Season of Giving
O
It's Christmas Eve, a party is being thrown in her gym, and Misty Waterflower is sulking by the window.
It's not her ideal way to spend the day before Christmas. She usually likes to head over to Pallet Town and help Delia with the decorations. It's always a bonus if Ash manages to come home from his journey on Christmas morning. Seeing him makes her feel…warmer. Every time the holiday comes near, her skin prickles in anticipation.
But clearly not this year.
"God, little sis…like, be more fun," Violet takes a glass of punch (which may or may not be dosed with alcohol) and gives Misty a nudge. "I mean, it's the party in Cerulean, we hosted it, and you're sitting in the corner like a loner!"
"We?" Misty snaps. "I wasn't told about this until the day before." She turns around and stares back out the window, where snow blankets the city. "I don't even want to be here."
"Well, change that," Violet says, before flouncing back over to a boy she's been swooning over since he'd entered through the room. Misty watches her go, and crosses her arms rigidly across her chest. The dark red Christmas dress that "so accentuates her waist" like Lily said, is cutting off her circulation. The band of bracelets up her arm dig painfully into her flesh.
Why did she let her sisters dress her up again?
The music changes to "All I've Ever Wanted for Christmas" and Misty grits her teeth and thinks: All I want for Christmas is for a tornado to hit this stupid party and kill everyone but me. She supposes she's being a bit pessimistic, but she can't help but think that this party has nothing in it for her. She doesn't even know anyone here.
Moodily, Misty pours herself a glass of orange juice, sniffs it to make sure it really is orange juice, and takes a long sip.
At least the decorations are nice.
A large Christmas tree stands in the back of the gym, lit up with ornaments and Christmas lights. Various bright lights dapple through the ceiling and a rich green-and-gold rope entangles down the stairwell railing. Her gym pool is heated up, and guests lounge in it, singing Christmas carols obnoxiously.
The mood is very merry.
Misty wants to hit herself in the head with her mallet.
"Mist-y," Violet comes back over to her, and grabs her wrist painfully. "You're still not trying to be a little more fun?"
"No, I'm not," Misty tries to yank away, but Violet drags her through the smother of people. She talks a mile a minute. "I kind of totally know how you feel. I mean, you don't even nobody anyone here, right? But did you really think we'd just leave you totally hanging?"
Yes, I did.
"There's someone at the door," Violet waggles her brow, and says. "You know him."
Misty frowns as she watches Violet giggle and twirl back into the crowd. She knows him? Him? She's not even friends with that many guys. Maybe Brock managed to come. She smiles at the thought, and heads over to the doorway where guests are milling in. Talking with Brock would be nice.
Except when she reaches the doorway, it's not Brock that's standing on the front mat looking bewildered and confused.
It's…
"Ash," Misty's feet are frozen on the floor as the name slips out her tongue. It's a bare whisper, and he doesn't hear it. Misty watches him scrunch his brow up and try to figure out where the hell to go in this party where he doesn't know anyone else. She takes in his lean, tall figure. The unruly mass of black hair and pair of bright brown eyes.
"Ash," Misty repeats, louder than before.
This time, his head swivels, and his eyes lock on Misty. At first, he tenses. But then he relaxes into a warm, familiar grin.
"Hey, Mist!" He waves his hand up, beckoning her over.
Misty manages a trembling smile, before she squirms her way through the clump by the doorway. Her heart thuds painfully in her chest, and her tongue feels thick in her mouth. She can't believe…she can't believe he, of all people, is here. Isn't he supposed to be somewhere halfway over the world?
"Ash," Misty repeats when she reaches him. "I didn't - I didn't know they invited you."
Ash shrugs, and yells over the loud chatter, "I wasn't even going to come! But I wanted to see you so I thought I'd pop by!"
He wanted to see…her? Misty's heart flutters, and she wills her gooey-romantic that wants to kiss him to shut up. Instead, she rolls her shoulders back, whacks Ash on the back of the head, and drags him out the front door.
"Let's talk outside. It's way too loud in there," she explains.
Ash rubs the back of his head. "Man, what was the hit for?"
"A welcome greeting," Misty says sinisterly.
"Violent as ever," Ash grumbles.
Misty narrows her eyes. "Did you say something, Ash Ketchum?"
Ash laughs sheepishly. "No, no. You don't by any chance have that stupid old mallet anymore, do you?"
"Stupid? Old?" Misty lowers her voice. "Don't insult the precious thing. It's the only way you even made it as far as you did."
Ash ignores the first part, and leans forward eagerly. "You think I made it far?"
"No," Misty says stiffly. "You only made it moderately far. I had better expectations."
A fire lights up Ash's eyes, and he immediately comes into his defense. "I'm not done yet! I'm still going to be a Pokemon Master. You just wait!"
Misty clucks her tongue. "You're sure taking you're sweet time getting there, aren't you?"
"All good things come in time!"
"Where'd you get that quote from?"
Ash stops mid-defense and pauses. "Uh…Shakespeare?"
Misty hits him on the back of the head again. "Dope."
"Ow."
After that, and Ash's minor complaints about her violence, they settle into a deep, comfortable silence. Misty shivers and crosses her arm from the chilly snow on her bare forearms. She can't help but feel…whole and satisfied after talking with Ash. It's like no time has passed at all. The insults fly out easily…
He's so comfortable to be with.
"I'm glad you came," Misty shifts, and stares out at the snowy rooftops of the city. The words surprise herself, but she knows how deeply she means them. This whole Christmas Eve party had made her want to wring her hair out, but the moment Ash strode in, everything had turned so much brighter.
Maybe it was because he was the only person she truly felt comfortable with it. It was like she could freely converse and not have anything holding her back.
"I wanted to come," Ash says cheerfully, oblivious. "It's been ages since I've seen you, and I figured I could drop by and see mom too."
Misty flicks a snowflake from her face. "Your mom misses you so much. You should come by more often." She doesn't say: I miss you so much too.
Ash's smile drops. "It's hard, ya know. I'm usually so far away."
"I know," Misty hugs herself tighter, the chill seeping into her skin. "But you should at least try more."
"I do try…"
Misty rolled her eyes. "What's your definition of try? Eat, sleep, and eat some more?"
Ash sticks his tongue. "I wouldn't be talking! You look like you've put some on from all the dessert!"
"Excuse me?"
Ash jumps back as Misty starts to roll up a snowball. "I was kidding, Mist! I swear, I was only kidding!"
His pleas fall on deaf ears as Misty packs the snowball, arches her elbow back, and whacks it as hard as she can at Ash's face. The thick ball of snow hits Ash's face, and shatters into shambles. Snow slides down his chiseled jaw, seeping down his neck and into his hoodie. He shivers, and glares at her.
"I was kidding."
"You don't joke about a girl's weight," Misty says triumphantly. She wipes her hands together, and stares down at her dress. Honestly, she has not gained weight. She turns around slightly. Sure, she'd been eating a lot of ice cream lately, but that was only because her stupid sisters had been stressing her out…
"I really was kidding," Ash's eyes are wide. "I think the weight was like girl-curve weight."
"What?"
Ash reddens. "Nothing!"
Misty just stares at him. "Girl-curve weight?"
He begins to blabber in embarrassment, "Uh, it was Dawn's fault. She was telling me that when girls hit a certain age they gain weight but it's only to make them curvier and-" he coughs, cheeks pink, poking his two index fingers together. A sheepish expression crosses his face. "I can't explain myself, can I?"
Misty's neck and face flush, but she squares her shoulders and nods. "You're a doofus."
"I know," Ash nods. "And you're violent."
"…and you're a bike wrecker."
Ash groans. "Don't even bring that up-"
"Bike-wrecker!"
"It was an accident," Ash says very slowly, taking an almost cowering step back. "And besides, I was saving Pikachu, and I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted something to happen to him. And also, just so you know…" Ash paused, and cracked a grin. "Fishing is so boring. Think of it as I saved you from your medicore life."
"My medicore life?" Misty growled.
"Yes," Ash nods, very serious. "You may have just rotted away there if I hadn't – oof!"
Another snowball hits him in the face. This time, clumps fall into his hoodie. "Mist-y," he whines.
"Suck it up," Misty says airily. "And admit it. You deserved both of them."
Ash just scowls and tries to get rid of the snow.
Misty watches him shovel some of it out of his hoodie and throw it back onto the ground. He has this look of intense concentration on his face and it's…cute. Misty shakes her head, and feels her face flame in embarrassment. She did not just call Ash cute. Although he has gotten even more…handsome since they'd first met…
The warm feeling fills her chest again.
"You cold?" Ash breaks her out of her thoughts.
Misty realizes that although she's been feeling warm and comfy from Ash's presence, the chill from outside is sending goose bumps up her arms and legs. She shivers, and rubs her forearms in a failed attempt to warm herself up. Ash smiles, strides over, and casually puts an arm around her.
For a moment, they both just stand there.
Misty's heart bangs against her chest. "Ash," she whispers.
Ash shifts uncomfortably, and pulls her in closer, until her head is against his chest. "I'm just…warming you up. I swear. Nothing weird."
But it is weird. And strange. In a good sort of way.
"I'm glad you're here," Misty says softly.
Ash's strong arms wrap tighter, and pull her closer, until she feels like she's drowning in a pool of only him. The Christmas music floats in through the cracks of the door, and snow dwindles in flakes into the blanket spread over the city. In this moment, Misty forgets about her sisters, and the party she didn't want to attend.
All she can think about is this Christmas Eve, another one spent with him.
"Ash," Misty looks up, and wipes orange hair from her face. She sees his face, peering down at her with large brown eyes that are as warm as the sunset dipping in the distance. "I know this is weird, and we haven't seen each other much because of your travelling…but I'm really glad you came. Reallyglad."
The moment the words come out, Misty's face flames, but Ash's lights up like a kid on Christmas morning (or, in this case, Christmas Eve). Misty wills him to say something, anything, to break the embarrassment she feels. But he doesn't. He just stands there with a stupid grin on his face, holding her close.
Lost for words, Misty blurts, "Bike wrecker!"
And maybe it's the snow settling into her hair that makes her look like an angel, or maybe it's just the Christmas moment, but Ash's head drops down, and his lips brush softly against Misty's at the words. Misty's body tightens, and her pulse thumps madly in her throat, but she doesn't yank away. Instead, she leans in too, and loses herself in the extraordinary moment.
In the distance, a church bells rings. Violet cracks open the door to demand Misty join her back inside, but when she sees them, clinging so close and passionately, she quietly closes the door again.
It's Christmas Eve, a party is being thrown in her gym, and if anyone were to look out the window, they would see Misty Waterflower kissing Ash Ketchum, the man she's been in love with since the fateful day he wrecked her bike.
O o O o O o O o