Title: Tender
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: WataShi (Lance x Ash)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #57, Tender
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfiction belongs to me under international copyright laws and taking it is plagiarism. Thank you. *Phantomness bows*

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Warnings: AU, het

Ash is just a child, all soft curves and bright-eyed innocence, untouched by the harsh journeying he makes, so Lance takes him very, very gently, and even then he cries afterwards. The Dragon Master strokes his hair and whispers sweet nothings, and croons until his eyes slip closed. It’s wrong, of course, this affair – if it can be called an affair, and she knows that the chances of them meeting again are slim, but she’s somehow fallen head over heels in love with this brash, naïve little idiot, who throws himself in danger for his pokemon’s sake, and she…

She is not sure how she feels about this.

Two years later, everything has changed, and now it’s Ash’s turn to be gentle. Lance shivers, and whispers that they should not be doing this, but Ash doesn’t care, because he wants Lance, to hold him close and maybe protect him a little, and society can go hang itself for all he cares. The world is safe, and Kyogre and Groudon are sleeping, and maybe – maybe – they can have peace now.

End Fic

Completed 7/14/07

Edited 1/1/10

This assumes that the first part is in Johto, second part in Houen. Technically could be canon behind-the-scenes *waggles eyebrows*