Is this love real? (POKEMON) Gold x Silver

Is this love real? (POKEMON) Gold x Silver - 13

Gold's P.O.V

On the morning of my birthday, Silver gave me a small parcel and a kiss on the cheek. He kissed the air in front of my face first time, and had to do it again. Even then, he ended up bumping his nose against my cheekbone. When he pulled back he was redder than a tomato and so flustered he could barely speak. There was a smudge of blood on his upper lip from when he had hit his nose. I rubbed my throbbing cheek and tried to hug him, but he shoved me back and was out of the room before I could even blink.

I had to open my present alone in the living room. It was a neck chain, quite heavy and made of either silver or white gold. It consisted of two thin tubes twisting around each other, like a pair of silvery snakes, and joining at the tips to make a loop. I put it on right away, grinning like an idiot. Then I opened his card.

I laughed at the message inside.

Dear Gold,

Happy Birthday. Don't expect me to say anything mushy; that's not me. I'll just have to call you an idiot and you'll have to figure out what I really mean. See you in the kitchen.

Love, Silver.

(P.S. Sorry I'm so grumpy...)

Except the 'Dear' and 'Love' had been crossed out and replaced with 'To' and 'From', and under 'I'll see you in the kitchen' he had started another sentence which began with 'Just so you know', only he had scribbled it out so deliberately that the black biro lines had been carved valleys into the paper. He obviously really didn't want me to see whatever he had written.

I went into the kitchen. Silver was making himself a cup of coffee. Even with his back to me, I could tell his movements were very stiff.

"Fancy seeing you here," I said, grinning. He didn't look at me; just carried on staring straight ahead. I sidled up next to him so I could get a better look at his face. He had his poker face on. Figures.

I could tell he was nervous. I hooked my arm around his waist and he turned around to face me. His gaze was glue to one side as he refused to meet my eyes.

"Throw the card away," he murmured. "Just... Just throw it away."

I bit my lip. I didn't want to throw it away, but I hadn't thought of how difficult it must have been for Silver to write. It would have been easy for anyone else to write, and people who didn't know Silver might even consider his words rude. But I knew him better than that. Silver wasn't the sort who would give in to old habits easily. It had probably taken him over an hour to even write the word 'sorry'. I couldn't help but wonder how much sleep he had lost over a simple birthday card.

And yet he had still given it to me.

Oh God, I loved him so much. I cupped his face in my hands and leaned up to kiss him, and he let me. Probably because it was my birthday, but I didn't want to think about that. "I love you," I told him. He raised his hands and moved mine from his face, nodding jerkily. I was disappointed, though I shouldn't have been. There was no reason for Silver to say 'I love you too' just because it was my birthday.

Crystal gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek when I came in for work. "Happy Birthday!" she cheered. "Eighteen years old! You're a big boy now, Gold."

"Wasn't I always?" I asked teasingly, and Crystal smirked.

"I'll have to ask Silver about that!"

"Shut up," I grinned, giving her a playful swipe. Then Alan came out of the kitchen to tell us to get a move on in setting the tables. During the time I set out my half of the cafe, Crystal had managed to set out hers and blow up some balloons with 18 written on them to hang around the counter. I sighed.