Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters.

Warnings (overall): Spoilers for the games, manga, anime, and movies. (Got to eat it, live it, and love it!)

Beta: Eclst (catch her at evawrites, her blog! Link available on my profile now. :D)

Thanks to the following Reviewers for Chapter 3: sirama, guest, lunarius–chibi, coldbluegirl, stalkedwildstrike on DA, silverpelt, simplyfox, sapphire495, vibookworm, rose townson, pinkcookiesandcandyfloss, Russian Prince Kai Hiwatari, Kisama–sama, and eclst (my awesome buddy, omg, I love you so much!) Your kind words made me cry, I swear. Thanks so much, again. I hope I don't disappoint y'all with this next update. I hope it makes your day like y'all made mine. :3

Nothing and Nowhere

By EggDropSoup

Chapter Four – Parties and Snow Bunnies

Professor Oak's parties were always a lavish affair. Drinks and desserts lined the tables as casual conversation filled the room. Everything ready and perfect as the guests mingled in the quiet evening. But unlike the guests, Gary didn't have time to think about enjoying the party when it finally rolled in. He was too busy with helping Mrs. Ketchum perform the final checks on the decorations and entertaining the guests that had arrived. Everyone was anxious to see and to speak the prodigal grandson of Professor Oak. Leaving him to be passed around like a pinball from one end of the house to the other.

"I tell you, Gary, that dome fossil was this big!" one of his grandfather's old colleagues claimed, holding his arms out wide. "You should really think about coming to work with us. I've seen some of your research, and I think you'd be a great addition to the Devon Corporation. Think about all the possibilities! You must come to Cannibar Island."

"It does sound exciting, but I'm afraid Professor Rowan has some excavation work he wants me to help him with…" Gary answered, obliging. "I also plan to compete in a few more tournaments now that work has calmed down some." He left out the fact that he had to withdraw from the last tournament he had registered in to come back home.

"Well, when you get tired of working for that old geezer and wasting time traipsing around Mt. Coronet, you make sure to call me." The man all but shoved his laminated business card into Gary's hand. "I mean it, Gary. You're a big fish in a little pond, there. You need to be somewhere that can bring out your potential. We can do that."

"Sure, I'll keep what you said in mind," Gary answered, a little taken aback at how aggressive the man was being, but seized the business card all the same.

The acceptance of the card and Gary's slight pause seemed to make the man aware of his intense behavior and he raised a hand to his hair, swiping it back in an attempt to appear casual. "Good, well…we look forward to hearing from you in the future."

"Likewise." Gary nodded and watched as the man walked away, and slipped the business card into his suit jacket. He narrowed his eyes when the man disappeared among the other guests, and reached over to grab one of the cups full of punch that Mrs. Ketchum had made for the party.

"You really are amazing, Gary. That's the third one that's tried to scout you so far."

"Tracy," Gary stated, turning around to meet the other's amused eyes. He brought the cup of punch to his lips, sipped slowly. "You heard everything?"

The brunet gave a shameless shrug, and tucked his hands into his suit pockets. "It was hard not to, especially with that last guy. Why didn't you say yes to any of them? They all had pretty good offers."

"Professor Rowan's been good to me, and I know that I can still learn more from him to be a better research scientist and archeologist."

"Even at the cost of staying on a remote Mountain with no chance of dating?"

"I do lots of dating…"Gary tried to argue, in an attempt to save his pride, but at the brunet's dubious look he then admitted, "…mostly carbon, though."

Tracy snorted. "That would make you the loneliest archeologist."

It was true. His love life was pathetic. It should have made him defensive, but for some reason it made him laugh. "All for the love of science."

Now Tracy laughed. "Hey, it's what we bachelors do best." Then he blinked, smiling as his eyes darted to the side. "But it seems like Professor Oak is enjoying the party the most." He pointed over to where he was looking and Gary saw that his grandfather was accepting another gift from one of his old friends and adding it to the pile under the overly large Christmas tree.

"Really, Gramps is just shameless. I think the real reason for his Christmas parties is so he can get all those gifts. It's not even Christmas yet! It's still two weeks away."

The brunet beside him nodded. "He probably held it in advance to make sure that everyone could teleport in and back home safely before the weather got too dangerous. It would be bad if it led to someone arbitrarily ending up somewhere else."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want them all stranded here." He wrinkled his nose. "But did he have to invite so many?"

"He's a popular guy. You're lucky to be related to him, you know. You owe a lot of your connections to him," Tracy reminded him with a cool glance.

"I know."

And he did. More than anyone.

There was a sharp, loud squeal in the distance, a quick pounding of heels – more like a stampede of them – and Tracy made a haste retreat as Gary found that his arms were suddenly being tugged in both directions.

"Gary!" a choir of feminine voices sang as they spun him around, excitedly–each girl reaching to touch flashes of his arm, his hair– until he came to a full stop to see himself surrounded by the members of his fan club.

"You're all here?" he gaped at them, completely surprised at their arrival. He had posted about the Christmas party on his neglected blog a few days ago, but he hadn't expected them to see it so soon, or to even show up.

"We'd never miss the chance to see you, silly!" A light bop on the nose from one of them and they jiggled excitedly in their pretty dresses, having finally caught up to him.

More like "caught" him, Gary remarked to himself, smiling politely as they huddled closer around him. Their eyes were trained on his every move and he suddenly wondered if this was how a cornered antelope felt when left to the mercy of a pride of lionesses. "Still, I'm sorry for the late notice. I hope none of you were inconvenienced."

"It was easy to make it since we all live in Pallet Town already," a brunette in the front of the group said, sliding up beside him.

"Everyone seems to be having a good time," a blonde from the group added, latching on to the arm at his other side. "It's such a nice party, Gary. Absolutely wonderful."

"Maybe one of us will get lucky," the brunette from before continued, not wanting to be outshined, and she slid a perfectly manicured nail down the length of his forearm. "I saw some mistletoe by the door," she added meaningfully, with a tilt of her eyebrows.

No matter how many times over the years these girls had flirted with him, Gary could never get used to it. He liked that they thought he was cool, cheered him on throughout his journey, but he had never been interested in pursuing anything physical with any of them. He couldn't afford to be distracted, deal with the drama of balancing traveling and dating.

And he sure couldn't deal with any distractions now.

"How's everyone been doing while I've been away?" he asked, changing the conversation to a different topic. The brunette beside him pouted in disappointment but he ignored it and stepped forward– breaking the blonde's hold on his arm and putting a little distance between him and the other girls.

As requested, each girl prattled on about what they had been pursuing over the last few years. Names of schools and jobs were mentioned here and there, but he couldn't bring himself to pay attention. He nodded and gave the socially appropriate "Uh huh" when there was a pause– but in all honestly, he was only vaguely listening. His eyes scanned the crowd behind them, intent on finding his Gramps or Tracy to make an excuse for a quick exit, but he stopped searching when he noticed dark, spikey hair.

Ash was standing with Brock, Misty, and Dawn. He was waving his hands animatedly, describing something that Gary couldn't hear. When his hand movements became more frantic, Brock and Dawn jointly rolled their eyes and Pikachu crossed its arms, chirping a quick retort that resulted in Ash frowning. The group seemed to find this funny as Dawn and Brock laughed loudly, shaking their heads and then broke away to get some refreshments. Misty stayed behind, giggling as Ash turned to frown at Pikachu, apparently still somewhat stung that the Pokemon showed him up in front of the others.

"–It's really quite interesting. Don't you think so, Gary?"

"Yeah…" he trailed off, distracted, his attention still focused on Ash. The brunet was chatting amicably with Misty now, both of them smiling brightly as they talked. He saw a flicker of something in Misty's eyes as she looked at the brunet, seeming to consider as she placed a pensive hand to her cheek. Gary wondered what she might have wanted to say.

His chest felt tight, imagining the most obvious possibility. Did she want to go back to dating Ash again? Is that why she had come to the Christmas party? To try and convince him they could be together again?

"Gary?"

He continued to watch as Misty moved closer, pushed up on her tippy toes to whisper something in Ash's ear. Then, Ash's face went red and he covered his embarrassment with his hands– his mouth moving quick with some reply. Misty was grinning at him now, hands pressed to her hips smugly.

It hurt, Gary realized. The tightness in his chest seemed to get marginally worse with each inhale and exhale. But no matter how many breaths he took, he still couldn't breathe. It was almost like he was suffocating.

"Gary?"

He didn't like it. Whatever was going on between the two, he didn't like it at all. His hands were clenched at his sides–the bite of blunt nails into his palm the only thing restraining him from breaking away from the girls and stomping over there to–

"Gary!"

"…what?" He turned his head back to the girls in alarm and was met with their pouty, powdery faces. They advanced on him, crowding closer in their effort to get his attention. He couldn't see Ash at all now.

"You aren't listening!" one girl whined and pulled at his arm. Her pink pigtails bounced and she shook her head from side to side furiously.

"And we came all the way here to support you!" a brunette from the back of the group chimed in, prompting complaints from the other girls.

"I'm sorry, thank you for coming. I really am happy you all could make it." Gary gave them his trademark smile, trying to pacify the girls and they all collectively swooned.

"Well, since it's you, we forgive you," a redhead said blushing, and the other girls around her mutually nodded.

"Thank you," he said, surprised that he could concentrate enough to speak with them when his chest still ached. "I promised my grandfather I would help with cleaning up while the party was going on. I need to go make the 'rounds. Excuse me."

Offers to help spilled from the girls' glossy lips, but he raised a hand patiently, still smiling at them. "It's alright, enjoy the party. I'm sure I'll see you all around town."

Reluctant, unhappy goodbyes followed after him and he made a beeline for the only place he could think of where he could be alone. He saw a few people catch his eye as he passed them and quickened the pace– the urge to get away the only thing he could think about right now. He gave a loud, relieved breath once he made it to the terrace, hastily opening the door and closing it behind him before someone else could approach him next.

He stepped out into the balmy evening, wandering around the veranda under the pretense of checking over the hanging garland and outdoor lights–adjusting them minutely– pushing in the bistro chairs close to the small patio table. But the real reason he came out there, was to breathe.

Here, it was quiet. No need to stand up straight, be hassled by recruiters and crazy fan girls…It was just him and the bright, open winter sky before him. To anyone else, being out –late at night– in the quiet and the cold would be eerie. But as the silence held, Gary could only think of it as companionable. Oddly companionable. But that wasn't strange. He was used to going at it alone. It was who he was.

He sighed, resting his hands on the railing and ignored the cold, dusting of light snow that brushed against his skin. He continued to linger there quietly, looking up at the night sky while the scent of spruce trees drifted around him. But even the silence couldn't stop the lingering confusion in the back of his mind about why he had been so bothered just moments before.

Attempting to distract himself, Gary rested his chin on top of his folded hands on the railing. His eyes remained looking up, taking in the shine and the sparkle of lights in the sky. It had been a long time since he had been able to appreciate lights at night that weren't man–made. Cities and towns all over the continents were expanding, growing, and with the surge in Pokemon trainers, it would soon become harder and harder for one to find themselves without any sign of civilization. Rare moments like this made Gary truly appreciate the fine, natural qualities of his hometown.

"The best thing about Pallet Town…no matter where you travel around the world, you won't find a clearer sky then you do here," a soft voice behind stated, as if professing his own thoughts out loud.

"Ash," The name that absconded his lips was barely audible. He grimaced, knowing that it had been the third time that night that someone had caught him by surprise. Preparing himself, Gary closed his eyes– took a long breath– and turned around just as Ash stepped out from under the balcony overhang.

"I saw you sneak out here while I was catching up with Misty and Brock." The brunet grinned over at him sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. The action taking away any semblance of the "adult" look he was going for in that dark suit. "Some party, huh?" he offered, ambling over until he was standing right beside the other man.

Gary stared at him for several seconds, his mouth suddenly dry. How did he manage to get caught like this? He hadn't wanted anyone to come find him, least of all the one who had caused him to act so rashly just a few minutes ago. Carefully, he swallowed— but it did little to alleviate his discomfort.

"Yeah," he said.

"We've got a full house," Ash continued excitedly, punching both fists into the air in triumph. "Some of them have promised Professor Oak that they'd help us with research funding. Isn't it great?"

"Yeah."

The brunet nudged him in the side with his elbow and then asked, with a voice laced in both exasperation and affection, "Can't you say anything but 'Yeah'?"

"Yeah," Gary started again, then stopped, wincing lamely as he corrected himself, "I mean, yes. I…" he fought himself to speak. "I guess all the excitement these last few days is finally catching up to me." How lame, he thought desperately on his excuse. How uncool.

"Are you alright?" Big brown eyes narrowed in concern, mirroring the question and Gary was alarmed that perhaps Ash could see right through him.

"Yes. Yes, of course," His mind fretted for the simple, casual words that would normally come to him when he needed to be quick and calculating. To make a reasonable explanation. To get away. But those eyes were focused on him in a manner that made all the words that danced on the edge of his tongue slip away. "I'm just tired."

Ash searched his face, dubiously. The brunet's mouth had turned down, and the lips had pressed together in concentration. The sight of it did weird things to the pulse in Gary's neck. "Are you sure that's it? There's nothing else wrong?" Ash reached over to touch a worried hand to Gary's arm, but the taller male bolted from the railing, retreating back several steps.

"No, nothing's wrong." His voice refused to level and as he continued backing away slightly, Gary kept glancing between Ash and the double, glass balcony doors. "I'm just going to see Gramps and then go back to my room."

"Wait, I'll come with–"

"No!" Gary ran a frustrated hand through his hair, head tossing like a restive horse. "No, please–don't worry about me. You should go back and hang out with your friends. They came all the way here to see you, after all."

His last statement seemed to make Ash more confused, but he couldn't afford to think about that right now. He needed to leave. Now.

Ash tried again, "But I–"

Not keeping up the pretense to stay any longer, Gary turned on his heel and shoved the glass doors open–loud enough that a few people standing nearby jumped sharply at the intrusion– and hurried into the house. By the time that Ash had gotten into the doorway, Gary was gone, having already left the party.

Ash had been trying for several days after the party to confront Gary about his weird behavior that night. But no matter when or where he approached his childhood friend, Gary always seemed to have someone else around him or be on his way out somewhere. It was like Gary had planned each day beforehand, hypothesizing ways that he could avoid Ash on purpose. And knowing that introverted, genius weirdo, that was probably the case…but Ash had no idea why.

"What do you think, Pikachu?" he asked the electric mouse Pokemon beside him as he stirred a spoon into his morning cereal, disinterested. There were still fifteen minutes before they had to leave, but he just didn't have the appetite.

"Pika…" it replied vaguely, munching on its own spoonful of cereal before twitching its ears and offering a questioning, "Pikachu?"

Ash shook his head, sadly. "No, we didn't fight at all." Surrendering to his disinterested stomach, he pushed the bowl of cereal away and leaned back into his chair– eyes focused on the splotchy texture of the ceiling. "When we talked the last time, everything seemed fine. It was just like the old days …but when we were at the party, he just clammed up! And he's been avoiding me ever since."

There was a flash of yellow tipped ears in his vision and he looked down to find that Pikachu had swindled his abandoned cereal, delving into it with the same gusto he had the first bowl.

"Hey!" he gave an annoyed laugh, prodding the Pokemon in the shoulder. "You're supposed to be listening to me, ya know!"

Pikachu continued stuffing his face, ignoring him in favor of the food he was too busily shoving in his mouth. Ash sighed–relinquishing any attempt at further conversation– and leaning back again in his chair as his mother entered the kitchen.

"Ash, dear, you weren't hungry?" She cast a quick glimpse at the gorging Pokemon and then back at her son, studying him. "This is the second morning you've not eaten your breakfast. You should really try to put something in that stomach of yours. You're already so skinny," she said, her voice fretting on the last word as she leaned partly on the countertop to reach his face, brush the spikey dark bangs out of his eyes. "Are you coming down with something?"

"I don't think so." Ash shrugged. His mother always tended to over–worry and he didn't want to exasperate any concerns she may have. "I haven't seen Gary these last few days," he ventured, trying not to let his voice give out any of the anxiety or the loneliness he was feeling at not having talked to his best friend.

Mrs. Ketchum carefully put a delft sugar creamer set on the kitchen table. "He hasn't been in the lab? With him being so gifted, I would think that Professor Oak would have him in there every day, running tests."

Ash seized the opening in the conversation. "Gary is extremely gifted," he confirmed. He watched as his mother poured a cup of coffee and then sat down across from him, mixing the creamer and sugar into it with a spoon. "I just don't know where else he would be. And I don't want to make him upset by stalking him, or surveying the whole ranch just to corner him when he wants to be alone."

"He's probably feeling a lot of stress right now," Mrs. Ketchum agreed with sigh. "The poor boy was nearly dragged all over the house at the party the other night. No wonder he wants to take some time to relax after all that."

"He did seem preoccupied."

"There's a lot of pressure on him right now. Professor Oak told me that Gary had to put his internship on hold temporarily." She glanced down at her own cup and blew across it softly, continued to watch as the liquid rippled. "Dealing with all that and the strain of helping out here in Pallet Town, it must be rather rough on him."

"Seeing me around doesn't make it any easier."

"I wouldn't say that."

At his dubious expression, Mrs. Ketchum laughed. Her eyes smiled at Ash's over the rim of her cup. "You'll always be different, Ash. You're his best friend. How could he never not need you? He may not tell you openly, but I'm sure you being around helps him to deal with everything. More than you know."

"I don't think that's the case..."

"Trust me, I've been the one watching over both of you all these years. I know that he misses you. Don't give up on him."

Ash fell silent, taking in his mother's words and the meaning they held, before standing up from his chair slowly. Resolve filling his dark eyes. "Thanks, Mom." He said, stooping down to peck her on the cheek. "You've helped me make up my mind." He said, turning to poke his pudgy Pokemon friend with a finger. "Come on, Pikachu. We've got work to do."

The Pokemon started from giving a final, long lick to the bowl and darted after Ash as he walked out the kitchen door.

"Bye," his mother waved after them, her other hand pressed to her cheek as she turned red from pleased surprise. It had been a long time since her son had displayed affection with her so openly and she almost wished he was still that little boy he had been years ago before starting on his Pokemon adventure. "Try to be home by dinner," she called after them, knowing they would hear her. She then pressed the cup back to her lips, drinking the coffee slowly in the early morning.

Gary grunted as he pulled on his pants while still toweling his body from the remnants of his shower. He hazarded a glance of himself in steamy bathroom mirror – took in the dark circles under his eyes and light stubble peppered at his jaw. He experimentally twisted his neck from side to side, examining every angle of his haggard appearance. He looked like hell and his weary body attested to that as he shoved the towel into his hair, forced to make an involuntary wince at the protest of the strained muscles in his shoulders.

He turned away from the mirror and paused in reaching to open the bathroom door.

A dark paw was scratching at the bottom of it, the little digits of the appendage flexing as if it was trying to seize onto the edge of the door and pull it open.

He raised an eyebrow and stared at it, nonplused. Then he opened the door, revealing the small dark Pokemon sitting on its hind legs, and looking up at Gary with its owlish crimson eyes. Its current behavior a direct contrast to its trying to break in moments before.

"Pervert," he accused playfully, wagging a finger with the hand that wasn't towel drying his hair as he stepped around it. "You aren't an Eevee anymore, Umbreon. You can't blame your actions on a naïve personality."

Umbreon's ears went flat at the accusation and its eyes narrowed. Its long, thin tail twitched in annoyance. Once. Twice.

"I'm just joking," he intoned in a sing–song voice, padding over to his desk and dropping haphazardly into a chair. Hair now partially dry, he tossed the towel into the dirty clothes bin and pushed the startup key on his laptop.

A pleasant ping was heard as the laptop powered up, the screen shining and Gary wasted no time as he pulled up spreadsheets and word documents filled with data, calculating the results with the tested formulas. He frowned, eyes narrowing at his calculations and his fingers twitched with the need to be sure.

Umbreon settled down beside the desk on the little bed set out for it and he took out a notepad from his drawer, jotted down quickly on it with a pen:

Rate of measured electric energy transferred by Flaaffy to an electric circuit. Refer to Electric Power Formulas.

He frowned as he looked at the answer, re–checked the documented measurement of volts, watts, and amperes. Rechecked the measurement of resistance. Entered them again. Tried the Electrical Current Formulas.

Compare results of Electric Power Formulas and Electric Current Formulas to Ohm's law.

The pen danced across the pad again, ink filling in numbers and symbols on the blank, white paper. And when he finished, he let the pen drop to roll slightly across the desk.

He sighed, running his hands through his damp hair. Umbreon lifted its head to look at him and made a soft, concerned sound. Not taking his eyes away from the pad in front of him, Gary absentmindedly reached down and brushed a hand over its ears. The action was completely mechanical, a force of habit formed from having lived with Umbreon for so long.

It wasn't enough.

He pushed his other hand further into his hair, until it grasped at the strands, tugging. A twinge of pain prickled at his scalp and extended for several seconds before he let go.

Not enough.

He was a fool. Had he really thought it would so unproblematic?

Triggered by his own self–disappointment, his hands reverted back to the laptop, scrolling down until it located other electric Pokemon candidates at the ranch. He needed to do more tests, needed to find out why the variables didn't work. Needed–

There was a knock and the door to his bedroom opened. He turned to it, discerning it to be his grandfather again. The man had been trying to get Gary to come down for breakfast numerous times that morning. Gary wasn't interested in breakfast, but the old man had good timing. He needed to discuss his next move with someone, needed to sort out all the numerous possibilities running through his head. "Gramps, I need you to help me get all the other Pokemon into the lab, I–"

He broke off, staring as Ash appeared in the doorway. Pikachu beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Gary asked, pushing back from his desk enough to gage the other more clearly. His shoulders curved inward, his back arching like a defensive cat. "We don't have any experiments scheduled today."

There was a stinging intonation in his childhood friend's words. He wasn't expected, wasn't welcome. Well, that was okay. He had anticipated that, and Ash wasn't anything if not plucky. "I know," Ash disclosed, stepping further into the room and shutting the door behind him. "But I knew you'd be cooped up in your room anyway. So I came rescue you."

A snort. "Rescue me?"

"Mmhmm!" Ash unceremoniously plopped down onto his bed and Pikachu did the same, but with a hearty "Chu". They settled so they were directly behind. Tried not to stare at the lean muscles of Gary's back, imagine the cords of muscles of those shoulders move under the pale skin. "Come out and play with us."

"What?"

"We are experiencing a once in a lifetime Winter Wonderland in our hometown and you are missing it! Come on, when's the last time you built a snowman?"

"Never," Gary deadpanned, casting his eyes upward at the predictable question.

"Exactly! And that's just why you need to come with me. Umbreon will enjoy it too." He jerked his chin at the dark Pokemon whose ears perked up at the mention of its name.

"If I wanted to build a snowman, then I'd have found a way to do it by now. I'm not interested in that childish stuff." He waved a hand, and turned back to his laptop. Fingers returning to dance across the keyboard. "I have enough work to keep me busy as it is."

Ash slowly pushed himself to the edge of the bed, let his legs dangle. He glanced from wall to wall, taking in the whole room appraisingly. Gary's room had remained relatively the same as it had been before they had left on their Pokemon journey. Had it really been that long since he had last been in here? "It's alright, Gary. I get it."

A pause of a key stroke. "Get what?"

"Well, there's been some talk around town you know..." His voice took on the conspirator whisper of a long practiced gossip and when Gary turned around again, Ash made sure to raise a hand to his chin contemplatively. "They say you've gotten soft." He shook his head, gave a tsk, tsk. "Some would even say...girrrly."

Gary's head snapped back so fast, Ash thought he might have whiplash. "Girly?!"

The brunet nodded, leaned in so they were proximate to each other. "I didn't want to believe it myself, but it makes sense. If you're so afraid of getting a little wet from the snow then–" Gary stood abruptly from his chair, almost knocking Ash over in the process. Pikachu bounced back and Umbreon jolted from its bed. "Gary–what?"

The other ignored him, went to his dresser and dug out a long sleeved shirt. He shoved it over his head, ruffling his spikey hair and quickly slid his closet door open, pulling out boots and a heavy jacket. Once the jacket was on, he held up the boots in one hand and looked at Ash expectantly.

"Well?" he prompted at length, hand cocked on his hip. "Are you going or not?"

Ash gave him a befuddled glance, brown eyes growing voluminous before his expression changed, directing a toothy grin at Gary.

"Roger!" he exclaimed, and happily followed Gary out of the room, beaming at the scowl on the other man's face. Their Pokemon trailing behind them.

"You can't get me now, Gary!" Ash made a face, sticking out his tongue and scrunching up his eyes. He opened them, only to see a snowball the size of a tennis ball whizzing toward his face. He didn't have time to move out of the way before it hit home with a loud splat, the impact causing the spray of snow to dust across his neck and shoulders.

"That wasn't fair!" he cried, stamping his boots as he wiped it off. Pikachu and Umbreon were a few feet away behind them, putting the final touches on their quasi Clefairy–snowman.

"All's fair in love and war," Gary remarked, gathering up more snow in his gloved hands as he tried to mold it into another ball. Preparing for the second wave of offense. Ash saw him, and with a hurried grunt, bent to do the same.

"What the heck is this then?" Ash asked, his frantic hands scratching at the snow – his own question seeming for all the world to be rhetorical.

But to Gary, the thoughtless question was another matter entirely, causing him to consider and remember the way his chest ached a few nights ago, heavy and painful. He couldn't find an answer, either.

A cold smack against his back returned him to the present.

"I got you," Ash whispered in amazement, breaking into a grin at the perplexed look Gary was giving him. He clasped his hands together in victory, getting caught up in the action. "I got you," he said again, voice breaking into laughter, "I really got–"

Gary sprang at him with purpose, tackling him to the ground.

Ash didn't back down easily, and they both wrestled, tumbling in the snow– Ash's loud laughter followed them as they rolled over and down a small hill.

When they came to a stop, Ash was on his back and Gary was pressed on top of him.

Gary gave a soft chuckle as he rested against the other young man, his warm breath puffing at the air. "Heh. I guess you won't be going against me in a snowball fight for some time, huh?" His voice sounded friendlier now than it had in quite some time.

It was Ash's turn to laugh. "No way! You play too rough."

"Good," he said approvingly, and their eyes met. They stared at each other for several seconds before Gary noticed something, his eyes zoning in on something on Ash's face. "But next time, let's not stay out so long."

"Why's that?"

"Your lips," he answered, raising a gloved finger to trace the outline of Ash's bottom lip with keen interest. "They're blue."

"Gary?" Ash prompted, voice full of question and it was the one thing that broke Gary out of his trance. The reality of what he was doing came crashing down on him like ice–water and he instinctively pushed himself up by his arms.

"Uh…sorry," Gary backed away in a panic, taking great lengths to make sure his body wasn't touching Ash's any more than necessary. His face was flushed from exertion, making his cheeks and the tips of his nose look red. "I think that's enough for today. I'm going back in."

He didn't look at Ash as he quickly stood up, dusting the powdered snow from his clothes and made his way inside. Umbreon was right behind him, its dark fur a drastic contrast against the white landscape.

Ash was left there, still sitting outside in the snow and completely shell–shocked. Even as Pikachu chirped beside him, and tugged at his coat. He couldn't seem to move and the reason for his confusion had long since retreated inside.

Just what had Gary been doing…and why did his heart thrum with the feeling of disappointment?

To be continued.

AN: Please review to let me know what you think! I missed writing for this fandom and plan to focus on this story again. You will have Chapter 5 up soon!

Next time: Someone is going to great lengths to undermine Professor Oak and the project, but who? Will Ash and Gary reach an understanding, or will they continue to run in circles around each other?