EDITED 27/04/2014

TTHC' won't be updated until sometime next week (or maybe later… so many assignments, please don't throw anything!), so here's some short, fluffy PokéShipping instead :) See! I can write other pairings, even if Gary is on the brain most of the time!

DISCLAIMER: Don't be stupid. It's unbecoming.

'One Morning'

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For almost a month now, Ash had observed Misty as she went through a new, if slightly odd routine. This routine would involve waking up as normal, dashing at an alarming speed to the toilet where she proceeded to vomit up the contents of her stomach before sinking back to lie as close as she could to the cold tiles of their bathroom floor, breathing heavily before picking herself up again and, most surprisingly of all, going about her day as normal.

From the first odd spell of vomiting, Ash had made it a point to be in there with her, albeit hesitantly at first. Sure, it was disgusting, but he felt immeasurably proud of himself that he was able to sweep his distaste for the situation away to simply be there for Misty. Every morning without fail he would follow her into the bathroom at the first sound of her painful-sounding retching to hold her hair away from her face and rub slow, soothing circles on her back.

This morning had proven to be no different from the others, although now that they understood this new routine was the result of an unexpected, though not at all unwelcome pregnancy, Ash actually sort of looked forward to their bathroom time; it started to seem less like a chore and more like some sort of weird bonding opportunity, like he was sharing in the experience with her or something like that.

"Just so you know," Misty said hoarsely as she pulled away from the toilet bowl, "this whole situation is entirely your fault."

"My fault?" Ash repeated disbelievingly, his hands halting their comforting strokes up and down her back. "I'll remind you that you weren't too concerned at the time that this might happen! I tried to be the responsible one, but no! You wouldn't hear of it, remember?"

She fixed him with a dark glare. "I had…" She threw a hand to her mouth and leaned back over the toilet again. Ash sighed and pulled her hair away from her face again, cooing soft words behind her.

"…other things on my mind at the time," she finished through deep breaths moments later.

"Don't I know it," he teased with a smirk. "'Don't worry about it, Ash,'" he said in a breathy, yet eerily dead-on falsetto. "'If it happens it happens, just get inside me now!'"

"It was all heat of the moment!" Misty cried, her hands releasing their white knuckle grip on the edge of the seat. "You were all…"

"Incredibly charming, sexy and handsome?" Ash supplied cheerfully. "Irresistible? Impossible to keep your hands off?"

She chuckled wetly. "Something like that, maybe."

They leaned into each other against the cool bathroom wall, Misty resting her head on Ash's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her and lightly ran his fingers over her clammy skin. Not for the first time, Ash was filled with a giddy sense of awe over the position they were in now; married for a little over a year and now six short months away from becoming parents for the first time. He remembered the moment they found out they were expecting a short two weeks ago, and the surreal sense of dizzying happiness that engulfed him when Misty emerged from the bathroom, pale-faced and shocked but looking happier and more beautiful than Ash had ever seen her before. As he took her in his arms and whispered to her how much he loved them both, he was sure he had never felt more on top of the world than he had in that moment.

"At least you actively tried to put the damn thing on! You shouldn't have listened to me! I was clearly too far gone to make any sort of rational call!" She shot him an accusing look. "I think maybe you did this on purpose."

"Yes," Ash replied in a deadpan. "You got me. I woke up that morning and thought to myself, 'you know what? I think I'll knock Misty up today, looks like a good day for it, sunny and all.'"

"Oh, be serious! For once in your life!" She groaned, resuming her position over the toilet and heaving once more.

Ash let out a sigh and pulled her hair away again, running his fingers through the longish strands until it was silky and free of knots. "Well, do you regret it?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"What?" she muttered in response, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I asked if you regret getting pregnant."

Misty pulled out of his hold and swiveled in place so she could face him properly. "Of course not!" she exclaimed passionately. "This is singularly the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me! I get to have your baby, Ash!"

"Babies," he corrected absently.

"Babies?" she repeated dully. "Hate to break it to you, Ash, but there's only one in here right now."

"I know that," he said with a shrug. "But I've always pictured more than one. I hated being an only child with only Gary for company. Don't you want another one?"

She gaped at him in shock. "How about I have this one first and then we can talk about the others."

With a sigh, he shrugged, slumping against the wall and staring at the window as though he could look through the fogged glass. For a long, stretching moment, they sat in silence, neither really knowing what to say.

"Do you picture our potential family often?" she asked curiously.

He snorted. "I've loved you since I was ten, Misty, even if I didn't know what to do with those feelings then. Of course I've thought about a family with you."

"Tell me," she said softly, edging closer to snuggle into his side. "What does our future family look like?"

He smiled into her hair and held her closer, inhaling the faint floral scent of her shampoo. "Well, there's our little girl. She has my hair but your eyes, my nose but your mouth. She's a short little thing and gets into all sorts of trouble. Her personality is all me though, but with your stubbornness; she'll drive us insane, that's for sure," he told her with a fond smile. "She'll be beautiful and determined, just like her mother, but I'll be damned if she's allowed anywhere near a boy until she's at least thirty-"

"So no hooking up with the first guy she sees when she leaves on her journey then?" Misty inquired playfully.

"Definitely not!" Ash shook his head. "God, could you imagine if she started following Gary's spawn around? Or Brock's for that matter?" He shuddered at the thought. "No, this is where her little brother comes in!"

She giggled lightly and pulled back a little so she could watch his face. "As far I as know, Gary has yet to spawn, so no worries there. Now, tell me about our son."

Ash's chest puffed out in pride. "He's my own little clone, again with your eyes. He's reckless and adventurous and we'll have our hands full raising him. Even though he's be younger he'll be super protective of his sister when we're not around, and he'll help keep other boys with their grubby little paws away from her. There'll never be a dull moment with either of them though, but we wouldn't have it any other way."

"So not one of our future kids gets my red hair?" Misty asked with mock indignation.

"We can always have a third one and try our luck then!" he said with a suggestive wriggle of his eyebrows. "Maybe that one will have my eyes and your hair."

She laughed and pulled away from his hold. "Fine, we can have three, but that's where I draw the line! Now, can we get on with having our first? I mean, it's not even visible yet!"

"She's not visible yet," he returned with a smirk. "I told you, it'll be a daughter first."

"So sure about that are you, Ketchum?" she said, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

"Positive, Mrs. Ketchum. And it is noticeable," he said, resting a hand on the barely noticeable swell of her belly under her shirt. "I just happen to pay enough attention." His free hand wound its way up her body to trace the newly heavier contours of her breasts. "Besides, how could I miss these?"

"You were so close to being the sweetest guy there for a minute, you just had to go and ruin it," she said with no real admonishment as his thumb grazed her sensitive nipple, drawing a surprised gasp from her.

His hands fell to gently squeeze her hips. "You are beautiful though," he said sincerely. "You look so happy, and I know it's a giant cliché, but you actually are glowing, even now when you're all pale and sweaty."

She snorted weakly. "Thanks, I guess." Throwing her hand over her mouth again she crawled back over to the toilet and worshipped at its altar once more. Ash came up behind her to hold her hair back again.

"Ugh," she moaned as she sat back on her haunches. "I cannot wait for this to stop."

"It'll be over soon," he assured her. "Didn't the doctor say morning sickness doesn't go much beyond the third month?"

Misty looked at him with a look of amusement and affection. "Look at you remembering what the doctors say."

He shrugged sheepishly and rubbed his neck with his free hand. "I am trying, you know."

"I know you are, and I love you for it." She sighed, burying her face in the side of his neck. "I think I want a shower now."

"Need any help?" he asked lewdly.

"Give at another couple of months, Ash, and I doubt I'll be able to say no, but we aren't quite there yet," she replied with a grimace as she moved to stand, Ash's hold on her hips keeping her from stumbling. "Besides, I know you're too sweet to say it, but I reek of spew. You don't want to kiss that, and I wouldn't make you anyway."

"You're probably right," he replied in a tone heavy with mock-disappointment as he leaned over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Breakfast?"

"Some tea and toast would be nice?"

"Consider it done," he said with a smile, standing up and leaving her with the bathroom. "I love you," he whispered as he bent down to kiss her cheek.

"Love you too," she replied happily. "Now beat it and make my breakfast."

"Yes ma'am!" he said with a laugh, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

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AN: Aww, that was kinda cute if I do say so myself! A fun change of pace to write as well, sometimes I think my stuff ends up too dramatic and angsty, so this was nice :)

If there's enough support I might consider a sequel (or prequel ;) ) to this. I think it could work.

Reviews are better than chocolate! Unless it's roast almond chocolate, in which case I might prefer that…