CHAPTER 1 ::

As the redhead idly stirred a straw in her glass of cherry soda, she came to realize the awkward silence that followed her question, and a familiar irritated look crossed her face; aquamarine jewels darting to look Ash's way, as if she expected him to break the silence. All she elicited from the soot-haired teen though, was a mere awkward clearing of the throat as he looked away, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.


Of course Ash wouldn't help here. An unwise thought on her part…


"Brooock," She called out, snapping her fingers to get his attention back. "Hey, Brock."


The older teen turned around, bewilderment read on his face. "Uh...what did you say?"


"I said," Misty spoke clearly, her words laced with a familiar bratty insistence. "Brock, do you think you might like boys, too?"


The question left him at a loss for words again. For the longest time, Brock had been solidly convinced he was straight. Simply girls, and that was that.


Never before had he considered there might be more to it.


Not a fan of impatiently waiting for him to break the silence again, Misty tucked a part of her shaggy, ginger bob behind her ear and spoke out once more. "I'm just saying, I hear a lot about this guy, and a few others from you. Are you sure you don't have crushes on all of them or something?"


"Woah, wait," Ash interjected, tapping the redhead on her shoulder to get her attention (his hand was promptly smacked away by her seconds after). "What guys? I've never heard about any of this…Uh, Brock?"


A playful smirk spread across Misty's face, and she took this opportunity to indulge in some playful teasing. Pale, freckled hands clasped together, and she spoke in a dramatically comic way, imitating a lovestruck Brock. "Oooh, MISTY! You should've SEEN him! The way he spoke to that Gyarados…Such passion! Such courage!"


As Misty's teasing continued, it'd elicit quiet snickering from Ash, and a red blush that'd slowly crept up on Brock's face.


"That Pokémon Connoisseur...I haaave to meet him again ~ ! I just have to ~ !"


"I don't sound like that," Brock snapped at her, spilling sauce from his ladle onto the ground. "Knock it off!"


A ginger eyebrow cocked upwards in a smug satisfaction, Misty found herself being once again bothered by Ash's voice coming from beside her. "Wait...a Pokémon Connoisseur?"


"Uh, yeah," Misty affirmed, then proceeding to take a long sip from her drink.


"I think I know who..." Ash said, then pausing in thought. Once he got the name, he snapped his fingers in a moment of clarity. "Cilan!"


"Ci..lan?" Misty echoed him, though saying the name with much more confusion. To her, he was nothing but a stranger.


"Yeah, he's --" Before Ash could continue, he was met and cut off with Brock suddenly colliding with the table, nearly knocking it over as he'd practically slam his hands on the wood; clear excitement over potentially finally hearing the name of the man he'd had on his mind for so long.


"CILAN?! YOU KNOW HIM?!"


"Uh…" Caught in surprise, Ash wasn't sure how to respond. "Y-yeah? He, um. He was a friend I made back in Unova. He and I hung out a lot…"


As if Misty's previous teasing had captured him perfectly, Brock appeared lovestruck. "Ah...that's his name...heheh, it's a real pretty name."


Ash was then met with a smirk from Misty and a condescending "See? I wasn't that far off."


A little snicker from her comment, an idea came to Ash's mind: Maybe describe the guy, just to make sure he and Brock were on the same page. Cilan wasn't the only Connoisseur Ash had met in Unova, but he'd certainly been the one he knew most well. "So, Brock, just so I make sure we've got the same guy...was he tall? Dressed up in a fancy suit? Green hair? Did he have a Pansage with him, or something?"


Red face, Brock nodded, a dreamy sound in his voice. "Yeah, that's him...I took care of his Pansage for him."


"I didn't know you guys met," Ash said, folding his arms. "Cilan was a real nice guy...I'd love to meet up with him again and catch up."


Wanting to feel included again in the conversation she'd started, Misty chimed in once more. "Why not give him a call? If you're not gonna do it for you, at least do it for Loverboy over there." She'd point a thumb over at Brock as she called him ‘Loverboy'. The poor guy was still lost in thought, red faced and staring off into space dreamily.


…Suddenly, a smoky scent was picked up from all three of them.


Brock scrambled back over to check up on his food...and tears of frustration pricked his eyes as he realized he'd gotten so sidetracked with the conversation he'd forgotten about cooking and let their lunch burn.

With a loud sigh...Misty pulled out her phone and opened up GrubbinHub.



CHAPTER 2 ::

As Misty had suggested, Ash decided later that day to give Cilan a call, lucky he'd happened to have his old friend's number saved on his Rotom Phone. "Hey, Rotom!" He said, then met with a chiming ‘BZZZRT!' "Call Cilan!"


Waiting for a connection on the other end, after a few rings Ash was met with the sound of his old friend's voice, immediately familiar. Reassuring to hear, too. Cilan had always felt like a big brother to him.


"Hello, hello? This is Cilan," The older teen's kind voice was heard over the line, a smile heard as he spoke. "Who am I speaking to?"


"Cilan!" Ash replied, slight laughter as he spoke. "It's me, Ash!"


On the other end, Cilan would light up, a big smile on his face. "Ah - Ash, ahaha! It's you! What a wonderful taste!" Cilan responded warmly. "Goodness, it's been a while, hasn't it...? How are you?"


"I'm great," He smiled. Something about talking to Cilan always felt so homely. He had that kind of familiar familial quality to him. "How are you holdin' up?"


Cilan sighed tiredly, twirling the cord of the phone on the other end. "Busy, lately...but that's nothing new, honestly."


"Ah...that sucks," On his end, Ash reclined back on his bed, arms folded behind his head. "So hey, are you uh...busy right now?"


"Not particularly...most of my work is finished now, I believe. Ooh, did you need something, Ash?"


"Sooo...how far away are you from Kanto?"


"...Ah! Wow, I...I happen to be staying with family in Johto at the moment...So I'm very close," A thoughtful, yet knowing smile crept it's way onto Cilan's face. "Were you wanting to meet up with me and catch up on things?" There had to be something bigger here, some kind of surprise Ash was planning, but it was always best to play along.


"Mhmm," Ash did have other intentions, that being to hook up two of his friends, but Cilan didn't have to know about that. "That'd be great!"


"Then it's a plan!" Cilan said cheerfully, and Ash could hear the teen snap his fingers on the other end. "I'll go tell Cress, Chili, and Jasmine."


"Alri - Jasmine? The Steel type gym leader?" Ash cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "What're you doin' with her?"


"Oh, she and I are cousins!"


"...Huh. Neat. Guess you learn something new every day."


~~~


Bundled up to brave the cold weather of late spring in Kanto and having to begrudgingly listen to Brock's rambles, Misty was starting to resent having earlier given Ash the idea for this little plan of his. Tuning out the other teen's rambles and fiddling with a blue ocean-patterned scarf...could Ash get here any quicker?


…Well, think of the devil and he'll appear. To her, at least.


Ash ran up to them in the train station, donning a blue parka with a fluffy hood. "Guys! Hey, guys!!!"


Cutting Brock's words off by standing up and groaning loudly, Misty folded her arms and rolled her eyes at Ash. "UGHHH! Finally. It took you long enough." She leaned in towards Ash and spoke more hushedly. "Did you get him to come...?"


Panting to catch his breath...running around in a jacket wasn't entirely pleasant. Ash gave a thumbs up and nodded. "He should, ah...be...coming up...on the next train...!"


A genuine smile, Misty propped her hands up on her hips. "Nice...all we have to do now is wait!"


"Y-yeah...whew!" Ash practically threw himself onto one of the benches afterwards. "Wow...I should not have run all the way over here."


Minutes passed by, people coming and going. Ash, Misty, and the oblivious Brock stayed locked in the same place; waiting for Cilan's train to arrive. Considering the proximity between Kanto and Johto, it wouldn't have to take very long at all. An hour later, a purple train arrived on the spot. Making sure he hadn't gotten glued to the bench, Ash got up and started his search for Cilan; one that ended up a relatively easy one. As the people filed out of the train, he saw the ever-familiar shamrock-haired man staying behind, dressed in a black pea coat, hands clasped together and staring up at the train with absolute wonder; stars dotting his eyes.


Snap, snap, snap. Earth to Cilan. Ash snapped his fingers to get the other's attention. Emerald jewels immediately darted over to the younger boy, and Cilan sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh! Sorry Ash...um, I always get very excited when I see beautiful trains like this one, as a Metro Connoisseur..."


Ash held back a giggle. "Heh - It's fiiine! Don't worry about it," He made a beckoning motion with his hand, asking Cilan to follow. "Come on!"


Meanwhile...inside the train station, Brock and Misty waited. "Sooo... Misty, what'd we come here for?" Brock asked, scratching his cheek.


"You'll see."


Seconds later, in came Ash and Cilan, and Misty watched with amusement as Brock's face flushed red. "Th-that's...!"


"Mhhmm, it sure is, Brock ~"


It appeared the feeling was mutual as well. The moment Cilan saw Brock, he froze; his pale face turning a deep red.


The Rock-type Gym Leader stood up on his feet and approached the taller, grassy man, and the two of them stared at each other shy and flustered. It seemed they were reminiscing a certain moment: the way they'd closed things off in the last time they met. A clasp of their hands, sending off with the simple phrase of "Best wishes," and Cilan, a particularly rosy tint to his face, had been off.


But it wasn't the last Brock had seen of him. 


Mere moments later, the Pokémon Connoisseur was dashing back to him, resounding clacks from his heels colliding with the pavement, and the moment Brock turned back around their lips would crash together, sending the Rock-type leader's eyes wide open in surprise. The moment had felt like it'd last for an eternity, one that neither boy had wanted to end. Adding to the romance of it all had been the pretty rose petals flying by the two of them in the winds. After a tight, mutual hug between them, Cilan had broken away, flustered with his own actions, and gave a quick bow as he ran off once again to other ventures, and left not only Brock, but Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny in bewilderment as well.


It'd been the very thing that had the Connoisseur stuck to Brock's thoughts like glue. It never left his memory...and he never truly knew what to make of it.


Brock...he'd kissed girls before that, but something about the move Cilan had made that day felt so different. Different...in a very good way.


And unbeknownst to the other, it was the very thing on both of their minds.


Cilan broke the present silence between them with a sheepish giggle. "Ah - ...ahahaha...f-funny running into you here, s-sir!!!"


"Um...Brock," The other man replied to him rather awkwardly.
 

"A-ah...huh?" Bemusement crossed the Connoisseurs face as dainty hands of his fiddled with the buttons on his jacket, emerald jewels of his big and bright with curiousity.


If it was possible...Brock's face grew redder. How did this man he barely knew manage to rival Joy and Jenny in his looks and his cuteness? Then again...he barely knew Joy and Jenny, too. But...but, how?!


After an awkward pause between them, he looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "You never...got my name. That's, uh. What it is. I'm Brock."


Nervous sweat on his brow, Cilan clapped his hands together in understanding, a shy smile on his face. "Ah...!  That, um...th-that makes a lot of sense!" He folded his hands behind his back. "U-um...My name is Cilan...ahaha..."


"I, uh...I already knew that," Brock replied back to him. "A friend told me."


"O-oh," Cilan immediately looked down, gauche. "Um...Sorry." The awkwardness was practically unbearable here.


Behind them, Ash and Misty looked on...both smiling at the sparks flying before them, but growing impatient with the clumsiness of it all.


Looking around...the two boys were trying to look anywhere but at each other. Soon though...Brock would reach for Cilan's hand and hold it; hesitant, yet gentle to the touch. The shamrock-haired boy stared down at him, his face massively heating up, and started to stammer like a fool, at a loss for words.


Very quickly, Cilan gave a soft peck to Brock's cheek, eliciting a shy, goofy giggle out of the other. The Connoisseur's heart fluttered, hearing Brock laugh like that. So sweet...so adorable.


"Ahaha...um...y-you're really cute, Brock -" He muttered, sweet and bashful.
 

Brock wanted to respond to that with something at least mildly coherent, but could only manage some goofy blabbering and giggling. "Bwahhh...ahehehehe...behehehe..." After that went on for at least a couple of awkward minutes, he finally said something coherent. "Cilannn...hehehe...I'm in looove with you..."


A gentle hold of the other's chin, Cilan pressed his lips to Brock's once again in a kiss like the one they'd shared years before. This time however, they knew each other now. They knew they liked each other. They knew more than they'd had before...and it made the moment feel that much more intimate. When separated, though it'd been tinted red, Cilan's gaze was gentle and loving, a lot of the previous nervousness mostly washed away. He smiled warmly, finally responding to Brock's words with a gentle tone in his voice.


"I think I am too, with you...let's try not to rush this though, shall we...? Any new relationship...it needs time to ripen and develop its flavor, doesn't it?"
 

"Ahehehehe...oookayyy..." Giving a big hug, Brock wrapped his toned arms around the taller man, and gave him a quick peck on the lips before burying his face into the crook of Cilan's neck. And mean while, Cilan gave shot an amused look towards Ash.


"Ash...you didn't call me just to catch up, now, did you?"


Ash shook his head in a confirmation and gave Cilan a thumbs up.


"Haha, I knew you might've had something else on your mind...thanks for this."