Title: Bottle
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #22, Emotion

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: Implied magic use, shonen-ai

 

            Red finds the bottle by accident. It’s got a glass stopper in it, but the mixture is not liquid, simply swirling gases of gold and blue and red, vibrant colors. When he picks it up, it feels warm in his hands.

            Why would something like this be inside the janitor’s closet, tucked amidst rolls of paper towels and bottles of Windex?

            He shrugged and pocketed it, intending to ask one of the others later.

 

            “Lance? You seem pretty distracted today.” Lorelei commented at lunch. “Are you sick?”

            “Hope not.” He parried. “I can’t afford it.” He glanced moodily into his cup of tea. Red frowned.

            “I didn’t even know you could get sick.”

            Lance chuckled. “I’m not immortal, as much as I would like to be…”

           

            “I would be really cool if you were though,” Red grinned. Lance met his eyes, startled, a flush rising on his cheeks.

            In his pocket, Red felt the bottle pulse warmth. It was quite comforting, but it also reminded him it was there.

            “Oh, by the way, do you know who this belongs to?” He asked, pulling it out.

 

            Lance’s eyes suddenly went cold. “W-Where did you find that?”

            “In the storage closet? Is it yours?”

            “In a way.” Lance sighed. “Keep it.”

            “… Really?” Red frowned. For a moment, the bottle had flared again, as if it was cold or made out of ice, but…

            That was impossible, wasn’t it?

            It was just some weird chemicals or something…

 

            He took it back to his room, feeling unsettled.

            Lorelei frowned. < What exactly is in that bottle, Lance? >

            < Are you really sure you want to know, my dear cousin? >

            < I would be interested. > Agatha cut in, < But I believe I know the answer. >

            Lance nodded. < You always were sharp, Grandmother. It is exactly what you think it is. >

            < But why? Such a thing could be dangerous in the wrong hands! >

            < Well, since Red has it, I believe they’re in the right hands. >

            < Even so… >

            < Grandmother… you must understand why I am doing this. You, Lorelei, especially… >

            < Articuno’s gift – or her curse. > Lorelei smiled wanly. < Your emotions. >

            < Yes. Now they will no longer be able to interfere. >

            <… What if Red develops feelings for you? >

            < Then we’ll see how it goes. >

 

            Once he had it, Red spent a lot of time watching colors in the bottle swirl. It took a few days of discreet observation, but he finally recognized the predominantly gold swirls in the bottle as loyalty. Loyalty to what, he wondered? The dusky reddish pink was love, but it was muted, blue was for sorrow, and the overwhelming black – well, he still hadn’t figured out what that was yet.

            They were pretty though.

            It was odd. He’d never really thought of Lance as having feelings, but the new perspective this strange thing had given him… it was breathtaking.

 

            “It’s a pretty sunset tonight.” Lance remarked. Red cast a discreet glance at the bottle. For a moment, the black cloud completely disappeared. Interesting.

            Sunsets had an effect on Lance’s feelings?

            “But of course, night is so much prettier.” His voice dropped, and Red blinked, seeing black bleed in, overwhelming the other colors. “Wouldn’t you agree, Red?”

            “S-Sure…”

            “Do you like the night, Red?”

            “I guess I do.” Red answered honestly. “You can see all the stars.”

            “I like stars, Red. And you – you are a very pretty star.”

            Red goggled at Lance, and that was when the Dragon Master brushed a kiss against his cheek. It was perfectly chaste, but it sent him into a fit of delicious shivers.

            “L-Lance…”

            “May I have you?”

            Did he want to give himself up to another person? Red wasn’t sure, but as Lance moved closer to him, he dropped the bottle on the floor. It cracked and splintered, even as Lance chuckled, voice cascading into crescendos of glorious laughter. Red basked in the sound, hardly aware of what he was doing until Lance pulled him against his chest and kissed him again. It was a right proper kiss, this time.

            Red responded eagerly, and they said no more.

 

End Fic

Completed 9/5/06

Lance: *Hugs Author*

Phantomness: Sankyuu… I really needed that

Red: Look at all the chemistry references in this fic!
Phantomness: Studying nonstop for a few hours can fry your brain