Bundles of Love
"I can't believe our first anniversary is tomorrow!"
Ash glanced down at his wife, who was positively beaming. They were in bed together, their arms wrapped around one another and legs intertwined. Misty just loved cuddling with her husband, and while Ash tended to prefer getting more physical, he was mindful to the fact that Misty was still recovering. After all, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt his wife.
"I know, it's so weird," Ash scrunched his nose up, causing Misty to giggle. "I mean, think about it! We got married exactly one year ago. It feels like just yesterday!"
"And we're going to have the best anniversary ever," Misty snuggled her head against Ash's chest.
"Of course we are," Ash cooed, squeezing Misty more tightly. "My beautiful angel deserves nothing less!"
This made Misty's insides feel warm and fuzzy. Ash was really the perfect husband; loving and caring. He treated her like she was a princess, which was something Misty had never experienced before. She couldn't have been any happier with the man she'd chosen to spend the rest of her life with.
"I really wish I knew what you were planning on surprising me with," Misty sighed lovingly.
"If you knew, then it wouldn't be a surprise!" Ash chuckled.
"I know, I'm just curious," Misty giggled.
"Well, you'll just have to find out tomorrow," Ash winked before craning his neck down and kissing Misty's lips intermitted as he crooned, "I," kiss, "promise," kiss, "you," kiss, "will," kiss, "love," kiss, "it."
Misty grinned from ear to ear and buried her face into Ash's chest. Her cheeks were burning with a fierce blush that Ash couldn't see in the dark.
"You believe me, don't you?" Ash whispered in Misty's ear. His breath was warm and tickled Misty's skin, causing her to giggle. Smirking at this, Ash kissed the center of her ear and lightly stuck his tongue in, only causing Misty's laughs to grow stronger. As soon as Misty felt Ash trying to sneak underneath her shirt, however, she turned away roughly so her back was facing him.
"Misty!" Ash whined. He was obviously disappointed by her rejection.
"I'm sorry," Misty looked over her shoulder, "but I'm not in the mood."
"Still?" Ash frowned. Sure, he didn't want to hurt Misty, but by all accounts, she should have been fully healed by now. Ash was trying to be enduring with her, but his patience was quickly running out. Especially when it was the first anniversary of their marriage tomorrow!
"Yes, still," Misty grumbled.
"Alright," Ash sighed, rolling over himself so he was spooning Misty. He wrapped his arms around the woman and rested his head on her shoulder, breathing out softly as he tried to fall asleep.
Misty, on the other hand, just stared across the room with eyes wide open, feeling anything but tired. She felt bad for lying to Ash, but she also felt that she couldn't tell him the truth. She had heard horror stories before, and Misty wasn't about to let her marriage become one of them.
XXX
"Aww, just look at my little babies in their special Valentine's Day outfits! You two are the most precious things in the whole wide world! Yes you are!"
Aiden, although he seemed attentive, was busy blowing bubbles out of his mouth. His red, short sleeved shirt had white long sleeves underneath it and two Growlithe embroidered on the chest with a white heart above them. His pants were red, white, and black striped to match the shirt.
Michelle cooed and turned her head to stare up at her mother. She was dressed up in a white, long sleeved baby doll top striped in pink with a pink and red heart applique on the middle left side. Covering her legs was a pair of red leggings with little ruffles lining the bottom.
"You are both so cute," Misty giggled. Aiden made a quiet noise as the bubbles he had been blowing quickly turned into nothing but drool running from the corners of his mouth. "Oh, no…Ash, could you get me one of Aiden's bibs, please?"
Ash, who had been running around the house trying to get the pieces of his "special surprise" in order, stopped in his tracks and groaned. He was about to run up the stairs to fetch something, but he knew that he couldn't not listen to Misty either.
"Sure thing," Ash sighed, walking over to the drawer in the kitchen where they kept the babies' bibs. He picked out a blue and gray striped one and handed it off to a grateful Misty, who gently fastened the bib around the baby boy's neck.
"There, now you won't make such a big mess!" Misty cooed, tickling the child's cheek. At this, Aiden giggled and stuck his tongue out of his mouth.
"Hey, Mist, when do you think you'll be ready for my surprise?" Ash asked, a small glint shining in his brown eyes.
"Uh…probably in a few minutes," Misty replied. "That's when I'm putting the babies down for their naps."
"Perfect!" Ash beamed. "That'll work out great!"
Misty raised an eyebrow and smirked at her husband. She literally had no idea what he was up to. He had been running around the house all morning like a mad man, and had subsequently not allowed her to go into their bedroom.
"Your Daddy is doing something crazy," Misty murmured to her infants, tickling both of them on their stomachs. "And if he ends up burning the house down, I'm gonna' kill him! Yes I am!"
"You know, just because you're saying that in a high pitched baby voice doesn't make it any less scary."
Misty yelped and looked over her shoulder, finding Ash to be standing right behind her and giving off a devious grin.
"Ash! Are you trying to kill me?!" Misty covered her heart.
"No, I would never try to kill my precious angel!" Ash cooed, hugging his wife from behind. Glancing down at his children, Ash chuckled and informed them, "I love your Mommy very much. And I'll never hurt her. She's the best Mommy ever, right?"
Aiden stuffed his hand into his mouth and began to drool on that. Michelle, on the other hand, started to pound her own little fists against the bouncer she was seated in.
"I think they're getting sleepy," Misty giggled.
"Yeah, Michelle looks like she's getting pretty grumpy," Ash agreed.
"Okay, little ones, Mommy is going to put you to bed," Misty whispered, lifting up both infants and holding them against her chest. Michelle squealed and stretched her hands out, while Aiden continued his drool fest on Misty's white shirt. The young mother carried both of her babies upstairs and into their shared nursery, carefully lying each child down in their own crib and giving them a sweet kiss to send them off into sleep.
With that accomplished, Ash, who had followed Misty into the nursery, grabbed the hand of his wife and gently nuzzled her cheek, causing the woman to giggle softly.
"Ready for your surprise?" Ash whispered, not wanting to disturb the slumbering babies.
"Now I am," Misty chirped, her eyes glittering.
With their hands still connected, Ash pulled his wife out of the babies' room and down the hall into their own. As soon as he twisted the silver door knob to reveal the inside of the room, Misty's eyes widened and her heart shot all the way up into her throat.
"Ash…" Misty breathed.
The only source of light in their green hued bedroom came from the scattered candles. They were on the dressers, on Misty's vanity, and even on the nightstands. Red rose petals were scattered on the floor and on the bed, and a bottle of champagne along with two flute glasses stood on Ash's nightstand.
"Do you like it?" Ash was sporting a huge grin on his face.
"I love it…" Misty's entire face was glowing. "This was so sweet of you! It really is so romantic!"
"I'm glad you think so," Ash took a step forward so he could press his lips against Misty's. Misty giggled and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, deepening the kiss. Ash, on the other hand, was holding Misty by her lower back and gripping her shirt in his fingers. As soon as the two separated for air, Ash gave Misty a heart stopping wink and proceeded to reach for the first button on his black polo shirt, undoing it to gradually reveal more of his chest.
"What are you doing?" Misty asked, a nervous smile gracing her lips.
Chuckling huskily, Ash smirked at his wife and crooned, "come on, babe, you know exactly what I'm doing!"
Misty just stared at Ash, as if silently pleading with him to be joking. Obviously, Ash hadn't caught on; because he just continued on with that sneaky smile as he went on to undo the second button.
"Okay," Misty giggled anxiously, "so, um, you just go ahead and do that, and…I'll be right back!"
Ash's grin finally turned into a frown as he gently cocked his head and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Oh, uh, I'm just gonna' go…downstairs, for a minute," Misty blinked, "I think I…left the stove on."
"Oh…okay," Ash perked back up. "That's fine! I'll just wait right here for you."
"Okay," Misty's smile was shaking, threatening to break. As soon as she turned her back to Ash, she allowed her smile to evaporate as she hurried down the hall and down the stairs, into the kitchen. She knew for a fact she hadn't left the stove on…because she hadn't even been using it. So, instead, she just pressed her forehead against the door of the microwave for a few moments as she stood in deep, silent thought. When she got nothing out of it, Misty sighed and made her way over to the stove, actually turning it on this time.
XXX
It had been almost ten minutes, and Misty still hadn't come back.
Ash was beginning to feel kind of stupid, just lying on the bed alone with no shirt on while waiting for his wife to come back.
"Maybe she forgot how to turn the stove off," Ash murmured, staring up at the ceiling. "Nah, that's dumb. Misty's smarter than I am."
Sighing, Ash sat up and looked over towards his pillow, where he'd discarded his dark shirt. Taking it back in his hands, the Pokémon Master tugged it over his head and redressed his upper body before walking out of the bedroom with the intention of going downstairs to find Misty. And he did, but not standing by the stove.
Rather, she was sitting at the kitchen table, delicately sipping a cup of tea with a serene look on her face.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Ash furrowed his brow.
Putting her cup down, Misty glanced up at Ash and replied, "While I was down here, I decided to make myself some tea. Would you like some too, Ashy?"
"No," Ash shook his head, bypassing Misty's sweetness, "I want to go back upstairs and continue on with my anniversary surprise."
"Are you sure you don't want some tea?" Misty pressed. "It's really good…"
"Misty, why are you rejecting me?" Ash finally blurted.
"What?" Misty blinked.
"You keep brushing me off!" Ash complained. "It's been over two months since you had the babies, and the doctor said six weeks. I miss doing that kind of stuff with you. You're my wife, and I love you."
"Can't you love me without all of that?" Misty grumbled.
"Of course I can," Ash looked incredulous. "I've loved you this whole time! But I was trying to do something special for our anniversary. And you seemed excited until I started…unbuttoning my shirt."
"So?" Misty raised an eyebrow.
"So there has to be a reason," Ash finished for her.
"There is no reason, Ash," Misty tiredly rubbed her eyes, "stop looking for one! I'm just not in the mood, okay?"
"Okay, well I know that's a lie," Ash rolled his eyes.
"It isn't!"
"Misty, come on!" Ash snapped. "We've known each other since very long! I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I can tell when you're not being honest with me."
Misty opened her mouth to argue, but found that she just couldn't do it. She knew Ash was right. He managed to read her like a book…which was funny considering Misty was positive the man had never opened up a real book in his lifetime.
"Why won't you talk to me?" Ash took a seat next to Misty and stared at her with gentle brown eyes. "Do you think I'm gonna' get mad at you or something?"
"No," Misty muttered, sinking down in her chair.
"Do you think I'm scary?" Ash smirked. "Am I the kind of guy who gets all mad and turns into a giant monster? Is that what you're afraid of?"
"No!" Misty finally started to laugh.
"So tell me!" Ash chuckled.
Looking down nervously into her tea, Misty finally admitted, "I'm afraid that as soon as I take my clothes off, you're not going to find me attractive anymore. I just feel so…different. It's weird after you have a baby…well, babies. Your body totally changes. And I don't want to disappoint you, Ash."
"Is that all?" Ash smiled sympathetically at his wife.
"It's a big deal to me," Misty shrugged. "You mean everything to me, and I don't want to lose you. I've heard about how things like that change after a couple has kids. I just wanted to protect us. I don't want to mess up our relationship, Ash. That would kill me."
"Misty, there's no possible way our relationship could ever be destroyed," Ash shook his head. "Do you really think I'm so dependent on your looks? I could care less how much you weigh or anything else that's changed about your body! At the end of the day, you're still my Misty, and that's all that matters. I couldn't be happy without you."
"So…you're not going to make fun of me or get turned off or anything?" Misty's lips were quivering.
"Do you think I would actually do any of that?" Ash frowned. He definitely didn't want his wife to think he was some kind of image obsessed psychopath.
"If I'm being honest, no," Misty shook her head. "I don't know what's gotten into me."
"You're just nervous, and that's okay," Ash leaned forward to kiss Misty on the cheek. "I'd have to be a real jerk to do any of that stuff. And if there's one thing I'm not, it's a jerk."
"I know," Misty murmured. She rested her head on Ash's shoulder and rubbed her cheek against his dark shirt.
"But I do want to do this with you," Ash continued. "I think it would make our anniversary really special. But, I'm willing to do it at your own pace. I don't want to stress you out. You just tell me when you're ready, okay?"
Slowly, Misty lifted her head off of Ash's shoulder and stared at him silently for a few seconds before whispering, "I'm ready."
"Are you sure?" Ash sounded hesitant.
"Yes," Misty smiled sweetly at him. "I'm sure. I want this just as much as you do. And I'm ready."
"Alright then," Ash smirked at his wife. "I guess we'll just have to go back upstairs so I can start telling you how beautiful I think you are."
Misty blushed but stood up, waiting for her husband to lead the way back to their bedroom. Ash gently took her hand and smiled at the young woman, pulling her towards the staircase and up the steps. Before they could reach the room, however, Misty halted Ash in the middle of the hallway, much to the Pokémon Master's confusion.
"I'll be right back," Misty responded to Ash's bewildered face.
"Please don't tell me you're going to ditch me again," Ash groaned.
"I'm not," Misty shook her head, "I promise."
Ash watched as his wife snuck into the babies' nursery. Feeling curious, he followed after her, making sure to keep quiet since he knew the twins had just been laid down for their naps. When he peered into the nursery, he found Misty hanging over the side of Aiden's crib, smiling down at the baby boy and whispering very softly to him. So softly, in fact, that Ash couldn't hear exactly what she was saying. After a moment, Misty turned and made her way over to Michelle's crib, murmuring the same exact words she'd been speaking to Aiden. Ash could tell by the movement of her lips.
He stepped into the room and padded over to Misty, gently nudging his wife's side so she could look up at him and smile sweetly.
"What did you tell them?" Ash asked.
"I told them that I love them very, very much," Misty replied quietly. "That they are worth everything I went through. The pain, and the sickness, and the horrible weight gain…" at this, Misty giggled. "I let it bother me a lot. But I love my babies. They are the most precious things in the world to me, and really, I don't care what I look like. I have my handsome boy and my beautiful girl…and I have you. My sweet, loving-"
"Handsome?" Ash smirked.
"Not as much as our son," Misty teased.
"I can see that," Ash nodded, causing Misty to laugh.
"Yes, Ash," Misty hugged him. "You are my sweet, loving, handsome husband. And you mean everything to me, too."
"Aww," Ash cooed, kissing the top of her head. "You're so sweet, angel."
"Thank you," Misty giggled airily.
Suddenly, a loud beeping noise sounded, which stirred both babies from their peaceful sleep. Ash and Misty both began looking around the room, wondering if the source of the loud and obnoxious noise was coming from somewhere in the nursery.
"Ya' know, Mist," Ash began, "that sounds a lot like the fire detectors!"
"Yeah, but what in the world could be smoking in this house?" Misty raised an eyebrow. "It's not like I left the stove on or anything."
At this, Ash's eyes snapped open. "But, when you ditched me before, you said you left the stove-"
"Ash, it's the candles in the bedroom!"
Ash cursed under his breath and completely forgot about grilling Misty for catching her in a lie as he ran out of the nursery and headed straight for the bedroom, a frantic and fuming Misty trailing closely behind the panicked man.
"Damnit, Ash, I already said if you burnt the house down I was going to kill you!"