Sweethearts

I'm posting this up in two, possibly three chapters, partially because the rest isn't done and partially because of how fucking long it got. Basically, this starts out really, disgustingly, diabetes-inducingly sweet, then turns awkward but hot. I'm separating the PG and X rated parts not only because it's a convenient dividing point, but since it DID get so long, I'm giving people the opportunity to read only the sweet part if they want or only the hot part if they want more easily. (Though, it's all sweet. It's Barry/Dawn after all, the adorable innocent couple.)

Basic facts you need to know if you're not familiar with my crackverse, which this takes place in: All the PCs and all the Rivals are living in a couple houses in Indigo; Dawn got together with Barry a few months ago after she and Lucas broke up; Barry, who is quite “no sex before marriage”, just got The Talk from two of the other PCs the day before after walking in on them, and nearly canceled his date with Dawn tonight over the nervous effect it had on him.

...
Sweethearts


Despite how long and odd the day had been, Barry couldn't help but grin as he was ushered inside the others' house by none other than his darling girlfriend. “You came over tonight after all,” she chirped happily, throwing her arms around his chest. “I thought you weren't feeling well.”

“Well, I think I just needed some more sleep,” he laughed, hugging her back and kissing her forehead. In truth he'd done very little sleeping that day. Rather, he'd spent most the time laying in his back yard and staring at the sky, trying to wrap his head around things that had happened the night before.

Contrary to the wild tale Wally had weaved for his own and Cheren's amusement (the existence of which Barry was entirely ignorant of), the night before had involved nothing physical for Barry. Instead it had been filled with confused emotions and awkward questions, all of which he's opted to put aside for the time being. Right now none of what he'd been debating and none of Blake and Winnie's “seminar” mattered; the sweet girl nuzzling into his chest and the delicious meal she'd promised were far, far more interesting to Barry.

Dawn giggled, leaning up to kiss him quickly. “Well, I'm glad you're okay. It's just weird for you to not be all hyper! And I would have been so sad if you'd missed dinner.”

“I know,” he smiled, squeezing one of her hands softly. “I wouldn't miss your cooking for anything though!”

“Not even the chance to beat Red?” she teased.

“Well I hope you'd be watching me, not busy in the kitchen,” he scolded jokingly. “If I caught you cooking during an important battle like that, I'd have to fine you!”

Dawn's free hand covered her mouth as she giggled, then brushed one of her forelocks back, revealing a light blush on her cheeks. “Well, it's a good thing he's out tonight then,” she mused, pulling him softly toward the kitchen. “I wouldn't want my cooking to go to waste.”

“I'm starved, so it won't!” he assured, rubbing his stomach.

Dinner was out of the oven just a few minutes later, and the two ate while chatting cheerfully, interrupted only when Ethan stuck his head in to try and steal some of their meal. Dawn had shoved the rest of the salad toward him with a fork and told him to get out before she kicked his ass at Mario Kart for a third time. Naturally, he'd turned his nose up at it, but they'd been left in peace afterward.

With their food eaten and dishes done, they peeked into the living room in the interest of playing some games, but found that the TV wasn't on because someone had just left it that way. Instead Lyra was marathoning some anime they'd never seen and trying to get Silver to care about it.

“We can go play something in my room?” Dawn offered, nodding up the stairs, and Barry agreed, trotting up the stairs behind her.

“I always wondered, how come you've got two other people in your room, and everyone else only has one,” he asked as they walked in and Dawn started rifling through the bookshelf.

“I think it's because Leaf's not really in here all that much,” she shrugged. “Lyra and I just sort of decided to share a room because we wear the same size clothes and like a lot of the same music. Leaf's here with us so she's right next to Red's room. She's in there more than half the time anyway.”

Dawn glanced over at the bunk below her own bed, which was perfectly made. The only place the fabric was bunched was where Lyra had stood on it to talk to Dawn that morning, and otherwise, the sheets hadn't moved for days. She glanced over at Barry and saw him shift uncomfortably, his cheeks a bit pink as he stared at the same bed. “Oh, don't be like that,” she told him teasingly, “those two are practically married.”

“Huh?” he looked up at her, cheeks reddening further, and shook his head. “Ah! No, it's not like that. I was just thinking.”

“About what~?” she cooed, kissing him on the cheek.

“About how I'm going to fine you if you don't find the cards by the time I count to ten!”

He grinned as she started to laugh, then bounded up the ladder to her bunk in a single leap, flopping diagonally across the bed and letting his arms and head hang off the edge a bit.

Dawn smiled as she watched him, amused by how he was almost too tall to fit on the bunk, his outstretched toes hanging off one side and his head near the other; she could still remember when they both, plus Lucas and Belle, could fit together on Barry's bunk growing up. “Are you looking? One, two-”

“Okay, okay!” she laughed, tossing the cards at him so they bounced off his side and onto the mattress. “I found them already.” With a slight grunt of effort she climbed up to join him, half-tackling him to lay across his back. “What're we playing?”

“We could do Go Fish if you can keep from peeking.”

“I never peek! You're the one who peeks.”

“No way would I ever peek,” he fussed back.

“We played Go Fish for like three hours on Wednesday.”

“Fine... we could play Yuno.”

“...Play what?”

“Yuno,” he repeated, pointing at her shelves. “I see it, right there.”

Dawn squinted at the shelves. “I've never even heard of Yuno before. Is this some sort of trick, like a knock-knock joke?”

“No!” he shouted, practically pouting. “Geez. Get off me and I'll get it myself,” he sighed, and she sat up to let him hop down, scooting over to sit by her pillow as she watched him.

“It must be Lyra's or something then because I've never heard of-”

She stared at him in disbelief as he held up the Uno tin, waving it at her. “See? Yuno.”

Dawn had to cover her face with her pillow to muffle her laughter.

“What? What's so funny? It's a good game!” he shouted, hands on his hips.

“N-no, that's not it,” she answered, still laughing and hugging her pillow. “It's... Barry, it's called 'uno'. Like Spanish for 'one'.”

“What? No it's not. It's Yuno! We've always called it Yuno.”

She'd finally stopped laughing, and just shook her head. “No, trust me... It's Uno. I think I made the same mistake when I was a little kid, but it's Spanish.”

Barry frowned, staring at the box and mouthing “uno” a couple times. “...I still think you're wrong, but I'll play along. I'm fining you a kiss for making fun of me, though.”

“I'll give you two, just for being a good sport, if you shuffle.”

There was a massive grin across the blond's face as he hopped back onto the bunk and leaned forward expectantly. Rolling her eyes but smiling just the same, Dawn carefully pressed a kiss to his lips, then sat back and opened up the tin.

“...Wait,” Barry said when he opened his eyes a few seconds later. “What about the other kiss?”

“I changed my mind. You have to beat me first!”

He started to answer to object, but then decided that it was a fair bet. “Fine. I win, I get more kisses.”

“And if I win?” she raised an eyebrow, handing him half the cards to shuffle.

“I'll buy you dessert?”

“I like that. But you have to buy some for Prinplup, too.”

Barry agreed, because any opportunity to bribe the little penguin was one less day he had to worry about getting pecked just for trying to hold Dawn's hand.

Their game dissolved into a grueling hour long duel, the last fifteen minutes of which was spent with neither of them being able to play their last card and barely being able to shout Uno over the other, which they decided was why most of the time, the game was played with more than two people – after all, the Reverse cards technically did nothing with just the two of them.

Then Dawn lucked out and got a Draw 4, leaving Barry with cards to play but too many to get rid of before she found a place for her final green 9.

“Awww man...” Barry pouted, sighing as he picked up the cards and started to shove them back in the box. “Well, I guess we're going to Articuno's?”

Dawn shook her head, reaching out and taking his hand. “It's already pretty late. I think we should wait for tomorrow.”

“Oh. Okay, if you're sure,” he smiled, closing up the tin and pushing it to the side. “You want to go see if Lyra's done with the TV, then?”

“Actually... I was thinking I'd give you those kisses anyway. Since you put up such a good fight.” She squeezed his hand and pulled on it softly, beckoning him closer, lowering her head so that she was smiling at him from beneath her bangs.

Barry felt a combination of glee and panic rush over him; glee that he would be getting to kiss and cuddle her, panic that the look in her eyes said she wanted to make out. It wasn't that Barry disliked making out – heavens no, it was one of the most amazing feelings on the planet. It was that he always felt like a jerk when his erection would rub up against her, or if his hands brushed across her breasts while they were shipping.

But when she gave him that look, that one that made her the most beautiful girl in the world, he couldn't help but want to hold her close and kiss her until he was out of breath.

As usual, the argument was solved inside his head when she latched her fingers into his hair, combing it back and giggling softly. Dawn had officially perfected the art of being irresistible to him, and he couldn't find it in his heart to mind.

Her palms cupped his cheeks as their lips met and he sighed contently, just letting their lips rub together. He pulled away softy, nuzzling her cheek and then tapping his nose to hers carefully. “When did you get so sweet?” he whispered, and she laughed lightly.

“When I found out you were so sweet. Now shush.”

She kissed him again, this time letting her tongue slide into his mouth, and while he returned the motion, he couldn't shake the sudden nervousness that came with it, either. He hadn't brushed his teeth after dinner, and now her tongue was touching his... If it was a problem, she didn't let on, softly wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding him closer, so he had to put his palms on the mattress to keep from falling on her. She tugged a little on his back, encouraging him closer still, and he gulped. He couldn't get closer without moving entirely or just laying on her, and already there was a tent forming in his pants from their deep kissing, so he really didn't want to lay atop her.

But she seemed insistent, pulling her lips away from his to lay down carefully, before looping her arms around his neck again. The new position let him move more, though, so he was able to keep from pressing to her thighs easily by simply hovering over her on his hands and knees.

“Barry,” Dawn cooed, letting her fingers brush across his lips, “will you stay here again tonight? Sleeping cuddled against you was so nice...”

He felt his face go impossibly red at the request, despite how innocent it was. The week before, they'd fallen asleep while watching a movie on his PSP, and the next morning Dawn had been gleeful, announcing it was the best sleep she'd ever had. Now she was making a bid for it again, and while he didn't think he really minded – it had been great to cuddle all night long – he wasn't sure it was right, as things currently stood.

He shook his head softly, kissing her again. “No, I really shouldn’t. Prinplup’ll cuddle you though, for sure.”

She laughed. “I know he would... but he’s not super warm like you...”

Barry blushed and sighed. “I... Dawn, we shouldn’t.”

“Why not... I want you to...” her hands were on his cheeks again, and her own head was tilted slightly, her lower lip puffed out in a pout. “Pleeaase...”

Just seeing that look and knowing he’d be disappointing her by leaving made him give. “Fine, I’ll stay. But don’t get used to it! I don’t want the others to start talking.”