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2 AM was when the caffeine crash fully set in, right when he was wrapping up his final interview. If the journalist noticed, she didn’t say anything, just giving Leon a polite smile when he started rubbing his eyes and fumbling over his words, setting his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. Horrible bodily reaction to being tired, the shakes rumbling through him as he tried to just push through. Answer, smile, answer, smile, Charizard pose, photo op, hope to Arceus they photoshop the bags under his eyes out in post. But it was over. 3 AM and it was over. So Leon could get changed, hang up his Champion kit, and pack it in.
Everyone was tired. Dragging themselves from the stadium, from Macro Cosmos employees, to League trainers, to the custodians who cleaned up after the match. Leon was thankful that this was just some match in the off season to keep interest churning for the upcoming Gym Challenge, but that didn’t mean it didn’t drag. Wasn’t a signal of what was to come in a month. And Leon felt the exhaustion really set in when he crawled inside of a Corvicab, definitely unable to drive himself home, texting his assistant some garbled gunk of a text about it, saying he’d pick up his car in the morning.
“Where ya headed? Hope not to the pub, think they’re doin’ last call right about now!” The cheerful laugh from the cabbie made Leon reflexively smile, relax, and he slumped against the seat, rubbing his face. “Don’t be fallin’ asleep on me now, Champ! I’m a cabbie service, not a hotel!”
“Sorry, sorry…Uhhhh, need to go…home,” Leon slurred out, groaning as he felt his eyes drying out, a million grains of sand under his eyelids as he kept rubbing them. “Home please,” he repeated, so tired that he barely recognized his own voice, because it wasn’t jovial and mirthy, but gruff and hoarse, and he’s so thankful his voice held out while he was interviewing.
“Not a problem! Just need to know where home is!” Another laugh from the cabbie jolted Leon up, and he sighed, smacking his cheeks to keep himself awake. Then a softer chuckle, the older man giving him a gentle look. “Just need an address, mate. That’s all.”
Leon nodded, mumbled it out, and the cabbie reached through the window and patted Leon’s shoulder. With his eyes no longer dry, and a lump forming in his throat, Leon was glad the lights of Wyndon weren’t bright enough to illuminate his face inside that cab as the driver climbed on top of his Corviknight. He wasn’t sure how he could explain to a stranger that he was running off three energy drinks and four days of no physical contact.
When the cab landed, ungraceful and hard, Leon jolted awake, the short nap not enough to fully rest him, but it was enough to disorient him. Dazed, confused, Leon looked around at the stone walls and warm, yellow lights around him. “I’m not…This isn’t…Huh…?” He looked at the cabbie who smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m in Hammerlocke,” he stated, mouth dry and foul tasting from sleep.
“That’s where you told me to fly! Thought it was weird that our Champion had a home in Hammerlocke, but who am I to argue, eh?” The man didn’t even argue with Leon, didn’t listen to him when he made noises of protest, just opened the cab door and let him out. But the man was nice enough to deliver him to the front door of a very familiar townhouse, rather than the drop point in Hammerlocke, so he couldn’t complain too much. So, as a thanks for dealing with the world’s most exhausted man, Leon fished around his back pocket for his wallet, and handed the cabbie some amount of money, Arceus knows how much, all before he stumbled up the cobblestone stairs to townhome 34A, smacking his forehead on the cold, wooden door.
Knocking once, twice, then ringing the doorbell, he hoped, prayed again, that the occupant was awake. When the door swung open, Leon dragging himself with it, he was so relieved that he was. “Lee, it’s 4 AM…” But Raihan was dressed, fully, because they’d only just seen each other maybe two hours before. “Couldn’t get enough of me, that it?” Raihan opted to lean against the doorframe, leaving the door open while Leon was flopped against the door, face squished against it as he tried to angle himself to get a better look at Raihan. He couldn’t, just seeing that Raihan was in his shorts and shoes, but he knew that Raihan was smirking by the sound of his voice.
“‘M tired…” was all Leon got out, and Raihan laughed, walking into his own home. “Gotta be nice to me…Been a long day,” he whined out, and he tried to pout, but it was hard with his cheek still pressed to the wood, and with Raihan in his field of blurry, strained vision he could see the soft expression on his face. “Raaaaaaai,” he sounded pathetic, on the verge of tears, and he guessed it worked when Raihan ushered for him to come inside.
It took every ounce of strength Leon had to push himself off the door, stumbling as he kicked off his shoes in the doorway, sighing as Duraludon came behind him to close the door. “Thank you, love,” he whispered, scratching under the dragon’s chin. No hard feelings, there never were, because it didn’t take long for Charizard to free himself from his ball, snorting happily and clacking his claws together, happy to see his friend. The rest of Leon’s team must have been sleeping, because they too would have clambered out of their balls the moment they could, joining the pile of snuggled up ‘Mons in the living room.
“Lee,” Raihan’s voice came from the kitchen, and Leon followed it, looking in that direction. “Guessing you haven’t eaten yet, yeah? Heard your stomach grumbling from the sky.” Leon didn’t even realize he started shaking again, just nodding to Raihan’s question as he made his way to the kitchen. “Hey, hey…Easy there…”
All of a sudden there were hands on him. Warm, large, grabbing his biceps and keeping him steady. Leon felt the prick in his nose, the wet rim of his eyelids threatening to spill over as he soaked in the touch. “Lee, love, take it easy. Go sit on the couch, been a long day, and –”
“No, wanna –”
“Stubborn,” Raihan didn’t even let Leon finish protesting before he was calling him stubborn, but Leon deserved that. He really was. So he smiled, eyes still closed, and he wasn’t sure how long they had been closed for. “Sit on the counter then if you want to be a Mudsdale in my kitchen. But you’re not getting a tea. And in the morning you’re certainly sleeping in.” Leon’s lip wobbled when Raihan let go of him, but he didn’t have to go without that touch for long, Raihan’s grip on his waist as he hoisted him up onto the counter. “There we go.”
“So if I’m not getting tea why’s the kettle on?” Leaning against a cabinet, Leon’s hat fell off, landing in the sink. Thankfully Raihan was on top of his dishes, something Leon couldn’t boast about, so it was safe in there so long as no one turned on the tap. “Unless you’re having me on and you’re about to dose me up with enough caffeine to keep me going for a few more days,” he chuckled, because it was a joke, but Raihan bristled, sucking his teeth as he fussed around the kitchen.
“Not a tosser like Rose, so I don’t think I’ll be doing that, mate.” There was so much disdain in Raihan’s voice, and it wasn’t like it was misplaced. “But nah, I’m making us the most gourmet of meals one can eat at 4 AM. Cup noodle a la Raihan,” bringing them down, he shook them, making the noodles inside rattle around. “Fine with you?”
“Anything sounds amazing right now. Especially when I’ve got a Milcery Star chef in the house.” Now the mood was better, Raihan laughing, no matter how tired it sounded. Leon watched, forced himself to despite his tired eyes, as Raihan poured the boiled water into the plastic cup, sealing the lid back on it, and letting it steam and soak for a few minutes. Hanging onto the words ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I miss you’ because he wasn’t sure how to speak them. “Thank you,” he landed on, but it was choked, sounded sadder than he intended, but Raihan smiled as he leaned against the counter, just nodding.
“Sure, ‘course. Can’t let you starve near to death. But I am curious about how you ended up here and not in Wyndon. Not complaining, since I like seeing my boyfriend outside of work, ya know?” Ah, there it was. The reason why Leon needed to apologize.
“Sorry, Rai. Just been a whirlwind week, honest. And uh…Well the cabbie asked…Uhhh…” Scratching his cheek, Leon flushed a little, not sure if he should admit that when he was asked the address for home he gave this place. “So tired the only address I could think of was here. You know how it is.”
The pause that filled the air, only filled by the Applin timer going off, made Leon think he made a grave error. That this was somehow the final meal he’d share with Raihan. Being passed a too hot cup of noodles, a pair of chopsticks, sitting on the counter of a Hammerlocke townhome that Leon was more familiar with than his own penthouse. He’d been here countless time, starting when Raihan first moved in at 18, to now. Taking a bite of noodles that burned the roof of his mouth, feeling a familiar ache in his chest.
“Sorry,” Leon whispered, looking down at the broth, the floating veggies mixed with the noodles. “I know having me as a boyfriend isn’t the best, and –”
“Shhh, you worry too much. All the damn time.” Raihan kissed his forehead, and the floodgates opened. Crying into a cup of noodles, making them even saltier than they already are. A warm hand rubbing his back, Raihan coaxing Leon’s head to rest on his shoulder, allowing Leon to breathe in the cologne that Raihan only buys from one department store in Wyndon, and Leon has a stockpile of incase they ever discontinue it as Christmas presents for years to come. “I ain’t mad about it, promise that. Allowed to miss you, aren’t I? Just glad you found your way back to me.”
Choking on his tears and noodles, both him and Raihan ate their meager dinner in the kitchen while the sun rose, Leon sniffling and feeling the exhaustion setting in even more. Every joint in his body aching, his bones heavy, his muscles too weak. Raihan slumping against him, both collapsing in on themselves. Noodles being slurped, growing cold. Leon chugged the broth, tossing the cup onto the counter, all so he could wrap himself around Raihan, soaking in the contact. “I missed you, Rai. I missed you…”
“Saw you earlier today, love. Didn’t realize I was dealing with a clinger,” Leon rolled his eyes, because he knew Raihan was trying to take the piss out of him, but whatever. He was burying his face in Raihan’s neck, feeling him wiggle under his touch from the way his chinstrap tickled his skin. “I miss you so much Lee, so glad you’re here. So…so glad. Love you something fierce, you know that?”
“Think so…’Cause I love you just as much.”
Tired, exhausted, every nerve in his body screaming to lie in bed and sleep, Leon fought the impulse one last time. Sitting up, he cupped Raihan’s cheek, bringing his tired lips to Raihan’s tired lips. Kissing him, jaw shaking as he did, mapping every bit of that kiss to his memory. Relishing in the way he felt Raihan’s snaggletooth brush his lower lip, how Raihan moaned softly, how his hands gripped his hips, kneading circles into his flesh with his thumbs, and shallow breathing between them both. Snapshots, taken in his mind, savored for the next them they’ll inevitably have to be parted for days on end.
But that was not right now. Shedding their clothes in Raihan’s bedroom, down to their boxers, lying in Raihan’s bed, so tired, so exhausted, but not enough to sleep. Not yet. In the early morning blue light, where Leon could rest on Raihan’s chest, body flopped on his, feel Raihan’s fingers run through his long hair, all while he looked up at him. The rising sun colder than the feeling of Raihan smiling down at him.