Spitfire Chapter 16: Her soul
"Drew wait!" May called while following after him. Falling behind in the dark, she felt so damn stupid for what she did and how she did it. What was she thinking!? Why in the world did she do that?! Just because Serena kissed Ash to 'realize her feelings' didn't mean that May had to! Maybe she should have came right out and asked Misty if it was a dumb idea, because in hindsight...
It was a terrible idea! She threw her arms up, starting to dash forward, even with the small lead that Drew had on her, she was frustrated to keep up. So she had a crush on Ash when she first met him, but that was years ago. Of course she didn't like him now! Surprised that he figured out what dating was, yes. A little jealous that he was dating, not whom he was dating yes; but liking him? Mew, she really screwed up. On top of that, she kissed someone else's boyfriend. Sure, it didn't seem like they were dating, but really? How low would May go! What would her friends say? What was she thinking?!
Once or twice, she paused her chase to consider going back to the house and explain to Serena what had happened: that it was a huge mistake and she was a billion times sorry for doing it, she just had to know if she had any special feelings for Ash; and like she thought, there were none! But reiterating it in her head now, it sounded so obvious, and so stupid! What was she supposed to do if she did have feelings. Ash was already taken! Regardless, she kept her pursuit on Drew. Regrettably, as much as it seemed silly now... May knew that if she hadn't kissed Ash, she wouldn't have known what she knew now. Only, she hoped everyone else understood that as well.
More than once, Drew insisted that she should stop worrying about 'whatever' she was worried about, even though she knew that he knew 'who', she was stressing over. In the end, it was Drew who told her that she shouldn't do anything reckless...but it wasn't really reckless. A little unorthodox, but it was nothing that May didn't think she could work past. She needed to be positive, and sometimes, even though everyone gave Ash a hard time for being dense, May wasn't really any better.
May clenched her fists while she recalled the events earlier that led her to believe kissing him was the right answer. For a year the duo traveled with Brock and Max, and there were many times that she had envisioned having a special relationship with Ash; but each time that she did, it was always a skewed vision. As if she wanted him because he was there, but not because she could actually see herself paired with him. So, maybe her intuition led her stray this one time, but she was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason; and maybe, just maybe, this was hers.
"Please!" She shouted into the distance, following after the figment of his green hair, "talk to me, Drew!"
In his haste, he had not only taken his pack, but also his jacket. Drew wasn't just storming off in a fit of anger, he was leaving. This assumed fact only fueled her anger and her drive to catch up with him. Her feet pumped effortlessly against the dirt path as she struggled to keep up with him. He wasn't running, it was more of a jog; but it was enough to prevent her from putting him in arms reach.
Besides the feeling of nausea created from watching Serena panic, Misty flip out, and the over all disgust that she had from kissing Ash; she knew that she had to do it to clear her head. Unorthodox or not, she had to clear her heart of its impeding confusion. The kiss was the only way she thought it would work.
Like she thought, however, it was a lot like kissing her brother. The half-chewed bread in his mouth was grotesque, his lips didn't fit hers perfectly, and the entire thing felt like a violation of her personal space and his. And she was the one doing the kissing! May honestly thought that she would kiss Ash, they would agree it sucked, and forget about it. That's how their friendship worked. Deep down, May knew that this feeling should have been her first clue that she didn't harbor overly special feelings for Ash. But then, unforeseen complications arose... When Serena saw them, May was terrified; if May hadn't opened her mouth she could have explained the situation and it could have been a funny story; but she panicked and her mouth just opened and spewed the first thing that came to mind.
She wasn't saying "Misty told me" She was praying that she could receive help from the red head. But it was too late, the damage was done, and she had inadvertently caused it. She wasn't aware that her eyes and motion would be trained on Drew during the revelation, however; the way his green eyes lit up with horror, the pale extraction of his face, and the intense, morbid terror that crossed his entire body before he ran out was a slap in May's face. While she hoped everything wasn't falling apart at the Ketchum residence, and she wanted to help Misty and Serena, she couldn't go back. Not yet.
"Leave me alone, May!" He called to her, finally breaking his silence and slowing to a walk. May thought that his response was a good thing, and jogged to catch up with him; he was about an arm's length away when May spoke.
"Just stop and let me explain!" She offered, breathlessly, but suddenly he came to a roaring conclusion, shocking the brunette.
"No, YOU stop!" His anger bellowed from his chest, causing May to shudder. His green eyes flashed colors of rage, and May sucked in her breath to prepare for the worst, but he never caved; he simply gazed hurtfully at her and then slowly turned and walked away again
"That's it?" she asked catching up with him shortly after, he didn't reply, "Drew, come on, I'm sorry. I had to know. Why are you so mad?"
"Know what?" Drew threw out sharply, mockingly.
"If I felt anything for Ash." May replied as if it were the easiest idea to understand. He turned on her again, still walking. A clear anger rose over his features as he hissed.
"And the only way to do that was to kiss him? You couldn't have done that years ago?!" He bellowed and May barked back.
"I don't like the way you're talking to me!" She hollered back, and Drew threw up his arms.
"Right, I forgot, I should act like nothing you do bothers me because I need to be ignorant and dense like Ash to get your attention! Oh, and I need to have a hat. It's always the hat!" he threw up his hands again frustrated by her actions. It hadn't entirely sunk in that Drew was hurt by her reaction until his last comment, but May's guilt was hidden well in her fury.
"So your solution is to leave?!"
Drew put out his arms as if shrugging them and waving her off at the same time; "That's right, it was a mistake to ever start traveling with you."
May was stunned as she reached forward to pull on his arm. Frustratingly, he yanked it away.
"You don't mean that!" She screamed, and fell behind him, eyebrows knitting together as tears threatened to seep out the corners of her eyes. Drew wouldn't listen to her, wouldn't reply to her with anything other than anger and mock. He was hurting in his own way. Even after traveling with her for years, she still picked Ash over him. Someone who wasn't around at all, and made no effort to ever be around. It was just his luck. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he walked away from her and May inhaled sharply.
Like many of May's decisions, the were brash, barely thought out, and full of holes. The only time she avoided these circumstances were during pokemon contests, in which her intuition never failed her. Other times, in real life situations, she found herself making...rather bland, sometimes destructive mistakes.
"You jerk!" She shrieked and then tunneled towards him with a football tackle to the side, causing them both to go ass over tea kettle down a hill riddled with trees and shrubs. May might have screamed, she wasn't sure that she hadn't; but Drew's shrill scream silenced hers. His voice was laced with terror, anger, and regret as he made collision with his first tree branch on the way down the hill.
Instinctively, even after all of his anger, he grabbed the brunette into his arms, and tucked her into his chest to protect her as they fell into a clumped spiral down the hills. Screaming until they rolled into a nearby river bank where they came to a rolling, messy stop, they both let out a sigh of relief as they separated from landing. They were both covered head to toe in mud, with a few shrubs attached to their clothes. When Drew sat up, he noticed that he had a huge hole in his pants at the knee and cursed excessively. Unlike corny romance novels, they hadn't rolled on top of each other, no, they each bounced down the steep hill until they were at the bottom sprawled away from one another; even after Drew's attempt to protect his companion.
"Shit, May! You could have gotten us killed!" He yelled while assessing their current position. Looking up both ways, he could see the start of the forest to his left, and to his right, a large hill that led back to the road; crowded in looming, dark trees and a mudslide. May opened one eye at his sudden remark, sitting up in the calm of the water. Clearly in intense pain, she held her side and stuck out her tongue at him.
"Then maybe next time you shouldn't be such a jerk!" She called back wincing slightly. Stubborn through and through, Drew whipped his head to look at her. She adjusted herself the best that she could, holding onto her stomach as she leaned to crawl out of the water slowly. Drew was lucky, while still covered in mud; he hadn't rolled into the cold water like May had. Drew watched her gaze as she looked at their surroundings.
"Well, what would you have me do then?" he as suddenly, less frustrated than before while he pulled himself to his feet.
"I don't know," She hesitated, trying to stand, but found that her footing was uneven. Great, she must have sprained her ankle. She hissed harshly; "Talk to me, or you know, not over react." After much effort, the slightly wobbly May rose to her feet, shaking until her ankle rolled, and the mud-covered Drew lunged forward to grab her.
"What did you hurt?" He sighed, slightly annoyed while holding her around the waist.
"Nothing! I don't need your help." She barked and shoved away from him, only to have an intense, sharp pain go through her leg as she stepped away. Quickly, the ground caved out around her, and she would have fallen hard against the ground if not for Drew. Easily, he wrapped his arms around her waist, and hoisted her down gently, kneeling beside her.
"You must have twisted your ankle..." Drew observed and raised his eyebrows at her. All that annoyance and anger was gone in a flash, replaced by a deep sense of forethought; she did not look pleased with this however, and once gain pushed away from him. Even though she was technically the one who tackled him down the hill, she was still holding him at fault for making her angry; how dare he suddenly be so kind?!
"That's fine, I can take care of myself. You can leave now! I'm going to climb this stupid hill and go back to where the food lives!" May whined, but as Drew watched her frantic, limp like steps with a half-dazzled smile he couldn't help but shake his head. May was something else, she was like a immature kid mixed with one of the brightest and kindest females he knew. While she didn't always think through her plans, she always cared. He raised his hand and laughed gently, causing May to whine louder.
"Don't laugh at me!" She screeched, stomping her foot on the same leg as her sprained ankle, causing vibrations to shoot through her body. She jumped back in pain, making Drew laugh harder as he slowly moved in behind her, and surprisingly, wrapped his hands around the front of her waist, beneath her chest. The sudden warmth pressed up against her back forced May to blush violently and try to squirm out of his reach. Her mouth turned into a panicked frown as Drew r est his chin on the crook between her neck and shoulder.
"Thank you." He said calmly before nuzzling his face into the crook; inciting shivers throughout May's body.
"Y-you're welcome." She stammered, but Drew had already swooped around to her side, where he tugged one of her arms over his shoulders, and placed one of his arms behind her to hoist her up; she looked generally displeased with his actions. He was helping her walk, the last gesture she wanted right now.
"I thought you were leaving?" She groaned while Drew pulled them forward.
"If I left, you'd die. Look what happened just two seconds after I even suggested it."
Blushing, she responded quickly; "That's because you 'ere being a jerk."
"And what happens when the next guy is being a jerk and you tackle him down something like this? You'd die." He suggested, and this caused May to face palm while she scuttled along with Drew.
"I wouldn't have tackled you if you didn't try to run away."
"You keep saying that like it's my fault that you tackled me, but I think the words you're looking for are "I'm sorry."" he looked at her with wide, apologetic eyes, and she sucked in her breath. She knew that his phrasing was his way to apologize without having to actually say it, and as much as it frustrated her that he wouldn't just say it, she would take it for what it was worth. May's gaze shifted while her lips formed a pout.
"You can't just leave because things get difficult." May countered while they made their first step up the hill. Drew watched her intently, making sure she didn't fall again while also gently pulling her forward.
"I don't even know why you freaked out anyways." she added thoughtfully with a shameful tone. This time, it was Drew's turn to huff. After much thought, Drew deduced that May was just as dense as Ash.
"You kissed Ash. I... dunno, I got upset." He admitted while clearing his throat and helping her around a rock that had formed on the path. "It's just that after all of these years away, you still haven't moved on. It's thwarting, is all."
His heart raced while he confessed his frustration until May stopped mid step. He turned to face her crystal blue eyes and raised his eyebrows as her jaw cocked to one side. That look was one of determination, a look that caused a trace of pink to flesh his cheeks. Her sudden stillness almost made he shambling Drew fall backwards so he waved his free arm in circles to regain balance.
"What are you doing?!" He yelled frantically at her sudden jerking motions, but May had already leaned forward, grabbed the collar of his black jacket with both hands, and pulled him into her.
There was a little bit of dirt when their lips met; but it didn't stop either one of them. In fact, it was like a melting pot of pint of emotions. With May's gloved hands curled into his jacket, he used the slope of the hill to lean on and pull her in closer so that she would be safe from accidental falling. She tilted her head; and dirt moved into Drew's mouth; making him scrunch his face up—but it was so, so much better than her kiss with Ash. Drew's face was beet red, his lips were warm and soft unlike Ash's rough ones, and his body felt like the perfect fit. She spread her lips gently, having lost herself in the moment as she closed her eyes and started to lick his lips; when Drew separated.
Her eyes fluttered open, red faced from a mixture of hormones and embarrassment. She was expecting him to reject her; like she had imagined him doing for years now, and instead he used the inside of his sleeve to wipe her mouth and face off.
"You're covered in mud." He quipped quietly while May's lip quivered and she lowered her eyebrows sadly.
"Drew..." She started, thinking this was his polite way of turning her down; but the moment her face was clear of mess, he leaned in again. With his hand pressed against the back of her head, he pulled her in close for another kiss—this time, one without dirt. May whimpered into the kiss, and finally unclenched her fists from his collar to eagerly wrap them around his neck. Drew was sitting on the hill now, holding May up carefully with her hoisted between his legs as they slowly started to slip down the slippery slope of the hill.
Neither cared about their location as they reached the bottom, still tangled up in one another. Drew's hands had carefully traced the outline of her body; while May's stayed devote around his neck and in his hair, making sure that the kiss wasn't broken for anything. At the parting of her lips, Drew took measures to slip his tongue inside of her mouth; and she moaned delightfully at the motion while he wrapped his arms around her lovingly.
Releasing their inner most turmoil, and teenage hormones for couple of minutes, the finally broke for some air. Resting their foreheads against one another with their eyes still shut and a shortness of breath, Drew inhaled with a smirk, feeling proud of himself.
"How does that feel?" He asked, referencing her former comment about how kissing Ash was the only way to know how she really felt about him. He opened his green eyes to stare at hers; to realize her blue eyes were already open, and gazing into his in a daze.
"Lovely." May added with a drunk-like smile which was contagious to Drew, who also smiled wildly. He leaned in to kiss her again when she blinked nervously.
"Shouldn't we head back? The sun is down and I have to... Serena and Ash..." she stammered awkwardly, but Drew cut her off by hovering his lips above hers.
"I don't think they'll miss us." He spoke quickly before capturing her lips. He was grinning into the kiss before his eyes shut and he pulled her in just a little bit closer.
Finally, May thought, something good came of all of this.