A/N: Things are starting to heat up! I'm thinking….two, maybe three more chapters. You guys like so far? Imagine actually living through it. It sure is something else, lemme tell you….
Anyway, on with the show!
It's Between Two Hearts
Chapter 4: She loves me, she loves you….too?
The next morning was beautiful; the sun was shining, birds were singing, flowers were creating a sweet scent that was a precursor to delicious breakfasts being cooked all over town. It was a perfect day that everyone was determined to enjoy.
'Cept Ash of course. He could've killed them all without a second thought.
Groggily, he rose out of his bed, not taking more than a few minutes to clean up his face. He lifted a comb to his head, but stopped, realizing that all the tossing and turning he had done last night had actually made his hair look a tiny bit neater. Shrugging, he made his way downstairs.
Brock, however, was already there. Somehow, he'd managed to keep his mouth shut about Misty's goodnight kiss. I guess poor Ash should be the first to know. I'll just have to try and break it to him gently, he thought. Yet when he saw the ragged young lad round the corner, he thought it would be even better not to tell him.
Misty and Misa came down within seconds of each other. They were both much happier than anyone would've suspected, especially after what had happened the night before. Still, you could see the circles under Misa's eyes. They were still puffy and red, and more lines were visible on her delicate face. Her gait was a little less bouncy, almost as if she were dragging herself along by willpower alone.
Still, anyone who wasn't looking closely enough could easily be fooled by the grin on her face.
The sisters were shocked, to say the least. Brock and Ash simply ate as if nothing had happened.
Breakfast continued with only scattered chatter. The girls were afraid of stepping on a sore spot with Misa, so kept quiet. The boys simply were afraid of letting something slip that shouldn't. Eventually, Lily asked that they all go to town to buy some supplies for the gym. Misty was the first to respond.
"It'll be great to get out on a day like this! Especially all together!" With conflicting emotions, Brock and Ash reluctantly agreed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A little after noon, the group left the gym for the park. It was, yet again, Misty's idea.
"Come on, let's go have some fun before we shop. It'll be easier without packages to carry around." Misa jumped at the offer, while Brock and Ash followed at a slower pace.
With the girls way out of earshot, Brock figured now was the time to break the ice to Ash.
"Um, hey Ash, can I ask you something?" Ash merely grunted in reply. "Have you noticed anything strange lately?"
"Aside from the fact Misa's parents died not 24 hours ago and she's acting like a ten year old on a picnic? No, nothing at all," he answered sourly. Brock cringed, wondering whether or not to say anything after all. I can't just leave him hanging though. "Why, what have you noticed?"
"Well," Brock started softly. "It's just that…" he stopped, unsure of what to say. He took a slow, deep breath. "I think Misty might be a lesbi-" he was cut off when Ash fist came swinging into his face. In an instant, Brock was on the ground with a bloody nose and split lips. Before he could realize what had just happened, Ash was on him, a knee on both sides, lifting Brock off the ground by is shirt. There was such intense anger in his eyes that Brock just about passed out right then, and he would've had Ash not been shaking him.
"If you ever, EVER, say that again you ass-kissing motherfucker, I'll pound your horny little face in, got it?" Brock, being throttled, couldn't really speak. "Got it!?" He weakly nodded his head. Ash roughly threw him against the ground and stormed away.
"Tell the girls I'm waiting back at the gym," he called back, leaving a dazed and bleeding Brock struggling to stand. By the time Ash was nearly out of view, and after Brock had unsuccessfully tried to get up three times, the girls noticed he was down. Slightly concerned, they walked over toward him. Once they saw the blood, they ran the rest of the way, fearing the worst.
Babbling slightly, Brock managed to explain what had happened. He still couldn't believe it himself. He never knew Ash could get that angry, nor that physical.
"I guess our scrawny little brat can take care of himself now," he said as Misa was holding him steady on his feet. Misty seemed taken aback by the comment, though none of them knew why. She looked down to the ground, not sure of what to do next.
After an awkward silence, Misty cleared her throat and said, "Misa, why don't you take Brock to the hospital to get checked? I'm gonna see if Ash is okay." Before anything could be said, Misty was on her way back to the gym.
"What's up with those two?" Brock asked, his words slurring out of his mouth. Misa had an arm around his waist, helping him balance. She shook her head.
"I'm not sure. Ash, I just have no clue about, but Misty…she's never acted like this before. Come on, let's get you back to the gym so you can rest."
As they walked along, Misa was deep in thought. Misty's never had that look on her face before. I never thought Ash could would affect her that much. Unless, maybe…
"Brock, Misty is in love with Ash, isn't she?" Brock was suddenly awake, the pain disappearing.
"What?! I thought she was in love with you!" Misa looked at him, confused. It took him a second to realize what he had just said, and then he realized there was nothing he could do about it. "I don't know, we always thought she was. In love with Ash, that is. At least, until we got here. The only person who didn't know about Misty's feelings was Ash. And the only one who didn't know about Ash's feelings was Misty. We all thought they'd get together until you came along." Misa looked hurt. How could I have stopped them? "I mean, it's really nothing against you," Brock went on. "It's just that, it seems like Misty is more…intimate, with you, than she'd ever be with Ash. She doesn't even give him the time of day any more. And since that never happened before she found you, we figured you two were, well, you know…" Misa was shocked.
"You thought the two of us were in a lesbian relationship!?" Brock cringed a little, not expecting such vehemence, but in a way he was glad she answered like that. It proved they weren't.
"What else were we supposed to think!? Her sisters have been wondering about it ever since her suicide threat, and we just came to wonder about it the moment you came bounding through the door! It didn't help much that I saw her give you that little good night kiss!" Misa had to use every ounce of self-control she had not to knock Brock's lights out as Ash had intended to do. The nerve! she thought.
"So because of one kiss, you think we're together?! We love each other, but that doesn't mean we're in a relationship!" They were both yelling now, and if not for the fact that Brock's face was bloody and still bleeding, people would've stopped to listen, yet they walked on in fear of their own safety.
"You're both girls! What am I supposed to think when two women, who aren't related to each other, kiss! Not to mention stare at each other with the most intense look of, of, of romance, every chance they get!"
"Ok, so we show our affection a little more than most. What's so wrong with that!? I, love, her! She loves me, do I have to spell it out anymore than that?! Why can't two girls simply love each other as sisters without everybody jumping down their backs!?" Brock let her words sink in. Suddenly he felt guilty. Misty never had that type of affection from her own sisters, and Misa was an only child. Why should it be that bad? She's right, she's telling the truth. He relaxed, exhaling loudly.
"I'm really, really sorry, Misa. You're right, I see that now. It's just that, when we were all expecting Misty's feelings for Ash to show through, they show up for a different person. None of us knew what to think, other than the obvious: you two were in a relationship." Misa was relaxed now, hearing the sincerity in Brock's voice. "And that's exactly what Ash thinks, that you've taken Misty away from him. He won't admit it, I didn't even know until he decked me. I had mentioned to him that I thought as much, about you two, and he went ballistic. He's hurting terribly, but he wants to see Misty happy, so he hasn't done anything about it." They both paused. Misa looked up.
"At least, not yet he hasn't." They looked off in the direction of the gym.
What would happen next?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ash paced furiously in his room. There were already slight track marks on the carpet, and he had every intention of creating a nice, deep rut in the floor.
"How could he?" he said to the collection of nobodies in the room. "Even he thinks they love each other! What am I supposed to do now?" He continued pacing and mumbling. After a while, though, he stopped mumbling and slowed his pace down a bit.
"I'll put an end to it, that's what I'll do. I'll end it all."
Meanwhile, downstairs, Misty was slowly making her way up to his room.
"What could be wrong with him? Brock must have said something really bad for Ash to actually hit him like that! I hope he's all right. He better not be hiding something from me." She trudged on, a look of concern masking her face. As she came to the door of his room, she stopped to take a deep breath. When she thought herself ready, she turned the corner and stepped into the room.
"Listen, Ash, I just-"
Her eyes widened in shock.
Woah nellie, gotta love those cliffhangers! This took two, maybe three days to find the time to finish it. And in those few days, I'm thinking this might go a little longer than just two or three more chapters. Hope you don't mind! Chapter 5 should be coming relatively soon!
