Chapter 6: The Sixth Day
Leaf sat at the summit of the mountain staring out into the gray morning sky. She hadn't slept well the night before her eyes red and puffy from crying all night.
"I'm an idiot," Leaf muttered tears entering her eyes again, "How could I fool myself into thinking he actually could love me?"
She glanced down at the hat in her hands that she held close since it was the only thing she had to bring her comfort when she lost hope. She closed her eyes whispering, "Why can't I just admit it to you? That I love you and I hide on this mountain from the fear of rejection just as much as I do because of everything else."
She reluctantly placed the hat back on her head a she wrapped her arms around her legs closing her eyes as she curled up trying hard not to cry once more. She closed her eyes keeping the tears at bay whispering, "I am such a fool, Green could only ever care about me as a friend... no more no less."
She felt as a cold wind that felt like it went straight through her blew her hat off into the sky. Leaf looked up watching her hat getting up running after it not caring about anything except for that. She ran after it stepping off the side of the mountain grabbing the ledge quickly hanging their forced to watch as her hat flew away in the wind. Tears filled her eyes muttering, "I'm going to die here aren't I?"
She felt something grab her wrist looking up her blue eyes meeting emerald ones as she heard, "Leaf I'm not letting you fall."
She felt herself get pulled up into his warm embrace her shaking form safe in his arms as she laid into his chest.
"Leaf I'm sorry..." he whispered into her ear as her mind blocked out the rest of what he said her worry about her hat, the only thing she had of him to know he cared about her at all.
Leaf pulled away tears in her eyes as she said, "My hat... it flew off in the wind... I need it..."
"No you don't, you don't need it," he said caressing her cheek with his hand gently her eyes meeting his as he grabbed her close kissing her deeply.
Green had woken up that morning to Gengar staring at him anger in the Pokemon's eyes. Green sat up looking at Gengar in confusion before everything came rushing back about the fight Leaf and him had the day before. He slapped himself in the forehead muttering, "I am such an idiot... you came to tell me that didn't you?"
Gengar nodded knowingly looking at Green then motioning to the door obviously saying to go fix this mess before his trainer became more upset.
Green sighed getting up grabbing some cloths running to the shower in his room taking a quick one before getting dressed. He motioned for Gengar to lead the way hoping he could make this right.
Gengar nodded walking through the door before Green opened it walking outside into the Pokemon Center hallway. He and Gengar walked to the door an outside into the cool morning air. He pulled out his pokegear making a quick call to Red as they walked up the side of the mountain.
"Hey," Green said into the phone knowing Red would know how to fix this.
"Morning, Green," Red said into the phone, "Sup? Any luck with Leaf?"
"That's what I'm calling you for..." Green said as he followed Gengar, "I messed up... now your sister probably never wants to see me again..."
"As much as I wish that to be true," Red said quickly before going on, "I know it isn't, no matter how mean or a jerk you are to her... she will always want to see you. And as much as I should be going up there and kicking your ass for hurting her, I will help you fix this. Now tell me exactly what happened?"
Green started to tell him about the the fight they had after the battle when he brought up her coming off this mountain. He wasn't sure what she had meant by a shell of a girl or why she ran away like that from him. Green ended with, "So that is basically it... I just let her run away. I woke up with Gengar in my room giving me the you're an idiot look."
"Ah the shell of a girl line..." Red muttered into the phone, "It hasn't been the first time she has said it. She never has explained that to me though sometimes I wonder if it is because she keeps most of her emotions bottled away except for extreme circumstances. Now how you can fix this, seriously you need to ask me that?"
Green was silent he knew where Red was heading with this as he walked farther up the trail.
"Your going to need to come clean," Red said simply, "Lay everything on the line, tell her the truth and beg for her forgiveness. You owe her that, Green. She thinks you don't really care and I'm tired of her crying over that fact when I know you do care about her just as much as she cares about you. You wouldn't be so worried about this if you didn't."
Green looked down saying, "Fine I'll her I love her... I've always loved her just as she has loved me all these years."
"There you go, let's just hope she accepts that," Red said through the pokegear, "Though you may need to pro..."
Green cut him off seeing Leaf running off the side of the mountain. He dropped the Pokegear running over grabbing Leaf's wrist his emerald eyes meeting her blue ones as he said, "Leaf I'm not letting you fall..."
He pulled her up into his arms wrapping his arms around her as she shook in his embrace.
"Leaf I'm sorry..." he whispered into her ear not noticing she wasn't listening, "I love you, please forgive me for not telling you the truth."
Leaf suddenly pulled away, for the first time I noticed how puffy her eyes were as she kept crying, saying, ""My hat... it flew off in the wind... I need it..."
Green sighed silently placing his left hand on her cheek saying, "No you don't, you don't need it."
He grabbed her hand tightly with his right hand pulling her close kissing her deeply. He watched her eyes go wide before they slowly closed as she kissed him back. He decided to try a bit more licking her lips with his tongue as he closed his own eyes, his arms finding the way around her, his hands rubbing her back. He smiled as her lips opened allowing entrance to his tongue and her arms around his neck. He licked into her mouth wrestling with her tongue. He never wanted this kiss to end. So the fact kiss seemed to last forever before they parted out of breath made him happy.
"Leaf... I love you and you don't need something like that hat to know I care about you," Green said looking into her eyes, "Because you will always have me."
Leaf's eyes grew wide hearing his words this time before responding, "I love you too, Greeny."
He smiled pulling her close against him his chin against her brown hair enjoying the smell of berries that came from her. He loved her and finally was able to admit it and for her to admit that she loved him as well made his heart beat rapidly in his chest. They ignored the cold wind as it blew by them the warmth of each other was all they needed at that moment.
Leaf looked up into his face asking slowly, "How long have you loved me though?"
"I think I've always loved you," Green said pressing his forehead against hers, "It just took me awhile to understand the feelings I had. I didn't want to ever hurt you if I didn't feel the same as I knew you felt about me so I kept my feelings to myself opting to be your rival and unintentionally hurt you instead. For everything I've done, I'm sorry. I can't believe you love a jerk like me but it just prove your not a shell of a girl though either. You are the most intelligent, sweet, calm, strong girl I know Leaf so never tell yourself that you aren't when everyone knows you are."
Leaf's cheeks went pink before she smiled laying her head into his chest enjoying the warmth not feeling as Green unclasped a pokeball from her belt. He smiled pulling away placing a Luxury Ball in her hand saying, "I'll be back by tomorrow for your party, Leaf."
He walked backwards falling off the cliff. Leaf went wide eyed running to the edge seeing as Green called and landed on her Charizard. He started to fly away calling back, "I love you, Leaf."
"I love you too, you jerk," she called after him looking down at the ball in her hand smiling upon seeing it was Umbreon's pokeball, a reassurance he would return by tomorrow though why he left would be a mystery to her until then. She looked up watching as he flew away on Charizard toward the direction her hat had flown.
Green flew on Charizard looking down as they stayed close to the tree tops hoping to spy what he was looking for. As much as he knew she didn't need it he wanted her to have it. That hat was the sign of his love for her before he realized he did love her. He smiled seeing the familiar white and red object hanging from a branch. He leaned forward saying, "Charizard, lower a bit so I can grab it."
Charizard nodded lowering into the top of the trees turning to the side so not to hit anything with it's massive form. Green reached out grabbing the hat before motioning for Charizard to land.
Charizard landed in a clearing as Green jumped off his back onto the ground. Green yawned looking at the setting sun in the distance asking, "We've been looking for this all day, where are we anyway?"
Charizard just looked at him before laying down his wings curling up to rest. Green shook his head pulling out his Pokegear looking at the town map. He noticed they were almost to Goldenrod in the Johto Region. He smiled lightly knowing if they got up early tomorrow and flew back he would get back about the same time during the party as when he originally gave this hat to Leaf. He couldn't help but think, 'How perfect.'
He sat down near a tree leaning against it closing his eyes a smile on his lip as he held the hat close her smell still on it. Tomorrow he would give it back to her but for now he just wanted to sleep and dream of their future together.
