Pokemon

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ So far things were working well. Yibo could see that Nessie was a bit thrown off at first, but it wasn't a completely negative reaction. Just like Zhan, Nessie would get used to change over time. He led the small blue Pokemon over to the couch where he laid down. He supposed that since Zhan was sleeping on the edge of the bed, it meant that Yibo was not invited to join him that night. What a way to start off as boyfriends, if they could still be counted as that anymore. He heard Zhan mumbling something about sleeping and Yibo waved a hand at the older, thinking Zhan might be peeking, "Alright, I'm trying to sleep too." He put his arm over his eyes to block out the light and then he closed his eyes. Bubbles decided to rest on top of his head while Nessie curled up between his legs. Without a cover, Yibo was surprisingly comfortable as he fell asleep in this position.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Nessie pawed at the door of the bathroom the entire time that Yibo was in there, squeaking in joy when his 'mother' returned. Although it was Yibo's face, Nessie was quite confused with the sent that was filling his small nostrils. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he waddled toward Yibo again, wanting to be held in his mother's arms. Squealing happily, he nuzzled the inside of Yibo's thigh. From where Zhan was laying, he was woken by Nessie's loud squeals, though he didn't hear anything before that. "Excuse me," he said, his voice muffled by his blanket. "We are trying to sleep."

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Great, Bubbles was not being any help at all. Usually, Yibo's partner would be able to concoct some plan to cheer Zhan up when he was in a fussy mood again. Well, since he was pretty much on his own now to solve this problem, Yibo looked helplessly at Nessie. "Who told you to imprint on me huh?" he asked softly, brushing a finger between the Amaura's eyes. He tried to remember where the drama all started. "What if...I just changed my scent?" he asked, suddenly coming up with an idea. After all, Nessie had been fine with Zhan holding him when he smelled like Yibo right? So now, Yibo would just have to make them smell the same again. While the water was still running, Yibo went digging through Zhan's backpack, pulling out the biggest shirt the other had. He found his cap still shoved in the bottom, along the those useless keychains he told Zhan to leave at him, but the long-sleeved striped shirt he found would do. Once Zhan was finished, Yibo went off to take a shower, going through the same motions, except he changed into the older's shirt. When he came out, Zhan looked like he was asleep. Some of their Pokemon had already turned in for the day too. Yibo checked his appearance in the mirror and bent down before Nessie, "Well? Can you get used to this scent?"

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Bubbles nodded, then cocked his round head and pipped once, flapping his small fin. How was he supposed to know! He was just a baby! Meanwhile, Zhan took his shower. He had always been quick with it, even if he was slow with everything else. He washed his face like his Mommy always told him to, brushed his teeth, and he was ready for bed. After a good night's sleep, he'd put everything behind him, maybe even his dislike of Nessie and how upset Yibo made him. But for now, he didn't want to hear Yibo tell him how he was wrong to dislike Nessie anymore. It wasn't even fair. Nessie disliked Zhan first! Zhan emerged from the bathroom and trudged over to his bed, his movements mechanical as he slipped beneath the covers. Resting with his face toward the wall, Zhan let himself cry a little bit more then. Stupid Yibo!! Stupid Nessie. He wished they never came into this stupid town.

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Since it seemed that Zhan was in no mood to talk, Yibo didn't force him. He simply resigned to the quiet between them, only letting Jian Guo's occasionally squeak guide their direction back to the Pokemon Center. When they returned, all their Pokemon (including Zhan's) rushed towards Yibo, which surprised him. He wordlessly began to rub and pat them, looking up as Zhan trudged away. Yibo didn't really understand why the older was sulking when clearly Yibo was the one who should be sad. He sighed again, picking Bubbles up. "Did you watch out for the crew while I was gone?" he asked, flicking his chin towards the closed bathroom door, "He's mad. What am I supposed to do?"

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan didn't know what to say in response to Yibo. He had already somewhat accepted that Yibo would be loving Nessie more than him from now on, but Yibo just had to keep rubbing salt in the wound. "Yeah," he answered, just so he could avoid saying anything else that would make Yibo mad at him again. As upset as he was about Nessie, he liked Yibo more than he disliked the little Pokemon. He didn't want to be left alone again. With Jian Guo leading the way, they made it back to the Pokemon Centre. When they entered their room, Zhan found all their Pokemon waiting by the door, seemingly waiting for their return, instead of asleep like he'd instructed them. Watching them cheer, tears welled up in Zhan's eyes. He wanted to cuddle all of them, but Yibo would get angry again. So he shuffled quietly past them, heading to the bathroom to change his clothes for bed.

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Yibo didn't intend on letting Zhan off so easily, but it seemed to hit a soft spot in him when his boyfriend - yes, Zhan was his /boyfriend/ now - apologized to him. Well, this was obviously a great start to their relationship, he thought sarcastically. He cradled his head in his palms and sighed softly, nodding his head, "Yeah...okay. Let's go back..." he eventually gave in. What was the point of being the immature one when Zhan was doing everything in his ability to get Yibo back? Yibo rose and so Nessie stood up with him. They began their silent walk back to the Pokemon Center, with Yibo's hands shoved into his pant pockets. After cooling down and carefully choosing his words, Yibo tried to strike up a conversation again. "You know, Nessie is a lot more like you than you think," Yibo said, "You rely on Jian Guo. You pretty much imprinted on her, wouldn't you think so? You need her, but it's not like you'd date Jian Guo, right?"

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ "Yeah, but if they loved me /more/ than they love you, then that's unacceptable right?"

"No..." Zhan answered sullenly. Everything he had to stand up for himself was lost now. He didn't like it when he was being yelled at, and he certainly wasn't used to it. He was afraid that if Yibo yelled at him for any longer, Yibo would realize he was better off alone and continue without Zhan. His head and shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry," he mumbled when he was prompted. "I promise I won't hurt them again." His own words felt like he was piercing his heart with them. How come Yibo didn't make Nessie promise not to hurt Yibo? It was clear that the younger boy had indeed chosen, and he did not choose Zhan. He didn't dare bring it up again, though, rubbing beneath his eyes with a balled up fist. "Can we go back now?"

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ "Yeah, but if they loved me /more/ than they love you, then that's unacceptable right?" Yibo demanded, still unable to let go of what he deemed to be such a selfish move on Zhan's part. He could tell that Zhan wasn't understanding the severity of the situation when he defaulted once again to Yibo 'choosing' Nessie over Zhan, which wasn't true at all. But, Yibo didn't know if there was a point in arguing with Zhan at this point. "I'm not going back until you promise not to hurt any of our Pokemon with your words and actions again," he said. Great. Now he felt like Zhan who was acting all righteous by trying to kidnap Bubbles from one of Yibo's scoldings. "And...I didn't choose anyone over you, so stop saying that."

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan huffed. He couldn't even go back if he wanted to, since he didn't remember the way back to the hotel at all. And Yibo didn't even understand why Zhan was upset. So stupid. How could he be anyone's boyfriend like this? "They love you, too," Zhan said, completely confused to why Yibo was saying all these things to him. After all, he got what he chose — Nessie — and Zhan still wasn't gong to leave. "Bubbles was so worried about you! And I get it... you chose Nessie. I don't care." His voice broke a little. He did care, actually. It hurt him intensely, and he wanted to burst into tears when he thought about it, but he managed to keep it in for the time being. "Let's just go back."

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Today was supposed to be a happy day for Yibo. If it weren't for Zhan being unreasonable about wanting a million Pokedollar of a Vulpix, they probably wouldn't have wandered into the museum to see the fossil restoration in the first place. Then, when Nessie was restored, he wouldn't have bonded with Yibo! Then none of this wouldn't have happened! And even more, Zhan was the one who wanted Nessie to join their team, so why the hell was Yibo getting grief for it now? The younger was so lost in his thoughts that when Zhan did approach him, Yibo shot a glare in his direction without thinking. "What are you doing here?" he asked in return, "I'm not going back to a ratpack that only loves you," Yibo said without thinking much, "Shouldn't you be glad you have all the Pokemon to yourself now? They can only love you," he said, scooting away from Zhan, "Go back. I'm used to being alone."

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan walked for a long time. If it weren't for Jian Guo with her snout pressed against the floor, trying to pick up Yibo's scent, he didn't think he'd ever have found Yibo, anyway. He spotted the younger from afar, seated on a park bench overlooking a large training field. It looked a bit similar to the one in Aspertia City. Zhan stomped over, a little angry Yibo decided to stay out without even saying anything. Didn't he know how worried Bubbles was? And of course, there was Nessie, sleeping peacefully with Yibo. Not only was it unfair to Zhan, Yibo never gave so much leeway to any Pokemon they welcomed to their team. "There you are," Zhan said crossly when he stood in front of Yibo, using the same tone Yibo always used on him. "What are you doing? We have to go back. It's too dark."

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ When Yibo wanted to walk his normal speed, he could easily outpace Zhan and disappear from the other's view within seconds. He vaguely noticed that Nessie was following him, but Yibo didn't slow down until he was sure that the older wouldn't be able to keep up for sure. He didn't even know where he was in this town - all the houses looked pretty much the same. Yibo wandered until he had passed through a few allies, and then he settled by a bench and welcomed the small Amaura onto his lap once more. He was honestly at a loss for how to feel. Was he being looked down upon by Zhan of all people? Because he was liked? It made no sense to Yibo that Zhan was even capable of such thoughts, but Yibo felt saddened the more he thought about it. He loitered in that spot for the rest of the day, not even feeling hungry anymore. Nessie seemed content to just sleep on his lap the entire time, so that was how they stayed until it was dark.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan took Yibo's choice as Nessie, anyway, so he scowled even if Yibo was abandoning him again. Stupid Yibo. He said he wouldn't leave Zhan, but he did anyway. Zhan sat back down on the beach towel, watching as Nessie scrambled to run after Yibo. Yibo's strides were long, and Nessie was so tiny, but he managed to catch up with the younger boy anyway. Zhan rolled his eyes. "You can have Nessie all you want," Zhan grumbled to himself, welcoming Jian Guo by his side again as she trotted up to him. He watched the Pokemon play for the rest of the afternoon. When he felt himself get hungry, meaning the others were probably hungry as well, he called for them before rolling the beach towel back up. Usually, Yibo did all this stuff, so it took a while for Zhan to get the sand-filled towel back into his backpack. Zhan corralled the Pokemon back to their room. Yibo wasn't there. Zhan huffed and scowled the entire time he made dinner for the Pokemon. While they were eating, Zhan told them, "When you're done, you can only play for an hour more before you go to bed! I have to go look for Yibo, so no one leave the room." He only took Jian Guo with him — he never went anywhere without her before. The streets were dark already when Zhan stepped out of the Pokemon Centre. It scared him, to be honest. He and Yibo generally avoided travelling at night, so it was even scarier when he was alone. Zhan stomped with every step as they walked through the town, peering down every alley for Yibo.

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ "What kind of er do you take me to be?" Yibo shot right back, not the slightest bit fazed when Zhan began to /shout/ at him. "Is that the only reason why you love my Pokemon so much? You think they love /you/ more than /me/?" he demanded, throwing his hands up in the air in a true bout of anger. Yibo never thought that he'd feel so /used/ by Zhan of all people, but here it was. This was the result of trusting anyone and thinking that he could invest his feelings into them. At the end of the day, they were all selfish humans who only looked out for themselves first and foremost. "Forget it," Yibo said, stalking off without calling any of his Pokemon to his side, "I'm not choosing. Since you want all the attention on you, you can have it," he said, stomping quickly back towards the boardwalk.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ There Yibo went again. Zhan didn't think he wanted to be Yibo's boyfriend if he was always going to put someone else first. Usually, if Yibo began to scold Zhan, Zhan would start crying, but now, he was just angry. He had nothing else to lose. Sure, he'd be sad if Yibo and all the friends he made along the way had to continue without him, but it would be better than being jealous all the time. Oh, right. He had denied it earlier, but Zhan was ready to admit it now. "Yes, I'm jealous!" Zhan snapped back in a rare display of opposition. He was usually very agreeable — even his mommy said so — but he was no pushover!! Choose right now! ME or NESSIE. CHOOSE!"

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Ugh. Why the did Zhan have to say it like that? He made a good point, if he wasn't as simple-minded as he was, would he really want to do something abnormal with Yibo? Yibo couldn't get a good read on whether the older would be willing to go against the grain with him, or because of him. He couldn't entertain the idea for too long though, since he kissed Zhan once more and then watched in befuddlement as Zhan picked up Nessie like a common piece of trash blocking their way and threw him out towards the sea. "Xiao Zhan, that's so cruel!" Yibo scolded, standing up with a disapproving shake of his head. "You /don't/ treat Pokemon that way." Yibo usually didn't lecture the older when it came to life lessons like this - that wasn't his job, but how could Zhan take such a 180 because Nessie had imprinted on Yibo. "Why are you like this? Is it because you don't want a Pokemon to like me? Am I not supposed to be liked? Why the hell are you treating me like this too?" he demanded, all the tenderness gone from his voice and gestures.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan gave Yibo a very exasperated look, as though Yibo were the idiot between them. "You just said its not normal, so why would I want to do that? I have to think. I don't want to make my mommy sad." Although Zhan was annoyed with Yibo talking this way and that, trying to confuse him, he leaned over anyway to give Yibo a consoling kiss over his cheek. He hadn't dared to the past few days to kiss or touch Yibo, but now that the younger was initiating them again, Zhan allowed himself as well. Once he drew away, though, Nessie lifted his head and make some sort of indignant cry toward Zhan. At this point, Zhan had enough. He picked the Amaura up by his sturdy body and threw him in the direct of the sea. Nessie landed with a soft plop in the sand outside of their beach towel, looking thoroughly confused. "Much better," Zhan huffed.

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ "Well, a lot of people tend to be upset. Having a boyfriend when you're a guy is...well, it's not the norm," Yibo admitted honestly to Zhan. He didn't want to be blamed by the older or his mother later for beating around the bush about taboo topics like this. It wasn't up until recently that Yibo could come to terms about his own feelings towards a man either. He was taken aback at Zhan's sudden change of mind though. "Think about what?" he demanded, grabbing the older by his wrist again, "Us? You can't. You already agreed!"

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan had been in the middle of fiddling with his Rotom phone when Yibo had to make him doubt everything he knew. He knew that his Mommy would love him and be happy for him, but now he wasn’t so sure. Why was Yibo making him second guess! “Um… I don’t know,” Zhan admitted, putting down the device. “We never talked about it before. Do you really think she’ll be upset?” He sighed, wondering if he should have so readily agreed to Yibo’s proposal. He didn’t want to do anything that would make his mommy upset, just as much as she tried to avoid doing things that made him upset. “Then… I might have to think about it.”

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Zhan's lips were easy to kiss. Of course, Yibo didn't ever kiss anyone else, so he didn't have anyone else to compare this experience too, but he was worried about how easily addicted he had become to such an intimate gesture with the older. As Zhan brought up the idea of coming out to his mother, Yibo tensed up. "Are you sure?" he asked, letting go of Zhan so the other could sit comfortably besides Yibo. Staring out at the open waters, Yibo watched as the incoming raves rolled in like roaring Pyroar. "What if she doesn't like that you have a boyfriend? Wouldn't she want you to have a girlfriend instead?" Whatever the case, it had not crossed Yibo's mind to share this news with his own mother.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan was pretty sure Yibo hadn’t kissed him in a while, so he was quite pleased when he felt Yibo’s warm lips meet his. Since he was out of practice, though (yes, after mere days), he couldn’t quite time or coordinate his breathing right, so he ended up backing away for a breath. Yibo was ruthless in chasing him down, and Zhan ended up whining loudly in his protest, trying to push Yibo away so that he could breathe. Once he did regain his composure, he leaned in to try to kiss Yibo again, his lips bumping clumsily against Yibo’s mouth. “I have to tell my mommy,” he said promptly, once he decided that they were finished for the time being. “I bet she’ll be really happy.”

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Yibo's confession had been very simple and lacking in nature, but who would've ever expected that Zhan's response would be nothing better either! Well, now Yibo supposed that they were boyfriends. Zhan was right, what next? Yibo sighed as he pulled the older against him. brazenly, his eyes fixated on Zhan's as he deliberated on the consequences of doing something so bold in public. Last time they had received a very distasteful response from a young boy, but others had received acceptance. Without thinking further on it, he leaned in, kissing Zhan on his sweet, plump lips. It'd been a while since they kissed (maybe not that long, but it just felt that way to Yibo), and Yibo honestly missed that feeling. He didn't pull away first, even chasing after Zhan's lips when he felt a nanometer of distance between them.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan sat up, his hair slightly disheveled. He did as he was asked, rubbing at his cheeks and beneath his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Then, he saw and watched Yibo think for a long, long time before the younger spoke. Nodding to each point Yibo made, Zhan found that he had to agree with everything Yibo pointed out. But was that all it took to become a boyfriend? At this rate, anyone could be Yibo's boyfriend! Well, that just meant Zhan had to take the spot first before anyone else could. "Okay, sure," he said as casually as though Yibo asked him if he wanted an ice cream or an extra pillow. There was something that tickled in his chest and in his stomach, but at least this took his thoughts away from Nessie. "Now what?"

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ Wait, what? Yibo didn't expect Zhan to answer his question seriously. He had said it without much thinking, but now he was starting to wonder if he was digging a hole for himself that he'd never be able to climb out of. "Oh well...uhm," he said, stammering to buy time. "If you want me to ask, then wipe your face clean and stop with the sniffles. People are going to think I'm trying to force you to do something you don't like if you don't," Yibo said, letting Zhan's wrist go so that the older could sit up and recollect himself. Yibo took slow and deep breaths, trying to formulate the question in his head first. Should he just ask Zhan directly? Was he supposed to cushion it with a confession of some sorts? How would 'Hey I know we met because you stole my Piplup and I wanted to take advantage of free home-cooked meals, but I think it's working out so will you please be my boyfriend?' sound to Zhan, an obvious romantic? Once Zhan's big eyes were trained on him again, Yibo murmured, "I...I like having you as my travel partner. You're kind to our Pokemon and you help me out a lot. Do you...want to be my boyfriend?" he delivered as his final product.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ Zhan huffed when he was forcibly yanked toward Yibo when his mind was set on sulking on his own. With his head in Yibo's lap, Zhan got a clear view of the other boy's face when he looked up. He really thought Yibo would understand and be on his side. After all, they knew each other longer than Nessie knew either of them. Yibo started talking again, and Zhan's face wrinkled in his confusion. 'What's a boyfriend?' he almost wanted to ask before he put two and two together. His mother sometimes said things like 'When I was dating your father' and 'When he was my boyfriend'. Is this what Yibo was asking him about? And they would make babies together eventually? Zhan felt his cheeks burn, but he slowly nodded to confirm that he did indeed want Yibo to ask.

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ "Xiao Zhan, stop it," Yibo finally snapped, getting the most annoyed when the older decided to give him an ultimatum. He wasn't going to choose anyone. "You're not going to stay here by yourself. You and Nessie need to learn to get along," he said, jerking Zhan upwards so that the older fell forward on Yibo's lap. Their faces were close enough for them to feel each other's slow breath, and he said with a firm tone, "What do you want me to do to prove that you're not irreplaceable? Should I ask you to be my boyfriend?" Upon saying that, Yibo fell silent. Of all things for him to counter Zhan with, he also didn't expect to say something so unprecedented.

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ What was Yibo /doing/?! He was supposed to tell Nessie off! Yet, here the Pokemon was, still contently curled up by the younger's side. Though Yibo was holding onto Zhan's wrist, Zhan managed to fall over onto his side. "My mommy will come get me or I'll die. Whichever comes first," he said, his cheek rubbing against the beach towel as he spoke. He didn't see much of a point in continuing if Yibo chose Nessie already, anyway. "Leave me alone," he whimpered. "I don't want to go with you if you pick Nessie..."

@Xiao Zhan ᵈᵃʸᶜᵃʳᵉ ᵃˢˢᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ "You're being dramatic," Yibo said, reaching out to grab Zhan's wrist when the older continued to be disagreeable. Though Yibo's patience with Zhan had grown signifcantly since the start of their journey, he still had his hard limit of when enough was enough. "What do you want me to do then? If I leave you here, someone else is going to try and take advantage of you again," Yibo warned Zhan. He sighed, looking down at the Amaura resting by his side, not a care in the world. "You're the one who insisted Nessie join us in the first place...she'll grow used to the rules," he tried to reason again, "But whatever the case, you can't stay here by yourself."

@Wang Yibo ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉʳ "I told him the rules," Zhan huffed, tears beginning to fall again when Yibo didn't empathize with him right away. Why was no one ever on his side! But his mommy! "Pokemon have to sleep with each other. You don't get it." Maybe Zhan really would have to end up earning his keep at the museum for a while. He was quite useful, and quite cute... maybe someone would come along one day who appreciated him more than Yibo did before Nessie came into the picture. It would be very hard, but if Zhan waited long enough, it'd be possible. "You don't get it," he repeated, dropped his croissant onto the beach towel beneath him. "I'm going to stay here."