Ashita ga Mienakute [Without You]
Unable to See Tomorrow [Without You]
A MangaQuest one-shot, in honor of Gold's birthday (July 21) and Crystal's belated birthday (April 30).
Rated K+
What is he to me? Why do I feel so relaxed when I'm around him? Why does he cause me to blush whenever he looks into my face? The young brunette stood and stared at the picturesque sea leading from Olivine City to Cianwood City, intruding her own thoughts. She remembered how quite a few years ago she had gone out to the Whirl Islands, around the time she first met Silver and Gold. Gold. The thought of just his name alone caused Crystal's face to turn a slight red. Ever since they got together at the Olivine festival*, she hadn't stopped thinking about him for just one moment. Those thoughts turned into dreams, and even her nightmares were turned to her favor whenever Gold made an appearance in any one of them. However, she was supposed to be stereotyped as a serious character, and yet, there was something about that raven-haired male that caused Crystal to be the opposite of what she usually was.
Oh, it's getting late. Better get home now or mom will worry… A few more seconds of gazing at the view, and then she wasn't there anymore.
~x~
Today's the day, huh… Wonder if he expects anything out of me? Looking at the "July 21" standing out on her Pokegear, Crystal couldn't help but let out a small sigh. Today was his birthday, and yet she had forgotten all about it. She had spent most of her break (with the exception of the Olivine Festival) to travel out to various regions just to capture some Pokemon for Professor Oak. It was one of the few times where she didn't actually think of something Gold-related. At least I still have my love for capturing Pokemon. The alarm went off, just a smidgeon late than when it would've actually gone off, and as Crystal walked over to the nightstand to shut it off, her mother called from downstairs.
"Crystal~! Gold's here!" A sudden crimson red covered the brunette's face. It's 8 in the morning! Why would he be here so soon? Remembering what happened last time the raven-haired boy came to visit, Crystal stealthily pulled the blinds so no one could see through and began getting dressed. As she finished getting dressed, she heard voices right outside her door. She could tell they belonged to a young man and her mother, and assumed her mother was striking up a conversation with Gold like she did with most people. She slammed the door to her room as she headed down the stairs to acknowledge her entrance. Almost immediately the two stopped chatting and stared at Crystal, both with a sad face.
"Oh, hi there, Crystal," Gold said. His whole body was like a ragdoll placed against the wall on its feet – his neck bore no weight of his head, nor did his shoulders bear the weight of his arms, so both were pointing straight at the ground. On the other hand, Crystal's mother looked a bit disappointed about something.
"What's wrong?" Crystal asked, a stern look on her face.
"Crystal, you see… About Gold… Well…" Crystal's mother began stuttering, and the brunette knew she couldn't say what she wanted to say.
"I'm moving, Crys," Gold answered. Crystal turned to face the raven-haired boy, a sudden burst of shock appearing on her face. She shook her head, unwilling to believe what had happened. "My dad's been relocated to Pyrite Town, in Orre, so we'll have to move to Phenac City, which is nearby Pyrite Town." The brunette continued shaking her head.
"No… It's not possible…" she muttered. Gold walked over to her and placed one hand on her shoulder.
"Unfortunately, it is. And that's why I'm asking you to spend my last day, my birthday, with me." His eyes seemed to be begging Crystal to accept. I guess I can drop the serious act for one day just so I can make his last day the best day ever. After she came to a decision, the brunette nodded her head. Gold wrapped his arms around her, muttered what Crystal could only make out as "Thank you", and soon found herself whisked out the door, her hand in Gold's rushing towards northern Violet. She turned to wave goodbye to her mother with her free hand, and afterwards continued to keep up with Gold's pace.
~x~
"It's sure lovely here at the top of Tin Tower, eh, Crys?" The raven-haired boy turned to his companion, awaiting her response patiently.
"Y-yeah…" she stuttered. Of all the places… Why would he want to spend the rest of his day here? Crystal thought to herself. As she turned to Gold, her face turned a slight red, but she did her best to keep it hidden. The boy stared back at her with his gorgeous amber eyes, and began leaning towards her. Is he going to…kiss me? He's done it before, but… Crystal closed her eyes and waited for impact. Instead, she felt something somewhat heavy touch her chest.
"You're so soft here, Crys," Gold whispered, his heading resting against the brunette's chest. He closed his eyes just as Crystal opened hers, and was soon fast asleep. The brunette shook her head. What a way to spend your final day, Gold… Sighing, she turned to look at the view. I guess it is pretty nice up here… Her attention turned back to Gold. She reached to touch his hair, but retracted once the tips of her fingers made contact. His hair was…soft, almost of a satin-like texture. She placed her fingers between some loose strands of his hair, and began stroking it gently. A few minutes after she had started, she realized what she was doing and immediately pulled back her hand. No, no, no! I'm not supposed to be doing this!!! Crystal shook her head violently. I guess all I do now is wait. I don't want to wake him up…
~x~
The young raven-haired boy opened his eyes slowly. He lifted his head from the brunette's chest, and stared into her eyes. She's asleep. Perfect. He leaned into her face as if to kiss her, took her head between his hands, and began whispering in her ear.
"Sorry to deceive you, Crys," he began, "I made up the story about moving just so I could spend my birthday with you. Your mother agreed to make it seem believable. I just didn't know any other way to ask you, since you've been a bit different since the Olivine Festival. I just want to let you know, I still love you, and I'm very sorry. I hope you forgive me." Gold pulled away, and noticed a curled smile on the brunette's lips.
"You really fell for it, huh?" Crystal whispered back. "I figured you were lying, so I pretended to sleep. Pretty sneaky, huh? It's so unlike me…" She opened her eyes and stared at Gold. Her face was a tad scarlet, and this time she let him know it.
"Crys…"
"I forgive you." This time, it was Crystal who leaned in and kissed Gold on the cheek. "Don't go anywhere soon, though, OK?" Gold smiled at her and began stroking her own cheek.
"You got it." He grabbed Crystal's head with his hands again, and pulled her in to kiss her. First on the forehead, for safety measures, then on the cheeks, and finally on the lips. The whole time, Crystal kept calm, even though she was bursting with a slight feeling of ecstasy. Happy birthday, Gold…
~x~
~x~
*For the Olivine Festival story, see my last fic on FF.Net. Thanks for reading this one-shot.