A Trail we Blaze - A Trainer X Cinderace story

Chapter VIII

The blinds of Max's window were turned open, the early morning rays of sunlight filtering through, gently kissing Ruby's eyelids and lifting her from sleep. She fumbled for the blanket and instead found herself being held by something behind her. As she woke up more and her senses became more alert, she realized that the things holding her were Max's arms, which had somehow wrapped themselves around her waist and chest. She could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck, slow and steadily flowing in and out. Confused, she slowly squinted her eyes open and found herself in a room much smaller than Max's. The bed was smaller, and so was the pillow. The smell was different too: freshly washed sheets and shampooed carpets.

She blinked a few times, trying to remember how they had gotten there. The clock next to them, which she also didn't recognize, said 7:30 AM, but she felt like it should still be dark. Then she remembered that they were in a room at the Pokémon Center in Kalos, not in their house back in Hoenn. Slowly, the events of yesterday evening flowed back into her memory. She remembered sitting with Max on the bench until the sky turned dark and the first star appeared in the sky, even though it was dimmed by the city lights. Then, they both walked back to the Pokémon Center and were so tired that they immediately collapsed on the bed, out like a pair of lights.

She took a deep breath, blinking again. Blood began rising up her face as she tried to clear her mind, but her brain still seemed to be waking up. She realized that she was so tired because they had traveled to Kalos. Max taught her about something called "jet lag," which is when you travel so far across the Earth that you have to change the time on your clock, but your body is still used to the time back in your original area. That was a little disappointing for her in her current state as she had always been an "early bird," as Max referred to it. There was something about waking up right as the sun rose that always helped her start the day on the right foot.

Ruby stifled a yawn and slowly shuffled around until she was facing Max. He was still asleep, but he had adjusted himself so he was still snugly hugging her. His lips were parted slightly, and his eyes jumped under their lids like he was dreaming. She wondered what he was dreaming about--was he dreaming about her? Or about his home in Hoenn? She began getting a bubbly feeling in her chest and stomach as she raised her paw and slightly brushed the side of his head. His hair was getting pretty long, which he seemed to dislike, but she found it pleasant, cute even. His hair was shaggy but short and fluffy on the back and sides of his head. She continued running her paw over his scalp in a slow, relaxing manner. She wondered if she could ever get him to do this to her... Maybe she could ask another day.

After a while of playing with his locks, she stopped and leaned closer, absorbing his familiar scent. Then, as if something had decided for her, she slowly reached forward and brushed his lips with hers in a sort of nuzzle. He was so warm and soft, and it wasn't long before she kissed him fully. The sensation sent a shiver of excitement down her spine as she continued to softly press his lips to his and rub his hair. She didn't have thumbs since she had paws instead of hands, so she had to spread her little digits on her paw to feel his hair.

She suddenly realized that she might be suffocating him while she kissed him since she was blocking his mouth. Panicked, she was about to pull away when she felt his hand move to the base of her neck. It surprised her at first, but she knew it was Max's hand, so she sighed deeply, falling back into it. Max nudged her one final time before pulling back and smirking at her sleepily.

"Well, how's that for a wake-up call?" he chuckled. An evident blush appeared all over his face as he tried to act cool.

"S-sorry," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Don't be," Max said with a sleepy smile. "I wouldn't mind you doing that more often actually."

Ruby sighed in relief. "Well, that's good. In that case..." She looked up and pecked his cheek, then his lips. Max gladly accepted, and he began getting a tingly feeling all over his body as he held her, even though he was just waking up.