Ash and Gary both pushed back their empty dessert plates looking positively miserable at having managed to find room for more food, even if it was Delia's homemade warm chocolate melting cake, a recipe of her own creation and one of her specialties. The vanilla ice cream she'd served alongside the cake had been the perfect touch to cut down on the richness of the moist cake.

"Oh, Mrs. Ketchum", Gary said wiping the corners of his mouth and looking across the table at Delia with a smile. "That was absolutely fantastic. It's been years since I've had this dessert. In fact, I think you made this for me and Ash he last time I stayed the night. We were very small, before our Pokemon journeys."

"Well dear, it's a pleasure to see both of you eat with such gusto and abandon", she said with a smile, placing her hand on her chest. "It makes all that work in the kitchen worthwhile." Mr. Mime nodded his head in agreement for emphasis.

"I think I'd better be heading home soon. Gramps will be worrying about me if I'm out too late", Gary said. "Or else he'll be awake much too late in the laboratory, or out stumbling around in the dark trying to observe the mating habits of the resident Nidoran population as it pertains to the lunar cycle." He stood up from the table pushing his chair neatly in. "But I'd really like to help with the last of the dishes and help you clear the table. It's the least I could do", the brunette suggested, moving to grab his soufflé cup and ice cream bowl.

"Nonsense Gary Oak, you will do no such thing", Delia said with mock severity. "You are a guest in this house and I will not have you taking away the privilege of hosting such a charming and handsome young man." She stood quickly and snatched Gary's dishes before he could.

Gary open and closed his mouth several times before smiling in acquiescence. "Thank you again for dinner Mrs. Ketchum."

"Of course, dear. And I do hope you'll come again soon. Tell your grandfather I said hello, and have a good night Gary." Delia paused at the entrance to the kitchen. "And Ash, be a good boy and see Gary out. You might be a gentleman and walk him home." And with that she disappeared into the kitchen, Mr. Mime trailing behind her with the last of the dishes.

Ash stood up from the table and stood next to the young researcher. "So, would you like me to walk you home?" he asked a bit bashfully, scratching the back of his leg with the foot not bearing his weight.

"Well I'm not going to twist your arm…" he trailed off, "But I might give you one hell of a good night kiss if you do."

"That sounds like a fair trade off I think", the shorter boy agreed. "Bye mom, I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to walk Gary and Eevee home", he yelled in her general direction, slipping on a jacket hanging near the front door.

"Be safe. Good night Gary!"

"Good night Mrs. Ketchum!"

The boys stepped outside into the brisk night air. Gary cradled Eevee in his arms the pokemon content to lie there, ears moving as it listened to the night, its large bushy tail swaying in time with Gary's steps. Pikachu bounded along behind them, bouncing from one side of the path to the other. Ash moved to hold Gary's hand in the darkness, but stopped himself, looking around to be sure that no one was watching the two young men. Gary almost as if he'd sensed the Ash's hand near his own, or perhaps in an entirely independent thought or motion he reached over and lightly wrapped his larger hand around Ash's before delicately lacing his fingers through the younger boy's.

"I don't care if people see us together like this. I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not", he said, turning his head towards Ash, his white teeth glowing brilliant in the deepening dark. "Too long have I fallen asleep alone each night wondering if I'd ever be happy. And now I can be", he said giving Ash's hand a gentle squeeze.

Ash smiled in Gary's direction. "I don't mind either. And I'm happy that I'm here with you now. This is nice", he said, gently squeezing back. The two young men walked along together in companionable silence, reveling in being so close to one another. Ash didn't think he'd ever been so aware of his left hand. It felt like his entire conscious, every nerve was completely alive in his hand and shoulder when it grazed Gary's.

Before either of the boys were ready, they had reached the Oak Estate. Ash insisted on walking Gary under the boughs of the stately trees that lined the winding gravel drive up towards the manor proper. Lamp posts cast glowing circles of golden light they passed through. Further out in the gardens lights gleamed and twinkled back silver in the darkness. The gentle sounds of water lazily cascading from stone fountains, splashing gently into the wide, stone pond that extended the full length of the drive, provided a soft background noise, accompanied by the breeze traveling through the leaves and the crunching of the boy's feet up the gravel drive. Pikachu vanished and reappeared several times. Eevee squirmed to get down and Gary obliged, watching as his pokemon disappeared in the gloom after the electric mouse.

Within a few more minutes Gary found himself standing outside his front door, Ash below him on the step. Eevee waited patiently on the rug, tail curled tightly over her front feet. Gary hauled Ash up the final step to stand level with, but nearly a full head below him. "Thank you for walking me home", he said. "And thank you for coming out with me tonight. I'm so glad that you did."

"Me too", Ash said agreeing with a smile. "Thank you for inviting me."

Gary moved in to kiss his shorter lover. His hands found the raven-haired boy's waist and pulled him close, one hand resting in the small of his back, and the other cradling Ash's head at the nape of his neck, fingers buried in his hair. Their lips met tenderly at first and then more forcefully as Ash embraced his slender lover, melting into his arms, on hand against Gary's toned chest and the other supporting the researcher's delicate jawline.

Gary broke the kiss to stare deeply into Ash's eyes, so dark in the pale light of the moon they seemed almost black. "Ashy-boy…" he said feeling Ash's body stiffening as he prepared to pout, "I love you."

Shock briefly crossed the younger boy's face, before he kissed Gary again.

"You don't have to say it back if you don't want to Ashy-boy, but I've known it for a while I think and I just wanted to tell you while you were in my arms."

"I love you too, Gary Oak. And I couldn't be happier that I'm right here with you tonight", he said adoringly. "I've been wanting to say that for a very long time." Gary smiled and kissed Ash again, both boys lost in their own world on the front door step to the Oak Manor, a beacon of light in a sea of darkness.