With the revelation of Cynthia's feelings, things look to be taking a new direction. Hopefully, the morning has a bit more happiness for her than the evening. There's a lot of relationship issues to confront, that's for sure. Ayame and Blake are rock-solid, but will Cynthia be able to shake everything up? Or will she, like Sango, have to move on?

It looks like fanfiction's issues may have been resolved. We'll have to see. Like before, please let me know if you can read the chapter or if you're having any issues.

KedharS: What jokes were those?

Rosealine gold: Things will certainly change in the morning. We're approaching the end of the arc, now that so many issues have arisen.

Aquahaze675: Be a nice guy who understands people and tries to help them.

Thunder Fire: Definitely Cynthia. She liked him first. Maybe. She's kind of been hazy. Who knows when she really first fell for him? Also, thanks for your help in letting me know about fanfiction, it's been a really annoying week.

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 364

Cynthia woke up the next morning tired and sad. Even in the most comfortable bed she could sleep in, her sleep was still restless. She glanced down beside her. Blake was snoring peacefully away. Her face turned bright red.

I… I thought it would be different when I woke up in the morning… Cynthia blushed just staring at his face. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her throat was dry. No, no, don't be that girl! Don't think of him that way!

She turned away from him, unable to look at that cute sleeping face any longer. Her eyes fell to the girl sleeping on the other side of her, Ayame Toujou. The girlfriend of her crush.

Ugh, this was so complicated.

Cynthia's mind turned back to the night before. She had cried and cried, until she couldn't cry anymore. Ayame and Blake had soothed her and treated her sweetly, so much more sweetly than she had deserved, for how she felt.

She didn't deserve friends like them.

When Ayame and Blake had seen the state she was in, and how late it was, they had suggested that all three of them sleep together that night. Cynthia tried to crack some dirty jokes and insinuations, but the way they had both looked at her… she hadn't been able to keep it up for very long. So she lowered her head and thanked them both, and apologized for how she felt. She didn't want to wreck things, she didn't…

She didn't even want to feel this way.

That was when Blake had hugged her again.

"You're my friend, Cynthia. You might even be my best friend. I don't feel that way about you, but I still treasure you. Don't think that I would want you to be upset over this or to feel bad, okay? I'm sorry I can't return your feelings, but I still want to be your friend. I'd never want for you to think otherwise, okay?"

He was so sweet.

I guess that's why I fell for him without even realizing it… Cynthia glanced down at him, her chest brimming with feelings of love. As painfully as it stung to know he didn't like her that way, he had been the first person she'd met. Her first friend here. And he didn't mind that she was a little perverted, or a lot annoying. He loved her for her. Maybe not the way she wanted… But it was a love she treasured all the same.

Cynthia leaned over and gingerly kissed him on the cheek, taking care to be as gentle as possible so he wouldn't wake up.

"I really do you love you," she whispered. "You're my best friend, Blake."

Her tears wet the blankets, but she had shed so many tears she didn't even know what they were for at this point. She reached up and wiped her eyes, smiling, feeling a strange twist of pain and happiness in her chest. She'd lost her first love, but it felt like she had gained something else to replace it. For the first time in a while… she felt like she didn't have something missing.

Cynthia turned and kissed Ayame on the cheek as well.

"And thanks for not hating me," she murmured.

"Of course not."

Cynthia practically leapt out of bed in surprise. Ayame turned to look up at her, sitting up in bed. She smiled at Cynthia.

"I- sorry, I just, well…" Cynthia waved her hands, flustered, glancing down.

"I don't mind that you like him," Ayame said, repeating what she'd told Cynthia last night. "I know he's important to you. So as long as you're respectful of how he feels and treat him the same way as you always have, I don't see why things have to change."

Cynthia flinched.

"Well, uh… see, the thing is… I don't know if I can."

"…Huh?"

"Well, I mean, like, look, I don't want to break you two up," Cynthia whispered, glancing cautiously back at Blake. "But like… I know you want me to act the same, but now that I know how I feel, I don't know if I can."

"What do you mean?" Ayame asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She didn't want to get mad at Cynthia, or potentially risk their friendship, but it sounded a lot like Cynthia was going to start making moves on her boyfriend, and she wasn't okay with something like that. She tried to look angry, but she looked a lot more sad and scared. She didn't like the idea of getting into a fight with someone she had started thinking of as a friend, especially not over her boyfriend, the girl's best friend. It made her feel a little queasy.

"It's just, like… whenever I look at him…"

Cynthia glanced over her shoulder again and then turned back to Ayame, clearly flustered. She lowered her voice into a hushed whisper.

"Look, um… can we go somewhere else to talk?"

"…Sure thing," Ayame said. "We can go to my bathroom, if you don't want to wake him up."

Ayame got out of bed and Cynthia crawled after her. Ayame took a moment to stop at her dresser and get a change of clothes. The two girls headed into Ayame's bathroom, and Cynthia gulped. She was afraid she wasn't making it back out alive.

"Well, go on then," Ayame said, staring down at Cynthia as she began to strip her clothes off. "What is it you want to say?"

Cynthia gulped again. Ayame was almost a foot and a half taller than her, and not only did she tower over the short girl, her physique was way better than Cynthia's, toned with lean muscles and bulk that the scrawny girl couldn't compete with. She wasn't even looking lustfully at the girl's figure (though it WAS nice) she was way too scared. Ayame had carried Cynthia over her shoulder the night before. She could probably do all sorts of horrifying things that the redhead didn't even want to think about, and that was if she was lucky. It didn't help that Ayame was radiating a sort of passive rage, either. But Cynthia stuck to her guns.

"Ayame… I love Blake. I love him in all sorts of weird ways that I can't even describe," Cynthia admitted, looking directly into her eyes.

Ayame said nothing. She turned away from Cynthia and stepped into the shower, letting the water wash over her.

"Okay, I know," she called over the water. "But does that mean you can't keep being his friend, Cynthia? Because I know I would appreciate it, and he certainly would. I'm not trying to pressure you into doing it, but if you can't… are you sure you can't?"

"I don't know," Cynthia admitted. "But… when I said that I don't want to break you and Blake up, I was telling the truth. I don't. When I see you two together, it really stings. I won't pretend that it doesn't hurt."

Cynthia already felt like crying, but she fought back the tears and put a smile on her face. She was sad, but she was also very happy.

"I know that it isn't fair to ask this of you, and I know that we don't know each other very well… but… is it okay… if I keep liking Blake? I don't know if I can go back to before… pretend like I don't… I don't know if I'll treat him differently, but I might. Is that… is it okay? Because before, I used to flirt with him a ton. And if I flirt with him now… I don't know, it just feels so much more… real, I guess. And I know that you wouldn't want that. So is that okay, Ayame? If I… if I keep liking Blake? Maybe even… keep loving him? Because I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

Ayame was silent for a while after that, scrubbing her body clean. She knew that Sango still liked Blake, and that Sango was also trying to get over him. But Cynthia… Cynthia was saying that she would try to go back to normal, but also that she might not be able to. That she would flirt with Blake as she always did, but that it might be something more, as well.

And most worryingly, even if Cynthia said that she had no intention of seducing Blake or trying to break them up…

What if she did?

Ayame wanted to punch the wall. She loved that Blake was such a kind and wonderful boy, who treated everyone sweetly. How even though he wasn't outgoing the way Cynthia was, he still drew people towards him and got them to care about him.

But sometimes it really pissed her the fuck off.

Because he was so kind and sweet to everyone, that just led to people falling for him. It was actually comical at this point. Sango, Elaina, now Cynthia? Who could even guess how many other girls have feelings for him? She didn't like to be an insecure sort… but this was really freaking annoying. But she couldn't even really blame Cynthia for how she felt, could she?

She shook her head, lathering shampoo into her hair.

Of course Cynthia liked him. And Ayame would learn to be okay with that. She WOULD be okay with that, because Cynthia was her friend, and she trusted Blake absolutely. And the way Cynthia had cried last night… It reminded her of how she had cried, when Blake first rejected her. When her heart had broken. She knew how badly it felt to feel your love going unrequited. And she knew how difficult it was to pretend that things were still normal afterwards.

Ayame reached out and turned the nozzle, the flow of water slowing to a trickle. She sighed, and stepped out of the shower. Cynthia was still standing there, looking uneasy and worried. Ayame felt a ping of sympathy for the girl again. She reached past her and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her arm and beginning to dry herself off.

"I know that you love Blake. Maybe you don't love him the way I do, but you definitely like him more than just as a friend. But the thing is… I do love Blake. I love him more than I've loved any boy. Maybe even more than Olivia, or my pokemon, or my sister, or my parents. He's… someone irreplaceable to me. Someone who I can't imagine going without. Do you understand, Cynthia? That's what Blake means to me."

"He means that way to me, too," Cynthia insisted, clutching her chest. Her eyes were wet with desperation. "I can't, he-he's my best friend, Ayame, without him, nothing would be as fun! I wouldn't be able to smile as brightly, I wouldn't be able to enjoy battles as much! Without Blake, it's just… I would feel so lonely…"

Cynthia kicked at a puddle of water.

"I make so many friends, I always try to smile and be happy, because I love people and I love having fun. But even I… even I have times when I'm alone, you know?"

Ayame knew all too well what it was like to be alone.

"Did you ever hear what happened the night of the Pokemon Day party?" Cynthia asked, slumping back against the wall and sinking down to the bathroom floor.

Ayame shook her head.

"What happened?" She asked, kneeling down next to Cynthia.

"I don't remember it very well myself," Cynthia admitted. "I got really drunk, first time I've ever drank before. And I got in trouble, but someone saved me, Sylvia Driscoll, actually. And after that, Blake stayed by my side. He took care of me… and I do remember this part. I remember that when I was sad and crying, and feeling lonely, Blake was the one who hugged me and told me everything was okay, who was there for me like the friend I needed him to be."

Cynthia wiped her face, looking up into Ayame's hazel-gold eyes.

"I love Blake, I want him in my life, no matter what."

"I know you do," Ayame said. "And that's why I'm okay with it."

Cynthia blinked, surprised.

"Wh-what? Really?" She asked.

"I love Blake," Ayame said, as if that was in any doubt. "And to Blake, you are one of his most important friends. If you weren't in his life, then I don't think he would smile as brightly, either. I don't want to take his best friend away from him. You love him, and so do I. He's precious to you, and he's precious to me. And I think that's enough."

"I promise I won't do anything," Cynthia said. "I know where the line is. And I promise I won't cross it. Not as long as you're still in the picture."

"…Why does that sound like a threat?" Ayame asked, narrowing her eyes. Cynthia smirked in response, giving her a shrug.

"Thank you, Ayame," Cynthia said, rising to her feet. "It really means a lot that you understand where I'm coming from, and why this is so hard for me. Thank you for helping me figure out how I feel. If not, well… I might have gone too far to be able to think clearly."

Cynthia feared that she might have reacted like Caelia. It had been something bothering her for a while. She cared about Caelia, but that girl thought about Blake far too strongly for Cynthia to be comfortable with. And Cynthia feared that if this was how she felt now, if seeing him with Ayame stung this much… how deep could she have gotten before she realized? And she was just glad that she had managed to come to an understanding before she had actually set out to steal him from her. That could have caused the worst kind of damage imaginable.

Cynthia still loved him. But at least for now, she could enjoy loving him without worrying that anything would come from it. Those feelings of jealousy were already starting to fade, and she was relishing the purity of her strong feelings. Even if she never got over him, well…

As long as they could be like they were, as long as he was happy with Ayame, Cynthia didn't feel any need to change things. She'd keep being his friend, and hopefully it would stay like that. And if it got too much for her, well…

She decided to ignore that thought.

"I'd hug you right now, but you're naked and soaking wet," Cynthia giggled. A mischievous smile spread across her face, the kind of smile that sent a shiver down Ayame's spine. And it wasn't a chill that resulted from being naked in the bathroom in wintertime, no, the way Cynthia was eyeing her…

"Say, just a question, but since you and Blake are, like, super tight, you like guys, right?" Cynthia laughed. "I mean, of course you do, you are together with him, after all. But you know, the way that girls seem to fawn over you, the cool way you carry yourself, I have to admit for a little while I wondered if maybe you played on my side of the field, you know?"

Ayame's jaw dropped. Was she actually suggesting…

"So, just hear me out here, but what about you, me, and Blake? You know, together?" Cynthia suggested, smiling earnestly at the stunned tomboy. "You're not exactly my type, but you are smoking hot, and we're both super-into Blake. I mean, we're living in the age of experimentation after all, so maybe if you just want to try it out first-"

Ayame didn't even let her finish. She turned bright red and pulled her bathrobe tight around her body, storming out of the room while leaving her change of clothes behind, completely forgotten in her embarrassment.

"So that's a no?" Cynthia called after her, laughing good-heartedly. "Ayame, you forgot your ribbon!"

Cynthia followed after Ayame, ribbon in hand, arriving to see Blake had already woken up.

"Hey, Aya," Blake yawned, taking care to admire his girlfriend's figure in the tight pink bathrobe. He glanced at Cynthia, who had just come out of the bathroom, and smirked.

"I don't need to be jealous, do I?"

"No!" Ayame exclaimed, somehow turning even redder.

"Maybe," Cynthia smirked.

Blake turned to Cynthia, his expression hardening back to a look of seriousness.

"What about you, Cynthia?" Blake asked quietly. "Are you… okay?"

"I'm fine, Blake, your girlfriend was very gentle," Cynthia giggled. "She made me feel soooo good all over, like you wouldn't even believe…"

"Cynthia, I'm serious!" Blake scowled.

"Yeah, well, don't be!" Cynthia laughed, crossing the room and pressing her hand against his chest, pushing him back onto the bed. She straddled him, pinning her hands down on either side of his head, smiling down at him.

"Cynthia, get off," Blake insisted.

Cynthia glanced at Ayame, who looked warily at her, clearly not excited about what was happening here, but not exactly ready to make a big deal about it.

"I know you're serious," Cynthia giggled, leaning down so she was eye to eye with him. She gave him a peck on the nose. "And I'm seriously hot for you, Blake. So if you ever get tired of Ayame over there… give me a call, okay?"

"Cynthia…" Ayame growled a warning to the girl.

"I'm only kidding," Cynthia pouted, getting off of Blake and stretching, skipping over to the window. "But boy, I'm gonna have some fun with you two…"

Ayame looked helplessly at Blake, who sighed, shaking his head. Ayame sighed too. She was already starting to regret the fact that she had told Cynthia she wanted her to keep being a part of Blake's life. Right now, she reminded Ayame a lot of Claire, and how the girl would try to get Ayame's goat by flirting with her boyfriend.

"Don't worry, don't worry," Cynthia assured the two of them, turning back and giving the couple a coy wink. "You know me well enough to know I'm just a tease. I might like you, Blake, but I know where I stand."

…

"I'm the mistress-"

"Cynthia!" Blake exclaimed. "Stop."

"Stop teasing? But it's so much fun!" Cynthia giggled.

"No. Stop." Blake looked at her with a serious glare. The smile slowly faded from her face and she looked down.

"But right now… it's the only thing I can do…" she whispered, averting her eyes. "If I'm not playing… if I'm not flirting… then right now… right now it stings."

"That's because it's real," Blake told her. "Your feelings… they're real. And so are mine. They just aren't the same feelings as yours. You're a precious friend to me, Cynthia. But that's it. A friend. So I don't mind the flirting, or the teasing. But I don't want you to use it to keep from feeling the real stuff. To keep from moving on and resolving your feelings."

"I know," she sniffled. "And that's why you're my Blake. Because you just won't let it go. Won't let me escape it."

She wiped her eyes and smiled a big, wide smile, turning out to the window.

"We don't need to spend our time crying though," she assured the two of them, pushing the curtain aside to stare at the curtain of snow on the ground, the blizzard having subsided overnight. "There's a brand-new day ahead of us!"

Cynthia's come to terms with her rejection, and is ready to move on with a smile! What lies in store for them, I wonder?