Questions - DualrivalShipping

It had been a long time, since we met like this.

Me, Bianca, and Hilda were all together, relaxing in Bianca's room. It was usual for us to meet in Bianca's house, as two out of the three of us were girls- as the lone boy of the group, that didn't bode well for me, but I put up with the pink, well, almost everything, as I was outnumbered. I like to think I'm smart enough to know when I can't win a battle. But, enough about me. As I was saying, much had happened since we all did this old tradition- the ladies seemed unaware of it, but we had all grown in multiple ways.

However, nothing had changed the way I felt.

Even after everything that had happened- no, our trials had only strengthened my infatuation. Every time I looked at her lily-smooth, snow white, innocent face, my heart flopped over. I don't even know if flopped is a real word, but it's the only thing that can describe it. She looked over and smiled towards me, and I waved back automatically. Hilda glanced over, before speaking.

"Gosh, Cheren. Do you always have to be so silent?"

I sighed and adjusted my glasses before responding.

"Hilda, it's called thinking. You should try it sometime."

"Cheren, you should do less thinking and more doing. Seriously, you've been absent from the entire conversation. Don't you care about your childhood friends any more?"

'Oh, yes I do. All too much, in one case.' I thought to myself as I scooted over to them. "So, what are we talking about?"

"The colour and pattern of our undergarments- I'm joking, Cheren. Jeez." She abruptly explained as I flushed bright red. Bianca giggled, giving my heart fits again. "Very funny, Hilda. Now, what are we actually talking about?" Hilda pouted for a moment before opening her mouth, before Bianca cut her off.

"Um, we were talking about what moves we had taught our pokemon!" Okay, I'm not dumb. No one other than me talks about that as animatedly as they were talking, but I decided to let it slide and go along- what's a few secrets among friends, after all?

'Ah, yes, and you would know that all too well, now wouldn't you?' My conscience answered. I ignored it, before getting into the discussion. Wouldn't you know it, Bianca taught her Chandelure Return. I get the whole 'power of our bond' thing, but a physical move? On Chandelure? Le Sigh. Anyway, after my lecture on the classification of moves, Hilda stretched and yawned, before rising and walking towards the door. "Bathroom break." She called back to us by means of explanation. With the loudest member of our trio gone, I relaxed and returned to reminiscing. It seemed like just yesterday when we had last been in this room, getting all psyched up for our journey. I stole a glance at Bianca as she stifled a yawn. Couldn't she stop being so cute for just a second? I suppose not- that was just in her nature, like my calm calculations, or how Hilda's assured confidence. I smiled as I remembered how I had asked Bianca why she was so cute when we were much younger, which had sent Hilda into hysterics for days. They had likely forgotten all about it, but the truth was I still wanted an answer- however, I was much too afraid to ask for one. The three of us were the best of friends, and I didn't want to mess that up. I started as Bianca started talking. "Hey, Cheren, remember when we were younger? The silly questions we asked each other?

'!!! But, I just thought...!'

"I still want to know why you're so smart." She continued, looking at me curiously. I composed myself before answering. "Bianca, everyone is good at different things. I may know a lot, but you're good at loads of other stuff." 'Like being freaking adorable'. Bianca smiled before getting up. "What do you say to getting a snack?", she said as she offered her had to me.

"Love to." I responded, taking her hand. But then something went wrong. The ground shook for a moment, and Bianca lost her footage. Suddenly, her bright, green eyes were much too close for comfort. I simply stared into the dual pools which were taking up the expanse of my vision, just as astonished as mine must of looked. I heard the door open, but was unable to see it.

"Sorry for the wait. Bianca, you seem to be out of- Err, am I interrupting something?" Hilda's voice snapped me back to reality, and I shoved Bianca off of me. "Absolutely not!" I hastily replied, flushing a shade of crimson normally reserved for fire-types. Bianca nodded frantically in agreement with me, and she looked like she had been caught in headlights. Hilda laughed lightly before sitting down. "Well, if you two do plan on running off, tell me first!" Her attempts at breaking the ice were admirable, but I, for one, just felt more awkward. The pink everywhere didn't help with that. I got up quickly and announced I should be getting home, before hastily waving good-bye rushing out. Disregard that my parents were actually away, and I was supposed to be staying the night. I rushed to the beach, and quickly found the secret cove the three of us had discovered long ago, before sitting down and trying to take charge of my emotions. "That was as embarrassing as you can get!" I moaned to myself, remembering what had caused my flight.

'But you liked it, didn't you?' My conscience prompted me. 'Being that close, feeling her skin on yours, the intimacy of the moment...' I shook my head in exasperation. What was I to do with myself? My inner voice was beginning to sound like Hilda! Cheren, you can't hide from your true thoughts. Whether or not they sound like Hilda is irrelevant- you should know that most of all, Mr Smartypants.' Eww. Hilda's personality with my statistical accuracy and precision. "Oh, yeah? Then why not give me some advice, if you know so much?" I countered, feeling a little silly as I realized I was arguing with myself- And asking for advice, no less. 'Figure it out yourself- you have the brains.' As my little voice finished it's latest piece of astounding advice, guess who should burst through the bushes? Bianca, or course. She caught her breath before sitting down beside me. The two of us were quiet for a while, before she decided to speak.

"Cheren?"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"Just... tired, that's all."

We were silent for a while more before she spoke again.

"I'm... sorry for earlier."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, for, you know, falling on you."

Typical Bianca- blaming herself. And, this time, it wasn't even her klutzy trait that caused it!

"Oh, it wasn't your fault."

"It... wasn't?"

"No, it was because of that tremor- I think it was related to whatever Hilda was saying you were out of."

"Oh." A pause. "That's reliving."

Silence reigned once more as we watched the setting moon. "You know," Bianca started "I asked Hilda how she gets to be so..."

"Brash? Bold? Brazen?" I supplied, guessing at the word she was looking for.

"Um... The second one, I think. Anyway, she thought about it for a moment, then she said she didn't let herself be limited by fears and doubts- she just lives for the moment." 'Oh, I see.' I thought to myself, 'I envy her that, for certain.'. "Did the wise woman say anything else?" I asked, partly in jest. Bianca thought for moment before answering. "Well... She said that people should be true to themselves, no matter what the impact may be." Well, that struck a chord. While Bianca watched the colour of the sky begin to shift, I fought within myself. I don't know which side I was on, but I felt like I had won when I made my choice. "Uh, Bianca?" I started, to get her attention. "Since you asked me a question, it's fair that I get to ask you one too, right?"

"Hmm?" Bianca said as she turned to me. "I guess so. Why?"

I felt chills run down my spine as I opened my mouth. "Well, uh, you see, I never got an answer to my old question."

"Old question?" Bianca asked. She looked and sounded confused, but there seemed to be... a glint of sorts in her eye.

"Yeah, uh... Why did you give your Chandelure Return?" ...And I chickened out at the last moment. In theory it seems so easy... but, without my friends or pokemon behind me, I was a spineless geek. Ugh. Bianca thought for a moment, before answering. "Well... it was you and Hilda that made me think of it." I started in surprise. "Me and Hilda?"

"The bonds we each have. When Professor Juniper told me about how Return worked, it reminded me of us. So, I figured I could get it to work, since the bond between us is... unbreakable."

"Oh. I get it now." Bianca saying that our bond was unbreakable renewed my determination, and I continued. "Bianca..."

"Yes?"

"It's not really fair... but could I have another question?"

Bianca smiled, seeming all the more radiant with the rising sun behind her. "'Course, Cheren. That's what friends are for, right?" I opened my mouth to reply, when the other member of our trio burst through the bushes. Hilda paused for a moment, then said something. "Am I, by any chance..."

Before she finished, Bianca winked at her -heartbeat- and said "Yeah, kinda."

"I see." Hilda replied, before slinking backwards. "See you guys!"

Girls. They have a secret code. As I was about to continue, the world around us suddenly started sparkling. I had almost forgotten that phenomenon. As I was finally about to begin, Bianca interrupted.

"Though, Cheren..."

"Yeah?"

"Could... could I ask a question first?"

"I... suppose so." I really wanted to ask before I lost my resolve again, but I couldn't deny Bianca. I relaxed, prepared to answer her inquiry. The next second I was flat on my back, with the wind knocked out of me and Bianca above me. Confused? Very. "Uh, Bianca, what's-" I was cut off as something happened that I had never hypothesised. Something that disregarded all my careful planning, and threw my understanding of the situation out the window.

Bianca kissed me. Time stretched to eternity as my brain short-circuited and fried. At some point, I started kissing her back. Eventually we both ran out of air, and I was left looking, I'd imagine, very confused indeed. Bianca giggled before she started speaking. "What, you thought you were the only one who felt that way? Falling on you made my heart race too, you know." I was stunned into silence, so I just stared at her. She grinned in response. "I know what you were going to ask, Cheren. You forgot something- I answered." Startled, I realized she was right.

--Flashback Start--

"Bianca?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so cute?"

"Couples always match, right?

"...I guess."

"I have to be cute because you're cute."

"Why?"

"Because we're a couple!"



THE END