Title: Bittersweet
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #5, Bittersweet
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: Shonen-ai, implied het

It’s not fair, Red thinks, as he watches the sun set. It just isn’t. Team Rocket is dead and gone and Kanto is free, and he’s a hero, but why did it have to end this way?

Lance gives him a half-smile, and before Red knows what he is doing, his head is pillowed against Lance’s chest and he’s crying, crying all the tears that he couldn’t cry earlier at the funeral while people tsked and made disparaging remarks.

It’s true that he was with her, but it wasn’t what they thought. She was more like a sister than a lover, and it was just physical comfort! And now she’s dead and still their tongues wag!

Just because…

“Shh.” Lance croons, and Red looks up into golden eyes as Lance pets his hair.

“It’s not fair.”

“Life usually isn’t…”

“Why did she have to die?”

Lance does not reply, and for that, Red is glad. He is sick of explanations, sick of being treated as a hero in public and people gossiping about his sex life behind his back. It’s none of their business who or what he sleeps with and for the love of Lugia he’s with Lance!

Still, some part of him is selfishly glad that Lance is still alive, and he’s still alive, and they’ll have their love to comfort them on cold winter nights when everything is over and done with.

Lance kisses him on the cheek, and Red forces a wan smile, and they walk away from the graveyard together. Love will come in time. For now, they mourn for one of their fallen friends.

End Fic

Completed 10/5/06

Thank goodness that Chemistry midterm is over, though I still have the cold from hell *Sniffles and coughs*

Eh, thought I’d do a bit with Ash since Red’s been getting all the attention lately ^^, but it turned out I like writing about Red more…

And yeah, I purposely didn’t mention who the girl was, so infer all you like!