Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.
My new roller skates are an uncomfortable weight on my arms. It's nothing compared to the weight talking to Calem puts on my shoulders. "You're blocking the Gym." If you're going to wave that shiny little badge in my face, hurry up.
He nods down at my weights. "Why are you carrying them?" I follow his gaze. Why do you care?
"None of your business." What'd he expect, me to just admit I don't know how to use them? These skates would make me a bigger street hazard than a rampaging Skiddo. Not that Calem would ever get to know that. My creeping blush catches his attention; the amount of time he spends staring in awe funds its travels. You're making it obvious you're making itobvious youremakingitobvious—
Calem breaks down, not bothering to hide his chuckles. I don't care if it's the first time I've heard him laugh, or how fucking adorable it is, I need to compose myself before he completely breaks me. I get about five feet—I'm not a very fast stomper—but he whirls me around. He's touching his lips as if to make sure any trace of a smile is fully gone, except he misses a corner and it stays quirked. I focus on that instead of his probing, warm-for-once eyes. Stop looking at me like that. I don't want him to stop looking at me like that, ever.
"C'mon. I'm going to find you a nice corner, and we're going to learn to skate."
"No." Nonononono. Yes.
"Please." It was a question, but Calem isn't good with questions. I can feel him trying to take charge, wanting to control everything around him, and me. That doesn't stop him from offering me a hand, offering me a choice, yet not. There was no denying that hand. Calem isn't a touchy person. That hand doesn't have any calluses, unlike my scarred one. I haven't even gotten my first badge yet. This journey's already left its mark. Taking his palm makes me more insecure about mine until he squeezes it.
"I know just the place. Maybe you won't kill anyone there."
"I can kill you."
His fingers clench around mine. I look up to see him burying a somewhat small laugh into his other hand. "I'm not worried." In other words, he trusts me? Not to kill him. That's it.
Our backtracking cuts off on Vaniville Pathway. I'd been considering every possibility on the way here: what I would do, what he could do, what might happen because of this . . . stop that. Calem never dropped my hand or interrupted my thought, taking advantage of my inattention to gain control. He stops. I barely step back quick enough not to crash into him. "Alright, put them on."
Flocks of Fletchling are a constant above Vaniville Town. A few of the braver ones chirp at us. One tugs at Calem's bootlace, and I watch with unconcealed fascination as he taps a Poké Ball to its head. The Fletchling disappears; the ball shudders once and stills. I turn my back to him, sitting down to swap my shoes. This is the moment I'd been most scared of. Keep your legs closed. What if he comes around? Keep your legs closed. Why am I wearing a skirt? Keep your legs closed.
Calem does indeed come to face me, but he keeps his eyes up. "Shouldn't you be putting yours on, too?" I snap, disliking how he proudly towers over me. He just shrugs. About one minute in, he risks a glance at my progress, seeing me struggle with the laces. Kneeling, he reaches for my left skate.
A vicious snarl brings his hand (the one I haven't held yet) a safe distance for about two seconds, until he goes for it again. Together, we get both shoes on, one a little too tight. This clearly isn't going as romantically as planned. What?
"I didn't really think about how you'd stand up." Calem's above me again. At least his height blocks today's violent sunlight. I didn't either.
I huff at him. Getting my feet underneath me is a challenge on its own, added to trying not to flash Calem. The wheels below my feet move me down the path, not waiting for me to be ready or even standing. Vaniville's breeze tousles my already-unruly hair, once so carefully styled. I turn my head back to Calem, raising my eyebrows. "Look, I'm a natural."
Is your skirt tucked in? It wasn't. Calem's behind me now, though, too close to see anything T-rated. He gives me a too-fast-to-be-gentle push, sending me skyrocketing down the wide path. I let out a surprised shriek, scared to death of face-planting no matter how soft the earthy trail may be. He's running beside me, laughing along with my excited giggles at the speed.
He stops me before we both go tumbling through Aquacorde's streets. "You're a natural at sitting on your ass, you mean." We're both sprawled in the town's entrance; my heart's still pounding, not only because of hitting what had to have been light speed.
"Says the one sitting on his ass." I sit up, proving my point. I still don't know how to stand.
"I don't have to help you up." He stands anyway, grabbing me below the arms before I can argue. I do let out an intimidating squeak, though. Thank Arceus I shaved today.
"This is your final test, Serena. Can you really beat me in everything?" I sneak a surprised glance over my shoulder. He's smiling. Good.
"I would say yes, but your self-esteem already needs work." I'm scared to move, and I can tell by Calem's face that he can see it on mine, so I glare at the huge gate instead. "Just . . . give me a push or something, you dick."
He does push me. It's only me quick grab for something (his neck) saves me from a long, slightly downhill roll, and not on my roller skates. "Not like that!" His hands must've instinctively gone to my hips—let's face it, there's no other reason—and they tighten as he laughs. Calem closes his eyes when he laughs, so I can smile openly at him during those extensive fits.
"Okay, okay, sorry," He swipes a sleeve across his mouth, wiping away any leftover chuckles. "Take two."
A wave of devastation creeps up my stomach, attacking full force. "But . . . but I'm going to fall!" I can hear him thinking yeah, that's part of it or suck it up and brace myself for a stinging reply.
"And I'm going to catch you." A small smile isn't careless on Calem like everyone else. It's all it takes to drain out my worry and steal a returning one when I'm not thinking. I can't think. Don't think.
He doesn't wait for a nod or any other sign of agreement. I'm on the move again, a very slow move, if nothing else. Calem keeps his hand on my back, soft against my clothes and just enough to keep me in motion. He walks beside me until we reach the Vaniville Gate. "Turn yourself around."
I clench my own arms to stop myself from reaching for him. "And how do I do that exactly?"
"Push one foot out to the side. No, not like tha—" I shove one foot directly behind me, propelling myself straight into Calem, who stepped in front of me. His hands give my shoulders a soft squeeze, like they're not the only things holding me upright. "Not like that."
"Then how?" I'm having a hard time keeping my feet planted. "I'm starting to think you don't know what you're teaching."
"I know more than you do. Push your feet out. You're trying too hard." I just want to impress you.
"Maybe I just want to impress you." He releases me a second prior to realizing what I said. Sarcastically, of course. I take off, moving my feet "out" or whatever Calem said. I end up on my ass more times than I'm willing to recount, so let's go with this: I end up on my ass a lot.
Calem stops laughing about the sort-of-a-lot time. My time was well-spent—he'd never stuck around long enough for me to cuss him out expansively. He never gets offended, no matter how creative my names are. His laugh keeps me going.
Roller-skating, I mean. Not that I'm starting to rely on it or anything.
Neither of us notices when I don't need him to stalk me back-and-forth anymore, or yell horrible advice like stand in a "v" position. It's not until I make about a dozen laps around him that he realizes, "Wait. You haven't fallen in like ten minutes." His hand—stop talking about his hands, for the love of Arceus—pulls me from attempting a sweet spin.
"Maybe because you stopped yelling at me." Helpful yelling, but still yelling.
"You almost ran over your own mother."
"She was riding a Rhyhorn! I was the one in danger!"
"In danger of killing your mother."
Whatever's left of the argument is lost in furious patches of snarky, meaningless comments and giggles. I roll to a sitting position, tugging at the laces without consideration. Calem has to untie them once he loses amusement, but that's only a casual detail—definitely not worth anyone's time or judgment.
"Thanks to you, there's no way I'm getting my badge today," I snarl at him half-heartedly. By now, whatever time it may be, the Santalune Gym had to be closed.
"Hey, I'm surprised that worked at all."
"Why?"
Calem smiles at me, sheepish and cocky all at once. "I don't know how to roller skate."