Entry tags:
First Light (PG, Cheren/Touya) for kiirosakura
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kiirosakura
Title: First Light
Author:memorialrainbow
Rating: PG
Verse: Generation V Games
Characters/Pairings: Touya/Cheren
Summary: Cheren heads home for the holidays, but doesn't anticipate Touya being home at the same time. Total holiday fluff.
Rating: PG
It's ten o'clock, and Cheren is late.
He trudges through the snow on route 1, headed toward Kanoko Town. He hasn't checked his C-Gear in a while, but he knows his mother will have called five times between when he left Karakusa and where he is now. Patience, Mother, he tells himself. I'll be home soon. Even with the cold and the snow and that biting wind, he manages to keep cold with his heavy black jacket, the one he bought with his first paycheck. But the cold doesn't bite him as much because with every step, he's closer to home.
Now he's left looking at a familiar patch of grass, half covered in snow, and the memory snaps back into place as it always does. They were all in a straight line, Cheren first, then Touya, then Bel. "Let's all start our journey together, take that first step! One, two..." But Cheren had been more naive then, more willing to believe that, even though they went their separate ways, they would always be friends and always see each other.
And that is true. For Bel, at least.
He sees her about every month or so; she's always running errands for the Professor, and when she's in Hiougi they stop and have a bite to eat. He looks forward to their meals, to the smile on her face, knowing that she's meant to play this part and be Araragi-hakase's assistant. But he is certain that when he looks into Bel's eyes, she can see the truth and he doesn't even need to say it.
There's someone missing.
Kanoko is sleepy as always, quiet in the snowglobe of winter. Cheren wishes he could take a picture, but instead heads straight toward his house. He's here to see his parents, after all -- no need to dwell on the fact that Bel's busy running last minute errands for Araragi-hakase, or that Touya's been missing in action for going on two years now. It still hurts, that empty space, and Cheren tries his best to ignore it.
But he can't. He would have rather Touya stayed than Bel. Touya had always kept the middle ground growing up, and when Cheren had teased Bel it had always been Touya who leveled the field. Cheren missed the way Touya's eyes sparkled when he was in control, how he brought peace to Bel...and to him. Nobody's heard from Touya, though. He was the one who had saved Isshu, who had successfully stood up to Team Plasma and Ghetsis...and then he had disappeared, just like that.
Cheren's house is waiting for him as it always has, snow on the roof, a picturesque setting that reminds him of Christmases gone past. It is tradition. It is familiar. It is home. He knows it by the way he steps into the house, how he hangs up his coat at the door, how his mother greets him and makes sure there are cookies by the dozen to eat. So what if Cheren isn’t ten years old anymore? There is nothing wrong with Christmas cookies.
He props his feet up on the kitchen table, just like his mother told him not to when he was younger, and blows through half a dozen cookies while listening to his mother update him. That girl whom he gave his first badge to -- she's the Champion now, after that entire second debacle with Team Plasma and N. Too bad Touya hadn't been around for that. Cheren had always considered that Touya was out looking for N, but N had come back to Isshu and there was still no Touya. That had been three months ago now.
She stands at the stove, continuing to make cookies, when she drops the bomb.
“Oh, by the way, Touya’s home.”
Cookie number seven goes down the wrong way. "What?"
"Touya. You know -- Touya. He's been home for a couple of days now. From what his mother was saying, it's his first time back to Isshu in a while. He's been all over the world, traveling to different regions. You know how it is, I'm sure."
The only problem is that Cheren has stopped listening. All he can see is Touya's smiling face in his mind's eye, the way his hat tilts too far to the left when he is in motion, the way his eyebrows raise and the laugh comes straight out like a melody.
It has been years since Cheren has heard that laugh.
"Can I take him cookies?" he asks, even though it's late, even though he already knows the answer.
Within minutes, Cheren is re-bundled, although he doesn't really know why considering it's spitting distance to Touya's house. He doesn't know exactly what he'll say or do when he gets there, but he wants to see Touya too much to not go. Besides, it's common courtesy to say hello to your friend whom you haven't seen in a while. Never mind the fact that the image of Touya still ties knots in Cheren's stomach, like it started doing just before he left on his own adventure.
He knocks with his right hand, left hand occupied with a huge tin of blank Christmas cookies. His mother insisted that he take them blank "so Touya and him could ice the cookies together," which had resulted in Cheren lighting up like a Christmas tree. If his mother hadn't known before about her son's crush on their next door neighbor, she knew now.
Cheren catches his reflection in the mirror, recalling that the last time he was here, two years ago, it was summer and his hair was much shorter -- before Touya's mother opens the door. She looks much happier than when he saw her last a year ago. The sparkle is back in her eyes, a confirmation that her son is indeed here in Isshu.
"Cheren!" she squeals and opens both the glass and the regular doors wide open. "Come on it. Touya's upstairs. I'll let him know you're here. You must have heard."
"My mom told me," Cheren explains as he takes off his coat for the second time, hanging it on the back of a familiar kitchen chair. The cookies go on the counter, still in their tin. The layout is familiar: immaculate kitchen on the left, couch and living room on the right, stairs leading upward to the bedrooms.
"Make yourself at home," Touya's mom says, motioning to the couch as she goes upstairs.
Cheren does so, relaxing as best he can in his starched shirt and pants. The television program itself looks like something imported from Sinnoh, an information program about the old language, still used in some rural parts. Cheren never got down the specifics of honorisms and particles -- he always prefered English -- but he knows Touya is fluent. His mother taught him, and sometimes as a kid, if Touya was frustrated, he'd slip right into it and go off on a tirade without even realizing Cheren and Bel couldn't fully understand him anymore. Bel, like Cheren, learned the basics in school. She's even commented on how much she's had to use the language as Araragi-hakase's assistant, dealing with other regions and speaking in their native tongues. Isshu, of course, has always been a mix of the old and new, of truth and ideals, one nation.
Unlike Touya, Cheren hasn't had the priviledge of leaving Isshu. Yet. He's always wanted to, but being a Gym Leader has its perks and downsides.
"Cheren?"
That voice -- and Cheren turns toward the stairs, finding Touya standing at the bottom, eyes on him. It's like a dream, because Touya's still dressed in the pullover and black pants he was wearing when they left on their adventure two years ago, baseball cap still on messy brown hair. His face has changed a little, but it's still Touya.
Touya's brown eyes flash in recognition, then Cheren swears he sees a blush cross his face ."Wow --" and then that laugh Cheren loves -- "you've grown up. Sorry. I'm not used to this new you. Been a while."
Been a while is right, but Cheren bites his tongue. He'd rather be holding Touya than scolding him, anyway. "I know. Did you hear I'm the new Gym Leader of Hiougi City?"
"My mom told me. I haven't seen Bel yet -- I just got into town two nights ago. Strange how we all used to be here and now you're a Gym Leader, Bel's running around all over the place, and I...well..." He laughs again. "Aren't you supposed to be in Hiougi right now?"
"Home for Christmas." Cheren gets up from the couch and moves toward Touya. "Good to see you, man."
But when Touya's arms go around Cheren, it's not just a friendly bro slap on the back. He pulls Cheren in close, as if the two years of distance could be closed with one hug. Cheren tries to remember how to breathe this close to Touya, forcing each inhalation and exhalation out.
Even though they had all left Kanoko together, Cheren had always assumed he would see Touya around Isshu. And he had, running into him several times on his journey, until N happened. Being this close to Touya again, after all this time --
"You okay?" he hears Touya ask, and he blushes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
Touya pulls away, holding Cheren by the shoulders. "I don't know. You kind of look like you've seen a ghost." Another laugh. "I"m not dead yet, man! Gonna take a lot more to slow me down. You know that."
It takes Cheren a moment, but he sighs. This is normal. Being in Touya's house with Touya here is normal. He tries to break the awkward silence but all that comes out is, "I brought cookies."
"Cookies?" Touya lets go of Cheren and bounds toward the kitchen. "Dude! You never told me you brought cookies!"
"My mom...made them," Cheren squeaks out as he follows Touya to the kitchen. "They're blank. We're supposed to ice them."
"Well, dude, our mothers think alike," Touya says as he pulls a small can of icing from the refrigerator and blue, red, and green sprinkles from the cupboard. "My mom was gonna do the same thing, but I'm sure she won't mind us using this."
Touya grabs two butter knives from the drawer, and soon, both boys are lost in the wonder of icing Christmas cookies. While they ice, Touya catches Cheren up with his travels, telling of how in Johto there are two towers, one wrecked and one still standing; the waves in Hoenn are rough and almost intraversable; Kanto's boardwalk is as picturesque as the television images showed; Sinnoh's northern mountain is so cold Touya's nose froze.
"But it's good to be home," he says as he licks the knife for the fifth time (Cheren's been counting).
Cheren nods. "Last Christmas, you weren't even in Isshu, were you? I heard in some parts of the world they don't even celebrate Christmas."
"Well, sometimes the focus is more on the New Year than Christmas." Touya puts blue sprinkles on a Christmas tree cookie and eats it. "The people of Tamamushi have a special tradition -- on New Years Day, they go out to their scenic cycling road and watch the first sunrise of the year. It's a way to celebrate new beginnings. I wasn't there for it, but I heard about it. Sounded like a cool tradition."
Cheren doesn't even realize he's got an idea brewing until he knows exactly how to execute it. He smiles and files the idea under good ones. "Sounds like an early morning to me."
"That seemed to be the consensus. But it's traditiion." Touya looks down at the table. "Dude. Your cookies are messier than mine."
Cheren looks over his cookies; they look exactly like Touya's do. In fact, it's Touya who now has the messier workspace. "Mine are nice and neat just like yours."
"Mmhmm. I bet I can make the rest of my cookies look cooler than yours."
Cheren smirks. "Bring it on."
A half hour later, Touya's mom comes downstairs to a nearly destroyed kitchen table, covered in sprinkles and icing, and two plates of Christmas cookies, all with significant detail and flair, sitting on the counter.
Bel arrives home for Christmas, and Cheren is swept up in the normal trio's dynamic. His arguments with Bel are more spirited now, because she's found reasons for her points of view, no longer using her father as the only reason. Touya once again keeps the peace, though at first he does it with Christmas cookies. They have all been too busy to purchase gifts, but enjoy spending the holiday together. Bel's right when she remarks that being together is the greatest gift of all.
She returns to her job before the New Year, which gives Cheren the window he's wanted. Early in the morning, he calls Touya on his C-Gear and asks for a lift.
It is typically an entire day's trip from Hiougi to Kanoko, because one must pass through Tachiwaki and across the river to Hiun, then across the bridge and through Shippou, Sanyou, and Karakusa before arriving. Since Touya has Kenhallow, though, Cheren is told it will only take a half hour tops.
"Where the heck are we going anyway?" he asks for the fifth time, but Cheren only whispers the location to Kenhallow and they are off.
Cheren's not used to flying in an airplane, much less a bird type Pokemon. Plus, it's much colder this high up than on the ground. But the view of southern Isshu is amazing; he can see landmarks all the way to the horizon as Touya dips the bird through the clouds. Cheren can only hang on tight, arms at first only on Touya's shoulders, but when they hit turbulence they go around his waist and Cheren is thankful he's sitting in back.
He's still certain Touya doesn't know about the way he started feeling about him. It only started shortly before their adventure, so most of Cheren's crush has been spent idolizing his best friend from afar and wishing he would come home. But being this close -- even if it's out of safety -- makes Cheren feel better.
"This isn't eastern Isshu anymore," Touya says as the clouds part and the skyline of Hiougi is visible.
Cheren smiles. His second home. "This is Hiougi City. This entire area was rather undeveloped a few years ago, which is why you don't recognize it."
Cheren can't see Touya's face, but he's certain he must be smiling because he hears that familiar laugh. "So this is where we're going?"
Kenhollow lands in the middle of town, and Touya recalls it. This early, there's nobody out and about, which means it's a perfect time for Cheren to exercise his plan. "Come on," he says, taking Touya by the hand and leading him through town.
For a minute, Cheren can feel Touya dragging behind him, unaware of his plan. But then Touya settles in, and they walk side by side, and it's not until they get to the lookout that Cheren realizes they've been holding hands the entire time. Touya doesn't seem to notice, so Cheren tightens his grip, interlacing his fingers with Touya's. Still no objection.
He smiles, floats, then leads Touya up the stairs.
The sky is still dark as the two climb to the top of the lookout. Cheren watches the sky, checking the time on his C-Gear to make sure they are early enough. Touya is silent beside him; when Cheren turns, he sees that Touya is looking out over Isshu's expanse, chocolate eyes wide.
"Cheren, this is -- this is amazing," he says, turning to his friend and letting go of his hand. "I didn't even know this was here!"
"Neither did I for a long time," Cheren says. "Bel actually told me it was here. She uses it as a meeting spot. I can show you around the rest of town, but there's something else you need to see first."
"Oh. And that would be...?"
Cheren grins and checks his C-Gear. "Give it about fifteen minutes or so, and you'll see."
Touya nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He's dressed for the weather with an additional outer layer, completely in black. "There anything in particular I should be waiting on?"
"For the last time, you'll see."
"Okay, okay." Touya grins. "You know, this is what I love about the world. It's so much bigger than people make it out to be. Small at the same time, but so much to discover that you didn't even know was here. I mean, I've never been to Hiougi, and I'm here now. You yourself didn't even find this place right away. It took you a while to discover it. That's the biggest lesson I've learned from my travels: adventure comes when you least expect it."
Cheren laughs. "I don't know, Touya. My routine's pretty straight these days, what with badge orders and gym battles and other assorted office work...I keep pretty busy."
Touya looks back out over the expanse, the trees in the distance, as far as the eye can see. "Is that what you want?"
"For right now, yes. I like the challenge that being a Gym Leader presents me. It keeps me on my toes, makes me a better Trainer. But just like Aloe, I don't think I'll want it forever. I just don't know what I'll want next. I figure I'll have that worked out as I grow."
Touya nods, then spreads his arms wide. "I want to get back on the road," he says. "I want to go places nobody's ever been before! I mean, I'm not Champion anymore, that Mei girl is now, right? So I don't have to worry about League duties. I can just take off, explore the unexplored. Maybe I could film a TV show or blog about it or something. I can see it now: 'Touya, Explorer of the Wild.'"
"More like 'Touya, Bold and Reckless,'" Cheren jabs, then laughs. "At least you've figured out what you want to do."
Touya laughs back, then becomes quieter than the morning. "But it would all be useless if I didn't have someone to share it with."
Cheren almost asks what Touya means except that the sun's light peeks over the trees, and then both boys are enveloped in the first sunrise of the New Year. The cloud cover adds texture and hue to each sunbeam, painting the sky in a fire of blues and purples and reds.
"The first sunrise," Touya says, eyes on the sky. There's an emotion in his voice that Cheren can't quite place. "You knew this would be a good place to see it."
Cheren shrugs. "Maybe it was just coincidence. But when you mentioned the Kanto New Year thing, I thought this would be cool."
"It's an adventure." Touya turns to Cheren as the sky turns orange. "And like I said, it would be meaningless if I didn't have someone to share it with."
Cheren is glad for the sunlight that washes out his blush. "You -- you mean me?"
Touya's voice is more sure. "Of course I mean you, Cheren." He turns, a bit more embarrassed in stature, then regains his composure. "No matter where I've been these last couple of years -- over mountains, through oceans, across bridges, through fire and water and grass and forests and the ground and clouds and --" He laughs. "You know what I mean. I always felt like there was something missing. But when I really thought about it, I realized that what I was missing were my friends, Bel and you." His voice becomes more quiet. "Especially you. I couldn't get you out of my mind, your definition of strength, how you always wanted to be better. It's part of what pushed me in my own travels, what pushed me to be a better Trainer. I went out and battled some of the best, inspired from your own dream." The next laugh is more subdued. "Then I realized you should be the one living your own dream. Why do you think I came straight to Kanoko Town when I arrived back in Isshu?"
Cheren has forgotten how to breathe. "Because it's home?"
"Because I thought you might be there." Touya laughs. "I lucked out with it being the holidays. Imagine if I had wised up and come home during summer. I would have arrived all, 'Hey Mom! Where's Cheren?' and then I would have had to come looking for you in this city that I don't know. At least I can read the street signs here. Some of them were written in the old language, in characters even I don't know. I'm a fluent speaker, but I'm not the best writer. I've gotten better at both, though."
He turns to Cheren and, in a fluent tongue, speaks. "Cheren wa, ai suru hito."
Cheren blushes, the sunrise in front of him long forgotten as he loses himself in Touya's brown eyes. "Wha -- what does that mean?"
Touya just smiles, not saying a word. When he breaks eye contact, Cheren can finally see that Touya's nervous. "It means...it means you're the one I love," he says, hands in pockets, shoulders limp. "I came back to Isshu for you. I -- I want you to travel with me. It doesn't have to be right now. I know you're busy with your Gym Leader duties and stuff like that, so it's no big deal. But -- I'll be in Isshu until you decide to come with me. I'll move around, sure. I can't stay still. But when you're ready, let me know, and we'll both pursue our ideals together." There is a pause. "Unless you don't want to."
The hold on Cheren's voice lifts, and he finds the words coming easier, standing in front of the first light, the year's hope. "Yeah. I -- I'll do it. I'll travel with you --"
He never gets to finish his sentence. Touya steps forward and grabs him by the shoulders, pulling him into a kiss. Cheren's eyes widen in surprise, then close. All he can see with his eyes closed is the orange sunrise light filtering in, a sign that everything that was wrong is right again. Cheren relaxes, putting his hand on Touya's shoulder, letting the kiss linger.
It ends too soon. Cheren opens his eyes. "What was that for?"
Touya blushes. "You know...to seal the deal. Akemashite omedetou, Cheren." When he sees Cheren's confused look, he laughs. "That's 'Happy New Year' in the old language."
Cheren grins, not letting go of Touya's hands. "Happy New Year to you, Touya."
kiirosakuraTitle: First Light
Author:
memorialrainbow Rating: PG
Verse: Generation V Games
Characters/Pairings: Touya/Cheren
Summary: Cheren heads home for the holidays, but doesn't anticipate Touya being home at the same time. Total holiday fluff.
Rating: PG
It's ten o'clock, and Cheren is late.
He trudges through the snow on route 1, headed toward Kanoko Town. He hasn't checked his C-Gear in a while, but he knows his mother will have called five times between when he left Karakusa and where he is now. Patience, Mother, he tells himself. I'll be home soon. Even with the cold and the snow and that biting wind, he manages to keep cold with his heavy black jacket, the one he bought with his first paycheck. But the cold doesn't bite him as much because with every step, he's closer to home.
Now he's left looking at a familiar patch of grass, half covered in snow, and the memory snaps back into place as it always does. They were all in a straight line, Cheren first, then Touya, then Bel. "Let's all start our journey together, take that first step! One, two..." But Cheren had been more naive then, more willing to believe that, even though they went their separate ways, they would always be friends and always see each other.
And that is true. For Bel, at least.
He sees her about every month or so; she's always running errands for the Professor, and when she's in Hiougi they stop and have a bite to eat. He looks forward to their meals, to the smile on her face, knowing that she's meant to play this part and be Araragi-hakase's assistant. But he is certain that when he looks into Bel's eyes, she can see the truth and he doesn't even need to say it.
There's someone missing.
Kanoko is sleepy as always, quiet in the snowglobe of winter. Cheren wishes he could take a picture, but instead heads straight toward his house. He's here to see his parents, after all -- no need to dwell on the fact that Bel's busy running last minute errands for Araragi-hakase, or that Touya's been missing in action for going on two years now. It still hurts, that empty space, and Cheren tries his best to ignore it.
But he can't. He would have rather Touya stayed than Bel. Touya had always kept the middle ground growing up, and when Cheren had teased Bel it had always been Touya who leveled the field. Cheren missed the way Touya's eyes sparkled when he was in control, how he brought peace to Bel...and to him. Nobody's heard from Touya, though. He was the one who had saved Isshu, who had successfully stood up to Team Plasma and Ghetsis...and then he had disappeared, just like that.
Cheren's house is waiting for him as it always has, snow on the roof, a picturesque setting that reminds him of Christmases gone past. It is tradition. It is familiar. It is home. He knows it by the way he steps into the house, how he hangs up his coat at the door, how his mother greets him and makes sure there are cookies by the dozen to eat. So what if Cheren isn’t ten years old anymore? There is nothing wrong with Christmas cookies.
He props his feet up on the kitchen table, just like his mother told him not to when he was younger, and blows through half a dozen cookies while listening to his mother update him. That girl whom he gave his first badge to -- she's the Champion now, after that entire second debacle with Team Plasma and N. Too bad Touya hadn't been around for that. Cheren had always considered that Touya was out looking for N, but N had come back to Isshu and there was still no Touya. That had been three months ago now.
She stands at the stove, continuing to make cookies, when she drops the bomb.
“Oh, by the way, Touya’s home.”
Cookie number seven goes down the wrong way. "What?"
"Touya. You know -- Touya. He's been home for a couple of days now. From what his mother was saying, it's his first time back to Isshu in a while. He's been all over the world, traveling to different regions. You know how it is, I'm sure."
The only problem is that Cheren has stopped listening. All he can see is Touya's smiling face in his mind's eye, the way his hat tilts too far to the left when he is in motion, the way his eyebrows raise and the laugh comes straight out like a melody.
It has been years since Cheren has heard that laugh.
"Can I take him cookies?" he asks, even though it's late, even though he already knows the answer.
Within minutes, Cheren is re-bundled, although he doesn't really know why considering it's spitting distance to Touya's house. He doesn't know exactly what he'll say or do when he gets there, but he wants to see Touya too much to not go. Besides, it's common courtesy to say hello to your friend whom you haven't seen in a while. Never mind the fact that the image of Touya still ties knots in Cheren's stomach, like it started doing just before he left on his own adventure.
He knocks with his right hand, left hand occupied with a huge tin of blank Christmas cookies. His mother insisted that he take them blank "so Touya and him could ice the cookies together," which had resulted in Cheren lighting up like a Christmas tree. If his mother hadn't known before about her son's crush on their next door neighbor, she knew now.
Cheren catches his reflection in the mirror, recalling that the last time he was here, two years ago, it was summer and his hair was much shorter -- before Touya's mother opens the door. She looks much happier than when he saw her last a year ago. The sparkle is back in her eyes, a confirmation that her son is indeed here in Isshu.
"Cheren!" she squeals and opens both the glass and the regular doors wide open. "Come on it. Touya's upstairs. I'll let him know you're here. You must have heard."
"My mom told me," Cheren explains as he takes off his coat for the second time, hanging it on the back of a familiar kitchen chair. The cookies go on the counter, still in their tin. The layout is familiar: immaculate kitchen on the left, couch and living room on the right, stairs leading upward to the bedrooms.
"Make yourself at home," Touya's mom says, motioning to the couch as she goes upstairs.
Cheren does so, relaxing as best he can in his starched shirt and pants. The television program itself looks like something imported from Sinnoh, an information program about the old language, still used in some rural parts. Cheren never got down the specifics of honorisms and particles -- he always prefered English -- but he knows Touya is fluent. His mother taught him, and sometimes as a kid, if Touya was frustrated, he'd slip right into it and go off on a tirade without even realizing Cheren and Bel couldn't fully understand him anymore. Bel, like Cheren, learned the basics in school. She's even commented on how much she's had to use the language as Araragi-hakase's assistant, dealing with other regions and speaking in their native tongues. Isshu, of course, has always been a mix of the old and new, of truth and ideals, one nation.
Unlike Touya, Cheren hasn't had the priviledge of leaving Isshu. Yet. He's always wanted to, but being a Gym Leader has its perks and downsides.
"Cheren?"
That voice -- and Cheren turns toward the stairs, finding Touya standing at the bottom, eyes on him. It's like a dream, because Touya's still dressed in the pullover and black pants he was wearing when they left on their adventure two years ago, baseball cap still on messy brown hair. His face has changed a little, but it's still Touya.
Touya's brown eyes flash in recognition, then Cheren swears he sees a blush cross his face ."Wow --" and then that laugh Cheren loves -- "you've grown up. Sorry. I'm not used to this new you. Been a while."
Been a while is right, but Cheren bites his tongue. He'd rather be holding Touya than scolding him, anyway. "I know. Did you hear I'm the new Gym Leader of Hiougi City?"
"My mom told me. I haven't seen Bel yet -- I just got into town two nights ago. Strange how we all used to be here and now you're a Gym Leader, Bel's running around all over the place, and I...well..." He laughs again. "Aren't you supposed to be in Hiougi right now?"
"Home for Christmas." Cheren gets up from the couch and moves toward Touya. "Good to see you, man."
But when Touya's arms go around Cheren, it's not just a friendly bro slap on the back. He pulls Cheren in close, as if the two years of distance could be closed with one hug. Cheren tries to remember how to breathe this close to Touya, forcing each inhalation and exhalation out.
Even though they had all left Kanoko together, Cheren had always assumed he would see Touya around Isshu. And he had, running into him several times on his journey, until N happened. Being this close to Touya again, after all this time --
"You okay?" he hears Touya ask, and he blushes.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
Touya pulls away, holding Cheren by the shoulders. "I don't know. You kind of look like you've seen a ghost." Another laugh. "I"m not dead yet, man! Gonna take a lot more to slow me down. You know that."
It takes Cheren a moment, but he sighs. This is normal. Being in Touya's house with Touya here is normal. He tries to break the awkward silence but all that comes out is, "I brought cookies."
"Cookies?" Touya lets go of Cheren and bounds toward the kitchen. "Dude! You never told me you brought cookies!"
"My mom...made them," Cheren squeaks out as he follows Touya to the kitchen. "They're blank. We're supposed to ice them."
"Well, dude, our mothers think alike," Touya says as he pulls a small can of icing from the refrigerator and blue, red, and green sprinkles from the cupboard. "My mom was gonna do the same thing, but I'm sure she won't mind us using this."
Touya grabs two butter knives from the drawer, and soon, both boys are lost in the wonder of icing Christmas cookies. While they ice, Touya catches Cheren up with his travels, telling of how in Johto there are two towers, one wrecked and one still standing; the waves in Hoenn are rough and almost intraversable; Kanto's boardwalk is as picturesque as the television images showed; Sinnoh's northern mountain is so cold Touya's nose froze.
"But it's good to be home," he says as he licks the knife for the fifth time (Cheren's been counting).
Cheren nods. "Last Christmas, you weren't even in Isshu, were you? I heard in some parts of the world they don't even celebrate Christmas."
"Well, sometimes the focus is more on the New Year than Christmas." Touya puts blue sprinkles on a Christmas tree cookie and eats it. "The people of Tamamushi have a special tradition -- on New Years Day, they go out to their scenic cycling road and watch the first sunrise of the year. It's a way to celebrate new beginnings. I wasn't there for it, but I heard about it. Sounded like a cool tradition."
Cheren doesn't even realize he's got an idea brewing until he knows exactly how to execute it. He smiles and files the idea under good ones. "Sounds like an early morning to me."
"That seemed to be the consensus. But it's traditiion." Touya looks down at the table. "Dude. Your cookies are messier than mine."
Cheren looks over his cookies; they look exactly like Touya's do. In fact, it's Touya who now has the messier workspace. "Mine are nice and neat just like yours."
"Mmhmm. I bet I can make the rest of my cookies look cooler than yours."
Cheren smirks. "Bring it on."
A half hour later, Touya's mom comes downstairs to a nearly destroyed kitchen table, covered in sprinkles and icing, and two plates of Christmas cookies, all with significant detail and flair, sitting on the counter.
Bel arrives home for Christmas, and Cheren is swept up in the normal trio's dynamic. His arguments with Bel are more spirited now, because she's found reasons for her points of view, no longer using her father as the only reason. Touya once again keeps the peace, though at first he does it with Christmas cookies. They have all been too busy to purchase gifts, but enjoy spending the holiday together. Bel's right when she remarks that being together is the greatest gift of all.
She returns to her job before the New Year, which gives Cheren the window he's wanted. Early in the morning, he calls Touya on his C-Gear and asks for a lift.
It is typically an entire day's trip from Hiougi to Kanoko, because one must pass through Tachiwaki and across the river to Hiun, then across the bridge and through Shippou, Sanyou, and Karakusa before arriving. Since Touya has Kenhallow, though, Cheren is told it will only take a half hour tops.
"Where the heck are we going anyway?" he asks for the fifth time, but Cheren only whispers the location to Kenhallow and they are off.
Cheren's not used to flying in an airplane, much less a bird type Pokemon. Plus, it's much colder this high up than on the ground. But the view of southern Isshu is amazing; he can see landmarks all the way to the horizon as Touya dips the bird through the clouds. Cheren can only hang on tight, arms at first only on Touya's shoulders, but when they hit turbulence they go around his waist and Cheren is thankful he's sitting in back.
He's still certain Touya doesn't know about the way he started feeling about him. It only started shortly before their adventure, so most of Cheren's crush has been spent idolizing his best friend from afar and wishing he would come home. But being this close -- even if it's out of safety -- makes Cheren feel better.
"This isn't eastern Isshu anymore," Touya says as the clouds part and the skyline of Hiougi is visible.
Cheren smiles. His second home. "This is Hiougi City. This entire area was rather undeveloped a few years ago, which is why you don't recognize it."
Cheren can't see Touya's face, but he's certain he must be smiling because he hears that familiar laugh. "So this is where we're going?"
Kenhollow lands in the middle of town, and Touya recalls it. This early, there's nobody out and about, which means it's a perfect time for Cheren to exercise his plan. "Come on," he says, taking Touya by the hand and leading him through town.
For a minute, Cheren can feel Touya dragging behind him, unaware of his plan. But then Touya settles in, and they walk side by side, and it's not until they get to the lookout that Cheren realizes they've been holding hands the entire time. Touya doesn't seem to notice, so Cheren tightens his grip, interlacing his fingers with Touya's. Still no objection.
He smiles, floats, then leads Touya up the stairs.
The sky is still dark as the two climb to the top of the lookout. Cheren watches the sky, checking the time on his C-Gear to make sure they are early enough. Touya is silent beside him; when Cheren turns, he sees that Touya is looking out over Isshu's expanse, chocolate eyes wide.
"Cheren, this is -- this is amazing," he says, turning to his friend and letting go of his hand. "I didn't even know this was here!"
"Neither did I for a long time," Cheren says. "Bel actually told me it was here. She uses it as a meeting spot. I can show you around the rest of town, but there's something else you need to see first."
"Oh. And that would be...?"
Cheren grins and checks his C-Gear. "Give it about fifteen minutes or so, and you'll see."
Touya nods, stuffing his hands into his pockets. He's dressed for the weather with an additional outer layer, completely in black. "There anything in particular I should be waiting on?"
"For the last time, you'll see."
"Okay, okay." Touya grins. "You know, this is what I love about the world. It's so much bigger than people make it out to be. Small at the same time, but so much to discover that you didn't even know was here. I mean, I've never been to Hiougi, and I'm here now. You yourself didn't even find this place right away. It took you a while to discover it. That's the biggest lesson I've learned from my travels: adventure comes when you least expect it."
Cheren laughs. "I don't know, Touya. My routine's pretty straight these days, what with badge orders and gym battles and other assorted office work...I keep pretty busy."
Touya looks back out over the expanse, the trees in the distance, as far as the eye can see. "Is that what you want?"
"For right now, yes. I like the challenge that being a Gym Leader presents me. It keeps me on my toes, makes me a better Trainer. But just like Aloe, I don't think I'll want it forever. I just don't know what I'll want next. I figure I'll have that worked out as I grow."
Touya nods, then spreads his arms wide. "I want to get back on the road," he says. "I want to go places nobody's ever been before! I mean, I'm not Champion anymore, that Mei girl is now, right? So I don't have to worry about League duties. I can just take off, explore the unexplored. Maybe I could film a TV show or blog about it or something. I can see it now: 'Touya, Explorer of the Wild.'"
"More like 'Touya, Bold and Reckless,'" Cheren jabs, then laughs. "At least you've figured out what you want to do."
Touya laughs back, then becomes quieter than the morning. "But it would all be useless if I didn't have someone to share it with."
Cheren almost asks what Touya means except that the sun's light peeks over the trees, and then both boys are enveloped in the first sunrise of the New Year. The cloud cover adds texture and hue to each sunbeam, painting the sky in a fire of blues and purples and reds.
"The first sunrise," Touya says, eyes on the sky. There's an emotion in his voice that Cheren can't quite place. "You knew this would be a good place to see it."
Cheren shrugs. "Maybe it was just coincidence. But when you mentioned the Kanto New Year thing, I thought this would be cool."
"It's an adventure." Touya turns to Cheren as the sky turns orange. "And like I said, it would be meaningless if I didn't have someone to share it with."
Cheren is glad for the sunlight that washes out his blush. "You -- you mean me?"
Touya's voice is more sure. "Of course I mean you, Cheren." He turns, a bit more embarrassed in stature, then regains his composure. "No matter where I've been these last couple of years -- over mountains, through oceans, across bridges, through fire and water and grass and forests and the ground and clouds and --" He laughs. "You know what I mean. I always felt like there was something missing. But when I really thought about it, I realized that what I was missing were my friends, Bel and you." His voice becomes more quiet. "Especially you. I couldn't get you out of my mind, your definition of strength, how you always wanted to be better. It's part of what pushed me in my own travels, what pushed me to be a better Trainer. I went out and battled some of the best, inspired from your own dream." The next laugh is more subdued. "Then I realized you should be the one living your own dream. Why do you think I came straight to Kanoko Town when I arrived back in Isshu?"
Cheren has forgotten how to breathe. "Because it's home?"
"Because I thought you might be there." Touya laughs. "I lucked out with it being the holidays. Imagine if I had wised up and come home during summer. I would have arrived all, 'Hey Mom! Where's Cheren?' and then I would have had to come looking for you in this city that I don't know. At least I can read the street signs here. Some of them were written in the old language, in characters even I don't know. I'm a fluent speaker, but I'm not the best writer. I've gotten better at both, though."
He turns to Cheren and, in a fluent tongue, speaks. "Cheren wa, ai suru hito."
Cheren blushes, the sunrise in front of him long forgotten as he loses himself in Touya's brown eyes. "Wha -- what does that mean?"
Touya just smiles, not saying a word. When he breaks eye contact, Cheren can finally see that Touya's nervous. "It means...it means you're the one I love," he says, hands in pockets, shoulders limp. "I came back to Isshu for you. I -- I want you to travel with me. It doesn't have to be right now. I know you're busy with your Gym Leader duties and stuff like that, so it's no big deal. But -- I'll be in Isshu until you decide to come with me. I'll move around, sure. I can't stay still. But when you're ready, let me know, and we'll both pursue our ideals together." There is a pause. "Unless you don't want to."
The hold on Cheren's voice lifts, and he finds the words coming easier, standing in front of the first light, the year's hope. "Yeah. I -- I'll do it. I'll travel with you --"
He never gets to finish his sentence. Touya steps forward and grabs him by the shoulders, pulling him into a kiss. Cheren's eyes widen in surprise, then close. All he can see with his eyes closed is the orange sunrise light filtering in, a sign that everything that was wrong is right again. Cheren relaxes, putting his hand on Touya's shoulder, letting the kiss linger.
It ends too soon. Cheren opens his eyes. "What was that for?"
Touya blushes. "You know...to seal the deal. Akemashite omedetou, Cheren." When he sees Cheren's confused look, he laughs. "That's 'Happy New Year' in the old language."
Cheren grins, not letting go of Touya's hands. "Happy New Year to you, Touya."