Always Forever

I Love You.

Author's Note: Sorry for the late and short chapter but I've gotten into a new relationship myself and being a senior in the second term, were supposed to hand in our midyear projects. I'll try to make it up today by writing the next chapter and publishing it before Friday in the latest. Enjoy.

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"I love you, Serena." 

Serena's ears rang, her mind unable to process what the hell was going on. Sure, they had flirted as if they were a couple in the past and heck, they even danced romantically together yesterday but to expect anything like this from what she thought was a dense piece of brick that was Ash, was not on her bingo card for this journey. Her mind was all over the place, trying to get something, a single word to come out in response but all she could manage was stare in shock. 

Ash's eyes had the same look he had while battling, his brown eyes now fierce enough to cut stone with one look. He had a determined look on his face she only saw him have battling with people like Alain or Sawyer. Though, there was also some sparks in his gaze, a gentle light reflecting under the brave persona he was putting up. She could see it as clear as day, though she wasn't sure if no one else could. She cleared her throat and looked at him again.

"You... You actually do?" Without hesitation, he replied back. "Yes." He said. "I do and I'm tired of having it plague my mind over if I do or not, if there's one thing that I'm sure of, it's that you're always front and center in my mind." He explained himself. "I... I listened to you talk about having to leave and move on and how little time we actually had left and... I just couldn't bear the fact that I'd never see you again after the League."

Serena was sure if she got heated even more, one of her blood vessels were going to explode. "I..." She squeaked out. "I l-love you too, Ash!" She blurted out, this confession not being the type she envisioned it to be in her imagination. This was better but had just caught her off guard.

Ash's eyes went wide at that, unable to believe what he heard. "W-what? You actually like me back?" He said back, caught off guard just as much. She nodded. "Ever since that day back at the summer camp, I've liked you." 

Ash's mind went blank in that moment, flashing between the memories of the first time they met and the reality they were in right now. "Ever since then..." He started, before she interrupted him. "I never gave up." She finished him off, smiling. 

Ash felt like tears were about to emerge but he tried his damn hardest not to make that happen. Just as he did so, she hugged him. "I love you, you fucking dork..." She said quietly. "But..." She said hesitantly. The hesitation in her tone made Ash worried. "But what?"

Serena looked up to him, still hugging him tightly. "How will we go about this...? I've never dated anyone else nor do I know what to do..." She chuckled nervously to herself. "Come to think of it, I don't even know how I've still not exploded into a ball of nervousness." 

Ash, having understood what she was getting at, wrapped himself around her tighter. "Don't worry about that, Sere." He reassured her. "Just like everything else, we'll get through this together as well." He looked down at her. "No matter what happens..." 

"Never give up until the end." Serena said sweetly, a few teardrops of happiness rolling down her cheeks as she said so. "Can we just stay like this for a little while longer...?"

Ash nodded and even got a small piece of fabric out that they could lay down on. Serena was amazed at how different Ash had seemed to be acting but this scenario itself was straight out of a fantasy itself, so she didn't dare question anything else. Even if in the end this was all a dream, it was a dream she'd never forget.