Heaven: A place on earth
Hello everyone. Please read this.
Ash Ketchum leaned gently against the steel-pipe roof railing, looking over the small, quiet settlement of Fallarbor Town, now cloaked in dawn blackness. He glanced downward, looking at the bottom half of the Pokecentre. As per usual, the lights were on, and a few people came into and out of the double sliding doors directly below him.
He sighed, tilting his head back up towards the glistening, pale half moon. Unusual, because the nearby half-dormant Volcano, Mount Chimney, normally blocked out this landmark with its smoke, rendering the sky and the ground ashy grey in colour.
He slowly dragged his finger over the cold, metal pole, leaning his head on his other hand, which was covered with a fingerless glove. He didn't move as a small breeze fluttered his untidy black hair, mostly protected by a bi-coloured baseball cap. He did, though, hunch his shoulders slightly; trying to keep the remaining heat inside his hooded sweatshirt, for it was a cool night.
He turned around as he heard the door handle click. The door opened without a single creak, revealing a slender figure in the doorway. The person stepped out onto the rooftop, examining her feet, obviously lost in her own thoughts. She glanced up, finally acknowledging his presence.
"Oh!" she said, back-stepping slightly in disclosure, realising which person it was. "Ash, I'm sorry! I thought I was the only person awake."
"It's OK." He replied. He was silent a few seconds, then added; "In fact, I'd really like some company about now, May. That is, if you don't mind...?" He tilted his head towards the railing.
"Oh." She said, slowly curling her gloved fingers into relaxed fists. "Well, OK..." She stepped towards him, her red, partly-open jacket fluttering slightly at the collar as another breeze drifted over the rooftop.
She positioned herself next to him, the dim moonlight accentuating her already delicate curves, for, the truth was, she had developed into a quite beautiful young woman since she had been travelling with the quartet. At least, in Ash's eyes she had.
"So, what are you doing up here by yourself at this hour?" she questioned, leaning on her hand similar to what Ash had moments before her arrival.
"Mostly thinking..." he said, sitting down, manoeuvring his legs to hang between the vertical poles of the railing, over the edge of the balcony. May copied him, sitting between the same two poles as he.
"About what, if you don't mind me asking?" May queried, crossing her hands on her cycle-short swathed lap, watching his face. "Your big battle against Flannery tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I gave that a thought..." he said, leaning against the steel pole next to him, putting one hand behind his neck. From this angle, May casually scanned his firm upper body, taking into account her feelings about him. Or her assumed feelings about him.
"So, if you gave that just one thought, how about the other thoughts?" she asked, the edge of her mouth curling upwards. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, returning the faint smile. She really was a unique girl. Always straight to the point. Always caring for other people's problems. Always there for you when you needed her most.
"Alright, you got me." He confessed, putting his arm back down on the floor. He sat up straighter, looking at the lightening horizon. "I was actually thinking of..." He fell silent, looking down slightly.
"(Go on.)" she said simply, placing her hand next to, just touching, his. He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling gently. He partly opened his eyes, looking back to the horizon.
"(I was thinking about everyone I know, about how they're doing...)" he replied quietly, the faint smile from before buried under the quiet sadness in his eyes. "(Gary, My mom... Misty.)" He leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I know about your mom," May said, tilting her head slightly, one stray wisp of hair falling in front of her glistening sapphire eyes, adding to the aura of beauty that surrounded her. "From what you've told us about her. She's probably fine; she has Mr Mime and Professor Oak to help look after her."
"(Yeah...)" he said quietly, watching the clouds on the horizon alter colour from faint grey to pale lavender.
"And, from what you've told us again, Gary's probably fine. He's got Umbreon." She said, leaning forward slightly to get into his line of sight. "But for some reason, you haven't told us about Misty yet. What's her story?" she added, a minor hint of jealousy in her voice.
"Yeah..." He sighed, that faint smile back on his face. He sat back up straight. "Misty." He looked to her. "You don't mind me talking about her?" he asked, raising his eyebrows to her questioningly.
"No... Why should I?" she asked rhetorically, sitting up straighter. She was touched by his concern for her possibly hurt feelings...
"No reason." He replied, shaking his head slightly. He sighed quietly, looking at the ground below. "Misty travelled with me and Brock through Kanto, Johto and the Orange islands. She said she wanted me to pay her back for the bike of hers I destroyed, but I thought different..." he smiled to himself, temporarily forgetting about May.
"What did you think?" she asked, becoming exceedingly jealous, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the stone rooftop.
"I figured she thought that we could be more than just friends..." he said, his smile fading. "But she was more like a best friend to me. I wouldn't have even thought of us like that..."
"...So," she asked, slightly perplexed. "You didn't feel that way for her?" He shook his head gently, the smile playing about his lips. May closed her eyes, sighing in quiet relief.
"I'm not sure if anyone makes me feel that way..." he sighed, pulling the top brim of his hat over his eyes. May frowned slightly, feeling that the hat was obscuring her vision of him. She reached forward and flicked her wrist, pulling the hat off his head. "Hey!" he said, snatching for it. "What gives?!"
"This thing is making you feel down." She stated, putting it on her own head. "And I hate seeing you in a bad mood." She froze, wondering if she had really said what she thought she had. In any case, her face became a shade pinker, which was easy to see in the dim light from the rising sun through the clouds.
"...What do you mean by that...?" he questioned, his voice shaking slightly, the feelings he had towards her making themselves very apparent in his thoughts. May hesitated slightly, hurriedly passing his hat back.
"A-ash..." she said, putting her slightly quivering hands together on her lap. "C-can I ask you s-something?"
"Yeah, ok..." He said, wondering/hoping where the conversation would be going.
"Ash." She said seriously, trying to stop shaking. "C-can I trust you?"
"What? Of course you can!" he replied instantly, sitting up next to her, pulling his cap onto his head.
"It's just that..." she said, gently wringing her hands together, avoiding his eyes. "W-what I'm going to say might affect our friendship. Deeply. I just want to make sure it doesn't."
"Look, May." Ash said, gently putting one of his hands on hers. "Whatever you say, we're still friends. Nothing's going to change that. Ok?" She nodded lightly, smiling weakly.
"Alright." She said, closing her eyes. "Here goes. Ash," she looked at him, biting her lip. "I... I like you. I mean, really like you. I-in fact, so much so, I'd be willing to say..." she paused, trying to get the words out. "(I love you...)" she whispered, closing her eyes.
"T-there. I said it. You can say whatever you want, but I just wanted to tell you." She said hurriedly, looking away from him. There was a moment's silence, then she heard;
"(R-really?)" She froze, wondering about her hearing. She slowly turned back to see his face. It wasn't an expression of anger or disgust, but one of disbelief and- and happiness.
"Y-yeah..." she said, mystified by his reaction.
"Well... seeing you've come out and said it..." he said, shuffling slightly towards her. "Ditto."
"Ditto?" She said, hoping for what she wanted.
"Yeah. I... I love you right back." He said, smiling gently. "I never figured out what it was, until you told me that. Then, Snap," He clicked his fingers. "I just worked it out. I really do love you."
"Whoa..." she said, completely thrown. "I... I really didn't suspect that... I thought you didn't even notice me."
"Are you kidding?" he said, shaking his head slightly at her. "I couldn't get you out of my mind. Almost all those times I was quiet and by myself, most of my thoughts were on you."
"Whoa." She repeated, mouth slightly open. There was a few seconds silence, then she asked; "Now what?"
"No idea." He admitted, shrugging slightly. "I've never been at this stage. I've never been at any stage, to be honest."
They sat, looking at each other, silent. The sun glinted up from between the clouds, sending their shadows streaming behind them. Without knowing it, they'd been very slowly leaning forward to each other. It was only at this point they noticed. Neither was complaining. Their fingertips touched, hesitated, and then slowly entwined with each other.
They tilted closer, not looking away. Midnight black gazing into glittering cerulean. Their faces were inches away when their heads shifted leisurely to one side. Their eyes took one last look at the person they loved, and then hid themselves under their eyelids. They moved closer still, somehow not shying away. They could smell each other's breath. Fresh Mint meeting Chocolate. They tensed elatedly, wondering what to expect.
Suddenly, their quivering lips met, and the world froze.
They sat, minds wiped clean of everything they knew, except for what they were feeling. There and then, there were no words to describe it. They increased the pressure slightly, lost in the enchantment of the moment. After a few seconds that lasted for eternity, their bodies cried for air. They delicately pulled away, trying to cling to the sensation they were experiencing. After an age, their lips met fresh, morning air once again.
The pair, correction, couple, leisurely opened their eyes, lost for words. Their mouths hung open slightly, a misplaced expression on their faces. It was Ash that spoke first;
"(Whoa...)" he breathed, blinking slowly, still trying to compute what had happened to him.
"(S... Same here...)" May replied, moving her free hand to her lips, as if to confirm the sensations.
"(T-talk about 'Heaven is a place on earth...')" he said, gently squeezing May's entwined hand.
"(That...)" May breathed, a tiny smile creeping onto her lips. "(Is the understatement of all time...)" Ash smiled back to her, glancing behind them at the roof-door, still ajar from where May had come in almost an hour ago.
"D'you think we should tell Max and Brock?" He asked, pushing himself off the roof-top and onto his feet, gently helping May to her feet. May thought a second, walking slowly to the door, her fingers slipping from Ash's hand. She turned round and winked at him, beaming.
"Naw. Let 'em find out on their own." She laughed, holding her hand out to him. He took it gratefully, walking to the door.
"Ladies first!" he said in mock politeness, half-bowing to her.
"Be my guest!" she giggled back, tapping him on the shoulder. She walked through, gently tugging at his arm. He followed, closing the door behind him, blocking out the glorious sunrise winking at them.
I can write about love. I can draw love. I can view love. But I have yet to experience love...
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