I decided I better put this one up before I edit it to death. I keep wanting add more to it because I think at times it seems a bit one-sided, but I think it's almost perfect now.
Quick word or two: "Erika definitely wasn't Brock's type – years of pulling the boy off anything in a skirt had taught her a thing or two" bit meant that Misty knew what Brock's type was because of all the time spent pulling him off girl, was a bit ambiguous there. The bit about Sabrina being perfect for Brock is actually one of two theories I have about that - the first theory is the fact that Sabrina is the only one who could fall for Brock cos I honestly believe that she would think he was making a joke and probably even like that about him given her friendship with Haunter; the second theory is that Brock will either marry young or not at all, although that's probably a subject for a whole other fic.
And I didn't to make May sound a tad slutty - I was just trying to avoid alienating anybodies ship with that one as those two seemed to be the most popular two but I can see how it sounds that way, especially when paired with what was said about Dawn (I just read an AAML where Dawn tried to break them up for no good reason so I'm kind of annoyed at her, at least May only tries to steal Ash before they get together). The deleted scene which gave me the idea comes from The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit - it's the rock paper scissor scene, but this probably won't make sense til the end. And I can't claim Dracula's - it's a very cool vampire themed cabaret in Australia and it's an incredible show and incredible food. Although I used the basic idea, I made most of the insides up because I didn't really want to give any of the place away.
And yes, I so totally could not help myself with the Ash and Misty-ness - I find it somewhat strange to have myself writing Ash and Misty having a normal relationship without some sort of farfetched drama.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Pokemon. I don't own Dracula's. I don't own Doctor Who. I don't own Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (did anyone catch the reference in the last chapter? There's one in this one two, although it's far less subtle. The first is related to the infinite probability drive). Don't own any of the drinks mentioned. I think that covers it.
Game-Set-Match
II. . . . And the Twist (serve)
Brock was nervous as he waited outside the front entrance of Dracula's for his two friends and Misty's friend to join them. He had already seen Suzy and her friends go in, and he knew they would have to get in there soon if they wanted to make a proper show of things.
He spotted Ash and Misty walking towards him. Misty had clearly taken the initiative to dress her boyfriend, putting him in a pair of black dress pants and a semi-casual dark blue polo with sports-jacket overtop. The two matched perfectly with Misty wearing a calf length, v-neck dress made of royal blue satin with black lace over top giving it a 1920's look.
He smiled to himself upon seeing them. He remembered what a shrimp Ash had been when they first met, but now at seventeen he towered above his eighteen year old girlfriend by a good three inches, even when she was in heals.
Briefly wondering if he had overdressed, Brock considered his own outfit. Given the 'macabre' theme of the joint, he thought only reasonable to dress in dark colours and he suspected that Ash and Misty (well just Misty really) had similar thoughts. He was in a black dress pants, like Ash, but with a long sleeved black dress shirt with purple pinstripes and a leather jacket over top.
He suddenly felt even more nervous as Ash and Misty approached them. Where was the final member of their party, he wondered to him self. He hoped that Misty had invited her, or else this would all be in vain – his carefully laid plans all gone to waste
"Who'd you find for my date?" Brock asked Misty as the pair got within hearing distance.
"Sabrina LaFay," Misty replied simply. She watched him curiously as he seemed to almost relax at the mention of the Saffron gym leaders name and smile serenely to himself. "Why didn't you tell me you two were hanging out at the breeding centre?" she asked, hitting him for affect. "It's been like six months!"
"What was that for?" Brock asked, rubbing his arm. "I didn't realize I had to inform you of every client that walked through the doors."
"Not every client," she told him, hitting him again for good measure.
"Just the one's she might know, right?" another voice cut in, finishing Misty's sentiment for her. They all turned in the direction of the voice, welcoming the latest member of the group.
Brock smiled widely as he saw her, immediately shielding his thoughts from the psychic. She looked lovely, dressed in a knee-length, empire cut red dress and a pair of black pumps that made her legs look endless. On second thoughts, Brock decided to let that one slip, suspecting the psychic might appreciate the compliment.
Sabrina's cheeks turned faintly red as the thought was conveyed to her, and tugged self-consciously at the hem of her skirt.
'You look perfect,' Brock thought, which made her blush even darker. By the time Misty's snigger reached her ears, she was almost the same colour as her dress.
"Shall we go in?" Brock suggested, offering his arm to his 'date'.
Sabrina nodded shyly, linking her arm through his. She ran her free hand nervously through her jade locks, which hung loosely down to her waist as they headed to the door.
"You know you don't have to shield your thoughts," she said quietly as they waited for the door to open. "Misty told me everything."
Brock chuckled lightly. "You can't hide anything from a psychic," he laughed, "but those aren't the thoughts I'm shielding."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, her blue eyes widening with curiosity. 'Did he just . . .' she began to think to herself, but trailed off deciding the thought was too impossible. 'He couldn't have . . . it's not real.'
"I've got a new one for you," he whispered quietly, close to her ear. She felt her skin tingle with pleasure as she felt his breath against her cheek and a fresh blush rising in her face.
"What time is it?" he asked.
"7:35," she replied, not sure if this was a part of the pick up line, or if he was just curious.
"So that makes it was approximately 7:35pm on the 4th of April 2009," he continued, his lips still unnervingly close to her cheek. "I just wanted to make sure that I remembered the exact moment I fell for you."
Sabrina frowned. This didn't make sense at all. It wasn't funny like the other ones, in fact, it was sweet and romantic and made her heart race from how near he seemed to get in order to deliver it. She wondered if maybe it was part of the act in order to show Suzy that he could be a boyfriend, but it didn't make sense him putting on the moves, when Suzy wasn't around to see it.
"Practice," he said quietly, almost as though he was answering her question. Sabrina shook it off, assuming she had misheard.
The door suddenly opened of its own fruition causing Sabrina to forget about all her previous thoughts. The four of them walked forward into a room only have the door slam shut behind them.
"Your coats," a voice hissed. Several hands reached out from the wall, clawing at the foursome. The boys removed their jackets and handed them to the nearest outstretched hand.
"42," the voice said simply. "Continue."
They walked up the stairs, which opened up into a large space with a bar at the far end.
"Are you guys all old enough to get sucked?" a pretty burnet vampire asked as they reached the top of the stairs. Brock, Sabrina and Misty all flashed their IDs indicating they were of the legal drinking age (18) and earning themselves a wristband, while Ash sulked. Sabrina felt flattered that at twenty-six she still got carded every now and again.
"Awww," Misty teased, ruffling her boyfriends hair, even though it was more than likely that she had spent a good half an hour getting it just right before they left, "no drinkies for poor wittle Ashy-washy."
Ash was surprisingly quick off the mark. "Looks like you won't be able to take advantage of me after all, Myst," he replied with a teasing smile that made her flush. It was unclear whether this was out of anger or embarrassment.
"She's looking this way," Brock said quickly, leaning over to Sabrina and gently pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth. "What would you like to drink?" he asked as he pulled away, quickly glancing in the opposite direction.
"Ah . . . um . . . whatever," she said nervously, trying her best to look nonchalant as she pushed her jade locks behind her ear. Her heart was racing almost beyond her control and she suddenly felt as though she was floating on air.
He nodded, smiling at her even though his face looked serious. "C'mon Ash," he said, his smile widening at the younger boy, "I'll get you a Shirley Temple. Lemon Mystique, Misty?"
Misty nodded absentmindedly, thinking to herself aloud. "But she wasn't . . ." She trailed off as things suddenly began to add. 'That snake. That rotten manipulative snake,' she thought to herself, glaring at him as he walked away.
"What did Ash do now?" Sabrina asked jokingly, shaking her head at Misty.
"Ah . . . um . . . nothing," Misty stuttered, shielding her thoughts before Sabrina could latch on to them. As much as she was mad at him for manipulating her, she had to admit that it was a genius move, and that the best alternative right now was to simply let things run their course.
Sabrina just nodded understandingly, her eyes trained on the same boy. 'Just an inch to the left,' she thought longingly to herself. It was all she was asking for.
The boys quickly returned with the drinks. Brock had clearly taken pity on Ashy-washy and bought him a light beer which he held in his right hand, with Misty's vibrant yellow and green drink in the other. Brock carried an orange coloured cocktail in one hand, while in the other he carried what looked like a whisky dry.
He handed the drink off to Sabrina with a soft smile that made her stomach flip. "It's a Zombie – I thought you might like something a bit ghoulish for tonight," he explained. With one of his arms now free, he quickly wrapped his right arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. He briefly buried his face in her hair, engulfed by her scent – she was sweet like citrus and honey.
Sabrina could not help but think how wonderful it was that he was taller than her. He made her feel small in the most wonderful way – like he was some sort of protector and she would always be safe in his arms. She was starting to feel lightheaded from his proximity.
Warmth seemed to radiate from where their bodies touched, and Sabrina felt herself leaning further towards him without thinking, lightly leaning her head against his chest. She could have stayed like that forever. For a moment she could have sworn she could hear his heart racing almost as quickly as her own.
"C'mon guys," Brock suggested, giving her a light squeeze which did not seem completely necessary in order to pull off the charade. His voice seemed slightly strangled at first, but then he let out a cough that reverted it back to normal. "Let's go check out the ghost train, we can bring our drinks with us to the main floor."
(A/N: You cannot bring your drinks onto the ghost train, but Zombies are pretty darn potent (equivalent of 7 standard drinks or something) so I really don't want her downing that one too quickly. It's the sort of drink you should be nursing if you want to keep your wits about you)
The four of them seated themselves in the carriage – Ash and Misty in the front and Brock and Sabrina in the back. Even in the privacy of the ghost train, Brock's hand remained comfortably situated upon her waist as though that were the most natural place for it to be. Brock couldn't deny how right it felt to have her in his arms. It was everything he could have wished for their evening.
The ghost train was pretty uneventful aside from the bit where several spinerak dropped down from the ceiling. Neither girl being particularly fond of bug Pokémon, and not expecting their sudden appearance, jumped into the arms of the respective partners who shared a sly smile, almost as if they had planned it all along.
Suzy was already seated when they entered the main theatre and as luck would have it, the foursome had been seated in their line of sight. Brock and Sabrina's hands were still entwined from Brock helping her out of the ghost train, and as they were brought to their table, he surreptitiously brought her hand to his lips – surreptitious only because if Sabrina had cared to notice, it was one of the few moments when there wasn't a single person attending to their presence.
She blushed as Brock pulled out her chair for her. His hands brushed against her shoulders as he pushed in the chair and she felt that same tingle rush through her body as she had when she felt his breath against the side of her face. She could hardly believe the effect that his mere touch was having on her.
Brock ordered another whisky dry as they mulled over the menus. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought it was Dutch courage, but she couldn't think what reason he would have to be nervous. As far as she could tell, his plan was going perfectly.
He was playing the part of the perfect boyfriend and it took everything in Sabrina's power not to fall. He was charming and courteous; making sure everything was to her liking and doing everything in his power to please her. He was personable and spoke knowledgably on a wide variety of topics from politics to sports and to Pokémon, which were his obvious passion. He was handsome with tanned skin, spiky brown hair and a muscular frame.
Sabrina wondered how Suzy was able to write off Brock's 'boyfriend potential' so easily. Why if she were in her shoes . . .
"Would you like me to read her thoughts?" Sabrina asked shoving her own thoughts to the side so she could concentrate on Brock. She hoped that maybe she could reassure him by revealing whether or not Suzy was convinced by their act.
Brock shook his head and smiled down on her. His eyes were light, and there was a certain fondness in his smile that put her at ease. "I don't care what she's thinking," he said honestly, his voice almost wistful, as though there were some other thought that he wasn't sharing right then. "Just enjoy the show Sabrina. I know you've been dying to see this show for months now."
She nodded mutely, turning her head to the stage as the lights dimmed. She almost stiffened as she felt his arm go around her shoulders, but quickly decided to relax into his touch.
'There's only one perfect girl in the world for me,' he thought secretly to himself. 'The only woman who could have my heart.'
"I hope you enjoy it Sabrina," he whispered softly, leaning close again so he could speak in her ear. Brock was starting to like the way she seemed to almost tremble under his touch; it made his own skin almost tingle with pleasure. He longed to get closer but for now he would be patient.
He knew it would all be worth it in the end. He knew she was worth it
The show was incredible, filled with laughter, music and energy just as promised. The food was superb. The dessert was delectable (especially in the opinion of a certain redhead who managed to steal half her partners dessert as well as obliterate her own).
And the company was to die for.
"That was unbelievable! Amazing! Incredible!" Misty gushed, searching for appropriate synonyms, her face still aching from laughing so much.
Sabrina and Brock nodded, their own smiles wide and brilliant.
"Are you guys going to stay for the dance?" Brock asked, indicating to Ash and Misty.
Ash nodded. "You think I can drag her away from a party," he suggested jokingly, to which he received a jab from his girlfriend.
"What about you Sabrina?" he asked, turning to his 'date'.
Sabrina shrugged. "That drink is making me a bit sleepy. I might just head back now," she suggested with weak smile.
"Do you mind if I walk you back to your hotel?" Brock asked, smiling hopefully. She nodded slowly. Once more he offered her his arm, and Sabrina linked her own with his as they waved goodbye to Ash and Misty and were on their way.
Sabrina shivered as they hit the night air. She had forgotten that it would be cold once they left, but then it had always been her intention to simply teleport herself back to the hotel room thus removing the need for an extra layer of clothing.
She felt something warm being laid upon her shoulders and smiled up at Brock as he placed his jacket around her. She looked at him curiously.
"What are you hiding?" she asked him, tiling her head as she glanced at him.
He smiled in return. "Something big, but you can't find out just yet," he replied as he wrapped an arm around her and guiding her forwards.
"How about we make a deal?" Sabrina suggested, her blue eyes shining mischievously. "I won't try to read your mind, if you stop trying to check out my arse in this dress."
Brock chuckled at the thought. "No deal," he replied with a smile, as his dark eyes seem to light up with the same mischievous glint. He feigned going in for a 'perv', which made her laugh. He suspected that laugh was one of the first things that attracted him to her.
For a long while, the two of them seemed to walk together in a comfortable silence, until suddenly Brock let her go and stepped in front of her.
He seemed nervous all of sudden, which Sabrina couldn't account for at all. He took a deep breath and then a step forward so they were standing merely inches apart. He took her hands in his own and stared into her face, his whole demeanour one of sincerity.
"Sabrina, can I be perfectly honest with you about something?" Brock asked, his voice low as he inched further forward, bringing his face closer to hers.
Sabrina nodded mutely, unable to tear herself away from his eyes or find her voice to speak.
"I knew that Misty would pick you," he said in a whisper, his lips right next to her ear now. She could feel his breath on her cheek and it was distracting, intoxicating even. The mixture of alcohol and his nearness made it impossible for to think or probe his mind for what he was trying to say.
She felt his lips suddenly connect with the skin beneath her ear lobe and trail down her neck with slow care. She had to bite her lip to suppress a moan.
The thoughts he had been shielding all evening rose to the surface. In fact, it was more than that; he was sending them to her. Telling her the intricate details while his lips were otherwise occupied driving her crazy.
'I knew if I asked Misty to set me up with someone, that she would choose you,' he thought. 'I made sure of it.'
He revealed the cues he had embedded within his own dialogue when he first made his proposition to Misty. Sabrina's name had been suggested to the redhead long before she had even began considering who would be suitable for their arrangement. He knew that Misty's logic would inevitably lead her to Sabrina, but he had thrown in a few key words in just in case.
He revealed his own obliviousness to Suzy's position the whole evening. He had been incapable of thinking of anything else, particularly with her in that dress and with those legs. She was intoxicating.
He revealed his own nervousness – how every touch had been planned and controlled; how every touch had sent his heart racing in a way that he hadn't ever expected.
And one word hung in her mind, sent from his to hers: LOVE.
He suddenly halted his trail of kisses, pulling back so that he could look her in the eye. His hand reached up to touch her face, cupping her cheek in his hand like she was the most beautiful and delicate creature he had ever encountered.
"Love?" she questioned, her eyes glimmering with tears.
"Love," Brock replied with certainty.
"I've fallen in love with you Sabrina," he admitted, caressing her cheek. "I would spend the whole week looking forward to the weekend just so I could tell you some corny pick-up line and make you smile, only to dream about that smile for nights on end. You're the only woman I've ever loved; that I could ever love."
Tears glistened in her eyes and her lips curved into a sweet smile. "I love you too, Brock," she told him, smiling still even as tears trailed down her cheek. "I'm in love with you."
He smiled again, leaning in once again, but stopping just shy of her lips. "Now just an inch to the left," he whispered into her lips before closing that final few millimetres of space that had lay between them. Arms wound tightly around one another as lips met passionately in between. Emotions rushed between them and nothing more was needed to be said.
"But . . . how did you know?" she asked as they broke a part.
He shrugged in response, pulling her further into his embrace. "When you spend a lot of time with a psychic Pokémon, you pick up a few things," he replied, referring of course to her Kadabra. "You know for someone who considers surface thoughts free game, you don't do a particularly good job of concealing your own."
She blushed and smiled at the same time as she looked lovingly into his eyes. "What am I thinking right now?" Sabrina asked him, her blue eyes staring into his coal.
"I'll show you," he replied, joining their lips once more in a kiss filled with even more passion than the first.
And that was it . . . game, set and match.
END
So this is the part where you all go back to the first chapter and notice that Brock slipped three Sabrina related terms into his interaction with Misty in order to suggest Sabrina as the ideal match – abracadabra, psychic and Haunt(er). You'll notice the last one didn't even make sense in the context it was used because 'Macabre' is not a noun. There was even a hint at the end of Misty's decision making process when she refers to Sabrina as a 'foregone conclusion', that is, it was predetermined.
If anybody spotted any more hints in the last chapter, let me know because those were totally unintentional, but I will totally still take credit for them.
Thanks for the reviews. I do have one very short chapter to add to this, just because I think there is one small thing that I left unresolved that didn't fit into this chapter. I hope the twist there was unexpected - after I had written the first part I wanted to somehow get away from the cliche boys uses girl to make other girl jealous and in the midst the pair pretending to be dating fall in love (although usually one of them is already in love). Let me know what you think.