~Ruby~

I lay, drowning in all the exhaustion from the previous day, my head against the man-eating fluff that was a pillow on a hotel room bed. I wasn't so desperate that I would go back home, and Wally demanded getting out of that hospital as soon as possible, so we ended up in a hotel room for a day just so that I could sleep off all the emotions.

Wally was lying next to me, though not asleep and not touching me while I fought with my heavy eyes, knowing that a defenseless baby was lying on my chest and if I fell asleep I might roll and crush it. I kept debating whether or not to pass it over to Wally, but I was dreading the high pitched hiss it would make in response.

Not moments after the little slime ball hatched from that egg, it somehow chose me to be its mother. Not Wally, who had loved it, kept it safe, and wanted so badly to take care of it. No, the thing had to go and choose me—probably because I was the first person it laid eyes on. And to make thing worse, I was actually a little disgusted with it—that is—until I got to hold it.

I never understood those "daddy's little girl" feelings because I had never felt them before, but when this tiny Sableye had turned its sightless eye sockets up to meet mine, and crooned a comforting kind of sound, I fell in love with her instantly.

She was black as the night right now, with no markings or gems to give her the definition that made its species a Sableye at all. She was more or less a scraggly squirm ball with a head too big for her body, but I couldn't picture anything more perfect. She had a tiny mouth lined with nubby teeth that could chew through nearly anything, and little claws that I knew would draw blood someday when she knew how to use them.

The funny part was… she was even more obsessed with me than I was with her. She hadn't let me put her down since I picked her up the first time. And to my great amusement, if Wally even tried to touch her she would wail and hiss. Her attitude was already something crossed between my pokemon Cattivo and Biz. She obviously was protective like my Mighteyena, and intelligent like my Flygon. She would fit right in with my team, though her being female would badly outnumber the boys. Poor Cattivo and Heartbreak would be feeling fatigued with the lack of testosterone.

"Let me see Sableye." Wally murmured suddenly, looking over at me and holding his arm out.

"Midnight." I corrected for the eighth time. "Her name is Midnight."

I was so exhausted though that I didn't care enough to argue with him. It was bad enough I couldn't look him in the eyes after what he made me do at five this morning, I didn't need any more reason to avoid him. With a sigh I plucked the sleeping pokemon gently from my chest and turned to hand her over. She fit easily in the palms of my hands, but was heavier than I thought possible.

Wally reached out to take the pokemon from me, his slender hands gentle and slow moving. He didn't want to wake her either. I watched carefully with narrowed, sleepy eyes until she was settled into the sheets next to Wally. I guessed he wouldn't put her on his chest like I did because of his random coughing fits.

"See… she will like me." He whispered in a sad tone, knowing that the only reason he got away with it was because she was asleep.

"Mmmn…" I answered dully, still hiding my eyes from his. I had done a very good job blocking out what happened this morning and I wasn't about to let those pale blue irises ruin it for me. I was just happy we were friends again.

Though it was a nagging question in the back of my mind… why of all things...? Kissing? He wanted me to kiss him to show him that I still cared. It had made zero sense to me no matter which way I looked at it. The only thing I could think of was that he was so pissed off that he decided torture would be the best way to get back at me.

But torture wouldn't have been so… so—awkward… It would have been much worse if he would have seriously kissed me—tongue and all like in movies—but he hadn't. He had been frozen to my touch, and I actually felt somewhat unsure of myself because of that. I wasn't a bad kisser was I? Sure it had been my first real kiss… but never once had I thought I would be bad at it. Maybe it went along with having millions of fangirls begging for kisses—but I just never pictured it. Was it possibly for someone like me NOT to be good at kissing?

I didn't know why I was so paranoid about this anyways, it's not like Wally was phenomenal at it or anything. The guy hadn't even been able to breathe and I had to remind him that kissing involved opening your mouth. I had nothing to prove… so why should it be a problem?

Under any other circumstances I would have denied Wally his solitary little want, but after all the hell I put him through I knew I couldn't. There had been a very short split second where I almost laughed at him for even asking, but then I had caught a glimpse of his eyes as he turned his head and bit his lips. I wasn't going to laugh at him if it really meant that much to him—Arceus knows why.

And… I had been able to see it on his face so clearly. He was absolutely shocked when I agreed and moved in to kiss him. He had looked like a deerling caught in a pair of headlights to say the least, as if he wasn't expecting it at all despite him asking for it.

And then when we did kiss… well… that was something I wasn't sure I could think back to yet. I was absolutely scared silly with the idea that I did enjoy it, and that all rational reasons were pointing towards not enjoying it. I kept thinking that maybe—had I not seen Sapphire kissing that look-alike today—I was just wounded and in need of some stability. How stupid had I been to think that even for a second Wally couldn't give me that…

He had been falling apart right in front of me, and somehow he was the one making me feel better about myself. By pure accident had he taken the pain of Sapphire away for a moment, and replaced it with something much more loving. I appreciated the way we could hug without being awkward with each other, and the way he had no shame in his nosebleeds around me. You would think most people in that situation would beg for mercy and tell you to leave so you couldn't watch their embarrassment.

"Ruby…?" his gentle whisper stole my thoughts from my head and my lids from over my eyes. I blinked up drowsily, not really seeing anything but reeling them over to his direction.

"What?" I asked, turning to my side and forcing myself to look at him. My eyes focused in on his skinny lips and soft jaw line. Despite his eyes being the most vibrant they had ever been, I had to avoid them.

"A—are you going back to your studio later?" he asked, his voice cracking with heartache.

I blinked in confusion. What did he mean was I going? It didn't make much sense to me at first, until I reminded myself that he had been brought to the hospital from that place. He himself had called it wretched earlier. Of course he didn't want to go back there.

"Well… I—I should… see my mother." I wasn't sure yet if I wanted to talk with Sapphire after that episode or not. She had seen my flying away with Cattivo and I assumed she would have some tongue lashing to do for me ruining her date, but I also knew I would have to face her eventually. Getting it over with was the right thing to do…

"Oh." Was all Wally said, and he looked back up at the gray ceiling as if it was suddenly interesting. I watched hurt cloud his gaze.

"And I should still talk to Sapphire… But…" I wanted to slap myself. What was I thinking? Wally would just feel like I was going to leave him again. He was already scared shitless of the air he was breathing. And I promised that I wouldn't do that to him again.

"But what?" He asked, a small hint of anger in his tone.

"But I want you to come with me…" I admitted softly, feeling a horrible heat rise to my face. What was wrong with me? "Or else I won't go at all…"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, thinking about what I said obviously severely. The awkward silence was dragged on until I yawned purposefully to break it. That yawn sent me into another real one that made my eyes water.

"I—I don't know Ruby." Wally admitted at last, mimicking my yawn. "Just go to sleep… ok? I'll think about it."

I sighed. Obviously he was still a little regretful about what I did to him. And he had every right to be. I wished I could take it all back. I should have never done what I did to him, I knew that, but that wasn't enough. Sadly I moved my arm and reached across the length of the bed between, stretching out my fingers to touch the silky smooth skin of Midnight. She was twitching slightly, perhaps realizing that the body she was pressed up against wasn't mine.

I glanced over, not realizing at first, and doing a double take as something curled around my thumb. My face burned in shock. Wally's hand was laid across the top of Midnight, and it surely wasn't her I was touching. I swallowed, hating the accident and getting lost in those pale eyes of his. He smiled softly at me, lovingly, and I bit my lip in response. Wally thought I was trying to hold his hand. Of course he did… great… just great.

I couldn't possibly pull away now either, the disappointment would be too much. Shocked as I was I managed not to flinch as his submissive hand curled into the strong shape of mine. I stifled another sigh and tore my eyes from his.

It's not… too horrible… I thought to myself. Wally's hand was delicate and soft, with lean fingers. He had somewhat slender wrists, and I didn't miss the way his thumb hugged mine.

With a lulling slowness I slipped my fingers between his and turned my face away so he couldn't look at me. What was this? I had never known a friendship like the one I had with him. Even Sapphire wasn't this effective.

It couldn't be that I was…?

No. I loved Sapphire. I snorted under my breath and pushed my face into the pillow, forcing myself to think about the way it made me feel to see her kissing someone else. I would get back to her… soon. I had to do something to make things go back to normal.

Wally squeezed my hand gently at the sound of my discomfort.

As normal as they could be that is… with Wally here.