Look Both Ways Before Crossing

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Summary: Ash and Misty have "officially" been together for five years and nearly everyone they know is married. Ash is torn on whether or not to jump head first into the marriage idea when he's convinced that the reason they've lasted so long is because they never tied the knot. Meanwhile, Misty makes some discoveries of her own that cause her to scheme up a plan to test out just how much Ash is ready for.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. But, I own my ideas, which is why I'm here writing stuff based on characters I only wish I owned. 

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Littletrixta-

Hi Everyone! Well, here is my first attempt at a comeback story…just trying to get my feet wet again . . .haven't written much in a while, but I still have some things cooking and I've formulated this one for a while so I'll do my best to keep um coming . . .I just hope you like it to begin with! So without further ado! Here's the story!

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Theme Song: "Catch a Falling Star" – Block

Look Both Ways Before Crossing

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CHAPTER ONE

"The second one. Definitely the second one." Brock answered lethargically as he watched his best friend pace back and forth before him. It was 12 o' clock in the afternoon and ironically his lunch break felt a whole lot longer than he remembered especially since he was pretty much forced into devoting his precious coffee time toward being proposed to by his co-worker repeatedly.

"Ash, do you really think the delivery part matters any. She's been dating you for four years. I really doubt the tone of your voice will matter much next to that shiny 12 karat waving in front of her face."

"Five years." Ash corrected, "And it does matter. Trust me, it's Misty. She'll know the difference."

"You're right. You got a point." Brock smirked. "Good luck with that."

Ash sat down in the lounge chair next to Brock and sighed heavily before burying his head in his hands. Luckily the Pokemon Elite Center's staff break room was empty aside from the two budding males and any news that one of the members was about to pop the question to one of the other workers was not close to getting out.

"You know maybe I should just skip the whole idea and save me the trouble of embarrassing myself." Ash muttered between his fingers.

Brock leaned forward balancing the coffee cup in one hand and patting his friend on the back with the other.

"Come on man, don't be crazy. You ruined that chance years ago." Brock grinned and Ash glared in return.

Brock sat back and gave his friend a halfhearted look of sincerity. "You know you're making it sound a lot harder than it is, pal. Why, just look at me and Duplica for example. Once I popped the question, it was smooth sailing from then on." Brock proclaimed proudly.

Ash looked up at his friend with a crinkle in his brow. "I thought you told her you had three weeks left to live because you needed a kidney transplant and your dying wish was to marry someone young and capable of reproduction."

"I did." Brock answered matter-of-factly. "And it was smooth sailing. Two birds with one stone."

"Ya, that's after she ran over your Mercedes with a tractor and threatened to make you sterile." Ash replied dryly.

"Hey, we all make sacrifices." Brock grinned. Ash on the other hand was still trying to figure out if this whole marriage idea was growing on him. Sure, he loved Misty and all, that was a no brainier, but the "marriage thing" was a completely different story. He was young and healthy and all his vital organs were in working order and both him and Misty were already together with the living situation and everything so, yea – the "marriage thing" would be the next logical step in the process.

But, that was just it. – The process.

Every couple Ash and Misty knew were married and each and every one of them had their own weird transition from fun lively date-hood to the complicated aspects of marriage-hood.

In the beginning they were always doing things as a group and it was all fun and good old fashion good times. But, one by one they just started marrying each other and sooner or later they started backing out of Friday night poker because the "in-laws" were in town, or bailing out on hanging out at the bar because they couldn't find someone to "sit in with the kids". It was this ever growing process that seemed to tackle down every one of Ash's friends including Brock who was one of the last to "pop the question". And eventually Ash and Misty was the last standing non-married couple. Ironically, they had been together just as long if not longer than any of the others and it already seemed like the two were "bonded in holy matrimony"; however the "question" just never came up and the idea was never specifically addressed or seemed to bother either one of them.

That is – until one night when Brock and Duplica were over and Duplica quietly hinted during the nine o' clock news that it "seems like wedding bell season again" as they took note of the latest celebrities that were tying the knot. Misty merely nodded on, but Ash duley noted her momentary glance at the shiny ring on Duplica's ring finger before setting her eyes upon her own slender yet bare one.

And there was also that time when Ash and Misty were walking past that department store during their lunch break and Misty stopped to admire a long white wedding dress through the mirror.

But, none of those instances were nearly as disconcerting as the pressure Ash's friends put him through three weeks prior.

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Three weeks ago…

"It's time, man. As much as us guys hate to face it, the bouquet does not lie. Heck, you don't think I dreaded the "time"? But, you think a girl like May would let me live it down?", Todd's raw advice about women were occasionally being thrown to Ash every now and then and this was one of those instances.

The boys were engaging in one of their very rare but still occurring Friday night poker games and indulging in cold beer and tortilla chips when the topic of "the time" came up again.

"I say make her drunk."

Ash returned Brock's well thought-up suggestion with a glare.

"Thanks, but no thanks Brock. If I'm going to propose to Misty I'd like her to at least remember it the next day." Ash huffed before stuffing a handful of chips in his mouth and glazing over his stiff hand of cards.

"Fine, if you want to do it the MORAL way…"

"Ash, what are you so scared about? Misty is a catch." Tracy asked.

"Ya, I know that, but I don't even know how to go about this whole marriage thing much less the proposal part. I mean, we're doing fine as it is. Why do we have to go and ruin it by getting hitched? My mom and Professor Oak have been going out a long time and they didn't have to get married or nothing."

"That's because their old. They're just happy if they can still –"

"Don't finish that sentence." Ash quickly interrupted Brock.

"You know it's actually not that bad, this marriage thing. At least there's always someone to eat with. You ever see those poor pathetic guys eating dinner by themselves?" Todd muttered above his cards.

"I eat by myself sometimes."

"Brock, I'm not talking about when Duplica forces you to eat dinner out on your front porch." Todd picked up another card and continued. "I mean, the whole marriage thing – it's kind of the same as the dating part, but accept, if you don't do it and you just stick to the dating forever it's like, hitting a home run and stopping at third base. It's kind of the unfinished goal and you don't realize that it's worth the run till you actually do it, you know?"

"I didn't know you were such a poet, Todd." Brock said, chin on his palm. "Will you marry me?"

"Shut up, Brock."

Tracy was starting to get the idea that the topic was going nowhere fast. "Todd is right, Ash. Misty isn't going to wait around forever."

"I know, I just don't want things to change between us, that's all." Ash laid his cards down absentmindedly and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Okay Ash, think of it this way. Things are going to change between you two whether you pop the question or not."

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One week later…

"What was it Tracy was saying again about change?" Brock quietly muttered under his breath to Ash as they stood beside each other watching Delia come down the isle. "Ironic isn't it. Who would've thought your Mom would get remarried before you'd even get the chance to do it once."

"Shut up, Brock." Ash sulked as he focused on some scuff on his shoes.

"I'm just saying!"

Later, sometime during the reception, as Ash was pouring himself some punch and wishing very heavily that he had some alcohol to go along with it; Ash found a very familiar pair of slender arms encircle his waist from behind him.

"Hey, handsome. What's a girl have to do to get some punch around here?"

Ash turned around to see his longtime girlfriend and friend Misty looking very purple and covered in – ruffles.

"Nice dress." Ash grinned.

"Shut up, don't insult your mother's sense of fashion. It's – wearable, to say the least."

"Well, I think you're the prettiest girl in purple ruffles that I've ever seen." Ash grinned.

"Yea, yea. Cut the sweet talk and dance with me, alright?" Misty smiled and grabbed Ash's hand.

The red head wrapped her arms around Ash's neck and sunk into his stiff black tuxedo as the music continued to play and the other couples slowly gravitated towards the dance floor. Ash and Misty hadn't spoken much that day, due possibly to the amount of errands Ash's mother had him running and the amount of time and energy it took for Misty to get into that purple ruffled dress, but all in all it was a nice small ceremony that many almost didn't see coming – alike other things it seemed lately.

As Ash and Misty continued to slow dance Ash began to feel like there were eyes on him. As he looked more, he realized that there were a number of people staring in their direction although he wasn't sure yet why, but he shook it off and continued to enjoy the music and his time with Misty.

But, as it seemed the "eyes" continued to follow Ash for the remainder of the night, and it wasn't until his trip back to the punch bowl to grab him and Misty some refreshments did Ash actually grab ear of what the "eyes" were saying.

"That's Delia's son, Ash."

"Married?"

"Nope, shame. Good looking too, that one. From what I hear he has a girlfriend, been with her for quite some time actually, but still no ring."

"Really, now? You don't suppose it's the cold feet?"

"Can't see why. From what I hear she's quite lovely."

" Hm, that's peculiar. You don't suppose he's-"

"What, secretly playing for both teams? Hard to say," the woman added before taking a sip of her wine. "Although, Delia did say that he was much more into those Pokemon things as a child than he seemed to be of girls."

"Well, he probably grew out of it by now, don't you think? By the way, what was it Delia said he did for a living again?"

"Pokemon Trainer."

"Oh, well then that explains it."

Ash hadn't even finished pouring the second glass when he made a dash back to the table where Misty was sitting. And by the way Ash was grabbing her hands and looking at her, she could tell something was up.

"Are you ok?" Misty placed both hands on the sides of Ash's face and looked her boyfriend square in his glazed over eyes. "Did Brock try to feel you up again? You know how he gets when he has one too many cold ones. Duplica is probably hosing him down right now."

Ash grinned. "No, its nothing. I just . . ."

Misty raised a brow and sat back to survey her afflicted boyfriend.

"Don't lie to me Ash, I can tell when you're lying when you start to grin and sweat at the same time."

Ash looked at Misty with wide eyes and took her hands in his own. He wasn't sure what it was he was getting at with all this but the fact that complete strangers were already assuming the worst about his relationship and with what his friends had said to him the week before Ash wasn't sure what to think anymore.

"Misty, do you love me?" Ash asked staring straight at Misty who was carrying an increasingly worried look on her face.

"Ash, are you drunk?"

"No, I'm serious. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do. Don't be stupid." Misty answered staring at Ash with a look of equal concern.

"Then, you like things the way they are right?"

"Sure, I do. Ash, what's all this about?"

Ash couldn't say that he was worried that Misty wouldn't want to be with him anymore if he didn't propose to her sometime in the near century. He couldn't say that he wanted to avoid the "process" despite the fact that it only continued to present itself. He couldn't say that he wanted to just stay the way they were forever until the end of time and he couldn't say that all to Misty especially when she was staring so intensely at him waiting for him to say anything.

"I don't want to get married!" Ash shouted.

But, Ash wished he hadn't said that.

The dancing couples around them had slowed to a stop in a way that cars do when approaching an accident on the freeway that they know they shouldn't be staring at, but can't help but do it anyway. Brock and Duplica who were having another argument about their son Tate and his habit for sticking food up his nose in the way that Brock had taught him quickly came to a halt. May and Todd who were sitting across from Ash and Misty were quietly whispering to each other whether or not they had heard the same thing come out of Ash's mouth, and the rest of the room including Ash's Mother and Professor Oak fell to a deafening hush.

"Oh, shit." Brock muttered to himself.

Misty on the other hand tried hard to pretend they weren't in the middle of such awkward circumstances and focused on the problem at hand.

"Ash, what are you doing?" She whispered. "Maybe we better go outside and talk about this."

Misty grabbed Ash's arm and made a dash for the door of the reception hall with Ash trailing behind.

Once outside, Misty carefully looked at Ash before saying her peace.

"Have you lost your mind?" Ash just looked at Misty with remorse. "What exactly was in that punch? One minute we were talking about purple ruffles and the next minute you come back, ask me if I love you and shout "I don't want to get married!" to the majority of the town. Did I completely miss something?"

"I'm sorry! I don't know what got into me."

"A woman in her late thirties going through a midlife crisis that's what! Ash, whatever gave you the idea I was so anxious for us to get married in the first place?"

"Brock and Todd were saying …" Ash started.

"Brock and Todd?" Misty stared blankly at Ash, " Brock, who faked terminal illness to get Duplica to sleep with him, and Todd who compares relationships to sports statistics?" Misty blatantly stated.

"You know them too well." Ash said with a sigh.

"Ash if you were getting the idea that I was pressuring you to do something why in the world didn't you just come to me instead of announcing it at your mother's wedding reception?" Misty urged with both hands crossed in front of her chest and the bed of purple ruffles that surfaced her dress.

Ash looked down at Misty and his expression softened. "It's not that I feel pressured by you Mist. It's just, lately everyone's been saying things and I didn't know what to think."

"It doesn't matter what everyone says Ash. If you haven't noticed, Brock still camps out in our living room when its Duplica's "Time of the Month" and May and Todd tried to hock their marriage licenses for baseball tickets two weeks ago. Nothings perfect. Whether or not its official I love you and we're together and I can't make any complaints about that. " Misty said reaching up to rest both hands on Ash's tuxedo and give his shoulders a squeeze. "Although, I wouldn't mind having Delia's one karat…" Misty thought to herself quickly, but brushed it off.

Ash on the other hand couldn't help mentally kick himself for forgetting the fact that Misty always puts his feelings into account even when she was beating him to a pulp for it.

"I love you, too." He said kissing her cheek. "And I'm sorry I

embarrassed you in front of my mom, and all our friends…and the rest of the town." He added scratching the back of his head.

"There is one way you can make it up to me." Misty smiled up at Ash.

"What's that?"

"Try not to go anywhere near that punch bowl again."

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For the remainder of the reception Ash and Misty tried their best to avoid the constant questioning from their friends on whether or not Ash was going to need somewhere to stay for the night and made heavy attempts to forget about the awkward scene they displayed earlier by downing as much alcohol as possible so that they were nowhere near as drunk as Brock, but still drunk enough not to care.

However, the murmurs concerning the couple began to die out as the night trudged on and the rest of the wedding party found new things to talk about such as Lance's slurred and incoherent toast and Delia's interesting rendition of "Careless Whispers".

"Something tells me this party is officially over." Tracy muttered as he picked at the remainder of his carrot flavored wedding cake and watched the scene before him. It was around one in the morning and the happy couple had already left an hour before on their trip to Acapulco. The only people left on the dance floor was the sixty-something crowd, Duplica and a staggering Brock, whereas most of the wedding party flooded out sometime during Oak's live demonstration of fire breathing Pokemon.

"I hate weddings." Ash grumbled with his right arm slung around Misty's shoulders and his left hand tugging at the tie that hung loosely around his neck. "You drink. You dance. Then you drink and then you dance some-ore…and I hate dancing. So, what good is it to drink… if you can't dance? Yano-what-I-mean?"

Ash directed his comments to the more sober Todd across the table who was being a leaning post for the equally sober May that was twiddling with a strand of hair hanging in front of her face.

"Lots a things! You drink… then you drink some-ore!" Todd said pounding his fist down onto the table.

"Hell yea!" Brock yelled from the dance floor, punching the air.

Misty on the other hand was sitting watching her boyfriend with red cheeks and a grin on her face. Somehow, this scene was all too familiar from those old nights the group spent hanging out together and she knew the night would only lead to Ash asking more unnecessary questions and Brock eventually passing out face first onto the tile floor.

"Asshh….I think we better go." Misty attempted to say as she rose from her seat at the table and almost lost her balance standing up. ", before Brock starts to take his clothes off."

"Yeaaaa….good idea." Ash stood up and placed his arm around Misty again for support. The couple then said their goodbyes and did their best to make a dragging line to the door.

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Luckily, Ash and Misty's apartment was only a block from the hall where the wedding reception was held and they leaned on each other the whole walk home.

"Hey, Asssh…" Misty began to say while trying to both lean on and give support to the man beside her. "Why do you hate marriages soooo much?"

Ash grinned and tried not to stumble over his own feet at the same time. "Because," he started to say when another chuckle came on. ", you always think they're there when really it's just an illuuuusion." He replied, thinking she had said something else.

Misty just laughed, "Not, "mirages" stupid.", and continued to grin in return. "oh, forget it."

After climbing the grueling steps to the ninth floor the laughter in their drunkenness had begun to wash off slightly and Ash and Misty grew quiet as they slowly made their way to the front door of their apartment.

Misty was the first to fall in a heap against the door frame and Ash slowly trickled down beside her. Both lacked any strength left to figure out which key it was that opened the door.

Ash put his arm around Misty and leaned his cheek against her hair. "Misty, there's something I want you to know…" Misty turned to look up at Ash and still found his face to be handsome even against the smell of alcohol on his breath.

"I love you more than I hate mirages." Ash's hot breath warmed up her cheek and Misty laughed even though apart of her didn't know what Ash was talking about and didn't care.

"Ash…" Misty smiled to herself and nuzzled her forehead to the curve in his jaw.

"Hn?"

"Shuuut up." She breathed and pressed her lips against his tasting both the mixed sensation of sweetness and bitterness on his tongue.

As the heat of the kiss prodded on the two found the laughter in themselves die off and become replaced by something that was quickly growing more intense by the touch, a thing that they were both familiar with having been with each other before, but in this sense, the passion in their kisses were far more intoxicated.

Misty, however, was the first to realize that they were still sitting on the floor of the hallway in front of their apartment and tore her lips away from Ash long enough to gather her keys and open the door. As soon as they entered Ash and Misty continued from where they started and nearly stumbled over various pieces of furniture in a blind and still drunken attempt at finding their bedroom in the dark. Eventually the two collapsed on the scattered sheets of their bed and became lost in urgent kisses.

And as the night trudged on, neither of them could remember what it was they were trying to forget.

END OF CHAPTER ONE

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