So here I am with something new! A one-shot! Many of my readers seem to have really enjoyed the Red and Serena pairing in Pokemon: Brotherhood, so much that I've gotten quite a few PMs asking for me to write it again. I figured I'd finally answer with this, which I hope comes out well. Whenever I've tried to write one-shots in the past, I've been to tempted to make full stories out of them, so I scrapped them. But this time... I'm really gonna try. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Cocoa & Company

Snowfall; welcome for its first few appearances by most, but loathed by many in the later stages of the winter. Earlier snowfalls came with children running about, building snowmen, and sledding down the nearest frosted hilltops. But now, in late January, nearing the peak of the harsh Kalos winter... even the children were inside. The smoke of chimneys lined the skyline of every town and city, and Vaniville Town was no different. Everyone was inside, enjoying the warmth of their fires... except for one brave young lad.

Wool hat on head and steel shovel in gloved hand, this winter-warrior trudged through the 2-foot high blanket of snow, leaving the only footprints to be seen in the entire town. The footprints seemed to have been formed in a deliberate pattern; door to door. What was he doing? What was his mission? It was simple. This young man was doing what many modern folk in the age of snowblowers and plows thought to be irrational, a practice long lost to the unyielding force of time...

He was shoveling driveways, for 15 bucks a pop.

$45 were nestled safely in the zip-up pocket of his coat, the spoils of his chilly campaign. Though the money was considered a good amount, the day had been considered a failure. He had knocked on 34 doors... and only 3 generous patrons had allowed him to shovel their driveways. His morale was low, but there was only one more house in the small neighborhood... maybe his $45 would turn to $60? Hazel eyes burning with determination to reach this goal, the young man brushed the stray snowflakes off the black bangs that fell between his eyebrows, approaching the final house of the day...

*knock* *knock*

"Finally!" hollered a beautiful young woman, only 17 years of age. Dressed in her favorite pink giraffe-print onesie, she rushed down the stairs, her sights set on the front door. "Mom's home!"

Her mother had left for a business trip to Johto 3 days prior, mere hours before the surprise snowstorm had hit. This young, blonde-haired teen had no problem being home alone for the first two days... but upon waking up this morning, she had begun to miss the company her mom provided. School was of course cancelled, but no one was trying to hang out during a record-setting blizzard. It was a lonely three days... but finally, her mother was home, and she'd finally have someone to talk to.

"Must be some high-class transportation she took..." she mused, unlocking the door. "I was sure her flight was going to be delayed..."

She swung the door open, an enormous grin plastered on her face. But the grin morphed into a blank stare when she realized the person at the door was not her mother, but a slightly intimidating, tall, teenage guy who looked like he'd just finished a wrestling match with the Abominable Snowman. His eyes were peering straight into her own, rarely blinking in the 10 seconds it took her to say something to him.

"Oh... hello." she greeted, feeling a burning sensation in her cheeks.

She'd seen this boy before. He had moved into the neighborhood at the beginning of the school year, but had barely spoken to anyone... at all. Needless to say, there were many unconfirmed rumors about him. Word on the street was he was actually a droid with high-tech AI built by the Robotics Club. Some said he was a vampire, the Edward Cullen type. A few even claimed he didn't return pencils he borrowed from people, the ugliest of sins. But even with all the rumors, there was still a small underground society of girls in the school that secretly thought his mysterious nature was inexplicably attractive, wishing to discover the secrets he undoubtedly held within.

Serena was one of those girls.

"You're... Red Ketchum." she meekly observed.

Red simply nodded, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small piece of white paper, handing it to Serena. Serena gingerly took the paper, reading the words that seemed to be written on it.

Red Ketchum Snow-Shoveling Service

Will neatly shovel driveway, saving you time and energy.

All for the low price of 15 dollars.

Serena looked up from the paper, back at Red, who was quietly waiting for an answer.

"Ummm... Could you wait here for a second?" she asked, closing her door before Red could finish nodding his head.

Serena reached into the pocket of her onesie, grabbing her cell phone. Her fingers rapidly tapped the screen, and as soon as the tapping ceased, she pressed the phone to her ear, taking a few steps away from the door. The phone buzzed, until finally, the person she had called picked up.

"Hello?"

"Shauna," began Serena in a hushed tone. "You will not believe who's at my door."

"Jehovah's Witnesse-"

"No," interrupted Serena, walking even further from the door. "Red Ketchum. Red Ketchum is at my door, asking to shovel my driveway for $15."

"Whaaaaaaattt?" sang Shauna in disbelief. "Wait, what's he doing shoveling driveways now? A second stor-"

"Focus, Shauna!" commanded Serena. She glanced at the front door. Red's figure could still be seen through the small glass windows on the top. "What do I do? I didn't expect him to come! He's the last person I'd ever expect to knock on my door... ever!"

"Well you should tell him he better high-tail his anti-social ass back home befor-"

"Why on earth would I do that?" asked Serena incredulously. "I think I'm gonna let him do it. And then I'll offer him some hot cocoa! Oh my god... maybe he'll even talk to me while we drink our cocoa! And I'm wearing my favorite onesie, the pink giraffe-print one that you and Hilda said I look super cute in! And my mom isn't home, so it'll just be the two of us! Yes!"

"T_T ... Y'know what? Foolproof plan. You're a genius." droned Shauna, realizing Serena wasn't going to let her complete a full-length sentence any time soon. "Enjoy your cocoa and company."

"I will!" squealed Serena, hanging up the phone.

Ready to put her plan into action, Serena approached the front door, opening it again. Red was still there, standing the same exact way he was when she closed the door, with the same look on his face as well. Serena gave him a warm smile, which spurred a phenomenon she'd never seen before: his eyes... for just a split second, widened.

"It'd be great if you shoveled the driveway," she said calmly. "thank you so much."

Red nodded, grabbed his shovel, and walked down the steps of the porch, immediately getting to work. As she closed her door, Serena could have sworn she'd seen yet another glitch in the Matrix, another sight that not many in the world could sincerely claim to have seen: Red's smile. It was a closed-mouth smile, and it wasn't a big one either, but it was a smile nonetheless. Serena sighed in adoration. He was definitely a cutie.

"I hope this works." she said, fully closing her door.

...

1 hour later...

...

*knock* *knock*

"Coming!~~" sang Serena as she emerged from the kitchen, pocketbook in hand. She opened the door, revealing a heavily breathing Red, as well as a neatly cleared driveway. "Oh wow... you did an amazing job, you're a life saver."

Red nodded.

"Thank you." said Serena, opening her pocketbook. "15 dollars, right?"

Red nodded.

"By the way," started Serena, reaching for her money. "would you like some hot co-"

Suddenly, Serena felt a massive shift in The Force. She froze, her eyes slowly traveling down to her pocketbook. There was only a single bill in it... and it was a 10. She looked up at Red, who, as usual, simply stared back. Serena pulled out the 10, an absolutely mortified look on her face. This was not part of the plan. Where had all her money gone? When did she deplete her funds to a measly 10 dollars? Why didn't she take out more from the ATM? Why didn't she check how much money she had before letting Red shovel her driveway? So many questions, no immediate answers.

"I am so sorry..." she apologized, her voice losing it's liveliness. "I only have 10 dollars. I swear I thought I had more! I really did..."

Red shrugged, putting his hand out. Clearly it wasn't that big of a deal to him.

"Are you sure?" asked Serena, handing him the 10-dollar bill.

Red nodded.

"I feel bad though... I have to repay you. It's not fair that I didn't pay the full price." declared Serena, realizing her plan could still be executed. "Would you like to come inside for some hot chocolate? It's the least I can do..."

Serena waited for a response from Red, who seemed to be pondering whether to accept Serena's offer or not. After what were some of the most nerve-wracking seconds of Serena's entire week, a decision was made.

Red nodded.

"Great!" beamed Serena, taking a few steps back. "Come in! It's very warm in here, I'm sure you're cold."

Red... nodded. He then slowly entered the Yvonne household, removing his boots at the entrance. His coat went next, revealing a red plaid flannel shirt underneath. Serena quietly took the coat from his hands, hanging it on the coat-rack in the corner. When she turned back to Red, his gloves and hat were removed as well, revealing surprisingly smooth-looking hands and a head of messy mid-length black hair.

With all his snow gear off, Red looked at Serena, his hands slowly retreating into his pockets. He looked just the slightest bit uncomfortable with being in a house that wasn't his own, with the only person home seeming to be this almost overly-polite girl in a pink onesie. Plus... he recognized this girl. From school. Of course they'd never interacted before... but she was one of the faces he'd come to recognize as "that girl" whenever he happened to pass her in the hallway. From what he saw of her in school - lots of popularity, lots of nice clothes, all the teachers' favorite student, and many friends - he'd never really thought of her as someone he'd like to interact with very much.

But he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't looking forward to some hot chocolate, the quintessential post-shoveling drink. So, wondering what the next few minutes were going to entail, he followed Serena into the kitchen.

The house had already smelled great when he came in, but the smell of the kitchen was on a totally different level. A chocolaty aroma filled the air, with minor hints of cinnamon and nutmeg swirling in the atmosphere as well.

The hot chocolate was already made. In a large pot on the stove it lay steaming and ready for consumption, a ladle hanging out of it.

"Do you like marshmallows in your cocoa?" asked Serena, snapping Red out of his trance.

Red nodded, gingerly taking a seat at the table.

"Does he talk at all...?" thought Serena, filling the largest cup she owned with hot chocolate. She then proceeded to coat the top in mini marshmallows, passing the cup to Red when the drink was complete. "Here you go."

Red slowly grabbed the cup, grinning in anticipation. Serena marveled at how white his teeth were. They weren't exactly perfect in terms of spacing, there were one or two gaps... but they were white.

"My name's Serena by the way, Serena Yvonne." said Serena, pouring some hot cocoa for herself as well. She then took the seat across from Red at the table. "So Red... I really don't want to sound rude or anything... but do you talk? You're very quiet... both here and at school."

Red closed his eyes as he sipped his cocoa, exhaling after he did so. Upon completing this action, he opened his eyes and shook his head. He then reached into his pocket, pulling out a notepad, as well as a ballpoint pen. He jotted down a few words and slid both objects across the table to Serena, who stared at them with a blank expression. The handwriting was a little sloppy, but legible.

"I can't. Well, I CAN, but I choose not to."

Serena frowned. He chose not to? Was he training to be a mime or something? She quickly wrote some words of her own on the notepad, promptly sliding it back to Red.

"Why do you choose not to?"

Red read the question, immediately hesitating after, seeming to wonder if he should really give her the answer. Serena patiently waited for him to write. Eventually, he did, and it wasn't a short answer. He was writing a small paragraph. Upon completion of his answer, he took a deep breath and slid the notepad back to Serena, immediately reaching for his hot chocolate after. Serena read the paper.

"My parents and I got into a bad car accident over this past summer, back in June. The car was totaled. I was the only one that made it out alive... barely. There was a lot of scrap metal lodged in my throat. Luckily I survived and got it all removed, but my voice is still very damaged. I now live with my aunt and uncle, which is why I moved here. So yes, I can still talk, but if you heard my voice... you'd understand why I carry around a pen and paper."

Serena brought a hand to her mouth, shocked at what he had written. She looked up at Red, who was nonchalantly sipping more of his cocoa, eyes closed yet again. She quickly wrote some words of her own on the paper, sliding it back to Red. Red opened his eyes to the sight of a very guilty-looking Serena, as well as his notepad in front of him. He read the new words written on it.

"I'm so sorry for asking. I feel so bad now, everyone in school's got such a wrong picture of you painted in their heads..."

Red shrugged, wrote some more on the notepad, and passed it back. Serena read.

"It's whatever to me. We graduate in 4 months, I'm not really trying to make new friends at this point anyway."

"No friends at all?" she asked aloud, her voice soft. "Haven't you been lonely though?"

Red sipped the last of his cocoa before shaking his head. Serena could almost literally feel her heart breaking when she saw the look on his face. He was trying to look indifferent to the matter... but all Serena saw in his eyes were deep sorrow and even deeper loneliness. His story was so sad... so sad that she suddenly felt like punching the daylights out of 70% of her classmates for ostracizing this poor guy, who was already going through hard times before moving to a new town and school. It wasn't fair... and starting at that very moment, Serena was going to take it upon herself to fix it.

"What if... what if I want to be your friend?" she asked sheepishly.

Red stared at her blankly.

"Can I be your friend?" continued a blushing Serena, passing Red her cup of hot chocolate. She hadn't touched it since she prepared it, and she could tell by how much he seemed to enjoy his first cup that he probably wouldn't be opposed to having another one. "Please?"

Before Red could do anything, the two were suddenly shrouded in total darkness. Both of them looked up, realizing the lights had turned off... as well as every other appliance and electronic in the kitchen. The hum of the refrigerator had gone silent, and the microwave's clock had gone dead. The power had gone out.

"The power..." mumbled Serena, reaching for her cell phone. "But how? The snowstorm's pretty much over. Why did it go out now?"

Serena grabbed her phone, turning on the flashlight. The first thing she saw was Red, cup of cocoa in hand. He was looking towards the direction of the foyer, where the dim light provided by the front door's windows streamed in. Both teens walked towards the area, and halfway there, the sound of harsh winds could be heard. Once reaching the front door, they both peered out the windows.

Snow was falling. Hard.

"Another blizzard?!" exclaimed Serena in disbelief. "How...?"

Red could be heard facepalming. Suddenly, it made sense to him why little to no one let him shovel their driveways. If only he had checked the forecast before leaving home earlier...

"Red..." said Serena, turning to the bummed out teen. Her voice was full of worry. "How are you going to get back home?"

Red frowned. The massive clumps of snow falling, combined with the violent winds, made it clear that walking home wasn't going to be possible. He could barely even see the house across the street, let alone find his way home. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Well... you could stay here, til the storm ends..." she said, uncertainty in her voice. But all of a sudden, her demeanor changed. "No, actually, you have to stay here til the storm ends. I won't let you go out in this type of weather. It's too dangerous."

Red opened his mouth slightly, raising both eyebrows.

"Come on," said the honey-blonde, grabbing Red's hand. She led him back into the kitchen. "Let's light some candles, as well as the fireplace. It's going to get cold in here soon if the power stays down, so I'll get some blankets too. Text your par... your aunt and uncle, and explain the situation. You're most likely going to be here for a while..."

...

3 hours later...

...

Nearly three hours had passed since the power had gone out, and the situation had not improved in the slightest. The snow was falling even harder, Mother Nature swift in delivering her icy wrath upon the Kalos region. The sun had set, meaning the windows no longer provided any of the soft light they had before. And most of all... the temperature in the Yvonne household was dropping, fast. The only area that was somewhat warm was the living room, due to the heat provided by the burning logs in the fireplace.

Two cups of hot chocolate (though a more accurate name for them would be 'lukewarm chocolate' at this point) lay stationed by the hearth, while two teens sat not too far away, both wrapped in blankets. A game of Connect Four stood between them, a game near its finish.

"Your turn." said Serena, dropping her black piece in the furthest left slot.

Red grinned, something he'd begun to do more often in the past three hours. He dropped a red piece in the next slot over, a satisfied look on his face. Serena raised an eyebrow, wondering why he looked so proud of himself... until she looked at the board. Red had connected not four, but five.

"Oh... You win I guess." she said with a smile, clearing the board. "What do you want to play now?"

Red eyed the stack of board games Serena had retrieved from her closet. They'd played all of them already: Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Scrabble...

He responded to Serena's question with a yawn. Of course, this prompted Serena to yawn as well. She pulled out her phone, checking the time. 8:32pm. A little early to go to sleep, but given the circumstances, it didn't seem like a bad option. It was better to fall asleep than to stay awake and wait for the house to get even colder.

"I guess you'll be spending the night...?" she asked, returning Connect 4 to its box.

Red sighed, the sounds of the harsh winds outside echoing through the house.

"Okay... well I guess the best place for you to sleep is here in the living room." replied Serena, grabbing her cup of hot cocoa. "At least there's a fire down here."

Red nodded. Serena stood up, picking up some extra blankets they hadn't used yet as well as some pillows from the couches, creating makeshift bed by the fireplace for Red. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a flashlight, handing it to him.

"If you need to use the bathroom, it's down that hall, first door on the left." she said, pointing towards the hallway. "I'll be sleeping up in my room. If you need anything, just knock on my door... it's the last door on the right."

Red nodded. Serena smiled.

"Well then... goodnight, Red."

Red stood to his feet and pulled Serena into an awkward hug, thanking her for her hospitality. Startled, Serena slowly returned the hug. The embrace lasted for a while, slowly feeling more natural, before Serena reluctantly ended it.

"I'll see you in the morning." she said, picking up her blanket. "Hopefully the storm will have passed by then."

Red nodded, laying down in the bed Serena had made for him. And with that, Serena retreated to her room, sighing in content. The day had been an interesting one filled with unforeseen happenings and obstacles... but she wouldn't have traded a single moment of it away. Red was a gentle soul, and she had truly loved the time she had spent with him, no matter how cold they were. It was a nice, tranquil time with the most unlikely of people, as well as the most misunderstood. Her perspective of their time together had drastically changed from when he first knocked on her door. Back then, she was only curious about him... but now, she cared for him. She cared for him a lot. She could feel the seeds of a new friendship - and perhaps something else given the right nurturing - being planted. She enjoyed all of it, every cold moment, so much that she'd just have to tell Shauna all about it the next day...

...

~middle of the night~

...

Bitter cold. Howling winds. Shivering. Breath visible and eyes half open, Serena groggily sat up. Mumbling indecipherable nonsense, she slid out of her bed, exiting her room. Muscle memory and nothing else led her body down the hall and down the stairs to the living room, where the remaining embers of the fire snapped, crackled, and popped. She approached the glowing remains of the once powerful fire, slowly descending. As she nestled against the warm body next to the hearth, her blue eyes closed themselves, a sigh escaping her lips. Right before fully returning to her slumber, what little consciousness her mind had produced took note of one final event, perhaps the most welcomed of the night...

The arms of a sleeping boy subconsciously wrapping themselves around her and holding her close, promising to keep her warm throughout the night.

So what did you all think? Please drop some reviews, along with some suggestions for future one-shots. Of course my actual stories are going to be my priority, but who knows... maybe one of your ideas will show up the next time I post a one-shot, whenever that'll be.

Thanks for reading,

~DarkSlash9