Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with this new chapter. This story begins the little journey of not only delving into the character of Eli and his relationships as well. Specifically, his one with Justin because that is an extremely definitive one in the arc of his character. And Justin's one also. However, it begins by another side of Justin. I hope you enjoy that as well :3
Ages:
Misty: 36
Justin: 22
James Ketchum: 10
Eli: 34
Disclaimer: I own the story and the OCs mentioned!
"Thank you for coming over here at this time, Justin. It is greatly appreciated." Misty approached the deep purple haired male sitting at her kitchen table and handed both he and the younger boy sat next to him a glass of juice. While the boy to the right of the eldest Morgan son merely only had a chance to politely grin at her words and the beverage also and push a flopping strand of hair from his eyes, Misty added mischievously upon noting the beam on her son's face as well as his swinging legs under the table. "For some reason, my song-writing expertise weren't required."
We all knew what or who the orange haired woman was referring to when she said these words and because of this, we all turned our attention to little James Ketchum on Justin's left – me included as I perched on the kitchen table with them. In response, the chestnut haired young boy's eyes immediately widened and his mouth turned from a bashful smile at being next to Justin and turned into a prominent "o". Then he didn't hesitate to speak up.
"I didn't say that!" he insisted, his meadow green orbs that he inherited from his grandfather narrowing and then following that, a red streaking blush began to take over the bridge of his nose that was more tanned than usual in the Kanto summer we were having. James felt the deep purple haired male's eyes on his most of all and though he continued smiling from taking a sip of drink, even the little boy knew that his words could have brushed the older male the wrong way. "I didn't…"
And the way that little James' voice quietened down and got a lot more husky indicated that the sensitive male worried that he had hurt his mother's feelings with the words to her that he technically had uttered. He supposed that even if they were true, they were a bit unnecessary. And he thought he had put more importance on the words that followed when he posed Misty the problem late in the evening – and that Justin really was the one to do it.
I smiled when at that point the deep purple haired male, though he still continued smiling, lowered the glass away from his lips and put it down on the table and then reached to squeeze the arm of little James Ketchum. At the same time Misty grinned fondly down at him also and squeezed his little shoulder.
Justin was wordlessly conveying that he wasn't brushed the wrong way and was happy to help out. His mother was telling him that it was all light hearted. He could relax. And so he did.
I could sense his legs beginning to swing all over again under the table. Justin turned to him properly, pushing that pesky strand out of his eyes once more and absentmindedly brushing his own arm against the younger male when his hand was no longer touching it. He complimented him in an easy-going manner.
"I think it's really cool that you're entering this competition. And I understand that inspiration strikes especially at this time." Justin told the chestnut haired little boy and in return, I saw and I think everyone saw the way that his little chest lightly but heartily puffed out when he heard these words. He wanted more than anything to be like the older male! And there was the deep purple male himself pointing out a similarity. Even if it was in passing, it meant the world to James, and Misty too took note of this as she sat down at the bar area to give them space but to continue observing also. "Now, there's plenty of ways that you can do this sort of thing. And you don't have to make every line rhyme."
As the deep purple haired had begun his little impromptu tutoring session of the younger boy, his fingers had occupied themselves with the pens and pencils and highlighters that were splayed across the kitchen table in front of them. Then after he did this, his ring clad fingers reached for the piece of paper and with a side glance of permission from James; he took hold of it properly and began to read the lines on the page. He uttered his thoughts out loud as they came to him.
"From reading this, you seem dead certain on the subject matter so you should absolutely keep going with this. You're writing about your experience. And that's always a winner." Justin complimented the younger male all over again and needless to say, his chest puffed out a little more! Then it deflated a little all over again but it was to listen rather than out of disappointment. His meadow grew orbs fixed wide and hard on Justin as he continued reading, putting a finger to his lips as his eyes scanned the ten year old boy's handwriting. He found himself smiling to himself. "This really is good, James. I just wouldn't make all of the lines rhyme, is all. And it's great that you know such long words but you don't have to use them in every sentence either."
From sitting at the kitchen table with them and trying not to side eye the orange juice that was in front of them, I watched that streaking blush take over James' face all over again. He experienced a bit of a swallow and out of habit his eyes wandered to Misty's for reassurance. When she didn't say anything and just had a gentle smile for him, he understood that that was a bit silly and he didn't need to feel bad for Justin giving him advice.
His chest elevated again as he took a brave inhale. The chestnut haired little boy knew that he needed to take it on the chin and that it wasn't criticism, he was being assisted like he had asked to be by Justin and Justin alone at gone 8pm on a Friday night!
The deep purple haired male most definitely caught on to his reservations and oncoming embarrassment from the way that he subtly shuffled closer to him, holding the piece of paper in between them both so they could both read. He nodded approvingly also but this wasn't for show. The twinkle in his eyes was evidence enough that he really did think the ten year old's work was good. He uttered some more.
"This is a lot better than what I would have written at your age, you know? I can sense your passion from the words. Here, why don't you make every other word rhyme instead and you just focus on that for now." Justin suggested and he handed the piece of paper back to the little boy fully and with another gesture to push his hair from his own eyes, he could feel the younger boy's orbs fixedly.
I then noticed a curious smile taking over the deep purple haired male's mouth and causing it to quirk upwards as James nodded at the encouragement and took hold of his own sheet in both hands. I wondered if the young boy's fixed gaze reminded him of the boy's grandfather, Jordan. Or perhaps someone else.
And so, I knew I wanted to watch the chestnut haired little boy most of all as he set his sheet down on the table and a concentrating frown took over his young face, his tongue starting to poke out of his lips also.
But despite this, my attention wandered to the two older people in the room as the middle Ketchum child was occupied with trying to write a song to win a Pokémon egg to embark on his journey with, and after they both took a sip of their separate drinks, needless to say they engaged in conversation.
I noticed that Justin's gaze was a little flickering there and then as he got the feeling that Misty was going to make small talk with him but he didn't know exactly what it was going to be. Dropping my eyes down, I saw that his hands had moved to his lap and were clasping against his thighs. But then I noticed that little James' knee was rhythmically bopping against Justin's under the table as he concentrated and I didn't observe the previous matter any further.
The silence other than the chestnut haired boy's concentrating murmurs was broken after that and Misty spoke to Justin, another grin on her face. It was yet another fond one. You could very much tell that she was speaking of her children.
"You know, I get the feeling that Katie would be very bewildered indeed if she knew that it was her younger brother getting you over here and without delay and receiving tuition in song writing." The orange haired woman teased her best friend's son but I knew that her words were most likely to be true - even if they were light-heartedly so! Justin's eyes brightened when he heard this and another grin took over his face, a dimple appearing on the side of his cheek. Misty added equally as airily. "You should phone her some time. She'd love that."
And for a rare instance upon hearing this, the deep purple haired male didn't actually say anything with words in response. Though his eyes continued having a twinkle in them and they danced with sincerity and seemed to speak the words "of course" while his mouth remained silent.
My own eyes danced between the chatting adults and the young boy who was crossing out rhyming words and making them much more select and adding to them also and then my gaze wandered back to Misty properly as she absentmindedly continued.
The slight giddy smile on her face as she sat in her kitchen with everyone else on that summer's evening made it apparent that she really did enjoy discussing her offspring with Ash. Then and there only proved this.
"It really is so wonderful that she's travelling again. And with Jayden! Such great memories being built. I'm sure that you can relate to that, Justin." Misty uttered and in response, the deep purple haired male listened and then nodded his head and then opened his mouth to speak. No doubt he did relate to the orange haired woman's words and he was going to speak of this as well as happiness for the young couple if only he got the chance. But he didn't!
You see, James Ketchum was a sensitive and reserved and hard-working and intelligent young boy. But he was still just a boy. Hearing the two older people talking hadn't distracted him but him not being part of a conversation he believed he very much deserved to be did exactly this.
His pen still in his hand and in the middle of crossing out a particular line on his page, he abruptly glanced between both Misty and Justin and then he came out with - he stated:
"I'm about to travel too." He pointed out and though the chestnut haired young boy's orbs continued to dart between the orange haired woman and the deep purple haired male also, they remained somehow fixed on them both too.
For just a split second, Justin and Misty shared a private moment where their chins bubbled with amusement and their eyes glittered but they didn't say anything outwardly at all. Then when the orange haired woman's gaze dropped towards the table and she tried not to smirk too outwardly, the deep purple haired male turned to the young boy all over again. He replied almost as straight-forwardly.
"I know you are, James. That's why you're writing this song and it's going to be brilliant. You're going to be well and truly prepared for when that time comes." The deep purple haired male spoke to him and I could sense Misty's smirk softening as she felt gratitude for how the older person was very patient and kind to her son even during his child-like outbursts. I felt the exact same way as her and almost hopped onto her lap instead of the kitchen table when Justin added, his ring-clad finger nonchalantly reaching out and tapping his fist against the side of his shoulder. "You're going to be brilliant out there."
There were no words in the world to sum out the sweetness and purity of the smile and the look in little James' meadow coloured orbs when he heard these genuine words from the older male but needless to say, they made both Misty and I's hearts soar. I privately wondered if James had the same effect on Justin but I decided that he might have been occupied during those weeks of his life.
The kind words absolutely had a profound effect on the middle Ketchum son also and this was proven from the way that after he grinned bashfully and blushed all over, he hurriedly set to work all over and scribbled out a couple of sentences in not very neat handwriting for him. I peered across the dining table and I could see that every other word did indeed rhyme. I couldn't help but feel like he was a bit of a natural, really.
And then after he did that and he took some time to put his pencil down and stretch out his fingers, after giving a flickering gaze towards Justin, he stretched out that mouth of his as well. Words popped into his brain so he quickly asked them. His body leaned closer to Justin's with curiosity as he probed.
"Are you going to miss me when I'm away?" James asked and I could see clearly the way that he tried not to let his eyes widen with hope but they couldn't help but do that anyway. The middle Ketchum boy inhaled and dropped his eyes downwards, playing with a discarded crumb from his eraser like he didn't care either way. But it was very much obvious that he did. He wouldn't have asked otherwise.
Misty gave Justin that playful and fond private look all over again but that time, it wasn't returned. Justin instead just fixed his friendly face towards the younger boy and after twiddling that loose strand of his with his fingers before pushing it back; he nodded his head just once. He actually uttered the words where he hadn't done when Katie was the matter of the subject.
"Of course." He told him simply but sincerely nevertheless and not that I had really thought about it before, but I gathered there and then that he probably would miss the little boy. They had a special little bond that was really enjoyable to see. I for one was going to miss seeing it. I didn't dare think too long of how deeply and achingly I was going to miss the chestnut haired little boy! I focused on listening to Justin's next words instead. He smiled more at James, his arm touching his all over again. "But like I said, you'll be brilliant. And I'll be happy knowing you're doing brilliant things."
Despite the fact that little James had tried to give off an air about him that conveyed that he didn't care for Justin's answer either way, it goes without saying that his expression looked like a positive sunbeam as he heard these words and compliments. He certainly felt like he was floating. He felt very giddy indeed. I was certain that there were some nerves when it came to the prospect of being away from home and properly for the first time in his life but I could tell that that was blasted away with Justin's airy yet meaningful sentences.
Little James rested his chin on his hand as he melted over at the deep purple haired younger male and I could tell Misty was holding a hand over her heart without even having to look at her. That dreamy quality then melted away from the chestnut haired boy's face but his eyes widened as he asked another question.
"Do you miss not travelling at the moment?" James asked the eldest Morgan son with his chin still cupped by his hand and it was revealed to me that the deep purple haired male was very much expecting to hear a question that was centric towards the chestnut haired little boy. He wasn't ready for the conversation to be about him.
His eyes widened quite a lot and rather comically so and he understood that he was making these kind of expressions when he took note of Misty's tilting head. It was his turn to have a bashful look on his face and then he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the unexpected expressions that he was showing. James giggled at all of this as he watched and he waited. He didn't have to wait long. It wasn't hard for the deep purple haired male to answer truthfully at that particular question.
"I do miss travelling and touring, James. I do miss it a lot, actually." Justin addressed the younger boy directly and in return, he picked up his pencil to hide the fact that he was deeply enamoured and touched by the way that the words were seemingly just for them. The deep purple haired male had an intriguing smile on his face as he added, his nose scrunching up also. "What I find hard most of all is finding things to do. I'm usually a nightmare! But I've been occupying myself so I'm alright. I've found other things to do."
The chestnut haired little boy acted as though these were the most profound and interesting words in the entire world when they were just the truth, really. Even Katie would have just smiled and nodded and got along with her day!
But the middle Ketchum son was not his older sister. He was very much his own young person and after hearing the honesty from Justin and seeing the older male's eyes wandering back over to his mother to smile at her, little James got a rush of inspiration all over.
It was rather comical and highly endearing to see him scrabble with his pencil and grasp at the sheet of paper to hurry up and write. But then he showed off something that I wondered if Justin was able to relate too. That boundless and electric energy was so strong and so passionate and raw that he just did not know what to do with it! His mind went blank. His mind went numb. He showed off an expression that looked as though he could have forgotten his own name.
The deep purple haired male had turned back away from the boy's mother just in time to see all of this and then he laughed, proving to me that he did definitely relate to what was going on. Kindly, he took the pencil out of James' buzzing hold and encouraged the sheet of paper nearer to him. He told him – asking subtly for permission – before doing anything at all.
"Why don't you let me have a go of adding my own things? Co-writing can be fun. But it will still be very much your work." Justin asked the younger boy in his own way and after in return, James nodded his head in a blank but very certain way, the eldest Morgan son got down to doing what he intended and he had a bit of sheepish smile taking over his face and tucking over his front two teeth.
After we all watched the deep purple haired male doing what he arguably did best and the pencil in his hand scribbled loosely but enthusiastically on the page and he got to work, James seemingly recovered from the electrifying buzz jolting through his body and he showed this by reaching out to me and running all of his fingers through my fur. I couldn't help but coo with enjoyment and I hoped that I didn't wake the rest of the Ketchum children up. And in between really enjoying that touch, I was glad that I didn't get a shock from the boy who was probably tingling with ecstasy at the person known as Justin Morgan being his co-writer for his work.
When I was done thinking about that, my eyes travelled to Misty's and I could see the contentment as she sat in the kitchen with us all and in her pyjamas on that summer evening. Her little boy was about to embark on quite the adventure and she still had memories of her own ones prominently and lovingly in her mind. But despite that and despite those Pokémon Journeys indeed being great adventures of her life, I knew that the day to day life and raising children was every bit as thrilling and nerve-wracking! But it was equally as rewarding as well.
And when she saw her children being kind and creative and great human beings – as well as having good people to look up to – I knew that that was the greatest thrill of all.
So after James removed his fingers from my fur and stopped poking my cheeks and accepted the piece of paper from the deep purple haired male all over again when he was done adding his two cents, I took the opportunity there and then to hop onto Misty's lap. The way that she scooped me up and held me close reminded me of the times of her being ten years old. And it put a lump in my throat to realise that her middle child – her youngest son – was then that age as well.
But there and then there was no time for nostalgia or emotions. Well, there was time for emotions but there was space for a different kind. After the deep purple haired male properly handed the sheet back over to the younger boy and he stretched out his own fingers, it became obvious that he was satisfied with the work that they had done – but James had mostly done – and he believed it to be ready to be read out loud.
The chestnut haired male had a moment of shyness and hesitation even after his hard work and the praise from Justin, as well as the praise from Misty and me when it was still a work in progress. When we all collectively gave him an encouraging smile that also conveyed that he didn't have to do anything if he didn't want to, searching for reassurance from his mother most of all rather than Justin that time, the middle Ketchum son was then ready to embark a bit of an adventure there and then. He was going to read out his little song for us all to hear.
All of a sudden, he took that opportunity and made it into everything he wanted it to be. Puffing his chest out, he inhaled and he exhaled and then before he could change his mind, he started to read his little song out loud. He didn't sing. He read. He recited. But it sent a shiver down my spine. I knew that it had the same exact effect on Misty. And that time I was certain that it had the same effect on Justin also.
We all listened enjoyably and wholeheartedly and a bit emotionally too as the chestnut haired little boy recited his song about embarking on a Pokémon journey and wondering what mysteries he was going to face as well as the absolute sincere joy he would feel if he made his loved ones proud. He already made us proud with the words he had chosen and the rhymes that he had concocted and his simple bravery at trying out something knew.
When it was done and dusted and it was read out loud – and Misty and I were beaming at each other and we both had prideful tears pooling in our eyes – needless to say it was Justin to outwardly display his joy first of all.
The chestnut haired little boy had another moment of bashfulness as he handed the sheet of paper back over to Justin and in return, the deep purple haired male held it in his hold like it was worthy of all the nominations that he had been put forth for! He exhaled, an excitable grin taking over his face. I hadn't seen him that pumped and on display for a while.
"That is incredible, James." He uttered simply most of all but I could almost feel the little boy's heart soaring up into the ceiling and then out to the window and towards the Kanto evening sky. Justin shook his head with genuine awe and he reached his hand into his pocket, very clumsily reaching for his mobile device. He couldn't stop shaking his head and grinning. "I need to take a picture of this and keep it forever! No doubt will I know who to call when I'm stuck with my own writing. Incredible."
Justin continued uttering the same word over and over again to himself when, after receiving permission from the little boy, he took a photo of the sheet of paper on his phone so he could indeed remember it forever.
No doubt were little James' legs very jelly-like at the ecstasy of it all but he still made the effort to hop down from the kitchen table and approach his mother, holding out the sheet of paper to her after it was passed back to him. I knew that he very much had his approval and the way that her eyes continued bubbling and brewing showed only this. She left me to hop back onto the dining able and shakily took the sheet of paper from her son and she read his song all over again before speaking to him.
I liked the way that nobody instilled in him a single time that he was probably going to win the competition even though we all agreed that that would be the case! He was already a winner when he decided to take on the task and asked for help as well. Misty blossomed and bloomed and beamed down at her son. She sniffed, giving him a rosy cheeked tearful smile with all the love in the world. She uttered Justin's word herself.
"Incredible." She agreed and after little James heard these words, he didn't hesitate to dart forward into his mother's arms as she stood up and he didn't care if he collided with his sheet of paper. He nuzzled his face into her front and clung onto her and it was the best place to be. Well, the best place along with in the presence of all the kindness from the people that he held closest to his young heart. I could sense him sniffling a little bit as he nuzzled Misty ever closer. Justin just smiled softly at that scene as he put his phone back into his pocket. It was of course the orange haired woman who caught sight of James' shoulders dropping just a fraction at the exhaustion of a job well done. "Come on now, superstar. You can get into your pyjamas now and you can head straight to bed. It's nearing a very late night for you. And no doubt will you dream of all the marvellous things that Justin knows about."
I watched as the deep purple haired male could feel the orange haired woman turn her attention towards him and in return, he just grinned a very elated grin. But then after that, we all just focused on the way that little James nuzzled his mother's chest some more before he hesitantly pulled away from her.
And then he stopped being so hesitant to pry himself away from her as he knew he had one more hug to offer and that was of course to the deep purple haired male as he dismounted his own seat. Before Justin could prepare for it or crane down to the younger male's level, the chestnut haired boy snatched the page out of Misty's hand and took it for himself, flinging himself against the skinny frame of the older male.
Justin let out a bit of a noise at the collision and surprise also but he soon embraced it. He embraced the little boy in return and squeezed him back, rubbing him between the shoulder blades a bit sheepishly but happily nonetheless. For such a sudden and passionate embrace, it only lasted a couple of seconds.
The chestnut haired little boy offered the sheet of paper back out to Justin all over again and with a shy but adamant look on his face, as Justin believed that he wanted him to read it all over again, he told him:
"Keep it. I want you to keep it. I remember it by heart and I'll write it up much neater tomorrow." The middle Ketchum son told the eldest Morgan one with such certainty in his eyes and certainty causing his lip to quirk upwards that Justin only had to stare at him to make sure for just an extra second.
And then when he knew that he wanted nothing more than this – and he himself wanted nothing more than this – he didn't hesitate to give the younger boy another, longer squeeze and they both shut their eyes as they did so.
And then showing that little James was still very much his respectful and fair young boy despite being on his way to being a massive song-writer, he jutted his chin out happily and he turned around and left the room to put on his pyjamas and head to bed. He was still elated by every little detail. But no doubt was the thought of bed equally alluring after the exhausting task that he had embarked on!
Misty held a hand to her heart all over again and she let out a nonchalant sigh as she watched her young boy skip off and then she turned her attention to Justin. Just like how the deep purple haired male didn't offer well strung together words of gratitude for getting to keep the sheet of song, as he folded it up neatly and put it in his back pocket, the orange haired woman smiled at him and that smile said everything she wanted to say.
Naturally, Justin returned that same gesture. And as he reached to pick up his leather jacket that he had draped at the back of his chair and he stuffed his slim arms into the sleeves, they had wordless conversation with their eyes. The deep purple haired male informed her that he should probably get going. In return, Misty nodded her head but she was the one to speak actual words.
"Yes, it's late and you've been very good to us to come here. Besides, Ash is due home any minute and I should go wait for him." The orange haired woman made small talk and as Justin finished dressing himself in his distressed but impeccable leather jacket and after he had drained the rest of his orange juice out of politeness, he noticed the way that Misty was absentmindedly fiddling with the satin material of her pyjamas.
I was a little taken aback when it happened and I didn't have much time to prepare for it either. All Justin did at first was remove himself from being behind the dining table and he approached Misty a little more. Then as he approached her, a mischievous twinkle took over his eyes. Soon enough, that cheekiness danced on his lips. Words escaped before he could stop them.
"Well, if Ash is due home then I wouldn't really bother with the pyjamas." He said suggestively but somehow in a level voice and with politeness also. And understandably as soon as Misty heard these words, a very large blush took over her face! Her eyes widened with surprise and her hand clapped over her mouth. My own mouth gaped, the whites of my eyes showing. Following that and very quickly, Justin's expression went almost as pale as the whites of my eyes. He couldn't believe that he had come out with that! His own blush streaking across his face and causing his ears to go hot, he squeezed his face up and tried to correct the situation. "Oh… my god. I'm sorry! I didn't mean that. That came out of nowhere. I-"
The deep purple haired male stammered and he grew very hot and was probably regretting wearing the leather jacket. Misty had stopped fondling the material of her pyjamas and she had stopped gasping and she had started smirking slightly.
She was still taken aback. But she saw how much Justin rather endearingly regretted it also. She closed the distance between them, still smirking. She remained blushing. But she responded.
"No… No, don't be sorry. That was… funny." Misty reassured her best friend's son while his eyes flickered between her and the floor, wanting to latch his gaze onto her to convey remorse but being unable to do so out of the embarrassment of it all. The orange haired woman started to chuckle and then I did too. She didn't touch Justin. But she added, her head tilting slightly. "No, that was funny. You've been a lot more mischievous in that way recently. It's nice."
And I couldn't help but observe that upon hearing this the deep purple haired male stopped being able to look at her entirely for a couple of moments as he reflected on these words. But almost as soon as I had observed this, Justin pressed his lips together into a polite smile and he stuffed his hands into his pockets. No doubt was he still feeling very hot! But he managed to utter, his eyes flickering between Misty and the clock on the wall subconsciously.
"Well… I really had better get going. I've got to pick Eli up from the airport and I wouldn't want to be late for him." Justin spoke to her tactfully and as his hand slipped out of his pocket all over, my eyes flicked to where he slid his ring finger off his digit there and then and put it into his pocket along with his song.
I wondered if Misty had observed the previous silence that he had partaken in from the way that she looked at him a little longer but then she nodded her head and she smiled at the mention of her father's cousin. She looked at the clock on the wall herself before back at her best friend's son.
"Ah, of course. It's that time again, I completely forgot." She mused to herself and Justin just politely nodded, his toes dancing in his boots as he realised that he really had better hurry up or he wouldn't get there in time. Thankfully, Misty was the one to start to move as she intended to walk him to their front door. But then she stopped, turning back towards Justin and giving him a smile that could be described as mischievous also. "No wonder that you said you didn't have anything to do when I called you over here. I doubt that that will be the case after you pick Eli up, though."
And despite the fact that Justin had been turning on his heel and preparing to walk ahead of Misty to get to their front door, it was then his turn to stop in his tracks. Like how she had reacted to his previous cheekiness, it was his turn to have widening eyes and a slight taken aback look on his face. For a split second, I didn't have any clue as to why at all and I used most of my energy to hop back down from the dining table. Both Misty and I listened as the deep purple haired male stammered all over.
"Ex… Excuse me…?" was all the eldest Morgan son uttered in response as a very huge chunk of him wondered if she was being suggestive with him! But that couldn't have been the case. He must have been reading the situation entirely wrong.
This was proven by the way that Misty confusedly frowned but continued smiling, her arms folding over her satin decorated chest. She started to slowly walk with Justin to the door all over. I followed suit.
"You know… Music. Documentaries. General weird conversations. That's what usually happens when Eli returns from Unova, isn't it? I mean, if he's anything like my Dad…" Misty elaborated on her words and then she trailed off as she believed that she had gotten her point across well enough.
I wondered if this was entirely the case when Justin continued staring for a couple of moments and then understanding washed over him. He flashed her a grin – a bit of a false grin at first – but then it turned out to be genuine as we all walked towards the front door. He stammered some more and only said few words but he understood where she was coming from. He politely laughed.
"Right, right, right, right." Was all he uttered and because he could feel Misty's gaze lingering on him all over again as he did this, he took the opportunity to bend down to my level and give me a pat. I had to admit that I was flattered and just simply enjoyed it after being ignored mostly for the chestnut haired male.
However, this gesture obviously put more things into the orange haired male's mind. I think that the deep purple haired male hoped that it would be the opposite, following their comical awkwardness. But you couldn't exactly control these things. And Misty had an expression like she couldn't control her next words when they came flooding out.
"Speaking of not wearing pyjamas…" Misty started and I could very much hear the swallow that escaped Justin's throat! His head flicked up towards the older woman with such gusto that I was surprised that his neck didn't contract. I could almost sense the thoughts racing across Justin's face. He did not expect what came out from his dad's best friend next. "I don't suppose you could take Pikachu with you? You know… Ash will be home soon."
Justin's head jolt turned his attention turned right towards me. Mine did exactly the same back to him! I wasn't expecting these words either! I knew exactly what they meant and Misty's intention and of course the deep purple haired male did as well. I felt just a little bit betrayed. Then I felt completely amused. I felt amusement most of all when Justin stuttered for yet another time that short interaction.
"I… I couldn't… I mean…" the deep purple haired male blurted out and no doubt did more thoughts race across his mind but I couldn't distinguish them that time. And as if he was trying to extinguish them and keep them for himself, he sighed and his shoulders slumped in his leather jacket. He rubbed his forehead. He was a people pleaser. He liked pleasing people even if it was going to be the second favour that day. "…Of course. Of course I don't mind. I'll drop him off before I go to bed or I'll get Eli to. No doubt will he be up until the sun comes up."
And with that, the orange haired woman let out a bit of a bashful sigh of relief that her request wasn't too much and after she smiled fondly at these words and hugged us both – Justin especially so – and planted a grateful kiss on his cheek also – we both headed off to the airport together.
The deep purple haired male's car was a little chilly from being left in the driveway during the early night time of the late summer of Kanto and his vehicle was messier than usual! He kept flicking and kicking bits of rubbish away that got on his way. But after we were both seated and we were both buckled up, the eldest Morgan son drove me with him to the airport to pick up Jordan's cousin.
We didn't say much at all to each other if anything during that short drive and I put it down to comfortable silence. In addition to this, my mind was still filled with the enjoyment of getting to experience little James' moment of creation and there and then, my brain flickered to the warming thought of him tucked up in bed and snoozing after all of his hard work.
I really was going to miss him so much when he went away on his journey. No doubt was it going to be an entirely thrilling experience for him and a wonderful thing and he was going to be brilliant – but I knew that a huge chunk of my heart was going to feel missing for the next long while. We had always had a special bond, he and I. It was absolutely one that kept my heart pumping and my heart pumping with love. Sometimes it felt like it was going to explode out of my chest with how strongly I felt about him and all of the other Ketchum children!
For half a moment I wondered if it finally actually had exploded when I heard a crashing noise. But coming to my senses and coming away from my thoughts, I realised that we had arrived at the airport parking zone and Justin had gotten out of his car and he had slammed the door. My eyes widened and then I blinked and I all of a sudden got the impression that I would have to act quickly or else I would have stopped being invited along.
And then after I scrambled to my feet and managed to hop out of the other door in time, I got the feeling that the deep purple haired male wouldn't have minded if that was the case. He didn't exactly ignore me for he walked along side me. But he still didn't say anything, his hands going back into his pockets. He was probably tired. Unlike the person he was collecting, he woke up when the sun came up and was probably feeling the aftermath of a creative buzz with little James.
The airport was very large but very sparse when we entered yet the bright white lights seemed to blind us. We were united there. We were united as our orbs adjusted to the bright light and the (not so much) hub bub and then we made our way to stand in the waiting area.
The deep purple haired male checked his watch lots of times while I amused myself with looking at the names from all the regions and all of the cities. I was proud to say that I had been to almost all of them, and mostly due to travelling with Ash and Misty too when we were all a lot younger. I thought about the Unova region that I had travelled through with my best friend and other friends which was also the region that Jordan's cousin was flying in from – his home region.
He had recently been offered a contract in Kanto but had to commute back to Unova over the weekend to report back. He was sharing a living space during those months with Justin who had moved in to have a quiet and new surrounding to write and record music during his mini break from touring of his own.
I thought about this as Justin looked at his watch all over again and then he noticed some people starting to come out of the passage way that was designated from people from Unova returning to Kanto. It wouldn't be much time. It wouldn't be much time at all until the deep violet haired male would be shuffling out also.
I smiled at the same time as Justin there and then but looking back, we were probably having very different thoughts. I for one was wondering if the yellow haired male's cousin was going to be clad in the bright suits and matching shoes that he often adorned when he was hanging out at the Ketchum residence. Surely not! But you never knew with him. He was most certainly an intriguing character who slotted well into our group.
And speaking of Eli, it was at that moment and at the same time that Justin stopped looking at his watch all over again that the deep violet haired male came shuffling out carrying his luggage very absentmindedly indeed.
The deep purple haired male's feet twitched in his boots and he seemed to brighten considerably but he didn't approach yet. Eli had his headphones in and you could tell this from his wires dangling, though he had his black hoodie covering his body and pulled over his head. But I could see the brightly coloured shirt hanging out from underneath and Justin probably caught sight of this also.
He didn't want to scare the man that he was sharing a house with for the time being but he wanted to make his presence known. Before he could stop himself, he used his long legs to carry him over to him and his boots clicked and then skidded on the freshly washed floor of the airport. Justin moved right in front of Eli's face! He hadn't intended to scare him but maybe that wasn't the way to do it.
Needless to say, the deep violet haired male recoiled and his sunken yet charming eyes widened and then he yanked his own headphones out of his ears and let them tumble towards the floor. He tugged his hoodie away from his face also, revealing his dual length and slightly curly locks. Despite his occasional distance, he spoke promptly, his eyes still understandably wide.
"What are you doing here? What are you doing here? Both of you…?" he questioned and while the deep purple haired male grinned at him, trying to supress his effortless giggles at the way that he had scared the older male so, Eli stuffed his headphones back into his pockets, initial gladness of being greeted at the other end of his flight lasting just a second before his eyes darted between the both of us as he realised that there was actually two people to meet him from the airport.
Justin didn't hesitate to answer him, seemingly finally looking over at me and acknowledging me. He told Eli truthfully before he leaned into him.
"We've just come from helping Misty's son James with writing a song for a competition that he entered. He did so well! I was always going to come and meet you but for that reason we're both here." The deep purple haired male informed the older one and in between giving Eli a smile of a greeting, I saw the way that instead of focusing his eyes on the male in front of him, his eyes flickered towards everybody else that was around us. There were five other people at the most. Justin properly leaned in and he greeted Eli with an embrace, his arms wrapping around him in a friendly yet one that appeared to linger. "Let's get you out of here. It sucks that your flight ended so late in the day."
It was new to me the way that the deep violet haired male stiffened in the hold of the younger male but I didn't have time to focus on that as Justin seemingly got the message and pulled away from Jordan's cousin. I tilted my head and realised apparently not when Justin continued grinning at him, his eyes permanently lit up and standing taller than I'd seen before.
All I merely did was watch the two of them and follow after them as they proceeded to bustle out of the airport, Justin leading the way and his long legs carrying him and the two of them engaging in small talk in spite of the surprised interaction moments before and Eli carrying his own cases. We made it to the warm but crisp air of the late August in Kanto at the same time that the two males continued having back and forth conversation between each other and Justin asked, smiling.
"Was your flight all good?" the deep purple haired male questioned in a continuously engaging manner and before that I had been observing how much quieter Eli was than he usually was in the Ketchum family home or Morgan's and I saw the way that his eyes kept flickering to the few people that were dotted around us rather than the person who had been kind enough to meet him. That surprised me.
But what surprised me more was the way that almost as soon as he plonked his case down on the tarmac outside, he closed the distance between Justin. But it wasn't done with the same ease as the younger male. Eli's sunken and interesting coloured orbs fixed on to Justin. He ignored his question purposefully and stated.
"I'm happy to see you. But please don't come here and collect me ever again. You should have known that that wasn't going to be okay with me." Eli told the younger male and though I swallowed and tried not to study words that were not for me to hear, I couldn't help but see the way that although he was trying to say them in a respectful way, he meant every word of his sentence. And his eyes flickered to me as well.
I was taken aback by the way that the deep purple haired male didn't look too surprised by this response but even so, as Eli reached to pick his case up all over again so we could all head back to the car; Justin closed a little more distance between them. He tried to stare equally back. He tried to hold his shoulders high even though they were threatening to falter. I was ruminating on the way that the deep purple haired male stiffened at Justin getting closer to him.
The eldest Morgan son managed to portray himself in a composed manner nevertheless. And while Eli stared back at him, a well-meaning and soft look on his face but rigid and adamant also, Justin leaned his hand in to playfully cup the other male's chin with his fingers. Eli abruptly put a stop to this. He held his hand over his own face so Justin couldn't reach him.
"I mean it." He insisted in a way that was bordering on stern. I really hadn't seen him acting in that way before at all. I knew him to be distant and closed off at times but I had seen him being extremely openly affectionate with almost everyone he came across in the Ketchum and Morgan households. Justin's eyes faltered and flickered there and then and understandably so. As Eli let out a sigh he broke added some more distance between the two males but to contrast his words and actions he reached out for just a single second to cup Justin's chin with just one finger. "People will be looking at us."
From my position on the pavement outside the airport and next to Eli's case, I saw the way that the deep purple haired male's brow furrowed at the obvious rejection and then he grew elated all over again at the very subtle touch. He really was a people pleaser and he showed this with Misty and he showed this there and then with Eli too. His eyes flickered like they were nodding. But he still couldn't help but utter his own words. He was never the type to go down without a fight.
"People don't care. I thought that it was fine to be seen in public together." The deep purple haired male retorted to the older one in a level tone and in a way that was private for just the two of them.
The two of them were known for their very expressive and enthusiastic yet deep eyes and there and then, it was revered and Justin was the one to focus a fixed stare on the older male. Eli looked down. Eli looked down and then he moved down, perching his backside ever so briefly on his suitcase to sit down. I tried not to copy Justin's fixed gaze and stare at him also but naturally, I was intrigued.
The deep violet haired male once again ignored the younger male's observations and words entirely but that time he responded to at least some of what he was saying. He rose again; coming just above the base of Justin's neck and very close too so he took a couple of steps back.
"I care. I care." Eli began to insist all over again while his Adam's apple started to bob in his throat like the insides were burning up. It was clear that he was dead set on his words but knew that they were not something that the younger male wanted to hear. That was perfectly clear from the way that Justin responded quickly.
He didn't move closer to the deep violet haired male like he prepared him to do so but his eyebrows knotted together. Meanwhile, his eyes swirled with disappointment as he uttered his truth.
"I care. I care too. That's why I couldn't just sit at home and let you come to me. I was going to make that effort to show that I do care, wasn't I?" the deep purple haired male stated and then questioned and his head lowered more towards Eli though there was quite a lot of distance between them at that point. And I got the feeling that it wasn't just in the physical sense.
Eli's mouth went through a series of motions at that point and his lips puckered and sucked in and were nibbled on and his eyebrows danced just as much. Eventually, he stopped holding his shoulders so rigid and relaxed them a fraction. And following that, he met Justin's eyes all over again. He met Justin's perfectly blended eyes and he found himself relinquishing just a little bit. He didn't relinquish what he was asking of the younger male. But he relinquished something.
And in return, the deep purple haired male stopped being so highly strung also. Wordlessly and with just a few head gestures and eye flickers that I didn't really catch on to, they came to a silent agreement and one in which Justin agreed not to upset him again. He was rewarded for this by having another touch underneath his chin from the older male but that one was somehow even shorter than the last.
Justin tried not to sigh. Eli felt the same way. I didn't need to sigh. I just needed to watch, while also being watched by Eli's flickering eye motions. So I watched as fully as I could as we all proceeded in heading towards the car, the deep purple haired male's hands stuffing in his pockets all over and the deep violet haired male holding his own case.
The two male's engaged in a little more small talk about what Justin had gotten up to that evening and at the Ketchum house and they seemed to be getting on better from the way that they even stopped in front of about seven or so people on the pavement to listen to one and other properly.
After words were shared and smiles also and I felt as though whatever all of that was about was being put behind us all, both Justin and Eli smiled at each other and let both of their stubborn guards down and really smiled at one and other. The eldest Morgan's son's dimples appeared. Glittering in Jordan's cousin's orbs was apparent. And lingered there for the person standing in front of him instead of fading like when he was first greeted off of his flight.
But then all of a sudden from Eli's point of view but not out of nowhere, the deep purple haired male was leaning in all over again. He was not leaning his face in. He was not leaning his face in at all. Nor was he tilting his body towards Eli's. He reached his hand out to him - that was all. But it caused the deep violet haired male to flinch in such an unmistakeable and jolty way that it prompted a singe of electricity to surge through Justin also. But it was not the good kind.
The deep purple haired male looked between Eli and the suitcase in his hand that he had been reaching for, for him and then he took a step back. Justin's jaw clenched more jaggedly than I ever had seen. His bands balled into fists also. His non ring clad hand balled into a fist. Out of protectiveness towards himself and deep hurt as well, he very much hissed.
"Don't worry. I wasn't going to hold your fucking hand." Justin spat and with a few clicking noises of his steel capped boots on the pavement, he recoiled from the older male entirely and turned on his heel, marching himself off towards the car all alone.
Eli just stood and stared, his tanned face going extremely pale as he started to carry his own suitcase in a shaky hold. Eli just stood and he stared as he realised his mistake and he watched Justin walking away from him without looking back.
I looked in between the deep violet haired male and where the deep purple haired one was becoming a lot smaller to my eye. I wondered if I should have stayed or if I should have gone. I wondered if I should have stayed with Eli or gone with Justin. But most of all, I just stared. I stared and I stared and I gaped.
I had seen a lot of sides to Justin Morgan that evening. I saw him being incredibly kind and patient and supportive of little James and I witnessed a side of them that was filled with joy and elation towards Eli followed by swift pain and hurt and stubborn frustration.
And standing on the pavement with Eli in Justin's wake – I realised something. I hadn't seen every single side of the deep purple haired male. I didn't know half of his story. There was going to be a lot to learn. And a lot to absorb.
The End.
There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 So yeah, I'm not going to speak too much on what went on towards the end there as future chapters will delve further into that. What I will say though, is there are a few hints of a whole new side of Justin in this chapter. His playfulness. His uncertainty. That kind of push and pull. All of these things are because of his dynamic with Eli. This chapter actually takes place quite a good while into that time of their lives - so Eli's contract in Kanto is nearly up. I will cover events before that moment. And the ones that lead to and explain the confusion and slight hostility towards the two of them during that particular moment. More on that beginning next week. So see you then with another chapter of Pikachu Tales!
AmyBieberKetchum signing out :)