Secret Santa for RandomGirl17~!

[SterlingSilver]

DISCOVERIES <----stupid title xD

Note: Merry Christmas, RandomGirl17~! Hope you like this xD. Sorry it’s kind of late xD. I’m not so familiar with the newest Pokemon episodes, but I tried my best ^^’’.. I apologize if some of the characters are not three-dimensional. So sorry that Iris and Ash seem to fight constantly xDDD. I needed them for background noise while Cilan suffered LOLS.

Warning: slight Yaoi fluff between Cilan and Ash

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It felt like they had been walking for days. Long days full of chilly winds that dragged their feet as they passed over the forest. They were always in a forest, for some silly reason. Travelling, like dutiful Pokemon trainers should. The nights when Cilan missed his warm, cozy gym were few. It wasn’t so much homesickness as it was a desire for decent living conditions.

But fretting about such things was pointless. After all, it was a blessing to be out underneath the blinking stars each night, watching the moon wink overhead behind the clouds. To have Ash on his right side and Iris on his left, nestled in the cheap, two-ply toilet-paper sleeping bags they bought at a thrift store, was wonderful. They were impeccable companions, though sometimes childish. They’re noisome quarreling could get to him at times, but—.. eh, that was to be expected.

Ash was Ash, after all. And Iris was…well, Iris.

He watched them now, huddling underneath the thin, slippery material that was his bed, wondering just how they would survive the winter. Knowing Ash, the kid would probably elect they purchase jackets from a shady side-shop in some obscure town and press on. Iris would then complain about the quality of the clothing. Which would lead Ash to lend some snide remark about her being high maintenance. That would result in an accusation of stupidity against Ash (which is one that is deeply founded sometimes, in Cilan’s opinion). Of course they would banter, perhaps battle, and then resolve their differences over food, provided by Cilan, naturally.

Closing his eyes, the green-haired connoisseur sighed gently, exhaling his warm breath into the chilly dawn air. Acting as the referee was tiresome—a job that was never truly finished. But, he thought as he smiled and turned onto his side, they’re most certainly worth it.

----

The next morning led Cilan to question himself. He woke in a dark mood, body slightly achy from sleeping on the firm ground (which he should be used to by now), to Ash and Iris crowing over an arm-wrestling match. His head throbbed just a little against the front of his skull, behind his forehead. As he stood up, he smoothed his hair back with his fingers to give himself a dignified appearance. He didn’t like looking like he just crawled out of bed, even when he actually done just that. Gathering up his clothes, Cilan also started picking up Iris’s and Ash’s laundry as well. He managed to paste on a smile to boot.

“Good morning, you two!”

Both of his companions glanced over, hand pinned together as they kneeled over a large, flat stone. Their elbows rested upon it. Pikachu sat across from their hands, staring diligently, obviously there to prevent cheating. The other Pokemon cheered their respective owners, Axew and Oshawott being particularly boisterous. The throb in Cilan’s head gently palpitated. Ash waved over at him.

“Morning, Cilan! How did you—waahh!”

Iris slammed his fist to the rock, grinning as she let him go to stand, hands on her hips. “Beat you again, Ash Ketchum! Face it, you’re no match for me.” She was smiling, and meant it all in good humor. Iris wasn’t a mean or condescending person (most of the time). Cilan knew this.

Ash scrambled to his feet, throwing his arms up as Pikachu piped up to complain about a figurative arm-wrestling yellow flag. “That wasn’t fair! I wasn’t looking—”

“It’s important to always keep your eye on the prize,” she said, cutting him off. Axew popped out from within her hair, chirping his name a few times to emphasize the point. Iris glanced over her shoulder at Cilan, who was setting up breakfast plates. “Right, Cilan?”

The green-haired connoisseur glanced over slowly. “Hmm?” He felt sluggish, and it didn’t help that his nose was starting to misbehave. There was something ticklish just at the back of his right nostril. Not near enough to be of dire need, but not far enough to be dismissed. He managed to keep smiling, though.

“I was saying that Ash should learn to focus on his goals better.”

“I focus just fine! Look at all these badges!”

“Would you stop flashing those around all the time? Really, they’re not that great.”

“You two,” Cilan said as he lifted a cooking pot from his bag. He sniffled once, trying to ward off the feeling. “Can’t we try to have a more mild taste in the early morning? They’ll be plenty of time for a spicier flavor later today.”

The two younger companions weren’t entirely persuaded, but the quieted down as Cilan began to cook. The smells of herbs and early morning eggs filled the early air, but the steam seemed to irritate Cilan for some reason. Iris watched him as he blinked his eyes repeatedly, as if fighting back tears. She said nothing to him, and instead nibbled on an apple slice, half of which she gave to Axew. Ash kept his chin on the table, stomach growling, looking famished.

Cilan kept his back to them, and turned his face slightly to the left to obscure it as he started wrinkling his nose. Something had gotten up there last night, and it wouldn’t be satisfied until it had burrowed a hole into the delicate, ticklish lining of his nasal membrane. The slight intake of breath was unintentional. “Hhehh…”

He tightened his grip around his ladle handle, trying to keep it back. He had a terrible sort of sneeze—a fast, clenching sound that repeated itself again and again until he culminated into something of a wrenching ‘ETCISHHH!’ that was almost always powerful enough to double him at the waist. He wasn’t shy, necessarily, but he didn’t want to make a scene. He would often mother and guide his companions once in a while, but the same actions—when applied to him—struck him as awkward and rather excessive.

“Did you say something, Cilan?” Iris asked, glancing over at him. Her eyes, honed from watching the minute changes in the wilderness, followed his first two fingers as they sawed beneath his nose.

“Nuhh-huhh…” He paused a moment, squinting his eyes. “Nothing at all!” Iris noted the quick execution of his reply, and the utter squeakiness of his voice. He had abandoned his ladle all together, and turned his back to them.

“Cilan,” she said, voice soft. He had never been so quiet before… was he frustrated with them? Had they woke him up to early? “Are you—?”

“Hn’nxxt!” It was a pulsating sound, dull and muffled by the crook of Cilan’s elbow. He let out the breath he had left pent-up inside him, and blinked once to clear his head. Ash perked up, and gave one of his loud laughs.

“Hey, Cilan,” he said, picking his head up. “Someone must be talking about you!”

Oh, shut up, you tasteless, ignorant, obnoxious… Cilan paused mid-thought, and forced himself to smile maturely. This was just his sour mood talking. No need to take it out on poor old Ash, even if the boy was a tad annoying once in a blue moon. All the while, his nose kept at that fuzzy tickling, not at all appeased by one stifled sneeze. Like something furry was creeping about his membranes, nuzzling against the lining of his nostril. Just the thought of it made him want to-… want to-…

“Hn’nxxt!” A bit more violent than the last. He was going to have to let one out, or he’d be at it all day. But he didn’t want to elicit unwanted attention from the others. Then again, if he kept—“HN’Nxxt!”—holding them back, perhaps he’d be attracting more attention than if he just let—“Ext’nxcht!”—one out.

Iris and Ash were staring at him. As were the Pokemon.

So much for attracting attention.

Running a thin finger under his nose, he cocked his head. Playing dumb was always a good idea. “What’s the matter with you two?”

“Are you allergic to something, Cilan?” Ash asked, brows knitting. “You’ve been sneezing since you got up this morning.” Pikachu nodded once agreement. Cilan just waved him off, hoping to air away his suspicion as well.

“No, it’s just—ehh.. hh..” The green-haired boy’s speech drifted off into erratic breath, and he steepled his hands over his face, letting his ladle lean against the side of his pot. He had to get one out, just one. And everyone was already looking at him, waiting for the show, so he might as well… as well-…

“Nnnnuuh…GISH’shuu!.. NXT’schu!...” He paused, panting for a moment, watery eyes slitting open as he waited for just a second. A teeter of breath, and—“NUEXT-SCHUU!”

Even his full sneezes sounded clipped. Both Ash and Iris awarded him with a chorus of, “Bless you, Cilan!” before Ash stood up from the table and ventured over to him, pasting a hand across his forehead before Cilan could even begin to protect.

“You feel kind of warm, Cilan,” he said, peering up at his companion. Cilan’s face tinted ever so slightly, and perhaps it wasn’t so much from the fever as it was from Ash’s hand. Had he ever touched him before? Perhaps not like this, in concern. Iris passed by them both, towards the food.

“Ash, why don’t you help Cilan lay down while I cook.”

“Because you’re a terrible cook.”

Both Ash and Iris glanced to Cilan, appalled. The boy preceded to rub the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry. It’s the-… fever talking.”

Iris glared flatly, sticking her nose up as she turned back to the food, but didn’t press the matter. “More of a reason for you to lay down, then.”

---------

The entire processional was rather awkward for Cilan. Growing up with two brothers, both domineering in their own ways, he had never received much attention growing up. That’s why it was so easy to leave. So to have Ash clumsily trying to coddle him was more than a little weird.

“Ash, you really don’t have to—”

“No, I don’t mind. You do all this stuff for us most of the time—”

“But I—”

“Cilan!” Ash smiled down at his friend as he wrung out a cool washcloth. “We’re out in the middle of nowhere, and we have to rely on each other. It’s okay for you to need me—err, us, sometimes.”

The slip of the tongue brought a mantle of blush across Ash’s cheeks. Cilan saw it flare up just beneath his big, dark eyes. And that brought a smile to his face.

“Thank you, Ash,” he said, laying back down flat. At first he had been fighting to stand back up, but the boy’s face had persuaded him to stay down. “I guess I am kind of…aloof, sometimes.”

Ash pasted the washcloth over Cilan’s head, mentally struggling to recover from his earlier faux pas. Why had he said that? So weird. He blinked twice when he registered what Cilan had said. “Wait, what? I never said anything like that—”

“I know that~,” he said, smiling over at his black-haired friend. Ash swallowed. “I’m saying it. I know I keep myself at a distance sometimes…”

The conversation faded away, because Ash didn’t know what to say to pick it back up. He wasn’t so good at deep conversation. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a serious discussion with someone. All his talk seemed to revolve around “battle this” and “badge that.” His thoughts scattered when Cilan caught his breath.

He had a hand hovering just over his mouth, waiting. His breath climbed—“Heh-… Hehh-!..”.. Then fizzled away. He let his hand drop, sighing softly. When he caught Ash staring, he looked away, smiling sheepishly.

“Sorry, I thought I had touhhh—‘GISHUU-!” It had come so suddenly, he hadn’t had time to stifle. He managed to press the back of his hand over his mouth. It was a dry sneeze anyway. If he was coming down with something, it hadn’t even begun to run its nasty course just yet.

“B-Bless you,” Ash muttered, eyes drifting around his surroundings. Looking at Cilan now seemed-… well, it just didn’t feel like a good idea. Cilan’s smile got just a little bit bigger. The kid was a little cute, when he wanted to be. On his way to be a Pokemon Master, and yet he was still such a kid sometimes.

“Thaaahh--…ugh, not ag—hah-!.. haah..” This time, he threw an arm over his face. “Hih’nxt’shu!...Hehi-xxchu!..” Another pause, eyes staying closed. Ash tongue ran against the backs of his teeth. Seeing Cilan like this was just-… it just wasn’t normal. None of this was really normal. Come to think of it, the strange lurching feelings in his belly weren’t totally normal either.

Cilan continued to struggle with what appeared to be a monster of a sneeze. Chest fluttering, breath tittling in and out. It was right there, skirting the edges of his nostrils… but then it would scare and flit backwards, just humming there at the bridge of his nose. His eyes were running like leaky faucets from all the overstimulation.

“Suhh--..huh.. sorry, Ash,” he said, sniffling around the nuisance of a pending sneeze. “This must be reauuhh-!” His hand flashed up to hover in front of his face, waiting. He hitched once, then again, reaching the upper registers of his voice. But then it faded, and he replaced his hand over his chest, sniffling once more. “…really rude of me.”

Ash, despite the fact that he could no longer swallow, worked hard to reassure him. Cheeks on fire, he stumbled over his words. “N-no, no!” He laughed, but it was a sharp noise. “It’s not like you can help it…”

Cilan had given up on decorum, now scrubbing at his nose with his wrist. “I wish I could—..” He sucked in another pocket of air. “It’s annoying.” He flashed an embarrassed smile towards Ash. It truly was uncomfortable for him to sneeze in front of someone else, especially since he was waiting for it. Ash was just-…staring. And that was like asking someone to “hiccup right now!” when they had been doing it all along. But on command, they couldn’t.

Not only that, but the sneeze had been flitting around so long, that now it couldn’t amount to the expectations it had preset. When it finally came, it wouldn’t be near as good as what people were imaging--.. Cilan blinked. What was he even talking about?

“You know…”

Cilan blinked over at Ash, who was making a point to look the other way.

“You know,” he said as he started again. “Maybe I should let you… get some rest and stuff..” He said it as he stood up, staring to walk away, but lingering just long enough to hear Cilan sniffle a little wetly behind him. It seemed the belated sneeze was finally on its way.

“Gehh… hhh.. heh-!..” Pause. A soft gasp, and finally, “NXT’GISHHUU!” And then a sigh of relief. “Ahh, better.”

Ash half turned, face red, meaning to bless him, but Iris’s voice got to him first. “Ash!” she said, and he turned towards her. “Y-yeah?”

“I-! I’m burning it-…”

The words “burning it” combined with the act of cooking was never very good, so he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Coming..”

Cilan stayed on the ground, rubbing a finger under his nose, smiling ever so slightly. If a few sneezes had gotten Ash that red, he was curious to see what a full-blown cold would do. And by the feeling of it, there was one on the way.

Their journey was about to get a little more complicated. But hopefully, in a good way.

THE END..

AN: OH GAWD. They are SO OUT OF CHARACTER.. forgive me T^T xDD.. and I didn’t know how to end it. Hopefully your Christmas wasn’t too sucky xDD..

[Marshmallow Peep]

I love it! Thank you so much

It's so cute, thank you a million zillion times again. I love the way you made Cilan all grumpy-like, I feel like hugging and squeezing him over and over again.

[Kawaii-Kushami]

Oh my gosh.... I love this. It's so adorable and fluffy and hnnnghhh~ * U *` <3 I love Cafemochashipping. xD

[Akahana]

HOLY SHIT DUDE!!!! That was amazing and adorable~!!!! <33333333