FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Ugh, I just wanna sleepp." Skye flipped her pillow to its other side and turned over under the covers and sheets, facing Ruki, whose chin was on his paws while eyeing her.

Her room's walls glowed faintly with soft pink light from the lava lamp.

"Why don't you go sleep on the couch? I don't want to keep you up all night." It'd be midnight soon, and they had to be up by 9 a.m.

Ruki only moved closer, nudging her arm with his nose.

She brushed her hair out of her face and touched his side. "I can't show up with bags under my eyes." Skye grinned. "Tell me everything's gonna go well tomorrow."

"Nin." He licked the top of her hand with reassurance.

Her grin turned into a small smile. "I guess I'm afraid of what'll go wrong, but I've already spent time with him in person." Skye sighed. "Okay, time to sleep for real." She nuzzled her cheek into her cool pillow, curling up and draping her arm over Ruki, both of which eased how hot and uncomfortable she felt.

Among the silence, occasional traffic drove past, and mild, tropical winds blew outside.

Ruki inched close enough so that his side touched her knees and his muzzle neared her neck.

---

Like deja vu, Ruki awoke to an empty bed. He outstretched his paws while a muffled shower ran on the other side of the wall. He sat up and went to the floor to stretch.

Upon approaching the doorway, he smelled something delicious. Skye's mother was likely cooking, and Ruki's curious nature and desire to eat urged him to check it out.

He walked down the hall and entered the living room, sniffing the air until reaching the kitchen and sitting on the floor, where Skye's mother stood before the stove.

"Hey, Ruki," Skye's mother said. "Skye should be out of the shower soon. Did the aroma lure you?"

"Nine," he replied, a nod following.

"Well, I made you a mandi egg if you'd like, hon."

Vullaby and mandibuzz eggs were popular in Alolan cuisine and in homes due to their naturally rich flavor despite how both pokémon looked.

Ruki stood while swishing his tails. An egg just for him? Awesome. Skye shared her meals with him regularly, but it had been over a week since he'd eaten anything egg-related, and this one was all his.

She handed him a fried one off a plate on the counter, which he took in his mouth. "Don't inhale it."

At that moment, Ruki saw the restroom door open down the hall, and Skye emerged with a towel around her waist and chest. He trotted after her while chewing and arrived as she entered—but she shut the door in his face.

She walked to her bed and picked her phone up but glanced back as she heard scratching on her door. Skye looked around her room before going to open it. "Oh, sorry." She closed it after he entered.

He sat while chewing, swallowing the rest of his egg and sitting on the floor while licking his maw.

She dialed Aaron's number and let it ring while walking to her dresser. "Hello?"

"Hey, Skye."

"Yes, I'm gonna leave soon. When do you think you'll arrive?" Skye sifted through her drawers of folded clothes.

"About fifteen minutes. We'll be waiting at The Marina."

"Ruki and I will be there on time. See you then." Skye grabbed slim jeans, a long-sleeved lace-up v-cut tee, new panties, and a bra. She tossed her phone across the room onto her bed, pulled off her towel and tossed it as well, then grabbed her purse off the closet's knob. "Be back."

Ruki watched her leave the room while using her clothes to cover her chest. He hoped he could show Sylmi something in his city, as Ruki had several spots. He didn't know how the week would play out or how often they'd spend time in Hau'oli, but he'd try to introduce him to what made the city so marvelous.

Meanwhile, Skye was in the restroom, ensuring she looked presentable. She set her purse on the counter, slipped into her jeans, pulled her shirt over her head, and then stood at the mirror and pulled its drawstrings so the lacings tightened against her bare chest.

Skye pulled the shirt's ends down, letting it fall over the front of her jeans. "This works," she muttered, pulling her hair down in a few areas and grabbing the concealer she kept on the counter. She padded some on her cheeks and grabbed for her pink gloss beside it, popping the top and drawing it over her lips. She rubbed it in with her lips before opening the door and putting her purse on her shoulder.

"Ruki!" Skye called while walking down the hall toward the living room. Her mother was finishing up in the kitchen, and her father, who must have just woken up, sat at the table. They looked to be talking but stopped when Skye entered.

"Leaving, hon?" her mother asked with a warm grin.

"Mhm…" Skye nodded, shooting a few glances at her father, who sat in silence at first but must have felt the tension.

"Be safe, Skye," he said.

Ruki sat behind Skye and watched the exchange.

"And have a good time, of course," her mother added.

Skye walked over and embraced her mother, then did the same to her father. "I will for both. Thank you. We'll be back in a few hours." She went and unlocked the door, then slipped into her flip-flops. "Bye," Skye said before exiting with Ruki.

"What do you think?" her father asked after Skye was out of earshot.

"I don't think there's a need to worry so far. Skye's never liked a boy this much in her life, and from what she's told me, he's an upstanding one—supposedly," her mother replied. "We'll find out more as he comes around, but we should hold steady for now and trust how we raised her."

Skye glanced down at Ruki as they headed west across the strip toward The Marina under lustrous sunlight. She took a breath while wiping her shirt. "We'll make it in time."

He had to trot to keep up with her pace, which was unusual since it was the opposite any other time, but he wasn't complaining. Ruki loved zooming when he could.

As they closed in after ten minutes, they saw the ferry halt by the dock, populated with people awaiting loved ones.

"Good timing," said Skye, catching up with the crowd and kneeling off to the side with Ruki. It'd get hectic after everyone started deboarding.

He sat, watching the ocean's mild waves to pass the time while leaning his upper body against Skye's leg. Ruki was almost nervous and didn't know why. Maybe Skye's energy had passed to him.

The wait lasted another few minutes, the sun's gaze harshening on top of the air's damp and slight stuffiness, although the occasional cool breeze tried its hardest to balance it out. Ruki tolerated basking under it, but its heat warmed his fur too much and made him sweat after a while. He was close to icing his tails.

Skye had broken a sweat already. She'd been wiping her face and hoping she wasn't red. She stood as the platform lowered, and the moment it did, everyone started exiting the ferry in organized droves for the most part.

At first glance, it was hard to scope an individual out of the crowd. Her heartbeat sped up while attempting to seek Aaron out. When half of the people dispersed after several minutes, she saw him step down the platform.

He wore a jacket and jeans with a backpack over his shoulder. Sylmi stood beside him.

Their eyes met; Aaron stopped with a glimmer in his gaze to admire the girl he hadn't seen in months, forcing a couple of passengers to go around him.

This brought Skye and especially Ruki to Sylmi's attention, and unlike his owner, made a quick beeline for Ruki.

Ruki looked down and saw Sylmi sitting before him with his ribbon extended. Ruki raised his paw, and they shook.

Skye bit her lip, her chest tight, even more so when he walked in her direction while grinning, making her lips curl into a gradual smile.

Aaron stood before her with his cheeks holding a faint flush, keeping his eyes on her and her sweet, gracious smile and face that made him grin. He reached into his jacket pocket while holding his other hand out.

Skye gave him her hand, and he opened it, setting an intact pink watch in her palm. "Mh…" Her smile grew wide and lit up her eyes; her breaths skipped in her chest to stifle a giggle. She raised her arms and hugged him, pressing her cheek to his chest with a soft breath, her eyes closed. Their connection sent jolts of liveliness throughout her being, enough to make her stand on her toes. She reveled in his cologne, taking shameless silent sniffs that made her snake her arms up his sides to hold more of him.

Aaron did the same, holding her arms and sides with an assuring tightness, embracing her fully while glazing over her face and hair.

Ruki watched the heartwarming scene play out before him with a grin.

"Tu m'as manqué," Aaron said, grinning as she pulled away.

"What's that mean?" She clutched her watch.

"It was me being dramatic. Means I missed you."

"Shut upp." She bursted a giggle. "You had the accent and everything, though." She slid her watch onto her left wrist and took his hands into hers, squeezing before releasing them. "I missed you too. Oh my gosh, let me show you my city."

Aaron looked past her at Hau'oli's sun-soaked structures. "Please do."

The streets and buildings were tidy, without a streak of graffiti present. City workers with trucks double-parked by curbs picked up fallen palm leaves and branches under trees, tossing them in the back.

The group exited The Marina and took a right, with Ruki and Sylmi trailing closely behind their owners.

"We'll go to the Shopping District first. Have you ever tried malasadas? They're sold on ferries sometimes," Skye said.

The District was one of Hau'oli's most popular landmarks, sure to satisfy any tourist with its abundance of restaurants and shops offering tasty meals and souvenirs.

"No, but it's like bread, right?"

Skye pulled out her phone for a brief moment to check the time. She then glanced at her watch she'd been without for so long. "Fried, and Ruki has an addiction."

Ruki listened closely at the mention of his favorite food item. Sylmi would like them too; Ruki was certain. He'd watched many foreign pokémon try them for the first time here and get blown away, as they should.

Aaron double-glanced at her purse and phone case now that he could study it. "Of course she has Nyta," he muttered under a grin. "You're lucky to live here. Seems like paradise every day." Aaron kept his eyes on the people and surroundings. "How many people live here? Can't be anything like Lumiose."

"Oh, uh, more than a mil last I checked. People from all around the world live here. Air travel also increased the price of living here in the last two decades. We saw more traffic in and out than ever before, but our government puts a lot of money into keeping the city spotless. Not much crime either."

"Yeah, I know Hau'oli is proud of that. How do they go about it?"

"We've got surveillance cameras everywhere, and laws are tight. On the other side, Alola's main issues are, I think, all trafficking and underpaid labor, which the government has tackled over the years.

But if you think this is paradise, wait 'till you're at the resort later. I've only stayed once, but I would love to again."

"If you're comfortable, you can visit Sylmi and me there," Aaron said.

"What? What do you mean? Of course I will." She looked at him. "Did you forget why you're here?"

"No, no, you know, I just…"

"I know, I know." Skye giggled.

"Nini." Ruki swished his tails, brushing them against the side of Sylmi's body before trotting toward the populated Shopping District.

Of course, Sylmi followed.

"They'll be fine," said Skye. "Ruki knows where the shop is."

Within five minutes, they entered the square. Skye had to explain to Aaron why there were so many wild rockruff, lillipup, and herdier present by crowded outdoor restaurants and tables. Tourists usually fed them, and it had stuck after years of doing so. It was the District's harmless issue that made most visitors happy and the cleaners' jobs harder. Short gates fenced off outdoor seating, but the wild pokémon slipped through the gaps.

The District stretched for miles with wide walkways and many turns, almost resembling a maze.

Teens and young adults with pampered pokémon entered and left various designer clothing stores with multiple bags. Some of their pokémon even wore overpriced mini shirts, necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories. Neither Skye nor Ruki had expressed much interest in clothing and accessory options for him.

Older adults on the grounds wore foreign casual and more traditional wear; younger generations followed foreign voguish fashion trends more than ever through popularized social media in the past decade and the induction of foreign clothing stores and brands into the region.

Veela had been the most popular platform until roughly six years ago. It had a good run but was surpassed by several newer and more innovative ones, as it had failed to keep up and grew outdated. It had also lost a lot of staff during the war and especially afterward, not to mention many people around the world no longer wanted to support the Accord. The go-to social media now was the one she used often, founded in Galar: 'Sozi.'

Lamp posts were posted along the sides of walkways, and mini lights lined the walls of buildings that activated during the evening. The walls were also decorated with active CCTV cameras.

Eateries and sophisticated food stands dotted The District, and an arcade was packed with children and adults alike having fun. Pokémon like machop and sneasel played air hockey or skeeball with their owners.

Children played at claw machines in attempts to win pokémon plushies, others played arcade racers and fighters, and pokémon owners of all ages let their pokémon play games in a large section exclusive to them. It allowed pokémon to train their abilities while having fun.

A wide array of machines covered all types and their corresponding abilities, such as one for fire types that had the pokémon enter a transparent heatproof box and warm it to a specific temperature, and another for ice types that Ruki loved the most. He had third place on the machine as of last month, where Skye had typed his name in.

The game's goal was to focus an ice beam and completely freeze over a large, elevated ball in the center. Ruki's fastest time was just under five seconds.

Every game spat out tickets one could take to redeem prizes at the front counter, too, currently busy with overjoyed children, pokémon, and young adults with bags of tickets. That was where Skye had earned her oshawott plush, which had cost 500 tickets. Prizes costing 600 up to 5,000 started from huge alolan ninetales plushes and flashy accessories to special pokéballs, (premier, dive, love, etc.) type snacks, gaming consoles, and more. Prizes costing 400 tickets and below comprised cheap toys, candies, and stickers.

Away from the arcade, there was a dedicated building by a clothing shop called the 'Alola Tourist Bureau' which functioned as a help center, advertised various attractions, upcoming events, and tours around the region. It also doubled as a souvenir shop to rake in extra money.

It was known for its twenty-minute promotional video on Alola that people could sit before a large screen and watch free of charge. It explored the region's beauty among all four islands and touched vaguely on the fascinating history behind them and specific events throughout Alolan culture.

A section farther ahead, off to the side set up by the city, allowed farmers and people with licenses to advertise and sell foods and items from home under tents. Hundreds of curious tourists and returning customers congregated there daily to purchase the freshest berries, alolan-ninetales-themed snowglobes, and more.

They strolled a few stores down past crowds, noisy, full restaurants with children slipping hungry herdier and lillipup scraps and fries from their plates under tables, and meat sizzling on grills or slow roasting on rotating bars with lines at the corresponding stands.

People, even stand runners, often double-glanced at Ruki. Visitors often stared, smiled, or tapped whoever was with them to look while Ruki passed.

Aaron had been watching all of it. "So, uh, are alolan ninetales rare to see here?"

"Not really. I mean, they aren't easy to come by because they're usually always with their pack and parents, but they're basically our mascot... Admired, highly respected, and they used to be considered deities to Alolans once upon a time. We weren't even allowed to capture them, and stepping foot on Lanakila was disgraceful to many locals since it was considered sacred land. They also make businesses a lott of money, so you could say there's a bit of romanticization involved. It's a highlight for a tourist to see one while on their stay here."

Someone exited the quaint malasada shop ahead called 'Sweetbread' and held open the door for Ruki and Sylmi with a grin.

"That's adorable." He chuckled while watching them. "That bread must be irresistible." Aaron pushed open the door when they arrived and held it for Skye. A bell jingled above to state their presence.

There was a short line consisting of two people with Ruki and Sylmi already sitting behind them. The store strived to appear welcoming with walls adorned with mixed paint designs and stands displaying products to buy, mostly malasada-related.

Ruki's eyes were on an alolan vulpix wearing a flower on its ear beside a black-haired young woman on her phone waiting beside the front counter, mainly because that used to be him months ago.

Sylmi looked up at Ruki, then back to the vulpix he was staring at as it and its owner started leaving the store after receiving their baggie.

That's when the vulpix noticed Ruki and stopped some feet before him, staring up with full eyes and a slightly open mouth.

Ruki grinned down at it. "Nine," he greeted.

"Luma, come on!" Its owner looked back from the door she held open and called, and the vulpix trotted away, looking back while exiting.

Skye glanced at the door but turned to Aaron again. "How many do you and Sylmi want?" she asked, pulling her purse down her arm and reaching inside it while getting in line. She had a specific pocket she kept her cash in, another holding her region I.D., driver's, and capture license; and another with lip balm, deodorant, and emergency nail polish. Otherwise, her purse was rather empty besides a few old receipts.

"Oh, that reminds me. I'm paying this time."

She stopped. "No, it's–"

"You paid in Sinnoh."

"Ah… alright. You can."

They moved up in line as the minutes passed; the last customer they stood behind took forever to order. Skye approached the counter after they paid a male cashier who went to the back and stepped aside.

"Ah, Skye." A tan, older, chubby brown-haired woman in a stained apron came to the counter from the back.

"Aloha, Miss Makani." Miss Makani was the owner and knew Skye as a regular because of Ruki's malasada obsession.

"Apologies, is this fella with you too?" Miss Makani nodded to Aaron.

"Mhm..." Skye grinned while looking away.

"Must be a relative visiting, eh—ehm, or no, a boyfriend, and what would you like?" Miss Makani asked, looking behind them at two families entering the store and getting in line.

"More of the latter." She made an effort to say it loud enough to hear, or else she would have mumbled it. "And we'll take four normal malasadas."

While only one flavor was available, different dishes utilized the bread and filling on the menu. Examples of dishes made of shiny plastic sat behind the glass beneath the counter.

A grin tugged at Aaron’s lips, though he tried to hide it.

"Ahh." Miss Makani raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Isn't that sweet. How long has this been going on?" she asked while ringing up the order and glancing at Aaron. "And what's your name?"

Aaron looked from her to Skye, then Skye tapped his hand. "T-Two months, ma'am. My name is Aaron."

"Oh my, and you aren't from here, are ya'?"

"Kalos, ma'am."

Yeah, we met in Sinnoh," Skye said, glancing back as the line got longer.

Miss Makani grimaced at the displeased look on some people's faces and backed away from the register. "I'll tell them to grab the dough." She looked between Skye and Aaron, then focused on Skye. "I've got to say it was priceless watching you grow up. I remember you coming in uniform with Ruki every other day, and now you're— how old are you now?"

"Eighteen," Skye said.

Often, Skye had spent all day at the academy and stopped home after school to drop off her backpack and grab Ruki to bring him in for a treat after being away all day. Her uniform was a dark red overall dress skirt with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath; she used to wear buckled flats as the school had a code for suitable footwear.

"Right. To be a keiki..." She looked at Aaron. "A child. Young and falling in love. I had those days too. Had to be the most amazing I had felt. A new and true rush." Miss Makani chuckled. "Enough talk story. I sound like a grandma. We'll have all four out in a few."

Skye watched her walk off and giggled, glancing at Aaron while stepping aside so the next customer could order.

"She's nice. Is everyone around here like that?" he asked.

"Pretty much. There's respect in our culture's foundation. I like to say it's all the sun we get," Skye replied.

Nine!" Ruki said.

Skye looked down at him. "Hm, baby?"

He shifted his eyes to the malasadas on display behind the glass, then stared at her.

"You want one for later, don't you?" Skye glanced back at the line that was getting no shorter.

So, Skye ordered one more for him after Miss Makani returned and took the next person's order and got a fifteen percent discount before Aaron took a credit card from his wallet and swiped it in the terminal. "Mahalo!" she said while leaving.

After they were out of the store with Aaron holding the bag, Skye deliberated on where to take him next. "Hey, are you tired? I know you've been on a cruise for two days," she asked.

"Kind of, but I got some sleep."

"We could sit at the beachfront. It's near where I live."

"That'd be nice," he said.

"...And I noticed you told Miss Makani you were from Kalos when she asked. I'm just curious."

"I kind of hesitate because of Johto's history. It's... not a favored region, so I'd rather say Kalos so I can avoid problems. It's happened throughout my travels. Nothing big, but I could see the shift in treatment sometimes."

"Oh, I'm sorry. People can be cruel, but you're from when you're from, you know?"

"Just... it's tough. Anyway, I'm sure you hit the beach daily, huh? You and Ruki?"

Skye continued east past the many stores lining the center toward the exit, Ruki and Sylmi still wandering ahead. "We go often since it's right out front."

Sylmi had stayed close to Ruki during the entire walk, looking and pointing out anything that caught his eye until they arrived at the beach.

“Lot of people here,” Aaron said.

Countless pokémon and children played in the water, people surfed and played volleyball at posted nets in the sand, and others lay under umbrellas on blankets; everyone bought from the line of businesses.

There was even a street-performing trio in the distance with groups of people standing or sitting around on the sand to watch. One played a steel guitar while the other beat a drum over their vocalist singing a traditional track.

“I know. It’s usually like this. We won’t sit close to the water." Skye walked around twenty feet inward before sitting in the sand and crossing her legs, taking off her flip-flops and setting them beside her.

Aaron sat by her and set his backpack aside, and Ruki and Sylmi some feet ahead. "The air smells like the city's— or, no, the city smells like the beach, I mean."

Skye giggled. "Speaking of the air, how are you finding the climate?"

"It's not the worst. Just kind of humid."

"It gets more oppressive during certain months depending on the island you're on, and this is a beach city... Hau'oli's can be suffocating sometimes."

"Nine... tales. Ni ninetales." Ruki looked beside him at Sylmi. He told him that watching views like this was one of his favorite hobbies, as was swimming.

"Sylv. Sylveon sv." Sylmi told him that sightseeing was one of his too but that he wasn't much of a swimmer. He stared down at Ruki's paw, then back up at him.

Skye looked at her watch. "It's touching you took care of it."

"I kept it on my dresser and cleaned it every week… and, uh, speaking of watches." Aaron reached into his other jacket pocket and took out a white one that was slightly bulkier than Skye's. "Matches your color scheme?"

"Aaron…" She giggled under her breath, eyeing it. "Put it on."

He did, sliding it onto his right wrist.

Skye took Aaron's hand, intertwining their fingers so their watches touched.

Aaron tightened his grip and looked at her. "It's not weird, right?"

She shook her head. "It's too cute. I love it." Skye looked at him as well, running her thumb over the top of his hand.

"You know, uh, my mom wouldn't stop asking about you for like a week after I told her I'd met you in Sinnoh."

"Really?" Her cheeks were warm already.

"Really. She was excited, kept asking when you'd come to Kalos and stuff."

"Awe, she sounds so sweet, honestly. One day, huh?"

"Yeah, no rush... I want you to be comfortable with the process."

"It's been moving as it should." Skye looked at the bag he had. "We should eat. I know Ruki wants his malasada."

---

They stayed for a little over an hour; Sylmi enjoyed his snack so much that Ruki gave him half of his. It was something he'd never do normally, but it was Sylmi's first time in Alola. Plus, Ruki had another malasada to eat later and five more he'd consume by next week that Skye would buy him.

It was almost noon, and Skye noted how tired Aaron appeared. "You should go check into the resort. You'll be in Alola for a week. We'll have a lot more time to spend together," she encouraged while they walked back to the pavement.

"Right. I'm just really enjoying our time now. Can I at least walk home with you?"

"Mhm. My parents want to meet you anyway." Skye turned right, walking toward her house a mile down.

"Oh, it'd be great to meet them."

Meanwhile, Ruki made a mental note not to jump into Skye's bed once inside as he'd been sitting in sand.

When they reached the residence, Skye had Aaron stand back while unlocking the door. After opening it, she saw that only her mother was present at the dining room table in a casual tee and pants.

"Skye! Back early?"

Skye nodded.

'Is he there?' her mother mouthed.

She nodded again, sucking her lip to hide a shy smile and beckoning her over.

Aaron approached after Skye stepped aside; her mother was at the door.

“You’re the one she gushed so much about, hm?” Skye's mother eyed his clothing and studied him briefly. “Aaron, correct?”

Skye attempted to hold back an inevitable blush.

“Yes… ma'am, it's nice to meet you." He reached out his hand and shook hers.

While that was happening, Ruki slipped past and prompted Sylmi to follow him inside, which he did.

Skye was currently more focused on her father coming from down the hall. He wore jeans and a button-up shirt he must have thrown on, and he'd most definitely seen Aaron.

Ruki was busy showing Sylmi around the house, starting with Skye’s room.

Sylmi looked around and lifted the blanket with his ribbon to check under the bed, then before Ruki could follow, exited and walked back down. He turned at Skye's parents' bedroom, but Sylmi was instead met by a rough-looking lycanroc.

“And you feel safe with him, Skye?” her father asked, looking Aaron up and down, and boy, did he make it more than obvious.

“Yes, Dad, of course.” Such an awkward question. It could have waited until after Aaron left.

“Well, if she likes you…" He extended his arm. “Then I guess I can too as long as you mean no harm. She doesn't deserve disrespect."

"No, n-never. Of course not, sir. She's amazing." Aaron shook his hand and received a rather firm grip.

Her father nodded. "We'll see."

"Nin?" Ruki hadn’t realized Sylmi’s absence initially, but he left the room and saw him frozen by Ru’s glare, causing Ruki's eyes to dilate.

"Vee?" Sylmi raised an awkward ribbon to shake.

Ru had just woken up from a nap, and an unknown young sylveon was trying to barge into the room.

“N-Nih.” Ruki approached and nudged Sylmi’s hip, walking toward the living room while apologizing to Ru, and fortunately, Sylmi caught on and followed quickly.

“The next cruise to Akala leaves in roughly thirty. You’re best off leaving now since you have to buy the ticket,” Skye’s mother told Aaron. “And I think your pokémon is inside with Ruki.” She looked back at them sitting in front of the couch.

“Mom, can they stay for a sec? I want to talk to Aaron…”

“Sure, honey. Let me know when you're done." She closed the door.

Skye took a breath and turned to him with a smile. She placed her hand on his chest and could feel his heart racing. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Oh my gosh. You were super tense, weren't you? I so was."

“Completely. I’ve literally never been in that situation, but I did okay, right?” Aaron ended with a sigh and grinned nervously.

“Mhm…" Skye took his hand in hers and pulled him closer, looking into his eyes. “It's going so well."

Aaron looked Skye over as if analyzing her body language, then placed his free hand on her hip, leaving them inches apart and gazing into each other's eyes.

Maybe kissing on her doorstep wasn't ideal, especially when a passing ranger could stop and hit them with a pricey fine, but she'd imagined it several times during their thousand-mile relationship. There were also no green and white ranger cars in sight, and not many people were passing by at the time.

She puckered her lips slightly and leaned up.

Aaron closed the distance within their moment, connecting their lips.

Skye shut her eyes and savored their kiss under an afternoon glare with surrounding palm trees leaning in. She raised her free hand, placing it on his cheek. It sent both chills and endless warmth through her body. She held it, her worries and anxiety leaving her, and everything about Aaron and this beautiful kiss replacing them.

Aaron leaned into her hand, deepening it and closing his eyes as well.

She broke it and exhaled. “...I've wanted that for a while now" She rubbed his cheek with her thumb before letting her hand slip.

Aaron let go of her hip, still eyeing her face. There was a lot to say all reduced to them cherishing each other.

“You should go before it's too late." It was the last thing she wanted, but she had to remind herself that this was only the start of the week, and Aaron needed to settle.

“When do you think we’ll see each other again?”

“Call me tonight.”

---

Skye thought all day about the kiss she'd shared with Aaron. It was so dreamy and would likely have lasted longer if they hadn't been standing in front of her parents' door. Perhaps she should have waited for a better time to commit to a first kiss, but she couldn't have contained the urge. It warmed her inside just thinking about it, and she'd never forget how his lips felt against hers.

It was evening. Skye awaited his call while lying in bed alone. It ate at her that Aaron was in her region, yet he and she were apart. Ruki was in the living room or kitchen, likely having supper. Skye would call him in a while since he always lifted her spirits.

Little did she know, he was already heading down the hall to her nearly closed door, eager to have his second malasada for dessert. He nudged it open with his nose and slipped through, approaching the bed.

She saw her door open and lifted her head from the pillow. "Hey."

Ruki stood on his hind legs and placed his front two on the mattress.

"Yeah, come up, baby," Skye said while sitting up.

Ruki did, taking a few steps and sitting in front of her while keeping his eyes on her face.

"What?..."

Ruki held his gaze.

"Oh, it's stupid, really." Skye leaned back against the bed's headboard. "I've never had feelings this intense before… Well, besides when it comes to you." She grew a subtle grin and patted her thigh, watching him lie his upper half between her legs. Skye pulled him up and let his paws rest atop her lap.

She looked aside at her curtain rippling against a draft. "It was simple when it was you and me. I guess this was bound to happen eventually. It's just a bunch of emotions." Skye looked down at Ruki, who had been gazing at her the whole time she spoke. "You're a great listener. Has to be boring hearing me vent about my emotions."

"Nn." Ruki nudged her stomach with his nose. He got to listen to her voice and follow her life, something she could keep to herself if she chose to instead of sharing with her pokémon.

Skye's phone vibrated beside her; she picked it up. "Ah, it's him." She answered it. "Aaron?"

"Hey, Skye," he replied.

"Are you at the resort? Get settled?" She ran her hand down Ruki's back while listening.

"Yep, showered and all. Sylmi and I have to explore more later. They seem to have a store for everything. Why don't you two come to Hano next unless you have another idea?"

Skye hadn't considered the resort as their next location. "No, that's so perfect. Is the day after tomorrow too soon? I know you two need to rest; I'm sure we'll be there all day."

"You could never be too soon. Sylmi and I've yet to sit properly anyway."

She smiled. "Mkay. I'll call in the morning so we can set it up then. Talk soon. Nini."

"Sleep well."

She ended the call, set her phone aside, and giggled at Ruki giving her a look of inquiry. "Yes, of course I'm taking you, silly. We're going to the resort in two days."

"Ninee!" He swayed his tails and sat up to meet her height. Ruki hadn't been there or to Akala Island in years.

Skye giggled again at his reaction and scritched his cheek with her finger. "You want your second malasada?"

Ruki had completely forgotten about that. He nodded.

She slid off her bed and went to reach into the bag she'd put on her dresser. She took the malasada out of its packaging and stood before him at the bed's edge afterward. "Here." Skye handed it to him.

“Nin." Ruki nudged the malasada toward her with his nose.

“What, you want to split it? I figured you wanted it for yourself since you gave half of your first one to Sylmi.”

She eyed it. “Mh, I guess I could use a bite.” Skye split it down the middle, giving Ruki the bigger half. She sat beside him, leaning her cheek on his shoulder while he chewed.

Skye didn't know what she'd done in life to come across him that day at Lanakila. A part of her felt she didn't deserve Ruki sometimes, but she couldn't imagine how life would be without him. Her mid-teens would have been awful. He had carried them almost single-pawedly.

Emptier and less bright, that's for certain.