Training in the Wild Area was one of the most common things to do for Trainers that had some time on their hands, and that didn't exclude Gym Leaders. The sun was slowly but surely descending, concealing its bright appearance behind the mountains in the distance.

Raihan and Piers on the other hand were gathering both their Pokémon and their belongings, namely all of the things they had used to cook up a few meals. They had spent the entire day in the Wild Area, enjoying one another's presence, exercising with their faithful companions, cooking curry, eating it and repeating the process all over again.

Having left his Gym in the hands of Sebastian for the day, Raihan had gone ahead and invited his lover on another one of their dates. Neither of them wanted to neglect their responsibilities as expert Trainers, so with the wish of spending time together while still improving their practical skills at the same time, the two settled on going to train their Pokémon as a small team.

They had started their little adventure at Hammerlocke Hills, challenging and defeating powerful Pokémon in Dusty Bowl and at Lake of Outrage. Raihan would have usually sticked his head in as many Dens as he could find, but with Piers lending him company the whole day, he didn't. He, more than anyone else, knew that the spiky-head wasn't a fan of Dynamaxing, so why do it when there was absolutely no necessity to?

Without a clear goal in mind, they had proceeded south, getting greeted by drastic weather changes from time to time. That wasn't a problem for either of the young men, since they had grown used to them due to Raihan's battling style. It wasn't until they had reached South Lake Miloch that they decided to spend the rest of their time near Giant's Seat, which led to the happenings of right now.

Piers was responsibly stuffing all of the washed and dried kitchen utensils in Raihan's bag while the other played around with the wild Duraludon they had befriended, the one that housed in that particular area. All of the other Pokémon except for Obstagoon and Flygon had been retreated to their respective Ultra and Dusk Balls, one of the reasons being that it had gotten rather cold after the group had eaten dinner.

In fact, a cold gust of wind graced them with its presence right when Piers had zipped their bags shut, causing him to shiver notably. He always wore his white jacket wherever he went, but it so happened that it had gotten torn by Marnie's Morpeko's tantrum this morning before he left the house. He didn't want to wear the brand new jacket that he and his boyfriend had bought recently to the Wild Area, so he sucked it up and left without one altogether. Foolish decision, really.

"Sorry you had to do everything on your own. I kinda got swept away." Raihan suddenly appeared behind the shorter male, humming as he finished his approach. Piers gave him a faint smile, attempting to hide the goose bumps he had been given by the chilly breeze. "Don't worry 'bout it. You cooked for us, so it's only fair that I do my part."

"You're such a great wife." The raven-haired man continued to hum, additionally wrapping his strong arms around his lover's frail stature. Raihan nestled his head on the latter's shoulder, planting a few smooches on Piers' pale cheek, painting it redder and redder with every little peck he delivered.

The spiky-head only chuckled at the other's remark, welcoming those silly words as compliments as he leaned somewhat more into Raihan's touch. The taller male's body heat was so alluring, he didn't even notice that he was shuffling closer to him. At least not until Raihan brought something to his attention. "Hey, aren't you cold like that?"

"I'd be lyin' if I said I'm not." Piers almost stammered when replying, feeling another freezing blow of air awaken further chills all along his spine. Raihan felt his lover tense momentarily at the climatic changes, and decided to turn him around in his arms, burying the shorter's face in his chest in the process. "Let's hurry home, then. It's getting late anyway, and I shouldn't make Flygon fly when it's too dark out."

"Alright." The pale Trainer murmured through the cloth his face was resting against, pulling away slightly in order to get ready to depart. His skin's temperature still matched that of ice, so it was a tad difficult to maintain himself composed. Raihan could tell, and as much as he wanted to heat him up with a certain method whilst using his own body, this was hardly the time and place for that. "I'll warm you up once we get home, OK?"

"For now, this will have to do." He added, and before Piers could even question what he meant by that last remark, Raihan was slipping out of his jacket. Not fast enough to process what had just happened, the spiky-head was left frozen in his posture when his taller lover put his jacket over Piers' head.

"W-What about you?" As much as he appreciated the gentlemanly gesture, Piers didn't want the other to feel cold — or in the worst case scenario, catch a cold because of him. Raihan shrugged the matter off with a toothy grin that shone even in their dim surroundings, a very Raihan-like thing to do. "Don't you worry about me! I've got lava coursing through my veins, a little wind won't do anything to me!"

The cyan-eyed male didn't answer immediately since he needed that time to let his boyfriend's words sink in properly. "...Showoff." Was all he grumbled, feigning a pout when his ears were gifted the beautiful sound of Raihan chortling. "Who else am I supposed to show off to? Come on, let's get moving!"

His cold hand was enveloped in Raihan's bigger, warmer one as he led them to where Flygon was dawdling. It was only then that Piers truly allowed himself to succumb to the comfort of his lover's thick hoodie. Not only was the cold that had been plaguing him entirely gone thanks to it, but the clothes smelled so much like Raihan. It was that fragrance which Piers would always secretly try to inhale when the two hugged, the one that brought him a feeling of safety despite the little tinge of cologne being mixed in it.

A small blush crept across his cheeks as they slowly walked, Piers allowing the sleeves of the jacket to fall over his bony hands — seen how it was one or two sizes too big. Once they had reached Flygon, the spiky-head was asked to retreat his Obstagoon, which he did without asking for explanations. "Say, have you ever flown on a Flygon?"

Piers knew exactly where this conversation was heading, but he still pretended to be oblivious. "I haven't. All I've flown in is the Flyin' Taxi." A smirk tugged the edges of Raihan's mouth at that reply. He couldn't hide the excitement he felt for being about to introduce his lover to something incredible. "You better not be scared of heights, then."

"Hop on, I'm about to show you something amazing." The caramel-skinned Gym Leader added with a smile that was a mix of both suggestiveness and genuineness, him already sitting on his dragon-type Pokémon's back. Piers didn't consider himself to be a person who was afraid of high altitude, but he had never sat on a flying creature before.

Mixed feelings bubbled up inside his stomach, but they all cleared away as soon as his hand was reached for again. That thing about Raihan's hand bringing such comfort, it almost felt like something magical was at work. Piers left his insecurities behind and mounted the Pokémon, adjusting his sitting position to be as close as possible to his boyfriend.

"Hold on tight." Was the last thing that was uttered by the taller male before he instructed his partner to lift them all to the skies. That was precisely what Flygon did. Flapping its wings with immense power, the mostly green-colored creature got the three in the air, setting their course back to Spikemuth.

It was expectedly much colder now that they were so high above everything else, but somehow Piers couldn't feel the change in temperatures that much. Perhaps it was his lover's hoodie, the warmth of his back or maybe it was the simple excitement of travelling alongside the stars that were scattered in the night sky.

With his chin resting on Raihan's shoulder, the spiky-head took in as much of his surroundings as he could. He had never really understood why observatories even existed or why people would find enjoyment in visiting them on dates. Stars — in his opinion — were just tiny, sparkling dots that were too far away to be able to admire. He almost regretted thinking that way after being presented to such a sight.

Noctowl, Woobat, Drifloon and even a few Corvisquire that flocked with a leading Corviknight travelled beside the two on Raihan's Flygon, giving them curious looks without ever drawing away. Unlike in Spikemuth and Hammerlocke which always buzzed with life, their surroundings were quiet for a change — something Piers was enjoying more than expected. The only sounds resounding were those of his quickening heartbeat.

"It's beautiful." The spiky-head blurted out in a whisper, his warm breath tickling the shell of Raihan's ear. The latter only hummed and leaned back a tad in order to nuzzle his cheek against his boyfriend's. He was itching to say something cheesy, and before he was able to finish debating wether he should spit it out or not, the words were already rolling off his lips. "Wanna know what's even more beautiful?"

"You?" Instead of replying with a typical 'what', Piers beat the other to it, blushing profusely. After knowing the taller male for so many years, the spiky-head was positive that an answer along those lines would have been said by Raihan if he had acted according to stereotypes, so he couldn't stop himself from feeling a tad proud when he brought a bright red color onto his lover's caramel cheeks.

"Aw, you beat me to it!" Raihan had finally recovered from the surprise attack and regained his composure by chuckling, letting his hot cheeks cool down with the help of the wind. He took advantage of their current positions in order to steal a quick peck before returning his attention forward. Piers on the other hand — and no matter how pretty the sky was in his eyes — buried his face in his lover's back, still feeling the embarrassment of his prior declaration.

* * *

"Are you sure you... don't wanna stay over?" It was Piers who asked as soon as the two had crossed Route 9 entirely and gotten to Spikemuth — in front of his apartment, to be more precise. Raihan was petting his Flygon's head as both a 'thank you' and a gesture of praise for having flown the two all the way here.

"I really shouldn't." Was what the ravenet answered and even though there was not a single trace of malice in his voice, Piers failed to understand why the other didn't want to spend the night at his house. They had known each other since forever, and they had been dating again for quite some time. "Why not?"

"Your little sister is at home tonight, right? I had such a great time with you today that I don't think I'd be satisfied with just sleeping next to you." Raihan said as he scratched the back of his neck somewhat sheepishly, not even trying to hide the slightly mischievous smirk that was plastered on his face.

Piers knew full well what the taller male was implying with that statement, and yet he wasn't against it in the slightest. He actually began wondering if it was wrong of him to be looking forward to a possible, intimate scenario like that one, but he was also quick to drive those thoughts away by shaking his head. "What are you gettin' at?"

The caramel-skinned Gym Leader didn't fail to catch a glimpse of Piers' usually pale cheeks that were painted in a soft red color and couldn't suppress the urge to deepen that shade. He took a few steps forward, just so his lips hovered above the spiky-head's ear, and whispered his answer hoarsely.

"What I'm saying, is that my love is a bit deeper than that of other people. Especially in bed."

Piers was embarrassed that he thought his cheeks were hot before, because now the heat threatened them to explode with steam. Raihan's words resonated in his mind for a few moments, even after they had sunk in properly, and the spiky-head found his heart pounding harder and harder against his chest with every passing second.

"...Fine." Normally, the cyan-eyed young man would have insisted one or two more times, but with the tips of his ears burning from the suggestive words he had been showered with, Piers had no other choice but to give in. More than satisfied with his achievement, a tiny grin invaded Raihan's mouth as he took a step back again, before cupping his lover's cheek with his warm hand.

He brought the other closer and united their lips in a heartfelt kiss, one that was unexpectedly gentle for someone who had spoken about rough love just seconds ago. Piers found himself sinking into his boyfriend's embrace once again, allowing the taller male to wrap his arms protectively around his frail stature.

The spiky-head on the other hand brought his own around Raihan's neck, pulling him down a tad so he stood a chance at deepening the kiss with their difference in height. It was rather rare for Piers to be the one who brought their intimacy one step further, so when he nibbled Raihan's lower lip for permission, the latter had forgotten that he was sort of playing hard to get and granted him entrance almost instantly.

Neither of the young men could stifle a faint hum of pleasure when Piers allowed his tongue to slip into the other's mouth. His voice wasn't the only thing Raihan had lost control over because soon enough, his hands were snaking from Piers' back lower to his rear. It wasn't until it was already too late that the taller male realized he was taking things too far, and that if they were to continue at this pace, he would end up actually spending the night at his lover's. As much as the idea excited him, there were things to consider — facts such as Marnie also being at home, for example.

Acting responsibly never felt as regretful as when Raihan slowly pulled away, breaking the kiss as a thin string of saliva snapped between the two. Piers' face was still as flushed as it had been when he got self-conscious about the other's sudden confession while his cyan eyes glimmered with anticipation. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, maybe show me around Spikemuth some more." The caramel-skinned male nodded in agreement, robbing Piers' lips of another quick peck before slowly making his way back to Flygon. The moment he was comfortably seated on its back was the moment the spiky-head remembered something frantically as he threw a quick glance at what he was currently wearing. "Wait, your jacket."

"You can give it back to me another time." Raihan replied with a wink, one that was impossible to miss even in the dark. The spiky-head couldn't help but fiddle with the hem of his lover's hoodie, a tad hesitant since the other was about to fly home in this cold. Raihan noticed, and he instead of feeling guilty or responsible, he wanted Piers to enjoy the temporary present he was given. "Keep it for tonight and think about me before going to bed."

"You're such a tease..."

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My note to you:
I've been explicitly mentioning Sebastian a lot of times, but that's because I just love him so much. xD I don't even know why, since he literally appears once or twice in the games. T3T

This chapter turned out to be pretty long?? Anyway, the next one contains nsfw — you have been warned. ;3

Thank You for Reading!