Title: Sea Route
Characters/Pairings: Shigeru/Kasumi
Length: 1345 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Mentions of suicide.
Summary: He had to admit it was pretty important.

I promised her never to forget.

It was last summer. One of those days where before we went dancing at one of those clubs, we'd drive the sea route. I'd always drive that way, just for her. She explained to me that she absolutely adored the sunset there, on that particular road. I had guessed it was because no matter how bad her day was or how many ridiculous fights we had had that day, she would still smile so warmly towards that sunset. Numerous times I envied the sun because of it. Just because unless I did something extremely nice, like call her for once or surprise her with a random plush toy, she wouldn't smile that brightly at me.

I didn't get her reason for being so happy about it, honesty.

Though, I guess it was just as much as important place to her as it was to me. After all, here was where we met. It had been the end of both our worlds, both of our lives had been spiraling downward at such a rapid speed. Although, unlike her I wasn't attempting suicide. My life wasn't so meaningless just because I found out May had hooked up with him. I mean, personally it wasn't any of my business. I had only met her a handful of times, but still I had managed to form a desire to snag her, taste her and make her mine before I would grow bored: such a player, I was.

It's pretty ironic, actually. Both of our lives had gone down for the same reason, for the same damn reason. And I remember, when I dragged my exhausted body across the warm sand, I didn't recognize her at first. At first, I had just thought she was some girl looking out at the sea from atop a cliff. I didn't think anything of it. Not even as I found myself plopping down on the sand, watching her intently.

Then she had jumped and I only did what any person would of done.

I dived right in against the harsh current to save her. I had figured she might of slipped and that she couldn't swim. Though, when I had sunk down to capture her up in my arms it was then that I recognized that bone structure. Still, she had looked so different. Her citrus locks were grown out and even though they were clad with salt water, they felt as silky as they looked. Her face was slightly paler, most likely because she wasn't traveling around with Ashy-boy like she used to. She was so thin and fit perfectly in my arms. It was kind of amazing.

"Are you fucking insane?!"

I remembered screaming at her once we had swam to shore and after she had spit up multiple amounts of sea water. I didn't cease yelling until she looked up to me. My mouth shut instantly and for a moment, just a moment, I had wanted to encircle my arms around her fragile, shuddering form. Crystal tears cascaded down her slightly puffed cheeks and then, even I knew they weren't droplets of water. She glared at me, raising her fist towards me before withdrawing it and balling it into the ground, sobbing as if she'd never done it before.

"Why did you save me…? Why? I didn't want to be saved," she lashed out, averting her eyes anywhere but my own, "…I wanted to die. I want to die. I can't believe even after so many years… you love her, don't you?! You want to be with her! You wouldn't care if I died! You-- you.."

Her vocal levels decreased and she threw her porcelain hands to her face, sobbing drastically into them. My heart yearned to reach out and stroke those wet knuckles. I also had the strongest desire to go kick someone's ass for making her like this. Making her near kill herself. And it was all over a boy, too. A stupid boy, I was sure. Someone that didn't deserve her, someone that wasn't even that picky. And someone that most likely wouldn't put up with her dramatic pleas for help through the mumbled hurting of her voice.

"Misty," my voice had been as stern as ever, "Misty, look at me."

She had tensed: most likely thought I was some stranger whom had seen her. It took her a minute to break away from her hands and peer at me. Her emerald eyes sparkled, even in the midst of tears and I held back the urge to drink them in completely. Hesitantly, I reached out to pull her slightly closer to me, holding her hand as though if I let go, she might evaporated into thin air. Her eyes never released their gaze on me, even when she crashed against my chest.

"Look," I breathed, "Whoever that jackass is or was, tears aren't worth it. Your too special of a girl to be crying over him. If he wants to run of with some whore, let him. Your better then that, you don't need him and I promise, Oak's word, that he won't hurt you again."

I don't remember much after that. All I knew was that we had stayed together, arms around each other for a very long time. Then I drove her home. On the way she explained everything to me. How Ash had told her the good news of him and May getting married. How her ring was bigger then any other stone she'd ever seen and how, even after Misty had told him her feelings he politely objected her to tell her that he was already engaged.

"What hurt most," she had muttered, "Was that they were engaged for four months and I hadn't even know. Me, his supposed best friend, didn't even know until two weeks before it."

I had dropped her off, handed her my number with a smooth line and a flirty wink. I told her to call me anytime she wanted to talk, even if it was way out of character for me. Even if I was suppose to be the player of Pallet, the man with a girl always to his left and always to his right. I remember going home, knocking on Ash's door and giving him a good ass beating. Gramps restricted me to the room for a week and Delia had even considered taking Ash to he emergency room.

Served him right.

Since then, Misty called more often and I had began suggesting we talk in person. First, it had been because she had been running my phone bill up and if it wasn't for Gramps, I doubt I would have been able to pay it on time. Then, as I got to see her and got to know her. I think I fell in love, at least that's what my sister had etched into my mind after the umpteenth time I had returned from our meeting place. A small café in the heart of Viridian.

Soon enough we were an item and I even found out that she loved to go clubbing as much as I did. And this is how we ended up, driving here every other week, gazing out to the sea that could of very-well swallowed her whole.

I kiss her neck, nibble her lips and whisper huskily in her ears. She shudders, punches me lightly on the shoulder and erupts into endless giggles that make me grin so wide that my cheeks burn from it stretching.

I guess this place is important and I guess I can understand why she loves it so much. After all, meeting a guy like me here is pretty important and breathtaking. And I will continue to tell her that, even though she'll always kick my shin for my 'egotistically annoying behavior'. I guess I've learned to love her kicks and her as well.