-Promise Keeper by Agnes Obel-
Chapter 5: Follow Me
Arven couldn't believe how much Juliana had changed. Her hair fell in long cascading waves down her back, and the angles of her cheekbones were sharper. She really had grown during the 3 years she was thrown into the past.
He now sat on the sofa of her apartment, watching as Juliana's Pawniard ran in circles around his mabosstiff.
"Pan!" her laughter echoed out of the tiny kitchen where Juliana prepared a snack for her guests. "Be nice!"
Arven glanced around at the wall of books lining the studio walls. Several books were even strewn across her bed. With horror he realized that she probably would be closer to graduating the academy than he was by this point.
Juliana brought in a plate of sandwiches. "I know you're the expert chef, but I did my best." Her smile was bright, and Arven found himself spellbound by it for several seconds, grinning dumbly back in her direction.
Mabosstiff barked loudly, and he snapped out of his thoughts, grabbing a sandwich for himself and his pokemon.
"Thanks, buddy," he whispered, handing Mabosstiff his share.
Arven took a bite and he instantly tasted the tart myriad of flavor from Renata's tomatoes, and nostalgia washed over him, remembering the first time he'd tasted them.
"I can't believe that was you," he murmured gently.
"Hm?" Juliana tilted her head toward him as she crouched beside her Pawniard.
"You were Violet, the girl from the auction. This whole time." Arven closed his eyes, feeling like he'd failed her somehow.
Juliana sat beside him on the sofa, grabbing his free hand and clasping it tightly in both of her hands. "There was no way I could have explained it to you back then."
"That's why you had to run away," he shook his head. "I thought I'd scared you off. I came back to the auction every weekend for 2 months. Finally Renata told me you'd moved away."
"I bet you were pretty mad." She kept his hand between her palms, and he enjoyed the warmth he felt from it. "I promised you free produce and then vanished."
"I was actually," Arven chuckled. "But now that I know why you had to leave, it seems ridiculous."
Juliana released his hand, but he grabbed her wrist gently and threaded his fingers through hers.
"I'm glad you're okay, Juliana."
"Arven–"
Suddenly his phone buzzed, and he checked his messages. All color drained from his face.
"Nemona and Penny!" He shot up from his seat. "I left them at the lab!"
"Oh!" Juliana jumped up beside him and ran to the mirror. "Okay, yeah, do I… look okay?"
"You look," Arven swallowed as he took in just how much of a woman she'd become. "really amazing."
She beamed at him, and he knew he was in trouble. She was quickly becoming more than just a best friend to Arven, and he had no idea what to do about it.
–
Juliana wished she hadn't agreed to be blindfolded, but after he'd talked to Penny, Arven had insisted. They sat across from one another in a flying taxi, but the blindfold made her feel isolated.
"We're almost there," he said with a hint of excitement.
Once the taxi had stopped, she reached forward blindly. "Don't let me fall."
He chuckled and grasped her outstretched hand. "I would never."
She stumbled out of the taxi, almost tripping, but true to Arven's word, he caught her.
"I've got you," he said softly, and Juliana hoped the blindfold covered the blush blooming over her cheeks.
Taking careful, slow steps Arven led her down what sounded like a stone path and then up a set of stairs. She heard blades of grass crunching under her shoes, but the echoes of ocean waves weren't far off.
"I think I know where we are," she gasped.
"Well, pretend you don't," he whispered in her ear. "Nemona's way too excited about this."
As if on cue, Juliana heard an exuberant squeal in the distance, followed by an urgent shushing noise, and a smile spread eagerly across her face.
"Just a little bit farther."
Her feet squished down into the sand, and Arven placed his other hand on her waist.
"Okay… you can take off the blindfold."
Juliana's heart was thrumming in her chest like hummingbird wings, and as soon as her eyes fell on Nemona and Penny, she felt her eyes water.
Nemona tackled her in a hug. "Oh my goodness! You're gorgeous, Juliana!" She hopped back and touched her hair. "Oooh, your hair is so long now!"
Juliana turned to Penny, who was simply gawking.
"You're so tall now," she said quietly.
"I bet you're so strong now!" Nemona piped in. "Do you want to have a pokemon battle?!"
"Oh…" Juliana's face fell. "I kind of… haven't done a pokemon battle in 3 years."
It looked like someone had just told Nemona that a beloved family member had passed away. She fell on her knees in the sand. "This is tragic."
Penny rolled her eyes. "She had to live in hiding for 3 years. What do you expect?"
"Secret training, of course!" the girl shouted. "But look at you. We're the same age now!"
Juliana looked around and saw that she'd guessed correctly. They were on the beach just behind Nemona's house. A large blanket had been spread out on the sand with lots of food.
"Are you hungry?" Penny interrupted Nemona's crazed raving.
"A little bit." Juliana nodded. To be honest she was so nervous that she wasn't sure she could eat a single bite.
Arven seemed to notice her anxiety and took her hand. A blush rose in her cheeks again, but she followed him to the blanket without complaint.
They sat down and began to eat, but the silence was clearly bugging Nemona.
"What's the matter, Juliana? You've barely said a word!"
"You know," Penny noted. "She didn't always talk a lot before either."
"But to her it's been three years!" Nemona threw her hands in the air. "You must have so much you want to say!"
"Well," Juliana started. "I guess I could tell you that I saw you get your electric gym badge."
Nemona gasped. "Really?!"
She nodded. "I had just moved to Levincia, and I heard you were in town, so I came to watch. You were amazing."
Her rival and friend squealed. "Aaaaah, to think you were right here all this time. It must have been so hard to stay away from everything."
Juliana's eyes fluttered over toward Arven. "It was." Then her eyes fell to the blanket, now covered in crumbs and bits of sand. "Thank you for trying to find me. I was… afraid I'd changed too much."
"Are you kidding?" Nemona clasped her hands together. "Of course we would want to find you."
Penny looked up from her phone and nodded. "We owe you so much, Juliana. You'll always be our friend."
"Well, she's my best friend," Arven cut in, and he and Nemona began arguing for several minutes.
It wasn't until their quarrels died down that Penny pulled a pokeball from her eevee bag.
"Your backpack is in Arven's lab, but I thought you'd want to have this now."
It was Miraidon's pokeball, and Juliana's breath caught in her throat. Her hands trembled as they closed around.
"Miraidon's missed you too," she smiled. "You should let it see you."
Walking several feet away on the sandy shore she tossed the pokeball, and Miraidon burst out onto the sandy shore. It looked at her hesitantly. Then ever so slowly it came and sniffed her face.
"It's me, buddy," Juliana smiled, and the pokemon seemed to finally recognize her. Miraidon began jumping up and down enthusiastically.
She wrapped her arms around Miraidon's neck and cried. "It hasn't been very long for you, but it's been forever for me. I missed you."
It nuzzled her neck, and she laughed.
"Yes!" Nemona leapt from the picnic blanket, practically dancing. "We'll have you back to training pokemon in no time!"
"Just because she hasn't been battling, doesn't mean she hasn't been training," Arven smirked knowingly.
"You have pokemon with you?!" Her eyes lit up. "I want to see!"
Juliana let her shiny Pawniard out of his pokeball, and the girls fawned over his unique coloring for the rest of the afternoon. Pan and Miraidon began to play on the beach with Arven's Mabosstiff, and she could feel the happiness soaking in like a sponge.
For the first time in over three years, Juliana finally felt like she was home.
–
Thank you, Pridesbane, for your review! I did a little happy dance when I read it.
PS. If any of you notice any really ridiculous errors or typos, feel free to DM me, and I'll get that fixed.
And thank you for reading! -V