Dream of Sky, Ocean, and Rainbow
by taitofan
Rated PG-13 for (vaguely) sexual situations
Disclaimer: There is not nearly enough yuri in Pokémon for it to belong to me.
Author's Note: I wrote this a while ago for a friends and I suppose it's good enough to post. It's anime canon I suppose, but only because of the perfume thing. Also, this could be seen as a prequel to my other PinkFlowershipping fics, but it doesn't have to be.
Flames do nothing but make me laugh, although I'll listen to any CC you have. Please read, review, and enjoy! Finished 12-30-09
"Hey, hey Erika! Aren't those so beautiful? Do you think you could make perfume with them?" The older woman looked over the sea of yellow and smiled at her lover.
"Yes, I could. Sunflowers make a very lovely, refined perfume. They do not often grow in this region though…"
"Okay, then let's take a whole bunch back with us! It'll be the best! Just promise me you'll give me some when you're done, alright?" The wide grin and cheerful eyes made Erika giggle softly and wonder how such a lovely girl came to be hers.
"Of course Akane, of course…"
The sound of an alarm slowly invaded the picturesque scene, and within moments the sunflower field and Akane's brilliant smile were gone. Erika moaned in disappointment as she reached over and turned off the alarm clock, wishing it hadn't ended so soon. Alas, it had, just as it always did. Sometimes she thought it would be better if she didn't dream, if only so she never had to face the disappointment of waking up and losing what was never really hers in the first place.
But then again, her dreams were the only place she got to see Akane regularly, let alone as her lover. Maybe that made the heartache worth it after all.
"How pathetic of me," she whispered as she slipped out of bed and drew back the curtains, allowing the sunlight into her room. "Pining over a younger woman and not even having the courage to tell her how I feel…"
Akane was only three years her junior, but Erika couldn't help but think that it was a bit wrong. She was only sixteen after all, and she wasn't as world-weary as Erika, who was also a business woman as well as a gym leader. She was always so bright and sunny, just as she was in Erika's dreams. The sunflowers, she thought, fit Akane perfectly.
She tried her best to push the younger girl from her mind as she readied herself for her day. Unlike most gym leaders, she did not spend the majority of her day in her gym. She had a perfume shop to run, and that took far more of her time. Why stand around in a gym with nothing to do when she could just go in when there was a challenger? Idle time would only let her mind wander more than it already did. It was hardly good for challenges or business.
She managed to successfully clear her mind as she finished getting ready and left her house. She stopped by her gym to unlock it and let her students in to train, then she was off to her company. Inside workers were already busily working, either making, selling, marketing, or developing perfumes. Her company was the leading export of perfume around the world even at her young age, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't immensely proud of it. Of course, she would have been more than willing to trade some of her success for just a taste of what it felt like to truly feel loved…
"Good morning Miss Erika! How are you today?" She smiled pleasantly at her secretary as she headed towards her office. The girl had once been a student in her gym but had never quite gotten the hang of battling and instead applied for a job at her teacher's company. Erika had been quick to get the girl as her personal secretary, knowing she was perfect for the job.
"I'm lovely, thank you Ami." She suddenly paused, an idea drifting into her mind. Perhaps… "Ami… Please check the surrounding regions for the finest sunflowers. Not the closest, but the best. I… I believe they would make a delightful perfume."
"Ah, yes ma'am! I'll find the best location right away!" With one last smile, Erika finally entered her office and shut the door behind her. Well… She was going to do it. What exactly that was, she wasn't quite sure. Sunflower perfume was beautiful, but it typically couldn't be sold for enough to cover making it in Kanto. Sunflowers rarely could be grown in the region, and the she'd be lucky to break even if she had to travel much further than Houen to import them. Perhaps there was a greenhouse that grew them around, but she'd yet to find a greenhouse grown flower that smelled as sweet as a wildly grown one.
And for what was she doing all of this? On a whim, fueled by a dream of a girl who likely hadn't given her a second thought? They'd only met a handful of times at gym leader conventions, so how could she honestly expect that Akane had noticed her as she had noticed the younger girl?
No. No, she refused to think that way. Not now, not when she was finally doing something. She was going to make that perfume, she was going to give Akane some, and whatever happened after that would simply happen. After all, it wasn't like she was going to give a full love confession. If nothing else, Akane wouldn't like sunflowers or perfume, and well, she certainly couldn't be with someone who didn't like perfume! She had kicked people out of her gym for not liking perfume!
'But for her, I don't think I would mind…'
She felt her cheeks burn ever so slightly at the thought. For Akane… Yes, she'd do just about anything for the girl, and she barely knew her. She knew it was silly… But somehow, she didn't really mind.
"This is it ma'am. Are they to your liking?"
It had taken two weeks, but Erika was very proud of Ami and the other employees who had searched diligently for the beautiful location she was now standing in. Shinou was much farther than she'd hoped for, but this wasn't about profit in the slightest anymore. It was about Akane, and she would have gone to Orre if she'd had to. The days and nights between the dream and where she was now only strengthened her resolve; Akane was worth all this trouble, no matter what the outcome.
"Yes, they're perfect." She stepped closer and ran her fingertips over the large yellow petals. She didn't lean closer to take in their scent; she didn't need to. The aroma lingering in the air was all she needed to know this would be one of the best perfumes that didn't involve her Kusaihana she would ever make. "You did a wonderful job Ami."
The girl smiled brightly at her boss before turning to the others and giving the order to gather the flowers. Erika watched them begin their work for a few moments before turning her attention back to the flowers. Yes, they were beautiful all right…
She could only hope that her beautiful flower would like them just as much.
It was past the time of doubts, and thus it was with pure determination that Erika walked into Akane's gym. The younger girl's pupils looked up as she entered, their eyes widening as they recognized her as a gym leader rather than a challenger. She faced no opposition as she walked past them, navigating through the gym's twists and turns until her vision was filled with pink.
"Akane." Said girl looked up at the sound of her name, her youthful face a mixture of excitement and confusion at the sight of her fellow gym leader.
"Oh, hey there Erika! Long time no see! What's up?" Erika held out the small white box she carried, knowing that if she didn't do this now, she'd only stare and make a fool of herself. Akane blinked cutely before reaching out and accepting the seemingly random gift. "A present for me? Gee, thanks Erika! It's not my birthday or anything, but I'd never turn down a present!"
Erika said nothing as Akane opened the box. If the younger girl found anything out of the ordinary about a girl she'd only met a handful of times coming into her gym unannounced and giving her gifts, she thankfully didn't mention it. She didn't even have the opportunity to second guess herself as Akane pulled out the petite bottle and tossed the box to the side unceremoniously.
"Oh wow, sunflower perfume? Did you make this?" Akane's initial reaction was favorable. Erika smiled slightly and nodded.
"I did." Akane gazed down at the bottle and the bright yellow flower on its label, smiling cheerfully the entire time.
"Great! I just love sunflowers. They're my favorite flower! How'd you know?" In comparison to Akane's happy grin, Erika's own smile was far more reserved. Yet, at that admission, anyone who knew Erika would know that the woman was wearing the most pleased smile she ever had.
"Oh… Merely a guess." Somehow, she didn't think the younger girl really needed to know about the dream yet.
"Well it was sure a good one!" That bright smile suddenly lessened a bit, and she looked back up at her fellow gym leader, a touch of guilt in her expression. "Um…I don't really wear perfume though…"
"…I see." Erika, despite trying to keep the disappointment out of her tone, knew that she didn't succeed when Akane gave her a panicked looked.
"Don't take it the wrong way! The stuff you make smells really nice! It's just…" She paused and giggled nervously as if she was about to tell her most embarrassing secret. "Haha, well, I always end up putting way too much on, no matter how hard I try. But I do like this! I mean it, it's the best! Thank you so, so much!"
There is a silence then, and though it wasn't particularly uncomfortable, Erika's mind still struggled for something to say to break it. Because if she didn't keep the conversation going, she'd have no other reason to stay there. Or Akane would ask why she was there in the first place. She didn't want to leave; she wasn't ready to confess.
"Shall I…show you a simple technique to wear it?" The only thing she had in mind was crude, but indeed simple and mostly foolproof. The look on gratitude on Akane's face was her answer. "It's painless really. Merely spray it in front of you and walk through the mist. Remember to close your eyes and mouth while you do it."
Red eyes opened in childlike amazement at the simplistic solution she'd never thought of. With a squeal of 'Erika, you're so smart!' the perfume was sprayed into the air, filling Erika's senses with the scent of sunflowers as Akane hopped through the mist. Akane brought her arm to her nose and sniffed, grinning when she realized she didn't smell like she'd just bathed in it.
"Thanks so much! This is such an awesome present. How can I repay you?" Not a beat was skipped as Erika replied.
"You don't need to repay me. It was a gift and—"
"But you gave this to me for no special reason and came all the way out here…and I have nothing to give you! Please, let me make it up to you!" Akane clasped her hands together and gave her best pouty face, causing Erika to use all of her poise to not blush heavily at the look. She didn't fully succeed.
"Well, I suppose… You could accompany me to dinner tonight if you'd like…"
"Okay!" Akane was certainly full of surprises, and her easy acceptance confused Erika just slightly. But not as much as the next words she spoke… "Gee Erika, if you wanted to go on a date with me, you should have asked sooner! You didn't need to go to so much trouble."
"…What?" Akane giggled as Erika's cool exterior broke, even if it was only a tiny bit.
"Oh, nothing! So, I'll meet you back here when my gym closes at five, okay?"
Judging by her knowing look, she knew that Akane knew. What exactly she knew, Erika wasn't sure. Though, in the end, did it really matter? Akane liked her gift after all. The day had turned out, quite literally, to be a dream come true.
"Yes, of course… It's a date."