Honestly, Elliott had no fucking idea why he thought going on a date with a stranger from a dating app was a good idea. Actually, he had been against it, if it hadn't been for someone interfering with his life and trying to sabotage his phone.

Cough. CIAN MAHER. Cough.

Elliott had grumbled, been pouty about the prospect of having another blind date, essentially. Except he had a clue of who he was meeting, unlike caden maher's case.

And sure was cute. That made it all the more nerve wracking.

They'd agreed to a date in Mauville City, where Eli had dressed rather nicely to go out. Black slacks and a button down that was neatly tucked in and held down with a belt adorned his body as he scrolled through his messages.

Ping!

He looked at her message stating she'd be late. A small surge of anxiety trickled through him as he bit his lip. What if she decided not to show, and he looked like a fool? He was fumbling to figure out what to say when an ALTARIA swooped down with the princess.

"Hey, nice to meet- you!"

Eli was caught off guard by her hug, freezing for a moment before offering one back.

annalise henderson

☉

"What'd you do to make your roommate hate living with you?" Eli teased, unable to hide the smirk growing on his lips.

Roommate... he couldn't imagine living with someone. He'd had his own place for a while now, thanks to the sufficient pay checks that modeling brought it.

And the occasional penny or two thieving brought as well.

"Had to leave at some point."

Shooting him a look, Eli snorted.

"Are lewd thoughts the only thing going in that mind of yours?"

caden maher

☉

Elliott decided to settle back in his bed, waving him off.

"Don't use up all the hot water, or else I'll make you piss in your sleep by putting your hand in water," he warned.

CIAN MAHER

☉

Eli didn't expect the feeling of a warm hand grasping his, looking down where their fingers had somehow become intertwined. Part of him wanted to rip his hand away, as though he had burned him with a hot iron.

But he didn't, instead indulging him and allowing himself to accept this intimate gesture.

"Sounds like a lot of money," he grumbled.

Eli had always been a stickler for money. Tonight was an exception, since he had been forced into this.

"No. I live in Sootopolis now. I left Rustboro a long time ago."

caden maher

☉

Elliott couldn't help a gruff chuckle, shrugging his shoulders. Cian wasn't wrong.

Everything would be a shit show as long as they stayed in Rocket.

"Not like the League is much better either. Maybe we should just run away and be hermits on a different continent."

It was a joke, but not dealing with the weight of good versus evil would be nice.

"Yeah. You suck at that."

He couldn't help teasing him a bit, the smallest of smirks crawling onto his lips before he shoved him.

"Do you want a change of clothes and to stop smelling like beer or not? Don't complain, asshole."

CIAN MAHER

☉

Elliott's gaze, which had been locked on his hands, snapped up as Cian approached his bed. He reeked of beer, soaking his clothes. A gnawing feeling of guilt shot through him as he swallowed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make things complicated. But, that's what I'm good at."

It wasn't often Eli showed his weak side. The one that felt the need to take blame, to be labeled as a nuisance. Paranoid and anxious, the need to make everything perfect evident.

"I don't think I was made out for this. Unattached relationships. I couldn't shake the feeling of being mad that I wasn't getting attention, even though that's not what we talked about..."

He sighed, running his fingers through his spiky hair before standing up.

"You can shower if you want. I have clothes you can change into," he offered, indicating to the soaked articles Cian still wore.

CIAN MAHER

☉

Dinner went swimmingly. And by that, it went as awkwardly as it had been going. At least on Eli's side.

Even after that comment, which could mean so many things. He didn't know what was with the Maher brothers and their inability to be clear.

The check was paid, and Elliott led the way down the boardwalk. One of his hands rested in a pocket of his outfit, the other hanging out to the side as though he was modeling in the night scenery.

"How long have you lived down here? Away from Rustboro?"

caden maher

☉

Elliott didn't understand how things seemed to come so easily to Cian. Even with this sex and romance stuff, it was so casual and easy for him.

Why was he struggling with it so much?

"How do you do it? You make it sound like it's so easy. How do you not... think about everything that happened before? Doesn't it mess with you?"

Feelings... Eli wondered. Was that what had caused his uproar at the bar? The reason that he poured the beer all over Cian and stormed away? But why had he chased him down?

"Why did you follow me?"

CIAN MAHER

☉

Bossy? The hell was he calling bossy? He was being assertive.

But, Elliott would store that information in the back of his mind, for future reference should he need it.

Wait... why would he need it? Was he considering anything more than this dinner with caden maher? His best friend's brother?

As he was thinking it, Caden suggested a walk and going back to their home. Together. He had to admit that he was surprised that the doctor would want to spend more time with him after this. However, his question he had been asking before was answered.

"Okay. Where's your place?"

caden maher

☉

Despite the honesty and despite knowing it was for the better, it didn't stop the shooting pang of insecurity and hurt that hit him hard in the chest.

Eli was emotional and high-strung. Cian was drunk. Neither of them were in a place where they should make a decision like sleeping together like this. And, maybe there was a hint of wisdom in his friend's words.

For once.

Elliott's gaze didn't reach his, focused elsewhere as he accepted his fate. He knew better. They both did. The first time shouldn't have happened, and the consecutive times shouldn't have either.

Stepping back, he turned back and sat on his bed, crossing his hands in front of him, peering down.

"How... how are we supposed to be friends like we were before, after all of this?" he asked, a genuine question from a boy who never knew or dealt with emotional feelings in his twenty-one years of living.

CIAN MAHER

☉

What was he doing. It was a good question that Elliott felt like he couldn't answer himself.

He stared at Cian, his teeth digging into his lip as he tried to figure out what to say. So he decided:

"This is it. If you want to spend the night with me again, this is your last chance to."

Because after tonight, Eli had to quit.

CIAN MAHER

☉

"Shut up and eat your stupid food," Eli retorted, giving him a look as he aggressively shoved a piece of pork into his mouth.

There seemed to be a small lull in conversation as food was brought out. They began to eat, and even doing that in front of Caden made him feel self conscious. He felt like he was watching his every move, calculating exactly what to say next.

He felt like he couldn't read him well at all.

Thank Arceus that he had no food or drink in his mouth when he answered his question, because he would have aspirated and needed the Heimlich. Eli cleared his throat, awkwardly coughing.

"So... what, you want to... do that after this or something?"

Was he proposing that Caden come over after dinner?

caden maher

☉

"You don't know what I do in my private life, nor do you need to know," he shot back at him.

Elliott's busy schedule hardly allowed time for fun and frisky business. However, that didn't mean he wasn't getting any. Not that he would convey that to mint frost.

Looking at the UNOWN, he pulled out the Poke ball that contained his own, an UNOWN D levitating at his side. He ignored the urge to make a snide comment about him having friends or keeping his weird ass Pokemon away from his.

Instead, Eli focused on the strange creatures, which seemed to catch the attention of the PANGOROS as well.

"So, like, ancient Pokemon, then."

mint frost

☉