Hi there, the following is a SoulSilvershipping fanfic that I wrote this past week as a result of writers block on my other story. This story is in celebration of reaching 10k views for Chance Encounters. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed that story and I hope it ended well for you guys. This pairing is possibly my most favorite pairing in all of Pokemon (tied with Advanceshipping actually) and I just really love writing for them.
Like I mentioned before, this story is a result of writer's block while working on my other major story in hopes of generating new ideas. That, along with listening to music, I can say it worked better than I thought. So you guys can expect other oneshots like this one if I ever need to get my brain focused again. I listened heavily to instrumentals and songs by the producer Nujabes. For those of you who don't know, Nujabes was one of the music producers who worked on the anime Samurai Champloo and I just fell in love with his work after listening to it in the show (Aruarian Dance being my personal favorite). So if you like really chill hip hop give this guy a listen and watch the anime too if you haven't already!
Thanks again and enjoy the story! I do NOT own the characters involved.
Can't Stay Away
A quick cold blast of air met him as he stepped inside the dark hallway, dimly lit by low bulbs that set the ambiance of the building. Low vibrations coming from a grand piano played throughout the halls. With each step forward, the sweet aroma of cigarette smoke greeted his nose and the jazzy music became louder. For being a secluded place they sure were making a lot of noise. Not that he minded. The music did sound amazing and he was looking forward to spending the night listening to great bands and drinking.
Pretty soon he reached a door guarded by an enormous human being dressed in all black, arms folded and chest puffed out. He stopped just short and faced the beast of a man. Reaching inside his navy blazer, he pulled out a small wad of paper held in place neatly by a silver clip. He licked the tip of his fingers and began sifting through the bills, pulling out two and placing the rest back in his jacket.
"Swordfish."
The guard grabbed the money from his hand and waved him through as he opened the door. He smirked to himself while walking past the giant and peered inside the crowded main room. The place was alive with the jazz band playing their set on the main stage and waitresses handing out drinks to the patrons filling the tables. Three or four separate groups played a card game of some sort, hooting and hollering with each hand dealt. Others talked to their companions with drinks in their hands, and some sat at the bar by themselves listening to the band. Things were like every other night he dropped by.
"Silver!"
He turned at the mention of his name and found his friend, Ethan, waving him over at an empty table. Waitresses winked and smiled while walking past him, he took it all in stride and kept going. Upon reaching the table, his friend stood up and greeted him with a quick handshake and called over one of the flirty waitresses making the rounds.
"Good seeing you again, Silver. What'll you have?"
"Bourbon, neat." He said to the girl as he sat down and raked his hand through his long, crimson hair.
"On the rocks for me. I don't know how you drink that shit straight, too much for me." The girl bowed and went on her way after their order was placed, leaving the two men to their business.
"What have you been up to, man? It's been months since I last saw you." He opened his black jacket and grabbed a metallic case from the pocket, opening it and grabbing a cigarette. Placing the white stick in his mouth, he patted himself in search of something. "Shit, where's my lighter?"
"Here, use mine." Silver handed over his own; a custom lighter passed down from his father, and watched him spark up the tip. Not one to be left out, he grabbed one himself and lit up after getting the lighter back.
"I've been busy working. I don't have much free time these days." He inhaled the smoke and held it a bit, then letting it escape from his nostrils as he talked. It was a terrible vice he tried to quit so many times but somehow found himself with a cigarette in his hand without thinking. He blamed his father for the pleasure it brought him. He took on most of the mannerisms of his old man and didn't try to fight it anymore. There was a reason he took over the family business and acquired his family's small fortune. It brought along a plethora of entertainment and kickbacks that he grew accustomed to. This speakeasy being his favorite one of them.
"I heard of your latest tryst with Jasmine from Olivine City. And here I thought you were incapable of any other emotions besides anger." His friend joked while dropping ashes into a tray and putting it back in his mouth. "A quiet girl like her, wonder what she saw in you."
Silver took another long drag before responding, "Well, it was fun...for about a day. Too inexperienced for my tastes."
Ethan let out a long laugh. "The quiet ones need a little more training is all. They turn out to be the most willing if given enough attention." The waitress came back with their drinks, placing them in front of both men. Ethan gave her a small tip and she left their side once more to tend to other customers. "Honestly, they are incredible after a few times." Ethan swirled his drink and swallowed a tiny amount.
Silver exhaled the remaining smoke of his cigarette and put it out on the same tray as Ethan's. He then gulped half of his bourbon, enjoying the burning sensation in his throat. It wasn't so much the inexperience that he didn't like about Jasmine, but more of a lack of fight in her. She was a sweet girl but she didn't challenge him in any way. He wanted somebody who didn't cave easily and made him work for his prize. Finding someone like that would take a miracle given his busy schedule, and he thought he found that one but his line of work kept them apart.
He didn't have time to socialize outside of work and when he did, he liked to sit at home and relax with a good drink and some silence instead. This was a rare occasion that he only agreed to because of Ethan. Like he said when he first arrived, they hadn't seen each other in months due to their different schedules. When they did meet up they usually spent the night drinking and talking about their recent adventures; exactly like they were doing at the moment. If there was any chance of seeing that same girl, it sure as hell wouldn't be in an illegal establishment like the one he found himself in.
"This band isn't half bad." He hoped to steer the conversation away from his recent conquests. Thinking about his escaped acquaintance would bring him down when he needed to loosen up. The band was on its last song and didn't hold back on their intensity. The pianist slammed down on the keys, the bassist followed his cue and jammed out the notes by his side. But the real showstoppers were the two trumpets blowing their hearts out that made the people move. Once the final notes struck, everyone stopped what they were doing and clapped for the performers. They all took a bow and Silver went and drank the rest of his golden liquid in one quick gulp.
"Another round?" Ethan asked as he too finished his drink and waved the waitress over again.
He nodded and they went back to talking about mundane things, laughing and arguing at the littlest disagreement. The drinks kept coming and so did the intoxicating smoke of their cigarettes. Each puff satisfied an ever growing itch within him that was difficult to scratch. Over at the stage, the last band was tearing down their equipment to make room for the last performance of the night. Only the sound of conversations and laughter were heard during that time. People were enjoying themselves amongst friends and great drinks. There wasn't much that could bring them down.
"I have to take care of business. Be back in a sec. Oh, I almost forgot... Nah, it could wait." Ethan slid off the booth and disappeared amongst the crowd on his way to the restroom, leaving him to wonder what he could have meant.
Silver put out yet another cigarette and flirted some with their waitress while he was away. She was a pretty little number but he wasn't in the mood to take things further. Though, she was dressed rather scantily, it probably wouldn't take much to get her to agree. The liquor was starting to hit him, and though he had a high tolerance, he often payed for it in the morning. He had an early meeting with a client and couldn't afford to sleep through it like so many times before. In the end, it resulted in nothing more than a few giggles and light touching until the owner stepped on stage.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you are having a wonderful time tonight. Don't forget to tip your waitresses." The owner tore the mic away from the stand and talked to the crowd while the next performers set up their equipment behind him. By now most of the older and loud patrons had left and only a few stragglers were left, along with a few couples sitting in front near the stage. "Please help me welcome our last performer of the night, the talented and oh-so beautiful, Lyra Kotone!"
Silver felt his heart stop for a second while he nearly spit out his drink as the singer stepped onto the stage. Nearly all men in the building whistled and howled, and for good reason. She was stunningly gorgeous. Dressed in a black, lace sheath dress, with matching heels, and hair tied up in a bun, any man would be a fool not to take notice. He swallowed hard, grinning to himself as he took another sip. Even in a hazy state he could clearly see the face that tormented his thoughts for many days and nights. For now he sat back and watched her step behind the mic and nod to her only companion on stage. His opportunity to talk with her would come eventually.
Her pianist started off with a few somber chords, with some minor notes added in for good measure. Right off the bat, he knew it was a ballad of some sort, completely contrasting the previous energy of the last band. In a way it was almost expected. The loudmouths were gone and all that remained were people here with their significant other. The owner even turned down the lights in the building and made the place a lot more intimate than it already was. Everyone was quiet, paying attention to the only woman with the light shining down on her.
She gently swayed side to side, like graceful petals of a daisy blowing in the wind. Her movements hypnotized his blurry eyes. He sat up and placed his hands on the table, resting his chin against his knuckles. She hadn't even started singing and already she had him mesmerized. It made the first words out of her mouth all the more effective on his blank mind. He closed his eyes and listened intently to the beautiful sound of her melodic voice. Each note from the piano that accompanied her sweet voice only left him wanting to see more of her. He couldn't leave without meeting her alone.
"She's amazing, isn't she?" Ethan came out of nowhere and snapped him out of his daze. He quickly sat down and asked for another drink.
Silver could only nod while keeping all focus on the beauty hitting the notes that struck his heart.
"She's a childhood friend of mine. Sad to say I don't see her often, though."
Silver slowly turned to his friend, giving a deadly stare that would break a weaker man. "You fucking idiot. You're telling me this now?"
"Look, if you want to meet her all you have to do is ask. Of course, you'll owe me big." Ethan grinned ear to ear while sipping his new shot of bourbon.
"I'll take my chances." He replied and went back to quietly admiring the spectacle playing in front of his eyes. A piano solo came along and that allowed him to admire her voluptuous frame in that dress. He could deal with Ethan's lack of vital information later, but at the moment all he could think about were the things he was going to say to her, and possibly some other acts if given the chance.
The pianist began slowing down as he struck down the last remaining chords and Lyra hummed along. It was a magnificent piece, delivered straight from the soul that sadly should've been longer. Full of love, pain, and acceptance, no doubt it was from personal experience. It made her performance much more meaningful. He was moved by her words and taken aback by the emotion she delivered them with.
"Come on, she's almost done. We'll meet her at her dressing room." Ethan pulled on his jacket and drank down the remaining bourbon in his glass. Silver reached for the clip in his pocket and laid four hefty bills under his empty glass and followed him to the back rooms. He took one last look at the stage, seeing Lyra bow at that exact moment and clapping as her partner finished off his piece. Pretty soon the place erupted in applause. She took another bow, and headed off stage to her left.
"Do you have any mouthwash? My mouth tastes like shit." Alcohol and nicotine combined brought an unwelcomed result of his vices that were great in the moment, but failed to make him somewhat presentable. The last thing he needed was to have his breath smell like rotting garbage baking in the sun when he met with Lyra.
"What do I look like, a dentist? Go swish some water or something." Ethan didn't seem bothered by his own appearance and instead exhaled yet another cloud of smoke into the air. Sometimes, Silver needed to beat up on him to make his point. And that's exactly what he did with a swift punch on the shoulder. "Goddammit, you asshole. Here, chew some gum."
Silver snatched it and greedily shoved it in his mouth to start the process of cleaning his breath. Ethan, meanwhile, turned away and rubbed his arm while looking out for Lyra.
She appeared not a second later, making Silver temporarily look at his shoes and take a deep, minty breath in. Seeing her from afar as she was singing was one thing, he only saw the outline of her body. Up close was another story entirely. She had undone the messy bun she had on stage and now raked a hand through her chestnut brown hair, loosening the strands that reached just a touch below her bare shoulders. It took all the strength in his body to not let his jaw drop to the ground.
"Lyra, you were amazing tonight. You've really grown as an artist." Ethan greeted her with a smile and a lingering hug that instantly hit him with jealousy.
"It's been so long, Ethan. How are your grandparents? How's the professor?" She gently rubbed his back as they pulled apart and held each other at arm's length.
"They're all doing well. They miss hearing from you, though."
While Lyra and Ethan shared their moment, Silver stood behind him chewing his gum and placing his hands behind his back, waiting for the old friends to finish. The envy started to grow with each second they spent talking. He had to be patient, though. Talking to her was now inevitable.
"I'm sorry, this is my friend Silver. Silver, Lyra Kotone." Ethan stepped away and introduced Lyra to him. "It's nice to meet you. She extended her hand and he happily received it without saying a word. It wasn't blatantly obvious to Ethan but both of them feigned their pleasantries.
"You know what I have to make a quick call. Why don't you two go on ahead and I'll bring the drinks over." Ethan took a quick glance over at Silver, throwing a sly smirk in his direction. He couldn't begin to imagine what sort of favor he would ask for in return, but he'd fulfill it to keep fooling his oblivious friend.
Lyra fumbled with her key as soon as Ethan stepped away, dropping the forced smile she gave him and pushed the door open. She didn't wait for Silver to step inside before heading to her enormous makeup station. He followed her in and quietly shut the door.
He took a look around and first noticed the gigantic mirror on the wall reflecting the suede love seat and abstract portraits hanging on the wall above it. Off to the side was a small cooler, silently vibrating on the burgundy carpet covering the floor. Lyra walked over to the seat in front of the mirror and began removing her accessories. First to come off were the matching black heels and were followed by a set of pearl earrings. He immediately looked away to give her some privacy thinking she might go further.
"I'm surprised to see you here. I wasn't aware you knew of the place." Silver made small talk that went ignored by the woman sitting on the black wooden stool. He scratched an itch under his eye and sighed heavily. "You looked amazing out there tonight. Was that a new song you wrote?"
While he watched her perform, he couldn't help but link her lyrics to their past meetings. Although it was a beautiful song, it had hidden meanings that would go over anyone's head if they weren't involved. He had to admit, some of her best work came because of his incompetence with their relationship. It stirred mixed feelings within him. On one hand she still thought about him, but on the other she was shaming him subliminally in her songs.
"..."
Nothing. She kept ignoring his attempts at reconciliation by playing with the ends of her hair and avoiding his reflection. She grabbed a brush and started running it through, further delaying the reconciliation he was hoping to achieve. He knew, though, why she was avoiding him. "You're still upset with me, aren't you?"
She slammed down the brush and finally turned to face him. "What the fuck do you think?" Unfortunately, it was the opposite attitude he wanted to see from the usually friendly girl of his past.
Silver stepped forward near her chair and stood tall. "I'm not stopping just because you tell me too, Lyra. This is my job. It's all I've ever known." For years all he'd done was carry on what his father started without batting an eye. Yes there were times he'd find himself questioning the morality of his actions, but those thoughts usually dissipated along with his sobriety. Hard as the truth was, it didn't seem to change her opinion of him.
"That's right, all you care about is yourself. You don't even acknowledge all the people you are hurting." She bolted up and began shoving him in the chest. Just barely did he hear a wisp of angst in her voice.
"That's not true. I care about you and only you. Why the fuck do you think I put up with all the bullshit?" His voice raised on its own while trying to get her to see his way of thinking.
"Because you're a fucking sociopath!" She yelled back.
Silver couldn't think of another way to correct her. He held on firmly to her shoulders, making her squirm under his touch as she tried to slip away. "Don't you touch me!"
Being a good foot taller and having a bigger frame, making her stay still wasn't much of a problem. But it wasn't the way he wanted to do things, especially not with her. He loosened his grip an inch and lowered his gaze to meet her auburn eyes steadily reading his face. "I do it because this is the only way I can give you a better life. Even if I'm gone, I'll know you will be taken care of."
Lyra didn't say anything at first, knowing full well he was full of it. Slowly, she shook her head and said, "You are so delusional, Silver. Don't try to justify what you do with saving me. You'll only end up hurting me more."
Unexpectedly, her glowing orbs shining under the lights surrendered to a wave of tears brought on by his jovial attempts at apologizing. Time and time again they had the same argument. They'd go weeks, even months, without seeing each other and the tension escalated because of it. Each time he'd feel guilty for losing touch, binge drink for days in a row and then get back to normal like it never happened. He could drown his sorrows away, but never forget them.
Silver bowed his head to gather himself for a moment. Gently, he pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. "... I'm sorry.."
He never wanted to forget her. She and Ethan were the only true friends he had, and they rarely met up with each other. Hell, Ethan wasn't even aware of his relationship with Lyra. The thought of losing her forever was a recurring image cycling through his mind. Insomnia was usually brought on as a result. He didn't want to be reason for her worry nor the reason she cried.
"You should be. I missed you, Silver." She reciprocated his actions and enclosed her dainty arms around his neck. "I don't want to wake up one day and hear that you were killed by someone for revenge. I can't lose you." Her voice was just above a whisper near his ear, mixed in with a pang of sadness. It wouldn't be long before the tears came back.
He was determined not to let it come to that again. "That'll never happen." Tenderly, he pushed her head up and met her timid stare. "They'll have to beat you to it." He moved his hands below her cheeks, right at her jawline and placed his forehead against hers.
Her worries were entirely legitimate, however. People always came by looking for his head, but by some grace of God he was still breathing, still pumping blood in his veins. He might stumble along the way but he would never allow himself to leave Lyra alone. If anything his witty response would be enough to ease her concerns just a tad.
Lyra shifted her grasp to his forearms, closed her eyes and managed a choked laugh. "You idiot."
Silver smiled along, lightly caressing her smooth skin with his thumbs. Suddenly he became aware of all the little features that made him fall for her. Like the bourbon he drank earlier, her auburn orbs glowed under the lights of the room; though they were more alive and begged him to continue. He caught a whiff of her strawberry scented shampoo, more intoxicating to his senses than a cigarette could ever be. Her naturally pink lips quivered in anticipation as did his, but he wanted to enjoy the sight. Lord only knew when they'd see each other again. He needed to show her just how much he cared.
When he leaned toward her and brushed his lips across hers, her grip on his arms tightened and he could feel the heat emanating from her skin. She moaned against him, driving his mind crazy with desire. The kiss steadily moved from soft to one with a bit more force on his part as he removed his hands from her cheeks and down to her lower back, pulling her body into his own. She draped her arms around his neck and gasped at the sudden action, allowing him access to the inside of her mouth where her tongue met his. Her fingers became entangled in the lower part of his hair, lightly scratching at his nape with each second he held the kiss.
There was no telling what lay ahead for them. Meeting up would take a bit of work but if it meant she'd stay in his life, he'd at least try to scale back his workload and find something new to do. That is, if he was able to survive for long, but he didn't want to think about now. No, for now he wanted to lose himself in the passionate display of emotion the two of them shared. He had done just enough to make her smile and laugh; something he hadn't seen or heard for months and was glad to witness it again.
When it was all said and done, the two of them stood rooted to the spot and held on to each other, not saying a word. Lyra snuggled her head against his chest while Silver ran his fingers through her straight hair. The noise around them disappeared, leaving them in their own world where nothing else mattered. Life could go on but he wanted to remain frozen in time. Everything, at least for the moment, was perfect.
"I love you, dummy." She sighed sweetly and closed her eyes.
He gave her a small peck on the top of her head and a light squeeze.
"I love you, too, crazy."