#pwtunited

Cobalt wasn’t known to be the smartest person in his traveling group of friends, with him usually paying attention to his Pokemon or a certain blue haired girl rather than what was going on around him. He had his strengths, but being perceptive had never really been one of them, which had never bothered him. Until just recently, when he was having trouble putting two and two together.

 At first, it was just a guessing game. He and Rose had been traveling together for quite some time, and had been through a lot of situations together, from tracking down rockets, to going to court, and even saving the Legendary birds. They’d shared many memories with one another, and they’d grown a strong bond. Cobalt and Rose were known as good friends, and since the day they set foot on their Pokemon journey, people had been mistaking them for a couple. In the beginning, the two very adamantly denied this assumption, because no, they weren’t a couple. They were just Rose and Cobalt, and that’s all that they needed to be.

 But the more time they spent together, huddling for warmth during the Pokemon induced winter, having a beach vacation, and putting criminals in jail, things started to change. Or, Cobalt thought they had. Rose, even under stressful situations, seemed to smile at him more freely, with all the joy on her face of someone who was just so content with their life. She would still call him an idiot every now and again, though it seemed to carry the weight of affection rather than exasperation. And sometimes, the girl seemed to sit closer to him than necessary, brushing up against his side but making sure not to look at him.

 Cobalt wanted to ask her if everything was alright, if she was looking for comfort because of something that had happened, but he found himself very reluctant to break the deeper connection they seemed to have made. So instead, he found a reason to be just as close to her.

 It hit him like a ton of bricks when he’d happened to have mumbled out some stupid joke, admittedly not one of his best, and Rose had just looked at him and burst into laughter. In the midday sun, her eyes sparkled so brightly and conveyed emotions to him that words just couldn’t say. He gulped and wanted to thunk his head against a tree. He liked Rose more than a friend should.

 As soon as he confirmed the thought, there was no going back from that. Every thought seemed to revolve around her, and dang it, it would have been easier to just stop thinking about it if she wasn’t always with him. But every time he wanted to mention the fact of his changing feelings of her, he stopped dead in his tracks.

 Did she like him? Would she even want to be more than just friends with him? Man, what if this was just her getting more comfortable around him as a friend, and it wasn’t even romantic.

 But finally, after what seemed like weeks of him worrying over this as if it was the end of the world, it finally clicked in his mind. The way that she stuck close to him, the way that she would do something before immediately looking back at him to see his reaction. The way Rose seemed to always have room at her side for him. She wanted this just as much as he did, she was just waiting for him to make the first move. Cobalt had finally gotten the confidence to ask her on a date, had been mere moments away from asking her the simple question, when he’d had the thought.

 “A conflict of interest? Cobalt, are you an idiot?”

 Cobalt frowned and stared at Cira, who sat across from him at the cafe table. It didn’t sound as nice coming from this girl over the other. Somewhat dramatically, he sighed and sipped at his juice. It would be hard for a criminal to understand the complications between the two.

 “Rose comes from a long line of Officers. Actually, I’m pretty sure her direct line was one of the first, or something like that. And I’m one of the few non-Jenny’s to be in the police force-”

 “You’re not a cop!”

 “I went through the training program and helped Rose take in all those Rockets a while ago. We’ve done more labor than the entire Kanto region in the past couple months. I think it’s safe to say we’re both cops.”

 It was Cira’s turn to huff out an annoyed breath. She was starting to regret the fact that she’d popped up to hang out with her… friends. Knowing how head-strong the blonde was, she just leaned back in her chair and gave him a wave of her hand for him to continue his ridiculous explanation.

 “Our work is important to us, but she’s important to me too. And I know that if I had to choose between work and her… it would always be Rose.”

 Okay, even though Cobalt was acting like a moron, that was really cute. Cira went to say something, but the girl in question had finally come out of the coffee shop and was slowly sauntering over to them. Without a second thought, she sat right next to Cobalt and gave them both a smile.

 “Sorry it took so long, but you can’t rush perfection,” Rose sighed, closing her eyes as she took her first sip of the very sugary “coffee” she’d ordered.

 “Can you even call that much sugar a drink?”

 “I can’t hear you over this little cloud called heaven.”

 Cobalt snickered into his juice, ready to just forget the conversation that he’d just had with Cira. But the orange haired girl had other plans.

 “So Rose, what do you think about dating in the workplace?”

 Cobalt was barely able to keep himself from choking on the juice that had gone down his throat. When he’d finally got his breath back, he was glaring at Cira, who only had eyes for Rose. Rose cocked her blue brow, not understanding why the question had been posed.

 “Um, I don’t know. I’m not against it, I guess? As long as the work gets done?”

 “But sometimes you have to weigh your options, you know? Work is important, your relationship is important, can you even balance the two without sacrificing something or breaking the rules? Is it even worth it?”

 “Cira, that’s some pretty heavy stuff you’re laying down,” Cobalt snapped, close to growling, “Not really a good conversation for lunch time.”

 “We’re friends aren’t we? Friends can talk about serious things every now and again, especially when it concerns someone close to them.”

 Cobalt was going to battle her. Right here, right now, that would probably shut her up, right? He was ready to stand up and do just that when Rose finally said something.

 “Balancing everything in your life can be difficult sometimes. Trust me, I know from personal experience. Sometimes it can get overwhelming and you think that that’s it, there’s nothing else you can do. You think you have to pick the road that seems the easiest to travel.”

 Both Cira and Cobalt turned to look at their friend, instantly forgetting their own emotions to let Rose vent hers, listening to her wisdom. She seemed so serious, but then she gave Cira a small, but strong smile.

 “But that’s the way that life works sometimes. It pushes at you to see if this is really what you want. And sometimes it’s not, but I like to think if you’re asking this question, you already know the answer. When push comes to shove, you have to make your own path, even if it doesn’t look possible for the happily ever after you want. And in the end, you know that you’d drop everything for Bonnie.”

 “Wait, what?” Cira shook her head, shaken out of Rose’s deep answer after the twisted ending.

 “You guys have grown so much together, have helped each other grow and become somewhat good members of society. You lean on one another, rely on each other, and you know you’d do anything for one another. ‘Work’ may want something more from you, but maybe it’s time you either create your own future or work towards that compromise.”

 “This isn’t about-”

 “That’s so sweet,” Cobalt said, mockingly, liking how the tables had turned, “Bonnie means a lot to you, huh? I’m glad you can trust us enough to tell us about your vulnerable heart. I knew you were never as mean spirited as you tried to be.”

 Cira flushed a deep red, not liking the way everything had turned on her, but was so embarrassed about how Rose had clamped on some of her own relationship insecurities. It took her a solid minute or two, with a concerned look from Rose and a smug one from Cobalt, before she was able to really say anything.

 “Shut up.” And just like she always appeared and disappeared, Cira got up without a word and started walking away, throwing her hood over her head to help hide her deep blush.

 “Did I say something wrong?”

 Chuckling, Cobalt threw his arm around Rose’s shoulder and pulled her closer in for a side hug. “No, I just don’t think she was expecting that kind of answer. Me neither.”

 “It’s just how I feel,” Rose said with passion, slow to pull away from the hug, but did so to take some of her drink.

 Cobalt watched her for a bit, actually contemplating the things she had said, even if it hadn’t been aimed at him. It was still good advice, and Cira had kind of accomplished her goal, in some way. Cobalt knew what he needed to do.

 “Rose, how would you feel about a date tonight? At that one restaurant you pointed out earlier?”

 Quickly whipping her head towards the boy, giving him a good slap with her hair, Rose’s eyes widened when she realized that he was actually serious about it. However, the shock didn’t last too long, giving way to a kind of shy smile.

 “So that conversation was actually supposed to be about you and me?”

 “Yeah, but I listened to some of that sage advice and decided rules be damned. So, what do you say?”

 “Of course I’ll- wait. What does a date have to do with dating in the workplace?”

 Cobalt pulled out his “badge”, his face a bit somber as the little bit of guilt washed over him, for only for a few seconds. This was the right choice.

 “I think the police force will look the other way with when it comes to the two of us.”

 The confusion was visible on Rose’s face as she tried to put the pieces together, and then Cobalt saw the annoyance on her face just before she yelled at him.