Ash's PoV.

I'm waiting by Clemont's class when my senpai walks out and frowns at me.

"How did you know which class I was in?!" He asks.

Shit.

"I asked Korrina yesterday!" I lie. The inventor nods and believes me... I love everything about him but if I were to label him with a weakness, it would be gullible.

We walk back to Clemont's place and I smile - it's so much better inside than looking through the window! Bonnie looked at me and screamed, running away to her room when we walk in. Clemont stares at her before saying to me: "I don't know what's gotten into her; I'm sorry!" I frown and say: "It's ok. Just... strange..."

"Want to see my room?!" Clemont askes. Oh senpai... you should know I've already seen your room! I've been in it and stolen one of your shirts too from next to your window! I can't give that away though, so I nod and say: "That sounds cool!"

He walks to his room and I slip out a camera, ready to get some good pictures for my Clemont box. In it, I have loads of pictures of him, drawings of him that I did when looking though his window, a pencil that he chewed in science once, a lock of his hair, and my prized possession - a shirt that used to belong to him before I may or may not have stolen in the dead of night as he slept. I also got a nice drawing of him asleep that time, and a screwdriver I found by treading on... anyway.

"That's a really cool room!" I lie, trying not to act like I've seen it all before. The scientist grins sheepishly and says: "It's not that good!" Shaking my head, I counter: "It's beautiful, like you." Clemont blushed and I smile, knowing I nailed that. We sit on his comfy bed - oh how I want to spend the night with him in it naked - and I feel at home.

It's getting quite late now and we've been talking mainly about our school work. As we finish on the topic of attainment in lessons, we talk about our classmates a lot. I'll give it to him - he should do gossip newspapers as a side career. He can find out ANYTHING about ANYONE! I give him a test, asking: "Quiz - Can you tell me about some of the students in our class? Hobbies, popularity, crush and fears/weaknesses." He nods without hesitation so I ask away!

"Serena?"

"Dancing, textiles and baking. She's good at all 3 of them but also excells in the Arts department. Very popular. Loves you. However, she's scared of the dark."

"Miette?"

"Cookery. It's her entire life plan. Despite trying to make friends through baking them foods, everyone seems to doslikr her and always compares her to Serena, which she hates. Also has a crush on you! You're quite popular. She gets jealous very easily though and has a low self esteem."

"Tracy?"

"Photography. He's a natural! Not popular but not unpopular either. He's also got a crush on Misty Waterflower, and is scared of heights. Like: terrified."

"What about Misty then?"

"Athletics and swimming. Incredibly popular with all of the sports kids, and they're typically the popular ones. She seems to like Gary Oak, but is terrified of bugs, insects and arachnids. They terrify her!"

"What about me?" I ask cautiously. Clemont looked surprised and smiled shyly, saying:

"You: you're good at ball sports like football and tennis; you're not very popular yet a lot of people have a crush on you - you're deemed a loner, and you don't appear to have a crush to me, but I can't tell. You're harder to read, and to be honest, you're a scary person. You intimidate me a bit."

Oh no. That's not good at all! I don't want to intimidate him - I just want him to love me! I sigh and say, "Never mind: talk about you!" He stares at me and says: "Ok. I like inventing, science, and my studies. I'm not popular but a lot of people like me... or rather like me to do their homework. I actually get bullied quite a lot, but I'm cool with it. I don't have a crush at all, and I'm a gullible, worthless, nerdy coward.

I mutter to myself unconditionally: "Got that right..."

He sighs quietly and whispers: "I knew it." and I realise he heard me! "I was joking!" I say, but my facial expression probably gives me away as he's looking at me suspiciously.

I gulp, knowing that he has a habit of knowing when people are hiding something, and sure enough, he looks at me and asks: "Are you keeping something from me?"

Think Ash!

"Erm..." I say, unsure of how to respond. The scientist looks really demoralised now and says: "Ash... I get it. I'm lame, I'm useless and I don't have many friends. If you don't want to be my friend, that's fine. I just want you to be honest with me here!"

Oh god please don't do this to me Clemont! I don't want to have to hurt you! I start to think hard, right untill he starts to cry in defeat and yells; "So you don't have anything to say?! You're hiding something! You don't trust me, and now I no longer trust you! GET OUT!"

"Clemont - no." I say fiercely. He turns around slowly and I walk towards him slowly, cornering him so he can't move and I begin to speak:

"I love you. If it weren't for you walking in and knocking me over the day we met, I wouldn't have noticed your beauty, and I'd have moved back to Kanto. But you were a magnet - I couldn't bare to be anywhere whiteout you. I've studied you, watched you, and I know everything about you! I know your entire school timetable for every day of the week. I know that you're shy around people for at least a week before getting to know them. I know you always make a pros and cons list for every single significant situation you find yourself in. You always have the loo roll running down the side of the walk against the fall to hold onto the top of the roll and make it easier for everyone to use, and in public bathrooms, you always turn them around. You always make sure to have a small set of tools on you in case of emergency. You always say that the future is now thanks to science, and you always have a machine of some sort in your bag. Your t-shirts are arranged in the colour scheme of the PH scale in your wardrobe because it makes more sense to you. You don't like shoe laces so you buy elastic stretchy bands that work as laces. I know that you don't eat a cheese sandwich without removing the cheese first and eat the cheese and bread separately. Your favourite song to sing in the shower is Let Her Go by Passenger, and you can play it on guitar. You often play it and sing at the same time, and you have the best singing voice ever! You never get anything but As in school, and you're really cute. I just want to... lock you away, where you can't get hurt by this world. It's a dark, cold place and doesn't deserve an angel like you in it. You're the only light in my life, and I want you to myself. So please, if you'll just let me... then we can be together Clemont!" He's backed into the wall now; he can't move an inch so I press my face to his and he doesn't resist. I can't help but grin at how he accepted my confession as we kiss... untill I feel something wet hit my face. I look at him and I'm shocked to see silent tears streaming down his face as he whispers; "I'll do as you want. Please - don't hurt me!" I wanna run off with him but I know that'll scare him so instead I say kindly, "How about you sleep on it? I get that it's scary, but I do love you with all of my heart. So I'll see you at school tomorrow?" I don't let him respond as I climb out of the window and run back to my own house. I feel bad as I see him fall to the floor crying, but he needs to know...

...he needs to know that I love him...

... and I'll do anything to prove it!