Cherry Blossom
A/N: I have NO idea what I'm writing here. Please excuse everything. I've never written Pokemon before. *screams* I just suddenly had to write some…(?!) Ash has a cherry tree. He does because I say so and I'm the author. This story is inspired by my cherry tree (which just happens to be what I can see out of my window) and the temperamental British weather.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. If I did I would be very rich and living somewhere hot and relaxing instead of smelly old England.
The clouds churned miserably in the sky above Pallet town, making the day unnaturally dark. It was probably only about three in the afternoon, but Kasumi couldn't tell for sure. She had lost track of time hours ago, and it looked more like early evening than mid-afternoon. Watching the summer storm building was mesmerising. The way that the tiny shafts of sunlight burst valiantly through the heavy clouds, making blotchy patterns on the sun-parched grass, before being swallowed up again by the shadowy sky. It certainly helped to take her mind off of reality for a while. Which was all she wanted to do. To lose herself in her daydreams and not have to face up to anything. Of course, every fibre of her being told her that running away from her problems was not the answer. She knew that. She knew that bottling up feelings never did anyone any good, but she simply couldn't bring herself to talk about it. She rarely did talk about her problems. Because it never seemed to help, despite what everyone says, and she didn't see the point in dragging other people down with her for no reason.
Kasumi sighed, turning dejectedly from the window. Togepi was yawning on her pillow, stretching his stubby little arms as far as it was possible for them to stretch and blinking sleepy black eyes at his surroundings. Kasumi smiled maternally crossing the room to kneel by the bed. The cheerful little Pokemon couldn't help but keep her distracted for another few hours and he squealed happily as he caught sight of Kasumi's face.
"Togeprrriiii!"
"Hi sweetie. Nice sleep?" Kasumi reached out, gathering the Pokemon into her arms and scratching his smooth head. He squeaked some more, waving his arms delightedly at her touch. "Are you hungry? I sure am. Shall we go see if we can find some food, huh? Shall we?" Togepi answered with another random noise and Kasumi got to her feet, pushing open the door to the room with one slippered foot.
She approached the kitchen, wincing as she heard voices floating down the hall. Takeshi had gone back to Pewter city for the weekend to visit his family, and Satoshi's mother was out shopping for the day, so it had only been her and Satoshi left at home. But if he had a visitor now, then she wouldn't bother them. It would probably mean that she could grab a sandwich and get out again before she was forced to talk to anyone anyway. That was a good thing. She hadn't even been able to make herself look at him for the past three days, let alone try something like talking. That was what was upsetting her the most about the whole thing. She had always been able to talk to Satoshi. They might not have hit it off straight away, but he was the closest thing she'd ever had to a best friend. He didn't look down on her like her sisters did and was always there to cheer her up when she needed it. But now she couldn't talk to him and she was alone. Again. And it was her own fault
Kasumi forced the same smile that she always wore and stepped into the kitchen with false confidence. The conversation stopped as soon as she entered the room, but she refused to acknowledge that fact and stepped up to the refrigerator.
"Hey Kasumi…" Satoshi greeted her tentatively.
"Hello." She said, keeping her tone steady and uninterested. All she wanted to do was to get a sandwich and get out without anyone trying to talk to her. Was that so much to ask?
"How are you…feeling? Is your headache any better?"
"A little." Kasumi focused her attention on a bottle of mustard and tried to ignore the emotions that were fighting to burst out at any moment. 'Simple answers, don't look at him and you'll be fine. Simple answers, don't look at him and you'll be…'
"Um…you remember Hiroshi don't you?"
'…fine.'
"Huh?" Kasumi turned at the unexpected question that had interrupted her mantra. Satoshi smiled a nervous smile that was nothing like his own and gestured across the table with one hand that was conspicuously missing it's usual green glove.
"You remember Hiroshi, right?"
The other boy stood, smiling warmly, and held out a hand to Kasumi.
"It's great to see you again, Kasumi."
"Oh…you too. Great." Kasumi forced the smile again and shook the other boy's hand, avoiding meeting his eyes.
"You alright?"
"Of course I'm alright. Why shouldn't I be alright?" She snapped a bit too harshly and glanced up just in time to see Satoshi shaking his head franticly at Hiroshi's back.
"Well…I mean…I'm sorry if I…" Kasumi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"No, it's okay," She sent an icy glare at Satoshi "I haven't been feeling too good these past couple of days…but I'm sure Satoshi's told you all about it." No doubt Satoshi had already blabbed it everywhere and the whole town was just waiting for her to make an appearance so that they could whisper to each other behind hands and pretend not to stare. Hiroshi blinked.
"No, actually. We've been talking about the new gym they're building in Lavender Town. Is something wrong?" He asked, brow wrinkling in concern.
"Maybe it's best if we don't talk about it…" Satoshi muttered, obviously uncomfortable. He was uncomfortable? Him? He wasn't the one who had made a complete fool out of himself and blurted out that he was in love with his best friend. He wasn't the one who had been shunned and rejected and made to feel worthless. He wasn't the one that should be uncomfortable. Who was he to say that it was best if they 'didn't talk about it'? Best for him? Well, Kasumi suddenly felt like talking.
"I think I'd quite like to talk about it actually Satoshi." She said crisply, folding her arms across her chest, her face taking on her patented challenging look that she reserved especially for Satoshi. He swallowed.
"Now?"
"Yes now," He opened his mouth to speak, but Kasumi barrelled on, "But not to you. Hiroshi, you don't think you could help me with a little problem, do you?" She smiled sweetly.
"What…me?"
"I don't see anyone else here called Hiroshi here, do you?"
"No…but if this is something between you and Satoshi then maybe you should talk it out with him…"
"I don't think so."
"Oh…well…" Hiroshi glanced at Satoshi who looked somewhat relieved that he was being excused from having to talk to Kasumi. "I guess I could…"
"Okay, good. Let's go outside."
"But it's going to rain…"
"I said, let's go outside." She snapped again, spinning on her heel and storming out of the room, leaving Hiroshi to follow her.
* * * * * * * * *
She knew it was stupid as soon as she stepped out of the door. There was a distant rumble of thunder and a distinct chill to the heavy summer air. She wrapped her arms around her midriff and marched towards the end of the garden with the intention of getting as far away from the house and Satoshi as possible. The grass crackled under her feet, parched by the endless days of sun they had been having. She could hear Hiroshi following at a safe distance. What was she supposed to do anyway? Just blurt everything out to him and hope that it would be okay? Yeah, because that had worked so well last time. Once again, she cursed her inability to control her emotions. Why couldn't she learn to think before she said things? She was getting to be as bad as Satoshi himself. Maybe spending so much time with him was having a bad effect on her. She stopped when she reached the cherry tree and sank down with her back resting against the trunk, letting her head drop back. The ever-decreasing rays of sunlight turned the petals into a thousand and one pearly pink smudges against the sullen clouds above.
Hiroshi approached Kasumi cautiously and crouched in front of her, trying to decide exactly where to look. When she made no move to acknowledge his arrival, he spoke first.
"I…ah…what did you want to say?"
The girl sighed shakily and looked at him. He was surprised to see that there were tears in her eyes. She smiled uncertainly.
"I don't know why I dragged you all the way out here…I'm sure you don't care about my problems…"
"No, it's okay. I don't mind at all. Honest." Hiroshi tried to smile reassuringly. How could ever not care about Kasumi's problems? It made him go weak at the knees just to look at her, let alone have her confiding in him and crying on his shoulder. He'd liked her ever since he'd first met her a year ago at Indigo Plateau.
"It's stupid really…"
"I'm sure it's not. Tell me. I won't laugh."
"I know you won't but…oh, it's so hard to…to…"
"Talk about it?"
"Yeah. I feel like such an idiot..." She muttered, her voice cracking slightly, and Hiroshi had to fight the urge to hug her. "It's about Satoshi, obviously," Hiroshi nodded as Kasumi fought back tears. "I…well I…I've liked him for the longest time…and…I guess I just figured that he would like me back because I liked him so much and I…" She paused and bit her lip, furiously wiping at the tears that were starting to spill over her cheeks. Hiroshi was about to try to comfort her somehow when she continued. "But…well, he didn't…doesn't, I mean…and…I made such a fool of myself…he let me down easy and everything, but it doesn't matter how easy they let you down, it doesn't make it any less of a rejection. And it hurts…" She drew her knees to her chest and looked down at the ground, aware that she was starting to babble. "It hurts every time I look at him and it hurts even more if I'm not around him and…I just don't know what to do."
Kasumi smiled tearfully. "It sounds so petty and ridiculous hearing out loud…" She chuckled and raised her eyes again. "Look at me! I'm crying because Satoshi doesn't like me. That has to be the most pathetic thing ever." She giggled uncontrollably for a moment before her laughter dissolved into tears and she buried her face in her folded arms.
Hiroshi bit his lip and glanced over his shoulder for help. He had no idea what you were supposed to do in this situation. Kasumi was in floods of tears after pouring out her heart and soul, obviously completely down on herself and he hadn't said anything yet. She expected him to help her and he hadn't said anything. And even as he was thinking this, he still wasn't talking…talk, dammit!
"Kasumi…hey, oh don't cry. It'll be okay." He soothed, patting her arm awkwardly. She lifted her head and stared at him through waterlogged aqua marine eyes.
"How?" She choked out "How will it be okay?"
"I…it just will. Are you upset about who Satoshi likes?" Hiroshi enquired, desperately thinking of ways that he could make things better.
"I don't know who he likes! I don't give a damn about who he likes! The point is that it isn't me!" Hiroshi blinked at the girl before him.
"You don't?" Did Kasumi have a right to know? Would Satoshi be mad at him if he told her?
"No." She pouted as she said it and looked away again.
Hiroshi frowned at Kasumi's downcast face. If Satoshi hadn't wanted her to know then he wouldn't have tried to tell her before. He wouldn't be so stressed about it…maybe he would actually be doing the other boy a favour. Well, perhaps that was grasping at straws, but maybe he should just tell her anyway.
"Well, Kasumi…I don't really know if I should be telling you this but…Satoshi has a thing for…Shigeru." Kasumi blinked and frowned as she looked up.
"What?"
"Shigeru…Satoshi likes Shigeru." Kasumi stared at Hiroshi as he had just sprouted horns.
"No he doesn't." She said firmly.
"Um…he kinda does."
"NO he doesn't. He can't. He would have told me."
"He tried the other day but you er…threw yourself at him so to speak." Kasumi's face twisted.
"Really?"
"That's what he told me…" Hiroshi said, watching Kasumi expectantly, waiting for her reaction. Had he done the wrong thing? He was surprised when she broke into a grin and lunged forwards, throwing her arms around his neck.
"This is wonderful!" She cried, beaming. "If he likes Shigeru, then that means that I never had any kind of chance with him! So it's not because he hates me! It was because I'm a girl! Oh thank you so MUCH Hiroshi!" The boy pulled away, his cheeks staining pink and brushed a handful of messy brown bangs off of his forehead.
"Um yeah…" Kasumi clapped her hands with delight.
"Oh thank god! This means that there's hope for me yet! I'm not ugly and disgusting!" Hiroshi rubbed the back of his neck. Well, since he was into sharing at the moment…
He cleared his throat.
"I…er…I never thought you were ugly and disgusting. I've always thought you were pretty and…well…not disgusting…" Hiroshi trailed off, wishing he had thought of something better to say than that. Kasumi cocked her head to one side, looking at Hiroshi with interest.
"You think I'm…pretty?" The word rolled hesitantly off her tongue, as if she were trying it for the first time. Hiroshi eyed the slender girl before him. Her delicate features were tear-stained and her fiery hair was coming lose from it's pony tail in unruly wisps, but as her soft eyes locked on his under the patchy light of the building summer storm, he thought he had never seen anyone look more beautiful.
"Yes," His voice came out as an uncertain whisper.
"Oh," She said, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile. She'd never really considered Hiroshi before, but then that was probably because she was too busy looking at Satoshi. Now that she was looking the other way though…she realised that he wasn't at all bad to look at. His face had a youthful charm and his eyes were warm and friendly, sparkling with understanding and admiration. She felt her heart flutter as he stepped nervously towards her, stretching his neck up the extra inch or so to brush his lips over hers in an adorably clumsy kiss that spoke volumes. He grinned lopsidedly as they pulled apart.
"Well," Kasumi said affectionately, "I guess it doesn't matter who Satoshi likes anyway," She leaned in to kiss Hiroshi again, but there was a crack of thunder and rain began to fall. Hiroshi looked up at the sky as what seemed like all the water in the world emptied itself on Pallet town. Kasumi cried out at the sudden downpour and Hiroshi seized her hand chuckling as the rain bounced off his shoulders and soaked his hair.
The two of them crashed haphazardly through the front door giggling and still clutching each other's hands. Hiroshi turned, eyes glinting, to Kasumi, but before he could say a word, she had grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his, smiling as he nearly fell over on the now slippery floor. And they stayed like that, locked together, grinning into each other's mouths and dripping water onto the polished floorboards as Satoshi, Togepi and two Pikachus stared in amazement.
~owari~
Eek…sappy fluff. Oh well…cheered me up. I have to go kill people and write citrusy Yaoi now to balance it out. So what do you think? I think that maybe trying to write Pokemon was a bad idea. *shrugs* Nevermind. We all make mistakes, right? *grins* Well…at least it got me over my writer's block. Kinda. ^^;;;;;