Disclaimer: I own neither Misty nor the OC written in this little drabble. I have permission from the OC's original writer to use him in this drabble. This is all for fun
League paperwork was piled up past the height of her office desk, the cabinets against the wall barely surpassing the amount the redhead had. The pile to her left was what she had already completed, the right... she didn't like to think about the right pile. Hell she hated to even look at the right pile. Yet it couldn't escape the corner of her vision.
Her hand cramped as she finished yet another report that would be due soon enough...way too soon. Why was it this type of stuff seemed to pile up on her so quickly? It disgusted her how fast she let some of her work build up, while at other stuff came so naturally to finish quickly and efficiently.
Misty pulled her hand back, squeezing the throbbing palm with her colder, much less red, hand. Blisters had begun to form in certain spots as they always did during this time of year. But...paperwork was a necessity for the League. It helped them keep track of challengers, distribute funds evenly, make sure that the trainers in the gyms were treated and payed fairly...
She groaned loudly, her foot pushing her chair back as her face looked toward the ceiling for some kind of reason. As if the the bright blue walls would give her an answer to her problems. The redhead was the only one to blame for getting herself into this predicament once again. All of this came with the title of Gym Leader after all, hell she'd proved the point at plenty of league meetings that even the little things such as this made a major impact on how everything operated.
So why was it always such a pain in the ass to get herself to follow her own mantra?
Her thoughts were disrupted by the door being pushed open, knocking her out of her frustrated daze and causing her to let out a less than tough squeak as she gripped the desk in front of her to prevent herself from falling. Barely, she succeeded. A sigh left her as she already felt the person closer to her side, having heard her squeak and rush to help her.
It always seemed his eyes were written with concern for one reason or another, but today all Misty could see was concern for her wellbeing. Keith, himself, was no stranger to paperwork piled higher than the ceiling. The Unovan league seemed to have more rules, regulations and paperwork than most regions and with his previous title as Champion, he was usually the one to review all of it. Of course...that didn't mean he didn't notice the mental toll it took on his girlfriend. In fact, it was the first thing he noticed from the moment he arrived at Misty's gym. She gave a hard appearance for her position but, the young professor knew better. She was more emotionally led in her decisions than she wanted to lead on.
"You haven't taken a break have you." He's blunt, but he knows if he's not she'll brush him off. She doesn't answer aloud, but it's enough for him to guess. Keith holds back his irritation at her lack of self-care, knowing she doesn't need a lecture. "When did you last eat?"
Misty bites her cheek softly, realising she can't remember. She still stays silent, earning a sigh of frustration from Keith. She watches him pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling her heart drop slightly. "You're mad."
"I'm not." He tells her, his eyes going back to her face as he takes in her current state once more. He can feel her emotions changing to that of self-doubt, a rare emotion from her, but a heart wrenching one all the same. "I don't get mad at you. I get worried. I get frustrated. But I don't get mad."
She's sat back in her seat, her arms folded over her chest as her eyes avoid him. She had already been mentally smacking herself upside the head for letting her work slip up, and yet here she was forgetting such a basic human necessity that it almost pissed her off how stupid of a slip up she had made.
Keith doesn't know exactly what to do at first. His brain tells him to try and help her get over this feeling... well Reshiram really was helping with tuning that part in, but that was beside the point. His fists tightened slightly, trying to think of something.
He's moving before he can fully register what his plan is. Misty shrieks as she's taken from her seat and thrown over his shoulder. She's flushed in the cheeks but smacks his back in slight anger.
"Keith dammit put me down-!" She's not used to him just picking her up without warning. "I have more shit to d-"
"No." He answers her short and smiles up at her on his shoulder before heading out of her office "You, Miss 'I like to get after my boyfriend for being a work-a-holic but I'm the same way' are done for today. I know for a fact that's all due in two weeks. You've gotten halfway done and you have a weeks worth left."
Keith drops her gently on one of the many beach chairs surrounding the gym's pool, Misty smacking his chest with her balled fists in protest. He gently stops her hand, placing a kiss to her head and making her freeze in her spot. He feels her hand relax in his hand and he releases it in response. She's pink in the cheeks as he pulls back, a small smile in his face as he feels her entire emotional state change once more.
"I have lunch in my bag. We're eating. You can't argue, I deny it." He stands back up straight, turning on his heel and going to retrieve the food.
The redhead felt her stomach rumble in approval and placed a hand to it as she watched him walk away. She exhaled, releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding. She felt her chest untighten slightly, a weight off her shoulders being lifted.
When he returned, she accepted the food gratefully. What she hadn't expected was a full-on Bento box, prepared specifically for her. She watched as he pulled his own out, beginning to dig into his lunch. She observed her own box, seeing that he'd incorporated her seafoodless diet, substituting for things that she'd rather have such as Onigiri that was no doubt filled with either scrambled Chansey eggs or cucumbers and avacado, and chopped and seasoned Slowpoke tail that had been grilled just right.
She took her first bite into the Slowpoke tail, holding back a slight noise of approval as she felt her tastebuds explode at the sensation of something savoury on her tongue. Despite her efforts, Keith noticed. A smirk crossed his face, a hand going to cover his face as he tried and failed to stifle laughter.
Misty's cheeks puffed slightly, an annoyed look on her face before she found herself smiling a little too. She didn't know where the laughter came from, but it filled her chest and echoed out of her mouth as she reflected her boyfriend's state.
As they both once again caught their breaths, Misty couldn't help but pull his face closer. The brown-haired boy was confused at first, but quickly realised what was happening as she presses a soft kiss to his lips. His reaction time was a bit slow but for the little bit he could, he savoured it.
As the redhead pulled away, she smiled brightly at him, her attitude much different from that of an hour ago. She was grateful for everything he'd done, even if it was so simple.
"Thank you Keith.."