A/N- No, I haven't jumped off the Contestship or anything. I'm just a lazy commitment phobe. ^^; Especially since I just finished my NaNo; I wanted to do something flirty and fun. Ish.
Lately I've been going through all the old romance fanfics I saved on my flashdrive, trying to figure out which ones I still wanted to keep. What surprised me is how many of them, now, I can't stand to read.
They can't have been that bad, after all; I did love some of those fics at one time. Perhaps their idealistic mindsets only suited me when I was a baby on this site, a 14 year old fangirl. Perhaps my standards have changed. I know, though, that I've changed. I'm not as naive as I once was, nor as hopeful or as happy or as ambitious as I was in my younger days. To those of you who are reading this, I want to tell you something.
True love may not exist any more. The world may be filled with heartbreakers who don't give a shit about who you are. You may not be the prettiest girl in the room, and no one might ever ask you to dance. The important thing is to believe in true love enough that if it ever comes along, you're ready for it. Don't throw yourself on the train tracks, but even worse is to miss your ride.
I guess, in summary, I want you all to love carefully, but in the end just love. That's all that will save us, and all that will last for eternity.
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Ok, reflection time over. Now for what you came here for! BLATANT FANSERVICE! Whoo hoo!
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Little Secrets
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The clean scent of Cerulean City after a midday rain filled Misty's nose as she exited the PokeMart, her canvas shopping bag filled with groceries, a couple to Great Balls and one of the newest TMs, Avalanche. As a Trainer of Water Types, she was always on the lookout for moves to crush those pesky Grass Pokemon that would drain her Golduck with their vines of doom. Ice type moves would do the trick.
As she strode confidently down the narrow but clean, blue tiled streets that led back to her Gym slash house, bare arms swinging with her stride, tiny blue jean shorts and the loosely revealing white top over her Marril-blue bikini letting the breeze cool her skin, she caught sight of a flashy red car rolling into her hometown like it lived there.
No.
Simultaneously, a blush of embarrassment and disgust graced her already slightly sunburned cheeks, and Misty sped up, her flip flops tapping a tattoo on the stone-like surface as she made a Combee line for the safety of her Gym.
Keep driving keep driving don't look Misty keep walking keep driving-
The engine sounds died, or perhaps just fell into a sated silence. Yes, that was probably more descriptive, though it did not soothe the 19 year old Leader.
Shit.
"Need a hand?"
Some cruel deity had gathered up all of the spare bits of egotistical flirtatious rich brilliancy and stuffed them into one being. That being, she could see as she turned very slowly to face him, was smirking at her, the fresh air ruffling his coffee-colored hair, the sun bringing out the highlights of those silken spikes and warming his caramel skin, adding a sparkle to rich truffle brown eyes.
"Hello, Gary," Misty forced on a smile that was painfully saccharine. "How are you?"
Few things in the world did she dislike more than this boy. Ever since they were kids, when he was rubbing Ash's face in his every shortcoming and mocking him at every turn possible, she had vowed never to be civil to Oak's spoiled little brat. But even after he had retired from battling to become a Researcher - and he was a very successful one, with his face adoring almost every other Pokemon magazine cover - needless to say those issues always sold out - he would often stop by the Gym on his way to Pallet Town and flirt shamelessly with the entire Waterflower family.
"Fine, as always. I'm sure your sisters will agree; and you? Do I look fine to you?"
Worst of all, however, was how he always made her feel warm inside only to douse her with the cold water of his teasing. He was positively delicious looking; and he knew it.
"You look like you always do," she muttered, spinning back on her heel and marching away with as much dignity as she could as her Psyduck flip flops clapped with every step and the breeze ripping her bangs out of her careful short ponytail. It wasn't until she felt his breath on the back of her neck and his hand caressing her upper arm that she knew he was following her.
Not that she was surprised. He always seemed to have it in for her like that.
"And how do I always look?" he purred, as he relieved her of her bags and danced ahead of her to walk backwards and treat her with another Lugia-blessed smirk.
"Like a Pidgey that's so puffed up it's going to fall over," she snapped, kicking out at him and almost tripping herself.
Gary chuckled. "Now now, Red, if you'd like me to carry you back to the Gym, you don't have to hurt yourself. Just ask."
"You're an idiot," Misty huffed, passing him just in time to slip in the Gym and lock him outside.
"Misty? Where are the groceries?" Lily asked shyly as she pattered down the stairs, her glossy lips in a curious pout. Even around the house, her sisters looked like models.
"Gary has them," the youngest Waterflower ground out, storming to the kitchen as her sisters squealed in glee. Not even an encounter with the Oak kind could totally rob her of her appetite.
Yanking open the fridge with considerable force, Misty only just managed to catch the bottle of ketchup before it fell. Written on the outside was a cheerful little note in Sharpie; Reserved for Pikachu. She sighed in a lonely sort of way, and cast a turquoise eye to the video phone by the doorway.
"No messages," she lamented out loud, though not very surprised. Her boyfriend, Ash, had been quite busy after winning the Championship; he was still up at a week long Trainer and Coordinator retreat on the Indigo Plateu. He had invited her, but she had declined, instead wanting to stay and defend the honor of the Cascade Badge.
She hadn't seen him for, what was it now, 4 months? Sure, he'd call and they'd spend long hours on the phone together. But it just wasn't the same as curling up next to him and watching a movie, or licking ice cream off his cheek and watching him stammer. It was days like this that made her want to forget it all, close the stupid Gym and go running to Ash's side.
Instead, however, she simply replaced the ketchup bottle and tossed some cold pizza on the counter behind her.
"Mmm, interesting choice. I'd have assumed you were hungry for something else," a very sexy and very unwelcome voice cut through her reminiscing. She whirled on him like an angry Tauros.
"Get out of my kitchen, Oak."
Gary smirked, and rolled his shoulder in a casual shrug - the fluid movement of his muscles beneath his thin grey shirt derailed Misty's train of thought. He noticed.
"Ahh ha, I was right. No girl can resist me for long," he stated, tilting his head like a playful Growlithe.
"Don't be stupid," she snapped, turning her back on him and raising her head in an angry tilt.
"Stupid?" He sounded almost affronted. "I'm a proven genius, Miss Waterflower. " His fingertips grazed the side of her neck. "In more ways than one."
Misty spun around, flushing when she noticed how very close he'd gotten in those few seconds. Quickly, however, her eyes narrowed and her control returned. "Why are you here?"
Typically, by now, he'd break away and smirk, observe the mess he'd made of her sanity, and play the casual buddy act. This time, however...
He chuckled, a low rumble in his throat, his dark eyes sparkling. "I came to see you. Just dropped off a package from Professor Rowan to Lance, and figured I'd take a... detour." He purred the last word, lacing it with suggestions that made her frown deeper even as her cheeks were graced with more color.
Leaning his weight on one hand and bracing himself against the wall he had backed her into, Gary glanced away, tracing his tongue briefly across his lips before his gaze darted back and held her in place more securely than a Wrap attack.
"Come with me to Pallet today."
Just like that, the teasing and the sexual tension was gone, and he was smiling in a friendly way. Misty's mouth dropped open as her mind tried to process the mood switch.
"...What?"
"You haven't seen Delia for a while, have you? My grandfather has been asking about you, too, so I'd figure I'd offer you a ride."
He was still pretty close to her face - too close for comfort - so she crossed her arms and strode casually away from the wall. "What's the catch?" she called over her shoulder as she loaded the pizza into the microwave.
"No catch." He shrugged again, this time more absently and less seductively; to her relief, he seemed to have dropped the flirting act for now. "Just as friends."
Gnawing on her lunch in a very unladylike manner, Misty raised an eyebrow. Gary sighed through his nose. "Yes, I mean it. No strings attached. I swear on Umbreon."
The Gym Leader's eyes flashed in shock; she swallowed her chunk of pizza long before it was ready to be so, and was left grappling around the counter behind her for a glass. Filling it up from the sink, she tilted it and let the water wash her food down, all the while aware of Gary's gaze on her.
"You're actually serious," she coughed, pounding her chest with a fist. Her companion shifted his weight.
"Yes, Red. There are some people in the world who actually, you know... mean what they say?"
She matched his sarcasm. "Shush, Gary. We're a secret organization of sensible people. Who told you about us anyway?"
He bit his lip comically, wracking his brain for an answer that was not very long in coming. "Pikachu," he finished solemnly. A giggle escaped her throat, much to her dismay; she flushed and scowled, he chuckled.
"So? Will you go with me?"
My Gym duties come first.
Ash might call.
I was going to go hunting for Wobuffet in the Cerulean Cave.
I promised my sisters I would go with them to Cerulean Cape for a picnic.
Several excuses formed themselves in her mind as she chewed uncomfortably, both on Gary's offer and her next bite of pizza. He sighed softly though his nose, reaching up absently to run his fingers through his hair as he waited patiently for her decision.
"What the hell," she sighed after swallowing, chucking the food carelessly back into the fridge as Pikachu's ketchup bottle mocked her with Ash's voice.
'What about me, Mist?'
"Just as friends?"
It was Gary's turn to look sly and skeptical. "What, are you afraid that I'm going seduce you on the way and shag you in Viridian Forest?" He shook his head, flashing movie star white teeth in a grin. "Yes, just as friends."
"All right."
The grin widened into a full out, childish smile, his eyes flashing happily like a Eevee who had just been praised. "Excellent. Let's go, then." He took her hand gently; his whole body oozing a cheerful aura that was so un-Oak like it disturbed her a little. As she was led past the doorway, Misty cast one last look at the phone.
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Yaaaaay~
(whispering the lyrics to both Lady GaGa's song Alejandro and the story namer Little Secrets by Passion Pit)
This should only be a three parter? So... yeah. ^^ Enjoy, fellow Egoshippers!