♛

"Can’t say I am."

It was a simple answer, accompanied by a puzzled look. Then a smirk crawled over his lips, and he spun the other around a few times until he got even dizzier and fell on his ass, Nate in his lap. A laugh sounded from him. It was full of relief.

The taller of the two leaned forward so their foreheads pressed together, pushing Nate’s visor out of the way when it got in between them. “I’m really glad you’re back.”

A grin spread across his mouth as his best friend laughed. He had missed that sound a lot more than he had thought. Nate nuzzled back gently, hands curling into the other's jacket, but leaned away with an awkward cough when he got too close. Actually, sitting in his friend's lap in the middle of the road would probably get them weird looks, so the trainer hurried to stand.

Scrambling up onto his feet, Nate offered the boy a hand with a goofy smile.

"It's... really been forever, huh?"

He fixed his visor back onto his head properly. "Whoa. Have you grown taller, dude?" Shifting the weight of his bag on his shoulder, the trainer reached up to approximate the taller one's height with one hand, holding the strap of his messenger with the other. "Man. I missed you."

Somehow, the words feel foreign on his tongue. Almost as if he doesn't have the right to say them at all. 

But today, he was here alone. Yesterday when he arrived he played with his sister and stuck around his family. Today was the day he’d keep to himself for a little while. There was no harm in that!

Hugh thought himself seemingly alone, as not many were around the lake this time of year, but he was surprised to hear a voice from the other end of the lake. Who was making so much noise, and why did that voice seem so damn familiar?

When he circled around the lake, who he saw was not who he was expecting.

"Nate?!"

How long had it been since they last spoke to one another? Months, it had to have been! And even longer since they last saw one another in person! Excitement bubbled up in Hugh, but also some anger. This dumb kid left him for months on end to go to Arceus knows where and barely even contacted him!

Before the other could respond, Hugh grabbed the back of Nate’s shirt and yanked him to his feet. The other was a little bit shorter than him, so Hugh had to look down.

"Huuuuuuuuuuuugh," he whined out into the open air, pressing said boy's face closer in order to keep him from yelling at him. "Don't be mad," Nate whimpered, curling his fingers into poofy dark hair. "Are you mad? Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Hugh! Please don't be mad!" 

Nate knew he was hardly being fair. Their first encounter and actual conversation in months and all he wanted was for Hugh to somehow find it in his heart to forgive him. Not only was it bad for the boy's health, it wouldn't make things any easier between them if they argued here and now.

He refused to let go completely, only briefly to adjust his crooked visor before clinging once more. Tentatively, he eased back to look at his friend's face.