"Many people thought Poppy and James's relationship was platonic. This wasn't true. Poppy had known for years that she was going to marry him. It was one of her two great ambitions, the other being to see the world. She just hadn't gotten around to informing James yet."
– L.J Smith, The Night World: The Secret Vampire
Finally! My first night off in weeks, thanks to Marina, who had contracted a serious illness of 'my Boyfriend is finally home for leave so good luck on your own', I had heard it was pretty serious. Though I couldn't really blame my work partner, the girl had saved all of her holiday time for this sole reason, and I had hardly tried to talk the female out of having so long off, so I really shouldn't complain (though that did not mean that I wouldn't). It was just nice to see her happy, a feat that had been near impossible since her boyfriend Jimmy had left to join the army- at least I think it was the army... I'll be honest though, running double my usual work schedule was hard and over just the past six months business had really begun to boom, which I'll admit had a lot to do with the synchronised swimming show by The Sensational Sisters or as I like to call them my sisters. Myself and Marina had been meaning to hire a new instructor ever since but had never really gotten around to it, plus the two of us had started this together only a year ago and both of us had grown to love teaching people to swim, it was hard to accept that we needed to share our success with someone else. Especially after so many had doubted us...
I let out a grunt as I collapsed on the coach, my back muscles ached and my calves burned but, with the soft cotton of the afghan cocooned around me I instantaneously felt a million times better. After the shift I had worked today- teaching a large class of school children, most of who were more interested in using the noodle floaties as lightsabers and hitting one another, quite violently may I add, and let's just say the teacher may have been more interested in oogling myself than controlling his students- I believe it is well deserved. It was a less than pleasant experience and I dread to think how next week's session will go. I shift so that I am now lying on my back and begin to shut my eyes, the darkness purging away my vision as well as my memories from work. And with a smile on my face I began to fall into a deep-
Bam!
What was that?
Like a meerkat, I spring to my feet, head in the air, scanning the room for any signs of an intruder. For a total of three years I had lived alone, ever since moving from my childhood house where I had been raised by my three sisters, and so far I have very much enjoyed the solitarily of living alone. Not that I didn't love my sisters but they were so, well, my sisters. Enough of that though this is hardly the time to enjoy the life I have made for myself. I stop and listen until I hear scratching noises from the door leading to my landing. What a twerp, just letting them self into my house like that, as if they own the place! I'll show them. I grab the closest thing to me, a teddy? I throw it onto the floor and grab a can of deodorant. It'll have to do. Holding it at arms length as though it is much more lethal than it is I began to head over to the door. Just as I do so the door swings open and without any hesitation, I spray.
The supposed intruder stops in his tracks and when he does I look from his now white t-shirt to his face. Ash? For a total of three years I had lived alone and for a total of three years Ash Ketchum has been allowing himself into my home and for a total of five minutes I had completely forgotten. I swear that boy has absolutely no manners. Anger flared inside me, for once could he not just have common decency to knock like a normal person, so that I could at least exercise my human right to ignore him in favour of sleep? Ugh. I'll kill him one day. Then again I have to admit, that with his eyes large in shock and his mouth agape he looks pretty stupid, and cute, but mostly stupid. I mentally review my last thought before adding the statement, Ash always looks stupid.
In order to show my irritation at the unexpected arrival, something I'm honestly accustomed to but with my current low toleration for people am less than enthusiastic about, I fold my arms under my chest, lean my hips to the right and tap my foot impatiently.
"I'm not sure if you're aware but I do have a doorbell." I remark snarkily alongside a pointed glare in his direction. As per usual doofus is oblivious, one hand holding the rim of his shirt whilst the other stratches at the juxtaposing white spray off of his black shirt. And the deodorant had claimed to have white mark protection, what a load of crap.
I await the boys attention and when I finally earn it he still retains that confused look, though that's usual just his normal expression. In a second, his lips curl.
"What was that all about, think I was a thief or something?"
Of course he's joking, I can tell that from his tone, despite knowing this my cheeks heat up and I know I'm blushing. I see his irritating smile deepen and hear the muffled giggles from the stupid man-child in front of me. Honestly, does he really have to be so damn immature, all the time?
I stomp off, back to my coach, picking up the afghan as I go and placing it over my legs once I've sat down with my feet on the coach and my legs crossed. After a few minutes the couch cushion besides me falters as it takes on weight. I can feel Ash's stare on me as he sits, my knee touching his thigh. He shuffles because this is Ash who cannot possibly sit still for over a minute. I huff and give in, looking over to him only to see he's grabbed the teddy I had previously launched in favour of a much more defensive weapon to face my intruder.
"Honestly, Mist, I would've thought you'd look after my presents better." I reach over to take it from him but, again, he's Ash and he's just a child at heart, but I've had enough of children for the day so I slap his arm and extend my hand, expecting him to give me what is mine. He did not, not even when I graciously offered him one of my blood boiling glares. He doesn't even flinch anymore- shame. I reach over again before cussing under my breath. How I wish he'd remained that same height he had when he was ten, but alas, someone had better ideas and had decided to torture me by adding gifting the male with a growth spurt, and I, well I hadn't really grown since I was eleven. If only we were ten again, it'd be so easy for me to rip the toy from his grasp.
I sit on my knees, bending over his body to grab the yellow cotton, to anyone one else it would look to be a pretty compromising or embarrassing position but this was me and this was Ash and this was us- and well that made it normal. Not that a observer would agree.
"Aww, what's wrong Mist, can't reach?" He's using that patronising tone that you just know means he has that stupidly smug smirk on his face, the one he's since learned from Drew and in the moment I hate that green haired prick. I reach further and am conscious to the fact I'm now leaning over the edge of the couch. I am going to get the teddy though. In one last reach I grab the foot and he releases the toy because like usual I have won. I return to my original position next to him though that idiotic smirk is still there. I'll have to have a serious talk with Drew, maybe threaten to expose a little secret of his in concerns to a perky blue eyed brunette we both know and love.
Now in custody of my toy I grip it to my chest. The toy is cream, the bottom half shaped like an egg with two small spherical feet whilst the top half split into three small spikes. It was cute with slim black slits for eyes and an open, smiling mouth and the triangles decorating its body in multiple pastel colours. It was most definitely not an animal of this world, but I loved it nonetheless. I can remember the exact moment I had fallen in love with the toy. It was during my gap year in which Brock, Ash and I had decide to go travelling, we'd been at an amusement park and Ash had opted to go get himself some more food (because honestly is that boy ever full?) whilst Brock and I went on the water slide- my favourite by far. When we'd had a few rides we met back up with our friend, who'd apparently gone and won himself an odd yellow teddy in the meantime. I'd demanded he take us to where the stall for the teddy was given and ended up at one named 'Pokemon', where hung many oddly shaped and coloured stuffed toys. After a few trys neither Brock nor myself had secured any prize from the stall and to this day I still say it was rigged somehow. Before we left Ash had wanted another go and low and behold he won. I can't fathom how the idiot got so good at those games but yet he was. He'd chosen the cream toy I'd been eying earlier which leads me to plead for the duration of the night to have the teddy. Eventually Ash caved, and the stuffed toy had been my inanimate confidant ever since. The imaginary animal needed an imaginary name and our mutual friend and honorary big brother Brock had christened the small egg 'Togepi' because of the spikes upon his head, I had fallen in love with name as well as the cotton and wool.
I couldn't help but smile at the memory, well that is until jerkface next to me decides I've had enough fun and flicks me in the side of the head.
"You hadn't even wanted it." Ash shrugged still with that- ugh- smirk.
"Doesn't mean you shouldn't look after it."
"I do look after it," in my defence, my voice had heightened and even I will admit the pitch was irritable. Ash rubbed his ear.
"Wow, Misty, who knew you were a girl?"
At that I punched him in the face repeatedly with the teddy. Seriously, the nerve of him. I continued for a good few minutes before relenting, he feigned hurt but I just rolled my eyes. I'd hit him harder in the past so really, he was lucky.
Sulkily, I flop onto my side, lie down, and stretch my legs over his lap, Togepi still in arms. I felt him settle his hands on my legs and shuffle. I chance a look up and see him holding my TV remote, flicking the black box on. Rude.
I shut my eyes, just for a minute.
"Long day?"
"Uhum."
"Want a foot rub?"
I nod.
I feel him at work. And in moments all of my anger at him dissipates, thank sod for Ash. He's humming along to 'FRIENDS' opening theme music, I hum along unable to control myself.
"So Anabel came round today." Anabel had been his ex girlfriend, Ash had left her after putting up with her psychoanalysing him throughout the entirety of their two year relationship. I'd been surprised he'd stuck around that long, it was obvious that he was growing weary of her comments during the close of their relationship, contrary to my thoughts however, Anabel broke off the relationship, something about how he showed more passion for someone else. I'd tried to keep out of it, I didn't get along with her two well, thankfully she hadn't come into between mine and Ash's friendship (I look to said male), evidentially.
"And?"
"Apparently she senses that I am deeply missing her." I look at him, an eyebrow arched and my smile spelling mischief.
"And are you?" He looks at me, a look that can only ask 'are you being serious?'
"I miss school more than I miss being told what I do and don't feel." And Ash had really hated school...
I sit, pinch his cheek and in my baby voice reply:
"Aww, you mean you don't miss her?" He slaps my hands away, and lightly clasps my wrists in his. With his own look of mischief his wandering hands find my sides and I'm very quickly cursing every force out there not only for my friends growth spurt but his strength too, jeez, must be payback from all those years of teasing... And within minutes he's ticking me into insanity. Hysterics ensure, I kick him in the gut a few times, but again I've kicked him harder before so no real harm done. Once I've been served my punishment for teasing I ask him, in a breathless way,
"So what did you do?"
"I told her that I've moved on and now have a very gorgeous girlfriend." He looked at me in that way that I just knew.
"And this gorgeous girlfriend, you'll repay her for this, how?"
"Repay her?" he scoffs," she owes me one." He says the last half with the upmost confidence and I hate him; I seriously, seriously hate him. It's true nonetheless because popular to belief this would not be the first time we'd faked being a couple, only a few years ago I had needed Ash to fake a relationship in order to get my stalker ex Georgio to finally move on. But, hey it'd worked and now I guess I had no choice but to agree. I roll my eyes for show, because I don't mind too much if at all. He really is right, I owe him one. Doesn't mean I'll let him know that though. He smiles back in a chummy way as though he knows. Probably. I don't worry though.
For a while we watch the TV show in silence, only adding giggles into the nostalgic atmosphere.
"So as my new girlfriend does this mean you'll make my tea?"
"You can make your own damn tea."
"Now that's not fair. It's your house." He does his pouty face I can now proudly say I'm immune to.
"The way you just walked in you'd think it was your home."
"I hate you."
"You love me."
He doesn't reply. Neither do I. But somewhere through the night our hands intertwine and I can honestly say I don't mind him letting himself into my house. But he's still an idiot.
[A/N]: FLUFF!
Look who's back, back again! So, yeah, I really just needed some time off because a lot of stuffs happened and a lot of stuffs is going to happen so yeah, stuffs, life stuffs.
Oddly inspired by this quote because this story but I did not end it with my original intentions, it took a pretty big turn actually, which I will blame on the fact I started reading my older oneshot '2am' halfway through writing this and if you've read it you'll realise why it ended the way it did. But since it was originally written with the quote in mind I'm going to keep it in this format rather than make it a new oneshot. Not sure if I'm completely happy with this, it started off decent but drones on at the end.. Meh. There's absolutely nothing new there :P
Oh and in the end Ash isn't being sexist (okay, perhaps a tad) but I think it's only because hes use to having others cook for him: his mum, Brock, Cilan.
Ready To Fly: Genius? That will be the first and last time I will ever be called that :') Thank you, the exaggerations and flattery is much appreciated :P I'm glad you liked the last chapter, especially since I remember you mentioning that you weren't a massive Paul fan or at least from how he was portrayed so it's an awesome feeling to know that you actually enjoyed the way I wrote him! And yay, first to read xD though I don't think I'm yet of a dedication though I am honoured nonetheless :') And I definitely understand the whole getting really passionate about the randomest things, I;m so bad for getting waaaaaay too involved in my friends problems and giving them impassioned speech like I'm the Prime Minister or something xD Nothing wrong with that though, shows you care about things. And I have friends who do exactly the same in terms of "trying to one up people in conversations" it's a great source of entertainment when they get into it but again, nothing wrong with it, always have fun and have a laugh with it :) Thanks as always for reading and taking the time to review, hopefully I'll get another chapter of Unnamed out soon too, lord knows it's been too long.
I should go now because my hamsters making weird noises O.o So, bye and perhaps I'll be updating sooner this time, huh? Huh? I sense the doubt xD but yeah, halfway through another so hoping to put it up tomorrow!
