~Touya~
Nothing like discovering how much you love a city, only to realize how much you hate its gym leader a moment later.
Laid back and high as a kite was the water trainer Marlon, who's impressive tan lines had enough contrast to make you blind as a bat when he turned your way in the right light. He was strange, he had a fake island accent (though more closely related to the Orange Island's than Mintonga) and he didn't seem to know what he was talking about most of the time.
"What the hell was up with him?" I questioned as the sun broke over the waves lapping at the soft white sandy beach of Humilau.
"He just doesn't seem like he wants to be a part of this battle." Cheren murmured, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses as the low sun glinted off the lenses making me flinch.
N and I had to separate for the time being while I went off to investigate Team Plasma along with Rosa and come to find out my best friends Cheren and Touko as well. It was a hard thing for us, but I had made my decision quite clear when we were in Undella town after the plane crash. I had to be a hero—actually I had decided that a while ago—but I had to do something to stand up for this region I had made my home in the past two years. There was no option of letting it crumble at my feet. I was their savior, they believed in me.
"I can't blame him for that… but he could at least help up if he knows anything." I drew a line with my finger in the sand, taking a sharp breath and letting it out slowly—the feeling of moisture and salt on the back of my tongue pungent like one of the ripe fruits sitting in a small picnic basket besides Cheren. Speaking of which-I watched as he reached inside and pulled out a thick tangerine. Somehow I took a mental note of that—Cheren was far too sophisticated for oranges. No of course he needed to have tangerines. I found a disgruntled laugh creep up the back of my throat as he fought with the skin of it, trying to use his too-short nails to peel it back.
Snorting softly I reached over and took the thing from him, clipping a hole in the skin easily with my thumb and pushing back the first layer before letting him take over the rest.
"This isn't the first time you've had to do this for me." Cheren grumbled as he peeled back the rest of the skin. "Thanks."
My mind reeled back to a time and place when Cheren had once struggled with another fruit and the skin of it. We were traveling together at the time, having just left our small town in search of our new futures. We had only just gotten to Accumula Town and decided to stop for a picnic that day—the day before I met N.
I frowned slightly, knowing that was the last time I gave Cheren any whole piece f my heart with no restrictions, and again the nagging feeling of him somehow iloving/i me came back and nipped at my throat. I swallowed stiffly, looking at my awkward swirls in the sand and pulling my knees up to my chest—I rest my chin there with a sigh, trying not to look at Cheren.
He was my best friend… he knew more about me than most people did and I found it hard to believe that I could be so cruel to him. He had been everything for me in my time of need after all—my phone call of encouragement, my partner, my opponent, the one who saved my life for Arceus sake! Cheren had been…
Hiding my face in my knees I heard the gentle sound of his teeth tearing at the flesh of the tangerine. He did so carefully, unaware of the turmoil his concentrated chewing put me through when I stopped to think about it.
"You put sand on it…" He coughed slightly, hesitantly as if he knew that I was deep in though. I looked up to see him eyeing the fruit curiously, a cheek puffed out to one side because he didn't want to crunch down on any more grit.
I couldn't help it… I cracked a smile; rolling my eyes because I knew that a little sand never hurt anyone—hell when Kyouhei was younger he used to eat spoonfuls of sand with no problem (But Arceus forbid I tell anyone that secret of his to anyone). I flicked my chin towards the basket.
"Hand me something."
Cheren peered over the side of it, squinting as if the sun altered his vision or something. "There's nothing left."
"What?" I asked incredulous. "That's impossible I brought like ten fruits!" That was so strange—Cheren had only eaten one and—
Stopping in surprise I turned, looking across the sand back further up the beach to see that Serperior was bathing herself in a patch of warm sunlight, her tail wrapped protectively around the other nine or so fruits.
"Serperior!" I ordered. "You need to share!"
Slowly she began to swallow a grapefruit whole, her emerald green eyes peering innocently at me as if she were just a baby pokemon that didn't know what I was saying. I snorted at her, deciding that later today she would have an extra ten minutes of training or something to make of for it.
Cheren chuckled lightly, his crooked grin—one thing I always noticed about Cheren was how crooked his smile was—twisting down as if it were in pain as well as pleasure.
"I bit it, but you have can the rest." He pushed the peeled tangerine over to me. "And there's sand in it—but that's your fault."
Perching my lips at him I rolled my eyes—like we'd never shared anything before (nope nothing at all. Just oral sex, make out sessions, and alcohol bottles). Stubborn as I was I took it from him and eyed it carefully, thinking that it would be noticeable to bite away from where he bit, and then finding that… even though I intended to do so… I ended up biting the same succulent fleshy side that he had tore at. And I couldn't help but think that maybe… maybe I was trying to see if I would taste his lips once again.
Guilt was instant as I handed the fruit back to him. "There's no sand on it…"
He took a bite and pushed it back at me. "Yes there is."
"Cheren…" I met his dark blue eyes, licking my lips once and… and just watching him. This person that could have been so much more than just my best friend. I hated to admit it but… if it weren't N it would be Cheren.
I wasn't afraid to admit that I loved my book-smart, antisocial-at-first, and gym leader best friend.
The problem was that I loved N more.
"Are you ok?" Cheren murmured, seeing the sad smile play across my lips. "I—I'm just being picky, really… there was like one tiny grain of sand and I—
"Thank you." I cut him off.
He glanced at the half eaten tangerine in his palm and reached out to place it in mine slowly. "You're welcome?"
I shook my head. "Not the fruit… no Cheren I mean for everything. Just… Thank you for being my best friend."
Sun rising just above the ocean waves glinted off his glasses he nodded at me, his lips turning up into a smile so sad and yet so full of love it actually hurt.
"Of course…" He sniffed. "I—I always will be…"
