Frantic Week

DISCLAIMER: I do not own pokemon. They belong to their respective owners.

CHAPTER 1: A Sweet Friday

It was barely a half a month since Ruby confessed his feelings for Sapphire. As they expected, news about their relationship traveled fast, much to the disliking of the two. Their parents keep giving them suggestive looks and their families seem to be much closer than ever. It was embarrassing and awkward. Their mentors, Wallace and Winona were thrilled and sent several congratulatory flowers and cards, almost suffocating their rooms with the aroma of roses.

The hot topic even reached other regions like Kanto and Johto. Though Sapphire and Ruby never knew how it managed to. Their seniors were happy to hear the news but not as happy as Blue. She was so ecstatic that she even traveled all the way to Hoenn to congratulate them personally and for some strange reason dragged Silver and Green along with her. They went to a famous night spot in Mauville where Blue held a small celebratory party but it was more like she celebrated in their behalf. The situation was extremely uncomfortable for the rest. They went along until Blue passed out from drinking. Green had to carry her and Silver apologized in her place. That was one night in Ruby-Sapphire's relationship they kinda wished not to experience again.

The past few days were hectic. The only refuge they found was at their shared secret base. The short afternoons they spent at the cavern helped them to relax and cope with the ways things were going.

One mid-afternoon, Sapphire was on her way to the secret base to meet up with Ruby. The fresh forest air was very refreshing compared to being smothered back at her house. The faint smell of flora still lingered on her clothes as she swung from tree to tree.

Seconds after she landed on a branch, Sapphire heard rustling noises. Her azure eyes widened as she spotted a figure trudging through the lush vegetation below her. A white cloth was poking out of the dense leaves. Her mouth curved into a wide toothy grin. She knew all too well who it was.

"Damn it. Doesn't this forest ever stop growing?" Ruby was having a hard time moving through the thick foliage of the shrubs without getting his clothes too dirty. The damp grassy smell contrasted with the strong aromatic scent of the roses his master had delivered to both him and Sapphire, earlier that morning. Ruby loved flowers especially roses but for once he thought too much of a good thing was bad. He gave a heavy sigh as he pushed through another wall of leaves, only to be jumped by a brown-haired girl.

"Hi yah Ruby!"

"Gah!" Ruby jolted back and fell, back first into the moist forest floor.

Several minutes later at the secret base….

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" Sapphire was sitting on a cushy bean bag chair, impatiently waiting for Ruby to finish changing into new clothes after he got covered in dirt and dead leaves. Luckily he had spare clothing in his personal saloon.

"I heard you. But next time could you be more subtle?" Ruby came out of the room while adjusting his white beanie.

"Subtle?" Sapphire didn't know what that meant. She gave an inquisitive look to Ruby. The boy stared back at her, understanding the situation.

"Subtle, meaning delicate…" Ruby explained.

Sapphire suddenly grew annoyed. "Well, sor-ry if I'm not 'subtle' enough for ya!" She crossed her arms and turned away, sulking.

Ruby sighed. He knew Sapphire could be a little short-tempered especially about her unfeminine side. But he also knew how to deal with it. A sly smile grew on his face. He came up to her from behind and wrapped his arms around her, making her flinch and flustered.

"Ruby!" Sapphire tried to squirm free but lost the will after hearing Ruby's soft laughter.

"What's wrong? Should be more subtle?" He teased.

Sapphire sat still, unable to reply to his sarcastic question. Everything was suddenly quiet. She could feel Ruby's even breaths down her neck, making the hair on her skin stand on end. His gentle arms wrapped around her waist and arms as they listened to each other's heartbeat. The air around them felt warm and soothing. These were the times they relished, away from unwanted attention.

Sapphire glimpsed sideways, curious about Ruby's reaction in that moment. His face was tranquil as if he was contented having her in his arms. All of a sudden his crimson eyes met her glance. He chuckled faintly and rested his head on her shoulder, almost touching her face. His embrace grew a little tighter. Sapphire could tell where this was going. She shyly turned her head towards him. Ruby's smile widened as his head faced hers as well. Their lips were mere inches apart with the gap gradually getting shorter.

In a split second, the sound of the pokegear, ringing, echoed in the cavern and completely ruined the mood. Both their faces darkened. Ruby gave a heavy exasperated sigh as he released his grip and stood up to pick up the pokegear. Sapphire felt disappointed but at the same time relieved that she could finally breathe easy.

Ruby grumbled as he pulled out the pokegear from his bag and pressed the answer button.

"Ruby? Gabby here!" A cheerful voice came from the other line. "I need your opinion on the headline. 'A romance blossoms between the two young saviors of Hoenn' or 'the saviors of Hoenn: a love story.' A little too cliché?"

After a short silent pause, Ruby ended the call. But before he could return the pokegear back to his backpack, it rang again. He had the sudden urge to crush the phone like his dad but held back.

"Hello?" Ruby tried to make his voice sound less angry than he really is.

"Hey, Ruby! It's been a while." A familiar voice answered back at him.

Ruby's anger suddenly dispersed and replaced with nostalgia. "Wally? Is that you?"

"You bet! I'm coming home to Petalburg City for the weekend. I was hoping you'd come over so we could catch up." Wally sounded eager and enthusiastic. They never really had a good conversation ever since Wally returned Ruru and went on his pokemon journey. Ruby thought it would be nice to see him again after all that time. Plus, he sounded really energetic. Ruby wanted to see how much he had changed compared to the sickly boy he first encountered in the forest.

Sapphire was staring at Ruby as he continued his conversation. She could only bits and pieces but not enough to conclude what the talk was about. All she could tell was that he seemed happy talking to whoever was on the phone. Part of her was hoping it wasn't a girl. She was all too familiar with her uncontrollable feelings of jealousy.

After the call ended, Ruby returned the pokegear to his backpack and came back to Sapphire's side with a smile plastered on his face. Sapphire wanted to know who he was talking to and why he looks so happy. Jealousy was building up but she told herself not to snap or jump to conclusions.

Sapphire bit her lip and looked over Ruby who sat placidly beside her. "So who was it?"

"Hmm?"Ruby glanced back at her and stretched his arms."Don't worry about it. It was just a friend." He said as he casually lay on the cozy mat with the smile not leaving his face.

Sapphire found his answer unsettling. The way he just shrugs off little details always made her anxious but she didn't want to tell him. She was afraid of what he would think of her.

Ruby was observing her expression. The smile on his face vanished. He knew there was something wrong. Even though she tries to hide it, the melancholy in her ocean blue eyes was visible and her unusual silence meant something was troubling her. Ruby sat up and changed position. He leaned on the bean bag chair that Sapphire was sitting on and rested his head on the side of her leg.

Sapphire could feel the lightweight against her side and the soft texture of his white hat. Her uneasiness gradually faded. She gave a relieved sigh and smiled. What was I worrying about? Ruby wouldn't look at another girl because he's my… b-bo-

The word made her blush. She knew they were officially a couple but the sheer reminder of what he is to her felt overwhelming. Her heart beat uncontrollably. She was getting really nervous.

Ruby felt the atmosphere shift into a sort of tenseness. He glanced up and saw Sapphire's blushing face looking at the ground in front of her. She seemed stiff as she fidgeting with her hands. He didn't expect the simple action of leaning against her would make her so flustered. He laughed under his breath. He thought it was adorable.

"Saph…" Ruby calmly called out to her. Sapphire glanced sideways and saw his hand gesturing her.

"I have something to tell you.' He added. His voice sounded happy.

Sapphire nervousness changed into a bit of irritation. "No way! I'm not fallin' for that! Ya can stop with the trick kisses. It ain't gonna work." Then she crossed her arms and turned away from him. She had gotten used to Ruby's cunning little displays of affection. It was not like she didn't like it but the nerves and stress that comes after was too much for her.

Ruby felt really disappointed and let out a heavy sigh. But then another idea struck him. He smiled. "I'll be hanging out with a friend this weekend so I won't be able to spend some time here."

His words caught Sapphire's attention. Her agitation grew but for a different reason. She turned back to him with an annoyed expression. "Who is it?!" Her desire to find out couldn't restrain the jealousy that was building up. Sapphire didn't notice herself being dragged by her emotions.

Ruby remained calm at the angry tone of her voice. "I said it's just a friend." He turned to face her with a sly grin. "Why? Do you really want to know?"

"Of course, I do!" Sapphire leaned closer and almost shouted in his face.

Ruby didn't flinch. He continued to smile. "I'll tell you but…"

Sapphire had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. She growled under her breath as her face grew pink.

This time, Ruby absolutely didn't want any more interruptions. He stood up and leaned towards her. His hand gently cupped her bright red cheek. Sapphire trembled a bit at his touch but his soft caress calmed her. She closed her eyes and Ruby pressed his lips against hers. A sudden surge ran through her body as warm feeling enveloped the atmosphere. Ruby's hand gradually moved to the back of Sapphire's neck. It made temperature rise. Ruby pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. The sensation almost felt like heat from a flame.

When they parted, their gaze never left each other's eyes. Sapphire smiled sheepishly at him, with fangs sticking out. The redness around her face was reduced to the areas near her nose and cheeks. Ruby smiled back, contentedly.

All of a sudden, he felt he had forgotten something. But due to the moment, he shrugged it off. It's probably nothing important… He said to himself.

Sapphire remembered about the question she asked. She took a deep breath and asked him, "So who is it?" She was calm and collected.

"Eh?"

The azure eyed girl noticed his clueless expression. Her face darkened. It was like the time he had forgotten what happened at Mirage Island. She wasn't going to let him slide ever again.

"Ya said you'd tell me!" Her tone sounded really irritated and angry. Her calm and cool blue eyes seemed like a raging waters in a storm.

Ruby flinched and desperately tried to remember. If he said he didn't know, the consequences would be dire. He felt fear overpowering him as Sapphire eyed him with a piercing stare. He backed away unconsciously. "…Saph, just calm down."

"I'll calm down when ya tell me!" She exclaimed in a louder tone.

Ruby could hardly think straight. "Saph, I know I only pretended about forgetting before but this time, I really did ...sort of…f-forget." He explained. It was a hard gamble but he decided to risk it, hoping she'd understand.

"…Then let me remind ya." Her dark tone sent shivers down the boy's spine.

Ruby swallowed hard. He made the wrong choice to gamble.

After several minutes of getting beat up, Sapphire finally calmed down and told Ruby what he forgot. The red-eyed boy was sprawled on the mat, exhausted and in pain. He let out an exasperated sigh at his own mistake.

"It was just my friend Wally." He answered as he flipped over and lay on his back with his body still somewhat aching.

Sapphire thought she'd gone too far when she realized Ruby's caller was a boy. Though she never met Wally, Ruby told her about how they got to know each other, and how Ruru was left in his care for some time. Sapphire looked back at Ruby who was recovering from the beating. She sat next to him, feeling embarrassed about her actions.

"..Sorry."

Ruby turned his head and studied her expression. He could feel blood rushing to his face. With a face like that, how could I even begin to be mad at you? He placed a hand on his face, attempting to restrain himself from blushing at Sapphire's puppy-like pout complete with little fangs.

Sapphire had an idea. Even though it was embarrassing, she mustered all her courage and asked, "…W-would another …k-kiss make it …b-better?" She completely flushed at her own words. The heck am I sayin'!?

*Ba-thump*

Ruby couldn't believe what he just heard. His restraint fell apart and his face turned bright red. No words came out of his mouth. All the pain went away and was replaced with sudden nervousness. Did I just hear that right?!

*Ba-thump*

Sapphire felt uneasy about his silence. …Does he hate me now? The possibility felt like an ice cold dagger near her heart. She didn't want him to hate her. She knew she could be really violent and impulsive at times but she has a feminine side too and she wanted Ruby to understand that.

She moved a little closer to him. Ruby didn't seem to notice. His hand was blocking his face and he was still in shock. Sapphire swallowed her nervousness and leaned towards his face. She closed her eyes and tried not to imagine it. It's j-just a k-kiss… I c-can do this…

Ruby peered through the gap between his fingers. Honestly… She's forcing herself. He said to himself. Before Sapphire could do anything, Ruby quickly sat up and lightly kissed her neck. Sapphire's eyes shot open and she jerked away in a hurry. She was completely flustered as she clutched the spot that Ruby kissed.

The crimson-eyed boy chuckled. "Well, I believe that should do."

"…Ya sneaky little! I outta—"

"Beat me up again?" Ruby finished with a sly smile on his face. "Try me. Now that I finally found your little weak spot."

Sapphire grew even redder. She backed away again with her hand still covering the area on her neck. The air around her felt steaming. Her heart beat uncontrollably.

"Well?" Ruby looked at her with anticipation.

Sapphire averted her gaze. Ruby sighed and decided he teased her enough for today. Though he wanted to spend their time there a little longer, the afternoon sun was fading and the breeze was getting cold. "Why don't we head back? It'll be dark soon." He got up and extended a hand to her.

The girl looked back at his smiling face as she nervously took his hand and nodded.

They made their way back to Littleroot Town, holding each other's hand though Sapphire was the one leading since Ruby was trailing behind. Sapphire was used to traveling by swinging on vines in the treetops but walking below, on the forest floor, was fine especially with Ruby by her side. Ruby, on the other hand, was almost being dragged around by Sapphire through the dense vegetation.

When they finally got out, Ruby was covered in leaves and twigs again. He would have been cleaner if he traveled at his own pace but he didn't want to let go of a certain wild girl's hand. He held her tighter to make up for his bad mood concerning his clothes. Sapphire couldn't tell the slight change in his grip as they walked to her house.

"Well, I guess I'll find somethin' else ta do this weekend."

"Why don't you come with me?" Ruby suggested. "I could introduce you."

Sapphire imagined it; Ruby introducing her as his g-girlfriend.

*Ba-thump*

Her face was flustered. She tried to make it the least bit visible. Luckily, Ruby was a bit dazed and didn't notice. He felt regretful leaving her behind.

Sapphire took a deep breath and smiled. "Dontcha worry about me! I think I'll go camp off somewhere in the mountains."

It would be nice to stay away from crowds for the time being but inside, she didn't want to go for another reason. She was too embarrassed to meet Wally and be introduced as his girlfriend. She felt she wasn't ready. The news about them being a couple was different since the words would come directly from Ruby himself.

A taste of regret still lingered but Ruby didn't want to force her. "I'll make it up to you next time." Seriousness flickered in his eyes which made Sapphire grin a little sheepish.

Ruby squeezed her hand. "I guess this will have to do for now."

Before Sapphire could react, Ruby landed a quick kiss on her cheek. A pinkish red hue exploded on her face.

"There. That will last me for the weekends." Ruby said with a satisfied grin. "I'll see you on Monday."

And with that he released Sapphire's hand and walked back to his house, leaving a still stunned Sapphire. The crimson eyed boy looked back and shouted, "Be thankful it wasn't on the neck!"

Sapphire snapped out of her daze and shouted back, "Ruby, ya idiot!" She watched as Ruby waved his hand at her and then entered his house. After a brief pause, Sapphire grinned and went in her own house.

That night, Sapphire was scanning a map she found some time ago. She wanted to explore some new place and possibly help her father with some pokemon research. Some red marks were drawn with pictures of pokemon. Prof. Birch specialized on pokemon habitats so it was vital to study in many different areas. Sapphire was looking up an unmarked green spot on the map, when her father came in.

"What are you doing Sapphire?" Prof. Birch leaned over near the teen and observed the wide spread-out sheet on the table. "You plan on going somewhere?"

Sapphire nodded. "I won't be spendin' time with Ruby this weekend so I thought I'd go on a little adventure." She said as she tried to scan any more possible locations.

"Hmm? Did you two get into a fight or something?" Prof. Birch asked. He knew the two were complete opposites and it wouldn't be surprising if they had an argument now and then but he hoped that the two will still stay together.

Sapphire turned around abruptly at her father's question and glared. "No! Ruby's visitin' his friend, Wally."

Prof. Birch flinched at his daughter's defensiveness but he felt relieved after hearing the reason. He knew about Wally after receiving a letter about the Treecko that was to be given to Emerald.

"That's good. So you two are getting along really well." His tone was happy but it made Sapphire feel awkward. She tried to find something to shift the topic.

"Say Dad, what's this place?" She pointed at the unmarked area she had found earlier.

The pokemon researcher inspected the map closely. "This is Lily Valley. They say that a whole field of white bell-shaped flowers grows here all year round." He explained.

Sapphire wasn't really interested but maybe someone else would like to go there. She remembered Ruby telling her about a town in Sinnoh that was surrounded by colorful flowers and how much he really liked them. She immediately made up her mind to go there and see for herself and then show Ruby the place.

"But not many people go there. Rumors say that many strange things happen in that place." Prof. Birch added but it seemed his daughter's mind was elsewhere. Sapphire was smiling happily at the thought of surprising Ruby for once.

"Hey Sapphire, are you listening?"

Sapphire turned back to answer her father with a gleeful expression, "Yeah, I heard ya!"

Prof Birch gave a relieved sigh and then yawned loudly. "Well then, don't stay up too late. I'll be hitting the sack first."

Sapphire nodded eagerly. "Okay!" And with that she made preparations for tomorrow.

End of Chapter 1

This is not the sequel I planned before. But this will have to do. This was going to be a one-shot but it's gonna be 7 chapters, more or less.

I just hope there's not much OOC. I can be really inconsistent. Well here goes my 2nd fanfic and sequel to "Return to Hoenn"

Don't forget a review! Thanks also for giving me 50 reviews on my 1st fanfic.