A/N: This is not what I thought it would turn out to be, oml. This turned into a whole slew of things and I don't even know what. Whatever, I hope you guys enjoy! This is simply supposed to be a fun and lighthearted one-shot, only but a brief look into their lives. Sorry if they're OOC, I haven't actually watched the show in forever, though I think it's okay considering they've had like 9 years (in this story) to mellow out. Anyway!

BTW: I wrote a bonus scene for this (what Ash and Misty do after she attacks him, wink wink) if anyone's interested in that. I'll upload it separately so I can give it a mature rating. If anyone wants it, anyway.

Alright, enjoy! I don't own this franchise!

/

After every adventure, he came back. He always came back. And Misty was always there, and so was Brock, and Gary, and Professor Oak, his pokemon and, of course, his mom.

After every adventure, it was always a comfort. It was a comfort that Ash hadn't realized or appreciated when he was younger, but going on almost 20 years old, he loved the feeling of being in a familiar place.

No, not familiar; that wasn't the word. He's been so many places that anywhere he went would be familiar to him. He loved the feeling of… being warm? Of… of feeling fuzzy inside, of feeling a peace wash over him?

He loved the feeling of home.

When he was younger, Ash would think of home and simply think of his mother and the quaint two-bedroom house he grew up in. Now, however, a conglomeration of images play out in his mind; when he thinks of home, he thinks of freshly-made dinner from his mom, sitting on the table, or expertly-made sandwiches from Brock; he thinks of nuzzles from Pikachu, the bond with his pokemon; he thinks of all the platonic sleep-piles with his friends and cuddling for heat; he thinks of laughter from his friends, hugs from his mom, orange hair, a huge pool, giggles, pointless arguments, nights under the stars, holding hands-

Ash cherished being home.

Ash wasn't as dense or stupid as everyone thought. Ash had grown over his nine years of travelling; he learned a lot about the world, about human and pokemon and their interactions with each other. Ash had learned to understand and embrace his own emotions. However, he also learned more about his own goals and life motivations. He was no longer a kid trying his hardest to be a Pokemon Master; he was a man with a solid plan on how to be at the top. After meeting many League officials, gym leaders and Elite Four members, he had a concrete plan on how to become a Champion. And for years, he had been following that plan, only to end up back at… square one.

Home.

Ash breathed in the fresh air and Pikachu let out a satisfied "chaaa" as he, too, took a deep breath.

"Well, Pikachu… here we are." Ash sighed, a tone of disappointment in his breath. Just because he loved and appreciated being home, doesn't mean that he was excited to be back after another defeat. Ash started the trek into Pallet Town, walking through the grass and avoiding the wild pokemon. Pikachu was looking around, looking to see if anything had changed; aside from new vegetation and new Pokemon families, it was all the same. The trek back to Ash's house was comforting in itself; it raised his spirits slightly. He smiled as he passed Professor Oak's lab; he was going to be sure to visit his pokemon, and his favorite professor tomorrow. It was only about three in the afternoon, but Ash was sure that he didn't want to do anything else aside from be home today. Soon, he was at his front door. He knocked twice as a warning, and as he went to grab his keys from his pocket to unlock the door, he heard a very familiar voice shout 'coming!'.

Ash's heart started to beat quickly; it wasn't his mom. It was his best friend. He knew the she visited his mother monthly; they had an incredible mother-daughter relationship built over the years of bonding over him. After nine years of Misty being around more than he was, he was sure that the two got on better than Ash got on with either of them. Ash's musings were suddenly halted as the door swung open, and Ash, in all his glory, stood shock-still, his keys raised in the air.

Grinning at him was the most beautiful person in the world. Her fiery locks were up in a bun on the crown of her head, and her face was speckled with flour, seeming to add more freckles to her pale face. She was wearing one of his old Pokemon graphic t-shirts and a pair of jean shorts, both with flour on them. A cry of "piiiiika!" snapped Ash out of his reverie, and suddenly his furry best friend was jumping off of his head and into Misty's arms. Ignoring Ash's indignant shout of 'hey!', Misty's melodic laughter rang out as Pikachu burrowed himself into her arms.

"Oh no, Pikachu, you're going to get flour on you! Mr. Mime's going to kill you if you track it all over the house – here, lets get you a little washed up…" Misty said, walking away and giggling all the while. She turned back around to look at Ash, who was still standing in the doorway. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to enter your own house or stand there like an idiot until the sun goes down?" She said, a snap in her tone. Ash shook his head once again and walked into the house, shutting the door behind him, his dark brown eyes following her figure as she ascended the stairs.

"Oh, my Ashy!" A squeal came from the kitchen, and before Ash could process anything, he was scooped up in a large hug from his mother. "Oh, Ash, my dear it's so good to have you back! We missed you so much, all of us!" His mother exclaimed, squeezing him tighter. Ash coughed in the embrace, feeling his ribs being crushed. Suddenly, air rushed back into his lungs as she let him go, and he doubled over and coughed some more. His mom simply pat him on the back and laughed. "Go get clean, dear! I love you to bits, but you could do with a shower. Send Pikachu back down, though, however! I might have missed him even more than you!" She said, waving him off. Mr. Mime popped his head out of the kitchen and laughed at his state of being. Ash simply nodded and gave a thumbs up, still trying to catch his breath. He headed up the stairs, and heard happy chus from the bathroom. He knocked weakly on the door and entered.

Misty was currently scrubbing Pikachu down with water and soap to get the flour off of him, but once she realized how dirty Pikachu really was from the trip, she decided to give him a full bath. She blew bubbles at him made out of soap while he tried to pop them. Her shirt was pretty soaked, but she seemed not to mind as she laughed along with Pikachu.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Ash said, leaning on the door frame and smiling at the scene, "but there's one bathroom in this house, and I'm going to need it." He walked further into the bathroom, against the wall opposite of the door, against the sink. Misty simply looked at him and stuck her tongue out, to which he rolled his eyes. Misty cleaned the soap off of Pikachu and then gave him a towel to dry himself with, which he did. She stood up and turned around to face Ash. It was silent for a moment as they looked each other over.

"Well, the tub's free. You might need to clean out Pikachu's fur, though. Have fun with that." Misty said teasingly, smirking up at him with her arms crossed.

"I think that should be your job, considering you were the one that wanted to give him a bath."

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu yelled, nudging Ash's leg with the towel. Pikachu was fluffy now, but mostly dry.

"Hey, Pikachu, Mom really wanted to see you! She might have some food already made for ya." Ash said, taking the towel from his mousy friend and rubbing behind one of his ears. Pikachu cha'd in contentment, but ran out of the room at the mention of food. Ash smiled as he watched his friend go, then closed the door and focused his attention back on Misty, who was now stood with her back against the sink. He grinned at her and she frowned.

"What?" She asked, not liking to look on his face one bit. Well, she liked his face; the tanned skin, hint of stubble coming in, the flecks in his eyes, his unruly hair hanging in his eyes… but, that wicked smile did not fit his face. Suddenly, he lunged forward and his arm came up and he smothered her in the towel as she shrieked. She moved around him to get to the door, but he picked her up by the waist, and plopped her down on the sink behind them. He smiled at her and fluffed her with the towel while she shouted at him. He then threw the towel to the side, grinning at his handiwork; her hair was messed out of her bun, flour and Pikachu's fur was everywhere, and her hair, shirt and shorts were entirely damp. A fire was in her eyes as she glared up at him with her arms crossed against her chest. She had resigned to sitting there, no longer fighting to leave the bathroom. Maybe she didn't want to; maybe she liked being caged by her best friend.

"Ash Ketchum, this is how you say hello to me after a year and two months of not seeing me in person?" She said harshly, blowing a hair out of her eyes. Ash just grinned.

"Punishment. Why would you greet me in one of my t-shirts?" He asked, his eyes scanning her form hungrily. His hands were now resting on either side of her thighs on the sink, itching to touch her, but staying still. He groaned and dropped his head onto her shoulder. She pat his head sympathetically.

"Honestly? Delia made me. She thought that my clothes were too nice to get flour on – or, my shirt at least – and dug this out for me." Misty explained, the irritation dropped from her voice. Ash picked his head up and nodded.

"Yeah, that makes sense. This is just… so difficult." Ash said, his voice pained.

"I know."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a soft rustling at the door. Ash turned and opened it, and Pikachu jerked his head down the stairs, which was followed by a sweet,

"Ash, Misty! Hurry up and come on down, I can't do this baking all alone!"

The two instantly broke apart, Misty hopping off of the sink.

"I'll get you new clothes from my room, I'll be back to clean the bathroom." Ash said. Misty nodded.

"I'm going to clean myself up a bit." Ash left and shut the door, and Misty sighed while grabbing a fresh towel, wetting it and dragging it over herself, collecting all the Pikachu fur off of her body. She redid her hair and washed her face, then was met with a knock at the door. Ash had brought her a pair of his basketball shorts and another old shirt since hers were soaked, and he also brought in a change of clothes for himself.

"All done?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm going to change in your room so you can take a shower and all that. Better be quick, though; you heard your mom before." Misty joked, bumping her hip against his as she walked out of the room. Ash rolled his eyes and shut the door behind her.

/

"Okay, family!" Delia sang out happily. It was about five now, and everyone had been helping Delia prepare her feast in the kitchen. They were all setting the food on the table as Mr. Mime and Pikachu were setting the silverware and plates out. Ash was almost drooling; there were home-made croissants, small sandwiches, a bean hotpot, rice, noodles, pork and each had their own bowl of soup. And the baked dessert was still in the fridge! There was no way they'd eat everything tonight, even Ash could admit that. They all settled in: Misty next to Ash on one side of the table, and Delia and Mr. Mime on the other. Pikachu had made his own little place on the table amid the food next to Ash.

"Okay, now before we dig in, I just want to say something," Delia started, clearing her throat, "Over the years, I have watched you grow up so big, Ash. Even though for the past nine years, I've mainly watched you on TV –" Delia started to choke up, but powered on, "I'm so proud of you. Every time you come home, you're more mature than the last time I saw you. I know you'll accomplish your goals, and it's going to take some time, but never stop trying – even though I miss you dearly. Oh, every time I see you battle, I think of the little nine year old who was just so excited to get his first pokemon, you couldn't wait to grow up! You even asked me if there was a way to change your birthday, bless your heart-" At this point, Delia started crying, "And I remember when you were running around this house in diapers, as hyper as ever! And god, you made such a mess, and it was so hard to raise you almost completely by myself," Delia paused now, gripping the tablecloth and trying to pull herself together. Ash had never seen his mom talk about his lack of father; he got up and went around the table and hugged her tightly around her shoulders and calmed her down.

"But what I mean is, it was so, so worth it. To see the man you've grown into; and I'm not talking about the battles you win. Seeing your kind, caring nature and seeing your growth and knowing that, 'wow, my son is an amazing kid' – I'm so proud of you, Ash. I love you so much," She paused again, hugging him back. She had cried on his shirt slightly, but she was now wiping her eyes and composed herself.

"And the wonderful friends you've made! They always call and visit me whenever they're in the area- when May and her friends were in Kanto for the contest circuit, she made sure to stop and visit, even though there's nothing in Pallet Town for her. And Brock and Misty – Misty, I can't thank you enough. Your visits and phone calls keep an aging woman sane. I love you like you're my own – your parents are missing out, and I hope they know that. I'm so proud of you, too – you've changed so much, and you've revamped that entire gym inside-out. You're a special girl. I just… I love you both." Delia ended her speech strong. Now, it was Misty's turn to be teary-eyed; she whipped around the table and hugged Delia and Ash as well. Ash could see tears slipping down her face as well, but they didn't say anything for a while. Mimey and Pikachu joined the hug as well, and shortly after, the makeshift family commenced dinner.

/

About an hour of eating and three hours of catching up later, the family was sitting in the living room, scrolling through the TV with the fireplace crackling. They all had just talked about Ash's trip in Kalos, all the details he couldn't explain over the phone, the ups and downs and wins and losses. They had also discussed Misty's changes to the gym in the past year, because she was always trying to be better. Delia talked about her help in the preschool and daycare, and even her care-taking of Ash's pokemon at Professor Oak's.

Ash was sitting back in the corner of the couch, almost sinking into the cushions, while Misty was on the opposite end of the couch with Pikachu in her lap and her feet in Ash's lap. He idly stroked his thumb across her leg as he flipped through the channels on the remote. Misty was stroking Pikachu, who was nearly asleep, absent-mindedly. Delia sat perched in the armchair to the right of the couch, reading a book. Mr. Mime had gone to sleep in his makeshift bed in the corner of the room a while ago. Suddenly, Delia let out a yawn and marked her page in her book.

"Alright kids, I'm going to sleep. Make sure the fire's out all the way before you two go up to bed, hm? I don't want it going down here unsupervised." She said lightly, ruffling their hair on her way past them. They each said goodnight as she went upstairs. A beat of silence passed the two.

"Did your mom just insinuate that she thinks we're going to sleep in the same bed together?" Misty asked, a blush dusting her cheeks. Ash laughed uncertainly.

"I don't know. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if she just straight up asked me to marry you." Ash joked. Misty stayed quiet.

"I was kidding, Mist. Kind of."

Silence.

"What are you thinking of?" Ash asked, eyeing her closely. Misty turned to look at him, and after gently moving Pikachu to the arm of the couch, she moved closer to Ash, curling her legs under her and resting her shoulder on his chest, the crown of her head settling on his neck. He gulped and looked down at her. He shifted himself so that his arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and he lightly rubbed his thumb over her shirt in a soothing manner. Misty sighed.

"Your mom's little speech really surprised me." She said at last. Ash nodded.

"Yeah, me too. She almost never mentions raising me – I'm sure it was hard as hell. She never mentions how alone she was… or is. The part about an 'aging woman' punched me in the gut." Misty nodded.

"She misses you a lot. I think it was hard for her to have you so out of reach for so many years – especially with all the trouble you get into. She couldn't ever really help… all she could do was watch it and wish and pray, you know?" Misty said gently. That would definitely make him feel guilty, but it was the truth. Ash let exhaled loudly.

"Yeah, I know. Trust me, as the years go on, the more I find that I miss her a lot, too. And you, and this house, and everyone. I've just… been thinking…" But Ash trailed off. Misty moved to look at him, propping herself up on the back of the couch, and motioned for him to keep going.

"Nah, forget it. Doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. This is clearly wearing on you, whatever it is."

"It doesn't."

"It does."

"It doesn't."

"Ash Ketchum, are we really doing this right now?" Misty asked, turning to him fully on the couch to give him an incredulous look. He shrugged.

"Don't wanna talk about it." He responded gruffly. Misty frowned, and with a glare, she suddenly swung one leg over his lap so she was straddling him. She placed her hands on either side of his neck on the back of the couch.

"Well, I do." She said softly. Ash groaned, shifting himself toward the center of the couch more so she'd have more rom for her left leg.

"Fine. But get off of me."

"Hmm, no. I like it here." She replied, settling herself in his lap and nuzzling into his neck, leaving a light kiss. Ash groaned in frustration and his head hit the back of the couch. Misty ran her fingers through his unruly black hair. "Tell me." She demanded. Ash huffed in annoyance.

"I've just been not enjoying traveling as much. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing all the new places and pokemon, and I love training and battling in new ways, but I just wish it all meant something, I guess." Misty frowned once she heard him sigh.

"What do you mean? You know what goal you have to work towards; once you beat all of the Leagues, you'll become the undisputed Champion until another comes along." Misty asked in confusion, stroking his hands through his hair in a soothing manner. Ash nodded, but stared at the ceiling, his head still back. His shoulders relaxed at her ministrations.

"Yeah, but… Mist, I've been doing this since I was ten. I've participated in every League there is and I have almost nothing to show for it. I've done so much traveling, and it really has enriched me and made me a better trainer and person, but… every time I come home, I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave my mom – my aging and lonely mother – anymore. And… I don't want to leave you. Just…. Maybe knowing all that I know about pokemon and having the adventures I've had were enough, you know? I'm just… tired. And I'm starting to think about other things in life other than Pokemon." Ash said, this time his head was picked off of the couch and he stared intently at Misty. Misty was shocked; she had never known that he felt like this, ever.

"Oh, wow… I… That's… A lot," Misty started lamely, still staring at him, "But, honestly Ash, if that's how you're starting to feel, I don't blame you. It has seemed like a long-time coming. I think if you want to stay home, you should take longer breaks. If you stay home forever…. I know you. You'll get restless, because you have unfinished business. I think, deep down, you know what you want… you're just tired and frustrated because it's preventing you from something else you want," Misty said, her voice just a whisper,

"And what is that?" Ash asked, his eyes dropping to her lips as they drew closer,

"Home."

And with that, their lips sealed. Misty ducked her head down, capturing his top lip in hers, and tilting her head. Ash reciprocated in kind, and opened his mouth a little wider, his tongue darting out to find hers. Their bodies drew closer, almost mashed as one. Ash settled his hands securely on her waist, and he drew her impossibly closer, wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug. Her hands went to cup his face, then roamed his hair, tugging and pulling as their lips meshed in harmony – Ash lifted her up and dropped her on the couch so that he was on top – his hands roamed the expanse of her ribs under his shirt –

Misty pushed his shoulders gently and disconnected their mouths sloppily. Ash sighed again, and encircled her waist with his arms in a hug, and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

"Yeah. I definitely don't want to leave that." Misty giggled. Silence overtook the two as she ran her hands through his hair.

"I hate that our goals are keeping us apart. And I hate that it's been almost three years since we wanted to date and couldn't. And I hate that I can only see you once a month over video call, or a few times a year." Ash mumbled into her shoulder. Misty smiled sincerely as emotion overtook her face. She hugged Ash's head lightly and kissed the top of it in understanding. More silence passed.

"Come on. I think we could do with some fresh, cool air, and then some sleep." Misty suggested, patting his shoulders lightly. Ash nodded and got off of her and helped pull her to her feet. Ash looked to Pikachu, who was still fast asleep on the arm of the couch, and smiled. The two walked out of the back door in the kitchen and into the backyard. Misty tugged him over to the middle of the yard where she promptly laid down, Ash following. They laid on their backs, under the stars, and simply looked out into space in comfortable silence, feeling the tickle of the grass on their bodies.

"I don't think you should give up." Misty said suddenly, still looking at the white flecks amongst a sea of black.

"I'm not giving up."

"Oh? Then what are you doing?"

"I'm changing my life goals."

Misty snorted.

"Yeah? To what?"

A lapse of silence covered the two again for a brief moment.

"I want to come home to you." Ash said finally. Misty smiled sadly at the stars, but she grabbed his hand lightly.

"Then you know what you do?" Misty asked.

"What?"

She turned her head to look at him this time.

"You get your act together and you fight the Leagues seriously. And I don't mean you start out fresh with no one but Pikachu. I mean you take your strongest, most trusted pokemon from your many journeys, and you go win Leagues. You have so many Pokemon that you don't use because every time you go to a new region, you start with a clean slate to learn more. Which has been great for developing yourself as a trainer, but now it's time to shift from learning to doing. You're an incredibly experienced trainer. Think and act like it." Misty said harshly. Ash frowned.

"I think that was kind of mean." Ash replied.

"Was it? Good. Do it. Because I want you to get his over with. Because I want you to come home to me, too."

/

The two laid in silence for a few more moments, taking in all the stars.

"Laying like this reminds me of when we traveled together." Ash stated, rubbing circles onto her hand with his thumb. Misty smiled gently.

"Yeah, I agree. Damn, I missed travelling so much when I first had to leave it. I still do sometimes." Nostalgia tinted her voice as memories ran through her mind.

"How'd you get over it?" Ash asked genuinely. It's something she didn't really talk about.

"I didn't really have a choice. You know that when I first got back, the gym was being judged on whether or not it could stay as an official gym because my sisters had just run it into the ground. And at fourteen, I realized that I wanted the gym to stay official. I could have let it sink and just kept travelling, but the truth is, the gym was my home. I didn't have anything else, not even my sisters at time. And I thought of all the pokemon we housed, and where they would go, and I had no choice but to get over it and get into the gym leader mindset. And I've enjoyed evolving the gym to what it is now, don't get me wrong. I love running it. I just wish I could have had the chance to explore a little bit more."

"I think what you've done is amazing, and far beyond any plans anyone has ever had for the gym. You've turned it into an educational center and a water pokemon rehabilitation center – you made it the heart of Cerulean City. That's amazing. I don't think I ever told you that I thought that was really cool." Ash said off-handedly. Misty blushed deeply at the praise.

"Oh, whatever. It needed to be done. It needed to be recognized as something other than the Sensational Sister's stage." Misty rolled her eyes. Ash nodded in agreement.

"If you had the chance to travel around, just for like a year – your gym was all taken care of – would you?" He asked. Misty mulled it over.

"I guess so, yeah. Why?" She asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Do you want to stay the gym leader forever?" He asked again, avoiding her question. Misty suddenly turned on her side to look at him through narrowed eyes.

"Why?"

"Just answer the question."

"No. Why?" She asked, irritation tinting her voice. She growled as she saw Ash roll his eyes.

"Misty, just answer the question." He responded tiredly. She groaned.

"I hate you. You're as thick-headed as your Tauros!" She yelled in frustration, "But no, I guess not. I haven't thought about it too much. Now, why?" Another wicked grin lit up Ash's face as he sat up and looked down at her.

"A little birdy told me that Lorelai is retiring soon, and the Kanto Elite Four is accepting applications from specialist trainers to fill her position. Now, how would becoming a Water-type Elite Four Specialist sound?" Ash asked, his grin still on his face. Misty thought for a moment.

"It would be cool, I guess. I'd love to follow in Lorelai's footsteps, she's like, my idol! But that's a lot to measure up to… wait, what does that have to do with travelling?" She asked, confusion tinting her voice, leaning up to sit with him.

"Because, in order to become a member of the Elite Four, you need to beat the existing Elite Four. All of the existing Elite Four. In every region." Ash concluded, turning on his side now to look at her. Misty stared at him in thought.

"Hmm, I guess that's definitely worth looking in to. But I would have to find someone suitable to appoint as the gym leader – ergo – not one of my sisters." Misty replied. Ash deflated slightly, but shook it off.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I'm just saying, it's definitely a good career option, and it'll let you travel some more before settling down." Ash said, shrugging.

"Oh? Settling down?" Misty asked, raising an eyebrow at his verbiage.

"Well, yeah. With me. When we settle down together." Ash said casually, winking at her. Misty's mouth dropped as she blushed.

"Wh- Ash Ketchum! We have to date first before we settle down together, or whatever! I have to make sure I can stand being around you all the time, after all." Misty said seriously. Ash frowned.

"I mean, I've considered us dating since I was 16. Just me? Wowwww, okay." He said, sounding offended. Misty couldn't formulate a proper response other than slapping his shoulder.

"Hey! Just because I'm committed and you're not doesn't mean you get to hit me." He pouted.

"Oh shut up." Misty replied, rolling her eyes. She had no clue what was happening right now.

"Seriously, Mist. I could've had so many girls over the years, but no, I remained faithful to this relationship," Ash fake-sniffled, "only to find out it wasn't a relationship! Oh, the wasted girls!" He said dramatically, collapsing on his back once again.

"Yeah right. You know, you're not really a lady killer." Misty responded, looking down at him on the ground, resting her weight on her hands. Ash put a hand over his heart.

"Hey! Serena wanted me." He said in defense. Misty grew rigid.

"I know she did. She could barely keep her hands off of you," Misty growled, looking back up at the sky, "Oh, when you told me she kissed you when you guys said goodbye, I nearly lost it."

"Yeah, I know. I like it when you're jealous over me. That's why I told you." Ash said smugly. Misty turned towards him, fire in her eyes.

"I'm going to kill you!" She yelled, lunging on him. He yelled and rolled out of the way, before getting up and running into the house. She followed him in like a heat-seeking missile, but as soon as she stepped into the kitchen, he caught her around the waist and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Mom's sleeping." Ash reminded her lowly, his breath tickling her ear, shushing her. Misty's face was one of pure rage, but as he let go of her and stepped back, all she did was robotically, softly close the door behind her.

"Come on, we should sleep. I'm going to grab some blankets from my room and come back down here. You can have my bed." Ash whispered, trying not to laugh at her expression. Suddenly, her face contorted from cold rage to mischief, and Ash's amusement turned to dread. Misty nodded sweetly and walked past him and into the living room. Wondering what she was doing, He found her putting out the living room fire.

"Uh, Mist? I was going to keep that going until I fell asleep…" He trailed off as she grabbed his hand in the darkness.

"Well, Ash, we've been dating for three years now according to you. I think it's time to take our relationship… to the next level." Misty whispered in his ear before sweetly giggling. Ash's face became a fire as he gaped, unsure of what to say. She tugged gently on his hand and pulled him up the stairs, not before giving Pikachu a brief kiss on his sleeping head. She felt her way through the halls in the pitch-blackness, a lifeless Ash still behind her, as she came upon his room. She opened the door and dragged him in, shutting it behind him. She then bounded over to his bed and flipped on his desk lamp, illuminating the room in a soft yellow glow.

His bed had long ago been switched out for a queen-size; it made his room rather small and tight, but it's not like he was home much to use it, anyway. The most important thing was the bed; the queen size fit his growing body perfectly. His mom always freshly washed the sheets before he came home, and it was the most homey, comforting thing he could ever think of. So, seeing Misty sit, in his clothes, in his bed, in his room, was making his boy brain short-circuit.

"Ash," her sultry voice rang out to him, "why don't you come over here with me?"

Ash shook his head and looked around the room, his eyes finally landing on Misty. He sighed and walked over to the bed. He raised an eyebrow at her, trying to figure out her tactic. She patted the space next to her, and he sat.

"I think we should sleep together." She said, looking straight at him. Her hair was messy, fallen out of her bun a long time ago. It had grown over the years; it now brushed her shoulders. Her hair was frizzy and it fell into her face as she tilted her head to the side, looking at him. His shirt was dipping down around her collarbone, and Ash's face was on fire once again.

"What?!" He asked, a little more loudly than he meant to, his eyes widening.

"Well, we are 20… well, I am, and you're about to be. I think we can handle it." She said, her hand skimming over his. She raked her fingers up his arm, causing goosebumps to break out all over his skin. He shivered.

"Um, I – don't you think we should actually date before that? Like, I mean – when I said earlier that I figured we were dating since I was 16, I wasn't lying – of course we weren't actually dating, we can't right now, but I always considered myself taken by you, like, we were exclusive – um-" Ash was utterly rambling and fumbling over his words, but Misty had strung them together and she felt her heart warm. He really had considered them exclusive for three years. Misty beamed and dropped her act.

"Ash, I'm just messing with you. I don't mean, like, we should sleep together – I just mean actually sleep in the same bed." She explained, placing her hand on his shoulder to stop his rambling. He stopped at once and breathed a sigh of relief. She rose an eyebrow. "Well, you didn't need to act so relieved about not having to have sex with me." She said, her tone flat as she rolled her eyes. At this, Ash's jaw dropped. He tried to say something, anything, but no words would come out. Misty sighed, got up and turned towards her overnight bag that was sitting neatly on his dresser.

"Wh- Wait!" Ash yelled, cringing once she shushed him harshly. His mom's room was only a few feet down the hall.

"I didn't mean- I mean, I'm not not interested in… that... with you," Ash started, trying to collect his thoughts, "I mean, I definitely am. You're gorgeous and sometimes I just cant get you out of my mind, and I always think about when we're able to kiss or make out or just hold you and like of course I've thought of it, more than I'm proud of, I just wasn't prepared to hear you say it-" Ash was running out of breath, and before he realized it, Misty's face was an inch away from his. He realized that she was settling in his lap like it was hers, like she owned it, and he realized that she absolutely did own him. Her body was pressed up against his, chest to chest, and he could feel her breath tickling his lips. He didn't like that smirk on her face, and he realized why once she gently pushed him back onto the bed.

"Oh?" she mewed, still straddling his lap, but leaning down onto him, her chest still against his. She traced shapes into his chest, "you think about it often?" Ash gulped and he knew he was in trouble. Not knowing what to do, he nodded slightly. Misty then gave him a wicked smile and with a simple,

"Interesting,"

she attacked.

/