AN ~ Herro all you amazing people :) I have another chapter today, and as promised to qfaceq, it is a long one! I hope you guys like it. :D WARNING ~ This chapter does use some mild language, and I think you'll notice that my language will get worse and worse as time goes on.
Oh, also wanted to say thanks to qfaceq, as they are now my editor(: you're awesome, and you're gonna make sure everything is perfect :DD
Chapter 2 ~ If Only You Knew
A bright sun beam hit my face, instantly waking me up. I groaned and rolled over, shoving my face into the pillow next to me, hoping the blinding light would go away. But it didn't. And soon, the loud sound of my favorite band echoed throughout my room. I halfheartedly hit the off button on my alarm clock and sat up, stretching as I did so. My t-shirt that I had worn to bed stretched up with me, barely revealing the washboard abs that I had, thanks to all the working out I did, both on my own spare time, along with some at work. Eww, work. I groaned, and got up to take a nice, hot shower. Maybe that'll wake me up. And that it did. As I was washing my cinnamon colored hair, it hit me – it's Saturday. I have today off. Arceus, thank you. I sighed happily, almost about to go back to sleep. But I couldn't. So I trudged down to the first floor of my small two-bedroom home, ready to make myself a nice plate of waffles with oran berries.
I smiled as I entered my bright and sunny kitchen. Umbreon and Eevee were still asleep, cuddled up together. Funny. Umbreon reminds me of myself, and Eevee reminds me of Ash. I wish I could cuddle up with Ash, hug him, hold him close. I wonder if he smells good? Crap, I was thinking about Ash again. Goddammit. I mentally slapped myself for letting my intelligent mind wander to the cute boy that I had known since I could walk and talk. I smiled, remembering all the fun things Ash and I did as kids, and the trouble we got into, and continued to do so the whole time I made breakfast.
After eating breakfast and cleaning my dirty dishes, I thought, Hey, why don't I go out for a walk with Eevee and Umbreon? It is a nice day outside. I decided I would, and gently shook the sleeping pair awake. How did they sleep through me eating? I've been told I eat as loud as a Loudred talks. When they both were up, although a bit bleary-eyed, I said, "Hey, how about we go out for a walk guys? Does that sound fun? Maybe we should go visit Professor Rowan today, or maybe Daisy. Or go call Mrs. Ketchum and see how she is holding up without Ash. I know she loves talking to us." I was greeted with a chorus of "Um, Umbreon!" and "Eevee, veee!" as they both said yes.
"Great, let me go get changed." I smiled and gently patted the two Pokémon behind the ears and went back upstairs. I grabbed a pair of tight jeans and my signature purple t-shirt. After making sure that my cinnamon spikes were gelled and styled to my liking, I went back downstairs, and headed to the door. And when I opened the door, surprise surprise, Ash was standing there, hand held up, about to knock on my door. I froze yet again, surprised he was here.
"A-a-Ash?" I stuttered, unable to form any sort of thought or sentence.
"Oh. Hey Gary. Using Alakazam to sense me before I knocked?" he joked, smiling widely as he did so. My heart literally stopped beating. That smile…
"Hah, you wish Ashy-boy. No, actually I was going to take Umbre-" I started to say before being oh-so-rudely interrupted by Ashy's bright yellow rodent as it blitzed past me, in an attempt to reach its one true love.
"PIKAAAAA~" Pikachu cried, nuzzling up to the dark-type eeveeloution.
"Breeonn~" Umbreon replied, returning the affectionate gesture.
The two Pokémon, with Eevee tagging along, left to go catch up on the missed times since they had last seen each other.
"Cute, huh?" a voice said to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. Ash smiled again. "They really like each other. Who knows, maybe you'll have more little Eevee's running around the house soon."
"Haha, maybe Ashy-boy. Maybe." At the pet name, the shorter boy in question grew slightly irate, his face starting to turn a light shade of red.
"Don't call me that," he gritted out through clenched teeth.
"Hah, no can do." I hesitantly reached out to mess up the soft spikes of the younger boy's coal black hair, and his sienna eyes screamed murder. Which only made me laugh.
"Why are you here Ash?" I questioned, still thoroughly surprised at the visit.
"Well, I decided that I'm going to live in Sinnoh, since I'm 19 now, and don't need to live with my mother." He said proudly, his chest puffing out. "In fact, my house is just down the road from here. It's practically next door to your lab."
My heart rate skyrocketed when he said that. Oh, he bought the house for sale next to the lab. Well… crap. I silently cursed.
"Maybe I'll even stop by the lab and say hi, or annoy you, or help with the Pokémon." He said sweetly, looking at me with hopeful and absolutely irresistible eyes. "You would let me help feed and play with the Pokémon, wouldn't you Gar-bear?" I gritted my teeth at that name. I hated that name as much as Ash hated me calling him Ashy-boy.
"Fine. But promise me you will never ever use that name again."
"Sorry, can't do that." He chuckled, and waltzed into my home. "I might, though, if you manage to catch me." And with that, he took off running through my house.
"ASH KETCHUM GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOU RUNNING THROUGH MY HOUSE!" I screeched, past my wits end with this boy. Why did it have to be him? I sighed as I took off at a leisurely pace to go get the overly energetic boy.
Ash crashed into me a few minutes later, and I managed to catch him before he smashed his adorable face into the floor. But I caught him in a terribly awkward position. I hoisted him to a standing position, my arms wrapped around his small waist, and his hands holding onto my arms like a vice.
"Thanks." He muttered, quite embarrassed, his cheeks flooding with a pink flush.
"What happened to your face Ashy?" I teased, knowing full well what happened.
Ash's eyes widened in horror. "Nothing, it's just so hot now that I've stopped sprinting and causing havoc in your house," he said simply, detaching himself from me.
"Mhmm, suuuure." I said, dropping the subject. "Hey Ash? I have a question for you…" I said, looking him in his adorable sienna eyes.
He looked straight into my green eyes. "Yeah?"
"Uhmmm… I guess I was wondering... since it's been years since I stopped training, and now that you're done training for now, I was wondering... Can we forget this whole 'rival' thing we've got going on? I think we should be friends again, just like when we were kids..." I asked, looking away, trying to hide the blush I had. Curse you, stupid crush.
Ash said nothing for a few seconds, and I got worried. But suddenly, the smaller boy wrapped his arms around my midsection in a surprisingly strong bear hug and practically screamed, "I thought you'd never ask Gary!"
I laughed, and said, "So I take it that's a yes?"
"YES!" Ash said quite happily, and it made me feel… warm and fuzzy on the inside.
"Hey Ash? You're choking me..." I said, trying to detach the overly-enthusiastic boy from myself.
"Oh. Sorry." He said, and let go.
"It's ok." I smiled my famous smile at him and said, "Hey, how about you and Pikachu come along with us on our walk? Plus, I don't think we'd be able to keep Pikachu away from Umbreon."
Ash nodded, and then said, "Cover your ears."
"Why?" I asked.
"Just do it." he replied. And I did. And thank Arceus I did.
"PIKACHU!" He screamed. "WE'RE GOING WITH GARY, UMBREON, AND EEVEE ON THEIR WALK!"
Holy crap that kid is loud. He should be an Exploud. I grumbled quite loudly as we waited for the three Pokémon to appear, and then headed out the door.
It was around dinner time when the five of us returned to my house. Ash asked if he could spend the night here at my house. I looked at him like he had three heads.
"Why? You have a house just down the road Ash."
"Yeah, but you see, there's nothing in it... My mom refuses to send over all my stuff and I haven't gone shopping for some new furniture yet..."
"Ashy-boy," I groaned, "We should have done that today instead of going to the park or even training your Pokémon, or transferring all of them here, which by the way, you'll be taking care of their needs. I have the research Pokémon to take care of, as well as mine own from my trainer days. Why didn't you say you needed new furniture?!"
"Hah, whoops. Guess it slipped my mind." Ash said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head like he always does when he apologizes.
I rolled my eyes noticeably, and Ash stuck his tongue out and wiggled it. Shaking my head and trying not to laugh, I said, "Fine, you can stay. You can sleep in the guest bedroom next to mine. We do have a connected bathroom, though. It was all I could get."
Ash cried, "Yay! Thanks Gary! I promise you won't regret it. And I'll go furniture shopping tomorrow. Hey, can we get pizza for dinner?"
"Only if you go pick it up. And I'll come help you shop tomorrow. Arceus knows you'll need it." I said. "I'm gonna move Umbreon's bed down here. She and Pikachu can sleep down here. I'll keep Eevee with me."
Ash nodded, and said, "Pikachu! Detach yourself from Umbreon and come with me to get pizza! Oh, do you have a lot of ketchup?" He asked me.
"Nope. Why don't you go out and get that too while you wait for the pizza? I just like cheese, by the way. You can make it half cheese, half whatever the hell you want, okay?"
"Mhmm got it. Let's go Pikachu!"
"Pikaaaa..." Pikachu said sadly, giving Umbreon a lick on the forehead, before slowly following Ash.
"Come on girls." I said, picking up Eevee, "Let's move Umbreon down here."
I crawled into bed, yawning hugely. Eevee snuggled up on the pillow next to me, saying, "Vee~" and then promptly falling into a deep slumber. I chuckled.
"Goodnight Eevee." I whispered, and then also fell asleep, dreaming about the boy in the room next to me.
However, those dreams were interrupted.
"Gary?" a soft voice called out, shaking me gently from my slumber.
I groaned, "What Ash?"
"I had a nightmare from when I was in Unova... I tell you about it tomorrow. But now I can't sleep, and Pikachu is knocked out cold with Umbreon downstairs. Can I, uh, sleep here with you?"
I was wide awake now. I looked at him, totally surprised. "Uhmm, yeah sure. Hold on." I gently grabbed a sleeping Eevee and shifted her position on the bed, and then said, "There." Oh, the advantages of having a queen sized bed.
Ash whispered a hushed thanks, and then settled into the bed next to me. I then realized, Woah. He's not wearing a shirt. His bare flesh burned with heat that seared through the thin fabric of my shirt. He quietly whispered, "Goodnight Gary."
I looked back at him, and paused for a second, and then whispered, "'Night Ashy."
AN ~ Whoa. Holy crap that was long. And that was a grand total of... 1,942 words. Daaaammmn I had no idea I could write THAT much, hah. Anyways, please rate and review as always, and I'll see y'all next Wednesday!
~ Love Shadows :)