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Piers ties the ribbon on to the end of a single, thick braid. His fringe is left out, framing his face. He"s toned his makeup down for tonight. Just a little bit. A tiny bit.
He gives his appearance one last appraisal in the mirror before leaving his house. He is heading for the front entrance of Spikemuth to catch a cab. He can"t believe he let Leon talk him into a blind date, but if he were being honest, it didn"t take that much arm twisting. He"s been a little lonely. Being a loner doesn"t mean he wants to be alone all the time. His last relationship was, well, it was a while ago. It was a lot of other things, too. Mostly, it was not good.
His cab arrived within a few minutes of him reaching the gate, and he gave the address of his destination before climbing inside. Leon had told him that his date is very good looking, but didn"t give up much else. He said he didn"t want Piers to have a biased impression going in. The only nugget of information Leon spilled was that this guy had a quick smile, but that he was not insincere. It was cryptic as hell, and fuck if that didn"t intrigue Piers.
Leon assured him that they would be a good match. He trusts Leon, not that he would ever say that out loud. So it is with a little bit of hope, and a lot of trepidation, that he steps out of the cab on a quaint street in Hammerlocke. Piers straightens up his coat before he starts walking past the few storefronts to his destination. He stops in front of the restaurant, takes a deep breath to steel his nerves, then opens the door.
*****
He"s waiting for his blind date.
Raihan has never been on a blind date before. He"s good looking and charming, and doesn"t need help getting a date, thank you very much. But… Raihan sighs. He hasn"t had a date in a long time. Finding someone who doesn"t already have some preconceived notion of who you are, or who they want you to be, when your life is lived in a spotlight, is a challenge.
Hookups were frequent enough in the past. Early on in his career, it was novel. He enjoyed the attention and it definitely boosted his ego. The added bonus was that it was fun and the no strings attached arrangements suited him just fine. As time went on, however, it stopped being fun. The encounters started to leave him feeling cold and empty. They always left when the deed was done, with a thank you, and maybe a kiss on his cheek if he were lucky.
That"s why he"s sitting at a back table in a romantic café, staring at the front door. Leon had made the reservation and didn"t tell him much about his date other than he is very easy one the eyes and that he thought the two of them were well suited. He did warn Raihan that his date could be a little abrasive, but to give him a chance. He said he was a teddy bear once you got to know him, but he wore his prickly exterior like armor, protecting himself after being used one time too many. Raihan can relate, only he uses cheerfulness to the same effect.
Raihan had arrived early, and looked down at his Rotom to see it was just a few minutes before the set meeting time for the date. When he looked back up, his body froze and his eyes grew wide.
Shit, he thought, as he watched Piers walk in and head over to the host stand. Shit, shit, SHIT! Of all the people to walk in. Raihan can do nothing but pray to Arceus that Piers was only here to pick up take-away, though why he would come all the way to Hammerlocke for take-away while so dressed up was a fact his brain failed to recognize.
Just as he was about to enter full panic mode, Raihan watched as a slow smile took shape on Piers" face as he spoke with the hostess, and he was struck at how, well, at how stunning he looks. Has he ever seen Piers smile? Smirk, sure, but smile?
Raihan is snapped out of his thoughts when the hostess starts walking with Piers trailing after her. Raihan spies the open table next to him and groans. Of all the luck, it looks like Piers will be sitting next to him with a front row seat to his blind date. This is an unmitigated disaster.
He realizes that he is stuck. There is no way for him to slip out without being seen. Sliding under the table and hiding there until Piers leaves was his only option of escape, but that would be rude to his date.
"Here you are sir," Raihan hears the hostess say, and he looks up in shock to see that she has stopped in front of his table.
"Thanks," Piers replies as she walks away.
Piers looks at his date seated at the table and his body stiffens and his smile fades.
"I"m gonna kill Leon," Piers says under his breath.
Raihan snorts out a huff of agreement as Piers gracelessly flops into the seat across from him, setting his elbows on the table, and propping his chin in his hands.
The two men sit there in silence, staring at each other. Though Raihan was nervous at being set up on a blind date, he finds that he is a little disappointed. He had been looking forward to it. Even if he hadn"t clicked with his date, it still could have been a pleasant evening out.
He looks at Piers and is sure he is mirroring back everything that Raihan is currently feeling. Then he starts to feel like a dick. Why is he so disappointed that it"s Piers? They"ve known each other for forever and a day, but how much did they really know about each other? Fuck it, he decides. He"s going to try to salvage something out of the evening. They both got dolled up, so why let it go to waste? At the very least, he can catch up with an old colleague and they can lament about the apparent shambles that are their love lives. And maybe he"ll finally get his rematch!
"Good evening. Can I start you gentlemen off with something to drink?"
The waiter"s voice cuts through their tension, and they both look up at him. Piers opened his mouth to say that they wouldn"t be staying, but Raihan spoke up first.
"We"re sorry. We haven"t even had a chance to look at the menu or discuss what we"d like to drink. Can you give us a few minutes?" Raihan says, flashing one of his winning smiles.
"Of course. I"ll return shortly."
"We don"t hafta stay," Piers says, with more of an edge to his voice than he intended.
"Why not? It"s been, what? Six months or more since I"ve seen you? I miss your commentary at the league meetings by the way," Raihan says and this time his smile is more subdued than the one he gave the waiter.
Piers stares at Raihan, and hears Leon"s voice telling him that he is not insincere, and it clicks. Raihan with his quick smiles, often plastic and fake, putting on a show for the fans.
"You look great, by the way. Retirement suits you," Raihan continues.
Piers blinks at the compliment, but his shoulders lose some of their tension. He"s got an easy smile, but he"s not insincere. He"s not someone who"s nice just to get something in return, Leon had said.
"So, drinks then?" Piers asks, and is a bit taken aback at the way Raihan"s face lights up at that. He feels like an arsehole now at how quick he was just willing to bail. Raihan must be desperate for company, willing to go through with a blind date and all. Not that Piers has much room to talk there.
"Want to try one of their fancy cocktails, or split a bottle of wine?"
"Oi, fancy cocktails?" and Piers grabs a menu to scan.
"They have one called the Liepard that sounds tasty," and Raihan leans over the table to point it out on Piers" menu.
"Crème de Cacao, vanilla vodka, cream, and syrup? Shite, that sounds like puddin", not a drink. The Flygon sounds more me style."
Raihan looks at his menu until he finds the Flygon. Dark rum and ginger beer, huh? Simple and sounds intriguing, if not a little strong for his tastes.
The two men settled on their drinks and even managed to decide what to eat before the waiter came back. Piers was a little shocked when they ended up selecting the same dish, and neither one of them commented on how they each picked a drink named after a pokemon type that the other trains.
*****
"So, blind date, huh?" Raihan asks, as he sips his drink. Now that they have decided to stay, Raihan finds himself at a loss. Even though they are old friends, they are here because they were set up on a date. He has to wonder what Leon sees in them that makes him think they are a good match.
"Could ask ya the same thing," Piers quips, but there"s no heat behind his words. In fact, Raihan can practically feel the nerves radiating from the other man.
"Fine, I"ll go first then."
Piers leans ever so slightly forward, his head tilting to one side, waiting for his answer. Raihan could easily spew some Tauros shite excuse that he just did this on a whim, or that Leon badgered him into it, but very quickly realized that if that was the reason someone else gave for agreeing to a date with him he"d feel pretty shitty.
"I was tired of being alone," he finally admits, and his smile drops to a barely there thing. Piers thinks he looks wistful.
"Me, too," Piers admits as he leans back and his fingers reflexively tug at his choker.
"Then let"s make the most of the evening. I know this isn"t what either of us were expecting, but we"re here now."
Piers looks up through his lashes and smiles, the same smile Raihan saw earlier. Still stunning.
"Yeah, let"s do that."
Things started to flow more easily after that. That uncomfortable veneer was cracked, and they were enjoying their drinks and catching each other up on what was going on in their lives. The waiter had just dropped off a basket of rolls, and they laughed when their hands collided as they both reached for one at the same time.
"Allow me," Raihan says, and Piers has to wonder if Raihan had always been such a gentleman.
Raihan took a roll and put it on a plate and was handing it over to Piers when it happened.
There was a loud boom coming from somewhere in the restaurant. Suddenly, servers and kitchen staff were running into the dining area, shouting for everyone to evacuate as smoke started to pour out from the kitchen.
Both men stood up, but instead of either one of them running, they began to move through the tables, helping people gather their things, moving them swiftly out of the restaurant.
"Don"t panic, but move quickly," Raihan called out, scanning the area for stragglers.
With the room looking clear of people, Raihan called to Piers for them to move out, but Piers was going in the opposite direction of the exit.
"What are you doing?"
Raihan started coughing, and grabbed one of the cloth napkins off of a table and held it to his mouth. The smoke was getting thick, but he couldn"t leave Piers behind.
Just as he was about to run over and bodily drag the exasperating man out, he watched as Piers stood up from where he had been crouched down, lifting a small child to him, pulling his coat over her face to try and protect her from the smoke.
"I gotcha, lass," and he nods to Raihan as he passes, cuddling the child closer, whispering words to keep her calm, even as his eyes watered and his voice cracked from the smoke and heat. Raihan followed behind him, but he swears, in that moment, if he had ovaries, he would have dropped an egg or three. Point to Leon. Piers is a teddy bear.
*****
Piers was sitting on the tailgate of an ambulance with an oxygen mask on his face. Raihan had already been checked out and cleared and made his way over. Piers had inhaled quite a bit of smoke coaxing the child out. The little girl and her very grateful parents were taken to the hospital for the child to be examined. It turns out that they had gotten separated in the initial stampede, and the firefighters wouldn"t let them back in to search for her.
"Bloody hell, mate," Raihan begins. "What were you thinking?"
"Was thinkin" I heard snifflin" and went to check it out."
"I know, you"re right. I would have hated myself if I knew a child got left behind. You just gave me a fright, is all."
"Aww," and Piers bats his eyelashes, "aren"t ya a sweet one."
Raihan snorted, and was about to tease back, when a medic came over to check Piers" vitals.
"Are you feeling alright, sir? Do you need more time with the oxygen?" the medic asked once he was done.
"Nah," and Piers slipped the mask off. "Feelin" good, thanks."
Piers hops off the back of the ambulance, and looks up at Raihan who quickly schools his features, but Piers is sure he was just looking soft as a kitten at him.
Both men turn and look at the restaurant, smoke billowing out, as a fire team worked to douse the flames.
"We never got our food, and ‘m starved," Piers said.
For a split second Raihan was sure that meant Piers was going to go home and eat. Any sane person would have called an end to their evening after watching their romantic date location burn. However, Piers stood there expectantly, and Raihan couldn"t stop his smile.
"There"s a good pub a couple blocks over. Decent selection on tap, too."
"Lead the way, dragon boy."
*****
They made it two blocks. One more block and they would have arrived at their destination where they would have feasted on meat pies and chips while sipping a good pint. Instead, their way was blocked by a masked man trying to mug an old woman of her purse.
"NOOO!" she screamed, fighting in a tug of war with the man. "I"ll give you my money, but you can"t have my shnookums."
"Oi! Back off," Piers yells out.
"You heard the lady," Raihan says at almost the same time.
A final tug, and the mugger snatched her bag and took off. Raihan looked at Piers, then looked one way, then the other, then nodded at Piers. Piers nodded back, and the two men started running in opposite directions. Piers was following the man, while Raihan ran down an alley. Piers was really regretting his choice of heeled boots as he released Obstagoon.
"Don"t let that git outta your sight," and Obstagoon ran, taking the lead on Piers.
They chased him to the end of the T-intersection, just as Raihan ran up on him from the right. Obstagoon was behind him and closing in, so the thief took off to the left.
"Go, Flygon! Block him in!" Raihan shouted as he threw his pokeball.
Flygon swiftly flew overhead and saw Obstagoon in chase and took off in the other direction, before landing in front of the man trying to make his getaway. Flygon growled and unfurled his wings, and the mugger skidded to a stop and turned, only to come face to face with a snarling Obstagoon that just dared him to make a move. The man held up his hands in defeat, dropping the purse. Obstagoon picked it up and swung it on his shoulder, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.
Raihan was already there calling the police as Piers finally jogged up out of breath.
"Bloody hell," he heaved, bending forward with his hands on his knees, sucking in shallow breaths. Raihan looked over as he held the phone up to his ear and saw the beads of sweat drip down Piers" delicate, creamy neck. A neck that"s just begging for kisses, and maybe a bite or two... He had to turn away quickly at the direction his thoughts were going.
"Hullo, yes, I need to report a crime."
Piers stood back up after mostly catching his breath, and looked over at Raihan. The man didn"t even have the good manners to break a sweat, though there was a light sheen on his golden skin. And shite, has his shoulders always been that broad?
Thoughts of how fit Riahan is aside (and how had he never noticed?) Piers can"t say he isn"t impressed with Raihan"s quick thinking. They had what was basically an entire conversation through their eyes and he completely understood what Raihan wanted to do.
"Yes, I hear the sirens. Thank you." Raihan hangs up the phone and turns around to look at Piers. "Turns out the lady who"s bag he stole had called the police, so they were already on the scene."
Piers nods, then squats down where he"s standing, his feet starting to ache from running. He"s feeling a little sticky, and finds that he is more than a little annoyed. He picks up a pebble off of the ground and chucks it at the thief.
"You interrupted our date, ya tosser," Piers sneers at the man still standing between their pokemon.
Raihan looks a little shocked at Piers" declaration, but his heart picks up a beat at the fact that Piers does in fact want to be here with him.
"Yeah," Raihan throws in at the guy, too, unable to really think of anything clever to add, but then he sees something that renders him from thinking about anything else other than what he"s seeing.
"Um, Piers?"
"Yeah."
"Your Obstagoon is holding the purse."
"Yeah, and?"
"No, I mean, like, he"s wearing it."
Obstagoon perks up at them talking about him and seems to pose with the bag, one clawed hand holding on the strap.
"Oh, yeah. Marnie started it. I"d make her take Goon if she was goin" shoppin" alone. She"d make him hold her bag, and he started copyin" how he saw her do it."
Now Obstagoon preened and seemed to be showing off his handbag carrying skills, turning to one side, then the next.
"Goon, goon!" the pokemon replies, and Raihan can"t help but laugh.
"You are very fashionable, Obstagoon. Very handsome!" he tells him, as he ruffles his fur and the large pokemon rumbles what sounds like a purr at him. This is right up there on the cute scale with Trapinch first learning to walk while balancing his giant head.
"Stop it, Rai. Ya gonna give him a bigger head than he"s already got."
"Goooon."
"Oi, no pouting. You"re the best, and ya know it."
At this point, Flygon chirped and stood tall.
"I think your Flygon feels left out," the mugger said.
Raihan almost told the guy that no one asked him, but Flygon did look very put out at being excluded. Before Raihan could say anything, Piers was up and walked over to his pokemon.
"You"re a sweetheart for lettin" Goon have all the attention for so long. We didn"t forget about ya," and he patted the pokemon with one hand, and pulled out something from his pocket with his other. "Rai, can Flygon have a treat?"
"Sure," and OH MY ARCEUS Piers carries treats in his pocket? How cute is this man?
"My own homemade treat candies made with fresh berries. Like eatin" a berry but not havin" to worry ‘bout them gettin" smashed."
Flygon looked confused at the little sweet presented to him.
"Just pop it in your mouth, but don"t chew or swallow, yeah?"
Flygon carefully put the treat in his mouth, and in a few seconds his eyes went wide and he jumped up and down, smacking on the candy happily.
"You make your own treats?"
"Yeah," but before Piers could elaborate, the police rolled up.
*****
It took an hour. An hour for them to take the thief into custody, take all of their statements, and for Piers and Raihan to find out that "shnookums" was a Pyukumuku, and a surprisingly cuddly one at that.
The nice, old lady tried to give the two men a reward for catching the mugger and getting her purse back, but they both declined, happy to see her reunited with her pokemon.
"Your obvious love for, and connection with, your partner is payment enough, ma"am," Raihan had told her. Piers believed he meant that. He really is a gentleman.
They stood together on the corner, watching as the last police car left.
"Well, then," Raihan started, but was unsure what to even say. This has to be the strangest date ever.
"Huh," Piers replied, because he didn"t know what to say either.
"It"s late," Raihan started. "We"ve both been run through the ringer, and I don"t know about you, but I"m still hungry. What do you say we get to that pub and get take-away, then kick our shoes off at my place and eat?"
"Your place, ay?" Piers says with a mischievous look on his face.
"Hey," and Raihan holds up his hands yielding. "Not suggesting anything other than food and relaxing. Not that I wouldn"t want to… um… not that I"m asking. But I mean, not that I wouldn"t want to ask. I just..."
Piers couldn"t help it. He started laughing. He is beyond tickled that this man who exudes confidence and sex appeal by the ton just got tongue tied after he basically admitted to being attracted to him. And he admitted it in the most adorable, unromantic way. At the same time, it has to be the most earnest compliment Piers can remember getting in a long time.
"Oh, I ain"t laughin" at ya," Piers says at Raihan"s adorable pout. "I think you"re cute, too."
"Oh," and Raihan feels the heat on his face. It"s moments like this he"s grateful for his darker complexion. It makes blushes a little harder to see. "So, is that a yes to food at my place then?"
"Abso-fuckin"-lutely. I ain"t less hungry. I could prolly eat two full plates ‘bout now."
They started walking and Raihan reached out and grabbed Piers" hand, mumbling under his breath about leading the way. Piers tried holding back his smile. Raihan really is cute.
They made it to the corner of the street where the pub is.
There was an entire section of sidewalk missing, and in its place was a squishy pile of mud that accumulated after the rain from the night before. Unfortunately for Piers and Raihan, they didn"t see it because someone thought it was clever to move the blockade board that had been in place to keep people safely out of it.
Raihan stepped in first, and his foot slipped out from under him. Piers tried valiantly to steady him, but the tall, solid body he was trying to hold up was instead pulling him down. Piers watched in awe as Raihan maneuvered mid fall, twisting his body so his back was going down as he pulled Piers to his chest.
The squelch of mud squishing around them rang out as loud as a muddy water attack.
"Fancy meeting you here," Raihan quips, trying to make light of the situation. He can feel the mud in his hair and ears. He was also trying not to think about the fact that their faces are just a breath away from each other.
"Are ya alright?" Piers asks, though he doesn"t move right away. He"s trying to figure out the best way to get up without hurting Raihan, or falling face first into the mud himself. If the circumstances were different, he wouldn"t be feeling guilty for enjoying the feeling of the other man"s body under his.
"The mud broke my fall."
Piers let his face fall into the crook of Raihan"s neck as he snickered helplessly. Raihan felt the tingle run down his spine from Piers" breath on his skin. Or maybe he broke his back.
Piers gently pushed himself up, while managing to only get a bit of mud on his pants. He held out a hand to help Raihan up.
"You"re a right gentleman, breakin" my fall like that. Not sure my bony arse could"ve survived it."
"Eh, you look too pretty tonight to get coated in this crud," Raihan replied as he tried to rub the mud off of his hands onto the side of his pants.
"I look pretty?"
Raihan looked up at that.
"Do you not know how lovely you are?"
Piers blinked owlishly. Raihan said ‘how lovely you are," not just how lovely you look. There is a distinction there. He chose to sit on that thought for a while, and instead just shook his head no.
"Well then, let"s go get that food and get back to my place so I can change out of this," and he shook his muddy coat for effect, "and I will tell you all the ways that you are."
"Alright," Piers all but whispered.
Pub food and dry clothes at Raihan"s place would have been lovely, if Raihan hadn"t turned the corner and smashed head first into scaffolding.
*****
"Rai? Can ya hear me?"
Raihan hears the voice, but it seems far away. He feels something gently rubbing against his face.
"Rai!"
Raihan"s eyes abruptly open as a hand slaps his cheek.
"Oww…"
"I called a taxi. I"m takin" ya to the emergency."
"Why? I"m fine, see?" and he groans as he sits up from off the ground.
"Ya ain"t fine. Just, I dunno, don"t move a lot, yeah? How many fingers am I holdin" up?" and Piers flips up two fingers.
"Did you just give me a two finger salute, Piers?"
"Yeah, ‘m holdin" two fingers up," Piers chuckles.
The taxi lands then, and Piers helps a muddy and disoriented Raihan up and into the cab. A short flight later, and they are at the emergency room. The doctor on duty recognizes the two men, and quickly moves them to an exam room, and out of the public space.
A few minutes later, Raihan is taken on a gurney for some tests, leaving Piers to his own devices as he waits.
*****
"Where did you find food?" Raihan asks between bites. It was now almost midnight, and this was a far cry from the romantic café dinner, or even the delicious pub food, they should have had this evening. It was a bland turkey sandwich on white bread with a bag of crisps. They were both so hungry, that it hardly mattered.
"Asked a nurse if there was a vendin" machine or somethin", but she got me this from the cafeteria."
"The cafeteria is open at this hour?"
"Nah. Turns out she"s a fan of my music, so she snuck in for me."
"Your fans are hoodlums!" Raihan faux gasped, while clutching his imaginary pearls.
"‘Course they are. It"s what makes ‘em interestin"."
"Well, I"m glad they are. We are finally getting our date."
"Still think I"m lovely under bright institutional lightin"?"
"The loveliest."
"Oi, that"s sappy."
"Well, I"m sappy."
"Didn"t know that ‘til now. I like ya sappy."
Raihan was beaming, and the act of smiling would have hurt more if it weren"t for the pain killers they gave him. They were not strong enough to make him feel out of it, but they were definitely strong enough to take the edge off. Almost as good as having had a couple of Liepard cocktails, which he would have preferred.
"Hullo, Raihan," the doctor interrupted, walking into the room. "Good news is that you don"t appear to have a concussion, but I"m still ordering bed rest for two days..."
"Two days? But doc, my gym…"
"Oi, and ya have gym trainers that ya should have some faith in," Piers chastised. "Ya ain"t no good for your gym if you"re hurtin". And I can check in on it if it"ll make ya feel better."
"Piers is right. Two days and get actual rest. I said you appear to not have a concussion, but If you get a persistent headache, experience blurry vision, or have any of the symptoms listed here," and he hands Raihan a concussion protocol pamphlet, "you come back immediately. Concussion symptoms can be subtle and may not show up immediately."
*****
"Piers, you didn"t have to see me home," Raihan says, as the taxi takes off after dropping them off. He feels bad because it"s so late now, and Piers will have to wait for another taxi to go home.
"You were chivalrous enough to save me from the mud, so it"s my turn to be the gentleman and make sure ya get home."
"Well then, kind sir..." Raihan trails off. He"s standing still, looking around with a confused look on his face.
"Do we hafta get ya back to the hospital already? Can"t remember which one is yours?"
Piers sounds very concerned, but Raihan just sighs and shakes his head.
"No. The taxi dropped us on the wrong street. My place is on Castlegate Road. This is Castlegate Circle."
"Ya takin" the piss?"
"Sorry, but no. We"re only two streets off though."
A loud boom interrupts them.
"Oh, what now?" Raihan shouts, as he looks around.
A second boom, this time unmistakable as a clap of thunder rumbled.
Then the sky opened up.
"Are ya fuckin" kiddin" me?" Piers laments, pulling his coat tighter around him, but he is startled by the sound of laughter.
Piers stares at Raihan as he laughs, and it is magical. It is not the maniacal laughter Piers feels bubbling inside of him at yet another thing that has gone wrong tonight. No, this was a joyful sound, and he watches as Raihan stretches out his arms and throws his head back, as the rain pelts down on him.
It is a beautiful sight.
Another crack of thunder, followed by the illumination of lightning, prompts Piers into action.
"Come on then. Let"s get ya home before something else can happen." Like getting struck down where we stand he thinks, but does not say out loud. Seems silly to tempt fate like that.
Piers hooks his arm with Raihan"s, and shoves his other hand in his now wet coat, and the two start to move quickly.
It is a short walk, and once inside, Raihan kicks his shoes off, then takes off his coat. Piers had just managed to get himself out of his boots by then, so Raihan helps him out of his coat.
He hangs Piers" coat on the hook next to his own and turns just in time to catch an armful of a wet, adorable man with running mascara.
"Genuine," Piers whispers.
"Pardon?"
Instead of getting an answer, he is met with lips pressing a hesitant kiss to his own. Firm, but chaste. Raihan wraps his arms around Piers and that was all it took for the dam to break. The well of emotion that had been bubbling up all night erupted. Eyes slip close as lips move and meld together, and their tongues chase each other between their mouths.
Piers ran his tongue along a sharp canine and groaned, as his fingers tangled in Raihan"s locks. A pained grunt stopped Piers in his tracks.
"Shite," Piers says, as he loosens his hold, and moves back. "You"re supposed to be restin", and I"m throwin" myself at ya like a wh…"
"Do not finish that sentence," Raihan says, holding a finger up against Piers" lips. "We are in this moment together."
Raihan feels Piers shiver, and as much as his ego would love for it to be because of him, it is, he realizes, because they are soaked through from the rain.
"We don"t need you getting sick. Why don"t you grab a hot shower here and I"m sure I have some clothes you can borrow. Or, you know," his voice goes shyly quiet, "you are welcome to stay the night. It is late and still storming out there."
Piers cocks his head as he stares at Raihan, and Raihan is afraid he just overstepped, but Piers" next words chase that notion away.
"Why don"t ya shower with me, then. You"re still muddy, and a hot shower should help your back from smartin" tomorrow." A sly look crosses Piers" face as he adds, "plus, if I stay the night, I can keep an eye on ya to make sure ya get some rest."
Raihan tries to hold back on the full wattage smile he feels taking over as he grabs Piers" hand and leads him to the bathroom.
Once there, they start to take off their clothes. Raihan is riveted as Piers removes his gray sweater, followed by his choker, that he places gingerly on the vanity. As Piers steps out of his pants, he looks up at Raihan who has paused on his pants buttons.
"Oi, forget how to work clothing?"
"No, um, just…" Raihan heaves a big sigh, and he is sure his dark skin isn"t hiding the blush burning his cheeks this time. "I may still be a little aroused from our kissing."
"Really?" and Piers feels like the Litten that got the cream.
"Don"t look so smug." Apparently Piers looked like that Litten, too.
"Don"t go gettin" shy on me now," he purred, as he stepped out of his underwear.
Raihan"s eyes roamed as Piers stood unabashed in front of him. He is thin, but he is all lean muscle under milky skin. Raihan"s eyes stop at Piers" cock, and it twitches under his scrutiny. Raihan never understood the erotic description of a penis as silk covered steel until this very moment.
He doesn"t think he"s ever gotten out of his pants faster than at that moment.
He is as broad shouldered as he looked earlier, and his skin is a beautiful olive that is begging to have kisses placed all over it. Piers looks further down, and damn, he thinks. Everything about this man is perfect, except for that one weird pinky toe that looks like it got broken a couple of times. Piers thinks he can live with that.
Looking back up at Raihan"s face, Piers giggled, actually giggled, when Raihan winked at him before turning on the shower.
"Damn, Rai," Piers said as they stepped into the large walk-in shower. "Ya can"t tell me that this is standard for castles. Gotta admit, I was kinda expectin" a claw-foot tub or somethin"."
"Had it installed after I started my breeding program. Ended up soaked trying to bathe the baby dragons, so…" and he swung his arms out, indicating the reason for such a large shower.
Piers can"t say he isn"t impressed as he reaches for the bar of soap. He starts working up a lather, and then he begins gently cleaning the mud crusted around Raihan"s neck. Raihan takes the soap from Piers" hand and starts to return the favor.
After some soapy exploring, mud removal, and hair washing, Raihan asks something that"s been on his mind since Piers kissed him.
"What did you mean earlier?" Raihan asks as he helps rinse some shampoo off of Piers" arms.
"Can ya be more specific?"
"You said ‘genuine" before you kissed me. Or at least I thought you did."
"Hmm…" Piers hummed. "I did."
Raian pulled their bodies flush to allow Piers to answer without him staring back.
"Don"t always trust nice folks. Too many people have been nice to me, but that don"t mean they were good to me, yanno? But..."
Raihan pinches his side, causing Piers to yelp and look up.
"What the…" but he is stopped short by gentle fingers under his chin, and soft lips being pressed to his own.
"Just tell me who"s arse I need to kick."
"Hah, like I can"t fight."
"Never said you couldn"t." Raihan paused, running his hands up and down Piers back. "Damn you have soft skin. You have completely made me forget my point."
Glad for the break, Piers snickers and with one arm still around his waist, he snakes his other hand down Raihan"s front, finding a not so little something perking back up.
"Ah, fucking hell, Piers!"
"Mmm… sorry. I can"t help meself," he whispers, as he works his hand up and down Raihan"s cock. The hot feel of it in his hand is making his body thrum.
Dropping to his knees, he watches as the soft skin yields under his touch, the head fully revealing itself on his down strokes. He ran his tongue around the head before gliding his lips gently along the veins of his length.
"You were gonna tell me all the ways I"m lovely. ‘M all ears."
"Oh, I was," was all Raihan was able to say before he watched himself disappear into Piers" mouth. He reached out and threaded his fingers through wet hair.
"Oh, that"s lovely," he began. Piers looked up at him as he took more of him into his mouth, keeping his pace slow and deliberate.
"You are stunning. I am weak for your smile. And your eyes? They shimmer like sea glass."
Piers hummed a moan, and his eyes fluttered. His pace sped up a bit as his other hand wrapped around his own member to stroke.
"Your heart is lovely. You care for others and will put yourself out to help, even when the world hasn"t always been as, oh shit, kind back." Raihan"s breathing picks up, and his heart is hammering.
"You are witty and funny, even, aah," he feels the head of his cock hit the back of Piers" throat, "even under, oh, stress.
"And you can, shit, be…" his fingers grip Piers" hair and his hips thrust gently with the rhythm set by the other man. He was so close. "You are so utterly charming. And, fuck.. Piers, I"m gonna, um, if you want to…"
Piers let go of himself and grabbed on to the back or Raihan"s thigh, his fingers digging in, letting him know without words what he wanted.
"Arceus, shit, Piers, so fucking…" he came then, his eyes rolling back, and his breath shuddering. It took a few seconds for his ears to stop ringing, as Piers continued gentle strokes and licks as Raihan came down from his orgasm.
"Up." Raihan pulled Piers up and wrapped a hand back in his hair, tipping him back as he thrust his tongue into his mouth, tasting himself mixed with Piers" own taste. He wraps his other hand around Piers cock and it only takes a few firm strokes before he feels his hot seed cover his hand.
"Sorry. Ya had me worked up with all your pretty words, yanno. And your cock in my mouth didn"t help."
Raihan huffed out a laugh, and pulled them both under the spray of the water to rinse off.
*****
"Do you know what Leon told me about my date tonight?" Raihan asked after as they were drying themselves.
"Prolly as little as he told me?"
"I think he told me what I needed to hear. He said that you might come across rough, but that you were actually a teddy bear, and that last bit was a quote. I had assumed he meant that my date was just sweet, but after tonight… I realize now what he meant. Teddy bears comfort and protect."
"And why"d ya need to hear that?"
"Flings used to be fun, but after awhile, I just felt like a famous fuck toy," Raihan finishes with a shrug.
"So, ya never had no one coddle ya properly, then?"
Raihan just shakes his head no. He"s afraid he"ll cry if he says anything more, and that"s not a good note to end on after an amazing blowjob.
"Leon told me my date smiled a lot, but was not insincere, and it clicked pretty quick after we decided to stay for dinner."
"Oh? Is that what you needed to hear?"
"Don"t know if I woulda" stayed without those words. Saw the difference in the smiles ya gave. You"re genuine. And a ridiculous sappy gentleman."
"Well, I don"t know about you, but my genuine ass is about to fall over."
"Oi, right. You shoulda been restin" by now."
"See? Teddy bear!"
Raihan laughed as Piers chucked a wet towel at him.
Raihan slips into a pair of sleep pants, as he watches Piers. He is standing there in nothing but a towel around his waist, his face clean of makeup, braiding his wet hair. He"s never seen Piers laid so bare before.
He wears a prickly exterior like armor, Raihan.
Piers twists the last bit of his braid before tying it off with a rubber band. He looks almost angelic without his makeup. Piers is kind, compassionate, a bleeding heart, really. Piers is also gruff, loud, and sometimes a bit of a pessimist. Raihan realizes that Leon was wrong about the armor. His spikes, collar, and makeup are as much a part of him as anything else.
Piers spies Raihan in the mirror, watching him. He has that dreamy look again, and he wonders what he"s thinking about. Piers turns around and picks up the shirt and shorts Raihan pulled out for him and gets dressed, then Raihan takes him by the hand and leads him to his room.
Piers feels like this should be awkward, or he should be shy, or something right now, but instead he feels safe. He took a leap allowing himself to be so vulnerable tonight, and Raihan opened up to him right back. He allows hope to creep into his heart that this may be the start of something wonderful.
"It"s probably safer that you are staying over. You know, just in case something else happens," Raihan says as they climb into bed.
"That is the cheesiest line ever, Rai," he says as they settle in and somehow fit together like they"ve done this a million times.
"I"m sappy or cheesy, Piers. Pick one."
"Why not both?" Piers laughs, then he asks, "Do ya think we set the record for the worst blind date ever?"
"Nah. Best date ever."
Piers blushes as Raihan brushes a kiss against his forehead before leaning over him to turn off the lamp.
*****
Leon is in the living room, getting comfy in his favorite chair. He has his morning cup of tea and Professor Kakui"s newest book on pokemon moves for battle royales sitting on his side table. He"s glad it is Sunday and for once in a long while, he has no plans and nothing he has to do. Charizard lumbers over and curls up on the floor next to him.
Before he picks up his book, he looks at his phone and sees a bunch of missed texts. He quickly opens his messages and starts reading.
Raihan:
7:50pm
Date should be here soon. I"m nervous. Still can"t believe I"m doing this.
7:58pm
Shit, Piers showed up at the restaurant. I hope he doesn"t see me. I"ll never hear the end of it.
8:01pm
You set me up with Piers? What the fuck?
8:04pm
I thought we were friends?
8:12pm
We decided to stay and catch up. Still don"t know what you were thinking.
8:40pm
The restaurant is on fire. We didn"t do it.
9:03pm
Piers is OK. Sucked in a lot of smoke, though. He saved a baby.
9:25pm
A fucking mugging. We got stuck by a fucking mugging.
9:27pm
We didn"t get mugged. We caught the guy. Obstagoon and Flygon did, really.
10:34pm
Had to give statements. The cops are leaving. Maybe we can finally get some food.
11:12pm
At the hospital. Covered in mud and might have a concussion. This is ALL ON YOU!
11:59pm
He found us food. His fans are amazing, beautiful, hoodlums, even when they are nurses.
12:15pm
No concussion, maybe? Two days bed rest. Ugh.
12:45pm
Rain.
7:11am
I see why you set us up now, and wonder why we never saw it ourselves.
7:12am
He"s asleep in my arms. <3 <3 Thanks mate. I owe you one.
Piers:
8:03pm
I"m gonna fucking kill u
2:14am
Nevermind
Leon sets down his phone and picks up his tea.
If this were a movie, this would be the scene where the camera would be on a close-up of Leon"s face. He would look smug, much like how he is looking now. The camera would start to pan back slowly. You would see Charizard resting his head in Leon"s lap, as Leon stroked his head, much like he"s doing now. The camera would continue its steady long-shot, and our hero would slowly smile at a job well done, much like Leon is smiling right now.
