Too Far?

By cultnirvana


********Chapter Three*********



Ash took another slow sip of his beer, trying to keep his attention upon the golden liquid and frothy head, but his interest into what was happening ten meters away kept distracting him. He didn't want her to think he was spying upon her, but he needed to know what was happening over there. Forgetting his drink, he turned slightly, not enough to really be noticed but enough to observe the two.

Misty stood near the dance floor chatting to a tall, handsome young man. She laughed as he seemed to tell her a joke. He studied the man's features, all smug, self-statisfied.

He shook his head. He hated feeling this way, becoming so angry towards people whom he had never met, just because they had an interest in her. It was stupid. He was too possessive of her, too unwilling to see her with anyone unless it was him. He couldn't stand the thought that any one else could see the Misty he did.

But, how could another man understand her as well as he? He had been the only one to see her true nature, the scared little girl she could be. No one, not her sisters or her other friends, knew the things about her he did. The thought of another man potentially seeing that private side of her scared him so much. That was a privilege he wished to solely own and the thought of losing it made him sick to his stomach.

What a great friend I am! he exclaimed inwardly. I'm actually happy when she's sad. God, I'm so damn selfish.

Although his vision was still focused in the opposite direction, Ash detected the presence of a young woman by his left side, and from her swaying movements he could tell she had probably had one too many. That suspicion was confirmed when she began to speak. "You're Ash Ketchum, right?" the blonde shouted, just managing to make her voice heard over the hullabaloo the band was creating.

"Yeah," he answered out of reflex, his eyes still fixated upon Misty and the fair-haired man. He really couldn't be bothered with this. He just wanted to be alone with his beer and his melancholy.

The girl giggled for a moment, before trying to shrug off her drunkenness and act 'sophisticated,' something she entirely failed to achieve. "Well," she hiccupped. "How about you buy me a drink?"

Ash sighed, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible so he could go back to the solitary of his thoughts. "I'm sorry. I'm busy," he told her, trying to be polite, but his annoyance overriding that wish.

"Oh, okay," she told him rudely before walking off, finding it hard to balance upon her high-heels.

He brought his full attention back to Misty and the young man, noticing that they were saying goodbye to one another. As she began to walk over to where he sat at the bar, he forced a smile. "Get a date?" he asked her, trying to hide the trepidation in his tone.

She laughed. "On, no. He's a guy from my course. He was just wanting to check something with me."

"He seemed to be flirting with you?"

She shrugged. "I think he was, but I don't care."

"You're not interested in him at all? I thought he was the type girls would find cute."

She sat on the seat next to him, placing her now empty glass upon the bar. "Maybe to others, but he's not really my type."

He felt a wave of relief wash over him. "You want another drink? I'm buying."

"Mmm, I'm not really in the mood for anything alcoholic tonight so maybe just an orange juice."

"No problem." As he ordered the drink he noticed her gaze turn to the dance floor, an expression of longing overtaking her. "Why don't you go and have a dance?"

"I don't have anyone to dance with," she began, before turning to him once more, "unless you'd like to join me." Jumping off her chair, she grabbed his arm playfully and attempted to pull him onto the dance floor.

"You know I can't dance," he complained as she managed to drag him to the threshold of the wooden square.

She let go of his arm and looked at him with those big blue eyes, a mixture of excitement and disappointment showing. "Oh, come on," she pleaded. "For a start, I don't think your lack of skill will show tonight. We're the only two relatively sober people here," she laughed.

He couldn't help but give in. She hadn't seemed this genuinely happy for a long time, and he wouldn't allow himself to hurt her when it could easily be avoided. "Okay. But you owe me one."
*************

"I'm exhausted."  As soon as Misty entered Ash's apartment, she collapsed upon his sofa, talking off her shoes. She swore she would never wear platforms again. A pair of old trainers were much better.

"You want some coffee?"

"That'd be great, Ash."

He moved over to the kitchen area of the main room, turned on the kettle and prepared two cups.  As he shuffled spoonfuls of coffee and sugar, he looked over at her massaging her feet. "You really over did it on that dance floor," he laughed.

"Sorry, but the band was really good, and you know how I get when I'm having a great time." She lifted her legs onto the sofa, sprawling herself out, stifling a yawn.

"God, you look exhausted. Why don't you stay here tonight?  We could reminisce about the good ol' days, or watch a movie or something."

"I'm not sure.  If I did stay, my sisters would probably tease me for ages after about."

"Why?"

Realising she'd made a slip, she attempted to disguise it.  "Er.  Well, you know my sisters.  Staying at a guy's apartment.  They would think there was something going on."

"Well, you shouldn't worry about what they think. How are you and your sisters getting on, anyway?"

"Well, it's a lot better than when I was a kid, but we do still get on each other's nerves.  I'm actually thinking of trying to get a place of my own, to have a little space.  Well, if I can afford it.  I don't make that much money at the gym, and university tuition is murder. I'm going to be in debt for years after I graduate."

"Maybe you should find someone to live with, then."

"Nah.  I don't really have anyone I could move in with and I live practically for free at the gym, so I better stay there.  I guess that's where I'll be stuck until I graduate and start working, or met someone...if I ever do, which I highly doubt."

Hearing the depression in her tone, he decided to change to subject. He couldn't stand to see her think that way about herself. It had hurt him so deeply in the past. He couldn't understand why she had such a poor self-view, when she really had everything going for her; intelligence, looks, kindness.

But he knew a lot of it came from when she was younger. Like him she had never been a member of the popular crowd and was a common target for bullies. She had always seemed strong enough to fend such people off with her intense temper and strong left hook, but he knew that was just a façade. Those events had really eaten her up inside. And he was still sure that, to a certain point, they still did. That was why she was reacting so badly to something that most people her age wouldn't care about. "Well, do you wanna stay tonight?" he asked softly. "I know the gym isn't that far, but it's after one in the morning.  It would be safer.  You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

"I don't want to deprive you of your bed."

"Well, then we'll both sleep in my room.  The bed's big enough, and we've had to sleep in the same bed before."

She reddened slightly at his offer. "Well, okay.  But I don't want you kicking me in the middle of the night again. You're not the most sedate sleeper."

He chuckled, remembering the fact that the last time they shared a bed he woke up in the middle of the night with a black eye. "I'll try not to."  The kettle clicked.  Ash poured the hot water and some milk into both cups, then sat next to Misty on the sofa, placing the coffee mugs onto the glass topped table in front of them.  Ash looked into her face, noticing that her sullen facade had returned.  He placed his arms around her.

Misty looked into his face, seeing nothing but concern on his handsome features.  He was the one she could count upon to know exactly what she was feeling at any moment in time. He had helped her through those times when her depression and self-loathing had come so close to the bone that she had actually contemplated taking the easy way out. He was the person to wise her up when she had once refused to eat for over a week.

She remembered that night, now just over three years ago, when he had discovered the truth, how panicked he had become. How he had begged her to eat something, anything, and how, when she refused, he had broke down in fits of tears. That was the night everything turned around in her head, and she was able to beat down the demons that had sought to destroy her for so long. She knew then that, as long as Ash was by her side, she could get through everything life had to throw at her. It had been at that moment, seeing him so distraught and raw over what she was doing to herself, that she realised she was in love with him. Truly, madly and deeply.

Although since then she still had periods of depression, they had never affected her so much. She had someone who cared about her, and that was the most important thing in the world. She relaxed in his embrace, knowing that he was the only soul she could fully confide in and trust whole heartily.  "I'm sorry.  I guess I haven't exactly been good company lately."

"Don't worry about it.  I'm your best friend. I know how you're feeling and I'll be here for you no matter what."

"I know. You always were, through those bad times." She swallowed heavily, trying to put those memories behind her. "It's just...I had this whole plan, you know.  To travel and train for a while, then come back to Cerulean, go to university and take over the gym-"

"You've done that," he interrupted.

"Yeah, but, that was only the beginning.  I wanted to get married when I was about twenty-five, have a little baby about two or three years later, and then maybe another a short while after that.  I wanted to be a great mum with a successful career and a husband who was utterly devoted to me.  Just like my own mum."

That's the life I've dreamed of having with her, he thought.

She sighed. "But on the timescale I had planned out, I would have to met my future husband soon.  I'd like to be with a guy for a few years before we got married."

He looked down, a little depressed. "You'll get the life you want. You deserve it," he said quietly, struggling with his own thoughts.

"You alright, Ash?"

He looked up at her, faking a smile. "Yeah."

"I know I'm still young, and..." A tear fell from one of her aqua orbs. "And it may sound stupid, but I want to settle down. I want to fall in love.  I've dreamed about it ever since I was a kid."

Ash pulled her a little nearer, tilting her head up by her chin. "It's not stupid. I feel the same way."

Ash wiped away the tear from her cheek, looking deeply into her eyes. He could see her need for comfort, so he moved closer to her, placing his lips gently upon hers. It was just a friendly kiss, the same as they had shared many times before. However, this time Ash felt something more in the sweet caress, and from the expression on her face, Misty felt it too. He kissed her again, with a little more passion, and felt her return it with equal fervour. They held the kiss, feeling it's intensity build and build with every passing second. Nothing except the softness of one another's lips, and the emotions the simple action was provoking, occupied their minds.

Ash took his lips from hers, bringing his hand up to touch Misty's pale cheek, enticed by its smoothness. She shuddered under his tender touch, slowly closing her eyes again. Her breathing began to quicken, and her lips now trembled. He could feel her excitement rising along with his own. She took his hand from her cheek and began to kiss it gently, tracing down from his palm to the soft skin that covered the front of his wrist. He pulled her into his arms, leaving no space between their bodies. She didn't refuse his advances, allowing him to draw her onto his lap. He placed his lips upon her shoulders, slowly moving the fabric of her top down a little to reveal more flesh. Her skin was so sweet, so luscious, so addictive.  As he moved up to nip at her neck, a soft moan escaped her lips.

She began to thread her fingers through his longish black hair. "Ash," she whispered, kissing around his ear. "God, Ash. I want you. I need you."

He moved his attention from her flesh to her eyes, the orbs reflecting his lust in equal quantity. "Mist," he whispered.

He stood from the sofa, Misty's legs wrapped around his waist, her arms draping his neck. They kissed with full fervour as he moved towards his bedroom, tongue battling against tongue for dominion, but enjoying every second of the war. He tried for the handle of the door, missing it time and time again before he grasped it, throwing the door wide open. He placed her upon his dresser, not caring that the objects that belonged there now covered the floor. He needed this, and he could taste her identical need in her kisses.  Nothing could stop it.

It wasn't until the night's ecstasy diminished that the full force of what they had just done hit them.
******************

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