Author: BebePanda401
Story Title: The Colour of a Story
Warnings: Lots of fluff.
Rating: K+
A/N: Well my loyal readers, I have written yet another Cheren/Bianca story. Not much of a plot to this one, aside just plain cheesy-fluffy crap that I need to release from my beating shipper's heart. I was reading the other day and then-BAM! This came into my head. Just- BAM! Story plot ahoy! So anyway, this mainly centres around foreshadowing that Bianca will become a peeping tom for shirtless male librarians in a pass time once she hits eighteen. Good times. ^^ Anyways, please enjoy!

~Colour of a Story~

Blue eyes gazed through the slits in the banister, slightly narrowing as they focused intently on their target. They watched in wonder, as each time the mentioned person turned each page of the book (which appeared to be of the historical context) completely mesmerized with the care that the pair of hands possessed whilst their onyx eyes lightly danced over the words of each face of a new chapter.

Her long white skirt had become creased in her crouched position, slightly discomfort coming to her red-raw knees of being in the same place for so long. However, this did not deter her willpower to observe the unseen- well, what she hadn't seen in a while, that was. If only she hadn't had been so ignorant as a child, she wouldn't have to make her poor knees suffer like this. But that was okay- she could atone for this mistake.

Bianca, if she wanted to be noticed by the raven-haired trainer, could have let out a sigh, or a self-concerning phrase. When they were kids, she would often sit with Cheren as he read his mass amount of books, with his steely yet childlike gaze never faltering even once away from the ink splatters. After a while, she would get bored and go play with Touko outside, where fiction was a mere forgotten speck of dust.

Sure, she had dreamed about fairy tales. She dreamed a lot in general. But these books, they were dreams that had been written by so many wonderful people, to weave a tale that taught so many to value their truth and ideals as one. To learn that love was genderless, and that through great sacrifice, comes an even better outlook of life than ever before. This was the rare kind of dream she had never experienced in her life.

But that wasn't what she wanted to learn about.

She wanted to...she wanted to learn why Cheren was so captivated by all of these novels. She wanted to show him, once she had seen enough of what he liked to read, that she wanted to understand his personal life a little more. But instead of asking him, Bianca would merely spectate this event from her make-shift keyhole.

In all honestly though, she was terrified of being found. Who was she to interrupt him whilst he was experiencing the joy of a well-crafted story? She was always going to be destined to just observe- she didn't want to taint his joy (however discrete he was, she could tell he was happy when he was reading a book), and with this realization, wouldn't go in there.

To be frank with herself though, she was surprised he hadn't noticed her yet. The blond knew she wasn't particularly noticeable- aside her constantly annoying happy demeanor, but wouldn't Cheren have told her to get out by now? Sure, they were in the Pokemon center, but still...she was used to her Father kicking her out of public places and telling her to go home, so what was so different now?

'Cheren...he's always been so fascinated with novels and textbooks...why have I never noticed this until now?'

She began to take in the subtle details – the way each of the fingers that were turning the page twitched ever so subtly, as if they didn't want to leave that section, the way that his onyx eyes fruitlessly absorbed each word, as if they had been repeated in his mind many times before, the way that his lips slightly raised when coming to a particular section in the book that may have been funny, or just plain enjoyable. So many things that he did without meaning to...

...Bianca had to admit, it was cute. Seeing him read, that is.

However, there was another thing she had to confess. She was highly scared of talking to Cheren nowadays. It just seemed so awkward- they both went on their respective journeys, and now that they were back home...so much had changed, it was extraordinary. Cheren and Bianca had changed so much, yet stayed the same- it contrasted in an ugly fashion. What would they talk about, if they were given the chance? Themselves? Their journey?...The two of them together?

She unconsciously sighed into the air, thinking about the possible outcome of the two of them avoiding each other. The sigh itself, was barely above a whisper, but the room was silent anyway- you could hear a pin drop from a thousand miles and still hear it. Her small breath of defeat had reached Cheren's ears almost instantly.

And it caused the subject's eyes to widen. Ever so slowly, he turned around- and coming into eye contact with a rather sombre looking Bianca, her own blue eyes closed. Questions raced through his mind as soon as his brain recognized the situation Had she been observing him as he read in here? Was she doing a dare, or merely speculating? Why was his heart racing? Why...why...

"Bianca? Why are you hiding up there?" The blond's eyes widened almost instantaneously at the sound of his voice, the emotion of impending fear rapidly spreading on her face like a contagious disease, reading for the kill of its victim. Her worst fears had come true. She had been caught out! No no no no! This was bad! This couldn't be happening!

What could she do? Run and hide, like back from when she was little when her Father and Mother were arguing?...No, she knew that it was useless to even attempt anyway. He knew the places of where she would run to, and that would only make things more tense when they met next- and the chances of that happening were almost inevitable (considering they lived in the same town and all).

From the start, she was a whiny coward, but this wasn't fair...she was being forced to face her problems head on without any chance of escape! Gulping, she mentally prepared herself for the worst, and stayed in her original posture.

"Bianca," he began, causing her to wince at the mention of her name, "I-"

"I'm really sorry, Cheren!" He blinked a few times in confusion for her apology, but allowed her to continue, "I just...I-I just wanted to look at the book you were reading! Yeah, I just wanted to look at it...but it would have been rude to just ask, so I kind of spied- which is wrong, I know- and I am really really really sorry! I'll just go and-"

He raised a hand up, making the noises emit from her throat cease. He then motioned for her to come over to him, with a single pat of the sofa that he was currently sat on. Binca's cheeks pepped a light, pink blush at his rather unusual behavior, but did as requested anyway and walked over to the representative of ideals.

As she sat down, she made sure she was placing herself a good distance away from him. When properly sat down, she looked down as she twiddled her thumbs in nervousness and embarrassment. Her heart was racing with this storm of unfamiliar emotions...it had been happening a lot lately, when concerning Cheren.

She had tried convincing herself it was nothing in the past, but now she wasn't so sure. It could be anything, even...even...well, saying it would cause her whole body to melt with no time at all, so the best option was to let it lay dormant for now. It was all she could ever do with these feelings anyway...it posed too much of a risk to let run into the carefree abundance of the world.

"Bianca, you can come closer to me, you know." His voice broke her away from her thoughts, as she looked at him in surprise.

"Eh?"

"W-w-well, only i-if you want to, that is." Realizing what he had just said, his orbs widened. His eyes darted back and fourth, trying to look anywhere but her face. And, although it was not as noticeable as Bianca, his cheeks had been lightly dusted with the brilliant colour of rouge. She blinked.

'Is...is Cheren flustered...because of me? Have...have I caused him to be like that?' The more she stared at him, the more his face seemed to light up- somehow, she felt like she had accomplished something amazing. It was rare he was like this. She liked to savor every moment like this, and locked it into her memory.

"O-okay..." Shyly, she scooted over, so she was right next to him. His embarrassment had since visually faded from his complexion, however, his heartbeat was still irregular and rapid. He could feel the warmth coming from her body...it was making him feel unnaturally flustered.

Clearing his throat and fixing his glaces, he held the book out in front of them both.

"You wanted to read this book, did you not? Here you go." Downcast eyes evident on the blonde-haired trainer, Cheren grew increasingly concerned for his childhood friend. She wasn't...she did not normally have such a look on her face. It was either that childish smile, or a content look. Not...not a look that consisted of only sombreness.

However, that emotion quickly dissipated, as something else formed. Her blue eyes narrowed about half their original size, her eyebrows raised upwards and her lips perked into a content, yet beautiful smile. Her teeth were showing slightly, until her mouth closed again. This smile...was a smile of her newly-found maturity and adulthood. The reason for such smiles, he would never find the origin. It couldn't possibly be because of him...could it?

"Cheren," he flinched, but in a good way, "I'm not good at reading. Could...you perhaps read it, like you did when we were younger? I always...always left you behind by yourself, but I want to listen to you this time. I want..I want the two of us to escape into the fictional land you love to intertwine your mind with...so please?"

He was shocked to the core of his heart. She still worried about those kinds of things, back from when they were kids? Sheesh, typical Bianca. Seriously though, what was he going to do with her?

…

Still, it was the little things like that, that he found he loved most about her.

"Ooh...? What's that book? Ten ways to ask...C-Cheren?" No, she couldn't have found it already! That book was only for research, nothing he was going to plan any time soon! Oh why did Arceus have to curse him with being so clueless, so incompetent to small affairs such at this? Right, it was time for him to think of a decent excuse- he had done it a few times before, so why was now any different?

"A-ah, that. T-Touya wanted it to ask out someone...I think it was either Touko or that Iris girl...it probably Iris, actually. Since he said it would ruin his 'image' to go into a library, he asked me to go for him and read some tips. You know how he would take everything the wrong way, damned perverted idiot..." She seemed to accept this, as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that was close.

"Anyway! Can you read to me now, please? You said you would! And...and you don't ever go back on your word!" He smile at her, picking up a random novel/play near his left hand. He saw the title, and lightly got annoyed- she was bound to bother him for week about how gushy and tragic it was, but it was better than nothing...right?

...The thought of her crying over something so pitiful, it made him grimace. He couldn't stand it when she cried in general.

"Alright, let's get started. Two households..."

And as the infamous words seeped into her mind, so did the wonders of his voice. Maybe in reality, his voice was mainly monotone. But when portraying a story full of tragedy and creativity, it held a range of emotions- it was no wonder he couldn't soar with how he was weaving this tale into her mind. He was like a completely different person when reading out loud. He was full of life, and was like a living embodiment of the stories he read.

It were as if, as if the characters themselves used him as their ambassador- for a safe passage into the real world. Each word he ushered, each important phrase...so full of power, full of emotion- filled with something that not many people can express. It was true passion for something he loved. And she was starting to see the beauty she did not get the chance to understand when she was younger.

...She was starting to understand him better, too.

However, even through this powerful display, she began to feel tired. Drowsiness enveloped her body, letting down her guard for personal space, as she leaned against he shoulder. Her sky-coloured eyes were still partially open, and felt odd when he stiffened and stopped talking.

Looking up, she realized what she had done- and shot up, face bright red.

"I-I'm sorry! I...just felt sleepy- not that I was bored of the book or anything like that! Y-you're story telling is wonderfully done, it really is! And...and-" He didn't say a word, as he pulled her back into his chest. She was even closer, even warmer, and to be straight- it was wonderful. Her eyes were wide, gobsmacked.

"If you want to sleep, it's fine. I really do not mind, not at all." He was telling the truth- his voice bore no undertones of dishonesty or intentional spite. He didn't mind. But even so...! Sleeping into his chest was...was a boundary not to be crossed for friends! On his lap counted as well, the closest they could get was sleeping in the same room!

...Who was she kidding? They hadn't been 'just childhood-friends' for a long time. Ever since they set off their journey, as she watched him grow, she saw him in that new light. The shining brilliance that made her adore his very existence. The side of her that wanted to protect him no matter what...and that was evident in the final battle, when everyone had been fighting their hardest. They all shined that day, but not as much as him.

Because...he was her star.

Getting comfortable, she closed her eyes. His heartbeat was a nice lullaby, but him stroking her blonde tresses (and occasionally twirling it around each of his fingers) was a nice touch to the recipe of a good nap. She found that it brought her immense comfort, and made her heart race and scream in elation. This was the true definition of being rich- in the comfort of somebody you truly cherished with your entire being. At least, that's how Bianca saw it through her eyes. Many people may see it differently.

Also closing his eyes, he smiled at her again.

"Thank-you...Cheren...for everything..." Her voice trailed off, her whole mind becoming blank. However, somehow- she felt in a surreal dream, surrounded by everything she ever dreamed of having.

"You're welcome." He was pretty certain she had fallen asleep by now, for her quaint breathing was light and content. The very sound of it was a soothing melody for his ears to experience- it was like a small bell, ringing it's first chime in the world, the vibrations available for all to hear. However, he couldn't fall asleep just yet. He was pondering something in that intellectual mind.

He paused, before placing his lips onto her forehead, and then leaning close to her ear.

"You make every day a fairy tale for me, you incredible miracle." And with that, he felt the darkness blanketing his eyes slowly. Lips perked upward, after hearing it. Maybe she had been awake, or maybe she was dreaming about it. But he had said it aloud, and the air had at least heard his meaningful confession. Someday, she would as well. But not yet- that would have to wait for another day.

Different things bring out different qualities in every person.

Today, however- it appears that black and white draw out the best in each other.

A/N: MAN the ending FAILED! But I am pleased for the most part with this. It isn't my best work, but I'm content with it. Please review, the more I get the more I am compelled to write for you all! :D