Chapter Text
A cacophony of hundreds of cheers roared around him at once, the crowd absolutely losing their mind in a fit of stomping feet and clapping hands. A geyser of water erupted from center stage, and as the water came cascading down, the droplets caught the bright white stage lights just so, causing a shimmering rainbow to emerge. And while the people around him oohed and aahed at the magnificence of the scene, Steven could not take his eyes off the man in the middle of it all.
Standing tall, the performer struck his final pose, one lithe arm curving gracefully around his lower abdomen while the other arced to form a crescent above his head. He poised himself on one leg with ease, not even a little waver in his balance. He closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly, allowing his teal hair to fall into his eyes and a placid smile to stretch wide across his face. As the bright lights beat down, the small clear crystals bedazzling his romper sparked a million smaller rainbows to add to the mix. The final pose beckoned his performance partner, Milotic, to twirl around his position before ending the dance with a resounding flick of the multicolored scales at the end of her tail.
Time seemed to stand still for Steven as he admired the unadulterated beauty before him. His hands tightened on the railing in an attempt to keep him grounded, but he was already too far gone. In the darkness of the audience, no one would be able to see the blush coloring Steven’s cheeks or the stars in his steel-colored eyes. The world narrowed to encapsulate just the two of them, the entertainer and his devotee.
When those aquamarine eyes met his, Steven’s heart stuttered. The world expanded rapidly around him until it was all too much. He became aware of the other bodies pressed at his sides, radiating their oppressive warmth. Suddenly, there were too many voices bouncing around in his head. His breaths started to come faster and shallower. But there was nowhere to go.
Luckily, the host soon materialized on stage to announce the results. As the booming voice filled the contest hall, Steven shifted closer to the edge of his seat. Applause sounded for the runner-ups. Third place. And then, it was time for second place…
The teal-haired man remained a picture of serenity. Still wearing the same placid smile, he looked as if he was waiting to hear the weather forecast, not his placement in the national-level Master rank contest. Steven was so lost in this thought that he missed hearing who ranked in second. The performer’s face betrayed nothing.
“And the winner of the National Master Beauty Contest is,” the host waved his arm in a grand gesture towards “Wallace and Milotic!”
Wallace smiled directly at Steven, who was sitting so close to the front, and it wasn’t the careful smile of before, but rather a smile full of pride. Steven caught himself grinning like an idiot back. Warmth prickled at the skin beneath his suit, and he started counting down the seconds before he could meet Wallace in his dressing room.
The contest ended in a blur, and the crowd descended into chaos. Steven lost sight of Wallace as he rushed out of the darkened auditorium. He squinted at the brightness of the contest hall, scanning for the doors leading backstage. But all of a sudden, a swarm of people descended upon him, asking for a hug, his autograph, a battle then and there. Steven was truly grateful for the fame, that others saw him as a role model, as someone to emulate. But in this moment, all he could think about was the teal-haired beauty with eyes the color of the sea.
Steven inched his way towards the backstage door in the corner with a burly security guard standing watch, arms crossed over his barrel-shaped chest. Steven caught his eye and gave a slight nod of his head upwards. The guard’s eyes lit up with recognition. He mumbled something into his earpiece, and another set of security guards materialized at Steven’s side, clearing a path against the throng of fans.
When the posse arrived, the main guard stepped to the side and gestured to the door, the ritual so defined they didn’t even verify his name against the VIP list. “Right this way, Mr. Stone.”
Steven couldn’t resist playing along. He held up a hand with a grin. “Please, Mr. Stone is my father.”
That earned him a bellowing laugh. “As you say, Mr. Steven.”
Steven hurried through the backstage halls until he arrived at another door with a shiny gold star overtaking its center. He paused, arm raised mid-knock. New doubts surfaced in his mind, bringing with them a wave of anxiety. What if Wallace didn’t want to see him after their conversation two nights prior? Had Wallace been distant with him since only to focus on the contest, or could he still be upset?
The door swung open to reveal the contest star, jarring Steven out of his ruminations. In the softer light, Steven found himself mesmerized by the gentle twinkle of the crystals adorning Wallace’s costume. Up close, he was also able to notice the shimmering powder dusting his cheeks and the intricate rainbow designs of his eye makeup. Wallace stood tall, keeping his face neutral so as to not betray his innermost thoughts. From experience, Steven knew that meant he hadn’t yet decided what to do with how he felt.
Steven gulped lightly as his lover looked him up and down. He tried for a light tone, but his voice came out weak. “How did you know it was me?”
Wallace took a decisive step forward, eyes still locked on Steven with a look that bordered on predatory. “I could hear you over-thinking. I’m kind of surprised you even showed up.” In an instant, Wallace grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket, pulling him into the ornate dressing room. He pushed Steven against the wall, wasting no time to connect their lips in a searing kiss.
As Steven returned the kiss, Wallace took his bottom lip between his teeth, biting it gently and drawing a moan out of the silver-haired man. Wallace took that as a sign of encouragement, deepening their kiss to run his tongue over Steven’s as his hands roamed over his waistcoat. Heat pooled in his groin, and pushing his hips flush against Steven’s revealed he was similarly affected by their actions.
Wallace pulled away, causing Steven to whine and buck his hips at the sudden loss of contact. He held him against the wall, taking in the sight of the Champion’s swollen lips smeared with his lipstick, gray eyes dark with a lust-fueled haze, shirt half-untucked from roaming hands. Arceus, that sight would be the death of him.
Steven’s mind raced as he tried to process his lover’s emotions through his own lust. He wrapped his arms around the taller man. “Wallace, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about how absolutely radiant you looked tonight and how beautifully you commanded the stage.” He gave Wallace a gentle squeeze. “I don’t know what I did to deserve becoming the person who gets to come home to you each night.”
Wallace looked over to his dressing table, with Steven following as his eyes shifted over the towering bouquet of hydrangeas in a variety of pink and purple hues, Wallace’s favorite flower both for its aesthetics and meaning. Though he was still hurt and a little angry, Wallace mustered a small smile at the card and its familiar, elegant penmanship tied to the bouquet with a royal blue ribbon.
“Dear Wallace,
I wish you the best of luck for your performance tonight. Not that you need it, as I know you’ll walk away from this a Top Coordinator. Having traveled all over Hoenn, I can confidently say there is no one in this region more beautiful or hard-working than you (I will, however, concede Milotic as your equal). And while I don’t yet have the evidence, I would venture that this sentiment can be proven true when searching across the entire world.
It was you who taught me the language of flowers. While I may appear at times aloof and disengaged, I can assure you I listen to every word you say, and my silence is caused not by a lack of care, but rather, a struggle to find the right words with which to respond. So, my hope is for these hydrangeas—a symbol of gratitude, love, and one’s truest emotions—to express to you how I feel where my words fail.
I love you. And while we must live in the shadows at present, know that it is due entirely to external circumstances, as I am proud to be
Yours forever,
Steven”
Lightheaded from the euphoria of winning the contest, the lust burning in him for the man against the wall, the cocktail of bitterness and nerves simmering from nights past, Wallace sagged against his partner, letting the wall and the steel trainer’s strong arms support him. He groaned into Steven’s chest, though it came out muffled by the layers of his suit. His long fingers worked at the knot of Steven’s cravat, and when the knot finally gave, Wallace tossed the offending red silk aside. He brought one hand up into Steven’s silver hair, tugging his head back to gain access to the soft skin of his neck. His other hand pulled at Steven’s shirt to free it from his slacks before sliding it underneath and digging his fingers into the skin on Steven’s hip.
Steven yelped at the dual assault of his lover’s teeth and fingernails nipping at sensitive skin, pulling his hair, clawing at him. He relished the bit of pain, pressing his palms into the crystals of Wallace’s costume for an additional burn. As the blood rushed away from his head, his voice came out low and gravelly, something more akin to a growl. “That’s it, baby. Take it all out on me.”
Wallace felt himself twitch in anticipation at the familiar tone and pet name, his body remembering what comes next. He brought his mouth to Steven’s ear to whisper, “Be careful what you wish for,” before biting down hard on his earlobe.
Steven bucked his hips against Wallace in search of friction. “Don’t need to be. I know I want this, want you.” He bit his lip. “I need you, baby.”
Wallace’s frustration boiled up and over, unleashing a torrent of bites and kisses to mark and bruise. With each new mark, he cursed his body for giving into desire when he wanted to be angry. He cursed his mind for haunting him with fantasies of his lover when he wanted space. He cursed his heart for lacking the resolve to stand strong when he wanted to demand that Steven stay.
But it wasn’t enough, his anger still red hot and burning hotter than before. He pulled at the buttons of Steven’s dress shirt, prying it open to sink his teeth into the skin of his chest, warm from the flush that spread across his neck and chest. He fumbled at the clasp of Steven’s dress pants before plunging his hand into the unbearable heat and squeezing.
Steven squirmed, but Wallace wasn’t done with him. Keeping his grip firm, Wallace finally pulled his face away, ceasing his attack and holding Steven in place with his stormy sea-colored stare. “Are you still leaving for Sinnoh tomorrow?”
Steven panted, breaths coming shallow. Under his boyfriend’s hand, his voice trembled and his legs started to shake. “That was the plan, yes.”
Wallace cocked his head, voice dangerously calm. “You mean your plan, right? Is that what you meant to say?” He yanked his hand upwards, pulling hard on the sensitive flesh.
They’d been lying in his bed, the moon high in the sky above Sootopolis casting a silvery hue upon the scene of the afterglow. The white duvet pooled around his lover’s waist where he’d sat upright, obscuring the destination one would reach if they followed the soft trail of hair down his navel as he had earlier, the pleasant ache in his backside serving as a reminder of their lovemaking that had followed.
While the night had largely progressed in the usual fashion of their secret rendezvouses, Wallace hadn’t been able to shake the feeling that something weighed heavily on his partner’s mind. His kisses had been a little distracted, and he was slightly rougher than usual (not that Wallace was complaining about that though). And now, where Steven would usually cradle Wallace against his chest until they drifted off to sleep, he curled against the headboard, looking off into space and fidgeting with his rings. He’d forgotten to take them off, and that was the detail to push Wallace to action.
Wallace scooted closer before plopping his head in Steven’s lap and causing him to startle. “Play with my hair.” He hadn’t meant to sound so petulant, but maybe it would lighten the mood.
Steven had chuckled, but his eyes remained faraway. “As you command, my prince.” Not usually one for pet names, he hoped this was a good sign. Steven was engaging with him, so while there was something puzzling him, it wasn’t so overwhelming to cause him to shut down.
Wallace had tried to relax, to let Steven open up naturally. But despite the soothing feeling of fingers carding through his hair, he couldn’t shake it off. “Steven dearest,” he began.
The fingers had stopped moving through his hair. “What are you doing? Did I tell you to stop?”
Steven simply made a noise and dissent but gently resumed stroking his scalp. “My apologies, are there any other demands I should know of?”
In response to the attempt at teasing, Wallace had reached up and ghosted a hand along his boyfriend’s face. “Tell me what’s been bothering you tonight.”
Steven’s voice had come out flat, and that’s when the Butterfree started to flutter in his stomach. “There’s nothing bothering me, per se.”
“You’re a terrible liar, dear.” What would he even need to lie about anyway? He had been patient with Steven, understanding that it took time for him to open up. He had been more than open himself, a level of vulnerability he had never shared with another. What had he done wrong?
Steven’s movements had become robotic. “Well, it’s not that something’s bothering me. I don’t quite know how I feel about it yet, or how you would either, for that matter.”
“Then let’s talk about it.” This part was the fuzziest, but he knew he’d taken great care to sound encouraging.
And then came the bombshell.
“I booked a one-way ticket to Sinnoh in three days.”
Silence slithered between them, settling into the space and making him feel so far away. A cold dread crept into his extremities, while the rest of him went numb. Was that really his boyfriend speaking?
“I’ve… decided to do a little soul-searching and train on the road. I don’t plan to return home for some time.” There was a waver in Steven’s voice, and that was the straw that had broken the Numel’s back. How could he have ever been sure of that statement? That Wallace would just be okay with that? “Can you please say something?”
Wallace bolted upright, twisting out of Steven’s hands. The numbness turned to tingling, the same kind of radio static felt after trying to wake sleeping limbs. He balled the sheets into his hands to stop the sensation.
“Steven, I don’t even know where to begin.” Tears stung at his eyes, but he was too proud to let them fall. “You can’t just up and leave without saying something!”
“I am saying something.” He reached for Wallace, uncertain of what to do or even why the water trainer would be so upset.
Wallace recoiled as if Steven had slapped him, ignoring the way his face fell at the rejection. “Yeah, only because I forced you to! Have you even thought this through at all? What about the logistics of the Championship?”
Steven couldn’t hide the hurt in his voice. “Well, I was planning to ask you.”
And Wallace couldn’t stop. “Oh really? How kind of you to skip town and give all your work to me.” He beat on with wave after wave of questions. “And who would take over my gym, hm? And when were you going to ask me? Before or after you left me to sort through the pieces?”
“Well, Juan was the gym leader there before.”
“Okay, but how can you honestly expect Juan to agree to that on such short notice? Have you even asked him? And what if he says no, Steven? Did you even think about that?”
“Wallace—” Steven started, but Wallace was unrelenting.
“You know what? No, I don’t care. Because that’s not even the point.” The tears started to fall. “What about our relationship, Steven? When am I even going to see you next?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think—”
“Exactly! You didn’t think. That’s the whole problem.” Wallace knew he was being dramatic. He knew he was being mean. But his heart hurt, and he hated crying, and he hated being angry at the man he loved. “Do you expect me to sit around for Arecus knows how long, just twiddling my thumbs and waiting for you to come back when you feel like it?”
Steven hugged himself, running his hands up and down his biceps. For the first time since they’d known each other, Wallace saw Steven become visibly afraid. “Are you saying you want to break up with me?”
Wallace paused, feeling himself deflate a bit. He was still angry and upset, but there was no denying he loved Steven more than anyone who’d come before. “No Steven,” he said, letting the reality sink in. “What I’m saying is you’re not single anymore. You can’t just do these kinds of things on a whim.”
Despite the reassurance, Steven tried to stop himself from shaking. “I’m sorry, I know I should have asked. I just needed a break from everything, and I bought the ticket without thinking. And then I knew you’d be mad at me.”
Wallace sighed. All of the fight had left his body, leaving him exhausted and sad. He shifted back over to Steven and pulled him into an embrace. He waited and held them there until his love stopped shaking. “I love you, dearly. I do.” He pressed a kiss to Steven’s temple. “I also have the biggest contest of my career in two days, so I’m going to bed. You need to figure this one out on your own, and you will tell me before you leave whether you’re actually going through with this.”
Steven hissed at the movement. He tried to regain as much of his composure as he could with his lover’s hand shoved down his pants. “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I should have told you before I ever bought the ticket.” The hand stilled. “But this is something I feel like I really need to do. I’ve been so overwhelmed for the past month that I can’t focus at work. And the worst part is, I woke up one day just dreading the job I used to love.”
Steven waited for a response before pressing on. “I went about this the wrong way, and I really hope you can forgive me. I’m just so worried that if I don’t take some time off, I’ll become more resentful and irritable, and I’ll no longer be the person you fell in love with.”
Wallace sighed, nuzzling his nose against Steven’s cheek. He slowly inhaled the scent of pine, moss, and the other earthy smells that mixed with something so uniquely Steven. He knew he needed to savor this for an indeterminate amount of time, until they could see each other again. “I could never stop loving you. I just wish you’d told me sooner so I could have planned a better send-off and more chances to soak you up.”
Steven cupped Wallace’s face before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. “Seeing you win the title of Top Coordinator was the best gift I could have received.” He ran his thumb in slow circles over his cheeks.
“You make it so hard to stay mad at you,” Wallace complained. He slowly pressed kisses to the bruises peppering Steven’s neck and chest, soothing the hurt with the love he felt. “I’m going to have to kiss every inch of you so I burn it into my memory.”
Steven shivered at the light kisses, feather-soft on his sore skin. “I will savor every kiss so that I can keep a part of you near and dear to me in spite of the distance.” As the weight of his words sank in, Steven felt a pang in his chest at the thought of Wallace being so far away. “So, you’re okay with me going?”
The teal-haired man sighed. “As okay as I can be, given your penchant for exploring uncharted cave systems by yourself.” He took one of Steven’s hands between his smaller ones and pulled it to his chest to rest over his heart. “I fear you’ll fall into some unseen hole and get stuck or injured with no one around to help. And then I, none the wiser, will eagerly await your return on a day that never comes.”
Steven felt his heart squeeze. “I promise I’ll be extra careful and give you a sign of life update every day. And besides, I won’t really be alone because I’ll have Metagross and the rest of my team with me.” He gestured to his belt where the Pokemon rested in their capsules.
Wallace hummed softly. He closed his eyes and whispered some phrases in what Steven recognized to be ancient Sootopolin, though he didn’t understand their meaning. Wallace pressed a gentle kiss to Steven’s hand before letting go and reaching up to undo his necklace. He pressed a kiss to the aquamarine in the center before fastening the chain around Steven’s neck. “There, now you have a part of me always.”
The realization dawned on Steven. His mouth fell open. “Isn’t this the necklace Juan gave you when you took over the gym?” He fiddled with the silver chain. “I can’t accept this!”
Wallace kissed Steven once more. “You can, and you will because I put a protective charm on it to keep you safe until you return home.”
“Ah, well then, allow me,” Steven said, removing one of his many rings before sliding it smoothly onto the ring finger on Wallace’s right hand. He pressed a kiss to the intricate design. “Take this as a reminder of my promise to return home to you, safe and sound.”
Wallace held his hand up, admiring the soft glint of the light on the silver metal. He gasped as he recognized the central design to be the Stone coat of arms. While Steven’s grandfather had passed away early on in their friendship, Wallace remembered how much Steven looked up to the man and how distraught he’d been at his passing. He felt his heart swell. “I’m serious, you know. If I don’t hear from you after a couple days, I will personally tear Sinnoh apart looking for you.”
Steven couldn’t help but smile. “I know. Your dedication is one of the things I love most about you.”
Without warning, Wallace pulled the silver-haired man into another deep kiss, but whereas the first had been burning with desperation, this one was slow and full of love and the bittersweet anticipation of a long separation. Wallace took his time exploring his lover’s mouth, lazily dragging his tongue over his bottom lip. He sought to catalogue the pleased sounds Steven made, the feeling of strong hands on his waist, the warmth emanating from his body, as if he were part-furnace.
The familiar heat of desire began to build between them, stoking the burn slowly, and despite how much he didn’t want to, Wallace pulled back, relishing the whine he pulled out of Steven. “Oh dear, and to think I’m usually the patient one.”
Steven pawed at the front of Wallace’s costume, right below his plunging neckline. “You’re teasing me.”
Wallace pulled Steven away from the wall, twirling them before unceremoniously shoving the shorter man backwards until the back of his legs hit the surface of the vanity. Wallace hoisted his lover up to sit on the marble and pushed his knees apart to step between them. He pushed the black suit jacket off Steven’s shoulders before bringing his deft fingers to work at the buttons of his purple waistcoat. “Dearest, if this should be our last night for a while where we can make love to one another, I intend to have you and feel you on every surface in this room. After tonight, neither of us should be able to sit without thinking of the other.”
Steven wrapped his legs around his lover’s hips, holding him there. “As you wish, my love.”