As snow fell around her, White pulled her drenched jacket more tightly around her and cursed. She'd made an amateur mistake in instructing her Servine to dodge the Simipour that was wildly thrashing around with water spraying out of its mouth. He'd missed the spray, alright- but she hadn't been so lucky.
If only I'd bought more revives... she thought bitterly, sighing as she glanced at her Lampent's Pokéball. I'd be warm again in a jiffy.
It was funny how one little mistake could hinder someone horribly.
"We meet again," a voice murmured from behind her. White rolled her eyes and sighed. After numerous occasions of running into N, or having him sneak up from behind her; she really wasn't surprised to hear his voice. "Aren't you cold in those wet clothes?"
"Obviously," she replied drily as she continued walking. "Would I wear a wet jacket for no reason?" N laughed slightly.

"Depends on the circumstance really, White. I've seen girls wet their shirts for men- the reason why eludes me, though. There are no men around, so it can't be that. Snow is frozen water, but it isn't snowing enough to drench you. And you're not covered in snow, so you haven't tripped over." She could hear his voice directly in her ear, which bothered her. He breathed extremely loudly for a fast talker.
"No. I was an idiot and got the full effect of Hydro Pump as a result," she told him, gesturing to her rear end. "I fell on my ass. Thank you for failing to notice that."
"Am I supposed to?" he enquired uncertainly in a tone that made White giggle. "Bottoms have no other function but to excrete waste. Why are you laughing?" he demanded as he realized that she was laughing. "Bottoms aren't a laughing matter!"
"No reason," she chortled. A soft hand gripped her shoulder, forcing her to spin on her heel. Unsurprisingly, N was clothed in a dirt colored sweater that matched his agenda. His green eyes, usually calm, were blazing in their sockets.
"I asked you why you were laughing," he rephrased softly, fists clenched. "And I expect an answer."

"Calm down," White sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I was laughing because you... well..."
"Well what?" he asked, softening softly. "Tell me. Please." There was an almost vulnerable look in his eyes now- which, combined with the remains of the fire, thrilled her. She felt almost childlike under that gaze.
"You're so male, but yet... not exactly male," White said finally after some hesitation. She wasn't sure how N would take this one. He frowned thoughtfully and loosened his grip on her shoulder slightly.
"'Not exactly male'?" he echoed. "I have a male mindset. I'm..." he hesitated, "...me. What could be more masculine than that?"
"Honestly?" the teenage girl began, but N was no longer paying attention. He was staring at the houses on the path ahead, transfixed.
"What's the occasion for those lights being up?" he pointed, looking like a wide eyed preschooler. "Is it a holiday?"
"Yeah. It's nearly Christmas," White said, regretting the loss of eye contact. "You know what Christmas is... right?" truthfully, she had no idea. There was so much that he didn't know...
"No," he told her sorrowfully, lowering his arm. "Please explain Christmas to me." As he leaned comfortably against a wall, he gestured for her to proceed.
"Christmas time is the time for giving. It's a festivity," she added as he raised an eyebrow. "The children believe that Santa Claus brings them presents. But, the main reason behind it is the birth of Mew. Son of Arceus." N nodded slowly, putting a lock of his green hair behind his ear.
"Arceus... that would be the God of all Pokémon, right? Some... friends mentioned him to me once. It sounded so much like a fairytale that I thought nothing of it."

You have a strange perception of fairy tales, White thought, biting her lip. But I'm not one to judge. I thought Cinderella was real until I was eleven.
"Yeah," she affirmed instead, looking at the thickening snow overhead. "People say that he created the world. Although the people of Sinnoh claim that it was only their region," she sighed, rolling her eyes. "It all comes down to perception, N. If you see something for what it is, then you see it like that until your ideas change."
"I see... White, can we go look at the lights?" he pleaded, looking so childlike that she felt helpless. How could she refuse those wide green eyes? "Please?"
"Alright," she gave in. "But I have to go home at eight. It's seven now." he cheered excitedly.
"Excellent! Let's go!" he cried, grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the nearest house.

"Look at these ones!" N called, pointing to a flashing set of candy cane lights.
"They're nice," admitted White, squeezing his hand slightly. The run (or drag, depending on how you saw it) may have left her heated up and sweaty, but the feeling of the wet fabric on her skin still bothered her. The feel of N's warm hand in hers only offered some comfort. N, noticing, frowned.
"What's wrong? Don't you like them after all?" he asked, sounding slightly more adult-like again as he pulled his hand free. "There are more lights..."
"No, it's not that," she assured him. He frowned even more and, after a second of studying her, snapped his fingers.
"Ahh. You're still wet. I'm sorry," he said, shamefaced. "I forgot all about your clothes."
"N, it's- what are you doing?" her eyes widened again as she saw N shrugging off his sweater.
"Helping," he responded, pulling it over his head and giving White a good view of his flat stomach and ribs before his white shirt slid down. "Here. My sweater is very warm. Cashmere nearly always is," he told her after a second thought, handing over the sweater with a sweet smile.
"Thanks," White replied with an equally sweet smile... which dropped as she realized something.

"Um... are there any bushes around by chance?"
"Why? Are you in need of a toilet?" his tone revealed the almost regal disgust he had for that idea.
"No. I have to get changed. My shirt and my jacket are wet."
"Why can't you change in front of me?" she sweat dropped visibly. "Aren't you a human as well?"
"Just turn around and don't look," she requested wearily after a quick gaze of the street revealed no bushes.
"Oh. Okay..." he complied, even putting his hands over his eyes so he wasn't tempted at all. After a minute's hesitation and a slight giggle at how silly N looked, White slid the wet jacket from her shoulder and then, after a quick glance at his back, pulled her shirt off and grimaced as the cold air hit her wet chest.
My bra's soaked too. Great, she thought, groaning quietly as she stared at the pink sports bra that sat over her boobs. After a second glance to N, she shook her head. I can't take that off. It'd be awkward if N noticed...
"Hey!" a voice barked from close by. "Put some clothes on over there, you damn stripper!" N and White both jumped. N turned to ask White what a stripper was, only to have his jaw hit the floor and feel the color rush to his face. White screeched and covered her chest with the sweater, ashamed as her face also lit up. "Don't make me call the police, young lady," the voice barked again. So, in front of a heavily blushing N who just couldn't stop staring at her, White pulled on the sweater, picked the wet things up and fled the scene. She'd never been so embarrassed in her whole life.

After running for what felt like forever, White finally sat herself down and groaned. Of all the things to happen in public! Her face was starting to cool down, but her heart raced on as she replayed the scene in her head yet again. N had looked so surprised... but he'd also looked at her in a male way that both excited and dismayed her.
You should've seen it happening, you idiot. All men stare, she told herself reproachfully. That rude man who shouted sure was... Mom was right. Even N, innocent, crazy N, stares...
"White?" she groaned again as N sat himself next to her hesitantly. "Are you okay?"
"Fine," she said, averting her eyes from his gaze.
"That was... different," N admitted, clearing his throat. The brunette said nothing. "I don't quite understand why you wanted me to look away. You look nice. Different to me... and to your friends." White's cheeks glowed as she buried her face into her hand.
Shut up, N, she urged him internally, biting her knuckle as a strange feeling filled her.
"...I'm not sure why you had that thing on. Your... breasts looked rather large. Are you well?" he asked as she suddenly let out a near hysterical giggle. "Did that offend you? If I said something wrong, I apologize..."
"You're more male than I thought after all..." she said faintly, pulling her face up regardless of the blush covering her face, "to notice that..."
"All I had to do was notice your breasts?" N murmured to himself as his cheeks began to burn too. "Women..." out loud, he said, "Think nothing of it, White. It... puzzles me to get that reaction out of you, but that light in your eyes is nice." cupping her face in his hand, he stared into her blue eyes and smiled without thinking of it. White lost all train of thought as their eyes stayed connected. They may have sat there for hours without knowing it.
"You're beautiful," N whispered, stroking her cheek. "Never let anyone tell you otherwise. Especially on Christmas," he added as he pressed his lips to hers.

Merry (belated) Christmas to all on FF! Saraerose, I hoped you liked this!