So after four whole months of doing nothing but schoolwork, I'm finally back into writing stuff! After watching the XY&Z Anime and reading some fics, I need to let my imagination run wild. XD I'm only planning on this being a one shot, as I need to get the rust off before I tackle another chapter story like Heart and Soul was, but if you have any compliments, criticism, comments, questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in a review or PM!

And without further ado, I present to you,

"Answers,"

It was cold.

Freezing cold.

Blistering cold.

But it was always that cold atop Mount Silver, so he was used to the numbing chill that tickled his fingerless gloved fingers and still managed to nip at his toes despite his socks and shoes. He shifted slightly beneath his blanket, leaning farther back against the equally cold stone cave wall. There wasn't a fire, both because he was tired from training, and because he lacked anything to fuel a fire. Charizard could start one, sure, but keeping it burning was a whole different ball game.

Not that he cared.

He was stronger now, stronger than when he'd won the League.

Stronger than when he'd beat Giovanni.

Way stronger.

That was why he was here in the first place, to get stronger.

On this mountain.

In the blistering cold.

With not another person in sight.

He sighed, seeing his breath in a white puff of air as he exhaled it, before fading away. It was still snowing outside, as it had been for the past few hours. He couldn't do much training inside the cave, and none of his Pokémon appreciated blizzards too much. Even Blastoise, as feisty as he was, wanted nothing to do with training today...

And that left him all alone, to stare at the stone walls of the cave and think about things.

About the things he'd left behind.

About the people he'd left behind.

He hadn't originally intended to stay here that long. He'd planned to do some training, maybe for a few weeks, a few months even, then return home and...

His train of thought froze, no pun intended of course. When he returned home...he had to do something when he returned home. That was also why he was here. He was scared to face her, to answer her, to tell her the truth.

"I...I love you."

The deafening silence that followed Leaf's statement was so quiet you could've heard a pen drop. Unfortunately, there was no pen to break that silence, which only left Leaf and Red. Red just stood there in shock, body stiff and eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. He'd never been a romantic person, so naturally he'd never considered Leaf in a romantic light, but this whole time...she'd loved him?

"I...uh...I..." he struggled, fumbled for the right words, but nothing came to him, not like when he was in a battle and could think a mile a minute. This time, he was left speechless, and his mind was...stuck, for lack of a better word. Leaf gave him an almost sympathetic smile, giving him a quick hug, too quick for him to even bother returning it, and promptly started walking away.

"I just...I just needed that off my chest before you left again," She explained, not looking back. "If you don't have an answer now, that's fine...just...tell me when you come back home." Red looked down in anger, mentally kicking himself for not saying a word when she'd opened her heart to him. How could he be so dumb? Why couldn't he say he loved her?...Wait...

Did he love her?

He still had to answer to Leaf after all that...but he couldn't. Even after three years training and thinking atop Mount Silver, he still didn't really know what to feel. He'd never loved anyone before, so he didn't know what the difference was between loving her as a friend, and loving her as...well...more than a friend. he knew he loved her as a friend, he knew he'd do anything for her, and he knew she was one of the few people who knew about that scar on his back...

...But was that just really close friendship, or was that love?

He loved his mother, he loved his father, he loved(in a brotherly way) Blue, but they weren't all the same kind of love...They all felt different.

They all were different.

For a person like him, this was one of the hardest things he'd ever encountered. But for Leaf, the answer was so simple. She'd just confessed to him out of nowhere, and left him to deal with it. How was he supposed to deal with that? What did he think? What did he do? What did he say?

So yeah, he wasn't eager to return home. He didn't want to come back until he had an answer, a definite answer, for Leaf.

He owed that to her, at least.

"Hello?"

Red immediately stiffened at the sound of the voice. It couldn't be...

"Red, are you here?" Scrambling to his feet as a figure made it's way Into the cave, Red was shocked to see that it was in fact the one who'd been on his mind less than a minute ago.

Leaf.

"What the heck are you doing here!?" He exclaimed. It was difficult for him to climb the mountain, let alone Leaf. Who knew what shape she was in after doing that in a blizzard, no less?

"I should be asking you that, Mr. Champion," She countered, and Red flinched at the sarcasm in her voice. She sounded a bit upset. "You left for three years and haven't said a word to anyone that whole time! The whole town's worried sick!" Red remained silent, only managing to bow his head. He knew that several people probably were worried, after all, he had a lot of friends, and some close family. His mother had already lost one child, and he could've been the second.

"And even more than that," She brought him back into reality, "I...I freaking told you I loved you, and you never even came back to give me an answer!" That silence, the same silence that had been there when she confessed the first time was back in attendance for the two's reunion. Only this time around, the distant howl of the wind outside the cave was there too.

"I..i'm sorry," He mumbled, doubting that would quell her anger.

He was right.

"Sorry?...After all these years, sorry is all you have to say?" Red flinched again as she raised her fist, expecting a well deserved punch in the face. Instead, he was greeted with the feeling of a body pressing against his. Opening his eyes, he saw tears in Leaf's eyes as she hugged him as tightly as she could. "I...wanted an answer, so so bad..." She whispered, and breaking out of his stupor, he returned the hug lightly, not sure what to do with the crying girl in his arms. "I missed you, y'know?"

Red remained silent, but this time it wasn't that he lacked the words. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say, but...

He would answer her.

Right now.

"Leaf," He bgean, causing the brunette to look up at him in curiosity. "I wasn't up here just because...I was up here because I didn't want to come back until I could give you an answer." Leaf's eyes widened, and understandably so. "I still don't know for sure what I feel, I mean, all these emotions are kinda new to me, but..." He pulled her in tightly, causing Leaf to gasp at the sudden action.

"I think...I love you too."