Hey, guys! I'm back again with another chapter! If you get this chapter not too long after I posted the last one, then that would be great, seeing as I'm attempting to post a lot more frequently. But, anyway, let's get straight to the chapter!
A few hours had passed since Sycamore's little update. Ash and Serena had gotten to know Clemont and Bonnie, with them getting to know Ash and Serena. After that, they had all gone for dinner in the cafeteria, with no shame at the fact that they all scoffed down plates of food. "Hunger hits hard sometimes," was what Ash had told the other people there before the four of them left, leaving the rest of the camp to laugh at them.
The four of them proceeded to head back to their cabin before heading straight to bed, knowing that they would need as much energy as possible the next morning. However, Ash couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he didn't want to go to sleep, or that he wasn't tired enough. No. He was thinking. And he couldn't stop. Not about what the camp could be like, or what they'll be doing. About the night before.
Ash could still feel Serena's soft face pressed into his chest. Heavenly was the word he'd describe that night with. Although Ash could tell Serena was uncomfortable doing that, he could also tell that she enjoyed it.
Sighing, Ash cautiously got out of bed, being careful not to wake anyone up. He could see that the clock said that the time was 1 AM, meaning that everyone else would most likely be asleep.
Ash crept to the end of his bed, putting his clothes on, careful not to make too much noise before slowly exiting the cabin, coming to a halt just outside, deciding to take a seat on the bench just outside the cabin.
While thinking, Ash looked around, hearing Hoothoots and Noctowls screeching in the distance, he began to relax. Before long, he was on the verge of starting to slip out of consciousness when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Ash looked up, seeing it was Serena; he also noticed that she had her hair tied back in a bun. Ash presumed that it might have been getting in the way.
"What are you doing out here this late?" She asked him concerned.
"I could ask you the same thing," Ash said, scooching over to let her sit down; which she gratefully accepted. "I'm just thinking, really," Ash told her, answering her question.
"I couldn't sleep," Serena told him, to which he looked at her curiously.
"You were asleep when I came out here," Ash said, starting to get confused.
"No. I never did get to sleep. But I didn't hear you leave either; you must have been quiet!"
"True."
"Yeah. And a few minutes ago, I looked over and saw you weren't there."
"Why did you look over to my bed though?"
Serena stopped. A blush forming on her face slowly as she tried to figure out an answer to give. Eventually, Serena decided on something to say. "I-I was w-wondering if w-we could do what we did l-last n-night!" Serena exclaimed suddenly, shocking Ash for a few seconds.
"What do you mean?"
"Sleep together."
Now it was Ash's turn to blush. Why on Earth would she want to do that again? But, at the same time, Ash knew the answer. She couldn't sleep. She merely wanted some company. What's bad about that? And anyway, he was previously thinking about the same thing. "S-Sure," Ash replied, being careful not to make a fool out of himself in front of Serena. A girl laughing at him was the last thing he wanted!
Serena smiled nervously before grabbing onto Ash's arm and tugging, urging him to follow her.
Ash stood up and let Serena walk him into the cabin, making sure not to make too much noise with the door. If they woke Clemont and Bonnie up, they would be bombarded with billions of questions which they would have to answer immediately.
Reaching Ash's bed, Ash climbed in, letting Serena get in on top of him. "What about Clemont and Bonnie?" Ash asked Serena.
"No. They're not getting in bed with us too!" Serena exclaimed, giggling lightly.
"That's not what I meant," Ash replied, mentally facepalming at the way he worded it, although, at the same time, he did make Serena laugh. Well, no. She made herself laugh? "I meant: What if they find us like this?"
"They probably already think we're dating. We don't need to worry." Serena said, making sure that Ash wouldn't start to worry about that.
"O-Okay," Ash muttered, starting to think of the possibility that the two of them could end up as a couple. It was farfetched, (Pun definitely intended) but the idea didn't come completely out of the blue.
Serena, letting her hair loose again, proceeded to rest her head on the front of Ash's shoulder, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.
Ash wrapped his arms around her almost bare back, happy that they were back in this position. "Wait!"
"What?" Serena asked him, not bothering to look him in the eyes as he talked to her.
"I've only just noticed that you're in your underwear."
Serena bolted upright, a mad blush on her face as she scrambled around, looking for a shirt or something to cover herself with. "I'm sorry, Ash!"
"It's alright. I don't mind," Ash told her before he said something without thinking. "You can sleep like that if it's more comfortable."
Serena turned to look at him, her blush getting even worse before she raised an arm and slapped him.
"Ow!" Ash exclaimed, causing Serena to recoil, shocked at what she had just done. "Why did you hit me?"
"I-I," Serena found herself on the verge of tears. "I didn't mean to! You just... Shocked me."
"You don't have to hit me, though," Ash told her, rubbing his cheek which was a vibrant red.
"I-I'm so-" Serena's voice cracked, cutting her off, tears starting to run down her face.
"It's okay," Ash told her, pulling her down on top of him again, holding her in a tight embrace. "I'd do the same thing, honestly. You don't need to cry!"
Serena buried her face into his chest, starting to sob.
"I don't care that you hit me, Serena. In fact, it really doesn't matter."
"Really?" Serena asked him, looking up and into his eyes.
"Really."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise."
Serena smiled, knowing that her actions didn't cause Ash to hate her. Then, unexpectedly, Ash wiped the tears off her face, giving her a smile before pointing at the cheek she hit. "It doesn't hurt anymore, Serena. See? It's all okay!"
"I lo-" Serena cut herself off, realising that she nearly gave away a secret that would be catastrophic for Ash to know at that moment.
"What?" Ash asked her.
"Nothing," Serena replied, placing her head back on his chest. "Goodnight, Ash."
Ash was confused, but he went with it. "Goodnight, Serena." It was all he could think to say. Then, a few minutes later, Serena's soft breath got slower. She had fallen asleep.
WOW! I wrote practically that entire chapter in one sitting. I wrote the first six paragraphs over two days, then did the rest just now! That was fast. Anyway, leave a review with anything you want in it, as I will approve. Yes, even 'hate.' It's merely constructive criticism, so I'll be happy to hear about what I need to improve. BYE!
