Spitfire, Chapter 35: I will always...
Ash cursed at himself for not bringing along his pokemon after all. While Brock insisted it would prevent Ash from being distracted on his date, it really injured his jog home. He would have made it there in half the time if he could have jumped on charizard's back, but no, Brock insisted. However, jog was an understatement, after realizing he royally screwed up, he was sprinting. Reiterating to himself once again that the last thing he wanted to do was fight with her, yet look what he had done. He fought with her, he blew up, and he ruined what could have been the perfect first date between the two of them. Because he certainly hoped, no he prayed, it wouldn't be their last. Unfortunately, he wasn't even sure why he shot himself in the foot. The moment she walked away from him he realized his mistake, he was simply too proud to call after her to apologize.
Frowning to himself as his feet pounded against the pavement and the wind wiped at his hair, he thought: apparently they not only had a lot to work on as a couple, he had a lot to work on as an individual. That look she gave him, that look of complete betrayal and distrust reflected in her green eyes nearly ended him; he never wanted to see it again.
Luckily for him, he knew all of the short cuts around Pallet Town, so with any luck, he would beat her to his house; and if not, she couldn't have been to far ahead. He would reach her. He was sure of it. Leaping over the back fence into his yard, he raced along the inner gardens planted every summer by his mother, and skid into the front door of his house. Slamming his full body weight into the door, it gave way beneath him, nearly unhinging from the wall, if he hadn't turned the door knob.
Regrettably, his mother, Gary, and Tracey had already returned, and upon his bursting through the front door, accusations fell from his mother's lips before he could get an edge in. Rushing to her son from the kitchen, she wrapped her fingers around his shirt and hissed at him. Years ago, he would have been terrified, but his mother was no less than five inches shorter than him, and even in her rage, she couldn't stunt Ash's momentum.
"Ash Ketchum, what in the world did you do?!" She shrieked. Had Ash been a few years younger, he would have been mortified; but right now, he had places to be! With great effort, he wiggled out of her grasp, and exhaled sharp and threw his arms up defensively.
"Calm down! I know I messed up!" He yelled back in his defense. "I'm working on it."
His mother could only huff loudly, placing her hands on her hips disapprovingly as the trainer gait towards the stairs, only to be met with his next enemy—Gary. The auburn haired boy, who was still easily about two inches taller than Ash folded his arms bitterly and pursed his lips. He looked angry, Ash deduced, only the latter didn't care why. Instead, Ash tried to push forward, only to have Gary hold him back.
Oak had no idea what he was playing with right now. Ash growled under his breath. "Gary get out of the way!" Ash hissed, much to Gary's displeasure.
"You really know how to mess things up, don't you?" He demeaned threateningly. "What did you say to her?" He added aggressively, but Ash wasn't in the mood. Besides, it was none of Gary's business. Since Misty arrived, Gary had been goading her, constantly eying her from the corner of the room and following her around. Frankly, Ash was sick of it, so he paused.
"Why do you even care?" Ash groaned, stepping down to wait for his moment to charge past the pokemon researcher. Maybe Ash wasn't thinking clearly, but he didn't have time to think. Misty was leaving.
"Because you're not the only one who likes her, Ash. She's my friend, too." Gary barked angrily.
Something twisted deep inside of Ash, something repressed and very angry. Brought on by the pressure of stress and his own mistake regarding Misty, he sighed. Yes, he messed up. Yes, he could have done better, but he was trying. What more did anyone want from him.
Ash shuddered, "Yeah, but she's my girlfriend, so back off already!"
"Well it hasn't even been twenty-four hours and you've already screwed that up! I don't know what she sees in you after all of these years!" The researcher yelled angrily back in his defense, though Ash had heard enough. With his mother yelling in the background for the boys to stop fighting, Ash saw a shade of red, remembering that Gary kissed Misty and before Ash knew it, he had punched Gary.
Square in the jaw, knocking him side ways and forcing him to stagger backwards. Ash's face paled at his own actions, his fist raised partially in the air while he blinked. He went to apologize until he saw Gary's smirk. Gary stood straight, forcing Ash to take a step backwards. Ash wasn't a fighter, and if Gary insinuated a fight, he hoped it would be a pokemon battle—not a brawl. But instead, Gary smirked, touching his lip with his thumb, and nodded.
"Nice right hook." He chortled. Ash's blood ran cold while Gary exhaled harshly, sucking some blood out of his inner cheek. "We good?" he added shortly after, catching Ash's attention.
The dark haired boy blinked, "Yeah. We're good." Ash replied feeling a bit better about Gary.
"Good." Gary rubbed his chin, and cracked his neck to one side, "You're settled down then?"
Ash frowned and blinked sadly, "...Yeah, I'm fine, actually."
"Great; now you can go get her." Gary grinned, pointing towards the front door with his confidence given to Ash.
"She's not here?!" Ash groaned, sliding his hand down his face angrily. "What the hell Gary?"
"I wasn't going to send you after her in the state of mind you were just in. You would have made everything worse. Have you even thought about what you're going to say to her?" Gary muttered, wanting to spit. Ash shuddered.
"No, I haven't." Ash admit sadly. He didn't think he needed to think about it; he was hoping that once he saw her, he would know exactly what to say.
"Then maybe on your jog to the train station you should think about that so you don't screw up again." Gary managed the warning with a curt nod.
Ash scowled, "You don't even know what's going on..."
"I don't have to. I know you." Gary replied quickly, folding his arms over his chest. Ash's eyes gazed over the older trainer, and he sighed gratefully. Whether or not he and Gary were still childhood friends, he had no idea; but he had a very practical way of addressing Ash's issues, and hey, most of the time they worked; whether Gary would admit to helping Ash or not.
"Thanks." he said. Gary nodded his approval, and then much to Ash's surprise, stuck out his hand.
"Truce, then?" Gary asked and Ash nodded, taking his former-rival by the hand and shaking firmly.
"Truce."
With the boys made up, Ash spun on his heels, grabbing his bag while Pikachu bound from the living room, wishing Ash good luck from the ground and throwhing him a thumbs up. "Pi-kachu!" The mouse pokemon chided. Ash flashed the pokemon a thumbs up and grinned as he started out the front door. Delia raced after Ash. Poking her head outside of the door, she cupped her mouth.
"You better fix this, Ash! I don't want you to ruin my chance at having red-haired grand babies!" She shouted, nearly causing Ash to fall flat on his face. That was definitely his mother.
XOXOXOXXOXOXOXXOXOXOXOX
She couldn't believe him! After everything she did! First coming here to fix Ash's mistakes, hold his hand through the worst of it, and finally open herself up to him again. Quite possibly, that's what hurt Misty the most. She finally opened up to Ash again, letting herself believe in their love and the life they could have, only to get kicked and stepped on. She should have known better, but when it came to Ash, she was a little girl again. If he said jump, she asked how high; she didn't understand why that wasn't good enough? Rubbing her face with her fingers, she shivered as the sun nearly departed behind the trees. The wind had picked up, causing goose flesh to form over her skin.
Misty simply didn't understand what she did wrong to invoke such a horrible reaction from Ash. Sure, a lot of it probably had to do with his own repressed anger over the last couple of days, but there was no reason to blow up on her. Especially not after their date. If he had as much fun as she did, then there was no reason for it. Obviously they had something good, even if it wasn't obtainable right away. Someday they would be together. Ash brought out the best in her, and she thought that she brought out the best him—but apparently—she also brought out the worst. She kicked a stone on the ground beneath her feet and hissed, forcing the oncoming tears to stay at bay. She refused to cry over Ash. Not again. Not like this.
The truth was that Misty would have loved to travel with Ash again; she loved seeing the world. Some of the best memories she ever had revolved around the adventures she had with him, but it simply wouldn't work out. Not right now. Unlike Ash, who had income from his mother for the last eight years whenever battling didn't cover all of his necessities, Misty didn't have parents to take care of her. If Misty didn't work, Misty didn't have money. Instead, she had three sisters that shared her name and bank account that constantly put her in a state of recession. The moment they revoked their names as the gym leaders of Cerulean City, Misty could have done a tap dance, only now she knew that leaving meant that the gym would be written off to some other trainer. She simply wasn't ready to give that up. Not yet. She worked so many years to make Cerulean City gym a wonderful, respected environment for trainers and the league, that letting it go nearly crushed her. It may not have been her dream to be a great gym leader, but it was apart of her now; it was a step to become the best water pokemon trainer in Kanto. It was a means to an end, the same way that winning leagues were Ash's.
Sighing, Misty rubbed her temples. Before rushing out of the Ketchum household, she had changed out of the burrowed heels and left them with the white sweater so that Delia could return them to May. She didn't bother, and didn't have time to change out of her dress, so she shivered angrily as she walked the path. Incoherently, she had yelled and called Ash and asshole before throwing on her shoes and stealing her back pack—there was no telling what their friends thought; but she didn't care. She had to get out of their before they started asking questions. She hadn't even bothered to get her new attire from Ash's bed room upstairs, so her shoulders remained bare, allowing the hickies Ash left her visible for the world to see. But even that, she didn't care about.
No, she cared that Ash blamed her for her having to leave. That he was upset for so many years about it; that she didn't come back. A part of her realized that it made more sense that way. Why the letters stopped after she didn't return after a year like she had promised. Maybe he was just as devastated as she was, only he didn't cope with it as well? She laughed at the irony. To think that Ash might have actually returned her feelings while she sat millions of miles away convincing herself that he never would, was hilarious. Maybe if she had said something back then, all of this could have been avoided, and they could have had something sooner.
And so Misty huffed, and she kicked the dirt, and she pulled on her hair. This was her fault, at least by some right. She shouldn't have stopped calling Ash, or writing him—even when she thought she was getting annoying. What if he felt the same misery that she did over the last four years? The same heart break that his best friend was suddenly too busy to write a letter, too busy to visit or call.
She shuddered, recalling his words at the stream; you always leave! He had yelled so sadly that it nearly snapped her in two. Her feet refused to move as she looked forward at the glowing train station just beside her. She was on the west side of the gate, facing the forest. All she had to do was circle around the metal bars, and walk into the terminal. Yet, she couldn't move. She sucked in the air, and wrapped her arms close around her body.
Where did this incident leave the two of them? Who even cared about where they were before? What if Ash never spoke with her again? What if he was still angry? What if he still blamed her for everything? She lowered her gaze to the dirt and sighed. Her legs shook under her weight. Slowly, the guilt of running away instead of trying to talk with him seeped into her chest, and she placed her forehead into her palm, trying to address her emotions. Inhaling deep, she knew she couldn't stay. That wasn't an option, but maybe she had time to apologize? Trying to calm herself, she fanned her face while looking upward at the sky. She shouldn't have stormed off. She should have stayed with him, no matter how angry he got. Talked to him, hugged him; told him it would be okay, but instead, he goaded her, and she took the bait.
She was angry. With her curled fists, she rubbed her eyes, pounding back the tears before they ran down her face, swearing once again that she wouldn't cry! Ash wasn't good at these things, he never had been, so she should have been the one to help him. He was known to crack under pressure; and it shouldn't have come as such a surprise that he freaked out, even after initially being so calm. She would have freaked out too. How could she want to leave after today?
The simple answer was that she didn't want to leave, but Ash just didn't understand. What if that had been his reaction back at Johto, thinking that she only left because she finally obtained her bike? When she and Brock left, he was scarily calm. But after all of this, she wondered how he reacted after they were no longer in sight? Did he scream? Did he cry? Was he as devastated as her?
Caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't hear the sound of feet scuffing to her destination. In the setting sun, she probably blended in perfect with the scenery, so when Ash's burrowed into her side, the wind was forced out of her. She nearly fell to her knees in a spin as a panicked, tunnel-visioned Ash came to an abrupt stop beside her, breathing heavily.
"Oh shit," He swore, a rarity for the trainer, "...I am..." he started the normal apology for having bumped into a stranger, skimming over the fact of who it was until he saw her face.
The realization smashed him like a ton of bricks. "Oh, man. Misty," He gasped, elated. Without hesitation, he jumped on her, wrapping his loving arms around her entire body and pulling her into him. Her eyes went wide with surprise as a blush rose to her cheeks.
"Ash?" She murmured, the tears that had been threatening to fall having frozen entirely as he squeezed her tightly.
"I am so sorry," he said. "I was being a complete jerk." he added timidly, and then repeated "I'm so sorry" several times more before she finally eased in his arms, gently nudging her face into his shoulder, and wrapping her arms around his back.
Falling into the warmth of his embrace, she sighed. They fell into the silent hum of each others heart beats as the wind wrapped around their bodies, and she exhaled. Her breath against his chest brought him to his knees but he eased her down with him, refusing to let go of her. Off the side of the road, near the dirt and grass, he stroked her back gently. In return, she brushed her soft hand through his black hair, listening to the soothing noise of his calm breathing. She shuddered beneath his touch and then leaned forward to press her lips against his jaw line.
"It's okay." She soothed, pressing her lips against his cheek next, and then his neck, and then finally his mouth where he twisted his hands to her jawline and cupped her cheeks in the palms of his hands.
And all was right in the world again.
Their last few days may have been full of heartache, confusion, and anger; and the future would no doubt be filled with much more; but for now, in the gentle curves of her embrace. He was okay. They were okay. If only even for a minute.
Having gone only half an hour without her made his entire body ache. He burned from the top of his head to the top of his feet, until finally, he exhaled and opened his eyes to look at her. They separated and he brushed short strands of her hair out of her face, and behind her ears. Once against asking how he was supposed to make it months without seeing her again, when thirty minutes drove him crazy. It was no wonder he was terrified of his feelings. Misty was special. She always had been.
"Misty, I didn't mean to say those things." He murmured awkwardly, getting a look of pure bliss from her.
"No," She sighed. "It's okay. I understand... I don't want to either." She warned, but then added quickly; "But I have to." So that there wouldn't be a misunderstanding again.
"I know you do." He said bitterly, biting back his words, "The thought of you leaving just...I thought I would be okay with it if I told myself that I was... but I'm not." He sighed, remembering all the times he felt just like this after she left the first time. How strange it was to turn to his side to make a joke only to see May, Dawn, Iris or Serena staring back at him instead. After Brock left, it only got worse. Ash hardly felt like himself anymore. Together forever no matter how far, they said. They lied.
"But I shouldn't have exploded on you. I'm sorry." He echoed, hoping that at the very least she would understand that.
What he didn't know was that she understood much more than that. She hummed, gently pressing their foreheads together and closing her eyes softly.
"I can't say that I wouldn't have reacted the same way if I was in your shoes." She admit tiredly, catching a sigh of relief from Ash. His shoulders lowered in reaction and without warning, he squeezed her again.
At her confession, with his head buried into her shoulder, he nuzzled his face there comfortably. He thanked heavens that she understood him so well, even after all these damn years apart. Misty got him. So much so, that he knew that he didn't need to say it; that he loved her. And she didn't need to hear it, she knew it better than anyone, even if sometimes he was brash and insensitive and stupid. It wasn't that she needed to hear it; it was that he needed to hear himself say it.
"...I love you, Misty." He spoke quietly, sending odd, enticing shivers down her spine.
He finally said it, after all this time. He finally said it. She felt like she had taken a step out of the real world and directly into a fairy tale. Then, as if possessed, he abrasively kissed her, unable to wait for her reply, snatching her lips up with his own. Again, and again, and again. As if it would fix all the problems they had, but they both knew that wasn't the a perfect fairy tale, life didn't end with a kiss. It wasn't that simple, even though both trainers wished like hell that it could have been.
"Ash..." She stuttered into the kiss as he held her close. With his hands wrapped gently around the back of her neck to hold her head in place, he didn't stop. Not yet.
"...sssh." She groaned again, though as his eyebrows furrowed, he inhaled and sucked in his lips.
At first, thinking he was going to stop, she opened her eyes and mouth to speak firmly, but upon making eye contact; he was on her again, more desperate than last time. He needed her. Muscling her back against the ground, he hovered above her as she moaned when his hands traced the outline of her body, memorizing each curve. When his hands finally stopped around her rib cage, knowing better than to adventure too far south, or too far north, she had finally decided against talking, and instead wrapped her arms up and around his neck to bring him down closer. A short, fleeting gasp escaped her when when his rough lips touched her neck hotly. The world fell away from them in a spinning mess as he pressed kiss after kiss against her overheating body.
Drawn in by her sounds, his hand fell beside her, forcing her back to arch while he dared to run his fingers past the end of her dress; quite possibly about to take a step past their normal comfort zone as his tongue slid into her mouth and his knee pressed between her knees. Suddenly, across the road from them, blazing by on a blue bike, a kid shouted.
"GET A ROOM!" He yelled to the couple, zooming by, reminding them that they were, in fact, out in the open.
Ash froze automatically, reality having hit him like a tidal wave. The reaction wasn't much different for Misty, who let her arms fall above her head into the dirt, and away from Ash. He sighed awkwardly, peeling himself away from the girl by rolling away, closer to the metal fence guarding the train station, and then brought himself to a sitting position where he scratched his face awkwardly. Misty thought that there weren't enough words in the world to describe how red his face had become as he muttered about timing and how "she makes him friggin' crazy" under his breath. She smiled at his reaction, gazing up at the reds and yellows in the dying sky, and Ash uncomfortably fidgeted.
"Could you sit up?" He muttered, covering his eyes with the palm of his hands as he tucked his knees up towards his chest. Misty snickered at this, her position appeared slightly provocative, she supposed. Poor Ash. So, she did as she was asked and sat up, her hair swishing back into her face while she adjusted her dress and then slid in beside Ash, who hadn't even managed to look up at her; cowering behind his hands in shame.
She tried not to smile as her legs stretched out before her, crossing them at the ankles. In a dress, she wasn't exactly able to sit cross legged, or with her knees to her chest; so she fluffed the hem as Ash grumbled.
Well, she blushed lightly, at least she could say that she almost got laid on the side of the road, right after a first date, within twenty-four hours of a first kiss. That beat some of her sisters records by a long shot. Complimenting herself first at first, her smile fell drastically at the apprehension of what had almost happened. She looked at Ash horrified and then back in front of her with a breathless expression, eyes wide. Mouth ajar, she stared awestruck at the forest before her as her hands carefully came her lips, and remained there for a time while he muttered quietly to himself. Perhaps she hadn't realized what exactly was happening in the time lapsed moment, but surely not that. She shifted her gaze awkwardly at him, but upon seeing his guilty expression mixed with terror himself, she covered her own face.
How embarrassing. Thank heavens it wasn't something they knew that skimmed by.
After a few moments, Ash finally chuckled in their shared silence and shook his head awkwardly; "Well that happened..." he murmured, catching her chortle as she titled her head slightly to look up at him.
"I think we should talk." She managed quietly.
Ash's face reddened at once. "Can we not?" He muttered pathetically, running his fingers through his hair. She really did make him lose his mind. She laughed lightly.
"I mean about us. We'll pretend that didn't happen." Misty wagered while rubbing the back of her neck.
Ash sighed, relieved. "See, this is why I love you." he tossed out so carelessly that she shuddered and he grew a shade darker, but smiled through it.
She quirked a playful eyebrow, "Well... someday, we will have to bring that up." She teased, pointing at him.
"Oh please, no." He groaned painfully, rubbing his face in defeat. Misty whooped in response and hunched over holding her stomach gleefully.
After their brief laughter, Ash sighed; "So that's what making up feels like." he mumbled much to her surprise.
"I thought you didn't want to talk about it?" She teased and he pouted and looked at her with gleaming eyes. She could only grin at him before resting her head on his shoulder. He shuddered at the sudden closeness, but didn't flinch away. Alternatively, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gently brushed his lips against her scalp.
"I don't want you to go." he whined, though a tone of frivolity penetrated his voice. Misty smiled, all of her anger forgotten, damn him and his lips.
"You know I don't want to, either, right?" At her question, he nodded dutifully. "But going back to that being an adult thing that we talked about a few days ago; I can't just abandon the gym." She offered sadly, and while it didn't make Ash feel any better, he scratched his neck with his free hand and then let it fall into his lap as he extended his legs. He knew that the gym meant a lot to her, and he respected that. He could never ask her to abandon it on a whim. She was wasn't like that.
"So," He started, staring out into the forest while wiggling his feet side to side nervously. "Where does that leave us then?"
Misty pursed her lips flatly, and then ran her tongue over her teeth; "Long distance relationship?
Ash sighed slightly, having known that was the only solution before she even said it. It was the strangest feeling; being in love. It was exhilarating, and terrifying all at the same time and yet he welcomed it. After admitting it, after realizing it to himself, he couldn't imagine being without it. Not now. Not ever again. Even if it was hard, and mundane, and they spent of years of frustration and small fights. He wanted to be with her.
Only her.
And so if that meant waiting. Then he would wait. He glanced at her, feeling a warmth rise into his chest. Damn it. He would wait.
"So when will I get to see you in one of these types of situations?" He asked, honestly unsure of that field of romance, or any for that matter. She twisted her lips.
"Well, we plan visits." She mumbled. "I can take weekend trips to visit you every so often. Maybe once or twice a month." She added weakly, getting a look of alleviation from him.
"Really?" he asked breathlessly. Misty blushed in response and looked away.
"Yeah, then when it's possible and you're not super busy, you could fly to Cerulean City." She rubbed circles into his back, calming his nerves.
"...What about after that?" He wondered.
"After that?" She echoed thoughtfully. "Well, in six months, there's Tracey's wedding. I know the gym will be closed for a week during that time so you could plan a week's visit." She mused.
He breathed into her hair, resting his eyes; "And after that?"
She grinned lovingly, "After that..." her eyes danced playfully over her thoughts and she snickered. "We get married, run off into the wild together and have eighteen kids that we name after all the legendary pokemon we've encountered."
She wiggled her eyebrows at the wager, but he challenged her joke, and raised her a solution.
"Sounds like fun." He grinned. "Can we live in a tree fort? I've always wanted to live in a tree fort."
She slapped him devilishly on the stomach at his comment and stuck out her jaw; "No, it can't be a tree fort. It has to be a cottage or no deal."
"Awww..." he whined looking down at her sadly. "But cottages are booooring."
"They're romantic, Ash." She glowered much to the red blush that had formed over his cheeks at the idea of any sort of future with the red-head.
"I think we should reconsider. I'm not sure I could marry someone who picks cottages over tree forts." He joked, pressing his nose against hers, she cocked her jaw to one side.
"I'm not sure I could marry someone who wants eighteen kids." she challenged.
He grinned, "Oh, darn. All my hopes and dreams are crushed." he mumbled facetiously before kissing her sweetly. Much more innocent than the last one, their hands remained at their sides, aside from the ones that were wrapped behind their backs.
"So when do you have to leave?" He paused for a moment, slitting his eyes open to look into her lowered ones. He watched them shift slightly to the train station beside them
"...When the intercom calls for the evening boarders. I still have to buy a ticket, too." She mumbled, though Ash brought her mind back to him by cradling her face and smiling.
"Then I have time for this." he said smoothly. Surprisingly so, as it caused shivers to cascade through her body when he moved in to press his lips against hers again.
She paused for a minute, pressing her finger between their faces and then glared at him. "You just keep your lower half to yourself." She warned. Scrunching up his face, he blushed furiously.
He scowled, "I will."
Embarrassed as she wrapped her arms around his torso, he pushed his knees the opposite direction of her, to avoid any 'accidents'. Dissimilar the advice they were given earlier; they did not get a room, as the darkened sky provided enough protection for the both of them.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOXO
"You're sure you have everything that you need?" Ash asked her while they stood along the benches, waiting for her train. She tugged on the collar of his jacket, straightening it out and smoothing her hands over the front: a way to relieve her stress.
"Everything except for you." she said halfheartedly, though he titled his head in response and raised his eyebrows, as if asking her "seriously?". She grinned and then using the coat as leverage, stood up on her tip-toes and pecked him on the lips. Surprisingly, he wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"When are you starting your next adventure, Mister Pokemon Master?" She mumbled while smiling warmly at him as his coat poked around her waist as their bodies pressed against one another. He smacked his lips.
"A few days, give or take. I have a tournament to attend in Kalos at the end of the week." He grumbled, catching a sweet gaze from his lover.
"Well, you could always come with me until then..." She suggested, tapping her fingers against his chest. A deep blush covered his cheeks at the thought, that could work; he would have to call his mom when he got there...it was a very tempting idea... But he knew better and sighed.
"..Mist, I can't. I left Pikachu at my house and Iris and Cilan are still there." He grumbled, looking up at the ceiling. She giggled happily.
"I was just kidding, Ash."
"Really?" He mumbled sadly and she inhaled and shrugged.
"Kind of."
Sharing a brief muteness, they listened to the sound of passengers shuffling on and off of the resting train beside them. Her train. The one that would steal her away from him again. He hated that train. They hadn't yet called for last passengers yet, so they stalled, as any young couple would, for as long as possible.
"So, when's the first time you'll visit?" Ash whispered, pressing his face against the top of her hair.
"Well, the gym has been closed for a week now; so at the least, two weeks." She grumbled, calculating the times in her head, "But I might only be able to swing for a Sunday."
"Why were you closed for a week?" He asked suddenly, catching her by surprise.
Recalling her previous mental break after seeing Serena kiss Ash on live television, she stuck out her tongue at him while he swayed her gently.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"I would actually." His automatic, pleasant reply caught her off guard, and she blushed instantly. How sweet.
"I didn't react well to the news about Serena." She admit coyly and shifted her eyes. He caught on rather quickly, however.
"Ahh, one of those drinking things? Is that why you smelled like licorice the entire first day?" He muttered with a grin. She shuddered and looked up at him.
"Why were you smelling me?" She groaned, and he looked down at her with a bright smile.
Swaying her a bit more as his eyes darted to the train, counting down the impending moment it would take her away from him and sighed.
"By accident. You stood really close to me a lot of the time."
"I did not." She denied.
"Okay, I stood near you, whatever." He corrected himself and rolled his eyes playfully. He glanced at the ticking clock on the wall and gnawed his bottom lip. "Why didn't you say something if it bothered you so much?"
"Well, besides the fact that I didn't know how to and I hadn't really talked with you in four years; Brock asked me not to."
Ash flushed, "Oh, so when you take advice from Brock, it's okay, but when I take advice from Brock, I'm a pervert?" He jest, getting her to roll her eyes and look up at him.
"I didn't ask him for dating advice, Ash Ketchum." She adjusted his accusation appropriately and he sighed.
"Same difference." Ash mumbled and then looked down at her, catching her starry gaze. "Why'd he ask you not to?"
Now it was Misty's turn to flush as she immediately broke his gaze and stared anywhere else but at Ash. "You ask him. I'm not even getting into that right now." She grumbled disheartened at the memory of Brock's request.
She really helped the other girls indeed. Dawn was up in the air with her love life—who knew what she had in store for Paul. May lucked out with Drew after a crazy incident. Iris had some weird relationship with Cilan, but she couldn't be sure, and Serena was heart broken. Misty did an amazing job. With no shortage of sarcasm to coat her words. Oddly enough, she found the only person that actually loved Ash were her and Serena. Her face fell slightly, drifting into her own thoughts at the gentle sway of their bodies. It was a little weird that Brock, who knew all of these girls much better than Misty did, would assume they all loved Ash and needed help. Her face scrunched up, plus, he did mentioned Delia asking—and she seemed none the wiser. Her head titled, getting Ash's attention as he stared down at her innocently. Misty's blood ran a degree colder, and inwardly, her neck cracked.
Brock played her.
He totally played her.
All those times she talked with him where he egged her on rather than telling her to back off. When he insisted that she go talk with Ash and refuse the truth to Serena. That she talk with each female rather than talking with Ash directly, that only resulted in starting more drama than if she had just left it alone to begin with. She sucked in cold air, and looked up at Ash with a terrifying, twitchy smile. He shuddered.
"Actually, if you see Brock; kick him for me. Several times." She warned and Ash's face fell and he shook his head vehemently.
"Actually, you know, I think I decided I don't want to know why he asked." Ash grimaced with his eyes shifting around the room; worrying for his dear friend's life. What ever he did, apparently Brock didn't think it through. Ash swallowed hard watching as a few straggling passengers eyed him suspiciously in his position. He was pressed right up to Misty, who had her arms tucked into his jacket, his arms around her back. Ash didn't care. They could all judge, and they could be jealous, and they could all stare however much they wanted; he was content for once.
How strange was that?
"So...about that drink..." he muttered into her ear, implying a second date that elicited a squeak from her lips as the man over the intercom finally blasted that all final passengers needed to board. He winced inwardly and outwardly. Feeling her fingers curl helplessly around his shirt, as if she could take a piece of him with her, he realized this moment—all of them—seeing her again, they didn't last long enough. If only for three seconds, he wished that time would slow down. Stop, maybe even reverse and go the other direction so he could relive a few moments. It hadn't even been a full twenty four hours since their first kiss, and he wanted, no he needed more time.
He sighed sadly, and Misty looked up and kissed him on the chin thoughtfully.
"I'll see you again before you know it." She whispered quietly into his ear and then kissed his check, finally pushing away from him. His breath hitched, but he forced a smile. For her.
"I know, but I miss you." His voice sounded so helpless, it was so different than how Misty remembered it, and so she reached and pinched his cheek; causing him to frown.
"I will miss you, too."
Unfortunately, time was something he didn't have as he watched the train station empty of passengers, leaving just the two of them. He dipped his head down into the crook of her neck for one last grasp and she squeaked.
"I love you so much." He grumbled, upset by his inability to reference this prior—imagining all the time he could have already spent with her if he had just kicked himself into saying it sooner. What in the world had he missed out on for so long? How had he missed out for so long?
"I'm sorry it took so long." He added thoughtfully.
"I love you, too, Ash." she said. As if the words were still so weird to hear out of her mouth; they made him shudder as well.
"You're worth the wait." She added tenderly, planting a kiss on his cheek as they separate for the last time. She held onto his hand for just a moment longer, as he briefly returned from his daze to drop his back pack and then remove his coat.
"It'll be midnight by the time you get to Cerulean City." he offered, wrapping the coat around her shoulders, much to her chagrin.
"I don't want you to get cold..." he muttered sadly, and then Misty squeezed his hand in response, knowing that if she kissed him again, she wouldn't be leaving tonight.
"Thank you." She spoke happily while releasing his fingers from her grasp. She backed up at first, holding his jacket closed at the front as she turned away from him, the short bob of her hair bouncing with each step that she took. She never broke eye contact until the moment her back was turned to him, and she had to step into the train.
His breath stilled as he watched her board, pausing briefly to look over her shoulder at him, where she waved bitter-sweetly and then disappeared into the train cart. Simply put, he was devastated; tempted to jump onto the train and follow her home just to fill the hole in his chest. He bit his lips, trying to memorize her taste; trying to remind himself that two weeks was only fourteen days. He could manage that. It would be sooner than he could imagine.
However, he needed to get past this; he needed to know that he could still function without her around all the time. Even if he didn't want to. When the train started to move, he exhaled finally, waiting, eyes trained on the moving carts as they passed one by one; waiting to see if she changed her mind at the last minute-that she had actually gotten off. That she had decided that she couldn't go after all, and was waiting there at the other side of the platforms. Alas, as the train pulled away, he held his breath; wanting to see red-hair with beaming green eyes staring back at him, but as the train cleared. There was no one. Feeling devote remorse, he sighed as his shoulders fell down into a slump.
This was the end of a long party full of terrible and wonderful ups and downs; of Ash and Misty bickering, of Serena and Ash dating. It was the end of his worries about relationships, and the end of his first league championship. It was the first time he kissed a girl goodbye, and surely, it wouldn't be his last. Standing there, he maneuvered his body back to the entrance doors, and dragged his feel along the white tiles of the train station as his poke-gear rang in his pack. His ears perked up upon hearing the familiar noise, and he unzipped his pack to fish the phone out from the bottom of his bag. After clicking a few buttons, the light hit him in the face, with the message; "I love you, Ash Ketchum. See you again soon. xoxo" written along the screen.
Ash smiled, touching the gear to his chin. He closed his eyes thoughtfully. That's right, Misty loved him; it wasn't some terrifying one-sided relationship; it wasn't something he needed to obsess over, or worry over. She didn't pressure him into it, and she certainly didn't force him into it. It wasn't an accident, or something spontaneous; she loved him, and he loved her.
...So while it wasn't the perfect start to the perfect relationship, it was at the very least a start. Their start. A new, strange adventure he didn't want to share with anyone else. He turned back at where the train had been formerly. A new sense of determination flashing over his cheeks while he looked at where he had been standing with Misty only a few minutes ago. He smiled, and then returned to his phone to reply to the redhead. Besides, what was fourteen days? He could manage that.
That's right. He told himself cheerfully as he embarked into the cover of the evening light. This was only the beginning.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
XOXOXX
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Author's final notes: (sorry it's so long)
...You everwrite something, and you get totally wrapped up in it; in the characters, the weird moments, the terrible laughter/jokes and then 35 chapters later you're writing the final chapter and all you can think is... I AM SO GLAD I FINISHED THIS. Yet so sad. It's so bitter-sweet. But I'm so happy, and really sad. Ugh, the struggle is real.
As the author of this story, I found myself asking more than once (like a lot of you did), "Why would you do that! Can't you just let them be happy!?" And the simple answer is this: the Dramallama and I are really close associates, and we believe that "what fun is a story if it's exactly how it would happen in real life?" We need to dramatize these moments! Plus, I don't think most of their reactions were outrageous; I just took how someone would feel, and I escalated upon it.
In other news, I really edited the hell out of the last chapter. The original version was REALLY SAD, so I changed it to be cuter/fluffier/happier/full of humor. Also, I couldn't help myself with that moment outside the train station with the kid on the bike. I've been waiting to use the line "GET A ROOM" for this ENTIRE frickin' fanfiction, and I finally, fiiiii-does the spongebob dance-iiiiiinally squeezed it in at the last chapter. I am so happy about this that you have no idea.
Also, Ash punched Gary because that's how men make-up their fights. Apparently Ash and Misty try to take each other's clothes off in public. It's a win / win?
I had someone bring up to me on several occasions as this story came to it's close, that the summary no longer matched the content of the story. So I'm going to ask you, my loyal readers, what you would change the summary to, and maybe I will adjust it appropriately. :)
I've finally read through all of the reviews, and I must say, where they started out gray and I had to delete a lot for character bashing, they turned into very vibrant, multicolor reviews, so THANK YOU for all the nice things you all had to say about my story. Thank you everybody that enjoyed this story by favoriting it, following it, and by leaving lovely reviews. I enjoyed them all -hearts-.
However,I have a few shout outs! Shout out to "Mrs. Nose" who not only reviewed every single chapter, but also gave me some very comical feedback, thank you for that! I laughed quite a bit, and I really appreciate all your reviews; if you have more questions, PM me! Thank you to Julie Togepi, UltimateCCC, Cerulean Leader, and VikkiAMML, who were reviewing from the start (or at least left a review prior to my short hiatus around chapter 10) I'm very glad that my story was able to hold all of your attentions and that you enjoyed it at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it! I especially loved how everyone ran with the Bill and Cassidy joke. Thank you, those were wonderful.
Again, thank you everyone who reviewed, Favorited, or Followed this story. You guys are super-special-awesome even though I didn't list you all, I still loved everything you guys wrote me. :) Your amazing feedback gave me so much joy that I may even write an epilogue (how cheesy is that?)
Buuuuuut, I'm not going to lie, I was ready for this story to be over about 34 chapters ago. -laughs-
In response,
Kudos to anyone who called Brock out early on; Kudos to all the love for DAWN (yyyeaaahhh-fistbump-), KUDOS to all my contestshippers/egoshippers! And kudos to my Team Rocket reviewers! (Those were my favorite chapters to write, right next to the Dawn and Ash date chapter)
To those of you who said the characters were realistic and their maturity matched their age, THANK YOU. I can't say I tried as hard toward the end of the story as I did at the beginning, but, I really wanted to keep it authentic, so I'm glad you guys enjoyed that even if my writing sort of started a down hill slope around chapter 14. Some of those chapters were just really hard to write, and I got to the point where I just submitted them to get them out there.
The original draft of this story was much, much crazier, hostile, and very wacky compared to the completed version. On a scale from one to spicy hot sauce, I would call this version mild.
The first date chapter wasn't originally intended for this story! -laughs- I wrote it because I had a PM from someone who suggested that the story needed a shipping wrap-up; so, there you go. Their first date, full of kisses, awkward games, and Ash blowing it up at the end (I enjoyed that far too much)
So I originally wrote this story as a joke for all the shipping wars; and the original ending was supposed to be one of the following:
Ash picks no one and leaves
Ash is actually gay (throw back to all the references he/others questioned it)
But I had a change of heart after chapter 13, when I realized that holy crap, I'm still a pokeshipper after all these years (That was also when I added "eventual Pokeshipping" to the summary) For awhile, I even thought I would end it as amourshipping with Misty becoming sort of a coach to Ash and Serena, but it all felt...so forced. Maybe it's how I started Ash and Serena's relationship, but the more I wrote/read/learned about the ship, the less I liked it. But instead of rambling on here, PM if you want to discuss, I like discussing things!
Anyways, I hope I answered all of your questions; but I will get back to those who still have questions via PM; Thank you again everyone! I'm so grateful to whom ever made it this far, and that this kept you entertained, whether you enjoyed it or not!
Review if you want an epilogue or not?
THE END
NINT