A/N:

Dear Pratik Roy,

I assure you I understand exactly how you feel, as I've been waiting for an update on a story for over half a year. But the truth is, some of us can hardly find the time to update quickly, but you don't have to worry about this story being discontinued. Or at least until further notice, but it isn't really likely anyway. You might want to know that I update regularly about once a month, so sorry if I'm not fast enough, since that's the best I can do. And about the next part of your review, I'd like you to know that the slow process of opening up and falling in love is a lot more fun and easier to maintain than a straight shot to the end, so bear with me!

Here's the next chapter, then.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Kathy

The moment we stepped out of the smoking building (or if the multitude of individual walls that survived could be called a building), battered and dishevelled, the press surrounded us like a swarm of bees brandishing microphones. About a dozen of said electronic devices were shoved under our noses, and we were asked a million questions at once. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, a dull fuzziness worked itself into my head (no doubt the side effects of the andrenaline rush), and all the questions were making it worse. My brain was sort of malfunctioning, and I was having trouble concentrating on any single question.

"Massive explosion – Surge – challengers – Blue Oak – gym – nowhere to be – hurt-"

Everything blurred into each other, and amidst the incomprehensible mess of words I felt Blue's hand on the small of my back, gently manoeuvring me out of the crowd. It was strangely reassuring, and I wanted it to stay there.

"Go over to that inn over there and book a room. I'll meet you there," he murmured softly. "Get some rest." With a final small push, he nudged me out into the open and deftly diverted the reporters' attention by starting to answer their questions.

A little blankly, I walked in the direction Blue pointed in and arrived at a bustling inn, which was no surprise considering how busy Vermillion City always seemed to be. At first I wondered why Blue would want us to share a room again, considering my obvious discomfort the first time. Now I understood. Such a busy inn was not likely to have a lot of free rooms and they would cost like hell. Besides, we wouldn't have to go through the hassle of trying to locate each other in the crowded corridors.

With a little difficulty on my part, I booked a room on the second floor under Blue's name and went upstairs to hide.

It was a typical room. Mirror, dresser, toilet, small TV, table, chairs and a double bed. At that moment, I didn't really care about the latter, instead plopping myself on the floor with my back braced against the edge of the bed. Letting my head fall back onto the covers, I blinked and stared up at the plain white plaster ceiling. The silence was comforting, and I gradually managed to sort out the fried mess that was my brain.

Lieutenant Surge, master of electric-types, ex-soldier and gym leader, had tried to kill us. No wonder Blue had been hovering around like a spooked mother hen. Mr Fatso was completely off his rocker.

But then the question was: why? Surge and that lady had mentioned something about a plan and a person called Red. Wait a sec. If I remembered correctly, Red was Blue's rival, right? In that case, he would probably be the same age as Blue, and about the same calibre too. And I doubted even Blue could take on both Surge and the strange lady at once, so Red was definitely in serious trouble.

I had a hunch that there was something Blue wasn't telling me. Something major.

Before I had time to dwell on it, however, the door opened (Wow. Katherine, you idiot. You forgot to lock the door.) and Blue slipped in, gently shutting and locking the door behind him. Removing his backpack and waist pouch/utility belt thingy, he set them on the table before sighing wearily. He ran his hand through his sandy brown hair, and then rubbed the back of his neck. Dropping into a cross-legged sitting posture on the floor, he started rubbing the base of his neck, trying to work out the kinks.

Smirking a little at his woeful attempt at self-massage, I scooted over behind him and got onto my knees. "Here, let me get that." I swatted away his hand, and started rubbing his tense muscles. With a groan of relief, he relaxed into a slouch, and after a moment shifted closer to me, forcing me to widen my legs around him.

"So how'd it go?" I asked quietly, poking the back of his head playfully as I worked out the knots in his shoulders.

"I take it you mean the bloodsucking reporters," he muttered, drawing up one knee and resting his arm on it. "Retarded busybodies were dead set in believing that we blew up the place, since Surge was nowhere in sight." He snorted lightly. "Idiots. Like we would blow up a gym in broad daylight for fun."

"You don't seem to have a good relationship with the press," I commented, grinning a bit at his description of reporters. "Whatcha tell 'em, then? That the gym leader is off his rocker and tried to blow us into little pieces?"

"They'd never believe that." Blue's head dropped forward onto his arm and he sighed comfortably. "He's their hero. Hardly anything would convince them otherwise. I just told them there was an accident."

"Then what's gotten you so tense, huh?" I flicked the collar of his black shirt. He paused for a moment, and turned his head to stare at me, his expression unreadable. A long moment passed before he turned away again.

"Nothing," he murmured quietly. After that it was just a thoughtful but not uncomfortable silence. "Better?" I asked when I finished working out the last knot. "Mm," he replied. I was about to move away when he inclined his head back over his shoulder and made a circular motion with his arm, indicating for me to move around in front of him.

I couldn't really believe he was offering to return the favour, but I wasn't going to refuse. Blue grabbed my arms as I moved in front of him and scooted me backwards with him until his back rested against the edge of the bed. Trust him to get as comfortable as possible. Now why didn't I think of that?

Setting a leg on either side of me, he set to work on the muscles I didn't know I had tensed, and I made a small noise of approval as his strong fingers worked out a knot at the base of my neck. Wow. That battle with Surge must have freaked me out a lot more than I expected, but then again a near-death experience wouldn't exactly be relaxing.

Sighing comfortably, I leaned back into him, my head spinning with thoughts I knew would be mortifying if Blue could hear them. He rescued me…

Truth be told, from what I heard, Blue was cold, calculating and ruthless. He was distant and not at all companionable. But I was seeing the complete reverse. To me, at least, he was nice enough, albeit the occasional sarcastic remark. I knew and trusted him to take care of me, and around him, I felt safe.

Blue

The moment her head rested completely on my chest, I knew she had fallen asleep. Her face was partially turned towards mine, her forehead brushing my neck, and I didn't know why but it felt rather nice.

Most of her weight was on me, pinning me to the bed, but I didn't blame her for falling asleep on me. I had gone through that one too many times to be judgemental. The battle was exhausting in every sense of the word, and if this was her first time facing situations like this, it wouldn't be surprising if the experience left her drained. Now she was safe and secure, her body needed to sleep it off.

I watched her breathe, her expression soft and peaceful as she slept. Gently, I slipped my arm around her waist, holding her closer. She would never know anyway. As I watched her, I contemplated what she had asked me before. She had asked me what had gotten me so tense, and while the answer itself had been easy, I found it rather hard to express. By all means I was just concerned for her safety, but I knew it was more than that.

I didn't want to see her get hurt. I wanted her safe and sound, and I didn't understand why. I had never felt so strongly before, even when Red had nearly gotten himself killed or when Daisy went missing for a week. It wasn't like she was my girlfriend or something.

Maybe I just wanted the sense of accomplishment that came with getting my 'apprentice' through her training without a scratch on her. No, it wasn't. That just sounds absurd. Whatever the reason was, I couldn't make sense of it, and until I could, I wasn't telling Kathy.

Maybe I was actually starting to care for her. I'd grown to like her little mannerisms, and it would be a terrible pity if she went and got herself killed. She wasn't just a tag-along anymore. She was more than that. She'd unwittingly wormed her way closer to my heart than I initially expected.

Maybe, just maybe, she could have become a friend.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Kathy

When I opened my eyes,it was peaceful and quiet, and I felt refreshed. I also had the distinct feeling of waking up without ever knowing I'd been asleep.

"Nice nap?" I heard Blue's voice murmur quietly, and turning my head around, I saw him watching me with slight amusement in his eyes. I had been sleeping on him, I realized.

"Sorry." I laughed lightly. "Why didn't you move me?"

He shrugged. "You were keeping me warm." He smiled at me, and only now did I notice how open he was being with me. It was such a contrast to the cold and distant personality he displayed whenever he was out in public. Here he was almost pleasant to be with. Was it because we were close and he felt more comfortable with me?

I snorted inwardly. Who was I to even think that way? We were friendly, but not that friendly.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye when Blue sneakily (but not sneakily enough) removed his arm from around my waist. The intimacy of our actions hit me like a brick and I drew away from him, slightly embarrassed. I wondered if he even knew he was being intimate, but considering his limited social skills, I supposed not.

Right on cue, my stomach gave a growl of protest, and Blue looked even more amused as I hurriedly placed a hand over it. I hadn't eaten since sometime early yesterday morning and I was absolutely ravenous.

"Well, since we've gotten the gym challenge over with, what say you we go get something to eat?" Blue asked amiably. "You did want to check the place out, right?"

I nodded. "But I wanna shower first," I replied, glancing at the toilet. It would be a shame to let it go to waste, and I wanted to be clean.

Blue nodded unconcernedly. "Same here, actually. You go first, then."

"Uh... okay," I mumbled, and disappeared into the tiny room, shutting the door firmly and locking it. Not that I expected Blue to peek (eeww), but still, things could happen.

The warm water was awesome. When I was done, I glanced the the small pile of dirty clothes I left on the floor. I didn't feel like rewearing my grimy T-shirt and cargo pants, so I would have to wear my spares...

Which was in my backpack, on the bed, probably next to Blue.

Greaaat.

Fortunately for me, the inn supplied large white towels and I pulled one off the racks to wrap aroud myself. It was heavy and covered me decently, but I still felt rather exposed for some reason. I was really hungry, and if I got Blue to get my backpack for me and changed inside the toilet I would still have to wait for him to get done. The fastest, but not necessarily the most comfortable way would be to come outside and get dressed while he showered.

Huffing a little, I scooped up my clothes and let myself out. I stood aside as Blue stepped into the toilet, and his shoulder brushed mine through the towel, sending shivers up my spine. He didn't seem to notice, however, and simply shut the door behind him.

I stared at the door for what seemed like forever before regaining my senses and ambling towards my backpack for the clothes. It was private enough, once I shut the blinds on the window, and I quickly put on my faded orange blouse and jeans shorts. I would wash my originals when we came back from our really late lunch.

Blue didn't take long, and when he came out of the toilet his hair was damp and he was only wearing his trousers, his towel over his shoulder and partially on his head as he dried his hair.

You could say it was the first time I was treated to a view like that. Blue was smoking hot. There was no other word for it. Apparently Blue was clueless about what turned the ladies on because here he was, strutting across the room to his backpack on the table as normally as any other time when he was fully clothed.

Being a regular fifteen-bordering-on-sixteen year old girl, I gawked. He wasn't exactly what people would call ripped, but he was fit enough to make any girl drool. His flat stomach was accented by the slight contours of six-pack abs, and his arms were muscled and well defined. His body made it obvious he practised martial arts.

As if he sensed my gaze, he turned around, fresh black shirt in his hand. Instantly I dropped my gaze, suddenly finding the laces of my sneakers very interesting. I hoped he didn't notice that my face was burning.

If he noticed it, he didn't say anything. After that, we stuffed our more essential belongings in our backpacks and brought them with us as we went downstairs side-by-side. Leaving the inn, we joined the crowd of people heading in the direction of the market.

Vermillion City was truly an international harbour. Rows and rows of stalls lined the market area, selling everything from food to equipment to games. It was totally fascinating.

It would be safe to say that we spent the afternoon eating random titbits and messing around with the plethora of games provided. It took a bit to convince Blue to loosen up and mess around with me, but it paid off when he gave in and tried most of the games with cheerful abandon. There were all sorts, and I have to admit it was pretty amusing seeing Blue playing some of the more childish ones.

Even more amusing was when he won a Squirtle plushie without meaning to, and promptly shoved the prize at me. After that I insisted on clutching it in my hands wherever we went despite Blue's sidelong glances, only putting it in my backpack when we got some stuff to eat.

Finally, we settled to an early dinner at a small restaurant. Still being sadistically amused and secretly flattered, I sat the plushie on the table between us and watched it mock him throughout the meal.

It was early evening when we finished our dinner and found a quiet, secluded spot on the outcrop looking out to sea. We were just sitting there, silently enjoying the quiet companionship before I decided to complete the picture and placed the Squirtle plushie on my lap.

"Do you have to keep taking it out?" Blue asked, glowering at it.

"Aww, come on, it's cute." I smiled, holding it by the arms and making it do a little dance. "What's wrong with me liking it?"

Blue

I could feel my lips twitching into a smile. "Whatever." To say the truth I didn't really mind even though she was having some fun at my expense. It was sort of nice that she liked it, though, and I felt happy enough with that.

That was, until she set the damn plushie on top of my head with an evil giggle. I glared at her in mock anger and grabbed the offending plushie, swatting her with it. She caught me by the wrist with one hand, and snatched her toy out of my grip with the other. Grinning playfully, she leaned a bit so her upper arm was pressed against mine.

We were quiet after that, but she didn't let go of my hand and I made no move to pull mine away. Just acting on impulse, I shifted my hand slightly and twined our fingers together.

She stilled, and for a moment I wondered if I had done something wrong. But then her fingers tightened around mine and she turned her head away slightly, trying to hide the silly schoolgirl smile I knew she was wearing. Then she took a slow, deep breath and rested her head on my shoulder.

At that moment, if she had looked up, she would have seen me grinning like an equally silly schoolboy.

After another long moment, I turned my head to glance at her. "You know," I started quietly. "I've never really done stuff like this before. Just going out and…having fun."

"Then you should do it more," she replied softly. "It's not healthy to just work and have no fun."

I snorted a little in amusement. "Yes, doc."

I could hear her light huff of mock frustration. Lifting my eyes again to the magnificent sea view, I considered our outing. Yeah, we had food, we had fun, and we messed around. But most important was that we did it together. And I enjoyed every moment of it.

"What do people do on dates?" I asked suddenly.

She lifted her head to look at me, and I could see her wondering how to answer me. "Well… they go out and have fun, maybe get some stuff to eat. Anything. They just have to enjoy themselves and each other's company," she said slowly.

"Mm," I mumbled quietly. "I had fun…and I enjoyed your company…so…does that make this a date?"

She blinked, then she blushed, a pretty pink tinge that made her cheeks look rosy. "Yeah…I guess."

I smiled. Someday, I had to figure out what this wonderful, new feeling was.

xxxxxxxxx

A/N:

Aww, it's just so cute! Anyway, exams coming up again, so probably will be late in updating, but I hoped you guys enjoyed the sweet fluffiness in this chapter. They'll be continuing on their journey in the next chapter. Read and review!

Lots of love,

Kakashiz