[ Fines ]
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"You better not be late again, [Name]! I swear I'll fine you a million Pokédollars!" Was what the energetic blond boy shouted throughout the entire Pokémon Center, ignoring the trainers and their exhausted Pokémon as if the two of you were the only ones inside the building before rushing out of the front entrance. You could feel your cheeks flaring up while all you did to try and get rid of your embarrassment was letting it out of your system under the form of a heavy sigh.
You turned to the counter where Nurse Joy had placed all your Pokéballs containing your now fully healed Pokémon and apologized for the ruckus and trouble Barry had been causing both her and everyone else in the Center. The pink-haired young lady waved it off as a quotidian occasion. It was indeed an everyday occurence, the mere thought of the fact that Barry had always been the impatient, bratty son of the Battle Tower Tycoon Palmer, even when the two of you had met for the first time in your lives, made you chuckle. You couldn't help but sincerely hope that he would stay that way forever, innocent and hilarious.
As you slowly but surely made your way out of the slightly crowded Pokémon Center and started heading for the heart of Jubilife City where you had agreed to rendez-vous with your blond travelling partner in order to decide on your next destination, your mind was suddenly flooded by thoughts and memories of the day you had first met Barry.
* * *
"OUT OF MY WAY, OUT OF MY WAY, OUT OF MY WAY!!!" You hadn't even managed to exit the Global Terminal in Jubilife City entirely after you had traded a Pokémon with a very good friend of yours who lived in the outskirts of the Hoenn region when the shouts of a rather energetic individual resonated outside as loudly as they would have in a bell tower or tunnel.
You weren't even given the chance to look around and try to pinpoint the source of those loud noises, because as cliché as it sounded, the very same person who was shouting for people to vacate his path happened to bump right into you. And we were not talking about a gentle nudge against your arm, the impact was so hard, it sent you flying right into one of the two fountains that decorated the plaza surrounding the Global Terminal.
If that weren't enough, the person who had been making a ruckus and whom you had estimated to be male judging from their voice fell right after you. Fate might have been holding a grudge against you on that day, or perhaps those myths and stories about Absol being the warning of a disaster were revealing themselves to be quite real, given the fact that the Pokémon you were given by your friend in Hoenn was none other than the mammalian creature of disaster.
It was uncomfortable enough to be embraced by the cold water for those short seconds, so you brought your head to the surface the instant you were given a chance to due to the male's body weight causing yourself to sink somewhat, despite the fountain not being so deep to begin with. The moment you opened your mouth wide in order to inhale was the same moment you were ready to deliver one of the possibly longest speeches you were to ever give.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU MOR-" Yelling on the same volume scale as the person who had made you take an unwanted shower, you were silenced almost immediately, by the same male individual this time around as well, only that it was his head that collided with your own. It was unclear to you how he had even managed to bump his forehead against yours from his current position, but he certainly did. The throbbing sensation in your head was proof of it.
"Gahh, that hurts!" The boy cried out, him probably feeling the same kind of pain you did when the two of you collided in that particular way. After rubbing the now slightly swollen area on your forehead, you decided to properly open your eyes and sit up in order to gain some distance from the male, only for you to lock eyes with his hazel-colored ones.
Upon realizing that you kind of had been staring at the stranger, in his eyes if that weren't enough which in your opinion was even more mortifying than the fact that you were lying in the fountain that stood in front of the Global Terminal, you averted your gaze a tad shyly, exploiting this opportunity and your current physical position to finally inspect the young man you lied on top of.
He was a fine-looking young man with golden hair and honey-brown orbs which were so hard to keep ones own eyes away from. The blond wore a short-sleeved cardigan with orange and white stripes and grey pants which accompanied his outfit nicely. His clothes along with his brown shoulder bag were fully drenched, the both of you were soaked to the bone. Perhaps it was worth mentioning that the male looked to be around your age.
"You should look where you're walking! Otherwise I'll have to fine you the next time you bump into me." The blond said shamelessly, rubbing the area on his forehead that still stung lightly. The way he acted so innocent, despite the fact that he had been the one to send you both flying into the fountain made you boil with rage. It might have been your hot-headed persona taking over, but your fists were already clenched and mouth ready to launch verbal assaults.
"Excuse you, but you were the one who ran into me!" You stated, your voice getting somewhat louder as well as harsher with every word that rolled off your lips. The young man's eyelids flew wide before he blinked a few times, dumbfounded at why you would ever falsely accuse him of such a deed.
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU DIDN'T WATCH WHERE YOU WERE WALKING!" The boy shouted back, now squinting his eyes as if yelling that way made him more convincing. It didn't. In fact, it only made you grow more impatient until the self-restraint you swore to keep was thrown out the window.
"OH, SO NOW YOU'RE BLAMING ME? IF I WASN'T WATCHING WHERE I WAS GOING, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN? AH NO WAIT, THOSE EYEBALLS OF YOURS SEEM TO BE DECORATION ONLY!" You countered quite heatedly despite the cold you felt due to the water, shutting your eyes as well because his stupidity seemed to be contagious.
"YOU'RE PICKING ON MY EYEBALLS?! MINE ARE AT LEAST PRETTY!" As if your insult and his reply to it were a signal for him to show off, the blonde opened his eyes for a few moments, only to show you just how sightly their color was. Without any particular reason, he also seemed to have scooted his head closer to yours, perhaps to back up his statement.
"THAT'S WORTH NOTHING IF THEY'RE AS USELESS AS YOUR BRAIN!" Imitating his gesture of approach, your head had also gotten a tad closer to his when you loudly exclaimed what you thought about the matter.
The two of you kept going at it like Purrloin and Lillipup, as if the whole thing had turned into a competition of who could yell at the other the loudest. People surrounding the Global Terminal had sent various glances your way, but that was about ten minutes ago. Now, no one payed much attention to the two kids having a face-off in the fountain anymore.
At some point, the two of you had gotten so physically close that your foreheads leaned against one another. You didn't mind the closeness at first, partially because you were too preoccupied to even notice the lack of distance, but as soon as you felt a warm breath hit against your lips, it was like you had been snapped back to reality.
You put a halt to your yelling just to make sure, and it was as you feared. Your noses were also touching and your lips just barely weren't. Perhaps the reason why people stopped paying attention to the two of you was because the scene now looked like a simple lovers' spat.
You could feel blood rushing to your cheeks as you shyly tried to turn your head in any other direction, just so that you wouldn't accidentally turn the situation into something even worse. The blond had finally noticed that you were being too quiet and decided to shut his mouth as well for an instant, soon coming to the same realization as you did.
His face became even redder than your own which you thought wouldn't have been possible at that time, and in the next moment, the male's hands rested firmly on your shoulders, yanking you away from himself in a quick gesture. "T-That was close!"
"Is this how you're trying to get away from your fine?! BY TRYING TO KISS ME?!" The more embarrassed the young man got, the louder his voice became as if it depended on proportion. You instinctively used the back of your hand to shield your lips before lashing out at the stranger for blaming you for something you were obviously not at fault. "YES YOU GO, SAY IT'S MY FAULT AGAIN-"
"Hold on just a sec. Why are we still in the fountain?" You had to cut yourself off, stopping the contest of noise along with it as you once again noticed that the two of you still hadn't gotten out of the cold water. At this point, it didn't matter anymore since you couldn't possibly get any more drenched than this.
"I don't know, you tell me!" The boy retorted somewhat confused, running his hands through his golden hair furiously, as if doing so would give him the answer. Letting the matter slip for now, the hazel-eyed young man got up on his feet and carefully stepped out of the fountain.
"We've come this far, so I might as well introduce myself." He said with a small sigh, extending his hand in your direction and for you to grab. You shifted from your sitting position into a kneeling one before gladly taking the boy's hand. At least one thing he did which you could appreciate. "My name's Barry! Forget it and I'll fine you a billion!"
"I'm [Name], and I won't! How can I forget someone so obnoxious?" You as well introduced yourself, grumbling the last part which Barry supposedly didn't hear. Once he had successfully helped you out of the fountain, he began wringing his short-sleeved cardigan as if it were a towel. "For Petilil's sake, I'm totally soaked!"
You imitated Barry and attempted to get as much water out of your clothes as you could. When you turned around to look his way, you also asked a pretty obvious thing. "Say, Barry, why were you even in such a rush?" Your question seemed to have lit a fire inside the boy, his loud gasp making him even more dramatic. "Oh no, I totally forgot! My dad's waiting for me in Canalave City!"
"I gotta go! Catch you later, [Name]!" The blond exclaimed energetically, sprinting off into the direction he was originally headed for before he had bumped into you and the whole fountain story began. You didn't know why you did, but before he was too far away, you called out to him. "W-Wait!"
"What is it?" Despite having been in such a rush to meet his father, Barry stopped in his tracks and turned around to face you. Well, he didn't stop entirely. His feet still did the running-motion, only that he was staying in the same spot. Your mouth was oped, but no words left it. After all, you had called out to him on a whim, and now you didn't know what to say. Something did come to mind after his next statement though. "Come on, be quick about it! My dad's so gonna fine me and I'm not someone who accepts fines!"
"T-That's right, fines! What about my fine?" You asked, loud enough for Barry to hear you from a distance. The blond face-palmed at the mention of it, it having entirely slipped out of his mind. He had a momentary crisis as he tried figuring out a way to solve the problem until he came up with an answer.
He rushed all the way back to you and raised his right arm, exposing the orange Pokétch he wore on his wrist. "I've got it! Give me your number and I'll call you back!" That was quite a way to ask a girl for their number, but you weren't complaining and gave it to the boy. It was a good thing that those Pokémon watches were waterproof.
"Well then, bye-bye [Name]!" The hazel-eyed young man grinned at you brightly one last time before he really set off on his journey to Canalave City. That same evening you had received your first call from Barry, a challenge to a Pokémon battle to pay your fine. That was also the beginning of his endless pestering, not ones you complained about either though.
* * *
You strolled all the way over to the Trainer's School from the Pokémon Center. After all, you had agreed to meet Barry at the heart of Jubilife City, and in front of the school could have been regarded as that very spot.
You were sure your choice of destination wasn't wrong when you saw the blond already waving at you from a distance, calling out to you as soon as you were close enough. "[Name]! You kept me waiting long enough! Let's hurry up and head out on an adventure!"
"But before that-" Barry was eager to head out to Snowpoint City with you, but he was just as excited to take you to another certain place before you were to resume your journey. You tilted your head slightly and raised an eyebrow, waiting for the young man to give you a hint or two more. Things were getting even more confusing once he took a few steps closer to you and began taking off his green scarf.
"Barry? O-Okay, what are you doing?" You stuttered once he brought the green cloth up to your eyes, blindfolding you so boldly in the middle of the city. "I have a surprise ready and you're not allowed to look!" You could feel the boy's warm breath hit your neck since he had gotten so close in order to tie a knot with his scarf.
"I could have just closed my eyes! Now people will think that you're one of those Team Galactic freaks who's trying to kidnap me!" You whined embarrassed, your cheeks rising with heat. Barry sighed at your being overly dramatic, but he had a solution ready. "Then I'll just hold your hand and lead you!"
Before you could even complain about his rather straightforward idea, Barry had already taken a good hold of your hand. It wasn't long before he started pulling you along, dragging you to some unknown place. Before, you were blushing because you were embarrassed, but the reason behind your red cheeks now was a different one.
After your awkward first meeting with the Battle Tower Tycoon's son and the uncountable calls, Pokémon battles and various other competitive activities, Barry had decided to stop traveling with his two childhood friends Dawn and Lucas, and explore the Sinnoh region with you instead. That was one of the major factors that caused the closeness the two of you now shared, and wether you liked it or not, on such a long journey you also happened to catch feelings for this impatient fella.
Of course you never mentioned anything to him, let alone went as far as to confess to the blond because given his innocent and rather childish nature, you figured a relationship would be the last thing to come to his mind.
"Where are you taking me?" You asked, breaking the silence, giving walking without stumbling over your own feet your best effort. Barry's giggles only made you grow more worried, especially since you couldn't see a thing. "Don't be impatient, we're almost there!"
And just like the young man had said, after a few more steps, he had stopped in his tracks. Barry let go of your hand, the loss of warmth almost feeling disappointing at first, before slowly sneaking behind you. While he was having troubles untying the knot he himself had made with his scarf, you focused a little more on what you could hear out of your surroundings.
There were a lot of people speaking, sure, but there was something else that caught your attention. There was water burbling, but you were certain you hadn't reached Route 218 yet. Besides, the only people who would hang out in that area were two fishermen and a lonely sailor.
"Voilà, we're here!" Barry stated childishly, mimicking Hearthome City's Gym Leader Fantina as he freed your eyes from his green scarf. You blinked a few times, getting accustomed to the light again before focusing on what stood in front of you. The Global Terminal was impossible to miss, but the main focus lied on the fountain which was in even plainer sight.
"This is," You began, pausing as you looked to the side to catch a glimpse of Barry who had wrapped his green scarf around his neck already and was now rummaging through his brown shoulder bag, "the place we first met!"
"Spot on! We met here exactly three years ago! [Name], you didn't forget, did you?" The blond raised an eyebrow at you suspiciously as he asked that question, scanning your stance with his hazel orbs. You averted your gaze and chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of your neck. "O-Of course I didn't! Who do you take me for?"
"I thought for sure that you would be the one to forget." Figuring that it would be easy to read from your behavior that you had totally slept on today's date even for someone as dense as Barry, you played the innocent one and accused him instead. "Excuse me?! Of course not!"
"I even marked the day on my Pokétch's calendar application. Its instructions do say that it's used to mark important dates, after all." Barry stated proudly, rubbing under his nose with his index finger as if to show off. You had to admit that it did work to an extent. After all, what he did was kind of adorable, so much that it left you blushing and unable to respond.
"Anyways, take this, it's for you." The boy shook you out of your thoughts as he extended his arms, holding what seemed to be a box. It was nicely wrapped in paper that had a cute Heracross pattern. Barry grinned like a child when he further motivated you to find out what was inside. "Come on, open it."
You followed his instructions and tore the turquoise-colored gift wrap paper apart, stuffing it inside your bag. Once only the carton package was left, you opened it as well, only for its content to be revealed. You pulled out the cloth and checked it out entirely.
Your gift happened to be a towel. A blue one with lots of Piplup heads as its pattern. "This is so cute! Thanks a bunch, Barry!" Your face had lit up, your cheeks covered in a soft dust of pink color as you flashed the boy standing across you a closed-eye smile. The blond was very happy that you liked his little present, but it seemed like he had more of that in store for you. "That's just part one of your gift!"
"This would be a good time to take off your bag." Barry suggested, doing the same as he himself put his brown bag down onto the ground. Despite not understanding what that gesture would accomplish, you listened to the usually impatient male and placed your bag next to his.
"What's this leading up to?" You questioned, titling your head slightly as you eyed the young man. Barry only replied with a grin which in due time turned into a rather suspicious smirk. He still hadn't answered your question properly and was instead staring at his Pokétch. Apart from the fountain's water burbling and the people conversing with each other in the background, silence reigned.
"Happy third anniversary!" Barry suddenly shouted, causing the people in your vicinity to flinch and throwing you off for an instant. Not only that, but he proceeded to throw himself at you next, quite literally, which caused the both of you to stumble back, eventually landing into the fountain like you did when Barry first bumped into you all those years ago.
"Barry, you moron!" You exclaimed as soon as you emerged from the water, brows furrowed and fingers ready to flick his forehead. But of course you couldn't go through with doing such a thing when the blond showed you such a pure expression, softening yours as well, despite the fact that you were now wet from head to toes because of him.
The male got up on his feet and offered you his hand, similarly to how he had done it in the past. These small occurrences were such a nostalgic throwback, it was amazing how Barry had coordinated everything so well.
While you wrung your clothes as good as you possibly could, Barry had walked back to where the two of you had deposited your bags. He came back to you and put the towel he had gifted you on your head, holding onto the ends of it as he slowly dried your hair. It was as if he was implying that you could have needed the towel for specific events such as this one.
"Why would you push me into the fountain if you were going to dry me up in the end anyway?" You ended up mumbling, not knowing what else to say when you had Barry standing so close to you. There was no way he wasn't seeing how red your face was, and him booping your nose wasn't helping at all. "But that would be missing the whole point!"
Today was basically just any common day, the two of you only happened to literally run into each other three years ago. Even if Barry had labelled it your third anniversary, it was just to commemorate your friendship, and yet the boy had given it his all. How could you not get your hopes up after he had done and said such sweet things? You figured that this was the only time you would feel daring enough to bring up the subject, so you went with the flow and put everything on the line.
"W-Well, I have a present for you too." You spoke up, gaining the young man's attention. Barry seemed rather excited at the mention of you having prepared something for him as well given his sparkly eyes, so it was a good thing that only you knew that this was all spontaneous. "Really? What is it?"
"A fine." You replied bluntly, leaving the boy dumfounded for a few seconds as he blinked. "A special fine since you pushed me into the water." You continued, trying hard not to mentally convince yourself to not go through with what you were about to do. The blond erupted in laughter, but never let go of the two ends of your towel. "A fine? Since when do you go around, distributing fines-"
It took every ounce of your courage to do so, but you had placed both of your hands on top of Barry's which had been holding on to the towel, gotten on the tips of your toes and crashed your lips against his, cutting him off just before he could finish his sentence. You shut your eyes tightly as you kissed Barry softly, glad he was at least not pushing you away.
The blond's hazel-colored orbs on the other hand flew wide, the shade of his face darkening a few reds while he was at it. He didn't know what to do, either just stand there and leave you with the lead or kiss you back, but you didn't give him that much time to make his decision as you had already pulled away slowly.
You had already gotten this far, so you figured you could carry on with a confident attitude, just like the one Barry had shown you when you seemed so happy about his present. The tips of your ears reddening just by thinking about what you were doing, you leaned your face back to Barry's cheek and whispered something next to his hear. "Since now."
Barry couldn't believe that you had beaten him at taking the initiative for a kiss and grabbed you by your shoulders, breaking free from your hands during the process. He shook you slightly as he nervously began stuttering silly things. "Doing something like that- Isn't that against the rules?!"
"Don't only people who are dating do stuff like that? W-We're not even dating yet!" The blond rambled and began to pant as soon as he was finished with his speech. You couldn't help but snort at his reaction, a soft pink color still clouding your cheeks. "Not yet, but it's never too late to start, right? I mean, the Barry I know is never late when it comes to anything."
"Besides, the whole 'happy anniversary'-thing was your way of saying 'let's date', am I wrong?" You chuckled, relieved that the boy harbored the same kind of feelings for you which you had been harboring for him. Even though he hadn't confirmed it with words yet, you could tell from his attitude, and seeing how he was still struggling to come up with a response, you felt free to peck his lips again.
"N-No? I-I mean, YES!" His answer came a bit late, but as they say, better late than never. The shy peck you had given him had caused Barry's face to become even hotter and his heart to beat even faster against his chest than before.
"Gahh! Y-You'll get a super huge fine f-for having done t-that!" He exclaimed, still flustered, but not flustered enough to step back. For some reason, he felt like he had to return the gesture and quickly brought your faces together again, resulting in your lips colliding with one another.
"I really will fine you for being so lovely one day." Barry whispered through the kiss without having to break it. He could finally hold you in his arms, so why would he ever willingly put a stop to it? No other fine in the world could make him happier than the one he was given by you.
[ E N D ]
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