A/N: Ok, this is my first fic, and I made it short so I could get the hang of things. Experienced and well-praised authors, new and struggling authors, I would love your feedback!
I most unfortunately do not own any of these characters.
Character ages: Brock-20, Misty-18, Ash-16, Pikachu-does anybody really know how old the little rat is?
Moonlight
Misty sat thoughtfully beneath the pale, full moon. It was a beautiful spring night, with a soft breeze that played with her hair. Lovely as it was, she just couldn't seem to enjoy it. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on the scent of the cool evening, or the beauty of the moonlit landscape, she couldn't.
Her thoughts were on Ash.
She sighed as she thought of him, but not because he was only the most adorable guy she'd ever met. She sighed because of how long they'd been together as friends, and how much he'd grown. And how much her feelings for him had grown.
She knew from the beginning of their journey that he was different, from the moment she fished him out of the river. You don't find many ten-year-old boys who fall into a river fleeing with a dying Pikachu from a flock of Pidgeys. But aside from that, something about him (she never quite did determine what) struck her as different.
After a spending some time together, despite bickering and quarreling for, most times, very stupid reasons, she grew to like him. Though she would never admit it, of course. But after a while, her feeling for him grew stronger, more affectionate. She tried to forget about it, but the moment he came around, she couldn't even think about trying to try.
At that point, she had talked to Brock. He was the oldest of the group, and while being at the hormone raging age, he did give her some good tips. So she dismissed it as puppy love. After all, you couldn't really be in love at 14, could you? Then she asked herself that question again at 16, then 17, and now, was spending her time pondering that question again.
Once again, big brother Brock had helped her out. He was still an occasional zombie around a pretty girl, but he had grown into a very understanding man. After putting up with Misty and Ash for four years, he also knew both of their feelings better than they did. He had told her that by now, she could start thinking about a relationship with Ash. They had already been friends ("Loosely used term," he added) for six years, and if she was still feeling that way around him…well, maybe it was more than just puppy love.
So that brought her to this hill, sitting against this tree, looking up at this beautiful moon in a sky sprinkled with stars without an ounce of her mind free to enjoy it. She sighed again, trying to think.
"Could I really be in love with Ash?" she asked nonchalantly as she noticed Pikachu walk up beside her. He had also been helpful, if only as a listener. He knew as well as Brock that Misty was definitely in love with Ash, even if she didn't know it herself. He crawled into her lap and shrugged, making himself comfortable.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it? I've asked myself this for so long, and still I don't have an answer. Do you think I'm in love with him, Pikachu?" The little electric pokemon sat up and nodded its head. Misty frowned slightly. "What am I thinking? How would you know how I feel?" Pikachu was hurt by the comment and cringed, which brought Misty back to her senses. She hugged him.
"I'm sorry, little buddy. I'm just so confused, and I guess I don't want to admit it to myself. He's only two years younger than me, but when you're still teenagers, a two-year difference can mean a lot compared to when you're older. Even Brock said so. If I started a relationship with him now, we might see it on two different levels. He might look at me as just a closer friend, while I actually want something, something more…intimate, emotionally, out of it? How could I expect to have a real relationship with him without getting hurt or without hurting him?" Pikachu cocked his head to the side, as if responding to some unheard call. Then he went bounding away from her, into the shadows created by the bright moon. She chuckled quietly, then looked back up at the moon to think.
"I wonder what he thinks about me?" she asked out loud. Then a voice came out from the darkness, startling her.
"I think he thinks the same thing," Ash whispered loud enough for her to hear. She turned around and looked at him, standing as a silhouette with Pikachu on his shoulder. He slowly stepped out, his head tilted down, looking up at her like a lost puppy. Her heart reached for him, yearned to know what he was really feeling. She turned away, putting on her usual mask.
"What are you doing here? Can't you respect a girl's privacy?" She didn't hear him tiptoe toward her, so she jumped when he put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around.
"Misty, I know I'm younger than you, but I do love you. At least, I think I do, and I hope it's really love, because you're one of the greatest people I know. I don't know what I'd do without you by my side, even if we do fight a lot. I love having you around, I love how you're always there when I need you. I love your hair, your eyes, your voice, your bo-," he blushed, turning his eyes away and letting go of her shoulders. "Your, um, body," he finished quietly. Misty giggled, which cause Ash to blush more. He slowly continued.
"The truth is Misty, I'm positive I love you. I don't think there's any other way to describe it." Ash waited hopefully for her to respond, Pikachu adding silent encouragement. When she didn't say anything, he looked up and nearly ran away. There was a look of confusion in her eyes, as if she didn't want to believe what he was saying. He nearly broke down into tears, but then remembered what she had said earlier, and tried again to relieve her fears.
"I know you're scared, but I am, too. It took quite a few shocks from Pikachu to convince me to come up here. But I think," he trailed, looking up at the night sky. "I think that this was the perfect night to tell you how I felt. Look," he said, pointing. "See how the moonlight shines on everything? There are things out there that you never would have seen if tonight if it weren't for the moonlight." She looked out, thinking about what he was saying. Then she finally spoke.
"And in the moonlight, nothing should be hidden anymore." She looked back into his eyes. "So I guess I shouldn't hide that I love you anymore, should I?" Ash smiled gratefully as Misty threw herself into his arms. Both of them cherished the warm embrace of the other, reveling in the fact that it was better than in their dreams. Pikachu felt it was time to leave (aside from the fact he had just been knocked off of his master's shoulder) and scampered away with a smile on his face.
Ash ran his hand through Misty's hair, noticing how the full moon made it shine more than normal. He gently pushed her away and looked her over, slightly confused about what to do next.
"So is this it?" he asked. "Are we a couple now?" Misty got a mischievous smile on her face.
"Well, there's one thing left." Ash was lost.
"What's that?" Misty threw her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth against his. Ash's eyes shot wide open, lost in the feeling of Misty being so close to him. Eventually he relaxed and closed his eyes, responding to her kiss. When they both pulled away, Ash smiled.
"That really wasn't necessary, was it?" Misty smiled back.
"No. Are you complaining?"
"No, not at all," he said before kissing her again. He held her tight against his body, just in case it was all a cruel dream. Then when he pulled away once more and realized it was in fact real, his heart smiled and flew off through the clouds.
"I love you, Misty." Misty let her eyelids droop a little.
"And I finally get to say I love you, too." She hugged him again before taking his hands in hers. "Come on, let's get going home. Brock might get a little suspicious if we're out any longer." They both laughed and walked down the hill, hand in hand, hearts finally joined in the moonlight.
'~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~'
So how was it? Sappy? Cheesy? Somewhat decent? Please review and let me know! Anybody! All * constructive * comments greatly apprecuated.