The sound of Joseph Stone's footsteps echoed down the hall as he left the office, papers in hand, off to prepare the formal contract.
The heavy doors closed with a quiet thud, leaving only two short figures inside the grand office.
For the first time since Albert had entered the Devon headquarters, the weight of authority was gone. The silence that followed was different now—not heavy with negotiations or conditions, but fragile, like the pause between breaths.
Steven sat stiffly in his chair, ice blue hair catching the light. He glanced once at Albert, then quickly looked away, as though caught staring.
Albert, meanwhile, stood by the edge of the desk, his amethyst eyes thoughtful but unreadable.
"You really said all that to my father…" Steven murmured at last, his voice soft, almost hesitant. "Demanding equal partnership and recognition. Not to mention promising discoveries, like it was as easy as drinking water."
Albert blinked at him, then gave a small shrug. "Because it wasn't just a promise. I meant every word."
Steven's lips curved slightly, not quite a smile. "Most adults who talk with my dad walk out of this office with less than they asked for. But you're different, exactly opposite. Father admires that about you, and so do I."
Albert shifted, a faint blush coloring his cheeks at the unexpected praise. He wasn't used to hearing it so plainly from someone his age. "It wasn't admiration I was after. It was a necessity. If I don't fight for my work now, when I still have little to bargain with, it would be taken from me later."
Steven's eyes lingered on him, curious, almost studying. "You seem to speak like you're already an adult."
Albert tilted his head, considering how much to share. "I've always been… different. I can't explain it in a way that makes sense. But I've never thought like the others at the orphanage. While they played, I studied. While they talked, I listened. I don't dislike people, but…" He trailed off, struggling to put words to feelings he had buried. "It's easier not to pretend to be someone I'm not."
Steven nodded slowly, as though he understood. "I know what that feels like. Other children my age… they laugh at stones, at fossils, at the things I like. They think it's strange. So I decided to stop trying to share it with them."
Albert turned toward him, his expression softening. "Fossils? So that's what interests you."
Steven blinked, surprised at the genuine interest. "Yes… stones, minerals, fossils. They hold history, with secrets buried for thousands of years. When I hold one, I feel like I'm touching something eternal. I want to learn how to uncover that history, how to understand what came before us."
Albert gave a small, thoughtful nod. "That's not strange, Steven. That's a wonderful dream. Besides, knowing the past helps us prepare for the future."
He smiled kindly at Devon's heir. "If you find fossils, I'd like to study them with you someday. Pokémon biology isn't just about the living—it's about what came before, too."
Steven's blue eyes widened slightly, then softened. A faint smile tugged at his lips. "You…really mean that?"
"Of course," Albert said simply. "If knowledge is worth pursuing, it doesn't matter if others find it strange. And if fossils are what fascinate you, then I'd like to understand them through your expert eyes."
Steven lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked back up at Albert. "What about you, though? Fossils are what I like. But what about you? What interests you? Do you have any hobbies?"
Albert blinked, caught off guard by the question. Then, slowly, a faint smile touched his lips. "Books, mostly. Reading, studying… not very exciting, I suppose. But I love piecing together knowledge, like fitting parts of a puzzle. And recently, I've been practicing meditation. It helps me strengthen my psychic powers—and it feels like exploring a different kind of world inside my own mind."
Steven tilted his head, confused. "So your hobby is…thinking?"
Albert laughed softly, embarrassed but amused. "When you say it like that, it sounds dull. But yes, mental activities such as thinking, learning, and discovering, that's what I enjoy. Though…" He hesitated, "I've also grown fond of sketching Pokémon I see around the city. It helps me remember them better—not that I need help remembering, but…it feels different to draw them myself." Albert admitted, a bit conscious of the said hobby.
Steven smiled faintly. "That doesn't sound dull at all."
The two boys fell into silence again, but it was different this time—no longer strained, but quiet in a way that felt shared.
Finally, Steven leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping. "When I said you were beautiful… I meant it, though." He said shyly, "Not just how you look, but how you carry yourself. It's… different."
Albert's cheeks flushed deeply, his composure cracking. He turned his gaze away, embarrassed. "Y-you shouldn't say things like that so easily."
Steven blinked, tilting his head, genuinely puzzled. "Why not? It's true."
Albert exhaled sharply, pressing a hand against his temple as though steadying himself. This boy…
And yet, despite his embarrassment, a small laugh escaped him. "You're strange, Steven Stone."
Steven's lips twitched upward in the faintest smile. "So are you, Albert Hugo Deford."
Their eyes met one more—blue and amethyst—and though they said nothing else, something unspoken settled between them.
When Joseph returned some minutes later, contract in hand, he paused briefly at the door. The two boys sat across from each other in silence, their expressions unreadable, but the air between them had implicitly changed.