Work Text:
Blanche's POV
My alarm buzzed and I snoozed it with a groan. Awareness came slowly as my brain began to form the first thoughts of the day. I sat, rubbing an eye with the butt of my palm. Dawn was creeping in through the curtains. As most nights these days, I had spent the night in one of the cots in the break room of Willow’s Lab. I preferred to be close to my research, and the studio apartment I rented across town was much too isolated for my taste.
I turned on the lights and set about loading the coffee machine.
I wasn't alone in staying overnight here. Candela was curled up in one of the other cots, snoring, her face buried in the neck fur of her Flareon. She didn't have an apartment and usually spent nights either here or in the woods wherever she was traveling at that given moment.
She was the definition of a field researcher in her profession. Her diploma stated that she had a PhD in Pokémon Battling and Training. So she spent a lot of time in various regions, catching and training Pokémon; she was also helpful in transferring lots of different species of Pokémon to the lab, which gave me a wide variety of DNA samples for my research. It was a symbiotic relationship, Candela and I had.
From ages ten to twenty-one, I had been a traveling trainer just like her, but then I got interested in pursuing the how’s and what’s of what makes Pokémon, well, Pokémon.
A third cot held Spark, Professor Willow’s nephew. He was a certified Pokémon Breeder and caretaker; and an anxious “parent” to the eggs under his protection, which is why he slept overnight at the labs. To be near his hatchery.
The scent of coffee filled the air, making my two co-workers stir. I quickly put together their coffees, knowing now after three months of knowing them, how they each liked coffee. Candela liked half coffee and half cream, Spark took four heaping spoonfuls of sugar; I liked mine comfortably in the middle with both cream and sugar.
Candela was all sleepy smiles and yawns as I gave her her mug. Spark was already on his feet and heading to his hatchery as he took his with a “thanks, Blanche.”
I took sips from my mug while I checked my phone. I felt a moment of surprise at the date.
“It's Thanksgiving this Thursday,” I told Candela.
She yawned and spoke at the same time, “already?”
“Yes, these last few months just flew past me,” I replied. I had been so caught up with my new career to pay much attention to the passage of time.
“Me too,” she told me, half-asleep while she swallowed her coffee.
There was a nice silence between us as we both processed awareness. Candela's Flareon jumped off her cot and demanded attention from me. I ran my fingers through his fluffy fur.
“Do you have any plans?” Candela asked suddenly.
“Hm?”
“For Thanksgiving.”
I thought about my parents; I was not on speaking terms with either of them because of my gender expression, but Candela didn't really need to know that. “I do not.”
“Me either,” she admitted. “Do you want to hang out?”
“I suppose that would be acceptable, provided I'm not working that day.”
She laughed at me. “The Professor isn't mean, he'll definitely give us the day off. We're the only four people who work in this lab.”
She had a point. However… “I've been known to work on my days off.” I took a sip of my coffee so she couldn't see the tease in my eyes.
“Hey!” she took the bait. “Are you saying your microscope is more fun to be around than me?”
I chuckled, which made her grin. I didn't answer her question, adding to the game we played. Sometimes I saw the hint of a flirt in her eyes, though lately the “sometimes” had become “most of the time.”
And “sometimes” I deeply enjoyed the attention.
Spark returned to the room, carrying an egg in an incubator. “Hey, Blanche, your Vaporeon is ready to go back to training now. Just picked us this egg from her kennel.” He handed me her pokéball and set the incubator on the counter.
“Good,” I replied, accepting the ball. After a single heartbeat of silence, I pondered out loud, “Do we know if it was Flareon or Jolteon that got her pregnant?”
Candela giggled and ruffled Flareon’s fluffy head affectionately.
Spark shrugged at my question, and responded, “There's no way to know for certain, unless you want me to do a test on the amniotic fluid inside the egg, provided I get DNA from both the boys.”
“I don't need to know which one of them to blame, it's my fault for not keeping an eye on her when she went in heat this last time.”
“So, anyway,” Spark started. “I heard you guys saying that you didn't have anywhere to be on Thanksgiving, and was wondering if you wanted to join me and Willow at his place.”
“Depends on how many people will be there,” Candela replied doubtfully.
“Oh, it's just me and him, and a ten pound turkey.”
“Deal,” Candela agreed with a grin.
“Great! We'll be like a tiny family.”
I looked between them and smiled to myself. Yes, a tiny family. Though I hadn't known them long, I knew that they would be in my life for good, and that was truly something to be thankful for.