It's kind of like you're a rock star & I want your autograph on my heart;;;
-Blue/Leaf
I.
Leaf has a secret passion for photography. She's always sprinting around Kanto with her 35 MM Pentax swinging from her neck, capturing moments that people never have the time to notice. (Like the one photograph Leaf managed to capture in winter of a young girl learning how to ice skate with a pair of Jynx holding her upright. Or that one sunrise with two Pikachu sitting side by side, watching it together.) She's supposed to be a trainer, a pretty damn tough one at that, with no time for her own passions. Leaf is supposed to be spending her time training her Pokemon to be the best that they can be.
(She gave up on that a long time ago, trying to be number one. It was always going to be Blue's role anyways.)
Leaf remembers when she still lived in Pallet Town, with Blue and Red right there besides her, searching for adventures and living them out. (Those days are long since gone, sweetheart.) Red was the quiet hero always coming to the rescue, Blue the dashing and suave hero that always received the credit, with Leaf playing the damsel in distress. Until now, she had never really understood that the good ol' days were auditions for the roles that they now played with total aplomb. But Leaf broke away; Refused to play the role she had assigned herself.
(It really doesn't matter if she can capture Blue's attention anymore, she's got her camera to replace the gaping hole in her heart.)
II.
Leaf sees Blue for the first time in eight months while she's passing through Viridian City. His hair is totally different from the haircut he had as a kid; It's spiky in all the right places now, and is a totally different shade of brown than she remembers. His clothes have a subtle hint at being a casual cool (he's the only guy who can pull off a simple t-shirt and jeans combo, and look that damn good in them.) Blue is the only person that she can see right now as she seeks out his bright, mischievous, blue-gray eyes.
What she realizes, after a few moments, is that he's surrounded by screaming girls with his name rolling off of their lips (damn him for having such a name that can sound good with anyone's voice). He doesn't even see her, caught up in the glam and glitz that has accompanied him with his new job of gym leader. Strangely enough, Blue looks downright happy, something she thought only she could bring out in him.
(It hurts so fucking badly that she's losing her breath, and is slowly going numb from her toes up.)
Before Leaf processes it, she's on the ground, kneeling on the dirt. Her hands are actually clutching at her chest, desperately seeking something to hold onto (her lungs, her heart, it doesn't matter, as long as it's a way to transfer her pain out of her.) Leaf is still gasping for breath, struggling to find the strength to get away from this god awful spot.
"Leaf?" A voice whispers to her (that painfully familiar voice that used to say that she was going to be fine if she scrapped her knee when she was five.), coming closer towards her. She looks up to see that, yes, it is Blue prying his way out of his suffocating group of fan girls. Suddenly, Leaf finds that strength that she was seeking, and is propelling herself away from him with speed that would rival an Arcanine.
(Leaf looks back to see Blue standing there, left in her dust, looking absolutely heartbroken. It doesn't shatter her own heart to see him like this.)
III.
She hasn't left her house in quite a few days, too crushed at what her Blue has become. It shouldn't come as a surprise to her that he was always looking for the fame and fortune (he was the Champion for a few days before Red came along), and loved to rub it in peoples' faces that he was superior to them. But it does, it comes as hard and fast as a ninety mile-per-hour baseball. Leaf didn't expect this new version of Blue to come as a shocking surprise, or to be this painful.
Since she hasn't been running around Kanto, taking gorgeous photos of her beloved region (escaping anything that has to do with Blue), she's been stuck watching the TV. The television has nonstop programs all declaring little known facts about Blue.
(Even in her own home, she can't escape Blue, even if she tries.)
"Blue, Blue! Can you tell us why you're so anxious to come home?" She hears someone from the paparazzi shouting at someone outside (three guesses who, dear.), blaring through the supposedly soundproof window of the living room. And, subconsciously, Leaf leans closer towards the window anxiously waiting for Blue to answer them.
Silence followed quickly by a slam door is his reply, and she doesn't know whether to be worried out of her mind, or relieved beyond belief. The reporters outside also fall into silence, and the daylight fades into the pitch black night sky. Leaf quickly turns on her stereo, trying to lose herself in the beats.
(The music isn't loud enough to drown out the unnatural silence that she's now drowning in.)
IV.
Blue hasn't been able to sleep since he saw Leaf run away from him in Viridian City. His heart has been shouting obscenities, and it's been really hard to actually focus on something that doesn't relate to Leaf.
(She's making him feel like a fallen star that has completely burnt up with its own flames. And he's not used to feeling quite so humble.)
It's two o'clock A.M., and his thoughts just won't stop buzzing. Maybe it's because he feels confined and uncomfortable in his own room. There is too much dust lingering on the surfaces, the air is musty, and the memories of his childhood are suffocating him without mercy.
(He's Blue. Arrogant, popular, might as well be a rock star, Blue. He shouldn't be feeling the way he does; It's not natural.)
So that's why he finds himself outside of Leaf's house fifteen minutes later, hoping that she'll give him a second chance for being her friend. Which is completely weird, and out of character for him. (but she's so totally worth it and that's really all he cares about). Blue can hear music loudly playing from her window, and like he's a storybook knight, he grabs a handful of pebbles,
"Leaf! Psst!" He tosses one at her window, hoping that he doesn't happen to wake up her mom (he can't imagine that going over any better than it will with Leaf herself.). The music lowers, and there's a shadow hesitating by the window. Seconds tick by, turning into long, anxious minutes.
The window he's been staring at, finally unlocks, and there's Leaf.
Leaf's tea green eyes, aren't particularly disappointed or sad, like he thought they would be; No, there's an unusual anger (overshadowing her hurt) lighting her eyes, and it makes Blue feel even worse.
"What do you want, Blue?" She sighs, her voice a musical whisper.
"I… I…" He stutters, unable to say the words he wants to, because they are (metaphorically) choking him. He's become that unsure little boy, who just wanted to play games with Red and Leaf, once more in an instant.
"Spit it out." Leaf unconsciously straightens into an upward position, obviously frustrated with him, and folds her arms across her chest.
(He so wants to, but it is getting harder for him to swallow his pride.)
"Leaf…" He pauses, and forces himself to look directly into her eyes before continuing. "I'm sorry."
Leaf's posture has somewhat (only by a millimeter) relaxed, but there is a frown gracing her face. Which makes Blue desperately wish that he had stuck around more when she was still growing up, because if he had, he probably would know what she was thinking.
She only gives a reply of a slow head nod, and immediately closes her window. Blue flinches; Her silence is even worse than words that are beyond normal human decibels. It's slowly, painfully and horribly slowly, sinking into his system that no amount of words are going to fix this problem that he's created.
(It hurts so much worse than the surrounding silence.)
So it's only natural that he sinks down into the damp grass, and leans against the nearest oak to slowly fall asleep. Sadly, no dreams come to him, even with Leaf on his mind.
V.
Blue wakes up to find himself buried beneath old leaves, and on his side, a few feet away from where he was originally sleeping at. The clouds he can see through the trees are an angry blackish-blue, ready to start dousing Pallet Town with equally angry raindrops.
(He feels pretty much the same as tears start to cloud his vision.)
He hasn't felt this way in a while, not since Red went to train on Mt. Silver. But, it isn't really surprising that Leaf is stirring up these emotions (anger and redemption top the list), and not adding oil to his fire. Just like Red, which makes him cringe.
These feelings are too much to contain, and it's not really surprising that he kicks a few trees in the process of walking back towards his house. The wood staying firm beneath his angry feet aren't nearly as relieving as he had hoped they would be.
VI.
He's gone back to Viridian City, and days pass even more slowly than usual. His frustration has been pinned into the back corner of his mind (along with thoughts of Leaf). Blue keeps hoping for a challenger to come unleash it on, or even that Kotone girl to at least call him, searching for a gym leader to re-battle. But no one does, and that just agitates his irritation with himself even more.
It's been at least a week since he's apologized to Leaf, and as much as he tries to push the thoughts away, they come back with a vengeance even more ferocious then he thought that he was capable of. But what really stands out, clear as the tidal bell that Kotone owns, are Leaf's jade eyes looking at him with hurt.
"Blue, sir?" His lead trainer politely interrupts his thoughts, standing quite a few feet away from him. Blue blinks, and shoves his hands in his pockets, signaling her to continue. "There is a trainer that wishes to speak with you."
"Finally." He mutters underneath his breath. The girl stands aside, to reveal this trainer that wants to speak with him.
The trainer is Leaf.
Blue might as well be inside Blaine's gym, because the temperature has become unbearably hot, and it is pretty damn terrifying to see her on his turf. He's ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that his fear is showing on his face. It makes him want to scream and curse, because it is so unlike him, and he cannot have that.
Leaf, on the other hand, is the picture of serenity. She's got that smile of a thousand suns painted on her face, with the air around her projecting a sea of calm and confidence. She always has been someone to command peoples' attention without too much trouble.
"Good afternoon, Blue." Leaf greets him with an accent that reminds him of long days spent in Pallet Town.
"Same to you, Leaf." It's harder then he thought it would be to say that to her. Her face scrunches into a frown, indicating that she's thinking of what to say to him. He realizes that his voice sounded cold, harsh, and devoid of that wonderful accent that she possesses. It had taken a few months to drill himself into a neutral voice.
"I wanted… To apologize for not accepting your apology a few weeks ago." She finally says to him, letting her hands find each other behind her back. Blue feels his jaw go slack; A few weeks had passed him, and he hadn't even known.
"A few weeks?" He asks her in disbelief. And this earns him a small smile from Leaf.
"A few weeks, Mr. Hotshot." Leaf's smile grows, and takes a few steps closer. "So I was wondering…"
Blue can feel his fear grow into anticipation. "Anything, Leaf." He rashly promises her, eager to get back into her good graces.
"I was hoping you would say that." Leaf grins, flashing her pearl white teeth. "First, you have to hang out with me on a daily basis."
"Done." He smiles back at her, breaking the distance between them.
"And…" She drags the word out, still smiling deviously at him.
"And?" His face conveys a perfect look of confusion, waiting for her to explain.
"I want an autograph from you." She hands him a pen, and offers him her hand.
"Okay, okay!" He laughs, and accepts both. He knows that what they've got is another chance at that happy ending they've been searching for, and he won't let it go without a fight. She's the only one that can put up with him, and make him want to be a better guy for her.
With no reluctance, he uncaps the sharpie she had gave him (blue, of course), and signs his name right over her heart. If possible, her grin becomes even wider and brighter, and suddenly she's pulling him out of his gym and taking him to search for a new adventure.
(He can't ignore that feeling of sparks igniting within him for the first time, and he realizes that he never wants it to go away.)
A/N:: What did you all think? It's not my first Pokemon fanfic, but I just think it turned out super cute! :]