The pitter-patter of playful footsteps were the only companion keeping Blue company as he took his seventh sip of coffee, reading over the new guidelines given out to the Kanto League Gym Leaders. It was just annual paperwork, the same stuff he'd been dealing with since he was twelve and appointed one of the youngest people to become a Gym Leader.

He set down his mug and rubbed his temples. Damn, thirteen years later and they are still trying to make me battle with only a certain given type, he thought, letting out a tired sigh and using his pen to flick a lock of hair out of his face. When will they get in their heads that I will use whatever pokemon I damn well please. You'd think they'd give up by now. Stubborn bastards…

Funny, earlier that week the officials had called Blue the exact same thing.

Just as he signed his name at the bottom of the notice that once again stated that he would be ignoring the request given by the League Officials, the door to his study burst opened and a pair of energetic children raced to see who could get to their father first.

A five year old girl with long, messy chestnut hair pounced onto Blue's lap and let a smug grin cover her face. "Hah! Take that, Peter! I win, like always! Why do you even try? You're never going to beat me at anything!" she proclaimed, folding her arms across her chest with pride. "After all, I am the oldest. And the smartest!"

A tiny boy with short hair of the same color clenched his fists angrily and glared at his older sister. "Not to mention the ugliest, UGLY!" he replied, tears starting to form in his eyes. "You cheated anyway, Freya! No fair!"

Blue laughed, and picked up his three year old son with his spare hand. "Hey! Whoa, whoa! First of all, you two are going to have to learn to be nicer to each other. Secondly, no child of mine is ugly. Both of you have the genes of a practically perfect human being in your DNA," he said, taking hold of his children and holding them close to him. "I mean, you already have your mother. But add me in there and BAM you guys are basically the best kids ever."

Suddenly, a familiar laugh could be heard coming from the doorway. "Is that so?"

A woman in her mid-twenties emerged from the hall, and picked up Peter off of her father's lap. She wore her mid-length brunette hair in a messy bun, with an apron tied around her neck. There were stains, both old and new, plastered all over it, and had tomato sauce on her left shoulder.

Blue smirked. "Of course." he replied, "And don't you ever forget it." he added, looking down at Freya and Peter.

The women, Leaf, rolled her eyes affectionately before smiling like a mad woman. "Dinner's ready!" she announced with glee. She had insisted on cooking dinner and had been working in the kitchen since noon. To be honest, Blue was beginning to grow jealous of all the kitchen tools.

Her two kids exchanged a look that Blue and Leaf knew all too well. Freya jolted out of Blue's lap and pointed right at Peter. "Last one to the kitchen is a magikarp!" she shouted, and the two bolted out of the room before either of their parents could blink.

Watching his kids always made Blue a bit nostalgic. "They remind me of us when we were younger. Always competing with one another," Blue said as he started standing. She gave him a knowing smile and stretched her arms before turning to head back into the kitchen to check on everything for the fifth time.

He caught hold of her hand before she could even make it halfway out of the room. "Hey, hey, hey. I haven't gotten to talk to you all day. The pasta can wait," he said, pulling her close to him and placing both his hands on her back, and resting his chin on her head. "You have sauce on your shoulder."

She quickly moved to wipe it off with the apron but he held her tightly, restricting any movement. She looked up into his eyes, with a raised eyebrow that said what are you planning?

He smirked. "Let me get it."

She blushed as he leaned down and placed kisses on her shoulder absolutely everywhere except the spot with pasta sauce. "Blue…" she whispered, embarrassed. He always did things like this. And she hated is almost as much as she loved it.

He chuckled, finally kissing her where the sauce was, slowly licking it all off. She squirmed. He found this outrageously cute and started placing kisses everywhere where her skin was exposed. She smelt like italian food and he couldn't help but think that she tasted better than anything someone could hand to him on a plate. Yeah, her pasta was no doubt going to be delicious but it was no way comparable to his delicious wife.

Even after being married for half a decade he still felt like he did when they first started dating. Realizing he was in love with his quiet, always on-upping rival was hard enough for him, and finally confessing was the most embarrassing thing he ever had to endure, especially since she rejected moments after. She didn't want to be tied down by a relationship when she still had so much to see and discover is a handful of foreign regions.

However, even after she left he still refused to give up on her. After all, she never said that she didn't reciprocate his feelings. He may not have been able to win much when it came his longtime rival, but if anything he was with not a doubt going to win her heart. And finally, after four years of their still exciting battles and his attempted wooing, which basically consisted of him being himself but sometimes bringing her flowers or taking her out when she came to visit, she confessed to him. She still traveled, but at least they both knew that when they saw each other again that they belonged to each other and no one else.

His fingers traced circles across her lower back. "Why can't I just have you for dinner?"

Leaf's hair seemed to rise, and she lightly elbowed him, escaping his grasp. Her face was completely crimson, obviously flustered. "No flirting until you eat!"

He chuckled. "And after I eat?"

She paused, lingering at the entrance of the room. "Just make sure to leave room for dessert." she said playfully, looking back at him with that fire in her eyes which he grew up with. Then she was gone.

He smiled.

Mew, how I love this woman.