Title: Value
Author: Shadow/Phantomness
Pairing: Championshipping (Lance x Ash/Red)
Fandom: Pokémon
Theme: #48, Lost in order to become precious

Rating: PG
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, Shonen-ai, Palletshipping-bashing

 

            You never quite realize how valuable something is until you lose it.

            That was Ash’s thought process, running along those lines, as he saw the nurses wheel him in.

            “Is he all right?”

            The Dragon Master’s eyes were closed, and his skin was pale, but what Ash noticed the most were the bleeding wounds on his chest.

            “We’re not sure yet.” One of the women said curtly. “What happened? Never mind, you can tell us later.”

            For now, they pushed him out of the way, and the lights above the operating room door lit up.

 

            He fell asleep there in the lobby, curled up on a hard plastic chair. One of the interns had kindly spread a blanket over him.

           

            The next morning, he rushed to find Lance. He saw the Dragon Master lying in bed, but at least he was awake, and more importantly, alive.

            “I’m sorry.” He whispered, as he sat on the chair next to the hospital bed, tears running down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry...!”

            Lance squeezed his hand, but said nothing. It would probably be hard to, since his chest was swathed in bandages, courtesy of Gary’s Scyther.

            “Do you love him?”

            “Gary? No.” Ash shook his head. “I never… really did, but I thought…”

            “Shh.” Lance pressed a finger to his lips. His eyes closed, and Ash carefully propped him back up against the pillows.

            It was evidence enough, and he was glad he had finally realized the truth.

            Lance loved him. Gary only wanted him for sex.

            The choice he had to make after that was not hard.

 

End Fic

Completed 11/13/06