Late

In the forest, Ruby was on his way back to the secret base. He cautiously looked at his sides whilst walking forward.

After a gruelling three days away from home, Ruby was now probably preparing for the worst: Sapphire. He missed her birthday, not on his own will though. Even though he had a reason for missing her birthday, he felt that he had to pay for his misgivings.

On the night before Sapphire's birthday, Norman had Ruby do something for him. Knowing that Sapphire's birthday was just on the horizon, Ruby tried to reason with his father despite the fact that his father rarely takes no as an answer. In the end, it was inevitable that he had to go back to his old home for three days.

Ruby didn't tell anyone about his task. He wasn't able to tell anyone because of certain circumstances. Even Emerald, who would often about Ruby's whereabouts, was left out. Because of this, Ruby felt guilty of his actions, and questioned how certain things just seemed to get in the way. He couldn't get out of his mind what either Sapphire or Emerald (mostly Sapphire) thought when they learned (or inferred) that he was suddenly gone.

It was habit that Ruby would disappear without telling anyone, but for this instance, he was ready to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness to Sapphire for being absent on her special day. Yet at the same time, he was stealthily moving across the forest, in the hope that he wouldn't be seen. He only wanted to go to the secret base, explain the shenanigans and hope everything will be fine.

It was around 3:30 in the afternoon when Ruby sighed in relief. He recognized his surroundings because he knew that he was nearing the secret base. As he passed by a trunk of a big tree, he saw a solitary figure in the middle of two thin trees just across the big tree he was standing next to. His heart immediately sunk. Before he could sneakily move away from his position, his eyes met with Sapphire's.

"Shit." Ruby muttered under his breath.

They looked at each other for a moment. At first, Sapphire was shocked to see Ruby, but soon her eyes closed and opened in anger. Ruby gulped in terror at the person slowly nearing him. He took a few steps back before hitting the go button and running away for his life. Yet it was a battle he already lost before it even started.

Sapphire grabbed Ruby by the collar and forcefully pushed him against a tree.

"Where the hell have you been?" She said in a menacing tone.

Ruby squirmed in place in fear of getting hit by Sapphire. He tried to shake Sapphire's hold off him but that was rendered useless by Sapphire's monstrous glare.

"Sapphire! I can explain! Just please put me down!" Ruby shrieked.

Sapphire neared her face closer to Ruby's so that her eyes were on level with his. She tightened her grip on his collar. Turning his head away, Ruby weakly raises his hands in reflex. Pathetically, he repeatedly whispering pleas to for Sapphire to stop.

"Every time, you always go on your own without even telling me, and it pisses me off! You better tell me what you did or else!"

There was no doubt that Sapphire was demanding an explanation for Ruby's absence over the past three days. His sudden absence worried her to the core because absolutely no one knew anything about Ruby when they were asked. Emerald knew nothing which was a first, nor did Professor Birch seem to know anything. She asked Ruby's parents but they remained quiet. Norman in particular gave a deep sigh of disappointment.

Being at the hands of Sapphire, Ruby realized how stupid his plan was. It was a lose-lose situation for him at the start. No matter what he would do, it would always arrived to where he was at the moment. If not, then his explanation wouldn't help at all. But he had to spill the beans all for a couple of reasons.

"I went to a wedding!"

"Eh...?"

Sapphire lightened her expression in confusion. She loosened her grip and quickly scanned Ruby. She looked at Ruby's ring finger just to make sure nothing was wrong.

"Explain."

"Put me down first, please!"

After hearing his excessive cries, Sapphire bitterly grumbled and put Ruby down. Ruby sighed in relief and straightened his collar which was crumpled as if it were paper.

"Jeez Sapphire, you ruined the shirt."

"Just shut up and explain!"

Sapphire shouted and glared once more at Ruby. She pushed Ruby to the tree with one hand. In return, Ruby only raised his hands in surrender.

"Ok... Like I said I went to a wedding."

Ruby looked unsure but Sapphire's intent look purge him on to continue.

"Dad was the one supposed to go since he was invited by the groom who was his friend from way back, but then he didn't want to go. Yet at the same time he didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings, especially since it was a very big occasion for his friend."

Ruby paused for a while to check whether Sapphire's reaction was changing before continuing.

"It looked like I was the candidate to help dad…" Ruby sighed. "I tried to reason but he wouldn't change his mind, so I had no choice but to do it. I did see why Dad didn't want to go..."

"…What happened in the wedding?"

Sapphire asked in a weak tone, almost seeming like she didn't want to ask.

"Nothing did really happen, to me at least. Some people did recognize me and I had some conversations, but other than that I didn't do that much. It wasn't really a fun experience if you're wondering..."

Ruby thought about his adventure back to his hometown. The wedding was on the 21st but travel to Johto took one day so he had to leave the day before. He couldn't help but say to himself "What a coincidence." Even though the feeling was nostalgic being back where he was raised, he couldn't help think what the everyone else was possibly back at Hoenn, and at the same time berate what life had in store for him.

Sapphire was thinking, which was an unusual sight. Her silence frightened Ruby.

"If you're wondering, I tried to contact you guys about it, but I had no reception for a long time. By the time I did get some signal, it was..."

Ruby stopped his own words, realizing that he would be revealing the truth that he purposely didn't call them just because he thought it was too late to do so. Of course, he didn't want to do that. He gritted his teeth and just hoped for the worst.

"You're an idiot."

Sapphire lightly punched Ruby with one hand and pouted.

"Er... Sorry..."

Ruby responded and scratched the back of his head, but Sapphire looked ready to rant.

"You were gone, but of all things, for a wedding!? It doesn't make sense! And of all the times for it to happen it just had to happen on my birthday!? What is with you!? What game are you playing? Because I'm telling you it's game over for you!…"

Sapphire shook Ruby's shoulders back and forth and Ruby looked like he was about to faint. After a while of one-sided play between the frantic two, Sapphire finally stopped. She sighed and looked at anything besides Ruby.

"I was worried..."

With a pout, Sapphire looked like she was angry but her tone said otherwise. Her words were short but there was extra meaning behind it. Ruby realized that and after catching a few breathes, thought what was behind her words.

Being worried was natural, but given the circumstances it could be much more than just a natural feeling. Ruby was absent on Sapphire's birthday, then the next day and the next being the day he returned. Putting piece by piece in the puzzle, Ruby understood, or at least he thought he did.

"Well... I'm here now. We can still celebrate..."

There was a lingering silence after Ruby said his thoughts. Sapphire looked at Ruby blankly in confusion. She didn't understand what his words meant and probably didn't know that her own words derived his. Yet, she seemingly understood after a while because a wild pink hue appeared on her cheeks.

Sapphire smiled and after a split second, captured Ruby in a sweet embrace.

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. He could only look at the figure lightly hugging him as he felt the temperature rise. The scent of natural beauty filled him while strands of hair brushed under his chin. He felt the embrace get a little tighter before the hold eventually released. Yet, Ruby was still immobolized and paralyzed, and with small little breaths, only looked down on the grassy ground.

Sapphire jumped in excitement, and pumped her fist upwards.

"We should go to the secret base! Emerald's there too! ... Er... Ruby?"

Sapphire exclaimed, but having received no response, scratched her head in worry. She looked at Ruby and fretted over what she did.

"No, it's nothing. I was about to say the same thing."

Having heard his name, Ruby finally came to his senses and waved his hands to say that there was nothing wrong. Yet, Sapphire remained silent and just nodded weakly. She turned around and started to walk quickly.

Ruby followed Sapphire just to make sure she was still there, even though she knew the way back to the secret base. He probably didn't need to follow her because he also knew the way back, but he did so anyway.

Ruby watched Sapphire from behind in the light wood. The girl was walking with her hands behind her back. With her fingers mindlessly twiddling each other, Sapphire gave small glances behind to Ruby. Ruby could only wonder what was going in her mind because he was so caught up on his own thoughts. At one moment, their eyes met, causing them to avert their eyesight away from each other.

Ruby sighed. Even though one problem was fixed, another one just popped up. Eventually he realized that he hasn't done a particular act that was way past the deadline. He set his mind, and decided.

After a while, Ruby and Sapphire finally arrived at the secret base. Emerald was present, and he yawned when he saw Ruby for the first time in three days.

Yet, Ruby didn't have the time to say hello to Emerald. He dashed right in front of Sapphire, before she got the chance to do anything else.

"... Happy Birthday..."

Ruby grabbed Sapphire's hand, and said the words that were long due.

He kissed her.

Ruby had his eyes open for a moment, and he saw Sapphire's eyes wide open, and he could feel that she was flustered. He closed his eyes to ounce every feeling of love and friendship he has had for the past seven years. He couldn't see what Sapphire's response was but the sensation on his lips told him that she returned the kiss.

It was payback, but how could anyone say that when both of them were both happy in the end?

"You idiot!"

How fitting. I love the title.

Just want to say that I was supposed to post this around 3 weeks ago. Originally I had a different story planned for Sapphire's birthday, but I went past the 20th, so I went with this idea instead. Lezzgo Franticshipping

Well, I guess it's alright (not really, it's shit). I'm not too sure. You be the judge of that.

So I just want to say thanks for reading this story. Really appreciate it.

~itsToxic