Now, in this oneshot, we'll say that the game canon was used all except age. Let's say Lyra started her lovely journey at the blossoming age of fifteen. And, in here, is now seventeen because it took a while for it to all happen.

Lyra laughed at his picture, a stupid little grin plastered to her face.

"That was you at twelve?"

"Shut up."

"Nice hair." How had he known she was going to say that? "I mean, it's longish now but wow, you weren't taking care of it back then. It hangs down instead of doing the floof thing and your bangs are way different." She didn't have to mock him. He knew this. He was an entirely different person now.

It was her fault. But she wasn't allowed to know this.

Her expression went from amused to thoughtful. "You know, back when I was eleven, I totally would've been swooning all over you. Funny, huh?"

What?

"Good thing we met later!"

He refrained from letting out a groan of frustration.

"I would've annoyed the crap out of you. Stalked you everywhere, try to change you for the better, taken random things of yours…"

"Sounds familiar."

She laughed again, this time sheepish. "Yeah, but I don't proclaim my undying love all the time and hug all over you—I know you need your space."

Screw space. He wanted a hug.

Oh dear Arceus, she really had changed him.

He settled with glaring at her.

She looked down, cheeks reddening, "Yeah, I bet ya would've hated me even more if we had met back then. Now at least you've got enough tolerance not to sling me out the window!" Her cheeriness was back and she was beaming at him.

Sling her out the window? Who the hell did she think he was? Like he—

He remembered their first meeting. And how he had slung her away from the lab window.

Okay, she had every right to assume that.

"And back then I'd have been so shallow. And want to save you from yourself." Her face scrunched up unhappily at the thought and he wondered why she was still talking about this. "But now that I know ya a little better I know you don't need saving from yourself. You're a perfectly good person."

Because of you. He thought bitterly. But, of course, she didn't hear or know this.

"Oh, oh! And I'd probably have tried to kiss you—" His eyes widened, "Yeah, I know. Don't freak, it's all okay. I'm not going to be forcing myself on you any time soon."

Thing was, he wouldn't mind that.

He really wanted to shoot himself for admitting that mentally.

He was so pathetic.

"But, uh, yeah. I was so stupid back then it's not even funny."

"Yes, because only an idiot would like me."

He hadn't meant to sound so aggravated. But he sounded pissed. Which he kind of was but it was mostly at himself for being a weakling. It took him a second to realize she was giving him an odd stare. "Wait… you don't know?"

Okay, now he had a right to sound aggravated. "Know what?"

"That I have a crush on you." Heat pooled into his cheeks and he wasn't able to speak for a moment. "Don't get mad." She begged, "I thought you knew. Here, I'll pretend I didn't say it. It didn't happen. We can remain civil."

She thought his cheeks were flushed with anger. He decided to keep it this way and collected himself as best as he could. "No, I didn't know that."

She winced. "I thought it was obvious. I mean… Really obvious. And I'm glad in a way that you didn't know but that was a terrible, terrible confession. Can I try again?"

He ignored her question. "When?"

"…When can I try again? Now would be good—if you don't mind!"

He shook his head. "No. When did you…?"

"Get a crush on you?" Lyra blushed, "When I figured out how much you hated Team Rocket."

He stared blankly, trying to pull his thoughts together.

Really, all he was able to comprehend was:

Shelikesme. Shelikesme. Shelikes me. She li—

She coughed and shifted uneasily. "Well… I mean, I was really mad at you at first. But then I figured out it was because of how much you hate them. And it's such a passionate hate and they're such bad criminals and I figured you could—"

"Wait, what?"

She began to move her hat around, as if trying to fix it. Except it was perfectly fine where it was. "Uh… well… When you kinda sorta tore off my disguise."

He blushed with her.

"…This is getting awkward. I really shouldn't have brought it up. I'm sorry—"

"If you apologize for it, I'm going to cut off your pigtails."

It was immature. It was strange. And he said it aggressively.

But she calmed down and nodded.

"Well, I realized why you were so mad at me for wearing it. And I put together, finally, that you were really, really averse to Team Rocket and just how much you hated them and then—"

She bit her lip.

"And then I stopped being annoyed with you."

He had noticed a shift in attitude after that. She had stopped shouting at him, actually. And then she'd search him out to talk. And somet—

It was obvious.

Damn. How'd he miss it?

Oh, that was right. He was too busy hiding his stupid feelings for her to notice any of hers.

She was messing with her hat again. "But, yeah, we can pretend this never happened if it makes it less strange for you. And I completely understand if you never want to talk to me again—"

"Lyra."

She stopped breathing.

He thought about confessing in some overdramatic, showy way. But that wasn't him—no matter how much she changed him. "It's fine."

She let out a sigh. "Good."

Silence drifted around them for a minute and he flipped back his bangs, "So, anyone else twelve year old you would have a crush on?"

Don't say La—

"Lance! He's flippin hot!"

"…"

She blushed darkly, "Okay, that's really shallow. I know it, too. But it's not the only reason. And I know that it's just a shallow crush and nothing compared to—" She caught herself and eyed him nervously. "Anyway, I totally would've been swooning over him back then, too."

"Isn't he a little old?"

"Yep. But it's like celebrities. It's never gonna happen but you can still think they're awesome."

"And he's hot?"

She paled. "You aren't gay, right?"

"No."

"…I mean, it wouldn't be—"

"Lyra. I'm not gay. If I were I wouldn't be jealous of Lance, I'd be plotting ways to get him."

"Oh! I see." She paused. And he almost sighed in relief. She'd missed the obvious. Again. "He's not gay. I don't think." She thought over this, nose scrunched up in the way he hated. It made him want to hug her, damn it, and that was weak. "Maybe he is. It doesn't bother me as much as I think it s—Actually, seeing him kissing another hot guy would probably be—"

"Don't finish that sentence. Especially not with me."

She hissed. "Not you. He's not allowed to kiss you."

He stared at her in surprise.

Her glare turned to wide eyed horror and her hand went up to smack her mouth. "…I shall leave now."

"Just how much do you like me?"

"…A lot." She blushed darker. "I feel like a stupid preteen girl. Really. Because I don't really know you all that well and you probably think I'm annoying and—"

"You aren't annoying." He looked away, "And you're closer to me than anyone else."

That was the closest she was getting to a confession.

"Oh." And that was her response. He felt rejected. "Well, then, I might as well freak you out some more. One of the reasons I like Lance is because…" She fell silent, he about turned back to her when she added, "Because he kinda reminds me of you. He has red hair. And he's strong… And he's taller than me and warm."

He felt his cheeks burning.

"But he's also different from you. Like how much he cares for his pokemon and how he was always trying to help me get stronger—and how he helped me go against Team Rocket when they were experimenting on Darcia. And he helped me catch her. And whenever I beat him he was so proud of me and made me feel like I meant so—"

She stopped, giving him a sheepish smile.

"I sound really weird. But I can go on like that about my crushes."

He attempted not to look or sound as jealous as he felt. "But not me."

"…You want me to…?" She turned away, "But it's gotta be embarrassing. To hear me going on about you." No. It's an ego boost. Go on. "Are you going to mock me?"

"Maybe."

She laughed, "If you do, you might as well get it right. I love how you always showed up when I needed a boost. And when I defeated you, it was actually kinda cute how confused you were—even if it hurt my confidence and annoyed me that you kept calling me weak.

"And I was glad I got to be the one to teach you how much love matters." She smiled softly and his heart skipped a beat. Did she know…? "Do you know how excited I was when I saw your Crobat? Crobat! It took everything in my tiny little frame not to throw myself at you and glomp you for all you're worth."

He remembered her barely suppressed squee, the stomping, and then her hugging her Ampharos.

And to think that could've been him.

Oh great, he was getting jealous of a pokemon. That was just sad.

"And then the times when you were semi-nice… Those meant so much more. They made me feel special as stupid as it sounds." He attempted to meet her eyes but she looked down. "In fact, the one time you smiled at me—even though it looked kind of awkward on your face. You aren't used to it are you? Anyway, when you smiled at me I felt… Like I was the most important person in the world."

She was as far as he was concerned. And it was probably twice as corny sounding if he said it so he'd keep that thought to himself. "I only smiled once?"

"Yeah…" She messed with her hat again. "And recently, I don't feel like you're talking me down anymore. Like you respect me. And your respect is more important to me than anyone else's."

He was now starting to feel like an ass for not telling her how he felt.

"And you accept your defeats now. And winning against you is like… I don't know. But, of course, I love how determined you are—were—to take Team Rocket down. And I was so excited when we got to battle together. Not… that you care… I mean, it was me or Claire…"

He gulped. "I…" Her head jerked up, eyes wide to meet his. "I wanted to battle with you."

She looked down immediately, trying to hide a blinding smile. He didn't feel like mentioning he didn't like the thought of sharing her with Lance. Even if it was only a double battle.

"And you're bigger than me. It used to scare me but now it makes me feel safer."

She stopped.

"Are you bothered by it yet?" No. He didn't reply, instead opted for a grunt. "…But it doesn't freak you out, right? You aren't getting mad."

"No."

Lyra met his eyes and he found her expression more curiosity than anything else. "Silver… what do you think of me?"

Damn it all to hell. He quirked up an eyebrow, "Hn?"

She tilted her head and her hat tilted, too, finally needing to be fixed. But, of course, Lyra was too busy staring at him to notice. "I mean… You don't hate me, right?"

"No." Please be all.

A smile began to fight for placement on her face. He could see her lips tilting up. "Are we friends?"

"Hn."

"That's not an answer," she scolded playfully. What happened to her embarrassment? Damn her. And her changes in confidence. "Silver?"

"I suppose." He allowed, proud of his reply.

Now she began to mess with her hat again. "So…" She bit her bottom lip and looked down, cheeks turning pink. What was she about to— "Would… it… bother you… if…" She squeezed her eyes shut, "Ifmaybewedated? You don't have to say yes. Atall. ..."

"…Are you asking me out?"

She nodded, eyes shut and cheeks even darker than before.

Which was good, since he was blushing, too.

Damn her. He hated feeling weak and—Wait.

Lyra had just asked him out.

His brain died. And then he pulled himself together and carefully asked, "If I said no, how heartbroken would you be?"

He looked down at her hands to see them ball up into fists. "I'd be fine."

She was lying. He recognized the tone of her voice.

"Hmmm. You'd better be." She nodded but didn't speak. "I don't date weaklings."

She didn't move. She wasn't breathing again, either.

"That was a yes, idiot."

Slowly, she looked up at him. And stared, wide-eyed. "Really?"

"Are you going to make me repeat myself?"

She shook her head. And kept shaking it. And then, she did a little dance of (what he guessed was) excitement and hugged herself. And then she beamed at him again. "You don't have to if you don't want to." He didn't reply, simply rose an eyebrow.

She continued to bounce excitedly.

And then froze.

And stared.

And asked, "Wait… do you want to?"

Shit.