Author: Lipstickcat
Email: [email protected]
Pairing: Butch/James
Rating: Pg
Disclaimer: the characters aren�t mine, as much as i would love them to be.
Notes: Extra points to anyone who can spot the song and the pokemon connection.
***
The wind blew flurries of snow through the dark night sky. James shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. *I should have brought a scarf. Or a map.*
He was lost and he knew it, but he wasn�t going to stop. If he thought about it, he could have followed his foot prints back in the crisp white snow, but soon it would be too late. The storm was picking up and they wouldn�t be there much longer. He didn�t really want to go back yet anyway, Jessie was in a violent mood, Meowth could deal with her.
He trudged on. Even though he was wearing his gloves his fingers had gone numb, and his boots let in the sludge of melted snow. His hair was soaked through and icy droplets dripped down the collar of his top. *I must look a mess. At least in this weather no-one will be out to see me when I�m not at my best.*
To top it all, he was crying. The tears weren�t really noticeable as the wind and snow whipped against his face, but they were there. He had been outside for hours and no-one had come to find him. That meant one of two things; either he was too far away from the hut to hear anyone calling his name and he truly was lost, or, they -she- didn�t really care about him.
He sat down in the snow with a bump. He lent against a tree and winced as pain shot up his back. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore it, at least he was getting used to it now.
He still preferred to get injured by blasting off though, that didn�t seem to hurt so much...
He decided that he should just stay where he was, he couldn�t see a foot in front of himself anymore, it was getting too dangerous to carry on. When the storm had passed he would work out where he was.
His stomach growled in disagreement, but he found that he couldn�t stand back up, even if he wanted to. He was too numb and too tired. *I bet that Jessie�s tucked up in bed with a roaring fire.*
As James succumbed to sleep, snow was already settling on his boots. He would be buried by morning, but he didn�t realise it. He was thinking of soft beds and thick blankets, the warmth and security of Meowth curled up on one side and the symbol of hurtful love, Jessie, on the other....
***
A whole day passed before James woke up, at first he just moaned and clutched on to the sheets that covered him. Slowly he became aware that he wasn�t where he should be. He opened his eyes and looked around. He was surrounded by a deep burgundy canopy that hung over a luxurious four poster bed. He could hear a fire crackling at the end of the bed, it was the only illumination in the room and it made the shadows dance in an amber glow.
He looked over to the bedside table, searching for a clock. Instead, to his delight, he found a steaming mug of hot chocolate and a box of doughnuts.
As he sat up the bedsheets fell away from him, revealing his bare chest. Tentatively, he lifted the sheets and peered beneath. A red wave flooded his face as he realised that he was completely naked. He looked around the room and found his uniform on the back of a chair, it was cleaned, ironed and folded.
His stomach began to gurgle in complaint that he should delay eating for any reason. He obeyed it and wolfed down the sugary, jam filled treats. Then he quietly got up and dressed himself.
As he pulled on his last glove, he walked to the window and looked outside. It was dusk, the dark blue sky was speckled with tiny pinpoints of light. The white snow lay thick and shone, the brightness of it was almost blinding after being in such a dark room.
*I should try to find who ever it was that rescued me.*
His room was at the end of a long corridor. As he walked along it he passed several other rooms. He tried the doors, but found that they were all locked. It was becoming clear that he was in a massive mansion, not unlike the one that he had run away from as a child. Only there were no servants here, his parents always had lots of maids and butlers running around.
Eventually, he reached the end of the hallway. He entered a room that must have been at the centre of the house, because there were no windows. It was lit by a huge chandelier that tinkled in a non-existent draught. At the opposite end of the room there was another fire place, it was lit and in front of it there was an Arcanine and a Growlithe, both were fast asleep. On a table nearby there was a large crystal vase with a spray of silky red roses in it.
*Am I dead? Am I in Heaven? This place has almost all of my favourite things!*
He tensed up as he heard someone else enter the room behind him. A vaguely familiar, rough voice spoke.
�Not quite Growly, but I thought that you might like them.�
James spun around and found himself face to face with Butch. The fellow team member smiled and held out a pure white rose that shone as brightly as the fresh snow.
�We nearly lost you there, it�s luckily I saw your hair sticking out of the snow drift.� Butch continued to talk as James instinctively took the rose from him. He couldn�t help wonder why his rival should help him. �I thought you were already dead, but my Arcanine thawed you out.�
�Thanks. I really appreciate it.� James ran his hand through his hair. �Where�s Cassidy?�
Butch shrugged his shoulders.
�It not my business what she does with her time off.�
*Time off? The Boss never gives us time off.*
�Oh. So where are your servants?�
�I don�t have any, I cope perfectly well without them.�
Pink flushed across James� cheeks.
�So, you undressed me?�
You�d have caught pneumonia in those wet clothes.� Butch shrugged again and walked over to the fireplace to warm his hands. �Where�s Jessie?�
James had forgotten all about her and Meowth. They were stuck in that damp hut when they could be enjoying the luxury that he was in. That is, if they weren�t out looking for him.
�I don�t know, in a hut somewhere in the forest. We should look for them.�
�No.� Butch spun around to face James. �I mean, its dark and there�s another storm on the way. We�ll have to wait until morning. Besides, you should rest.�
�I�m not sleepy at the moment.�
�That�s hardly surprising, you�ve slept all day. Are you hungry?�
�Always.� James� eyes lit up.
Butch gestured towards a sofa in front of the fireplace. James left the rose that he had been playing with in the vase, amongst the red ones, and sat down. The soft cushions enveloped him.
�Wait there, I�ll get some food.� Butch pointed towards where James was sitting. �Oh, and take those gloves off, I�m not going to dust for finger prints!�
James didn�t understand what he meant, but he gladly took the his gloves off. His hands were getting all sweaty anyway.
It took a matter of seconds for Butch to return. He was carrying a huge plate of egg fried rice and spring rolls, a bottle of white wine and two glasses. He placed them on a low table and dragged it over to the sofa. The Arcanine stirred as he passed, before nuzzling deeper into its companion�s fur and falling back to sleep.
Butch flopped onto the sofa alongside James and poured a glass of wine. James took it from him hesitantly, he didn�t drink alcohol very often, but he didn�t want to appear childish in front of the slightly older man, so he took a mouthful. Then he battled with his facial muscles to stop himself from pulling a face at the dry taste.
Butch smiled and passed James a pair of chopsticks. James didn�t need telling twice, and he began to fill his face. After a while, Butch stopped eating.
�James. Do you know if Jessie has a sister?�
James shrugged as he shovelled a spring roll into his mouth. Butch paused before changing the subject.
�Just because Jessie and Cassidy don�t like each other, that doesn�t mean that we can�t be friends. Does it?�
James stopped and looked at Butch.
�I�d like another friend, I don�t have many.�
Butch held out his hand.
�OK then. Friends.�
James took his hand to shake it. His hand was sweaty too, even though he hadn�t been wearing any gloves. *Probually from the fire.*
�Friends.�
The pair talked well into the night. James found that the wine made him quite talkative, he spilled his heart out about his childhood and how he had run away. He told Butch about what had happened when his parents had tricked him into going home by faking their own deaths. He would normally have kept his feelings to himself, but the with the help of the drink, he talked freely.
�I could have loved Jessebelle if she hadn�t tried to change me, if she had loved me for who I am. I should be used to it though, not even my own parents care for me.�
�What about Jessie?�
We�re team mates, friends, nothing more. Although I like to think that she loves me and that if things were different....�
A fire was burning in Butchs eyes, rage was building in his face. He could bite his tongue no longer.
�Love? Friends? A friend doesn�t beat you up!�
�Oh. Its nothing, just a tap when I�m being a moron.�
�James, don�t lie. I�ve seen the bruises, your whole body is purple. Thats not how you treat someone that you care about. She has a problem.�
James bowed his head and closed his eyes. A tear rolled down his cheek.
�She�s the closest thing to love that I have. She does care for me, even if she does hurt me. There�s no-one else in the world who cares about me. All I want is a little love.�
Butch sighed.
�Can you be so blind? Its staring you in the face, open your eyes and look at me...�
James sucked in a deep breath and turned to face him. Suddenly Butch leaned forward and pressed his lips against James�. Normally, James� gut reaction would have been to get away, but the alcohol had dulled his brain and he followed his hammering heart instead. He returned the kiss.
As Butchs hands reached up to stroke his face, James knew that he was no where near to the ideal of �love� that he longed for, but he was closer to it than anything he had experienced in his life before. Butch genuinely cared for him, he was gentle and nice to him. This, at least, had the possibility of evolving into love.
James fell into Butchs arms and settled on the sofa, leaning against his chest. They sat and watched the flames flicker in silence. Both were content to just let the warmth that burned deep inside themselves spread throughout their limbs. James knew that tomorrow he would have to return to his team mates, but tonight he could be happy. He could have one night when he wouldn�t flinch at every sudden movement. One night when he could sleep securely and believe that love didn�t have to be painful. *One night.*