I love the idea of inseparable best friends growing up to be even more inseparable and just TWINLEAFSHIPPING IS SO ADORABLE AHHH.
Anyway, set just before Barry's fight at Lake Acuity. Why? I actually dunno. Rated T for one little swear.
I Prefer Enthusiasm.
don't stress
(that's dumb)
i'm here and it's nice to be alive
"I'm scared, I'm stressed, I'm nervous and I'm freaking out, okay?"
Well...that was and wasn't the answer he'd been expecting.
Was because he'd known something had been up with Dawn when he'd woken her up this morning. She'd told him to go away, but he hadn't really given it much thought, not everyone liked being up at six to train after all and she was entitled to sleep in if she wanted. It was just kind of weird because she hardly ever said no to sparring with him. But it wasn't because he'd dismissed it as her just being a morning grump and pestered her some more until eventually she had gotten up and trudged downstairs to the lobby of the pokecentre with him.
When he had finally accomplished that (because it had taken like, ten of his precious minutes), he'd attempted to go outside and Dawn had said no. He could go if he wanted, but she was just going to stay inside and watch him, it was too cold out and she was tired. But nope, he wasn't having any of that. Following her around and well aware he was probably being annoying as hell, he'd continued to ask why not, what was wrong and how could she leave him out in the cold like that (and he laughed at his pun too, they were in Snowpoint after all) - alternating between the three.
Her answer was mainly just 'I'm fine', but a crack in her voice had betrayed the confidence she'd had going on and made Barry feel like a dick. As stupid as he was with feelings and stuff like that, he did care about her, believe it or not.
They'd been friends since before he could remember, so of course he did. Actually, he was pretty sure he'd spent every day in his life with her until they had become trainers (besides every second weekend when he'd stay with his dad at the Battle Frontier), playing around the town and wreaking havoc. It was actually a bit of a shock when they'd first left Twinleaf and weren't seeing each other all the time, he'd gotten used to having her around and then suddenly she wasn't there. He was well and truly alone for the first time and he'd felt sort of...lost.
Don't get him wrong, travelling was great, but he did miss his best friend occasionally. Not that he'd ever admit that though.
So then, still probably just as annoying, he'd asked what was wrong again and before he'd even finished the question, she'd answered with that first thing. Her expression was pretty heartbreaking and he just felt like hugging her, and it also didn't help she looked adorable with her bed hair and in her piplup pyjamas either. But because he was terrible with feelings, instead of doing that or replying with some words of comfort or reassurance, he just stood there and said, "Why?"
"Why do you think?"
"I have no idea."
She took a step back, flopped down onto the lounge behind them and then proceeded to bury her head in her hands and shake it slowly. He stood there and watched her, not sure what else to do until she looked back up at him and said, "Team Galactic, stupid," Huh, really? She waited for him to answer and when it became apparent he really didn't see why she was worried, she sighed. "Barry, they told us they were going to destroy the whole universe! And we're the only ones who seem to be doing anything about it too! Do you know how much pressure that is?"
"Yeah." Was that it?
"Yeah?" She replied. "How can you be so blasé about it? Everyone could die, Barry! I'm not strong enough to fend off the entire organisation!"
"Blasé?" He laughed. "Blasé? Look at you, speaking all fancy-like."
"I'm being serious!"
"So am I," He threw his arms up rather comically and then lowered them when he noticed the nurse watching from behind her desk. "It'll be fine, these sorts of things never get very far so I don't think you need to be worried. Remember Team Rocket in Kanto and Johto and then those weather gangs in Hoenn? They were stopped and now everything is back to normal there, so that's exactly what will happen here too."
"But that was different," She mumbled, down casting her eyes. "These guys...they're insane."
He frowned, feeling somewhat out of his depth. He'd never really had to comfort anyone like this before and the whole 'it'll be okay' thing just sounded fake and made him feel like an idiot. But that being said, it'd be a lie if he were to say he wasn't concerned either, their threats had shaken him up and he'd been able to focus even less than usual on battling and all that. Being told your world was going to get destroyed would make anyone nervous, but he hadn't focused on the negative side and just decided that he wouldn't let it happen. He liked this place too much; there was no way he was going to let it get go without a fight.
"Listen..." He began but then stopped. Whatever he said now wouldn't make a difference; she'd still be just as stressed out no matter how much he tried to reassure her. You know how everyone just gets past the point of reason when they're stressed to the max? So without even thinking about what he was doing (he did that most of the time anyway), he grabbed her hand and ran out the doors of the pokecentre, pulling her along after him. "Come on, Dawn!"
Bewildered or something, she was silent as he led her out into the snow and didn't even say anything when he stopped and let go of her hand. He wanted to cheer her up, when Dawn was worried it made him worried too and that wasn't good. And another thing, when had he started caring so much about feelings? Of course he never liked it when she was upset, but recently whenever she even frowned in the slightest he felt awful. Dragging someone into the snow when it was early in the morning and you were both in thin pyjamas probably wasn't the best way to make them feel better though, but hey, Barry had never been conventional.
Now, it wasn't the first time the both of them had seen snow as it did back home, but not like this. It was only ever enough to make their porches slippery and dangerous, not the fun type of snow, and only until recently Barry had been under the impression that it sucked. According to him, all it did was make everything wet and cold and trap him in his house.
But Dawn had always liked it. She thought it was pretty and romantic and had even told him once that she'd seen pictures of a place in Sinnoh where in snowed all the time and how one day she was going to go there. Barry had poked his tongue out and asked why anyone would want to, they'd never be able to go outside, but she had just shook her head and laughed.
Of course he'd eventually learnt that more snow equalled more fun, but he'd never warmed - heh, he was hilarious - to the idea of it and had only trekked up to Snowpoint because of the gym. Dawn however, had come willingly. Anyway, that being said, he wasn't going to let her waste her time here because she was worried about some stupid organisation.
(Because if by some teensy-tiny miniscule chance they did succeed with destroying everything, she'd never get to visit again.)
So with a massive grin on his face, he fell backwards into the soft white stuff and moved his arms up and down in an attempt to make a snow angel.
"What are you doing?" She asked, watching him with a slightly amused expression. "You're going to freeze!"
"I'll be fine," He laughed, pushing himself up so he was sitting and trying to ignore the fact that it was indeed very cold. "I've got the room with the heating, remember?"
It was true, their meeting in Snowpoint had been purely coincidental and when they'd run into each other, a wager had been made. They were to race to the pokecentre and whoever got their first got the best room. He'd won, of course, and it had turned out the best room was the one with the heating. Why the whole centre wasn't heated was beyond him, but whatever, didn't matter to him.
She rolled her eyes at that being brought up again and placed her hands on her hips. Hmm, so he had to try harder, she still wasn't happy. So he reached up and grabbed a hold of her hand again, pulling her over and making her stumble so she collapsed into the snow herself. Her eyes widened in shock for a moment and Barry felt his heart stop, maybe this hadn't been a good idea. It was probably dangerous to be in such a cold place without the right gear.
But then she smiled and suddenly Barry could breathe again.
"Make a snow angel too." He suggested and she nodded, laying back. Her effort was just as poor as his though and as she moved her arms up and down on the cold ground, he tried again too. Neither having much success, they eventually stopped and she turned to him, grinning and so their pink noses were almost touching.
"We're finally in Snowpoint."
"You're finally in Snowpoint," He corrected, but it was in good humour. "I never cared about coming here, I don't even really like snow."
"Then why did you bring me out into it?" Damn. Damn, damn, damn. He wasn't cursing her, it was actually directed to his blushing face. How was he supposed to respond to that? Saying that he didn't want her to stress and he didn't like it when she wasn't happy or something like that would just sound cheesy. Luckily, she seemed to know the answer already (or maybe his blush gave it away) and smiled. "Thanks."
Okay, so if quizzed later on about it, he would blame the cold for his bright pink face. "It's not good for you to worry so much," He answered quietly. Alright, so why had he been worried about sounding cheesy before? That was ten times worse than what he was going to say earlier. "And I'll always back you up, you don't have to fight them alone, Dawn."
The kiss was quick and over before he even had a chance to realise what was happening, but when he did realise he could no longer blame his pink face on the cold. One did not go that pink when they were freezing. But like, he didn't even care because she was blushing too and his lips were really warm.
"Sorry," She mumbled. "I wasn't going to, but then you said that and it w-"
"Dawn," Aw man, he wanted to roll over and give her a hug! "Can I hold your hand?" She broke into the biggest grin here and nodded. Then, he thought, both breathed a sigh of relief that their feelings were reciprocated. So, with that confirmation, he sat up and placed his hand on top of hers, eventually lacing their fingers together when his unfroze and had worked out how to do it.
She sat and then stood up too, this time pulling him to standing and grasping his hand tighter. She was shaking. "L-let's go inside."
"G-good idea," He nodded. "I've got heating, r-remember?" Not one ahead of the other this time, they wandered in their drenched pyjamas back into the pokecentre. She had reason to be worried about Team Galactic, but they were in it together and it would all be fine. He knew it.
chill out,
it's alright.
kiss me,
it's nice to be alive.
Did I accurately depict snow? I've only ever seen it once in my life :( Btw, Barry you are being too blasé about it, Team Galactic are a pretty big deal.
Fun fact, even though imma girl, Dawn is the only female character I've ever played as. I just got used to being the male one because of gen one and two.