This plot bunny was the result of one particular call to Curtis on the Xtransceiver and my friend Pinny's comment about it XD Many thanks Pin! This marks my fourth Livecastershipping fic but oh well, that archive needs serious expansion!
Kudos to InsaneAniMae for Rosa's mum's name! I hope you don't mind but I really loved how you named her Emiko and hope you won't mind me borrowing it
Truth be told, I was sick while writing this so it just served for more inspiration XD
Playing Nurse
Curtis was lying in bed, his Ralts sponging his forehead periodically. How pathetic was it that on one of his few days off a year, he would fall sick? Especially since he had planned to take Rosa fishing as he had promised.
"Ralts, ral ral ral ralts." You've been sleep deprived. It's only natural. You should take a leaf out of Snorlax's book and nap like there's no tomorrow.
"Ugh, but you know what our schedule's been like Ralts," he croaked. Well, not that any of his Pokemon knew but Curtis could have had at least half an hour more of sleep each day had he not been staying up to talk to his favourite brunette. Of course, if Rosa knew what time it was on his end, she would not have chatted with him for so long.
The Xtransceiver vibrated on his desk at that moment. "Speak of the devil," mumbled Curtis as Ralts hopped off the bed to fetch it for him.
"Ral ral ral," chimed Ralts as he handed the watch-like device to him. If it was anyone else, I'd hang up for you but this girl does wonders for you doesn't she? Curtis blushed as his Ralts voiced his thoughts spot on. Well, the blush really wasn't all the noticeable when his cheeks were already flushed from the fever.
"Hey Curtis! What's up?" Despite feeling like crap, Curtis couldn't help but crack a smile at her enthusiasm. Times like these made him thank Arceus for losing his Xtransceiver so that he could meet someone like her.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he coughed violently as Ralts patted him gently on the back. Rosa's face creased in worry. "Curtis, are you alright? You don't look very well."
"Sorry… I got a cold it seems…" Rosa's frown deepened and Curtis hated seeing those pretty blue eyes clouded like that.
"Well Curtis, I think I'd better let you rest, okay? Just lie in bed at home."
"Yeah… I'm really sorry." Another cough escaped him as he reached for a glass of water. "I guess so. I'll stay home and rest for now. But..." He couldn't help the next few words that tumbled out of his mouth. "Seeing your face should help me recover sooner, Rosa. Ahaha!" His laughter turned into coughs again as he hung up. Just before he pressed the button though, he caught sight of Rosa deep in thought, the Klinklang in her head turning.
+Playing Nurse+
"Swanna! Let's fly home shall we?" Rosa smoothed the feathers of Swanna's back and climbed on. Her Pokemon was surprisingly strong despite its rather small frame. Once it landed gracefully outside Rosa's home, the proud Pokemon gave a little twirl and bowed.
"I wonder how the Poke Ball can squeeze your ego in Swanna," teased Rosa as she swung the door open. Swanna blew a raspberry at her before disappearing back into its Poke Ball in a flash of red light.
"Mum! I'm home," sang Rosa. Emiko looked up from the television, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.
"Rosa honey, what brings you home so suddenly?" she asked as she moved to embrace her daughter. "Lunch is just about done and I made extras, so do stay for lunch."
Rosa laughed. Her mum was the same as always. Whenever she visited, her mum would always have some extra food for her. It was practically a sixth sense to be able to tell when her daughter would be coming home.
Mother and daughter sat at the dining table, each eating their food at their own pace. While Emiko took small bites and chewed her food thoroughly, Rosa practically vacuumed the whole plate into her mouth. Food that good was hard to come by when one was on a journey.
"Rosa, you still didn't answer my question," prompted her mother. She knew something was off when a rosy pink dusted her cheeks. A sly smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "It's about a boy isn't it?" she cheered as she leaned in towards Rosa.
"Ah! No! I mean yes! I mean not exactly but…" Rosa's mother laughed as he daughter flailed her arms about, unsure whether to deny or not.
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much. But honestly, what is this all about?" Rosa scratched at her hair sheepishly.
"Well mum… A friend of mine is sick and…"
"Say no more! You want my old nurse's uniform from the time I worked at the Pokemon Centre, yes? And you want food to deliver to him! My baby's growing up and falling in love and ahhhh! Stay right there sweetie! I'll prepare everything!" squealed Emiko. Had she been in a manga or anime, Rosa would have sweatdropped.
Rosa waited patiently for an hour as her mother prepared some hot soup and dug out her nurse's outfit. After stirring the soup a little, she shoved the uniform into Rosa's hands and pushed her into her bedroom.
"Try it on now honey! The soup's almost done!" Rosa eyed the uniform critically. Sure she had wanted to visit Curtis since he did say seeing her face would help him recover sooner but her mum was going a bit overboard.
Shrugging it off, Rosa slipped the uniform on, surprised to see that it was shorter than she had expected. The skirt barely passed her mid-thigh and the neckline was a little too low for her liking, but other than that, it was a snug fit. Actually, the uniform was so comfortable that Rosa found that she quite liked wearing the dress already. To top everything off, she replaced her visor with the nurse's cap and twirled in front of the mirror.
A knock sounded on the door and Emiko came in. "Oh Rosa honey, you look adorable in it! Your little boyfriend is going to be heads over heels for you when he sees this!" she squealed as she pinched Rosa's cheeks.
Instead of her usual response of denial, Rosa blushed and fidgeted with the skirt. "You really think so mum?"
The uncharacteristic softness and demureness of Rosa's voice caused Emiko's eyes to soften a little. Gently caressing her daughter's face, she pulled her into another hug. "Honey, he'd be an idiot to let someone like you go."
She escorted Rosa to the door and handed her the flask of soup. "Wait! Mum! I can't do this!" protested Rosa as Emiko tried to push her out of the door.
"What are you talking about sweetie? Go get your guy now!" Rosa was bracing herself against the doorframe, trying desperately to stay in the house.
"Wait! Mum! I don't know where he lives!" And with that, both mother and daughter tumbled back into the house.
"You couldn't have said that sooner?" Emiko yelled from under her daughter.
+Playing Nurse+
"Heehee. Stop that Nate! It's ticklish!" giggled Yancy as she tried to bat Nate's hands away. He stuck his tongue out at her and continued the merciless tickled onslaught. The sudden ringing of Yancy's Xtransceiver had both of them sitting upright.
"Who's interrupting our 'us' time?" grumbled Nate with a scowl. "It had better not be that ridiculous manager of yours again. He works you to the bone!"
"Hello? Yance?"
The couple paused to stare at Nate's little sister on the Xtransceiver.
"Rosa… Why are you wearing mum's old nurse's uniform?" asked Nate after he found his voice. Rosa squeaked as she remembered what she was wearing.
"Never mind that! I'm sorry to interrupt your 'us' time but this is really important so please spare me a few minutes," begged Rosa. "I'm sorry Nate but I really need some girl time with Yance now. Could you scoot off for a while?"
Nate's eyebrow twitched in irritation but he complied nonetheless. Honestly, he was just glad his sister and his girlfriend weren't the types who clawed each other's eyes out.
"So… Rosa. Care to explain that get-up?" questioned Yancy once Nate had wandered off.
"Yance, you're Curtis' best friend right?"
"Ah!" Yancy's eyes lit up. "You're finally taking up my offer to set you guys up?"
"No! I, uhm, I just need to know his address," mumbled Rosa quickly.
"Address? You're gonna stalk him? Even if it seems romantic in some creepy way and all, wouldn't that be more of a guy's job?"
"Just shut up and listen to me Yance!" Yancy's eyes widened but curiosity got hold of her and she listened as Rosa outlined her plan.
"Not bad! Not bad at all! Here, jot this down!" Yancy rattled off Curtis' home address and ended the call. "Looks like they won't need my pushing anymore!"
"Nate! You can come back now!"
+Playing Nurse+
"Guess this is the place. Figures Curtis would live somewhere he can fish easily," laughed Rosa as she climbed off Swanna. The lake spread out before her in all its beauty, the water sparkling in the sunlight. Several Basculin leapt out of the water while Ducklett swam at the surface.
The modest house stood close to the lake, a little further off from the other houses in the town. It was a good thing since Rosa really didn't want to be caught in the nurse's outfit.
She knocked lightly on the door and was surprised when the door opened, even more so when she didn't see anyone opening it. That is, until she looked down and saw a Ralts using Psychic on the doorknob.
"Aw, aren't you adorable. Could I see Curtis, Ralts?" The Feeling Pokemon bowed politely before leading Rosa up the stairs. It gently pushed the door open and Rosa followed it in.
There, lay Curtis in his Cubchoo-printed pyjamas on the bed. Rosa stifled a giggle. On the Xtransceiver, all she had seen was his face. His breathing was even and Rosa found that he looked even cuter when he was asleep.
Adjusting the blanket, Rosa turned to Ralts. "Watch over him until I get the soup ready, alright?"whispered Rosa. Ralts nodded without making a sound, both trying hard not to wake the sleeping boy.
Tip-toeing down the stairs, Rosa made her way to the kitchen. As she heated the soup up, she hummed to herself. "Quick Ball On Your Heart" was one of the most popular songs at that moment by the famous idol Christoph. Of course, Rosa knew that 'Christoph' was really Curtis. Her mind trailed off to the time when she had first discovered it.
The Xtransceiver rang twice as long as usual before Curtis picked up. But then, the person on the other end wasn't Curtis. Rosa gasped as she saw Idol Christoph.
"Oh, sorry I've kept you wai… Uh oh." Christoph ended the call immediately after that when he noticed Rosa on the other line.
"Who… But that… That was Curtis' voice…" mumbled Rosa to herself, still shell-shocked over the incident. She redialled Curtis' number and this time he answered. The more he tried to explain how someone else from work had answered his Xtransceiver, the more Rosa shook her head.
"I'd like to meet you now Curtis." His eyes widened but he nodded solemnly in understanding.
"The Rondez-View Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City then."
Onboard the Ferris wheel, Curtis explained everything as Rosa listened, not saying a word until Curtis was done.
"I-I just wanted you to know the real Curtis. I was afraid you'd be so carried away with Christoph and…" He gulped. "I trust you Rosa but I learnt that not everyone's like you. I liked you from the moment we met. No, from the moment I heard your voice. I didn't want to lose someone as special as you to my career. So please, forgive me?"
Rosa sighed. "Of course I do. I mean you are telling me now, aren't you?" Smiling softly, she continued. "No more secrets anymore."
Just as their cart reached the bottom, Rosa held up her pinky. "Pinky promise. No more secrets."
Curtis grinned in relief. "No more secrets," he agreed, his pinky twining with Rosa's.
The soup was steaming and Rosa ladled it into the bowl. Just by smelling it, Rosa could tell her mother put in extra effort into making this soup. The aroma wafted up the stairs, sneaking its way into Curtis' room. The moment it reached his nose, Curtis woke up. He sniffed a little harder.
"Ralts, who's cooking? Is mother here?"
Ralts shook its head.
"Then who's here?" he asked puzzled.
"Ralts, ralts ralts." You're about to find out.
The door swung open to reveal a nurse with long, brown hair tied into two buns. The rest cascaded down as two ponytails. In her hands, she held a tray where a steaming bowl of soup sat.
"Ah! You're awake! Are you feeling better now Curtis?" Her head tilted to the side as it always did when she was curious.
"Rosa? What are you doing here? And what's up with the nurse's uniform?" yelled Curtis. Or at least he tried to yell but his words came out a hoarse whisper.
"Oh, never mind that. Lie back down and rest," she ordered. Catching sight of a bed tray on his table, she brought it over and set the bowl of soup down on it. While Rosa fussed over him, Curtis did whatever any boy his age would do.
He let his eyes roam.
It's wasn't like he wasn't trying to restrain himself from doing so but at his age… Hormones ruled over him more than his brain. The short skirt barely brushed her mid-thigh and his eyes travelled down her long legs. Additionally, the uniform was a lot snugger than her travelling outfit, so it clung a little more to her curves.
Blood rushed to his face as he kept trying to push the inappropriate images out of his head.
"Bad Curtis! Bad! Fancy thinking of Rosa that way!" he thought to himself. Beside him, Ralts giggled, having already seen what its master was so flustered over with telepathy. It made Curtis want to hide under his blanket and shut the whole world out.
"Curtis! Your face is all red! Is your fever back?" asked Rosa anxiously as she leaned over him. Her cool hand rested on his burning forehead but Curtis was distracted by the low neckline of the outfit, especially since with Rosa leaning over him like that, much more could be seen.
He blinked twice before coming to his senses and pushing Rosa off. "I-I'm fine!" he stammered. "Just a little warm!"
"Oh, I'll open the windows for some fresh air then. You look like you could use it." After a cool breeze blew in, Curtis felt much better already, some of the heat vanishing from his cheeks.
"Better?"
"Much. Thanks Rosa." The brunette smiled before picking up the spoon on the bed tray. Slowly, she scooped some of the soup and brought it to her mouth where she blew lightly on it to cool it.
"Open up," she sang. Mesmerised, Curtis did as he was told, his eyes never leaving Rosa's the entire time. Each mouthful sent a pleasant warmth through him, whether it was because of the soup or Rosa's affectionate gaze, well Curtis couldn't really decide.
Before long, the bowl was empty and Curtis leaned back on his pillow. Setting aside the bowl, Rosa took over the job of sponging Curtis' burning forehead from Ralts.
"So how was your trip to Meteor Falls? Catch anything good there?"
"It was pretty awesome fishing by the waterfall. I caught a Barboach and Whiscash there! It was so awesome, the way the cave's natural lighting illuminated the cave was just beautiful! I don't know how to explain how but some of the rocks there are luminous! Sort of like Chargestone Cave!"
Rosa laughed at his animated ramble about fishing. Honestly, the level of passion he had for his hobby was one of the things Rosa really liked about Curtis. She could imagine other girls getting bored about all the fishing talk but she wouldn't mind joining in on the action.
While they talked endlessly, Rosa about her journey and Curtis about his different trips to other regions, the sun gradually made its slow descent from the sky.
"It's getting late. I better get going. Get well soon Curtis!" As she waved and turned to leave, Curtis called out for her.
"You know Rosa, I wasn't wrong in saying seeing your face would help me recover sooner," Curtis said. "I feel almost well enough to go fish now," he laughed.
"Is that so?" Smirking, Rosa returned to his bedside, leaned over and planted a kiss on Curtis' forehead. "Then I wonder what this would do for you."
As Rosa was almost out the door, Curtis regained his senses enough to call out to her again.
"You're just what the doctor ordered Nurse Rosa!" Both dissolved into a fit of giggles at his corny line. It was only after he heard the front door click shut that Curtis rushed for the tissue box. Surprisingly, he had held the nosebleed in quite well.
"It's a good thing she usually covers up more, Ralts. Any more of that and I would probably get hospitalised for blood loss," muttered Curtis as he stuffed more tissues up his nose.
Well… That turned out fluffier than I expected XD I actually expected more of Curtis ogling Rosa but he just doesn't strike me as that sort of person. He's too sweet for that. But oh well, here's my contribution to the ever-expanding Livecastershipping archive!