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Green's first memory of coffee was a bitter drink on a long, cold morning. He'd been out in the snow with Red and Daisy for hours, throwing snowballs and making snow angels and shoving snow down Red's jacket when his back was turned. After a while Red's mother called him in for lunch, and Daisy turned to him and said, "We might as well go inside, too."
Professor Oak was home for once, looking for an old manuscript in his study. He went to the front door when he heard the sound of happy children tumbling in. "Goodness, you two look like you had fun," he said. "Do you want something warm to drink?"
They shucked off their wet outer layers and sat at the table, feet swinging. Professor Oak hummed and muttered as he rifled through his cabinet. "I only have coffee," he said. "It's not quite for children, but..."
"I can handle it!" Green declared stoutly. "I want some coffee."
"Please," Daisy admonished.
"Please," Green added with a mumble.
The aroma of coffee soon filled the air and Professor Oak poured three cups mostly-full. He passed over the first mug and picked up the second, flashing a smile over his shoulder. "I'll put lots of milk and sugar in it. That should help."
"How do you drink it?" Green demanded.
"Well...your mother liked it this way. Don't you want to try it?"
"Mom's dead," Green said, watching the flash of dismay in his grandfather's eyes. "I want it like yours, Gramps."
Professor Oak turned to Daisy. She only shrugged. "I'll take mine with milk and sugar, please," she said. Under her breath she said to Green, "You won't like it."
"Will too," Green hissed back.
"It's hot," Professor Oak said as he placed a mug in front of each of them and took a seat at the head of the table. Daisy's drink was a beautiful caramel color. Green's was black and a bit forbidding. Green scrutinized his grandfather as he blew on the coffee and took a sip.
"Has Red ever tried coffee?" he asked.
Professor Oak laughed. "I wouldn't know. Why don't you ask him?"
Green picked up the mug, his hands tingling as the heat soaked into his palms. He was always playing catch-up in his endless rivalry with Red, but he sensed that this could even up the score. One more thing he'd know about that Red could only imagine. Red's mom was a goody-two-shoes, she'd never let Red have an adult drink like this.
"I like coffee," Green said.
Daisy sighed, taking a careful sip of her own. "You haven't even tried yours yet."
Green huffed and tried a tentative sip. The heat hit his tongue first, followed by the acerbic taste, so bitter and sharp it made him cry out. He spat coffee across the table, hitting his grandfather and the book he'd spent an hour searching for.
Green was grounded after that, and Daisy stayed in with him out of solidarity, reading quietly beside him. He looked out the window at Red and Leaf playing in the snow until sunset, breathing jealous puffs against the glass.
--
"No thanks," Green says, "I hate coffee."
Red hesitates, holding a steaming cup in each hand. His brow furrows.
"It's not anything you did," Green rushes to clarify. "I just don't. Never have. That's all."
Red cocks his head, eyes round with curiosity. Green grimaces. "Well, if you really want to know, I guess..."
He tells Red the story of that winter day and to Green's surprise, Red starts laughing as it goes on. Green leans into it, embellishing the story with hand gestures and details, until Red is clutching at his stomach and Green is wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Can you just imagine his face," Green is gasping, "when this snot-nosed kid spits coffee all over this ancient manuscript—"
Red has his head down on the table, shoulders shaking. He pounds a fist weakly on the table, which only makes Green laugh harder.
"So anyway, yeah, I never wanted to try coffee after that," Green finishes when they've both recovered themselves. "Sort of ruined the whole thing for me."
Red is leaning back in his chair, still chuckling. He stretches his feet out beneath the table to tap companionably against Green's. There's quiet for another moment before Red's eyes drift over to the two mugs of coffee still steaming on the counter, where he'd left them. He holds up a finger, a silent Wait a moment, and goes over to them.
Red adds milk to both cups, then breaks out a can of Milo and stirs in a few spoonfuls.
"Milo au lait, huh?" Green says, eyeing it. "I do like hot chocolate."
Red nods eagerly. "Mom likes it," he murmurs, sliding Green's cup across the table towards him.
Green stirs it. The dark color is somewhere between black coffee and the pale brown of Daisy's long-ago drink. "Well, here goes," he says, and takes a cautious sip.
Red's eyes are on him as he swallows and licks his lips. He hasn't drunk from his own cup yet, too eager to see what Green's reaction will be.
"Well, I managed to swallow it this time," Green says, earning a huff from Red. Green's grin widens. "That's what she said," he adds.
Red rolls his eyes and kicks him under the table. Green nudges him back. "But yeah, it's not too bad. Not as good as hot chocolate, but..." He takes another sip. "Hmm. Yeah. This could really grow on me."
Red smiles, and only then does he take a sip of his own. They finish their drinks in companionable silence, watching the snow fall outside the window and chatting about the latest news in Viridian and Pallet, how their friends across Kanto and Johto are doing.
"Teach me how to make it next time," Green says as they're getting ready for bed.
Red looks up, a warm look in his eyes, and nods.