Hey everyone! Here's some Franticshipping for you! :D
If you're waiting for the next update for Frozen in Time, it's still in progress because I'm a procrastinator.
Disclaimer: No. It's not mine.
Sometimes Ruby considers himself to be the biggest idiot that ever existed in the world. He prides himself on his intellect, his grace - something that barbarian girl (that's all she is) does not possess (he tries to convince himself) - but sometimes, he truly is stupid.
Like when he thought Sapphire was a wild Pokemon attacking him.
Like when he accidentally revealed his battling prowess to Sapphire.
Like when he told her that he returned her feelings.
Like now.
"Uh," Sapphire begins nervously, fidgeting slightly as her captivatingly gorgeous blue - No, stop it Ruby, you idiot! - eyes betraying her every emotion. "Don't you remember what you told me? I mean, during... when you... you know what I'm talking about!" she bursts out.
Ruby pauses for a moment, calmly, collectedly. Outwardly, he portrays an image of coolness, a must for cool contest contestants, but inside, he's flipping out. Panic rises up in his throat, as he struggles to come up with the correct answer. Not necessarily the truth, but the right answer, the one that won't leave them with heartbreak, with wounds that won't heal. Mew damn it all, why here, why now?
One part of him speaks alluringly. The truth is alluring, he muses inwardly. It's tempting, tantalizing, captivating. He would love to just listen and obey, speak the truth.
She's the one, it whispers. You want her. She's the girl, she's everything you want, and you know it. Don't deny it, she's as beautiful as Mimi, as tough as Zuzu, and as cool as Nana. She's intelligent, like Popo, adorable, just like Coco, and has the same selflessness as Ruru. You're an Arceus damned moron if you don't tell her the truth. It's beginning to berate him now. Admit it, Ruby, your teenage hormones aren't the only things controlling this. You are.
The other voice, which vies for his attention, begins to reason with him. It tells him to ignore the heart, follow the mind. The mind knows better than to follow blindly. Do you really want to do this? It questions. You're not suicidal are you? She'll beat you up, tear up your life, leave you in tatters! She'll soil your clothes, dirty your Pokemon, ruin your life with her mere presence! It's because of her that your father left, it's because of her that you have that scar, it's because of her that you're in this mess! If she were a Pokemon, you'd get rid of her as soon as possible because she'd scare away all the contest judges! The voice snarls loudly, fiercely, like a Houndoom defending it's territory. Hormones are messing you up, dumbass. Run, forget, choose to conquer this hill another day, not that you'll ever need to.
He ponders for a moment, heart pounding like a drum. Ruby listens to each voice, both of their reasonings, before carefully deliberating on what he should say. There are so many ways this could go wrong, but there were so many ways that this could go right.
He makes his decision.
For Ruby, these moments seem like an eternity before he finally opens his mouth to respond.
For Sapphire, it's barely a few heartbeats.
"Huh?" His acting skills come in handy now. To be a great contest performer, you need to know how to act, how to make people believe that you're something, even if you aren't. Eyebrows slightly raise, a puzzled glint in his eyes, all painting a picture of confusion. Deceit is so simple, unlike the truth. "What are you talking about? No, wait, don't tell me. It's probably something undignified you think I did, and you want to tease me mercilessly about it, although I have done no such thing."
As discontentment spreads across Sapphires face, then sadness, guilt washes over him, but he quickly brushes it off. It's better this way, he tells himself.
Looking back, Ruby has to try hard to resist the urge to slam his head on the wall until he falls unconscious. Mistakes were made that day, drastic ones. He and Sapphire bicker so often, it's an everyday occurrence. They act like they did before the crisis in Hoenn, before they cared about each other. Their relationship is so strained, Ruby is sure it's going to snap any second.
Oh, why couldn't he have told the truth?