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"Hey, uh, (Y/N)? Can I come over to your place?" Leon's voice rang through my Rotom Phone, but his tone wasn't as bold, or confident as normal. The one and only Champion of Galar seemed utterly deflated, and worse than it was when he and Raihan got into fights.

I tucked the phone between my shoulder and my ear while I continued whipping up the Poke Puffs I was working on before his seemingly urgent call. "Sure thing, Lee! What time?"

I can hear him audibly exhale at my answer as if he were relieved beyond words. He didn't hesitate to reply, saying, "As soon as possible, please," he paused briefly. "Thanks."

Right after that, he hung up the phone and the small click at the end made me even more worried. What in the world happened to have him so down in the dumps? It is definitely not every day the undefeated Champion is like this, all gloomy sounding. Meaning, it had to be something rather on the more serious end of things.

Like... Maybe a family member passed away? A partner Pokemon of his ran off? Or did Hop finally, finally rebel and step out of his older brother's shadow?

I sighed. None of those made much sense in the least. I set down my phone and stared dismally down at the Poke Puff batter. With a huff of determination, I quickly set myself back into motion, hoping to finish up this small batch before Leon arrived.

Once I'd scooped the batter into the cupcake pans and put them in the oven to bake, I checked my phone for the time. It was still just a couple of hours after noon. I set a timer for the Poke Puffs, then plopped down on one of the stools beside the counter and waited.

I knew Leon would be here shortly — unless he got terribly lost on the way, of course — so I decided to scroll through my Rotom phone and let time pass me by.

Fortunately, it appeared he didn't get lost, as a knock on my apartment door signaled that he had come. I tucked my phone away into my pocket and walked over to the door. "Hi, Lee." I offer him a warm smile as he stands on the mini front porch, his usual ear-to-ear grin noticeably absent from his face.

"Hey."

The small word made the situation more uncomfortable than it usually was. Leon came over quite often, and we'd hung out late into the night countless times. But this time, something was off.

"Do you wanna come inside and talk about it?" I ask calmly, and his eyes widen. I'd hit the nail on the head, alright. There was something up.

He merely nods and follows me away from the kitchen and main room to my bedroom. I glanced at the timer on my phone as I sat down on my mattress, noticing that the Poke Puffs wouldn't be done for another short while.

To my surprise, Leon sat down right next to me when I assumed he'd take my desk chair or something. However, I shook it off. I was being crazy, there was no way he was being closer than usual.

"So, Lee. What's the matter? What happened?" I decided to speak up first after shifting my position to a crisscross one in front of him.

"Right, uh..." He scratches the back of his head, looking extremely nervous. Another thing that he isn't on a daily basis. "You know Sonia, yeah? Old Professor Magnolia's granddaughter who researches some of Galar's myths and legends and whatnot?"

"Yep. The peach-haired one with bizarre hair clips and can't drive a car properly. What about her?"

"Okay, so, this might seem really weird, but... We've been friends since those first days on our journeys all those years ago. I've kind of liked her for a really long time, and so, uh..." His golden eyes flick to mine.

I couldn't get a word out of my mouth. Maybe, just maybe, a few sputters managed to be heard, but I couldn't even process the fact that my heart slowly broke at those words. Why hadn't I seen it earlier?

I mean, it was painfully obvious that she was prettier, cleverer, and much more outgoing than I could ever hope to be. So, in turn, it would make sense that Leon would fall for her quaint charm, especially if they were childhood friends in addition to all of that. I should've noticed the signs that he liked Sonia.

But... I had let myself have feelings for Leon...

That left me with only one position to play.

Plastering on the brightest smile I could possibly manage at the moment, I respond, "I'm glad for you, Leon." Too late, I realized I didn't use his nickname.

A hint of hurt can be seen in his gaze. "Uh, (Y/N)?"

"I'm assuming you told Sonia, right?" I let out a stiff, forced laugh that sounded harsh even in my ears. I gulped, trying to keep that wobbly, unstable smile on my face. I had to look accepting. Happy. Not devastated, like what I felt internally. "Wow. That's great, I'm so happy you for guys–"

"(Y/N)!" He firmly placed his hands on my shoulders and my smile fell when I noticed a single tear running down his cheek. He didn't hesitate to continue in a rising voice, "Yes, I told her! But she didn't... Sonia already was dating Raihan, I guess, so, um..." He didn't know that before confessing, it seemed. I wasn't aware either, not that I'm the best person to be on top of matters like this.

Once more, I was stunned and speechless. However, this time, that pressure was being lifted, not pressed harder on my crushed heart.

That lump in my throat was gone, and no longer did tears threaten to spill over. Likely, the relief I felt enormously was written all over my face. But on the other hand, Leon's face was awash in tears, silent sobs locked up as his grip on my shoulders only tightened further.

"Um, Lee...?"

Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I realized that from his point of view, I was gloating that he was rejected, so I hastily changed my expression to a more solemn one. In my heart, I knew I shouldn't take advantage of his shattered state, so I turned to comforting him instead.

With a soft, sincere smile, I lifted him into my lap and wrapped my arms around him, whispering, "Everything will be alright."

Sure, the tension was so thick, it seemed to suck the air out of the room, but the silence, while suffocating, slowly melted into a soothing feeling, and he reluctantly returned the embrace and buried his head in my shoulders.

No words were exchanged between us, but I knew that actions always spoke louder than words, and my genuine consolation was ringing true. After a minute, he raised his head from where he hid it in my hair. His eyes shone with something that I'd never seen before in his usually carefree gaze.

He started to lean closer and closer to me, but just as I began to panic slightly, my phone rang.

"Ack! Uh, sorry." I snatch up my Rotom phone, staring intensely at it to get my mind off things. "Um, it's the timer for my Poke Puffs that are in the oven. I should probably go get them, Lee..."

Leon swiftly swats the device from my hand, and it falls on the floor beside my bed. "Who needs Poke Puffs?" His tone is low, and he avoids eye contact.

Frowning a bit and utterly baffled at the turnaround of attitude, I reply steadily, "But if I don't get them out in a second, they are likely going to burn–"

Before I can finish the sentence, his grip tightens around me even more. For a fleeting moment, I tried to squirm out of his grasp, but I gave in without much thought and let him hold me closer, not entirely displeased.

"Hey, (Y/N)...?"

"Yeah?" I turn to face him a bit more, locking eyes with Leon. He was so close — so, so close.

"Can I..." He takes a soft breath. "Can I kiss you?"

Time didn't freeze, but I did. And while I hesitated, the seconds seemed to stretch out, longer in longer, in comparison to my racing thoughts and pounding heartbeat. When at last I came to a decision, all I did was dip my chin in a small nod, heat rising in my cheeks.

He, without any trace of the reluctance I battled, leaned in and pressed his lips against mine, but pulled away after a fleeting moment.

"I think I... I like you, (Y/N)."

"That's a bit out of the blue, you know..." I frown as my face burns with a searing blush. "But, I suppose this is long overdue... I've liked you for a long time, Lee."

This time around, he was the surprised one, but his broad, trademark grin was back in full force. He hugs me tighter than ever, whispering, "I'm so glad I came here to you today, (Y/N)."

Returning the embrace with a soft smile, I mumble, "Me too."

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Author's Note:

Hello! And here is another Leon prompt from Aneko_Kenna

Honestly, this prompt gave me a lot of wiggle room, but I hope I didn't write Leon a bit too out of character, because the main part of the plot was the reader comforting our Galar Champion.

Anyway, Reader! The question for today is from my brother, MariusHatch : Who do you like better, Link or Zelda (I ran out of questions associated with Leon lol)? I quite frankly think Princess Zellie is obnoxious, so I choose Link all the way!

This is why:

Thanks a million for reading,
Lillian

Word count: 1660 words

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