ONE PM | self-image and personal security
When Red starts seeing Green looking at himself in the mirror with mouth wide and tongue out several times a day, he dismisses it as Green just being Green. It eventually evolves into Green biting at his tongue, poking at the center with a nail, and pulling it out as far as he can between two fingers until his face scrunches up.
"What," Red finally asks, grabbing at Green's wrist before he has a chance to really tear his tongue out.
Surprised at being caught in the act, his friend stares for a moment, but then smirks, obviously having a plan in mind. Red knows him far too well to believe that it's probably not the best idea in the world, and one with high chances of biting Green back and making him complain about it for the rest of his life.
"Heh." Green sticks his tongue out again; like he needs any excuse to do that to Red in the first place. "I'm thinking of getting my tongue pierced."
Of all the strange ideas, Red isn't expecting that. So he settles for staring.
"Come on, don't give me that. It's totally a great idea!" Green looks to Eevee for support, but gets the same flat gaze. "Whatever, screw you guys. I'm gonna do it."
"It'll hurt," Red points out. He pats Pikachu on his shoulder, who perks up at the implication of Green and in pain in one conversation.
"Will not. Wanna bet?"
Red tugs down his cap and hides his smile. "You're on."
Green likes to think he's learned a lot of things growing up over the past few years, but he can't understand why he hasn't caught on yet that making bets with Red is almost always the dumbest thing he can do. He strolls into the shop for his one p.m. appointment, bragging at Red and at all the girls waiting in line that it'll be a cakewalk. It's all part of his image; brave and wild and rebellious, and they're all such obvious pieces of him but Green has to remind everyone of these qualities anyway, proudly and loudly.
He just hopes no one outside the shop heard his startled cry when the needle actually went through.
Judging by Red's look of extreme I told you so, most likely not.
"Awwh, ooh, ow," Green whines as he stumbles out, clinging onto his jaw. The long barbell presses against the roof and underside of his mouth, and keeps pressing as his tongue swells rapidly around the piercing. He laughs nervously and attempts to wave it off. "Ya, peef o' cake."
"When are you going to tell the Professor?"
Green comes to a sudden halt and pales. He didn't think that part through – and likely forgot the bet as well, so Red decides not to remind him about that just yet.
Naturally, two days later, the family calls.
Green looks at the name flashing on his pokegear and almost spits out the ice cube he's sucking on. Thankfully, the cube and his hilariously swelled tongue muffle all his profanity.
"Oh, fuh. Gramps!" He chucks the phone at Red and points at it. "Tell hi' 'm noh aron'!"
"…" Without a clue as to what Green's gibberish orders and wild hang signals mean, Red flips open the pokegear and gives the best response he can think of.
"Green got his tongue pierced," he says the moment the call starts.
Red holds up the phone so Green can listen to Oak's lecture as his friend collapses onto the couch and holds a cushion over his head. It was bound to happen sooner or later, but somehow Red doesn't think Green will thank him for breaking the ice this early.
Despite the hour-long talk on diseases and personal image, the phone conversation ends rather well.
Green's tongue heals enough two weeks later for the smaller barbell, which just makes his face scrunch up more unless his Viridian fans are around. Red sees him stick out his tongue in pictures with trainers with an expression that can take on the world – wild, defiant, insane Green who doesn't care what others think, except when someone does think badly of him and he rages a storm until the other accepts and loves him just the way he is.
It took years for Red to understand that aspect of Green, and now he can't understand why the new image is necessary now. But storms always change, and Green is always changing to adapt to the world, too.
"Why?" Red asks, just to be sure. He lies on his back over the bed and touches Green's arm.
"Hmm?" Green stops rolling his tongue around to feel the metal and sits beside him. "What, the piercing? Just wanted to try it."
"That's all?"
Green turns away and rubs the back of his head; a nervous habit that he'll never admit. He finally looks at Red again and smiles, sticking his pierced tongue out.
"Don't you like it?" he asks – just to be sure.
Red only gives it a brief glance before shrugging. "I like you just the way you are."
Another thing he can't understand is why Green freezes up and sputters whenever Red says something honest like that, or why Green usually punches him in the arm afterward. It's the truth, after all, and Red thinks it's beneficial to remind Green of that once in a while.
"Sap," Green mutters, messing up Red's hair after the obligatory punch. "…I like you for the stupid way you are, too, but you're still a sap."
Red rubs his arm and frowns, but doesn't punch back, because Green is leaning down and cupping his cheek to pull him forward. Red realizes he almost forgot their bet, too, but despite his untamed ways, Green is still honorable and knows how to accept his losses now. It seems silly, betting over who gets to kiss who first, and Red almost expects a new metallic taste to Green's lips, but it's not really that different from what he fell in love with before.
He pulls away first and lets Green mull over his words silently, allowing the truth and confidence to sink in – but then Green flashes a worrying smirk, and Red almost rubs his forehead in irritation.
"I was also thinking of piercing m–"
"No."