I tap my pen against my leather binder, shifting from position to position but careful not to wrinkle my black fitted slacks. The black shirt I have tucked into it fits my skin snugly, thankfully not revealing how it might stick to my skin, since my cold sweat made me toss my large blazer over the back of my seat. The black belt with gold buckle is tight around my waist but I force myself not to loosen it, however the red scarf around my neck is cutting it close as the urge to rip it off grows more and more noticeable.

I all but jump when Leon places a hand on my thigh, both of us sitting in a pool of nerves as we watch Chairman Rose show the inspector around Wyndon stadium. The Chairman cleared Leon's entire schedule today, perhaps in a hope to make it seem like Leon isn't as over worked as he is. However, the inspector has to oversee all the gyms in the region and I bet my ass Chairman Rose can't cover up all the gyms on such a short notice.

I let out a deep breath when Chairman Rose and the inspector were out of sight. I rub my hand over my face, not caring if I put on a full face of makeup this morning. "I didn't take you for the nervous type." Leon comments, "I'm not, but I can't help it once things go beyond my control when the stakes are high." I grumble. "He should be suspended by the end of the day shouldn't he?" Leon questions, "If things go ideally, which speaking from experience, never happens. We can only hope for the best from here, I covered our tracks so if things do go sideways he won't have a clue it was us." I whisper.

"I'll double check, the chairman usually has dinner with me to keep me under tabs. He also uses it to brainstorm, talking out ideas because he thinks I won't say a word. Which I can't because I signed a NDA." He huffs, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair. "Been there." I scoff leaning my head into my hand and propping it up with my arm against the seat. "Was your company as bad as you make it out to be?" Leon questions, "Some were, others were better. The real problem was my father." I recall bitterly. "Your father?" Leon questions with interest, "My father was the one who wanted me to go into Pokémon entertainment. I wanted to be his perfect little girl but I was quickly slapped with a reality check. I was just a dreamer born into a court of nightmares," I mumble playing with my pen.

"Did he run the company you were under?" He questions further, "No but he controlled my entire career for the longest time. I let him be my head manager, when he didn't get his way he would turn my entire world upside down. Until my final few years as a Pokéstar when I broke away from him, but in that time I realized I didn't want to be a Pokéstar. That's when I retired and moved to Galar." I sum up. "So your dad is my Chairman Rose?" Leon guesses, "Pretty much, yeah." I laugh at the reference.

"So while you're going after The Chairman are you picturing your father in his place?" Leon questions in a whisper leaning close, I look into his champion gold eyes and I can't bring myself to say anything. However Leon takes my silence as an answer, "Let's make a deal." He whispers. I stare at him intensely, tension straining at my muscles, almost scared of what he's going to offer. "When we defeat Chairman Rose, we go after your father next. My Chairman for your Father." Leon offers, staring out on the stadium battlefield.

"You would do that?" I whisper, my throat tightening up, "I said I would stand by you, I promised to be your sword. It wouldn't be fair if my shield helped me defeat the tyrant king and I didn't help her slay her dragon." He smirks. I let out a weak laugh at his references as I resist the urge to cry. I take a deep breath and slip my hand into his before leaning my head onto his shoulder. The smell of his cologne soothing the nerves that were all but fried minutes before.

"I think I'm going to need a strong drink after today," I sigh out, Leon lets out a hum in agreement, I feel his thumb rub soothing circles around my palm. "Doesn't Piers owe you a live show?" He chimes, "You're damn right." I snort. "Then I guess we're going to Spikemuth tonight." Leon chuckles, "We?" I muse, "Yes, we, I heard on the first night you were here in Galar Raihan and Nessa took you out to Hammerlocke without me." He grunts. "To be fair I've only seen you in interviews and articles up to that point." I excuse.

"Did you get enough sleep last night?" I question, "I got some, but it wasn't nearly enough." He groans. "I passed out as soon as I hit the bed, but I woke up feeling like I got hit by a truck." He sighs, "That happens when you don't get enough rest, not sleep, rest." I grunt. "You need a day off." I mumble, "You look like you need a day off." He shot back. "We both do," I rebut, "Probably, but that'll never happen. Chairman Rose rarely lets any of us have a day off." Leon mumbles. "Seriously?" I fume, sitting up, "You're all required to have vacation days and personal health days. It's the law!" I snap. Leon's eyes go wide, "There's a law that says that?" he yelps, my mouth falls open as I fall speechless.

Instead of standing there gapping like an idiot, I close my mouth and use my hand to cover my face. I have to fix this, forget getting the Chairman impeached, this is far more pressing. I look at Leon but I wasn't really looking at him, I was inside my head running through all the possible ways I could draft something up, then how I could get the Chairman to sign off on it. "I know that look, get out of your head." Leon grunts, He takes me by my hand and yanks me into him.

Heat flushes my body as I fall into his lap, "We. Are. In. Public." I hiss face beat red. "And you are thinking too hard, take one day at a time (y/n). The gym leaders and I can hold on for as long as you need, all we ask is you make it worth it." He bites back. I take a deep breath and rest my forehead against his shoulder, his arms wrapping around my torso in a hug. He holds me there, until I pull away and stand back to my feet. "One day at a time." I mumble, "One day at a time." Leon agrees.

"I CAN NOT BELIVE THAT SLIMY FUCKING—" Nessa shouts, Leon's hand comes up and covers it with a stressed smile as people look over. "Language." He stresses through his twisted smile, "Yeah, okay Capin' Galar." Nessa sasses before taking a long hard sip of her drink.

I lean back in the booth, watching the crowd of punk themed people dance around on the floor. Piers up on the stage singing his heart out, letting out all the frustration from today into his music. If only Nessa had that kind of outlet, instead she decided she's going to get plastered.

"She makes a valid point though, how the hell did the bastard slip by on such a short notice." Raihan mumbles looking down at the beer in his hand. "If I had to guess, he made sure Oleana covered the ground he couldn't." Leon answers before sipping on his own beer. "I'll fight her that skinny little—" Nessa sneers but I press my finger to her lips, "Stop or I'll tell the bartender to cut you off. Miss Oleana is an icon, a true feminist if I've ever seen one. The only thing wrong with her is that she's working with an idiot" I threaten. Nessa throws her hands up and slumps into her seat with an angry pout knowing I make a valid point.

"I don't know about you people, but I say we cut our losses and live to fight another day." Raihan shrugs, "You're right, I was too hasty. I should have started small and worked my way up." I agree. "It was a solid shot mate, but The Chairman is a tricky bloke." Raihan shrugs, "That's okay, this was only my first try and he barely slipped by. Next time I'll be sure to land the blow." I smile. "Cheers!" Raihan salutes lifting up his pint, I knock my drink against his before taking a long hard sip.

The four of us drank until Piers finally came down from the stage, but by then the entire table was covered in empty bottles and cups. I giggle uncontrollably leaning onto Nessa as I hold on to Leon by his cape, Raihan grinning with his fangs bared as he watched me bust my lungs laughing at his stupid joke. "How are ya all drunk?" Piers grumbles wiping the sweat off his face, I gasp excitedly at his presence. "My favorite rock star!" I squeal, Piers face was already flushed but it runs deeper at the show of my open affection.

"To be fair," I giggle pulling myself off of Nessa, "You sang for two hours, which is approximately a dozen and three songs." I chirp. "Even if she's plastered she's smart." Leon laughs, "I was good at math." I shrug with a careless expression. "Statistics, Business science, and advanced mathematics. I was doing most of my school work over the road and in between competitions but that didn't stop me from getting my masters in Business." I snort bringing my nearly empty bottle to my lips. "Raihan was the only one that went back to school, a bachelors in history." Leon smiles pointing over to the dragon master who was too busy downing what's left of his pint.

"Oh great, there's only two of us who have an education." I muse, "Oi! I have an education!" Nessa butts in, "An Associates in business management." She states proudly, My mouth falls open in realization, "That's right! I remember because you and I went out to celebrate that night!" I laugh. "I still can't remember what we did." She grumbles, "And I told you you're better off not knowing." I grin in return.

"Piers?" I call sweetly, the said man looks up from his pint. "Do they have champagne here?" I question, "Not sure." He shrugs, a pout forms on my lips. "I'll go look." Leon offers, "Thank you." I sing out leaning his direction as he leaves. "Why do ya want champagne?" Raihan questions, "Because why not?" I cheer, "I think we need to cut her off before we tell her there's rum." Raihan whispers poorly. "One thing at a time, dearest dragon." I purr, leaning forward across the table to him.

"Make me princess." He challenges, "Don't tempt me, dragon. My ways can be tortuous just as much as they can be sweet." I suggest softly. "Are ya implyin' you want to kiss me?" He grins, "Not even in your wildest dreams." I all but whisper before pulling away with a smile. "Awe come on Love, come back. I'd love to taste that smile." He flirts with hooded eyes, "Why would I want a silly little dragon to show me tricks I've already seen?" I mock. "Trust me, I've got tricks you've never seen." He grins, "And never will." I chirp.

There's a loud ruckus that pulls us away from our spat, out on the dance floor is a crowd of people, just vaguely I can see a large bottle being tipped up above the mass of people. "What an Idiot." I scoff, but my eyes go wide as I catch sight of purple hair covered by a black and gold snap back, "OH SHIT, That's my idiot." I yelp standing from the table. I rush into the crowd, stumbling from the sudden rush of adrenaline in my intoxicated blood stream. I shove my way through and find Leon standing in the middle one hand holding a bottle of Champagne to his mouth while the other holds a still full one.

Leon's eyes go wide when he spots me, "I got your Champagne!" he grins pulling away from the bottle. I roll my eyes and take him by his cape, the people of the bar chant his name as I pull him to the table. "I'm taking us home before we're plastered over the front of a tabloid." I called the group, taking the bottles from Leon and setting them on the table. I grab my bag and open it up to pull out some money but a hand pushes it down. "My treat, for givin' it a solid try yeah?" Piers shrugs with a soft smile. "Thanks." I breathe, I catch him off guard by pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Where's mine!" Raihan whines, I roll my eyes and place a hand on his shoulder before giving him a quick peck to his cheek. Raihan all but purrs in satisfaction. "Come on Leon," I giggle as the grown man pouts from his lack of affection. "You can get yours when I drop you off." I giggle, Leon seems to perk up at the offer.

I take Leon by his arm and walk us out the bar, Cool air pressing against my flushed cheeks from all the alcohol. I shiver slightly and it makes me all the more eager to get out of the little boxed in city where I can call a taxi. Much to my surprise, soft fur tickles my neck and warmth blankets over me. I watch as Leon pulls his cape to sit right on my shoulders, his golden eyes narrowed in focus.

"Thank you." I mumble pulling it close, I watch as Leon's already red cheeks discover a new shade of red. A laugh escapes me before I can stop it, "You know I really hated this thing when I first saw it but it seems like it can come in handy." I joke. "The Chairman thought it would be a nice touch, something that alludes to me being the hero of Galar." He shrugs. "More like a prince," I correct, pulling on the cape, "Not a king?" He teases. "Not quite yet, The tyrant is in the way of that." I muse.

Leon's smile dropped before twisting in thought, a sigh rolled out from my lips at the expression. "Stop that," I grunt, pulling him by the front of his shirt, "Remember what you told me?" I grumble, "One day at a time." He recalls with a small smile. "Exactly, so stay right here. In this moment with me, don't go getting lost." I giggle in return. "I don't know, I get lost pretty easily. I should hold onto you to be safe." He smirks, I don't even get a chance to reply before he's pulling me into him.

I let out a squeal as he spins me around, before slowly swaying us. Laughter bounces between us as we dance around the street, the few people that still wonder this late at night don't pay us any mind. I couldn't help the warm feeling that soaks my chest, not when Leon's champion gold eyes look down at me like I'm actually worth looking at. I don't remember how I got home, but somehow I did. Thankfully without Leon because deep down I know if Leon had come home with me, even if it was with pure intention, things would have ended much differently than either of us are capable of imagining.

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