Chapter Text
Ash woke early the next morning. Dawn still clung to the landscape, and the sky was only beginning to brighten at the edges. He’d slept badly—if it could even be called sleep. It had been more like an impatient wait for the moment it would finally make sense to get up, interrupted by brief stretches of half-conscious dozing before he jolted awake again.
He’d pulled the sleeping bag all the way up to his chin. Curled inside it like a Caterpie in its cocoon, only his face peeked out from the fabric.
With a groan that sounded suspiciously like old floorboards creaking, he wriggled free of his cocoon. The tent was still empty. Still cold.
That was why he hadn’t slept.
There was no point lying there any longer. Something inside him pushed him to move. Disheveled and stiff, he crawled out of the tent and inhaled the cool, damp morning air.
His limbs felt rusty, so he fell back on his usual routine. He peeled off his undershirt and stretched. Normally, every day of their journey had started with a quick morning workout, but today it felt different.
Heavy. Aimless.
Almost unconsciously, he glanced over his shoulder—and realized exactly what was missing.
Usually, Gary sat behind him, stealing glances at his body. The young researcher thought he was subtle, but Ash had always noticed. He just pretended he didn’t.
Those admiring looks always sent a pleasant warmth spreading through Ash’s chest until it reached the tips of his fingers and toes. They were his motivation to give his best, every single day.
But today, the spot behind him was empty. The warmth never came. Ash’s shoulders slumped. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t even hungry. Quickly, he pulled on a shirt and began packing up their things.
“No use dwelling on it, Pikachu,” he muttered, more to himself than to his Pokémon. “Either way, we’re moving on later.”
The tent lay flattened and wrinkled in front of him, its poles already pulled free. The fire pit had become nothing more than a blackened patch of scorched earth. Dust swirled around his shoes as he crossed the loose sand. Again and again, Ash looked toward the forest. Again and again, he found nothing.
Restlessness stirred inside him, tangled together with the stubborn hope that somehow, Gary would find his way back. Then he heard it. A faint rustle. Maybe it was just the wind.
Ash went still. A twig snapped. Leaves whispered as though something—or someone—was pushing through the undergrowth. He spun around, narrowing his eyes.
Before he could make anything out, all he could hear was his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. Then a figure emerged from the trees. First came a shock of rust-red hair. Then long legs, bare below the hem of his shorts. Ash exhaled sharply, only then realizing he’d been holding his breath.
“Gary,” he whispered.
The tent poles slipped from his hands and clattered to the ground. The noise made Gary look up. Relief and guilt warred across his face. It didn’t matter.
Ash ran toward him—hesitant at first, then faster.
“Sorry…” Gary began, his expression pained. Ash shook his head and wrapped his arms around him. He held him tightly, as if the wind might carry him away like a Drifloon. Gary’s breath caught. His body trembled. Ash could feel how cold his arms and legs were. His fingers curled into the sweat-damp fabric of Gary’s shirt, refusing to let go. Something warm and wet touched his neck, but he said nothing.
After what felt like forever, Ash finally pulled back. Gary hurriedly wiped at his face. His breathing was uneven, and his knees were shaking.
“Are you cold?” Ash rubbed a reassuring hand over Gary’s chilled upper arm. Gary shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
“I’m so glad you’re back,” Ash said softly. “I was really worried.”
Gary lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run off. I—”
Ash cut him off as gently as he could. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just glad you’re here.”
He gave him an encouraging smile. The worries that had haunted him all night vanished in an instant. The world brightened again. The sun felt warm on his skin.
“Come on. I’ve already packed everything up. If we leave now, we can still make it to Coumarine City before sunset.”
As Ash turned away, Gary caught his hand. The simple gesture sent heat rushing to Ash’s cheeks. He looked back at Gary with wide eyes.
“Ash, I need to tell you something.”
“Could we maybe talk on the way?” Ash cleared his throat and looked away. “I don’t want to lose any more time.”
His legs tingled. Maybe they were eager to get moving. Or maybe it was something else. Something he couldn’t quite name.
“Fine,” Gary muttered behind him. Disappointment colored his voice, and the sound of it hurt Ash more than he expected. He never wanted to hurt Gary. His friend was more sensitive than he’d ever realized. This trip had shown him a side of Gary he’d never seen before—vulnerable, thoughtful, fragile.
It stirred something protective in Ash. An urge to pull him into his arms, run a hand through his hair, and promise him everything would be okay.
He hadn’t done it. He was afraid of how Gary might react. Hurting him had never been Ash’s intention. And yet, for days now, he’d had the growing sense that Gary understood something he didn’t.
“C-Could we stop for a second?” Gary’s voice trembled as if speaking itself took effort.
Ash turned his head. His feet still pointed down the path ahead. For the first time that day, he really looked at Gary. The dark circles under his eyes. His tousled hair. His red-rimmed eyes. He looked like he’d fought a battle.
Ash nearly stepped forward to hug him again, but something about Gary’s posture kept him at a distance. Gary shifted his weight from foot to foot, the tips of his shoes scraping against the sandy ground. Ash took a slow breath.
“What’s wrong? Are you tired?”
Gary shook his head hard. A sigh escaped him before he glanced briefly at Ash. The eye contact lasted less than a second, but it was enough. Ash could see how shaken he was. Even if Gary was trying to hide it.
“I… I did a lot of thinking. I was awake half the night. And there’s something I…” His lower lip trembled. His voice broke into a whisper. “Something I need to tell you.”
Ash stared at him in silence. Gary’s gaze darted around, searching for something—anything—to focus on besides Ash’s eyes. He rubbed his hands over his face and exhaled shakily.
“Ash, I… I think I…” He took another deep breath, as if the words were caught in his throat. “I think I like you.”
Ash froze. The world blurred into an indistinct haze of green and brown.
“No. Damn it. Forget it.”
Before Ash could answer, Gary panicked. He slapped a hand to his forehead and dragged his fingers through his hair.
“I shouldn’t have said that. It was stupid. I’m tired.”
Ash watched him pace back and forth like a caged Pyroar. He wanted to say something—anything—but his thoughts tangled together. His jaw tightened without him noticing.
Gary kept talking. Ash barely heard him.
“G-Gary…” Gary looked up, though his feet still moved restlessly. “Wait.”
Now that Gary had stopped moving, Ash could finally think.
“Is that what you wanted to tell me?” He swallowed. “That you like me?”
Gary nodded. His lips pressed into a thin line. His pupils trembled.
Ash let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. One hand came to rest against his chest as if it could somehow steady the frantic beating of his heart.
“That’s all?”
“All?” Gary frowned, tilting his head.
Relief flooded through Ash. “And here I was worrying myself sick.” A smile spread across his face before he could stop it. “If only you knew.”
He rubbed a hand across his forehead, trying to wipe away the terrible thoughts that had haunted him all night. “I thought something had happened to you.”
“Happened? What do you think would’ve happened to me?” Gary looked even more confused now, but Ash barely noticed.
“You were gone all night. Alone in the wilderness. I was terrified.” His smile faded. “Anything could’ve happened to you. Then you come back like nothing’s wrong and act strange all day…”
He bit his lower lip to stop himself from saying more. Gary didn’t need to know how hard it had been to let him walk away.
Gary crossed his arms, rubbing at his elbows. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground so Ash wouldn’t see the flush rising in his cheeks.
“Yeah. No. That wasn’t it. I’m fine.” Slowly, he looked up.
“And? What do you think?”
“What?”
Gary just stared at him, as though repeating himself required more courage than he had left.
“Well… I mean, of course I like you too.” Ash shrugged, trying to emphasize his point. His answer sounded casual, and he couldn’t understand why talking about it had been so difficult for Gary.
Gary blinked. Slowly, he lifted his head. Something warm seemed to spread through his chest.
“Obviously. What did you think?”
Gary turned away, rubbing his hands over his face before clasping them behind his head.
“You know, that was really hard to say.” Still facing away, he added quietly, “I’m not good with feelings. I know how to think with my head. Not with my heart.”
“I noticed,” Ash said. “But I’m still surprised.”
Gary turned back around, scratching awkwardly at the back of his neck.
“About what?”
“That it’s so hard for you to talk about this.”
“Well, it’s not every day you tell someone that—”
“We’ve been friends forever,” Ash interrupted. “Of course I like you. We wouldn’t still be friends if I didn’t.”
Gary stopped mid-sentence. For a brief moment, he seemed to process Ash’s words. Then something inside him went quiet. A tiny spark in his eyes faded. Ash didn’t understand why.
“Oh.” Gary’s voice sounded flat. Mechanical. “Okay.”
In that moment, Ash wished he could read Gary’s mind. His tone. His expression. The subtle shift in his posture. Everything told Ash he was missing something. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t grasp what it was. Maybe it was the heat. Maybe it was exhaustion.
Whatever it was, his thoughts felt wrapped in fog. The most important thing stood right in front of him— and he still couldn’t see it.