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Stupidity Does Not Earn You Heaven

by: Season Of Magic

{-}

Ash did not know how it happened but he was finally going crazy. He had to because how else could he explain his feelings? Confused and naive as ever, he initially blamed it on the lack of sleep he was suffering from work. It would be explainable, due to all the coffee and energy drinks he was buzzed on. He had not gone to Dawn's house in a week. The first couple of days it went off unnoticed, but then Brianna started complaining she missed having him around.

Ash almost felt bad and if he was on his right state of mind, the puppy eyes looks and pouts Brianna had given him every morning would have worked. The week slowy passed by, and it wasn't until the following Tuesday that Ash had been to Dawn's place.

Brianna literally dragged him out of his car after coming home exhausted from work. Ash looked so far away that May did not even dare to ask what was wrong and let him be as she finished cooking dinner. But as soon as Dawn got back from work and she saw the ever so familiar hat that she was now used to, the question just slipped out.

"What is up with you?" She had asked.

Ash sighed. He was sitting down in the couch, letting Brianna beat him at Monopoly, he wasn't paying much attention to it either way. He waved the question off which made Dawn sigh as well.

"Mommy, are you okay?" Brianna asked as she extended her hand out to Ash. "You owe me twenty five bucks for landing in my space." She said pointing at her Vermillion card.

"Yeah I'm fine sweetie, just tired from work." Dawn replied as she sat down in the couch next to her daughter. "Who's winning?"

"I am!" Brianna exclaimed happily as she was given her twenty five Pokemon dollars.

Ash sighed yet again and tried to give Dawn a weak smile. "She is completely obliterating me." He paused for a second and watched as Brianna moved her ribbon icon five spaces.

Brianna wanted to groan out in protest. "Why must grownups make everything more complicated when they're losing?" she stated.

"She has a point." May said as she walked in holding four cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows in a tray. It was Brianna's favorite drink.

"I have my reasons!" Ash retorted as he crossed his arms. "Nobody wants to be a sore loser."

Dawn couldn't help but laugh. "It's just a game."

Brianna sighed as she took her cup of chocolate. "Mama, the whole Kanto region is at stake here. I need to be the very best!"

Dawn smirked. "That's my girl." She said proudly. "Become a good ruler. I'll join the next game and we'll beat Ash together."

Ash whined. "You're both going to be the death of me."

Now it was Brianna's turn to smirk. "And you haven't seen anything yet."

{-}

Wednesday morning came by and Brianna was up a little later than usual, dressed in her uniform and her hair up in a loose bun she hopped down the stairs to see Ash, May and Dawn sitting in the table and eating a breakfast of mashed potatoes with a plate waiting just for her.

She sat down and glanced at the three somber faces. "What's up?" she said as she sat down, trying to make conversation but got no response from either of them. "Well fine. Don't talk. I had nothing to say either way." and she ate the food in silence then stood up to get her backpack and brush her teeth.

When Brianna walked down again May was at the door waiting for her. "I think they're both still upset they got beaten by you last night." May whispered softly as the child walked towards her. "Let's leave them alone for the day and get you to school okay?"

Brianna nodded, looking back only to wave at her mother and Ash, silently wishing that they would both be fine. It had just been a friendly game of Monopoly!

{-}

When she returned to work from having lunch with Melody and Misty, Dawn saw Ash sprawled in one of her bean bag chairs in the office, sighing and moping around like there was no tomorrow, she knew the situation was getting serious.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and Ash shrugged. "Have you eaten yet?"

Ash shook his head. "Not yet."

Dawn sighed and passed him one of the bagels she had brought back from the cafeteria. "You're just lucky I have no patients yet. Okay what's been bugging you?"

"I think I need professional help." he answered after what seemed like a long while of silence but was only mere seconds.

"Why do you think so?" Dawn wondered out loud. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

He silently bit into the bagel and glanced her way. "I'm going insane. I need to talk with someone."

"You can always talk with me, you know that right?" She said softly.

"You're the last person I want to talk to about this!" He yelled, and when he saw her face swelling up with tears he started to feel bad. "I'm sorry... it's just something I really can't talk to you about... is it wrong if I consult with Misty or Melody?"

Dawn shook her head and opened up her planner. If he did not want to talk, she would not make him. "It's fine and yeah you can. Misty has an open slot in ten minutes if you want to take it."

"I'll take it!"

"Good. Hang on just a second." and she reached for the phone. Misty you have a new patient for the eleven thirty slot. Also can you place him down for some relaxation and meditation at two with Melody? He seems pretty tense and stressed out. Who is it? Oh it's Ash. I'll send him right over!" Then she clicked and glanced Ash's way handing him a paper and pen. "Sign in the dotted line please."

"Why?"

"Standard procedures. This is like your contract. Also make Misty and Melody sign it after the sessions and bring it back here so I can dismiss you. Now off you go, Misty is waiting for you in room 207." Then she paused and looked up at him. "Oh and Ash?"

"Yeah?"

She grinned. "Thank you for choosing Dawn's beauty center. Enjoy your stay." As he walked out to go see Misty, Ash wanted to chuckle.

Dawn was treating him like if he really was a patient.

{-}

The session with Misty had gone as well as it could have.

She had diagnosed Ash with temporary stress and paranoia, both which would be cured if he only talked with someone about what was going on. Her advice was that if he did not want to tell Dawn and Brianna, to at least tell May, Gary and Tracey so they could be aware of the situation at hand.

He had sighed, groaned, yelled but at least Misty had gotten to what his problems were caused by.

Fear; He was afraid of Dawn shutting him out once she found out he was slowly getting a crush on her. Afraid of losing all the quality time he was spending with Brianna.

He wanted to protect them, but; How could he when he felt he was powerless and could do nothing?

The session with Melody had not helped much and at the end he had walked back to Dawn's office still in a bad mood.

{-}

Dawn was typing away in her computer when Ash had walked in. Waving the paper in his hand he placed it down and plopped into the awaiting chair with a sigh simply glancing at the young woman in front of him. "By the look on your face I'm guessing it did not go so well?"

Confusion was evident on his face. Was he that transparent? He tried to muster a smile but all that came out was a mixture between a scowl and a smirk. He gave up and pointed to the paper. "Can you just sign that so I can go back to work?"

Dawn shook her head and placed the paper in one of the drawers. "Sorry but no. I'm not dismissing you and you're clearly not apt to go back to work." she said as she locked it with a key. "At least not in the state you're in." Ash crossed his arms, simply wondering what could be going on through her mind now.

"What do you mean I'm not apt to go back to work? I feel totally fine!"

Dawn flipped through her schedule in silence and when she saw she was free she sent a text message to Melody and Misty telling them to take over for the day.

"Come on. We're going to get your mind out of whatever is bothering you." She said as she made him stand up and dragged him out the office.

{-}

"You are something else you know that?" He said laughing as they sat in a nearby park eating an ice cream cone. They had spent the last hour and a half walking around and enjoying the nice weather.

"Oh shush and just admit you're enjoying yourself." she said as she grinned and took the spoon, quickly taking spoonfuls out of her chocolate glanced Ash's way and couldn't help but laugh when she saw he was sporting a pink looking mustache from his strawberry cone. "That's a uh... quite nice 'stache you have there." She said in between giggles.

"Huh? Oh!" He took a napkin to clean himself up. He kept his cool and he once again glanced Dawn's way. "You have something there too as well."

Her face turned into a frown for a bit trying to figure out where she had gotten ice cream in her face. "Where?" she finally asked.

Ash smirked again and leaned in closer, making the distance between them smaller. He took a finger and placed it near her mouth. "There." he said as he mustered up all his courage, closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers.

Ash's eyes glinted with satisfaction and his mind was swirling with emotions.

He had kissed Dawn!

{-}

Eleven at night Dawn was now in her bed replaying the day's events in her head, gently placing one of her fingers to her lips and shaking her head, simply groaning and trying to tell herself that it had not occurred.

Ash Ketchum had definitely not kissed her.

Oh who was she kidding? She still could feel his lips in hers.

She stood up and walked over to the window, she needed to breathe. Pulling the covers aside she saw that Ash was sitting beside his own window, petting Pikachu.

His eyes and hers locked for a moment and they both blushed. She could feel her heart speed up and she pulled the covers back in place.

This could not be happening.

She was NOT crushing on Ash.