Author's Note: As if there wasn't already a severe shortage of Egoshipping fanfics, I had to go and disappear. I'm pleased to report that I will not be abandoning this story, but the bad news is that updates will still be irregular and that isn't something I can fix. I am very, very sorry. I'm having problems with electricity, internet and my computers, so depending on when I can write and upload, stories will be put up. You guys are amazing for sticking with me for so long. Rereading chapter one might be necessary, I'm really sorry again.
Now, with no further ado...
4 hours later…
"You're WHAT?!" Misty screeched, deafening him.
Gary confirmed, "I'm going to be staying at the gym." She looked murderous. "It's only going to be 4 days!" he added hastily. "Just till Ashy comes back, and then I'll go."
"Get. OUT!"
"I can't!" He lost what little patience he had. "Take it up with your boyfriend! He's the one who wants me living within your mouldy walls until he gets back!"
"Why the hell would he want that?"
Why the hell did it have to be him guarding Ash's princess anyway? She had been fine before. It wasn't like she needed protection- she was so stubborn and violent! Quite a lot like him, actually. Except that she was far, far worse.
"Beats me, but I owe him one. So I'm staying, and that's final!" If she wasn't going to back down, neither was he. He wished he hadn't said that, though.
"Fine," she said. "On one condition."
They were painting the walls of the gym. Or rather, he was, and she was standing near the pool and giving orders. Why had he even mentioned that the walls looked mouldy? He'd be out of the gym in less than a week, so it wasn't like it would bother him much longer. It should be Ash taking his arm out trying to reach the corners.
"Red, seriously! At least let my Pokémon help, if you can't give me a ladder!"
"Absolutely not," she said decisively, leaning back to rest against the deck chair she was sitting on and he looked at her, amazed.
"How would it bother you if I did?"
"Your Pokémon don't bother me, you do! Consider this your punishment."
"Even you know that's unfair, Red!" he pleaded. How did she not get that this wasn't his fault?
"What's unfair is forcing me to live with you for four whole days!" she insisted.
"You know this isn't my fault! I thought we were friends…"
"Uh uh. We haven't formed a friendship yet. You said so yourself." She smirked. Was it this annoying when he smirked at people? He wanted to push her stupid face away so he didn't have to look at it anymore. Instead, he grunted and turned back to the wall.
A few minutes later, he felt her fingers tap his shoulder. He didn't turn. He heard her sigh. Her own fault. Wait. She was pushing something into his hand. A pokéball? She turned him to face her and he saw his Smeargle next to her.
"It's your Smeargle," she said proudly, smiling. "I know it's not your fault. But maybe ask me before you make any drastic changes to our lives next time." He watched her pick up a paint roller and dip it in the bucket. "Now let's get this thing finished."
They worked quietly for the next two hours, stepping around each other wordlessly, in almost-choreographed movements. Every once in a while, they smiled briefly, politely at each other. Gary didn't know what to think.
When they were finally done, they both stepped back together to look at the walls around them.
"It's going to need a second coat," Gary said immediately.
"Who cares?" Misty laughed. "It's been fine for 30 years, I'm sure they won't collapse now."
He looked at her incredulously. "Why the hell did you make me paint it then?"
"First of all, you didn't paint it. We painted it. And second, I was bored. It's better than what you normally do when you're bored." Touché. They sat down on the bleachers next to the pool.
Misty, hugging her knees, said, "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that there's so much going on right now and I needed somebody to take it out on. I mean, Ash is coming to town. Ash! And I haven't got a clue what will happen when he does." Gary nodded understandingly. "Gary, there's also the matter of you. What am I going to do with you for four whole days?"
He shoved her playfully. "Would you stop saying four whole days like that? Is your opinion of me really that low? It's not like I'll be watching you in your sleep or anything…"
Misty stuck out her tongue and made a gagging sound. "Gross! Now I have something else to worry about." She shook her head. "But seriously, I don't think it's going to be possible."
Gary turned to face her, crossing his legs. If he was going to be a burden, he should probably just stay in his own house. He suggested it. "You know, my house is right next door. If Ashy wants me to keep an eye on you, I can always do it from there. Then, on the day he comes back, I can sneak into the gym through the window."
Misty nodded. "How would you get in through my window? There's at least 12 feet between your window and the gym…"
Gary smirked. "I've had practice, I'll manage."
"Why on earth would you… Gary! Gross gross gross!"
He looked sheepish. "It was Marina, the gym assistant."
"Unfortunately, now I'm not so sure about you sneaking into the gym. I'm going to lock that entrance on the roof. Make sure Marina doesn't have any more…night visits."
"So where am I going to go? I told you, I owe Ash. Can't break that promise." Misty looked conflicted. He waiting, wondering what she was going to decide. Any other girl would be throwing herself over him trying to get him to come inside, Marina for example! Misty was the total opposite, always thinking of new excuses to keep him out. It would be a bruise to his ego if it wasn't just her.
"Alright," she gave in eventually. "Just stay here. BUT, you have to follow my rules. Only three." He nodded. "First rule- You do NOT come upstairs, unless it's an emergency. The ground floor is the gym, but the first floor is my house. You cannot trespass in my house."
"Noted," he smiled. He would make sure to make up at least three 'emergencies' in his four days there.
"Second rule- Your Pokémon are allowed in the pool. You are not, unless I say you are."
He would also have to have a lot of 'accidents' then.
"Third rule," Misty paused for emphasis and Gary looked up at her. "You will never bring up anything personal." Gary nodded. This one he would actually stick by. It seemed important to her for some reason.
It wasn't even an hour before Gary found himself moving all his things into Misty's spare room. After all, he lived right next door, so why wait? One time, he tried to get the television through the window from the roof of his house because it was heavy, but Misty quickly slammed the shutters in his face. Some people on the streets of Cerulean gave him strange looks. Why wouldn't they? He was in a tree, shoving a television set into the Pokémon gym with a remote in his mouth!
"Do you never learn?" Misty sneered from below, smirking evilly at him.
"Don't steal my facial expressions, woman!" he growled at her.
"Call me woman one more time and I'll tell Poliwrath to drop your TV set." Huh? He swivelled to see Misty's Poliwrath lifting his television with easy and preparing to jump from the tree.
"Hey, didn't your Poliwhirl evolve into a Politoed?" he wondered aloud.
"Yes," she answered, looking at him strangely. "This little guy is new. Lily gave him to me after 'he like, stopped being cute and stuff."
Gary laughed at her imitation of Lily.
"How do you know that anyway? My Poliwhirl evolved when I was travelling with Ash, way back."
"I dunno," he said. He actually didn't know. "I guess Ashy or Gramps or someone must have told me when I was studying water Pokémon." He didn't mention that he hadn't had the chance to study water Pokémon yet.
She raised an eyebrow then burst into a fit of giggles.
"What's so funny?" Gary asked, relieved that she hadn't caught him.
"I don't know. It's just funny that you never came to Cerulean when you were studying water Pokémon, but you're here now studying fire Pokémon…"
"Funny how that works, isn't it?" Gary smiled, sneaking an arm around her shoulder.
Misty shrugged it off immediately and pulled out a mallet from behind her back, aiming it at Gary threateningly.
"Whoa!" Gary shielded his head with his hands. "Where do you get those things from anyway?"
She rolled her eyes. "What do you mean? I picked it up from the floor, right here, near the gym door."
"Put it down!" She did. "You have issues, Red! I was just being friendly."
"I know," she said again, infuriatingly. "But don't get too comfortable. I'm kicking you out in 4 days." Curse Misty's backward logic.
"Almost three days now," he corrected her, looking at his watch.
"Even better," she said, trying to walk away.
"Hey, you don't mean that…" he said, following after her. "I thought we were friends now. Friends tell each other stuff. What's the real reason you don't want me here?"
"You're invading my privacy!" Misty insisted. Gary looks at her sceptically. "Alright fine. Come inside." She looked around, obviously displeased by the number of people gathering in the street. What on earth was so private that nobody could hear it?
She dragged him inside. "Alright. It's because I think that maybe I'm ready to talk to Ash about living together." Gary looked up. "It might help us get back to how we were before he left."
Gary could understand that. When he was going out with Leaf, it was a casual thing. They were friends, bored, in need of a constructive hobby. But suddenly she wanted to be courted. A real relationship. Things had gone horribly wrong and she couldn't be within 5 miles of him without trying to escape. There was no romantic chemistry between them whatsoever, but still. It would be nice to reconcile with Leaf.
"What are you thinking about?" Misty asked. Oh. Oops.
"Nothing." 'Please buy it, please buy it, please buy it,' he thought. Misty knowing about Leaf wasn't an issue, but he really wasn't in the mood to get into it now.
"Come on, Gary. I thought we were friends now," she threw his words back at him. "Friends tell each other stuff."
He shrugged. "Fine. I was thinking about Leaf and how it's a really similar situation."
Misty narrowed her eyes. "Hold up. Who's this Leaf chick?" Gary remained silent. Comprehension dawned on her a moment later. "For the love of all that is- Do you mean to tell me that the infamous Gary Oak actually had a girlfriend?"
"Shut up, it wasn't serious or anything…" He looked away, embarrassed.
Misty gasped in amazement. "It still counts! Oh my Oddish, I can't believe it!"
"It's been a long day, Misty," Gary said impatiently. Misty looked confused. "I'm not angry with you," he reassured her. "I'm just tired. If you don't mind, can we rest now?"
"Uh, sure."
He didn't mean to push her away. Whatever. When Ash got here, things would be back to normal with Misty only acknowledging him briefly to say hello in the morning. He would actually kind of miss talking to Misty, but the less she knew, the better when it came to Leaf. Leaf…was too much of an issue to discuss casually with a friend.
"Good night," he said from the bench downstairs.
She nodded, climbing up to her room. "Good night."
Author's Note: What do you think? Feedback and anything else you might want to leave is appreciated. You are all awesome.
