A/N: Yes it's that time again. another small fluff fic from yours truly.
Unlike the last one this one will be understood by any who have played through Megaman BattleChip Challenge with Mary as the chosen character.
There's a couple of exchanges between them that kinda made me think: They look like a cute couple of people who seem doomed to be alone...
Plus it's insinuated with one of Ring's lines that the navi has a crush on Protoman (hence the mention of her stealing him XD)
Anyway, before I ramble on too long I should get top letting you read this story.
A sigh broke the air, it wasn't one of boredom as much as it was of a feeling of longing. The fragile blonde was leaning on the windowsil, looking out of it, with her PET near her elbow.
"Something wrong Mary?" the girl's ever excitable, and unique, netnavi asked out of the blue.
Mary fiddled with the pink bow in her long and curly hair, "I... don't know. It's just felt like something's been missing since we came back here, Ring," She replied. Her normally pink dress was slightly darkener than usual and the red sleeves were wrinkled.
"What? Even with your friends from ACDC visiting?" Ring asked, confused as to why this could be.
Mary nodded and pushed herself off the windowsil to stand up straight, picking up the PET as she did so, looking at the yellow and blue navi with her locks of ring-shaped hair, "You don't feel it then?"
Ring blinked a moment before a slight blush appeared on her normally happy features, "Oh um... kinda," she mumbled awkwardly.
Mary noticed this and a breif smile crossed her features, "I see your crush hasn't faded then," the blond teased.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean!" Ring asked, obviously oblivious to Mary's insinuation.
Mary giggled at Ring's outburst before saying, "You up for another trip back to ACDC?"
"I don't think Mr Towa's going to let you," the navi repliued with a defeated sigh.
"Doesn't hurt to try... come on." Mary giggled again before heading towards the other side of the mansion at a slow walk, Ring only rolled her eyes, her meeting Lan had made her a lot bolder and her father hated it.
With their orders given Official Netbattlers filed out of the office of their suiperior, said male was now lapsing back into an unfocussed string of thoughts about the past.
His PET's mail program beeped and the navi, ever dutiful, alerted the official to it's contents, "It's a message from your commander, Sir. I'll read it: To Chaud; All of we official netbattlers can see that you are growing fatigued from your work. So we have deigned to give few a few weeks leave from your duties. We hope you use them well. That's it sir."
Chaud looked towards the PET and blinked, "So they're telling us to take a break?"
"It appears that was the case, sir. It is an offical e-mail as well." the navi replied, "What are your plans?"
The official stood up, picking his PET up and shrugged, "I don't know. I didn't plan to have time off anytime soon, and it's mot like we'd be too welcome just wondering around, Protoman."
The navi nodded and noticed another mail come in, he paused, looking confused for a momnent.
"Who's it from?" Chaud asked.
Protoman took in a breath then finally said, "Mary Towa." Chaud raised an eyebrow but said nothing, "Shall I read it?" Chaud nodded, "Very well: To Chaud: I know you've likely got a lot on your plate, with your standing among the officials, but I thought I'd let you know that me and Ring plan to visit ACDC again for a while." He paused in his reading, "There's a part here which is apparantly not for my eyes."
Chaud raised his eyebrow again before saying, "Show it to me then." After reading the small note four times to finally get the words to sink in he smiled, only just holding back a small chuckle.
"Sir?" Protoman inquired.
"We'll be heading to ACDC station first, and wait for the Maglev from Netopia to arrive." he smiled and began to walk out of the official's recently constructed HQ. It had been a good many years since he saw that meek girl, and the frankly rather embarrassingly childish navi, during the days of the battlechip GP, which was long before the threat of the cybeasts reared it's head.
All the teal-haired male knew was that we was unusually joyous about her return.
"Absolutely not!" Mr Towa said with a raised voice, "I will not have such a fragile girl wondering around a place like that again! Who knows what the people there would do to you?"
Mary sighed, her father was as stubborn as usual, "Just because I have a pacemaker doesn't mean I'm fragile! It's true I can't be too active but that's no excuse to keep me from visiting my friends!"
"Yeah, It's not like Lan or Chaud would let anything happen to her either!" Ring chimed in.
"Ring has a point," The gruff voice of Mr Towa's navi rumbled from the man's PET.
"I know that..." He relented and finally said, "Then be careful Mary."
Mery giggled and hugged her father, "Thank you!" she then promptly turned and walked back to her room to prepare for the journey while Ring hopped onto the Net to go and pay for the maglev tickets in advance. She smiled wider when Ring returned, successful, and she left for the nearby Maglev Station.
Chaud had dozed off during the two hour wait, something Protoman snapped him out of when the sound of a Maglev approaching the station met the Navi's ears, "Sir. The Maglev is pulling in." he stated.
Chaud murmured something then stirred, thanking the red navi and looking towards the station, partially glad that Protoman had gone and checked when the Maglev from Netopia would be arriving. He scanned the faces of those disembarking. If Mary was there she would already have been lost in the crowd, but he spotted someone paused in their movements then approach him. The pink bow in blonde hair was immediately recognizable. Chaid did something that few had ever seen: he smiled.
"Long time no see Chaud." She greeted him, some surprise in her voice, "D-don't you have work?"
The official shook his head, "They've given me a couple of weeks free time as a rest from my duties,"
"Your fatigue was at the point of being physically obvious, sir." Protoman commented earning a giggle from Ring.
Chaud ignored this and continued, "So I thought I'd start spending it by coming down to make sure you'd arrived safely."
Mary smiled,"Well, I'm down here for a few weeks and in the excitement of getting Father to relent, we forgot to make arragements for somewhere to stay," she said with a slight bit of embarrassment.
Chaud raised his eyebrow at this then extended a hand, "I have a spare room, if you don't mind the small space." he said, remembering that the guest room was half as big as most bedrooms were nowadays.
Mary smiled, taking the hand, "Thank you, Chaud."
While the two walked and talked, catching up, they passed the sound of kissing which, to Mary's surprise was Lan and Mayl. Both NetOps rolled their eyes at Ring commenting on their cuteness, Protoman mentioning that some had said them getting together was meant to happen.
It was a few minutes later when the two arrived at Chaud's home, he'd decided to live alone in Electopia once he finished education and the house wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either, nor was it elaborately furnished. With a short detour to the guest room neither of them noticed that ring had coerced Protoman to spend time with her on the Net.
The next few days were uneventful at most, mostly Chaud not knowing what to do with all this free time he found he had, and Mary visiting Yai and Mayl (although the latter visit was cut short by the pink haired girl going on another date.) and it had gotten to the point where the two were merely sat in the lounge watching TV, yet not really paying attention.
Mary looked down slightly, noticing Ring was gone from the PEt again, "I think Ring's stolen Protoman again, "She commented with a hiunt of humour."
Chaud laughed, "Looks like the bit you didn't want him to see is true then... and I think it's starting to go the other way to."
Mary giggled, "You think so?"
The teal-haired male nodded, "Why else do you think he puts up with her naivety? It's not like I told him to."
The blonde looked at him and caught his gaze, holding it for a moment before looking away, blushing.
"Something up?" he asked, noticing the blush, but not realizing one of his own was forming.
"Oh um... N-n-n-nothing..." She stammered, sounding a little flustered. If it weren't kept in check by her pacemaker her heart would have skipped a beat when he felt his hand on her shoulder, his normally serious expression had been replaced by a warm, almost benevolent, smile. That smile reminded her the actual reason why she wanted to come down here. Finding her voice again she asked, "Wh-why did you l-look out for me a-and Ring so much a-all that time ago?"
Chaud blinked, not noticing his blush grow, "In the BattlehipGP? I don't know actually... I guess I felt a slight connection between us. Why?"
"I think it was more then that," she replied nervously. Chaud treated her to a curious look so she continued, "I think it was this talking..." She said at a slightly lower volume, her finger touching his chest where the heart was.
Choud didn't know what to say... being socially isolated for so long of his own desire had made his mind unknowing of what to do here. Mary too didn't know what to do here so what happened next was on impulse, she leaned closer and kissed him.
The result was a wide-eyed Chaud for a few breif moments before then hand on her shoulder moved to her back as he eventually returned the kiss.
After the short kiss Mary blinked a few times before laying her head on him, snuggling in, she didn't say anything.
Chaud had one arm wrapped around her, the other hand was on her cheek as he gazed into her eyes, "I think you're right..." he finally whispered to her...
Neither of them had to be alone anymore.
A/N: I can already hear some people going "Awww!" at this, after all, even in character (extensive research on the megaman wikia was used to ensure this) the two do seem made for each other. There are a few wrtier's liberties here and there... like what Chaud did between being a top official and leaving eduication and what happened to Mary after MMBCC.
Anyway, I hope you enjoied this little story. (third one I've done so far and there's likely to be more to come!). The unusual schedule of whenever games become too boring so I can write for Dissidia arcanum should be restarting very soon!
'Till then I bid you adieu!