Writer's Notes: The idea for this tiny fluff-fest came to me as I was knee-deep in Unova memories and suddenly thoroughly aware of how much love I have for DualRivalShipping... and how little attention I've paid to it recently. And thus, the subsequent piece was born! I haven't posted a single thing here in four years, and I'm certainly rusty... it's high time I started flexing my writing muscles again. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
"You're a mess."
"That's fine."
"That's fine?"
"That's fine," I answered blithely.
"Your office is also a mess."
"That's also fine."
"Cheren."
Little, mighty fingers gripped the back of my desk chair and swiveled me around until I came face-to-face with spring-green eyes glinting behind shiny red frames.
"Bianca, I promise you, I will be done here shortly and then we can get food and do... whatever else you want to do."
"It's movie night," she answered sternly. Insofar as Bianca could be firm, it was pretty convincing. I knew her well enough to know any supposed firmness was easily swayed, but I wanted to humor her... and I wanted to finish the email I was sending to Alder, updating him on the construction progress in the Aspertia schoolyard.
"Movie night," I mumbled absently as I tried to figure out how to phrase the concluding paragraph.
"And I want fried rice," she added. I paused, snapping to attention and trying to stifle a laugh. For a moment, she sounded almost belligerent, like a bossy kindergartener issuing a demand to a playground companion. That was it. I clicked the send button and whirled around in my chair to face her. "Why are you smiling like that?" She queried.
"I... just thought about how you used to fuss at me while we were kids and I was reading. You sounded like that just now. I had a flashback to being ten and remembering how impatient you'd get when you were waiting for me to finish a chapter."
Not willing to wait for her answer, I tugged her wrists and she leaned forward landed in my lap. Under no circumstances should I have been kissing her while I was still technically at work, despite our having been entirely alone in the Trainers' School for at least the past three hours. Shoving down the urge, I instead touched my forehead to hers and was met with a consternated squeak.
"Cheren."
"Yes, yes, I know. Movie night. Let's get going."