A/N: Hello there, people who will review my story right after reading this ;D (Ahem. That probably means you should review this.) This is just one of those innocent and adorable (I hope) one-shots that everyone loves reading! I'm not sure if this counts as fluff, but I tried. So, hopefully you liked it! If you did, favorite and review it, it'll make me super happy~ Oh, and if you didn't like it, at least give me some advice, 'kay? (Or flame me. It's my source of energy.)
Btw, wasn't sure what to rate this, so I decided on K+ That's okay, right?
I imagine N to be about seventeen or eighteen, while Hilda is sixteen. That's just how I view it, but whatever you believe their age to be doesn't really affect this story since their ages aren't mentioned at all, but I just wanted to give a heads-up.
ENJOY...I guess.
Once Upon a Time
There was something about the brunette that impaired her ability to come up with a decent story to tell. Back when she actually went to school, Hilda remembered her grade in writing to be horrendous compared to others. Often times Cheren and Bianca would try to cheer her up after being harshly criticized by anyone who was given the misfortune of reading her essays. The words she spoke never mended well together, and the storylines she would come up with were corny and, well, just plain stupid.
Thus, she swore that if she herself were to ever have children, she would refrain from telling them fairytales like most mothers did for their offspring. Heck, she wouldn't even attempt telling anyone a story that she concocted in her head.
But when N looked up at her with those grey eyes of his, Hilda knew it was time for her to show just how terrible her "talent" in storytelling was to him.
A loud sigh escaped her lips as she glanced down at the seventeen year old king, his face looking up at her like a Lillipup begging to be pet.
"Aren't you a little too old to be told stories anyway?" Hilda asked, twirling the long strands of her hair around her fingers.
N looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. Hilda took this time to stare at him (Not because he was good-looking. Yeah, his tangled mass of green hair that framed his face made him undeniably sexy, and his grey eyes shone brightly under the lights of his room, but that didn't mean he was handsome. Not. At. All.)
"Well, Anthea and Concordia tried telling me some when I was younger, but every time they started with the phrase 'Once upon', father would interrupt and take me to my tutor. I think the last time they tried to tell me a story was when I was seven, but father told me that I had to go to my Calculus lesson at that moment, and after that, Anthea and Concordia figured that they'd never get a chance to tell me a fairytale, so they stopped trying altogether." N stated in one breath. The speed of his speech pattern never ceased to surprise Hilda.
"...Okay. So how about I read you something?" The brunette looked around, getting up from her seat on the large skate ramp. She bent down and picked up a large book that lay directly in the center of the room. Hilda handed the book to N without looking at the title.
"Does this look like something you'd want me read to you?" she asked. N took the book to examine the contents within it. Hilda watched as the teen turned each page gingerly, immersed in what was written inside of the book.
"I've read it to myself countless times before, but I've always been intrigued by the different formulas and expressions introduced in this book, so I do think that this'll be a good read." N nodded in approval.
Formulas? Expressions? Hilda took the book out of his hands and glanced at the cover: The Wonders and Intrigue of the Mathematical World. Ugh. Math. Another subject that Hilda never indulged herself in during her school days. Even Cheren wouldn't be able to read through this without falling asleep.
She threw the book back to its original spot on the floor and sat back down on the ramp, her eyebrows knitted tightly together. N cocked his head to the side, curious as to why she seemed so aggravated.
"Is there something the matter, Hilda?" The troubled expression on her face made N feel as if he were a nuisance to her. Being around Hilda made him self-conscious about his actions for some reason.
"Not really. Anyway, where are your other books?"
N pointed towards a bookshelf hidden behind the skate ramp. The dark wooden shelves were covered in small darts that etched itself into the wood. Tons of heavy books were arranged neatly on the shelves by size. There were so many books that the weight of them made the bookshelf look as if it were ready to collapse at any moment.
The young trainer stood up and examined the title written on the spine on each of the books that resided on the shelves.
"The History of the Unovan Dragons, A Geometric Outlook on Life, Wise Words of Zinzolin, Migration Routes of the Pidove Population, Mechanics Behind the Illusions of Zoroark," she read out loud before looking back at the green-haired king, "N?"
Said man turned to face her, "Yes?"
"Did you ever have fun as a child?" she asked in a dull tone.
"Why, yes. I greatly enjoyed being surrounded by my friends, especially Zorua and Reuniclus. Although every one of the Pokemon father brought me were indeed my loyal companions. Not only that, but we liked to spend our time coming up with what laws to make once I became the Hero of Unova and attained the right to be by Reshiram's side to liberate all the Pokemon in the hands of abusive humans." He smiled as he reminiscenced those joyous times. Hilda groaned.
Then again, his lack of a normal childhood didn't really phase the girl at this point. He had Ghetsis as a father, and that man was a far cry from a loving parent.
"Don't you have any normal books like, The Boy Who Cried Houndoom, or maybe The Ugly Ducklett?"
N's eyes widened. "I'm appalled! How can anyone think that Duckletts are ugly?"
Hilda shook her head, "I guess you don't have any, huh?"
The Plasma King shrugged. "Well, I was kind of hoping that you'd make up a story yourself."
That's exactly what I've been trying to avoid. she thought to herself.
"Um, no. After you hear whatever I come up with, you'll probably think I were stupid." It was already hard enough trying to look smart compared to the green-haired teen without furthering her stupidity by relaying an inevitably fail story.
"You? Stupid? You're the smartest person I know." N said earnestly. His pure honesty never failed to make Hilda's heart flutter. She tried coming up with an excuse, but coming up with excuses was like coming up with a story, which was obviously not her strong suit. So reluctantly, she pursed her lips and nodded.
"...Fine." she took a deep breath, beginning the epic tale of...whatever she comes up with on the spot.
N scooted closer to her. Hilda's cheeks glowed a vibrant red when his arm bumped into hers.
"Uh, once upon a time, there was this...person." She began.
"Who?" N asked.
"Uh..."
"A girl?"
"Yeah sure, a girl. So, this girl was...a princess-"
"What was her name?"
"Name?"
"Of course. She must have a name of some sort." N replied.
"Oh, right...ummm..." The brunette looked around for some kind of inspiration. To no avail.
"Hilda."
"Yeah?"
"The girl's name should be Hilda."
"What? Why my name?"
"Because, since the girl in the story will eventually become a hero, what better example is there than to have her named after the most heroic and bravest person I know?" N stated.
As if her face couldn't get any redder. How could he say that with a straight face? "...Heroic? Brave? Me?"
N nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips, and at the same time tugging at her heartstrings.
She simply stared at him for a few seconds before breaking out of her reverie. "Well, fine. Hilda it is. Anyway, stop interrupting."
N agreed, waiting anxiously for her to continue.
"So Hilda was a...princess. She had long flowing hair-"
"It was brown, right? Her hair?" N interjected.
"Yeah, yeah, sure."
"And she has really pretty ocean blue eyes? And milky smooth skin, and a really bright smile? Even though most of the time she always has this angry look on her face?"
"...uh, yeah?"
"Plus whenever she gets angry, everyone hides in the corner for fear that she might severely injure them?"
"Okay, okay sure-"
"But at the same time, everyone likes being around her because underneath all the glares and cynicism, she's really friendly, and even without knowing what they're saying, she knows how to make Pokemon happy."
"...Are you finished?"
"One last thing: she makes me feel weird all the time, because whenever I'm around her, I want to hug her tight like a Cottonee and never let go."
"That's...great." The crimson on her cheeks had now spread all over her face.
"You can continue." N prodded.
"Oh, yeah...so Princess Hilda was all of those things you said. She lived in this huge castle with knights, maids, and her mother, the queen..."
"Did she have a prince?"
"Well...yeah. She did. And she really loved him. Who do you think it is?" Hilda smirked inwardly to herself. This would be the part where N will insert himself into the story, indirectly admitting his feelings for her-
"Hilbert."
"Huh?" She had not foreseen that as his response.
A deflated expression fell upon N's features. "The one Princess Hilda loves is probably Prince Hilbert."
"Why do you think that?" she asked him in a quiet voice.
"Well, maybe Prince Hilbert was the one that always made Princess Hilda smile. He'd make funny jokes and Princess Hilda would laugh and like being with him all the time."
Hilbert was her best friend. He was always smiling, running, and dragging her off to random places to catch Pokemon. Since they were so close, during their journey to become Pokemon masters, they travelled together throughout the region of Unova. The two brunette trainers had known each other even longer than they had known Cheren and Bianca, which was way back in their toddler years. His energetic personality clashed with Hilda's laidback and cynical persona, and even though he frequently irritated the girl with his obnoxious optimism, he was always the one to keep her in high spirits and make her laugh. Just as N had observed. But, little did N know that Hilbert was more like a brother to her. The thought of being in a relationship made the two brunettes laugh whenever someone brought up the possibility.
"...N. You're wrong."
N looked up at her in curiosity.
"Then who?"
"Prince Hilbert was everything you said, but all he was to the princess was a little brother and that's all."
N blinked. "But then who'd be her prince?"
"I'm getting there. I told you not to interrupt," she pouted.
"Anyway, she did have a prince. This prince was...sort of strange. He was super tall, had long messy hair that for some reason looked attractive on him, and really pale skin that made him look like he'd never stepped out in the sunlight before...which is apparently true. The first time he met the princess, he strode over to her, and instead of saying the normal 'hello' to her, he started talking to her Oshawott instead." she giggled.
"The princess had an Oshawott? Like you used to?" N cocked his head to the side again.
"Yes, she had an Oshawott. Like me." He still didn't get it?
"What else is there about the prince?"
"At first he and the princess didn't get along very well since they had such different opinions. This particular prince wanted to free all of the Pokemon from their masters because he believed that all humans were abusive and cruel, while Princess Hilda on the other hand disagreed. She knew that not all humans were like that, and that they and their Pokemon should live in harmony with one another."
"And what made her so sure about that idea?" N's tone changed significantly: from fast-talking and carefree to sharp and defensive.
"Well, there's people like me, right?" Hilda pointed at herself, "And then there's Hilbert and Cheren and Bianca and Professor Juniper and the champion and so many more."
N sat, quietly pondering to himself as he always did. This occurence of N thinking to himeself for long periods of time made Hilda feel a bit out of place.
"N, instead of just sitting there, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?" If they were ever going to exceed the friendship zone, they'd have to start with trust, right?
"...Keep telling me about that prince." N said slowly for once. Hilda was a bit peeved that he had ignored her last statement, but continued nonetheless.
"The prince and princess waged in a long term battle. The prince sought for the truth, the princess pursued ideals. No one knows who's right or wrong. But it isn't until the final battle that we can be sure." A dark look casted itself upon Hilda.
Sitting in N's room, telling stories...
She completely forgot about the eventual battle between her and N.
That...made them enemies.
"And?" N seemed to know exactly what Hilda had been thinking, judging by the soft tone of his voice.
"And even though they had completely different views on the relationship between humans and Pokemon, they were at least certain about one kind of relationship."
"Hm? What do you mean?" His raw innocence made Hilda's insides tingle.
"With each other. Just because they thought differently, doesn't mean they couldn't love each other." Hilda stared into N's piercing gray eyes. He stared back.
"So, what was the prince's name?" At this point, Hilda was sure that he finally understood the message she was trying to convey. After all, he couldn't be that stupid.
Without breaking eye contact, Hilda continued, "The weirdest name the princess had ever heard, that's for sure. Whether it really is his name or not, she doesn't know, but it doesn't matter, because whenever Princess Hilda hears it, she goes all...gaga and happy. And the name that makes her like that is," Hilda took a deep breath,
"N."
"N?"
"N."
"Really?"
"...You didn't expect it?"
N shook his head. "No."
Hilda's face was as red as a tamato berry now.
She literally confessed her love, and N still didn't get it.
Groaning in frustration, she buried her heated face in her hands.
"Man! Why couldn't I just fall for Cheren or Hilbert or something? That would've been so much easier!" she screamed into her hands.
To think that of all people she could've had a crush on, it just had to be the most oblivious and childish man on the planet. Sure he's kind, honest, and a downright gentleman, but that isn't a good enough reason to like him! Hilda thought to herself bitterly.
Oh, who was she kidding? He was perfect! A real life Prince Charming!
That'll never return her feelings. And had the mindset of an eight year old. And that probably cared for Pokemon more than her. And who was dead-set on freeing all Pokemon whether she agreed or not. And who would appear out of nowhere just to shove his ideals down her throat. And who would-
"Uh-umm, Hilda?" N tapped her shoulder.
"Yeah?" she asked, her face still in her hands.
"I-I think I get what you're trying to say and-" Hilda felt something soft press against her temple, "Did I do that right?"
Hilda slowly lifted her head from her hands, eyes widened.
What. Was. That.
"N. I didn't see what you just did, so I think you should do whatever it is you did again. You know, so that I can see."
"I would love to, but it was surprisingly nerve-wracking, so I don't think I can do it again until maybe a few hundred years from now?" For once N was the one with a red tint visible on his pale skin.
"No. I'm not waiting another second for you to do what you just did again."
"H-how about you finish the story?" N gulped, "I mean, I know it barely started b-"
And before he could speak another word, Hilda's lips collided with the trembling N's.
Her lips were soft against his slightly dry ones. She slowly parted her lips with N following in her example. He wasn't really sure what to do, since kissing a girl was such a foreign occurrence to him, but knew one thing for sure: he wanted this to last forever.
Unfortunately for him (and secretly her as well) Hilda broke off the kiss, and they sat there, just staring into each other's eyes.
They never did get to the ending of the story.
They didn't need to.
I'm not really sure what time this is set, but if anything, it would have to be before the epic battle between the Unovan heroes (obviously).
So, this was my first time writing something as cute and innocent as this...it was also my first time describing a kiss ('cuz irl I never kissed a guy before sooo...yeah, forever alone T^T but I'm like, twelve so I have a chance xD) hopefully you still like~ And yeah, I hate the ending too. It's so rushed, so go ahead and leave all the flames you want. I like having them as a part of my breakfast, so the more vicious, the better tasting it is :D
But review anyway~~~ (because I'm just that pathetic that I have to beg for my reviews T^T)
And yeah, this story is littered with so many Pokemon references, it makes me wanna barf out Trubbishes (THIS IS TOTALLY NOT NERDY.) butthenagainthisisPokemon
kthnxbai