Things had been...weird to say the least. Onyx's communications were on again, off again. One minutes he'd ghosted him, the next he's showing up at his door under the worst of circumstances. He's relieved they're talking again but...he wished he could get a better read on him. Then again, Andres is just as cagey. He's always pulling things back to a status quo. Bros. Homies. Finally after pining over the man for so long, friends. He could say that. Maybe. Out loud even. Maybe again. He just wanted them to be close, and not weird. He'd never wanted for anything more. [break][break]

Tumultuous history aside, the texts that lead into this meet up are concise but vague. Show up. Well, he's here then. Fidgety, and nervous, but here. Chuchi padded after him, silver pelt a dead giveaway in the darkness. The streak of color in the sky gave andres enough light to find his friend. "Hey- been waiting long?" he asked, flashing a practiced broad smile. [break][break]

He noted the picnic blanket and the smell of warm bread. "Hey guys." he added, nodding at Amplexus and Juliette. Chuchi sniffs at them, avoiding looking at Onyx. Her dislike for him is obvious but for Andres she would do anything. So she ignored him, finding it easier to speak with his pokemon. Except for Ziadem, who she also fucking hated.

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"Good." This was the first time Onyx and him had met outside their apartment with the intention of meeting. The first few had just been chance encounters. With Andres trying his best to break the ice and meeting the ice wall that was Onyx. Failing to comfort him, failing to converse with him, and at some point getting into a drunken argument with him. All bad. Although that last one had- er- mixed results. The times he came to the apartment were ALSO mixed results. One night they're hanging out, the next he's bleeding out on his balcony. Hopefully, this pattern would break now that this had been a planned encounter. [break][break]

He also hoped this meant that Onyx would come out if he asked him to. [break][break]

Andres grins in turn, plopping himself down on the blanket without hesitation. "Wining and dining me, huh?" he said, looking over the spread and shrugging off his jacket for now. Chuchi huffed, tucking her paws in and rolling her eyes at the pair. It was the least they could do after the mess they'd made in their home. Andres picks a piece of meat and chucks it at her. She catches it, jumping faster than possible with her size and snapping it out of the air. There's another huff as Andres laughs before she settled down again. [break][break]

He grabbed another piece, popping it into his mouth and licking his fingers clean. "Not bad, good idea Onyx." he said, nodding impressed but hazel eyes move to Jules to give a small nod. "Picnic under a Minior Shower? Private, classy, sweet. 8.5/10 date idea." he said, teasing more than anything. Whatever they were doing, it wasn't that. But Andres wasn't one to trip over things like that. More than anything, he was just happy Onyx wanted to hang out with him. In public.

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

"I like wine." Andres said with a little nod. He liked anything alcoholic. Even now when he no longer had as low of a tolerance as before. But he doesn't want to be drunk around Onyx. Mostly because he wanted to remember things. He wanted Onyx to know he meant what he said, when he said it. Not that- not that he had anything important to say. [break][break]

He smiled proudly as Chuchi seemed to puff up a little more. "She stays limber even with all that fat and muscle." he said with a little laugh. Chuchi, after all, was a class favorite. She was cute. She was fluffy. She had more than enough battle experience to scrimmage back to back with the kiddos. Chuchi was his anchor in Galar for a reason. [break][break]

He looks up as the colors change again and is take by the little Minior. Poor thing. "We should try to catch one...later, you know?" he said turning to Onyx excitedly. He laughed, even if Onyx seemed momentarily distracted. "Sure, I'll make an account and you'll be my first review." [break][break]

Andres' eyes are towards the sky, clear and perfect for the rainbow mess that's going to fall on them. "So...how are you?" To anyone else it might've been awkward or boring small talk. But Andres' eyes are locked on Onyx, genuinely curious. His companion is fickle, and he knows it. And he doesn't pretend to understand or hope he ever would. So when these kinds of happy moments happen to him, he just wanted to absorb everything about it. And while he was feeling brave, pick Onyx open, just like he always wanted to.

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Chuchi sniffs watching her only pokemon companions leave. She's seems a little miffed. Clearly, they'd helped their trainer set up a date and clearly Andres was ok with it. She wasn't. She didn't think she ever would be. After all, she'd never left that man's side. Ever since they'd met. She'd seem the effects of Onyx's actions. Even if Andres tried to forget or suppressed the memory, she wouldn't let Onyx forget. It's good he didn't try to pet her. He would've earned himself a bloody hand for his audacity. [break][break]

Even now, her eyes shine back each Minior passing, but something about how she stares is ominous. A threat only broken when Andres shifted and she turned to look at him. At the question her ears perk up. How rare of Onyx to ask about her. Her tail poofs up, and Andres groans. There it is. She bare her teeth, rolling over onto her back and then onto her feet and padding away. Her interest in tracking down one of the lost Miniors piqued. [break][break]

"She ate a bit of an Everstone when I was digging around fore a Fire Stone." he explained hands on his face as he remembered his horror. "Days and days of work wasted!" He said. The memory fresh despite it being over a decade ago. "Then while waiting for that to pass, the Fire Stone went missing." he said groaning. He looked at Onyx, half smiling. "She never evolved no matter how much she ate, or where we went, or what stones I showed her." Chuchi was just Chuchi. A normal type wit ha bone to pick with the world. "Picky runt." [break][break]

He lets out a laugh. Most would think Chuchi and Andres just weren't close. It'd explain why she hadn't become a Sylveon or Umbreon or even an Espeon. He didn't force the issue though. [break][break]

Andres nodded, not wanting to push too much on the subject of Onyx's eye. "I...I hope you're recovering well then." he said. It's good to see him again, truly. "Last we met you were still in a hospital bed." there's a bit of bitterness to his words but he does his best to hide it. "I'm ok. On...break due to the whole...METENO thing." he gestured vaguely with his hands to signify the whole uncertainty of the meteor that may or may not destroy Hoenn.

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He's glad Onyx found it funny, Andres hadn't for years. Well maybe months was more accurate. But it was Chuchi like alright. She was willful for a little chubby monster. His smile softens as Onyx tells him about his eye. He doesn't know the exact details of Onyx's work and he knows better than to ask. He still remembered their first meeting. The men hanging from ropes, broken and bloodied. Maybe even dead at that point. He doubts Onyx did that kind of stunt for fun. [break][break]

So he doesn't ask about work. He knows better. "If- If you're fine with it then...that's all I can ask for." he said not wanting to pry. "Even if it's familiar, it's still sad." But then again maybe that's what crybabies say. After all, Andres had always been a softy. He always felt too deeply and too much for people who may not have returned the sentiment. Case and point: onyx straub . [break][break]

He looks at Onyx, then down at the blanket. Andres placed a hand over Onyx's before speaking up again. "Anytime." He meant it. He didn't want to imagine not knowing about Onyx getting into an accident. Then again, that was normal wasn't it? They were just...friends...after all? "I'm just glad you survived, and we're here together now."

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

He would pretend that his heart didn't skip a beat when Onyx doesn't immediately pull away. When he caresses his hand and Andres thinks its so soft he must be imagining it. [break][break]

"Me too."

[break][break]

He's too attached, clearly. The whole stint in the hospital did something to his brain. It let something subconscious leak out to the forefront. That wouldn't do. That would ruin it. That would taint it. That's not what this was. He felt a twinge in the back of his brain, tabling the thoughts for later. He's not ok. Definitely not. But he didn't want to think about it right now. Not in front of Onyx who was trying so hard- That too made his heart pang and his head warm up. The blue light gives him an excuse to look up and away. In the grass, he can hear Chuchi racing for the Blue Minior, ready to drag it back with her. [break][break]

"I could eat." Andres assured with a friendly grin. "What did Chef Jules and Sous Chef Onyx get us? Somethign that pairs well with whatever Sommelier Amplexus gbroguth, right?"

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

Andres plucks bits of cheese up as Onyx talks about them. His finger nimbly pull some crackers as he sets their selection on one. He's smiling as he eats, content with listening. And when Onyx stops, he's more than happy to jump in. "S'good. Makes the wine taste a little more...refreshing, I think." He seemed content. [break][break]

There's not really a rush to break the silence, a smile on his lips as he soaked it all in. Even if he always felt a flurry of something with Onyx, there's always that anxiety that he will just disappear. It creeps into his thoughts, his dreams. Shadowy tendrils slowly but surely putting a squeeze on his chest when he thinks about Onyx too much. [break][break]

So Andres will always be happy to see him because he never knows if it's the last time. There's always that initial relief, followed by giddiness, and then and ache. But Andres is also overly attached, obsessive, and soft hearted. No matter how his looks changes, or how he learned to take care of himself. Down to his core he is pathetic. [break][break]

Chuchi drags a small rock pokemon some feet away, not interrupting the weird picnic date but still close enough to be known. Andres once more, grabs a cracker with cheese and sets it in the grass for her to pick up when she's ready. [break][break]

"You come out here often?" his eyes are on the sky now, clear and dotted with so many stars.

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+ onyx straub [break][break]

[attr="class","pokeclass"]