How we meet

Chapter 18

You too disappeared into the woods. The people running this cave search were not happy when their two most important members of the team vanished into thin air. While they argued and tried to figure out how to find you, you guys were happily dancing.
You had learned that N had never danced while you walked through the forest foraging for food. It was a fun development really. You took his hands after abandoning the food you had found. You joked about how rough his hands felt in comparison to yours and you happily laughed at his flushed face.
You took the lead and slowly he understood, you stepped slowly leading him through the movements, he looked at the ground for a while trying to understand the pattern. You let him until he had started to understand. You moved his chin up, having him now look at you and not the grass below your feet. He struggled more stepping on your toes and missing a few steps, yet as he said he couldn't do it you held firm. You guided him around still your fingertips kissing his hip and you led him through the steps.
Both of you felt time still, the flowers and their colors froze in the breeze. The leaves fall like confetti from the sky. The sun illuminates your silent waltz. You felt like royalty and he felt happy. He stepped on your toes a few more times but he was so much better than before.
N knew these woods better than you, leading you deeper into the green trees and to a wonderfully crystal covered cave. Moonlight reflected off of the cave and you spent the night by a small fire counting the stars. You laid side by side as a shooting star granted one of your oldest wishes; to be loved.
The stars lulled you to sleep. They kissed your cheeks and brushed their fingers across your face. Warm hands tucked you into your makeshift bed of stone and rock. Even with your bedroll it would still be uncomfortable. Yet in your tired dreamy state you didn't mind.
When the stars left you and the sun made you wake you rose first, not questioning the arm wrapped around your waist or your head resting on someone else's arm. You were tired and it was chilly out, it would happen to anyone. Yet the stars snickered and giggled because they loved joking about your shared obliviousness.
When N awoke surrounded by blankets that weren't his he groaned rolling over and rubbing the pain out of his back. He saw the steaming and sizzling food. He smelt it, savory wonderfully fresh smell making his mouth water.
"What's that?" He yawned, draping himself across the ground besides you dragging a blanket with him.
"Sautéed mushrooms." You offered them to him and handed him a berry. "Everything else I think I'll use to make a stew." You snuffed out the fire.
You didn't return to the camp and caves that day either. N had dragged you to the woods and forced you to wait for him to come back. You closed your eyes when he asked, even reached out your hand when he asked then too. The fluffiness made your eyes snap open and you nearly screamed. You backed up a few feet, flying to your toes.
"Don't worry, she won't hurt you."
You shook your head, "No no," you panicked, "You couldn't know that."
"I talked to her, I explained everything, she won't, I swear on my life."
"Talked to her?" You sound crazy you backed up into a tree.
"Trust me?" He asked, looking up at you expectantly, "please?"
You stared, holding your breath. Insanely impossible it took how many weeks of venipede scaring you half to death just for you not to scream at seeing a Pokémon. N must have been crazy to think that you could do this.
Yet you found your feet touching the ground. Even if you didn't move from your spot at the base of the tree, N took it as a sign to try. He let the small minccino leap from his hands to the grass. She stayed still for the most part, staying away from you.
You took a step forward but nothing closer. She sniffed the air, stepping closer to you ever so carefully. You hated how she tiptoed on glass around you, yet you had to thank her for it. She grew closer until she was only a foot from your feet. She moved back as your chest became heavy and your breathing sped up. N handed her a berry as she moved away from you, he thanked her softly as she left the clearing.
You collapsed onto the ground, and your eyes burned. It was so hard, you felt the tears drip down your face and reach out to you. You moved without thinking, clinging like a child to his shirt. Silent sobs shook your chest and you cried apologizing, even though you did nothing wrong.
"I'm sorry, it was so hard," your body shook and your expertly crafted shell had shattered, "I wanted to reach out, but I couldn't. I couldn't..." Your nails dug into his arms, but N never said a word about it, never complained as your tears stained his clothes.
"You did great." His hands ran down your back, "You did perfect," he comforted you, "You did wonderful, I'm proud of you."
You cried harder then. You were happy even if you felt like a failure, even though you were angry and you tore yourself apart for not being able to do it. N held you, he was proud of you, he was so glad that you even trusted him enough to try.
"I'm so proud," It rang through your head, and reached your heart.