AUTHOR'S NOTE
Hello, readers! Sorry I've been away for so long. The (much longer than anticipated) break I took was not part of the original plan, but the good news is I don't plan any more breaks like that until I finish this story. Oh, and by the way - Happy Diodeshipping Day! I guess depending on your time zone I'm still just a *little* early, but I couldn't wait, and I didn't want to make you all wait even a second longer than you had to!
CHAPTER 19
An Offer To Not Refuse!
"You asked him out," Bonnie said accusingly from behind Clemont as he was up in his workshop, the day after he and Ash had formalized their relationship, "and you didn't even tell me."
He froze. He wouldn't say his and Ash's relationship was a secret - after all, their first kiss did occur at a public event, and as such several people already knew about it - but they had decided to keep the people that knew to a minimum. It was not a decision they had made lightly; in fact it was one Clemont had not agreed with at first. But he did at least want the chance to come out to his father before he found out any other way; a chance only afforded to him by keeping their relationship quiet for now.
"N-no," he stuttered, trying to act as innocent as possible even though he was already breaking out into a cold sweat. Though it did not seem fair to keep this a secret from her, especially when she had been so supportive of him, he knew she would be shouting it from the top of Prism Tower before the words please keep it quiet were even out of his mouth.
"Don't lie to me," Bonnie said wickedly, and she spun his chair around so that he was facing her, leaving a string of unwanted characters at the end of his code as his hands swept over the keyboard. "You two were totally headed out for a date on Friday night!"
Clemont relaxed as he realized that her mind was still focused on Friday, not Saturday. "If you must know, I tried to ask him out, yes. Obviously, it didn't work out too well." He frowned slightly. He still wanted that date, even if sharing his feelings was not such a pressing concern anymore.
"But what happened?" Bonnie asked impatiently, stamping her foot on the ground. "I sent him into Prism Tower to find you, and neither of you ever came back outside. By the time I came in, Ash told me you weren't feeling well and wouldn't even let me see you."
She pouted at the last part even as Clemont silently thanked Ash for not letting Bonnie get near him when he was drunk. He knew he never would have heard the end of it, and the effects of alcohol were not something he felt he should be explaining to her at this age. "He was right, I wasn't feeling well," he told her, pleased that he did not even have to lie. "Ash just helped me to bed."
"Okay, but, did you say anything to him about the date?" Bonnie demanded.
"Not that I can remember," Clemont said somewhat sourly, though he was happy to once again be avoiding a lie. He had always felt uncomfortable with being untruthful, and he especially did not like lying to Bonnie, who had always been shrewd enough to know when he was hiding things from her.
"Hmm," she said suspiciously. "I think you missed a good opportunity," she told him at last, skipping as she left his workshop. She was not done with her interrogation; not in the slightest - it was just time to change tactics.
He breathed a sigh of relief as she left, feeling like a disaster had just been avoided. While he was looking forward to the day both he and Ash felt ready to let the world know about their relationship, he was not looking forward to Bonnie becoming insufferable and full of herself from the amount of times she would say 'I told you so' - nor was her reaction to finding out she was not the first to know about them something Clemont felt like braving by himself.
Unfortunately, their relationship was proving difficult to hide while in the comfort of their home. Clemont no longer shied away from contact with Ash as he once did, and Ash seemed all too eager to test the limits of his newfound courage. It was obvious at least to Clemont, if not to Ash, that they wouldn't be able to keep it quiet much longer; something that became even more apparent after an incident within their first few weeks as a couple.
"Missed a spot," Bonnie said lazily, as Clemont placed a dish on the drying rack for a third time. He was washing dishes after lunch, while Bonnie watched him critically, but she had offered no more assistance than telling him when he had done something incorrectly.
"Bonnie," he complained. "If you're going to keep such a close eye on the dishes, the least you could do is offer to dry them for me." He was accustomed to doing most of the household chores himself, but he did find himself getting annoyed at the unhelpful commentary.
"Nah," she said, smirking at the way he paused mid-scrub, letting the warm water run over his hands. She was sure he had rolled his eyes at her, though she could not see his face, and she felt somewhat satisfied at the response. "Here's a better idea," she said, glancing at the kitchen entrance and noticing Ash about to walk in. "Ash can help you."
"Sure!" Ash said, as Clemont suppressed a groan. Doing chores together could be somewhat romantic, he had decided some time ago, and anything even slightly romantic was not something he felt like doing in front of his sister. "Help with what?"
"Clemont was just complaining about not having enough help with the dishes," she said, pausing for a moment to stick out her tongue as Clemont turned around to shoot her an irritated look. "Why don't you go over there and dry them for him?"
"You bet," Ash said, walking over. But just as he was about to grab the dish towel, he gave Clemont an appraising look, a better idea popping into his head. "Actually...it looks like you might need help washing those dishes first." He gave Clemont's shoulder a reassuring pat, then stood behind him, wrapping his arms around him and taking up an extra sponge on the side of the sink to help out with the pot he was currently scrubbing.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Clemont squeaked, trying and failing to turn around and look at him. He was very much aware of Bonnie watching them with interest, and he stood rigidly, wishing that he could stop his face from turning scarlet.
"Helping," Ash said cheerfully, and then bending in closer, he whispered, "You're too cute. I couldn't resist." His tone was low enough that Clemont was confident Bonnie could not hear him, but that didn't lessen his embarrassment.
"If you could just take a step backwards..." he whispered back just as quietly, but his request was drowned out by Bonnie.
"It's really nice of you to help my brother, Ash," she said brightly, and with chagrin he could hear laughter in her voice. "Don't you think so, Clemont?" she asked with some exaggeration.
"Ah, yeah," he responded, trying to sound like the situation wasn't bothering him as much as it was. "Thanks, Ash..." he said somewhat shakily.
"No prob," Ash responded, grinning. It actually was getting to be a bit of a problem, one that was going to be hard to ignore if he stayed there for much longer. Even with as mundane a task as washing dishes was, it became significantly less so with his arms around Clemont - and he did not truly want to spin him around and kiss him in present company, even though he wished he could.
"That's the last one," he heard Clemont say at last, and he moved apart from him, grabbing the dish towel and a wet plate, which he was halfway through drying before he realized he wasn't entirely sure where the plates went.
"Where does this..." he started to ask, and then Clemont plucked the plate from his hand, smiling at him tolerantly.
"Why don't you just worry about drying them, and I'll put them away?" he suggested, something Ash was immensely grateful for.
"Perfect," he said, and without thinking about it he continued with "just like you." Clemont's eyes widened and he coughed awkwardly, all too aware of Bonnie standing just behind Ash; her face also expressing shock even as she made several gestures at him that he interpreted as tell him!
"Sorry," Ash said quickly, realizing his mistake a moment too late. "Maybe I should just leave you to..."
"Yeah," Clemont replied just as quickly. "That's probably for the best."
"He's totally into you," Bonnie whispered breathlessly after Ash had walked away. And for the first time ever, he did not have a response for her, because at long last he knew it was true.
It was another half hour before Clemont was finally able to escape from Bonnie's judgmental stare and accusing tone of voice as she told him exactly how he had ruined yet another perfectly good chance to confess to Ash. Unable to really say anything about it, he had made his excuses and went up to his bedroom, shutting the door slowly and quietly behind him, resting his head on the door for a moment as if he were listening to something.
"Maybe I should have stayed and helped you after all if it took half an hour to finish drying the dishes," Ash said, sounding somewhat concerned as Clemont lifted his head from the door and stared somewhat blankly at him.
"I wasn't drying the dishes," he replied honestly. "I was trying to calm Bonnie down. You do realize we've made her suspicious."
"We have?" Ash asked, surprised. "Did she say something?"
"Among other things, she told me I'm an idiot," Clemont informed him mournfully. "I take a lot more abuse from her than you do. Remind me again why we decided to not tell her about us?" It was a rhetorical question, as he knew well the reason, but Ash's sharp intake of breath told him he was going to get an answer anyway.
"She's your sister, Clemont. I'm not going to stop you from telling her, if you think it's right." Having the full weight of the decision rest on him was obviously not what Clemont had wanted to hear, and in an effort to make him smile, Ash tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we should keep it from her a little longer, though. Aren't you curious to know how much longer it would take her to tell me how you feel? From a purely scientific standpoint?"
Clemont paused, thinking. He could not think of an outcome he would like from his train of thought, and so with a serious expression, he crossed his arms and shook his head. "There are some questions it's simply better to not have the answer to." If Bonnie ever did reveal his former secret to Ash, he would begin to have doubts about her trustworthiness - but if she didn't, then he might begin to wonder about other aspects of her personality. Things would be better overall if they just told her first. "Also, from a 'purely scientific standpoint', I can tell you that we've had many wasted opportunities to express our mutual feelings, and that there's really no point in increasing that number."
"Wasted opportunities?" Ash asked him quietly, getting up and gently taking his hands, their fingers locking together. "I don't see it that way. I like spending time with you. Besides," he said, taking on an impish tone. "Would it still count as 'wasted' if we expressed our feelings later, in private?"
In some ways, Clemont wished this early stage of their relationship would never end. He loved the slow, sweet approach Ash was taking with him - something he feared would disappear once Ash was fully sure of himself in their relationship. He could be incredibly brazen when he felt in control of a situation, and had a way of getting what he wanted - and while Clemont did not necessarily object to giving it to him, he found himself worrying about what would happen afterwards. In his mind, someone like Ash could never want someone like him, and he desperately didn't want his theory to be true.
"Yes," he responded, trying to sound stern. It was a difficult feat when he was standing close enough to feel Ash's breath and hear his heart beat, and he closed his eyes as he silently wished that he were the bold one; that he could lean forward and kiss him.
Ash frowned, not wanting to contradict Clemont. He knew more about science than anyone else he had ever met, and even when he said things that didn't make sense he still knew them to be true. Still, he could not help but feel this was just as much of a wasted opportunity as any other time, and as Clemont opened his eyes to stare at him in a silent plea he knew it was one he should not let slip by. In one swift motion, he tightened his grip and yanked Clemont towards him, pressing his lips firmly against him. He could feel Clemont begin to relax and fall into him, returning the kiss with a soft sigh of happiness, and it was only then that he let go of his hands, wrapping his arms around his waist instead.
"I like our opportunities," he told him once he had pulled away, smiling at the look of wonder on Clemont's face. "And I definitely plan to take advantage of them when I can."
Though Clemont did have a point about taking more abuse from Bonnie, that did not mean Ash was without his fair share of it; the following day it was his turn to bear the brunt of her questioning and he found the experience to be more than a bit uncomfortable.
"I know your secret," she told him in a sing-song voice just a few days later, when she caught him and Pikachu straightening up the living room by themselves.
Ash hid his look of terror behind a pillow he was in the middle of fluffing, then dropped it back on the couch when he had managed to arrange his features into a smile. "I don't have any secrets," he boasted, though he knew that was far from the truth.
"Really?" Bonnie asked him, leaning forward and arching her eyebrows. "So I suppose everyone knows how you feel about Clemont?"
The question was less than welcome, and Ash hoped that the heat he felt rising in his cheeks was not yet visible to the girl standing before him. Even Pikachu had stopped what he was working on, looking over at the pair in interest. He, of course, knew what Ash and Clemont had been up to behind closed doors - but being a Pokemon, and Ash's very best friend, he certainly wasn't going to say anything about it.
"That I think he's a great guy?" Ash finally spit out, pleased at how natural it sounded. "I mean, probably not everyone knows..."
"No," Bonnie said lowly, her lips pursing into a slight frown. "That you think he's perfect."
Ash's face blanched at those words, and he recalled that he had accidentally let that slip in front of her. "I don't recall saying that," he lied, and from the look on her face, he knew he had done a terrible job of it.
"I was there!" she exclaimed, pointing at him. "'Perfect, just like you,'" she quoted, her tone turning more melodious as she did so. "Perfect is a very exact word to apply to my brother. Perhaps there's something else you want to tell him as well?"
"Do we have to do this now?" Ash asked, swallowing hard. After having left the decision to tell her with Clemont, he could not very well go behind his back and reveal anything more to Bonnie than he already had. "I have people coming over."
"Not a problem," Bonnie chirped excitedly, brushing past him to take a seat on the couch. "The more the merrier. I don't mind waiting until they arrive."
"Bonnie!" Ash implored, holding out his hands in front of him. "Don't you have anything better to do?"
She laughed, the sound filling the whole living room, and then pulled herself up off the couch, still bent over slightly in mirth. "Fine," she said, walking away from him, folding her arms in front of her as she did so. "I'll leave you to...whatever you're up to, I guess. But you're hiding something from me, Ash Ketchum, and I won't rest until I find out what it is!"
Even with her threat hanging over him, he sighed in relief as she left the room. The last thing he needed was Bonnie lounging around the living room, munching on potato chips and punctuating every other crunch with a well-placed "hmm," as he went about his business. He had enough on his mind already, even without her trying to meddle in his affairs. Today was the day he was going to rehome a Pokemon to a new trainer, and he hoped he was making the right decision.
From the moment Sable had told him she planned to rehome Whimsicott, Ash could only think of one person he would entrust the Windveiled Pokemon to. A Pokemon that did not care for battling could not go to a traditional Trainer. They had to be a companion; a partner in a different way. When he thought of someone who fit that requirement, and would have a gentle enough personality for the shy Whimsicott, he could think of only one person: Todd Snap.
The difficulty with this was that Todd had never had his own Pokemon partner before, much less expressed interest in taking one on. He knew his longtime friend didn't dislike Pokemon - after all, he photographed them for a living - but liking them and wanting to share your life with them were different things entirely, and it was a challenge he was not sure his friend would be up to.
He decided to head downstairs in advance of both Sable and Todd's respective arrivals, mostly so he could head off any uncomfortable questions before they were aired down in the lobby. Sable had been told to bring Whimsicott to him for a meet and greet with a potential new caretaker, with the possibility of transfer on that very day if all went well - but Todd had only been told that Ash had someone he wanted him to meet, and from Todd's playful smirk and raised eyebrows, he had a feeling his friend might be disappointed upon finding out he didn't already know that someone.
"Ash!" Someone called as soon as he stepped off the elevator, and with relief he realized it was Sable, standing together with Whimsicott.
"Sable!" he called back, waving. "Can you put Whimsicott back in her Pokeball?" he asked, gesturing at her. "Sorry," he said, noticing the Pokemon looked a little sad. "You can come back out soon, I promised."
"Sure," Sable told him, recalling Whimsicott and tucking the Pokeball back in her purse. "But why..."
"Todd!" he cried, cutting her off as his friend made his way into the building. "Glad you could make it."
"Me too," he said, grinning and holding out his hand. "Hi there. I'm Todd. You must be who Ash wanted me to meet." His words were addressed to Sable, and Ash blinked hopefully as he saw her eyes harden into angry sapphires. He hoped she was not making the connection between his actions and Todd's words; that he had not told Todd the whole truth. But nevertheless, she took his hand, her lips curling into a thin smile.
"I'm not sure why that would be," she said shortly. "Ash is undoubtedly aware that I am not what one might call a 'people person.'" She turned around and shot him a look that made him wince, and he gestured to the elevator uncomfortably, running forward to press the button before the situation became any more awkward.
"People person or not, here you are!" He prided himself on his ability to sound cheerful and optimistic, no matter the situation. "Come on upstairs, guys. I even cleaned for you." He grinned widely at them, and Todd burst out laughing.
"Ash, you cleaned? Now this, I have to see." He strode forward and onto the elevator, crossing his arms and shaking his head ever so slightly. The few times he had been over, the apartment had always been neat and tidy, but he knew it wasn't Ash who was keeping it that way. The only thing he had ever kept organized was his training schedule, and even that hit a few snags from time to time.
"He didn't really do it for us." Sable sniffed, seemingly offended as she followed Todd onto the elevator. "I bet he did it for his boyfriend."
"Sable," Ash whispered urgently, as the elevator door closed. He had forgotten that Sable was one of the few people who knew about them. She knew just about everything that happened under her roof, as she had explained when confronting them before they left for the evening. Unfortunately, they had not made their decision when this happened, so they had not sworn her to secrecy as they would have otherwise. She looked instantly apologetic, realizing from Ash's pained expression and Todd's gleeful one that she had said something she shouldn't have, but the damage was already done.
"Boyfriend?" Todd said, his tone too mischievous and his smile too wide to give Ash peace of mind. "You don't mean..."
"Mean what?" Sable snapped back at him, determined to take back her words. "That you can't take a joke?"
"Ah, well..." Todd scratched casually at the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry, Ash."
"It's all good!" He grinned at him before mouthing a scarcely visible 'thank you' to Sable, who nodded once in acknowledgement. Despite the surprising subtlety in the gesture, though, Todd picked up on it, narrowing his eyes as he watched the exchange. He made a mental note to catch Ash later and ask him about it - or better yet, sneak away once inside and ask someone else.
"So, uh..." Todd figured the best tactic for now was to change the subject. "Since neither of us are sure, Ash, why did you invite me here? Don't tell me," he said, before Ash even had a chance to answer. "She's famous and you want me to interview her."
"I am famous," Sable said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I wish I weren't. Are you a reporter, then?"
"Yep!" Todd said cheerfully, tapping himself on the chest. "Reporter for Pokemon Time Magazine, and hopeful photographer." He picked up the camera he usually wore around his neck, smiling as he brought it up to eye level.
"Put it down," Sable said in a muffled voice, for she had covered her face with her hands. "I hate having my picture taken."
"I only take pictures of Pokemon," Todd said, looking only slightly offended. But he put the camera down nonetheless, and the elevator came to a halt, the door opening into the entryway of the apartment. Ash jumped off the elevator, pleased to see that Bonnie was keeping true to her word and was nowhere to be seen at the moment.
"Actually," Ash explained, ushering them both into the living room. "This doesn't have anything to do with interviews. Or famous people. It does involve Pokemon, though. Sable?"
She withdrew the Pokeball that Ash had asked her to put away only a few short minutes ago, looking between him and it dubiously. He had made no indication that she needed to put it away again though, and so she let Whimsicott out, staring down at her with mixed feelings.
"A Whimsicott!" Todd exclaimed, holding his camera up. "What a beauty." He started snapping shots, the Pokemon excitedly waving its arms up and down as if trying to get his attention, though she already had it in full.
"I think she likes you, Todd," Ash said, laughing. "Or at the very least she likes your camera."
"She's quite photogenic," he admitted, putting his camera down. "I don't do open pictures like this very often," he explained to both Sable and Whimsicott. "I prefer it when the Pokemon can't see my camera." Whimsicott covered her eyes, making a soft noise, and he laughed. "And when they don't know I'm there," he clarified, prompting Whimsicott to turn around.
"You must have some interesting photos," Sable replied lightly, and Todd nodded.
"I do. But..." he said, turning to look at Ash. "You didn't ask me here to take pictures of Whimsicott. You know me better than that."
"Right!" He was feeling a bit more nervous than he usually would be when speaking with a friend, and took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you how you felt about Pokemon."
"Pokemon?" Todd looked confused. "They're...fine?" He wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. Pokemon were part of their daily lives, whether people wanted them to be there or not. It was in their best interest to get along with them, and after all, he had modeled his career after capturing them and their natures, so he would say he was familiar with them too.
"Sable is looking to rehome Whimsicott," Ash told him, and Sable extended a hand down to Whimsicott to hold onto as her eyes shimmered with tears. The Windveiled Pokemon had known about this - Sable had discussed it with her, and explained it was for her own good. But she did not handle rejection well, and she worried that she would find it again once with someone else. "She doesn't care much for battling," he explained quickly. "And even if she did, Sable needs a partner more fit for her battle style."
"My parents said they can get me a Swablu," Sable said proudly. "I need a Pokemon that can fly. Whimsicott...can't."
"I'm sorry to hear it isn't working out for you two," Todd said, his confusion only increasing. "But why ask me here? I don't think I know anyone looking for a new Pokemon. And the magazine doesn't run adoption ads."
"Actually," Ash said, chuckling slightly. "I thought that you might..."
"Wait." Todd cut him off. "You want me to take Whimsicott?" Ash nodded, and Todd's face took on a shocked expression. "Ash! You can't just...I mean, I never..." he looked down at Whimsicott, feeling guilty as he saw how large and shiny her eyes looked. "I've never had a Pokemon before."
"But haven't you at least thought about it?" Ash asked him. "Even once?"
"Of course I have," Todd admitted. "But it's always been more fun - and easier overall - to just have their pictures. Pictures don't need food, or water, or attention. They don't have to be let out of their Pokeballs for exercise once a day. And if you can't carry them around with you, you don't need to entrust them to someone else. A Pokemon is a lot of responsibility."
There was a lot of truth to his words, and Ash nodded thoughtfully. "But don't you get lonely sometimes? Do the pictures keep you company? And aren't some things easier to do when you have help?"
"I need to sit down," Todd muttered, walking over to the couch and throwing himself down on it.
"You should have told him before he arrived," Sable said disapprovingly to Ash, who rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully.
"I guess," he said, not seeming very concerned. "He'll come around. I know he will." He shrugged, to which Sable rolled her eyes, and followed Todd into the living room.
They all sat together in silence, Ash and Sable looking at Todd, who had leaned his head back and closed his eyes, obviously deep in thought. His hand alternated between playing with the strap of his camera and tapping the neighboring couch cushion. Sometimes he didn't even remember to take care of himself - much less take care of another living creature. And now he had to decide, most likely today, whether he wanted to take on that sort of responsibility?
The quiet was broken by Whimsicott, who had trailed after them. Her focus immediately went to Todd, someone whom she had already decided she liked. He was kind in a way that seemed to come naturally for him and had been an effort for Sable, and she was troubled by having caused the conflict that seemed to be with him now. "Whimsicott?" she asked, staring up at him from the floor.
"See?" Ash said, as Todd opened his eyes to look down at the little Pokemon. "How can you say no to a face like that?"
"I didn't say no," Todd reminded him. "I just said I'm irresponsible." All the same, he offered a smile to the Windveiled Pokemon, and Ash inwardly rejoiced as he saw his friend's eyes take on a determined gleam. "How would this even work?" he asked. "I don't have a Pokemon to trade."
"There are a few ways," Sable said, taking a deep breath. This was something she had done research on, as simply giving away a Pokemon was not that easy when registered to a specific trainer. "The first and second way both involve you becoming a registered trainer. Then, I could either release Whimsicott and have you catch her, or you could catch a lower level Pokemon and trade them to me." She could see from the look on Todd's face that he was not too enamoured with the thought of getting himself registered, so she presented the final option. "If you didn't want to get registered, I could simply entrust Whimsicott to your care. Her Pokeball would remain with me, but she would not be able to be captured by other trainers. I'm not willing to do that forever," she warned, and Todd nodded thoughtfully. "I'm willing to do it on a trial basis in case things don't work out. I don't have a lot of other Pokemon right now, so it doesn't matter at the moment. But you had better not be thinking about leaving Kalos anytime soon." She leveled her finger at him, and his thoughtful nod turned into a serious one. "I need to be able to find you if that situation changes."
"You have my word," Todd said, standing up and extending his hand towards Sable for the second time that day. "I don't know if I'm really the best one to take care of Whimsicott. But as long as I know I have somewhere safe to bring her if things don't work out, I'm willing to give this a try."
Sable's lips curled into a smile as she looked at Todd, and to his surprise, she withdrew a somewhat elaborate business card from her purse and handed it to him. "I live at the Battle Chateau," she told him seriously. "If you need me, call me first. I don't like unexpected visitors."
"I promise I won't just show up at your door," he replied with a chuckle, examining the card, but by the time he looked up Sable was already standing and waiting for the elevator, just visible through the doorway which Ash and Todd both walked over to stand at.
"Take good care of her," she said, nodding once as they heard the ding that announced the elevator's arrival. "And, Ash." She paused, her expression softening slightly for a moment. "Thanks."
"Are you leaving too, Todd?" Ash asked after a moment, noticing he had not moved, nor had his eyes shifted from his focus on the elevator, but he shook his head slightly, glancing towards Ash with a smile.
"I think I'll stay here for a bit," he said. "Hey," he said suddenly, like he was just remembering something. "Is Bonnie here?"
"Bonnie?" Ash asked, confused. "Uh, yeah, I think she's upstairs. Why?" He did not particularly like the thought of Todd spending time with Bonnie, perhaps because they were both too inquisitive for their own good, and both of them had independently expressed an interest in questioning him that day about his relationship with Clemont.
"She likes cute Pokemon, doesn't she? I bet she would love to meet Whimsicott."
"Whim!" the Windveiled Pokemon exclaimed, running towards him and standing attentively at his side. Ash felt instantly relieved by the answer. Bonnie had always expressed a strong interest in new Pokemon, something that obviously had not gone unnoticed by Todd.
"She sure does!" He grinned, giving Todd a thumbs up. "She's gotten to be an expert in Pokemon care, too!"
"Sounds like exactly what I need," Todd told him, turning to look at the staircase. He had not been over to the apartment more than a handful of times, and he had never been upstairs before, but at this point he had spent so much time on the phone with Bonnie as she chatted about everything she could think of that he felt he knew the layout well enough to navigate on his own. "Mind if I go find her?"
"Go for it," Ash said cheerfully, but his smile fell slightly as Todd approached him, rather than heading upstairs as he expected.
"Sable was right, wasn't she?" The whisper carried no further than Ash's ears, though he could not stop himself from checking the area around to make sure they were truly alone. "I'm a little hurt you couldn't trust me with that secret." His words carried an element of truth, but his tone was light, and he winked at Ash.
"I'm sorry," he whispered back, hanging his head. "We're not telling anyone," he explained. "Sable only knows because she was kind of there when it happened."
Todd sniffed, shaking his head. "I seem to miss all the exciting things. I'll remind you that I was the one who opened your eyes to your feelings." Ash gave him a blank look, and his expression soured slightly. "Look," he said more seriously. "I'm not going to judge you for keeping it a secret - but other people might. If you care about their feelings, you might want to say something sooner rather than later."
"We'll tell other people when we're ready," Ash protested, but Todd held up his hand.
"As I said, I'm not going to judge you. I'm just passing on a friendly word of advice. By the way," he said casually. "If you haven't already, make sure you ask him out on a real date. Clemont seems like the kind of person that might appreciate the effort."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Like most people, I went through some unexpected hardships this year (though I've also had a few good things happen). As a result, I've been reassessing my life all year, and it's time for some changes. Right now, I'm exploring a career change to become a full-time writer, and that means when I have had a moment to write I've been doing a lot more original works rather than fanfiction. I am a person of my word though, and I will finish this. I am determined to complete this story by the end of the year. I'm going to aim to post one or two chapters each week. There are only a few more to go, and I know we can make it through. (The next chapter will be a lot more exciting too, I promise). Please, stay safe and healthy, all of you.
Stay tuned for Chapter 20, and thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!