Three months later, Ash and Serena were out in the back garden, lying on beach lounge chairs and soaking up the sun. Pallet Town was experiencing a lengthy episode of heatwaves that didn't appear to be letting up any time soon. With it being so hot, Ash was wearing nothing but shorts and Serena had a pink bikini on. The sun was beating down on them hard, as a reflection of the bright rays hit their sunglasses. Thankfully, Mr Mime was right on cue to help cool them down and emerged through the garden door with a tray, holding two very exotic refreshing drinks.

'Thank you, Mimey,' said Serena.

Mr. Mime nodded happily and cheerily hummed his way back into the house. Ash had a sweet strawberry flavoured drink and Serena had a tangy orange flavoured drink. They sipped them and sighed refreshingly, as it cooled them down and quenched their thirst. They put them down and continued to relax. Serena turned over to Ash and looked at him as if to say, "I can't believe he's mine." She leant over and rested a hand on his bare chest. Perhaps the best part of dating Ash for the last three months, was getting to touch him a lot more and be able to admire his body, without fear of being caught now. Serena traced her fingers over his chest playfully and smirked.

'Hey, handsome…' she said in a flirty tone. Ash tipped his sunglasses down and peered over at her, smirking back.

'Yeah, babe?

Ash still called her Rena from time to time, but he had recently become rather fond of calling her babe too. And Serena absolutely loved it, still getting little flutters when he said it.

'You know we've been dating three months now…'

'Yeah! Three months tomorrow, right babe?'

'Yup. I'm surprised you remember!' Ash looked proud of himself and nodded smugly.

'Well, of course I do! It was also the best day of your life, so it's important to me.'

'Yeah, you're right. It really was. And that's sweet of you to say, Ash.'

'So, what did you wanna tell me then? We've been dating three months and…?'

'Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry.' Ash shook his head and was having none of it. He turned over to face her.

'Nah, you're my girl. And if my girl has something she wants to say, I want to know.' Serena sighed and rolled her eyes, before smiling in defeat.

'You know, for a guy that never even knew what being boyfriend and girlfriend meant, you're a helluva good boyfriend!' laughed Serena. Ash shrugged like it was nothing.

'Well, Brock's given me a few pointers. But most of it just comes naturally, because I really like you, Rena.'

'I really like you too, Ash.' The real L word hadn't been mentioned yet, but god did Serena want to say it. It was way too soon though. 'But - And please don't feel like I'm pressuring you or anything - but we haven't been, you know…' Ash raised an eyebrow and had no idea what Serena was alluring too. 'Intimate,' Serena whispered.

'Oh...'

Ash actually knew exactly what she was talking about now. Since they returned to Pallet, Ash had been having regular phone calls and meetings with Brock about what it meant to be a boyfriend. Safe to say, Ash had learnt a fair lot and wasn't half as dense as he used to be now. But he wasn't exactly going to push Serena up against a wall, ram his tongue down her throat, rip her clothes off and get in bed with her anytime soon. He'd learned all about sex from Brock and was still learning more and more everyday. But the most Ash and Serena had done up to this point was a 20-minute makeout session, with wandering hands in strictly appropriate places only. (To Serena's great disappointment). And even that took a while to work up to. So Serena had to bide her time. Even if she couldn't stop thinking about Ash ripping off her clothes, ripping off his own and… Serena's thoughts were trailing off wildly, while she waited for Ash to comprehend exactly what she was asking.

'...Well. Don't get me wrong, Rena. I want to. I really do. But I just don't think I'm ready yet. I'm still learning, I guess.' Serena nodded understandingly.

'Okay, I get it.' Serena moved her hand over to his leg and rubbed it. 'But whenever you're ready baby, I'll be waiting,' she said in a sultry voice.

She smirked at him and kissed him on the cheek, slowly moving her hand up and away from his leg. Ash suddenly got a rush of blood and his body was flooding with desire. Just because he wasn't ready for the whole shebang, didn't mean he didn't still have strong urges. He couldn't just let Serena tease him like that and get away with it. He leaned over to Serena and pulled her into a kiss. Serena was taken off guard a little, but quickly muffled a moan of approval. Then the garden door suddenly flung open. Ash quickly broke apart from Serena and looked a little flustered. He hadn't gotten to the stage where he was comfortable kissing around other people yet, but Delia and Mr Mime had seen enough as they walked towards them. Delia was carrying burgers and baps and some chicken skewers, while Mr Mime had his chef's hat on and looked ready to cook. Delia stopped and smiled.

'Aww, you two are just so precious! Still can't believe my Ashy has a girlfriend!'

'Mum!' cried Ash, looking embarrassed.

'Oh, come on sweetie! You've been together three months now. You can kiss in front of me.' She winked at them.

'You saw that?!' asked Ash, red-faced.

'Of course I did, honey. I've caught you two a few times before and you're actually getting better at it, you know!' Ash groaned in embarrassment, while Serena just giggled.

'She's right you know,' she agreed, smirking and bouncing her eyebrows up and down teasingly.

Ash lightened up and began to see the funny side of it.

'Haha okay. Fair enough.'

'I mean, you can kiss me again if you want. You don't need to be shy in front of other people.'

'Hmm, okay.' Ash quickly pecked her on the lips. Delia chuckled.

'Honestly! You really don't need to feel embarrassed at all, Ash! It's perfectly normal. I'm just so happy you and Serena found each other! I mean, I was wondering when you'd finally bring a girl home… or a guy. Thought you could have been gay at one point, which would have been totally fine of course but–'

'Mum! Let me just stop you right there! I'm definitely into girls! More specifically, I'm into Rena. I was just a late bloomer. That's all…'

'Aww, well you're all mine now!' said Serena, nuzzling him. 'And even though it was frustrating at times, your denseness was actually kinda cute anyway.' Ash laughed.

'Well, what can I say? I was just too focused on my dreams to notice what was right in front of me the whole time.'

'Aww, that's so sweet Ashy!' exclaimed Delia. 'Now, who's hungry!'

Ash was first to shoot his hand up right away. Everyone laughed. If there was a top three list of things Ash loved, it was Serena, Pokemon battles and food. In that order.

'Well! Let's get the barbecue going then, Mimey!'

Mr Mime happily got the barbeque started. Delia sat down with Ash and Serena and let Mr. Mime get on with it. His passion was definitely cooking and he preferred to do it by himself. Once everything was cooked, everyone sat down to eat. Serena let out Pancham, Delphox and Sylveon and gave them some Pokemon food to eat. Pikachu joined in as well and had a little bottle of ketchup too on the side. It was a very beautiful summer's day, as they ate, laughed and had fun in the sun.

Serena was probably the happiest she had ever been. She felt part of Ash's family already in just the space of a few months. And of course, she knew her mother was always going to be there for her and she would see her again one day. But it felt like she was really building a life in Kanto with Ash now. It was super early stages, but everything just felt so right and she could definitely see herself living with Ash long term. She'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't miss home, but this was her new home now.

They spent so long talking, that they hadn't even noticed the day had flown past them and the skies were getting darker now. Ash and Serena packed up the beach chairs and headed indoors with Delia and Mr. Mime. They all sat down in the front room and watched a funny show together. Delia was a little distracted, however and was curious about something.

'So, Ash. Serena...' They both turned to look at her. 'I know you're still on summer vacation, but what's next for you two? I mean, you're a proper couple now. So, I'm just wondering if you have any plans for the future?'

'Um. To be honest, we really haven't given it much thought yet, mum. But I did say I'd get back to Professor Oak on his job offer. I just need to think about it some more.'

'Well, he did say there would be a few vacancies in September. Would you want to take the job too, Serena?'

'Hmmm. I don't know, if I'm being honest! Becoming Kanto Queen has really opened my eyes up to other things I could be doing. I just still haven't figured it out yet…' Delia nodded and then Serena turned to Ash. 'But I do really think the Pokemon Daycare Center job is perfect for you, Ash.'

'Yeah. I do like the sound of it, Rena. I just feel like there's something else out there for me too… But hey! I'm just gonna see where life takes me! All I really need right now is you, Rena.'

'Aww! Me too, Ash! But if our relationship is to progress, we'll have to start thinking about the future one day soon, you know…'

'Serena's right, Ash. Your collective prize money won't last forever and as much as I still see you as my baby, you are becoming an adult now. So, you will have to accept change at some point, especially if you truly want to build a life with Serena. I mean, who knows. You two could be for keeps and that means you'll have to think about settling down…'

Ash processed everything that had been said and stayed silent for a while. He didn't really want to grow up and the idea that he would probably not go on another journey again now, was hard to imagine. But the reality was that his teenage years were nearly over and now he had a girlfriend, he had to think about her and what she wanted too. He made a note to himself to ask Brock about the whole alien concept of adulting and the phrase Delia had just said. He didn't quite really know the meaning of it, having always travelled for the last 9 years of his life. Settling down. The words rang through his ears over and over again, like a song lyric stuck in his head. He had never really stopped and stayed in one place before, but he had for the last three months. And all because of one girl he could not bear to be apart from. He wasn't quite on the same level as Serena yet, but he definitely had feelings for her now and it was all becoming very real. Very fast.

'Hmm, yeah. You're right, mum. I just don't wanna rush into anything and our relationship is still just getting started… but I'm definitely thinking about the future. I just couldn't say what that looks like right now… Serena's definitely there though!' Ash beamed at his girlfriend.

'Aww! You're definitely in mine too, babe!'

Serena kissed him on the lips. Ash seemed to be more forthcoming with it this time and didn't seem to mind so much about his mum being there now. Then everyone's attention focused back on the TV show, until it started to get late and Delia decided to call it a night. Mr Mime went with her and helped her settle to sleep. Ash and Serena followed not long after and went their separate ways to their rooms. That was another thing Ash hadn't quite mastered yet relationship wise. They were yet to actually sleep in the same bed together and it was on Serena's mind every night since they had been together. She had to remind herself that Ash wasn't like most other guys though and she would need to give him time.

They were both lying wide awake in bed in their pjs, with their fans on full power. But the heat was making it impossible to sleep. Ash in particular was struggling the most, not just because of the heat, but also because of everything that was said earlier. It was really making him think. He couldn't ignore the fact that Serena was craving more intimacy from him and he knew he wanted it too. It was just a matter of trying not to overthink it and just doing it. Ash was usually confident in pretty much everything he did, but he was actually very nervous about this. What if he got it horribly wrong and Serena was completely put off him? He thought long and hard about it, but then remembered Serena was very inexperienced too. Maybe she wouldn't expect too much of him. Maybe it wouldn't be such a daunting thing after all. Perhaps he should relax and just have fun with it?

He had never done anything intimate with a girl before, but part of him was always curious about it. And ever since he saw Serena in that dress, he had wondered what was underneath it. There was definitely a libido kicking in somewhere deep inside of him. And the memory of zipping up her dress, kept replaying in his mind. He remembered how much wanted to feel her skin, get his hands all over her and feel the shape of her body. Serena hadn't worn the dress since that day, but one time was enough to stimulate Ash's lustfulness for her. Brock had taught him all about female anatomy too and he could never forget how the dress made Ash notice parts of Serena he'd never even acknowledged before.

Her face was beautiful enough, but when he pictured her in his mind, he started to visualise everything from the neck down too. Serena's regular clothes didn't always show much, but the dress really diverted his attention down to her chest. At the time, he thought Serena had somehow squeezed two Jigglypuffs in her dress. But Ash had come to realise that it was a part of Serena he was simply yet to discover. Not only that, his eyes also spotted another "jiggly" thing when she spun around to show him the back of the dress. He knew all about what it was already, but had never really been something he cared much for before. One time when he was travelling with Dawn, he did accidentally catch an eyeful of hers when she bent over to pick something up. He was casually eating some of Brock's soup at the time, but he didn't stare for long and carried on eating.

But with Serena, it was as if he was in a trance when he saw it. So round and plump. Like two peaches that looked so tightly pressed together in the dress. In short, Serena was a bit of an all-rounder, body wise and Ash had certainly become very enamoured by every detail of it. Ash groaned to himself and tugged his vest restlessly. He wondered again just what was beyond the dress or whatever she was wearing to bed now. He had had enough lessons with Brock now to know they weren't actually Jigglypuffs or peaches. (No way she could fit them in that dress anyway). But from what he knew about what they actually were, he just had to have them and become more familiar with them. And not just by studying them in Sex Education books. He had to study Serena in her whole womanly majesty. And a hands-on approach was very much needed…

He groaned again, louder this time and suddenly leapt out of bed and paced about. He tried to think about something else less provocative, but it was useless. The sexiness of it all was just too overstimulating. He grunted and then his eyes blazed with passion. Something switched on in a very deep corner of Ash's brain. And then he swung his door open and marched over to Serena's room, like a man on a mission. He approached her door and didn't even knock, just letting himself in quietly. The room was quite dark, but the TV was still on and provided a faint light. Ash saw Serena lying awake in bed. She was staring blankly at the ceiling, when she jumped up at the sudden sight of him.

'Oh, Ash! What are you doing here?'

Ash didn't say a word and instead made his way over to her and just stared at her hungrily. Then he took Serena's covers off her. She was wearing her lavender pyjama top, with her usual pink pj shorts and pink bow in her hair. Serena looked at him, a little shocked as to what he was doing and how he was looking at her right now. It was like the time he caught a fever and went straight over to Serena and muttered "Iron Tail, Pikachu." He wasn't acting himself at all that day and it was clear something was wrong, but Ash didn't look unwell tonight. Ash got closer to her.

'What are you do-'

It was Ash's turn to stop Serena mid-sentence, as he gently pushed her back down on the bed and got on top of her, sealing her lips shut with his. Serena smiled through the kiss. She really didn't care if Ash was acting out of character now. This was exactly what she needed right now on such a perturbed, seemingly long and lonely night. She didn't hesitate at all to react and wrapped her arms around him and attacked his lips just as ferociously. They made out for a while, until their jaws got tired. Serena slowly opened her eyes back up, as they took a little break.

'Now… What's gotten into you then… Huh?' she said between long breaths.

Ash's eyes trailed up and down Serena, as he placed his hand on Serena's shoulder and traced it all the way down her body until he reached her thigh. He breathed just as heavily as her, but his eyes said he clearly hadn't had enough of her yet. Serena caught Ash's eyes as he looked back up at her. She looked deep into them and almost couldn't believe the pure and genuine lust in his eyes. She'd never seen him like this before.

'I want you,' he mumbled.

He barely spoke, but those three words said a hundred more. Serena felt a rush of dopamine flood her insides and internally screamed. She looked into his eyes obediently.

'You w-w-want me?'

Ash nodded and started planting kisses on her cheek and made his way down to her neck. Serena moaned in pleasure.

'Oh, you can have me!' she said breathlessly.

Ash looked up at her again and turned the corner of his mouth up slightly, then continued his onslaught of neck kisses.

'Oh, oui. Oui.' said Serena, trying not to lose her breath completely.

She closed her eyes and let Ash do as he pleased. Then he suddenly stopped and Serena opened her eyes again disappointedly. But when she saw why he had stopped, she smirked mischievously. He was staring directly at her chest.

'Ooo. You wanna unzip it, baby?'

Ash just grunted what sounded like a yes. He seemed to have lost the ability to form any kind of proper sentence all of a sudden, but Serena was more concerned about what he was doing, rather than saying.

'You don't even have to ask.'

Ash stared into her lustrous eyes and then back down at the zip. He reached his hand across it, hesitated a little and then began to slowly zip it down. Serena had a bra on underneath, but Ash didn't need to take it off to see the Jigglypuffs balloon out in front of him. He looked up at Serena.

'C-can I?' Serena nodded and gave her consent.

Ash shakily placed a hand on one of them and then the other, trying to get a firm grip on both of them. He took it slowly, until he felt confident enough to fondle them around in his hands. This was the very first time Ash was "getting to know" Serena in this way. He was utterly in awe, just taking in all her beauty. Serena looked down at him and smiled. Ash raised his head up and began to kiss her again, while still having a good handful of her Jigglypuffs.

'Oh, yes baby. You're doing so good. Keep going,' encouraged Serena.

Ash was getting even hotter now, so took his vest off and then the kissing started to become more intense again. But this time, Ash suddenly flipped himself and Serena onto their side. Hands fumbled about up and down and side to side, as they reached new uncharted territories. Except, (as tempted as she was) Serena made sure not to go any lower than Ash's waist. And so did Ash, as he kept his hands up her body. They were really enjoying themselves now and even found time to giggle a little in between pauses for air. This was positively excellent progress for Serena and she was loving every second. She didn't want to get too ahead of herself, however and tried to remind herself that Ash probably still needed more time before they went the whole way. But oh was she ready and gagging for it.

She expected it to end soon though, but then she felt a hand sink into something that had never been squeezed before. They both slowly opened their eyes and Serena raised a curious eyebrow at Ash. His arm was wrapped over her and his hand had ventured below her back. Ash hadn't even really realised it was there amongst the excitement, but he was getting a different kind of handful this time. He felt something very squishy that he liked the feel of; a tempting, moreish, soft peach. He kinda preferred the feel of it more than the Jigglypuffs, but he quickly retracted his hand and blushed. Ash had initiated everything to this point, but things were moving faster tonight than even Serena could anticipate.

'Oh. Sorry, Rena. Didn't mean to touch you there,' he said awkwardly. Serena just giggled. She didn't seem too uncomfortable with it at all.

'It's okay, Ash. You can touch me there if you want. You like it?'

Ash nodded and smiled and then they immediately picked up where they left off. Both their tongues danced a salsa with one another, flapping against each other like Lickitung lick attacks. Then Ash pulled Serena even closer to him, to the point where they were grinding up together hard and Ash's chest was sweatily pressed up against Serena's. They truly couldn't stop tasting each other and frantically running their hands all over each other, until the one thing Serena hadn't touched suddenly poked her a little. Serena stopped the ecstasy train and pulled away.

'What? What's wrong?' asked Ash, looking sheepish.

'Umm... S-something just poked me.' Serena moved away from Ash and looked a little stunned when she saw what it was. 'Oh, I see…'

'What?'

Serena tried to keep a straight face, but couldn't as she struggled to contain her naughty delight. She grinned cheekily and motioned her head down to Ash's crotch. She had dreamt many times of unzipping his pants and pulling his boxers clean off. But everytime, the dream ended with a dark abyss, in place of what should actually be in Ash's pants and she woke up in a frenzy. Ash looked down and was horrified.

'Oh! Sorry! I don't know what's happening!' He quickly put his hands over his crotch. Serena giggled.

'It's okay, Ash. What's happened there is perfectly natural.'

'It-it is?'

'Of course. It just means you're aroused, silly!' And there it was again. That A word. Ash knew all about it now, but he had never felt the full effects of it until now. He shifted his eyes away shyly.

'I see…'

'So… Is that the first time you've got a… you know?'

Ash was fully aware of what she was insinuating and just nodded. He wasn't too thrilled to admit it though.

'Aw, well I'm glad it was for me. Hehe.'

Ash just continued to look in any direction that wasn't Serena's and looked a little embarrassed. Serena wished he would just take his pants off already, while he was still "good to go" and give her what she really wanted. But she had to take what she could get for now and rein herself in. She sighed lovingly and tilted Ash's face back towards her and kissed his cheek.

'It's okay. You don't have to be embarrassed or anything.' Ash moved away and sat up.

'I'm not,' he lied. 'I just don't know what to… you know… do with it,' said Ash.

He was definitely telling the truth there though. Ash hadn't quite got that far yet. Serena smiled and sat up with him. She moved behind him and rubbed his shoulders comfortingly.

'Okay, well don't worry. We can get to that point another time.'

'Okay, yeah. I think that's probably enough for one day.'

Ash moved further away and scooched over to the edge of the bed, crossing his legs and waiting for his "problem" to go away.

After a couple minutes of somewhat awkward silence, Ash suddenly got up and said goodnight a little abruptly. Serena frowned and grabbed his arm before he could go. There was no way he was leaving her all alone for the night after what had just happened.

'Wait. Stay with me, please.' Ash turned around.

'Wh-what do you mean?'

'Stay the night. Please… We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. I promise. I just wanna cuddle you in bed now. There's plenty of room…'

She patted the bed and smiled warmly at him. The thought of spending the night with Serena had barely crossed Ash's mind before. But Serena had been patiently hoping for it every night since she was crowned and this Queen certainly deserved it. Ash thought about it for a second.

'Oh. Is that what boyfriends and girlfriends do?'

'Yeah. All the time, babe. I just wanna be wrapped in your arms all night long,' she said, starry-eyed.

Ash slowly smiled, beginning to understand and like the idea of it. Plus, he couldn't say no to her when she did that thing with her eyes, when she really wanted something. She was way too excited at the prospect of it to take no for an answer. He smiled back at her and it got wider and wider, with a keen glint in his eye.

'Well in that case…'

Ash rushed over and grabbed Serena's waist. He picked her up and spun her a little, to lay her head carefully onto her pillow. Then he got on top and they both giggled. Ash suddenly realised how good this position was and rather enjoyed being on top of Serena. She felt exactly the same way and was more than happy to be looking up at her favourite person in the world. In truth though, all she could think of was how she really hoped this wasn't the last time she was under him. But Ash was starting to look a little more serious now.

'Hey, Rena?'

'Yeah?'

'Thanks for being patient with me… I know you've been waiting a long time and it must feel a little frustrating. But you can see how crazy I am about you. And you already know how much I want you. I just need time…'

'I know, Ash. I'll wait as long as you need. I mean, I waited long enough to have you, didn't I?' Ash nodded and they both laughed. 'So I think I can wait a bit longer. But all I want now is for you to hold me.' Ash grinned, full of glee.

'Now, THAT I can do!'

Ash got off Serena and told her to get under the covers. Serena quickly did as she was told, absolutely buzzing with joy about what was finally going to happen. Ash climbed over her and took his place behind her, against the wall. Serena turned to face him and couldn't contain her emotions any longer.

'Oh! You don't know how long I've wanted this! I've always wanted you in my bed. Hehe. I'm such a lucky girl!' Ash stroked her hair.

'Well, this is new to me. But if it means I get to see your pretty face more often and be closer to you, then I think I'm gonna love it! And I'm definitely very lucky too.' Serena's eyes crinkled and her cheeks were starting to hurt a little from smiling so much.

'Well, one step at a time, tiger! It's cuddle time now! So c'mere, hot stuff.'

Serena shuffled as close as she could to Ash and rested her head into his chest. Ash was a little awkward at first and didn't quite know what to do, but he loosened up eventually and put his arm around her.

'And hey. Maybe if you feel like it, we can try spooning too,' said Serena, into Ash's chest.

'Spooning, huh?'

'Yeah. It's like cuddling, but a bit more intimate.'

'Ah, yes. Brock did mention that he and Olivia do it from time to time. So I think I have a rough idea what it's all about.'

Serena was happy Ash wasn't so clueless about these things anymore and felt more at ease talking about this sort of stuff with him now.

'Well, as you're staying the night with me, you can be the big spoon when we fall asleep together. Only if you want, of course.'

'That sounds perfect, Rena. I think I just need to stop being so afraid of physical intimacy…' Ash laughed nervously.

Serena looked a little surprised and wasn't expecting Ash to say something so personal, so out of the blue. It needed a carefully thought out response, as she tried to understand it from Ash's point of view. She thought Ash communicating it so openly was very brave of him and miles better than taking the easy option and keeping it to himself.

'Well, it's okay if you are. We can work on that.' She patted him on the arm.

'Yeah, I guess so. I just get a bit overwhelmed and nervous like I did earlier. I mean, I've never even been naked in front of anyone before. So, the idea of- of… having…'

'Sex?' Ash nodded.

'Yeah. It's just a bit much and I'm still learning. Three months ago, I'd never even kissed a girl properly before! And now I've got you babe… And I know you want to take it to the next level and that's great. It's just a lot. But I really, really want to do it all with you, Rena. I just don't wanna disappoint you, you know?' Serena nodded.

'Well, that could never happen. But if it's an insecurity thing, then trust me I'm not exactly entirely confident about myself either. And I've also got some anxieties about having sex too. It's a big thing, but it doesn't have to be such a big deal if we just try to enjoy it like anything else we do together… and don't forget we're in the same boat, Ash. I've got no experience whatsoever too. I doubt I'll even know what I'm doing! But when you lo–'

Serena's tongue recoiled back in her mouth, as she stopped herself from finishing the sentence. Ash raised an eyebrow.

'When you…?' Serena took a deep breath.

'I mean, I don't wanna say it in case you're not ready to hear it… But let's just say I you're my everything, Ash. And that means I'm willing to be vulnerable and give you every fibre of my being. In every and any way. And I hope you come to feel the same way one day.'

'Aw. Well I'm sure I'll catch up one day, Rena. But I just want you to know, I'm deadly serious about you. About us. You're my girl! And you best believe that!' Serena looked up at him and melted into yet another gooey mess. This must be the 50th time by now.

'Oh, I'm so glad you're finally mine.'

'Me too, Rena.' Ash kissed her on her head and then Serena yawned.

'Tired?'

'Yeah. The heat was keeping me up, but now I'm with you… I guess I feel more relaxed.' Ash yawned too.

'Snap.' They laughed.

'Well, I'm gonna turn over. You're welcome to spoon me if you like…'

She winked and got into a comfortable sleeping position. Ash wriggled a little closer, but hesitated and just listened to Serena's calm, soft breathing for a while. And in that moment, Ash realised that intimacy existed in many different forms. He may not have been ready for the kind Serena wanted tonight, but this was just as good. Maybe better in fact. Ash was a little reluctant to move closer, but there was no way he could resist any longer. He had to just let his deepest desires overtake him and be in the moment. Ash brushed off his anxieties and continued to wriggle across the bed to Serena, eventually pressing himself up as tightly as he could to her. And then it wasn't long until his arm was over her stomach. Within seconds, Serena's hand latched onto his arm and she purred like a pussy cat for him.

'Hey, Rena?'

'Hmm?' replied Serena sleepily.

'Wanna go to the cinema tomorrow night? There's a new horror movie out I wanna see.'

'Hmm, okay. But only if you promise to hold me when I get scared. You know I scare easily, babe.'

'Of course! Just squeeze my hand real tight and I'll be there.'

'Hmm, alright. It's a date then.'

'Thanks, babe.' Ash yawned again. 'Well, I can't stay awake any longer. Sweet dreams, my queen.' Ash kissed her goodnight. Serena chuckled a little and shook her head. Sometimes even she forgot she was Kanto Queen.

'Night. Sleep well, my king.'

Serena reached for the TV remote on her beside table and turned the TV off. She glanced back at Ash. He was beginning to drift off already in typical Ash fashion, as Serena only realised now just how cute he actually looked asleep. She kissed him goodnight too.

'See you in the morning,' she whispered.

Serena snuggled back up to Ash and fell asleep, feeling like the most loved girlfriend in the world.