Thank you once again to all those who bother with me and this crazy story of mine. As always, Natsume owns everything except my imagination.

He didn't know what exactly brought him to the mountain; normally he was too busy on his days off to bother leaving the village. Perhaps it was simply the summer heat beginning to get to him, or maybe he was simply sick of enduring hours of gossip with Georgia and Laney within the sweltering heat of Howard's bustling kitchen. Regardless, he sought refuge in the mountains, and the temptation of cool water flowing through the lower mountain stream.

"Ash?"

He had barely crossed the town boundaries when he saw her- Lillian, ankle deep in the stream, waving at him.

"Hi." He felt his cheeks turn crimson as he got closer; she had abandoned most of her clothes on the shore, leaving her ankle deep in simply the white t-shirt dress he had admired before. He had to hastily pull himself together. "What are you doing?"

Beside her was a small basket, its contents empty and offering no clue as to her intentions. Lillian's cheeks turned a slight pink. "I'm trying to figure out this whole hand fishing thing." She waded through the water, moving to stand beside him on the shore. "I've been trying the past few days and I just haven't been able to get it."

It was rare to see Lillian embarrassed by her own incompetence, a fact that send a certain amount of smugness through him- after all she was his rival, as she so often reminded him. "What don't you get about it?" He chuckled, watching the scowl on her face deepen.

She huffed, her fingers beginning to twist into the end of her hair. "How to grab them mainly. They're just so slippery and slimy that I can't get a good grip." This time he actually laughed, the sound of his chuckle sending another wave of angry pink to her cheeks. "Don't laugh!"

He tried to contain the grin threatening the spread across his face. "No offense Lillian, but I've been catching fish like this since I was a kid... Even Cheryl can fill up a basket that size in less than 20 minutes."

He could tell he had crossed some sort of line; the pink in Lillian's cheeks had suddenly rushed crimson. "Well, if you think it's so easy let's see you catch something!" He was momentarily distracted as she tossed her hair over her shoulder, the wave of lavender that hit him not nearly as hard as her elbow to his abdomen, sending him sideways into the water.

Her nudging caused him to descend into the water with a loud splash, any fish that he been close by scattering in a frightened manner as he struggled to keep his footing, the end of his pants and his shoes flooding with water. He wobbled for a few moments as Lillian chuckled darkly behind him, making him send a glare over his shoulder. "Well looks like you haven't given me much of a choice."

He wobbled slightly as he ripped off his soaked shoes and tossed them onto the bank beside her, taking care to hide the satisfied smirk and one of his wet socks landed loudly against her bare foot. He hid his smirk at her loud retching noise, his nimble fingers beginning to roll up his soaked pant legs and let his bare feet settle into the river bank. "Be still and quiet." He heard her tick her tongue impatiently. "You wanted a lesson, didn't you?" She sent him a glare but remained silent, tapping her foot impatiently against the river bank.

"Just let them come to you." As he whispered it, he could see the frightened fish beginning to explore his part of the water again, a loach in particular catching his eye as it swam a little too close to his left ankle. "And then, when they least expect it-"

He lunged for the fish without thinking; he could hear the splash of water around him as he enclosed the fish in his fist, whipping it up into the air and crashing against the bank.

"Ash!"

He shook his sopping hair out of his eyes to reveal an equally wet Lillian, peeking out at him between a matted mess of hair. He couldn't help himself; a loud bark of a laugh burst from his mouth as he doubled over, the walk to shore nearly impossible as he struggled for breath.

"It's not funny!" He straighten at her tone, half relieved when he saw that she too was fighting a smile. "Goddess Ash. You've... You've got to stop ruining every outfit I own."

He felt a sudden rush of relief burst through him. He was still walking on eggshells around her, still exploring the unknown territory on what Lillian and himself were forging- whether it could be called a friendship or not yet, he didn't know. The fish flopped between them, earning its place back in the depths of the stream. "Sorry." He grinned, for splashing her or releasing the fish, he didn't know. "But you got me wet first."

Lillian smirked, her hands wringing out her long chocolate hair. "You make it look so easy though. I don't know what I'm going to do come Friday, I won't be able to catch a thing."

He shrugged, trying not to stare as she laced her boots up her feet again. "It's not all about winning. It's also fun to eat what you catch after."

"If I catch anything." She paused as she straightened up, folding her leggings over the crook of her elbow. She seemed to be struggling to say something, her cheeks flushing pink again. "I know I don't say this enough but...Thanks for the help, Ash."

She didn't wait for his reply before she brushed past him awkwardly, leaving him alone on the mountain.

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