[Third Person Pov]
The Starks and the Carbonells lingered by the door, the easy warmth of their visit making it a little harder to part ways. What started as a simple goodbye stretched on for a few extra moments.
"Alright, now for real, we should get going," Kane said, letting out a small breath as he offered an apologetic but genuine smile. "Thank you for having us. We really appreciate it."
Eric stood beside him with his usual composed posture, his hands neatly tucked behind his back as he gave a polite nod. "Yes, thank you as well," he added. "And for helping me with my quirk earlier—I'm genuinely grateful."
Tony waved it off with a casual grin, leaning slightly against the doorframe like it was no big deal. "Don't mention it. Seriously, if you ever want to train or just use the room, you can come by whenever. No need to make it formal."
Eric adjusted his stance slightly, acknowledging the offer with a small nod. "I'll take you up on that. It would be beneficial." He paused briefly before turning to Momo and Melissa, offering them both a respectful look. "Thank you as well. Your help was… efficient." After a beat, he quickly added, "We should really be on our way now. Tomorrow's going to be busy."
Kane and Leslie both glanced at their son at the same time, their expressions shifting in quiet confusion. There was something slightly off about his tone and behavior—subtle, but enough for them to notice. He was acting a bit too stiff, even for him.
Before either of them could comment on it, Tony let out a quiet snicker and suddenly stepped forward, spreading his arms open expectantly. "What, you think I'm just going to let you walk out like that?" he said, raising a brow. "Come on. Bring it in."
That earned him a few strange looks, not just from the Carbonells but from his own side as well. The gesture felt oddly out of place. As far as anyone knew, Tony and Eric weren't nearly close enough to justify that level of familiarity.
Eric turned his head slightly, clicking his tongue under his breath. His expression settled somewhere between reluctance and mild defeat. "Do I have to?" he asked flatly. "I'd really prefer not to."
Tony scoffed, though there was clear amusement behind it. "Don't make me force you," he replied, clearly not backing down.
Maria frowned, stepping in slightly as she looked between them. "Tony, you're making him uncomfortable," she said, her tone edged with confusion. "Since when are you this… affectionate?"
Tony didn't even glance at her. His focus stayed locked on Eric, the corners of his mouth twitching like he was barely holding back laughter. "I'm starting a countdown," he said. "Ten—"
"Tsk. Fine," Eric cut in quickly, stepping forward before Tony could continue. As he did, he finally brought his hands out from behind his back, revealing what he had been hiding the entire time—Gible.
"Eric!" Kane and Leslie exclaimed in unison, both staring at him in disbelief.
Tony didn't hesitate for even a second. He immediately reached forward and snatched Gible away with practiced ease, holding the small Pokémon securely as he rolled his eyes. "You are seriously unbelievable," he muttered.
Then he shifted his attention to Gible, pointing at him with a mildly scolding expression. "And you," Tony added, "if you're being kidnapped, maybe don't stay completely silent next time. What's wrong with you?"
"Rawr~" Gible responded with a soft, sheepish little sound, rubbing the back of his head as if embarrassed by the whole situation.
Eric pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, clearly unbothered despite being caught. "You have, what, four of them?" he said with a quiet grumble. "You can afford to lose one."
Tony gave him a flat look. "Absolutely not," he shot back. "I'll let you come over and play with them, sure. But there's no way I'm just handing one over."
"…Alright," Eric muttered after a brief pause, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment. "That's… acceptable, I suppose." He gave a small nod, conceding the point even if he clearly wasn't thrilled about it.
A few quiet chuckles spread through the group, the tension dissolving into something lighter again. With that, the Carbonells finally gave their proper goodbyes, stepping out and heading toward their car parked outside, the visit coming to a close on a far more relaxed note.
…
Eric sat in the back seat, the soft click of his seatbelt the only sound he made as he settled in. The night stretched quietly outside the window, streetlights passing in a steady rhythm as the car moved through the near-empty roads. He kept his gaze fixed outward, his expression distant.
Up front, Kane noticed. He let the silence sit for a moment longer before speaking, his eyes flicking briefly to the rearview mirror.
"So, what did you think?" he asked casually.
Eric didn't look away from the window. "About what?" he replied, though he already had a feeling.
"Your cousin," Kane clarified, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Tony. I'm curious what you think about him."
Leslie shifted slightly in her seat, glancing back as well. Unlike Kane, her interest was a bit more obvious. From what she had seen, her opinion of Tony had been entirely positive, so she was curious how Eric would respond.
Eric finally blinked and leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes closing briefly as he considered the question. There was a pause before he answered, longer than usual for him.
"He's as arrogant as all the others," Eric said at last, his tone even. "Maybe more so."
Kane's brow lifted slightly at that. "Oh?"
Leslie, however, noticed the hesitation that came with it. She smiled faintly. "But…?"
Eric exhaled quietly and shifted, settling deeper into his seat. "But compared to them, he has every reason to be," he continued. "It doesn't come off the same way. His arrogance is… different."
He opened his eyes again, staring up at the ceiling for a second as if trying to find the right wording.
"Charismatic, I guess," he said after a moment. "I don't know how else to put it without it sounding strange. The others just feel shallow. Annoying. With him, it's… justified. Or at least it feels that way."
Kane and Leslie exchanged a brief glance, both of them smiling to themselves. That was about as high praise as Eric tended to give.
Eric didn't notice. His attention had already shifted inward again. He lifted one hand slightly, staring at his palm before curling his fingers into a loose fist. Even now, he could still feel it—the lingering soreness in his muscles from the day. The strain, the pressure, the way he had been pushed further than he was used to.
Instead of discomfort, though, there was something else behind his expression.
"I can honestly learn a lot from him," Eric admitted softly.
Not long after that, his head tilted slightly to the side, and he let himself rest for the remainder of the drive.
…
Tony stood by the door in a black tank top, one hand still on the handle as he blinked repeatedly at the person standing on his doorstep.
"What the hell are you doing here this early?" he asked, with a weirded out expression.
"You said I could come over," Eric replied simply.
Tony stared at him for a second before letting out a short scoff, amusement already creeping in. "I know I said you can come whenever, however I wasn't expecting the very next day"
Eric gestured faintly behind him. "I can leave if you're busy."
Tony shook his head, stepping aside and motioning him in. "Nah, you're already here. Come in. I was working on something anyway."
Eric stepped inside without hesitation, immediately falling into step behind him as Tony led the way further into the house.
"Also," Tony added over his shoulder, "shouldn't you be in school right now? That program you were in?"
"I had my dad pull me out," Eric said with a small shrug, as if it wasn't worth much discussion.
Tony glanced back at him, a grin forming. "Seriously?"
"I learned more from you yesterday than I did the entire summer there," Eric replied flatly. "Continuing would've been a waste of time."
Tony huffed out a quiet laugh. "Wow. You're doing a terrible job of making your school sound appealing."
"Sorry," Eric said, though his expression didn't change in the slightest. After a beat, he added, "What were you working on?"
Tony's grin widened as he reached the lab door, pushing it open. "You might actually like this," he said. "Come take a look."
Eric stepped inside—and stopped.
Spread across the worktable were multiple metallic spheres, each one split cleanly into two halves. Different designs, different color patterns. One red and white. Another blue with red accents. A black one with sharp yellow highlights.
Eric's eyes widened, the reaction immediate and unfiltered.
"No way…" he murmured under his breath. He stepped closer, almost cautiously. "May I?"
"Go ahead," Tony said, leaning back against the desk. "They're unfinished, though. Don't expect them to do anything yet."
Eric picked one up carefully, turning it in his hands as he examined every detail with intense focus. The hinge, the seam, the button placement—his mind was already racing ahead.
"Pokéballs…" he said quietly, almost to himself. Then he glanced up at Tony, completely serious. "If you actually get these working, you might be the coolest person on the planet."
Tony gave him a flat look. "I literally recreated the sun."
"Yes, I'm aware," Eric replied without missing a beat, already looking back down at the sphere. "But this is different. Better, even."
Tony laughed, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. "You might actually be the only person in the world who thinks that."
Eric didn't respond right away. He was too busy inspecting the Pokéball in his hands, inwardly he was geeking out.
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