Series: Pokemon Special
Prompt: touch
Character/Pairing: Red/Yellow
Rating: T
Word Count: 600
Author Notes: Written as part of a drabble challenge, though it ended up being much longer than I originally planned.
The stifling heat of summer sweeps across the Kanto region with a vengeance, rolling in overnight and catching them all by surprise. Water bottles fly off the shelves, the streets become empty as people refuse to leave their air-conditioned homes, and pokemon clamber for the cool shade of various foliage.
Red comes across Yellow in a similar state, curled into a ball on her side with her back pressed snugly against the trunk of one of Viridian's grand trees. Her hair, twined into a loose braid, falls messily over her shoulder, curling into her neck and accentuating the softness of her sleeping face. Red grins, something warm unfurling in his chest, and he drops onto his knees in front of her, two bottles of water hanging between his fingers.
Her hairstyle is not the only thing that's changed; Yellow sports frayed jean shorts and a layered floral camisole, purchases from her recent trip to the Celadon Department Store. Blue had descended upon her the moment the heat wave rolled in, citing a desperate need for a change in Yellow's wardrobe, and the two had disappeared for the rest of the day.
Looking at her now, Red privately agrees with Blue; both Green and the old radio in his bedroom have given him several warnings about the dangers of heat stroke, and he suspects Yellow would not have lasted long in her usual wear, hanging out in the Viridian Forest with nothing but the thin shade of its trees to protect her. He himself has shucked his jacket, pulling on worn shorts that were buried deep in his closet and turning his cap around to provide the back of his neck some cover.
Red also approves for an entirely different reason, one the burns his cheeks red as his eyes follow the line of her bare arms. One of the thin straps of her shirt drapes across her skin, fallen from her shoulder, and Red swallows thickly before carefully reaching out and pulling it back into place. Her skin is smoother than he expected, warm to the touch, and Red wonders idly if she's wearing enough sunscreen as he traces his fingertips over her shoulder, following the curve of her neck.
Yellows makes a noise then, low in her throat, and Red pulls away so fast that he has to throw out his hand to keep from falling back. He holds his breath, wondering if he's woken her up, but Yellow merely shifts, her legs untangling into a more comfortable position. Red holds his breath, just in case, but Yellow stays asleep, her breath evening out once more, and Red feels safe enough to let out a relieved breath of his own, falling back on his hands.
The sun hangs high overhead, the light scattered by the canopy of the forest's leaves, and Red feels himself grow drowsy as a soft breeze passes by. Red looks back at Yellow, watches the wind ruffle her hair a bit, and smiles, because maybe she's had the right idea all along.
So Red takes off his cap, laying it and the and the water bottles in the grass next to where Yellow has placed her straw hat, and sprawls out on the grass, his arm curling underneath his head. He's put himself at the same height as Yellow, and looks her over one last time; her lashes fall lightly across her cheeks, her hands curl together at her throat, and her mouth is tilted upward, almost as if she was smiling back at him.
Red grins, closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep.