Chapter 21

Monday, 2:10pm

I just got here… and I miss you already, Ashy-boy. It's pretty cold here, I didn't even bring a sweater, fortunately my lab coat will keep me warm. I hope you're not bored, I guess you're spending the afternoon with Misty and Brock, that's good.

Monday 4:15pm

Professor Rowan hasn't aged a bit, he still looks the same as the last time I saw him two years ago, but well, my grandpa hasn't aged since I have memory, I guess old people don't age notoriously like we young people do. I still remember when we were kids, I can't believe that the boy I used to play with in my grandpa's backyard, that silly boy got to become so handsome.

Monday 7:10pm

I had an intense discussion with professor Rowan and he is sure I can leave this Wednesday, we still have a lot to talk about but we will use all of tomorrow and Wednesday's morning, so I will be back on Wednesday's night, I can't wait to see you. I'm on my way to eat dinner, what should I eat? I bet you're going to have something very delicious for dinner, now I miss your mom too.

Monday 11:04pm

I ended up having Chinese food for dinner, nothing special but I bought a fortune cookie and it said I would get lucky during this week, I couldn't stop from blushing, knowing what will happen once I get back. Good night, Ashy-boy, I wish I could hug you right now and give you a goodnight kiss.

PS: feel free to have a wet dream about me, I'll feel free to have one about you!

Tuesday 6:02am

Good morning! Sorry if I woke you up with this message, it's still cold in here, I'll take a hot bath, wish you could join me haha. I hope you have a good day today, are you going somewhere with Misty and Brock today? Wish me luck for today, I have a lot of things to discuss with professor Rowan.

Tuesday 12:40pm

I'm having lunch with professor Rowan and some of the people from his lab, we're at this pizza place, I like it. We still have a lot to do but I am certain we will finish before noon tomorrow. Oh, by the way, professor Rowan just saw me texting to you right now and I told him it was you and he remembered you, he sorta rolled his eyes when I said your name but he says hi and he hopes you're doing good! I miss you.

Tuesday 3:33pm

Oh God, I'm so tired, I just got back to my hotel room to take a nap but I have to be back at the lab around 5:30pm, that will give me around 90 minutes of sleep. How's your day going? It's so weird being in a room that's not next to yours, can't wait to be back tomorrow.

Tuesday 10:45pm

Sorry I couldn't text you until now but things got pretty intense at professor Rowan's lab after I got back from my nap, don't worry, no one got hurt and my research is pretty much finished, I will just talk some final details with professor Rowan tomorrow. Oh, and the intense thing that happened is that some pokémon escaped and everyone was looking for them around town, they recovered everyone safe, thanks Arceus! Good night, Ashy!

Wednesday 7:04am

Last day in Sinnoh! I miss Pallet town, I miss grandpa's lab, I miss your mom's food, I miss them… but mostly, I miss you the most, Ashy-boy. Hope you have a good day today!

Wednesday 11:04am

I'm officially done! I can't believe it! Professor Rowan was so nice to me during these days, now I'm going to grab something to it, then I will take a nap and I will go to the airport later, my flight leaves at 6:30pm.

Wednesday 4:44pm

My suitcase is done, I even bought you, your mother, my grandpa, Tracey, Misty and Brock some souvenirs from here, I can't wait to give them to all of you, but mostly, I can't wait to see you tonight, Ashy-boy.

Wednesday 6:24pm

Alright, my phone's about to die, I should have charged it at the hotel, but that's fine, I'm about to take the plane to Kanto's International Airport and I should be at the mansion around 11:00pm, will you wait for me? Please, I need to see you tonight, I can't control myself anymore… and somehow, I have the feeling this flight will be the longest flight in my whole life. If you were with me now, we would totally join the mile high club hahaha.

-o-

It was midnight at the Oak mansion and Gary hadn't still arrived. Ash was waiting for him in the living room, with his mother and professor Oak.

"He should have arrived by now," Ash sighed worried, he was walking around the living room in circles.

"I'll call the airport," professor Oak said grabbing the phone.

Ash yawned, he was sleepy.

"You should go to bed, honey, I'm sure Gary's flight got delayed, you will see him tomorrow," Delia said to her son.

"No, I'm sure he'll arrive anytime soon, I promised I would be here when he got here," Ash sighed, closing his eyes and yawning.

"Thank you so much," professor Oak said to the person in the other side of the line and hung up the phone.

"So?" Delia asked Samuel.

"His flight got delayed, it didn't take off from Sinnoh's International Airport until 10:45pm," Samuel informed.

"That's 4 hours late," Ash said shocked.

"Yeah, they had some problems with the fuel, but the good thing is that Gary is fine," professor Oak said with optimism.

"So, Gary will be back around 4:00am," Delia said doing the math on her head.

"Yes, you should go to sleep, Ash, we all should go to sleep," Samuel said.

"Isn't it going to be dangerous for him to come that late from the airport?" Ash asked worried.

"He's going to take an airport cab, it's very safe," Delia smiled.

Ash yawned again, he had no strength left.

"Come on, let's go," Delia helped her son take the stairs.

"Good night, Delia, Ash," Samuel said from the living room as Delia and Ash walked up the stairs.

"Good night, professor," Ash said almost asleep.

"See you tomorrow, Samuel."

-o-

Gary arrived at the mansion at exactly 3:51am, feeling exhausted and really bad about not being able to arrive earlier, he felt bad because he had promised Ash they would see each other that night.

"I'm sorry, Ashy boy," Gary sighed after closing the door to the mansion.

He didn't turn on the lights, he took the stairs and went straight to his bedroom.

-o-

Gary didn't wake up until 11:00am that morning, he had gone to bed really late after he got home, he took a shower, brushed his teeth and immediately got out of his room and knocked on Ash's door.

Ash opened the door immediately and he saw Gary there. Gary smiled weakly, still sorry for being one day late.

Ash smiled to him and let the door opened, then he started walking slowly towards the window. Gary was still by the door and when he saw Ash stop near the window, he closed the door and started walking towards him.

"I'm sorry, I overslept," Ash apologized looking through the window.

"I tried coming back as fast as I could," Gary sighed standing behind Ash.

Ash trembled and closed his eyes when he listened to Gary's voice again, and then he smiled.

"Well," Ash took a careful step behind and laid his head on Gary's shoulder. "We wouldn't have been able to do anything with your grandfather and my mother here, and besides I bet you must have been really tired," Ash said with a smile, closing his eyes, and resting on Gary.

And then Ash turned slowly to see Gary.

"Yeah," Gary sighed closing his eyes as Ash put his arms around him, closing his eyes too.

Both with their eyes closed, Ash and Gary moved their lips towards the other's, their lips were attracted like a magnet.

"Did you get all my messages?" Gary asked with a smile, still closing his eyes.

Then Ash smiled and opened his eyes, their noses were touching.

"Yeah, I did, sorry I couldn't answer, my phone kind of died, I still got your messages but I couldn't reply to them, I meant to take it somewhere to get it fixed but Misty and Brock got plans for everyday so I had no free time," Ash sighed moving his nose around Gary's face and stopping once he was behind Gary.

"I was dying to see you, that's why I got so desperate that I had to write to you," Gary said closing his eyes as Ash started kissing his neck.

"I loved it… I love it when you write to me, I want you to write to me every hour of the day," Ash whispered to Gary's ear as Gary opened his eyes and breathed in and out.

Then Ash walked around Gary to be in front of him again. Gary started caressing Ash's face, with tenderness. Ash closed his eyes as Gary touched him.

"You know what?" Gary asked with a smile.

"What?" Ash asked kissing Gary's finger once it made its way to his lips.

"I couldn't sleep last night, I kept thinking you would show up anytime, in the middle of the night." Gary smiled.

Ash smiled as Gary kept caressing his lips.

"Well, maybe one of these days… your dream will come true," Ash smiled.

"Yes?" Gary asked feeling the heat run through his veins.

Ash moved his lips closer to Gary and before Gary could touch them with his to kiss them, Ash moved them back and started giggling.

"But not here," Ash laughed gently. "I'll wait for you downstairs," he added as he walked to the door.

"Yeah, I'll be down there in a minute," Gary smiled.

"You're sure, right? You're not going to keep me waiting like last night, are you?" Ash smiled, winked, and sent Gary a kissed as he left.

Gary was now alone. Gary breathed in. Gary breathed out.

He and Ash were about to… they were going to… Gary was still nervous and terrified… but he trusted Ash, he trusted the two of them, he got all brave and walked out of Ash's room, determined to have the best day of his life so far.

-o-

Gary drove his sports car and stopped it in a small but very nice, elegant and fancy five starts motel in the outskirts of Viridian city.

"You sure about this?" Gary asked Ash again as they got out of the car.

"Yes," Ash smiled.

"Alright," Gary said walking to Ash and grabbing his hand.

"Wait," Ash said letting go of Ash's hand.

"What's going on?"

"We shouldn't arrive there together," Ash said nervous.

Gary thought for a moment. "I understand, what's your plan?"

"You go and rent a room, and when you're there you send me a text with the room number, then ten minutes later I go and rent another room but instead I go to your room," Ash proposed.

"Sounds good to me." Gary smiled as he took out his wallet.

"No, let me pay for my half." Ash put his hand on Gary's hand.

"Ashy, I don't mind paying for the two rooms even if we're just going to use one," Gary insisted.

"No, please, I insist."

Gary wasn't convinced but he knew he had to let Ash pay for his room if he wanted to make progress because he had the feeling it would be like that in their future, both of them splitting bills and stuff.

"Alright, I'll see you in ten minutes," Gary quickly gave Ash a kiss on the cheek and walked into the motel.

"Oh, man," Ash sighed, closing his eyes as he watched Gary get into the motel.

-o-

Gary was already in the suite of the hotel, he wanted the place to be special for such an important event in his life. Gary was walking in circles around the sofa, breathing and trying to relax as he waited for Ash to come in. He had texted him the room number twenty minutes ago, so Ash was going to arrive anytime soon… if he hadn't backed out, had he?

Had Ash had second thoughts? Had Ash left without telling him?

Gary breathed in. Gary breathed out.

He put his hand on his chest and he felt his heart beating, and he decided to remain optimist.

"I'm nervous too, buddy," Gary said with a small laugh, trying to find relaxation in small jokes.

And then the door was knocked.

Gary breathed in. Gary breathed out.

He walked to the door and opened it.

It was Ash, smiling to him, and he smiled back.

Ash entered the room without waiting for Gary to tell him to come inside. Gary closed the door after Ash got in. Ash walked to the bar, just to lay his arms on it, not to drink anything. Then he turned around to see Gary, still smiling, in front of him.

"Hi," Ash said smiling.

"It took you so long," Gary said still smiling, Ash was already there with him, that's what really mattered.

Ash didn't answer, he kept playing the smile game with Gary.

And suddenly Gary's phone started ringing.

Gary's smile disappeared the moment he saw the name on the screen.

"It's Dawn," Gary sighed.

Ash's smile fade away too, he became worried.

"Answer," Ash said nervous.

"No," Gary said determined.

"I just don't want her to become suspicious," Ash said tense.

"There's no way she can be suspicious, Ashy, she's not even in Kanto right now," Gary said smiling.

"Gary, answer please, I'll… I'll go to the bathroom," Ash said trembling.

"Hey, hey, hey," Gary said grabbing Ash's arm. "It's gone," Gary said referring to the ringing. "I will call her later, okay?"

Ash breathed in. Ash breathed out.

His eyes were worried but he focused them on Gary's and he found comfort.

"Okay," Ash smiled.

Gary slowly put his hand on Ash's hair and started caressing it.

Ash blushed. "I… I couldn't tell you back at the mansion, that you, that you looked so handsome."

Gary laughed a bit and then Ash laughed too.

"Seriously?" Gary asked blushing.

"Yeah." Ash kept smiling.

"Well, you look so handsome too," Gary said now caressing Ash's face.

"Oh, what a liar," Ash said laughing.

"I swear!"

"Me? Handsome? No, I'm not handsome." Ash kept blushing. "I just need to go to the bathroom, it won't take me more than two minutes," Ash said trying to walk to the bathroom.

But Gary grabbed his arm again.

"Hey," Gary sighed, he kept caressing Ash's hair and face. "I couldn't sleep last night… thinking about… what's going to happen in a few moments."

The smiles fade away, but that didn't mean sadness came in. Ash and Gary looked at each other for seconds, they closed their eyes, and they kissed.