Chapter 20: Long Time No See
Frost and Cynthia were currently on their way back to the hotel and were walking through the local streets as bit of a short cut.
"Have your friends already reached?" Cynthia asked while stepping through the crowded street.
"It's 1:30 right now, they won't be there before 3 PM." replied Frost while following Cynthia.
"How long has it been since you've met them?"
When Cynthia asked this question Frost took his time and answered
"For Stone it was 2 years and for the rest of them almost 3 and half I think."
"Three and a half is a long time Frost what were you doing all that time." questioned Cynthia.
"I was working."
"For three years, and you didn't talk to them at all during that time period?"
"Ya pretty much." replied Frost in a very casual way.
"Don't you think they will be angry towards you for not staying in touch?"
Now the hotel was in their sights as Frost replied
"I am pretty certain that one of them is gonna try to hit me."
Cynthia chuckled at the man's response and added
"Well in that case you should be prepared."
"Let's drop your bags off in your room first." Frost said with a laugh himself.
Both of them walked into the Hotel's lobby and were greeted by the ever so tedious receptionist
"Welcome back, I hope you had a nice trip."
"We did thanks for asking." Cynthia chimed in while continuing to walk towards the elevator.
"Madam Cynthia hold on a second, Mr. Steven asked me to inform you that he is waiting for you in your room itself."
Cynthia responded with a nod and then immediately turned to Frost.
"You said 10-15 minutes max." she asked with a betrayed expression on her face.
Frost waved his hands apologetically and responded
"That was the time it will take him to realize that you were not in the bath."
"We have been gone for almost four hours Frost! are you telling me he's still in my room."
"Am I am not gonna lie but as far as being infatuated with you goes Steven has some serious commitments."
"Don't praise him, suggest a method to get him out." she retorted.
"Hey I am not some magician that can just do anything." Frost answered while somewhat laughing at the women's behavior.
"That's it I am calling in the cavalry." Cynthia now sick of it took her Pokegear out and called someone immediately.
While the heated conversation was going on Frost chimed in "I could still punch him in the face.".
Cynthia shushed him like he was a child interrupting a conversation between parents and resumed with her call.
"What!, you won't be here for another hour, Diantha I don't think you are understanding my situation here he has made himself comfortable in my room."
"…."
"No I am not gonna enter, you know what you should do since we will be meeting in a few hours in Ash's room anyways please beat some sense into that idiot he has been annoying me since yesterday."
"…."
"Oh don't worry about me for the time being I have an alternate room here." Cynthia replied while smiling wryly while looking at Frost.
Frost on the other hand could only hear one side of the conversation was slightly confused when Cynthia was eyeing him like that.
"…."
"Alright see you soon, bye." Cynthia said while ending the call."
"Alright Frost I'll be staying in your room now, no questions asked." added Cynthia while picking up her shopping bags.
"But..."
"No questions!" she didn't even allow Frost to finish his sentence.
Frost sighed and thought (She is very bossy when she doesn't like something.) as he followed her walk towards his room which was previously shared with Alex but was currently only belonging to Frost.
They entered Frost room soon after that and Cynthia settled on the couch while Frost just eyed her with concern.
"What are you planning to do Champion?"
"I am gonna stay here for a few hours until Diantha arrives here." she replied without delay.
"But why my room?"
"Because it's available." she justified.
Frost sighed as he hung his coat and loosened his tie while lying on his upper bed.
There was an awkward silence between the two and Cynthia was the first one to address it.
"So Alex was your roommate, where is she now?"
With the ice breaker in play Frost replied
"Oh she had to leave early in the morning for another assignment."
"Life of a Ranger must be stressful." she asked.
"I mean after sometime you get used to it." Frost replied while relaxing on the bed with Cynthia still sitting on the couch.
(This awkward I mean what should I talk about.) Frost thought while not being able to relax at all.
"Hey I am making tea do you want to have some." Cynthia asked while walking towards the counter.
"Huh… ya sure why not." Frost replied while snapping out of his thoughts.
While Cynthia was making the instant tea, Frost lept down from his perch as he saw Cynthia struggling with the hot water jug.
"Do….. you want help with that?" Frost asked while looking at Cynthia.
"No I am fine eeek." she replied while almost spilling the water on herself.
"Cynthia."
"Ya…."
"You don't know how to make instant tea do you." Frost said while slightly smiling.
Cynthia's face flushed red with embarrassment as she could not even move after hearing that. Meanwhile Frost simply took the jug off her hands and prepped two cups with sugar and tea bags.
"It's really simple first you put the sugar and the tea bags in the cup and then pour the hot water in the cup and let it sit for a minute." he explained while making tea.
Cynthia although was observing Frost's every move was still very embarrassed to comment on the situation.
(I suppose not every one is perfect.) Frost thought as he handed the tea cup to the still flushed Champion.
Although completely unintentional this incident was the perfect thing to ease up the tension in the room.
(Dammit I thought I could do it after that lesson from Jervis.) Cynthia thought as she sipped on her tea.
Frost on the other hand eyed his drink for a while before indulging in it.
"So even Champion's have something they are not good at." teased Frost lightly.
Cynthia looked away while pouting as Frost observed her and thought
(She looks so cute when embarrassed, wait what am I thinking.) as he also looked away slightly red cheeked himself.
"Hey it's not something to feel embarrassed about." Frost added while composing himself.
Seeing Cynthia still not say anything Frost chuckled.
"Oh come on Champion relax, okay if it makes you feel any better even I was bad at cooking at one point of my life until my teacher taught me otherwise."
Hearing that Cynthia recovered some of her lost dignity as she replied in a very low voice
"It's not my fault that whenever I try to cook something or the other catches on fire."
Frost tried his very best to not laugh at this sudden confession but his urge to laugh was much greater than his need to suppress it as he burst in to laughing fit.
"Hey it's rude to laugh at someone's weakness." Cynthia retorted angrily.
Frost on the other hand wiped the tear flowing out his eye as he replied
"Sorry it's just that…." he stopped to catch his breathe "I did not expect you to be not be able to cook." while still breathing heavily.
(Arceus this women is something else.) Frost thought, it had been such a long time since he laughed so openly that he didn't even realize this fact himself.
"Frost stop laughing or I am gonna have to call Garchomp to chew you or something." Cynthia threatened.
"Oh my I am sorry about that." Frost instantly recovered after hearing the ground/dragon types mention.
"So was the tea to your liking?" he added as a change of pace.
"It was satisfactory." Cynthia huffed as a reply.
Frost decided it was best not to push his luck with the Sinnoh native as the threat of a Garchomp going loose was very much a plausible scenario.
Frost finished his drink first again and stood up to use the washroom. It was then when Cynthia noticed a glimpse of what seemed like a scar running down Frost's neck's base along with his collarbone.
(I must have not scene it before since he was wearing a tie.) she justified in her head as she saw him leave.
(Would it be alright if I ask him about it?) she pondered but soon realized
(but whats the point he is probably gonna say he got it while working.)
Frost came out of the shortly after as he said
"You should also freshen up after all you were out in the sun as well."
"Ya I suppose I should." Cynthia replied while standing up.
Once Cynthia was inside Frost got a call from Stone.
"Hello"
"Frost a few of us have already arrived you should join too." Stone suggested.
"Oh really it's still just 2 PM have you guys have had food yet?"
"Yes the ones that are here have had lunch."
"I see then I'll be there soon."
"See you then." Stone replied as he disconnected.
Frost stood up and stretched himself readjusted his tie and wore his coat back on as he waited for Cynthia to return.
The door of the bathroom opened and walked out Cynthia holding a towel to her face.
"Cynthia some of them are already at Ash's room so we will be joining them soon." addressed Frost.
"Alright then what are we waiting for, I'll just leave the shopping bags here for now if you don't mind."
"No problem." Frost said while gesturing towards the door.
The pair had just walked out of the room's door and into the elevator when they heard a shout
"Cynthia!"
Cynthia looked around to find the source of the voice and realized it was Diantha the Kalos Champion and along her was a girl about 5'2 with Sapphire blue colored hair and a neutral expression on her face.
Cynthia presumed the girl to be the escort as she was wearing a standard Ranger outfit but with blue and white accents.
(Stone's uniform was brown and white and hers is blue and white, interesting…..) thought Cynthia as she was engulfed in a bear hug by Diantha.
"Oh how I missed you." said Diantha.
"I missed you too." replied Cynthia as she was still locked in a hug.
When Diantha let go of Cynthia she looked at Frost with keen eyes much to Cynthia's displeasure.
"And you must be the escort." said while eyeing Frost head to toe.
(He doesn't look so special, his face is also…. How do I put this it's bland to be honest.) thought Diantha as she eyed Frost's light brown face and sharp facial features but soon was interupted by Cynthia.
"His name is Frost and would you stop checking him out you are making it awkward for him."
"Oh darling I wasn't checking him out and you know I like buff men anyways." replied Diantha while turning to Cynthia.
"Anyways I want you to meet Rain." added Diantha while pointing towards the slightly shorter women standing behind her.
"Nice to meet you, you can call me Cynthia." introduced Cynthia while raising her hand.
Rain while shaking her hand said
"It's a pleasure to meet you ma'am I hope Frost isn't troubling you."
"Hey!" interjected Frost when Cynthia just chuckled and said "No I must say he is very well behaved.".
"Good." replied Rain as she looked over to Diantha and said.
"Diantha you should go along with Cynthia to Ash's room I need to talk to Frost for a second."
"We can wait for you guys." replied Diantha.
"No go on ahead." said Frost much to Diantha's surprise.
"Okay if you say so, come on Cynthia we also have some catching up to do." she said while walking away from the two escorts along with Cynthia.
While slowly moving away Cynthia wondered (He did a same thing with Stone as well, I mean why all the secrecy.)
Back to Frost and Rain
Both of them stared into each other's eyes intensely until the Champion's were no longer in sight as Frost began to speak.
"Rain I can explain…."
SLAP
Frost could say he didn't see it coming but that would be lying.
"THREE YEARS Frost do you know how long that is." she yelled at the man.
"Well if you say so its about 1095 days." he replied while rubbing his cheek.
"Not that you idiot, do you realize how much we missed you and not to mention the kids back home." Rain said while holding back tears.
Frost kept one hand on her shoulder and replied
"I am sorry."
"We could have helped you out with your search, you didn't have to go solo." Rain said in a melancholy.
Frost pulled Rain in for a light hug as he said
"I am sorry Rain but I think both of us know that was not possible." while flashing a sad smile.
Cynthia and Diantha were walking towards Ash's room now when Diantha asked
"Hey Cyn did you find something weird with the escorts?"
"What was something up with your's too." Cynthia asked in surprise.
"Well not something particularly clear but I did get the feeling that Rain's personality is not her true self I mean am not saying she is completely faking it but I get the feeling she is not showing it all." Diantha replied with concern.
"I had a talk with Ash yesterday and he told me sensed something weird with Frost's aura or something, I spent the morning with him out in the city just to confirm something but I couldn't understand what Ash meant at all." replied Cynthia seriously.
"Ash said that!"
"Yes he also told me to stay on guard around him, but personally he seems like a nice guy to me." said Cynthia honestly.
"Oh so you have gone out with him and also approve of him, how romantic I must say." teased Diantha.
"Stop that I didn't mean it in that way it's just that he was the one who helped me out during the plane hijacking incident so it's just that I owe him." replied Cynthia shyly.
"I am just joking anyways how is Steven?"
"He is back at it again as I told you on the phone." sighed Cynthia.
"Geez sometimes I think how an intelligent guy like him act so dumb around you, but don't you worry sweetie I will knock some sense into that fool." replied Diantha while cracking her knuckles.
"Please do that."
"Also he should have an escort too right?"
After being asked that Cynthia replied
"Yes all the Champion's have escorts they are essentially high ranked Pokemon Rangers ,although I haven't met Stone or his escort yet, Ash had this guy Stone was his name I think ."
"How was he?"
"He was a pretty tough looking man physically I suppose but not so tough in a Pokemon battle."
"Physically tough you say, he must be good looking." Diantha replied as wild imaginations of this Stone character filled her mind.
"You can only day that once you meet him personally." Cynthia deadpanned at her friends antics.
"True that." replied Diantha while snapping out.
As both women reached the room's door Cynthia thought
(Diantha is right about one thing the Ranger's do seem like they are hiding something except their identities, but I can't presume anything till I meet them." as she proceeded to knock on the door.
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the slight delay hope you guys enjoy the story make sure to follow and review my work and as always feel free to PM me any questions regarding the same. Until next time.
PEACE