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Everyone who was anyone knew how close Red and Blue were. They were nearly always together and if they weren't they knew where the other was. It was an incredibly useful fact and one that was abused by many people.
People had known they were friends from when they first went on their adventure throughout the region gaining their badges. They were prodigies and thus gained a lot of attention, and besides Blue was the professor’s grandson.
Red was less known at first, but it didn't stay like that for long. Especially not after he usurped the championship title. But the point is that they were friends or were until the title change. Everyone had heard of the fights after that, Blue had been livid and beyond hurt. Everyone was sure their friendship would be over after that.
Or so they thought, but after Red went missing Blue seemed to be a mess, so after disappearing for a week and coming back fuming as he dragged Red down the mountain no one knew what to think. All they knew was the two seemed to go back to being friends and seemingly were even closer than before.
Red would hang out at the Viridian City gym all the time. The two would usually be talking or well Blue would talk, Red…didn't do that anymore. In fact, Blue was learning sign language now for him.
And the older the two got the closer they became. When Blue got a house in Veridian City, Red had followed suit. They'd lived next to one another as kids and that wouldn't change now that they were adults, so Blue claimed. Veridian was well known because of it now, after all not every city had the current and former champion living there.
And while the media may have relaxed over the years it didn't mean they weren't always watching.
oO0Oo
Blue was sitting on the couch watching TV when he heard the familiar sound of keys unlocking his door. He just sighed to himself as the door opened.
“Red, what the hell do you want?”
Red made his way to stand in front of him and block the TV, bastard
“If you're just going to block the TV, I'm going to go to your house to watch it.”
‘They’re fixated again.’
Blue sighed, he didn't have to ask what Red meant he knew already. He'd been getting a few people asking about it again in the past few days.
“They get back on it every few months you know this.”
‘Yeah, but it's actually getting traction this time.’
Blue rolled his eyes. “What is it this time that has you harassing me?”
Red handed over his phone.
It was a picture of them from pretty far away. Blue was leaning on Red who was splayed out on the grass. Blue recognizes it, he'd been out there sketching Pokémon and taking notes about behavior. Red had joined him because he wanted a day away from everyone.
“Ok and? You and I know there are a million pictures like this of us.”
‘And none of those get this much traction.’ Red signed as he grabbed the phone back.
Blue sighed, “Why do you care? People have said we've been dating for years. It isn't true and anyone who knows us knows that.”
‘You misunderstand. That's not why I'm here.’
“Oh?” He asked dubiously.
Red handed the phone back over after fiddling with it for a moment. Blue couldn't stop the surprised laugh that escaped him. An article pondering on the logistics of their relationship and speculation on the more intimate things.
“OH MY ARCEUS! RED THIS IS THE BEST THING THEY'VE MADE ABOUT US YET!”
Red laughed at that and let himself be pulled down onto the couch, “Have you read it?!”
‘No figured you'd want to do it together.’
“Oh, you know me so well!”
The rest of the evening the two (just Blue really) did a dramatic reading of the article and any others that sprung from it.
It seems the general populace couldn't decide which of them was the dominant one. The speculation was vast as they learned, and the evidence for it all derisive.
On one hand people had pointed out that with Blues personality he had to be more domineering. But the other side argues that what if it was a front? What if he would prefer to give up control.
Neither Blue nor Red could stop laughing at all of it. The speculation was nearly to a delusional level and their evidence out of context quotes and pictures.
The older they got the more fixed the press was on their relationship. The two of them were closer than most. Like family in a lot of ways and then close then that. It was unconventional but it was theirs.
They'd never considered or even thought of each other as anything more than friends until someone had asked them one day if they were together. After that the idea of them together nearly brought them to hysterics whenever it was brought up from the sheer absurdity of it. They would never be a thing, the mere idea of it was insane to them.
“Why is everyone so fixated on this?” Blue asked as they finished reading their fifth article of the night.
‘Who knows.’
“It makes you a bit curious I'm sure, there's no way I'm alone on that.”
‘Oh absolutely I can't help but wonder.’ Red signs slowly, intentionally.
Blue immediately bursts into laughter again.
“How many people do you think have bets on this?”
‘Far too many.’ Red responds without a beat and Blue snickers to himself as he leans into his friend as he tries to catch his breath.
As Blue finally composes himself Red puts a finger under his chin and makes him look up and meet his eyes. Blue fights not to start laughing again at the obvious theatrics, Red isn't doing much better himself as he shakes with suppressed laughter.
‘Should we try? Just to see if they're right?’
They're wrong and they both know it but at this point it would be funny to just be able to say they had. The reaction they would get would be priceless.
“Fuck it why not.” Blue agrees.
Blue repositions him so Red isn't leaning over him awkwardly and leans towards him once more. Halfway crawling into the other man's lap because his legs are spread to take up as much couch as possible (the bastard). Red laughs lightly to himself at Blue’s clambering before finally helping and meeting him halfway.
It's a kiss undoubtedly but it really doesn't feel like one. It's halfhearted at best and that's being generous. It lasts for about five seconds before they can't bear it anymore.
“That sucked.” Blue told him matter of factly as he leans back and shoves Red away.
‘Agreed, you're a horrible kisser.’
“Oh, big words from you. You've never even kissed anyone!”
‘Yeah, and you had to be my first. It couldn't even be a good first one.’
Blue started arguing then, insulted at the accusation and disrespect. He was a great kisser, he's been told so by many people. Red just lets him rant as he tunes him out completely, truly one of his better skills.
Instead, Red tries to weigh his opinions of if he admitted they kissed to the press how much chaos it would cause. And if he could potentially make any money off of it.