "He's probably just dealing with a pissed off rattata or somethin'."

Gary doubted that, especially with everything happening with Scyther these last few months. Still, standing at the beach worrying wouldn't do anyone any good. "Yeah," he sighed, turning to the Jeep and opening the door. "Let's get going." He dropped his phone in the cupholder and waited for Wyatt to climb into the passenger seat.

The drive into town was quiet, with only the radio breaking the silence. They stopped at the bakery like they did every morning they went surfing before the lab, ordering themselves breakfast and picking up an extra sandwich and iced coffee for Tracey as well.

Once back home, they made quick work of taking the boards down from the roof of the Jeep and rinsing them off, leaving Wyatt's to dry in the sun. Wyatt went ahead to the lab while Gary brought his board into the garage to stow it in its usual spot. Eager to find Tracey and find out what was going on, Gary hurried into the house, his and Tracey's breakfast and drinks carefully balanced in his hands.

Focused as he was, he almost walked right past May in the kitchen but stopped when he caught sight of her somber face.

"May? What happened?" he asked immediately, though a sinking feeling in his stomach told him he already knew.

"It's Scyther."

…

… … …

…