El Fin! The very last theme!

Title: Hidden Among Us
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #50, Hidden among us

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: AU, het

 

            Red is searching for that special someone.

            There’s a legend, a children’s story really, that every one has someone else that they’re destined from. When the children are born, the Lord of Heaven will take a red string and tie it around the little fingers of the two children destined to be together.

            It’s a beautiful story, but Red has been searching for a long time, and he isn’t sure that the one who belongs with him is out there anymore. What if she’s dead, or already married, or – or there are so many other things that could go wrong!

            She might be a drunk, or have some incurable, chronic disease, or be years younger than he is!

            There are other things he frets about, and so, when his mother announces that she’s found him someone to marry, he doesn’t protest.

            He’s too tired to.

            After all, if he’s lucky, he can fall in love with his fiancée, right?

 

            When Lance first sees Red, she thinks he’s a child – and really, he’s so young, but at the same time, so disillusioned.

            It makes her rather disappointed, and somewhat relieved, that there’s a six-month courting period they have to go through before marriage.

            Well, at least they can be friends, right?

            She does not expect too much. She feels like a woman ‘on the shelf’, unable to find a man on her own.

 

            However, he didn’t expect to wind up in a luxurious – but strangely empty – house. Apparently, their six months were going to take place there.

            They would be all alone during that time, with only each other for company.

            At this rate, they would drive each other crazy, or learn to live together. It could go either way.

            Red sighed. This was not fun!

            Perhaps he was expecting too much?

 

            “You’re making breakfast?” Red asks on the first day.

            Lance nods; her hands still busy slicing and dicing, a knife in each, as silver flashed sunspots into the trainer’s eyes.

            “… You can cook?”

            “It is generally expected that your wife should be able to cook, yes.” Lance says quietly. Red has no answer for that.

            He watches her as she prepares food, and doesn’t really understand what’s going on, but…

            Actually, he doesn’t know anything about this girl at all… but if he has to live with her for the rest of his life, he’d better get to know her.

 

            Breakfast is quite simple, steamed rice and miso soup, and a dish of chicken and chopped vegetables cooked in egg. It’s quite good, even better than his mother’s cooking, so he ticks that down as a point in her favor.

            She’s pretty too. He was worried about marrying someone horribly deformed or ugly, but she’s not even plain. She has long red hair pulled up in jade pins, and sparkling golden eyes.

            So why doesn’t he like her?

            There’s nothing physically wrong with her that he can see. She is well-behaved (with better manners than he has), and she does all the dishes without complaint. She’s definitely a useful housewife, but for some reason, he can’t make his heart warm up to her.

            He’s watching her as she sweeps the front walk. She looks nice in her kimono, dark green patterned with cranes, and she’s slim and pale, but…

            Why can’t he love her?

            Is it true that he’s locked his heart away?

            Or perhaps he just needs time to get used to the idea of marriage.

           

            On the second day, they go out together to explore. The house is rather huge, and Red has a sneaking suspicion that there’s magic woven into it. It’s not malicious though, so he doesn’t attack, and the wards tingle when they pass through.

            Lance accepts this all really well, and he wonders if she knows magic. She might. That would be another good thing.

            His mother should have mentioned compatibility…

           

            In any case, when they go in the music room, Lance’s eyes light up, and as she moves, he can see something solidifying in her hands. It’s a flute of polished silver.

            How interesting.

            He sits down at the piano and listens to her play, and she is quite talented. A few minutes later, he joins in, counter pointing her melody, and it’s so peaceful that they don’t stop until the sunsets and they both suddenly feel hungry.

            Lance apologizes and goes off to make dinner, but Red stops her.

            He says that it’s not fair if she has to do everything, and so he’ll cook tonight, and he does, though the honey barbequed chicken does come out a tad too sweet.

            Still, as they sit on the porch and eat quietly, while watching the sunset, he’s willing to acknowledge that this isn’t as bad as he feared.

 

            On the third day, they just sit in the library and talk. And so the pattern repeats. They’re very polite towards each other, and almost affectionate, and two months in, Red kisses her for the first time.

            Lance is lovely, beautiful even, and the kiss is nice, so he does it again, and before he knows what’s going on, his hands have slipped inside her kimono, and she’s lying underneath him as his hands roam over her soft body.

            Too soon, she pulls away.

            “Not until we’re married…”

            This is the first time he feels as though he actually wants her. And yes, he understands the reasoning, but it’s hard!

 

            Lance watches him, a hint of wariness in her eyes.

            He regretfully nods.

            She is glad he stopped. Otherwise, she would have had to resort to extreme measures. Being a girl does not make her helpless.

            Red sighs. “I’m sorry?”

            “Do you mean it?” She asks, because if he’s just mouthing the words she will exercise caution for the rest of their stay.

            “Yes,” He gulps. “I… I do want more than sex.”

            That is as much of an admission of love as she will get at this point, so Lance nods. “I forgive you then. And I’ll try not to tempt you.”

            He is not content, but what else can he do?

            She gives him a hug, and then pets his hair, and he tries to accept what he has. If this is being mature, no wonder so few people have it…

            Now, Red can’t wait until they get married.

 

End Fic

Completed 9/1/06

Edited 9/16/09

You know, I find it very ironic that I finished all of the 50_themes themes before the mods put me on the list! Man, talk about slow service…

Lance: *Hugs Red*

Red: You know, I noticed you wrote a few of these things with me as Ash…

Phantomness: Sumimasen… but I ran into a mind block. I like you better! I always will!