That Summer | Raihan x Piers [Pokémon]

Chapter 28 ❀ The Date Before Honeymoon

Raihan was fairly good at choosing great spots for dates and what to do at them, but sometimes his sense of time — especially in concerns of seasons — would get a bit blurred while making those decisions. That was something Piers came to realize when the other suggested a fancier-than-usual rendezvous in Circhester.

Even if the end of summer was slowly but surely approaching, the temperatures were still hot. Though they were discreetly letting up, given how there were days when it even managed to snow in Circhester.

Getting back to the matter at hand, the caramel-skinned young man had invited his lover to join him on a short trip to the mountainous city. He covered it all up with the excuse of this being a simple date, but what Raihan truly had in mind was to overwrite all unpleasant memories he had left Piers with in that place. That also included the occurrences in Hotel Ionia.

Those plans were the reason why the two Gym Leaders were currently walking along the slightly white-coated, stone-paved roads in Circhester — hand in hand of course. The way both of them were dressed made the people who spotted them in the crowds think that they were doing something under-cover or avoiding the media, but all they were truly doing was enjoying a cool, summer day in casual clothes.

Raihan had decided to wear the clothes he had last bought together with Piers, in other words, his dark trousers and his very exposing white v-neck shirt. Since he was sure it would get colder in the evening, he had slipped into a long, beige coat that appeared even bigger due to his height.

Similar to his tall lover, the spiky-head had decided to go out in his ripped jeans and pink cropped top — both of which he had bought at the same store in Hammerlocke. Despite the fact that his leather jacket covered his slim arms, he regretted coming to this place so lightly dressed.

Constantly being around a Trainer that mastered weather conditions sometimes made him forget just how sensitive to low temperatures he was. So when Raihan told him that they were going to the hot springs after successfully checking in at their hotel, Piers was uncharacteristically excited.

"I still think we should have gone to the Hero's bath." Raihan spoke with a playful tone hanging in his voice as he and the shorter male finished receiving their towels from the elderly lady at the counter. Just like he was hinting at it, they had chosen a different bathhouse to relax at for tonight, one that wasn't as open as the other. "An' I still think that would've been very awkward."

"I mean, accordin' to the legend, Galar's two heroes used to bathe in it." The pale young man continued as they reached the inside of the shower rooms. It, just like any other chamber up until now, was empty, so the two Gym Leaders got comfortable under two shower heads that were installed next to one another.

"Well, for me you are a hero." The ravenet retorted, sending not only a smirk in his boyfriend's direction but a pair of wiggling brows. Piers was visibly caught off-guard by the other's bold statement and couldn't stop his pale cheeks from rising with heat. As if to camouflage his red face, he turned his shower on and let the hot water splash onto his now bare body.

"How can you say such embarrassin' things with a straight face...?" His question came merely above a mumble, but Raihan's ears had been trained to hear his delicate voice and soft whispers. The taller Gym Leader had stripped down to nothing as well by that time and went to join the other under the shower. He would have loved to get a tad touchy and act all flirtatious, but this was a place any other person could walk in to at any given moment, so he held himself back. "I guess speaking the truth just comes naturally?"

Piers began wondering when the pinkish colors would stop invading the tips of his ears while he slowly reached for his hair tie. He had forgotten to slip it off of his two-colored hair before getting it wet due to Raihan's cheesy and distracting lines, but there wasn't much of a difference in doing it now instead, anyway. He put the black gadget down in a place where he would easily find it again once he was done rinsing his body of germs.