Hey!

This is my second story. My first, To Grow Up will be updated at varying intervals, as I write the one shots.

This has been read through many times, so I hope all the grammar and everything is good, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Thanks :)

Prologue

A door slammed. Footsteps could be heard marching down the hallway. A woman, wrapped in a sheet ran with lighter steps. She reached out and grabbed his arm, only to have it yanked out of her grip. She ran ahead and blocked the doorway.

"Please don't go.."

The man went to move past her, but she was agile, and blocked him again.

"How could you do this to me?"

"I don't know what happened. He came over, and he said he was going to help me. You know how I've been sick."

"I fail to see how that," he pointed down the hallway, "is helping you get better."

"I didn't know you would be home so soon.."

"And that would make a difference?"

"I didn't mean for you to see.." she trailed off.

The man looked towards the heavens. What had he done to deserve this? For once in his life, he had made a serious attempt to commit. He took absolute care when interacting with the opposite gender nowadays. There was a time when he had used them as objects for his pleasure.

Couldn't she see that he had changed for her?

"Listen to me... I.. I love you, and I know I am not the best at showing it, but.." He trailed off, trying to find the right words, "When I'm coming home at night, all I think about is seeing you, and that's new for me. But you betrayed me tonight, you treated me like I was one of those drunks you sing to at night; nothing more than a customer. How can I know you won't do it again? How can I trust you again?"

"No!" she threw her arms around him, bursting into tears. He shrugged her off with ease and let himself out.

She let the tears fall freely. She knew it was her fault. He knew it was her fault. She had taken the best thing that had happened to her and singlehandedly disfigured it beyond recognition, beyond repair.

Pokémon

"Can you not do anything right?"

"What have I done now?"

"You burned the meat. Now we have no dinner!"

"So get one of the microwave meals out of the freezer. It's not that hard."

"You wreck everything. I swear, if you want something done around here, you have to do it yourself."

"So do it yourself. Don't blame me."

"Well someone has to be blamed, and it's not my fault, so guess where the blame is going."

"You are so stubborn!"

"I'm stubborn? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll leave you to figure that out. Speaking of mirrors, you look like you've gotten a little pudgier lately. Maybe you should lay off those pasta dishes."

"I have not put on weight! And besides, putting on weight would be better than looking like a girl when I'm supposed to be a big, strong man."

He paused, taking deep breaths to calm himself.

"Get out."

"What?"

"I said get out."

"Why should I?"

"Because this is my house, and I was letting you stay here out of the goodness of my heart while you found your place in this town. And you have breached my terms and conditions. Now get out."

"You're kicking me out?"

He walked to the door and opened it.

She stood, frozen, a statue. She prayed he was joking, prayed that at any minute he would give her some sign of forgiveness, and things would go back to the way they were.

She had thought they were friends, that something as trivial as the burning of food would do nothing to their relationship. It wouldn't to most, even if they were barely acquaintances.

But as he coughed impatiently, a simple message, she realised that he could never have felt the same way as her.

She was homeless.

Pokémon

"You pig! I told you I was going out and I come back and the place is trashed! What did you do?"

"I made myself a sandwich, and then I grabbed a beer. Geeze, don't get so worked up, it won't take you long to clean it up."

"What? For me? Me, to clean it up! What am I? Your servant?"

"Well, this is what you do isn't it? I go to work and get the money. My money, which I allow you to use."

"So all I'm good for is cooking and cleaning? You don't think that I could do what you do? Work, and earn my own way? You are wrong!"

Wind rattled the window pane, and it suddenly burst open.

She ran to the window and fought with it, trying to shut it, however the blizzard was strong.

She felt strong arms wrap around her and reach out to the window. The hands attached to the arms seemed to effortlessly close the window, and lock the latch.

"You were saying?"

"I could have done that." But there was no longer and defiance in her voice. He embraced her and caressed one of her hands with his. He found one finger in particular, and played with the ring on it.

"We have to support each other. We made a commitment when we stood in front of all those people, and you were wearing that expensive white dress, to honour each other and respect each other. I don't think you respect me. I go out and work every day, doing a job I don't like, so that I can pay for those expensive things you want. Let me be the man here. You're a woman, don't think you can bite off more than you can chew without having to ask me for help."

That brought the anger back.

"I don't respect you? You don't respect me."

And with that the woman stormed out the door.

Pokémon

The room was silent. The sun was peeking through the curtains.

A young woman was sleeping, her head rested on the shoulder of the man next to her. His head was resting on top of hers, and his arm was wrapped around her protectively.

She stirred, her movement causing him to wake up.

He smiled, "Morning,"

"Morning," she tilted her head up and kissed him, gently, so as not to break the bubble that surrounded them, the one that made them oblivious to all that surrounded them.

"What do you want to do today?"

"I was thinking… we could go pack some food and go to the beach, and I could teach you how to surf."

"I think I have something better."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hold on." He got up and stretched his limbs, easing out the tension that had built up overnight. He left the room, and was gone for only a few seconds. When he came back, he was holding a DVD in his hand.

"I saw this when I was coming home from work last week. I thought you would like it."

She smiled. He had the best taste in movies. She knew she would enjoy it. But, deep down, she also knew that she did not want to spend this beautiful day curled up on the couch, watching movies, even if she was with her boyfriend.

But she did not say that.

"Sure."

Two hours later the movie finished. She had tuned out about half way through, instead thinking about what she had done with her life; what she was going to do later.

"Are you okay?"

She was jolted out of her musings, suddenly angry that he had to ask if she was okay, shouldn't he already know? But again she didn't say that.

"No, I'm not."

He paused. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk."

"What's there to talk about? You're my girlfriend, right? Please don't tell me you want to break up with me."

"No, I love you," this time it was a genuine smile, "but... I'm bored."

He looked confused. "What do you mean? You know we're not ready to…"

"I know, it's not like that. I mean, I'm not doing anything with my life. I graduated two years ago, and I haven't done anything. I'm not going to university or TAFE, I don't even have a job."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know... anything..."

There was silence for a moment, and then, "I don't know what I can do."

She sighed, "Fine, just... it's fine. I should probably go home."

"Bye."

She kissed his cheek and let herself out.

Okay, so there's the prologue for the story. Please let me know if I should keep going with this via a review. Even if it's only one word it would really, really make my day.

Thanks to all who have read this and review :D