A/N: time to bring in Flirty!Citron :D lol but yes! I had a goal (set last week), that id start trying to update one fic a week! AND I DID IT! (which is super surprising, because im usually SO horribly slow). But anyway, woo! update (this is also my longest chapter of any fic ive done)! :D

It had seemed so... real...

The trainer lazily stared up at the tent ceiling, thinking over his previous night's dream. His amber eyes scanned the skylight of the tent, his body still too heavy to bother moving. He could hear Pikachu snoring lightly, nestled tightly in between him and Citron.

Outside, the girls chatted quickly, the subtle klink of dishware and crackle of fire bringing him a strange comfort.

I wish it wasn't a dream.. he sighed, wiping dried drool from the corner of his lip. If only he had the chance. If only he could find the right opportunity to tell the blond boy how he really felt, then perhaps they could have the same sort of sweet romance he secretly longed for.

I'm pretty sure even if he did like me, that he wouldn't make the first move.. he's WAY to shy. Hell, he's even embarrassed to get dressed in the tent at the same time as me.. there's no way he'd m-

GRR...

The trainer's stomach let out a long groan, resembling a wild pokemon rather than an internal organ. Satoshi clutched at his abdomen, trying to silence the obscenely loud gurgle.

"Pi?.." The electric mouse stirred, blinking his eyes and stretching as he woke up. "Pi-pikachu.. chaaaaa!"

"Mornin', buddy." Satoshi whispered, reaching over and scratching behind his friend's ear. "You hungry too?" The pokemon bounded from his spot, sending small poofs of warm air from their sleeping bags in his immediate desire for breakfast. "I guess that's a yes." The trainer chuckled, unzipping the tent just enough for Pikachu to scurry out before closing it again to get dressed. As he was pulling up a clean pair of boxers, his eyes flickered over to the peacefully sleeping body cuddled into himself.

The blond's chest rose and fell gently, keeping a steady rhythm.

I wonder if I should wake him up..

To be completely honest, Satoshi didn't know if he'd have the heart to disturb the poor sick boy. The way he was nestled into his sleeping bag, gold coloured hair strewn perfectly imperfect across the pillow, was just too adorable.

I'll let him sleep in, he needs all the rest he can get anyway.. he found himself thinking. Once he was completely dressed, he wondered out into the campsite, smiling at his other two friends' seemingly pleasant morning.

"Hey guys." He greeted, taking a seat at the picnic table.

"Good morning!" Eureka chimed. The girl was brushing her hair, braiding her bangs and pinning them down with a gold coloured clip. A few feet away, Serena was organising her purse.

"You guys goin' somewhere?" The trainer looked between his two friends, curiously scanning the campsite for any sign of breakfast (and to his disappointment, found none).

"Eureka and I are going back to town." Serena smiled, pulling a flier from her backpack. She held it up for him to see, showing him a picture of a woman dressed in a black gown smiled coyly. Beside her, a man with auburn and a cigarette was grinning similarly. "Carnet has a new movie out, and the first hundred people at the debut get in half price."

Why do they wanna see Carnet? Her acting's boring..but at least she can battle.. besides, he's way better looking..

The trainer thought briefly, looking at the man's sculpted arms and five-o-clock shadow. Since he had become open with his sexuality, the embarrassment he would have felt before was completely gone. For a moment, he let his amber eyes scan the picture.

Oh, wait.. she's still talking..

"-ther despite their families feud. Isn't that romantic?" She had the movie poster clutched to chest, her eyes sparkly with fangirl admiration.

"H-huh? Yeah. Really romantic." He smiled awkwardly, taking a small step back.

"Serena! Let's go!" Eureka flew by her older friends, taking the honey haired girl's hand. Dedenne chirped happily from her pouch, running to his trainer's head. "I wanna see it!"

"W-wait." The performer stuttered. "D-do you want to come with us, Satoshi?"

"Nah, I'm good. I wanna stay here with Citron." The trainer turned towards the recently extinguished campfire, returning to his search for some food. To be completely honest, all he wanted was to satisfy the hunger eating away at his stomach, not walk for a few hours to suffer through yet another 'chick flick'. Besides, he much preferred being in another boy's company (girls weren't the easiest to talk to).

"Oh.. okay." She smiled almost sadly. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"Have fun!" He called after the duo, watching as they disappeared down the forest path towards town.

"Chuu.." he felt a tug on his pant leg, peering down to see his friend's disgruntled face. "Pika-pi."

"Me too, buddy." The boy crouched down, letting the mouse climb onto his shoulders. "Let's get some fire wood. I'll cook up breakfast."

The morning seemed to go peacefully enough. After gathering and splitting a few logs, and with Fiarrow's help, they had successfully started the fire pit again. The familiar smell filled the trainer's nose as he flipped through one of Citron's cookbooks.

Okayu went well before. I actually kinda like cooking..

He turned the page again, skipping over a 'Kalosian Toast' recipe that looked way too sweet for this time of day. His amber coloured eyes scanned a few more, occasionally stopping to check on the mug of tea brewing at his side.

I wanna make somethin' a little more special. Okayu's great and everything, but it'd be nice make something to impress him.. crepes.. no, too fancy.. bread pudding? is that even a breakfast?... wait, this looks good..

Having decided to make Isshu style pancakes, the trainer set to work, letting his mind wonder and not really paying much attention to his surroundings. Several dirty dishes and a split bag of flour later, he grinned proudly at his gluey concoction of batter. After the first two, he felt confident that he'd be able to serve a decent looking breakfast.

After plopping in the third pancake, he leaned against the picnic table, smiling at his friend and lifting his tea to his lips.

"Hey, Pikachu, this is goin' pretty good. I think mom would be proud of us." He puffed a breathe of air into the cup, waiting for it to cool. "Maybe w-w...we.." the boy paused, his face contorting as he tried to fight back a sneeze. "A-ACHOO!"

His body jarred forward, sloshing the scalding hot tea directly into his chest. The liquid scorched his skin, running down his torso and leaving a burning trail as it went.

"GOD DAMNIT!" The Kanto boy cursed, quickly throwing off both shirts in attempt to keep from being hurt further.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu rushed to his trainer's side, concerned for his trainer as he continued swearing in Japanese.

"I-I'm okay.." He tried to reassure, his voice almost a growl with pain. "Th-that just really hurt.." he peered down, eyeing the searing red mark leading down his chest. Beside him, the electric mouse ran towards a nearby tree, climbing high and retrieving a icy blue fruit.

"Pi-Pika-pi." He dropped it on the table, trying to help.

"..thanks.." Satoshi crushed the berry in his palms, smearing it over the scarlet burnt skin. Almost immediately a rush of freezing cold soothed the injury, smelling strongly like mint chewing gum. The trainer breathed a sigh of relief, smiling at his little yellow friend. "Thanks, buddy."

"Chaaa!" Pikachu chirped happily, before perking his ears, abruptly becoming alert. Panic struck the pokemon's face, pointing towards the campfire. "Pi-Pikachu!"

"Huh?" Satoshi peered over, his amber coloured eyes widening at the sight of a now raging fire and smoke whirling up into the sky. "Shit! It's burning!"

As the trainer flailed in a panic, the pokemon watched for a moment before bounding to the group's supplies, pulling out a small watering can. The two frantically tried to bring the fire down, dowsing the flames to reveal the blackened pancakes.

"THAT'S IT! I'm never doin' this again!" The trainer declared loudly with frustration, throwing himself in a picnic chair. Some where beside him, he could hear the fire withering away (thanks to Pikachu's efforts).

No wonder I don't cook...this sucks...

"Satoshi?" a timid voice came from behind him. Quickly the boy turned around, feeling a rush of embarrassment flood his face. How much had he seen? Why did he care? It shouldn't have mattered if he saw him flailing around like a confused Magikarp. But for some reason, it did. "..Are you ok?"

"H-Hey, Citron." The trainer quickly straightened himself out, trying to remain calm by running a hand though his bangs (and accidentally smearing the blue fruit into his hair in the process). "What's up?"

"I just heard some commotion, and wanted to make sure everything was alright." Shyly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Um.. where are the girls?"

"Serena took Eureka into town. They got kinda bored. S-So it's just you an' me." Satoshi chuckled nervously, nudging him with an elbow.

"I see.." The blond tipped his head curiously, a slight blush crossing his cheeks as his eyes scanned over Satoshi's bare chest. "What were you...?"

It's still on me, isn't it?

"I...was doing push ups." He let out a small nervous chuckle, dropping down to the grass and demonstrating. "And I guess there was a berry under me that I didn't see."

The boy didn't seem to fully believe him, a small smile crossing his lips. As though seeking conformation, he peered past the trainer to his pokemon.

"Pi-pi.." Pikachu quietly shook his head exasperatedly, tilting his watering can a little more on the now barely smoldering campfire.

"That's cute." Citron chuckled shyly, turning on his heal towards the group medical kit.

"W-what's cute?" Quickly Satoshi sprang up and brushed his palms off on his pants. He came up behind him, walking backwards and throwing his arms above his head in attempt to appear normal. It could have been convincing, if not for the peachy flush tinting his cheeks and blue fruit still smeared over his chest like a messy toddler.

"Nevermind, it's nothing." The blond crouched down, shuffling through boxes of gauze and tissues until he found a white pack adorned with the words 'icy-hot' across the side. In addition, he grabbed a small purple towel and a handful of cough drops. Curiously, Satoshi watched.

What does he mean? Does he mean me? I didn't think it was possible for me to be cute..

Would it be wrong to assume that Citron had been talking about him? Was the blond trying to complement him? Unsure of what to do, but as he got up to leave, the trainer decided to speak up.

"Uh.. so.. Pikachu's cute, right?" He grinned nervously, following his sick friend as he made his way towards the tent. Citron didn't reply, simply smiling sweetly before letting himself inside. Somehow, he found it strange how a subtle action could send Butterfrees through his stomach. The boy peered inside waiting until his friend waved him in. "C-cause it can't be me.. right?"

"Oh, no. You can be cute." The inventor situated himself on top of his sleeping bag, cracking the white pack and setting it aside wrapped in the towel. "You know, in your own way."

"Really?" Satoshi scooted to Citron's side, trying to keep his eyes focused on his face. The blond unbuttoned the top of his nightshirt, leaning his head to the side and slipping the now freezing cold pack under the back of his collar. "H-how? Like a Skitty or somethin'?"

"No, you're not a girly cute." The inventor peered up at him, visibly uncomfortable with the icy sensation on his skin. "You're masculine and sort of scruffy. Kind of like the boy in 'Peter Pan'."

"Is that a movie?" The trainer felt an unfamiliar tinge of irrational jealousy in being compared to an unknown (but probably handsome) actor.

"It's a book." Citron replied, removing the cold pack and setting it aside. "We can read it together sometime if you'd like. I think Eureka has a copy of it somewhere." Under his breathe he muttered something in french as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You okay?"

"Yes. I just slept badly, so my neck hurts.." The blond sighed. "I thought this would make it feel better, but to be honest, it's not really working.."

"..Ya know, maybe I can help." The trainer blushed, inching a little closer to his friend's side. "I used ta help my mom when she'd get aches and pains from workin' in the diner. I can get it for you, if you'd like."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just lay down, take off your shirt and tell me where it hurts."

"W-why do I need to take off my shirt?" He stammered, his face a dark pink and gripping the front of his gown.

"'cause otherwise it makes your back all slippery, and it's harder to do a good job."

".." Hesitantly, the blond obeyed, striping down to his bloomers before relaxing on top of the sleeping bag. Taking a calming breath, the Kanto teen tried to find the best way to position himself, finally settling on straddling his lower back.

It's just to get his shoulders easier, I swear.. He tried to justify, ignoring the burning heat flooding his face. Carefully, he got to work, kneading the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders as his brain wondered.

What exactly did Citron mean? Typically when a person is called 'cute', it implies some sort of attraction, right? So if he could figure out a little more, then perhaps he'd be able to piece together who the blond could potentially be interested in..

".. So, this guy from that book.." Satoshi started, wanting to know more.

"Peter Pan?" The blond peered back at him, crossing his arms beneath his head like a pillow.

"Yeah. You said he's cute?" For a minute, Citron didn't respond, instead choosing to ponder. The trainer continued to work on the knots going down his back, waiting for his response. Finally, he spoke again.

"Hm...yes. In a boyish way." He smiled innocently, even blushing slightly. "I mean, it's pretty easy to see why. He has a certain... charm. I've heard alot of people tend to develop a crush on him, even other guys."

The trainer suppressed a growl in the back of his throat.

"What's so cool about him, anyway?"

"Huh?.. Well, he's confident and brave. Not to mention skilled in battle." The tone in his voice was wistful and with deep admiration. "He is supposed to have unending youth, forever ten years old. He's even described as a beautiful boy.. bishounen.. although they never really say what he's supposed to look like. But I like to imagine him with dark hair.. maybe with golden brown eyes.."

"Little prick.." The trainer thoughtlessly dug his palm in almost too harshly into his friend's shoulder blade, caught up in his feelings of mild jealousy.

"Ow!"

"Sorry, my bad." they fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Pft.. Peter Pan.. who the hell does he think he is?..bet I'm braver than him.. bet I'm stronger too.. 'Pan', what a stupid name. Who'd name their character after bread?..

Why did it piss him off so much to hear Citron talking about another boy so fondly? Besides, he wasn't real, he only existed in books. He wasn't an actual person like him and Citron. Perhaps he just needed to calm down.. maybe he'd punch a tree later..

"..so, you think guys can be cute?" Satoshi questioned, wanting to reconfirm what he had just learned.

"Sure. Just like girls or pokemon."

Huh?.. his answer managed to catch him off guard.

"But they aren't in the same way, right? L-like you wouldn't date a Pokemon.."

"True." The blond grunted, feeling the soft part of Satoshi's palm press into his back.

"..Are there any girls you like in particular?" Almost immediately he could tell he struck on to something. Beneath his hands, he could feel the other boy tensing ever so slightly.

"To be honest.." he paused, his fingers curling in the sleeping bag. He turned his face, refusing to letting Satoshi read his expression."No. I tend to not think of girls in that way. I mean, yes, I think they can be cute, but only like Eureka or Pikachu. They can even be pretty, like my mom was or a piece of art.. but.. I'm not really comfortable with the idea of having a romantic relationship with one.. I just don't want to.."

".."

".."

Neither spoke, occasionally breaking the long silence with a small sigh or grunt as Satoshi worked the knots out of Citron's muscles. He let out a shallow breathe, slowly feeling his temper wane away.

Ya know.. I'm not really surprised. It kinda makes sense. I mean, he's always scoldin' Eureka for asking girls to marry him. If he's not interested in a girlfriend, and she pressures him into havin' one, I don't think he'd have the heart to break up with her. Then he'd be stuck..

"Can you please get a little lower?" The blond politely interupted, peering back at him timidly. "My lower back hurts too."

"Hm? Oh, sure.. no problem." Satoshi moved further down his friend's body, all of a sudden in an even more provocative area.

Gradually, his curiosity was building. Citron had expressed admiration, and perhaps even a crush on another guy (even though it was a fictional character). Not only that, but he didn't think of girls in a romantic sense. So did that mean...

"What do ya think about boys?" The blond didn't get a moment to speak before a loud sound came ringing though the camp.

"Onii-chan! Satoshi!" Eureka's voice rang loudly as the girls returned. There was a rustle as various bags hit the ground. And before they knew what had happened, the little girl popped her head into the tent, her pale eyes widening at the sight of her brother shirtless and in his underwear, mounted by his (also shirtless) best friend.

"E-Eureka!" Quickly the inventor sat up, involuntarily flinging Satoshi off his back ("hey!") as he pulled the sleeping bag over himself. "Have you ever heard of knocking?!"

"You can't knock on a tent door, dummy." She put her hands on her hips, her eyes flashing between her brother and the trainer. "What were you two doing?"

"Please get out!"

"Why are you both half naked?"

"I'll explain later!"

"Why are you blushing?"

"Eureka!"

"Eureka, what's going on?" Serena's voice came from behind the little girl, curiously she peered in the tent. Her face turning bright red immedietely as she fled back outside. "Oh geez!"

"We weren't doin' anythin'! I was just helpin him feel better!" Satoshi called out, getting progressively more and more frustrated as he searched for a clean change of clothes. "Besides, even if we were, there's nothin' wrong with two guys enjoyin' themselves in the privacy of their own tent!"

"Satoshi!" The blond's face was a bright scarlet red.

"W-what?!" Satoshi's face was a similar hue, struggling to get his tank top on. He continued to shuffle around the tent, seemingly searching for something else.

No response.

"Citron?" he turned, coming unexpectedly close to his friend. The boy had his overshirt held out, gently nudging his arm with it. Almost immediately, the trainer felt his frustrations wane.

Oh yeah.. things were actually going pretty well before the girls came around.. what's up with that? It's like Arceus just wants to cock block me..

"Here." Again, the boy tried returning the garment.

"Nah, keep it.. I don't need it right now anyway." He slipped his gloves and hat back on, turning the cap backwards. The boy smiled a nervous toothy grin. "I'd rather ya hang on to it. You know, in case ya get lonely." He joked lightly.

If he couldn't get an answer out of the inventor like he had wanted, if he was able to give him some sort of hint that he liked him, then this would have to be it. Sure, it reminded him of the corny movies where the guy gives the girl his jacket ('keep it for the night, babe'), but it was all his foggy brain was able to come up with at the moment.

"Th-thank you.." Citron retracted the shirt, settling it in his lap shyly. He sat quietly for a moment, pale eyes not lifting from the shirt. "..I think I'm going to take a nap, I'm kind of tired.."

"Hm? O-okay."

I wonder if it worked.. Satoshi made his way towards the tent exit.

"G'night, lemme know if you need anything."

"I will.. goodnight, Satoshi."

With that, he left, leaving the blushing boy by himself..

(a little later that afternoon)

The little girl sat quietly, watching the trainer from across the campsite. Although it was pretty obvious whatever happened earlier had been a simple misunderstanding, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on that she (and Serena) weren't completely aware of.

If her brother and Satoshi liked each other, than what was stopping them from being together? There was nothing wrong with two boys loving each other, in fact, she thought it was rather cute seeing her brother acting like he had been hit by 'Attract'.

She had tried to give them time to themselves earlier by taking Serena into town. But due to the boys being slow, and Serena too fast, they apparently hadn't accomplished much. Heck, she even warned them (by being loud) when they returned to camp (to keep the performer from walking in on them and getting hurt emotionally). Sure, it was uncomfortable to see her brother like that. But it only made her more certain that Satoshi was the one he needed to be with.

Growing bored of just sitting around, Eureka stood, making her way over towards the Kanto boy. Perhaps if boys were dense (and it was pretty obvious that they were), then maybe she should give them a little push in the right direction. Massages are good and all, but it probably wouldn't lead up to anything more than that.

Besides, wasn't it a little sister's job is to make sure her brother gets a nice wife...er...husband?

She found Satoshi doing pull ups on a nearby tree, Luchabul seemingly keeping count while Pikachu shared an apple with Onbat.

"Hey, Satoshi." She called, looking up curiously at them. "What are you doing?"

"Exercise." He answered with a grunt. The trainer dropped to the ground, landing on his feet with a small grunt. He shook out his hands, sending tiny shreds of tree bark from his gloves. "I thought since Citron's been asleep for a while, that I'd workout a little bit. Ya know, while he doesn't need me.. Guess that massage helped him after all."

The girl tipped her head, noticing he pink lightly colouring the boy's cheeks. Quickly, he grabbed a towel, rubbing his face in the fabric, then tossing it over a shoulder.

Wait, is he blushing? He's so bad at hiding it, that it's kinda funny..

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my Onii-chan." She crossed her arms, grinning mischievously.

"Yeah?" What about him?"

"I think he has more than a cold."

"Is he getting worse?" Satoshi's eyes widened slightly, appearing suddenly concerned.

"Non, non." Eureka wagged her finger, smiling at him. "I think he got bit.. by a love bug.."

"Love bug? Is that a Pokemon?" The boy seemed as oblivious as ever.

"No, dummy. You know, the love bug. Have you seriously never heard that expression?" The girl dropped her arms to her sides, utterly amazed that Satoshi apparently had no knowledge of common expressions. He couldn't be this dense, he just couldn't be..

"Is it french?"

.. or he could.

This was going to take some explaining..

(meanwhile in the tent)

Why's he so dense?..

The blond stared lazily at Satoshi's side of the tent. In his hands, he had the trainer's shirt like a stuffed animal. He had yet to get dressed, choosing to remain hidden in his sleeping bag with the garment pressed against his skin.

Clearly Satoshi hadn't picked up on his 'Peter Pan' hint. A beautiful boy with dark hair, golden brown eyes? Someone brave and strong, who's skilled in battle? Perhaps the inventor had underestimated his oblivious nature, or perhaps he had been a little too subtle.

Shyly, Citron nuzzled against the shirt again, taking comfort in the musky boyish smell that was so representative of Satoshi. It was becoming more and more obvious that if he wanted to get the trainer's attention, he was going to need to be more straight forward..

But it's not that easy for me to be bold..

This is where his problem laid. Even the little advances he had managed to make took alot of courage for the shy blond. So the prospect of having to push himself even further was intimidating. It would be really embarrassing to be that forward..

However..

What if there was a way to (essentially) flirt with Satoshi, without feeling awkward? What if he was able to hide behind something, like... oh, say a fever..

Sure it might sound cowardly, but at this point, it seemed like his only option. His pale eyes scanned the tent, landing on his backpack laying haphazard across from him. From beneath various odds and ends (parchment, bloomers, etc.), he could barely see the wires belonging to a once functioning heating pad.

..My fever isn't that high anymore.. but maybe I can fake it..

If he failed, he could always blame the illness. But if he succeeded, then things could only get better from there.

I want to try..

(outside the tent)

"Geez.." the girl sighed, mimicing Serena's common exasperated expression. "Okay, let's go over this again. A love bug is not a pokemon and it's not just a Kalosian saying. Got it?"

"I guess." Satoshi exchanged confused glances with Pikachu, neither really sure if they completely grasped the idea of being bitten by a non-exsistant love inducing non-pokemon bug. What were 'bugs' if not pokemon?

"I just noticed that Onii-chan has been happier lately, and thought that maybe you might know what.. or who, helped him." She tipped her head, putting her little hands on her hips. "He didn't happen to tell you, did he?"

"I dunno.." The trainer glanced towards the tent, his countenance bewildered, yet strangely contemplative. Finally he sighed, rubbing his temples. ".. I gotta tell ya, all this 'love bug' stuff's givin' me a headache.."

"He didn't say anything about liking someone? Maybe a girl? Or a boy?" Eureka looked at him curiously, as though she hadn't even heard his statement.

"Not really, ya know, besides that stupid character... Peter Bread or somethin.." Satoshi scowled, heading back to the tree branch he had been using. With one jump, he was back to doing pull ups, effectively ending their conversation.

Okay, this is hopeless..

"Anyway," Eureka started again, turning on a heel and waving, "I guess I'm going to go help Serena groom Eevee. Bye."

"See ya." He replied as she walked away.

Well away from the boy's gaze, the little girl sighed. She now completely understood what Serena meant by him being as dense as a rock. Subtly just seemed to fly a thousand miles over his head.

Maybe she'd give it another shot later. One way or another, she was going to make sure that her brother got the boyfriend he wanted and deserved.

(that evening)

A few hours after dinner, the girls retired to bed, leaving Satoshi to himself.

Pikachu had chosen to nest in his trainer's cap, his chest rising and falling peacefully. Taking the opportunity, the Kanto boy started to settle into a quite evening, sitting down to sketch his friend (yet again).

Man, it's kinda lonely out here once everyone's asleep..

His pencil glided over the page, drawing light lines in familiar shapes as his mind wondered.

It's alot more fun when Citron's out here.. I miss him drawing with me.. and showin' me all his blueprints and stuff..

For a while, the trainer sat in silence, letting his body go on autopilot. It was a solid twenty minutes, before from he could hear a zipper and gentle footsteps moving through the grass behind him. A small sneeze told the boy that it was Citron who must have woken up.

Thank you! Come talk to me, hang out with me..

"Hey, Citron. There's some leftover stew in the pot. I can heat it up, if ya want." The trainer didn't look up, focusing on his most recent sketch of Pikachu. He tried to keep his voice as natural as possible, despite his excitement to have company so late at night. "It was actually pretty good. The girls managed to bring back some Big Mushrooms."

No response.

Maybe he's not hungry..okay then, what about tea? That might make him feel better.

"I also go-"

His words caught in his throat, feeling a pair of warm arms wrap around his neck. Against his back, the inventor gently rested against him, nuzzling the skin just behind his ear. Softly, the other boy's lips grazed the sensitive area.

"I-I... got tea.. in the kettle... C-Citron, do you.. need somethin' else?" he managed to stutter with surprise, fighting back the bright red flush covering his face. The rush that came from a simple hug was enough to send his brain into a lovestruck stupor. Nervously, he managed to turn around, his eyes unexpectantly locking on the boy's bare chest. Peering up, he could see his friend's fever riden face smiling coyly.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He leaned a little closer, tightening his grip. "And I think you're just the person who can give it to me.."

Huh?.. 'give'? Give wha-

"H-hey!"

Before he knew what was happening, the trainer could feel a force yank him off his seat, hitting the ground with a dull thud. There was a brief pain in his knees and palms as they crashed, unintentionally pinning Citron beneath him.

"O-ow.." the boy groaned, still trying to register what had just happened. "C-Citron, I'm sorry, I-I don't know wha-" Satoshi began, trying to appologise for their current position.

"Satoshi.. look at me." His cheeks were a dark rosy pink, radiating with what must have been an extraordinarily high fever. His lips were parted, his breathing lightly and slowly. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought that the blond was up to something rather.. naughty, only a few moments ago.

Oooohh shit! What's goin' on?!

Acting impulsively, Satoshi had let his eyes wonder down, confirming that Citron indeed had no shirt, dressed only in his bloomers. His cheeks heated up, feeling his body respond quickly to the half naked boy submissively staring back at him. But what really got his blood going, was feeling his knee pressed against a particularly sensitive (and warm) area on the nerd's body.

Quickly, he tried pulling his mind out of the gutter.

"Are... you okay? Ya look really hot.."

"I know.." His lenseless pale eyes stared back at him, the campfire giving them a delicate glow. Gently, he propped one of his knees up, lightly brushing it against Satoshi's crotch. The touch set hormones flooding through his body, his heart racing faster with excitement. "You're not doing a very good job at hiding it."

"Not that kinda 'hot'.. a-although I really wouldn't say you're wrong.." The trainer's body stiffened, unsure of how to interpret the new intimate position. What was with him? For the first time, it felt like (as strange as it may be), that the blond boy was trying to flirt with him. And while he most certainly didn't mind it, being pulled to the floor like this was rather sudden.

Geez, not wastin' time, is he?..

He could feel Citron's hands moving behind his head, twirling a lock of dark coloured hair coyly. After a moment, he found his way back into his shirt collar, slowly running a finger down the centre of his neck.

"Oh, god.." Satoshi mumbled, biting his lip in attempt to suppress his urges. Somehow the blond had found a turn-on spot, making him shiver with anticipation. Citron seemed to have noticed, letting his fingers gently brush over his skin again and again.

Quickly the trainer's brain grew foggy, lost between confusion, embarrassment and the overwhelming desire to shove his tongue down this boy's throat. How was it this easy to get to him?! Between Citron's bedroom eyes and and feeling the heat warming his body it was harder and harder to resist.

Get a hold of yourself! It's probably nothin'.. there's gotta be a reason he's actin' this way.. it's probably just his fever..

Satoshi let out a strangled desperate moan, fighting the temptation building deep in his chest. Yes, that must be it. Surely a fever would explain this very uncharacteristic behaviour. Because there was no way, no possibly way that Citron would ev-

A pair of hands brought the trainer out of his thoughts. Softly, they cupped the sides of his face.

"H-hey, what are ya doin'?" Satoshi flushed dark red, letting him bring them almost nose to nose.

Whoa, he has beautiful eyes..

"Earlier, you asked me how I feel about boys." Citron started, his voice low and sugary sweet. The blond traced over one of the lightning shaped scars on his cheek fondly, seemingly admiring the unique features of his face.

"Yeah?" He couldn't meet his eyes, having seemingly lost the courage. Nervously he licked his lips, trying his best to remain calm. Citron refused to lift his gaze, the pause seemingly carrying on forever.

"..Tell me, what do you remember of last night?.." he finally asked.

Last night? To be completely honest, he had not the slightest clue of what Citron meant. From what he was able to recall, it had been a pretty average night. Dinner was pretty bland (Serena wasn't the best cook), but watching the stars and spending time with the sick boy was as pleasant as ever.

So what was so different in the previous evening than any other?

"Um.. I dunno.. nothin' really."

".." Wordlessly, Citron let him go with a small sigh. He sat up, looking slightly crestfallen.

Good goin' champ. What did ya do now? Geez.. The Kanto teen felt a pang of guilt.

"Was it your birthday or somethin'? I thought it wasn't til Apr-"

"Close your eyes." He ordered, cutting off Satoshi in mid-sentence.

Hm..? Nevertheless, Satoshi followed his instructions.

There was a shift as the boy moved, nearly sitting in his lap. The heat beside him seemed to grow until he could just barely feel warm breathe on the side of his cheek.

Oh wow, he's close.. The trainer could feel his chest pounding, internally praying that Citron couldn't hear his racing heart beat.

"Tu m'as embrassé la nuit dernière.." the inventor's voice came in a low and silky whisper. "Tu m'as dit que tu m'aimais.."

"C-Citron?.." Satoshi's amber coloured eyes flickered open, unable to keep them closed any longer. Just from his tone, something told to Kanto boy that this wasn't just a 'friend-to-friend conversation' anymore.

"Je veux t'embrasser à nouveau, mon ange." The Kalosian pulled away lightly, just enough to hold his gaze. His pale eyes shined, sending shivers down the trainer's spine. "S'il te plait..?"

Don't. Move. Don't. Even. Breathe... What was he supposed to do?! This was, what, the second or third time he had been caught in this situation. And whatever ability he had to think was completely zapped from his mind.

God, he's cute.. b-but.. I wish I knew what he was sayin'..

"C-..I-... Citron.. I don't speak french.." He watched as the blond got to his feet, holding out a hand to his friend. Shyly, Satoshi took it.

"And I don't speak Japanese. But a bit of research never hurt. Non?"

"Research?.." His first instinct was: crap, learning. But as the two settled in for the night, the trainer couldn't help but wonder. What did him speaking Japanese have to do with anything? He must have said something, but in his recent memory, nothing came to mind.

Perhaps was it something to do with the previous evening?

As the two prepared for bed, he couldn't help but feel like the events that had just happened had been a dream. That they couldn't possibly be real. And altough he was slightly annoyed for Citron refusing to tell him directly what happened, it only fueled his desire to figure it out.

Tell me, what do you remember of last night?.. His words, his actions, they all implied that something must have happened between them that he wasn't aware of. But then again, perhaps it was just a fever that made him act up, to behave so out of character. Perhaps nothing actually happened..

But that explanation didn't satisfy the trainer. There just HAD to be something more there.

Satoshi tossed and turned, his amber coloured eyes falling on the boy sleeping peacefully next to him. It didn't make sense. If Citron really had a fever so high that it'd cause him to behave differently, then he shouldn't have been able to speak so clearly. His mannerisms (other than the bold intimacy) weren't any thing out of the ordinary.

So was he faking being horribly ill? Citron was incredibly smart, after all. Surely he'd be able to find a way to blame his actions on an extraordinarily high fever.. Curiously, the trainer stretched an arm out, brushing back his bangs and letting his palm rest gently on his friend's forehead.

..it's a little warm.. but not nearly as hot as it should be.. so, it wasn't the fever. It really was him trying to.. to...

Citron was using his fever as an excuse to flirt with him, to tell him that something had indeed happened between them the previous evening, and it had to do with how he felt about boys.

But where did Japanese fit into the puzzle? And why did the inventor choose to relay the most important information in French when he knew he couldn't speak it?

..Research..

Sleep was slowly starting to take over his mind, making it more difficult to think. He could feel his eyes growing heavy in spite of his best efforts to stay awake.

Perhaps if he was able to decode his French (in other words, research), he'd be able to figure it out.

Satoshi grinned lightly, feeling a peaceful sort of happiness pulse though his body. Taking a step back, and actually thinking over the events of the day, the Kanto boy couldn't help but smile. If these had been Citron's attempts at flirting, and he was really trying to get his attention, then perhaps he should start doing a little back..

Hope you guys like this chapter! if you have any requests, let me know! :D

btw, "Peter Pan" was kind of a joke i put in there. "Pan" is bread in Japanese (and Spanish)! Also, the 'icy fruit' is a Rawst berry. I also did my best in the french portion (but im still learning). I basically wanted him to say:

"You kissed me last night.. you said that you love me.. I want to kiss you again, my angel.. please?"

** thanks to pikananas for helping my correct my French! ^^ thank you!