MUCH ADO ABOUT A CRUSH I don't own pokemon and all that jazz A/N: This is my very first fanfic EVER! Please be kind in your feedback...and I hope you enjoy it! That's what keeps me writing ********************************** Ch 6 By The Lake: When I got to the lake, (which took some time thanks to Gary’s absence), Ash was already there. He was sitting on the shore of the lake, skipping stones across its smooth, shimmering surface, wearing his hat backwards. I bent a wet twig away from my face and watched him for a while. I couldn’t help smiling…he was so adorable! I walked over slowly and sat next to him. The setting was perfect. The lake was a beautiful bright blue. The rain had stopped, leaving everything smelling fresh. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there was a trace of slightest breeze and I felt like nothing could go wrong. ‘Hey Ash,’ I said quietly. ‘Hey,’ he said without looking away from the lake. ‘What are you thinking about?’ I asked. ‘Everything we’ve been through together,’ he said plainly. I didn’t know what to say in reply, so I looked out over the lake as well. ‘Like, you were there for me when I got all 8 gym badges qualifying me for the Indigo Plateau League,’ he began, slowly. ‘Then through all those preliminary tests and qualification battles. And when I lost to Richie at the end, you still stuck by me. And when Brock fell for Professor Ivy and stayed with her, you were there. And when we met Tracey and I went through the 5 gyms to win the Orange Island League, you were there. And when I won the Orange Island Cup, you were there. And when we went through the Whirl Cup thing, you were there, even when we were opponents! And when I set out to get all 8 Jhoto badges, you were there. And when I finally lost to Harrison in the Jhoto League and decided to head back home, you were STILL there! ‘No matter what silly fix or dangerous situation I got us into, you were always there for me. By my side and…I never thanked you for it before,’ he said, finally turning to look at me. ‘So…thank you, Misty.’ ‘Aw, what are friends for?’ I asked, laying a hand on his shoulder and closing in. ‘We’re more than just friends now, aren’t we though?’ he questioned. Then…I kissed him. And, you know come to think of it, if I hadn’t been quite so involved in that kiss, I might have noticed that the bush behind us was…whispering! ****************************************************** In The…Bush: ‘I wonder what he’s saying to her,’ whispered Duplica. ‘Saying?’ asked Gary, ‘He’s not just “saying”. He’s monologue-ing!!’ ‘AAAHHHH!!!!’ Brock screamed (in very hushed tones). ‘She’s getting closer to him!’ ‘OW! Gary, you’re stepping on my foot!’ cried Duplica. ‘It’s not me! That’s Brock’s abnormally large foot squishing yours,’ Gary cried. ‘No! That’s your foot. My feet are over here, see?’ said Brock. ‘Um, guys…’ ventured Richie. ‘WHAT?!’ they all asked angrily. ‘They’re, um…kind of…kissing…’ he muttered. ‘WHAT!!’ they cried. Then, all four of them started pushing and pulling and shoving and pinching to get a better view. ************************************** At Home: ‘Mimey! Ash made breakfast. Come and eat, dear.’ ‘Mr. Mime!’ Mimey said happily. Mrs. Ketchum was just about to pour maple syrup over Mimey’s pancakes when, suddenly, the front door opened and slammed shut. In the brief fraction-of-a-second that the door was open, Duplica, Gary, Richie and Brock swooshed into the house and found places to sit, with cries of ‘They’re coming, they’re coming!!’ Two seconds later, the doorbell rang. *ding dong* ‘I’ll get it,’ said Brock. ************************************* Outside: I held Ash’s hand as we walked to his front door. “I can’t believe this! We’re actually…dare I say it?...a couple!!” was all my love-starved brain was capable of thinking. I rang the doorbell for the second time that same morning. Strangely enough, Brock opened the door…again. ‘Oh! Hey, you guys! Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you,’ cried Brock. I didn’t care what he said. I didn’t care what ANYONE said anymore! All I cared about was Ash…*stomach growls loudly* O-okay…maybe all I cared about was Ash AND getting some breakfast in me before…lunchtime! ***************************** The Next Morning: I awoke to the feeling of something cold and slimy in my ear. It was quite a rude way to be woken up actually, finding a ditto probing around, literally trying to reach my brain. ‘Ditto! Duplica really needs to watch you better. She’s getting a little too distracted with the party,’ I moaned, sitting up and hugging the pink glob. To tell you the truth, I would have hugged anyone who was near me on that most glorious of glorious mornings. Yes, maybe even Gary…! But, suddenly, I realized that…it could all have been a dream!! Ash and I might never have hooked up! It may all have been a (wonderful) dream, formulated in my head as a result of the fact that I simply had the hots for Ash!! I scurried out of my room, in my baggy night-clothes, with Ditto clutched tightly to my chest. I was just about to knock on Ash’s door, when he opened it and banged into me! ‘*Gasp*, sorry! Oh…hi Misty.’ I (happily) noted that his voice brightened when he said my name, but still… And all my silly doubts were put to rest when he bent down and kissed me. (O-okay, it was more like a peck!) Then, he walked past me towards the bathroom, leaving me standing at his door with my eyes still closed… The moment I heard the bathroom door click shut, I snapped out of my dazed trance. ‘Yesssss!’ I hissed, doing a little dance right there in the hallway. Of course, I ended up “dancing” right into Brock, who was just stepping out of his room. ‘We-ell, you’re happy about something,’ he said slyly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. ‘N-no I’m not,’ I cried. ‘Ditt-tto!’ ‘Oh. So you’re dancing around early in the morning because…?’ questioned Brock, crossing his arms. ‘I…um…I’m just…happy to be alive, I guess,’ I muttered. ‘Ditt-tto!!’ ‘I see. Well, what about yesterday, huh? When you came home with Ash…? You were practically glowing…What was that about, then?’ he asked, cornering me with one smooth question. ‘Well…he…I mean, I…ah…WAIT!! Why are we having this conversation?! I don’t have to tell you anything! I have…the right to remain silent!!’ ‘Ditt- tto!!!’ ‘Hey, okay, calm down Misty,’ said Brock softly. ‘I’m just messing with you…I mean, nothing’s really going on, is it?’ I remained silent…How to answer this question? I wasn’t sure at the moment…He had caught me completely off guard. Plus, his question seemed rhetorical enough to not really need answering… I was terribly uncomfortable, though. I always felt like Brock always knew what I was thinking. I’m sure I would have grown increasingly uncomfortable if Ash hadn’t chosen that exact moment to walk out of the bathroom across the hall. ‘Good morning Brock,’ yawned Ash drowsily, scratching the back of his head. ‘Hey Ash,’ in a curiously suave tone, like nothing had happened at all. ‘Ditto.’ I turned around and walked right past Ash into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I leaned back against the door and slid slowly to the ground with a long sigh. I looked down at Ditto. ‘I get the feeling Brock knows something. What do you think Ditto?’ I asked rather stupidly. ‘Ditto!’ it smiled up at me. ‘I’m glad you agree,’ I sighed, hugging it closer. ‘But, I hope we’re both wrong. I don’t think our friends are ready to know yet…’ ********************************************* A/N: I realize that I’ve made Brock a moron and Duplica eccentric and Richie just plain…lacking in personality. But, if you think about it openly…that’s exactly how they tend to act most of the time…especially Richie….poor thing. ******************************************************