Sorry I haven't updated recently! Same excuse as always: school. Drama. Love :P But the story is almost done! So hold, we're wrapping this up!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, or the song + lyrics that I mention later.
Iris finally reached the beach, her ultimate last resort, where she could let all her tears fall and think about things. But today, her anger boiled, and she furiously punched the ground in anger, grabbing fistfuls of sand and squeezed hard. Ash…She thought, looking at the horizon, and threw the sand in front of her. The rock walls around her surrounded her, as well as providing a cover so she could freely hide here, and not worry about being caught or getting wet. The water lapped up the beach, going in and out with a calming motion, and Iris took a deep breath, letting the salty ocean air fill her lungs. Ten….Nine… she counted, closing her eyes. The suns rays enveloped her in a warmth that was familiar, and soon, her mind was blank, free of worries. She took off the pokeball, and weighed it in her palm, peering inside. Poliwag stared at her curiously, and she let it out, the flash of light startling her.
"Poli." it said, hopping into her lap, and Iris held it tight, memories flooding her once again.
"Axew would get so jealous... " she said, and at the mention of his name, he popped out of her hair.
"AXEW!" he said, jumping into Iris's lap as well, and gave Poliwag a hug. "Axew."
"Poli."
'Hey guys, can you go back into your pokeballs? I want a moment alone, and I was just making sure Poliwag was okay," Iris sighed, and the two reluctantly went into their pokeballs. Finally alone, she let her mind wander, as it we beginning to do frequently. I had that battle in the bag! Iris complained, running her thumb over a smooth stone that lay in the corner. And then he had to go and interrupt it! Ugh Ash, you're such a little kid…. she let herself trail off, as footsteps above her echoed in her little cove.
"Iris? IRIS!" the voice yelled, and Iris grimaced. But why do you have to be so cute… she waited a few more seconds, as more rustling noises continued. Finally, the footsteps gradually faded, and she exhaled.
"Found you!" he grinned, popping his head around the corner, and Iris jumped back.
"Ash- uh, I mean, LEAVE ME ALONE!" she shouted, turning around, and crossing her arms.
"But Iris…"
"I mean it! Leave-"
"I'm sorry!" The minute those words came up, Iris froze, her mind reeling. Did Ash just… apologize?
"Are you being sarcastic?" Iris asked, hearing the ice in her own voice, and Ash shook his head wildly.
"No, I'm serious!" He pleaded, wringing his hands, and Iris finally snuck a glance. He was looking dead at her, and she gulped.
"Sto.. stop looking at me like that!" She said, hiding her flushed face, and Ash stammered, trying to find the right words.
"Iris… I'm sorry… I really didn't mean to make you lose your battle. But I just wanted to help him! He was working so hard before you came, and-"
"So are you saying it's my fault?" She said, whipping around, fury blazing in her eyes, and Ash gulped nervously.
"No, what I'm sayi-"
"See Ash? This is why I call you a kid! YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND!" she screamed, trying to storm past him, but he suddenly stuck his arm out, blocking her path, his face dark with emotion. "EXCUSE ME?" She yelled at him, about to shove him, but before she could move anymore, he yanked her close, and she opened her mouth to scream, when she stopped short. Ash wrapped his arms around her, her face buried in his chest, and she froze again, unsure what to do. What...Ash?!
"I may not understand," he said, "but I didn't mean to hurt you, and I don't want to hurt you now. That's… that's all I'm saying." he finished, his voice low and choked. He squeezed her tight, and her heart melted, finally hugging him back.
"Oh….okay…" she said, wrapping her arms around him tighter, the sound of the waves and his breathing causing her eyes to droop.
"Ugh… so tired…" Iris moaned, and Ash chuckled.
"What have you been doing late at night?" he asked mischievously, and Iris punched him playfully, the hours she spent drawing on her mirror flooding back to her.
"Oh nothing… Just been up thinking a lot."
"Thinking about what?"
"Things."
"Can you tell me?"
"No!" Iris shouted, and Ash shook his head, laughing. Minutes flew by, none of them budging from their embrace, and after a while, the awkwardness was visible from the both of them.
"Out of curiosity, what exactly was on that mirror?" he finally asked, breaking the silence, and Iris gulped nervously, the spotlight suddenly on her again.
"Uhhh…" she stammered, and Ash watched amused as she struggled to come up with a response. "Hahaha… about that…"
"It's fine, I already know. Just was hoping you'd tell me." he said quietly, and Iris blushed furiously.
"How...what.. How do you know?" she demanded, pushing him apart, and he pulled out Serena's phone, flipping to the picture of the mirror.
"She took a bunch of photos of your mirror," he said grimly, as Iris stared, mouth gaping. "She also got a bunch of close ups too." he said, and Iris snatched the phone, scrolling through the pictures. Photo after photo flew by, and with every picture, her blush got bigger and bigger, her ears feeling like they might burn off.
"How many did she take…" she muttered, suddenly realizing something, and whipped around, glaring. "How many of these did you see?"
"..."
"Ash! Tell me!"
"...all of them." he said, embarrassed, and Ash looked away, redness creeping up on his cheek, and Iris sighed.
"It's fine… you know what, whatever…." Iris trailed off, trudging away, her head drooping in shame, when Ash grabbed her arm.
"Ash, it's fi-" she began to say, but Ash cut her off, wrapping his arms around her waist. He tilted her head up, and before she could argue, he leaned in, kissing her softly. Her body became rigid, and she squeezed her eyes reflexively. His lips pushed a little harder, molding almost perfectly with hers, and her heart hammered, wondering when this would end. Not that I'm not enjoying it. She thought hastily, and finally, it ended, both of them blushing furiously.
"Iris, I… I… I love you." he said, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a small mouth as he tightened his grip around her. "And frankly, it was nice to see what you wrote on the mirror." He joked, kissing her on the cheek. All Iris could focus on was not fainting.
"Ubb… uh…" she stammered, and Ash chuckled again.
"Aww… was that your first kiss?" he said with a grin, and Iris could feel her face heating up even more.
"Bu.. BU…..W-well… It was your first time too wasn't it?" Iris said accusingly, and much to her relief, he looked away too. "Well, you did a good job, don't worry." She said, struggling to control her own racing heart, before going up on her tippy toes. He continued to look away, acting oblivious, and Iris giggle.
"Well, its nice to know you love me too…" she said quietly, tilting his head toward her. Her own lips tingled, feeling both numb and alive from the first kiss, and his dark amber eyes widened, astonished at how close she was. "Cause then I get to do this." she said, kissing him again as softly as ever. Her heart pounding madly once again, despite her attempts to calm it. But all her thoughts seemed to float away with the waves, as she relished his taste, the sun enveloping them in it's natural warm hug.
"Ash?" Iris asked after pulling away, realization creeping up on her.
"Yes?"
"You're going to leave for Kanto aren't you?" She whispered sadly, and Ash stood stunned.
"How...yes, I am. But how did you know?"
"Because I know you." Iris said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "And knowing you, you would want to say hi to your mom."
"True..." He trailed off, burying his head in her big, purple hair, inhaling it's sweet scent despite its volume.
"And you're going with Serena aren't you?"
"Yeah..."
"Ash, you'll still love me when you get back right?" Iris asked sadly, laying her head once again on Ash, closing her eyes.
"Iris," he murmured, running his fingers through her hair. "I will love you forever and always." Iris could feel tears beginning to pool, recognizing the song. "Please just remember, even if I'm not there. I'll always love you, forever and always."
... whaddya think? This is my first story and my first time here, so I would love reviews and tips pleeeease! If you don't like it, or decide you wanna hate, my complaints bin is over there *points at trash bin* no hating please. Just nice helpful advice and tips. Thank you! BTW I DONT OWN FOREVER AND ALWAYS, WHICH WAS THE SONG AND LYRICS THAT I MADE THE DISCLAIMER ABOVE FOR. (Its at the top)