CHAPTER 3:

"I really don't mind. It's not that big of a deal."

N's eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. Touya flinched.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable in any way," N explained. "My presence here shouldn't-"

"Okay, okay. I get it," Touya said, rolling his eyes.

They were currently standing in the middle of his room, trying to work out the sleeping arrangements for the night. He had offered to take the couch and let N have his bed, but N was having none of it. Once he had made up his mind about something, N was very difficult to persuade. Of course, that wasn't too surprising.

"I… I assume you have done this before?"

Touya blinked. "What? You mean having a sleepover?"

Hesitantly, N nodded. There was a touch of red on his cheeks.

Touya felt a little sad. He couldn't imagine growing up and not having sleepovers and game nights and days spent outdoors with Bianca and Cheren. It was unfair that N never got any of those things.

Twisting his hands together, Touya replied, "Err… Well, yeah. But it's not complicated or anything. I mean, I was just…"

"What?" N asked softly and Touya's mouth suddenly went dry. How was he going to explain himself? If he wasn't careful, this conversation was going to get really, really awkward.

"Well, I didn't know if you were okay with… I mean, Cheren says I snore sometimes…"

"Touya." N's voice cut through all his jumbled thoughts and made him focus. Touya felt his face get hot. "I don't understand."

Taking a moment to compose himself, he asked, "You don't mind sleeping in the same room as me, do you?"

The silence that followed did nothing to ease his nerves.

N gave him a long, considering look. The glint in his pale eyes was unsettling, like he was somehow grading Touya.

"It doesn't bother me. My caretakers often watched over me as I slept," he finally said, tilting his head to the side. "My friends would also stay sometimes, but…"

He was talking about his Pokémon. This wasn't the time to bring it up, but Touya had noticed the empty spaces on N's belt. Was he really traveling alone?

"Umm. I could get some sleeping bags and we could set them up on the rug. It's better than the floor and a lot better than the ground."

N agreed, but Touya had the feeling that he was still lost in thought. "An agreeable solution. Allow me to assist you."

All the camping gear was downstairs by the front door. N carried his share and waited patiently while Touya hunted down another pillow. The cute Emolga print was kinda embarrassing, but it made N smile.

"So, do you want something to…?" Why was he stuttering so much? It was just N, in his room, spreading out a sleeping bag. Clearing his throat and ignoring N's inquisitive look, Touya tried again. "Do you want something else to sleep in? I can lend you some clothes."

Standing to his full height (which Touya was slightly jealous of), N adjusted his bracelets and said, "I'd appreciate that. I… I didn't exactly prepare for this trip."

"Yeah, I can see that," Touya said with a bright smile. Dusting off his pants, he walked over to his dresser and dug around for something N could use. The other boy was tall with long limbs and nothing Touya had would fit him very well. Still, it was better than nothing.

He pulled out a large white t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. N took the clothes with a bemused look and let Touya direct him towards the bathroom.

"Just leave your stuff next to the shower. We'll wash it tomorrow," he said.

N inclined his head slightly, his gaze boring into Touya. He was probably trying to assess the situation as best he could, and Touya couldn't help but feel a little awkward. "Of course, Touya."

The room seemed a lot less compact and stifling without N in it. Unsure of how much time he had alone, Touya leaped into his fresh clothes. Mom had done laundry recently and everything was pleasant and cool on his heated skin. A shower would've been nice, but he was suddenly too tired to care.

Unsure of what he should be doing, Touya started to pace. Aside from Reshiram, all his Pokémon were at Professor Juniper's lab for a checkup, so he really was completely alone with N. That thought was… Well, despite their battles together, he hadn't actually spent much time with the other boy. Getting to know him was a pleasant thought, but also…intimidating?

The door clicked open and N stepped out. His hair was down, falling in messy layers around his face. The clothes Touya had lent him hung loose on his slim frame.

"Uhhh…" He began intelligently.

How did N stay so pale? Touya's own arms and legs had burned and tanned over the course of his journey, but all of N's visible skin was all the same creamy off-white. Still, there was that dusting of freckles along his wrist-

Okay. He really had to stop staring.

Seeing N without his usual clothes and hat and jewelry was just weirding him out a bit. There was nothing else to it.

Shaking his head, Touya walked over to turn the light out. N took this as a signal to get into his sleeping bag, doing so with all the caution of a hesitant Deerling leaving its mother's side. Somehow, he needed to make N relax. The other boy was usually the talkative one, going on and on about his ideals and thoughts and observation in a dreamy but impossibly charismatic way. He missed the sound of his voice.

Touya blinked, trying to let his eyes adjust to the darkened room. The windows were all open and let the last remaining bits of light in, leaving bright patches on the floor.

Slowly, he crawled into his own sleeping bag. Through all of Unova, this was the one he brought with him. All the memories of blizzards and storms and torrential rains seemed oddly calming when compared with his current situation. His heart wouldn't stop pounding.

"Good… G-goodnight, N."

With what was hopefully a reassuring smile, he turned towards other boy. N was on his back, staring at the ceiling like it held the most interesting constellations ever to exist. His arms were splayed out at his sides, thin wrists untethered and bare. Touya remembered the way his hands reached out to touch the flowers earlier, careful not to disturb them but inquisitive all the same.

Touya swallowed and looked away.

"Touya, I…." N trailed off. There was an uncomfortable silence. "I was wrong earlier. I… I don't know if I want to fight you again or not. There's no logic behind it."

He tried to think about his response. N used to have a purpose, one ingrained in him by his father and Team Plasma. He was lost now. But Touya couldn't be a replacement, the thing he relied on maintain focus. N had to decide his future for himself.

Taking a deep breath, he replied, "I don't want to be your enemy, N. Maybe, if it's okay with you, we could be friends and…" The words lodged in his throat. "M-Maybe I could even help you find a new goal! One thing that my journey has taught me is that everyone needs something to dream about and you… You helped me understand that."

It was embarrassing to say, but the slight quirk of N's lips calmed him down. N really needed to smile more.

"I can never thank you enough," N said, closing his eyes for a moment. "You are the one who makes me want to change, to love this world instead of hating it so much." Finally, he turned towards Touya, his eyes somehow bright in the darkness. "Goodnight, Touya."

Shakily, he muttered goodnight back. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

A strong beam of sunlight fell right onto his face, forcing Touya to burrow further into his pillow. Of course, now that he was awake, getting back to sleep would be nearly impossible. With a sigh, Touya sat up and stretched. His shoulders felt tense and sore, but the sensation would go away after a hot shower. Despite the fresh clothes, his skin still felt sticky and gross.

The outdoors looked very inviting, conjuring images of the lush green forest and blue rivers surrounding his village. Hopefully his guest would be up for some exploring…

Oh. Right. His guest…

N's confession had remained stuck in his mind for most of the night. It probably sounded a lot different to him than it did to N. N was just being…N. He was honest and earnest and full of so much emotion that it just overwhelmed Touya sometimes. People just didn't show their hearts like that.

Carefully, he peaked over his shoulder. N had moved during the night, sleeping on his side with his hands curled up by his face. His messy bangs had fallen over his eyes and Touya itched with the urge to just reach over and straighten them.

He sighed again. What was wrong with him…?

His joints felt stiff when he stood, cementing that he really, really needed a shower. Rifling through his dresser for clothes, he only paused to grab his toothbrush before quietly making his way downstairs. If he used the shower near Mom's room, the noise wouldn't bother N.

Although he tried to relax, it didn't really work. His mind kept running in circles, making him frustrated and even more confused. By the time he was done showering, he decided to just stop analyzing every little thing N did and just enjoy the other boy's company.

Before going back upstairs, he made a detour. Mom was due back sometime later today, and unless the legendary had a change of heart, Reshiram was still on the roof.

Sure enough, he was greeted with a happy chirp as he stepped outside. The great dragon craned its head to look directly at him, apparently in a very good mood today.

"Morning, Reshiram," Touya greeted. "You coming down yet?"

Reshiram chirped again and ruffled its wings, looking far too content.

"I take that as a 'no'," Touya said with a sigh. No one warned him about this when becoming a Pokémon trainer. At least he had N's help now.

"Guess I'll see you later then."

Reshiram's attention was stolen away by a colourful butterfly that danced just out of its reach. Hopefully the little insect wouldn't be squished by the curious legendary.

Going back inside, he hesitated at the bottom of the stairwell. Waking N didn't seem like a very good idea, but what else could he do?

"Well, it is the morning," he said to himself, eyeing the clock. They had leftovers for dinner last night, but Touya could already feel his stomach begin to clench in hunger. Eggs and toast was a pretty basic meal, but what if N didn't like it? His cooking wasn't exactly the greatest…

"I have to stop being so negative. No guts no glory!" Invigorated, he started gathering ingredients.

Somehow, no less than three different things went wrong, but Touya could honestly say that breakfast turned out pretty good. He busied himself with setting up the table before finally climbing the stairs and knocking on his bedroom door. There was a rustling noise.

"N? You awake yet?"

No response.

"C-can I come in?" He pushed the door open a bit, trying to gauge N's reaction.

The morning sun had completed engulfed the room in its bright, cheerful glow. The rays of light made odd, rectangular shapes on the floor as they edged towards N's sleeping bag. His hair was strewn all over the pillow and hopelessly tangled.

N's brows knitted together as he slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the bright sunlight. "T-Touya?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. I guess you're awake now," Touya said with a smile.

N looked at him, wrinkled his nose, and buried his face back in the pillow. "It's early."

"Umm, yeah. I guess it is…?"

"I'm not getting up."

And that's how Touya learned that N was definitely not a morning person.

A/N: Aren't sporadic updates the best? Thanks for reading!