It was the next day after the whole fiasco on the front steps of the League and the wound on my arm started to blister. Uh, it was awful! This cankerous sore was growing on me and lord knows Big Papa Purple was going to give me hell about it. How can I prance around in my sequence dress without any self doubts while I've got a wound on my once pristine figure? The boys don't show up after their 9 to 5 shifts to watch some floozy with battle scars, or c-sections, or any sort of marking that isn't lady like. What a big headache, I'll say. Definitely wasn't worth bringing Bruno to his knees if this was the exchange I'd have to make for it.
Anyway, I performed my daily morning routine before I headed out to the Plateau. A nice steaming shower behind my dreamline shower doors, lathered my body in ocean mist body wash, and came out to dry up so that my hair would form just right. Of course, I wouldn't be wearing my black and violaceous striped mini dress without a cardigan since I didn't want to sport the new cicatrix like a marine would. But like that, I dried my silver locks and I headed out.
When I got to the League, I started my first shift without any challengers again, as usual. It wasn't until break time when things got interesting again. I expected to see Bruno training today but instead he came up from behind me and got me by surprise.
"Hey Karen! How's the arm?" He asked and made me jump since I didn't expect to suddenly hear something that I couldn't see in this beautiful garden.
"Oh! Gosh fella, you scared me!" I said, placing a hand over my chest and heaving it to catch up on some of my lost breath.
"Ha, I didn't mean to. My bad."
"No, that's alright sug. Bout my hand though, that's not so alright. It is starting to boil. It'll be like that for a while, I guess. " I said calmly and with a light tone.
"Aw man, I swear I can't say I'm sorry enough, Karen. It really should have been me." Bruno said, trying to hide how guilty he truly felt inside.
"No, that's alright, sweetheart. It was my fault for turning into She-Hulk for a moment. Should've let you learn the lesson the hard way, like the rest of us, hehe." I told him to ease his pain and show that I held no contempt.
"Yeah…I guess…" Bruno said and remained silent. God, those awkward silences will always sneak their way into a conversation. Thankfully, I've always been great at derailing them. Especially with men.
"Isn't it nice out here Bruno, just sitting under a parasol among all the honeysuckles? Watching the spearows fly by without a care in the world?" I asked in a dreamy tone. "I'll tell you, if only we could be like them, huh?"
"Yeah, I'll say. If I could be a fighting pokemon I'd take my trainer to legendary status." Bruno replied.
"Ohhh, but why take a trainer to legendary status when you're a legend yourself honey? You should be a flying pokemon and just live a whole new lifestyle. Completely unfettered and unbound by obligations."
"You think I'm a legend?" He asked.
"Well of course, sugar. You are a member of the Elite Four. What more could you ask for?" I told him.
"I don't know, maybe be the last member and take your place." Bruno said with a smirk.
"Oh, is that whats been in your head?" I asked him, deflecting the smile right back at him.
"Well since you asked, yes, it was a thought."
"I don't think my question was the source of that. It was hiding in your subconscious. Otherwise, you wouldn't have said it. You are not to be trusted." I told him with a grin and a playful inflection. He laughed and threw his head back like a child, it was a sweet side of Bruno that I seldomly saw but admired when I did. I wasn't shy about letting him know either.
"You see Bruno, that laugh of yours!" I peaked his interest with this starting statement. "I just finished telling you about wanting to be like a pokemon in order to free myself of obligations and pressures. When you laugh, its like your the one who doesn't have a care in the world. I love that about you, babe!"
Bruno blushed and I could see it in his big, defined face. It is so odd to see a big man go cerise cheeked. Its like, I have preconceived notions that big muscled men like that are stronger in every sense of the word, including emotionally. So I thought nothing I could say would phase him. It reminded me of this time I was in the department store at Goldenrod City. I was in the medicine section and I was eating up minutes just staring at the racks of potions because I could not decide which one to choose. From the corner of my eye, I saw this big, tall man approach my section but then back away and retrieve into another isle and look around the stands. I let it go and didn't think much of it until I caught him attempting to cross over to my isle again only to back up. After I'd decided on the item I was going to buy and went to get in line, I looked over to the potion section once more and saw the tall, burly man standing where I was standing. The poor boy waited until I left to go and browse that area when there was plenty of room for both of us to share and we wouldn't be a bother to one another. It warmed my heart to see that a large man like him was timid, when he had no reason to be. I should have been the one who felt insecure, or fearful. I found it adorable.
"Oops. Didn't mean to make your blood rush, sug. Haha!" I teased.
"My bloods not rushing!" Bruno was quick to defend himself.
"Whatever you say, cherry tomato." I told him with a big grin. Bruno sucked on his teeth and gave me a playfully annoyed expression.
"You're so weird. Do you just say things without even thinking about it?" He asked. I knew he was referring to my flirtatious demeanor but I decided to probe him. Find out a little more about his history in the romance department with some innocent questions.
"What do you mean, sug?" I asked?
"Well, like that! You call me sug, babe, baby, and all that stuff! And you tell me my smile is nice. It's weird!" If weird is the way he used to describe my character, I could tell the boy wasn't too experienced in the female department. These are things that would drive men in the club wild. Lord knows why, he was ripped, powerful, successful, and had a cute face to top it off.
"Weird! Honey, I think you're weird! These are terms of endearment. I say them to be courteous and show you how much I like you. Don't you like it?" I asked. Bruno chuckled and got even redder in the face. The poor boy didn't know how to take how direct I am in my speech.
"Well…yeah! But I just… I just haven't heard it a lot, lets put it that way! I thought you only said that stuff to people you liked." Bruno confessed.
"And you're right! That's what I said! I talk like that to show you that I like you." I told him, playing stupid. I knew that he meant like as in have deeper emotions for someone.
"No, I mean like-like. Like when you're interested in someone."
"Oh, haha! Well baby, that doesn't have to be the case. These are just words after all, and my mama and daddy used to use them on me all the time. That's probably why I use them so much. But I can stop if you want." I told him, knowing exactly what he would say.
"Oh no, you don't have to! If that's the way you are, then go on! I just thought, y'know….ugh, never mind! I don't even know! I guess I really am the weird one." Bruno said, frustrated. I led him full circle, right where I wanted him to be.
"Oh, daddy, don't beat yourself up over it. And besides, you are a real cutie, which brings me even more pleasure when I call you those words." I said to him while I grabbed his chiseled arm with both of mine, held onto them and laid my head on it. His hands felt rigid. I am not sure if he was flexing or not but those muscles felt like you'd imagine them to. And he was very warm too. I guess from all that blood pumping I'd made him endure with our conversation. I didn't see what his face looked like while I was on him but I'm sure he was embarrassed, judging by his personality. Plus, he didn't move or embrace me in return so I am sure he just didn't know what to do.