Title: Skinner Box
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #24, Skinner Box
Rating: PG
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: AU, het, mind control

Sometimes, Red feels as though he is in a box.

This doesn’t happen all the time of course, but when he has dinner in a restaurant with Lance and they cuddle afterwards, he can’t help but feel a bit repetitive.

Shouldn’t love feel different?

He asks Lance this, and she frowns, and asks him if they should do things differently, instead of the weekly dinner date.

Is it bad for a married couple to spend time together?

Red is about to suggest yes, when he sees a terrible dark suspicion in her golden eyes, and then he realizes why Lance has been acting so oddly – almost as though their love life is on a schedule. He throws his arms around Lance’s neck and kisses her, and then he whispers to the surprised woman that no, he is not having an affair.

He’s just a little tired.

Lance looks at him then, and sighs, and suggests that they ditch the paperwork and go skiing. Red just gapes at her, before he cheers and runs off to pack. He throws his navy blue snowsuit and black snow boots into a duffle bag haphazardly. They will have to rent skis, but it’s worth it!

Maybe a change in routine is fun once in a while, but he wouldn’t give up this love with Lance for anything!

Never…

And as his wife gets up, she smiles to herself, because the last block of operant conditioning has finally clicked shut, and now she is sure that Red will never leave her. Perhaps it’s wrong, to manipulate and control him like this, but she does not know any better. She will not let him leave, ever.

Quietly, she folds her own clothes neatly – a three or four-day trip should be adequate – and is ready to leave by the time he shows up at the front door, panting.

“Are you ready?”

“Of course I am, Lance-chan!” Red cheers.

She chuckles, and they walk out to the car. Never mind the long drive – the end result will be worth it.

End Fic

Completed 12/1/06

Edited 6/30/09

I learned in psychology that a skinner box was the device you put an animal in when you wanted to train it…reinforcing it for similar behaviors over and over…

And yeah, new themes list!

Way too much influence from psychology class…