Concordia slowly pushed the door open just enough to stick her head out the door. She looked up and down the deserted hallway, checking for any sign of life. Once she was sure no one was around, she quietly stepped out of the room, slowly shutting the door until she heard the small click. She then stood up straighter as she headed to her left, walking quickly so as to make it to her destination before her small amount of courage left her. She made multiple twists and turns; the hallways all looking alike and crossing paths with each other so much that one who wasn't familiar with the layout would have easily become lost. She finally reached a large ornate door at the end of a hallway; taking a deep breath to steady herself, she raised her hand and knocked.
"Enter," A deep male's voice, teeming with authority, boomed from within. Concordia pushed the door open, quickly sliding inside and closing the door again. The room was a large study filled completely with books; a large fireplace was placed in the middle, a fire roaring within it at the moment. She stood at the doorway, her eyes glued to the back of a high backed chair that could have easily been mistaken for a throne.
"Who is it," The man's voice commanded; the body not bothering to turn from the large book he was reading to see.
"It's Concordia, father."
The sound of a book shutting closed reverberated throughout the room. Ghetsis propped his chin on his hand, the rings on his fingers reflecting the fire's light. "To what do I owe this visit?"
She swallowed, looking down at the floor as she spoke. "I noticed that we are low on certain items, so I was wondering if I may be of service and obtain groceries."
She waited his answer in silence, the feeling of suspense within her core boiling more harshly with each nanosecond of silence that passed.
"Of course my child," He finally spoke, causing Concordia to jump, "After all, you are the most responsible; surely I can trust you to get the job done in, say, an hour?"
Concordia nodded, "I'll work my hardest to try and finish even before that father."
He nodded a small smirk visible on his face. "What would I do without an obedient girl like you Concordia?"
"I will never let that question be answered for you father," Concordia replied, pulling the door open. As she exited, Ghetsis chuckled silently at her answer; his gaze never leaving the fire.
Concordia walked quickly down the street, an empty bag in her hands. She took every shortcut she knew to the supermarket, running down dark alleys and hopping over fences.
"The faster I get there, the faster I can get done," She thought as she landed softly on the ground, "And then I can go the normal way with time to spare."
She reached the parking lot, giving her small list a quick once over before heading into the store. The air conditioning smacked her full force with its chill, causing her to involuntarily shiver at the sudden drop in temperature.
"Stupid cooling systems," She thought, immediately heading towards the fruit section. She quickly snatched up the heaviest bag of grapes and apples she could find. She stopped by the section dedicated to melons; picking each one up individually, she judged it by its size until finally picking the one she judged to be the largest.
"Next are the vegetables," She thought, crossing 'fruit' off the list. She gracefully headed towards the vegetables; picking up only the largest and heaviest of the selections that were offered. She placed them in her bag, crossing 'vegetables' off the list as well.
"Now time for milk," She thought happily, heading towards the dairy section. Her eyes quickly scanned the shelves, looking for the soy milk that she always purchased. Her eyes widened as she spotted a carton; shoved all the way into the back, behind the two percent and chocolate, was the very last visible carton of soy milk that she could find. Her hand immediately shot towards it only to collide with another hand. Her wide eyes hardened into a glare as she turned to stare down her competitor; she blinked in surprise as she saw her reflection in a boy's glasses.
"…You're that boy," She began, pointing at him, "From that night when I picked up N and Anthea."
Cheren nodded, pushing his glasses up his nose. "And you're Concordia, N's sister and Anthea's fraternal twin."
She nodded, her hand still extended towards the milk. "Well, now that this little chat is over, I would like to purchase my milk."
"What a coincidence; so would I."
She frowned; her brows furrowing at his response. "Then go get some other type."
"I'm lactose intolerant," He stated, his eyes meeting hers in a staring contest.
"My family is vegan."
"I need it to prevent gastrointestinal problems."
"I need it to make a statement against eating products made from animals."
"Well then get the almond milk," Cheren said, pointing towards the almond milk a few cartons down. Concordia turned towards it before turning her attention back to him; a curious gleam in her eyes.
"Why don't you," She shot back.
"I'm deathly allergic to almonds," Cheren stated, feeling triumphant as Concordia frowned. She thought and thought for a possible comeback; unable to think of one she backed away from the milk, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Fine," She mumbled, "Take the stupid soy milk. I'll just say they were all out."
He cautiously took the carton, checking the date before placing it in his basket. "You're on a shopping trip for your family?"
Concordia nodded, her back turned towards him. "I'm the only one he really trusts with taking care of the family," She said, eyes falling to the ground.
Cheren raised an eyebrow. "What about Anthea? N?"
"He trusts Anthea, but not as much as me," She stated, eyes still attached to the ground, "He knows that she has a tendency to get distracted. As for N…Well, he's never allowed out of the house."
"And just why," Cheren began, crossing items off his own shopping list, "Does he trust you and Anthea more than N?"
She sighed, beginning to walk towards the checkout lines; Cheren followed after her, curious for her answer. "It's not even that he trusts us," She began, reaching the end of the shortest line, "He just wants us to have practice in the roles of a wife."
Cheren blinked, confused by the answer. "Roles of a wife?"
She shrugged. "You know; cooking, cleaning, shopping, the whole nine yards. Just, basically being servants to a family. All to help us be prepared for a life of traditional servitude to a husband."
"And does…N believe these values that Ghetsis holds," Cheren asked, curious. Concordia shrugged, placing her items on the conveyor belt.
"Beats me," She said, placing an item separator between her load and another customer's items, "All I know is that if he does-"
"Touko will beat the snot out of him." Cheren finished a smirk on his face. She smiled as she looked up from the belt.
"Basically."
Cheren smirked, placing his own items on the belt. "So, you're condemned to a life within the house."
"That's how it looks," She said, watching as the cashier rang up the items.
"And you're fine with it?"
Concordia looked at the ground, a wistful look in her eyes. "Not really," She admitted, her hands running up the sides of her arms, "But, it's either get married and live a life confined to a house with a man who loves me or stay there."
Cheren nodded as he watched her pay for the items. "And you'd rather be with someone more bearable than Ghetsis?"
She nodded, placing her groceries back in her bag. "You've hit the nail on the head." She said, shifting the bag so that it rested comfortably on her arm. She turned towards him, bowing slightly as she smiled.
"It was nice meeting you…um…" Her eyes drifted towards the ceiling; her mind moving at the speed of light to try and figure out his name.
"Cheren."
She blinked, surprise etched on her face. "Eh?"
"My name," He said, handing the cashier money, "My name is Cheren."
"Cheren…" She said tentatively, making sure that she would remember so that it registered the next time she met him. "Well, I should be going now. Good-bye." She said, heading towards the exit quickly. Cheren picked up his bags, taking long strides to catch up with her.
"Where are you going in such a hurry," He asked as he fell into stride beside her. Concordia glanced at him before averting her eyes ahead of her.
"I'm going home," She stated simply, glancing at her watch, "After all, I've only got about forty minutes to make it home, and it usually takes thirty minutes fast walking time to make it there."
He blinked. "You've got that all timed out?"
She nodded. "I have to if I want to avoid being scolded."
"How long," He began tentatively, "Does it take if you take shortcuts?"
She blinked. "About ten or fifteen minutes; depends on if I run or not."
He smirked. "Great, then you've got plenty of time." He said, grasping her wrist. She squeaked as he suddenly pulled her in a direction completely off course from where she was headed.
"U-Unhand me," She shouted, smacking his hand, "Where are you taking me?"
He glanced back at her, a smile on his face. "Don't worry; I'm just as serious when it comes to being punctual."
She pouted, turning her gaze away from his. "Could've fooled me."
"Believe me, I'm the most serious out of that pack of goofballs you met the other day."
"Then why am I not heading home?"
He shrugged. "Because goofing off is contagious, and you're even more serious than I am. And believe me; what I'm doing is mild compared to what someone like Touya would do."
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," She muttered under her breath, no longer fighting his grip. He chuckled, stopping in front of a building. Concordia looked up, staring at the building confusedly. It appeared to be a café of some sort; the exterior design reminiscent of an older time period.
"What is this place," She asked as Cheren pulled her up the stairs. He pushed the door open, striding through the door with her following. He stopped in front of a podium; turning his head to face her, he gave her a reassuring smile.
"You'll see soon enough," He said as a young man suddenly appeared. He wore a waiter's outfit, a blue bow tie complimenting his blue hair and eyes; locks of blue hair kept one eye hidden from view. The man smiled at Cheren as he grabbed two menus.
"Hello Cheren," He greeted, "What brings you around today?"
Cheren jerked a thumb back at Concordia. "My friend here has never eaten-no, never even heard of the Striaton Café and the famous Striaton triplets, so I figured I would bring her here to taste some of your exquisite cuisine Cress."
"What," Shouted a voice from the kitchen. Banging of pots and pans was heard, as well as shouts of 'Chili, watch the chicken!' The door to the kitchen was suddenly kicked open as a young man the same age as Cress burst into the room. He wore the same outfit as Cress, except his tie matched the flaming red of his eyes and hair. He pushed Cress to the side, eyes wide with shock; facial expressions clearly expressing how appalled he was at Concordia's ignorance.
"How can you have lived here and never been to this café?" Chili exclaimed, eyes directly boring into Concordia's. She looked to the side, her fingers twiddling together to try and ease her discomfort.
"Well, m-my family is vegan, so…" She trailed off, hoping that it was a good enough excuse. Chili ran his hand through his hair, his other placed on his hip.
"Well never fear mademoiselle! Our café offers a fabulous menu for all aspects of the dietary spectrum! In fact our vegetarian and vegan specialist is Cilan, who's back in the kitchen right now," He announced matter of factly, just as a small explosion could be heard from the back, "…And is ruining my kitchen!" He screeched, sprinting back into the kitchen. Immediately upon entering shouts could be heard; suddenly a green haired, green eyed boy came spinning out of the kitchen, face and hair singed.
"My chicken," Chili groaned as the boy came to a stop. He staggered a bit, holding his head as he worked to get his bearings.
"You okay Cilan," Cheren asked, dusting off his shoulder. Cilan shook his head, trying to clear it of any remaining dizziness.
"I hate when he makes me take over his specialties…" Cilan muttered, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. He caught sight of Concordia, immediately straightening up and bowing. "Good day! M-My name is Cilan, and I hope to be able to serve you well today!"
Concordia blinked; she suddenly broke into a fit of giggles over the antics of the chefs. Cheren smiled as Cilan blushed rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, his eyes averted to the ground. He turned to Cress, who watched the entire scenario with an amused expression.
"Give me your best vegan option," Cheren stated, "Don't care if it's soup, entrée, or dessert; just give it."
Cilan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…Our best vegan option…"
"Ha," Chili laughed, emerging from the kitchen carrying a covered plate, "Clearly that would be our triple chocolate tofu brownies!" He said, striding past his brothers and Cheren to stand in front of Concordia. He pulled the top off with a flourish, revealing a plate of tantalizing brownies. Concordia's eyes widened; her mouth practically watering at the sight. Before she could reply though, Cress appeared beside her with another dish, drawing her attention away from Chili.
"My dear, he is trying to fool you," He said, pulling the cover off to reveal a bowl of piping hot soup, "Our most delightful meal is the spicy lentil soup."
"You won't know delightful," Chili said, producing another dish, "Until you've tasted our chocolate-banana tofu pudding!"
"Our gluten free, vegetable soup is just as delicious, if not more so."
"Pfft, our gluten free vegetarian chili kicks that soup's butt!"
"Well then, how about our chocolate hazelnut soy ice cream?"
"As if! Try our masala chai brownies!"
"Um…" Concordia's head was spinning as Chili and Cress continued to throw different options at her, each trying to outdo the other. Cheren sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"If you two are done your brotherly competition," Cheren said, interrupting the argument between Cress and Chili, "I've already gone and paid for something."
Both Cress and Chili's faces expressed surprise. "Well what is it?" They exclaimed, excitement shining in their eyes; bodies practically shaking from anticipation. Cheren smirked, stepping aside to reveal Cilan holding a small carry out carton.
"The vegan carrot cake." The announcement caused both Cress and Chili's jaws to drop. Cilan walked past them as they began to attack Cheren.
"What," Chili shouted, arms waving wildly, "My brownies are way better than that carrot cake!"
"The soups are far more delectable than that," Cress stated calmly, flipping his hair to the side. Cheren rolled his eyes as he walked past them, muttering something about sibling competition along the way. Concordia smiled as Cilan placed the carton in her bag; perfectly hidden from view from any venturing eyes.
"Thank you for your time," Concordia said, smiling at him. Cilan blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"W-Well, it's our job to cook and serve," He muttered. Cheren began to walk out the door, cuing Concordia to follow after him. As the pair walked out, Chili ran to the door, waving his hand in the air.
"Oi," He shouted, hand cupped around his mouth, "You are so coming back here and having something that's actually delicious!"
"And what makes you think your food is delicious," Cress asked, yanking him back inside. He waved from the doorway, smiling. "Please join us again mademoiselle! I will be sure to treat you to a delectable meal!"
Concordia smiled, waving to them as they turned a corner. She turned to look at Cheren, his hands shoved in his pockets. "That was…" She trailed off, trying to find an appropriate word to describe the situation.
"Fun," Cheren suggested, glancing over his shoulder. Concordia nodded, feeling that the word fit. "Well it should've been; those guys are such goofballs, it's a wonder they're still in business."
"Maybe people find that appealing."
He shrugged. "Maybe," He said, "By the way, how much time do you have?"
She blinked; she had completely forgotten about the time limit. She glanced down at her watch, gasping as she saw the time. "I only have twenty minutes to make it back home!"
He blinked. "That's it?"
She glared at him, her panic evident in her eyes. "I have no idea where I am, it usually takes thirty when I'm speed walking, and that's all you have to say?" He nodded. She groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm never going to make it home in time!"
"Sure you will," He said, stopping in the middle of the path. She stopped as well, arms crossed over her chest.
"How?"
He crouched down to the ground. "Hop on my back, and you'll see."
She eyed him suspiciously, arms still crossed over her chest. "Why should I?"
He shrugged. "Either that, or you get in trouble with Ghetsis."
She bit her lip, debating her options. She huffed, hopping onto his back, coming to the decision that it couldn't hurt. "Alright, but I swear if-Eek," She squeaked, her hold around his neck tightening as he began to sprint down the path. He looked to his left and right, taking notice of the wall and chain link fence. He sprinted towards the wall, jumping into the air; his foot collided with the wall, propelling him towards the fence. He landed against it with a faint clank, immediately pulling himself up to the top of it and running along the edge. Concordia swallowed, gazing down at the ground below them.
"Wh-What are you doing," She shrieked, eyes shut closed as Cheren jumped from the fence to the top of a building.
"Parkour," He stated, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, "Touya wanted to try it and wanted someone to do it with him. Guess who the lucky person was?"
"And aside from getting me killed," She hissed, placing emphasis on the word killed, "How does this help me?"
"Parkour is all about being efficient and fast; it's about finding the safest direct path through an obstacle," Cheren explained, hopping off a roof and into an alley. He continued to sprint, jumping over trash cans strewn about the alley. Concordia swallowed, her grip continuing to tighten around his neck.
"Anyway, just tell me what to look for as I take you home."
Concordia nodded, working to gather her thoughts as they sped through alleys and over fences. "W-Well, it's a big house, surrounded by this really big bush that basically just blocks your view of the world."
Cheren nodded. "Big house, big bush. Got it," He said, jumping onto the top of a dumpster and back onto a rooftop. He looked around, trying to spot any of the previously mentioned landmarks. He suddenly saw a large mansion with incredibly green grass, surrounded by a monstrous amount of shrubbery.
"That it," He asked, already sprinting in that direction. Concordia opened her eyes carefully to see where he was heading to; she gasped as her eyes widened exponentially.
"Y-Yeah…" She breathed, taking in the view before her. They were practically on at the top of their world; the birds that flew across the sky seemed close enough to touch while the people below looked far away from their existence. The tops of the buildings appeared to be nothing more than the tiling for a large room of empty space. The more suburban area that she and everyone else lived in sprawled out before her; the Harmonia house a huge eyesore against the quaint scenery of hundreds of little houses scattered throughout the landscape. Farther off in the distance she could see the Ferris wheel of the carnival; she wondered if anyone riding that would have just as breathtaking view.
Cheren concentrated on running, bounding from roof to roof towards the mansion. With each step he took, it clearly became closer; before Concordia could blink, he had leapt from the top of the building and down onto the ground, sprinting across the street and towards her house. He slowed down, halting just a few feet away from the entrance. He placed his hands on his knees, panting as Concordia slid off his back.
"How," He panted, wiping sweat from his brow, "How'd we do?"
Concordia checked her watch, blinking in surprise; she was about five minutes early. "You did…fantastic," She murmured, still in shock. Cheren smirked as he stood up straight, stretching out his muscles after such a workout.
"Well, there you have it," He said, turning around to leave, "See you next time N and Anthea decide to sneak out."
She nodded, watching as he began to walk away. She turned towards her path as well, taking a deep breath as she jogged towards the front door. She quickly opened and closed it, heading into the kitchen. She hastily put the groceries away, grabbing the carton of brownies and flitting away to her room.
"Oh, how I wish we'd been there," Anthea said once the video had finished. N nodded, flipping the portable television set off.
"Apparently Shauntal's part was more of a 'had to be there' thing," N explained. Anthea nodded, her eyes still sparkling from excitement at having viewed the Elite Four in action.
"Still, it was absolutely amazing," She exclaimed, clasping her hands together. The door to the room was quickly opened and closed, causing both N and Anthea to turn their heads towards the doorway. Concordia leaned against the door, a sigh of relief escaping her as she clutched the carton to her chest.
"Concordia," Anthea exclaimed, hopping off the bed, "Where've you been?"
Concordia looked up, a smile gracing her lips. "Oh, just shopping."
Anthea nodded, immediately noticing the carton that she held. "Ooh, what's that?" Anthea asked, pointing towards the carton. Concordia held it out, opening it so that both Anthea and N could see what the contents were.
"Is that...carrot cake," N asked, leaning in and taking a slice. Anthea's eyes widened as she quickly grabbed one for herself.
"Where'd you get these," Anthea asked, biting into it; her eyes widened as she hummed in pleasure. "So tasty~!"
Concordia smiled, taking one for herself. "Ran into a friend," She simply stated, taking a bite for herself.
Disobedience had never tasted so good.
A/N: I was really excited to write this chapter. Like, you've no idea how excited I was. I literally was peeing my pants from excitement. Now, before anyone gets on my case; I have no idea what kind of side pairings there may be in this story. All you need to worry your pretty little heads off about is that N and Touko are the main pairing. Anything else is purely accidental, or I just really wanted to put it in there because I felt like it'd be funny. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Leave a review and you'll receive brownies! Vegan or otherwise! Until next time, JAA MATA!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or the two songs that I became obsessed with that helped me write this chapter.
