Viridian Love Story (Rocketshipping)

Chapter 4: You're my only fear, my only desire

Jessie decided to condone their small contretemps and recharge her batteries. Fully loaded with boxes, she balanced the crates into the big hall where James and Meowth were already waiting for her. James hastened to her aid, placing the boxes on the floor. "What a color explosion! Nothing fits! Gold, turquoise, rosé...are you planning on a complete disaster?!" the Pokémon-cat wrinkled his nose. Jessie shooed him away with a wave of her hand. "Amateurs! These colors are perfectly coordinated with each other!" She reached for a cheesy garland with glittering pom-poms.
"Are you just gonna watch me do this or what?" Jessie flashed her eyes at James, challenging him. He swallowed hard and set to work. Their teammate had already worked out a perfect decoration plan. Like a general, she rushed James and Meowth back and forth, gave them instructions and rebuked their mishaps. She was completely in her element and revenge is generally known to be sweet.

Together they decorated the whole hall with tinsel and balloons and set up the photo booth to provide a lot of fun and distraction. Now and then, Jessie and James would unintentionally come closer. He secured the ladder while Jessie hung streamers on the chandeliers; they reorganized the seating areas, her hand almost imperceptibly grazing his arm, and they checked the loudspeakers to offer an unforgettable musical treat for the ears. "Does it work?" Jessie stood next to her friend, monitoring his technical skills closely. He smiled at her, pressing the play-button. Soft tones of a long forgotten melody reached her ears. Jessie bobbed to the music, secretly shedding a tear of longing. It was their song, vivid and brimming with energy. A mixture of foxtrot and sad blues notes.
"Would you like to dance, Jess?" James took her hand, leading her to the middle of the hall.
'It means nothing. He's just polite and wants to swing his dancing leg. Don't flatter yourself, girl!'
Nonetheless, she followed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. After so many years, they were still a well-rehearsed dancing couple. One moment, James would whirl her around, the next he would pull her very close. She snuggled up to his chest, inhaling the herbal scent of his perfume. Secret fantasies ventured back to the surface, but Jessie had to get those thoughts off her mind. She swallowed the bitter disappointment like a pro.
"I think we should prepare the punch," Jessie broke away from his embrace, disappearing into the school canteen to fetch fruits and juice.

"Nice try," Meowth jumped onto the table, placing a paw on James' shoulder. "You'll never get her that way! Let's be honest, it takes more than a little dance to confess your secret feelings," he said, clearly noticing the chagrin in James' eyes. 'Softy!' the Team Rocket member rebuked himself, 'you'll never win her heart back!', but he had to keep trying, tiny steps by tiniest steps, to show her how much she meant to him. Jessie turned back with boxes full of exotic fruits like pineapples, mangos, dragonfruits, kiwis and papayas. The trio sliced the fruits into small bites, carefully mixing the ingredients by adding juice, cane sugar and a dash of honey. James poured a sip into their shot glass, tasting the sweet drink Jessie had created. "Delicious, Jess! You outdid yourself with that recipe!" he winked at his best friend, causing her to blush. To underline his esteem, he licked his lips and gave himself another glass.

After mopping the floor and cleaning up the rest of the decoration, the trio decided it was time for a reward. From Team Rocket they had received the necessary small change for a hilarious evening among friends. "I need a few minutes to change. How about a visit to the all you can eat buffet in the city centre? I'm starving," Jessie scurried off, leaving Meowth and a lovelorn James back in the hall. James rebuked himself once more for his cautious and reserved behavior, but his scars were still burning underneath his uniform and the fear of loss of control and subservience seethed like fire in his body. Could he get involved in a romance? Could a leopard change his spots? He wanted her so much, he longed for her nearness, but the horror was deep and with it the fear of another firm relationship and true feelings.

Half an hour later, James and Meowth were waiting for Jessie to leave her dorm. She was dressed in a light blue shirt with matching shorts. "Let's go," she and James linked arms and the trio set off to fill their bellies.

The restaurant was crowded and booked up to the last seat, but the waitress put Jessie, James and Meowth at a tiny free table. They squeezed themselves onto the chairs and took a look at the menu. "35 Poké-Dollars per person! Ridiculous! I hope their food is good, let's dig in", Jessie jumped up, almost wiping their sodas off the table and lined up at the buffet. As always, Team Rocket exaggerated. They piled up chicken wings and saithe on their plates, indulged in juicy roasts and a lavish selection of delicious cakes. One bottle of wine after another was uncorked, until they showed first signs of light drunkenness. All night, James couldn't take his eyes off Jessie. Her laughter excited him. He would have preferred to bend over the table, cup her face and kiss her fervently, but instead he squatted there like a coward, smiling at her like an idiot.

"Watch out, Jess", it was late at night, when the duo made their way back to the campus. Jessie kept stumbling over the paving stones, James, himself extremely drunk, had trouble supporting her. They laughed and bawled lightheartedly. Meowth had already said goodbye, only Jessie and James were left. "I hope our plan doesn't go down the drain. This is our last chance to prove Giovanni our criminal talent," Jessie voiced concerns.
"Why does such a beautiful young lady think such gloomy thoughts?" James turned to her, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Stop it, James. We both know you're not being serious. You drank way too much," Jessie broke away from his firm grip.
"You're right, I did. Let me accompany you to your room, okay?" she nodded her head, lacing her fingers with his. A tiredness overpowered her, but there was another feeling she could not classify.
"Good night, Jessie. Take care," James held her door open. "If you need anything, you know where to find me. Tomorrow will be an exhausting day. We still need to instruct the grunts," he stopped in the door for a moment. He could gather up the courage to walk up to her and kiss her tenderly, but it was impossible, he was held back by the past. "Good night," she whispered, closed the door and sighed unmistakably.

James made his way to his own bedroom and regretted any opportunity he hadn't used for a kiss. He clenched his hands to fists. "That's enough, you scaredy-cat! Pull yourself together," he had made a decision.

Determined to put his cards on the table, he ran back to Jessie's bedroom, wildly pounding at the door. "Jess! Jess!" She opened the door a crack wide. "James, what a..." Jessie didn't have time to finish her sentence. Before she could withdraw, his arms were around her. Jessie felt helpless and completely taken by surprise at first. James looked at her, his gaze full of longing. His breath went fast, he was aroused and eventually ready to take the next step. Without warning, he pressed his lips on hers. They merged into a tender kiss. She could feel his hands around her waist, the firm grip as he gently pushed her against the door. James was insistent, his hands wandering underneath her shirt. Flimsy touches made her groan with pleasure, evoking from her unknown sensations. She ran her fingers through his hair, cupping his face while putting all her pent-up feelings into the next kiss. They kissed each other with passion, over and over again, as if they had to make up for every missed opportunity in the past. James stopped for a moment, his face was so close to her, she could feel the first happy wave of exhaustion. "What are you doing, James?" Completely out of breath, but still in her senses, she wanted to confront him. It felt too good to be true. Would appearance deceive again? "I think," he took a deep breath, "I think, I'm falling in love with you, Jess."
"Blame it on the alcohol," she said, but James shook his head. "No, Jessie, not this time..." that was the decisive sentence. Something she had wanted to hear for so long. James cupped her face, both smiling and unburdened. "Jessie," he whispered into her ear, "I'm sorry it took me so long. Let me make it up to you, darling," he carried Jessie to her bed. Slowly and carefully, he dropped her back. Her head lay on the pillows and for the first time in his life, James experienced the desire to love a woman with all his heart. She was so beautiful, her lips red like roses, her eyes of shiny sapphire. How had he overlooked this for years? Her beauty was not of this world. Her skin as bright as porcelain, all his poetic acquirement intertwined in thoughts of his best friend, his muse and faithful companion. Slowly and very gently, he tilted his head, kissed her and thus sealed the silent agreement of tender ties.

To be continued...