I'm sorry, again! I don't know why I do this because I so enjoy writing this story but I just never seem to commit any time to it. I will try try try to do better but I'm just terrible!
…
Misty woke the next morning alone, she couldn't decide what she preferred. Waking up buried in Ash's chest or clutching his pillow like some sort of love-sick teenager. Ash's side of the bed still held onto some of his warmth, she only hoped he hadn't had to detach himself from a clingy, sleepy Misty.
With a yawn, she rolled out of bed and grabbed Ash's hoody off the end of the bed. She knew it was terribly domestic but she had completely forgot how cold the mornings could be and she hadn't pack appropriately. How had it slipped her mind that before the sun warmed everything up it was frigid, many mornings she and Ash would bicker about who would get out of bed to make coffees. She always won.
She heard voices chatting in the kitchen, for a second her blood turned cold when she considered that Dawn would be over and Misty would just strut into the kitchen in her boyfriend's clothes. It hardly sent the right message.
She soon calmed down, however, when she heard May's loud laugh echo out the door. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved that the pair got on so well or if it should bother her. Either way, it made life easier and she wasn't going to question it.
"Morning." Misty croaked, her voice still raw from all the tears she'd shed last night.
"Morning." May replied, her smirk and raised eyebrow clearly from the attire Misty was wearing.
"I'm surprised you actually surfaced, I was expecting to bring you breakfast in bed." Ash smirked.
"I'm a morning person now." She denied, May scoffing at her.
"Please! If it wasn't for the eleven alarms you set, you'd never make it into work." She said, Misty feeling a little betrayed by her.
"Now, don't think I haven't been enjoying having you two staying with me." Ash reassured, holding his hands up. "But, how long do you plan on staying?"
"Well, obviously we have to go Disney World, I wouldn't mind going to Universal as well, oh, and the space centre just to say I've been, obviously the beach, can't come all this way and not go to the beach." May listed, counting off her plans on her fingers.
"Sign the papers and we'll be gone." Misty cut her off.
"Hmm." Ash said, as if he really were considering the offer. "I guess you'll be becoming permanent features then."
"Ugh!" Misty groaned, why did she have to marry one of the most stubborn men on the planet? "Why won't you just sign?"
"Don't really see the point, divorced or not my life won't change all that much. Saves me a lot of time and hassle just to carry on as is." He shrugged.
"What hassle? There's no hassle! I've paid for everything, dealt with all the legal side! Literally all you have to do is write your name a few times." She shouted, May awkwardly sipping her drink.
"I think I'm going to take a walk." May coughed, throat burning from a too hot coffee but she needed to escape.
Without waiting for a response, May was up and out the door, if she knew getting these papers signed would have caused such a drama she may not have agreed to have come along.
"God Ash, don't you want to be free of me?" Misty sighed, she honestly thought she was doing him a favour.
"I have been free of you for the past ten years." He offered her a fake smile.
"Ash we're only married in name at this point, there's no feelings between us." The words felt bitter in her mouth, she knew she could never forget her first love but surely Ash couldn't share the same sentiment. Surely the anger he felt towards her would have diminished any lingering love her felt.
Ash didn't respond, instead he grabbed May's empty coffee mug and dropped it into the sink. His hands tightly gripped the edge of the counter top, as if he were afraid to turn around for fear of what might come next.
The sound of the front door opening and closing broke the tension, although Misty wasn't sure if Dawn arriving was really going to make everything better.
"Uncle Ash!" Misty was almost knocked off her feet as a small, dark blonde child came barrelling into the room.
"Ella-Mae!" He smiled, grabbing her and sweeping her up into a hug. Misty watched the exchange in confusion. Ash was an only child, unless Delilah had remarried and now he had step siblings.
"Who are you?" The girl pointed, lacking the social graces to address her politely. Misty felt the wind knocked out of her as she looked into the girl's eyes, so familiar. Looking at the sparkling green was like being greeted by an old friend.
"Ash, you will never believe who I saw walking down the street the other day."
Misty spun around at the voice, slightly more mature but still the same twang she'd grown up with.
"Daisy." She gasped.
Daisy crossed her arms over her large stomach, obviously Ella-Mae was the first of many, her sister had always wanted a big family. Misty felt herself shrink under the look, it was the same look their mother had given her when they were growing up, Daisy had obviously perfected it over the years.
"Well, I should have known if anyone was going to get you back here it would be this guy." Daisy sighed, lowering herself into a chair as if the effort of standing up had become too much to bear. "You could have at least called."
Misty opened her mouth to apologise but Ash beat her to the punch.
"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly, lowering Ella-Mae back to the ground only for the girl to run to Misty's side and stare at her like she was something precious.
"So, you guys a thing again or what?" Daisy asked, eyes flicking between the pair – obviously Misty's attire hadn't gone unnoticed again.
"What? God, no!" Misty scoffed.
"Don't have to sound so offended." He fake pouted.
"Then why are you here?" Daisy accused, obviously any hope for a happy family reunion would never come to fruition.
"She's only gone and got herself engaged." Ash joked, a thumb pointed in her direction.
"What?" She asked, whipping her head around with a waft of blonde hair. "Engaged? Aren't you two technically still married?"
"You're married to my Uncle Ash?" Ella-Mae frowned. "But I don't know you, you're not my aunty."
"I know but…" Misty trailed off, she had no idea how to explain this to a child and she had very little experience with them, none of her friends in the city had them yet. "But Uncle Ash will sign a special piece of paper for me and then we won't be, because he doesn't really love me. He loves Dawn, yeah?"
"So, Dawn would be my aunty?" The girl scrunched up her nose, as if deciding who she'd rather have as her aunty. Dawn or this new girl.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Sign the damn papers." Daisy practically growled. "Then she can fu… go back to where she came from."
"Why should I? I don't owe her anything." Ash retorted.
"Ash please, now is not the time for tantrum." Daisy groaned, rubbing her temple with her fingers.
"She has no right to turn up and demand things of me after ten years. That's not how it works." He defended.
"I'm going to get dressed." Misty finally spoke up, although the pair were speaking as if she wasn't even in the room.
She walked away, very conscious of the eyes trailing her as she went. She felt on show, judged by what had once been the people she cared about the most. She could understand Daisy's anger, really she could, but part of her had always hoped that sisterly love could prevail and it would pick up where it left off. Clearly, Daisy did not share the same sentiment.
"I can't believe you're letting her stay with you." Daisy scolded, clearly unfazed by the fact Misty had only just left the kitchen and would still be able to hear her.
"What was I supposed to do? Leave her on the street?"
"It's the least she deserves after what she did."
"Daisy." Ash warned, Misty scurried up the stairs. Unable to listen to anymore.
…
May wasn't sure how she had managed it, but she'd found herself in the same café she and Misty had visited just the day before. It was by sheer chance but a part of her was excited.
It was the same sort of time as yesterday, she couldn't help but wonder if coming in for a coffee was part of Drew's routine and she might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him again. With a grin she walked in, she wasn't going to miss the show if he did arrive.
She walked up and ordered a drink, purposely forgoing the food. She planned to go to the beach after this and the last thing she needed was to bloat because of all the carbs. She debated texting Misty to invite her along but she was dealing with a whole heap of things so she doubted she'd want to.
But, being the amazing friend she was, May text anyway.
Hope all's well? Going to head to the beach soon, if you wanted to come?
Slipping her phone back into her pocket, her head shot up at the sound of the bell above the door. Her breath caught in her throat when Drew walked in, looking more attractive than yesterday if that was even possible.
The suit was long gone today, instead he wore a pair of shorts and a tank top that left little to the imagination. Sweat giving his skin a mouth-watering sheen. She knew she shouldn't ogle, but when God put such a perfect man in front of her what was she supposed to do?
In that moment, Drew looked up and caught May's eye. Granted she wasn't the only woman in here staring but she was the only one who had got caught out.
Although, she wasn't about to admit defeat. Instead, she gave him a soft smile before averting her eyes down to her drink in a way she hoped came across as coy rather than embarrassed.
It seemed to work, because suddenly the chair opposite her was being pulled out.
"Hi." Drew smiled, May's stomach fluttered at the sight. "May, wasn't it?"
"Yeah. Drew?" She asked, as if she hadn't spent the past 24 hours obsessing over him. He nodded quickly in response.
"Alone?" He asked, glancing around as if he expected Misty to suddenly appear and shoo him out of the chair.
"Misty and Ash were having a bit of a domestic, thought it would be best if I left them to it." She shrugged.
"They have a tendency to do that and unfortunately an audience never stops them." He laughed. "So, what do you have planned for the day?"
"Just going to explore a little." She said casually, hoping to bag herself a travelling companion.
"It's nice around here, quiet and away from all these tourist traps." He said fondly.
"Oh, I want to see those too!" May enthused. "I'm not leaving without visiting Disney at least once."
"You don't strike me as a Disney kind of girl." He laughed.
"Every girl is a Disney girl at heart."
"I see." He smirked. "Well, I need to clean up before work but when you do go to Disney I'd be thrilled if you'd think of me as your guide." He smirked, writing his number down on a napkin.
"I'll bear that in mind." May smiled, taking the napkin from his outstretched hand.
"See you around." He winked, pushing himself out the chair and leaving the café. A trail of jealous eyes following as he went.
May wanted to scream she felt so giddy, but even she knew that would draw too much attention. Instead, as calmly as possible, she pulled her phone out. She didn't trust herself not to lose the napkin as soon as she left.
She'd received a response from Misty, she'd almost forgotten her friend in all the excitement.
Can't. Having an impromptu family reunion.
May decided she best keep herself scarce the rest of the day, Misty needed some time on her own to get her head straight and sort out this whole situation.
…
When Misty finally came back down the stairs the angry voices seemed to have died down, all she could hear was the sound of the TV. Judging by the singing some sort of kid's film was playing. She slowly poked her head around the door, ready to bolt if her sister so much as looked at her funny.
"Nobody's going to shoot you." Ash rolled his eyes, gesturing for her to walk in.
Hesitantly, Misty entered and perched on the edge of the sofa pretending to be instantly absorbed by the film but she knew her ramrod straight back gave her away.
"I'm sorry." Daisy grumbled through a mouthful of biscuits, obviously Ash had bribed her with food. It would have made Misty laugh if she weren't so scared, the Daisy she left behind was too scared to even look at a biscuit in case she somehow gained the calories. Clearly her priorities had changed.
"For what?" Misty frowned.
"For being standoffish." She explained, as if it pained her to do. "I know it can't have been easy coming back here and, even if you had no intention of letting me know you were back, I didn't help with my attitude."
"I was going to tell you." She offered.
"Liar." Daisy scoffed, but underneath it Misty could see the smile. It was a small thing but it was still a step in the right direction.
Sometime during the conversation, Ella-Mae had moved closer to Misty and was now stroking her hair like a pet kitten.
"I've made a decision." The little girl announced, grabbing Misty's hand. "I don't want Dawn to be my aunty, I want you."
"You don't even know Misty, Ella-Mae." Daisy sighed, as if Ella-Mae often went around accosting women she found.
"I know Mummy, but she is beautiful just like you so she has to be my aunty! Both Aunty Lily and Aunty Violet are pretty so she has to be my aunty." Ella-Mae explained, as if the whole thing made perfect sense.
Misty felt herself choking up at the words, she was often referred to as the 'runt of the family', never as pretty as her sisters. She always felt insecure at every family occasion knowing she didn't quite fit in but with her niece staring up at her with wide eyes she finally felt like she belonged.
"It's the genes, you'll be beautiful too when you grow up Ella-Mae." Ash teased.
"I'm beautiful now!" She pouted.
"Of course you are." Daisy soothed. "You know how Uncle Ash likes to wind you up."
"Will you be my Aunty?" Ella-Mae asked, shaking Misty's arm. "Please! Please! Please! Please!"
Misty could here Ash laughing behind her as Ella-Mae continued her chant, getting closer with each please that soon Misty feared they'd be nose to nose.
"That's not really my choice." Misty said. "Your Mum gets to decide that."
Suddenly, the girl was running across Misty's lap to get to her mother. Ash barely even flinching as she did the same thing to him. Obviously, Ella-Mae was a very physical child.
"Mummy! Please can she be my aunty? Please!" She begged, not quite at the same intensity she had with Misty though.
"We'll see." Daisy said, shooting Misty a look. She may have thawed slightly but it clearly wasn't enough to let her daughter get too close. Misty understood that. Because when everything was said and done, she would have to return to her real life in New York and this would just be a distant memory.
…
A few hours later, Ash and Misty found themselves alone again. The house seemed very quiet without Ella-Mae running around. She had been relentless after deciding she adored Misty, not leaving her alone for a second. They played dolls, painted pictures and did a puzzle – who knew Ash had a secret supply of kids toys hidden away in a cupboard?
But as much as Misty had enjoyed getting to know her niece, she was still confused why she was so close with Ash. Misty was the one related to her and she hadn't even known she existed. Why was Ash such a big part of her life?
"Why does she call you Uncle Ash?" Misty asked, interrupting the answer Ash was giving to whatever game show he had on.
"Well, I'm family ain't I?" He stated bluntly.
"Technically, but…" She trailed off.
"But what? You thought when you left, I'd cut all ties to them? I care about them, not just because they were your family but because they became mine too."
Ash had always been envious of Misty's family, he'd always wanted a sibling but it had always just been him and his mum. When he first started seeing Misty, he had found the whole Waterflower clan overwhelming. They were loud, they talked over each other, they argued at the drop of the hat. But despite all that, they were fiercely loyal and loving, soon Ash was one of them and they were never going to let him go.
"Come on, we better make dinner before your friend gets back." He said, shutting the TV off before Misty could question him anymore.
Besides a text and an incoherent voicemail which basically consisted of screaming, Misty hadn't heard from May all day. She really hoped she was okay.
"What we making?" Misty asked, following him into the kitchen.
"Something simple." Ash replied, rooting around his cupboards. "Bolognese?"
"Yes!" She nodded, Ash's Bolognese was one of her favourite meals. Despite having the same recipe, it never tasted as good when she made it.
She sat at the kitchen table as Ash gathered the ingredient, purposely not letting her eyes drift down to his waist where his shirt was rising up. As much as she loved Rudy, she couldn't deny defined muscles were always more attractive to her than lean hips.
"What do you think you're doing?" Ash questioned. "You're helping."
"What?" Misty cried out. "I can't cook!"
"Practise makes perfect." He teased.
"Don't blame me when you get food poisoning." She shrugged, walking over to him.
"Fine." He sighed, grabbing an onion and chopping it. "At least open the tins of tomato for me."
"Aye aye captain." She saluted, grabbing the can opener from the side.
Misty carefully opened the tins, desperately trying not to get any sauce on her shirt. Tomato always stained and this shirt had cost her an extortionate amount of money.
"All done." She said turning towards Ash at the same time as he reached out for the tins.
It was one of those moments, where you could see what would happen before it happened. But, despite this, there was nothing Misty could do to stop it from happening.
Ash's hand caught the bottom of the can, knocking it out of Misty's hand and towards his t-shirt. Covering him in thick, red sauce.
"What the hell?" Ash exclaimed.
"It wasn't my fault." Misty bit her lip, refusing to let her giggles bubble out. "You knocked it."
"I'm filthy." He shook his head, grabbing the other tin from the floor. "It's only fair that I return the favour."
"Don't you dare Ash, this is designer." She said, gesturing to her shirt.
"Then you better hope you can move fast." He warned lurching forward.
Misty screamed, running away from the sauce that was now flying towards her. She felt it drip down her back and she knew that meant war. He'd already ruined her shirt so what did she have to lose now?
"You're dead Ketchum." She growled, grabbing a handful of sauce and throwing it at his face.
"Big mistake." He glared.
Before Misty knew it, there was tomato sauce everywhere. In her hair, all over her clothes, the cupboards and the floor. As she ran, she skidded on some sauce causing her to stumble over her own feet. Ash couldn't stop in time and soon ended up in a heap next to her.
"Ow." They both moaned, pushing themselves up until they were sat beside each other against a cabinet door.
Suddenly, they were laughing. The whole situation was so ridiculous. Two grown adults chasing each other with tins of tomatoes would have looked absolutely ludicrous. Thank God, May hadn't got back yet because they'd never live this down.
"I'm thinking takeaway for dinner?" Misty suggested after she finally calmed down.
"Good shout." Ash agreed, leaning back slightly so that his shoulder was touching Misty's.
She knew it was unintentional but it felt very intimate in a way. Just the two of them sat on the kitchen floor, that innocent shoulder touch seemed like it meant so much more.
Slowly, she turned her head only to be practically nose to nose with Ash, so close she could feel his breath against her cheek. Her heart was hammering in her chest, so loud he was bound to hear it. She heard Ash swallow rather than saw it, unable to tear her eyes away from his.
She knew she should get up, tidy the kitchen and get herself away from whatever this moment was but she couldn't. She felt paralysed by Ash's eyes, staring into hers like they could hear her every thought, read what was in her heart.
"Why now?" Ash whispered, as if he were afraid to speak too loudly.
"What do you mean?" She replied, equally as hushed.
"The divorce, why now? I know you're engaged but you've had years to sort this out but you didn't. Why?" He asked.
"I… I don't know." She licked her lips. "Maybe I liked knowing we were still connected somehow. That maybe one day I could come back and the life I had left behind would just be waiting for me."
Ash didn't respond, instead he broke their eye contact briefly to look down at her lips before meeting her gaze again. It was a quick flicker, he might have thought he'd got away with it. But Misty had noticed and she knew what that look meant, his pupils were wide and she knew exactly what he wanted.
Her head was screaming at her to stop, to push herself away but instead she leant forward. Her heart was fully in control, it needed Ash and it needed him now. It needed to feel that old comfort again, that spark that may never have fully gone out.
Ash gently cupped her cheek, squelching slightly as he came into contact with the tomato on her skin but he didn't even crack a smile. He nudged her nose slightly with his own, giving her one last chance to say no.
But she didn't want to say no, she wanted to take whatever Ash would give her.
"I'm back!" A voice cried out as the front door slammed open.
They pair of them jumped back as if they'd been shocked, crashing back to reality in an instant.
What was she thinking? She was engaged and she was about to throw that all away for a brief moment of weakness. She'd never have forgiven herself if she'd done in, she could never betray Rudy like that.
"What happened in here?" May asked, looking around the kitchen.
"We attempted to cook dinner." She panted, praying May couldn't tell how twitchy she was.
May looked down at the pair of them, covered in sauce and legs still tangled, and broke into a huge grin.
"Well, well, well." She rose an eyebrow. "Isn't this a romcom moment?"
"Grow up." Misty rolled her eyes, forcing herself onto unsteady feet.
"The romcoms are wrong anyway." Ash laughed, sounding completely unaffected but Misty could tell his eyes were still blown wide. "It's not cute, you're just grumpy and covered in sauce."
"Should I ask how?" May teased.
"Best not." Misty warned. "Just go order some take away."
"Fine." She grinned, tapping on phone as she walked to the living room.
Suddenly Misty felt nervous to be alone with Ash again, wishing May had stayed in the room with them. Now the near kiss hung over them like an elephant in the room, even the unflappable Ash looked uncomfortable.
"Right." He clapped his hands together. "Let's get this place cleaned up."
He turned his back on her and began wiping down the counter top, a clear indicator the moment was gone and they would not be discussing it. What nearly happened on the kitchen floor was to be forgotten and not mentioned again. Misty could do that.
…