It's not like he completely hates fancy events like these.

In fact, he actually wouldn't mind them much, if it wasn't for all these pretentious people.
All they could do was gossiping.

He was eavesdropping on a conversation between some people talking about this new member of the Indigo League. Someone questions if he isn't a bit too young for doing the job, which makes Steven roll his eyes.
He's only 21 and already Champion of Hoenn's Pokémon League, the man they are talking about is maybe 8 years older, so, if he's too young for this work, Steven can imagine what they think of him.

Having heard enough of this oh, so pleasant conversation, he decides to go outside. He wouldn't be surprised if they would talk about him, or worse – with him!

As Steven exits the Devon Corporation building, he sighs deeply and looks up into the sky.

People like him, and he knows that there are quite a few people around his age who even find him attractive, but he can't help but feel as if they either boil him down to just his looks or the fact that he's a champion, if it comes to the reason why they like him.

Everyone knows that he has a great interest in rocks and minerals, but he also knows that most of the people can't get behind that. It's not like he isn't able to talk about other things. It's just that when something reminds him of a certain stone or gem or whatever, he has to point it out and talk about it.
People make comparisons to things they have knowledge of and find interesting all the time, it just so happens that he has a lot of knowledge about rocks and find them interesting.

And it's not as if collecting rocks is his only hobby. If that was the case, he wouldn't have managed to become Hoenn's champion.
Pokémon battling also takes a big part in his life.

He could battle for days to no end, unlike dancing. He has two left feet, even after all these dance classes his father has urged him to take.
Watching people dance is fine. Imagining himself dancing is... also fine. With a certain person, though.

He has hoped to see this person today, because he knew he would feel lonely.
That's pretty ironic, given that he rather likes to spend his time alone than in crowds like these.
It's just that he doesn't feel lonely when he's alone.

If only he was there.

He sees how Steven really is, how no one else sees him, not even his father. He just knows him, even though he also doesn't fully get his interest in rocks. He makes him not feel like a weirdo, for knowing more about your most common pebble than about the latest gossip. He makes Steven believe that he doesn't have two left feet.

How many nights did he lay in bed, thinking about the man, how, when they first danced together, he gave him halt as he guides him across the dancefloor, one hand at his back, the other holding the hand of the other.

He closes his eyes and dreams about how nice it would be to repeat that, right here, right now. He can vaguely hear the music.

"May I ask for this dance?"

Steven startles.

A turquoise haired-man, the one, who makes Steven feel less lonely, who makes him feel understood, who makes him not have two left feet – the certain person, laughs.

"Sorry for making you jump."
He comes closer, now smiling.
"Yeah, you better be," Steven snorts, shaking his head.
This certain person makes a tiny bow, whilst looking into Steven's eyes and then holds out his hand, "A dance as reparation?"
Steven feels it tingling inside him.

He takes the hand, and finally, he doesn't feel lonely anymore.

——————————————

Okay, so, normally, I upload these drabbles more or less unchanged, but I changed so much about this one (except for the end), and I had so many technical problems with this damned cover, I wasn't really sure if it's really worth uploading.

But then again, it's Steven and Wallace, so I had to, I guess.

Well, I hope you enjoyed it!

Until the next one :)