You continue to pet Pikachu. To ease your nerves, you dig around in the side pocket of your backpack and find your flashlight. After zipping the pocket back up, you click the button and the light made you feel more comfortable. You hope that Dave won't take too long.
"Where is Dave?" you wondered.
Pikachu sighs contently.
"Pikachu?" you asked.
Pikachu stood right up.
"Pika!" he said in an alert manner.
"Do you think that we can be good friends?" you asked him.
Pikachu looks a bit confused as he rubbed his ear with his paw. He probably hasn't warmed up to you quite yet. It is okay, though. You don't expect him to be fully loyal until he gets to know you. After all, the two of you have not known each other any more than a day.
"It's okay if you haven't made up your mind, yet," you said to Pikachu. "I don't open up to people that I don't know very well, yet, either."
"Pika…"
You take off your glasses and rub off the dust off on the bottom part of your shirt. After this, you hear a snapping of twigs and a rustling in the bushes. You can feel the hairs on your back and arms quiver and stand up out of fright.
"Pika?"
"D-Dave?" you stammered. "I-is, that, y-you?"
You point your flashlight towards the brush and there is no answer.
"Dave?" you asked again.
"Yeah, it's me," Dave said as he came out with an armful of sticks for the fire.
He is covered in pine needles.
"Don't scare me like that!" you exclaimed. "You could have been a wild Pokémon!"
Dave takes off his shades after dropping the sticks on the ground in a perfectly neat pile.
"But I wasn't," he said as he winked at you.
How charming.
"Just for the record," you said. "I will freak out."
"I'm sorry, John," Dave apologized. "I'll call out before I freak you out next time, I promise."
You smile.
"Okay, I forgive you Dave," you said. "It's all good. This is just all new to me, that's all."
"No problem," Dave said casually as he let Torchic out of his Poké ball.
"Torchic!" Torchic exclaimed, appearing to be excited from being freed from his spherical prison.
"Can you light this fire for me?" Dave asked.
Torchic blew a small amount of flames upon the wood and they began to light. After this, Torchic falls on the ground in a relaxing manner, like doing the splits and he stares into the flames. How cute and precious.
"Chic!" Torchic exclaimed.
"Here, you can have the rest of my chocolate," Dave said as he offered the rest of the chocolate bar to Torchic. "Most of it melted, so sorry."
"Chic," Torchic muttered as he looked at the foil candy wrapper as if saying, "It's okay. I eat melted stuff all of the time. No biggie."
Torchic takes the chocolate bar and nibbles away happily.
"You little cutie," Dave said to Torchic.
"I wish Pikachu and I can become good friends like you and Torchic," you commented.
"It will happen," Dave replied. "Try not to get too ahead of yourself. Pikachu will eventually feel more comfortable being around you. Don't take things too fast."
"I won't," you said. "I am taking things as they come."
"Do you have a sleeping bag?" Dave asked you.
"Of course I do!" you exclaimed.
"Roll it out, dude," Dave said. "We are sleeping under the stars."
"Really?" you exclaimed.
You love sleeping under the stars. Being in a dark forest filled with Pokémon creatures that could come out and attack you scares you a bit, but that is okay. You have Dave and Pikachu to comfort you.
"Of course," Dave said. "Enjoy the nature trip while we can!"
"Right!" you said as you unzipped the big pocket of your backpack and pulled out your sleeping bag, which is rolled up tightly.
It is almost dark outside. The trees cover up most of the sky and what little you can see through the thick foliage is a dark pumpkin-orange color. Obviously a beautiful sunset is happening out there.
"I've always wanted to sleep under the stars, Dave," you said. "I have been camping before, but never in the middle of the woods."
You unroll your sleeping bag a few feet away from the campfire.
"I have done it multiple times," Dave said as he sat down on the log and you sat down next to him. "Back at home."
"Yeah," you sighed. "Speaking of which, I am supposed to call my dad."
You take your iPhone out of your pocket. No area coverage is available. Dammit!
"Don't freak out too much," Dave said as he watched you become disappointed. "I am sure that your dad will understand."
"Hopefully," you sighed. "He is so overprotective of me that he almost wouldn't allow me out for this journey in the first place."
"Well, you are his only child living with him, so it must be hard," Dave explained. "He'll probably get lonely."
"How could be lonely with all of that porn that he most-likely sells?" you asked.
Dave laughs. Torchic hops up on his lap and sits down.
"Don't you have a sleeping bag?" you asked.
"Of course I do," Dave said as he returned Torchic to his Poké ball. "I just don't feel like getting it out, yet. Do you want some marshmallows?"
Of all the baked goodies that you hated, you wouldn't mind having some right now. They are a part of a camping tradition!
"Of course!" you exclaimed.
"I thought so," Dave said as he pulled out a new bag of them out of his backpack.
"How do you pack so light?" you asked Dave as you tried to peer inside of his stuff. "There is hardly anything in there."
"Lots of practice," Dave responded as he zipped the pocket back up. "I've traveled along here before, so I have a lot of knowledge as to what I do and don't need."
"I see," you said.
"Just grab some random twig and stick a marshmallow on the end of it," Dave said as he got up and jumped into the bushes.
You assume that he is off to find his roasting stick.
"Okay, Dave," you said as you set his shades on top of your backpack, which were sitting on the log. You didn't want them to get any scratch marks.
Dave is so cool, compassionate, playful, and child-like. You wish that you could be more like him.
"I'm coming, Dave!" you called out as you grabbed your flashlight and went into the bushes.
As you are wearing shorts, the twigs scratch at your legs, but you don't mind too much.
"Want to come, Pikachu?" you asked.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried with excitement as he ran towards you and jumped upon your shoulder.
You can hear the chirping of bugs as you walked over vegetation and the snapping of a branch.
"Dave!" you called as you frantically looked around. "Is that you?"
"Yes it is!" Dave called and his voice sounded above you.
You look up and point your flashlight up there. Dave is up in a tree, lying across a thick branch casually with his back up against the tree trunk.
"How did you get up there?" you asked.
Dave peers down.
"Just climb," he said coolly.
"What if I fall?" you asked nervously.
Pikachu jumps up your shoulder and races up the tree's trunk. What a show-off. He sits down at Dave's feet.
"Don't worry; it is only about forty-five feet up!"
Forty-five feet! Is he insane? You are not scared of heights. However, you are scared of falling.
"Just climb up," Dave said.
"Okay," you said cautiously. "I'll try."
You get to the base of the tree and begin to shimmy your way up the trunk. As you do this, you repetitively tell yourself to not look down.
"Keep going," Dave urged. "If you climb up a few more feet, you can just walk up the branches the rest of the way up. Think of them as stairs."
You can feel sweat dripping from your forehead.
"Okay," you said.
You continue to make your way up and you step onto the first branch and reach up to support yourself with the next-highest branch.
"Good," Dave said. "You are not that far off, the worst part is over."
"Okay," you said.
You continue to adventure up the tree. Stepping up branch after branch, you get up to higher levels. This isn't so bad after all. You are almost to Dave. However, the distance to the branch Dave is sitting on is five feet up, with no other branches in between. How in the hell did he make it to there?
"Hi, John," Dave said in a joking manner as he looked down at you.
"How did you get to that branch?" you asked.
"Just shimmy your way up the rest of the tree trunk," Dave said.
"Okay," you said, but Dave sensed that you are unsure about this.
"Don't sweat it," Dave said. "It is not as hard as it looks."
"All right," you said as you continued upwards.
You are almost there.
"That's it," you said.
Uh-oh. You can feel your hands getting scuffed up.
"Dave! I'm slipping!"
"Shit!"
"Pika!"
Dave extends out his hand, expecting you to grab it. Your arm shoots up and he grabs ahold of you. Whew.
"How in the world do you slip down a tree trunk?" Dave asked as you dangled from Dave's arm. "Jesus, your hands are sweaty."
"Yes, yes," you said in shock. "Please, just pull me up, okay?"
"Okay," Dave said.
A moment later, you are up on the branch and you sit down to catch your breath. You dangle your feet over the side and Dave sits down next to you while Pikachu perches himself on your shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Dave asked you.
"Yeah," you said. "I am fine, now."
"You really need to learn to climb a tree," Dave said coolly.
"I know," you said.
"What kind of childhood did you have? Have you never climbed a tree before?" Dave asked as he brushed the pine needles out of his blonde hair.
"I spent most of my time indoors," you said as you stretched out your t-shirt sleeve to wipe off your forehead.
"Oh," Dave said. "I'm sorry. I should have given you more details."
"Yeah," you said. "It's okay. You didn't know."
Dave says nothing.
"Thanks for saving my life, though," you said. "Knowing how clumsy I can be sometimes, that could had been the end of me."
"Don't mention it," Dave laughed. "Anytime."
You are facing beautiful forest scenery. Your campfire is not that far off and it illuminates everything on the forest floor below you. It is indeed beautiful.
"Isn't the view gorgeous?" Dave asked as he scooted down and lied back casually, resting his head against your side.
"It's really nice," you commented. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Being outside is pretty cool."
"Why did you even come up here, anyways?" you asked. "I thought that you were getting sticks to roast marshmallows on."
"I did," Dave said. "I snapped off some branches and I dropped them down. They're waiting down below. I just felt like climbing a tree."
"Oh," you said. "That's cool though."
You want to hold Dave's hand, but you keep telling yourself silently to resist your homosexual tendencies. After all, you are not too sure about Dave, yet. However, you are super attracted to him. Is he gay? You don't want to ask now. He is leaning up against you though. Maybe he just likes to cuddle. That's all. Yeah. Just keep sitting and allow him to let things go along.
"I'm too comfortable to move, now," Dave sighed.
"You do not want to fall asleep in a tree, Dave," you said. "You can fall and harm yourself. I don't want to see you getting hurt, okay?"
"It's okay," Dave began. "I understand."
"We should go roast marshmallows," you urged.
"Okay!" Dave exclaimed with excitement as he sprang up and jumped off the branch.
"Dave, no!" you called down.
He landed in a ninja-like roll below. Did he break anything? No. What a badass. You wish you were in as much shape as he is.
"Come on!" Dave called.
"Jump?" you asked as Pikachu climbed down the tree by himself.
Obviously, Pikachu does not trust you.
"Don't worry, I can catch you if it looks like you aren't about to land right!" Dave exclaimed.
"Are you crazy?" you called down. "I'll end up breaking you!"
"No, you won't," Dave said coolly. "Don't say things like that!"
"Why not?" you called down.
"Because I take it as you are telling a fat joke!" Dave called back up. "John, you are not fat!"
"I don't mean it that way! I don't want to see myself get hurt and I don't want to hurt you, either!"
"You won't hurt me, just come down here, okay?"
You hesitate, but you jump off of the branch anyways. Dave ends up catching you, like he said that he would. Even with his support, it is a heavy fall and you feel a cross between of "oh look, he is being helpful and saved me" and "ouch, this jerked my neck." Either way, you are satisfied.
"You just need to trust me and not freak out so much," Dave whispered.
He sets you down and Pikachu hops back up on your shoulder. Dave picks up the small pile of sticks that he dropped down to roast the marshmallows on. You are still a bit in shock. He saved you…again. How did he do that? No normal human being can catch someone like that falling from several feet above the ground. He does it in a perfect and flawless way that it is unnatural, but it is natural, somehow. Anyways, you are just speechless.
"Dave," you finally managed to say. "You saved me."
"Actually, I kind of just caught you," he said coolly. "That's all. No biggie."
You and Dave walk back to the campfire and sit on the log. He rips open the bag like a savage and hungry wild animal in a cool fashion and doesn't say anything in the process. He lets Torchic out of his ball.
"Torchic!" Torchic exclaimed.
Dave pops a marshmallow on the end of his stick and holds it out to Torchic, who let out a wave of flames to roast it. What a cheater.
"Dave, I thought the point of this is to roast it over the campfire," you said.
He looks at you.
"Using your resources is totally boss," Dave said coolly.
He didn't pay attention to how long Torchic was searing the thing and what looked like a mini charred building block falls off of the end of Dave's stick and falls on the ground.
"Awww," Dave said as he looked at Torchic.
Torchic looks like he is going to cry.
"Don't freak out, little guy," Dave said. "It's okay; it's only a burnt marshmallow. It isn't your fault. I was the one not paying attention."
"Chic," Torchic peeped with disappointment.
Torchic gets up and goes over to Pikachu while you sit on the dirt ground and begin to roast your marshmallow over the real campfire. Pikachu looks up at Torchic as he approaches.
"Pika," Pikachu said quietly to Torchic.
Torchic perks up.
"Torchic!" Torchic exclaimed.
"Pikachu…"
"I wonder what those two are talking about," you said to Dave as you eat your own marshmallow that is practically charred.
"Torchic and Pikachu, ha, it is all a mystery," Dave said coolly. "Who knows?"
"I am still a bit curious," you said.
Dave gets up and unrolls his own sleeping bag next to yours and flops down on it.
"This is the life," he sighed. "No adults, no parents, no rules."
You lick white sticky marshmallow goo off of your face.
"What are we going to do tomorrow, Dave?" you asked as you lied down on your own sleeping bag and faced him.
"We're going to see my bro," Dave said. "He's going to be traveling with us. I hope you don't mind."
"Oh, no, of course not," you began to say. "It is fine with me."
Pikachu comes up next to you and pokes you in the shoulder.
"Hi, Pikachu," you said.
"Pika-Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"You ready for a big day tomorrow?" you asked.
"Pika?"
"He sure seems like it," Dave commented.
"Yeah, where are you going to sleep?" you asked Pikachu.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as he pointed up a tree.
"Up there?" you asked.
You take off your glasses and reach up and set them on top of your backpack along with Dave's shades.
"It is dangerous up there," you said.
"Not for him," Dave said calmly.
You wonder how Dave just acts cool about everything and lets everything go with the flow and slide by. Does he ever stress out about anything? You guess not. How does he do it?
"I guess you're right," you said as you pull the sleeping bag covers up over you.
Pikachu climbs up the tree and chills out on a branch and then Torchic comes up to Dave.
"Do you want to go back in your ball? Dave asked Torchic.
"Chic, chic, chic, chic, chic!" Torchic repetitively said in a quick manner as he jerked his head back and forth.
"Okay, okay dude," you said. "You can sleep in my bag if you want to."
Dave unzips his sleeping bag as Torchic mooches off of Dave's marshmallow bag.
"You are so cute that I am not even going to yell at you," Dave said as Torchic plopped on the ground and continued to eat what was left in the bag. "You can have it."
Dave stretches back out on top of his sleeping bag. You listen to the chirping noises and the crackling of the fire. Torchic comes back over towards Dave after finishing the sugary treats.
"Torchic," Torchic moaned in a tired manner.
"Now do you want back in your ball?" Dave asked.
Torchic shook his head and perched himself up on Dave's lap. He crawls under the covers and Torchic inches inside and pokes his head out.
"No feathers in my bed, Torchic, okay?" Dave asked.
Torchic smiles and nods and quickly falls asleep. You are not going to bother and try having Pikachu return, either. He obviously does not like being contained and you will respect his wishes. If he wants to sleep in a tree, so be it.
"I am so tired…"
You wake with a start. It is cold and pitch-black and the only source of light is hot coals, which are dying. Somehow, you ended up on top of your sleeping bag, but how? Dang, it is so cold out here at night and you start to freak out due to the chill and you can't find your way back into your sleeping bag. You are so stupid sometimes…why did you wear shorts to bed again? Trembling, you scoot next to Dave for body heat, praying that you won't wake him up, but you are so chilled that you begin to shake violently and Dave twitches in his sleep. What time is it and how long have you slept?
"What the hell?" you heard him say.
"Dave?"
"I'm up. What is it?"
"I'm cold and I'm scared and it is dark out," you said as you swore that you felt the goose bumps on your skin double in size.
Dave sighs.
"I'm serious, Dave," you trembled.
"Find your way back into your sleeping bag," Dave muttered.
"I can't find my way back in and it is so dark I can't see, much less find my flashlight or my glasses in the dark and with my poor vision," you whispered.
"Fine."
You turn over.
"Just, get in here with me," Dave said.
"Where?" you asked.
"My sleeping bag, you dummy," Dave teased coolly.
Was this…for real?
"Really?"
"Just get in here, I don't need you to freeze to death," Dave said.
"Thanks, Dave," you said as Dave unzipped the side to allow you in.
You can hear him reaching over you to zip the bag back up.
"We cool, now?" Dave asked.
"Yes, thanks," you said.
"Chic," you heard Torchic say and you can feel him curling up on top of you.
"Torchic, you too?" Dave asked.
"Chic," Torchic chirped.
You can feel Torchic's soft breathing as he lies there on your side.
"Both of you just go back to bed," Dave said.
You really have this urge to cuddle Dave, but you try and resist it. At the same time, you think that you slightly pissed him off and you have so many of these "urges that you want to do with Dave," but they are all in your mind. Okay, seriously, pull yourself together. No, wait. Too late. You've waited too long for this.
"What are you doing?" Dave breathed.
"I'm cuddling you, Dave," you said.
"Why?" Dave asked.
He just seemed curious. Not angry or degrading in the slightest. Also, being close to Dave makes your fears go away, for some unexplainable reason.
"I like to cuddle people," you said.
So that is the first thing that comes out of your mouth? Honestly. You could just admit that you liked him then and there. At the same time, you feel a bit awkward.
"It is okay, John," Dave began. "Because I-"
You feel Dave put his arms around you.
"Dave, no homo…"
"But I like to cuddle people, too, John," Dave breathed.
"Dave, no."
Nice to know, but you do not want to take things too fast.
"Why not?" Dave asked.
"I am only trying to get body heat, Dave. I'm cold."
"I thought that you said that you liked to cuddle," Dave said calmly.
"Okay, a combination of both," you admitted.
You feel all "doki doki" and your face heats up from slight embarrassment, even though you know that Dave can't see how red your face is in the dark. He sighs and you can feel his hand slide down your side. Is he a homo, too? You will not ask.
"Dave," you began.
"Shhh, John, go back to sleep," Dave said as he rests his chin on your shoulder.
This is getting a little "too weird."
"Dave, are you touching my butt?"
Why is that the first question that you are asking of all things?
"No, I am merely just putting my arm back around you," Dave began. "Now, shh, it's late."
"Dave, no homo. Get your hand off of my butt…"
You are just one step away from being a plush rump. Congratulations.
"Oh, so that's what I'm feeling," Dave whispered.
"Dave, no, Dave," you said. "No bad touches."
"Oops, so that is what it was? Sorry."
He moves his hand up your torso instead and drapes his arm over your side; instead, Dave is keeping you warm. Honestly, you are enjoying it (butt-touch and all), even though you won't admit it to Dave.
"That's better," you said.
You wake up the next morning. Rays of sunlight stream through the forest. Dave is lying across your chest in the sleeping bag and you are on your back, staring up at the treetops. You lie there and you have no intent on waking Dave up whatsoever.