Okay… I think there are probably some explanations/apologies in order. Firstly, the reason this chapter is so late is because my pathetic internet plan ran out of data, meaning I have been without a connection until a couple of days ago. Secondly, I know I said that story would be over within the week, but that clearly was a lie :/ I don't now know when the story will be finished because along with my internet connection went my inclination to write, so I've been undeniably slack lately. Rest assured the story WILL be finished, I just can't make any guarantees as to when because I'm now on holidays from uni and my social life has become pretty hectic. I'll do my best to have it wrapped up ASAP and once again I apologise for going on such a long hiatus without any warning.

Anyway, enough about me. Here is chapter 7, which borrows a little bit of inspiration from the manga in terms of what is to be found at Mt Silver.

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Red and Leaf landed on the summit in a puff of snow and ice. The peak was deserted, indicating that Kris had already vacated the area. Red sighed with relief, realising that he had one less thing to worry about. In a way he felt sorry for the girl; after all, she hadn't had any way of knowing of the bond that Red and Leaf shared, and her actions were basically innocent. Still, she had almost cost the two something they had both wanted for far too long, and Red wasn't feeling particularly forgiving about that just yet.

He helped Leaf down from Charizard's back and recalled the enormous lizard, whose smug looks were starting to get on Red's nerves. He gestured for Leaf to follow him, and led her towards the hold in the stone which led to his makeshift home. As they followed the tunnel, the temperature rose progressively, until it felt almost comfortable. Leaf wondered where the heat was coming from, but Red answered her question before she could voice it. "Hot springs." He said the words in the same torturous, gravelly voice as before, but managed not to stammer this time, lending hope to Leaf that his voice may slowly improve.

After a long walk which took them deep with the mountain, red stopped in front of a boulder that stood by the wall of the tunnel. He called out Charizard, who casually pushed the boulder away, to reveal a cavern. Clearly this was where Red lived, as the chamber was sparsely furnished with several homemade pieces of furniture, including a bed, table and chairs, and for some reason a bookcase, which was populated by many volumes of various manga series. Leaf gave all this a cursory glance, before returning her attentions to the slightly-less-silent-than-before boy behind her.

"Goddammit Red, do you do nothing else but train while you're up here?" She asked in exasperation. Red just grinned at her, before ushering her towards the other side of the chamber. Upon arriving, Leaf realised that there was a secondary tunnel behind what she had assumed to be nothing more than a poster displaying a roaring Charizard.

"Taking a leaf out of team rocket's book eh Red?" She sniggered. "Just don't forget how that worked out for them." Together, they walked along the tunnel which, after a significantly shorter walk that the last one, opened up into another chamber. Leaf gaped at the scene which confronted her.

A vast, underground hot spring reservoir stretched for hundreds of feet, trailing away towards what sounded like a waterfall. Stalagmites and stalactites erupted from the floor and ceiling, and every now and then a geyser would burst upwards, sending condensation skyward. This had the effect of creating something of a sauna, and droplets of condensation which coated the rock above their heads fell constantly to earth. The water was that light, incredibly rick blue which you only saw in hot springs, and the cavern was illuminated by a strange phosphorescence which coated the walls, sending silver sparkles dancing through the steam. The sight was undeniably breathtaking, and Leaf turned to Red, anticipation shining on her face.

"And here's me feeling all sorry for you having to live up on the cold, old mountain!" she exclaimed, with a pout that made Red's heart melt. Before he could do or say anything else, she had jumped straight into the nearest pool, sending a wave of water washing over the bemused champion. She laughed as she surfaced and splashed him a bit more. "Come on in, the water's fine!" she called. Red shrugged and leapt in, shoes and all, before leaping on Leaf's back and dunking her under.

They mucked around in this fashion for a while until Red stopped and frowned, making Leaf stop also. "What is it?" she asked, vaguely concerned.

Red glanced at her. "No towels."

Leaf paled. It may have been warmer than outside up in Red's living area, but it was still far too cold to to go traipsing around in wet clothes, to do so would be just asking for a bout of the 'flu. She shivered, suddenly cold despite the warm water. "What do we do?" she asked

Red shrugged. "Deal with it."

That was not the answer Leaf was looking for. She was about to start ranting, but Red, sensing the incoming barrage, cut her off with a hasty kiss. It was messy at first, designed more as a gag than a sensual act, and Leaf almost threw him off to continue her spiel. Something stopped her however, and she found herself responding to Red's uncharacteristically forward approach. After all, she told herself, kissing him was proving far more enjoyable than yelling at him.

When they broke apart, Leaf's face was adorned with her trademark devilish smirk, the same one she had flashed at Green back in his gym, what seemed like years ago. Red expression turned quizzical, wondering just what the grin was in aid of, but his eyes widened in shock as Leaf pushed him backwards into the water. The grin never leaving her face, leaf fell down after him.

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Well that's that. Hope you had fun this admittedly short chapter. I'm heading down south tomorrow for a few days so don't hang out for another chapter before Saturday. Again, sorry about the delays, both now and in the future.