- N - = Nicky's part
- J - = my part
Chapter 008 - Brown's proposal!
- J -
Roark smiled with sorrow as Serena talked about her pokémon. He couldn't help but feel horribly guilty because... well, it was all his fault, afer all. He tried to get distracted at the fac that she just wouldn't stop brushing her hair, but it was in vain...
"Serena, I..." Roark stuttered, looking down. "I'm so sorry, I... I can't believe that you don't hate me yet, to be honest."
He sifted in his side of the bed, uncomfortably.
"Well, at least I think your Audino is pretty nice." Roark added. "She's always willing to help... Oh, and you should tell our guests that she's an Audino, not a Chansey, hehe..."
Roark wasn't sure if he should keep that topic. Thanks goodness Serena changed the subject herself.
However, he was worried about the Joy as he noticed her voice sounding kind of sad. Roark felt the uncontrollable need to hug her and comfort her.
Instead, he complimented her outfit. So typical of a man...
But maybe it was a bad idea, as Serena shifted on the bed. Roark totally imagined her kicking his ass off in the blink of an eye...
"I'm going to die..."
But it didn't happen.
On the other hand, he found her lying next to him, rubbing his abs like in a daze... Not even Serena herself seemed to have noticed what she was doing. But he liked it that way. He hid his disappointment when she pulled herself away the best he could...
"I mean, I've never seen you so… so stunning... It's amazing,"
The miner blushed hard. He had never had a woman to compliment him for that, after all.
Roark was out of words, just... speechless. But he had to say something or Serena would think he was retarded! Or she could even think that he didn't want her, which wasn't true... Wait, what?
"Ah- ummh..." Roark muttered, tossing his red hair. "Well, thanks..."
"Well, thanks"? Was that the best he could say? Pitiful.
Well, maybe words weren't necessary in that moment. To be honest, what he really wanted was hug her, put his arms around her round body and kiss her as if there's no tomorrow, but...
Maybe it was too early. That was their first intimate moment, after all. And there were more cute things to do other than kissing and such...
Hence, Roark took gently Serena for her pointy chin and looked at her eyes directly, only a few centimeters between their noses...
"Thank you, Serena." Roark finally said, with a more convincing tone.
Then, he kissed her on her forehead. Not what he was willing, but it was definitely a way to start. He put his other arm around his shoulder and stayed lying like that.
"It's too late already, we better put ourselves to sleep now." He said, softly. "Tomorrow will be another busy day... Good night, Serena, sweet dreams..."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Amethyst stayed quiet. She was aware that Riley was directly looking at her.
"Don't move." She thought. "Don't move..."
Success! She noticed how Riley turned the lights off. A few sconds passed until she felt him again; he lowered himself onto the bed and... she felt how the blanket fell over her body.
He was still the same gentleman than before...
"Thank you..." Amethyst whispered; it was so imperceptible that it was impossible that he could have heard...
A few seconds later, she was already fast asleep.
- N -
"MORNING!"
Brown was already at the table, helping herself to breakfast, when Serena woke up and stumbled into the kitchen.
"!"
Serena rubbed her eyes, to make sure she wasn't imagining the young trainer darting about her kitchen. The kid was literally a blur, running from counter to counter, simultaneously frying a pan full of bacon, toasting two pieces of bread, and boiling several eggs. How the hell did she run so fast?
"Nicebathrooooooobe!" She zoomed past Serena, leaving a gust of wind behind her. Serena glanced down at her pink bathrobe – she'd draped it over herself when she'd woken up. She'd trust Roark with her body, but she wasn't about to let the whole world see that much of her skin.
"Raticate," The small brown rat rescued the toast from the toaster, refilled the machine, and dropped the dark brown slices onto a small mountain on the breakfast table. Orange juice, coasters, plates and forks had already been set out on the table.
"Iwasupsincefiiiive!" Brown rocketed another round past Serena, who finally snapped:
"HOW IN BLUE BLAZES ARE YOU RUNNING SO FAST?"
Brown screeched to a halt, a small trail of smoke coming out from her shoes. "Running-shoes," She pointed to her feet. "And coffee," She raised a pot of dark brown liquid that'd she'd been drinking from. Oh GOD, Serena thought, aghast. SHE'S DRINKING COFFEE STRAIGHT FROM THE POT.
The horror.
"Coffee is awesome," Brown beamed, taking another big gulp from the pot, before proceeding to bounce on the spot. "!"
"Well, stop that," Serena crossed her arms. "It's freaking me out!"
"Sorry," the teen stopped moving, "I just wanted to help,"
"The last time I read a dictionary, 'Helping' didn't involve stealing my food and using my utilities without permission."
"Sorry, it won't happen a-GAH! THE BACON!"
The bacon was smoking. Hastily, both women ran to the stove and proceeded to evacuate the meat from the frying pan.
"Cate! Rati!" Rodent scolded his trainer, as if to say 'I told you so!'.
From the window came the sounds of the mine rumbling to life. The salt and pepper shakers on the table began to hop with all the noise – if that didn't wake the whole house, nothing would. Serena would have to work fast if she wanted to cook for the entire house.
But maybe she didn't have to do it alone.
"We won't get anything done at this rate." She sighed, before turning to Brown. "Pass me more bacon,"
The girl stood still for a moment, before realising that her help was required. "You mean…?"
"Pass me the bacon before I do it myself," Serene grunted. "Do you want to be helpful or not?"
"Awesome!" Brown beamed, before darting to the fridge and rushing back in a split-second. Serena flinched – those running-shoes were fast!
"How about you wake Amethyst up, while you're at it?" Serena suggested, watching a carton of milk bounce across the table. "That is, if the stupid mine hasn't already."
"Sure!" Before Brown finished the word, she was already out of the kitchen.
To say Roark liked fossils would be an understatement. A grave, grave understatement. Stephanie looked at the fossils hanging from the walls, placed in cabinets, sitting on the table… Roark's room probably had more fossils in it than the average museum.
"Sweet," She whistled in awe, before noticing Riley and Amy on the bed. The man had shifted in his sleep, one arm draped lazily over the brown-haired woman's waist. Stephanie wondered whether Amy had noticed.
"Amy?" She shook the woman's shoulder. "Amy, you awake?"
- J -
Roark was already awake. In fact, he was getting dressed in Serena's room. The screams and noises from the kitchen caught his attention.
"Haha, Stephanie was already awake and they're already arguing?" Roark said, a small smile on his face. "Too bad I have to go to work, I'll hate to miss the show, haha."
Even the smell of the smoke got into the room. No, he thought, not the breakfast, please.
Roark put his trousers on (although they reminded undone, as usual) fastly and got out from the room.
"Please," He thought. "please tell me they didn't ruin the bacon..."
As he got out from the room, Roark crashed into someone.
"Hey!"
As he expected, it was Stephanie, who seemed to want to go to his room, where Amethyst and Riley were.
"Steph!" Roark exclaimed. "Please, watch your step!"
It was then when he noticed the blondie was going to his room. Roark smiled.
"Don't be too noisy, you could awake them..." Roark told her, winking.
Roark then went into the kitchen, where Serena was managing to deal with all the breakfast.
"How's the bacon?" Roark asked, worried. "Ah! I see it's not as smoked as I believed. I'm glad!"
Now that he thought of it, they hadn't talk since the "sweet dreams" he had told her last night. Maybe now she had realized what she had done and regretted it? It would have been a pity, Roark thought...
The miner approached Serena, shyly.
"All that looks delicious!" He exclaimed. "What? Stephanie also intervened? Haha, so cute! Her manners might not be the best, but she has good intentions."
With a more serious expression, Roark looked at Serena.
"So, how did you sleep?" He asked her. "By the way, can I help you with that?"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
With a grumble, Amethyst woke up amongst several shakes.
"Amy? Amy, you awake?"
It had to be Stephanie, of course.
"Uh... eh..." Amethyst couldn't even talk. "Ms. Br-Brown... Umh, yeah... NOW I'm awake..."
As she stretched, the purple-eyed girl noticed something light on her waist. Still sleepy, Amethyst looked back and saw it was Riley, who was still asleep, apparently.
"Oh...!" She exclaimed, opening her eyes wide and blushing.
She wasn't sleepy anymore. Amethyst covered her mouth with her own hand. She didn't want to wake Riley up that way. That's it, if Stephanie hadn't woken him up yet.
"Shush." Amethyst said, so Stephanie would stop shouting.
Softly, the chestnut-head let go off Riley's arm and looked at him, in a daze. He was so peaceful, so attractive... His dark blue hair scattered over the sheets, his firm mouth half-open... Oh, how badly she wanted to kiss those lips.
Amethyst then remembered that the young girl was still by her side and tried to remain her compossure.
"Good morning, Ms. Brown." The woman said, politely. "I see you're as hyper as usually, hehe."
She patted Rodent's head happily. It was nice to see them again, no matter how loud they were.
"So, breakfast is almost ready?" Amethyst asked. "Then it'd be better to wake Riley up..."
Amethyst lightly lowered herself above Riley, still keeping the distance.
"Riley..." She whispered. "Breakfast is ready... Are you awake...?"
- N -
Serena tried to keep her smile to herself as she heard Roark in the kitchen. As usual, he was a mess – the same, comforting mess she knew and loved. She took a moment to admire the way his hair stuck out awkwardly.
"That," She pointed to the pan of bacon she was frying, "is for your Rampardos." She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry. I didn't think you'd get up so early...
"Also: don't drink the coffee. It's got germs in it... The blonde, hyperactive, teenage variety."
Speak of the devil, Roark noticed Brown's handiwork about the kitchen.
"All that looks delicious! What? Stephanie also intervened? Haha, so cute! Her manners might not be the best, but she has good intentions."
Serena shrugged. "Maybe. Still doesn't stop her from being a pain up my ass, though."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed a pokeball rattle and explode in a flash of glowing light. Finally free from the ball, her Audino staggered drunkenly about the kitchen, before realising just how long it had been unconscious.
"Dino?"
"Speaking on pains up my ass…" Serena muttered, before adding snidely: "Slept well, Rip Van Winkle?"
"Audino," The large pink pokemon looked thoroughly insulted. "Audio, dino do!"
"Okay, okay!" She laughed, "Just go help me make some more toast. You can tell me what happened last night after breakfast."
Still somewhat miffed, the normal-type gave an annoyed 'hmph' and waddled to the toaster to finish the job Rodent was doing before. Serena wondered what had happened the night before, but didn't give too much thought into it – not when Roark was talking about last night.
Oh, gosh! Last night! His kiss still lingered on her forehead, it sent tingles down her spine as she recalled the gentle way he held her chin, the feel of his lips on her bare skin… ARCEUS! How close they'd been last night…!
She smiled, despite herself. No, Serena, snap out of it! She thought. This isn't right! It's unprofessional! Imagine what everyone would think!
"I don't need help." She answered, sounding ruder than she felt. Instantly, she regretted ever saying it – she did need him. She needed his arms around her, his warm breath on her neck, needed his arms around her waist…
"I-I mean…" She trailed off, thinking of ways she could salvage the situation. "You need to keep your strength to prepare for the Dance and everything… Right! The Dance! Uhhhhh…. Have the decorations already been set up?"
No amount of smiling could disguise the awkwardness on her face.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Riley... Breakfast is ready... Are you awake...?"
Riley stirred, groaned, and then covered his face with a pillow.
"Goway," He mumbled, before recognising the voice. "…Amethyst?"
Amethyst? Here? By his side? Waking him up in the morning? But… how?
The day before came back to him in a blur – finding Serena Joy in the pokemon center, meeting Amethyst, seeing the vision… ugh. It had been way too eventful for his tastes. His face still under the pillow, Riley gave a tiny groan.
"Go… do… whatever it is you usually do in the morning first," He suggested, not willing to let Amethyst see just how tired and pathetic his morning face was. "I'll join you… eventually,"
"We better do what he says," Brown chuckled, leading the purple-eyed woman away. "Gold always was a cranky asshole in the morning – by extension, most men are."
She waited until she was out of earshot from the male trainer on the bed before whispering to Amy: "And, actually, Amy, I needed to ask you something…
"Remember when I told you Rodent and I want to challenge the Oreburgh Gym? Well, we've been thinking and – really, you don't have to if you don't want to, since, I mean, we're tough and awesome and-"
"Raticate!" Rodent snapped, wanting his trainer to get to the point.
"Right! I mean, we wanted to know if you could help us train." Brown smiled. "We could have a battle and everything and then go out of waffles – pleasesayyes?"
- J -
"Ah" Thank you very much!" Roark exclaimed, looking at the plate with delicious food for his pokémon. "Go, Rampardos!"
Roark sent Rampardos out and put the plate on the floor. The pokémon automatically started eating hungrily. His trainer smiled, amused.
"Pardos!" Rampardos said. "Rampard!"
"Hahaha." Roark laughed. "I think he likes it! Well, no wonder. Your food is always so delicious..."
"Well, your screams woke me up, basically." Roark said, looking at Serena, amused. "But don't worry, it was a nice way to get up."
The miner was about to take a cup of coffee when the Joy warned him. Roark couldn't help but laugh, amused.
"Hahahaha! You two will never get along, will you?"
Roark took a few sips of coffee while his hungry Rampardos devoured his breakfast until he finished it. Roark patted Rampardo's hard face friendly.
Theur relationship were so different from Serena and Audino's...
"Aww, poor thing." Roark said. "Don't you think you should be nicer to Audino? Instead of seeing her as a "family habit", try to see her as a sweet pokémon that is always willing to help you."
Would those words mean anything to Serena? She was a combatant woman who wasn't very fond about showing her feelings, after all.
"I'd tell my pokémon to help Audino, but you know..." Roark said, smiling with sorrow. "My pokémon are mostly a mess, just like me, hehe!"
The ginger looked at the Joy, like waiting for something. She seemed to flinch when he asked how did had she slept. Maybe what he was fearing would come true? She'd act as if nothing had happened?
"Oh, okay..." Roark said, somewhat disappointed.
He took a toast and put it into his mouth as he grabbed his jacket and zipped his pants.
"Umh, then I'll leave n-" He started to say.
But Serena seemed to regret her words. He finished the toast and took another one, smiling at Serena.
"Oh! I'm glad you're so excited about the Dance!" He said. "Everything's going fine. But I have still to find a partner."
Roark thought about winking at Serena, but that would have been too... blatant? Instead, he looked down, a slight smile on his face.
"Well, now I must go to work." He said. "The breakfast was delicious, Serena. See you tonight."
He gave her a last smile before getting out from the house. But what Roark really wanted was to hug her and kiss her...
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Uuh?" Amethyst asked.
The young lady was surprised at Riley's lazy awakening. He always got up earlier than her and Emerald at Iron Island, so she didn't know about that.
"Awww." The chestnut-head complained, desappointed. "B-but...!"
She couldn't say more. Stephanie grabbed her arm and pushed her away.
"Wh-what, Ms. Brown?" Amethyst asked, surprised. "What's this important thing you want to ask?"
She listened to the teenager's words, and couldn't help but laugh when Rodent intervened.
"Oh, my!" Amethyst exclaimed. "You took me away just to ask me for help to train?"
The woman poked the young girl's forehead.
"And you really, really think that Riley can't hear us?" She added. "He eventually can if he wants, haha!"
However, Amethyst put her hand on her chest and sighed, relieved.
"Thanks goodness she didn't ask me if I did 'things' with Riley last night..." She thought.
Amethyst looked again at Stephanie.
"Well, of course I can train you, Ms. Brown." She said, crossing her arms. "I'm not one who likes to fight, but I guess I'll be able to teach you something useful after all these years..."
The idea of having an apprentice sounded so weird to her.