Hey guys! I have finals all this month (ew high school ew grades ew ew), so Endgame has been stalled for the brief while. This is kind of to make up for it… just a tiny drabble for the time being. Hope you enjoy! ~ Flare.
"No. No, no, no – goddammit, no! I am not falling in love! I'm Touko Anita Ludwig, future champion of Unova! I'm happily single and independent, a-and I don't need love! Oh, and I absolutely do not need a man! Certainly not that man!
… Oh god. I think I'm going crazy. They say the first stage of love is denial, and I will not deny that I'm going crazy… But, I'm not in love with… him! I'm not, I'm not!
Jesus, I sound like a big hypocrite. I'm saying 'first stage of love is denial' and here I am denying I'm in love. I should have listened to my mother when she told me I need to calm down every once and awhile, because you know what? I really do need to calm my tits!
It's getting to the point where even my Pokemon are noticing I'm going crazy because of stupid 'love.' My Swanna was ready to Ice Beam me at the next mention of Cheren – oh fuck why did I just think about his name? His name… whenever I hear it, I want to punch something! Not because I'm mad – well, actually, I'm always mad, so I guess I should rephrase that to 'not because he makes me madder'. Oh fuck it, I gotta rearrange my thoughts…
Okay. Not because he makes me even more mad… he… uh… his name… Cheren! It makes me feel like someone punched me in the stomach! Whenever I'm around the bastard, I feel awkward and… He's just a friend, Touko. Don't doubt yourself, now…
Beautiful. Now I'm fucking friend-zoning him. He's not just my friend… he's… my… best friend? Yes, he is! But so is Bianca, but I don't feel like making-out with her every time I see her!
… wait….
What…. the fuck? What the fuck? Rewind the thoughts, Touko.
… What did I just fucking think? I want to… fucking… make-out… with Cheren? Huh. What the actual fuck – I think I'm completely through with myself. I'm done. One-hundred, full precent. I think someone spiked that water I had earlier. Yeah, I'm feeling kind of dizzy now that I think about it. Maybe I should lay down or—"
"Touko?"
"AH!" The suddenness of Cheren calling her name caused her to fall face down on the cavern floor, creating a worry within Cheren.
"Touko!" Cheren hollered, worriedly running to her side. She had already sat back up by the time he was there, furiously rubbing her head with her hand as she moaned. She searched blindly for her hat, which had stumbled off her head once she had made impact to the ground of Twist Mountain. Cheren stood in front of her, giving a peculiar look at her.
"You're not hurt or anything that could be a bother, correct?" Cheren asked, bending down the slightest so she could see him. He handed her the familiar, pink-rimmed hat, watching as she merely began rubbing her head once more.
"My head hurts like hell. I feel like I need birth control… for my head… wait that didn't make any – you know, I think it's time for me to get out of this damn cave." She spoke quickly, her anxiousness sparked by his appearance before her.
"Sounds fine. Here," Cheren held out a hand to her, "I'll help you up." As if she was watching a horror movie (not like she was scared by them – she's Touko, the future champion of Unova), her eyes widely opened and stared in aghast as Cheren held his hand in front of her.
"You have to look at the very least… normal." she thought to herself, grabbing his hand. Cheren was taken aback, as she held his hand supremely tight. He heaved her up, getting her on her feet. Keeping her hand near his chest, he kept his eyes locked on hers.
"Are you sure you feel fine?" Cheren asked again, too concerned to drop the manner at hand.
"My head hurts." she murmured, feeling his hand squeeze hers in a friendly light.
"You know… I had this silly thought. If I kiss your forehead, you might just feel better." Cheren teased, displaying a sly smirk as he noticed her cheeks warming up. "Is… that alright?"
"Um…" she cowered back, still keeping her hold sturdy on his hand, "I… guess?"
He leaned forward, kissing the reddened spot where the impact had damaged her the most – her forehead. Touko could feel that punch-in-the-gut, the dizziness, the feeling of her chest being compressed in an area the size of an Oran Berry… A moment of silence rang between the two. Touko looked away, her chestnut-toned, curly hair bouncing as she twisted her head to the side. She took her hand away from his, using the same hand to tuck loose hair back.
"… I… do kind of feel better, now that you mention it." Touko shrugged her shoulders when she looked back at him for a brief while. "Th-thanks." She stumbled on her thanking a bit, seeing she still had all the feelings – such as the cramping of her chest. Cheren rubbed the back of his neck and shifted on his feet, seeming nervous to Touko's watchful eyes.
"With pleasure, Touko." He turned his back to her as he began to speak, "We should find a way out… this cave is becoming a bother to myself. However, if you go with me, the trip is bound to be one of…" Cheren looked over his shoulder before smiling to himself and placing his head fixed forward, "… entertainment." Despite the flush feeling over her cheeks, she walked to his side. Curious eyes observed Cheren as they walked down the final, eerie halls of the cavern.
"I think I have it all figured out. First stage of love is denial. In that case, the second is realization." Cheren thought to himself as he tapped his fingers against his thigh, cherishing the distant thought of Touko's soft skin.