Prompt: "Iris/Bianca, because they were so absolutely adorable in Castelia.
In which Bianca doesn't realize that she's being taken on a date. Or does, but slowwwly.
We'll pretend Iris is older than ten or something."
Pairing: Iris/Bianca
URL: thread=5424979#t5424979
Format for the URL is pokanon[dot]livejournal[dot]com[slash]1363[dot]html[question mark], followed by the above thread equals etc.
A/N: I'm happy with how this turned out! Perhaps it's not long enough, but...
Sunlight streamed down bright and clear on the Docks Café, where the two girls sat under a striped umbrella, afforded a beautiful view of the pristine blue ocean. Iris was the one who had suggested they meet there, and Bianca, happy at the chance to see her again, had enthusiastically agreed. Iris wasn't occupied as often as a full-time Gym Leader, but opportunities to Fly out to other cities were still limited enough.
"This is really good!" exclaimed Bianca, taking a sip of her watermelon 'melonade.' "You should try some!"
"Sure." Iris leaned forward and swiped the straw practically from Bianca's lips, and slurped up a mouthful of the sweet drink.
"Hey—" Bianca half-reached out to grab the glass back, but stopped herself. "I meant you should get your own," she pouted.
Iris giggled, returning the melonade to its rightful owner. "Sorry. Hey, you want desert?"
"Umm..." Bianca mulled it over, reaching absentmindedly for the typically short desert menu. "What do they have?"
"We can get it some other place," said Iris with a smile. "I'll take you anywhere you want."
Bianca's face lit up. "I know! Let's go get Castelia Cones!"
"Okay." Iris caught their server's eye and procured the bill for their lunch. Seeing the girl put down enough money to pay for the whole meal, Bianca asked, "Aren't we gonna split it?"
"No." Iris gave her a funny look. "I mean, thanks, but I'll pay."
They exited the café, their view now one of the bustling metropolis and its many inhabitants, all crisscrossing the asphalt on their way to a myriad of destinations. Smiling, Iris hooked her arm around Bianca's. "Lead the way!"
And so they set off together into the crowd milling about the sun-soaked street, some stopping at stores, salons, and food shops, some allowing themselves to be waylaid by vendors selling all manner of unnecessary must-haves and roadside delicacies, and some simply walking along. Bianca and Iris laughed the whole way to the ice cream stand, be it from Iris pointing out a man who looked just like an Amoongus or from Bianca's impression of Drayden's growls.
When they reached the renowned frozen treat venue, there was a long line of everyone from Trainers to office workers stretching more than a block from the storefront. Bianca groaned when she saw it. "I should've known, on a hot day like this..."
Iris gave her a squeeze. "Hey, it doesn't look that bad. It'll be over before we know it."
Bianca didn't look convinced. "I guess we aren't getting Castelia Cones."
Iris was silent for a moment, then she grabbed Bianca's arm. "Come on, silly." She led Bianca to the front of the line and stepped in front of the frontmost customer. To the man at the service window, she said "Two Castelia Cones, please."
"What are you doing?" whispered Bianca, mortified. "You can't cut in line!"
The young businessman behind them shared her sentiment. "Excuse me," he said none too politely, reaching out a hand to tap Bianca on the shoulder, "but the end of the line is back there."
Iris rounded on him, her red-brown eyes flashing. "Do you have a problem with me? Because I know you aren't giving my friend a hard time." Maybe it was a trick of the light, but for a moment her irises seemed a lot more red than brown. "Are you?"
The man swallowed reflexively, embarrassed the next second for the nervous action but unable to bring himself to say anything. He turned away, beginning to rummage in his briefcase as if something terribly important were buried in it.
Iris turned back to cashier, who hesitated briefly before turning prepare their order. He brought back two cones, Iris paid for them—this time Bianca said nothing—and they left the creamery.
"I'm sorry," said Iris as they sat at a lightly shaded table near a grassy park. "Of course that guy was mad; I shouldn't have done that. He was about to touch you, and I just...I don't know."
"Actually..." Bianca smiled embarrassedly. "I thought it was kind of cool."
"Really?" Iris struggled to keep from grinning, taking a lick of her ice cream.
"I guess they wouldn't dare stand up a Gym Leader," Bianca giggled.
"No, they wouldn't!" Iris couldn't help sounding smug, and she laughed at her own words. "It just seemed like you really wanted one of these, and I really wanted to get you one."
As if reminded of its presence, Bianca started eating the icy desert, licking her lips contentedly. She smiled at Iris. "Thanks for sticking up for me."
"I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I didn't!" said Iris with pride.
Boyfriend? Bianca shrugged mentally, unable to decipher what the other girl meant, and continued snacking. Noticing Iris was nursing her cone by comparison, she said, "What's the matter? Don't you like it?"
"It's all right," Iris replied. "Cold things just aren't my favorite."
"Why?"
"Well, dragons are weak to the cold."
Bianca laughed. "Are you a dragon?"
"I don't know," said Iris, her red-tinted eyes gleaming mischievously. "What do you think?"
Bianca dropped her chin to her hands, leaning forward as if sizing Iris up. "Hmm. Well, can you fly?"
"Not all dragons fly! Like Kingdra, and Axew, and Shellgon..."
"Okay, okay. Do you...breathe fire?"
"Humm. I guess most of them do that. Yes, I breathe fire."
"What? You do not!"
"You wanna see?" Iris opened her mouth wide, drawing in a huge breath.
Bianca held up her hands to shield herself. "Haha, no, no! I believe you!"
"Good."
"Do you have fangs?"
"Well..." Iris bared her teeth, admittedly pointy incisors in view. "Eh?"
"Hmm..." Bianca stretched across the table to peer closer at the teeth in question. "Yep, I can definitely see fangs!"
She made to withdraw to her side of the table, but Iris leaned in and pecked her on the lips before she was out of reach. Bianca put a hand to her mouth. "Do dragons kiss people like that?"
"Sometimes," said Iris with a sly smile. "Ask me some more questions."
"Um, how about... Can you roar?"
Iris glanced around. "I think I better not. It might bring that office guy back, and he might have my weakness with him: a Castelia Cone."
Bianca threw back her head and laughed uncontrollably as Iris mimicked the cone creeping up on her and her terrified attempts to get away. "And then," she intoned, "he'd unleash the most powerful Ice-type attack..." She held the ice cream high in two hands like it was the Holy Grail. "Ice Cream Striiiike!"
Bianca banged on the table, her sides splitting with laughter. "And," she said breathlessly, "he'd finish you off with the Sprinkles of Doom!"
Both Trainers were beside themselves. People in the vicinity couldn't help but glance in their direction, and their gales of laughter brought a smile to more than one passer-by's face. At last their cracking up diminished to fits of giggles, and then finally they were able to sit straight in their seats. "I'm not going to finish this," said Iris, a broad smile still on her face. "Here, you take it."
"But it's got your spit all over it."
Iris chuckled at that. "You're not afraid of a little dragon spit, are you? Come on, if I have my way you're gonna be getting a lot more of my spit than this."
Bianca took the treat and wolfed it down, cone and all, in a few quick bites. "Now that's how a dragon eats," said Iris, getting up. "Let's go!"
"Let's go where?" queried Bianca, taking Iris's hand and following.
"Someplace quieter. Dragons like quiet."
Bianca allowed herself to be dragged in the direction Iris wanted. "You totally made that up."
"I did not!"
"Or maybe it's only dragons who can't roar who like quiet." Bianca smirked at Iris's mock-infuriated expression.
"For your information, dragons have very refined tastes!"
"Like rare meat?"
"You—!"
They exited the alley they had been traversing and came to a spot that was quieter indeed. It was a cobblestone plaza away from the hustle and bustle of the city proper, where a fountain burbled softly, coins catching the setting sun and winking from its basin, and a pleasant breeze rustled the makeshift sound barrier of the trees. They sat side by side on a comfortable bench situated near the water, and Iris took out a handful of coins to toss in, handing some to Bianca.
Sploosh. "I had a lot of fun today."
Sploosh. "Yeah, me too!"
Splash. "I got to learn all about dragons..."
Splish. "You got to kiss one, too."
Sploosh. "Heheh, yeah..."
Splash. "All in all, a great date—" Spelunk! "Ack, no, that was a Badge!"
Bianca paused as Iris leapt up and plunged her arms into the fountain to retrieve the Legend Badge. Had Iris said 'day?' No, she had definitely said 'date.'
Oh.
Date.
Oh.
"This doesn't look that much like a coin!" griped Iris as she returned to the bench, her sleeves sopping wet.
Bianca snapped out of her reverie. "Hey, you gave it to me!"
"Yeah, but!"
"So..." Bianca looked at Iris as she sat down. "You know how dragons kiss people?"
"Yeah...?"
"Well, was that really how they kiss? Usually?"
Iris stared at her for a moment, then a smile spread across her face. "No," she said, and planted her lips on Bianca's.
Bianca closed her eyes, letting the setting sun and Iris's fiery heat warm her, and kissing back as hard as she hoped was worthy for a dragon. When they finally parted, Iris wrapping an arm around her shoulders to make sure they didn't move too far apart, the blonde Trainer laughed and said, "So that was a real dragon kiss!"
"That was a real dragon's kiss," agreed Iris, then leaning in close and whispering "Maybe next time you'll get to see how a dragon kisses when she's really in the mood." Bianca shivered.
The sunset filled the silence for the next minute, bathing the entwined figures of the girls in golden light. At length, Bianca spoke up. "You know, about what dragons do... You still haven't..."
"I was just thinking the same thing," said Iris with a grin, and throwing her head back, she inhaled sharply and roared.
