Since it's Valentines, I think Harmony and Lida yuri art would be awesome. Like, it can have a nervous Lida leading Harmony to a surprise and is being like "Oh Arceus, is she even gonna like this???" while a blindfolded Harmony is like "I can probably do a parkour with this on :)"
Only real ones know about tower of hell on Roblox💥🔥🔥
“Congratulations on the last financial quarter, Mr. Lucille. Those profit margins truly don’t lie about your potential.”
“I have all of my employees to thank for that. Without them, Quasartico Inc. would be nothing. And of course,” Urbain smiles, a smile he’s practiced in the mirror far too many times before mastering it, “without my mentor or the help of others, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I am infinitely grateful to everyone helping me and the patience they allot me in this transitional period.”
The man lets out a laugh that sounds a little too hollow and fake, but Urbain doesn’t mind. He knows every one of these conversations are for show; he has long learned that connections and networking are nothing but show. So he just laughs along and nods when the man bids him farewell and wishes him luck before moving on to talk to the next person he crosses paths with.
A sigh breaks from Urbain’s lips, but he’s quick to straighten his back as a hand is placed on his shoulder. He’s standing as straight as he can, as tall as he can, but his shoulders slump just as quickly as another man moves into sight. Everything inside relaxes as Vinnie gives him a sliver of a smile.
“How are you holding up, Mr. President?”
Urbain sighs again as he accepts the flute of champagne Vinnie is holding out to him. He might actually need the alcohol to get through this night.
“If I have another empty conversation about financial quarters and deep dives and touching bases, I might kill myself.” A long sip of the drink fizzles up his nose, but it’s fine. It’s better than overly polished fake conversations. “If I’m going to touch a base, it won’t be a work base.”
“Urbain.”
Vinnie’s tone is warning, but he doesn’t proceed to scold Urbain. And that’s what he loved about Vinnie: he knows how to keep Urbain in check, but doesn’t baby him or lecture him for the things he says. Vinnie knows that sometimes he just needs to blow off steam; Urbain, unlike most of the people here, wasn’t raised around these polished rich people who frequently stay at Le Richissime. He might blend into them now, but it’s exhausting pretending. It’s exhausting being the CEO of Quasartico Inc.
“I’m just kidding, Vinnie.” He forces a smile as his fingers curl around his half empty flute. “I’ve just been having the same 5-minute conversation for the past hour. And my brain feels like it’s melting.”
“Not to alarm you, but you will be having this 5-minute conversation many more times tonight. That is what happens at these types of events; we’re looking to find new investors and partners after all.”
“I know. I know all too well. I just… I just need a minute.”
“And a minute you may have. How about you go take a breather outside? No one should bother you there.”
Urbain nods as he slips out of Vinnie’s grip. The cool night air sounds good. Just a few deep breaths outside the hotel should be more than enough to get his head back into business mode. He really just needs a short moment of being Urbain and not Mr. President.
“Congratulations on the promotion, Ms. Pax! The whole team was quite excited when we saw your name on the list of candidates, and, don’t tell anyone I said this, but I did have my fingers crossed that it would be you that they pick. It’s a little silly, but I was so, so excited to potentially having you on the team. You’re going to be such an amazing addition!”
This isn’t a conversation that involved Urbain. Normally, he would have long walked away, but he stops dead in his tracks. How can he walk away when he hears someone congratulating a Ms. Pax? How can his attention not be turned to this conversation? How can he not be interested when the only Ms. Pax he knows of is none other than Harmony Pax?
“I am so grateful for the opportunities this company is giving me. And even more grateful for the welcome you and everyone on the team has given me.” Her laughter is like a song. “I was so surprised that any of you wanted me here tonight. I haven’t even started the new position and you’re already inviting me such nice company events! I almost feel out of place.”
Harmony? Out of place? That is impossible. Wherever she stands, she commands the room. Everything spins around her, not the other way around. Her presence is something Urbain always envied; everyone always gravitated towards her, hanging onto her every word without her even having to try.
“Well, in my humble opinion, you look like you fit in perfectly. I must ask, where did you get that lovely dress? It suits you so perfectly, I wonder if they carry anything that can fit me as well as it fits you.”
The sea of people fades away as Urbain’s eyes finally find the source of that pretty laughter. Everything fades away; nothing but one exists. Nothing but one girl is left in the crowd, one girl in a dress that could probably kill a man. Well, given the tightness in Urbain’s chest and the heat the rises into his face, she’s probably already killed one. And if he’s not already dead, he’s on the verge of death.
Urbain tries to scurry away before she spots him, but he’s too slow. As he’s tightening his blazer around himself to head out into the night, fingers are already curling around his wrist, drawing him back to the figure that haunts his dreams.
“I’ve been looking all over for you!” Painted lips have his whole attention. “I didn’t think it would be so hard crossing paths with you, given that you’re, like, the main event here!”
She genuinely looks so gorgeous. Like, objectively, Harmony is stunning. Her hair is tied up into a perfectly styled yet lax updo; every loose strand is perfectly curled alongside her bangs that frame her pretty face. Her makeup also looks professionally done; it’s nothing too flashy, but the colors compliment her eyes. And her lips. Urbain really should not be staring at them, and he has to force himself to look away, but the gloss makes it so hard for his gaze to not linger there. Her lips and her dress, that dark dress with the high neckline and open back, have his eyes bouncing between her and his shoes. Harmony is undeniably beautiful.
“How have you been holding up?”
She’s so cheerful, grinning like she’s probably had a few flutes of champagne herself. She’s smiling so big as her fingers tighten around Urbain’s wrist, keeping him from running out of the hotel. She’s so ridiculously attractive and he can’t do anything to hide from her.
“I’ve, uh, been talking to way too many people.”
Harmony’s face drops as her fingers loosen. He’s said something stupid; Urbain knows for a fact that whatever just came out of his mouth was the wrong thing to say. He’s said the absolute wrong thing; though it’s true that he has been talking to too many people, Harmony is not one of them. If it’s Harmony, he could talk to her all night without even realizing it’s been hours. Harmony has always had this way of making time fly; she’s always had this ability to make every moment timeless and delightful.
“I didn’t mean to—”
“Not you! You’re not one of those people! We can keep talking!”
Urbain needs to shut up. He’s honestly just digging his grave deeper and deeper with each word that comes out of his mouth. And by the look on Harmony’s face, she agrees, though she isn’t running away. She’s actually smiling as she quietly chuckles. Urbain might be stupid, but at least it’s entertaining to the woman in front of him.
“I was just…” Urbain’s eyes glance at the door ahead of them, the one leading to the North Boulevard. “I was thinking of maybe getting a bit of fresh air before my next round of networking conversations?” Harmony doesn’t move; maybe he should be clearer. “Would you like to come with me? We’ll be able to chat in peace out there?”
Harmony’s smile really is a masterpiece. Harmony as a whole is a treasure one should cherish if they have the chance to be in her proximity. She is by far the most beautiful woman Urbain has ever laid eyes on; he feels his stomach flip on itself as Harmony loops her arm with his, leaning her weight against him as they make their way towards the door.
Harmony’s forwardness is nothing new to Urbain, and it’s not like she’s doing anything crazy. And knowing her, she’s probably adopted this position because she’s at risk of toppling over in her heels; with those one, she’s almost taller than Urbain, not that he’s a particularly tall man. Regardless, even if his heart is hammering through his chest as she leans into him, he keeps walking. He walks, though a little slower than he normally would; he doesn’t want Harmony tripping and falling. And if she’s anything like how she was when they were younger, Urbain knows to take his time when she’s in heels; those have never been in her favor.
The night air is fresh. The cool breeze feels nice against Urbain’s cheeks; he can feel his lungs fill with something a little closer to clean than the stuffy air inside the hotel. And as he breathes out, he feels a little more like himself. As his eyes fall shut, he feels a little more like Urbain and a little less like the CEO of Quasartico Inc.
“I always forget how pretty the city is at night.”
Urbain’s eyes fall to his side. Harmony is still there, though she’s not hanging onto him anymore. She’s just standing there, both of them at the top of the stair leading down to the boulevard. She’s just standing there, her perfectly painted nails digging into her elbows as her eyes scan over the street.
He doesn’t know what he’s thinking. Actually, Urbain probably isn’t thinking at all as he shrugs his blazer off of his shoulders. His mind is completely blank as he covers Harmony’s bare shoulders with his jacket, something that pulls gray eyes towards him. He wasn’t thinking at all, but now he’s overthinking it. Is he being too forward? Should he have asked? She looked like she was cold, the night air leaving goosebumps along her arms, but still. For all Urbain knows, she has a boyfriend inside, waiting for her, or better yet, a coat that’s in the coat check. She might not need Urbain’s jacket at all! She might not need it, but she doesn’t reject it. No. Instead, gray eyes soften as Harmony pulls the blazer closed around her body and burying her nose in the lapel.
It’s stupid. It means nothing. Urbain needs to get out of his head. He needs to stop imagining things that are not there, like the smile that pulls at the corners of Harmony’s mouth or the creases at the corners of her eyes. She’s not looking at him, not like that, not like he’s looking at her. She’s just looking at someone who placed a jacket on her shoulders, completely unprompted. She’s just acknowledging his presence, a presence that he is far too aware of at this moment.
The city sounds drown out whatever was about to come out of Urbain’s mouth, not that anything coherent would have come out. Whatever he was thinking, it has vanished; the only thing invading every one of his senses is Harmony, beautiful in the moonlight, beautiful as she always is. The only thing on Urbain’s mind is Harmony; it always is whenever he ventures too close to the sun.
“Hey, I was wondering if—”
“Mr. Lucille!”
A smile climbs onto Urbain’s lips, a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, a smile he never feels. It’s become a habit, plastering a charming smile onto his face the moment he hears his name; what else can he do when people are expecting nothing but pleasantries from him?
“How may I help you this evening, Mr. D’Amboise?”
Words comes out of the man’s mouth, words that Urbain does not catch despite his nods and smiles. He knows he’s technically conversing with the man at this point, but everything is on autopilot; his eyes remain on Harmony, Harmony who is just standing there, smiling ever so slightly. She, too, is smiling to charm; she, too, knows that none of this is real.
“Oh!” The man is practically vibrating now. “Did you speak to the director from the Devon Corporation? His name escapes me now, but I do know he was looking for you, Mr. Lucille!”
Another smile hangs on Harmony’s lips as Urbain’s eyes fall back onto her. She nods; he doesn’t want to go. She steps away from him; Urbain has no choice but to follow the man back into the banquet hall. Does it always have to be this difficult to find a moment to himself? Must he always be pulled away from Harmony?
Waves of faces come and go. Urbain knows everyone’s names, knows every position, every exploit. He knows who to charm and who to not waste time on. He’s smiling and mingling, just like Vinnie asked him to; Vinnie is also back at this side, playing this game they both despise but must continue playing until the very end. At least, with Vinnie by his side, time goes by much faster. At least, with Vinnie by his side, Urbain can cover up his distracted mind every time he swears his eyes catch on a blue dress. At least, with Vinnie, Urbain can pretend he’s following the conversations he is cycling through.
One, two, three more flutes of champagne have made their way into Urbain’s hands. One, two, three more high ranking directors are asking for his advice on subject matters he is not familiar with. One, two, three more hours have passed by the time Urbain can let his body hit a chair. His whole body is sore; his head is pounding from the alcohol he should not have been consuming. Why does he do this to himself? He knows he can’t hold anything down, especially if he hasn’t eaten in hours. But at least he can still feel all of his limbs; his throat burns, begging him for mercy, pleading him for a sip of water.
“Here.”
Urbain jumps at the feeling of ice against his neck. It snaps him out of whatever exhausted trance he was starting to fall into; gray eyes smile upon him as a water bottle is held out to him.
He hesitates for a beat too long; Harmony pulls the bottle out of his reach just as Urbain is about to accept it. She pulls it away, a grin stretching across her face; does she have to be this beautiful? Must she look like an angel at all times? Must she draw Urbain in like this, his hand reaching out to the water bottle she’s now holding above her head like a child at the park?
“What do we say?”
“Harmony…”
Giggles erupt from her lips as she finally hands him the bottle. It’s been a while he’s seen her laugh so freely; it’s been a while since the last time he’s seen her, period. How did they ever go from best friends to practically strangers? How did Urbain mess up so bad that he lost track of someone as wonderful as Harmony?
“You’re surprisingly difficult to find, y’know?”
Half of the water bottle has been consumed; the cold soaks through Urbain’s pants as he lets his hands rest against his thighs.
“I’m sorry?”
“Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” It takes everything in Urbain to not reach out to her face and tuck the stray strand of hair behind Harmony’s ear. “I just wanted to give you this back before I head home.”
He watches as Harmony pulls his jacket off from her shoulders and holds it out to him. Every movement of his feels mechanical next to Harmony’s fluidity. Urbain looks almost robotic, his fingers curling around his blazer before almost dropping it back into his lap; Harmony is like water, rearranging the high neckline of her dress, tugging at it ever so slightly. It’s stupid, Urbain needs to push the thought away, but still, it lingers: has she always been this beautiful?
He should look away; his eyes seem glued to her, to the dip in her bare shoulder, to the freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose, now starting to pierce through the light layer of makeup applied to the entirety of her face, to the curve of her lips as she watches the dwindling crowd of self-important people. She’s exactly the same as she was all those years ago; she’s a completely different person from the girl he met at the train station on that fateful day. She’s Harmony; she’s still just Harmony.
“Anyway,” her heels click under her as she dusts her dress for some unknown reason, “I shouldn’t take up much more of your time. I’m sure you’re plenty busy, Mr. Popular Guy, and I, for one, am ready to go home.”
“Do you have a ride?”
Urbain might just die if she stares at him for too long. He might just combust as she tilts her head ever so slightly, pulling her brows together. One would think that he has just spoken pure gibberish; Harmony is hesitantly shaking her head.
“I’ll drive you home then.”
“Oh, no! No, don’t worry about me! I’m just gonna walk—”
“In heels? All the way back to the hotel?” Urbain has got to stop being so rash; he’s pushing himself off his chair and digging through his blazer’s pockets. “I’m just gonna tell Vinnie I’m calling it a night and I’ll drive you home.”
For once, Harmony complies. She folds her hands and nods, not uttering another word. Her steps are quiet, or as quiet as clicky heels can be, as she trails behind Urbain who is making a beeline for Vinnie. She’s always a few steps behind him, never too close; she doesn’t approach as Urbain grins at a man who is has decided to strike up a conversation with him, though it is cut short as the CEO of Quasartico Inc. excuses himself. No one argues with him as he informs his guest that he must head out; they bid him a good night as he retreats back to Harmony’s side.
“You’re still staying at the hotel, right?”
Harmony nods in response. Her silence is almost worrisome; Urbain stops in his tracks to watch her, take in her expression, and internally kick himself. Has he been too forward again? Is he imposing himself? Has he become one of them, thinking he can make decisions for others now?
“Hey, if you want, I can also just call you a taxi. I just don’t want you out at this—”
“It’s not that, Urbain.” Gray eyes fall to the ground. “I just don’t want to impose or anything.”
“Harms.” Is he still allowed to call her that? “I offered. I want to do this for you.”
Finally, another one of her smiles. Another one of her breathtaking smiles that have Urbain’s lungs giving out ever so slightly. She’s beautiful. She has to stop being so beautiful. Her beauty makes Urbain stupid, and he can’t afford being stupider than he already is. If he’s stupid, who knows what he’s going to do. Who knows what’s going to come out of his mouth as Harmony loops her arm through his once more, leaning her weight into his shoulder.
It’s not a long walk to his car, but every click of Harmony’s heels, first on the tile, then on the concrete, reminds Urbain of her presence. Well, that and the overwhelming heat that’s erupted in his cheeks every time her weight shifts away and back against him. She’s steadying herself with every wobbly step; he’s losing his mind with every rigid step.
“That’s… your car?”
“Is there something wrong with it?”
Urbain watches as Harmony peels herself off of him and inspect the car. She goes around it once, then twice before looking up at him with bewilderment in her eyes.
“I don’t think I’m in the right tax bracket to be seen near this thing.”
Ah. So that’s what it is. Admittedly, this is the first and only overly frivolous purchase Urbain has ever made in his life. It’s a little shameful to him that he, who was once counting coins to pay for his groceries, was able to afford a luxury car like this, but walking out of the lot with the keys to a brand-new car had, funnily enough, healed something in him that day. Money can, apparently, buy a semblance of happiness.
He pulls the door open and plops himself down in the driver’s seat. “Just get it.”
There’s a little more hesitation from Harmony, but she finally relents once Urbain pushes her door open, forcing her to acknowledge the leather seat he’s patting. She’s careful as she slips in; she seems almost afraid to break something with her gaze alone. Her hands are cautious, fingers gentle around the seatbelt; Harmony who had once kicked her shoes off and taken up as much space as she could in the old, nearly broken-down car Urbain had gotten his hands on when they were teenagers was now making herself as small as she possibly could.
“I’m guessing you’re paid well?”
“Something like that.”
They’re both aware that Urbain is paid quite handsomely; neither one dares acknowledge the number out loud, but they’re both thinking about it, Urbain ever so slightly more concretely. Neither one wants to acknowledge the gap that has formed; the rift in their friendship is demoralizing enough.
The car ride is silent; nothing but the sounds of the city and, on occasion, the blinker can be heard. It shouldn’t have to be this quietly awkward; every time Urbain catches a glance of Harmony, ready to try a topic of conversation, he deflates. He can’t bring himself to shatter the silence, not when Harmony is staring out the window. He wants to ask her what she’s thinking about, what’s bothering her, but he he’s too much of a coward to do so. He doesn’t want to bother her, so he turns his attention back to the road, back to the cars that surround him, back to the roads he still remembers by heart.
“Take a left here.”
“What?”
Harmony is still looking out the window; her head is pressed to the glass, gray eyes scanning the environment. Urbain knows for a fact that the hotel is only two blocks away and that taking a left is absurd, but still, he follows Harmony instructions. He still, after all the years, trusts her.
Her directions are clear: a left, then a right, then another right. Urbain is ever so slightly lost, despite having lived in the neighborhood for well-over half a decade. He had been through every alleyway, every rooftop, every little nook and cranky the Vert District could offer; he has never, in all the years he’s lived in Lumiose City, been down this road. And yet, as Harmony instructs him to one last left, Urbain pulls through the hotel’s gates. The key is turned, the engine is cut, and Urbain’s eyes fall on that old familiar building.
“Sorry for the weird detours and all.” Harmony is stretching her back as she pulls pins out of her hair, letting it fall loose over her shoulder. “They blocked off the normal route like two weeks ago. A real pain in the ass if you ask me.”
That makes a lot more sense. And it makes perfect sense that Harmony would know that; it’s a little sad that Urbain doesn’t know these little details anymore. How long has it been since the last time he’s been at Hotel Z?
“Well,” for the first time all night, a genuine smile climbs onto Urbain’s lips, “regardless of the road blocks, we got here in one piece.”
“Ever the smooth driver.”
She’s driving him crazy, with her hand on his arm. He’s losing all of his reason whenever she’s near; it’s always been this way, hasn’t it? Urbain really has always been a mess when Harmony is around him.
“Anyway!” He’s quick to clear his throat; if he squeaks one more time, he might go throw himself in the Pyroar enclosure after this. “I shouldn’t take up more of your night. I’m sure you have things to do.”
“At this hour?” Must she have the prettiest laughter Urbain’s ever heard? “Please. My plans consist of crashing in bed and falling asleep to some video essay or reality tv or whatever. Unless…” How is it that she only gets prettier with time? “Do you wanna come in for a bit?”
“I couldn’t possibly impose—”
“I offered. You can’t impose since I want to do this for you.”
Urbain sighs. She parroting his own words, using them against him. And it would be rude to deny her such a small favor.
“Well,” it’s so easy to smile around Harmony as Urbain leans closer, “since you asked so nicely.”
Pretty laughter falls from perfect lips. They’re not as sparkly as they had been at the start of the night, most of the gloss having been worn away, but they still look perfect. They still look so inviting. Are they as soft as the had once been? As soft as he remembers her kisses to be? Are they—
Urbain pulls back, panic coursing through him. His mind has wandered into dangerous wastelands. He is in no position to be thinking of Harmony that way, of what had once been there, of what no longer exists. He cannot afford to go back to a place that no longer exists.
“Lemme get the door for you!”
Everything is racing; Urbain is racing to Harmony’s side. She’s barely sat back up by the time he’s pulling the passenger door open, giving her one of his signature bows, a smile, and his arm.
“Your castle awaits, m’lady.”
A snort echoes through the night as Harmony kicks him in the thigh. It’s nothing hard, and thankfully her heel only grazes his pants instead of stabbing him, but Urbain can’t help but gasp. He offers her hospitality and she returns the gesture with violence; some things really don’t ever change.
“You,” she’s catching her breath as she, nonetheless, loops her arms with his and gets out of the car, “are so cringe.”
“And yet, you’re still inviting me in.”
Harmony doesn’t deny it; they’re both making their way to the front door. She fumbles with the key for a moment, which gives Urbain just enough time to take in his surroundings. The hotel has changed over the years, though not by as much as one would think. The grass is still overgrown and vines still hang from the walls. Truly, the only thing that seems different is the front door; the once open door now bares a lock. What once was an isolated hotel that wanted to welcome the world has been turned to home. Maybe, in the end, this is what AZ wanted.
“Sorry for the mess.”
The interior really does look like a home now. The lobby is a lot more cluttered; a collection of shoes has begun piling by the door, one Harmony contributes to as she kicks off her heels and slips into something more comfortable. The plants Urbain had once watered on the daily are shrivelled or gone. It feels more lived in now; perhaps all the overcleaning he had once been in charge of kept the hotel from giving this homey vibe.
“Make yourself comfy.” Harmony gestures at the couches and armchairs that have since been rearranged around a modern television that stands out just a little too much. “I’ll be back with coffee or something.”
Perhaps Urbain should offer to help. Maybe he should ask her if she needs anything from him. There are a thousand things he could be doing, but instead, he nods and complies with her wishes. He lets his body sink into the old couch, in the same spot he used to spend his evenings with his friends. Old habits die hard, after all.
Harmony isn’t gone very long. But in the five to ten minutes that Urbain finds himself alone, he scrutinizes his surroundings. He takes in everything, letting memories flood through him. He lets his eyes linger on the bookshelf, the one with the books AZ had collected over the years; it’s collected dust over the years, dust that no one but Urbain ever cared to clear. His feet find the carpet that has not been changed in decades; it’s beginning to fray at the corners, though he can see the little repairs Naveen has made, little embroidered stitches keeping the thing together. His hands find the lobby desk, the one now cluttered with mail addressed to Harmony, Lida, and Naveen, and other junk they haven’t bothered to throw away. His fingers find a framed picture of Team MZ, a picture he has long forgotten about.
They’re a lot younger in this picture. They’re all smiling so big, so genuinely. Urbain had forgotten about that day; a warm feeling blooms in his chest as he remembers how he had been so excited that day, getting to hang out with his best friends and do things he loved. He remembers how he had come home and AZ had joined them for dinner, a rare event. He remembers everything so clearly now; it would be a lie to say he doesn’t miss those days.
“Whatcha looking at?”
Mismatched mugs are set on the counter as Harmony peers over Urbain’s shoulder. Gray eyes scan the picture frame he’s still holding; a smile curves onto her lips, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Urbain nods, not trusting his voice. He knows that it’s his fault that Team MZ is no more; he is, after all, the one who left the group despite claiming to be their leader. He really did think he could balance his friendships and climbing to the top of a company; he gave up on what should have been the most important thing to him. He gave up on Naveen, on Lida, and most heart wrenching of all, on Harmony. He put her in second place; Harmony deserves to be someone’s priority.
“So,” Urbain slowly puts the frame down as Harmony makes her way to the couch, plopping herself down like she must have done a thousand times in the past, “how are Naveen and Lida?”
“Naveen’s recently signed a contract with some streamer to design and produce their merch, and he’s pretty excited about that.” She takes a long sip of what probably cannot legally be considered coffee if her order has not changed over the years; Urbain mirrors her as he carefully lowers himself into the tattered couch. “He’s one step closer to becoming Canari’s merch designer, but he won’t ever admit that that’s still the goal. Though I have heard that she did commission him for like… a hoodie or something, but she’s never worn it on stream, so he was a little disappointed about that. He’s still holding out hope that she will, but between you and me,” Harmony leans closer to Urbain, her voice dropping to a whisper despite no one being around to listen, “I’m pretty sure Canari actually commissioned it to give it to Gwynn. Like, maybe my eyes deceived me, but I’m pretty sure I saw her wearing the hoodie Navi made last time I went to see Ivor.”
A light chuckle bubbles out of Urbain as he sips his coffee. It’s definitely a lot more bitter than what he’s used to, but it’s not unbearable. He’s almost tempted to ask for some milk to mellow it out, but he can’t bring himself to do that. He doesn’t want to be difficult, asking Harmony for more than what she’s so kindly already offered.
“Sorry about the, uh… less than stellar coffee. I know it’s nothing like the fancy coffees you’re probably used to.”
“No, it’s great!”
Harmony raises an eyebrow and flicks his cheek. “You’re a bad liar.”
Fine. It’s atrocious. It’s, quite frankly, the worst coffee Urbain has ever had, and he’s had bad coffees. But still, it’s the thought that counts. Harmony so kindly offered him a coffee and went through the trouble of making him a cup; Urbain isn’t enough of an ass to send it back and have another one made for him.
“Really, it’s not that bad.”
“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t want it.” She sets her cup down and folds her legs under her. Her body is turned to Urbain; he can’t help but mirror her actions. He can’t help getting lost in the depth of her eyes. “I won’t lie; I kinda just wanted you to come in so I could talk to you a bit longer.”
And Urbain doesn’t like lying either: he, too, wanted to spend a little more time with Harmony. He, too, wanted to make up for lost time and hear her voice for a little longer. He, too, missed spending his evenings sunken in a couch, just talking about everything and nothing.
It really is just so nice getting to talk to someone without having to anticipate their next words. When was the last time Urbain has had a casual conversation with someone, a conversation with no social hierarchy, no stakes, no mask? When was the last time he got to relax, laugh, and chat the night away? It feels like forever ago. Maybe it was forever ago.
“Oh! Oh! I totally forgot, but Lida recently started a new job at a new studio! She’s just replacing one of the teachers or whatever, so I don’t know how long it will last, but she’s been having so much fun! She’s doing a ballet class and a hip hop one which is really cool! Something about one of her old mentors opening up a new studio in Lumiose and needing new teachers. I really don’t know the details, but she’s really been enjoying her new job.”
A sigh breaks from Harmony’s lips as she lets her head fall onto Urbain’s shoulder. It’s stupid, but his heart jumps to his throat at the contact; her eyes have since fallen shut.
“But what about you? How do you like being Mr. President of Quasartico Inc.?”
It’s Urbain’s turn to sigh. He knows he should say that he loves it, that he’s grateful for all the opportunities, that he loves the daily challenges, but if he’s being honest, it’s just exhausting. What seemed like a dream too good to be true turned to be that exactly: being CEO is nothing like he thought it would be. Now, he has no time for friends or hobbies or anything that doesn’t involve Quasartico. Now, it really feels like he has no life left outside of the job.
“It’s… okay, I guess.”
“Yeah? Enjoy getting to spend money you never had before?”
Of course, that’s where Harmony’s mind would go. Urbain can’t blame her; he was pretty stingy back then, but that was just because he didn’t have money to spend and he didn’t want to spend AZ’s money. So he had to make due with the little that he did have. But now, he has more money than he knows what to do with; now, money is completely arbitrary and he can’t even fully enjoy it.
“Don’t have much to spend on, if I’m being honest. The car’s the only real big purchase I’ve made. The rest, well, I don’t really have time for anything else.”
Silence falls across the dimly lit hotel. The shadows on the walls dance, just as Urbain remembers them; he knows it’s just Harmony’s shadow being projected onto the fading wallpaper as she sits back up, but Urbain always wondered if those shadows had lives of their own. Perhaps they’re squatting Pokemon looking for a cozy place to stay; maybe it really just his active imagination letting him believe in ghost stories.
“You know,” blue skies are clouded by piercing gray, “you can always come by and hang out with us, if you have the time. It was your home first, and, though I can’t speak for Lida and Navi, I know I’d really like it if we got to hang out a bit. Even if it’s just for like… dinner or something. I’d just really… yeah.”
Is it selfish of Urbain to also want to spend more time with Harmony? And their friends, of course! But right here, right now, all he can think about it how much he wants to spend time with Harmony, and Harmony alone. If he could have anything he wants, he’d ask for the night to never come to an end. If he could have absolutely anything he wants, he’d want for them to keep talking until he physically cannot form a sentence anymore. If it were fully up to Urbain, he’d make the moment last forever. He’d ask for things to go back to how they once were.
Harmony winces as Urbain’s brushes his thumb against her cheek. She doesn’t recoil, but he definitely did catch her by surprise. Maybe he should have asked, or at least warned her that he was going to touch her face, but at this hour, Urbain isn’t thinking straight. Then again, when is he ever truly thinking clearly?
“Sorry, you just—” he holds out his thumb for Harmony to see— “had an eyelash.”
“Can I make a wish?”
Urbain blinks. A wish? What wish? Or maybe this is a custom he’s not used to. And Harmony seems to have gathered that he has no idea what she’s talking about; she scoots closer, careful to keep his hand up with the eyelash still there. His heart is racing at the contact once more, but he needs to stay cool. Urbain must remain chill.
“Have you never made a wish on an eyelash before?” Urbain shakes his head. “I mean, it’s super simple. Make a wish and blow on it. Something, something, your wish will come true. Wanna try?”
“I mean, it’s your eyelash, so you should probably make the wish?”
Harmony doesn’t push. She just closes her eyes and falls silent for a moment. She’s completely quiet, and Urbain can’t help but take in how beautiful she is, especially up close like this. She is, by far, the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid eyes on; who knows if he’ll ever be lucky enough to encounter someone who is even half as gorgeous as Harmony is. Only time will tell, but for now, Urbain is brought back to the here and now, back to Harmony’s eyes fluttering open as she blows her eyelash away.
“Wish made.” She smiles as she lets her hand drop from Urbain’s. “Wanna know what I wished for?”
“Doesn’t that make your wish not come true?”
“Maybe. But maybe if I tell you, then you’ll let me know if it can come true.”
She really does have a way of saying things so cryptically. None of what she just said makes sense with the customs of wish making; secrecy is what allows a wish to come true. But now Harmony is telling him that he’s the one who will tell her if her wish can come true, like he’s some wish-granting magician. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Please let me tell you what I wished for? You don’t even have to make it come true. I just… want you to know.”
Who is Urbain to deny Harmony anything? So of course, he’s nodding his head like an idiot. Of course, he’s letting her come closer, her shoulder pressing against his. Of course, his head feels like it’s spinning as she whispers her secret wish into his ear like they’re little kids and not full-grown adults.
“I wished that I could kiss you.”
Obviously, Urbain misheard that. Maybe the champagne from earlier is now hitting harder than ever. Or maybe he’s just so tired that he’s hallucinating the conversation. Regardless, there is no way that Harmony just told him that she wants to kiss him. Or wishes to kiss him. Because that’s completely absurd. There is no way that Harmony, of all people, wants to kiss him. Not after everything he’s put her through; not after having left her with barely any warning all those years ago.
“You don’t have to say anything. Or do anything.” Her back hits the couch, leaving the air around Urbain frigid. “For all I know, you’ve got a pretty girl at home waiting for you and I’m just keeping you from her and wasting you time and—”
“Harms.” This is insanity. Urbain is going absolutely insane. “Harmony.” His knees are sinking into the old couch cushion as he turns to her. “Harmony, you are not wasting my time.” She’s so beautiful. Urbain probably shouldn’t touch her. Her cheek is so soft. “No one is waiting for me.” Her eyes are just as he remembers them. He’s falling over and over again. “Harmony, you are the most breathtakingly, beautiful woman I have ever seen. All night, I’ve just been going insane because I just cannot keep myself from looking at you. And I know that sounds mega weird, but I just—”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
There’s no time to react. There’s no time for logic to catch up with Urbain’s actions. All he knows is that Harmony is grabbing his face and that he’s tumbling forward. All he knows is that her kisses are nothing like the memories he has of them; they’re so much better than what he remembers. She’s softer and sweeter, though that last part might be from the alleged coffee she’d been drinking. She’s sweeter, far more addictive than Urbain remembers her to be; will he have the strength to stop kissing her? Will he have it in him to walk away tonight? Not that he ever wants to walk away from Harmony if he can help it; he did it once, and it was the worst mistake he has made in his life. Nothing was worst than fighting with Harmony and leaving her without any warning.
A gasp break from Harmony’s lips; nails dig into Urbain’s shoulder as he pulls at the soft skin of her neck. He needs her close; he cannot lose her again. And maybe, just maybe, she feels the same way. Maybe, just maybe, that is why she’s pulling him closer. Maybe, just maybe, this can last more than an instant.
Kisses upon kisses are shared; Urbain can’t keep away from Harmony’s lips, not when he’s missed them this much. It’s not selfish of him to steal as many kisses as he can if Harmony is pleading him for more, is it? He’s giving her what she wished for; he’s taking what he’s been dreaming of. He’s slow and careful; he doesn’t want to ever forget the curve of her smile against his. Urbain needs this moment to last forever.
He’s gentle, peppering kisses to every freckle he can find on her face. If it were up to him, he would cover every inch of Harmony’s skin in adoring kisses, but now is not the time for that. Now is the time to bury his face in the crook of her neck as she wraps her arms around him. Now is the time to take in the moment of peace, focusing on the rising and falling of her chest against him. Now is the time to wonder if he took things too far.
“I—” Urbain is pushing himself away; Harmony’s fingers are curling around the collar of his shirt. “I should probably head out and—"
“Stay.” There’s a finality in her tone that he doesn’t want to fight, even if he had the energy to do so. “It’s late and you’re tired and I… don’t want you to go. So please, stay.”
Against his better judgment, Urbain nods. He’s not convinced he won’t fall asleep on his drive home; more realistically, he’s not sure that he’s strong enough to leave Harmony. Not when she’s slipping her fingers through his and pushing herself back into a sitting position. Not when she’s tugging at her dress, trying to loosen it. Not when he’s being impulsive again, pressing a kiss to her skin once more, as he pulls the bow holding the dress up undone.
Giggles bubble out of Harmony as blood rushes to Urbain’s cheeks. She’s teasing him, asking him if there’s something that he wants; truly, he had not meant it like that. All he had wanted to do was to loosen the neckline since it looked like it was bothering her; he’s quick to tie it back up, though not as tightly or prettily as it had previously been. He’s quick to fix what he has undone; Harmony assures him that he’s done nothing wrong.
“If you want, we haven’t touched your room since you left.” Urbain melts into her kisses once more; how he’s missed her between-kisses whispers. “But that also means there’s probably a bunch of dust. So…” He knows that look; he is weak to that look. “You can always stay with me, if you’d like?”
“I really don’t want to impose.”
“It’s not imposing if I’m asking you.”
A sigh; a smile. A hand that fits perfectly against his; a look he’s missed more than anything in the world. “Then lead the way.”
As of arriving in Lumiose, Paxton and Harmony are 20. Harmony is a few weeks older than Paxton.
Before coming to Lumiose, Paxton and Harmony grew up together as adoptive siblings back in Galar.
Paxton's family lives in Motostoke and his parents work at the Pokémon Daycare in the Wild Area. Paxton's family has been in Galar as far back as they can be traced.
Harmony's family is originally from Kalos, specifically Lumiose City. Her parents were Rock-Type specialists who trained Pokémon to help miners, and moved to Galar for employment about 10 years before she was born.
Harmony's parents died in a mining accident when she was a couple months old. She has no memory of them and essentially sees Paxton's parents as those who were actual parental figures in her life. She was adopted in due to Paxton's parents being family friends, and treated practically equally to their biological child.
Paxton and Harmony have both entered the Galar Gym Circuit when they were 10. (I think? the Sword/Shield protag is 10.) Paxton's Typical Pokémon Player level of competitive and competent. He beat all 8 gyms relatively easily, but didn't make it through the championship qualifier tournament. Harmony's focused more on raising Pokémon, less on competitive battling. She started to struggle more around Gym 6 (Circhester) but chose to tough it out and finish the Gyms at least, especially to accompany Paxton.
After Paxton's first attempt at the Championship, they both returned to living with Paxton's family and helping out in the daycare business. However, Paxton would still compete in tournaments and challenge for the championship several more times over the next few years. But he just never beat Leon. Eventually, he (and his team) got kind of burnt out from the competition training, and decided to settle back down at the daycare for good.
It's been nearly 5 years since Paxton dropped the Galar Championship when the two of them head to Lumiose.
As Harmony's grandparents still lived in Lumiose up until their deaths around 2 years before the events of ZA, she owns a flat on Vernal Ave that she inherited from them. The flat was empty and unused since Harmony's grandparents died, so Paxton and Harmony have decided to move there and open a new Pokémon daycare.
They were expecting a chill time, so Paxton didn't bring his retired competitive team along. Those Pokémon have grown used to helping in the Wild Area Daycare, and he wanted a fresh start anyway. Harmony brought with her two Espurr in an incubator, because they'd hatched too early.
As of immediately arriving in Lumiose, Harmony's two Espurr can't leave the incubator at all for another two days. So, the bag stealing bit happens as it does in-game, with Paxton's suitcase being taken. Taunie gifts Paxton one of the ZA starters because only one of them needs to go battle Andi for the bag back, it may as well be him since it's his bag and he's the one who cares somewhat about battling anyway. Harmony technically has those Espurr, so she doesn't "need" a partner as much.
After retrieving Paxton's suitcase, Paxton and Harmony are about to just dip on Taunie to go to Harmony's flat and do what they're actually here for. Taunie's like "but the battle zone's going to appear soon, you should go to Hotel Z because it's close by" (I think this is how it goes in game? I don't remember to exact sequence of events.) Paxton and Harmony compare the address of Harmony's flat to Taunie's address for Hotel Z, insisting they don't have to go to Taunie's random hotel because Harmony's flat is really close to it, only for Taunie to go "actually your apartment is part of Wild Zone 1 now and you can't live there anymore".
With no options left, Paxton and Harmony have to go to Hotel Z with Taunie, and the plot unfolds.
What if Corbeau and Harmony would switch their character and role in legends ZA? How would that end up in Corbeaus case? I mean, a Corbeau acting like Harmony? I think that would be funny ^^
YASSSSSS looks like Corbeau in this AU is joyous, reckless, and absolutely up for adventure😋‼️🔥🌟✨
The only problem is, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the wild zone 17 lions 😭💔💔💔
