Authoress' Notes: Okay, cool. Lotsa good stuff happens in this one.
He Said, She Said
Chapter 21: Hurting the Undeniable
It wasn't long before night fell upon Smash Mansion, with things continuing on as usual. Fights, fights, and more fights. Hey, it was a fighting competition; whaddya gonna do?
Thankfully, Ness had finished the rest of his fights for the day, and in one piece, too. He had a feeling that maybe talking to Lucas about his ordeal actually... helped in some way. ...Well, of course, she came to him first and made him talk to her, so it wasn't like he broke down or anything.
...Yeah, he was still the tough guy.
But currently, he was having some downtime after such a long, arduous day of fighting on the patio outside, along with quite the thoughtful Sheik, a quiet Meta Knight, and a reflective Lucario. Last Ness remembered, the Pokémon was talking to Meta Knight and spouting some nonsense about limitations and the trials of a warrior, and blah blah blah... Why were they out here again? ...Oh, right. He and Lucas had been having a little after-dinner conversation, then Lucario joined in, followed by Meta Knight, and then Sheik came out. Wonderful.
He kinda wanted to leave, but Lucas didn't seem too keen on going back in the house just yet, so he decided to voice his dislike on Meta Knight and Lucario's conversation, as well as Sheik's random harp-playing, by standing up and stretching.
Lucas looked to him sadly. "Ness? What're you doing?"
"...I think I'll hit the hay," he flatly responded, ready to use any excuse to go back in the house.
"This early?" she asked. "It's barely 10."
Going to bed at 10pm was early for him, but curfew was coming up, anyway. It was a good enough excuse to get away from this boring nonsense...
"Okay," she sadly sighed. "I was kind of hoping you'd stay, but if you want to go, I'll see you later..."
He turned his mouth up in a frown. Aw, now why'd she hafta go and do that? Now he felt bad.
Lucas sighed again and went back to observing the calm scenery before her. She really wished Ness would stay and add to it, but... well, who was she to keep him—
She flinched in surprise as something graced her cheek. It didn't hurt or anything; as a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite. Although quick and fleeting, it was also soft and warm. It was kinda... heartfelt, almost as if whatever it was and whoever had done it was trying to say, "Sorry I gotta go, but here's a little something to remember me by."
...If she had to guess, she'd say it felt like a... kiss?
Startled, she turned to question Ness, but he was already quickly rounding a corner and retreating back into the house. Immediately, she blushed and went back to quietly watching the others, content with what he left her with.
Ness decided to go find Pikachu, the bastard, and have a little "I hate you, but you're still kinda my pal" time with him over some heated late-night gaming. It kinda made him a little depressed, suddenly remembering he used to do that with Toon Link, Lucas, and Kirby a lot. Sometimes Popo got involved, Pit was an annoying tagalong, and Red wasn't even an option. Sure, he could still do it with Lucas, but a guy needed other guys to hang out with sometimes. Pikachu was the only guy left in the house he could still pal around with and they both kinda hated each other. In a playful way, but still... Geez, Lucas being a girl had changed a lot...
He was then jerked from his thoughts as he bumped into an inattentive Toon Link, falling backwards as a result. The little swordsman immediately looked down, to which Ness irritably looked up, being met with a scowl from him. Seeing this, Ness snorted and turned away. He wasn't in the mood to butt heads with anyone now.
Toon Link kept staring him down with his more-pouty-looking-than-scary scowl as he stood and dusted himself off. Ness had no business with him, so he refused to make anymore eye contact. Luckily for him, Toon Link wasn't the kinda guy to invoke his "wrath" upon anyone unless they did the same. Despite still ignoring him, the green hero couldn't help but sense a hint of conceding from Ness. It was like, as stubborn as he was, the psychic probably wouldn't even try to put up a front if he decided to start harassing him.
As this began to dawn on him, Toon Link's scowl disappeared, replaced with a look of confusion. Ness himself continued to pretend he didn't exist, as he was more than ready to retreat and just... get away from him. He didn't wanna fight over Lucas, he didn't wanna try to defend his claim to her, he didn't wanna do anything. ...He just wanted to be left alone.
Toon Link seemed to catch onto this, now looking on in pity. Ness looked at him flatly now, not exactly ready to regard his piteous expression as truthful. He'd been stabbed in the back enough to last him a lifetime, so he was gonna stay on guard for now. ...A few tense seconds passed until Toon Link inhaled. Ness braced himself for the worse.
It was then the lanky boy said something Ness woulda never expected in a thousand years.
"...You want to go play a video game or something?"
Ness almost couldn't believe he'd even said that, looking at him in shock. Toon Link looked surprised himself, but one could tell by those big, sympathetic cat eyes he was also being sincere.
Turning his mouth up in thought, Ness had to admit he wasn't too keen on being so open towards him after last night. The other boy shrank a little, but remained stern about his proposal, looking somewhat constipated in doing so. So Toon Link-ish.
...
...
...
Now it was Ness' turn to scowl, thoughts of the other night making him fume. "...Why me? Why not your other little pals, huh? You do everything else with them, especially do me in."
He said that last part so sourly, it made Toon Link cringe. "...O-oh, well, um..."
"..."
Toon Link's feelings looked hurt as he twiddled his thumbs. "...Well, to be honest..." He looked up, biting his lip. "Ness, we need to talk."
He scowl darkened, him turning on his heel to leave. "...I have nothing to say to you."
"Ness, wait. Please hear me out."
"..." Ness continued to stomp off as he spoke.
"Come on, don't be that way. I actually wanted to tell you... Um, well..."
"..." He kept walking.
"...I guess what I'm really trying to say is..."
He was nearing the hallway now. Either Toon Link spit it out or shove it up his—
"I'm sorry."
...Ness stopped dead in his tracks.
"..." Toon Link stood stupid behind him.
He slowly turned. "...What?"
"I said I'm sorry," he repeated. "For everything."
"..."
"So please don't go."
"..." The other boy's silence was a clear indicator he was still a little iffy in trusting him.
Toon Link sighed. "Listen, I know we've been giving you a hard time for quite a while now... but..." He rubbed his head. "I've thinking about last night and... I came to set things straight."
"For all I know, what you think is straight is me being dead."
Toon Link shook his head. "No, Ness. That's just plain mean; I'd never do that..."
The other boy made a face. "I wouldn't put it past you..."
Again, the green hero looked offended. "If we were bugging you that much, you should've said something. I would've stopped..."
"Oh, and I'm sure I looked like I was really enjoying the constant harassment, pummeling, and threats from you guys. It was a real blast; I truly wish it would never end," he sarcastically spat.
Toon Link looked on in desperation. "Not once since all this nonsense started did I ever see you as anything less than a friend."
"Could've fooled me."
The green-clad boy held out a hand, hoping for a handshake. He was a leftie, so it looked a little weird. "I'm being honest here. ...If you come with me, I'll explain some more. ...Please?"
"..."
"..." Did Toon Link just shudder? Huh, that was odd.
"..."
"...?"
"..."Although reluctant, Ness sighed and returned to him, still up on his high horse. As he came closer, he suddenly realized how awkward them being together was, as he was now an inch or two taller than Toon Link. Boy, that sure was weird; it used to be vice versa.
He could tell Toon Link was a little intimidated by this. Regardless, he went on with, "Just come with me back to the Zelda Room. I'll fill you in there."
"..."
He smiled nervously, hand still outstretched. "So... yes? No? ...Uh?"
...Ness was surprised to find himself reaching out grip his hand. He was shaking the dude's left hand with his right, so this little ceasefire was kinda funny. The green kid's nervous smile widened.
"...Thank you. You won't be sorry, really."
"...Just make sure you got your story straight," he warned.
He gulped. "Heh heh... Uh, okay..."
Hands shoved in his pockets, Ness warily followed Toon Link to the Zelda Room, stopping every few feet to make sure he didn't spot any silhouettes of Red, Kirby, or Popo lurking around a corner with a noose or something.
...Oh, great. Did they really have him that paranoid?
But Toon Link seemed to understand his insecurity and let Ness follow at his own pace. Eventually, they arrived at the room, Toon Link going in first. Ness reluctantly followed, but kept a close eye on the door for anything weird...
The little swordsman was genuine in his innocence and simply made his way through the room over various Hylian artifacts to a bureau covered with even more of the stuff. Ness stood poised to run, expecting something crazy to happen, like Toon Link to hurl a shower of Deku Nuts at him and then grab him with his Hookshot while he was stunned and hold him down while Kirby and Popo ran in with some hot grease and then Red parades in with some duct tape and—
"...Look at this," suddenly said Toon Link, nearly making Ness leap outta his skin. Blushing, he handed him a letter, an envelope, and some pictures.
Curious, Ness took it and skimmed through the slightly-girly handwriting. From what he could tell, it was just a friendly letter from a pal back home. Uh, okay? He turned to the accompanying pictures for some answers to see a lime green-haired girl and a motley crew of pirates on a ship. Again, uh, okay?
Looking at more of the pictures, he noticed most of them were of this girl; whether she was with a random pirate or lounging on a deck, it was obvious she wanted to make sure Toon Link got a nice collection of her. He also noticed she made sure she looked just alluring enough to tease its receiver, all while keeping him at bay with her teasingly tomboyish attitude. Smirking, winking, crossing arms, the whole shebang. She was obviously flirting.
"Her name's Tetra," said Toon Link, seeing the intrigue on Ness' face. "...I know she looks a little tough, but she's really sweet when she wants to be."
"...So why're you showing me this?"
He suddenly got excited. "B-because she sent me that today!"
"...So? People here get letters all the time."
"But she hasn't sent me one in months!" He played with his hands, smiling. "A-and she's not just a friend, if you know what I mean."
Ness was almost sure he didn't, so he shrugged.
"Well, Ness, see... Tetra and I are... We're kind of going steady."
His face fell. "...What?"
"Y-yeah... I would exactly say we were boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're pretty close. She's not too fond of the mushy stuff, either, so I kind of have to wait for her to feel like it first sometimes..."
"..."
His eyes sparkled, even more so than if he were talking about Lucas. "...Isn't she beautiful?"
"So lemme get this straight; you got a girl at home..."
Toon Link bit his lip. "...Uh-huh."
"...And you're here, chasing after... another girl... who you're not even supposed to know..."
"..."
He scoffed. "...TL, you're a womanizer..."
"Huwhat?! No, I'm not! I-I! I mean...! Ness, come on! What was I supposed to do?! T-this is my first time away from my friends and family, and there really aren't many girls here..."
"..."
"I just really wanted a little feminine attention, that's all. ...It gets so lonely in that department."
That was true. He couldn't blame him, as he used to feel the same way.
"But getting that letter today snapped me out of the trace I was in and now I know better. I mean, it's not like I forgot about Tetra or anything... It's just that I haven't heard anything from her in a while, and Lucas has been filling the void so well, a-and I haven't been around very many girls, a-and she's so girly and pretty, and..."
"I get it," growled Ness.
"Oh." He blushed once more. "I'm sorry... Lucas is just so pretty and delicate and sweet and soft... I've never known a girl around my age to act that way, so this was something new. A-and I felt I just had to have her and protect her and court her and love her and treat the way she should be treated; like a queen."
"...Really, now?" The psychic made a face as he noticed Toon Link was starting to swoon a bit. Seeing he noticed this, the little swordsman shook himself outta it.
He went on with, "Well, anyway... Enough beating around the bush. Ness, I'm going to be honest... when it comes right down to it..."
"...?"
"I've lost interest in Lucas."
"...!" Ness sputtered.
A-WHUT?! Those words...! Was it possible to use them in sentence together like that?!
"I mean, she's pretty and all..." He gushed. "And I mean, really pretty, but... It's not fate. Lucas and I don't have a thing in common, other than liking flower arranging and long walks on the beach. Oh, and being blond. We're the only kids who're blond around here, heh heh..."
Ness made a face. Toon Link liked flower arranging? ...Uh, okay. Couldn't say it surprised him.
Realizing he let that slip, Toon Link blushed. "...Um, yeah. Anyway... Lucas is still really pretty and nice and all, but..." He smiled sadly. "It's not meant to be. Besides, you've kind of... Um..."
Ness glowered. "I kinda already... What?"
"...Left a bit of an... uh, impression on her..."
The psychic crossed his arms. "Do tell."
"...As much as I like Lucas, I don't think I could've gone that far with her."
"..." If Toon Link was trying to get on his good side again, he was going about it the wrong way.
He must've sensed this and bit his lip. "...I'm sorry, but where I come from, it's customary to court and support a lady for a while before you move on."
"Well, excuse me for not coming from the brink of civilization on some island somewhere and not being Mr. Perfect Gentleman here."
Toon Link looked hurt. "..."
"Geez, that's so old school what you said. Who raised you, your grandma?"
"..."
...Oh, that's right. She did. He remembered reading a résumé on him somewhere that said that.
...
Ness sighed and decided to back off. That was an accident; he didn't mean to be so harsh. He was still on guard, after all.
"...Okay, that was mean." He shrugged. "I'm sorry, wasn't trying to criticize you or anything."
Toon Link smiled sadly. "...O-oh, that's okay. I'm just happy you're even hearing me out." He went over to a closet and fished through it as he continued. "I can understand why you're so hostile nowadays, feeling like everyone's out to get you..."
"Ugh, you don't even know the half of it..."
Sitting up, Toon Link pulled out a GameCube, blowing some dust off it. "And now that Lucas is a having a baby, you'll have to be on guard 24/7 now. So much goes on here and a fighting tourney really isn't the place for an expectant mother."
"Yeah, and you know how accident-prone she is. It'll more than double now that she's knocked up, I just know it..." Feeling a little relieved, Ness took a seat on what he assumed was Toon Link's bed. It was the smallest one, after all. He continued fishing through the pictures and letter Tetra sent.
Toon Link busied himself with the GameCube, some Game Boy Advances sitting off to the side. "Don't worry. If you really feel for her, it'll give you enough strength to do anything. I mean, if I found out someone was going after Tetra..." He tightened his fists, suddenly looking, well, kinda scary. "...I-I don't know want I'd do. I-it makes me mad just thinking about it..."
Ness blinked, the sight of Toon Link actually pissed being a rare and daunting one.
The blonde suddenly caught himself and blushed for the umpteenth time. "Oh, geez... Sorry. I'm a little sensitive over people I really care about, you see."
"I do," responded Ness, still shocked.
He fiddled around with the gaming devices some more. "But even when the chips are down and it feels like there's no hope left, just remember you've always got Lucas on your side. I can't tell you how many times I got deterred when trying to save Tetra when she was kidnapped. But I just kept thinking about her, and well, it helped me come through. Love is a very powerful weapon."
Damn, that sounded so tacky... but he knew from experience it was true.
He turned on the TV. "But hey, I'm glad we finally see eye-to-eye now. It's time to stop all this nonsense and just be pals again. And even if I was still after Lucas, I'd respect you enough to let the better man win, whether it be me or you. You know?"
"Oh. Uh... thanks, I guess." He continued looking through the pictures, even finding an older one where Tetra was playfully knocking a terrified-looking Toon Link off a pirate ship. Apparently, he musta said something so funny, she slapped his back in her laughter, sending him over the edge.
"And with that being said..." Ness looked up to see Toon Link holding a pair of GBAs. "...Want to go at it? Got it all connected now."
"What game?"
"Four Swords Adventures." He beamed. "Best multiplayer game I have."
He joined him in smiling, the first genuine one he'd given him that night. "Aw, cool, okay! We're starting a new game, right?"
"Yeah, if you want." He offered the GBA as another ceasefire, this time permanent. "So... truce?"
Ness happily took it. "Truce!"
He joined him on his bed with the other GBA. "You're Player 2, so you'll be Red, okay?"
"Yeah, that's—" He frowned.
...Red. Even if it was for a color, he hated that name...
Toon Link blinked, then realized what he was getting at. "Oh, forget him for a while. That's not what I meant."
"Hmph." He pouted. "...Fine, whatever. ...But try not to call me that anymore, okay?"
"...If you say so."
Arms crossed in thought, Red let a foot dangle over his crossed legs. He and Charizard were currently in a special treatment room down in the infirmary, the Pokémon recovering in a steaming hot Jacuzzi. Mario had said, although he'd be outta commission for a while, the damage to his nether regions wasn't extensive. Thankfully, Charizard wasn't sterile and, after some much-needed recuperation, his manhood could go about functioning as normal. Joy was felt all around.
Elbows back in relaxation, Charizard idly sat while his trainer donned a dark expression over his face. ("So... What're you thinking about?")
"That son of a whore, Ness," he snickered. "Little bastard always seems to luck out with Lucas, huh?"
("If you mean lucky from the fact she's carrying his child, then I can't really answer that.")
Red scowled. "...No. That was unlucky. Very unlucky."
He shrugged. ("Hey, it happens.")
"...Hmm." He scowled at that bit of truth, then looked to the dragon. "...Charizard?"
("Huh?")
"How're you feeling down there? You okay? Getting better, right?"
He smiled and waved it off. ("Oh yeah. It was nothing serious. I just need some downtime. I'm big, strong Charizard, remember?")
"Good, 'cuz Ness will pay. And I'm sure you know that three heads are better than one."
("Uh...") He scratched his head. ("Red, I've been thinking... Maybe you should just let this whole thing go. Don't you think it's a little... odd to be going after her now?")
"What? Why? 'Cuz she's been knocked up? Hell no, just a minor inconvenience..." Gaze shifting, he then muttered, "S'not like the kid'll give me any trouble..."
("Knowing you, you'd probably wanna get rid of it.")
He made a face. "...Well, it's not mine."
("But it's Lucas'.")
"But it's not mine. It's Ness'."
Now it was Charizard's turn to make a face. ("So you're telling me if you somehow got with Lucas, you'd disown the kid the second it gets here?")
"'Disown' is such a strong word. More like... give away."
("...")
"To Ness."
("...")
"'Cuz it's his."
("...")
"Hey, you reap with you sew. Think I'm gonna take care of it?"
("What if Lucas took care of it? She'll be the mother, after all. And everyone knows the mothers do about... Oh, 95% of the work when it comes to caring for children.")
"No, Lucas was a victim in the whole thing and Ness was the culprit. Therefore, that 95% is gonna go to him. So that means he'll be full-time, heh heh heh."
The dragon facepalmed. ("Red, you're obviously in denial.")
"Oh, just hush up and get well already." His smirk returned. "I've got an idea once you'd healed up..."
("Ugh, not another harebrained scheme of yours...")
"No, no. It'll work this time, I know it. But in order for it to, let's just say I'll need a little help from my friends..."
("The ones who've been helping you?")
"Nope." He slinked over and hung an arm over his neck with a grin. "My real friends..."
Charizard rolled his eyes, immediately catching his drift. ("Oh, boy...")
If there was one thing Ness liked about playing games late at night, it was that there was no telling how long you'd been at it until dawn approached. And then by that time, you were all wiped out and just went to bed and slept 'til noon the next day. Yeah, good stuff.
Unfortunately, the fun and games came to an abrupt end as the room's doorknob turned, its three other occupants entering. Ness turned at their entrance just as Toon Link busted out laughing at some nonsense going on in the game. Also seeing his roommates come in, he caught himself and blushed, embarrassed they heard him.
"Hey, hey, hey!" barked Ganondorf. "Since when did we say you could have friends over, you little runt?!"
"He just played a few games with me..." whimpered Toon Link.
Zelda came up. "Cut it out, Ganon. There's nothing wrong with that, and you know it."
"Whatever," said Link, rubbing his head. "That was all fine and dandy, but it's past curfew now and we all wanna go asleep. Ness, you gotta go."
Ness sighed and returned the GBA. "Fine. I was getting tired, anyway."
"Thanks for playing with me," said Toon Link, blushing once AGAIN. Geez, what was this kid's problem? "I haven't had that much fun in a while. Anyone else who I'm lucky enough to get to play is either a jerk or just complains the whole time."
"Link's guilty of the complaining part," said Zelda, pointing a thumb back at him.
"Hey!"
"So... Same time tomorrow?" asked Toon Link, eyes hopeful as Ness stood to leave. "I mean, maybe a little bit earlier, but..."
"Wait." He turned. "...You wanna do it again?"
"Well... Sure." He smiled. "It was fun. ...I mean, if you don't want to, we don't have to, but..."
...He decided to throw him a bone and smile back. "Okay then. Maybe around lunch? That good?"
"...!" Toon Link was ecstatic. "O-oh, okay! I'll leave everything where it is for us then!"
"All right, that's nice! Get out, good bye!" growled Ganondorf, shoving Ness out and slamming the door behind him.
Ness snorted at this and was about to leave when the door slowly opened, Toon Link peeking out. He whispered, "Psst, Ness. I'd be careful walking around here now if I were you. Red's been going on all day about how he was going to rip you a new one and that you can't run from him forever."
He glowered. "..."
"Sorry to bring it up, just didn't want you to leave without a heads-up. He's dead serious now; I was talking to him in the Smash Lounge today and he would just not shut up about you."
"Thanks..." he muttered, really starting to get sick of his ass. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Okay, then. Be careful. He said something about 'getting his friends to help', too. I don't know who he meant, but he kept saying that a lot around dinner."
Ness blinked. "Friends? He means you guys."
"No, because I asked, and he said they were his 'close friends' and that if he wouldn't get you, they would."
Now intrigued, the psychic frowned. "Now what the hell's that supposed to mean?"
Toon Link was about to answer when Link's hand grabbed his collar. "Enough chit-chat. You and I have a 10-minute fight first thing tomorrow, so let's get some sleep, all right?"
"But—" he tried to protest.
"No." And with that, he was yanked back in, the door slamming and locking.
...Ness turned his mouth up. Well... That certainly wasn't something he wanted to go to bed thinking about. He turned away from the door and faced the first floor's scenery before him. Despite it being past curfew, the place was still had few dimly-lit lights on, drenching the area in a dreary orange.
...Well? asked his psyche.
Well, what?
Aren't you gonna go back to your room?
Suppose so.
Then go.
I will.
When?
Soon.
How soon?
Just soon, okay?! Leave me alone!
You're scared, aren'tcha?
'Scared' and 'cautious' are two entirely different words.
And you're both.
I'm not! Shut up!
Then go!
FINE!
Annoyed at himself for even insinuating he was actually scared, Ness barreled through the room and up the stairs, almost tripping several times. He was running for his life and he didn't even know why. Fear, annoyance, frustration, self-consciousness? All that and more? Ooh, he was gonna rip Red a new one someday...
He arrived at his shared room in a flash, panting like he just ran a marathon. His pretty-crappy day had ended on a good note, and he didn't need Kirby, Popo, or, most of all, Red screwing it up at the last minute. And, despite meaning well with his little tidbit, Toon Link only succeeded in making him more paranoid. Yes, he was paranoid, okay? Not scared, he was no wimp... Just paranoid.
He quickly looked around for anything outta place, then turned to open the door. It was then he remembered Lucas. Huh, he told her he was going to bed, but ended up playing games with Toon Link for a few hours. He hoped he wouldn't hafta hear anything from her about that; he was too tired.
Hoping for the best, he opened the door and immediately locked eyes with a vacant, wide-eyed Lucas. It actually made him jump a little, and during the split-second motion in opening the door, he could've sworn he saw his roomie flinch as well. She was in a housecoat, just sitting up in her bed, hands idle, gaze curious and somewhat fearful. ...What was the deal here?
As much as he wanted to know some answers, he was unable to ask. She stared at him, he stared at her. He stared at him, she stared at her. Ness came all the way in, slowly closing the door behind him, but not taking his hand off the knob in case he suddenly had to dart back out again. Lucas watched his every move. Was she mad at him?
Finally, Lucas' blank, yet startled expression turned into a smile. "Hi, Ness."
"Hi, Lucas."
"You scared me, you know."
"How?"
"Well, I heard some yelling from downstairs and a door slamming, and then some running and you weren't in here, and I didn't lock the door, so I got scared..."
Typical Lucas behavior. Poor thing; was she really that bad without him around?
"I'm glad you're here, though. I was starting to get worried."
He got ready for some verbal assault. "...You're not mad or anything, right?"
"No, I just guessed you went to have some alone time."
"Oh. Okay."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..." Okay, he was just gonna grab his jammies from the bureau and go get dressed in the bathroom. Maybe after he finished, Lucas would knock it off with the silent treatment and that deadpan stare of hers. ...Right?
...
...No, of course not. He exited minutes later to see Lucas was still staring holes into him like before. He wondered if she even took her eyes off the door while he was in there. Even in the safety of the bathroom, Ness couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. What was this girl's problem?!
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..." All right, this was getting stupid. If Lucas didn't say anything soon, he was gonna go to bed and just call it a night.
Finally, she inhaled. "Hey Ness?"
"Huh?"
She hunched her shoulders. "...Can you sleep with me tonight? I can't tell you how lonesome I was feeling until you showed up. I really want your company..."
"..." He blushed.
"...Just sharing it!" she spat, also flushed.
"Oh."
"Yeah, so... please?"
He didn't feel like starting anything tonight, so he gave in. "...I guess so. Fine."
Overjoyed, she scooted over and gushed as he sat on the side. Ness didn't even have time to get comfortable before she yanked him under the covers, getting him situated to her liking. If Ness didn't know any better, he'd say it was like he was a doll and Lucas was an overly-happy five-year-old who'd just received him. Simply put, he was at her mercy.
As she happily tucked him in and fluffed his side of the sheets, her arm accidently brushed against one of his hands, causing her to wince.
"...Ow." She shuddered, making a face. "Your hands're so cold..."
Oh. Well, playing games at night had a tendency to do that to them.
"Here." She then had the nerve to take his icy palms and put them between her legs. Needless to say, Ness freaked.
"What're you—?!"
"Oh, shush. You're so silly. I'm just warming them for you."
"Oh, so what? Are we gonna sleep like this? Me with my hands in your crotch?"
"They're not in my crotch, and we're not going to sleep like this. Just don't want them be cold anymore. Is that a crime?"
He supposed not; he was just on edge.
Lucas must've sensed this and looked at him quizzically. "..."
Anxious, he looked back. "...What?"
"You're tense."
"Huh?"
"You heard me." She put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed. "You're tense. Really tense. Like... you're scared or worried about something."
"Well, I'm not." Oh, what a fine time for his stubbornness to kick in.
"Stop lying. You are." She combed hands through his messy hair, taking his hat and tossing it over to his vacant bed. "Your mind's racing, isn't it? You're really anxious and bothered, right?"
Pfft, she had some nerve to be guessing that. What did she think she was, psychic?
...Oh, yeah.
She continued massaging his scalp with her fingers, making his eyes wanna roll back. Oh, she was just trying to get him antsy now.
"Is this about earlier? Did Red bug you again?" She looked him over then gasped. "He didn't hurt you, did he?!"
"No, I—"
"Poor thing..." She smushed his face in-between her bosoms. "You really are a nervous wreck, aren't you?"
Ness woulda objected to this in a heartbeat, but considering he had a pair of boobs in his face, he'd gladly hold his tongue forever. ...Oh, great. His hands were still between her legs and now he was being smothered by her boobs. This was so full of innuendo, he couldn't stand it.
Not hearing an answer, Lucas assumed Ness' blank stare and flushed face hinted at anguish. "Aw Ness, I'm so sorry! I never realized! All this nonsense really is getting to you, isn't it?"
Yes, talking boobs, he was very distressed and needed immediate consolation.
She briskly rubbed his head. "See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I don't like it when you're tense. It makes me tense. And you've been this way for the last few days."
"No'm not..." he mumbled, face still in her boobs.
She looked dejected. "Ness, stop lying to me. It really hurts when you do. It's like I'm not good enough to know the truth, so you hide it by lying."
"But m'not, really..."
She continued to yammer on as she rubbed his scalp harder, making him tremble uncontrollably at the sensation. Dammit, she was seducing him again. Should he tell her? Was it unintentional, or was she trying to make him melt like an ice cube in a microwave?
"...Well, maybe some nice R&R'll get you to stop fibbing, then." She grinned and pulled back, firmly placing her hands on each side of his head. "So relax... I mean, you've had a long day, right?"
"Yeah..."
"But now it's time to sleep it all away, right?"
"Y-Yeah..."
She slowly laid him down. "And get a good night's sleep, right?"
"Uh-huuuuuuuh..." Oh geez, he was slurring now. Had he no resistance?
Lucas joined him in lying in bed, sharply inhaling and hitching her chest as she placed her forehead against Ness', all while still holding his head in place and looking at him endearingly. "So... you know what I want you to do for me now?"
He woulda asked with something like, "Huh?" or "What?", but his vocabulary was all but existent at this point. He couldn't even begin to describe what he inquired her with.
"Go. To. Sleep," she answered, playfully tapping his cheek with each word.
He smirked dopily. "...Heh, easiest thing I've done all day."
She returned it. "Then do it."
"I will."
"When?"
"In a sec."
"It's been more than that."
"So?"
"You're still talking to me."
"Well, maybe I like talking to you."
"Well, maybe I like talking to you."
"Well, maybe I won't go to sleep so soon."
"Well, maybe..." She nuzzled his nose with her own. "Maybe I like that."
He scoffed and pushed her away, to which she responded by playfully shoving his shoulder. This soon erupted into a light tussle; nothing much, just poking, pushing, tickling, laughing, and whatnot. It didn't last long though, as both were already pretty tuckered out. It eventually ended with a sleepy embrace between the two, Lucas placing her chin on Ness' head while he found refuge in the crook of her neck.
He yawned and she smiled. "Ness?"
"Huh?"
"Can you do me another favor?"
He was almost afraid to ask. "...What?"
"...Tell me."
"Tell you what?"
"...About the guys. What they've been doing to you."
"..." He made a face.
"I know told me about Red and what a tightwad he's been being lately, but... that's all you told me. You didn't really elaborate or anything."
"..."
"So, tell me everything you can. Please? I haven't really been paying attention, I know, but if whatever happened last night was enough to get you so depressed today, then I want to know it all. Don't hold back; I'm all ears."
...So he did. He told her everything he could remember them doing to him. The threats, the taunts, the dirty looks, the occasional ganging up on him, everything. He felt like a spineless tattletale, spilling himself out like this, but she'd actually asked him this; like she actually cared! He'd be a fool to pass up this opportunity with a callous, "It's nothing, just forget it."
He didn't even pay attention to Lucas' responses, he just told her how the Idiot Brigade had been making his stay there a hellish nightmare for the last few months. Granted, they'd lightened up over time, but still...
Ness got so enthralled in tattling on his enemies, he could've sworn he literally fell asleep talking about the time Red commanded Charizard to set his hat on fire while he was trying to take an innocent leak outside.
Morning came. Ness woke up. What a surprise. He and Toon Link played pretty late into the night, but he usually slept longer than this. That was odd... Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and checked the nightstand's clock.
...8:42am? It had to be kidding him. He was never much of a morning person, so never got up that early; it was just too inhumane. He rubbed his face again and suddenly remembered he'd shared the bed with Lucas last night. Looking to his side, he noticed she was missing and pouted. That must've been what roused him from his slumber; the very fact he didn't sense her presence was probably enough to wake him up from a coma. ...Probably.
The only thing that remanded of her now was a slight imprint in the sheets and her distinct cherry scent he loved to smell so much. He actually grabbed her pillow and took a nice, long whiff to simulate her presence, shamefully getting a little rush from it.
...
...
...
He blanched, pulling away from the cushion in horror. Oh no! No, no! He wasn't going down that road again, no! He already violated this thing once; he wasn't gonna degrade himself by doing it again.
Annoyed at even getting the idea, Ness was about to fling the pillow across the room in pent-up frustration, but had to stop. Instead, he returned it to his lap and regarded it fondly. ...Gah, he couldn't throw this thing. What'd it ever do to him? It was a pillow. And it being Lucas' only doubled its innocence.
...
Sighing, he pouted again and hugged the pillow, plopping his face onto its top. Aw, that was just great; he was starting to go soft. Spending the night with Lucas must've done... something and he now felt overwhelmingly gushy. He actually had the nerve to nuzzle it a little. Why?! He had no intent on humping it now, just to snuggle and cuddle it.
...Yeah, he needed to find Lucas, and fast.
After a quick shower and not having anything better to do, he decided to go and find his feminine half. The bed was still a little warm from where she slept when he woke up, so she couldn't have gone far. Hands in his pockets, he decided to mosey around, pretending to look annoyed and uninterested. He couldn't let anyone know how eagerly he wanted to find her, after all.
Was she somewhere upstairs? He walked up and down the hallway to check. No. Most of the rooms were vacant anyway, evident by the locked doors and no answers to his knocking.
Was she in the living room? He went downstairs to see Mario, Bowser, Sonic, and Captain Falcon on the couch, watching a fight. That was nice and all, but there was no Lucas.
He ventured into the main hallway, rounded some corners, went into the Smash Lounge, peeked in some bathrooms, rounded more corners, tried the lunchroom, foyer, closets, patio, backside of the house, everywhere. Everywhere he could go, he went. And every time, he came up empty-handed. Everyone knew this place inside-out, and yet, people still went missing when they were needed most. What the hell?
Tired of looking around this early in the morning, Ness just said "screw it" and decided to go have some breakfast. Maybe he could catch up with Toon Link there, too. Playing games was almost as good as having Lucas around, anyway. He stretched and yawned as he went back through the house and towards the lunchroom for breakfast, passing and greeting some lingering Smashers.
No sooner had he finished chatting with a chummy Luigi, Ness soon had the misfortune of walking off and right into the scourge of the house.
Red. That bastard. He glared past him to see he'd brought his cronies, in the form of Kirby and Popo.
"Hey, good morning, loser!" He pinned him to wall. "Up kinda early, aren'tcha? Oh well, whatever. It's probably 'cuz you're just dying to get Round 2 started, huh?"
"..." Ness remained unmoved.
"Oh hey, whassa matter? Meowth got your tongue?" he snickered.
"Not today, Red," he said, prying him off and turning to go. "Leave me alone."
Of course, the trainer still had a bone to pick with him, yanking him back and pinning him to the wall again. "What's the big rush? You don't have fight to get to, right?"
"As I matter of fact, I do."
"Liar. I checked your schedule; you don't have a fight until noon."
So now the dude was checking his schedule?! Oh, that was bad. Very bad.
"So, c'mon." He let go and tightened his fists. "Let's go. You and me, right now. C'mon."
"Red, I don't know what's your problem, but stop it, all right? I don't wanna fight you unless it's in a match."
"Oh, so wimping out on me, huh? Figured as much. I thought yesterday you were just tired or something, but no, you're wimping out."
Ness sneered. "Wow, Red. I used to think you were an asshole, but now I see you're just downright sadistic."
"Funny, I was about to say the same to you, especially after what you did to Lucas."
Ugh! Not this crap again! This was enough to make Ness to storm off when Kirby blocked his way.
"Kirby. ...Move it," he demanded, angrily clenching his fists.
The puffball declined him. "Sorry Ness, but we can't let you go just yet! Red said he wanted to beat you up good, and you're not leaving until he does!"
Scoffing, Ness went the other way, only to have Popo stop him. "Yeah, sorry! Nothing against you, but you're staying here until he's done! Beside, Red said he'd give us each 100 Smash Coins if he made you bleed profusely! ...Whatever that means."
This guy was outta his mind! This was so illegal, it wasn't even funny. Backed up against the wall, Ness decided to relinquish himself again. Not that it would work or anything; he was just stalling for time... not that he knew exactly what he was stalling for.
He glared flatly at the snide trainer. "Red, come on. You kicked my ass, all right? Why do you hafta do it again? Over Lucas? What would she say?"
"Who cares what she says? You've gotten her hypnotized or something. She'll always be on your side 'cuz of that."
Ness facepalmed. And just when he thought things couldn't get any stupider...
"But enough talk." He roughly pushed him the chest. "I actually got a fight in an hour, so let's make this quick. I'll need time to go wash the blood off my hands, y'know."
"...Don't push me," he growled, shoving Red back.
He did so again, harder. "Then do something about it."
So he did, shoving the trainer hard enough to make him stumble back. The glower on Red's face showed he didn't appreciate it at all.
...The two had a bit of a staredown before Red came outta nowhere with a punch, barely missing and knocking Ness' hat crooked. Meanwhile, Ness got a few feet away, trying to see if he could make a break for it. Unfortunately, Kirby and Popo weren't having it. He knew if he so much as turned the other way, they'd catapult him back into Red, who'd happily open another can of whoopass on his... ass.
Red quickly strode over to administer another punch or something, all while Ness tried to keep his distance. This went on for a bit, Ness scurrying away, all while Red followed and his pals kept a boundary to how far he could escape. Finally, Ness got tired of Red constantly lessening the gap between them and puffed up his chest.
All right, that was it. As much as he didn't wanna fight, his anger was starting to override his insecurity. Maybe he would get his head handed to him again, but dammit, he'd hafta try. Red had officially gotten too big for his britches, and now it was time to take him down a couple notches. Red didn't even hafta to make some stupid remark to get his blood boiling this time. Ness was ready for him, and he could tell.
Fueled by his newfound ambition, Ness angrily charged forward and was about to slug him in the stomach when Red suddenly unleashed a vicious thrust of a punch that probably woulda broken his jaw had he hit a little harder.
Usually, this woulda disheartened Ness, but he was surprised to feel himself become infuriated from it. Using this newfound frustration, he knocked that stupid grin off Red's face with a heavy, retaliating blow. Ness get on guard as Red distanced himself, sizing up his opponent while the psychic did the same. He then lurched forward with another fierce swing, but Ness ducked and swung his arm into his gut, knocking the air outta him. This obviously stunned him, as he hesitated long enough for Ness to grab his vest and hurl him off to the side.
Red staggered to stop his fall, running into an onlooking Kirby in doing so. Despite this, he was soon back in the fray with a barrage of punches, to which Ness answered with a barrage of his own. Much ducking and swaying was involved, and both took it on the chin several times, but Ness got lucky enough to spot an opening and heavily socked Red's jaw. As Ness had been leaning forward to do this, Red threw himself forward and brought down a sharp elbow on the back of his neck. He was answered with a jab to the side, which made him lose his balance.
Ness took this opportunity to tackle Red and plowed him into the ground, grabbing his collar and jerking him angrily just to show he meant business. The trainer gritted his teeth as he held him for a few seconds, both seething. They always said actions spoke louder than words; case in point, why they were both regarding each other in silent detest.
Finally, Red stopped showing clenched teeth and just stared at him in pure hatred, causing Ness to turn his nose up. He didn't feel like finishing the job, so he roughly shoved the trainer into the ground like that was where he belonged and stood to saunter off. He didn't have time to mess with him anymore; he had Lucas to find. Besides, there was no better way to end a fight than to dominate it, then leave.
Unfortunately, Ness didn't have long to relish in his victory before Red jolted up from the floor and sent him into a table with a blow across the back of his head, stooping to a new low and smashing his face into it. Ness fell over backwards in immediate pain, clutching his face with an anguished groan. He swore, if that bastard broke something—!
The trainer was already on top of him by the time Ness recovered, him grabbing his collar and poised to punch when Red himself was heavily slugged. The sheer force was enough to knock him off and topple to the floor in stunned pain. This woulda been cool and all if the culprit had been Ness, but he hadn't moved an inch, as he was still on the ground, throbbing from the assault.
Someone then angrily stepped over him, not in vengeance, but protection. He automatically recognized the orange sneakers with the mango-colored tips, the smooth, scrawny legs, and nice butt, clad in tight jean shorts. Scowling, he bit his lip.
Red, furious from the impact, leapt up to blindly punch who he presumably thought was Ness. He then stepped back to grin at his resulting pain, but his smile suddenly dropped as he was met with a dark scowl from not him, but Lucas. Ness noticed she was accompanied by a now-startled Toon Link, hands over his mouth in shock. Meanwhile, Kirby and Popo stood off to the side, mouths agape.
"...!" The trainer blanched, reaching out to gently stroke the red blemish he'd left on her face. "L-Lucas! I—"
"Don't touch me," she hissed, slapping his hand away.
"..." He immediately withdrew, feigning innocence.
Ness was still on the floor so he couldn't see her expression, but he could literally see how furious she was from the way she was heatedly breathing. She then inhaled, to speak, doing so quietly.
"...You know, you guys have a lot of nerve... So this is what's come to, huh? Harassing and bullying Ness over my affection? Does that make you feel big? Make you feel like you're better than everyone else?"
"...Uh..."
"...You know what?" She tightened her fits. "...I've had it up to here with all this senseless fighting. And even after I just told you yesterday to knock it off. ...You think this impresses me? It doesn't. At all. ...So, I'm going to tell you all something right here, right now; I don't feel like repeating myself, so listen up. All of you."
"..." Like a pack of trained dogs, the Idiot Brigade did as told and gave her their undivided attention. Kirby and Popo, who were standing, stupidly plopped their asses on the floor to listen, not even bothering to look for a chair.
"...Picking on Ness? Knock it off. It's not funny. I don't like it and he doesn't like it, so stop. Roughhousing is okay, but you've all taken this way, way too far. May I go as far as to call it torture?"
"It's not—" Popo weakly tried.
She cut him off with a glare. "I'm not done."
"..." Popo simply dropped his hand. Meanwhile, Kirby and Red looked on in horror. Who was this girl, and what had she done with their Lucas?
"I've tried to remain calm about this for some time now, but this is the final straw; had I known this was going on behind my back, I would've put a stop to this a long ago. I don't mind you guys saying I'm pretty or doing things for me, but treating Ness like he's some sort of criminal is out of the question."
"..."
"I'm going to say this one more time: Do NOT let me catch you harassing Ness again. If I so much as thinking one of you is bothering him—" She cracked her knuckles. "I'll pay whatever you're doing to him back, double. Don't think just because I'm pregnant I can't knock some sense into you. And if I can't do it, wait 'til I tell Peach, who'll tell Mario, who'll tell Master Hand."
Ness could've sworn the color from everyone's face drained from that, his included.
"Now get out," she darkly muttered, pointing towards a hallway.
...Faces filled with terror and shame from making her get this way, the puffball and Ice Climber slowly trudged out, not once looking Lucas in the face. They were too busy sadly looking at the floor, after all. Even though Toon Link wasn't in trouble, Ness noticed him slightly hiding his face in her side. He wouldn't have minded joining him.
Indifferent, Red stood in alone in the room. "..."
"..." Lucas stared him down.
Ness could tell he desperately wanted to say something stupid to appease her, but Lucas wasn't having it. She dared him to open his mouth.
"..." Red decided not to take that dare and shoved his hands inside his pockets, casually strolling off as if nothing ever happened.
...Again, things were deathly quiet as Lucas watched him leave. Her, Toon Link, and Ness just sat there in an unsettling silence until Lucas slowly lowered her pointing arm and held her head back, hissing in pain as she rubbed her face with a whiny, "Owwwwwwww...!"
Toon Link finally found the will to speak and came to her aid. "Lucas? You okay?"
"Yeah..." She winced as she gingerly touched her sore spot. "But remind me to never do that again. It hurt...!"
He chuckled nervously. "Heh heh, o-okay."
Lucas stepped away from standing over Ness, allowing him to get up. She faced him with a perky expression, expecting him to be all tough and ungrateful for her help like always. Not that she minded it or anything; she actually found it cute.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Ness, but those guys had to learn their lesson. Hopefully, I got the point across this time..." She smiled, raising a clenched fist. "Or else, right?"
"..." He stared at her. When it came to complementing her face, his expression didn't look too perky. It actually didn't look happy at all; it looked more... annoyed.
"Ness...? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Lucas turned her head in confusion, all while Toon Link seemed to realize what was wrong.
"..." Ness didn't answer, he just kept staring. Thinking some TLC would help, Lucas took a step forward to embrace him, but he quickly took two steps back. It was like he didn't wanna be anywhere near her...
This seemed to worry Lucas, and for good reason. "...Ness?"
"..." Not even wanting to look at her anymore, Ness lowered his head, fixed his hat and shirt, and promptly left.
"Wait, Ness! Where're you going?" Lucas yearningly called. She was about to give chase and almost caught up with him when Toon Link caught an arm, pulling her back.
Annoyed, she pouted. "Toon Link, stop. What're you doing? I want to go talk to Ness..."
"Lucas, please. I think you should stay here..."
Smiling, she gently pulled away. "It's okay, I just want to talk... You know how stubborn he is sometimes; all he needs is a little hug or something."
Toon Link quickly ran ahead and blocked her path, looking upon her in pity with his big, cat-like eyes. "Lucas, listen to me. I really think you should leave Ness alone now."
"But... why?"
"He's in a very bad mood right now. If you follow him..." He looked back at Ness angrily rounding a corner. "I fear he may hurt you."
Lucas looked taken aback. "...Hurt me? But... Ness loves me. He would never do that..."
"Love is very powerful, but so is anger. And I don't want to wait and see which overrides the other. So, please... stay."
Lucas looked off to see Ness was long gone and sighed. "...Okay. But... why would Ness be angry at me? All I did was help him out..."
Toon Link frowned sadly. "That's just it. By doing that, you hurt something of Ness', and moreso than Red could ever hope to."
Lucas went pale. "...What?"
"His pride."
Authoress' Notes: See? Told ya.