Author's Note: Holy. Crap. This story had 3 less words than my last oneshot without any Author's Notes (normally an extra 500+ plus words). I can feel the wordiness flowing through my veins! ...sorry, sleep deprivation is getting to me.
This is a total crack pairing, just to warn you. But you have to admit, Elliot/Popuri is the most adorable pairing in the entire world! I personally love Popuri and her little spunky attitude. And Elliot seemed like a cute person to pair her with. I came up with this idea while posting some stuff on the Village Square Forum- there are some seriously interesting topics there! Check it out if you got the time!
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I had never given any thought to girls.
I was that guy that asked a girl for her phone number, and she would go and change it right after. The guy that was dumped on Valentine's Day because the whole relationship was merely a dare. Or the kid who would be asked out by a cheerleader and fall head over heels with her, only to find that our supposed romance was a cruel trick by those higher than me on the food chain.
I was a klutz. I would trip and pull myself back up and fall right back down. I was a dork. I would research ranching and farming in my free time, always wearing baby blue collared shirts with khaki pants and geeky square glasses that I constantly pushed back up. I was a loser. I did everything wrong, nothing ever went right for me and I was positive that it would remain that way.
Is something wrong with me?
---
Clang!
The sound of clashing metal resounded through the air as the bottles of milk spattered against the ground, spilling fresh milk all over the wood flooring of my home. "Oh, oh no! The milk!" A pink haired youth stammered, bending down to reassemble the containers.
"You're so hopeless, Elliot." A harsh feminine voice spat. The boy glanced up at his sister, not daring to meet her cocoa brown eyes. She whipped her crimson hair backwards, her arms folded neatly against her chest. "Geez, can't you even ship a simple package of milk? Mark and Chelsea work hard for their money, and you're squandering their efforts!"
Elliot scowled. He knew she only mentioned Mark because they were dating. He envied her, and everyone else on the island for that matter. Everyone was a couple. Natalie had been going out with Mark for nearly two years, and Elliot knew without a shadow of a doubt, that their engagement was not far off.
He didn't hate Mark, though. Not by any stretch of the imagination. He was a thoughtful kid with a sweet disposition, and Elliot knew he genuinely cared for his sister. He couldn't dislike him- Mark was too kind of a person for that.
"I'm sorry, Natalie. You know how clumsy I am. I can't help it." He apologized, a hint of annoyance lingering in his voice. He gathered the bottles into his arms and shoved what was left of their contents into the brown basket that served as a makeshift shipping bin for when they were inside their house.
Just as Natalie opened her mouth to snap at him, the front door opened and in walked Mark. He scratched his unruly blonde hair from under his cap and waved nervously, sensing the tension in the room. "Uh, hey there, guys!"
Natalie trotted up to him and whispered into his ear, most likely explaining the dilemma to her boyfriend. Mark merely shrugged it off and grinned at Elliot. "Hey, it happens. Even Chelsea and I need help sometimes, and it's not like we haven't messed up when milking, either. Speaking of help- Chelsea, you can bring them in now!" He shouted to Chelsea who was awaiting outside of the siblings' abode.
Chelsea pranced in cheerfully, her usual maroon jacket draped over her sunshine yellow shirt, and her tiny shorts were rolled up even farther, either to show off her legs or because she was hot and sweaty from working the farm all day.
By her side, grasping her hand was a youth with scruffy tan hair and indigo eyes. He wore a green robe and a navy apron that matched his eyes. He smiled sheepishly at the family and chuckled anxiously.
An elderly man stepped out from behind Elliot, stroking his white mustache in thought. "Hmm, I don't believe I've seen you before. Are you new here? What is your name? Where do you come from, hm?" He questioned, stepping closer to the boy with every sentence.
A pink haired woman with a delicate frame pulled him back a bit, muttering, "Father, please don't be so hasty. You'll scare him." She cleared her throat and beamed at the teenager. "Welcome to the island. Please excuse my father, Taro. I'm sure he's just excited at a newcomer. I'm Felicia, by the way."
"Oh, it's no problem at all. My name is Rick. I run a chicken ranch down in Mineral Town with my sister and my mother. My sister and I will be helping Mark and Chelsea out with their ranch for the time being." He adjusted his glasses and extended his hand, which Felicia shook with pleasure.
Chelsea tapped her foot impatiently and crossed her delicate arms. "Ricky, when is your sister coming? She said she was just stopping by the Animal Store to set up some sort of trade with Mirabelle and then she would catch up. But she's not here yet!" The brunette squealed, sounding as if she were throwing a temper tantrum.
Rick slung his free arm around her shoulder and assured her, "she'll be here soon. My sister is so talkative she's probably just blathering away about nothing in particular." They giggled at this and blushed- the family quickly figured they were dating, what with the way they were staring at each other with those longing puppy dog eyes.
Something Rick had said piqued Elliot's interest. "You have a sister?" He asked, suddenly intrigued by the previously boring conversation. If there was another girl on the island, then maybe she would be his soulmate. ...Or maybe, she would just be like all the others.
But before the chicken farmer could answer, in walked who Elliot suspected to be his sister. But could these two really be related? "Sorry I'm late!" She apologized, removing her ruby cloak and waving at everyone.
Her curly hot pink locks were dampened from the rain, but it seemed to make them glisten underneath the light. A gown the color of red roses adorned her slim, curvy figure and her eyes complimented their color. Her skin was white as snow, like the princesses in legends. She was beautiful.
"Hello there! My name's Popuri, and I have a brother named Rick...but I guess you've figured that out already, haven't you? Teehee, oh well. It's nice to meet you all!" She squeaked in her high pitched voice. But it was music to Elliot's ears.
"I-it's nice to meet you too, P-popuri!" The redhead stuttered, and bowed clumsily, earning himself a scoff from his sister. But it also earned him a delighted giggle from the new girl and that's all that mattered to him at that point.
"Aww, thank you, sir! Say, what's your name?" She asked, crimson eyes twinkling with curiosity.
Elliot blushed a bit and answered, "My names...uh...Elliot! Elliot is my name! Hehe..." I'm such a loser. Why was I born such a socially awkward boy? I'm hopeless...
"Elliot," she echoed, savoring the sound, "I like it!" Just then two simultaneous rumbles could be heard from the stomachs of the guests. "Oh, right, I never ate today! Bro, I'm hungry! Is there any place to eat around here?" Popuri whined cutely, tugging affectionately on her elder brother's sleeve.
"Gee, sis, I'm not sure. I've only been here to visit Chelsea once or twice and we never really ate out much so I don't know if-"
"The diner!" Elliot blurted out. Popuri and her brother turned to stare at the boy, puzzled. "The diner," he continued, "there's a diner right down the street. I-i could take you, Popuri...if you, you know, wanted to go...w-with me."
The pink haired girl nodded her head vigorously and grasped Elliot's hand, dragging him hastily out of the house. "Ooh, a diner! Sure, I'll go with you! But you're paying and I have to warn you, I have a big appetite!"
But Elliot didn't care in the slightest. He was on a date. With a girl. Oh, thank you, Harvest Goddess. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
---
The diner was almost empty, the only inhabitants being the owner, Nick, and the lone wolf of Sunshine Island, Vaughn. The duo seated themselves at one of the various tables and picked up a menu. A petite blonde in a purple ensemble trotted up to them and greeted the couple, "Hey, Elliot! Woah, hold on a moment! Elliot- is this a girl I see sitting next to you? That's a first! And so pretty! May I be so kind as to inquire your name?"
Popuri backed closer to Elliot and mumbled, "Um, my name is Popuri. And you are?"
"Pierre. Pierre Francoise of the esteemed Gourmet bloodline. No need to be nervous, my love, I'm already taken." He winked flirtatiously at her and continued, "now what would you like?"
Elliot set down his menu and replied, "I think I'll have the Stir Fried Veggies, same as always."
Popuri relaxed a bit and ordered. "Hmm, let's see- ooh! How about some noodles with curry and a big bowl of rice! Doesn't that sound yummy, Elliot?"
Elliot chuckled and nodded, feeling a bit more chilled in the relaxing atmosphere of the cafe. Pierre jotted down their orders on a notebook and pranced away. "Don't worry about him," Elliot whispered into her ear, "he may seem like a flirt, but he honestly just likes to tease the new girls. He's actually sweet, once you get to know him. And he actually does have a girlfriend- a girl who works at a bar in Forget-Me-Not Valley. He really shouldn't go off flirting with every girl he meets."
Popuri giggled an Elliot cocked his head- had he said something funny? "You know, I just ordered a bunch of food to eat- and sorry, but it'll cost you a pretty penny- and here you are rambling on about a boy you think was hitting on me? You're possessive aren't you?" She burst into a fit of laughter, while he merely folded his arms and huffed.
The coral colored hair wiped away a tear and apologized. "Hahaha! Oh, sorry, really I am. But I bet you you're the overprotective type! Am I right?"
Elliot narrowed his eyes and answered, "I am not possessive or overprotective, thank you very much."
"Aww, come on, Elli! I didn't mean it like that! I was just poking some fun at you!!" The teenage girl proceeded to poke him and laugh, covering her mouth with her hand.
Elliot sighed. Great, she's already coming up with pet names for me. "Elli? Isn't that a girl's name?"
The rose headed girl had been caught off guard and rapidly tried to think of some sort of excuse. "Well, I guess it might be but I mean, it's not-"
"Food's ready!" Pierre chirped, setting down plates of veggies, noodles and several other foods. Elliot munched happily on the entree but kept his stare on the girl across the table, waiting for her reaction.
The pink haired girl nearly swallowed her noodles whole, slurping them gleefully with a pair of chopsticks. The redhead merely stared in shock as the girl nearly swallowed her entire dinner in one giant mouthful. She burped slightly and proceeded to giggle, her bony hand covering over her mouth.
"Oops!" She squealed, "Sorry about that, Elli! Did you expect me to be a slow eater or something? I'm a growing girl- I need my vitamins and minerals, after all! You've barely touched yours though! Here, I'll help you out!" She picked up her fork once more and greedily munched on her friend's food.
The two ate in peaceful bliss. It's strange, Elliot thought, but I feel so comfortable around her, even though we've just met. Maybe it's because she's so friendly? It's a dilemma...
---
After their meal, the pair walked arm in arm back to Elliot's abode, chatting and laughing all the way. When they arrived home, they were greeted by a bronze skinned man with a violet bandanna tied round his head and a brown jacket across his chest. He was currently leaned onto the frame of the doorway, a dazzling grin plastered onto his flawless face.
"Hey there, baby!" He said to Popuri when he noticed Elliot locked in her arms, "Hm? Sugar, who's this?" He tugged the girl off of the redhead's arms and drew her into his own.
She struggled against the boy's grip but he showed no sign of letting her go. "Kai, let go!" She protested, attempting to pull his arms off of her waist. "And I told you to stop calling me all of those pet names! I don't want to date you and I never have!"
Kai leaned in closer to her, whispering into her ear, "Oh, don't be like that, baby. Why don't you and I go out to get a bite to eat, huh? And after that we can-"
"I already ate," she interrupted, finally releasing herself from his grasp. "Elliot took me out to eat. And I liked being with him much more than I ever could with you." The rose haired girl grabbed Elliot's arm, trying to tug him out of the room. But Elliot was too preoccupied with what she had said- she enjoyed going on a date with him? That's a first...
The tanned youth laughed heartily, clutching his stomach. "Hahaha! Him? Honey, I doubt he can do anything better than I can!" He approached Elliot, intensely glaring straight into his pupils. "Stay away from my girl, freak. Or you'll regret it." He promptly shoved him into the mailbox which stood just outside the door and bolted out of the house, dragging Popuri along with him.
Elliot watched in horror as the boy carried Popuri off, her screaming in protest. He could barely move, though. His legs ached and his head was throbbing in pain and confusion. And he was pretty sure when he hit the mailbox that he had fractured his ankle. There was nothing he could do. Not until he heard her last plea for help.
"Elliot! Get him away from me! Help!" She screeched, the duo finally disappearing behind a thin line of trees. Elliot knew he had to do something. He propped himself up against the mailbox and limped as quickly as he could over to the trees.
Kai had Popuri pinned against a tree and was roughly pressing his lips against her own. She gave in, her arms dropping lifelessly down to her sides. A crimson blush spread throughout her face as their lips parted and they stared into each other's eyes. "That was beautiful acting out there, my darling. Very convincing work. Glad to see you've chosen me over that dork." He declared before once again embracing her and kissing her lips softly.
So she had lied. It was all an act after all. Just like all of those girls in school. Like the girl who left him alone on prom night, or the valentine that accepted his flowers for the sake of not having to buy her own to give to another boy. What a loser he was, that Elliot. A hopeless romantic with a heart broken one too many a time.
---
Sometimes he couldn't stand his mother. Normally, she was perfectly acceptable. Kind, sweet, thoughtful mother. But now was not one of those times. For right now, he was sitting across the table from his enemy, eating dinner like nothing had happened.
And even worse, next to that enemy sat the little actress, Kai's leading woman, Popuri. Her pink curls fell lazily over her shoulders as the trio ate in solemn silence. Everyone in the room felt the tension. Rick, who was seated next to Chelsea, chose to be the one to end the silence.
"Everyone, I have something very important to tell all of you." He announced, trying to sound confident, but in reality his legs were shaking and he was anxiously wringing his hands. "I know I've just met most of you, but Chelsea asked me to let everyone in town know that...that Chelsea and I are getting married!"
Everyone in the room gasped in delighted surprise, with the exception of the aforementioned trio. Chelsea beamed proudly and showed off her gorgeous diamond ring to her onlookers. They gawked and fawned over the priceless jewel and congratulated the couple, wishing them the best in life.
"Isn't it nice when people trust each other so much? When they remain loyal and faithful to the people they care about?" Elliot spat, his venomous words bewildering the pink haired miss. But Kai understood the message, knowing perfectly well that the redhead had observed them earlier.
"It's even better when certain people leave other people alone who are currently involved with another." Kai shot back, shooting daggers in Elliot's direction. Popuri glanced back and forth between the two, confused as to what they were actually getting at.
"Um, what are you two talking about?" She questioned innocently enough.
"Oh please, Popuri. All that talk about not wanting to date that conceited jerk and then I run after you two only to find you making out with him!" Elliot shouted, slamming his hands down on the table.
This caught the attention of the other dinner guests. Their heads turned to spectate the argument, wondering what would happen in the moments to follow.
"Elliot, what right do you have to tell me who I can and cannot kiss? And what else was I supposed to do? He backed me against a tree and he had my arms pinned against it! I couldn't move!" Popuri shouted back, eyes growing red with anger.
"Then what was all that about you acting, huh?" He screamed at her, and she cringed backwards, not expecting for him to have heard that bit. "That's right, I heard it! Why don't you explain to me that you actually like him?"
"Because I don't! I didn't understand why he said that- I thought he was just being a pervert as usual! But now I know why! Because he noticed you watching us! And you wanna know why I don't like him?" The girl screeched.
"Why, Popuri? Tell me why? Convince me that you don't like him! I dare you!" Their faces were just inches apart, noses bristling against each other. Hot tears brimmed in both of their faces, and they finally broke loose as her last statement hung in the air. "Because I like you!"
The room fell into silence. The pair gazed into each other's eyes, ruby orbs meeting brown ones. Their cheeks burned, now realizing just how close they were to each other. Their hands met on the table and Popuri smiled a bit.
"Wh-what? But I thought you...I mean, don't you like Kai?" Elliot stammered, his head pulsing with pain as thousands of questions raced through his brain. He stole a glance at Kai. His face was crooked with hate and disgust, but he seemed to be capable of controlling himself for the time being.
Popuri shook her head and explained, "No, I don't. He's an arrogant womanizer and a jerk. Elliot, you're kind and gentle. You paid for my bill at the diner when I had just met you! That said something right there! You're special, Elli. I like you."
Elliot's cheeks blazed and his heart bashed against his chest so hard, he feared they might crumble. He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to reply, "...I like you too."
They leaned closer to each other, and their lips brushed against one another for a moment before they drew back. Popuri giggled and asked, "Was that your first time?"
The redhead nodded and smiled sheepishly and the girl snickered once more. "That might not be the only thing we'll be doing for the first time either, you know." She winked at him and they both knew that between them, anything they ever did together would feel right.
Elliot's heart had been broken one too many a time. He was a loser. A nerd. A failure. But that's what Popuri loved about him. His clumsy quirks. His mistakes which made him human. She adored everything about him. And bit by bit, she glued his shattered heart back together again.
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Author's Note: So I had some issues writing this. First off- Elliot's hair. It looks orange/red in the artwork but it also kind seems pink and since the rest of his family has pink hair I get kinda confused. So sorry if you're like "uh Elliot doesn't have pink hair". Well now he does- deal with it. Second, I added my own little flair to Popuri. She has a gigantic appetite! Come on, you can't tell me adorable little Popuri devouring a three course meal like the Gourmet isn't a hilarious visual. And Elliot watching her was definitely a fun scene to write.
Have I converted anyone yet? If not, it just means I'll have to write more Elliot/Popuri (Elluri, hehe) fics!
-DivineJudgment