Yo. Just a very quick break away from my main fic Jirachi's Wish. After watching a few episodes of the new X&Y series, I've noticed something… Serena like, totally, has a crush on Ash! Yeah, I'm slow on the uptake, but I'm not complaining in any way. I quite like Serena. I'm just going to be so annoyed if the writers make Ash friendzone her or something like that…

I haven't wrote a one-shot in a very, very long time, but I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I might just do another for when I need another break, but for now, this'll do. I'm a little rusty on short stories, but I gave it my best shot.

Anyhow, here's a short fanfic I devoted to my new, favourite, human Pokémon couple.

I sincerely hope you enjoy it, and have a wonderful day ^_^

.:. Those Sleepless Nights .:.

A blissful, calm night fell like a sheet upon the Kalos region, the darkness overcoming the light in what was a hectic day for Ash and Serena.

Two tired souls had dragged their feet through the Evergreen Town Pokémon Centre and straight to bed where they both collapsed with exhaustion. Although it was easy for the raven-haired Trainer to fall asleep, it took a little more than just a push for Serena to even think about closing her eyes.

Despite the frenetic day she had, after all her energy was sapped, and after all her cravings devoted to finding a nice, warm bed, it was due for another one of those sleepless night for Serena. The young girl tossed and turned after every few seconds, searching desperately for the right position, but even she knew that it wasn't the lack of comfort that kept her mind wide awake.

She turned her head, looking over to the bed on the right where she watched her raven-haired friend, whom her affection belonged to, sleep as if he hadn't slept in over a week.

Ash sure did work hard today. I guess it's hardly no surprise that he fell asleep so fast, she thought, sighing.

The last few months for Serena consisted of her personal conflicts over how to get Ash to notice her. Countless nights under the stars she stayed wide-awake without batting an eyelash. Even during the day, her endeavours in reaching Ash always seemed fruitless.

Even Serena couldn't admit Ash was perfect, though. He's reckless, often running in headfirst with his mind ten steps behind. His selflessness can sometimes lead to him getting hurt. But probably the least imperfect thing about him is that it was so hard for Serena to show her feelings for him, no matter how hard she tried, or how courageous she was feeling.

She frowned, knowing full well that it'd take something incredible subtle, and something incredibly brilliant for him to realise her true feelings.

But at the same time, it was easy for her to give reasons why she liked him so much.

Serena couldn't quite pick out the one, individual thing that made Ash so appealing, from his undeterred composure to never give up, regardless of how formidable a task may be, his indefectible morality and kindness to others, or even that indefinable boyish charm that oozed of yumminess-

She stopped herself, feeling the heat catch to her reddening cheeks.

Ash span round, muttering gibberish words in his sleep; his body now facing in Serena's direction. She took a deep breath, rising from her bed and kneeling beside Ash's.

The lines and turmoil of such a tiresome day practically disappeared with the weight lifted from his shoulders. He looked at peace, his dreams no doubt calming his senses and rejuvenating his body for another day. She watched, amazed at how the moonlight shone against the auburn tint of his hair, and his innocence at the way his body curled up.

For the minute that followed, Serena was lost in how much she admired Ash.

I could perhaps just lie next to him for a while, just for a few moments, she thought, deciding that just watching him wasn't quite enough.

Gently, and with the agility of a cat, Serena pulled Ash's blanket over, and with a single swift movement, she crawled into his bed.

I made it… I made it in Ash's bed! she squealed, silently. The smile on her face reached from ear to ear. Taking a moment to get comfortable, she turned to Ash.

Poor, Ash… Had such a tough day today, she thought, bashfully smiling as the raven-haired Trainer's warm breath softly caressed her cheeks. She sighed once more, watching him sleep with the resting Ash failing to evade the gaze of her love-struck eyes.

Maybe… I could get a little closer, she thought, the playful, more daring side of her starting to take charge of her will, her lips morphing into a cheeky smile. She began to shift closer to him, moving each muscle individually. As she got closer, she felt the warm cushion of Ash's breath send her emotions further into a passionate outburst. She felt her heart near to the point of beating loud enough to wake up Ash, feeling each pound against her chest as a sign to be more careful.

By this point, her lips were only a mere few centimetres away from Ash's, and the sudden temptation to do the unthinkable came more and more like the next logical step for Serena. Her gaze quickly switched between Ash's sleeping eyes and his lips. Her mind was completely blank with only the focus being on the enticement of Ash's mouth. She didn't even try to think about her next step; slowly, she moved her lips closer to his…

"Hm-?" Ash mumbled, half-opening an eye.

Serena froze, immediately retracting her head before she was in contact.

"…Huh…? Oh, hey, Serena," Ash murmured, his slurred, slumberous speech almost making his words hard to understand. "I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked, slowly opening his tired eyes.

Serena's red, flustered cheeks outshone the dark veil of the night. She widened her eyes, sweating, and thinking as best she could of an excuse.

"Oh, uh, j-j-just now, you mean? Oh, n-no, me? I've been up for a while now," she stuttered with a nervous laugh, eventually spewing out the words that made her fairly proud of her response. Ash blinked, clearly too tired to measure out the credibility of her reply.

"Oh…okay. Err, Serena, you're sweating," Ash pointed out, slowly raising a finger at the trail of sweat that streaked from her lapse in composure. "You sure you're okay?"

She froze for a moment. "I… err," Serena began, darting her eyes around her peripheral vision in hopes of reaching a point of inspiration.

"Did you have a nightmare?" he asked.

"Y-y-eah, that was it. I…had a nightmare and got a little scared," she then said, taking a deep breath before continuing, "I couldn't get back to sleep, and I d-d-didn't really feel safe alone in my bed, so I… thought it'd be okay if… I stayed by your side, since I know that when you're with me, I will be all right… So, would it be okay if I stayed here with you?"

A flurry of the brightest red crashed against Serena's cheeks. She thrashed her hands against her mouth, stopping herself from saying another word as her heart thumped against her chest at a rapid rate. For the shortest of moments, she forgot all about what she just did, and focused solely on making sure her heart didn't explode. Her once still, motionless body began to shake as her mind pondered itself over what drove her to say those words.

And yet, despite it all, her enlarged eyes couldn't take their gaze off Ash. Even she was impressed at how Ash was able to stay so calm during her uncontrolled ramblings, probably credited to his sheer tiredness.

"Serena, you've gone all red. Are you sure you're okay?" Ash asked with a yawn. Raising a hand to Serena's forehead. "…Not a fever, is it?"

"I'm… I think I'll be much better now," she said, taking hold of the warm hand Ash held to her forehead.

"That's…that's…good… Yeah, you can stay, I guess," the raven-haired Trainer said before crashing back into a soporific state, accompanied by a cross between a light snore and heavy breathing.

Serena smiled, still holding her gaze on Ash and still keeping hold of his hand. She shuffled herself a little closer, and then a little closer after that until her head was right next to his.

Her eyes interchanged between the lips of Ash and his eyes. "Ash…Ash…" she whispered, nudging subtly, but receiving no answer, much to her content.

He must be asleep now, she thought, double-checking with a few more reassuring nudges. Guess I'll take my chances while he's sleeping…

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and with one swift gesture, she pressed her lips against his.

That single kiss sent a whirlwind of affection and happiness spiralling around her body, pulsating through her veins and sending her heart into an untameable pandemonium. That kiss; a moment, felt like an eternity. In that slightest second, she felt the man behind that boyish charm that she adored so much, the internal conflict within her soul felt resolved, the weight of a thousand sleepless nights lifted from her conscience.

Her lips were only in contact with his for the slightest of seconds before she immediately pulled back. She beamed a wide smile and then gently closed her eyes, eventually succumbing to an incoming wave of tiredness.

"Thank you, Ash," Serena whispered aloud.

…

…

…

"No problem," he replied with a sly smile.

Ha! Ahh *sigh*… that was fun. I hope you enjoyed reading that as much as I did writing it.

Again, thank you, and be sure to have an amazing day ^_^