A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! How am I celebrating? MY 40th FAN FICTION! So, close to 50! Maybe I'll do it before the year's out. And what else should be my milestone but an AAML? I hope you guys like this one! This isn't a songfic, per se, but I took the general tone from the song "I Never Told You" and used it as a framework. I hope you guys like finished project! Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Pokemon or "I Never Told You" by Colbie Caillat. They are the property of their respectable owners.
I Never Told You
"ATTENTION PASSENGERS: WE ARE NOW 50 MILES FROM CERULEAN. 50 MILES."
Ash looked up at the PA system on the train. He smiled. He was getting close. Almost to his best friend. Almost to Misty. He couldn't wait. He hadn't seen her in months and was really missing her. They talked on the phone practically every day but it was nothing like getting to be around her. She had an effect on him, an amazing effect, one that he couldn't explain. He just knew that life just seemed to be better and more fun in general when he got be around her. He definitely smiled a lot more because of her.
He started to reminisce about all of the times they were on the road; he had been getting lost in those memories since he planned the trip. All the laughs, all the dangers, all the adventure… even the tears and the pain… it was all worth it. Every day was worth it. Those days of travel were second to none.
One night in particular was his absolute favorite. Brock and Pikachu had already crashed for the night and Ash and Misty were lying down looking at the stars. They weren't talking about anything in particular. But they just got to talk; about their dreams, their fears, their hopes, and their goals.
He remember one of them had something funny, he couldn't remember who, but they looked at each other and, when he looked into her eyes, he saw that they sparkled. But there was something about her eyes in that moment, like something tangible he could see and feel. It made his heart skip a beat… well, several. He managed to hide it and had done so ever since.
He told himself that it was nothing but a single moment; at best, a little crush simply because she was his best friend and because she was always around. He couldn't even, for the life of him, figure out why he was thinking about that right now.
He decided to get some rest while he completed the train ride to Cerulean. He pulled out his music player, turned it to shuffle, and made himself more comfortable so he could get some sleep.
As he drifted off, memories of Misty turned into a dream.
Ash looked and saw Misty standing with a smile on her face. They were back in the field, back on the hill; the same hill where he first felt something for her all those years ago, except they were alone this time. He knew it was a dream but it was so nice that he didn't mind it.
"Misty…" the Pallet native said.
"Do you miss me?" the gym leader asked.
"What?"
"Do you miss me?"
He thought about the question. Just getting to look at the dream version of her, the question was not at all hard to answer. "Of course, Misty. I miss you. Like, every day."
"What do you miss?"
"Huh?"
"About me? What do you miss?"
He paused. He stared at her eyes, shining as brilliant and beautiful as ever; her hair, it even smelled nice in the dream; he looked at her body, he hadn't seen her face to face in a few months but the last time he saw her he had to force himself to stop staring at how sexy she became; and her smile.
That smile.
That dazzling, captivating, encouraging, traffic-stopping smile. Even the memory of it got him through some of his hardest days. No matter where he went, how many people met, or how many gorgeous women he found himself, he would always say the same: no one, anywhere, had a smile like Misty's. Not even close.
After taking all of her in, he slowly shook his head. "Everything." He paused. "Misty, I miss everything about you."
She giggled. She tilted her head to side in a cute manner. "Really?"
He had to swallow. "Yeah… everything."
"Why?"
He opened his mouth but paused. Even in a dream, he was still frightened by this realization. But he couldn't deny it for some reason. So, with a lot of courage, declared, "Because I love you."
She giggled again. "I know." She walked up to him. "Why not tell me?" she asked in a soft voice.
"What?"
"Why not tell me?"
He didn't answer.
"How long have you loved me?"
He stared at her. "Since that night… since we were here."
"So… why not tell me?"
"Because."
"Because why?"
He paused. "Because… I'm afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Because… what if… you don't feel the same?"
"How are you supposed to know? How am I supposed to know? You never told me."
"I…" He paused as she approached.
She placed a gentle hand on his face. "You won't know… if you don't try."
He stared at her. He had a tear fall from his eye. "I'm scared."
She wiped the tear away. "I know. But, aren't you afraid of losing Pokémon battles?"
"Sometimes."
"But you try."
"But…"
"You will never know… if you don't try."
"But this is different, Misty."
"Oh, yeah?" She put on a sly smirk.
Ash woke up. His eyes wide with surprise. He is in love with Misty. All this time, he has been in love with her. He knew it but could never say it. He could finally admit it to himself. In truth, that was probably one of the hardest battles.
He looked out of the window and saw that the train was almost to Cerulean. He couldn't wait to get there. Once the train stopped, Ash jumped right off, grabbing his bags, finding a cab as quick as he could, and making his way to the Cerulean gym.
He had no idea what he was going to do but he knew what he had to do. He had no idea if he was doing the right thing, either, but he was tired of holding on to these feelings and not expressing them. Now that he was able to admit it to himself, he had to admit it to her. What would be the repercussions? He didn't know. But he did know that he couldn't hold them to himself. Not anymore. He had to tell her. He prayed that it would work out for the best.
Misty sat reading her magazine, waiting to hear from Ash. She was planning to go pick him up when he called until she heard a knock at her door. She was confused since the gym was closed, figuring it must just be a package coming in from the mail since she wasn't expecting anyone else except her best friend coming by today. She went to the door and opened it to find Ash standing in front of her.
"Hey!" she said, surprised. She smiled, "I thought you were…"
She was cut off by Ash kissing her.
Her eyes went wide as it took her a second to catch that this was actually happening. When she fully realized it, her mind kicked into overdrive. Ash is kissing her… she couldn't believe it.
Ash is kissing her… and it was ridiculously amazing!
Where in the world did this come from? She hardly cared right now. She was in a total bliss. She closed her eyes became engulfed by the pure pleasure of it. Goodness, this was amazing. After a minute, he broke the kiss and they separated a bit. Misty slowly opened her eyes and they looked at each other in total, both bewildered.
"Wow…" she said, out of breath and dumbfounded. She started to come back fully, "I mean… Ash, what…"
"I never told you," he interrupted.
"What?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just… I never told you… everything I should've already said…"
"What do you mean?"
Ash paused. He took all the courage he ever had and put it into this moment so he could get this out, at last. "I love you, Misty."
She stared at him, her eyes just as wide as when he kissed her. Her heart was beating, irregularly and her mind was starting to spin.
He got the hard part of the way. He could say all he needed to, now. "I have for… such a long time… I have tried over and over again to tell myself that I didn't but it was a lie." He took a deep breath, "And I can't lie anymore, not to you or me." He exhaled, getting himself together so he could keep going. "Since the day we met… you've meant so much to me. You've… you will always mean the world to me. Just… everything you've done for me. After you left… I just… I've missed you." He scoffed, remembering the dream. "I have missed everything about you."
"Ash…" she whispered.
"I thought I was just missing you as a friend but… every day, almost every second, you're on my mind. I can't go a day without thinking about you…" He smirked. "And it brings a smile to my face every time."
Misty's eyes were starting to well up. "Ash…" she said, admirably.
He didn't hear the tone of her voice. He got out what he needed to say and now he was afraid of the consequences. "I'm sorry, Misty. I don't know if… if I just ruined everything with us but… I couldn't… I couldn't go one more day without saying this."
At his confession, the Cerulean gym leader felt her heart was swelling up with emotion. She realized something: she felt the exact same way. All she could think about was Ash. Every spare moment, her mind would trail to him; his smile, his face, even remembering things like his hair would make her smile. She was so happy he was coming to visit. She even put on her favorite light blue summer dress because she knew he liked it; he told her so in a letter when she put a picture with it. Her hair was even down because he told her it was a good look on her. She smiled at him.
But he didn't notice. He was too busy panicking. "I… just… I just couldn't let this go by anymore without being said… I just had to…"
This time… she cut him off. By pressing her lips to his.
Ash was shocked. But that didn't stop him from being caught up in the amazing feeling of it. Made more amazing since she initiated it this time and his fear was gone.
They stopped kissing. Misty placed her arms around his neck. "Ash… I never told you, either… I love you, too."
He looked at her, in a surprised daze. "Really?"
"Yeah." She smiled bigger, "I think… I always have… I was just too… worried or scared to say it. Same reasons you didn't tell me, I didn't tell you. But now… now, I can."
He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Misty… I'm just sad it took so long… sorry I never said any of this before…"
She smiled. She thought that statement over. She wasn't upset with him for it but she knew she could turn this into her favor. "I'll accept your apology under one condition."
"Name it."
She hugged him tighter. "Never let a day go by… where don't say it."
He squeezed her tighter. "Deal."
A/N: Yep, I'm a hopeless romantic. Short and sweet! I hope you guys liked it! REVIEWS! Thanks in advance!