Serena shivered slightly, and scooted a bit closer to the fire. After spending the past several months in the tropical climate of Hoenn, Kanto's autumn nights sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine.

The moment Serena glanced to her side, however, the chill went away almost instantly, replaced with a heat in her cheeks she could not escape. The boy who had saved her all those years ago- it must have been a decade ago, by now. The young man she had not only shared her first journey with, but spent the whole of it trying to build up the courage to tell him how she felt. He sat to her left, back turned to her as he watched Pikachu, Rowlet, and Pancham playing a game of tag a few steps from the fire.

Eventually, she did build up the courage to tell him. Or, rather, show him. Her cheeks flushed red every time she thought of that moment on the last day of their journey. Her running against the escalator, standing up on her toes, and capturing his lips in hers. It may have only lasted a second, but that second had occupied her mind for countless hours since. Did he reciprocate? Did he even understand what she was trying to tell him? Serena wished she knew, but Ash hadn't mentioned it to her, even once. They had been traveling together for days now. If that kiss hadn't kept her awake for so many nights, she might wonder if she had dreamed it. The way he acted around her, it was like it never happened.

Serena kicked at the dirt in frustration and groaned. Of all the boys in the world, why did she have to fall in love with the one who understood it the least? Even Clemont seemed to have a better grasp on romance that Ash did, and he needed an eight year old to shop him to every eligible bachelorette they came across! With a sigh, she began to stare into the fire.

"Serena?"

She was roused from her thoughts by a hand on her shoulder. Turning to her companion, she saw Ash looking at her seriously. Feeling his hand touching her, she blushed slightly.

"A-Ash? What's up?"

"Remember when you were leaving for Hoenn? On the escalator?"

Serena's eyes widened. So it had been on his mind? She took a deep breath, hoping to keep her cheeks from getting any redder. When she responded, it was perhaps a little too loud. "Of course I do!"

Ash smiled kindly, but his eyes betrayed his confusion. "Um… why did you do that?"

Serena felt her heart shatter. He really didn't understand? How could she have possibly been more obvious? Throughout all of her travels in Hoenn, she had been telling herself that he surely understood how she felt, and when they saw each other again, he'd respond to her feelings, one way or the other. Now, it seemed that she had been getting her hopes up for nothing.

Serena looked at Ash, trying to hide the emotional turmoil. From the concerned expression on his face, she realized immediately that she had taken too long to respond. She began to stammer, choking out an answer. "O-oh, um, well… I… I wanted to thank you. You've done so much for me, you gave me the courage to never give up, and you helped me through my first journey. I might have never left Vaniville Town if not for you, Ash. So it was my way of saying thank you, for everything."

Ash turned to the fire for a moment, clearly contemplating what she had said. Serena wasn't sure whether she wanted him to believe her or not. She didn't have time to decide, however, because Ash suddenly turned back toward her, a confident smile on his face. "Okay, gotcha! In that case…"

As he trailed off, Ash, hand still on Serena's shoulder, gently tugged her toward him. Before Serena could even register what was happening, Ash's lips were on hers.

Her heart felt like it was going to explode. For a moment, she was frozen in shock. Hastily, though, she closed her eyes and began to focus on enjoying the moment. Questions were racing through her mind, but she pushed them away and returned the kiss.

A few seconds later, the two broke apart, Serena's face redder than it had ever been. "A-Ash… why did you…"

Ash interrupted her, grinning like a fool. "Well…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm really thankful for you too, Serena. You've always been so nice to me, y'know? And you came to Kanto to see me even though the contest circuit won't begin for another few months. You always talk like you're indebted to me and stuff, but the way I see it, I'm the one who's lucky to have you around!"

Serena smiled, still blushing. "So… so this is your way of saying thank you to me, too?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah! That's it." Before Serena could respond, a yawn escaped her lips. Ash eyed her, concern evident in his gaze. "Gee Serena, I'm sorry I've kept you up. We can go to bed now."

Though she was exhausted, Serena shook her head. "No, no. I'm okay. Besides, the fire is keeping me warm. Hoenn really spoiled me with its warm nights, so this is gonna take some getting used to."

Ash laughed. "Yeah, Hoenn will do that to you. I remember when I was traveling there with Brock, May and Max…"

As Ash began to recount his story, Serena hoped it was one she had heard before. Her eyes were drooping with fatigue, and though the fire was keeping her warm, it certainly wasn't helping to keep her awake. She noticed that Ash hadn't moved his arm from around her shoulder. Smiling contendly, Serena let her eyes fall shut and leaned towards him. He might not exactly understand how she feels about him, but right now, that was okay. The boy she loved had just kissed her.

It was clear that Ash hadn't noticed the change in Serena's posture, even as she slowly eased her head onto Ash's shoulder. He was too focused on his story… something about a Camerupt saving them in the desert? Serena was too tired to listen closely, so instead she allowed the warmth emanating from the fire and Ash's voice to lull her into the most comfortable slumber she'd had in months.

It was about ten minutes later when Serena's soft snores interrupted Ash's tale. "Serena?" Ash asked quietly, looking toward her. His inquiry garnered no response aside from the girl's quiet breaths. Her face, lit up in the darkness by the campfire in front of them, was peaceful. It felt weird, having Serena dozing on his shoulder, but Ash decided it was a good kind of weird. It made his stomach flutter with anticipation and excitement the way it did before a Pokemon battle, but it also made him feel relaxed and content. Ash planted a kiss on the top of Serena's head. "Thank you for giving me this feeling, Serena." Ash whispered, though she was much too deeply asleep to hear.

Ash stared into the fire for some time, not wanting to wake Serena up. She seemed comfortable, and he was afraid this warm, excited feeling would go away if he woke her up. Eventually, he began to feel the clutches of sleep begin to tug at him, and so he laid his head on top of Serena's and joined her in dreamland.

This is the first fanfic I've ever written; I had an idea for a much longer story but decided to just write this little scene for right now instead. I hope you enjoyed it! :) All feedback is appreciated. Thanks for reading!