bleed out
x n-centric, some ships implied

She hated to see his pain.

The way his gaze fell when Ghetsis mentioned Pokemon, how those green eyes dulled with something too heavy for a six-year old heart. His love for them was fueled by empathy and heartbreak, she knew. He threw himself at his toys with the eagerness (desperation?) of a lonely soul. And Anthea had to change that.

At the age of seven, N received a gift from a goddess.

Zorua was playful, the first happy Pokemon he had ever met. Everything it did was magical: running the length of his room with its tail held high, mirroring his motions- and sometimes his identity- as they played. It often snickered when he got in trouble, but when it really mattered, it was the friend who curled up beside him until the tears slowed. It was the best friend he never had, the one he could talk to when there were no people left to trust.

Most importantly, though, it knew how to disguise itself. Nothing can go wrong, Anthea assured herself. Ghetsis will never find it. And what's one Pokemon, anyway?

She was mistaken.

When the Goddess of Love returned to him that day, N was distracted from his search for Zorua by the ugly black and blue that stained her features. He saw that she had been crying, with red eyes and wet tracks running down her cheeks. So he did as his Pokemon had done, clinging to her with all the strength his eight-year old body could muster, whispering comfort and sorrow that soon bled into one simple emotion, one great ideal called love.

They never spoke of Zorua again.

When he found Touko on the concrete steps nine years later, eyes shut tight against the sting of salty tears and defeat, he thought he could do the same.

He sat beside her quietly, then put an arm around her shoulder. When her eyes flew open in surprise, he caught that blue gaze and held it. Then he pulled her into a hug, hating her pain, whispering all the words he knew she needed to hear.

I love you, I love you and I will never let you go.

She believed him.

I've had this sitting around on my computer for a few days, but I wasn't really sure if I wanted to submit it... This was my first time analyzing N's past and the people in it, so I'm not exactly thrilled with how it came out, but I think it's an okay start. I just threw in a little taste of Ferriswheel at the end because I couldn't resist xD;; In case it wasn't obvious, the love between Anthea and N is totally platonic. N and Touko, however... well, you be the judge~

I might make this into a two-shot, simply because I'd like to explore N's family dynamic... the second part would also explain what happened to Zorua. What do you think? Add more, or end it here? Let me know in a review or a PM!

Thanks for reading!