Smile
"Okay, get a little closer."
Silver stood rooted to the spot as Lyra happily latched herself around his arm.
"Arceus...I can't believe you're making me do this." He closed his eyes, frowning at yet another one of her attempts to bring them closer.
"We don't have any pictures together. You left the festival in Ecruteak before we could do it."
She had forced him to attend a summer festival in Ecruteak City a while back. He remembered it all too clearly. She wore a pink yukata with different flower patterns, similar to the local girls. It was the first time he had seen her hair held up in a messy bun instead of being covered by her enormous hat. Breathtaking in every sense of the word. It hurt him to say she looked beautiful since he normally teased her every time they met up.
Even now, in her usual attire, he saw her differently. The red sweater underneath her blue overalls perfectly matched the hue of her plump lips. He often wondered how they could always be twisted up in a genuine smile; how they never failed to bring a sense of comfort when they were together.
Guess it was just part of her natural charm.
"On the count of three," The photographer held on to the camera remote, ready to capture a moment that would live on forever.
"One..."
Silver rolled his eyes and sighed into the wind, wanting to get it over with so he could move on with his training. Lyra moved in even closer and smiled from ear to ear as she waited for the flash. The gleam in her eyes reminded him of that same night when they sat on the edge of a small fountain. She splashed her feet around, joyfully giggling right next to him. It almost brought a smile to his face.
Almost.
The fireworks display overhead illuminated the night sky. They both stared up in awe and watched the multicolor lights explode in midair. She held on to his hand, intertwining her nimble fingers around his and giving a slight squeeze. He remembered turning to her and catching a distinct glint in her eyes. It was like the universe was bringing them together despite their many differences. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stay away.
But with a split second hesitation, they both looked off into the darkness with faces matching the tint of his hair. How could he possibly move their relationship forward? Did he even want to?
"Two..."
Since that night he kicked himself for not doing it. There was no clearer opportunity than that given moment amd he couldn't follow through. What was he so afraid of? There was no other girl who understood his life and what he's about. Nobody made him feel so important yet so confused than she did.
The same feeling washed over him as he stood next to her. Lyra had the same glow, the same loving smile on her face that she had that night. She truly was a special person. He wouldn't allow himself to make the same mistake twice.
In one swift movement he grabbed on to her lean waist. She let out a surprised gasp as he pulled her in, placed a single finger under her chin, and craned her neck up.
"Three..."
The flash went off and captured the intimate scene. He just enjoyed the soft feel of her lips and the way her tongue gently prodded against his, eagerly awaiting more.
"...Wow..." Lyra said as she pulled away with eyes still glazed over.
Silver let out a small chuckle watching her come down from her dreamy state. She simply buried her face into his jacket and kept that emphatic smile plastered on as she did so.
"What took you so long?"
"Yeah, well...don't expect too much of that..."
For the first time in ages, he managed to give off a little side smile as he hugged her back. Little by little she was breaking down a wall that stood tall since he was just a kid. There wasn't anyone else in the world he would allow inside, except for her. It took a while but he was at last truly happy.