Author: BebePanda401
Story Title: Just a Little Late
Rating: 'T'- implied sexual activity.
A/N: Not much of an introduction to this story this time- there isn't much need for one. I've actually had this idea playing in my head for a while- if you couldn't tell by the summary, then yes, this is a Red/Green/Leaf story, but it isn't a love triangle. This more centres on Green/Red, with Leaf playing a big supporting role in Green's life. This focuses on homosexuality, and how it can affect different people- but it more focuses on Green. Personally, I've never experienced this. So if I get anything wrong or I offend anyone, then please, please, PLEASE, let me know through PM. Okay, on with the story.

~Just a Little Late~

Again and again, Green hiked up to that snowy-forsaken terrain.

If this scene took place three years ago, many would have called him brave- noble even, to venture up there in the first place. Many would have assumed he was there for training benefits- after all, it was the most challenging place known to the inhabitants of the Johto region. Yes, if that happened three years ago, he would have been well-respected by everyone he ever knew- perhaps even his own grandfather. But fast forward the moment- and many people were calling him a crazy, yet loyal fool.

Since he had caused the eve of Team Rocket's downfall three years ago, Red had decided to retreat to the cold atmosphere of Mount. Silver- for reasons unknown to the rest of the world, and only Green (and Leaf, of course) could fathom a close guess to why he was there. The unspoken language between the trainers of Pokémon couldn't even translate why he had chosen to hide away.

And inside, it was tearing Green apart.

How could someone, with so much potential- so much reason to stay, just leave without any sign of a warning? How could have he, someone who had so much, have just abandoned everyone he ever knew- everyone who ever loved and cherished his very life (and not just for fame- for who he was in the first place, before he became famous), for a place that offered him nothing but a numbed heart and a voice without any sound?

It also broke Green's heart, watching Red's mother constantly hold back her distant longing and tears, for her only son to come back home. Back to the place where he belonged. He saw it in her brown eyes- that sombre look, every time she saw a mother with a child, laughing and smiling. At this point, Green was sure Red was the most selfish son in the world.

And yet, part of his heart broke for something else. Red wasn't even being honest with him- someone Red was meant trust.

The brown-haired trainer wasn't even sure why this was so important to him. Red had every reason to hate him- he bullied him for years, betrayed him in the worst way possible, and only looked for strength instead of bonds. Of course he had learned his lesson, however- why in the name of Arceus did it hurt him so much?

Sighing, he heard the snow crunch under his feet- imprinting the same pattern of the soles of his shoes into it. It would probably be engraved there until more snow fell. He could almost chuckle at how poetic he was- his grandfather seemed to be inspiring him more lately. Glancing up at the stone walls that he had come to detest so much, he bore no second thought before entering, knowing he would see the same sight as before.

Just a familiar backpack, a few discarded food items, and a trainer with jet-black hair and lifeless red eyes.

"Red."

There wasn't a flinch, or even a look of acknowledgement anymore. It was like a recurring schedule for his 'life'- Green would come up and visit, give him some food to last for the week, give him a jokey lecture on 'how this wasn't good for him', or 'his Mother is dying to know where he was', and then leave him to whatever it was he did.

The red-eyed trainer knew that it wasn't healthy, and he did feel that pang of guilt towards his mother's grief. But he could- wouldn't, go back to that life again. He was tired, he needed to rest. Nobody was worth challenging in that world anymore, and they had only recognized his efforts for what they thought he was. He was tired.

"Red, I've had enough of this."

Now this was different. Red turned around, eyes wider than normal.

'Had enough of what?' His glance told Green.

The aforementioned trainer sighed again, and shut his eyes- trying to block those happy memories from when Red actually laughed, and was happy with him and Leaf, from his mind. Folding his arms, he turned away from Red- failing to keep those memories from childhood at bay.

"Don't play dumb, Red. I'm tired of you being up here, of you refusing to come back down- back home. Red, it isn't funny anymore. You've been here for three years. Why are you here anyway? Why won't you even speak to me anymore? Are you still angry with me or something?"

Red shook his head, as if to say, 'I was never angry with you- not ever. But I'm not being funny, this isn't a joke.'

Clenching his teeth, Green turned around- his eyes fiery and full of inner-rage.

"Then why the fuck are you here? You bastard, don't you know there are people who love you down there? And you won't even tell me why you're here in the first place! You godforsaken bastard!" Punching the wall, Red wasn't even fazed at his behaviour. A liquid of scarlet trickled down Green's hands, the pain stinging around the point of contact. The blood had also made a marking on the wall- showing the extent of his frustration and anguish towards the situation.

It didn't, however, even compare to the current pain in his heart.

"..." Red was silent, as pure usual. Not a word ushered from his mouth. However, nothing he could have said would have changed anything, and Red knew that. But it didn't help Green- it may have helped him not feel like such an idiot- for wasting his time here, not for anything else. Running a hand through his spiked-up hair, the green-eyed gym leader was clearly distressed.

"Red! For fuck sake! Answer me! Look at me!" Forcefully grabbing his face to look at him, Green stopped dead at the sight of those warm, red eyes. The eyes he recognized as the ones grew up with, the ones that spouted nothing but sympathy and memories of a better time in both their lives, the eyes he...that he...no...

His own eyes trembling, he threw Red on the floor, eyes shadowed by his bangs.

"Well fine! You can rot up here for all I care! See if you go to heaven at all then, you fucking bastard child!" Those words were now a mere echo bouncing off the cold stony walls, as Green ran off- trying to escape the painful sting in his heart (pain didn't go away that easily- especially when self-inflicted). Red didn't even flinch at the insults to his pride. He had lost that a long time ago, when he first arrived here. But he-he didn't want Green to stop visiting.

Standing up, he glanced out at the falling snow outside. How innocent and young it looked- yet how a pair of naïve eyes could be so trusting towards it, unaware how deadly the cold could truly be. How one minute- it could feel like pure heaven, and the next, it felt like daggers piercing every part of your body without a shred of mercy.

Placing a hand gently on the blood splat on the wall, Red looked down, clenching his teeth together. His hand curled up into a fist, shaking with regret of the earlier moments- of him not saying anything, of him not being able to answer correctly. Truth be told, Red didn't even know what he was doing to himself anymore.

He felt so lost, so insecure- he wanted somebody to surround him and tell him that everything was alright now- that nothing would go wrong if he did wrong in the past to so many people. Green might have told him to go home, but he never once did he say why he tried so badly to get him home. And for that reason, he never went down with him, but it hurt so much, when he was watching him leave, week after week.

With these thoughts, Red's numbed heart delivered a painful beat of agony.

If one paid enough attention, small droplets could be seen streaming down, splashing when in contact with the floor, in the place of where the blood once flowed.

'I'm so sorry...Green...'

~Just a Little Late~

"That bastard! Who does he think he is?"

Leaf just gazed on at him in a nonchalant fashion, whilst her childhood friend paced up and down continuously. Her brown eyes looked bored and calm- showing she was neutral to the situation, but she proved to be a good listener to problems. And, as little as she did show her emotions, was near enough parallel to her feelings about Red wanting to come down. She was worried too.

"I mean, he won't even talk! Stupid fucking idiot...his mother- no, Delia is breaking so much...bastard..." Leaf just filed her nails, sitting on the desk in his office. He wasn't even expecting her there, but then again- she did have a strange tendency to break into his home at random intervals, so it wasn't a surprise to him in the slightest. And even if it was, he was just glad somebody was there.

"Mm." She muttered, holding her hand up infront of her face to inspect her now-short nails. She wasn't one to grow them long anyway- she was more of a tomboy than a girly-girl. Green stopped pacing and looked at her with disbelief- did she seriously just pass this by as if it were nothing to her at all- Did it even matter to her?

"Is that all you can say? 'Mm'?" He questioned.

"Yeah." She replied- a little too quickly for his liking. He walked directly infront of her, eyes still holding that same anger.

"Do you not even care?" His voice was meant to be intimidating, and it may have been to some people. But Leaf knew the inner-workings of Green, and despite his harsh attitude, could never hurt somebody. Much less a girl- even if she could beat him in an arm wrestle when she wanted. She glanced up at his eyes.

"I do. But Green, I'm confused." Raising an eyebrow, he looked away from her and scoffed.

"About what, Leaf? Red's being a selfish, good-for-nothing bastard to everyone who ever fucking cared about him. There. That's not exactly something that's all that hard to understand. Even you should get that." It was bitter- just like the cold on Mount. Silver. She closed her eyes, mirroring Red from the earlier argument. It was scary how alike those two were sometimes- it was almost impossibly to comprehend the fact that they weren't twins, or even blood related at all.

She then asked, "Green, why do you care so much about this?"

His eyes snapped open almost instantly. His once-tightly folded arms loosened, and he turned his head slightly to face her. His mouth hung open slightly- the inside of it going dry. Green had no words to speak- he couldn't even think of how to answer the question. Leaf gave him a knowing glance- she also acknowledged that he couldn't. But she could take a shot in the dark of why he cared so much.

"W-well, i-it's obvious why I do!"

"Is it?" Her replies were too fast. It was like she planned this whole conversation in her head- and if it was her goal was to catch him off guard, it was working, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. And the worst part of it was- he knew what this may lead to. That painful heartbeat, no less, was probably her goal.

"He's my friend goddamit! Why wouldn't I care about him freeing his ass up there?" He shouted, trying to convince himself more than Leaf.

"I'm one of his friends too. And I'm a girl- so technically, I should be stressing over this more than you. Especially when, you know, when PMS hits me- remember when that happened? But then again, I don't hike up to a place that could kill me every single week just to check on him, just to see if he's okay." Green blinked- as he fathomed that she was indeed, right.

"I-I give him supplies for the week-"

"Why not get a flying type to give it to him then?"

"Well..."

"And why not get that Pokémon to deliver a letter? You'd still be talking to him."

"He needs to speak to people-"

"Well why not go up once a month or call him every so often? It's exactly the same, and it would save you a lot more free time."

"Well then, what if he was injured-"

"Then if he didn't pick up his phone, he would be hurt and you could just check on him then." Her inquiries were true, and Green couldn't take much more of her direct honesty. Sometimes, lies were more comforting than the harsh reality of the world he lived in. And although this wasn't harsh, it was questioning his feelings- something he hated from the moment he could think for himself.

They burdened him for as long as he could remember. Red barely had emotions- and he had gotten the love of his grandfather, loyal Pokémon from the get-go, the defeater of Team Rocket, and the championship he stole just minutes after he gained it. But for some reason, this made them better friends for a year, before Red hid himself away.

"I- just shut up for fuck sake!"

Breathing heavily at his outburst, Leaf merely sighed at his anger (again). It seemed, whatever she was trying to do, had been successful and had worked for her. She stood up, and placed a hand on his shoulder, as he looked away- somewhat ashamed at his actions. She knew he felt remorse- he had truly become a better person in the years he had grown up.

But Leaf knew better. She always had.

"Green, you're in love with him."

Time seemed to stop right there, when those words slipped from her mouth. Green's eyes widened, his posture became unsteady- yet his arms and legs became stiff with tension. Green orbs trembled: scared, for she was indeed, correct in her assumption. Hell, his heart may have known for years, but his mind had struggled to accept those emotions that stormed in his gut.

But it was impossible, right? People always have those stories about the childhood friends, one girl and two boys- and the boys always fight over the girl, whilst she remains oblivious to it all! It wasn't meant to be two guys falling in love and the girl ending up alone! I-it was just plain wrong, it went against every single moral his grandfather had taught him about love!

'Wait...love...?' Leaf saw the uncertainty and reality mixed in his facial features. She bore him a sympathetic look, reflecting the ones Red used to give him so long ago, when his grandfather berated him, and when his sister was unable to help him because she was too, scared of his grandfather, the one supposed to protect, love, and cherish him. Like the ones when he used to cry into his shoulder, and Leaf would just look on at the two, not able to enter the inner ring of the friendship they all shared.

Green then gripped both of her shoulder, and shouted in her face (Leaf knew he wouldn't hurt her, no matter what, which gave her confidence to stare him in the eyes), "I don't fucking love him! Are you messed up in the head or something, Leaf? He's a guy! I'm not a fucking homosexual! He's just my friend, you pesky, idiot girl-"

"Don't kid yourself Green."

Taking both hands off her shoulder, it felt like her words surrounded his mind. Was he kidding himself...? Was he just in denial over all this? No-no he wasn't! He wasn't in denial, he didn't love Red like that at all! That painful heartbeat was just agony over loosing a friend to those cold conditions! She was just a stupid idiot- she barely even knew who he was anymore! She- Leaf didn't understand him! Not at all!

"Of course, you could always prove it." Her voice snapped him from his thoughts, as he glanced at her through the slits in his eyes. She stood up, off the desk, and held her arms open. It confused him greatly.

"Leaf-"

"I'm a girl, remember. I have the assets of what you apparently 'love'. Prove to me you don't love him. Show me how far you can get- or are you scared of proving me wrong?" Her voice was so calm, so collected. No undertones of dishonesty, jealousy, or lies. Just a pure offer of his own belief. Did she even realize what she was saying to him? She was offering her body to be a rag doll to him.

That thought aside, he looked at her. Leaf was right there...

He didn't hesitate to crush his lips to hers.

His mouth implored against hers, his tongue invaded every single corner of her mouth- she couldn't help but blush. Saliva dripped from the bottom lip- almost arousing Leaf from the sheer power of this oral contact. He felt his tongue fight against hers, not allowing her to dominate the kiss. She eventually gave in, as he pushed her further toward the wall of his office- desperately trying to prove to her that this is what he desired, and nothing else, especially not Red.

Green's leg then pushed between hers, causing her cheeks to deepen in colour. His hands trailed from her neck to her shoulders, as he began to pull down the material separating him from her first intimate part of the body. He broke the kiss, hearing her pant for air- as she gazed down out him with narrowed eyes. He began to trail kisses down her neck- trying to find that one sensitive spot. He eventually found it, and sucked- making Leaf moan in pleasure and tighten her grip on him.

Trying to push her top lower, he stopped at the sight of red- the last layer before her breasts. And it that moment, he felt ice encase his entire body, like it did at Mount. Silver. He just stared at the colour, unsure of why he was doing this. The colour struck out at him- causing a light blush to grace his cheeks, before it vanished with another blink. An emotion of guilt surged through his veins, as Leaf opened her eyes, and saw it embedded in his eyes. She lightly smiled, before cupping his chin and making eye contact.

"Well?" She said.

"I can't...I can't do this to you, Leaf." Her smile widened slightly.

"And why?"

"Because I'm only doing this for my benefit. Your only doing this for me, not because you wanted it. And...and that hurt me, knowing that. I didn't even consider your feelings at all. I was only doing it to prove something to myself." That wasn't exactly true in Leaf's eyes (about wanting it)- but she would keep that quiet for now. Maybe she'd admit it a little later.

"Did you feel anything from it? Any pleasure? Anything that would please you at all?" She asked. Green blinked, before shutting his eyes.

"...No."

As Green took a single step back and away from the still-blushing girl, Leaf pulled her top back up, as if nothing had ever happened. She then crossed her arms, smirking at him- as if to say 'I told you so' through her eyes. (Another similarity she and Red had- being able to communicate through their eyes to Green) And that was one thing they found that they could both agree on.

"You know," she began, as Green looked at her with sorry eyes, "do you remember Green, back when the three of us were just little kids? When everyone always thought I'd end up marrying one of you two? It's almost tradition, isn't it? Childhood friends and all that. They didn't even consider any of the other possibilities that could have happened to us three. It's almost funny. Well they did get one thing right- the female always falls in love with the arrogant prick."

His eyes widened, "Leaf...I'm-" She held a hand up.

"But, that's old news. For breaking my heart, you have to promise me something, Green Oak." He tilted his head to the side.

"What is it?"

"Bring him home. Right now, today. Make this day, the day that the legend ceases to exist any longer. And for Arceus's sake- tell him!" His face was uncertain, before he smiled gently at her. It was the same smile, the same one from the boy she fell in love with all those years ago. She knew know though- she never had a chance. He and Red shared a bond she could only see from an outer ring.

"Sure. But Leaf...what will you do now?" He asked. She smirked wider.

"I have no idea. I don't think I'll fall in love with anyone again- I never was big on romance, you were the only exception for that rule. Maybe I'll travel for a bit longer- but I do want a kid someday. Maybe I'll adopt one. But man, I'm only seventeen! I want to live my life to the fullest first!" Her spunk shone through to Green- that was one of the many traits he admired about her.

"Leaf...what do I do if-"

"If he doesn't feel the same way? If he rejects you there and then?" He nodded, making Leaf sigh, "Green, look! Don't be scared of a small, stupid risk like that! I'm pretty sure he would feel the same way. Besides, nothing ever happened if you don't take a shot in the dark once in a while! Otherwise, you'll regret it for the rest of your life! Now tell him, Green. It's not fair to him, or to you."

"How do you know all this?" He pondered.

"Truth is- I don't. I could say it was woman's intuition, however I'd be lying. So I really don't know. But in the end, that's fine, isn't it? You don't always need to be sure on everything, to be happy with what you have in your life." She admitted. He chuckled lightly, before going over to her, and kissing her gently on the cheek.

"Thank-you, you pest." He told her, as she smirked. It was a genuine thanks, for everything she had ever done for him in his life, and Leaf accepted it with every fibre of her living being. Green really had changed in these past years, from an arrogant, full-of-himself asshole, into a strong-minded and honourable young man. Too bad he was taken now, but hey. She could deal with it. They were friends, and that's all that mattered to her.

"Welcome. Now shoo- and don't come back alone!"

As he gave her a small wave and a cheesy grin, she found herself smiling even brighter as he closed the door. Leaf stood there for a few minutes, giving off a small smile of her own. Lips perked upwards, theorizing where her life's journey may take her from this moment on. She knew she wouldn't love again- that just wasn't her.

She decided a long time ago: she did not need a romantic relationship with anyone to be happy with what she had. She had close- really close friends, that although made a rather messed-up replacement of a family: she for certain that she would not change them for anything in the world. She had grown up rough, she had a rocky exterior that only a few could ever be bothered to break.

But they never gave up on her. And for once in her life, she felt like she could give her the luxury of pain.

Glancing up at the ceiling, she felt herself allowing a few hot tears to suddenly come to the crevice of her brown eyes. As she leant against the wall, she slowly felt herself slide, until she was sitting on the floor. Looking out at the moon peeking through the blinds, she felt it enrich her with emotions almost unknown to her. Finally allowing the dam to break, she let a few of those tears spill out, still smiling to herself, remembering all those fond memories- before it all got so messy.

"Ha...sometimes, you just need to cry over a broken heart..."

~Just a Little Late~

Landing with a soft 'thud' on the snow, Green recalled his Pokémon.

As he glanced around, he saw the conditions were even heavier than before- he could barely see his own hands in front of him. Slightly squinting his eyes, he tried to make-out where the cave was, but to no avail, the snowfall was too thick and falling to fast for him to see anything clearly. There wasn't any light, which was odd- Red usually had Pikachu use flash on the cave every now and then- and that could even be seen through any blizzard.

'Something's not right.' Green concluded to himself, now becoming extremely worried. Did Red go to sleep already? No...no he still had flash even when he slept- unknown to many people, Red was actually terrified of the dark. Mainly due to Zubats continuously attacking him in caves...Green had to admit, they scared him as a kid as well.

Luckily, Green had memorized where the cave was, he could get there with his eyes closed. As he trailed through the thick white substance, he found his body increasing in bitterness, but also nervousness. Could he bring Red home today? Would his...confession, change anything between the two of them- and would it be for better or worse?

His thoughts were cut off, when he felt his foot kick something other than snow. His eyes dilated, hoping it wasn't what he feared. Kneeling down, he saw something- a figure, led down in the snow. Kneeling down rapidly, he cleared the frozen water from what he had kicked, and his eyes widened even further at the sight-

Red.

"Red! What the hell! Are you okay? Answer me!" Holding his rival by the shoulder, he noticed his lips were pale blue, and his eyes closed. His entire body was lifeless and still, and the temperature of him was freezing- and he wasn't waking up. Green shook him a few times in a desperate attempt to awaken him, but it was to no avail. His own pair of green eyes trembled blaming himself for Red's current condition.

'If I hadn't left in a rush, if I had stayed and tried to talk to him sensibly...why the fuck are you stupid, Green!'

"Holy shit, Red..." His voice became broken- was he about to cry? Green wasn't sure anymore. He then had a brain wave. Gently gripping the champion's wrist (with the utmost delicacy as if he were afraid of the fragility) and checked his pulse and to his relief, it was still working, still beating. However, Green knew that Red wasn't out of the dark just yet. Biting his lip, he lifted Red on his back, and carried him to his 'home' that he made- begging to high Arceus that some of his medical books were still there.

As he walked through the blizzard, each miniscule ball of snow called out to Green. If it were an epiphany, it would have been a surreal wonderland. If it were reality, he would have been wide awake and feeling everything. But Green didn't know how he felt- all he could see were the memories of him, Red and Leaf- the childhood that was destroyed with all the events of his life.

With his parents passing away, his own grandfather disowning him and focusing his affection on Red, Team Rocket taking the life of Red's father, meeting Leaf in those rugged clothes- giving her a home, love- and a name. Red beating him in so many battles, Leaf lecturing him on what he was doing with his life- and only just sinking in after he had been defeated minutes after he gained the title of champion. He'd sought that goal for years, but after it had been ripped away from him...

...his dreams always pushed him towards the good times. The times he, Leaf, and Red shared sandwiches under that grand oak tree, on a summer's afternoon. The times they would play tag, and Leaf would always be the fastest, yet the most clumsy. When they played poker, and Red would alway use his ability of tactical measures to his advantage, yet be occasionally distracted. The times when they would play basketball, made of nets from Delia's fish net stockings tied to a tree with some sticks, and how Green could always jump the highest and score the most goals, but always passed the ball to one of the others, to give them a chance.

But just the times when they smiled, laughed, cried together- was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

Getting to the entrance of the cave, he laid Red down on the worn-down, green sleeping bag. Frantically searching for the medical books he had left there before, he almost fainted in pure elation when he saw them, a convenient arm's stretch away from where he sat. Skimming through the contents of the pages, he pin-pointed his page number, and focused on the set of instructions in front of him.

"Okay, let's see...ah, here we go. If the victim has any wet clothing, then remove immediately. Do not expose too much warmth at once, or they could go into shock from the mass amount of heat. Okay then..."

Removing Red's jacket, he saw that Red's undershirt was still dry and somewhat warm, so he decided to leave it on. Taking the book in his left hand and Red's hand in the right, he read on, hoping whatever was in there could help his...well, whatever Red was to him now.

"Next up, okay. If the said person has passed out, or close, make sure nothing that could endanger them is around. He's in a cave with a rucksack and a sleeping bag. Unless the pillow comes to life and suffocates him, nothing bad is around. So...oh, keep talking to the victim, as he may still be able to hear you, and might wake up in shock. Well, Red would know this sexy voice anywhere, so it's all good. Okay, what's next...wait, w-what?"

'Taking off as many layers as possible, the carer of the victim must share body heat, whilst wrapping some layers around the victim.'

"I...oh fuck it, I'm already this far." Taking off his own jacket, he awkwardly embraced Red- sharing the much-needed warmth, allowing it to circulate their bodies and surge through their veins. As he wrapped his jacket around Red (along with the sleeping bag), Green felt his heart race with nerves. He wouldn't be lying to say his stomach had filled with butterfrees, but now was not the time for such childish emotions.

"Come on you bastard...wake up..." He coaxed, hoping it would wake the slumbering Red.

Somehow, with each passing moment that went by, that painful sting in his heart began to subside.

"Urgh..." Green's eyes snapped open, to see a pair of narrowly opened eyes, staring up at the roof of the cave, trying to reajust to the lighting of the real world. Shock overcoming his face, Green embraced him tighter, making Red's amber eyes widen in embarrassment, "G-Green?"

Realizing what he was doing, Green's cheeks held a slight blush as he rapidly jerked away from Red, clearing his throat. If that was not a defined example of one being highly flustered, then nothing else could compare to it. Red raised an eyebrow at his friend's behaviour, slightly curious at why he would go to such extremes.

"Green? What-"

"Are you fucking crazy?" This time, Red did flinch. He didn't expect to be cut off so suddenly, as Green continued, "why the hell were you outside in that blizzard anyway? And where is Pikachu?" And this time, instead of Green being embarrassed, the tables turned to Red. Hiding his eyes under his hat, he turned to the side slightly.

"First of all, I recalled Pikachu into his Pokeball. He needed some rest from the cold for a little while. And as for your other questions...no, I'm not at all crazy- I am Red, I don't need to be crazy to be recognized. As for your second quuestion...well, I was...waiting for you to come back. So I waited outside until you did."

Green was utterly gob-smacked.

Which was the biggest understatement of the entire history of the Pokémon world.

"Right. That's it." Green's voice caused Red to look up, as the former stood up, his back turned slightly. Folding his arms, he looked out to the now-calming blizzard outside, and deduced that if the apocryphal champion was going to return to civilisation and descend from his benumbed pedestal of victory, that now would be the best time to do so.

"Red, it's time for you to go home." Red shook his head.

"No."

"And why not?" Green somehow knew where this would lead- and had every intention of following it through to the end.

"Because," Red stood up, looking his rival directly in the eye, "for all your insistence, you haven't shown me once why you want me down there, back where everyone is. And besides-"

A short, chaste kiss interrupted Red. It wasn't passionate or wild like Green had shared with Leaf- that was out of pure desperation but hell, they'd both like it to be that way later on. It wasn't sweet or clichéd either, but it was something they both needed. Feelings gone untold for so many years, it was like a newly unfolded dream- fresh out the presser and ready to be worn out to show the world just how well it looked.

Pulling away, Green smirked.

"Good enough for you?"

Red folded his arms.

"Maybe. You need to floss though." Red said playfully, Green only smirking at his teasing.

"Guess I was just a little late."

Punching his rival in the arm playfully, Green gathered Red's things, before he called out his faithful Pigeot (it gave a small smile at the two). As the wings outstretched and cut through the fog, amber eyes glazed over, as the sight of his previous residence got further and further from view, until it was merely a speck on the horizon.

As Green placed a hand on Red's, he smiled. This was the day, a sad story of abandonment, heartbreak, and isolation finally came to a close. For his actions today, Arceus had finally allowed the legend engraved in history to release himself from his stony cage. He could finally show the world his magnificent radiance and how far it could spread, to any person and Pokémon watching.

~Just a Little Late~

As Green recalled Pigeot, the two older-teens stared up at the mountain, and how far it was from the top.

Hands in their pockets, they saw the mountain as a metaphor of their lives- both had a hard climb to the top, to meet their goals. But once they reached the climax, all they found was a cold top, isolated from the world and all they loved. So, in the end, had to descend from the pedestal of legends, to lead a low and normal life that they had beginning.

But somehow, that didn't seem like such a bad fate to them anymore. If anything, it was the dream the two legendary trainers wanted to grasp, and could assure themselves that they could reach this, without any pain inflicted on anybody else. Hurting others, people, hurting you, that was a natural thing in their worlds. They wanted to make that a long, forgotten memory.

"Well, you made it." Green said, again smiling. His cheeks were cold and sore from grinning so much, but couldn't help it. Red shook his head, much to the gym leader's confusion. It looked like he was about to say something else, when Red cut him off suddenly.

"No. We've made it, Green." Red pointed out, Green scoffing at his comment. Red always had been corny, even when they were kids. And although Green could love him for anything, that was the one trait that annoyed him to no end. And that opinion wouldn't ever change.

"Don't make this into a life lesson." The black-haired trainer raised an eyebrow, in a teasing mood.

"You already did though." Going slightly red, Green turned around, folding his arms in abash.

Mission successful.

"D-don't be so direct, you idiot! T-try saying that again, and I'll put you back up there again!" Green shouted, face aflame, hopefully trying to come off as intimidating. The subject of the talk chuckled lightly, not affected in the slightest by his outburst of embarrassment.

As soon as he stopped his laughing however, Red closed his amber-coloured eyes- absorbing the sun's warmth into his numbed body, finally allowing it to feel emotions again, be it physically or mentally. There was only so much heat to find in a place encased with ice, so being in a place with so much warmth was pure bliss to him.

Green looked on, rolling his eyes.

"I hate to interrupt the lovey-dovey newly weds, but I've waited here for ages."

A voice cut off their thoughts, conversation, and any way they could concentrate on one another. Turning their heads slightly, they saw a feminine figure leaning against the wall, a care-free look cemented on her face. Her arms crossed, her eyes closed, and one leg also leaning against the rocky walls, she lazily allowed one eye to open, tears freshly brewing in the crevices.

Amber eyes widened in shock. "L-Leaf?" Red's mouth went dry, as if ashamed to say her name. Pushing herself back on both feet, she placed both hands on her hips, a mocking look of anger on her face.

Walking over to him, her brown orbs danced over his body, taking in all the subtle differences in his apparel. "You've changed, Red."

He hung his eyes and looked downwards, guilt spreading throughout his entire body. His fists were tense with anger (at himself), shaking with the amount of force he was gripping them with. Green wanted to intervene, but held back, knowing that this moment should only be shared by those two, without any interferences.

"I..." He was speechless. What was he supposed to do? Get angrier at himself? Greet her with a hug? Apologize? He'd never been so unsure of anything in his life, not even when deciding to go with Green. This wasn't...he didn't want to see Leaf this early...what if she hated him? What if she wanted him to rot in hell for leaving everyone? What if-

"Red."

He looked up at her. "Yes-"

She cut him off, with a deliberate punch in the gut. Eyes widened from sheer pain and shock, he fell forwards, only to find himself being caught in the arms of the girl who inflicted the pain. A slight breeze flew by the two of them, as Red's face contorted from shock into confusion. He could only gaze on at the scenery in front of him, whilst tears leaked from Leaf's eyes.

"Welcome home, you fucking dumbass." White areas around Red's amber irises were increasing, as Leaf embraced him tighter, not willing to let him go any time soon. He felt the damp patch on his shoulder increase with each falling tear from Leaf's brown eyes, but he didn't give a care in the world. Leaf accepted him without any qualms, any resentment...nothing. Just a plain welcome.

As she broke the embrace, he gave her a small, but meaningful smile at her. Leaf just gave him a blank stare.

"What are you so happy about? Oh...so Green told you then!" She suddenly got a little giddy, as Green's face again, went slightly red.

"Told...me what exactly?" Leaf stopped her happiness as soon as Red let those words slip out of his mouth, staring darkly at Green, who backed away a little in terror.

"Green...didn't tell you something that he should have? Something about him and you?" Red gave Green a smirk- he knew what she was referring to, but wanted to have a little fun. Her eyes were shadowed out by her bangs, her stance somewhat creepy- like a ragged doll, only one that had been brought to life and was bent on revenge.

"Nope."

As if by magic, she suddenly appeared right next to Green, holding him by the collar as he gulped in complete and utter terror.

"You're dead." Was all she said.

"H-hey! Actions speak louder than words sometimes!" Revealing that, a sly smirk came onto her face.

"Wow Green, didn't know you were ready to take it to that level. So that's why you were taking so long." Both male's faces went as red as a tomato berry, Green's eye twitching.

"We didn't do that, you pesky girl! Now would you please put me down already!" Responding to his request, she dropped him onto the ground, landing with a loud 'oomph'. As soon as the boy's blushes had died down, she ran off in front of them, turning around with her hands behind her back, smiling brightly at the two.

A smile that brought back so many fond memories for the trio. It was the one that first cemented their relationships as childhood friends. It was the one they saw, the same toothy grin when they met Leaf for the first time, as she laid in that bush, leaves sticking in her hair, wearing only tattered clothing and a white messenger hat that was far too big for her.

"Come on you two! Stop checking each other out and let's go home already! I'm hungry!" She called. As the two boys grinned at one another fondly, they ran to catch up with their female friend, chucking a few snowballs whilst running. They all deduced that, in those moments, was the most fun they had all experienced in a long time.

Since they were kids, back when they were so foolish to believe the world was perfect.

But as they ran, they didn't care about the problems of the world- they had each other. They had support beams in their spirits, and that was all they needed for now. They had only passed trial one. They still had a long way to go.

When they got to Pallet town, Red's mother cried, for her son had finally returned home, a mother and son reuniting once again. She embraced her son, refusing to let him go again. Professor Oak also tried to hug Red, but the latter refused, saying that he should have directed all that affection to Green and his sister, Daisy. Oak had went red with anger, and slammed the door of his lab, making Green grimace, but gave a smile when Red held his hand. Delia was a little surprise, but just passed it by and invited the three inside for a cup of tea and dinner.

Green and Red were the first to go inside, Leaf standing on the veranda, looking up at the clear sky.

She felt happy.

So very, very happy.

'It was hard to say what I felt then.'

'My life, as far back as I can remember, has always had Red and Green in it. They were my first friends, my first family. Heck, they gave me my name, 'Leaf' after the bush they found me asleep in. My memories were jam-packed with happy moments with the two boys from that moment, and I was sure it would last forever, and never end as long as I wished for it. But then Green's parents died, and Oak began to treat Red with all the affection he should have been giving Green, and that made him bitter towards us.'

'I wished and wished, but Green became a bully. I missed us being friends. Red closed himself off, and I was alone again. I spent most of my time with Red, but he would barely speak. He just stared out at the window, watching Green's misery grow. I didn't know what to do. So, when were eleven, we got our first Pokemon. Green stole the Eevee that was meant for Red, so Red got Pikachu instead. I was given a choice, and I chose Charmander, nicknamed Ash. We went seperate ways after that.'

'I didn't see them much in my journey, but I know Green became Red's rival, always one step ahead. I lectured him about how he was treating Pokémon as tools, but he never listened. It came back to bite him when his Raticate passed away- I tried to feel sorry for him, but all I could think was that this was the eye-opener he needed. And he changed, little by little. But his biggest slap in the face was when Red defeated him, fifteen minutes after he was crowned champion, and he was fully disowned by his Grandfather.'

'Red went away after that, to train on Mt. Silver. I finally managed to become friends with Green again, after he became gym leader. In those three years, I'll admit I fell in love with him. I really thought I had a chance. But then I broke into his house- and saw his photo album. At the end, there was a letter to Red, mostly saying how he missed him, and wished he had been a better friend. Then I realized- I never had a chance with him. So I swallowed it hard, and accepted it.'

'When Red came home, I cried more than I've ever cried in my whole life. I know this is only the first trial of our friendship- Red and Green still need to tell the world how they view each other now. I still need to figure out what I want to do with my life. But as we took our first steps into Pallet town, my heart raced with nostalgia.'

'Then, I learned something. We weren't in heaven. We weren't in hell. We were in-between- in a place of lessons and near-perfect tragedies. And it was up to us to make our own happy endings. We were a little late, but better late than never. I envisioned what my future would look like, and determined to take it all, one step at a time.'

'So baby steps, right?'

A/N: And that ends that. Yes, that was Leaf's narration, providing a little backstory. Can I just say, I loved Leaf in this story. I find her to be a strong-minded girl, who doesn't show her emotions much, but is a tough girl who always holds it together, but knows when to cry. Please review!