Title: Honesty
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Rascalshipping (Bruno x Gary)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #34, Shadow
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, 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, cursing, promiscuity

Dedicated to Roxanne de Winter, who likes this pairing

If he was honest with himself, Gary actually felt guilt. He thought girls were weak and stupid – his cheerleaders and the empty-headed, scrawny tomboy that followed Ash enough were around proof. Sabrina was insane, Erika had odd fetishes in regards to perfume, and Lorelei was a pin-up model and not worthy of respect. Agatha was different, but she was his grandmother, so he could not very well disrespect her.

He had lost his virginity when he was fourteen, to one of his former cheerleaders. All he’d had to do was tell her he loved her, and dump her the morning after. He felt no guilt – why should he? Girls were worthless!

But now, now that he was in a serious relationship, he regretted dicking around and all the one-night stands. It was such a pity that virginity was a one-time thing. Like a balloon, one prick and it was gone, though thinking of it was crude.

Self-consciously, he glanced around to see if there was anyone watching him angst, before closing his eyes.

In any case, Bruno had hardly been happy, not at all, when he had found out. There had been quite a few women viciously gleeful, ready to enlighten the Elite Four Trainer about his boyfriend’s sordid past. The worse part was that it was true.

When young, you didn’t think about consequences. Why should he? He was just a kid, despite being a legal adult in Kanto. Children thought they were immortal – adults had to deal with the baggage.

And oh Mew, it burned.

Bruno had looked like him like he was pond scum, and from someone he actually loved, and really loved, not just saying ‘I love you’ to get into his pants, well, that was a stunning blow.

Now, he was curled up with Umbreon outside of Pallet, hoping that no one would find him. He did not feel up to facing the facts, or the anger and disappointment.

Umbreon nudged him.

Gary supposed he was running away, but it wasn’t like Bruno would take him back. It hurt more than he thought it would, kind of like his heart was being ripped out. Argh! He was being sentimental again!

He poked viciously at the fire with a stick.

What was he supposed to do?

Apologizing didn’t seem to cut it. Nor did he have experience – he had never been in a relationship that had lasted more than a few weeks before. Shit.

Crying was not an option.

The past had already happened, and the statistics were stacked against him. Only condoms and luck had saved him from a nasty venereal disease. That would have been the icing on the whole rotten cake, wouldn’t it?

Pissed, he scrubbed at his eyes, trying to stop the ache in his head, and if he were honest, his heart too.

Lying back against a tree trunk, he began wallowing in self-pity. He did not even notice Umbreon’s ears perk up, half an hour later.

“Do you always do this when you end a relationship?”

Gary’s eyes widened as he looked at Bruno. The older Trainer was breathing heavily, as if he had been crashing through the underbrush for a while. He might have – Gary had been too wrapped up in his self-pity to even consider someone might have come after him.

A meaty hand yanked him up. Gary didn’t have time to breathe before Bruno pinned him against the tree and crushed their lips together in a kiss. What…

“Fuck, Gary, you’re a real coward, do you know that?” He growled, when the kiss stopped. “Sure, you made mistakes, but you didn’t even let me say anything before you fled with your tail between your legs! If you had, I might have mentioned that the past is past and since you haven’t been slipping into those bad habits since we started dating, why not give you a fair chance!”

“Huh?” He blinked, several times.

Pulling back, Bruno crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

Gary could barely think. What did Bruno mean? C-Could he really have a second chance? “B-But…”

“I heard everything; at least I think I have.” Bruno began ticking names off on his fingers, watching as Gary paled with every statement of lust. “They’re all true?”

“Yes,” He admitted, wanting to lie, but unable to.

“Damn,” The black-haired man finally finished. “You’ve sure been through a lot. However, I note that ever since you have begun to date me four months ago, you haven’t been bar-hopping or sleeping around.”

“Well, no,” Gary admitted, wondering where this was going.

“It is unlikely, but you could have changed, right?”

He nodded, unable to meet those black eyes.

“You promise you’re not going to revert back?”

The Pallet Trainer swallowed. “I’m not sure…”

Bruno nodded, almost as if he had known what he was going to say. “Gary, I’m not a gambler. But I think what we have is real, and I’m not going to throw my chance away.”

Where was this going? He did not understand.

Just then, Bruno dropped to one knee, and held out a box. “I want to make our relationship permanent. I’m willing to make the commitment, if you are. I know all about you, Gary, and while I may not like it, I accept you.”

For a few minutes, there was nothing like silence.

Gary could not believe his eyes. Instead of throwing him out or beating him up, as he had expected, Bruno was proposing? Had he stepped into the twilight zone?

Mouth dry, he gazed from the earnest face, to the box with the plain gold ring inside, to the foliage around them.

How could Bruno take him back, or want him back?

Trembling, he reached for the ring.

Bruno smiled broadly as he put it on. “People can change, Gary. You can, and will. I just want to help you do it.”

Completely overcome, Gary simply surrendered to his emotions and hugged the other as hard as he could, tears running down his cheeks. Screw being manly or keeping up his image! This was more important.

It had to be.

Maybe love did win out in the end, maybe not, and he was being foolish, but for now, he decided to trust it too.

End Fic

Completed 8/15/08

I tend to use first/second season Gary, who is a brat that would take ages to redeem, though perhaps not a bastard, at least not like Paul *cough*. Even Palletshipping stories often show Gary as a whore, and Ash as the innocent virgin, and guess what. That double standard pisses me off! It’s exactly like a het relationship! That’s why I try to make Lance a virgin too. It’s not in any way fair, being the ‘girl’ who has to stay chaste while your boyfriend sleeps with half the town! Surveys show that 90% or so of men want a virgin to sleep with when on their wedding bed, but would say and do anything to get a girl to spread her legs. How messed up is that?

And when rumor strikes, and the opportunity to take revenge comes up, girls can be vicious~

Someone like Gary, in my opinion, needs an older lover who can take care of him, and smack him when he’s being stupid. Someone his age probably would let him walk over them, unless it’s Paul, but I digress. Bruno seems like a steady kind of person who can bring him down off his high horse and deal with his hissy fits and arrogant attitude.