𝑰 𝑨𝑴 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼...

       ❛ 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝑩𝑬𝑫,         𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝑾𝑨𝑲𝑬, ❜

#𝐏𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀: A pretty large multi muse featuring Blossom Utonium from The PowerPuff Girls, as well as lots of other muses from lots of other fandoms—with a mix of headcanons and canon divergencies involved, as well as verses for DC, Marvel, Dispatch, etc.

Portrayed by yours truly, Pom.

Gold doesn’t just seem captivated; he’s gazing at her as if she is the center of his universe—no, that can’t be right. When had anybody ever looked at her like that?

Not real, not real, not real… The words spin inside her head like a mantra. Maybe if she thinks it enough, she can convince herself.

Wearing this sheer, stunning dress had been a deliberate choice, and she had grown accustomed to the stares. He observes her appearance in a way that feels intimate, however. She fights the urge to wrap her arms around herself, a futile attempt to feel less exposed and reminiscent of her actions that one night in Kalos. We know how that turned out…

As he finally shatters the stillness of the moment, the unexpected stammer in his voice catches her completely off guard. When did Gold Haato ever struggle to find his words? 

“Thank you. So do you,” she replies politely, trying to ignore the growing warmth in her face and the flip-flops in her stomach. Compliments have never fazed her, and she knows that Gold finds her attractive; he made that quite clear months ago. Yet, as is often the case when he enters the picture, the situation spirals into complexity.

She had her reasons for navigating their entire time in Galar with such careful precision, always sidestepping any moments potentially spent alone with him. The tension between them has been simmering beneath the surface, and every time they’re close, she can feel the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air.

Has he noticed she’s been running from him?

Her eyes frantically scan the crowd for Rosa, conveying a silent plea for help. She hopes for a graceful out while the conversation is in a lull, but her protégé is too busy clinging onto Nate’s arm to notice.

And then, as if blocking her attempts to run away yet again, Gold disses her former captor (so maybe she's not the only one who found her previous dance partner insufferable...) and asks her to dance. She should be amused, yet the ache in her heart is far more distracting, resonating deeply within her and screaming that she is not ready for this. She knows she has already fucked up. Her first mistake was allowing anyone to get close enough to have the chance to hurt her, and Gold…

Gold has the power to shatter her completely, and she only has herself to blame.

She now finds herself backed into a corner, and some of the other guests are watching their interactions with interest. How nosy…

It feels awkward for them to simply stand in the middle of the dance floor doing nothing, so she bites the bullet and extends her hand for him to take if he’s truly serious. Only a keen eye will perceive the subtle tremble in her hand as she anticipates his touch.

Nothing good can come from this.

“I had no idea you danced.” She tries her best not to sound surprised. Even now, she is still discovering new facets of Gold’s personality. Spending time with him has taught her that people are often more complex than they appear; Gods know she’s underestimated him far too much in the past. “I trust you won’t make me look bad?”

Ah...that's right. This wasn't a quite moment in Kalos , for them and them alone anymore. He had never once thought about running away from...this. From her. From 'them'. Whatever that meant, but now, standing in a spotlight that he'd never quite been comfortable with- That is to say, the expectant gaze of a crowd it had become very clear.

He was nervous. So very nervous. He's always been the type to take risks, but it felt in that moment like the whole world was watching him confront himself. The one thing in the world he truly feared; the intimacy he was now pursuing head first. The longing in his chest, the all consuming memory of her bare skin that night in Kalos, and the warmth of her in his arms the following morning and everything that came after that. Finally coming to ahead, and he'd gone and decided to do it with an audience. No choice now, for either of them. They were figuring this out tonight.

Yes, he was nervous. Perhaps it may even have been more apt to say that he was terrified. More than that though he was completely enamoured. It showed on his face, he almost swore he heard a few wistful sighs from onlookers who had immedietly become privy to what was going through Golds mind. A vaguely familiar one as well. Maybe Rosa was clinging to Nate within eyeshot afterall... ?

He finds some peace in that. In spite of himself, he knows better than anybody that tense as it may be, there is nowhere in the world he would rather be than wherever she was in that exact moment. Even if that meant letting the whole world watch as he allowed himself that intimacy that scared him so very much.

❝ S'not like 'ah do it a bunch or nothin' but well...y'know. S'good exercise. I asked Ruby t' teach me 'ow t' do th' fancy stuff whilst I was in Hoenn , so...❞ A subtle, yet jarringly casual admission of just how much he'd gone out of his way to prepare for tonight. He hesitates for just a moment to take her hand, as if her touch would burn him. But he was Gold. When push came to shove, nobody was more likely to burn another with his touch than him.

His hand slips into hers, and without even realising it his body visibly relaxes, as if in their short time together he had conditioned him to feel more at ease in her presence. He gives her hand a gentle yet firm squeeze, running his thumb along the back of her hand. So delicate, as if he was scared of shattering her. A far cry from her earlier suitor who was more than happy to get handsy. It was almost unbelievable that he'd toppled Crasher Wake a mere few minutes ago.

He's almost doughy eyed. And without even thinking he pulls their hands up. Pressing his lips against her knuckle. Not quite a kiss- But close enough. His hand drifts delicately to her waist and his gaze shifts to meet her own. Slowly starting to drift to the music as though it were second nature to him. He was, as it turned out, a natural dancer.

And he cannot stop himself from smiling. Unabashedly gazing at her with all the love and adoration in the world- Given so freely and unapologetically.