Title: When Losing Isn't Really Losing
Fandom: Pokémon
Characters: Ash Ketchum (Satoshi), Gary Oak (Shigeru Okido)
Word Count: 615
Rating: K+
Genre: General, Humour, Friendship, Friendly Rivalry, Romance
Summary: Gary had claimed there was no way Ash could possibly get through the new slasher movie without someone to hide behind. And Ash, being Ash, set out to prove his rival wrong. Palletshipping, Implied Slash.
Author's Notes: Inspired by the fic "Share My Bed" by MistressOfRobins on ; WARN: Implied Slash
Disclaimer: I own nothing …

Ash's father was in town and staying at his mother's house.

At 24 it had officially been two decades since Ash had seen the man in person and, truthfully, he wasn't feeling too hospitable towards the man. He may be his father but he really didn't know him as a person. So he was bunking at Professor Oak's for the week. Gary was home as well and earlier that night he'd claimed there was no way that Ash could possibly get through the new slasher movie without someone to hide behind. Well, more like he'd boasted it. And Ash being Ash he'd took the challenge for what it was and set out to prove his rival wrong.

And boy was he wrong.

Gary had barely opened his bedroom door before Ash pushed his way past Gary into the room.

"Okay fine, so I couldn't get through it all by myself," he ranted as he settled himself in Gary's bed without waiting for older man to respond. "I thought I could, but I can't. Now I'm here so just deal with it." He pulled the blankets tight around himself and snapped out "goodnight."

Gary stared at his rival and blinked, unsure of what to make of the situation. He noticed in an offhand way what Pikachu had tiredly followed his master into the room and was curling up beside Umbreon. The little dark Pokémon cracked opened its eye before making room on its bed and going back to sleep without complaint. He turned to look at the door, which was still open, and back to the bed – his bed – where the younger man had made himself comfortable on what just happened to be the opposite side of the bed from his usual spot. He was about to make up his mind to sleep on the couch when the younger man piped up again. "Let's go already! I'm freaking out over here!" (1)

"Huh?"

"Shut the door and get into bed before I have a panic attack! What are you waiting for? It's dark out, get back here."

Gary blinked again and looked back to the doorknob that was still in his hand. He looked at it, then to Ash, then back at it before he shrugged and shut the door. He tiredly stumbled back to the bed and fell into it, yelping when Ash grabbed his arm and wound it around his smaller body and hugged it for dear life – effectively trapping Gary around him like a cocoon. Gary sighed and squirmed his way into a comfortable position before holding the smaller man closer to him, resigned to the result of his earlier teasing.

Once Ash let up his hold on his arm as he fell asleep it wasn't too bad. Gary tiredly smiled to himself before following suit.

It was a nice change for both of them to wake up wrapped in someone else's warmth for once. Ash snuggled into Gary's chest, listening to the sound of the older man's heart beating and Gary rested his chin on top of Ash's head, tracing lazy swirls on the back of the smaller man's shoulder. They stayed like this comfortably dozing until there was an insistent scraping sound at the door. Ash lifted his head curiously as Gary sighed before dragging himself out of bed to let Umbreon and Pikachu out of the room. He re-shut the door and staggered back to bed, falling onto it beside Ash and resting their foreheads against each other. They lay on their sides facing each other with half-lidded eyes and small grins tugging on their lips, both content for the time being to lay next to each other and relax.

- 30 -

Footnotes:

(1) The "Let's go already!" is a reference to one of my favourite shows: Futurama. For those who don't know it's frequently said by Bender.

A/N: If anyone's curious: no they didn't simply fall into bed together and screw like rabbits (or would that be screw like lopunnies?). A lot of people are guilty of writing (and wanting others to write) those kinds of trashy romance stories (I know I sure am! LOL) but I wanted to give myself a challenge and go for something different. I am just getting back into writing after over six months (a full half a year!) of a break. Hope you liked my little fic.

Completed: April 22, 2014