Amour in Galar form

18. Locked

When Serena woke up in the morning, she didn't realize for a moment where she was. Then she realized she was lying in her tent and she slowly got up to sit down.

The sleeping bag was on her as a blanket, and her bag was where she had left it the day before, leaning against the wall of the tent. The door was closed and everything seemed to be fine. Still, Serena was bothered by something.

She had had a strange dream. Ash and she had been in a beautiful meadow where Ash had taken her. The meadow had had carnations and bellflowers and they had been watching the stars. Everything had been so perfect. But.. then why had it felt so real?

Suddenly Serena felt something heavy on her hair. She put her hands on the weight and felt her ribbon run a little out of place. She was just correcting its position when she also felt something else under her fingers and she detached it from her hair.

It was a white carnation. It looked a bit afflicted, but still beautiful and it still smelled delicate. Serena stared at it as it rested on her palm and only one thing could fit in her mind.

It hadn't been a dream. They had really gone to a meadow full of carnations and bellflowers and watched the stars. Ash had actually taken her there. Then Serena remembered something else.

She had fallen asleep in the meadow. And since she was here now, someone had to carry her here. And that someone had probably been Ash.

Serena blushed a little at the thought that Ash had carried her to her tent. And then she blushed a little more, for she imagined how Ash had probably carried her in a bridal style. I wish I had been awake then, she thought and then she looked at the carnation ob her hand and then tied it back to her hair, with her red silk ribbon.

Serena got up and stretched her arms a little. She changed her day clothes and took her bag against the wall of the tent.

Time to go eat, she thought and stepped out of the tent to the new morning.

****

"Morning, Sere!" Ash greeted her at their portable camping table and Serena stared at him from the door of her tent. Sere? When had Ash started calling her that?

"Sere?" she said questioningly and Ash nodded and grinned. "Yeah. I thought it would be a good nickname for you. Don't you like it?" Ash asked, a little nervous.

"Of course I like it, but I couldn't wait for you to come up with a nickname for me," Serena explained and blushed. Ash smiled in relief and Gou and Pikachu snickered a little distance away.

Serena glared at them with her cheeks a little red and Gou, trying to keep his voice flat, said, "I'm going to get some water." He left and as he passed past Serena, he grinned at her knowingly.

Serena sat across from Ash and huffed. Ash looked at her and suddenly noticed a white carnation in Serena's hair.

"Oh, you still have that carnation," he said, pointing to the white flower and Serena startled a little and took her hand over the flower.

"Yeah, I thought it was pretty and goes well with my ribbon," she explained with a smile. "It won't stay good for long, but it's still pretty."

"Yeah, and it suits you well," Ash said and Serena noticed the tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"T-thank you, Ash," she stammered and Pikachu thought of possible ways to break Ash's density.