"we can get coffee before we leave," noah mumbles.

in the throes of his fatigue, the gym leader is touchy. he mumbles as he slides his arms around the other, rocking back and forth even if the other remains as stiff as a stone pillar. around them, long posters greet them with beautiful depictions of the johtian landscape.

one features the towers of ecruteak, adorned with the golden colors of some perpetual autumn.

"yeah, yeah, nice excuse." noah pulls his head away from kyle's shoulders. "as the stronger one, i have to do the heavy lifting. i get it."

he claps his face before sprintig to catch up with the bag. clumsily sliding in between people, he yoinks it off the carousel before it makes the bend.

their other piece of luggage slides into the main track too. noah rolls the first into kyle's shins before heaving that one out as well. setting them aside, noah asks, "do you want me to carry you out too?"

kyle lopez

"i'll save the princess carry for our wedding night." noah taunts. the metal handle to his luggage is pulled out and extended as he takes the lead. "you swoon over me all the time. what are you talking about?" he says, smugly.

as the wheels of his luggage roll across the floor, noah slows his pace so that he walks side by side with kyle. sentret are painted on the walls. they stand on their striped tails, pointing toward where they need to go.

"do you think people look at us and are like, yeah they're totally dating?" noah blurts. "i've embarrassed you with p-d-a in hoenn, but johto's public is a whole new frontier, man."

kyle lopez

"you're not wrong, man." noah lifts his chin to chirp. "i'll embarass you in front of my mom and dad that way instead."

the wheels of their luggage carve their sound into the airport floor. as they glide across moving walkways and necessary checkpoints, the two find themselves in the arrival lobby. restaurants beckon for hungry tourists and stalls selling pocket wifi services lure others with colorful rotom logos.

"are you excited?" noah asks, resting his heavy head on kyle's shoulder. "it's our first vacation together, babe. y'know, we don't need to head to my place right away if you don't want."

overhead the exit's sliding doors, a fanciful mural colored in golds and reds, depicts a ho-oh soaring over johto's wilderness.

kyle lopez

their airport stands in the metropolis of goldenrod. ahead, through the transparent glass of exit doors, department stores and the famous radio tower cast shadows across the streets which curl above the frames of passing cars. the traditional johtian music plucking across the air and the cooler climate allow noah to relax from the violence of travel.

he punches kyle's arm.

"what the fuck, man." noah barks playfully. "okay, you're not wrong, but still." as they leave the airport, a rush of cool air passes their ankles. the luggage wheels roll loudly across the textured concrete. "we'll drop stuff off, meet the rents real quick, and then i'll steal you away, okay?"

he hails a taxi down. it begins to brake, the red lights glowing. on the car, a graphic of a marill riding the crest of a wave and an octillery hydro pumping splash across its side. it advertises some pokemon contest. kids only.

the taxi stops and the trunk clicks open like a stiff salute. "we can nap in the car some more if you're tired still." noah says, hauling his luggage in.

kyle lopez

noah follows soon after. he crawls into the car and slumps heavily into the cab's cushioned seat. a sigh escapes him as his head falls back onto the head rest. eyes closed. but one eye cracks open. he peels his dratini neck pillow off before reaching forth to shut the door close. as it swings shut, noah uses the momentum to playfully bump into kyle's side.

"ecruteak, please." noah chirps to the cab driver. he spills the address out lazily and the car begins to move. "i sent them a text," noah says to kyle, "but i think they're out grocery shopping. they know when i arrive though."

noah hums, body heavy with slothful sways.

"you're still nervous, yeah?" noah says. he grabs the other's leg for support, and the gym leader leans to kiss kyle. he lingers there, lips taking another kiss before he pulls away. "it'll be fine, man... i mean, how many times have you helped save hoenn. this is just a walk in the doggy park."

kyle lopez

as the cab drives on through the busy streets of goldenrod, noah ignores the urban sprawl flickering past in the window. instead, he's drawn to the exposed vulnerabilities. the butterflies in one's stomach. truth be told, noah is nervous too. returning to his old house is nice— but after being gone for so long, he knows it's not returning home.

"it's nothing crazy big," noah admits, "but i can give you a tour, sure. house gets really hot in the summer, so get ready for that." he remembers august days. peak heat. laying on the wooden flooring at death's door as yanma fly past on dry winds.

"you're family now," noah leans back into his seat. the dratini pillow falls to his feet, but he's too lazy to pick it up. he rests his head on his hands and an elbow sticks out close to kyle's head, "stuck with a weirdo forever."

kyle lopez