A/N (2019):

Greetings, reader!

Welcome to the revised edition of 'Heartlines'. After many years away from the site, and from writing, I've recently experienced a burst of unexpected inspiration, so I'm popping back for a bit (hopefully longer!). I've just undertaken a quick edit and rework of the original chapters. The format's dramatically changed and the present tense scenes are gone. I'm really sorry if that upsets you, but I promise there's a good reason for it. If you'd like to see the removed scenes as a standalone fic, please let me know, and I'll see what I can do for you!

Also there's more Pokémon now. If you're still here (firstly – thank you), still interested, and have the time, I'd recommend a quick re-read. The next step will be to pick up where we all left off with Leaf, Red and Blue. A more detailed explanation will be coming in the introduction to the third chapter, so if you need answers, head there whenever it's out.

Please be patient a little longer while I attempt to reconnect with this story, and start to let their voices dust off and unfurl inside my brain. I hope I can do them justice, and satisfy the hopes you had for this story. Honestly, I'm very nervous about making this attempt after such a long time being completely disconnected from writing. It might be slow going, or it might fail completely, but I really want to give it a good crack. Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter, I guess!

In the meantime, thank you very much, dear reader, for your kind words and support over the years.

A/N (original):

Greetings, reader!

I need to give you some background history for this story. I was in the process of writing These Words when I got into discussion with Moon Lily91 about Leaf and Blue, and Leaf and Blue together, and Leaf and Blue smut, and other fun things. We decided somewhere along the way that we'd make a pact and both write some first-timer ConflictingShipping smut. (If you want to check out hers, it's called The First Time.)

Characters may seem OOC because I've aged them about ten years and they're much more mature. They actually age over the course of the story, too. It takes place over several years. Please keep in mind, also, that this is my interpretation of each of the characters, and it may differ slightly to yours. So please try to be forgiving of any tweaks that bother you. Constructive criticism is, of course, always welcome!

Finally, this story contains BurningleafShipping and ConflictingShipping. It's rated M for mature themes, occasional language (used reasonably) and sexual references.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or 'Heartlines' by Florence + the Machine.

This is quite chunky, so settle in with a hot chocolate and get comfy! :)

Happy reading.

H . E . A . R . T . L . I . N . E . S

Part One

your heart is the only place that I call home

Leaf was stopping over at an isolated Pokémon Centre in the mountains on the fateful night that changed her life.

It had been an unremarkable day; she'd spent it training hard with her team in the merciless terrain of the rugged mountain ranges, and had made satisfying progress. She'd just checked and left her Pokémon for a well-deserved rest with Nurse Joy when a couple of Trainers in the lounge turned up the volume of the small TV, crowding round in spite of the bad reception. Gradually the chatter in the lounge died, all attention focusing on the newsreader's distorted voice.

Leaf's feet walked her closer. She sank onto a sofa beside a snoozing nidoran, her eyes riveted to the screen. It was a late-night broadcast, and the top story was about the latest challenger at the Indigo Plateau.

Leaf sucked in a breath, biting her bottom lip, her stomach wriggling with nerves. Red. He was challenging the reigning Champion this morning. She'd been thinking about it all day.

It had been speculated about for weeks. Critics were expecting it to be one of the greatest battles for the Kanto championship in history; small-town hero Red Ricketts taking on his life-long rival and childhood best friend, Blue Oak – current Champion, undefeated since assuming the title a mere few weeks ago, and a dominating force of pure power. He and his team were totally in sync, at the top of their game, and completely confident in their abilities.

But Red had always been destined for greatness. Ever since his journey began, everyone had expected him to strive to heights of extraordinary achievement. And he'd yet to let anybody down.

Leaf had known it would be a battle of epic proportions. Pallet Town's golden boy up against the famed grandson of the internationally acclaimed Pokémon Professor. Both had tremendous pressure on their shoulders. Both had everything riding on victory. Neither could afford to lose. She only wished she could have been there to see it.

She waited with bated breath for the result of their gargantuan clash, unsure of exactly how she was hoping it had turned out.

"And the reign of the mighty Kanto Champion, Blue Oak, grandson of the respected professor, was brought to a dramatic end today when he was taken on by fellow Pallet-born hero Red Ricketts, in a battle that will surely make the Indigo Plateau Hall of Fame..."

Leaf's breath expelled in a quick gush, mind reeling. She didn't hear the rest of the report.

Red had won. He'd defeated Blue.

She wasn't sure which would be greater – Red's elation at the rain of praise, opportunities and glory that would follow his hard-earned victory, or Blue's utter devastation at his crushing defeat. Though he'd hardly show, let alone admit, it. She knew he would feel like a failure in the eyes of his grandfather, and all the critics who had ever scrutinised him – and boy had there been a lot of eyes watching since he first started his journey. Her heart bled for him.

Leaf turned away from the TV, conflicted. She tickled the end of the nidoran's nose with her finger, and it snuffled sleepily.

Her feelings were perfectly divided. She was so proud of Red. He'd work so hard for this. He deserved the victory more than anybody. But when she imagined the turmoil that must be raging within Blue's heart, all she felt was crushingly heartbroken.

x

She tried his cell three times. He finally picked up on the fourth, with an audible sigh. "What is it, Leaf?"

Leaf jerked a little, affronted. She tried not to sound too offended; after all, what had she been expecting? A cheery 'hello'?

"I'm just calling to see how you are."

"How do you think I am?" he retorted sarcastically. "You're not an idiot – mostly."

Leaf swallowed her irritation. "I know how you must be feeling–"

"No, you don't," he snapped bitterly. "You have no idea at all."

"Look," she began hotly, "You don't have to be so rude about it. I'm just trying to help."

But he'd already hung up; the line was dead. Leaf growled into the phone and slammed the receiver down, glaring furiously at the empty screen. Beside her, Ninetales made a concerned purring noise, curling a few long vanilla tails around her ankle comfortingly. Absently, Leaf reached over and gave her soft ears an apologetic rub. She sighed heavily, troubled. She propped her chin on one hand, her long, thick brown hair falling over her shoulder.

For some reason, she'd really hoped to see his face – maybe because she knew it would be a different version of him tonight; one stripped of the cocky self-assurance he always wore like a thick cloak. But he'd refused her video call. She'd had to settle for voice only, and she was frustrated. Why was it always so difficult to care about Blue Oak?

Irritatingly, Leaf knew exactly what would happen next. He would disappear without a word to anyone – not even the professor. He'd go off somewhere remote for a while, withdraw into himself, and train intensely with his team. It was this weird tradition of self-punishment that he had, and in Leaf's opinion it was very annoying. How many weeks would it be this time? Two? Three?

But Leaf was very wrong. It wasn't like usual at all. This time, she wouldn't hear from him – no-one would – for many months.

"Hey!"

Leaf looked up from the menu, heart leaping. The voice was very familiar, and she'd been dying to hear it for weeks now. She jumped up hastily from her table in the sun, her hopeful eyes catching sight of Red, lanky as ever, striding cheerfully toward her, the widest smile in the world plastered across his face. Pikachu darted energetically about his feet, as always, but gave a delighted cry and a few happy little sizzles of electricity when he spotted Leaf. Ninetales, who was curled up in the sun by Leaf's chair, perked her head up and gave a joyful cry when she recognised her old friend.

"Finally!" Leaf exclaimed, skipping over gleefully to throw herself into Red's readily waiting arms. He hugged her tightly; the embrace of two close friends separated for far too long. They pulled apart to grin goofily at each other.

"You need a haircut," Leaf remarked, reaching up to ruffle his hair.

Red pointedly flicked his shaggy black locks out of his eyes, with an apologetic shrug. "I know. I'll get to it. Things have been kind of hectic lately."

She laughed. "I'll bet. I'm dying to hear all about it, mister champion." She began to drag him back toward the table, where Pikachu and Ninetales were now playing, but he pulled on her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

She turned back in surprise. "What's wrong?"

Red looked suddenly nervous. It made him seem much more like the little boy she remembered growing up with, who was shy and unsure all the time, needing guidance and reassurance before he ever did anything. She hadn't seen him like that for a long time, and immediately decided it didn't suit him anymore.

"I need to talk to you about something," he said seriously.

The smile dropped from Leaf's lips. "What is it? Is… everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah," he said with a hasty laugh. Warmth flooded his cheeks; two high spots of red. He looked down at his feet. "It's nothing bad, or anything."

Red swallowed nervously. She stared at him in astonishment. What in the world was going on? Her stomach squirmed in discomfort.

"I just," he began, his voice unsteady, the words rushing together. "I really missed you while I was away."

He glanced up at her quickly, insecure, and a warm fuzzy feeling flooded her heart. She smiled affectionately.

"I missed you, too. You were gone for ages – I was starting to forget what you looked like!" She stuck her tongue out playfully.

He swallowed again. "I know – it was too long. I…" He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, face blazing red. "I didn't like it."

Leaf opened her mouth to ask exactly what he meant by that, but he kept going like the Magnet Train at full speed, answering her incidentally. "Being away… from you… for so long."

Leaf's mouth snapped closed in shock. She couldn't believe her ears. A loud rushing noise filled her head.

From every angle, it looked like Red was almost confessing that he had feelings for her, or something… but surely she was jumping to ridiculous conclusions, like usual. He'd treated her literally and unquestionably like a sister since they were sand-pit playmates. He hadn't even noticed when she'd developed that stupid, embarrassingly long crush on him. Of course, Blue, in all his irritatingly perceptiveness, hadn't missed it for one minute – or let her live it down. Lord, had that been a humiliating chapter of her life.

No, it couldn't be. Not now, seriously, after all this time…

"Red–"

"Things have been going so well," he steamrolled on, hardly hearing her. "There's been so much happening. I've met so many cool people and amazing trainers. And so many awesome Pokémon. But I miss you – all the time. Like… like you wouldn't even believe. And I've been thinking–" he risked another glance at her, like he wasn't sure how she'd react. But she said nothing; she had no idea how to even respond. "How great it would be if you could be there to experience it – you know, with me."

He fell silent, sort of lamely. Leaf's heart jerked madly in her chest. Surely he didn't mean…?

She struggled around her stuck tongue and found her voice. It came out embarrassingly squeaky. "With you?"

He nodded. His whole head – even his ears and neck – was flushed. Leaf knotted her fingers together nervously and avoided his gaze. This was it. The moment that would make or break thirteen years of friendship.

"Do you mean, like… with you, or–"

"With me," he repeated, and she glanced up daringly. Red's gentle, deep brown eyes were wide with earnestness, watching her intently. "It's probably really stupid and weird – and I know I'm kind of making an idiot of myself, but–"

"With you is good," Leaf cut across hastily, saving him from further humiliation. The words fell from his lips. He stared at her incredulously. Her blush suddenly matched his. She reached up to fiddle uncomfortably with her bangs. "Everyone's always said we'd be great together, right?"

A grin the likes of no other cracked his face, igniting her heart. "Right. Together."

His fingers twitched at his side, like he thought about reaching out for her, but he shoved his hands hastily in his pockets. Leaf grinned hugely at him, nervousness replaced with sudden, euphoric elation.

She used to dream about this sort of thing happening when she was younger, but that was sort of the whole point. They were always just dreamy teenage fantasies. She'd never actually thought it would happen, and now… it somehow, crazily was. She hadn't even realised quite how hopeful she'd been. Or that she hadn't actually given up on him like she'd thought – not really. That flame clearly hadn't been snuffed out, after all.

She was practically dizzy with joy. Like a cork popping, all the sounds of the world around them flooded back into her ears. Pikachu and Nintales were calling questioningly from the table.

"So," Leaf said, smiling like the sun had replaced her heart. "How 'bout a coffee? I'm sure you've got loads to tell me."

Red cracked another shy grin and she grabbed his arm. As he let her tug him over to the table, he removed his hand from his pocket and deliberately knotted their fingers together.

Together. Leaf and Red. Red and Leaf.

She wondered if anyone would be surprised. She wondered if Blue would be surprised, or maybe even shocked. She worried for a moment if they could still be sort-of-almost-friends after this. Oh, why was she wasting her time sparing him any concern? He clearly didn't think much of their friendship. There was still nothing but radio silence from him, and he was still MIA, with no sign of returning any time soon. God, he could be so self-centred sometimes.

Good riddance, she thought savagely.

For the moment, it was all about Red – and him being with her. And them being together. And the happiness that was filling her soul like liquid gold.

The rest would sort itself out later.

There was no way Leaf could argue that it wasn't exciting watching Red's champion battles in the League's Grand Arena. But she had to admit, after a while, it became a little tiresome, especially when the initial happiness for Red's success started to wear off, and she began to feel nasty little stabs of jealousy.

After all, they used to train together all the time, and she'd been just as good as him then.

Sometimes, she entertained the fantasy of taking him on herself and seeing who truly was the better trainer, once and for all – but she knew she'd never really do it. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she beat him; it would destroy his dreams, and she didn't want to be the one who caused him that pain.

She wasn't selfish enough to do that to him.

Having said that, what about her dreams? They'd always wanted the same thing. To be the greatest Trainer in the Kanto region. And now that he'd gone and done it, where did that leave her?

She sort of felt like she should give that dream up, now that it seemed unattainable. Besides, it was a bit hard wanting to keep training and battling when you were living directly in the shadow of the very best – literally. She couldn't really see the point anymore.

But sitting around watching him being so successful all the time really wasn't helping anything. It was just making her restless and uneasy. She felt like she was being lazy, living his dream with him and not doing anything about her own life, which had just come to a stagnant sort of standstill.

"Are you okay?" Red's voice cut into her thoughts. She looked up, smiling, as he slung an arm round her shoulders. "You're very quiet."

"I know," she replied apologetically. He steered her down the corridor, away from the stands where he'd just defeated his latest challenger. "I've been thinking a lot about what I'm going to do this year."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, interested. "And what are you thinking about? Training again?"

He sounded enthusiastic, which only served to make Leaf feel even worse. She wondered idly if it would actually be easier if he was just a massive jerk about being better than her. At least then she could resent him.

She sighed. "Not really. I was actually thinking of going back to school…"

x

Blue spluttered his mouthful of water everywhere, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You're kidding, right?"

Leaf glanced around anxiously. A couple of nearby tables were throwing him disgusted looks. She sank a little lower in her seat, embarrassed, and tried to ignore them. She stared instead at the tea light candle in the middle of the table cloth. Outside, a breeze ruffled the autumn leaves that gently brushed the windows.

"Why is it such a joke?" Leaf grumbled.

"Leaf," Blue said, putting his glass down purposefully. "You sucked at school. No offense, or anything," he added hastily, when she shot him a hot, indignant glare. "Quitting to be a Trainer was always going to be the best thing you ever did."

"Well," she replied. "What if I'm done being a Trainer now?"

Blue rolled his eyes. "You? Quitting Pokémon training? Sure."

"I'm serious," she pressed, furrowing her brow. "This isn't fair. I mean it, Blue. I've had enough."

He gave her a shrewd look that made her squirm uncomfortably in her seat, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. Their dinner went unnoticed. "So what's changed, then?"

Leaf's cheeks warmed. She played dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Something must have happened to change your mind," he went on. "You've been training since you were a kid. Why quit now, all of a sudden?"

She twisted her fingers together in her lap. "It's just so much effort. I'm tired of having to work so hard all the time, just to stay in shape for battles I'm not even having any more. It's exhausting, and it's a waste of time. Besides, it's not like I can do it forever."

"You could if you wanted," Blue muttered under his breath. "If you actually took a serious shot at being a top Trainer."

"Get real," Leaf snapped. "All the opportunities are in other regions. There's nothing in Kanto anymore. I'd have to move, and you know I can't leave."

"Yes, what did the perfect boyfriend have to say about your decision?" Blue asked, a trace of a sneer lacing his voice. He swilled the water in his glass, and for a moment she felt like smacking his insufferable ego back in check with her fist.

But Blue would always have an issue with Red, even more now that he'd been beaten by him at the League. She knew that was never going to change, so she was just going to have to take his moodiness whenever Red came up in conversation with a pinch of salt. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to be friends any more, and that simply wasn't an option. She'd only just gotten him back, for god's sake.

Leaf stiffened a little in her seat, ready to defend her boyfriend. "He was totally supportive of the idea."

Blue snorted. "Of course he was. So long as you're not making something of yourself among the Kanto hot shots, he's cool with whatever you do."

Irritation sparked hot and quick in her chest. "Red's not like that, and you know it. He's a good person. Don't try to turn him into a jerk just because you don't like him."

Blue shook his head to himself. "Think what you want. I bet things would change if you challenged him. I still think you should, for kicks if not anything else."

"And what would be the point of that?" Leaf demanded. "In the highly unlikely event that I actually beat him, I'd just be ripping his dreams from under his nose and taking on a bunch of responsibilities I don't even want. It's not exactly a walk in the park, you know."

The instant she said it, she wished she could take it back. It was such an insensitive, thoughtless thing to say to him. She glanced up and caught his stony glare. Unsurprisingly, his next comment was clipped and frosty. "I was the Champion once, too, remember? I know what it's like."

"I'm sorry," she bleated weakly, her heart in her throat. "I wasn't thinking…"

"Whatever," he said carelessly, leaning back casually in his seat. The walls were up again, quick as lightning.

She sighed internally. It was so hard to get him to open up and be himself around her, yet all it took was one wrong move – one slip up – and the door was slammed again, faster than she could even blink. Sometimes it was exhausting being friends with Blue, because it was just so damn hard to get close to him.

"The point is," he continued, with indifference, "It seems to me like you're sacrificing your dreams so he can live his, which is something only an idiot would do."

It was a deliberate stab. He was throwing knives at her to get her back. She should have let it go; been an adult about it. But she didn't. The rage flared up before she could stifle it down, and she let it wash through her veins like poison. Pushing out her chair with a scrape, Leaf threw down her napkin and stood up, eyes blazing.

"If you think making sacrifices for somebody you love is stupid," she hissed venomously across the table, "Then you're the idiot. Besides, what would you know about love?"

She stomped from the restaurant without a backward glance. But she knew deep down that she was only so upset because he was right – not that she could ever swallow her pride and admit that to him.

"Red, if you're there, please pick up!" Leaf whimpered into her cell phone, as another roll of thunder grumbled overhead. It was late, all the staff had gone home, and the rain was absolutely bucketing down.

She hung up and hit redial. Again it went to message bank.

"Oh, come on," Leaf groaned, huddling in the tiny alcove near the restaurant's front entrance. Rain lashed in, splashing her legs. "I don't know where you are right now, but I'm stuck at work and there's a huge storm–"

The line cut out; she'd completely filled up his message bank. With a sigh, Leaf snapped her cell shut, sagging dejectedly against the cold bricks and gazing miserably out at the storm. What on earth was she going to do? The only Pokémon she had with her was Pidgeot – her usual transport to and from work – but it was far too dangerous to fly in this weather.

She was literally stranded.

A sharp clap of thunder split the sky above, followed by a brilliant flash of lightning, and Leaf flinched.

Right. That was it. She wasn't hanging round to wait this out; there was a bus stop just up the road. Buses still ran at this time of night, she was kind of sure.

Summoning her courage, she pulled her thin cardigan tight and pelted out into the downpour. By the time she reached the glass bus stop, she was drenched to the bone, her clothes sticking to her frigid skin. Water dripped from her hair like she'd just stepped out of the shower. She gasped, shivering violently as she scanned the list of bus times hopefully.

Her heart sank horribly. The last bus had come and gone over an hour ago.

With a moan, Leaf dropped onto the metal bench with a wet squelch, and was quite content to just sit there and feel sorry for herself for a few minutes. But when her fingers started to feel like clumsy, fat frozen sausages, she decided she'd had enough.

There was one last resort, one she'd been desperately hoping she could avoid utilising. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and boy was she desperate tonight.

With another heavy sigh, she flipped open her cell once more, suddenly filled with a nervousness she couldn't explain.

"Well, well," came the cool drawl down the line. "I thought you might have lost my number – or did you accidentally dial the wrong person?"

"F-funny," Leaf snapped through clenched teeth, chattering in the cold. "Look, I'm s-sorry to call so late, b-but I'm in a real p-pickle, and I really n-need your help."

"Sorry, what was that?" Blue asked delicately. "There's some weird distortion happening to the line, and it makes you sound like you've got a terrible stutter. I didn't quite catch what you said."

Leaf closed her eyes, willing her temper to stay in check. "I'm s-stranded in this storm, okay? I c-can't get home, and I'm drenched, and it's f-freezing. P-please, Blue? I swear I w-wouldn't have called if it w-wasn't an emergency."

There was a short pause. "Where's your boyfriend tonight?"

"I d-don't know. I can't contact him." Tears stung her eyes. She blinked them back furiously. She was cold, wet, tired, and in no mood for his insufferable arrogance right now. She just wanted to go home. But she would not let Blue have the satisfaction of hearing her cry over the phone.

She wasn't that pathetic.

When he said nothing, she sucked in an angry breath and gave up. "Okay, w-well I don't really have t-time for this, so th-thanks anyway. I'll f-find another way home. Sorry for b-bothering you."

"Wait," his voice said reluctantly, right before she hung up. He sighed. "Where are you?"

Ten minutes later, his shiny black car pulled into the bus bay, and before she could approach the passenger door, he got out, auburn hair mussed and crumpled oxford shirt loosely buttoned. She didn't think she wanted to know exactly what it was she'd interrupted when she'd called. It was hard not to draw the obvious conclusion.

As it was, she could hardly bring herself to look at him. Her pride was already bruised enough by having to call him in the first place. Engaging in conversation with him was going to be hell. She was fully prepared for a large dose of Blue's Intolerable Ego, and knew he wouldn't fail to deliver, especially after the past few weeks of cold-shouldering.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

She didn't even say 'shut up'. She was in no position to say anything at all. So she stayed mute, breaking the loud silence with a revoltingly wet sniffle.

After another moment of letting her stew where she stood, Blue wordlessly fluffed out a towel in his hands and wrapped it round her shivering shoulders, pulling it snug.

She risked a hesitant glance up at him, and was surprised to find his intense amber gaze boring into hers. She flushed. "I s-swear I tried everyone else I could b-before calling you."

A strange expression flitted across his face for the briefest of moments, but was gone twice as quickly. He said conversationally, with a drop of wry humour, "We were actually friends once, you know."

"I r-remember," she tossed back, attempting to mimic his casual attitude, but she just couldn't pull it off as well. "How times ch-change, right?"

He said nothing for a moment. Then, with a nod towards the car, "Arcanine missed you."

She peered past his shoulder and spotted Arcanine's big, excited face pressed enthusiastically against the backseat window. She had no idea how he'd managed to squeeze his impossibly large body into that car. He bellowed inaudibly, his breath fogging the glass. Her heart panged guiltily. Every time she and Blue fought, their Pokémon suffered the most. It really wasn't fair.

Leaf's temper thawed, and she risked a sheepish glance up at Blue. He held her gaze wordlessly and slid his hands casually into his pockets. Now would be the right time to apologise for her flare up in the restaurant, and the silence since. But the moment dragged. She scuffed at the dried brown autumn leaves stuck to the wet pavement with one shoe.

Just as she worked up the courage, he said shortly, "Get in."

Leaf didn't think she'd ever been so grateful for a heater in all her life. The moment they were belted in and thoroughly covered in overjoyed kisses from Arcanine's wet and hairy snout, Blue wordlessly cranked it up, peeling the car into the road. Warmth blasted her icy cheeks, such an abrupt change from the cold air that it stung her skin. She tossed him an appreciative sideward glance.

An awkward sort of silence filled the car, broken only by Arcanine's happy rumbling. Leaf chewed her lip. How could she strike up a conversation with him when she'd been ignoring him for the past month? Especially when the last thing she'd said was so nasty. Where could she even begin?

Finally, Blue glanced pointedly at the emblem sewn on the breast of her polo shirt. Amusement coloured his voice. "The Perky Piplup, huh? Cute."

"Oh, shut up," Leaf grumbled in embarrassment, staring purposefully out the window at the darkness and hastily pulling her wet cardigan closed over her chest. "It was all I could find at the time."

"How long have you been working there?"

"A couple of weeks. I'm trying to scrape together enough money to sit the entrance exams."

All traces of mockery vanished from his voice. "So, you're actually going back to school."

He said it calmly, casually; but she didn't miss the sideward glance he threw her. Clearly, he still didn't approve of the idea. Not that it was any of his business.

"Yep," she replied crisply.

"And he's still cool with that."

"Yep."

Arcanine yawned loudly from the backseat.

They were both silent for a long time. Finally, when they were turning into her street, Blue said, "You're making a mistake, Leaf."

"Well, that's a matter of opinion," she replied coolly.

He seemed unperturbed by her iciness. The car pulled up outside her house. He looked at her gravely.

"I'm just saying. It's a big decision. Think it over carefully, okay?"

She tried not to be disturbed by his uncharacteristic seriousness, but it was making her a little uncomfortable. She didn't know how to deal with this version of Blue; all she could do was toss insults and banter back and forth. She settled for playing it down casually.

"Thanks, Mom," she said with an eye roll, then softened her tone. "Look, I get that you're concerned, and I understand – really. But I've made up my mind. I am doing this."

Shooting him an apologetic sort of look, Leaf opened the door. "Thanks for the lift. And the towel." She blushed, feeling fidgety. Her fingers twisted together in her lap. "I, um… I really appreciate it."

Blue had the grace not to give her pride a well-deserved kick, even though it was the perfect opportunity to. He just nodded once, sort of curtly. She clambered out and waved to Arcanine, who woofed happily in reply.

"Leaf." She hastily grabbed the door before it shut, and turned back. Blue glanced sidelong at her. "If you ever get stuck again, call me, yeah?"

"I don't plan on getting stranded again for quite some time," she replied jokingly, then briefly caught his eye, sobering. "But, um… thanks. I will."

"And if you ever feel like being friends again," he added casually, with a quick flash of a grin, "I suppose you could call me then, too."

Leaf rolled her eyes, unable to help the wry smile that twisted her lips. "Don't count on it."

But she gave him a small wave as the car disappeared up the street, and it was with a considerable spring in her step that she turned to head up the driveway that night.

"Yo?"

"Congratulations, Mr. Oak, for winning the Blue-was-Right contest!" Leaf said, lowering her voice to imitate a game show host. "This is a call to personally present you with your fan-taaastic prize: one free pass to tell Leaf 'you told her so'! Why don't you practise putting on your best insufferably smug voice while we get her on the line?"

She heard Blue's laugh on the other end, and rolled her eyes. Then she hummed a very out-of-tune piece of impromptu elevator music down the line, pretending he was on hold.

"Alright, you can stop now," Blue said, still chuckling. "Though I could get used to winning these Blue-is-Right competitions – it's a pretty good prize."

"Very funny," Leaf said in her normal voice. She sighed glumly. "But seriously, go ahead. Say it. You were right about school; this is one of the worst decisions I've ever made, and I'm not even there yet."

"So don't go," Blue replied simply. "No-one's forcing you."

Leaf slammed her exam prep book closed, piling all her notes on top of it. "I've already come this far. What a waste to quit now."

"When are the exams?"

A sick feeling hit Leaf's stomach like a bucketful of ice. "A month." She sucked in a shuddery breath. "I'm so nervous, Blue."

"I would be, too, if I'd failed middle school."

"Hey!" she scolded. "I didn't fail. I just… didn't finish."

"Same thing."

"Different things!"

"But, okay, in all seriousness," he said, sobering. "How did you get the schools to accept your application letter? You technically don't even have a GPA."

She flushed. Even though she couldn't change anything, and she knew the past was in the past, it still sounded bad every time anyone said it aloud. She always felt like such a failure. "I got a letter of recommendation from your grandfather."

"Gramps?" Blue repeated, surprised. "That was good of him."

"Gee, thanks," she said sarcastically. "Clearly you don't think I deserve any credit for that internship I did."

"Not what I meant," he said. "I'm just surprised he didn't forget. I swear he's going funny these days; he acts like I'm a guest every time I visit and offers me his best whiskey. I think he forgets we're related."

Leaf couldn't help laughing. Silence reigned superior for a few comfortable seconds. The faint sounds of Clefable singing drifted in from the other room. The smile faded from her face. She cleared her throat and said, "Actually, I did have a reason for calling."

"You mean, you weren't dying to hear the soothing sound of my sexy voice?" he retorted, feigning shock. "Well, that's disappointing."

This was the part where she was supposed to apologise for being such a crummy friend the past few months before she asked her favour… but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She faltered at the last moment, her shoulders sagging in defeat. It seemed her pride would always win.

Feeling like a crappy person, Leaf said, "I have a favour to ask."

"As long as it's sexual," he replied, "I'm all ears."

"Blue!" she gasped, flushing. The room felt too hot all of a sudden. "Be serious!" She tucked her bangs nervously behind one ear as he chuckled to himself. "I just… I really need help. I've been studying for weeks, but there's only so much you can do before you're just overloading things you've already studied, and it becomes totally ineffective, you know?"

"Go on," he said warily.

"I just need someone to study with me before I sit the exam," she explained. "You know, quiz me and stuff. Because I don't think there's much more I can do by myself."

She knew what he'd say next before he even opened his mouth, so when he started to speak she quickly cut across him.

"He's so busy with his Champion responsibilities all the time. He's hardly ever here at the moment. Besides–" And here was the really unpleasant part, where she had to give her pride a real kick in the teeth and suck up to him in an attempt to coerce him into agreeing, "You know academics were never really his thing. I don't think he'd be very helpful anyway. C'mon, Blue. You've always been really smart – smarter than the rest of us – and you know it. This'd be a synch for you."

He said nothing.

"Please," Leaf begged shamelessly. "These exams are really freaking me out. I promise I wouldn't ask if it wasn't really important."

Still he hesitated before finally speaking. "And if I agree to help you?"

Relief at the possibility of getting a 'yes' cascaded through her, filling her with a preemptive enthusiasm. But she was careful not to count her torchic just yet. "I'll do anything you want."

A hint of deep amusement laced his voice. "Anything?"

She caught herself, rolling her eyes. "Within reasonable limitation."

"This deal's looking less promising again."

"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "You can have a favour in return?"

"When will I ever – realistically – need any kind of help from you?" he retorted. He meant it as a joke, but it still stung, surprisingly. She guessed he picked up on that in the heavy silence that followed, because he added hastily, "But I guess I can work with that."

Still smarting, Leaf said in a clipped tone, "So, a favour – uncontested – of your choice, at the time of your choice. Deal?"

"Deal," he agreed, sounding suspiciously smug. But she didn't ask questions; she didn't want to know what he was thinking. It would no doubt involve entertainment at her expense and horrendous humiliation.

Before she could say 'thanks' and hang up, Blue said, with unexpected humility, "All jokes aside, Leaf, just call when you want help. I'll come over, okay? Even though I don't agree with this crazy idea of yours, since you're going through with it, what choice do I have but to support you?"

She was surprisingly moved by this. So moved, in fact, that she had absolutely no idea what to say. But the moment passed before she could even get her thoughts together, and the opportunity to express true gratitude was lost.

"So," Blue said, smug and casual once more. "I guess this means we're friends again."

A smile accosted her lips. "Yeah. Guess so."

"Well then, smell ya, friend."

She laughed. "Goodnight, Blue."

She missed Red. She missed his smile, and his laugh, and his warm bear hugs when they cuddled on the couch to watch crappy re-runs and old tournament battles late at night.

These days, he very rarely had time off. Being the Champion was even more full-time than a full-time job. She never knew where he was anymore; his schedule was too difficult and jam-packed to follow. She'd given up months ago.

He was always off touring to meet Trainers, or giving talks at elementary schools, or opening tournaments all over Kanto, or having ridiculously publicised meetings with other famous Trainers from foreign regions.

It seemed these days there was a long list of Red's priorities, organised by a PR and religiously protected by several annoying assistants, and Leaf was right at the bottom, underneath everybody else.

She considered it a very bad sign that she was starting to resent kindergarteners.

And she never even got to talk to him about any of it. It all just built up over time, festering away inside her, rotting her from the core. She was always grumpy, always bitter, always frustrated. And nothing anybody said or did made her feel any better. Even Blue had gotten fed up and ditched her for the past week.

Mind you, it had become a pretty amazing feat if she actually managed to catch Blue at all, too. He rarely answered calls, was lazy getting back to messages, and was always busy. And not with work. She didn't know how she hadn't noticed, but Blue's calendar had become filled with adoring fans – of the female variety. She'd stopped dropping in unannounced after interrupting the morning after on three extremely scarring occasions.

It was a little disconcerting that his companions were somehow always humiliatingly fine specimens of the female population. Tall, short, blonde, brunette, fair-skinned or bronzed, they were always enviably-slim, and truly stunning. Another good reason to stop visiting Blue; every time she met a Tuesday or Friday it was another devastating blow to her self-esteem.

In short, with the entrance exams right around the corner, Leaf was really not in a good place.

A sharp, familiar rat-a-tat-tat-a-tat broke her from her miserable reverie. She'd been staring glumly into the fridge, trying to will herself into cooking something that at least vaguely resembled a meal, but her attention was more than gladly diverted. She knew that knock. But it couldn't be…

She trotted down the hall, fighting the ridiculous hopefulness that was swelling inside her like a big, golden balloon of joy. What if it wasn't him? What if it was somebody else who just happened to have an identical knock? She didn't know if she'd be able to handle the disappointment.

Pausing by the front door, Leaf swallowed to calm her racing heart, wiped her suddenly sweaty palms down her pants, and opened the door.

There on the doorstep, a bunch of happy flowers in one hand, was a tired-looking Red. His eyes lit up, but his expression morphed immediately into one of remorse. "Leaf, I'm so sorr–"

She tackled him. His apology was knocked from him along with his breath, and it took only an instant for his arms to clamp round her fiercely. He pulled her up, almost off the ground, and nearly squeezed the life out of her. He said thickly, voice muffled by her shoulder, "I missed you."

"I missed you," she choked back, suddenly teary, her fingers bunching stubbornly in his coat, vice-like and steely. She buried her face in his chest, relishing in the smell of him, and he tucked her firmly under his chin, his arms like a protective cocoon. Her heart thrummed happily.

They stood like that, in the frigid winter night, for what seemed like hours. Finally, Red managed to prise her fingers off so he could pull back enough to kiss her. He clearly intended for it to be short and chaste, but she rose up on tiptoe, grabbing his coat collar and suctioning herself to him. He got over the initial surprise quickly, responding to her with enthusiasm; backing her inside, he kicked the door shut and let her pull him to her bedroom.

There'd be plenty of time for talk later.

Leaf didn't bother knocking. Blue never locked his door. She stomped into his quiet, modern apartment, storming past the small but smart kitchen and straight on down to his bedroom. Arcanine greeted her happily from his position on the sofa in the lounge as she stomped purposefully past. There'd be a girl in his room with him – she was getting weirdly accustomed to finding random naked women in his bed – but she didn't care anymore.

"Blue!" she bellowed, slamming her fist against his door. "Open up!"

Muffled voices could be heard inside, but nobody answered, so she yanked the handle and marched in impatiently, eyes blazing with anger. The blonde in Blue's bed squeaked and disappeared beneath the sheets; Blue jerked up, glaring in disbelief across the room.

"Christ, Leaf!" he bellowed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Arcanine gave a single bark that echoed down the hall from the lounge.

"Wednesday," Leaf addressed the girl flatly. "Get out."

The girl's pretty face appeared, confused and indignant. She pouted her plump rosebud lips. "Excuse me?"

"It's nothing," Blue said hastily, throwing Leaf a warning glare. "She's just a psycho ex-girlfriend who insists on stalking me every time I take a girl on a date."

"Funny," Leaf said, without humour. "But seriously, get out."

"Blue," the poor girl whimpered, her beautiful blue eyes huge.

"Relax," he assured her, touching her shoulder gently. "I'll deal with it."

He turned his narrowed amber cat's eyes to the infuriated girl in the doorway. "Leaf! I strongly advise you to leave. Now."

"You promised," Leaf snapped instead, blinking back angry tears. "You promised, Blue. I know I can be a jerk sometimes, but this is low, even for you. And this was really important to me – I really needed you."

She sounded pathetic and crazy, and the girl in Blue's bed looked like she was seriously considering calling the police. But Leaf was so wound up from stress and lack of sleep that she didn't even care that she probably looked like a total lunatic. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she didn't bother trying to stop them.

Blue shifted uncomfortably where he sat, the silken sheet sliding over his bare torso. He shoved one hand through his mussed auburn hair. "Leaf…"

"You could have just said 'no'," she steamrolled on furiously. "You didn't have to be such an asshole. Ignoring my calls? Seriously? What are you – fifteen? Grow up!" She yanked an empty plastic bottle off the dresser beside her and pegged it at him. Blue dodged with a yelp and it bounced off the wall with a sharp thwock.

He glared at her like she was mental. "Leaf!"

Arcanine gave another great echoing bark. Nobody answered.

"Next time you're not man enough to follow through on a promise, do me the courtesy of calling to let me know first. That way I don't have to hate you for it," Leaf spat, and grabbed the door handle, preparing to leave. She turned her fiery gaze on the blonde, who shrank back fearfully.

"Have a nice day, Wednesday."

Whirling on her heel, she slammed the door and stomped from the apartment.

x

In the wee hours of the morning, Leaf sat slumped at her desk, dragging her tired eyes across the pages of a thick textbook and taking in absolutely nothing.

Her brain had turned into cotton wool; it had completely lost the ability to retain any information at all. But she couldn't afford to waste this precious time. Every sentence might contain a piece of information she might just – by chance – remember in the entrance exam tomorrow.

Red was gone again, on a five-day inspirational camp for a bunch of high school students in Cerulean City. It was a real bummer; she could have really used his support this week. It had been rough on her. Exam pressure was dealing her a huge hand of stress, and it was keeping her awake at night.

Leaf groaned when she realised she'd gotten to the bottom of the page yet again, without having read a single word. With a frustrated growl, she dragged her hands over her face and through her hair, tugging at it in exasperation. Then, with an exhausted sigh, she picked up her pen and went back to the top of the page to start again. Occasionally it was easier if she followed the pen along the line.

She was only a couple of sentences in and already the words were blurring together, when a sudden knock at the door presented the perfect excuse for distraction. Ninetales gave a gentle howl from the front room, alerting her to the presence of a visitor. Leaf got up thankfully from the desk, stumbling on legs numb from hours of sitting still, and trotted into the dark hall.

Before she pulled the door open, Leaf glanced down at herself, lamenting her appearance – definitely not suitable for greeting visitors, that was for sure. She'd been wearing the same clothes for two days. She hadn't showered this morning. Her hair was still thrown in yesterday's messy ponytail, hanging lopsided with strands falling out all over the place, and only the gods knew when she'd last opened her make-up bag.

She sighed. Well, it was too late now. Quickly pushing her tousled bangs from her face, she opened the door, and was utterly astonished to find a rugged-up Blue huddled on her doorstep, cheeks and nose pink from the frostbitten night.

"You know," he said, without waiting for an invitation to speak, "You're a total psychopath."

"What do you want?" she asked curtly, folding her arms uncomfortably across her chest. They'd had no contact since her crazy invasion of his apartment, and she hadn't expected to hear from him for a long time. Mind you, she wasn't exactly happy to see him, so it wasn't as though she was particularly concerned about that.

"Are you going to let me in?" he asked shortly.

"No," she replied flatly.

"It's pretty cold out here, Leaf."

She glared at him. "Go away."

She started to close the door. Quick as a flash, his arm snaked out. "Wait."

His breath huffed from his lips in steaming clouds. "Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He visibly struggled for a moment with himself. "I was a total ass, I know. I'm sorry I let you down."

Leaf hesitated, still wanting to slam the door in his face. But it was a bit hard to get satisfaction out of doing it when he was in the middle of apologising to her. It sort of didn't feel right. He was staring at her, looking a lot like a remorseful child, and there was something weirdly adorable in those baleful eyes.

Leaf scowled. How could she possibly stay mad at him when he was looking at her like that?

The easiest option was just to let it go and forgive him on the spot. Besides, the fight was already going out of her. She could feel it draining away. And she was getting tired of always fighting with him. She didn't have the energy for it right now. With a sigh, she opened the door a little wider.

"I'm already over it," she informed him tiredly. "Seriously. I don't even care anymore."

"No kidding," he retorted, glancing her up and down. "You look like crap."

"I've been studying," Leaf replied indignantly, blushing hotly. "And it's not like anyone comes to see me, anyway."

She hadn't meant for it to sound so pathetic, but of course it did. Something stirred in Blue's eyes, but he quickly looked away, keeping them carefully hooded. When he glanced back up, his expression was normal again.

He stepped close, reaching around behind her. She blushed furiously, too stunned by his brashness to even react.

Blue grinned lazily, fingers resting on the door handle. "Relax. I'm not trying to steal you from your perfect boyfriend. You're damned psychotic, remember? He can keep you, for all I care – I don't have a death wish."

She opened her mouth to fire an angry retort, but he went on, a twinkle in his eye. "I am, however, going to take you out for coffee. Any more studying tonight and your brain will probably melt."

He scooted her out of the house, shutting the door behind her. She shivered, suddenly feeling the frosty air creeping through her sweater, and he shrugged out of his coat, setting it round her shoulders. He shoved his hands in his pockets before she could thank him, and turned to crunch down the snowy steps.

"C'mon. Car's out the front. Let's go."

Leaf sat silently at the small table, staring at the fateful white envelope sitting innocently before her. Her foot bobbed anxiously up and down on the floor and she chewed one thumbnail restlessly. Her heart was thumping so heavily in her chest it was almost hurting. Any moment, she thought she might be sick.

Ninetales made a concerned, keening sort of noise, and rubbed her head affectionately against her knee. Absently, Leaf curled her fingers in Ninetails' soft vanilla mane.

She exhaled shakily. "I'm okay, Nine." Ninetales twisted her head and licked her fingers once, gently.

Leaf's eyes hadn't left the envelope once since it had been dropped in her mail box over an hour ago. It seemed impossible that one tiny little piece of paper could hold so much power over her future.

Her cell phone rang, too loud in the tense kitchen. Leaf nearly jumped out of her skin. Ninetales startled and yipped indignantly.

"Sorry – sorry," Leaf muttered, hastily petting her again before grabbing up her cell. "Hel… hello?"

"Did you open it yet?" Blue's amused voice asked down the line.

"No," Leaf whimpered. "I can't."

"You're such a baby," he laughed. "Just get it over with. The answer's the same either way."

"I know," she replied, tucking her bangs behind one ear. "But… I don't know. What if I didn't get in, Blue?"

"Then you'll do something else," he said. "Keep working at the Perky Piplup forever."

She choked on a humourless laugh. "I think I'd kill myself."

"Open it," he said, more firmly. "Come on. Rip off the band-aid."

She hesitantly reached for the envelope, then pushed it away. "I feel like I'm going to pass out."

"You're being very dramatic," Blue commented dryly. "Do you need me to come and hold your hand?"

Leaf massaged her temple restlessly, her entire body a live wire of bundled nerves. Then she growled in frustration and yanked up the envelope, ruthlessly tearing it open. Blue's laugh came down the line as she pulled out the folded paper, then they both fell into a heavy, serious silence. Ninetales sniffed curiously at the ripped envelope, which had fallen to the floor.

"Open it up, Leaf," Blue's voice said quietly.

She pressed her eyes shut, praying desperately as she unfolded the paper. Her heart slammed in her throat. She didn't think she'd ever been so nervous in her whole life. With trembling fingers she turned the paper over, then slowly opened one eye at a time.

Her breath left her in a long rush.

"What?" Blue asked quickly. "What is it?"

For a moment Leaf sat in stunned silence. Then, "I got it."

"You got it?" he repeated loudly, excitement colouring his voice.

"I got it," she said again, mostly to herself, her lips curling in a small, bewildered smile.

"She got it!" he shouted to someone, and Arcanine's bellowing bark answered enthusiastically in the background. Blue gave an elated whoop, and Leaf giggled as she listened to the sounds of them roughhousing in his lounge. Sometimes she forgot how playful he could be. She often wondered if he was only truly himself when he was with his Pokémon.

Leaf gently lowered her phone. Tears pooled as a wave of dizzying relief flooded through her, driving out all thoughts of Blue for a moment. She'd done it. She'd passed the entrance exam.

The tears spilled down her cheeks and she turned, beaming, to Ninetales. "I did it!"

She dropped the letter of acceptance from Celadon University on the table and cupped Ninetales' soft snout in both hands, planting overjoyed smooches all over her loyal Pokemon's adorably confused face.

"Come on!" Leaf cried, jumping up from the table. Ninetales eagerly pranced, immediately joining the celebration she didn't quite understand. "Let's go play in the snow. A new adventure's about to start!"

Ninetales yipped happily and they bounded out into the weak winter sunlight, the door to Leaf's little Pallet Town home clicking shut behind them.

On the second most life-changing day of her life, Leaf was coming out of a lecture when a gaggle of students on the quad caught her eye.

Celadon City was truly stunning in the springtime. The sky was periwinkle blue with a spattering of cotton-candy clouds, and all the trees on campus had burst into bloom practically overnight. The lawns were dotted with pink petals, like a giant hand had tossed them over the university like a handful of confetti. Students and Pokémon played outside, enjoying the warmer weather.

Leaf was passing by the group when the word 'Champion' caught her attention. She moved closer, hoping to catch what they were saying, and a few of them spotted her, instantly glancing between one another sharply. She was something of a celebrity on campus. Everyone knew she was dating the Kanto Champion.

A funny feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

Instead of sticking around, she turned and headed across campus to the dorms. Dread prickled at her neck as the elevator whisked her to her floor, and more pointed looks followed her all the way down the corridor, until she'd safely shut the door behind her. She threw her bag at the bed and snatched her cell up from her desk. She'd forgotten it in her rush this morning, and her inbox informed her she had five missed calls from Red.

Feeling sick, she dialled his number. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey." He sounded normal, but something was definitely off. "Were you in class? Sorry if I got you in trouble."

"No – no," she replied breathlessly, shaky with inexplicable nerves. "I forgot my phone today. What's– are you–" She took a deep breath, exhaling purposefully to stop stammering, and tried again. "Is everything okay?"

He was very quiet for an alarming moment. "I lost."

All the noise in the world cut off in one swift second. Leaf's blood ran ice-cold. She heard herself say in a small voice, "What?"

His next words sounded like fuzzy gabble in her muted ears. It was though she was watching a TV show of someone else's life. It seemed like she was talking to a total stranger, not Red. Nothing seemed real at all.

"The challenger today was just too good. I guess we just weren't strong enough."

"No," her disembodied voice replied weakly. "You're the best."

"I was," he replied glumly. "Not anymore."

"But that's not right," she argued, though she wasn't sure why. It wasn't exactly going to change anything. The dreadful events had already transpired.

"Leaf, I know how you feel," Red sighed. "I feel exactly the same way. I… I'm not really sure what to do with myself."

At last, her senses returned, and Leaf was finally back inside her head and able to think clearly. She blinked furiously, digesting this overwhelming moment as best she could.

Finally, Red's voice said, sounding awfully like a small child, "Can you come home tonight?"

Immediately, tears swam in Leaf's eyes. Her heart bled for him, and she knew without even having to think about it that she'd find a way there no matter what it took.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

x

It had been so long since Leaf had gone flying with her pidgeot. Too long, she thought, as the cold wind whipped her hair from her face, ruffling the bird-Pokémon's magnificent feathers. Pidgeot gave a gleeful cry and climbed higher, its proud wings spread wide.

Leaf reached down to stroke the regal plumage flourishing from its forehead, the long strands of rich red that cascaded soft and feathery down its neck. She'd forgotten how natural it used to feel, claiming the skies together like they owned them. It was such a release, she thought, euphoric with adrenaline. Up here there was nothing – no stress, no problems, no worries. Just her, her Pokémon, and the endless expanse of sky.

The tears welled up before she could stop them. God, she was a cry-baby nowadays. It was getting annoying – and embarrassing.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled, stroking Pidgeot's neck. "I should never have kept this from you. I've been so selfish lately. I promise we'll fly again like we used to."

Pidgeot's joyful reply pierced the clear skies like a fierce bell, and she clamped down as he tucked his wings, preparing for a dive.

Their flight was over all too soon. Before long they were descending sharply, arcing towards the ground, her clothes flapping in the wind. She stumbled off Pidgeot's feathery back, vertigo hitting hard as her feet met solid ground for the first time in hours. She smoothed down her clothes, returned her faithful Pokémon, and turned apprehensively toward Red's house.

She didn't have much time to be anxious. As she headed up the front path, the door opened and he came down the steps to meet her, scooping her into an agonisingly fierce hug. He didn't offer any words, and she had no idea what to say to him, so they stood silently for some time, locked together.

It was colder in Pallet Town than Celadon City, and with the chilly breeze came a light shower that trickled down her neck and into her shoes. She ignored it, closing her eyes to the weather and feeling Red's pulse slamming in his chest.

Finally, he let her go, pulling back to look her in the eyes. "Leaf…"

She pressed her fingers gently to his lips, silencing him. "It's going to be okay." She offered him a small, encouraging smile. "Everything's going to work out all right. I promise."

He curled his fingers round hers, pulling them away from his mouth. Looking down at their joined hands, he swallowed and said, "Losing today made me see things differently."

"What kind of things?" she asked quietly, alarm bells clanging sharply in her head.

She knew when people suffered huge blows like this it could have extremely negative consequences. Sudden, massive changes could cause dramatic emotional reactions. Sometimes, one big change was the catalyst for many other changes – radical changes. Like moving to the other side of the world, quitting a job to take up a crazy new hobby, or – dare she think it – breaking up with a partner because they were a painful reminder of your 'old' life.

But Red wasn't like that. He wouldn't do that to her… would he? Somehow, she simply couldn't shut away the tiny, niggling voice in the back of her mind that warned her to start preparing for the worst.

"Everything," he said sombrely. She didn't think there could possibly be a worse answer. 'Everything' was definitely not a good sign. Leaf sucked in a sharp, shaky breath, her heart already tearing itself into sharp-edged little pieces that cut her insides as they plummeted toward her feet.

"Don't," she croaked, suddenly ice-cold. She tried to prise their fingers apart, refusing to look at him. She couldn't look at him. She had to get out of here immediately. "Don't say anything else."

"What?" Red said, confused. "Leaf, just – hear me out, okay? Please?"

He gripped her fingers too-tightly until she stopped struggling, realising she wasn't going anywhere unless he let her. Resigned, she glanced desperately up at him, nausea kicking fiercely in her stomach.

This isn't happening… It's not real… It can't be real – it just can't…

"I lost everything today," Red said matter-of-factly, then touched her cheek gently. "Everything except you. It made me realise how precious things are – how we should treasure things that matter to us, and not… take things for granted."

He stared down at his feet, fighting some internal battle that conflicted in his eyes.

"I was taking everything for granted, Leaf. Everything. I somehow thought I'd be the Champion forever, so I didn't have a back-up plan. It was so stupid. I got complacent, and now I'm here, with no future at all – just loads of regrets."

Leaf stared wordlessly, stunned.

"I wish I'd been wiser, like you. At least you're doing something to ensure you have a future to look forward to. And on that note, I'm sorry I made you drop everything to come back here tonight. I was just being selfish – I've been doing that a lot, actually." Red glanced up at her self-consciously, his deep brown eyes remorseful.

Leaf was floored. She hadn't been expecting this outburst of self-loathing, and she didn't know how to deal with it. But she did know she wanted it to stop, because he was wrong. He was just being too hard on himself for losing, and it was killing her to watch.

"Stop," she said firmly. "Stop beating yourself up. One loss doesn't mean you failed. And you're not selfish–"

"Yes, I am," he interrupted, his black eyebrows furrowed in a hard frown. "In the worst kind of way. I haven't been around, and I always excused it away, but it's not okay."

He took her face in both his hands. She stared up at him, wide-eyed.

"I know I let you down in the past, but I won't anymore – I swear." He swallowed. "I realised today that I could lose anything in the world – money, respect, a hundred Championships – and it wouldn't matter. As long as I've got you, I can handle anything."

Leaf lost her breath. It caught in her chest and lodged itself there firmly, until all she could feel was her pulse thumping hard in her ears. She stared up at Red, and he stared back, his long lashes blinking rapidly. Behind his eyes she could see his thoughts weaving together, arranging themselves into an order that spilled from his lips like air rushing from a balloon.

She collected herself. "Red…"

"I want it to stay that way," he said, his voice shaking suddenly – though from cold or nerves she couldn't tell. The colour had drained from his face, leaving him looking haggard and anxious. His eyes, however, flashed with a wild energy she'd never seen before. "You're the most important thing to me, Leaf, but I've made a pretty crappy attempt at showing it lately. I want to make it up to you – if you'll let me."

Leaf's breath returned in a gush. "So, you're not breaking up with me?"

He jerked back, astounded. "Breaking up? Jesus, Leaf, I want to marry you, not leave you!"

He caught himself sharply, shooting her a wide-eyed, worried look, obviously fearing he'd said too much too quickly.

Only one word stuck in Leaf's mind, stamped across the front of her brain in huge, neon, capital letters.

Marry.

He wants to marry me?

Instantly, images flooded her brain – a clean, bright church, the wooden pews filled with the smiling faces of their friends and family. Herself in a glistening white dress, embellished with lace and beaded with twinkling diamantes, her fingers clasped around a fat bouquet of ivory roses. And Red in a dashing tuxedo, his eyes filled with love, waiting for her to join his side and declare their devotion – solidify their love – for the whole world to admire.

Red was speaking when Leaf was sucked out of her fantasy and back to reality. She had no idea what he was saying, but she went up on tiptoe, her entire body tingling with elation – her head reeling with joy and excitement and pure delight – and kissed him with everything she had.

"Yes," she said breathlessly, when their lips broke apart. He stared at her, his wavering brown eyes huge, and she grinned ecstatically. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

The smile that radiated from his face was the hugest she'd ever seen, and he pulled her up to kiss her again. Overhead, the sky rumbled and the clouds split open, sheets of rain bucketing down heavily. But Leaf didn't feel anything except Red's lips and her own explosive heartbeat.

Yes, she said again in her mind, pulling him closer. Yes. A thousand times, yes.

To be continued…