A/N: This oneshot was somewhat inspired by one of my minishots from Kisses titled "Hello Again." It's kind of like a longer, more detailed version with some things in the plot changed around. For a longer explanation/ramble, you can read my latest blog post. I hope you all enjoy it! Reviews would be very much appreciated, I love hearing your opinions. Also, if you see any mistakes, I would appreciate if you could point them out. The majority of this oneshot was written between the hours of 12 – 2 AM, haha.

Warning: Before I conclude this author's note, I just want to say that this fic is rated T due to the mentions and implications of sexual activity. There's nothing graphic, but still read at your own discretion. If you're uncomfortable reading that sort of thing, turn back now. Also, I'm not responsible if your mom sees this on your computer history and gets mad at you for it.

A Perfect Situation
By S. Muffin

"Ash?"

Stretching his legs underneath the blankets, Ash opened his eyes and turned his head to the right. He smiled when he saw May sitting up in the bed, her hair a mess and her eyes tired and half-lidded, wearing nothing but one of his old T-shirts and a pair of sleep shorts. She looked exhausted, but he could feel his smile gradually growing the more he stared at her. "'Morning, May," he greeted, his voice rough with sleep.

She gave him a small, sweet smile in return. "G'morning. Do you want breakfast?" she asked. "It's nearly ten 'o clock, and I'm starving."

Ash was about to reply, but a loud yawn quickly interrupted him. He lifted his arms above his head and stretched again before rolling onto his stomach, his face now buried into his pillow. "Mm, breakfast sounds great," he mumbled. He then glanced back up at her. "Breakfast in bed sounds even better, though."

May laughed and shook her head. "Lazy bum," she chided teasingly. Removing the covers from her legs, May stood up from his bed and grabbed a pair of glasses from the bedside table, sliding them on. "I'm going to go brush my hair and then start some eggs while you wake up. If you aren't dressed and in that kitchen in five minutes, you'll be sorry, Mister!"

"Yes, ma'am," Ash agreed. "I'll take two scrambled, please and thank you."

Smiling again, May leaned over and planted a quick kiss on the top of his head before turning back around and heading out the bedroom door. Ash waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps echoing in the hallway before he rolled onto his side and once again closed his eyes. She would most likely come back upstairs and yell at him once his five minutes were up, but the thought of that only made him chuckle just as he drifted back to sleep.

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Ash wasn't entirely sure when he and May had fallen into this routine of theirs. It all began at least a year ago, when they were eighteen years old and when May came to Pallet Town for the first time in years to visit him. At the time, however, it was still relatively innocent. He had only just acknowledged his feelings for her—the moment he saw her in person again for the first time it was like a light turned on inside his head. Since then, their situation continued to develop into something much more serious. The next time she visited Pallet Town a month and a half later, he had worked up the courage to kiss her. The time after that, he kissed her again, but he also held her hand, put his arm around her shoulder, and hugged her tightly before she had to leave. The time after that, when he travelled to Hoenn to visit her, they slept in the same bed together. Several times after that, when they met up at the Pokemon Center in Goldenrod City, they once again slept in the same bed together but for entirely different reasons.

And the rest, Ash thought as he trudged down the steps, was history.

Yesterday had started off the same way any other ordinary day would have. He'd already been back at home visiting his mother, taking a break from travelling in Johto, for the last two weeks and had spent the majority of his day outside training his Pokemon in his backyard. When he decided to take a break and headed inside for a drink of water, he ran into Delia on the way and she told him he had a phone call from May.

It had been about a week since they'd spoken to each other and roughly over two months since they'd had a chance to get together. Luckily, when he answered the phone she informed him that she had been staying at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City for a Contest Coordinator's convention, and now that the event was over she was planning on coming down to Pallet Town to visit him for a few days before heading home to Petalburg City. Ash told her that he'd meet her in the city and then walk back to Pallet with her, and after chatting for a little while longer he and Pikachu were immediately rushing out the door and on their way to the city.

He'd hugged her when he finally met her in front of the Pokemon Center, and she'd placed a secret kiss on his left cheek so nobody around them would notice. He took her out for dinner at restaurant she'd read about online, and then they went shopping for souvenirs that she could bring home to her family. When they finally left Viridian City, they began the walk back to Pallet Town hand in hand.

By the time they had made it home in the evening the house was dark and quiet. The two of them quietly snuck upstairs and retreated to Ash's bedroom, where they spent roughly over an hour getting reacquainted beneath layers of sheets and blankets until they eventually drifted off to sleep.

When Ash finally made it into the kitchen, he walked up to the stove where May was currently standing. She turned around when she heard his footsteps and playfully scowled at him over her shoulder. "There you are. Sheesh, I should've known you'd fall asleep again as soon as I left."

He smiled guiltily and shrugged. "We were up late last night."

A light blush colored her cheeks as she turned back around to face the stove once more. "Well, there are eggs are waiting for you on the table. I'm just finishing up some bacon right now. Oh, and your mom left to go to the store a few minutes ago and asked me to tell you to put your clothes in the washing machine before she came back. I already took care of it, though, so you can just make it up to me later."

Ash didn't reply right away, choosing instead to walk closer to her and then wrap his arms around her midsection. With the house to themselves, he wouldn't have to worry about limiting his public displays of affection, eager to avoid a lecture from his mother, or making sure he didn't accidentally inform her why May hadn't slept in the guest room. He lowered his chin onto her shoulder and sighed contently.

"Can I help you with something, sir?" May asked teasingly, giggling as she pressed her lips against his cheek.

"I like your glasses," he commented idly. He then returned her gesture by placing a kiss on the back of her neck. "You should wear them more often."

May giggled again. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass. Now go eat your eggs, I'm workin' here!"

"You're so stubborn," he argued, but reluctantly did as he was told. He dropped his arms back to his sides and made his way over to the kitchen table. "So, do we have any plans for today?"

May nodded as she turned the stove off and transferred all of the bacon in the pan onto a clean plate. She then joined him at the table, sitting in the seat across from his. "I don't know about you, but after this I'm going back to bed. I just needed some food in my stomach before I slept for the rest of the afternoon."

Ash laughed. "May's list of priorities: food and sleep. It's good to know you haven't changed much since your last visit."

"I could say the same about someone else that I know," she countered, laughing along with him as she served herself some breakfast. "Of course, you're welcome to join me if you'd like to. I don't want you to miss out on all the fun."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he assured her with a grin.

May beamed back at him. "Good."

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One of the best things about being so close to another human being was all of the new things you got to learn about that person. That was exactly what how Ash felt when, throughout the past year, he discovered new things about May that he'd never known when they were younger.

For instance, he never knew until just a few months ago that, much like her younger brother's, May's eyesight was not a perfect 20/20. Apparently, the entire time they had traveled together she hid the fact she wore glasses at night, claiming that they made her look ugly, and wore contact lenses exclusively during the day. Now that her secret was out, though, she wasn't as hesitant about wearing them in front of him, though there was nothing Ash could say to convince her that she looked great with or without them.

Another thing he never would've guessed before was that May actually knew how to cook. He figured her disaster of a Pokeblock meant that her cooking skills would be equally terrible, but the time she spent traveling alone gave her a good opportunity to practice. She still couldn't put an entire feast together, but her scrambled eggs and bacon breakfasts were immaculate and could even compete with one of Brock's breakfasts.

She was also double jointed in her elbows, and could crack all of her fingers at the same time. She absolutely couldn't stand the taste of celery and peanuts made her skin break out into a rash. The only places on her body where she was ticklish were her ribs and the tops of her feet and when she slept she curled up into almost a perfect sphere. He knew so much about her, more than anybody else in the world did, and he was confident the same could be said for her about him. He couldn't think of anything that he would want to hide from her, ranging from his long list of favorite foods to his secret fear of swimming in really deep water.

At the same time, however, he still learned something new about her every time he saw her and he had a feeling that there was still more that he hadn't uncovered. She kept him guessing in a way that he never would have expected and in a way that no one else ever could.

When he came to that realization, Ash decided that perhaps she was the only person he was supposed to feel that way about.

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On the second day of her visit, Ash and Pikachu took May out all over Pallet Town. After doing an excess amount of shopping, eating lunch at a quaint little diner downtown, playing in the local park, and then visiting Professor Oak's lab to drop Pikachu off for an afternoon with the rest of the Pokemon there, Ash and May eventually found themselves back at home, greeted by an empty house.

As they set foot into the living room, May spotted a note resting on the coffee table. She walked over to it and picked it up.

"'Went to the Professor's for some tea,'" she read aloud, "'I'll be back around dinnertime. See you both later. Love, Mom.'"

"Ah, mom's with the Professor?" Ash asked, setting May's shopping bags down onto the floor. "She must have left not too long ago then. I'm surprised we didn't run into her."

May nodded. "Maybe she went to the store first or something, down the other road." She glanced back at him and smiled. "Thanks for helping me with my bags, by the way! It was a good thing you came with me—I didn't actually plan on buying so much."

Ash chuckled. "You never do. But that's what I'm here for, right?"

May grinned. "You're the best."

"So I've been told." He smiled back at her, leaning over and kissing her quickly. "Want a snack? I'm kinda hungry."

"That'd be great." She grabbed his hand as the two of them headed for the kitchen. "Make me a sandwich?"

"Sure thing. Grilled cheese?"

"Mm, perfect!"

Ash let go of May's hand as they crossed into the kitchen and then headed straight for the pantry. His eyes roamed over the shelves until he finally spotted the bread. "Hey, May? Could you get the butter and stuff out of the fridge please?" he called out over his shoulder.

He reached for the bread and grabbed a small bag of potato chips for himself as well, before exiting the pantry. "May, did you hear me? Could you—"

He stopped and looked up, eyebrows rising when he saw that she was standing a few feet away from him right outside of the pantry, a shrewd smile on her face.

"Uh," he began, confused and oblivious, holding the package of bread out to her, "are you still hungry?"

"I was," she replied, walking closer to him. Her smile never faltered as she took the bread and chips out of his hands and set them down onto the counter beside them. "But then I realized that we have the house to ourselves for a few hours..."

Ash chuckled, quickly catching onto what she meant. He felt his ears grow warm as she leaned against him and, in turn, he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Good point."

She smiled at him, standing up on her toes and pecking his lips. Teasingly, she asked, "Your room or mine?"

"Yours," he answered immediately, before leaning down and kissing her again, keeping his lips on hers longer this time. "Bigger bed."

Without another word, he picked May up and swiftly placed her on the kitchen counter. She burst into a small fit of giggles and threaded her fingers through his dark hair as his lips began to trail up her neck and along her jaw.

"Maybe we should sleep there tonight then?" she suggested, tipping her head back slightly to allow him more room, a grin still present on her face.

Ash said nothing as he continued his exploration of her, guiding his lips back down her throat and over to the spot where her neck and shoulder met. When he heard her gasp softly in response he smiled against her skin.

"Sounds like a great idea to me," he finally agreed, lifting his head from her shoulder. His smile grew when he saw how flushed her cheeks had become before he leaned down and caught her lips in a deep kiss.

It was only a matter of minutes before the pair blindly stumbled out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the guest room. Their lips remained heatedly attached the entire way as their hands made quick work of each other's clothes, leaving a small trail behind them in the hallway. When he realized what exactly they had done, Ash was about to stop what they were doing and pick up the evidence they had carelessly left behind, but as May ran blunt fingernails down across his shoulder blades, sending a tremor up his spine, he simply couldn't bring himself to care any further.

Upon reaching their destination, though, he did make sure sure he locked the door, just in case.

.

.

.

She was the only person out of everyone he knew that he saw on a fairly regular basis.

Everyone else was so absorbed in what he or she was doing, Ash included, that they simply didn't have the time to see each other as often as they would have liked to. He himself was busy training and traveling like he had been for years, battling Gyms and competing in different Pokemon Leagues around the world (currently, the Johto League). Brock was studying very hard as of late, diligently working on becoming a Pokemon doctor. Misty was swamped with work at the Cerulean Gym, especially now that her sisters had taken off once again on an extended vacation around the world. Max was traveling on his own journey, and in his free time he was helping Norman run their gym in Petalburg. Tracey was constantly with Professor Oak doing lab work, Gary was conducting research projects all over the Kanto region and was never in one place for more than a few days, and Dawn was working on competing in the Hoenn Grand Festival. The list could go on and on from there.

May, on the other hand, was taking some time off from competing in Pokemon Contests because she had been asked to become an official staff member and spokesperson for the National Contest Coordinators Association, a relatively new organization made up of Coordinators whose goal was to establish Pokemon Contest circuits in every region in the world. She was still traveling plenty, going to conferences and events where she would give speeches and the like, but somehow she would always conveniently be somewhere near wherever Ash was. Whether it was fate or simply good luck, their schedules always seemed to coincide, allowing them to fall back into each other's lives as if they had never apart in the first place.

With May, everything was just so easy and worry-free. Things, one way or another, would work out in their favor with little or no effort on their parts, and all Ash had to worry about was making each moment he spent with her count. He couldn't have asked for a more perfect situation.

Ash looked down at May as she napped silently in his arms, a small, content smile forming on his face as he leaned down and kissed her bare shoulder.

He couldn't have asked for a more perfect girl.

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Later that evening, after eating dinner and picking Pikachu up from Professor Oak's, Ash waited patiently until the house was completely quiet before sneaking over to the guest room, Pikachu following closely at his feet. He knocked gently and then opened the door halfway, poking his head in. "Can I come in?" he whispered.

He saw May sitting in the middle of the bed, already changed into her pajamas and in the process of taking her contact lenses out. She looked up at him and nodded.

Opening the door fully, Ash allowed Pikachu to walk in first and then followed him inside the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He chuckled as he watched Pikachu hurry over and hop up onto the bed beside May and gently nudge her hand. May smiled, reaching for her glasses and sliding them on before finally turning her attention to the creature next to her.

"It's nice to see you again too," she said, stroking the yellow fur beneath her fingertips. "Did you have fun today?"

Pikachu leaned into her touch and let out a contented sigh.

"I'm starting to think Pikachu likes you more than me," Ash commented, walking over and sitting down on the bed with them. He reached out and scratched behind one of Pikachu's ears while May gently rubbed the other, earning another sound of approval from the mouse Pokemon.

"I'm not sure that's possible," May countered with a laugh. "You're his trainer, after all."

Ash shrugged. "I guess I wouldn't blame him."

A light blush dusted over May's cheeks, but Ash noticed the way that her smile faltered. He also noticed how she was quick to change the subject afterwards. "Is that what you're sleeping in?" she asked, pointing at him.

Ash glanced down at his attire; jeans, a T-shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt that he'd worn for their outing today. He simply shrugged. "I figured I'd leave the shirt and take everything else off." He then smirked. "Or I could take the shirt off too, if you'd like."

May snorted and rolled her eyes at him. "You are such a guy sometimes, Ash Ketchum."

"Guilty as charged," he confessed.

"Just get into bed, ya weirdo," May ordered, shaking her head at his antics.

"Alright," he gave in, "but don't peek at me while I'm getting undressed!"

He smiled when she laughed a genuine laugh and dropped her face into the palms of her hands, feeling accomplished. He could tell that something was bothering her, but if he'd been able to cheer her up it probably wasn't something all that serious.

He turned around and then quickly rid himself of his clothes, save his T-shirt and boxer shorts, before turning back around and then sliding underneath the covers. Scooting over, he gestured for May to do the same and lie down next to him, while, in the meantime, Pikachu wandered over to the foot of the bed and proceeded to curl up into a tiny ball.

As May moved back the blanket aside and made herself comfortable next to Ash, he noticed once again how her expression fell, the smile on her face twisting into a small frown, and instantly felt a pang of disappointment.

"Hey, May..." He gave her a worried look. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" May glanced up at him, feigning confusion. "Of course not, Ash. Everything's fine."

He wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," she said, trying to sound reassuring even though she knew he could see right through her. Smiling weakly, she insisted, "I'm fine. I'd tell you if I wasn't, okay?"

He nodded, though his eyes were still narrowed in concern. "Alright then."

"Let's get some sleep now." Wiggling out of his grasp, she gave him a brief kiss on the lips and then rolled over onto her other side, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. She then took her glasses off and set them down on the nightstand. "Goodnight, Ash."

Ash sighed softly. "'Night, May. Sleep tight."

"You too. Talk to you in the morning."

Frowning, Ash stared at her back in total confusion. What was so wrong that she didn't even want to tell him? It was completely unlike her to be so reserved around him, and the fact that she suddenly seemed so upset now was also unusual. Not even an hour ago she had been so happy, laughing and smiling. Had he done something wrong to make her sad?

Slowly, Ash scooted closer to her and placed his arm around her waist. His frown deepened when he felt her stiffen beneath his touch.

"You don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to," he began, "but I know you well enough to know when something's wrong. But whether you want me to know or not, I'm here for you, okay? Don't ever forget that."

He waited for a few moments to see if she would respond, but when she didn't Ash simply placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek and then let his head flop down on the pillow with another sigh. He tightened his grip around her and closed his eyes. "Goodnight, May."

Several minutes passed in which May remained silent, but just before Ash drifted off to sleep he heard her murmur a quiet and feeble "thank you."

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It was May's last day in Pallet Town, and the remaining hours they had together were already going by way too fast. Tomorrow morning, Ash would be taking her to the ferry and seeing her off as she sailed away to the Hoenn region.

Ash sighed dejectedly for the hundredth time that day.

"Why don't you come to Petalburg with me?" May suggested, scooting closer to him and letting her head fall against his shoulder. The two of them had spent most of the day just relaxing with their Pokemon in Ash's backyard and were now taking a short break underneath a shady maple tree. "Mom, Dad, and Max would love to see you again. And you know I wouldn't object, either."

Ash frowned. "I would, but I need to head back to Johto in a few days. My sixth Gym battle is coming up."

May sighed softly in disappointment. "New Gym or an older one?"

"A new one. It just opened earlier this year," he explained. He turned and gently pressed his lips to the top of her hair. "I'm sorry."

She gave him a small smile. "It's okay, Ash. It isn't your fault. I'll only be at home for a couple of days before going to another NCCA event anyway. The timing just isn't right."

Ash smiled back at her. He was relieved to see that, today, she was actually smiling again, despite the fact that it was their last day together. But seeing her so upset last night and having no idea why hadn't been easy for him. "Where are you guys going this time?" he asked.

"Rustboro City. We're going to be speaking to all the Coordinators there the night before a Contest and scout for some new members too. After that we're going to Slateport for pretty much the same thing, and then Lilycove City."

"Sounds like you'll be pretty busy," he commented.

"Yeah, tell me about it," she agreed with a laugh. "Then after Lilycove we'll be in Pacifidlog Town, and then we're off for Sinnoh for a month or so. The more people that know about us, the more influential we can be around the globe, you know?"

Ash nodded slowly in understanding. "When will you be in Johto again?"

"Four months from now," she replied. Smiling again, she added, "Right in time for a certain Pokemon Trainer's Silver Conference."

Ash's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Of course!" She laughed. "I'm not sure where I'll be until then, but we can figure something out."

Ash couldn't contain the large grin that spread across his face. "May, that's awesome! Do you really mean it? Are you really coming? I can't believe you can actually come!"

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it for the world!" she told him excitedly. "I purposely scheduled everything else around it so I could watch you compete."

"You're the best, May." Ash's smile softened as he reached out and hugged her tightly. "You have no idea how happy I am. It means a lot to me that you're going to be there."

May wrapped her arms around him and returned the hug, but she couldn't stop her smile from fading. "Really?" she asked quietly.

"Really," he repeated sincerely, squeezing her harder to emphasize his words. Chuckling, he asked, "Why wouldn't it?"

She didn't answer right away, slowly dropping her arms from around his shoulders and scooting backwards instead. Confused, Ash looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Ash..." she began, averting her gaze to the side, "there's something I need to ask you. Something...important."

"Okay." His eyes filled with concern when he saw how sad she suddenly looked, the same way she had looked last night when she was upset. "What is it?"

She sighed and, unexpectedly, stood up. Ash watched her closely as she began walking back and forth in front of him, fidgeting with her hands and cracking her knuckles. "Ash...ugh, how do I put this?"

"May," he started helplessly, his eyes continuing to follow her as she paced nervously. Slowly, he stood up and stepped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. "May, please tell me what's wrong. I'm going crazy trying to help you but I can't if I don't know what's bothering you."

"Ash..." she tried again, but once again trailed off. She sighed deeply, gathering up her courage, before looking back up at him with earnest eyes. "What exactly am I to you?"

He gave her another look of confusion. "What are you to me?" he reiterated.

May nodded. "Yeah. Like, how do you feel about me?"

Ash blinked. "May, where is all of this coming from?"

"I'm just not sure if I want to continue on this," she finally admitted, and then gestured between the two of them. "Whatever 'this' is, exactly. That's the thing, Ash. I mean, don't get me wrong, I really like being with you. You have no idea how much I look forward to visiting you and spending time with you like this. But all I know is how I feel. I don't know how you feel at all."

"Oh," he replied dumbly, still taken aback by how suddenly the topic had been brought up.

"Everything between us is just so unofficial, and has been that way for so long," she continued. "I mean, has it ever even occurred to you that we've gone nearly an entire year without even telling each other how we feel?"

"I..." He paused and thought for a moment, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. "No, I guess it hasn't..."

"I don't know how to explain what you are to me to Max or my parents or any of our friends. Or even myself for that matter. We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but we're obviously more than just friends..." Her gaze briefly flickered down to her feet. "Unless all I am to you is just a friend with benefits, no strings attached."

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I wouldn't even think of doing that to you, May. Never."

"Well, unless I know for sure what all of this means to you—what I mean to you—I don't think I'll be able to keep it up for much longer," she concluded. "If you don't feel the same way that I do, then I understand. You don't have to lie to me just so I'm not sad. I just—"

"I love you," he confessed, interrupting her.

Her eyes went wide. "W-What—?"

He interrupted her once more as he leaned down and, without hesitation, caught her lips in a deep kiss. May squeaked in surprise, nearly losing her balance. Her hands quickly found his shoulders as she steadied herself while Ash's arms circled around her waist tightly and brought her in closer. Once her shock completely faded, May leaned into him and finally returned the kiss just as eagerly as Ash had initiated it. She pushed him back so he was firmly pressed against the trunk of the tree and stood high up on her toes so she could reach him better. Everything she had been thinking and worrying over only moments before was tossed out the window as her brain moved onto autopilot. All she could concentrate on now was him and the way that he was making her pulse thump wildly throughout her entire body, the sound echoing loudly in her ears amidst each breathless, fervent, desperate exchange of their mouths.

"You honestly didn't know that?" he asked her several minutes later, once they had pulled apart, genuinely curious.

May opened her mouth in an attempt to reply, but she found herself speechless. In her mind, they were still kissing, among other things that made her pulse continue to thump. She sighed in defeat.

"I mean," he went on, a light blush beginning to form across his face, "it actually...never occurred to you? That I felt that way? Not once?"

"Of course it's occurred to me!" she snapped suddenly, scowling at him. "But it's not like you ever said anything to me about it up until now! I'm not psychic, Ash!"

Ash couldn't contain his laughter. "Whoa, easy now! I'm really sorry, May, but I just thought you knew already, after all this time especially. It really wasn't obvious? You love me too, don't you? I mean, you're right, we've never said anything to each other about it but...I just kinda guessed. Has this really been bothering all this time? Why didn't you say anything before?"

May blushed. "I was waiting to see if you would actually tell me how you feel first," she murmured.

Ash smiled softly at her, removing his arms from around her waist so he could place his hands on her shoulders. He squeezed them reassuringly. "May...you didn't think I'd be with someone, with you, like this and not feel anything at all, did you?"

"I—" May took another deep breath, butterflies erupting into her stomach and her cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red. "Of course I wanted to believe that everything we've shared meant something to you, Ash. But I was still asking myself, 'What if?' all the time. I just needed to actually hear you say it, that's all."

Ash nodded. "I understand. And I'm sorry. I had no idea that it's been bugging you all this time." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I'm really not the brightest when it comes to this kind of stuff, am I? Even now, after a year of being your unofficial boyfriend. It's just that everything feels so...right, you know?"

"Yeah," May agreed softly, after a moment of contemplation, "it really does, doesn't it?"

"Everything's always felt like that with you, May," he explained. "Within days of meeting each other I considered you to be one of my best friends. We got along so well and we still do. I thought I couldn't ask for more, but then when you came back to Pallet Town for the first time in years I...I really did fall for you. Honest."

May felt another blush heating up her cheeks. "Ash..."

"I never thought to say anything," he continued, "because, after I kissed you for the first time, we just sort of fell into this routine on our own. Every time we saw each other after that we would just do everything else that other couples would do together, and we obviously liked each other. At least, I thought it was obvious. It just felt like we were a few steps ahead is all."

May nodded slowly. "When you put it that way, it makes sense. But for me it felt more like we had skipped a really crucial step as opposed to simply being ahead. I was afraid that, if we had gone this long without saying anythingto each other about how we felt, then maybe it was all just too good to be true and you didn't have feelings for me after all." She frowned. "Ugh, I'm sorry, Ash. I realize how silly it all sounds now that I've actually said it. I should know you better than that...I was just worried."

Ash shook his head. "Don't blame yourself. I should've just told you how I felt from the start instead of expecting you to know. That was my stupid mistake. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course I can." She smiled up at him, before leaning in to hug him. "Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive." Relieved, Ash wrapped his arms securely around her waist and held her close. "But does this mean that you aren't breaking up with me?"

May laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it."

He grinned at her.

"I love you, Ash," she said. She felt her cheeks flush yet again and a shy smile creep up onto her face. "And in order to make up for lost time I'm going to tell you that at least twenty times a day, okay?"

"I love you too, May," he replied, laughing. "But you won't have to worry about that because I'll tell you at least thirty times a day."

May snorted and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But don't get mad at me when I say it to you forty times."

"Deal," he agreed. "I really do love you though, May. I've loved you all this time. And I'll tell you fifty times a day if I have to."

May started laughing again, and another grin broke out onto Ash's face.

It really did feel good to finally say it out loud.