#holy shoot those are tags hhh

[fieryfafarfanfics]

Clumsy Denial

 He is, in any way, not in love with Devina.  Over and over and over again he reminds himself as some sort of mystical mantra. In the course of 4 years that they have been friends – much to his amazement still, sometimes – Bede would never, ever, acknowledge the fact that his heart has been completed ensnared by the Galarian Champion.  She is annoying; he can confirm that. Not a day passed by that she would sometimes drop by Ballonlea and pay him a visit. At first, it irritated him. The boy was there to train, to become stronger. What was once against his will at first is now his life goal as Bede aimed to become the strongest gym leader in Galar – and succeeded when he turned 18.  He will always keep the image of a frustrated Raihan ingrained in his mind as sheer entertainment.  But that was it. That was supposed to be it. Fast forward to them being 17, Devina would so often stand by his front door, asking to hang out or battle together, anything really if it meant being by his side. It’s baffling, really. Bede found it absolutely ridiculous that she thought he would find the time or energy to be near her.  …In a way, she was correct about that part.

 Ugh… Left eye crinkles in discomfort at the memory. His skin shivers. Though violet eyes drill at nothing in particular, Bede feels irritated as if someone is laughing at the line of memories in his brain.  She is calm. Too calm. The first time he saw her, Bede briefly wondered if the girl could emote at all. Just a simple smile was seen when she won her battle against him.  Arceus, he hated that.  Her smile? The feeling of being a sore loser to the once stranger? The fact that her smile at that time was for her Raboot and not him? He couldn’t tell.  And he didn’t want to.  It doesn’t help that her calmness is the hammer that shatters his walls.  Ugh… One hand weakly slaps his face. He needs to get his shit together. Fingers separate a space of his opened right eye. He still remembers the first time she smiled for him, so bright and beautiful, so for him. It took her a while to flash such genuine happiness for him when they were kids. Bede couldn’t blame her. He was the one who broke Hop’s hopes and dreams for a while that, when he and Devina did meet again, the boy saw nothing but pure anger and scorn on her face.  The shivering worsens. Bede quickly realizes he never wants to see those expressions on her to him ever again.  Slap! Both hands smack his beet red cheeks. He rues having white hair and quite fair skin, for the blush on each cheek is a pretty spotlight that beckons the attention of many.  I’m not in love with her. I’m not in love with her! Over and over and over again he mentally chants. Holding a puff of air inside his lungs, Bede shakes his head furiously before walking out of the gym.  He needs to stop thinking about her. ---  He soon finds out that, in order to stop thinking about her, he needs to stop meeting her.  “Bede!” Her voice chirps so adorably like a baby Rookidee. Happily she runs towards him, one arm waving left and right in sheer excitement. Crimson eyes shine brilliantly under the roaring sun. Eyelashes flutter up and down, each a flicker of elegance from a brand of mascara she is sponsoring at the moment. The famous red jacket she always wore since she was 16 is snugged comfortably on her body.  Bede remains statuesque in his spot.  She stops in front of him. Dark hair bobs lightly at her single bounce. The bangs on her forehead is now a bit longer, Bede realizes, as Devina brushes it away from her beaming eyes.  Arceus, she takes his breath away.  A smile so bright it rivals the sun, Devina cups both hands together. “I’m here!” she beams. “I’m not late!” she laughs.  One hand is brought behind his back, shivering and clenched to a fist.  “You’re here.” He bluntly states. “You’re not late.” He blatantly repeats. His heart a frantic chaos, Bede holds a breath. “You know, I mean when I say I don’t mind your company.” He is not in love with her. “But any reason why you sound so ecstatic when you called us to meet today?” He is not in love with her sweet laugh.  She doesn’t reply immediately. Her smile remains, though.  This taunts the young man.  “Sonia and Hop just came back from a professor convention in Hoenn. And they brought a lot of cool Pokémon pictures!” Without waiting for a reply, she swings her knapsack to the side and rummages inside it. “I mean, obviously they got a lot of data along with the pictures,” she continues, crimson eyes now focus on searching for the contents, “but some of the photos are so cool and I saw some really beautiful fairy Pokémon I know you’ll be thrilled to know about!”  Ah, how his heart melts at the thought that she was thinking about him.  As quick as how his feelings soften for her, he immediately shakes his head in a vain attempt of denying the obvious.  I’m not in love with her. “What kind of Pokémon would possibly make me so thrilled to know about it?” He is curious, excited.  The brief glance and smile she gives him is an arrow that shoots through his mad heart.  “I think it’s called a Primarina?” Eyes squint slightly in annoyance when she realizes her hand can’t find the picture. Holding the bag right in front of her now, Devina brings her head lower. “Ugh, I know I put it in here somewhere…” White teeth carefully nibble the insides of her lower lip. Pink tongue subconsciously juts out in cute frustration.  Bede wonders what it’s like to put that tongue back into her mouth with his own—  He shakes his head even faster.  “AHA!”  Both jump at the voice. One in exaggerated satisfaction while other in nervous shock. “Found it!” Joy echoes in the magical town of Ballonlea. Right hand gripping the photo as if it was a gold coin, while her left hand gently pats her beating chest. Smile never gone from the Divine Champion, Devina slings her knapsack back to her shoulders. “Here it is, Bede. The beautiful water-fairy Pokémon!”  Stupor still leaves the man in a daze. It takes him a few heavy seconds, but the gym leader snaps back to reality once he sees her pretty smile.  “Oh.” He murmurs. “O-Oh…!” He stutters.  She was once a calm girl when they first met. But now…now…Bede is forever baffled at the range of emotions in this dazzling woman.  “Right—right!” Laughter chokes between such a foolish reply. Immediately he straightens his back. Immediately both arms are slapped by his sides. “Sorry. Your scream is sometimes so bloody loud, I almost mistook you for a Loudred.”  Those pretty pink lips pull a pretty pink pout.  “Shut up.” She sticks her tongue out.  I’m not in love—! I’m not in love—! “Just give it to me.” Curiosity tickles his fancy at the photo. But awe and raw nerves quickly overtake any emotion that resides within him—  Whoosh!  Just when his fingers were about to touch the photo, it instead got blown away by the simple breeze of the wind.  “Ah.” He dumbly responds.  “Ah!” She quickly exclaims.  While the two react in different ways, their bodies seem to move in exact unison. Both have their arms stretched up. Both start to move towards the direction of the hovering photo. Bede takes a few steps back. Back and back until his fingers manage to press together against the photo.  His capture has a price, however; his steps falter, and Bede can feel himself falling backwards.  Uh oh!  “Bede!”  Everything happens way too fast.  The first second, he felt his body falling backwards. He was ready to accept the painful result of his back hitting the concrete wall. For a split second, Bede actually hoped that his fluffy hair would break his fall.  But it didn’t.  Because in the next second, he feels something holding him in the air. He feels something – arms, he figures – wrapped around his back. He feels something – a hand, he feels – firmly yet gently holding his right shoulder.  He feels something – someone’s breathing – right on his face.  Violet eyes snap open – he didn’t even realize he had them closed. And the moment vision starts to sharpen around its surroundings, Bede feels all air has been shoved right out of his lungs.  “Are you okay…?”  Her voice. Calm and cool. Warm and soothing. Her smile is finally gone from such a pretty face, but now replaced with a fiery gaze that burns right through his soul. Her glasses stay in place, the lens further magnifying such assertive crimson irises. Her eyes are hooded slightly, yet Bede can see each pupil enlarge just the slightest. The dark bangs of her hair cascade forward, some strands are tucked behind her glasses while others brush his forehead.  Pink lips are close – so dangerously close – to his. Full lips are parted slightly, just as his own are too. Warm breath flows in, and out, and in, and out. Heavy. Then slow. Her breath caresses his opening mouth, tickling the twitching tongue inside. The tip of her nose is a mere inch away from his own. And if Devina were to tip her head slightly, she would definitely earn a cute whimper at the simple brush of skin against skin.  The hand that holds his shoulder slowly releases its grip, slowly moves to his back. Fingers brush the little ponytail at the back of his neck, dangerously tickling him into sheer submission.  And by the sun and stars and moon clouds, Bede truly feels his legs turning into jelly the moment Devina huskily murmurs, “Are you hurt…?”  Bloody hell… His face is now burning right to the tips of his ears. Bloody…fucking…hell! His breathing is now harsher than any ghastly sandstorm in the wild area.  He is, in every way, completely in love with Devina. END