Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Summary: In which Steven succeeds in seducing Cynthia into having sex from a book.

Based on this prompt.

Warnings: Mentions of sex. No lemons or explicit sexual content. Except for neck kisses, which technically count as explicit sexual content.

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

Cynthia sighed, straining to hold the book high above her face as Steven lied on top of the Sinnoh Champion. The steel-haired Hoenn Champion had burrowed into the blonde's neck, smelling her hair, caressing her skin with slow and wet kisses, pushing his body against hers, desperate to seduce her into another evening session of lovemaking. Cynthia, notwithstanding, was adamant in finishing the book currently in her hands held high, resisting well enough to ignore Steven's immensely erotic advances.

“For the third time, my love, no.”

“You understand that you will submit to me, dearest darling.”

They were both in bed, blankets covered over them. Initially, Cynthia was planning to complete her book and sleep immediately afterwards, though Steven decided to change her plans otherwise.

Cynthia seemed to have no interest in sex tonight, as it appeared to Steven. She was dressed in conservative sleepwear, her mind fully focused on the book she had within her hands. Seeing this, Steven chuckled to himself in admiration, charmed by Cynthia's determination. It was a turn-on, he realized, and a devilish smile had grown upon his face as fantasies of temptation seeped into his mind.

So when Steven finished taking a shower, he nonchalantly slipped on his own pajamas, leaving his top shirt unbuttoned, revealing his chest. He went into the bed, expecting Cynthia to turn around and greet him with a kiss, and from there, things could go on in which hands and legs would do the rest of the talking.

But she remained indifferent, her eyes unwaveringly fixed to the pages of the book.

With a moan of playful protest, he slid over her, resting himself atop of her as he murmured, “Dearest Cynthia, please kiss me already.”

To which she had replied quite lackadaisically: “Dearest Steven, I am in the middle of reading a book, as I know you can see. Please refrain from seducing me any further before I submit to you.”

“That's not fair.” Steven wouldn't give up, moving deeper into her neck as she struggled to keep the book pages in her sight. “You have me, dearest darling. I can't wait any further, so why should you?”

“I insist that I finish reading this book first.” Here, Cynthia had finally adjusted into a decent reading position.

“I've been abandoned by my wife over a book!”

Cynthia laughed delightfully, momentarily pausing from her book as she felt her husband kiss her neck. “You have not.”

In any case, the mischievous banter continued on and on, and Steven found it impressive as ever that his one and only wife could devote her attention to a book whilst carrying on a separate conversation, especially one that enticed her to lovemaking. No matter how much he complained, she wouldn't budge even slightly.

He had said please three times, and she had said no three times.

But perhaps she had budged slightly?

Steven sighed, deciding that it was time to pull out his ultimate move. There was absolutely no way Cynthia could resist, and all of the giggles and teasing would finally pay off with this.

Without hurrying, he shifted his hands under Cynthia's shirt, softly embracing her stomach. They trailed higher to her chest, and she squirmed from his touches, laughing as tears of bliss escaped her eyes.

“Ah! Okay, okay! I submit to you, dearest love!” Cynthia admitted as she dropped the book to her right down the floor, now pulling her arms over Steven's neck. “Besides, this book was turning terribly stale. I feel as though completing it will end up as an unworthy effort considering how far I am into it now. What a waste of a book.”

Steven smiled, pleased he had won Cynthia back to him. He lifted himself, his face meeting hers at a dangerously close distance as he said, “I'm sorry to hear that, dearest darling Cynthia. Perhaps I can help alleviate the pain of reading a dreadful book. Shall I?”

Their lips were practically touching, hot breaths meeting each others' as she whispered in response, “I have high expectations of you.”

“I'm sure you'll be satisfied.”

And with that, he kissed her passionately: sounds of desire were heard, buttons were unbuttoned, dresses were undressed, clothing tossed away, blankets entangled in excited touches...

Certainly, it was far better than any old book Cynthia had read, for Steven proved too marvelous for words beyond any.

Chapter Text

Summary: In which Steven receives an unexpected visit from an old friend with an umbrella…

Based on this prompt.

Rating: G

The midsummer rainstorm poured upon the wide stretch of southeastern Sinnoh, expanding from Route 213 to Lake Valor. Its raindrops splashed mercilessly upon everything below them, including a man named Steven Stone, who stood motionlessly at the center of an arched bridge. With a hard gaze, he watched his reflection blur at the streaming river below him, the mirror image distorted by the raindrops splattering against the waters. And no sooner, he found himself feeling some warm tears flowing down his own face, and he was unable to stop them.

In the near distance, a woman named Cynthia found herself pausing in the midst of the scene. She held an umbrella in her hand, protecting her from the rigid raindrops. The blonde had been taking what she thought to be a pleasant, afternoon walk in the rain along Route 213, though it changed all too quickly when only a few minutes into her walk did she find her old friend, Steven Stone, standing still in the rain. And no sooner, she walked over to Steven with a curious and concerned look, and as he turned to look at who was walking towards him, his expression changed to that of surprise and familiarity.

Cynthia...!

The Sinnoh Champion lifted her umbrella over the Hoenn Champion, and with a gentle, kind smile, she warned him, “You know you’re going to catch an awful cold if you stay out here.”

Steven could only look at her wordlessly. Then:

“What an unexpected surprise to see you,” he said in response, and he shivered once as the raindrops ceased pounding against him. He felt some warmth from Cynthia, which transferred to him in the air that they stood together, and his tears began stopping.

There was another silence. Then:

“You could have told me you were here in Sinnoh, you know.”

“... Yeah.”

Cynthia sighed, looking away from Steven once. She was ready to stay with him for as long as he wanted to stand out here in the rain, adamant in making sure she could be of some help regardless of their current circumstances. They were friends, after all, close friends, that is, and they offered each other an irrevocable, irreplaceable comfort that no one else could throughout their entire lives thus far.

“I did it last night. I broke it off. We’re not together anymore.”

Hearing this, Cynthia looked back to Steven in shock. His openness was sudden, astonishing her as she struggled to find something to say in response. Yet, and as she felt embarrassed at this, she could find nothing to say and so she merely stood there.

And no sooner, Steven straightened himself, and took Cynthia’s free hand, holding it tightly and firmly against his own grasp.

“Let’s walk back to the Hotel Grand Lake,” Steven said softly, looking once over to Cynthia with a tender smile.

Cynthia momentarily stood there, astounded at his abrupt movement, and then nodded once. She smiled back, holding the umbrella slightly higher above them so as to protect themselves from the rainstorm.

“I’ve missed you, you know that?” Steven continued as they walked away from the bridge. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a conversation with you.”

Her hand was soft and comforting in his own hand, and he felt his heart glow with renewed spirit.

Cynthia simply held her smile, looking at Steven with warm, compassionate eyes, reading understanding and affection.

They continued walking under the rain, huddled close together in shelter beneath the umbrella.

Chapter Text

Based on this OTP Prompt.

Summary: In which Cynthia and Steven fall asleep upon each other on a long train ride…

Rating: G

It was nearing the end of the afternoon when Cynthia first yawned, her expression indicating her apparent weariness from the long day they had experienced together. The sky displayed summery shades of goldenrod and marigold, the sun sinking lazily to the western Kalos horizon as its rays gently caressed the landscape. Clouds spotted the sky in spontaneous clusters, helping to soften the more hardened hues of colors with its own light tinges.

For at the present, both Steven and Cynthia were on a departed express train from Coumarine to Kiloude, only a few minutes into the ride. They sat together on mildly comfortable seats, the train itself gliding smoothly across the railroad to southern Kalos.

They had been lucky enough to catch the last express train after a busy day of finishing up last-minute activities and errands in Coumarine, and only one more task was necessary to complete before the two could call their day successful: starting late tonight, there was to be the annual Battle Maison Gala. As both Steven and Cynthia were invited as VIP members, they agreed to join in the festivity, only sure that this was meant to be a good evening of fun and entertainment, perhaps even lasting well into the hours of the morning.

The average length of the train ride between these two cities usually amounted to four hours, and as Cynthia found it the perfect opportunity to grab a catnap within their busy day, she informed Steven of her intention to sleep, to which she did.

In fact, she fell asleep rather quickly, breathing contently as her eyes were closed… innocently leaning her head onto Steven’s shoulder. Of course, her intention did not include the current fact that she was sleeping on Steven!

Steven paused slightly from Cynthia’s movement, taken aback from her head upon his shoulders. His own breathing stopped momentarily, but then the gentle scent of her drifted into Steven, and he relaxed. Sighing once in serenity, he accepted her on him, and soon, too, as he found that he wanted a nap as well, he joined Cynthia in her slumbering haven: he eventually leaned over on top of Cynthia’s head, her silky hair against his cheek, his right hand softly entwined with her left hand…

And to their amazing chance, they were left in peace from otherwise curious onlookers, who ignored them, uninterested, after finding that there was nothing worth to note of the two in spite of their famous status as Champions.

The sound of wondrous silence embraced to the two as they slept together.

Chapter Text

Summary: In which Steven and Cynthia share a cold winter kiss...

Based on this OTP Prompt.

Rating/Warning: T (or M? I can’t differentiate between the two any longer.) / Some kissing, and the reference of sex later on in the story. (Because the two eventually frickle frackle near the end, but it’s not explicit. Thus.)

As much as they were bundled up snugly in their coats, hats, scarves — and even ear muffs, though admittedly, only Cynthia was wearing them — they were still shivering horribly from the terrifically and abnormally arctic temperature that had abruptly slammed the city.

In other words, it was, in every way, a freezing, freezing winter.

And they stood now, outside of Cynthia’s apartment in New Tork City, huddling closely together for warmth as Cynthia’s gloveless hands struggled to get the key to fit in the lock of her door.

“It still strikes me curious as to why you decided to buy an apartment here in this rather mediocre setting rather than somewhere else wealthier, especially in a world class like New Tork City, my dearest,” Steven commented, quickly scanning the dark, unimpressive surroundings. “It doesn’t help that the electricity is out, taking away the heat in this particular building with it.”

The lights had blacked out citywide due to some electrical engineering failure, and now the hallway was bitterly dark. It would probably remain that way for some time, as the both had learned from others, for the impending snowstorm would make it difficult for any engineers to properly fix the malfunctioning electrical generators. What was worse: though they had finally arrived at Cynthia’s apartment, they both expected no source of warmth for as long as the electricity was out, as the entire building depended their heat on electricity.

This was why Steven’s point was plausible, as had Cynthia decided to purchase a wealthier apartment, they wouldn’t have to stand there struggling and shivering in the piercing cold.

Cynthia looked at him with a smile, her face close to his as she replied, “People would never guess that a Master Champion like myself would ever choose to live in such an ordinary place such as here.”

Following this, Cynthia kissed Steven’s nose with a delightful giggle. “You are well aware that I do not need the media chasing after me when I want quiet, and I find it pleasant and relaxing here to be able to blend with the common people instead of having to be in the spotlight with the wealthy. People would never guess that I live in such a common environment.

"Nonetheless," Cynthia continued, “having bought a luxurious apartment would certainly serve us far better in this situation. But, as we have that I did not buy one, this will do. At the very least I am prepared for the snowstorm with plenty of food. Sorry you have to deal with the unforgiving cold, darling.”

As Cynthia finished the sentence here, the key suddenly entered the lock with a harsh force, and she wondered if she could finally open the door now.

“Ah, finally. Perhaps I can actually try opening this now,” Cynthia remarked wryly, as it shouldn’t have taken this long. Then, to Steven, she said offhandedly, “Your nose was really cold, by the way.”

“Cold? But of course!” Steven said incredulously. “You can say that again. You’re the Sinnoh native.” And with that, he immediately slid his cold hands under Cynthia’s scarf, touching her neck.

Cynthia yelped, startled at his sudden movement while the coldness of his hands threatened to melt away all warmth. Steven laughed, kissing her lips as his fingers began warming up over her skin.

And unlike Cynthia’s innocent and playful kiss, Steven’s was burning and intense, his tongue pushing against hers, hinting urgently of something far more suggestive to be done in the bedroom. Their warm mouths opened against the frosty air, tasting the last of each other as they pulled apart, gasping for air.

“You do realize that with the lack of heat, we’ll have to find an alternative way to keep ourselves warm,” Steven murmured, his breath hot against Cynthia’s face.

Cynthia giggled, her low voice seductive and thrilling to hear. “Oh, I realize it alright.” Here, Cynthia closed her eyes, her smile growing wider as she moved further into Steven, pushing him against the door. “In case you hadn’t recognized already, I’ve opened the door. Let’s continue this inside, shall we?”

At this, Steven felt the doorknob against his side turn with Cynthia’s hand, and the two slipped into her apartment. There awaited fervent, passionate kisses, touches, of clothes removed, scattered here and there, of sounds soft and filled with desire…

Meanwhile, the snowstorm had begun outside, thick snowflakes covering the cosmopolis in layers of snow.

Chapter Text

Words: 1000 (Note: I am especially pleased that this little piece came out to exactly 1000 words; hence the mention, unlike the absence of a word count in the vignettes prior to this one.)

Summary: In which Steven and Cynthia share a kiss at Mossdeep under the meteor shower… 

Rating: G

Her arrival at Mossdeep City is sudden, unexpected, but it is welcoming, gladdening, heartening, even if she is only there to go to the Mossdeep Space Center to meet with various scientists and professors working there to help uncover the mysteries hidden in the universe they inhabited.

And he takes it: he accepts this sudden act of what must have been fate’s doing, and so he, leaving his spontaneous morning promenade around the island city, asks to join the scientists and professors, to join Cynthia, really, in helping their conquest of the universe for today. And they accept him without any question, for the Mossdeep Space Center is fully owned by the Devon Corporation itself, and as future heir of the company, he has every right to join them, regardless if in aiding the research or not. Cynthia, while blushing lightly, is still happy to hear that he will be joining them, for at least they can spend more time with each other all the while.

Most importantly, for this time being in spite of important research currently underway, the woman, who shyly smiles at his unanticipated arrival, is beautiful in every way — physically, intellectually, emotionally, from the very way she holds her pen as she writes down a mathematical formula to the very way she catches his eyes temporarily before glancing back down the research papers, from the very way she passes by him as she reaches for a book on a shelf, the scent of her hair drifting gently to Steven, to the way she sits down as she ponders on a difficult question raised by the scientists and professors, her cheek against her hand as her eyes wander off to a far distance he can only imagine.

Of course, progress is advanced, and every scientist and professor in the room — astronomer, astrophysicist, physicist, cosmologist, the list goes on — is pleased with how the progress is going, and they all eagerly await for the upcoming meteor shower tonight. It will be a great opportunity not only to witness a magnificent act of nature but also to gather data and analyze it for a later date.

And it appeared to be presumed that both Steven and Cynthia would join the scientists and the professors tonight…

But they do not, for since the start Cynthia had already made previous plans to watch the meteor shower alone.

At least, that was so until Steven Stone came along.

As the deep twilight blooms above Mossdeep City, both Steven and Cynthia sit outside a quaint café, he with his coffee, she with her chai latte, and they quietly catch up each others’ lives: he is still, mainly, traversing the world and gathering as much knowledge as he can in regards to his interests, including rock hunting, the secrets of mega evolution, archeology of ancient civilizations and Pokémon, the geology of the earth, and what lies out in the universe among other sciences and histories he is pursuing, though the time for inheriting his family business, the Devon Corporation, is not too far off, so it seems. She, on the other hand, is pursuing many of same things he is, traversing the world and gathering as much as she can in regards to her hobbies, including the perplexing Sinnoh mythologies, of ancient civilizations, cultures, religions, philosophies, arts, sciences, ideas and truths no longer existent, of classical music, for she is a pianist and a fairly good one at that, of the history of the world as humans have come to understand it as, and cosmologies, the origins of this universe they live in together, though with these tasks all pulling her at once, she may find herself retiring sooner than she thinks she will from the Sinnoh Pokémon League, so it seems.

Before they realize it, the meteor shower has already begun, and they see that they, to their misfortune, were too caught up in each others’ story to see its beginning.

They run together to Steven’s home, situated on one of the higher points of elevation at the northwestern edge of Mossdeep City. Here, they are laughing together in mutual embarrassment and delight. Here, they are away from the busier parts of Mossdeep, and there is a view wide enough for them to watch the shimmering meteor shower without the intrusion of other distractions.

His touch to her cheeks is sudden, unexpected, but it is tender, loving, passionate, even with his hard hands weathered by years of being the wandering trainer that he was.

And she takes it: she accepts his abrupt embrace, and she feels his lips touch hers as she pulls Steven to her by the lapel of his suit. This man she is kissing, she thinks, is the only man in the world she can submit herself to willingly. He is the only one who would dare go rock hunting in an expensive suit with musky cologne, the only one who would give her a truly heart-throbbing battle at a league conference, the only one who understands the isolation of leading such burdened double lives that is known as Pokémon Champion as well as businessman, scientist, historian, scholar, archaeologist — for solitude is their forever tempestuous lover, and loneliness is their eternally faithful friend, but they are, to each other, their immortal beloveds.

And soon before she recognizes it, Steven has pulled away, leaving her breathless. Cynthia breathes in the scent of him, the deep smell of him entering her body as she feels his arms close around her waist so that she is under his skin.

She feels herself soften in his grasp, turning pliant and tormented with all of the emotions existent in the world.

“Kiss me again,” she whispers, pushing herself to him as she feels his beating heart against her chest.

And he does as she commands, bending down slightly so as to be able to reach her lips once more, and he kisses her again and again… and again, under the falling stars.