Title: Christmas Wrapping
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,124
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Slice-of-life, Humor
Fandom: Pokémon
Pairings: Red and Green and Leaf (friendship)
Warnings: None
Summary: When Leaf comes home for the holidays, her first order of business is to drag Green and Red shopping. Holiday shenanigans ensue.
Author's Notes: Swellowman was made up by my friend Carol, and is a superhero live action show from Hoenn that is broadcasted across the pokemon world. For more information, check out her tumblr (swellowman dot tumblr dot com slash tagged slash swellowman; where dot is a period, and slash is...well, a slash). Originally posted 2011 Jan 07 at my dreamwidth.

"I'm coming home for the holidays!" Leaf says.

"Leaf," Green groans, "it's four in the morning."

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she says. "Early bird gets the worm!"

"Sometimes I hate you," he says, half-falling out of bed and jolting Eevee awake. She gives him a half-hearted glare before she pointedly covers her face with her tail. He frowns at her, though he knows she can't see it—why should he be the only one to suffer?—as he tugs on a bathrobe. "What time are you coming in tomorrow? Today, I guess."

"Five? Six? Evening," she says. "Have you gone shopping yet?"

"No," Green says. "I'm still scarred from last time."

"You heathen! Green, we have to go shopping."

"I'm going to go to sleep and pretend this conversation never happened."

"We can go to Goldenrod! They have the cutest—"

"Leaf," he says with exaggerated patience, "I'll see you later, all right?"

"I'll bring Red."

"Yeah," Green says. "Sure."

—

"Oh my God," Green says. "You really did bring Red."

Red doesn't seem to hear, probably because Leaf is busy trying to squeeze the life out of him. His eyes find Green's over Leaf's shoulder, but Green just raises an eyebrow—he'd gotten The Hug yesterday and he doesn't feel very inclined to stage an intervention.

"Have you lost weight?" Leaf asks Red. Red shrugs.

"Probably," Green replies for him. "Can we go inside? It's freezing." Eevee is fluffed up by his feet and even Pikachu's eskimo kisses can't change her unhappy expression. Green scoops her up while Red jerks his head, calling Pikachu back to him. Leaf grins, links her arms through each of theirs, and the three of them stroll through the automatic doors.

"Shopping!" she says.

"The final frontier," Green mutters, making Leaf laugh.

—

"Red," Green says, "what do you want for Christmas?" When Red just stares, Green sighs. "We're already here," he continues. "I might as well get you something."

Red frowns. "I'm not a girl."

"And I'm not your boyfriend," he snaps, "so just tell me what you want."

Red looks at him for another moment before he acquiesces. He turns to examine the glittering shelves surrounding them, but shakes his head. "Nothing here," he says. "I'll tell you."

"Okay," Green says, feeling strangely relieved.

—

"His and her Poké Balls," Leaf says. She's snickering, but she picks them up with surprising gentleness. "What do you think?"

"Does that mean you have to catch matching Pokémon too or something?" Green says. "What if you both catch the same sex by accident? What if he wants to release his?" Leaf turns wounded eyes on him. "What," he says. "You asked."

"You ruin everything," Leaf pouts.

"Yeah, well," Green says. "It's kind of my job."

Leaf stares at the Poké Balls. "They're blue and pink," she says, a little mournfully.

"I'm not taking the pink one," he says.

"But blue is my favorite color!"

"No."

He takes the pink one.

—

When they break for lunch, Leaf places the order at the cafeteria, Red goes to hold a table, and Green gets the drinks. "No milkshake?" Leaf says when Green slides a hot cocoa over to her.

"Leaf," he says, "it's winter."

Red jumps when he drinks his cocoa. "It's hot," he mumbles.

Without a word, Green gets up and returns with a cup of ice. Red lets one melt on his tongue as three more melt in his cup. Leaf takes some too, watching them dwindle as she stirs. Eevee sniffs experimentally at the ice and he hands her one to play with; she bites down and winces. Green chuckles, sliding a few ice cubes into his cup as well.

"To the holidays," Green says, raising his glass of iced hot cocoa. Red and Leaf tap their paper cups against his, one somber, one smiling.

—

Red points. "That," he says. Green turns.

"I had no idea they still made Swellowman blankets," he says.

Red turns away and doesn't respond.

Green looks at him, then the blanket, and then him. "We should watch our old tapes when we get home," he says. "I haven't seen that show in years."

Red nods. He still won't look at him, but there's a small smile on his lips.

"Leaf!" Green calls. "Are you done yet? Red wants to have a Swellowman marathon."

Red's about to protest but stops when he sees how Leaf's eyes light up. "Hold on, I'll be right there!" she shouts back. She meets them in the checkout aisle.

—

Chrismas morning finds the three of them draped on top of each other on the floor, all fast asleep, oblivious to the last episode of Swellowman as it plays on the screen. They're surrounded by wrapped presents (some lumpier than others) and an empty bowl of popcorn.

Green wakes up at around noon and yawns hugely, stretching until his joints pop. Then he nudges the other two awake. "Come on," he says, "let's go grab some breakfast."

"Brunch," Leaf corrects.

"Whatever."

"The Pallet christmas party is later," she says. "Are you guys going?"

"If I don't, gramps will kill me," Green says.

Then they both look at Red, whose eyes widen briefly before he burrows deeper into the pillows. "I'm asleep," he mumbles, "I can't hear you."

"I hear they have mistletoe this year," Leaf says, grinning. "Who are you going to choose?"

"Pikachu," Red replies immediately.

"Green," Leaf says with great seriousness, "you just lost to Pikachu."

"You lost first," he says. "But seriously, let's go. We can just drag him to the party later."

"Oh," Red says with completely unconvincing surprise. "I left something on Mt. Silver. I have to—"

Green grabs one arm and Leaf grabs the other. "Save the sob story for after breakfast," Green says. "I'm hungry, and it's Christmas, and you're going and you know it."

—

Leaf is ambushed by everyone at the party, Green suffers through a million jokes about "Christmas colors," and Red discreetly takes the mistletoe down before any damage can be done.

As the party winds down, Professor Oak reads A Christmas Carol to the newest generation of young children on the cusp of their pokémon journeys.

"Do you remember?" Leaf murmurs. Red nods. Green remembers too, but doesn't say anything, watching his grandfather turn the page.

"Merry Christmas," Red says.

"Merry Christmas," Leaf says, kissing him on the cheek. Red blushes immediately. "You too, you big lump," she continues, giving Green a matching kiss.

Green laughs. "Best present ever."

"Best Christmas ever," Red corrects him quietly.

"Oh, Red," Leaf says fondly, "You say that every year."

"Well, it's true every year," Green says, throwing an arm around them both. "Best Christmas ever."