A/N: I know, I know, I should be working on Poke Interviews right now, scold me if you must-but yay for another Wishful one-shot! :D (I swear I'll make a chaptered Wishful fic eventually, I'm working on one but it's not totally focused on just Iris and Cilan) This one is based on gameverse!Cilan and gameverse!Iris but it's kinda AU-ish. Hope you guys like it!
He was watching her again.
Cilan didn't know exactly why he was so addicted to watching her from a concealed position, but he just was.
He would always hide behind the counter in the kitchen of the famous Striaton Gym overlooking the dining room, watching her talk to the restaurant customers and demonstrate her champion skills. Not only was she skilled in battling, but also at playing the beautiful tones of the viola. Cilan had never known why Iris had decided to take up the instrument, but he was always delighted to watch her graceful movements when she played for a crowd. Today in particular, she looked lovely as always, but this time she wore her long hair in a single braid down her back, her bangs long and messy. Her care-free style just made her look all the more amazing-taking his immediate attention. He went to his secluded spot, watching her sit down on the stage and take her cherry viola out of its case. Her cream and pink outfit she always wore was on, but she looked much more mature in it now, although Cilan knew Iris was just as joyful and childlike as she always was.
"Cilan, what the heck are you doing?" he jumped, startled, looking up at his younger brother who's red eyes were squinted in confusion.
"Uh, um, I, uh..." Cilan stood up, brushing himself off. He blushed madly as he sttutered, glancing at Iris. Chili followed his gaze, grinning.
"Oh. I see," Chili teased him, "My brother and Champion Iris. That would be one hot couple!" he let out a wolf whistle, embarassing Cilan further.
"Ch-Chili!" Cilan stammered, "I do n-not like her!"
"Oh, sure you don't." Chili waggled his eyebrows, but then gave his brother a soft smile, "Cilan, why don't you talk to her? You've known her personally for more than a year!" Chili punched him in the arm playfully and Cilan gripped the spot where Chili's fist had hit muttering "ow."
"W-well, what do I...even s-say?" he mumbled. Cilan wasn't good with words. Whenever he tried to say something, it would come out sounding awkward or just like a flow of random phrases. Chili gave him another grin.
"You walk up to her and say 'I like you'."
"'I-I like you'?"
"Yes. Just wait until she's done playing for the customers, though-she reels in quite alot, you know." giving him a wink, Chili left to collect orders and find Cress to tell him the news. Cilan stood there baffled, as he looked into the dining room. There Iris was, fitting her instrument under the crook of her neck and smiling with that content, determinate expression on her face that he loved. She began to play and instead of ducking back under the counter, timidly, Cilan leaned forward on it, admiring her beautiful posture and the incredible tone quality of her instrument. Iris closed her eyes, smiling, so absorbed in the melody she was playing. The five minutes she was playing went by slowly, making Cilan feel all the more anxious, but happy too. He would tell her, right? But...what exactly would he? Cilan wasn't sure that the way he felt about Iris was a simple 'I like you'. He'd have to find the right things to say himself.
OOO
Whistles sounded when she was done, and there was an enormous bout of clapping. Blushing in thanks, Iris bowed to the crowd, carrying her viola and case backstage. Cilan looked around. Flowers. He needed flowers. He spotted a vase of daisies and quickly grabbed them, finding some crinkly cellophane to wrap around them. When he was done, he smiled to himself proudly.
"Cilan?" a voice came from behind him. He jumped, dropping the daisies. They scattered all around and he let out a groan. "Oh, man, I'm so sorry!" a petite figure moved in front of him, picking up a couple flowers. It was Iris. She bashfully handed them to him, "Chili said you wanted to talk to me, so I thought I would meet you here." she smiled. He blushed as he smiled back
"U-um, yes..."
"Well, what did you want to talk about?" Iris giggled as Cilan scrambled to pick up the rest of the daisies and put them back in their plastic wrapping.
"I, uh...How are you n-now? I mean, being champion must be-be busy, um, right?" he blushed harder as he stammered, wishing he were Chili or Cress since they were actually able to speak sentences without hesitating or stumbling over simple words. Iris just giggled again, her face practically glowing.
"Oh, not really. It's actually quite fun, you know! All the determined and skilled challengers...the rush of battle..." her eyes closed for a second before fluttering back open, "Of course, you probably know what I'm talking about being a gym leader." Iris tilted her head curiously at him, "Just a question: What's with the flowers?"
"O-oh! These are f-for you..." Cilan shoved them out towards her nervously. She smiled, taking them and inhaling the scent of them.
"Thank you, Cilan," Iris stepped closer, pecking his cheek, "They're beautiful!"
"Uh-um-I-uh..." his face was as red as Chili's hair as he began to go onto another one of his jibber-jabber speeches. Iris tittered gleefully.
"Two words, Cilan-just say 'you're welcome'!" she laughed.
"Oh, yes. You're welcome!" he ran a hand through his hair shyly. Iris grinned.
"You're so sweet!" she giggled. He felt butterfrees flutter in his stomach when Iris stepped closer to him again. She was so close, he could smell the light flowery perfume she wore. Cilan's palms began to sweat as he shifted nervously from foot to foot. What was he supposed to say now? Was he supposed to say what he felt about her? Would that be awkward?
"U-um... I liked your recital, so I got you those. It-it was really admirable,"
"Aw, thanks!" Iris glanced at her pink cross-transceiver, gasping, "Oh, shoot, I'm late for a meeting! I gotta go, bye, Cilan! I'll see you later!" he blinked as a mass of violet hair flew by him, out the door. Cilan smiled, sitting down and leaning against the kitchen counter. Sure, he didn't speak the words on his mind, but...he touched his cheek tenderly.
He didn't mind waiting.
This wasn't one of my best, but...what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Review it!
(BTW, I chose the viola instead of the violin or cello or any other stringed instrument for Iris since that's what I play and the middle-range tones seem to suit her in my opinion.)