It had been a long and rather disappointing day for the Team Rocket Trio, sure they'd failed to catch pikachu before but this time it felt so absolute, like they couldn't win, the Twerp had beaten them like they were nothing usually they could at least put up a fight.
Three forty two
According to James's watch anyway, about 20 minutes since Meowth fell asleep and far too many since Jessie and James should have, there was an awkward silence between the pair only broken by the occasional snoring of Meowth.
Three Forty Five
On Nights like this Jessie often found herself spiraling, her doubts never went away they would crawl under her skin and stay there like a snake waiting to strike. She trained her eyes on the remaining embers of their campfire trying to focus on anything to keep herself from letting her doubts win. It didn't work.
Failure the word refused to leave her mind, if she were better they would have gotten Pikachu months ago. They'd have gotten a raise from the boss, a place of there own, beds to sleep in, instead of a blanket on the ground. She knew James wasn't doing much better.
James she felt a pang of guilt, he deserved better than her, he was the one who could stay calm all the time, he always knew what to do, she was just holding him back. Months of trying to catch the same Pikachu and they were no closer than they were when they began.
Her thoughts were interrupted when James pulled her into a hug she melted into his arms, he knew, of course he did he could always tell when she was feeling like this and he always knew what to do. They didn't need words to understand each other.
For a moment she questioned how easily she leaned into his embrace, The lack of hesitation, The instant Trust. Being with James felt as natural as breathing to her, like slipping back into your own bed after a long time away from home.
It's always been like that, no one else in the world made her feel this secure, he was like a ray of sunshine who could block out the rain. As she lay in his arms thousands of moments between them spun through her head leading to one wave of realization.
She loves him Maybe she has for a while
"Are you okay?" James's voice cut through the thoughts circling in her head his soft tone was infinitely comforting to her she looked at him for a moment his soft gaze barely visible in the dim light but still reassuring, Jessie sighed softly resting her head on his chest.
"Yes, I'm okay now" She promised and for once she was telling the truth.