Kai: Good lord. Another?

Me: Yup!

Tyson: (blinks) read on, I guess...


Big blue eyes watched Wes silently.

Umbreon and Espeon were sleeping, curled up on the rug on the spare bedroom's floor.

Rui had left her own bed, set up in the somewhat small room, to kneel beside Wes' 'bed' of blankets, pillows and a spare mattress.

It was only for one night, to let the older teen regain his bearings after the whole Shadow Pokemon fiasco, but Rui wanted him stay for a bit longer. She didn't want the boy she'd grown to count as her best friend to leave yet.

Lifting a hesitant hand, Rui traced Wes' facial features, watching as he stirred slightly. Drawing her finger back slightly, the red haired girls held her breath as she watched the sandy haired teen shift slightly, but not wake.

Sighing in relief, she placed her hand back on her lap to join the other.

She couldn't help it, staring at him.

He was just nice to look at, she supposed. After all, all the girls that had hit on him during their travels had confirmed that.

Blushing slightly, she let her big blue eyes take in Wes' sleeping face, it was calm and relaxed, odd for him. Reaching out again, keeping a careful blue eye on him for any signs of awaking, she placed two fingers on the white stripe across his pale face. She was surprised; the whiteness didn't smudge onto her slender fingers. She had always assumed it was face paint.

Jumping, she saw Wes' eyelids twitch and start to flutter. He was a light sleeper, and the contact between his cheek and her fingertips was probably beginning to wake him.

Drawing back her hand, Rui started to get up and back to her own bed so hopefully Wes wouldn't even know she was there.

She wasn't quite so lucky.

Before she could, Wes' golden eyes opened slowly, blinking at her in confusion, "Rui?" He asked softly, his voice thick with sleep.

"Yeah?" Rui whispered, wishing that her cheeks would stop feeling so hot, and silently thanked the fact it was dark.

Wes sat up and rubbed the sleep from his golden eyes, "What're you…." He yawned softly, "doing?" He turned his face to blink at her sleepily.

The red-haired girl's mouth worked up and down as she fought for an answer.

A chilly breeze seeped in from the window, causing Rui to shiver slightly. The hairs on her arms lifted up slightly in a vain attempt to warm her.

Wes frowned slightly, "are you cold?" The question was immediate, and he fidgeted after saying it, golden eyes dropping down to study the floor.

"Yeah, a little." Rui admitted, somewhat relieved the boy had seemingly dropped the subject of her being by his bedside.

Wes pondered over her answer briefly, before throwing back his covers and getting up, stretching slightly.

"Wes?" Rui questioned, getting up also. She watched, in slight curiosity at what the sandy haired teen was wearing, just a plain black shirt and his boxers. She shifted on the spot, embarrassed at seeing her older friend like this.

"Hmm?" Wes made a soft noise, reaching up and shutting the window to prevent the draft flowing in again.

"Uhh…" Rui fiddled with a lock of reddish hair. She blinked, realising a question she could ask him, now that she didn't have a definite answer.

"What…. Is that stripe across your face?" She asked softly, her big blue eyes shining in curiosity.

Wes turned slowly, yellowish eyes focused on the ground as he shuffled his feet. Reaching with a hand, he scratched the back of head slightly, wondering how to tell her.

"Wes?" Rui murmured, stepping closer and touching his shoulder gently, in concern for his sudden silence. He might have been quiet anyway, but this silence was an awkward one.

Wes lifted his golden eyes slowly, looking up to meet hers of deep, innocent blue, shining with concern.

Sighing softly, he lifted the hand from the back of his head down to touch her slender, soft gently, a feather touch to reassure himself that she was still there.

"It's…. something I've always worn since I was little." Wes admitted. "I got into the habit of applying it to 'big' and strong to older members of Team Snagem."

"Like war paint?" Rui questioned, tilting her head.

The tips of Wes' lips twitched upward in a small smile. Only Rui could say something like that and it would amuse him.

"Sort of."

"Why doesn't it smudge?" Rui asked, retracting her hand from Wes' shoulder to poke his cheek, "it doesn't even run when wet."

Wes shook his head, sandy locks waving about. "Its special paint, it fades after a couple of weeks though."

"Why do you still wear it?" Rui murmured, blinking at him, "you don't need to."

"Habit." Wes shrugged slightly.

Rui giggled a little, "it's a little silly when you think about it."

Golden eyes frowned at her, "silly?"

"Well. Girls normally wear make-up, right?" One big blue eye winked at him cheekily.

Wes felt his cheeks grow hot again. "It's not make-up!" He retorted a little miffed at that accusation."

"Ok, so it's not make-up." The red head relented, "so…. Is it stuff clowns wear?" She giggled again, enjoying herself.

"No." The elder replied stiffly.

"When do you put it on, anyway?" Rui asked, blinking, her eyes shining in question, "I've never seen you do it."

"I get up before you do." Wes pointed out, quietly, silently fuming about the friendly teasing, even if it was harmless.

"Yeah…. Why are you such an early bird, Wesley?" Rui teased him, her eyes shining in mischief and giggling a little. She had never called the sandy haired teen 'Wesley' before and was curious about what his reaction would be.

Wes flinched, "don't call me that." He muttered, fidgeting.

"What, Wesley?" Rui questioned, her voice laced with teasing laughter.

"Yeah."

"Why? Don't you like Wesley?" Her voice held a hint of question, showing her anxiety at that fact she probably pushed Wes' buttons a bit too far.

"No." Wes grimaced a little, "I hate that name."

"Is Wesley your real name then?" Blue eyes blinked in surprise.

"Yes." Wes looked away pointedly.

"Oh!" Rui blinked, before grinning a little. "How cute!" She squealed a little after a moment, and on impulse, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Oddly, she never got embarrassed about hugging Wes, as she did it so often.

Wes sighed, his anger slipping away as he hugged her back loosely.

"It's not cute." He protested, "I hate it."

"So I can't call you Wesley?" Rui asked softly, looking into his molten gold eyes with her azure ones.

Sighing softly, Wes closed his eyes. "Please don't…" he murmured after a bit, shifting a bit in Rui's arms, his own falling away from her back. It was a silent order for her let go of him now.

Rui bit her lip, feeling a bit a guilty. Letting go of the older teen, she took a step back, fiddling with her loose red hair in embarrassment. "Sorry Wes…"

Wes frowned briefly, he didn't like seeing Rui like this, it didn't suit her, "Hey, it's alright Rui…" he murmured softly, his quiet voice making her smile slightly.

Skipping back over to him, she banded her arms around his slim frame again, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"Rui…"

"Mmm?" Rui hummed happily, squeezing him a bit.

A sigh, "nothing." She grinned into his shirt as she felt his arms hold her again.

"You hug me too much," Wes muttered, sounding a little hesitant, as if he didn't want Rui to let him go, but he wanted to get his point across too.

"Should I try something new?" Rui chirped, raising her head to look into his bright yellow eyes, her heart pounding as an idea came to her.

"New?" Wes repeated, blinking.

Rui nodded and bit her lip again, looking into his eyes again for any sign that this would be a bad idea. Finding none, she took a little breath and pressed her lips against his, feeling him stiffen.

Wes' eyes widened at the sudden sweet contact, before they closed and he allowed his body to relax.

Breaking apart, Rui smiled at him a little, "was that better?" She asked, feeling a bit giggly about what she had just gotten away with.

Wes was quiet for bit, before his face softened and he smiled gently, "yeah…" he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes betraying his hesitation, he wasn't used to being friendly around other (though he had grown to be used to it with Rui) and this was a whole new level of interaction he wasn't sure of.

Rui rubbed his back in a somewhat soothing gesture. "Good." She giggled a little.

After a few minutes of just holding each other, Rui spoke again.

"So, Wesley, can I try on your make-up?"

"Rui…"


Me: (smiles) Don'tcha just love it?

Kai: No.

Me: (thwacks him)

Tyson: o.o; R&R