AAML again, I know, my DAML lovers are tearing up, but 'tis my pairing, and my muse commands me to write.

Natalia: I don't command you to write, I walk by and whack you on the head and you get an idea knocked out of you. I haven't even touched you recently, I've got a boyfriend, unlike some people who aren't allowed to date for two years and are also terrified of the opposite sex.

Author: You know what…you suck. You're fired.

Natalia: For the last time, I never DO anything to be fired from! Jees, here's a fic for you all. Only two swear words this time, she was a good girl.

"No you can't!"

"Yes I can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Can not!"

"Can too!"

"Can not!"

"Shut the frick up already? What the hell are you two arguing about?" Gary crossed his arms over his chest at the bickering duo, Natty clinging onto his arm whining 'please, Gary-kun?' to him. "No, Nat, I will not make-out with Ash!"

'What?" Ash and Misty's fight was cut short as they gawked at the others. Gary sighed and rubbed his temples, it was going to be a long week.

"Natty's sick little fantasy is for me and Ash to make out. You twisted little creature," he glared down at his girlfriend, who beamed up at him.

"I'm sick and, I'm twisted, I'm broke and you can't fix it!" She sang proudly. "So, what were you two little lovebirds tittering about?"

"Ash says he can do anything better than me other than being a girl," Misty scoffed, "which I am better at!"

"Say what you want, but I was one pretty girl," he protested. "And I can! There is something I know I can do better than you, I was going to challenge you to it. That's why I brought this up!" He dug deep into his backpack and pulled out a scrambled up Rubix Cube. "I'm really good at these. My record is somewhere in the twenties. It's not a record or anything, but it's faster than most people."

"So you can solve a Rubix Cube is twenty some minutes, congrats, Ash!" She rolled her eyes at him condescendingly.

He frowned, "not minutes, seconds!" He corrected, grinning again. "I can show you, watch!" He dropped his bag and immediately began working on the cube. His fingers flew across it, twisting and turning the thing and smiling all the while, like it was the most fun he'd had in a long time, then dropped it to the ground revealing a small compartment that opened when the cube was solved. "That's for storing notes. The Proffessor gave it to me as a kid. It took me ten minutes my first time. The note said 'congrats, how old are you now?' They were all really surprised." While talking, he took out a small piece of paper and wrote a note down on it, dropping it back in the cube. He mixed it back up. "Okay Misty. Find the message, that's your prize. It's my deepest, deepest secret," he tossed it to her.

"Ash, you've just submitted yourself to the ultimate blackmail. I have to ask, why?"

"Well, uh, Natty, you know big words and creative stuff and you helped me make the plan, so can you tell Misty without giving me away?" Ash asked.

"Anything for you two to kiss, right?" She looked at them wearily.

"Right," they smirked, hiding something.

'Okay! Well, first reason is that a bone isn't the only thing Ash knows how to pick. Next, after much thought, we know how you think, and you don't think in Rubix Cube format. After a few days of such torture of said cub, you'll start getting bugged, not just because Ash can do something better than you, in fact, something you can't, but because it'll be eating you from inside out to know what Ash's secret is, and knowing it's in front of you but you can't get it. If you try and break the cube open a vile a vinegar which will dissolve, oh, sorry, wrong device," she blushed. "If you crack it open, Ash'll know and you're forever violated his trust, which you won't do. The only thing you be able to do is try forever and hope you eventually get it, or admit you're wrong. Good luck with that."

"Let me guess, you're good at Rubix Cubes?"

"Are you kidding? I've never solved that demonic thing in my life. Boys, kiss."

"We never promised anything, you assumed," they laughed. Natty looked back and forth between the two, confused, then groaned, "…damn."

"Ugh!" Misty shouted, stomping on the Rubix Cube under her feet. "If Ash does it, it can't be that hard, can it?" She mused. "How can he do that? Maybe he's just lucky? No, that can't be it, he was concentrating on his hand, he had to have a strategy, he had that look." She felt herself start to go weak as she remembered that determined look he had when he was concentrating, so adorable… "Ugh! But what? I've even looked online! Not a thing helps!"

"I come for a visit because I started to think of you as an intelligent being, and all I hear is whining. I coul've stayed with May for that.

"Hey Doctor Drew."

"Hey Magic Misty. Ho-oh, those are stupid names," he laughed. Misty grinned back. "So, what's wrong today?"

"I'm sad because you and May haven't had a happily ever after yet, when can I be expecting that?"

"When you save CinderAsh from his evil stepbrothers and whisk him away with a hat big enough to fit his overgrown ego," he retorted. She giggled and stuck out her tongue at him. "So there's a problem in your life, tell me, I can help. Dr. Drew, Dr. Phil, same thing."

"Yeah, see, there's this Rubix Cube-"

"Wait, Rubix Cube? No. No, no, no, no. I do not do Rubix Cubes."

"Well, it's not just that. See, Ash is really good at these for some reason. This Rubix Cube opens up and you can put stuff inside, like candy or chocolates or a deep, deep secret that you taunt your friend with because maybe, just maybe, you've had a crush on her for years and years and the two of you could have a romantic life together and," her voice had been rising with hope and desperation, she blushed, coughed, and cleared her throat, "you know, that sort of stuff." She picked up the cube.

"So, I bet you're wondering how Ash is beeter than you at this. I think I know." Drew smirked. Misty looked up, her eyes flashing with that same mix of hope and desperation. "First, tell me what May meant the other day by 'one day winning a contest won't be the only reason I get a rose'?"

"It means she wants to DATE you moron! Now tell mewhy Ash can do this when I…can't do it as fast,'" she trailed off.

"Because Ash thinks ahead when he's making a plan. It's what makes him such a great trainer. He think of the next five steps in advance, every mistake his enemies made, will make, all go through his head. That's what makes him good at the cube." Drew sighed. "That impossible cube."

"He can do it in twenty seconds," Misty deadpanned. Drew's eyes widened.

"Damn."

"I know. But just because he solves the cube doesn't mean I'm a bad trainer because I'm slower. I'm a great trainer," she defended.

"Yeah, you're right. But most of the stuff you use comes straight from the books. And you can be an awesome trainer with that, one of the best, but it's never going to help you solve this," he laughed. He tugged the cub from her hands and held it in front of her face.

"I'm good at riddles," she muttered.

"Thanks for sharing something complete irrelevant to our conversation," he rolled his eyes. "You better give up on ever knowing Ash's secret, unless you can find someone to open it for you."

"Especially since I'll never admit I'm wrong," she giggled. She was then interrupted by the sound of a skull hitting wood, repeatedly. "Stop it, Drew. You'll dent the table."

"No concern for my head. May would be concerned for my head. She likes my head," he grumbled. "But you have a chance to possibly find out some key blackmail here, maybe even get the guy you've had a crush on since you were ten or eleven and all you have to do is say 'you were right and I was wrong'. Hold up, can you even say it to me? Right now, seriously, don't even pretend I'm Ash or anything, just say I was right about the Rubix Cube and you were wrong."

"I was right about the Rubix Cube and you were wrong," she smiled cheekily.

"Very cute," he smiled back, "now say it right."

"It right. Sorry, couldn't resist," she giggled. "You were right and I was…misinformed," she shrugged, looking away from him.

"Have you ever said that sentence in your life?" he gaped.

"Uh, once, twice, three times tops. Not since I turned six."

"Okay, you need to tell Ash you were wrong. It won't kill you, promise. You'll live." She sighed and tapped the cube against the table. "Yes, I know it's like having bamboo shoot shoved under your fingernails, but which is worse, a second of torture or missing one of the greatest chance you'll ever have? Think about it Waterflower. I'm leaving to mess with May's head again, see ya." He sauntered away. "Oh, and loverboy's here. Hahaha, ow! Don't hit me, Romeo! Ow! Jerk. See if you ever get advice from me, you're never winning a contest."

Misty groaned as her crush strode it, "I don't want to say it. I won't say it. I won't. I won't and you can't make me."

"I'll settle, Mist. I'll settle for: I was wrong, I was incorrect, I thought wrong, I need help, help me, you've got the body of a Roman God," he joked, making her giggled. "There's a smile! I knew you couldn't stay made at me for long. You like me too much." He beamed.

"I wasn't ever mad at you," she sighed. "I was mad at me, for not being able to do this, for being…" Misty trailed off and reddened. "It really is hard to say."

"Which is easier to say, 'I need help', 'I was wrong,' or 'I love you, Ash Ketchum'. The last can even be sarcastic."

"I love you, Ash Ketchum" she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Wow, it is hard for you. Then again, it always has been the M double W fraise that riles you up best."

"Huh?"

"Misty was wrong."

"was not! I was misinformed!" She protested, then groaned. "Ugh, I can't do it. Ash, I can't. I am physically unable to say those words!" She stiffened as she felt his hands drop to her shoulders and rub them gently. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you to relax so you can say it," he smirked at her surprised face. "Now, close your eyes and take deeps slow breaths." She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"No, Ash, I feel stupid," she looked up at him.

"Who are you talking to? No matter what you day, you're always going to be smarter than me," He laughed lightly. "Now close your eyes, and take a deep breath in and out." She did, feeling herself loosen up. "Now, say I was wrong, I need your help."

"I was…" the sentence died on her tongue and left a bitter taste. She felt Ash's hot breath by her ear, whispering what to do, making her mind go blank. "I was…wrong, Ash, and I need your," deep breath, "help."

"There now, was that so hard?" He said, she could practically hear the triumphant smile in his voice. "Now, pick up the cubs and I'll show you how to solve it, and then you can have that secret all to yourself."

"It was painful, thank you very much, and I don't think I can solve this thing even with you guiding me every step of the wa…what are you doing?" Her voice leaped up, this was very embarrassing, and he probably didn't even know what he was doing to her. His arms had waltz down from her shoulders to her hands, helping her hold the Rubix Cube. His cheek touched hers, his warm breath falling down her collar bone.

"I'm showing you how to solve it," he smiled. "You'll never get it if I just try to tell you what to do. Besides, you're shaking so much I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting warmer," he said, holding back laughter.

"Yeh-yeah," she stuttered. "I'm juh-just cold. The-that's it." Misty winces, she'd never felt so nervous in her life. She hadn't stuttered this much since she was five! He slowly started turning the Rubix Cube in her hands, his fingers delicately showing her where to go. She couldn't see how he did it but he could've taken off the stickers and replaced them for all she was noticing. Her mind was comfortably curled around the fact that Ash, the oblivious one, was impossibly close, so close that if that stupid chair wasn't in the way she could probably feel his chest.

Click! The cube slowly opened, and Ash's hands fell off hers, his face unmoving as she opened the paper with a puzzled face. "Turn your head, Mist. Turn my head? You promised me a secret Ketchum, you scam art-"

If Misty had a rational mind she would've been screaming about not being able to finish a sentence that day, or screaming with joy. If she had a rational mind, she would've made a crack at Ash's strange confession. In fact, if she had had a rational mind right then she would've pulled back and kissed him instead, just to get some form of dominace. However, as of that moment, all rational thought shut down due to the delusion causing drug that must've been lingering an Ash's lips. The cubs clattered to the floor, her muscles went weak and all she could do was hold Ash's shirt like a rope and hope this wasn't all a dream, a beautiful, beautiful dream.

"So, you're in love with me?"

"Uh-huh. Would you say I was wrong, you were right again?"

"You were right, I was wrong," she said dazedly, still dizzy from the kiss. Her kissed her hard again. "What was that for?"

"Every time you say that, I just want to kiss you," He smiled.

And do to these sequence of events did Misty utter the worst words to a large percentage of the world's population, "Bless whoever thought up a Rubix Cube."

RUBIX CUBES ARE IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm thinking of writing a full length serious story, it'd be fun, I suppose. I hit upon a great idea for it. I think I'll writ eit. It might not work, so don't have high expectations.

Congrats to those of you who figured out the mystery last chapter! Those people were:

A Rose for me – A Rose for you

EVAN AAML

Super Reader

See ya soon! (hopefully)