Red Lips and Rosy Cheeks
'Are you sure that you don't want to come with me, Jessie?' James pouted, looking at his fiancé with big eyes.
'I'm sure, James!' She laughed. 'There's a lot that I need to get done around here, and there's still so much that we need to plan. You take care of your grandparents for a few weeks, and I'll clear up around here. Finish painting, you know...'
'Alright...' James gave in, and gave her a hug.
'Take Meowth with you.' She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. 'And have fun.'
'Bye, love.' He said softly, kissing her gently.
'Bye, James.'
He walked out of their bedroom and went to get Meowth. Jessie gave a content sigh, and flipped though a few wedding magazines as she heard the front door closing.
She sauntered into the dining room and picked up her paintbrush, and continued to paint the skirting on the walls.
Busying herself for a few hours doing lots of housework that James had been too lazy to do, she flung herself down on their bed, and closed her eyes.
'I need a holiday.' She said to no one in particular. Laughing at her laziness; doing work for a few hours and needing a holiday?
Actually...
That wasn't such a bad idea...
Considering the fact that she and James were to be married in two months, this may be a rare opportunity for her to have a holiday away from him.
It wasn't that she didn't enjoy being with him, it was just that she had been with him for almost every day for at least ten years, save a few when they hadn't spoken.
And James could be pretty... exhausting.
She got her suitcase out of the cupboard by the wardrobe and filled it with pretty summery clothes; deciding that she would go to somewhere in the Orange Islands for a week so that way she could be back to finish the work in time.
She called for a taxi. Before she knew it, Jessie was on a boat to the Orange Islands.
A waitress on the boat had recommended a good cheap hotel on the island that they were docking at, so Jessie had decided that she would give it a look.
Standing in the reception area, she observed it while she waited for some sort of staff.
It was mainly green, with shades of blue; very simple. There were many paintings that hung on the walls, as well as many sketch books slung on the counter next to a pot of very blunt pencils.
She flipped through the books, noticing that most of the sketches were of pokemon.
'Sorry about these! I'll just get them out of your way...' A voice came from behind her, as the books were snatched from her grasp.
'Sorry for the wait, Miss, I don't know where my staff has gotten to... This isn't actually my hotel you see. It's my parents', they thought that it would be good for me while they were staying in Kalos for a while.'
'Oh, erm, that's alright.' Jessie replied with a smile, taking in the man's appearance.
He was tall, taller than her at any rate. He had long dark hair with some sort of in-growth stubble-y beard thing going on, on his chin and down his neck. He was wearing ripped denim shorts, and Jessie didn't think that the tear was intentional, along with a faded, frayed shirt.
'I'm Jessie. I'd like to get a room for a week?'
'Sure. I'm Tracey, by the way. Just you, right? Single or double bed?'
A second passed before Jessie replied with double. She could afford to splash out for a big bed for a week, couldn't she?
'I'll show you to your room. It's this way, I think.'
'So what do you usually do if you're not here then?' Jessie asked conversationally.
'I'm never really here, my parents complain a lot about it, but I usually travel around. I used to travel with some friends, but I travel alone now. I did some work at a lab, but now I'm back here again. I'm a pokemon observer, you see. I sketch and paint the pokemon.'
'So those paintings were all by you?' Jessie asked, amazed at Tracey's talent.
'Um, yeah...' He said, suddenly shy at the compliment. 'Anyway,' he continued brightly, 'here's your room, number five.' He unlocked the door and held it open for her.
'It's very nice.' She remarked, looking around the white washed walls.
'It has a view of the beach.' Tracey said, pulling the curtain back to reveal a beach with white sands and deep blue waves that calmly rolled upon the shore.
Tracey took her case from her, and hurriedly placed it by the bed. 'I'm sorry!' He exclaimed at his mistake. 'I was meant to take this from you and carry it up the stairs... I haven't been here long, only a week, you see.' He said softly, looking at the floor ashamedly.
'That's alright.' Jessie replied, warmly, walking over to him.
'You're the first person who's been nice to me.' He admitted quietly, not having shifted his gaze from the lilac flooring.
The same shade as James' hair.
'I can't imagine why; you seem very nice.' Jessie said, placing a hand on his arm.
His gaze rose to meet hers, and something small changed in his eyes.
'It's a pretty name, Jessie. Is it short for anything?'
'Jessica.' She said softly, taking in his scent, not realising how close he had become to her.
'That's very pretty, Jessica. You prefer Jessie though...'
'Indeed.' She whispered, shifting her gaze from his chocolate eyes, trying to move backwards from him, however her legs would not corporate with her brain, and she remained glued to the spot.
She didn't see as he rested his fingers on the underside of her chin and tipped it up, so she was at the perfect angle for his lips to descend on hers.
Jessie couldn't move, she wasn't entirely sure what was happening, she was frozen.
Tracey was kissing her. This complete stranger.
He cupped her cheek, bringing her closer to him.
She kissed him back, snaking her arm around his waist, not in control of her actions. Her hand found his hair, and she softly tugged on the silky hair.
Jessie threw her head back in laughter, as Tracey reddened.
'You're so clumsy...' She remarked, with a giggle.
He bit down on his lip and glanced at her. She laughed again, bringing the blush back to his cheeks.
She placed her hands on the hot blush and placed a quick kiss to his lips.
A pang of guilt hit her, but she brushed it aside, as Tracey brought her lips back to his.
They had spent the previous few days getting to know each other, and they had become good friends.
This often featured a kiss here and there.
Each time Jessie looked at him, touched him, kissed him, she felt guilt flood her. She knew that it was James that had taken her heart; but this was exciting.
A fresh face, new lips, it was just a change.
And anyway, she would be going back in a week, so her 'relationship' with Tracey and ended before it had started.
They sat on Jessie's bed, laughing at silly things, just talking.
'Tell me about when you travelled.'
Tracey smiled, and ran his hand through his hair. 'I used to travel all around the Orange Islands with these two friends of mine and their Pikachu.'
Jessie smiled, remembering the days that they had spent trying to capture a Pikachu.
'Ash and Misty, were there names. I met them-'
'Stop.' Jessie said sharply, hardly believing her ears. 'Ash and Misty?'
'...Yes?' Tracey replied quizzically.
'Oh Arceus.' Jessie whispered, lying back with a flop, biting down hard on her lip.
'What's the matter?'
'Tracey...' She said to herself, not addressing the boy next to her.
'Ash, Misty, and Tracey.' She brought a hand to her forehead, and sat back up.
'Tracey.' She said, their eyes locking, Tracey's full of worry.
'Yes?'
'My name is Jessie.'
'I know that.' He said, a smile breaking out on his face. It faded when Jessie did not return the smile.
'I have a friend called James.'
That was all she needed to say before Tracey's eyes widened drastically, and he let out a gasp.
'No...'
'Yes...?'
'But you don't look anything like you!' He exclaimed. 'You're beautiful!'
Jessie laughed, picturing how her past self would have reacted to that comment. But she accepted the compliment.
They didn't know who initiated it, but their lips were on each others, hands buried in dark and crimson hair.
The next few days were spent in a flurry of heated passion and silly giggles and dates.
Having overcome their identities, they had somehow found the other more attractive.
Tracey looked nothing like he previously had, he had dyed his hair very dark, and thankfully gotten rid of that awful green-mud colour. He had matured and grown up a lot, and Jessie could barely see the similarities between the two.
Whereas Jessie had stopped styling her hair in that style, and generally just looked different.
'Jessica?' Tracey asked softly, brushing her hair aside and kissing her neck.
'Yes?' She asked, smiling at the sound of her name from his lips.
'Can I teach you to paint?'
'Of course...' She trailed off with a shiver, as she leaned her head to the other side.
'Great!' Tracey exclaimed, rushing into the kitchen.
'Where are you going?' Jessie rushed after him.
'Just go and put on a pretty dress.'
Jessie obeyed, and a few minutes later came back downstairs to find Tracey waiting for her by the door with a picnic basket.
He opened the door and followed Jessie out. 'You look beautiful.' He said softly.
He drove them to a grassy cliff and layed out the picnic blanket. Jessie sat down on it, and opened the basket to revel little cheese sandwiches cut into triangles, and boxes of paint and pencils along with a sketch book.
Jessie took them out, and handed the art things to Tracey.
'Ready to learn to paint?' He grinned.
'Of course I am.' Jessie smiled, moving closer to Tracey.
Tracey showed Jessie how to sketch and paint simply, and he picked a flower for her to paint.
She sketched a rough outline, and frowned at the blob-ish thing on her page. But shrugged, and picked up the tubes of paint and the pallet. She mixed a few colours, and painted thick layers of colour onto the page.
It didn't exactly look like a flower...
But Tracey complimented her anyway, saying that it was abstract.
The sun was rapidly setting, so Jessie got up and went to stand by the edge of the cliff, the orange sun casting a warm golden glow over the ocean, the soft breeze swaying her magenta hair.
She stood there until the sun disappeared completely; this had been one of the things that she had taken for granted back when she was in Team Rocket. Now that they lived in a house, she rarely got to watch the sun set or rise, something that she had enjoyed in the beginning but quickly pushed it aside.
A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and she felt Tracey's hot breath against her cheek as he gave her a soft kiss on her pink cheek.
He handed her the sketchpad and she opened it.
She saw her 'flower' along with a few of the other things that they had sketched.
Then she saw it.
Her.
Tracey had painted her as she had watched the sun set, he had perfectly captured the glow of the setting sun, completely captured the atmosphere, the glisten of the ocean as it rolled upon the white sand, now golden.
And then there was Jessie. She turned to Tracey, and smiled at the apprehensiveness on his face.
'It's beautiful.' She breathed. 'Say you'll remember me like this. Rather than how I used to be.'
'Remember you how?' He smiled.
'Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset. Red lips and rosy cheeks.'
'I couldn't not remember you like this even if I wanted to.'
Jessie smiled sadly at the picture; this was the last day that she would be here in the Orange Islands. She'd already paid for the boat back to Kanto.
'Time to put your portrait skills to the test.' Tracey said when they got back up to Jessie's room.
'How d'you mean?' she asked, sceptical.
Tracey grinned, and removed his shirt. He then threw the duvet off of the bed, and laid down in a pose that could only be described as sexy.
He made a reference to a movie that Jessie hadn't seen, and had laughed when she had admitted to not having watched it.
She picked up the sketchpad and pencil and started to draw him.
Trying her hardest, it seemed to resemble Tracey slightly, however it wouldn't be described as a 'good drawing'.
The both of them spent Jessie's last night tangled up together in the uncomfortable bed, as their other clothes joined Tracey's shirt on the lavender floor.
'Say you'll see me again.' Tracey said softly, as they lay together, swaddled in the duvet.
'I'll see you again.' Jessie replied with a sad smile.
'We should keep in touch.' He grinned.
'I'll give you my phone number.' She said, gently tracing her fingers over his chest.
He helped her pack and they stood awkwardly by her door, the room showing no signs of Jessie having stayed there.
She scribbled down a Sinnoh based phone number as that was where she had told Tracey she had lived and handed it to him.
She kissed his cheek, and lingered, before taking her case and leaving the hotel.
He waved her out, and then she was on the boat back to Kanto.
Back to her life. The week had gone quickly, however it had felt like a lot longer than a week. Jessie looked sadly back at the island and when she took out her phone and turned it on for the first time all week, she found a few texts from James followed by worried ones a day or two later when she still hadn't replied.
Guilt flooded her; she loved James, she really did. She was marrying him for Arceus' sake! But when she had been there with Tracey, he had scarcely crossed her mind.
Tears filled her sapphire eyes, and spilled down her now pale cheeks.
Jessie had spent that night alone in hers and James' bed, had slept on his side, and worn his shirt.
She was outside his grandparent's house, where her fiancé was inside, blissfully oblivious to the happenings of the previous week.
The door opened only a few seconds after she had rung the bell, and to her relief it was James who opened it.
She saw a stupid grin of delight spread across his face at her arrival. 'Jessie!' He exclaimed happily.
Tears filled her eyes, and she flung herself into his arms before he could say anything else.
'I love you.' She whispered as his the fabric on his chest dampened.
'I love you too, Jessie.' He said softly. 'What's brought this on?'
'Nothing. Don't worry about it.' She said, her voice muffled by his shirt.
A/N: I don't even know what the hell this is... It's inspired by Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift? Idek
I'm seriously disgusted with Jessie right now, seeing as Jessie and James are my otp...
Why? Why Tracey? Seriously though...?
Reviews are very much appreciated? And you can have cookies?