Glint was no stranger to that question. It seemed like just after people started to get over how different she was as a Pokémon they began to see her as a very desirable young lady. No one could really blame the teenage boys that approached her, not even Glint herself – she had the body that made all the boys crazy: large breasts, a perky posterior, and the not-so-subtle curves that brought it all together.
“Ummm…” Glint shed a sort of sorry smile. She knew the poor guy probably mustered up a great deal of courage to ask her out. “No, sorry.”
The boy looked devastated. He was a cute sort of boy, one that probably didn’t feel totally at home dealing with women at that point. He was a black feline of a noticeably scrawny build and awkward social mannerisms. If anyone could get over how much a dork he seemed to be, he would have come off as very sweet. Unfortunately he didn’t seem to realize that his pants were perhaps a couple inches too short, loafers weren’t cool, and most people cared little for the studies of fungus regardless of the fact he found it fascinating.
Glint saw his interest in her coming from a mile away. From out of nowhere he had begun talking with her, and she entertained his bravery to an extent, hoping to carefully stave him off the idea… but it still got to that point of no return despite all her efforts. Now she had to pull out the big guns.
“What? Why?” The boy asked, sounding confused and almost distraught.
Glint fished through her mind for all sorts of answers as she closed her locker. “Um, you’re not my type,” is what she went with.
“No way!” Her would-be suitor pitched back, “You’re a smart girl! We like all the same things!”
Glint held her books to her chest just to be sure the boy wasn’t staring… and he wasn’t. The poor thing was being sincere. “Well, yeah, but…” She couldn’t quite find the words to say – he was so adamant in his approach.
He pressed the attack. “A girl like you deserves a nice guy! Come on, Glint…”
“Look, Archie…” She had to let him off easy. She had to.
“Please?”
The worst part was when they didn’t give up, or understand. But then again, how could they? As far as relationships went, hers was as secret as secret could be. She told no one about her love life, not even her father… because in the end, she couldn’t be honest. In the end, being in love with your own brother was something… strange. Every sister loved their brother, there was no question… But when Glint’s love for her twin brother, Spark, broke the boundaries of brother and sister and waded into the realm of a man and a woman… no one could really grasp it.
So, despite being so popular, she had to shut these guys down.
“I just don’t want to go out with you!” Glint finally snapped, “Jeez, what don’t you get about that?! Are you stupid?!”
Archie was stunned by her sudden change in attitude. It came with the blunt force of a wet trout smacking across his face. His cat-slit golden eyes were wide as he just… stared at the Plusle. For weeks they had been talking, whenever Archie could find the chance, and she seemed so nice… But now he realized she was just stringing him along… for some kind of elaborate hoax! He got mad. Even if what he thought in his mind was a far shot from the truth, a sudden blood-rush of embarrassment wouldn’t allow his mind to take in any possible alternative.
“S… Screw you!” He shot back, “I’m not stupid! You know, I thought the other guys were just mad they got turned down but they’re right!”
Glint opened her mouth to make a retort, but Archie cut her off simply: “You really ARE a bitch!”
She felt offended, sad even, and looked shocked and hurt. But she swallowed her discontent and simply turned away from the cat. She had to give him credit, he was bold… he was still there. He didn’t just storm off.
“… Go soak your head, Archie.”
That was enough to drive the boy away, tears in his eyes as his embarrassment reached some sort of angry climax. He disappeared, merging with the other students in the hall as they filed out, eager to get home to their more quiet personal lives. Now Glint was as anxious as ever to get out of the crowds, to get away.
She finally lifted her eyes from over her shoulder to see the real object of her affection standing before her with a sorry look on his face. He watched the whole thing, sworn to the same silence as she. Somehow just seeing him there like that was enough for her. She closed her almond eyes and caught a slight, gasping breath in her chest. It turned to more of a sputter as it welcomed tears. Spark’s expression sank all the more, knowing it was hard for his dear sister and lover. Teenaged society just worked in such a way that boys would take initiative with girls, and the girls were content to sit by and let them… Unfortunately, they mistook Glint’s complacency with her situation as being available.
Spark reached out, but could do little more than rest his hand on Glint’s shoulder. That was what was expected. He couldn’t take her into his arms and assure her it was alright. He couldn’t kiss her tears away and make her forget the other students’ shallow words and vaulted expectations. That’s what boyfriends did for their girlfriends, not brothers for their sisters. That simple touch was agonizing. Their muscles seemed to scream at them as much as their hearts to act on their feelings, but they were forced to stand their ground and maintain their farce. They were together, yet so secluded.
Glint shrugged her shoulder. She pushed Spark’s hand away and marched with her books clutched to her chest. She was fast, pushing past the other students without much of a care for what they thought at that point. She made her way for the big double doors at the end of the hall, and into the stairwell. Spark was hot on her heels. Glint practically picked up in a run as she hit the stairs, climbing up a good handful of flights in just as many seconds. Her destination was the roof access.
The Plusle was nearly out of breath as she dashed through the singular door and out onto the roof. Stopping at the center of the roof, she looked out over the school grounds. Seeing the students piling into the back parking lot and starting to make their way down the streets, Glint turned her attention instead with what she was more level with. The autumn trees looked beautiful even against the murky gray clouds in the sky. They stood out with vibrant reds and golds… In that sense, they were like her. Her own yellow fur was wrapped up in a maroon sweater, and she’d poured her shapely self into some blue denim jeans… Red and blue were her favourite colours after all.
Spark stumbled out the door after her. It was a wonder she hadn’t tripped on the white laces of her red shoes, since they were left untied. Spark’s similar shoes had made footfalls during his entire chase that he didn’t think she heard. She didn’t even seem to respond to him calling her name until he got outside with her and the bolt on the door shut with a click.
“Glint…” He tried again.
Finally his sister looked to him. Her beautiful brown eyes were shining with moisture kept back. Spark stood there with a face full of concern. He wore a dark blue hoodie that zippered up, but left it unzipped throughout the day. It showed off a plain white t-shirt he wore, and his pants were simple black jeans. He looked plain and ordinary… but to Glint, she may as well have been looking at a poster boy. He was so handsome…
They met on the roof, holding one another in a tender embrace. Glint had dropped her books and buried her face away from the cool autumn air into the warmth of her brother’s chest to nuzzle in adoringly. She was beyond crying, but her body shivered ever-so-slightly, and Spark tightened his embrace in response. The Minun brought his chin down to gently rest against his sister’s head as he held her, and gently rubbed her back with his hand. That small, comforting gesture meant the world to her. The cold air seemed nonexistent against his warmth.
“I want to be like the leaves…” Glint finally whispered after so long.
“The leaves?” Spark was happy to hear she wasn’t crying, but more than content to hold her should she have decided to.
She lifted her head, her ears folded back, staring into her brother’s own almond-shaped eyes. “… I just want there to be that one time… you know, where I can show off my real colours to everyone.” She turned her head to look out over the trees again. “All year they’re their normal selves… and sometimes they’re dead and gone… but there’s this one time, my favourite time, where they’re more beautiful than they’ve ever been. I kinda wish we could do that… just once.”
“Yeah…” Spark never took his eyes off Glint. He had all the beauty of autumn right in his arms.
She finally stood straight and looked Spark in the eye. They were the same height, so it was easy. “Turning down those guys sucks,” She said, “They all think I’m a terrible person…”
“You’re terribly wonderful,” Spark smiled, “They don’t know what they’re missing out on.”
Glint blushed, the red, divided spots on her cheeks flickering with sparks. “Easy for you to say…” She broke into a smile, and kissed her brother’s lips, “But doesn’t it make you mad? There are couples making out at their lockers all over the place… I wanna make out at our lockers.”
Spark turned up his brows in sympathy. “It makes me so mad I can’t stand it,” He said, “I… I wanna do that too. I have the hottest girl in school and I can’t even show off. I’d kiss you all day if I could… maybe even squeeze your butt.”
“You would not!” Glint grinned, making her brother blush, “But… that’d be nice… But still I just…”
Her smile faded. “… What happens when we graduate? What about prom? I’d never wanna go if… I want to go with you.”
Spark’s smile melted away as well. “Glint…”
“I wanna go out and go to a movie with you… where you’d hold my hand and we’d kiss and flirt… and I want to go out to dinner with you, and share a spaghetti plate with you. I wanna split a sundae with you Spark. I wanna walk along the beach and lay out under the stars,” Glint mouthed off some of her girlish fantasies. Most people called her a tomboy, and they’d be right. But she was still a girl. “I just… I just wanna…”
Spark blushed harder, a glint in his cheeks as much as was in his eye. “You’re so cute,” He’d say, “I want all that too. And I want to pick you up at seven, and have you back by midnight.”
“Yeah, if you could drive a car…” Glint shed a grin that melted into a kiss as finally she caught Spark’s lips in her own again. Spark squeezed her close as they smooched, and she surrendered herself to his strong grip.
Soon, they pulled back. Their kisses had to be brief, even in their privacy.
“Friday.”
Glint’s ears rose in curious intrigue. “Huh?”
“I want to do all that on Friday,” Spark elaborated.
Glint couldn’t believe her ears. She looked into her brother’s eyes once more, almost hoping to find some sort of expression that gave away his ruse. But she could read him like a book… he was serious. “W… What?” She still couldn’t believe it. Spark, her brother, who had once been so shy and passive with her… was he…?
“Um, I guess… what I mean is…” Spark kind of flustered like any boy would have in such a situation, because for the first time in his life, he was going to ask that one simple question:
“Do you… want to go out with me Friday night?”
When Glint got home that evening, she practically danced her way to her room. She entered the kitchen humming and prancing about before turning to head upstairs. She passed right by her father, and the grayscale raccoon watched her pass by the television. He leaned forwards to follow her with his eyes until she was upstairs and out of sight. By then he turned his attention to Spark and raised a brow. “And who sprinkled rainbows in her cereal this morning?” He’d ask.
“She’s just got a date,” Spark beamed as he set his backpack down by the door. He removed his hoodie and carelessly draped it over the back of the couch as he sat down, “With uh… some boy she’s liked for a really long time.”
Nori sat back and raised his brows. The idea of dating hadn’t really crossed his mind since it seemed his kids weren’t terribly interested in it. He hadn’t prepared himself for the possibility and now it got him to thinking that he needed to be a little more worried about it. “A date? What’s this boy like?” He drilled Spark for answers, ignorant of the irony posed by doing such a thing. In the raccoon’s mind he figured that if Spark didn’t like the guy, then there was probably some need for concern.
Spark took some time to think. He had to; otherwise he might have slipped up and made his dad even more suspicious. “Well it’s not like I look at boys the way she does,” He answered, “So… I guess he’s just… you know, nothing special. He’s not mean or anything though. I’d never let that happen.”
“Good point…” Nori conceded, and he sat back to simply ponder it. “When’s this going on?”
“Friday,” Spark answered simply as he put his feet up on the coffee table.
Nori’s ears twitched upward. “Friday, but that’s…”
“… When you’re spending the night with Chay, yeah,” Spark finished.
“Clever girl…”
Nori had a responsibility as a parent in that moment to try and put the reins on his daughter; not to try and stifle her fun or ruin her evening out of some petty disagreement over the fact he wasn’t going to be there for her first date, but because she needed to keep a level head. He was no stranger to dating and relationships, and he knew it was a delicate sort of dance at the end of it all which he hoped Glint would perform masterfully in. So he made his way to the twins’ room to try and help his daughter contain some of that girlish excitement she was exhibiting.
He knocked on the door. “Glint? You busy in there?”
“Uh, no, I guess!” Glint called back.
“I’m coming in then.”
Nori opened the door to a surprising scene. In the brief time it had taken him to talk to spark and make his way upstairs, Glint had upturned what looked like her entire dresser’s contents and a lot of her closet. Clothes were strewn about the room; hanging off the edge of her bed, discarded on the floor, in separate piles that held the vaguest of resemblance to organization. It was easy to stifle his knee-jerk reaction to remind her to clean it after she finished her business because he had to focus. Seeing her there comparing even pairs of socks into what she may want to wear Friday evening assured him she wouldn’t really hear him anyway.
He stepped inside and parked himself on Spark’s bed, since it seemed to be less of a target for her clothes-sorting. He seated himself and smoothed out his shorts before giving his thighs a gentle smack. The clapping sound couldn’t even shake Glint’s concentration. She compared two pairs of underwear and tossed one away just to bring out another and continue the chain until she was left with one single option. What landed near Nori’s feet was a red, strappy pair of underwear that made him catch a lump in his throat. He had to focus!
“So, sweetie…” He started, “… I hear you have a date. On Friday.”
“Mmmmhmmm…!” Glint answered, turning not to regard her father but instead make her way to her closet, “What should I wear?”
“The most conservative thing possible,” Nori answered as he crossed his arms.
Glint grinned, “Wishful thinking, Dad.”
Nori smirked helplessly. “I’m not really a raccoon of tremendous faith, but I still find myself praying at times that my daughter can represent herself as a fine young lady without letting everyone see her under things,” He snidely commented.
“Nothing wrong with making my man feel special,” She said, a blush spreading across her cheeks, “So I look a little sexy. He deserves it!”
“And now we’re at the second item,” Nori continued, “Who is this boy?”
Glint paused as she carefully put one of her tops back on the rack in her closet, deciding against wearing the tube top… mostly for her father’s benefit. “Uhhh… Sp… Er…” Her mind was so elsewhere, she began to panic a little, “Ssssss…Sebastian!” Decidedly content with her answer, she nodded to herself. “Sebastian,” She confirmed her lie, “He’s a senior student.”
Nori kind of scrunched his brow, “A senior student?”
Glint giggled at the tone in her father’s voice. “Remember Dad, I AM a taser,” She assured him.
“Fourth place in a junior exhibition league tournament – I remember, hun,” He said, “Still, you can’t blame an old man for being worried.”
“You’re not old. What are you, thirty-six?” Glint responded, making Nori cringe. He wasn’t thirty-six.
“Close enough,” Nori chuckled, but he moved on to what was more important, “Well? Details, girlfriend! What’s this boy like?”
Glint took a deep breath and smiled. Oh, yes, finally… she could tell her Dad what she thought about Spark! But he wouldn’t know who she was actually talking about… which was good. “Omigawd, Dad, he’s amazing!”
Nori listened with intrigue. Glint went on as she finally turned to talk TO her father rather than at him. “He knows me SO well! Better than anyone in the whole entire world!” She said, moving over to Spark’s bed and laying out on it next to her Dad with her legs hanging over the edge. She grabbed hold of Spark’s pillow and hugged it to her chest with an excited squeak.
“He is the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen. God, his eyes… I love looking into his eyes… and he makes me feel so… so…” She giggled and kicked her feet as she snuggled Spark’s pillow, “Eeeee~!”
Nori couldn’t tell that she was actually enjoying Spark’s scent in the pillow as well. He was a little distracted by the fact her cheeks were lighting up like firecrackers. He lifted an arm to shield himself from the bouncing sparks and he laughed. “Settle down there, jump-start,” He said. Honestly, it was the most girlish and cute Glint had acted in a long time. It was absolutely adorable.
“Sorry,” She said, looking up at Nori with a smile she couldn’t wipe away, “Most girls don’t think he’s all that great. Most girls are stupid. He’s so nice, and so gentle, but strong and brave, and he always says the nicest things, and…”
“He makes you pretty happy, hm?”
“The happiest. I wanna marry him!” Glint gushed as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Er, uh… not really though.”
Nori nodded with a careful understanding. “Well, don’t jump in too quickly, Glint,” He said in as fatherly a tone as he could, “I don’t want to seem like a wet blanket, but boys are more cunning than their simplistic drives and desires let on. Lots of them are going to take great care in saying and doing exactly what you want to hear and see.”
“I know that, Dad…”
“I know you know,” Nori said, “But I have to say it anyway, you know? Until I meet this boy, I can’t really help but be a little cautious… and you’ve cleverly made me unable to do that on the night of.”
“Naaaah… You totally know him better than you think!” Glint giggled as she rolled onto her stomach.
“Wait, what?”
Glint realized her small slip-up right away, and she opened her mouth, but she totally failed her saving roll. She was only speechless for a moment though before she scrambled up from the bed. “Oh! Dad!” She squeaked as she hurried to her dresser and dug through it. She pulled out two of her bras, and she whipped around to face her father again. “Should I wear this one? Or the push-up one?”
The garments hung off her arms as she crossed them under her chest and hefted her heavy chest up, and took great deliberations to squeeze her breasts just right to make present cleavage that would work up a Bishop. Nori, shocked and red in the face, came back with nothing. Instead he just got up and made his way for the door.
“For the love of…! Young girls today!” Nori huffed as he made his exit.
He stopped as he bumped into Spark, who pushed right past him and stuck his head into the bedroom door with a boyish grin. “Hey, Glint! Don’t wear your mini skirt; it makes your butt look huuuuuge!” He teased. With his hand on the door knob, he quickly slammed the door to shield him from the pillow that Glint threw. It hit the door instead, and Spark swiftly made his exit with Nori.
Glint sat there on Spark’s bed, and then shifted her attention to her dresser. Getting up, she got down low to open the bottom drawer and dig out a small skirt that covered just barely what it needed to on her body, and would have shown off a fair bit of her thigh. “Note to self,” She said with a grin, “Wear mini skirt.”
…
Even though the date was proposed on Wednesday, it still seemed to take forever for Friday to come. Glint and Spark were distracted for those two days, making doe-eyes at one another and flirtatious passes. Of course they had to do such things where no one would see them, but they took a bold chance in the classes they shared, playing ‘footsies’ under their desks and everything. The days of lovey-dovey eyes and mounting anticipation would lead up to the inevitable climax of Friday evening where their Dad was preparing to leave for the night.
The raccoon looked like he was ready for a nice night as well. Gone were his usual shorts and t-shirt, having rid himself of the beach bum look to dress considerably more sharp. He looked so odd in what looked like business casual, with dress pants and a fine shirt, even a red tie. No adult had ever looked more out of place in such a thing, but then Nori never went out much either. He worked, came home, saw to his kids, slept, and repeated the process almost every day it seemed. Glint and Spark had actually forgotten the last time Nori went out, but it definitely wasn’t the first time he’d gone with Chaytel, a red fox of which he shared some history with.
Nori’s discomfort had only one tell: he couldn’t stop fussing with his tie. He’d pull the knot on the red necktie one way, then tug it the other. “Thing may as well be a bloody noose…” He muttered as he entered the living room to see his kids simply relaxing. Spark was on the couch, feet on his nice coffee table, playing one of his many games, while Glint sat with her legs curled up against her in his armchair. She was simply reading one of her ‘Partners’ comic books.
“So you’ve got the number to call,” He spoke, getting out-of-sync nods from his kids, “So if anything’s up, just call. And don’t drink all the soda.”
“’Kay,” Spark simply muttered back as if he weren’t paying much attention.
Nori made his way across the living room into the front entryway where he’d put a coat – also something he rarely wore if he could help it. His fiddling with his tie saw it unraveled, and he sighed in frustration before tossing the tie up to rest over his shoulder. “Oh,” He looked back towards his kids, “No parties, and no staying up late. If I find out you stayed up to ungodly hours in the morning, I’ll break out the rubber suit and properly tan your hides.”
Both Glint and Spark shuddered, their ears wilting. “The rubber suit…” They whispered in abject horror.
Nori winked with a grin, his ears perking as he heard a honking outside from a car. “And that’d be Chay,” He’d announce, “Alright, be good!”
“Bye Daaaad,” The two would call out almost a little flatly as the raccoon put on his shoes and departed.
They both sat there staring out the front window of the house, waiting to see that Chay’s car had taken off. Once it had, Glint was off like someone had fired a pistol. She darted out of the living room with her comic book humorously hitting the floor after she’d made it out of the room. Her excited footfalls could be heard stomping up the stairs and making the mad dash to her room where she slammed the door. Spark was only a little taken back by her enthusiasm, but he knew she was getting ready for their date and he had to do the same.
Fortunately he’d anticipated Glint’s reaction and had removed his outfit from his room. He instead turned off his game and made his way all the way to the back of the house where the laundry room was. The little, still cemented floor add-on to the home had a washer, dryer, some shelves, a light, and little else. But on top of the dryer, Spark had left his clothes and various other things. Right there, he stripped down to his underwear and discarded his t-shirt and slacks into the hamper, and then put on his planned outfit.
He started by putting his pants on one leg at a time. They were black skinny pants that hugged his legs pretty well; but despite that he still opted to wear a belt. Secondly he tossed a plain white shirt over his head and pulled it down over himself. The shirt had no sleeves on it, looking painfully casual for such an outing. That’s where the over-shirt came in. It was a navy blue shirt that resembled more of a jacket than anything, the lower hem of it coming to about Spark’s thighs. It zipped up along the middle, had a folded down collar, folded up cuffs, and several white-coloured, needless seams. One such section created a sort of arm band around his right bicep, while the left bicep actually had a small metal plate on it. The back had a circular, cross-sectioned design emblemized on it. It resembled a pokéball. He had thought the top made him look dashing, if not decidedly badass.
He looked much less ‘badass’ hopping around on his foot to put his socks on, but once that was done he was properly dressed. He took his wallet from his mistakenly not-emptied pockets of his old pants, and then made his way to the bathroom to finish his preparations. He brushed his teeth, applied some of that body-spray that most teens drowned themselves in (though he was much more careful in his application), and lastly tried to comb his hair. That in itself was humorous, as he had little more ‘hair’ than some slightly longer tufts of fur on his head… But no expense was too great for his sister.
Thinking about her made all the confidences in his preparation fade into nervousness. The boy looked at himself in the mirror, gently reaching up to touch his blue-tipped ears. He pulled his ear down flat to the side of his face, and it sprung back upright when he released it – an idle action to try and distract his mind. He’d never been on a date before, and thinking back he knew that Glint wanted to go on a real date for a very, very long time… But how long, exactly?
Spark pursed his lip over the thought as he placed his hands on the standing bathroom sink and leaned in closer to his reflection. He studied his face for any imperfections as he pondered…
…
“Does this mean you’re my boyfriend?”
Spark remembered hearing those words when he was eleven years old. He sat outside during recess at the Pokémon Daycare Center he grew up on. The outdoors was fenced off and mostly wide open field, with some playground equipment in the sand. All the young Pokémon were allowed a few breaks a day, just like any normal elementary school would provide. Teachers patrolled the grounds to catch any misbehavers, and kids would play their games. Some stayed close to the building, drawing designs on the pavement with chalk. Others would run free throughout the grounds, racing everywhere their feet could take them. Most of the youngest Pokémon played on the swings or the slides.
Glint and Spark spent every recess nestled in the very corner of the fenced-off grounds. It wasn’t always that way, but after long enough of trying to put up with some of the cruelty of the other kids; the pair had retreated to be on their own. One particularly leafy tree hung over that corner, making it seem so private compared to the rest of the playground, which was precisely their reason for taking it for themselves. The shade blocked them off from the world, and when winter came, their snow forts would prove much more efficient.
They talked about things there. Imaginary situations played out in their heads, and they described them to each other in perfect detail. Then they would build on their fantasies together until they were elaborate and complex plots that often spiraled into senselessness. Sometimes they talked about real things or real people, or even what their futures would be like… but ultimately, they found their make-believe world to be far better than the reality they lived in – a reality where they had no parents, and kids would prod them and belittle them for being identical. They teased, as all kids do, asking if Spark being identical to his sister made him a girl, or if they were able to read each other’s thoughts like freaks. Ultimately, their decision to shrink into seclusion with just each other didn’t help… somehow, spending all his time with Glint made Spark seem even less likeable, and the kids just thought it impossible to even get through to either of them.
Eventually, they stopped trying. Glint and Spark became ghosts.
So they faded away. They built their own world with just each other, and they connected. They bonded. They loved one another. Spark couldn’t remember when just sitting under that tree was complimented with hand-holding… it simply happened. As the days would go by, they went from holding hands to embracing. As they grew older, there was lap-sitting. When they were almost twelve, they shared their first kiss. That was when Glint asked Spark if that meant he was her boyfriend.
“Y… Yes…” Spark’s answer was timid, but not because Glint was his sister. His answer was timid because Glint was a pretty girl. Admitting he liked her and wanted to be with her was in no way different to him than if Glint were any other girl. But that was just the thing – Glint wasn’t any other girl. Glint was Glint! Spark loved no one more than her. No girl was as pretty as her. No one could have even come close.
No one tried. Glint and Spark were left to blossom.
…
Spark left the bathroom just as his sister trounced around the corner from the stairway. Boy, had she blossomed!
That short red mini skirt flirted at the tight black bike shorts she wore beneath that which hugged her ripe thighs and bubble bottom. Her shin-high boots were black with red buckles, and her top was a dark red hoodie with the same cross-sectioned pokéball pattern on her back. Her hoodie was stretched taut over her jaunting bust line and snug around her waist. She smiled a genuine smile at her brother as she took him in. He looked like some teenaged cross of well-dressed and punked, and she didn’t hate it!
“Are you ready?” She asked.
Spark smiled back at her and held out his hand, “Shall we?”
He grasped her red hand as she held it out, and walked with her as she giggled. They left the house together and stepped off the porch. Normally, in the most idyllic of a date, there would have been a car there. Unfortunately, since neither sibling could drive Nori’s old car, they had to make due instead with their own mode of transportation. Spark left Glint waiting for him to ‘pull the car around,’ only to have him arrive with his bicycle instead. It was so silly, but Glint couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. She took her seat atop Spark’s handlebars with careful balance, and Spark couldn’t help but chuckle as he slowly peddled out of their gravel driveway.
“Not the most romantic thing,” Spark said as he started to bike down the road. His eyes fell to his handlebars, where Glint’s skirt did a poor job of hiding her spandex-squeezed rear. “The view’s real nice though.”
Glint smirked. “Well watch the road, Romeo,” She sassed back, “I didn’t get all dressed up to be road kill!”
The ride was a little tougher with the added weight of his sister on the front end of his bike, but Spark was a fit young man. Aside from the occasional incline, he rode very carefully. From the beachside house, the twins entered the nearby town through the same boring side-street they travelled daily to get to school. They passed by the auto-shop upon entering and made a turn down the main strip where many stores and services were set. Their first stop was the cinema, which was a fair ride away from the main street since it was a larger venue… large enough to have its own parking lot anyway.
They chatted the whole way, but the most special moments were when the bike stopped. They waited at red lights like any responsible cyclist should (despite their irresponsible lack of head protection), and every time they stopped, Spark snuck his hands around his sister and rested them on her thighs. To her, his hands were cold because of the night air, but to him her body was warm. He’d tuck his hands between her thighs just to keep them warm as they biked, and he’d nuzzle her back affectionately too.
The best part was that people could see them. People driving their cars could look out their windows and just see them cuddling like that. The thought made them nervous, but happy all the same. No one said anything, no one cried out in detest of their actions. Anyone who saw them had no idea who they were, and paid them no mind… It was just another pair of flirty teenagers in their eyes. It was the first time they’d ever felt like that. Many boys and girls their age would have hated the idea of falling into line with everyone around them – to the twins, it was a blessing.
They arrived at the cinema with time to spare, so they locked up their bike and fell into line inside the building to get their tickets. The place was dimly lit, but enough to see the concession stands and ticket booths very clearly, as well as illuminated displays advertising the various attractions both currently playing in the theatre rooms and what would come soon. The place looked goofy almost – the carpeting had space designs of moons, stars, rocket ship and more while the roof looked almost like a star display in a planetarium. There were arcade games for kids to play while they waited for their movie of choice to start, and barely anywhere to actually sit and wait.
“See anyone we know?” Glint asked in a hushed tone as her eyes swept the crowds.
Spark stood firm like a sentry, his almond eyes sweeping the faces of each individual around them. The movies were popular on Friday evenings, but in the whole jumbled mess of teens, he couldn’t see anyone who’d actually pay them any mind. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled to his sister. “I don’t think so,” He’d answer.
Glint took that as her opening to wrap her arms around Spark’s arm and hold herself close to him. They were the same height, so resting her head on his shoulder was fairly easy, but they were more cheek-to-cheek than anything. Both blushed; mostly at the idea that they could be seen by anyone and considered as being ‘too cuddly.’ Spark had his own set of worries though as his sister’s bosom smothered his bicep, and she gently rubbed her cheek against his own. Rubbing cheeks to them always made them feel ‘stuck,’ and generated happy little sparkles between the two of them. It warmed their bodies and comforted them. Spark smiled and rubbed his cheek back against Glint’s, the two of them falling silent and simply enjoying the moment.
They didn’t notice the line moving multiple times. They’d take a few steps within the velvet-rope queue and then fall back into affectionate murmurs and vibrations between them.
“Next…!”
Their eyes opened and they were brought back to reality as the ticket cashier called for their turn. They pulled their cheeks apart with arching electricity between them breaking off into little sparks when they were far enough from each other. As they approached the counter with some hesitance, they eyed the playing attractions to make a split-second decision on what they’d see since they hadn’t decided before-hand.
“Uh…” Glint hurried to pick something, “T-Two tickets for Timegate Traveler, please!”
The young feline women had just popped a bubblegum bubble when Glint finally made a decision, and she pulled the gum back into her mouth with her tongue before she rung them through. “Alright… Timegate Traveler? Okay… That’s $28.46.”
Glint turned to Spark. “No way I’m letting you pay that all by yourself,” She said, “You buy dinner!”
She didn’t give him a choice, taking her wallet out of the pouch pocket of her hoodie and getting her money. Spark withdrew his wallet from his pocket and did the same. The twins were good at saving their money. They got a fair share of it working on Sammy’s ranch most weekends, but they wouldn’t go through it all in a week. Nori had actually opened bank accounts for them that they used to toss whatever extra cash they had in for safe-keeping… It built up over time!
With their tickets purchased, they head towards the show room playing the film.
“Why Timegate Traveler?” Spark asked.
Glint pouted, hugging close to her brother’s arm, “Because the Cap’n Comet movie isn’t until next month.”
“You know, I don’t think Jacent Danger is very romantic,” Spark chuckled.
Glint giggled, “No, but he’s totally cool.”
Just as the two of them found the showing room the movie would be featured in, the sound of a ringtone caught their ears. Spark paused and looked to Glint, who reached into the pocket of her hoodie to retrieve her Xtranciever. The Xtranciever was a new sort of communication technology from the same people who had made their Pokétch, which seemed horribly out-dated compared to the new Xtranciever. It was essentially a portable communications device that had two-way video screens. Both Glint and Spark had gotten one for Christmas earlier that year.
Glint answered it, and with a brief flicker of static, Whitney’s face appeared on the screen.
“Hello Glint,” The Whimsicott beamed, “How are you doing? I didn’t catch you too late, did I?”
“O-Oh, Whitney!” Glint blushed, “Um, no, it’s not too late, but uh… I’m kind of in the middle of something.”
“Oh? I’m sorry… I was just checking in to see if you had time this weekend for a visit… Salem and I thought we might come up,” Whitney explained, “What are you doing?”
Glint looked to Spark, and then pulled away from him to turn away and speak to Whitney. “I’m on a date,” She practically whispered to the handheld device.
“Oh my!” Whitney sounded terribly embarrassed.
Glint nodded, “We’re just going into the theatre, so I kind of need to go. I’ll have to turn off my Xtranciever too.”
“A-Alright,” Whitney’s cheeks burned a gentle red, “I’m very sorry to interrupt. Please, call me when you have time to later tonight… you’ll have to tell me all about your date.”
“Can do!” Glint saluted, “See you, Whitney!”
With that, she hung up and pocketed her device after powering it down. She blushed and immediately glued herself to Spark’s side once more. As much as they thought they could continue into the theatre though, another ringing went off. The twins shared a puzzled look and spark dug into his pocket to pull out his own Xtranciever and answer the call. Whitney’s face appeared yet again. Glint ducked away quickly upon seeing who it was as to not be seen with Spark, and Spark blushed lightly as Glint made it safely out of frame. She was barely in it for half a second, but it still gave the twins a start.
“Hello Spark!” Whitney smiled, “Is it true your sister is on a date?”
“Uh, yeah,” Spark answered, taking a deep breath and looking to the screen, “Yeah, she is.”
Whitney almost squealed, if she were any more excitable of a girl. “I’m so very jealous of her!” Whitney said, “Do you suppose she’s having a good time? Do you know who she’s with?”
Spark smiled sheepishly and answered, “I suppose he’s a nice guy, I guess… So I hope she’s having fun.”
“Oh I would so love to go on a date sometime…” Whitney sighed, twirling some of her cottony hair around a finger, “… I don’t often think about things like that. My studies are always taking up so much time. It would be nice to spend an evening with a handsome boy… What are you doing?”
Spark was at a loss for words for just a moment, giving the Whimsicott a sort of queer look. “Um… I went out,” He responded, “I didn’t wanna be stuck at home alone all night.”
“Alone?” Whitney repeated, “Oh if only I’d called sooner… Salem and I wanted to visit you. I would have loved to keep you company, Spark.”
“Aww,” Spark grinned wide, but wary, “Well, maybe tomorrow! Yeah?”
Whitney nodded, “I would like that very much! Well… I won’t be a bother to you anymore. Enjoy your evening, Spark.”
“Bye,” Spark ended the call and turned off his Xtranciever before he’d turn his attention to Glint. His Plusle sister grabbed his hand insistently and started pulling him along into the theatre, nearly dragging him in something of an annoyed fluster.
“Alright, hurry up!” She said, “The movie’s already started!”
The twins hurried into the theatre, trying to find a seat to sit in somewhere in the dark theatre. The only source of light by that point was the projection on the big screen, which made it harder to see any free pairs of seat nestled in with all the other movie-goers. With careful eyes, they’d find their seats somewhere in the middle row near the right side. They pushed past a couple folks already enjoying the movie and flopped into their seats to watch. They had no candy, no popcorn, no drinks… just each other and the movie, and that suited them just fine.
The situation provided a unique complication. Glint and Spark weren’t there for the movie… they were there for each other. But they had been together for so long, neither of them were sure the proper way to go about the typical ‘movie date’ scenario. Normally when a boy would make a move on a girl, there was apprehension, hesitance, and uncertainty. Questions would litter their minds like “would they mind” and “is it the right time for this,” among others. But as far as Glint and Spark were concerned… everything was free game. Spark knew he could wrap his arm around Glint, and there would be no complaint. Glint knew she could have very well sat in Spark’s lap if it weren’t for the fact that would block the row above them from seeing the screen. If she had done that, Spark would have accepted it.
The lack of any need to worry caused a brief pause between them. They’d shift closer together in their seats at the same time, their bodies snug against the arm rest between their chairs, and Spark’s arm would find its way around his sister’s shoulders. Glint allowed her head to lie in against his shoulder and took a deep, relaxing breath. She could smell the body spray he’d put on, and the not-overwhelming scent made her sigh in satisfaction. This was a cuddle she could settle into… If it weren’t for that armrest, she’d have been as snuggled up to Spark as was physically possible. It was hard not to want to doze off in that position with her brother.
The movie became something of a murmuring she sought to ignore as she reached up and gently kneaded Spark’s chest. The boy didn’t seem to mind, resting his cheek on her head and giving her a gentle nuzzle as he continued to watch. The sci-fi time-traveling epic on the silver screen before them wasn’t any concern to Glint as her mind sort of trailed off onto other things… such as how Spark had grown up. It was more than just the definition of his chest that she could feel through his shirt, but something much deeper too.
…
There were many, many examples Glint could have pulled from the recesses of her mind in regards to her brother. Her thoughts were, for the most part, on him near constantly. She always did her best to remember everything she could about him, every moment she lived with him… but the one that surfaced in her mind at the movies was something she recalled back at the Center again.
The kids raised at the Center had very structured lives. Days started as early as six in the morning, and depending on the kids’ age, would end at a specific hour at night with lights-out. One of the mid-week activities was ‘Movie Night,’ where the kids would be gathered up with a couple of the faculty to supervise them and watch a movie on one of the projectors in the library lounge. The library was stocked like an elementary school library for the most part, and had movies that were very similar to one too. Many of them were educational, but the kids got the occasional treat of getting to watch something that was purely for entertainment value.
Glint remembered watching one just called “Zombies!” It was made for kids, and was only scary in the goofiest of ways, with lots of actors all painted up to look like the walking dead, complete with groaning rawrs and chants for brains. Glint in particular loved the movie. She loved the idea of beating up monsters, like lots of kids did. What she remembered had to be when they were only seven years old. Glint had a toy gun she brought along to the movie to point it at the screen and squeak ‘pew pews’ at the monsters that appeared. She loved it more than anything.
Spark… didn’t. He was scared of the zombies. Every time they’d show up, he’d grab hold of his sister and squeeze her annoyingly tight as to protect him from them. Honestly, it was funny bringing Spark to the movie just to see how he reacted to it. The poor boy detested it though, and was practically dragged by his sister every time. He couldn’t really tell her he wouldn’t accompany them. The part that was less funny was when the kids started to poke fun for it.
“Don’t worry Spark, they can’t hurt you,” Glint would say, “I’ll just shoot them up!”
Glint always protected her brother through the whole movie every time they saw it. The movie would end with a trembling Minun slowly easing off his sister and trying not to appear too cowardly, but one time it just didn’t work. The kids crowded on some steps that would normally be used to step into and out of what they called “the pit.” Some sat on the steps, others sprawled out on the floor, and the faculty would stand back and watch them all while their eyes were glued to the large pull-down projector screen. This made hiding park’s tendencies difficult – the other kids weren’t too far away. One saw them one day, and decided to comment on it.
“Spark was scared!” The Growlithe boy barked, “He was all ‘eeeek’ like a little girl!”
The other kids laughed at the Growlithe’s enthusiastic wiggle as he made his mock-scream. Spark blushed, his cheeks flickering as he turned to shoot a look that could kill over his shoulder from his cross-legged sitting position in the pit. “I did not!” He squeaked.
“I heard him too,” An Oddish girl commented, “And he said ‘Glint save me!’”
Glint was angry on her brother’s behalf. “No he didn’t,” She said sternly.
“Alright, alright, knock it off you guys,” Said a Bibarel that was part of the faculty at the Center, “Did you all enjoy the movie?”
The kids moved on to answering and talking about it, and eventually forgot their teasing entirely. Before long, it was time for the kids to get to sleep, so they started to file out of the library and head back to their rooms.
Spark looked miserable. His ears were droopy and he dragged his feet through the halls back to his room that he shared with his sister. The Plusle hated seeing him that way even when she was little, and it annoyed her to no end that her brother lacked a backbone to really stick up for himself. But even so, she always did her best to help him, so she tried to cheer him up as they walked through the halls.
“You’re not a scardy-cat!” She insisted.
Spark moped, “I am. Everyone says so.”
“Then deck them in the schnoz!” Glint squeaked, holding up a fist.
Spark gasped, “No!”
Before they could enter their room, Glint stopped him at the door by standing in front of him. She was in a huff as she planted her hands firmly on her hips and got face-to-face with her Minun counterpart. She used to wear pink sundresses back then, so she probably looked adorable intimidating her brother.
“Stop being a wuss, Spark!” She shouted, “Those zombies aren’t even real! They’re just dummies!”
“But they’re scary!” Spark complained back, “I can’t sleep when we watch that movie…”
Again, he looked horribly embarrassed, and he couldn’t even look his sister in the eye. It was infuriating to her, because she had it in her mind that Spark was a man. A man was like those princes in the story books – but Spark was nothing like that. Spark wasn’t brave or charming or anything! Her brain nearly fizzled out in frustration before an idea hit her.
“Then… here!”
She thrust her toy gun into his hands. It was made entirely of plastic, with an orange tip on the end. It used to make noises before the adults took that out of the gun due to its constant disruption of classes since Glint was keen on ‘pew pew’ing everything she thought was out to get her… including math equations. But it was Glint’s favourite toy that she took everywhere with her… and now she was giving it to Spark.
At first, Spark tried to refuse it, but Glint boldly stonewalled his attempt at modesty. She demanded he took it.
“It’s your weapon now, Spark!” She said.
“My… weapon?” Spark was puzzled.
Glint nodded quickly, still barring entry to their room. “All heroes have weapons so they can smash bad guys!” She explained, “And I’m… I want you to have mine!”
Spark was distraught. “But how are you gonna smash bad guys?!” He squeaked.
Glint smiled and wrapped her arms around Spark. She yanked him into a cheek-rubbing hug, sharing sparks between them as she giggled. “I don’t have to, I’m a princess. My prince will protect me from all the monsters and bad guys with the weapon I gave him. It’s powered by love,” She said.
The Plusle then grabbed up her brother and started showering his face in a million little kisses. Spark squealed and flailed in his sister’s grasp, but couldn’t wrench himself free of her grip. She made him beg for her to stop, she made him laugh, and she made him forget. For just a little while, she made him forget about what the other kids said. He may have been a total wimp, but he was a cute wimp, Glint had always thought. It was just as fun to make him smile as it was to make him squeal.
“Powered by a million trillion gazillion princess kisses!” She growled, both her cheeks and Spark’s lighting up with crackles of electricity, “Infinity kisses!”
Eventually one of the adults had to split them up and usher them into their room and make them promise to keep quiet and go to bed. The twins didn’t follow that order very well, and Glint remembers spending a lot of time performing ‘indoor detentions’ when recesses were going on. But since Glint gave Spark her toy, she encouraged him every day to be brave and face his fears.
…
Now the young man she was cuddled up with was someone… not entirely different. Glint never thought she was changing Spark. She never dreamed of changing him. What she did, in her mind, was help him find himself. Under that shy shell of a boy was a hero. As far as Glint was concerned, Spark had grown into a fine hero. He was always there for her, and she wasn’t afraid to let her guard down with him. She had full confidence in him. If she could credit any one thing to her ability to give him her heart, it was how he grew up. He was more than capable.
They were connected by the cheeks again. Neither of them watched the movie any more, but instead cuddled and nuzzled up to one another. Their cheeks sparkled, lighting up the area around them and disrupting the movie-goers around them. The two audience members to either side of them had shrunk away, curling up against the far side of their chairs to avoid any of the bouncing shocks that came from the two of them. They didn’t even notice. Their eyes were closed, and they were comfortable. For the first time in a long time, they forgot about other people. They were engrossed entirely in one another.
They never saw the end of that movie. Did the scientist actually save the present? Well, they had been kicked out of the cinema long before that. It didn’t really make them mad though… they walked out of that cinema hand-in-hand, and they laughed almost the whole way. Sure, it had been embarrassing, and their faces were stricken with blushes, but it wasn’t about to ruin their night.
“What’s next… darling…?” Glint asked, flirting with the idea of simply calling her brother by a pet-name. Hearing that roll off her lips gave the Minun a little tinge of excitement.
Spark grinned, “Spaghetti.”
Glint giggled and rubbed her cheek against his softly. “Oooh, you remembered… How sweet,” She cooed.
Gathering up the bike, they moved on to their next destination much earlier than expected. It was only just past eight at night when they arrived at a local Italian chain restaurant, Mario Mario’s. Glint and Spark were a fair fan of pasta, but they didn’t have it all the time, so it was a refreshing change of pace compared to what they’d either make at home, or what their Dad cooked for dinner. It was all just icing on the cake though compared to the fact that they were there together… on a date!
They entered the restaurant hand-in-hand and approached the podium where the ‘seater-greeter’ would be standing watch. “Table for two?” It was the usual question, and Glint and Spark smiled to each other before simply nodding. The mouse girl eyed the pair of them and got a knowing smile before she stepped down from behind the podium. She actually did step down, proving to be a whole head shorter than the twins and thus wouldn’t have been able to even see over the podium suitably without help. She walked the twins to their seat – a nice booth tucked away where they might get some privacy.
The girl placed their menus on the table and said, “Your server will be right over.” She head back to her station post-haste after that.
Spark watched her go, and then turned his attention to his sister. “So… some movie, huh?” He asked.
Glint snickered, “I’m not too surprised we ended up getting kicked out.”
“I guess,” Spark grinned.
There was silence. Their hands met over the table and their fingers entwined with one another. Spark’s hands rested down against the table holding Glint’s, and they smiled. Spark’s thumbs rubbed Glint’s hands as they both struggled to find some sort of conversation to start. Both came up short, but weren’t uncomfortable in the silence. Their eyes never left each other’s gazes, and the wordless stares told volumes of what they were thinking.
“You know, I’ve been thinking about us all night,” Glint would finally say, “Like… when it all started.”
“Yeah?” Spark smiled sheepishly, “Me too.”
“At least it isn’t just me,” The girl sighed in relief, leaning over the table a little, “But it’s hard to say…”
“… When exactly it happened,” Spark finished, “I know the feeling.”
Glint gave her brother’s hands a gentle squeeze before she sat back. She pondered over the various possibilities to pinpoint just when she actually stopped thinking of Spark as only her brother, and more as a young man. She blushed hard once she realized the futility of it. Her hands folded in her lap and she chewed on her lip as scenarios played out in her head… And she finally decided to talk about one, “I remember when I once gave you a cupcake I made all by myself for Valentine’s Day.”
Spark had to stop and think for just a moment, but the vision of a much younger Glint presenting him with a home-made treat phased into his mind. “I remember that,” He said, “You were the only girl that gave me anything.”
“The chocolate one with the icing heart on it, right?” Glint smiled as she recalled it fondly, but blushed all the same, “I remember messing it up so bad so many times… But I just had to finish it, just for you.”
Spark sat back and rubbed behind one of his ears as if scratching an itch. “No other girl gave me anything,” He mentioned.
“You were the only boy I wanted to give things to,” Glint admitted as she cast her eyes away from her brother.
Spark couldn’t let his sister’s actions simply slide. “And what,” He started, “You’re embarrassed about it now?”
“No, I just… We were five, Spark,” She answered, “Five years old. People say that kids can’t even form relationships like… like ours. But you were still the one. You were always the one.”
A brief interruption came in the form of drink and main course orders. The twins didn’t play around with the idea of appetizers and desserts – they had more to do that night. So, the server left, and they continued their talk.
“Well I can’t imagine anything different,” Spark said softly, “I can’t imagine another girl.”
Glint looked him right in the eyes. “It’s never crossed your mind?” She asked.
Spark reflected on whatever thoughts may have crossed his mind in the past. “Well, sure,” He said, “Back when we learned that saying stuff like ‘I’m going to marry Glint when I grow up’ was… well, weird. The teachers at the Center told me that I should be thinking about other girls… but then I’d just look at you, and my mind was made up for me. I mean, sure, usually you’d have something glued to your face in crafts class, but… it was cute.”
Glint laughed out loud when their drinks came. She briefly regarded the server with a nod and then took her drink to sip on. She couldn’t quite get the straw past her grinning teeth at first though. “Well I used to think you were cute when you wore your underwear on your head and said you were a super hero,” She jabbed.
Spark had a sip of soda in his mouth that quickly rerouted into his sinuses and out his nose when Glint brought that up. The Plusle burst out laughing at his reaction, but immediately took a napkin and leaned over the table to dab up his mess. Spark held a hand over his nose and shot his sister a playful little glare. “Don’t do that,” He said with a nasally slur.
Glint stifled further giggling as they cleaned up. “Well there was the time I caught you looking at my bras too…” She continued.
Spark’s eyes widened, but he decided to return fire, “And twelve-tear-olds don’t normally have C-cups! It was weird!”
Glint blushed, took a quick look around the restaurant, and then smacked her brother across the table. “Keep your voice down you dope,” She chastised him.
“It’s not like people can’t notice you have big boobs,” He shot back.
She huffed, “Yeah and that waitress girl was darn near level with your package – and she was totally checking you out!”
“She was not! No way!”
The server who had arrived with their plate of spaghetti was almost scared to interrupt the two of them. Instead it was the twins who eventually noticed her and stopped. Both flushed with embarrassment and the server gave a slightly awkward giggle as she set their food on the table and made sure they had everything they needed before she headed off to tend to the other tables. What the twins had been left with was one single-order plate of spaghetti and meatballs that was stacked high enough for two people to get a fair helping of. A little salt, a little pepper, some parmesan cheese, and a fork in their hands and they were off to the races.
They had been doing well enough not to notice how hungry they were earlier in the evening, but once they had food in front of them, they were almost ravenous. They talked a lot less as they rolled noodles up on their forks to chew on, and silently competed with one another to see who could eat more. Their competition became more apparent when they started batting each other’s forks out of the way to get at the meatballs. Somehow, they even made eating a meal together fun.
“Hey, let’s do that thing,” Glint said as she uncouthly plucked one of the spaghetti noodles up with a pinch between her fingers.
“What thing?”
“You know, that thing, with the noodle,” Glint said with a grin, “Where we like, slurp it together and meet in the middle. And then we’re all cute.”
Spark laughed and gave her sister a look, “I don’t think that actually happens in real life.”
“Well it will! Come on,” Glint held out the end of the noodle.
Spark rolled his eyes and leaned forwards to try and snag up the end of the pasta noodle without using his hands. The result was amusing efforts and tongue-lashes that soon found the noodle between his lips. Glint on the other end tried not to grin lest the noodle be broken by her teeth. It was a silly thing to ask, but at least they were willing to play along. So they slurped on that noodle, sucking on it and leaning together, trying desperately not to break it between them. Closer, closer… They slowed when they were mere inches from one another’s faces, mostly trying to find a natural way to ease into the kiss that was inevitably coming.
Glint’s eyes closed softly, and her cheeks sparked as she imagined the scene in her head – just like in those romance movies. She purred as she leaned in closer to meet Spark’s lips.
She met his open hand. Her eyes opened as he gasped in shock, his attention elsewhere as he palmed his sister’s face.
“I-It’s Dad!” He nearly shouted.
Nori had entered the restaurant with his friend, Chay. And compared to Nori, Chay was under-dressed. The red fox simply wore some decent khaki slacks and a blue button-down short-sleeve, which when compared to Nori’s business casual was much less. The two had taken a seat at the restaurant’s small bar, and were chatting together. Neither seemed to notice the twins, but Glint and Spark swiftly slumped into their seats until their butts were barely on the edge of it and their heads weren’t rising above the back rests. The looks on their faces could have confused people into thinking they’d witnessed a murder.
“What do we do?” Glint asked.
“Uh… ah… well…” Spark was almost shaking in nervousness, “We… get the bill! And um, pay… and then we leave.”
It was as if on cue their server arrived. “Is everything going alright here?” She asked.
“Yeah can we get the bill?” Glint asked, her mouth moving faster than her brain, “Please?”
The anteater girl looked to either one, and looked utterly puzzled. But she agreed and left the twins to their hiding. If they had gotten any lower, they would have been under the table! Thankfully, without looking backwards, Nori wouldn’t have been able to see them. When the girl came back, Spark opened up the little fold-over sleeve for the bill to eye the price. He didn’t waste time calculating for anything, and instead put more than the needed amount into the sleeve and handed it back right-quick.
“Keep the change,” He said with a sheepish grin before he and Glint slipped from their booth without another word. They must have looked a little silly tip-toeing among the chatty customers in the restaurant, but they didn’t want to risk drawing their father’s attention. Nori and his friend sat blissfully ignorant to the twins’ presence.
Nori’s conversation with Chay had fallen to the twins. They were a big part of the raccoon’s life now, so it was no surprise they would show up in conversation. He talked about their jobs and what he might get up to while they were away at the ranch. He talked about Sammy, their weekend caretaker, boss, and friend and what he thought of her. He told Chay stories that had the two of them sharing chuckles. They were a delight to talk about for the raccoon, and his foxy friend sure didn’t seem to mind listening.
“Sometimes I just don’t know what to do with them,” He said, “I get along with them great most of the time, but they have their moments. They’re not the best-behaved pair on the planet.”
Chay had looked back over his shoulder for just a moment. He had been trying to spy a television or something where the restaurant may have been playing either a trivia game, or one of the many sports networks. What he saw though were two very familiar Pokémon who were shuffling along behind him as if they were trying to sneak out of prison. The look on his face was priceless: dumbfounded, utterly and completely. Here Nori was talking about his ill-behaved kids, and there were those very kids, out when they shouldn’t have been!
When they were spotted, they simply raised their fingers to their lips in a tell-tale gesture. ‘Shh!’ They wanted Chay to keep his trap shut! And the flickering of sparks from their cheeks wasn’t intentional, but could have been a little threatening.
“… I can only imagine,” Chay said as he turned back to the bar, leaning in a bit as to block Nori’s view of the door.
“Apparently Glint’s on a date,” Nori said, sipping a bottle of root beer. His Plusle and Minun children had just slipped out the entrance as he turned away from the bar to look around the dining floor. “I wonder if she’d go here with the guy,” He said.
“Heh…” Chay couldn’t help but smile helplessly at the sheer irony of the situation. Even when Nori had turned away, the twins had scrambled past the large viewing window looking out into the night. He would have been able to see them had he only been facing his company instead of studying the restaurant.
The twins could have reared that bicycle of theirs back like a horse had Glint not been weighing down the front end. They burned out of the restaurant’s parking area and tore down the street at speeds that sent a harsh wind in their faces. Two interruptions in one night… It was as if the world was holding them back, even if they were blissfully unaware of the situation. It was frustrating to the both of them, and they decided the best course of action would be to perhaps escape the general public. They had to go home.
They made it back in record time, which was surprising since Spark had been carrying all the weight. The fact that he didn’t get a cramp was miracle enough for the two of them. Once they pulled up at their beachside property, Glint hopped off the handlebars with a huff and the sourest of expressions.
“Stupid… everything!” She grumbled, “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”
Spark leaned his bike up against the wall of the house and locked it to the hydro meter before he approached his sister. He checked his watch… it was only nine o’clock, giving them plenty more evening to themselves.
“Hm…” He’d pull his sleeve back down and smile to Glint, “Stay there!”
She did as she was asked, but couldn’t stop annoyed crackles of electricity from escaping the circles on her cheeks. Spark was back in no time with the blanket their Dad most often kept hanging on the back of the couch all bundled up under his arm. Glint eyed him curiously as he held his hand out to her… but she couldn’t help but rest her hand in his. Once again, she was setting all her trust in her brother. He took her away from the house and towards the beach… because their night wasn’t done quite then.
He walked along the sandy beach with her in toe. Whenever she’d ask where they were going, he wouldn’t answer. He had a place in mind, and the night sky was clear and starry enough to make it just right, he figured. The sea breeze and the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore made for a relaxing sound… compared to the downtown area, it was much quieter. No one really wandered the beaches that late at night, mostly due to the fact that the cold air was a bit too nippy for swimming. Spark was honestly surprised he’d never gone with Glint on a night excursion to the beach before.
They walked the entire shoreline to the very edge, which disappeared into the trees and a rocky edge. Spark let go of Glint’s hand to climb the rocks, and the Plusle simply planted her hands defiantly on her hips. “Where the heck are we going?” She asked. She was done simply following, and wanted answers.
“Just come on.” Spark’s answer left a lot to be desired, but he waited for her with his hand outstretched. Again, she stepped forward and took his hand, following him up the rocks, and then back down again. Spark climbed down a hole that lead into what seemed to be a small cove by the beach. The rock cave was connected at its mouth by what looked like stalagmites and stalactites connecting to one another. They were like pillars, and shadowed the incoming moonlight. Still, the moonlight illuminated a pool that had been naturally formed within an eroded section of the cave. The light from the hole above and the mouth made the pool light up brightly beneath them in an almost magical way. The light rippled like the water did in the breeze, making glimmering shapes bounce and wiggle on the walls.
Best of all, there were no sounds. It was dead quiet save for the twins’ as they settled into the cove. There were no people, and no one could have found them. It was just them, and an amazing view. Spark sat at the edge of the pool and had Glint join him, where he wrapped the blanket around them both. They cuddled up then, and Glint smiled.
“You could have just told me,” Glint said, her voice echoing just slightly.
“Eh,” Spark shrugged, “It’s nice though, huh? We missed dessert… but we can still do this. No one’s gonna bother us here.”
“Nope…” Glint sighed, resting her head on Spark’s shoulder.
There was silence between them, and contemplation, as well as feeling. Their embrace was gentle, and plenty warm with the help of the blanket. There was no need to rush at that point, and they let their bodies ease into that fact.
After some time just staring out of the cove’s mouth, Spark spoke, “So… that was our date.”
Glint sighed happily. The salty air was mixing with Spark’s scent, but it was still nice enough. She curled more wholly into his body, one of her legs draped across his lap as she hugged herself completely against his side. This let her rub her nose and lips into his neck, and she did… a lot. “I liked it,” She said, “Despite all that other stuff.”
“Yeah…” Spark said with a smile and a thoughtful look downwards towards the pool. His shoe tapped the water, making it ripple. “Next time will be better.”
“Next time?” This made Glint raise her head.
“Yeah, next time,” Spark repeated, looking his sister in the eye, “What?”
Glint smiled, and she took a deep breath. “You’ll… go out with me again? Like this?” She asked. Her eyes shined with mounting moisture.
Seeing this, Spark swallowed and nodded. “Well, yeah,” He said, “Glint… I love you. I love you so… so much. I can say it to you whenever I want, but… I’d rather show you.”
“Spark…” Glint’s voice cracked like her composure.
That made it hard for Spark to continue, but he had to! “W-When we got caught that one time, I couldn’t live without you,” He said, “And I want to spend all my time with you. Even being in different classes is hard… But… you always make me so happy… You always wanted to go on dates and I kept saying no because I was scared, but… But I shouldn’t be scared. How can I be? I’m with you.”
Spark unzipped his coat a bit and dug into the inside breast pocket, where he produced a little velvet box from within. Glint’s mind practically flipped a switch when she saw it, and it felt like her heart was going to explode from her chest. She clasped her hands together, tears finally trickling down her cheeks, arcs of electricity jumping from the red circles on her cheeks, biting on her lower lip to stifle some kind of choked gasp when he finally opened the box.
It was beautiful, what she saw. Two rings, identical in make, with glittering stones in them. One was red, the other was blue.
Seeing Glint keeping her excitement contained gave Spark confidence. He took the silver ring with the glittering blue stone in it out of the box, and he set the box aside for a moment so he could take hold of one of Glint’s hands instead. She let him, holding out her fingers in anticipation of him sliding that ring onto her ring-finger… it fit perfectly, just like she thought it would. Gods, she couldn’t contain herself any longer, and she began to cry outwardly.
“It’s a Comet Piece. Apparently people used to find them a lot in Unova,” He explained.
Glint sniffled, “How long did you…?”
“I had them a little while now,” He said, blushing darkly, “I had Tina help make the rings… When I said I wanted to marry you, I… I wasn’t fibbing.”
Spark picked up the box and took the other ring out. He pocketed the now useless box as he handed it over for the second half of the little ritual. “This is a Star Piece ring… same deal,” He explained, “Go on… take it.”
It was hard to focus on the ring as it shook in her fingers. Glint wiped away her tears with her arm and held the ring up. The sparkling red gem wasn’t shaped like a star… it only had four points. If anything, it resembled a crude shard of a much larger stone, but the way it caught the light was absolutely beautiful. It was her favourite colour, too. Holding it up, she could see Spark’s face just past it. Now it was his turn to try not to cry as she took hold of his hand and slipped the ring onto his ring finger, as carefully as she could.
“I-It’s… red so that when I look at it… I’ll remember you and... We’ll be together… forev…!”
Spark was silenced as Glint forced herself on him, her lips meeting his in a quick but deep kiss that took him to his back on the rocky cove floor. Their embrace was passionate, needing of one another to extents so fierce that words would have failed it. Their eyes shut to the beauty around them, choosing instead to relish in the beauty of something that couldn’t be seen. Tears rushed down their faces, but they couldn’t have been happier. Their rings shined brilliantly in the light as their hands grasped one another, and their fingers entwined. Their tongues danced, if just briefly, seeking naught for a lusty stride, but one of love.
Their parting was a hesitant one. Their eyes opened to see each other’s gaze.
“Forever,” They both said in total unison.
They kissed again, and surrendered to the moment. Their bodies warmed one another, even when their clothes were removed part by part. They spent the next couple hours in that cave giving the entireties of their bodies and hearts to one another. One bout of passion was lovingly spurred to another with little rest in between. Their love literally made sparks fly that would light the cave in a shining beacon of their unison.
…
Nori returned home the next day at the strike of eleven bells. As Chay’s car drove off, he entered his home expecting to hear silence, and to have an opportunity to climb into his own bed and bask in a surprisingly warm autumn sunbeam before drifting off to sleep. But when he stepped into the house, the smell of bacon wafted into his nose – it made his ears perk. The beautiful smells were accompanied by happy humming he knew to be his daughter’s. Curious, the raccoon remove his shoes and stepped quietly into the house.
There Glint was in the kitchen, finishing off what looked to be the last of the eggs as she fried them in a pan. She was dressed fully – crimson cargos, red tank, and an apron tied around her body. Her bare feet danced tip-toed across the floor as she moved, swaying with her merry tune. It was a happiness that lit up the room, and Nori could tell. At the table sat Spark, also dressed in his matching blue outfit, reading the newspaper as if he were Nori’s age or something. He even had one leg crossed.
“Dad!” Glint’s face lit up upon seeing Nori watching them, “You’re just in time! Sit your butt down.”
Nori complied, moving to one of the three chairs at the small kitchen table and resting his coat over the back of it before sitting. Strips of bacon and freshly made stacks of pancakes accompanied a jug of orange juice and empty glasses on the table. Three plates were fully set with the silverware placed in correspondence to ‘proper dining etiquette,’ and there were things such as a small tub of margarine and a jar of strawberry jelly to go with the pieces of toast Nori could smell warming up in the toaster.
“… What did you do last night?” Nori asked in the tone of a suspicious parent.
“Nothing!” Glint said as she finally finished the eggs, and she pranced over to the table and shoveled the fried eggs off onto the places using a spatula, “Oh, I might have gotten pregnant though, like the horrible daughter I am.”
“That is the furthest thing from funny I think I’ve heard all morning,” Nori huffed to her grinning daughter before she slipped away, “You obviously had a good time. But really, now you’ve got me worried.”
“Seriously? After last night, I realized the only man I need in my life is right here at home,” Glint explained as she turned off the burner on the stove and untied her apron.
“What, him?” Nori asked, brow lifted. He gestured to Spark; the Minun seemingly wasn’t paying attention.
Glint blushed, sparks bouncing from her cheeks as she moved in to kiss her father on the cheek. “Noooo… My Daddy!” She squeaked, turning to shoot a wink at Spark.
Spark smirked at her, then shook his head with a sigh and closed up the paper, turning to get into breakfast.
As Glint sat down, Nori eyed his daughter more suspiciously. “Daddy?” He repeated, “No daughter of mine calls me Daddy. Honestly, I’m tired Glint… if you make me have to be stern with you, I might just collapse.”
Glint grinned. “I’m just happy, Dad. My first date went amazing! And I can’t wait for my next one,” She explained.
Nori picked up a fork, but still looked puzzled, “Next one?” He repeated.
Glint looked to him with the sweetest of smiles, “Daddy? Shut up and eat.”
good story but the more I read these the more I wonder how Nori will react to everything, disregarding taht one "non canon" comic where he stumbles in on them.
good story but the more I read these the more I wonder how Nori will react to everything, disregardi
as always, ya come out with another amazing story milkie, I've been reading for a while but never could find the words to give what ya write justice. ^^;
as always, ya come out with another amazing story milkie, I've been reading for a while but never co
Really like these stories. Great work. Just thought of a reference these two could make to something, but the reference would feel like it's more from these two than what I'm thinking of and I'll shut up now.
Really like these stories. Great work. Just thought of a reference these two could make to something
*takes a deep breath* I waited all week to be able to read this. I could have read it on any of those days, but I'd have had to squeeze it in during or between other things, and I simply couldn't have that. A rare treat like this deserves to be sat down in front of and enjoyed.
And oh. Oh, did I enjoy it.
From the very beginning of the Glint and Spark stories, I've wanted to see what kind of romance these two could do if they were given the space and time for it. The resulting blend of young fun and real-world expectation, not to mention their combined reaction to it, was heart-swellingly adorable and achingly wonderful. I am not a fan of romance in general; it's cliched and tired. But this... it was so unique, so real to the characters and honest... it was beautiful.
The flashbacks to younger days made them seem so much more three-dimensional and deep, giving them even more personality than before. Their skipping around conversations with friends and family so exciting and dangerous. Their pure love shining so brightly in the murky depths of circumstance, lit my imagination with wonder.
Don't think I didn't notice that little reference in there, either, you sly mouse. <3
This was gorgeous, I'm going to re-read this all week. It may seriously be one of the best in the series.
*takes a deep breath* I waited all week to be able to read this. I could have read it on any of thos
It certainly does seem that you're the last to attend the party, but you've been a busy fella, so I'm not about to hold that against you.
In this story, they had more space and time, but not complete freedom. As far as I can think about it, I doubt they would never have that sense of liberation in any situation short of moving far, far away from everyone they ever knew together. But it was a refreshing change, and I was aware that people had been itching to see what more the twins had to offer each other.
As always, what with your invested interest and actual presence with the twins, your enjoyment of the tales weaved is very important to me. I'd hate to over-step somewhere and sour the twins' Dad in any way. And there'll be more to write with the two of them in time, no doubt about that. I've a lot to touch on - all I need to do is pick a place.
It certainly does seem that you're the last to attend the party, but you've been a busy fella, so I'
Technoman21: This story...Really touched my heart where it feels the emotions. I really really love It and this was my first time reading it. In a way, I could relate to Spark (aside the love with sister part) in so many ways I can't even count...Awesome story, this gets my Techno-rating beyond past the charts. Over 9000 / 5 =3
(PS: Yea I'm new but I've observed every work of Nori's and yours. Admire it all!)
Technoman21: This story...Really touched my heart where it feels the emotions. I really really love
