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[attr="class","star2"]“Mister Rourke! I’ve already told you three other times this month, companion Pokémon are supposed to stay in their balls during class!”[break][break]

Wren winded at the teacher’s reprimand, while Juno scrambled back to hide under his desk. “I’m sorry, ma’am! Juno just…doesn’t like to stay in her ball, that’s all..” It would have been fine if Juno hadn’t snuck out of his backpack as curiosity consumed her and she chose to mess with the model skeleton in the corner of the lab.[break][break]

“Learn to contain her better! Or leave her at home. Third period detention, and put her back into her pokeball, then put it in your locker!”[break][break]

Any counters from Wren were immediately hushed, and he grabbed his back with an audible noise of dismay as he left the lab to a chorus of snickers, Juno hot on his heels. It wasn’t his fault she was a little unruly! She was young, and he’d only just received her for his birthday from his older sibling. Plus, how was he supposed to say no to her sad brown eyes?[break][break]

“You’ve really done it now, Juno. Now we can’t even be sneaky.” He stooped to scratch her head. She didn’t care a bit about the chiding, and nipped at his shirt cuff playfully instead. “No..it’s not playti-“ A familiar voice cut through the quiet of the hall and silenced his words. Wren quickly perked…only for his face to fall in distress.[break][break]

At first, Wren ignored the initial question— his response reserved to the startled sound that erupted from the back of his throat at the state of Levy’s poor little face. Bag tossed down, he beelined for his friend with large, pleading eyes.[break][break]

“Levy, your cheek! What happened?” Bottom lip poking out in a pitiful little pout, he immediately reached up to squish his face, careful of the swollen spot as he examined it. Short as he was, Wren had to lean up on his toes to do so.[break][break]

“Was it Todd again? I’m gonna say something to him this time, really.” That little group of their peers never took Wren seriously, small and doe-eyed as he was. Too perky to be considered a viable threat. “Yeah, if you wanna. I kinda…got detention next period.”[break][break]
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Levy Alinsky

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Maybe it was a little cowardly to run away from his problems, but after years of running being his only means of protection, he didn’t know what else to do. He’d grown up a little since then, considering he used to hole up in a closet by himself. Wren had changed that, of course, it wasn’t exactly growth on his own part. Wren kept finding him and, eventually, Levy stopped hiding. It was much easier just to find the other instead. A useful coping mechanism, it seemed.
[break][break]
Of course, he found the other struggling with his sassy eevee, which was a lot harder to hide than his own Salandit. The lizard was tucked beneath the collar of his jacket, soaking in his body heat. Every once in a while, he’d feel the sticky pudge of a tongue dart out.
[break][break]
Really, Levy should have anticipated by now that Wren’s reaction was going to be… physical. The touch still came unanticipated, as it always did. And, to be expected, Levy jumped a little under the foreignness of contact. At some point, Wren had become an exception to the rule and he didn’t know how. That was the thing about Wren, he slipped beneath his skin and found a home there, and Levy had never seen it coming.
[break][break]
As the other boy leaned up on his toes and the dizzy prickle of fingertips on barely-touched skin really set in, Levy could feel his face heat a little. He’d never admit to how much he liked the contact though. How it felt like the warmth of lit candles, burning away the chill. Like he was some place safe and could finally allow himself to rest. Maybe he could, for a second, accept the brush of fingers to trail across his cheeks or into his hair or down the nape of his neck and just —
[break][break]
He pried himself away mentally from those thoughts, they weren’t productive. “Say what, exactly? Then he’ll just be nasty to you and then I’ll really need to teach him a lesson. Wren, It’s not worth it.” He sighed, reaching forward to ruffle the other’s hair and then took hold of the wrist belonging to the hand still caging his lower face. “Look at you, being a delinquent. Guess the only thing we can do is skip it and go to that diner down the street, what do you say?”


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wren rourke

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[attr="class","star2"]Admittedly, Wren sort of forgot that Levy wasn’t as used to contact as he was. He was naturally an affectionate person, sharing even platonic gestures that were considered a bit touchy feely with others. It always took him by surprise whenever Levy flinched a bit under that touch, but in time, he’d started accepting it. Which was all the better for Wren, who only continued to smother him with contact, all ranging from subtler to less so.[break][break]

Wren could feel Levy’s skin warm under his palms, and though it made color lift in his own face, it didn’t deter Wren from holding on as he whined over the state of his friend’s cheek, either. His heart did a little, extra quick thump-thump over how close this put them together, and Wren had to swallow down the little ideas that crept to the front of his mind. The swipe of a thumb across a lower lip, or how easy he would be to lift if he let his arms tangle around Levy’s neck.[break][break]

Though nothing was said aloud, his face flushed brighter. There wasn’t any point to thinking like that. He was just…Wren to Levy. Nothing more than that. A best friend.[break][break]

“Well I’d give him a piece of my mind, that’s what! Really let him know if he doesn’t let up on you, I’ll make it hard for him!” Wren was a pipsqueak and a pushover. He wouldn’t be making anyone’s life difficult any time soon. His shoulders climbed to his ears as his hair was ruffled, followed by his affronted cry. “Heeeey!” One of his hands pulled away to pat his hair down again as he sulked.[break][break]

Then Levy’s fingers closed around his wrist, and Wren felt his stomach twist up with butterfree again. “I know, though. I’m like, super bad boy now.” His nose wrinkled, and he looked more like a baby buneary than a real rebel. Still, he didn’t hesitate at the offer or hold any sort of reservations.“Yeah! Let’s go! We gotta find a good exit..” His hand slid down into Levy’s where his fingers were clasped. But it was innocent. Really.[break][break]

Obviously they couldn’t just walk out the front door. Then they’d really be in trouble.
[break][break]
[break][break]
Levy Alinsky

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Wren always seemed to have this effect on him. Levy wasn't so stupid as to believe he had no idea why that was. He knew exactly why Wren had this effect on him. It felt like the other had him in the palm of his hands, moldable as wet clay. He was incapable of doing anything about it too. Instead, all he could do was soften under the other's touch, even when his body told him to bristle and bite.
[break][break]
A little smile formed, eyebrow rising in amusement. "Really?" He huffed a little laugh, "That'd be a sight to see, but it's unnecessary." He made his own life choices and he wasn't about to have Wren pay for that. "Seems like you're already in enough trouble without me, rebel. So, no please... don't do anything dumb." No doubt his detention was earned from something entirely harmless. It wasn't likely that Wren could actually hurt anything, let alone do anything worthy of detention. Knowing him, it was probably pokemon-related.
[break][break]
"You know, most people dig bad boys." Another teasing smirk, though was immediately distracted by the feeling of fingers tangling with his own. It was so very Wren, entirely innocent and innocuous of any intent. The question was how they were going to escape, so he focused instead on the possible exit. "West hall never has any one in it, no surveillance either." He pulled the other after him as he made way for the west hall. As to be expected, it didn't seem to have any hall monitors. They were bound for freedom.
[break][break]
Outside, they could duck through the outer buildings, he knew most of the surveillance on school grounds. Maybe if he was a better student, he'd spend less time mapping out exits and more time studying, but he was awful at math and sciences. Unless it was literature, he didn't really care to pay attention.
[break][break]
"Coast is clear, I think."


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wren rourke

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[attr="class","star2"]Wren huffed determinedly. “Yeah way! I think it’d be a good show,” his cheeks puffed in his vigor, just slightly, brows pinched together. In all truth, his opponent would only proceed to wipe the floor with him, but this was his heroic daydream, dagnabit! “Juno snuck out of her ball again..” he relented afterward, grumbly over the fact that he hadn’t actually done anything to warrant the detention.[break][break]

“Oh.” Wren’s face flushed pink as his eyes widened. “Really, they do?” Did that mean, uh…no there wasn’t a hidden meaning behind the tease. No way. Levy was just messing with him. Besides, despite the new detention slip stuffed in his pocket, Wren was probably the furthest thing from an actual bad boy and therefore should be excluded from the insinuation. Levy probably liked actual bad boys. Not wannabes and pipsqueaks like him.[break][break]

It made his tummy turn over uncomfortably to think about, so he shut the thought train down with squealing brakes.[break][break]

Unconsciously, though, his hand squeezed Levy’s tighter at the same time. Instinctively possessive of what he knew he couldn’t have. But it was fine, it was cool. All good, peachy keen. “Do you cut class a lot?” he asked as Levy mapped out a plan of escape for them, Juno chasing after the two of them. Not that Wren really minded whether the other did or not. It was actually kinda thrilling to break the rules for once.[break][break]

“Wow!” he said breathlessly once Levy wove them through the halls and out the back door. Through the narrow alleys between buildings, hidden away from janitorial staff and any wandering teachers who weren’t in class at the moment. Soon enough, they were truants standing on the sidewalk down the street. “You’re like, a total pro!”

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Levy Alinsky

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Levy couldn't help but smile at that, really smile. No one had ever offered to protect him like that, even if the point had gone astray. There was no reason for Wren to protect him, after all he got himself into these situations. Maybe if he kept his mouth shut, he wouldn't get into these fights to begin with, but he couldn't. Too much pride.
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"Yeah, most people." He said with a laugh. Levy wasn't really one of them, but he didn't actually think Wren was a bad boy. Wren apologized to garden plants when he accidentally stepped on them. There wasn't likely a bad bone in his body and, admittedly, that was what Levy liked about him. He cared. No one else had the kindness that Wren possessed.
[break][break]
"Uhhh... yeah." He felt a little guilty admitting the truth, not that it was exactly hard to swallow, considering he was quite naturally slipping out of school. The difference was that he was now taking Wren out with him. He was a shitty influence on the other for sure. Still, it was nice not to do it alone. "It's nice to have company for once though." Wren made him honest where he wanted to lie.
[break][break]
He squeezed the other's hand back, figuring that he was simply nervous about getting caught. Before long, they were free of school grounds. Levy sighed in relief, glad that he wasn't dragging the other into more detentions. He laughed at that. "Not really... guess I'm just used to being sneaky when I need to."

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wren rourke

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[attr="class","star2"] It was natural to smile back at him. Easy, even. Like breathing. Most things felt simple like that around Levy. Not that Wren would admit as much because that would probably only lead to disappointment.[break][break]

“Maybe I should toughen up then!” he declared, but that sounded like an impossible task. He wanted to be impressive, though. Especially to Levy. Not that he meant to linger on those particular thoughts, or entertain them. That wouldn’t be fair to Levy who couldn’t help it if he only held platonic feelings toward Wren. Most people, he said. Not all.[break][break]

He nearly shook his head literally to shake off the thought. The last thing he should be doing is reading into every little thing and daydreaming about it all.[break][break]

He’d only end up hurting his own feelings. And he’d already done that before.[break][break]

“If I was any good at it, I probably would do it more,” he said with a laugh, “so I’m happy to come along.” The squeeze against his palm sent a thrill humming through him. It…no, it didn’t mean anything so it would be dumb to read into it. But it made a tiny little smile creep across his lips. “Do you need to be very often?”[break][break]

He caught himself immediately, smile dipping into a frown.[break][break]

“Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. That’s probably personal.”
Tugging his hand, he coaxed him toward the sidewalk. “You said you wanted to go to the diner, right?”

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Levy Alinsky

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Part of Levy felt a little... guilty? Like he was leading Wren on to a dead-end path. If this was any other world, maybe he'd be less of a coward because he knew that Wren made him feel some kind of way. Yet that always made him feel nervous and jumpy, as if Wren were even capable of hurting him. The other boy couldn't hurt a cutiefly, clearly. But he also didn't want to be the one to hurt Wren, because unlike the other, he actually could hurt a cutiefly. He would feel bad, but that was the way of the world.
[break][break]
Not that he'd admit to that, of course. For now, wasn't it good enough just to be friends? Admittedly, he latched onto the idea a little forcefully. It was a gentle and sweet thing, this friendship. He craved that comfort like a starving man craved for food.
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"No, don't. You don't need to be. Trust me." So much for not leading him on to hurt though. Maybe he'd address it at some point, this obvious point of contention. Wren deserved to know the truth, didn't he?
[break][break]
That question provoked a thought and it probably wasn't what the other was thinking when he asked. Though he didn't blame Wren just because his life was a mess. "Sometimes... not all the time, but..." He shrugged at that, not really sure how to explain it. Had this been years ago, back when he was under the "care" of his mother, that answer would be very different. The need to hide and run away was almost constant. Hide or get hurt.
[break][break]
He forced himself to brighten up despite the dreary thought. "Yeah, they got great pancakes. And milkshakes." An odd combination, but he was a little odd. The diner in question was a little shabby, a little dingy, a little tacky. He liked it anyways. And, of course, he order pancakes and a chocolate shake.

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wren rourke

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[attr="class","star2"] Sometimes, there were moments when Wren could’ve sworn that whatever it was swirling around in his head and his heart wasn’t unrequited. All of the pining was something that had a reason, an ultimate purpose in the end. Levy would say something, or look at him in a particular way and Wren was so sure he wasn’t imagining it.[break][break]

And then it’d be out of reach again. So it must’ve all been up in his silly little imagination.[break][break]

“Mmmmmm…okay!” A wide grin splayed across his face, eyes bright and accepting of these terms. For all that big talk moments before, Wren knew he’d be lousy at anything intentionally bad. Except for maybe the class cutting. But that tough, unbothered ‘devil may care’ kind of persona? There was no way he’d manage it without fumbling or feeling guilty fast.[break][break]

Maybe that’s what Levy preferred actually? Not that he should’ve been reading into his insistence that a bad boy demeanor wasn’t necessary. That wouldn’t get him anywhere fast, would it? They were just friends, and Wren needed to be okay with that. At that rate, he was only disappointing himself without Levy having to even do or say anything.[break][break]

He frowned, though, as the line of thought shifted. The crackle of nerves was practically palpable to Wren. “Oh..um, well. The point is you’ve gotten good at being sneaky, and er…yeah!” Great save, Rourke… he should’ve known better to poke around weird topics. There were parts of Levy that were locked up tight and to draw near to them meant he shut down. Or fumbled and shut down, and Wren didn’t want that.[break][break]

They both seemed to sense it then, though, because Levy was quickly changing the subject, and Wren was latching onto it frantically. “Sounds like a sugar stomach ache waiting to happen, but I’m in!” He didn’t mind the looks of the place, and slid into one of the booths with cheerful energy. Feet swinging, hands tapping on the table. In the end, Wren ordered the same–just with a strawberry milkshake instead.[break][break]

“Do you like to come here a lot?”


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Levy Alinsky

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He wondered if Wren realized that he was special. Did he realize how much of an exception he was for him? That every day they spent together felt like something solid that he could hold onto when everything else felt tenuous and flimsy. Every once awhile, something achy would stir up in his chest at the realization before he quickly swallowed it up. The truth was that Wren made the steel in him go weak, but that was a terrifying thing. He put up those walls for a reason. It was supposed to protect him from the dangers he knew were out there.
[break][break]
It hurt to keep the other at arm's length though. Even if it didn't seem that way. Getting too close to the other boy was bound to punch back. One day, maybe he would regret this friendship too. Though he couldn't imagine a world where Wren was cruel or unkind. However, maybe he would be the one to hurt Wren and he'd never forgive himself for that.
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"I like sugar," He smiled. "And sweet things." That felt like too much of the truth, but he didn't take it back. It was too late for that. Instead, he regarded one of the televisions over the counter, news playing with the subtitles off. It was a matter of fitting words to a silent moving mouth. Sometimes he felt like that, what a stupid thought.
[break][break]
"Yeah, or well... I did. It's been a little while." He admitted. School made all sorts of things more difficult to accomplish. He had plans, but school didn't fit into it. "We could do something else... after this, if you want." He felt his skin heat up, just a little before he looked back to the television.

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wren rourke

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[attr="class","star2"]There was a part of his mind that wanted to read into every little thing Levy said. To twist the context of liking sweet things so that it meant something more directed. More personal. But that obviously wasn’t what he meant, and Wren would be stupid to take it that way. “Sweet tooth, huh? That’s funny–I’d think that you’d like to drink your coffee black.” Just to be cool. Not that Wren thought that was a problem. He quickly shut his mouth to keep from babbling and backtracking.[break][break]

Besides, he probably wouldn’t think that Wren was all that sweet if he knew those were his inner thoughts. How selfish Wren actually was inside where no one was able to see past his cheerful nature.[break][break]

His eyes followed Levy’s attention to the television, but he wasn’t sure what was fascinating about it. Maybe he was interested in the news report. Or…sports? That didn’t seem correct, though. His attention drifted to study the other’s profile, internally burning up with guilt for staring at him so directly. He was really bad at this being chill thing, wasn’t he?[break][break]

“Bet they still remember you, though. People are good with regulars like that.” He nodded knowingly–as if he, a teenager, had any real idea about it. His head tilted, face warming in sync with Levy’s. But soon enough a grin stretched across his face despite any nerves. “Yeah, sure! Like…what?”

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Levy Alinsky

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