This may not seem too out of the norm, but at the same time it is. This is not related to any of my previous stories in any way, shape, or form, though the two one-shots, "Fuzzy" and "The Sitters", come hand-in-hand here. They're not entirely recommended reading since this can still be a stand-alone story, but it doesn't hurt to mention that those two get referenced very briefly in case you want to take a look. So yes, dear reader, this is a Mewtwo/Mew story.

Please do keep in mind this story is as mature as it can be. I will attempt to make the scenes as tasteful as possible, but sex plays an important part in the story. And even then, its usage fluctuates in frequency, just saying.

So without further ado, let's get the ball rolling. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Pokémon © Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, and GAME FREAK

Rated for: occasional strong language, and strong sexual themes

Prologue

"Take me with you."

It was almost midnight in the city, and the visit had gone on longer than he expected it would. Not that he didn't mind her staying; she was respectful about his personal space and was quiet when she wasn't flying around at random, and sometimes she could hold a conversation with him. Mewtwo should have seen it coming when she insisted she was fine and kept the small talk going. He couldn't think of another time she was so persistent on staying by his side a whole night.

Although he could stay up a good few days' worth and barely wobble, Mew understood he was more nocturnal than she was. It was a wonder she made the effort to see him on nights when she could have gone to sleep instead, though perhaps he underestimated her stamina. He admired that about her, amongst most of her other traits that irked him. One that took him aback, yet was still tolerable, was her being prone to obsessing over, or developing a one-track mind about anything that caught her attention. Whatever compelled her to visit him constantly despite his stubbornness had to have been a strong premonition, or something to that effect.

As they stared at each other, still as statues, the clone knew she wasn't going to back down easily. Eventually, the lack of response got her to squirm enough to repeat, "Take me with you."

Mewtwo glanced around at the cityscape, slightly puzzled. "I am not going anywhere," he responded sincerely. "I live here in the shadows. Where can I take you?"

Her brows furrowed a little, a sign she didn't expect the answer. "I don't care. I want you to take me with you."

He folded his arms loosely. "Exactly where, Mew?"

"Wherever you choose to go."

He wasn't liking where this was going. Feeling he was going to regret it, he hesitantly said, "What are you proposing?"

To his surprise, she dropped her eyes, her cheeks glowing a bright pink. She took a few deep breaths and mouthed a little to herself, hands clenching hard enough they shook. Her head bowing, she muttered almost inaudibly, "...like you..."

Mewtwo leaned further in. "Hmm? Speak up, Mew."

She didn't change her posture, but did as asked. "I like you, Mewtwo. I really like you."

A breeze rushed on by, throwing her into shivers. The clone not once moved a muscle except for his tail and cloak whipping along with the small wind. His sharp gaze scrutinized what little he could see of her face, which now transitioned to a crimson color, her eyes scrunched shut from her confession. The city background noise, unnoticed since she had arrived hours prior, was nothing more than a mechanical hum.

He didn't know how to feel about it all. It was something he had never once thought about, and just like that he was being forced to think on it all, to decide on how he should respond. As much as Mew annoyed him from the beginning, she rarely messed with emotions. Anything she expressed, anything she said, she meant it—it had taken him a while to see past such bias. Before him, everything from her pose to tone of voice was very sincere, albeit nervous.

Once enough silence passed, he gathered his thoughts and quietly asked, "What are you saying, Mew? Are you suggesting a much deeper relationship?"

"Mewtwo, I have not once met another one of my species in a long time, if ever. Please take me with you as your mate," she immediately urged, though her voice sounded a little strained. Almost like she was holding back another emotion...

He shook his head, straightening up and stepping away. "No... this is improbable."

Mew looked up at last, her eyes glassy with tears as he suspected. "How is it improbable? We're of the same species if not similar, we're coincidentally either a male or a female, we like each other, we have—"

"Who said I liked you?"

He didn't mean to be harsh, but from the way she stood her ground, it was hard to tell if he was getting to her. "I'm still here, aren't I? You obviously see something in me besides power."

Mewtwo gave her a look he hoped was of intrigue before turning his head toward the city. "I suppose..." Another breeze hurried on by, which he was displeased carried the smell of exhaust. One of the humans must be having issues with their automobile.

Mew let out a quiet cough before pleading again, "Please, Mewtwo. I want to be with you."

"Why?"

He looked over his shoulder to find her frozen in place, as though the simple question caught her off-guard. Her baffled expression was enough for him to continue, "Of all the Pokémon in the world, why do you want to be with me?"

She started wringing her hands as her gaze shifted back-and-forth between him and the city. "I have not seen another member of my species."

"Yes, I am aware of that. But there are others out there with whom you can mate with."

"I've looked into it many times. I wasn't fond of any of them."

Mewtwo steadily narrowed his eyes, believing in her words, but still questioning them. "Tell me, Mew. What do you like about me?"

Mew flushed, lifting her eyes in thought. "Um... y-you're strong... very strong. That's always an important factor in choosing a mate."

"I am not impressed."

Her blush and reaction to his response came off as a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "That's not the main reason, Mewtwo, I swear!"

"Then what is it? Convince me to take you in, if that is what you want."

"U-Um... mmm..." Mew fiddled with her fingers more, her tail coiling like it was stuck on a loop.

He huffed through his nose, pulling his cloak closer. "As I thought."

She shot him an attempt of a glare, though her twitching lips were too distracting to be effective. As much as she understood emotions, Mew was never good at sticking with one appropriate emotion outside of optimism. "Mewtwo, why are you so... so closed off to everything? You're better than that!"

"The world is dangerous, Mew," he simply stated."One needs to be wary to survive."

"Yes, I know that, b-but there's more to life than that. Haven't you told me you're still discovering yourself?"

He nodded. "Numerous times."

"That's my answer as well!"

Scowling, he returned his hardened gaze to the city. "I am still not convinced."

Mew flew around to stay in his view, her half-shadowed face separating the stern and soft sides, with her stance suggesting she was in determination. "I chose you because I have no other options!" she shouted, her hands pressing against her chest. "I-I don't doubt that I'm not the only one out there, but what are the chances of me finding a male Mew? There's so few of us as is that you were my biggest opportunity! You're technically a Mew, and so... so..." She trailed off, her ears drooping as though she was coming to the realization her argument was becoming moot.

The clone remained still where he stood, waiting for her to speak up again as they stared each other down. Once her face fell to a melancholic look and her gaze faltered in defeat, he briefly raised his brows. "Is that it?"

She timidly shook her head. "No, there's more... um..." She bit her lip as her eyes crinkled shut. Mewtwo could just about see her mind struggling to process a list. "...You're smart, you have a heart even though you're kinda mean, um... You're strong—"

"You already said that," he pointed out, not bothering to hide his irritated tone.

Her mouth opened like she was going to scream at him, only for her voice to catch. She had to take a couple of breaths to find her words, even though she still struggled. "P-Please, Mewtwo! This is so hard for me... U-Uh, you're loyal!" She smiled at the word, her eyes lighting up. He hardly blinked. "Yes, you're loyal! That's one of the things I really look for in a mate, but it's pretty rare with other Pokémon, so... yeah."

Mew pursed her lips, her cheeks warming up when she looked away. She clutched her sides and appeared to stiffen. "I-I'm sorry," she murmured. "I have other reasons, but those are the only ones I can really think of at the moment..."

The silence between them was growing colder by the minute. As he had not taken his eyes off her, he watched as she squirmed in place from the sensation, glancing back up at him a couple of times. Mewtwo developed an amusing thought comparing her to an adolescent human confessing her feelings for the first time—but it was rather accurate. In all the years he knew her, Mew was hardly predictable, always keeping him on his toes whenever she showed up out of the blue. He eventually got to the point he could correctly guess her next move, then she started raising his expectations (though disappointing at times) to where she would flip it around and cause it all to crash down. And every time, she was smart enough to go home when his irritation gauge was about to pop—a rare moment, he admitted to himself.

But occasionally, she had her quiet moments. She was at her best behavior then, and asked genuine questions he didn't mind answering. There were enough nights like that to where he couldn't deny not being her friend anymore, and soon he was more accepting of her. She had her good intentions, which was what he wanted from the start, but went through a lot to get to. The times where they would just look up at the night sky in silence were his favorite, always reminding him of his short days on Mount Quena.

Somehow, he didn't like this particular silence of hers, not with all the heavy atmosphere that had since settled around them. He could see in her eyes that she was beginning to lose her confidence, her faith in what was an important conversation, the most important moment of her—supposedly their lives. It took a lot of courage for her to speak out about it, and to now lose that voice...

It was bothersome. He did not have all the patience, nor time in the world to deal with it.

Wanting to leave the city for the night, Mewtwo willed himself to hover a few feet off the ground, and steadily backed away skyward. Mew did a double-take at the movement, her expression caught in the middle of surprise and dejection as he turned away from her. He trailed his eyes along the skyline, determining which way he was in the mood to go. Still feeling her presence behind him, he began to wonder what exactly she had in mind. Did she even think this far ahead to begin with?

Another quiet moment passed, and still she didn't react in any other way. The clone came to the conclusion she was waiting for him to make the next move, allowing him to choose to shoo her away, or to agree. He leaned more toward dismissing her than the latter, but something inside him got the better of his judgment. Letting out a sigh, he glanced at her over his shoulder, making sure she caught his gaze before gesturing with his neck.

"You may follow me if you wish, or you may return home for the night. Your choice."

He maintained a slow pace forward, counting down in his head to when he would turn around and go on with or without her. Like it took a few moments for her to get his message fully, Mew twirled a little in place and shot up to him in the air, the light rekindling in her irises. Nodding in acknowledgment, he took off for the clouds, ignoring the cold wind against his face. Occasionally during the long silent flight he stole a glance, finding her with a smile each time. Two sides of him began to argue: One claimed he gave in to her too quickly; the other said he did the right thing. He didn't know which side to believe in more.

When the cloud cover dispersed, they were welcomed to a sight of a wide plain by a mountain range, a river snaking its way through the canyon into a moderately-sized lake. Mewtwo heard his counterpart give a small gasp, a reaction that lifted his heart for a brief moment. He personally believed the place wasn't spectacular until various times of the year, but he found comfort in the fact another thought so differently. It was an odd, relieving feeling.

"Turn to your right," he ordered as he sharply dove for one of the mountains. When he landed on a cliffside, he looked up to find Mew accelerating to catch up to him. He was unfazed when she nearly barreled into him in the process.

"Sorry," she panted sheepishly, giving him his space. Her eyes trailed over to the cave before them as they widened.

Following her gaze to the ten-foot arcing entranceway, he let out a deep breath. "I have not been here for a while, so there may be dust floating around," he said, shooting her a side-glance. Fixing his cloak, he walked into the short passageway, pleased to find a silver glow around the corner.

As he expected when he stepped into the small space, he caught a whiff of dust amongst the smell of stone and hint of leaves emitting from a bed of weaved foliage (he was a little displeased to find it was beginning to fall apart). Above it was a skylight, the source of moonlight in the cave. A tiny fire-pit was built in the middle of the room, a grayed grate over it, and right across from it was a row of books he had taken from the city to read on his own time. It was just how he left it, untouched for months on end.

Mew's sneezing from behind turned him away from the reminiscence. "This is not much, but it is at least something."

She looked around with a sense of awe illuminating on her face. "Did you find this place by chance?" she asked in a whisper.

"Not exactly. During one of my travels, I needed shelter from a storm, so I carved this out on a whim to wait it out. I liked it enough I decided to turn it into a hide-out, you could say." He ended with a shrug, pulling off his cloak to securely drape over the bed.

Her surprise grew to fascination. "That's amazing! Oh, look at this place, such a cozy den!" Unable to control her excitement, she pounced on his torso in a rare hug, then beamed up at him, irises catching on the lunar rays. "Thank you, Mewtwo!"

Once more feeling his heart flutter, he nodded and gestured to the bed. "Here. You can sleep on this tonight until I make another bed, and carve out another room. You may use this as a blanket as it is chilly tonight."

Still attached to him, she gazed at the hand-made furniture, up at the skylight, then around the room with a confused look on her face. "Um... where will you sleep?"

"I am not tired at the moment. I will be out until dawn."

She then frowned, her eyes and tail drooping sadly. Her arms dropped to her sides, though she remained in place. "I see..."

Mewtwo noticed her face was a pinker hue for what he figured was the umpteenth time that night. He guessed he would regret asking her about it once he expressed the thought. "Why? What are you thinking of?"

She flustered in place, raising a hand to her mouth as she let her eyes wander. "Well... this is our first night together," she quietly mused.

"We have spent nights together before, Mew," he reminded her, not liking where the conversation was headed.

"I mean together." She tapped two fingers together a couple of times in a form of emphasis, glancing up at him. "We're mates now."

He fought back a scowl although he inwardly winced. "No, we are not. We will discuss this in the morning." He slipped around her for the exit.

"W-Wait! What do you mean we aren't?"

Mewtwo raised a concerned brow looking back at her now-worried face. "What convinced you to believe we are mates when I did not once agree to it?"

She wrung her hands together, dipping her chin in. "I-I... um... you brought me here," she said in a shaky voice. "I've never been here before... so I figured..."

The clone couldn't believe the situation he was in, as much as he wasn't surprised it happened. For a being whom he was certain was older and wiser than he (she never once told him, he had to glean it from her rare serious moments), Mew was proving to be more and more clueless. "Inviting someone to a den is not a sign of a guaranteed relationship," he stated, hoping this would end the conversation for the time being. "We are mates only if we have mated, which we clearly have not."

He watched her eyes slowly widen as her face darkened. "M-Mated..."

"You cannot be serious," he growled to himself. "To mate is to bring together two beings into a partnership—"

"I know what mating is!" she interrupted, her brows furrowing from the beginnings of frustration. "I'm not a kitten who needs to be told to do things!"

"Interesting choice of words, as you keep needing a reminder to contain yourself at times." He raised a hand to count and help him emphasize, "You fly around like a Zubat that has lost its hearing more times than you have been told to sit and behave—which does not last long on its own."

She quickly looked away, her face reddening. "I-It's not my fault my energy level's so high!"

He bit back a growl from the interruption as he resumed, "The few times we ate together, you acted as though you were starving, which would explain your energy level."

"I have a high metabolism!" was her defense.

"Change your diet."

"My diet's fine! You need to change your diet!" She then frowned. "If I should call it a diet, you don't seem to eat anything."

Mewtwo was unfazed, despite the fact there was some truth to it. "If what you claim is true, then I have a lower metabolism than you. Thirdly—"

"Why are we arguing over food in the first place?" Mew huffed, crossing her arms tightly.

"We would not be arguing over anything if you would just listen, which is another problem you have." She was making it more easy on himself to shoot down her every claim.

Her hands clenched, and her fur bristled. "Yeah, w-well... I don't like your attitude!"

"Thank you for being observant. I have taken it into account to consider bettering myself in the future." He mocked a bow.

"Don't do that! It's not funny!"

"I have a dry sense of humor, it is not supposed to be humorous."

Her tiny figure was visibly racking with tears, which she vainly wiped away from her eyes with the back of a hand. "Why are you so mean, Mewtwo?" she murmured.

It was an interesting choice of words, he had to admit. The way she said it struck a tiny chord in his chest, but he knew it went deeper than that. Without further hesitation, he responded, "I try not to be, it is just that I happen to have a limit to my patience." He thought back on the many times his calm demeanor had been close to breaking over the years, most of them from Mew's own antics. "And that patience has been pushed over its limit one-too many times. This conversation is no exception."

Mew glowered up at him, the corners of her mouth twitching. "Why haven't you ever told me about this?"

"Refer back to my ever-expanding list explaining why you act more like a kitten than a mature adult."

Deeply scowling, she roughly sat herself down on the bed, swallowing down sobs for the next moment while Mewtwo observed. He hoped this was the last of the comebacks, he was not in the mood to get into a silly argument. When all that followed was silence, he moved to step around the corner.

"I-I want to be better..."

He paused, but didn't look back at her. She sniffled a bit before she continued to mumble to herself, "I am mature, I know I am... Why did I have to be a crybaby? No... I'm a damn liar..." She hiccuped, choking back a sob that struggled to escape. "I'm not a crybaby... I'm just gullible. I fall for e... e-everything."

Slowly, he turned his head around, his expression unchanged from the sight of Mew covering her face as though to hide herself from her surroundings. Her teeth were clenched to keep back more of her growing wails, but failing. "Every one of them... they didn't care for me! If they did, they wouldn't have left me thinking I'd be bearing their offspring!"

His heart jolted, sending an icy chill that rooted him more to the spot. Somehow, he shouldn't have been taken aback by this piece of information, but it was like a slap to the face he couldn't ignore. The tidbit made him think back to her many moments of naïvety as though there was a connection, which was beginning to make some sense to him the longer he dwelled on it. Such behavior was a form of repression, he noticed it in most humans.

By some sick curiosity, he found himself wondering, "How many?"

She didn't seem to react to his voice, but responded anyway, "I can't remember... they kept coming..."

"You were ganged up on?" he gasped, feeling a hand curl.

"No... but it was like they were drawn to me. I traveled everywhere, and for a long time... I couldn't escape it..." She stared at her hands with what looked to be a spiteful expression. "I hated it... I hated myself for it..." Squeezing them tightly into fists, Mew covered her eyes with her forearms. "So why am I doing this again?! I don't understand!"

She surrendered her voice to her tears and cried, recoiling from the echoes. Mewtwo remained where he stood, at a loss of what to do, and still comprehending this side to her that was changing everything he thought about her. Why now come clean about her past? What would that have really done besides bring her so a sobbing wreck? Was it the best thing for her to do?

...why did he feel crushed over it?

Mew then couldn't hold herself up any longer and collapsed face-down on the bed, muffling her cries. The clone took a few moments of contemplation before walking over to stand by the bed, unsure if it was the right thing to do. Hesitantly, he reached out for her shoulder, only for her to gasp and roll away, gazing wide-eyed up at him as the tears flowed more heavily. He took a step back in response, still maintaining eye-contact.

A flutter of excitement struck his core at that moment, though he didn't register what it was at first. Taking the time to examine her, he saw the moonlight was hitting her at the perfect angle where she lay, giving her an ethereal glow. Her irises were a deep blue he'd never seen before in nature, much like how her fur, usually a light pink, was now like that of freshly-fallen snow at night. He had seen her in moonlight many times before, but this felt different. He wasn't entirely sure why this particular scene attracted him, so he looked harder. And he found a goddess sprawled before him.

She may not have been a pure goddess, he amended, but she was one nonetheless.

Gingerly, Mewtwo crawled onto the bed to position himself over her, watching as she caught on a breath and twisted her body around to fully face him. He remained still for a few moments, taking in her anxious expression as though she could see what was coming. He wished her face was more smoothed out than it was, but he had to take it for what it was worth. Not wanting to enshroud her completely in shadow, he took care to lean forward and nuzzle her jawline, inhaling her in amongst the lingering scent of tears and leaves—she smelled like rain. He had that feeling every inch of her was fresh, like she had never been tainted as she said.

His breath on her skin made her tremble and crane her neck to (unintentionally?) expose more of herself to him. Taking it as an invitation, he skimmed his teeth against the jugular, feeling the pulse give a jolt. His own heart flipped from the discovery, and he felt a growing desire to repeat it. Pulling her closer, he attacked her neck, running his incisors and tongue along its length as she whimpered, her body writhing beneath him. When he grew tired of the one side, he switched to the other to repeat his carnal actions.

The goddess felt alive.

"Mewtwo...!" she choked out, whether on instinct or as a way to get his attention—he didn't know. All he knew was her calling his name brought him to more exhilaration.

Mewtwo tilted her head back to give him more room for her throat, finding the vibrations of her cries were like a massage. Her upper body arched upward closer to his torso as her hands shot up to take hold of his arms, her claws digging into him. He groaned from the sting, but refused to part from her. Mew continued to mewl in varying intervals, a sound his primeval side could not get enough of.

Her squirms increased the more he nipped and licked at her skin, steadily moving down to her chest—her vaguely feminine chest, he noted—then to her abdomen. Reclining back, Mew moved more from the touches and she smelled more enticing the lower he got, a rapid change. It grabbed his attention for a breather, feeling as though he hit new territory. His suspicions were correct when she made a small protest right as his teeth made contact with her midsection. Beneath her fur, he found her teats, which judging from her sudden jerks and gasps when he grazed them were rather sensitive. He paused for a bit to study them more, a little surprised to find they were tiny, as much as it made sense for her body. Chances were they would grow more prominent once she was with kittens.

His kittens.

Something stirred in his loins at the thought, an unfamiliar sensation. He had an inkling what it was, yet he didn't have the time nor patience to dwell on it once his body reacted immediately. As he pried Mew's paws off to flip her over, he caught sight of her wide eyes, bringing him to shudder. He didn't know what to feel or how to react, his mind focusing on the sudden, seemingly unknown instinct kicking in. Beneath him, like it was a habit of hers, she perched herself on her knees and curved her back so her pelvic area was elevated, her tail curling upward and to the side. She did so with little protest except for small gasps escaping her open mouth.

Focusing his hearing on her, he came to the realization she was crying.

"This isn't like you, Mewtwo," she quietly hiccuped, ears folded back. Her face was nearly flat on the bed, so her already-soft voice was muffled, her claws stretching like they were reaching for something to hold on to. "I shouldn't complain, I-I know this is all instinctual. But... but I was hoping it wouldn't come to this..."

Mewtwo stared down at her, watching as she, his goddess, broke down in quiet sobs. And amidst the turmoil of carnal desires, his heart cracked, shooting shockwaves through his body. As his arms shook, he sat up on his knees, unable to look away from the pitiful sight of Mew. In all the years he'd known her, he had never seen her in a submissive or frightened state, always the opposite. It was like once they arrived at the cave, she dropped everything she was known for and derailed herself to such depths. He didn't know if that was all instinct, or if she truly was such a character.

Recoiling from the continuous pains in his heart, he got to his feet and headed for the exit. From behind, he heard Mew stir, and her cracking voice called out, "Mewtwo, I-I didn't mean to! Don't go, please!"

"I am not going anywhere," he assured her, sounding a little rougher than he normally was. "I am needing of fresh air, and perhaps a little time to myself."

Her sobs got softer when he reached the mouth of the cave, though he heard her follow and felt her presence pause directly behind him. "Mewtwo, I'm sorry!" she gasped out. "That was selfish of me to speak out!"

"How is it selfish?" he questioned, keeping from looking back at her even when her breath caught. "Expressing yourself is not selfish. I, however, was the selfish one." He couldn't pinpoint the reason for why he started to shiver, if it was from wind blowing in, or an icy chill running through his heart.

"N-No... you were just doing what you had to do."

He scowled darkly. "It is precisely as you said, Mew. That was not at all like myself. I... I do not know what overcame me."

She sniffled for a bit before she responded quietly, "That was instinct, I'm sure of it. I don't know when it exactly happened, but... it's in your genes."

Mewtwo then spun around to look at her, his reaction bringing her to flinch and back away. "I am a clone. I have no instincts to speak of."

Mew swallowed. "I-Instinct varies from creature to creature," she nervously explained. "Even the most intelligent of creatures have instinctual traits. Like humans! When they're in danger, they get that burst of energy that brings them to flee or fight even when they aren't trained to!"

His brow rose knowingly. "I am familiar with the adrenaline rush. But what does that have to do with this?"

Her fingers laced in anxiety. "The need to breed is in the genetic code of all living beings."

"Of course." It was clear from his strained tone of voice he was getting impatient with her. She was only stalling him at this point. "What are you getting at?"

She was quiet for a moment as she started to tremble with tears again. "I went against nature by telling my dominant partner what I felt about him... because the male is the dominant partner."

"Bullshit." When Mew looked up at him with a startled gasp, he felt the pressure on his chest begin to lift, but not enough to soften his mood. "Nature does not belong here, not between us."

"What... what do you mean?"

"Nature did not create me, man did. Just because nature created you does not mean you are not above it. You are one of the strongest Pokémon for a reason, Mew. You can govern nature."

"Well... I suppose, but—"

"We are two different beings who should have never gotten together," he continued, his tone growing more bold. "That is going against nature in a sense, does it not? Instinct may be natural, but we are intellectual beings governing our own lives, our own personalities. Mew," and she looked back up at him after her eyes had dropped for a moment, "you are not selfish. You interrupted because you were not comfortable, thus telling me about my own selfish act. If you were selfish, you would still be there on your face."

It was a harsh truth to say, Mewtwo was starting to wonder if he should have worded it different, or been gentle about it. But from how thoughtful and teary Mew became during his statements, it was the only other way to get through to her. He found it tragic that she, a being who went through many-a mate in her lifetime, had to be snapped out of it by someone who still had questions about the world. What did he know about being mates outside of the obvious factor in it all?

The gaze broke when she bowed her head to weep, very little tears dropping off her face as a result of her crying the past several minutes. He looked into the canyon where the river flowed through a couple of hundred yards down. Having nothing on him to use as a container, he held out a glowing hand, twirled it once into a loose fist, then scarcely lifted it higher. Within several seconds, a sphere of water rose to where he stood, held in an invisible enclosure of his powers. Balancing it in his still-blue hand, he carefully swerved his arm over to Mew, who had watched what he did with reverent interest.

"Drink as much as you like," he said when she didn't make another reaction.

With a slow nod, she reached out for it, though he quickly shook his head, and pushed it closer to her lips. Her hands lay on his fingers as leverage to hold it up, for with every sip, the sphere would shrink. During that quiet minute, Mewtwo found himself distracted by the soft, azure illumination on the water and her face that his faltering concentration caused it to warp. When he fixed it, though she smiled and blushed a little, she had her fill and pushed his hand away. Deciding not to waste it, he swallowed down the rest, getting a small remembrance of why he chose to make a hide-out there.

Looking back up at Mew, who hadn't moved from her place, he softly spoke, "Now answer me this, Mew—do you want to be my mate?"

She appeared to grow alert from the question, then became timid once more. "Y... Yes."

"For how long?"

Her face darkened to a deep pink. "It's embarrassing..."

"Nothing is embarrassing between us. How long do you want to be my mate for?"

Holding herself close, Mew scrunched her eyes shut and stammered out, "...I... I want to be for life."

It wasn't the answer he was expecting, but despite the surprised skip of the heart, he felt some relief. "Then we are for life."

Her head snapped up at his response, like she had a different expectation herself. As the moment sank in, her face started to lighten, and a grin spread on her lips. "Thank you," she breathed out, giving a bow. "I'm so happy to hear that..."

A rare smile was on the corners of his mouth, though it was small. He didn't know if she would be able to see it. "Do you know how to express affection for one another?"

Her ears perked, and she tilted her head back to look up at him. "Huh?"

"Do you?"

Straightening herself, she scratched the back of her neck with a shrug. "Erm... outside of rubbing our faces against each other, I don't really know..."

Even if it was normal behavior in other Pokémon, the imagery was enough to make Mewtwo cringe. If Mew wanted to do it, he wouldn't mind letting her as long as he wasn't expected to do the same. Fortunately for his pride, one idea quickly came to mind.

"Then we shall adopt a new type of affection. Here is my suggestion."

She blinked when he advanced before her, then gasped when he took her face into his hands and pressed his lips to hers. He was rough and very easily overtook her, but he kept still, waiting for any reaction from her. When none came, he pulled away and studied her expression. She was blushing furiously, mouth and eyes wide open as she stared up at him, possibly out of focus. Once she regained her composure, she wavered in the air for a bit until she caught herself.

"Wh-What was that?" she breathed out.

Mewtwo felt an amused smirk curl to the side. "The humans call it a 'kiss'."

Mew ran a shaky finger over her bottom lip, still in shock. "That's what it is?"

"So you are familiar with it."

"Yeah, a little..."

His tail flicked, feeling proud of himself for taking that risk. "What do you think? Unless you have any other suggestions?"

She looked up from under her lids as a blush glowed on her cheeks. "I... I like it," was her timid answer.

"Good," was all he said before he tried again, softer this time, keeping himself glued to her seconds longer. She murmured something he couldn't decipher, and when he broke away to hear, she latched back on for a third round, sealing the deal.

It wasn't long before a stray salty taste interrupted the kiss, and a hiccuping sob escaped her lips. He opened his eyes to find her tears individually stream down, more delicate than they were earlier. When she gazed up at him, he noticed her irises were as blue as sapphire, and despite being cast in shadow, they illuminated with the maturity he rarely saw, but was familiar with.

"Sorry," she muttered, shooting him an embarrassed smile. "I won't cry anymore tonight."

Mewtwo stroked a thumb across her cheek before cupping it. She leaned into his palm as her eyes gently closed, letting out a slow breath. "Take good care of me, Mewtwo... please."

He nodded, pressing their foreheads together. "I will."

The clone then took her into his arms and carried her inside the cave to lay her down on the bed. He didn't climb on, but from the way their gazes were locked on each other, he got it into his head neither of them would have noticed if he was right on top of her. Tempting as that was, Mewtwo felt no real intention to do anything else, having grown satisfied with their static state.

Mew appeared to jerk back into reality from the way her stare faltered for a brief moment. "This is the first time any of my... well, my mate has ever looked at me like this," she breathed out as though she came to a shocking revelation—which she probably did judging from her now-sorrowful look. "At least not for a long time..."

He was still puzzled over it, but he was realizing he didn't like seeing her sad. He couldn't think of a time when she last was. There was something off about her, the most optimistic creature in the world, crying and moping over events that happened however-long ago.

"That is all in the past," he softly assured her, watching her eyes gleam. "This is now, and the future."

She let out a breathy giggle, carefully reaching up to faintly touch his jawline. "I think I'm starting to know why I fell in love with you."

Love... it was a concept he still had yet to grasp. He had heard of it in passing numerous times in cities throughout his travels. Each time, it seemed to develop a new definition like it was interchangeable or adaptable. It was too human a word even for him. Yet was it, if ever, possible for Pokémon to fall in love?

As Mewtwo joined Mew on the bed, his understanding of it all, and ultimately of her, slowly grew to fruition.