Immorality - Damage limitation
#2 of Immorality
So here it is chapter two... I had a mixed review of the first chapter so I thought "what the hell, lets give it another try."
As I said in the last chapter this one has no yiff whatsoever so anyone who's purely in it for that should probably move on, nothing to see here. This chapter focuses on the history between Ross and Kayla. (So pokémon x human sex is in store for the future... you have been warned) The chapter also focuses on the regret of Alba and him trying to make amends without alerting Ross as to the situation. This may lead to him getting his comeuppance or it may not I'm leaving my mind fairly open to ideas at the moment.
Terribly sorry about the spelling in this one but my spell checker buggered up and since that's what I use to change the British spelling into the American spelling, Americans reading this will likely notice certain words being different e.g. color becomes colour etc.
Anyway trying to get to the story as quickly as possible so... Really hope this chapter isn't a disappointment, enjoy!
Damage limitation
Alba groaned and stretched out on the grass, draping a paw over his closed eyes to block the intruding sunlight. He felt, good; better than he had in a long time. This had happened to him a few times, he couldn't think of a single thing to feel good about and yet he had woken up in the morning feeling good for no reason.
He took a few deep breaths smelling all the beautiful scents nature had to offer. From the bitter-sweet smell of the sitrus berries growing by the mountainside to the cleansing aroma of the pine forest surrounding their little haven, everything told him that this was going to be a great day.
Suddenly another scent hit Alba, it overpowered all other smells and invaded all his other senses like a virus, pure musk. Alba's eyes snapped open, he jolted out of his sleep as if struck, and he began to remember last night.
FUUUUCK! He managed to stop himself from thinking it out loud. What the fuck have I done? He probed his stomach with a paw to prove to himself that it had not been a dream, sure enough the evidence covered him making him grimace at his own stupidity.
He rolled onto his front and stood up, checking to ensure that the rest of them were asleep, especially Kayla, he made his way to the stream. He didn't like the idea of bathing in this cold river, he didn't mind the water as much as the drying off, it could take hours and all the while his fur felt damp and clammy, but he was covered in the evidence of last nights affair... Besides it's not like he didn't deserve much worse.
He closed his eyes and dove in only to surface seconds later gasping, the air having been knocked out of him. "Fuck that's cold!" he muttered, slowly becoming accustomed to the low temperature. He began to think of all the consequences that could come of last nights lust-driven acts. He could lose the friendship of her brother, that would be a light blow considering, he could be kicked off the team, if Jutah spread the word, and that word finally reached his trainer there would be hell to pay, But worst of all, this could quite easily cost him the friendship and respect of Kayla herself. She was the best friend he had aside from Ross, but then, he was an Espeon, he was supposed to be overly loyal to his trainer. She had been the only pokémon in the team who had accepted him instantly when he evolved into the freak he was. Jutah and Kaylen had both rejected him until he had proved how much stronger than them he was, and even Hayley and Nivven had given him a wide berth.
If he lost her he lost the one true friend he had apart from Ross and if Jutah told Ross he'd lose everything, and it would all be his fault. He shook his head, this was no time for self pity, if he was going down, he was going down fighting. He clambered up onto the river bank and shook himself off. Looking at the sun he estimated he had about two hours to do what needed to be done, he looked at the sleeping Abra, watching as the dark brown plating on it's upper chest rose and fell with the pokémon's breathing. "First things first," He said to himself. "Damage limitation."
Jutah awoke with something sharp pressed against the side of his neck and a thick warm liquid seeping from the tiny cut made by that something. The Abra's eyes flicked open to be confronted with the sight of a soggy and very pissed off looking Espeon.
"We need to talk" Alba said, blunt and to the point.
"Why d'you always got to be so bitchy in the mornin'?" the pinned pokémon replied. "I mean if I don't get my eighteen hour a day sleep I get a little cranky but jeez." The Abra spread the same mischievous grin that it had worn the night before.
"Listen you ignoramus, this is serious. Now as far as I know you're the only witness to my... lack of judgement last night."
The Abra almost burst out laughing but was silenced by the Espeon's claw digging deeper into his neck, reminding him that with a quick pull the dexterous cat-pokémon could permanently scar or even kill him if he hit the jugular or an equally vital item of his being. "Lack of judgement?" He choked back another laugh. "That was no lack of judgement it was a full blown judgemental cock up! I honestly can't think of a dumber thing you could have done short of killing someone."
"Well then you'd better hope I don't decide to do that too." Alba hissed back digging his claw in deeper to get his point across. "The point is you wouldn't gain anything by telling Ross or anyone else about this, so unless you want this to end badly..." he put extra venom into the word "badly" and dug his claw deeper still for emphasis.
"Woah hold on are you blackmailing me?" The Abra stared at him with a look of disbelief on his face. "That's low even for a guy who basically raped his best friend a couple hours ago."
"I didn't FUCKING rape her okay!" Alba checked around to make sure his psychic outburst hadn't awoken anyone else. "And I'm not blackmailing you I'm just making sure that you and I are at an understanding that there's no need to go alerting anyone else about...this." He tailed off at the last word watching the face of the Abra for any sign of betrayal.
"Ow, ow, ow, take the claw out of my neck and you got a deal!" The Abra winced in pain as he felt the claw being ripped from his skin.
"Yeah well you better stick to the deal." He told the indignant Abra as he walked away "Or I'm gunna cut you up so small the wurmple won't even have to chew."
Ross woke up as the alarm on his pokétch (thats poké watch to those of you who have never played diamond or pearl) began to sound, he was greeted first by the brown eyes of a Buizel leaning over him.
"Bui-bui," the pokémon chirped enthusiastically "Bui, bui-bui!"
"Well good morning to you too sunshine." he replied "But I'm going to need you to get off my chest I kinda need to get up."
The Buizel hopped off his chest happily, turning to wait for him.
"Yes, yes, I know, I know." He mumbled to her wearily "Just let me get dressed and check we're all here."
Kayla watched as her trainer searched for his bag, only to remember he'd left it at the hotel before they had left yesterday morning. She began to tap her foot impatiently. Sitting around was soooooo boring, adventuring with Ross on the other hand was great. He let her ride on his shoulders more often than not, she could see everything from up there and the air was cool and refreshing as he walked, she really couldn't be bothered waiting for the others, she just wanted to get going.
Deciding just to put on yesterdays t-shirt until he got back to the hotel he swiftly pulled the now dried shirt back on followed once more by his coat. Resolving to shower before he checked out. He began the roll call, "Kaylen?" the response was an enthusiastic Bui and the male Buizel thrust a fist into the air. "Jutah?" The Abra raised it's hand uncovering a large cut on it's neck that Ross hadn't noticed before, dismissing it as nothing serious Ross continued the roll call until he got to Alba who he couldn't see anywhere.
"Alba!" There was no response "ALBA! You here?" slowly a figure emerged from the undergrowth.
"Yeah I'm here." Alba responded sullenly, Even speaking psychically Ross heard the change in tone in the usually, witty and arrogant pokémon.
"What's eating you man?" Ross asked concerned. "You really look beat."
"Yeah I uh... didn't get much sleep last night." Alba's gaze shifted to Kayla who began to blush and then to Jutah who looked as if he might speak up but rubbed his neck and backed down.
Ross noticed all this but dismissed it, boiling it down to a bad nights sleep. The uncomfortable silence went on for a little while, "So..." Ross broke the silence with a chirpy tone "Did I ever tell you all how much I loooove awkward silences?"
"Shove it," The Espeon began flicking its tail back and forth. "I just can't stand the optimism today okay?"
"Wow aren't we sour today?" He teased his friend hoping to get a rise out of him, no such luck.
"Just get me back in my damn ball... I need to rest."
Ross just stared at him shocked, he'd never thought he'd hear those words come out of that head. He continued to shake his head in disbelief as he began to return his pokémon, including, for the first time in a long while, his Espeon.
He glanced at his pokétch which displayed 8:37 as the local time. "Well we'd best be off then." Ross spoke through a yawn. "Coming?" he turned to his remaining Buizel.
Kayla gave an enthusiastic "Bui!" and clambered up his coat coming to rest on his shoulders with one foot over each side of his neck. She crossed her arms and rested them atop his head giving a contented sigh as she settled into a comfortable position.
Ross reached up and scritched the side of her head, she gave what was close to a purr and leaned into the scritch.
"I really don't know why I spoil you y'know?"
Kayla nodded with a smile. "Bui, bui, bui-bui, bui!"
Without any of his psychic pokémon to translate he couldn't understand her perfectly, but her meaning was clear, because she enjoyed being spoiled. He sighed and nodded his submission before starting the trek back to Hearthome city.
On getting back to his hotel room he released his Espeon telling him that if he was still tired he could sleep on the bed until he came out of the shower but that he wanted to talk about their next step when he came out. With that, he closed the door locking himself in.
Shortly afterwards Alba heard the water begin to run and began to look around the room, he never had been allowed to roam inside the hotel but today was their last so he assumed Ross didn't really care if he damaged the room. They'd be long gone by the time anyone was sent up. Ross knew him too well, but today there were more important things to do than have fun and piss off hotel staff.
The room was really quite nice, bay window, comfy looking bed, but apart from that the room was pretty much unfurnished. He turned and was confronted by Kayla, arms crossed, staring at him with one eyebrow raised. "Well?"
He didn't need to read her mind to know what she was thinking. "Yes, I know, I'm getting to it okay?" He sighed, beginning to flick his tail again. "Now I have a plan okay? I just need him to get his ass out of this hotel."
"What's your plan?" She asked, renewed hope in her voice.
"It's probably best for you not to know okay, just... Look I know I haven't done much to be worthy of your trust so far but please, just, bear with me okay?"
Kayla didn't really understand, what had he done that wasn't worthy of her trust? "Ummm, Okay... I guess so. So what do you need me to do?"
"He's going to take us to that fancy pokémon restaurant in town when he gets out of the shower, I saw it when I read his mind to find out which city we were heading to next. Now when you hear the water stop I want you to get up on the bed and pretend you're sleeping."
"Why?" The confused Buizel tilted her head as she asked.
"Because if you're there my plan goes tits up alright?"
Kayla nodded her acceptance and their topic moved on to other things, with Alba trying to avoid the topic of last night, even when she pushed it. Eventually he broke.
"Alba?" she commanded, taking dominance over another for the first time she could remember, "Why are you so evasive over last night? Why wont you talk to me or anyone else about it?"
"Because what I did was wrong... I had no right to do... that, and I stole from you something you can never get back, something that should have been shared with the one you love." As if on queue they heard the water stop and Alba looked at Kayla, remembering her side of the plan she scrambled onto the bed curling up and closing her eyes as if sleeping.
Ross emerged from the shower, with one towel round his waist and another he was using to tussle his hair. "Hey guys you..." he scanned the room and saw Kayla apparently comatose on the bed. "Want to get something to eat? Hmm guess it's just you and me then?" He said to the Espeon
"Why not the others?" He could have just read his trainers mind but Alba felt it better to be as unintrusive as possible, at least for now.
"Well I plan to drop Kaylen and Hayley off at the pokémon centre along the way, they're still roughed up from the battle yesterday. Nivven still gets a little riled around people... in fact I think I'm gonna put him into daycare as soon as possible, that old guy seems to have a way with him, and Jutah... well you know better than anyone he'd like nothing better than to get into a fancy restaurant and cause damage," He sighed. "Expensive, expensive damage. No, the only pokémon I feel comfortable taking in there is you and Kayla and she's well..." He motioned to the apparently sleeping orange weasel.
"Fair enough then, lets get going!" Alba realized he was acting too happy as soon as the words came out of his mind, he needed to act normal if he was to pull this off.
Ross seemed not to notice and went back to the bathroom to put on a new set of clothes.
"For what it's worth Kayla... I'm sorry, I'm... so sorry." Alba mentally whispered these words to Kayla as he waited for his trainer to come back out, and followed him out the door of the hotel room.
Making good on his promise to hand Kaylen and Hayley over to nurse Joy, he quickly thanked her and started moving in the direction of the restaurant . The streets of Hearthome were unusually quiet, although this often happened when a contest was on or suchlike. As he walked someway behind Ross Alba thought over how he was going to phrase this.
"Something bothering you?" Alba looked up to see his trainer looking back at him concerned.
He had no real speech planned out so he'd have to do it off the cuff. "Yeah, uhh, there's no easy way to put this but... I think Buizel... Kayla... I think she really likes you." It was a lame finish but this was awkward enough as it was without him being completely unprepared for it.
"Well I had better hope so," Ross replied oblivious to the intent of Alba's words "I spend enough money on her, and let her ride around on my shoulders."
"No! No, I mean... She Like-likes you!" Dear gods that sounded even worse, He mentally slapped himself, it seemed to get the point across to Ross however as he had now stopped walking completely, looking back on the Espeon as if he was insane.
"What did you say?" Ross was dumbfounded, his Espeon had just told him that one of his pokémon... Loved him?
"Yeah she to- I mean I read it from her mind." Alba looked towards the ground now, his tail swaying in his embarrassment.
"Look... there's nothing I can do about it now so... Lets just go eat."
"You do know that you have no choice in the matter right?"
"What are you talking about?"
"How long has it been, since you last had a civil conversation with a human female, scratch that, a human full stop?"
"Hey I can get a girl anytime, there just isn't any space for one in my life, with the traveling and everything... I just don't have time for..."
"Oh spare me the bullshit!" Alba was sick and tired of the excuses. "If you're such a stud why don't we go in here now and see if we can't find you a couple of nice mares to rut?"
"Since when did people go looking for a slut in a nice restaurant?" Ross was beginning to tire of whatever Alba was trying to pull.
"Ever since I suggested we make a bet," The Espeon had to suppress a grin, his plan was working now. "You go in there and we have a nice meal... if you come out with a girl in your arms, or at least get a kiss, you win and you get to choose a forfeit for me to perform, otherwise, it's my choice of forfeit... deal?"
Ross was suspicious, Alba was clearly up to something, but he was pissed at the Espeon's challenge and desperate to prove, to himself as much as Alba, that he could get a girl, he nodded. "Deal!" he confirmed.
Alba let his grin surface as his trainer led the way into the building. Kayla would go apeshit if she found out he was trying to get Ross to make out with another girl, but this was the easiest way of getting his point across, besides if he got Ross talking about Kayla he could swing the conversation and get Ross to admit to himself the feelings he had for her. The Espeon planned out what he was going to say as he followed his trainer into the building.
Back at the hotel Kayla was deep in thought, she was confused, what had Alba been so sorry about. She could only think of last night but that had felt great, why would he be sorry about that.
Suddenly she began feeling very hungry, and she slipped off the bed onto the floor. Walking over to Ross' bag she began rummaging around looking for some food, it didn't take her long to locate a small paper bag containing various berries. Slipping one into her mouth she chewed thoughtfully for a while before going back to her rummaging for something to do.
Not long into her search her paw connected with a cold hard surface, gripping it in her paw she removed the item from the bag. She held in her paw a small polished ever stone with a tiny ruby set into the middle of it, a hole was drilled through the side of the stone and a thin rope had been passed through it to form a necklace. It hadn't been long after she got this that she first met her brother, Kaylen, he wasn't her real brother of course, he'd just said one time that she looked like his little sister who had been captured long ago by a different trainer and thats what she became known as from then on.
She remembered the day she found the stone, laying in the grass to the side of the road. Ross had celebrated her find with her and the day after had taken her with him to the jeweler to have the gem fitted and the necklace made. He gave it to her and for the rest of the day all she could do was admire herself wearing it in the mirror in the pokémon centre.
She sighed and clambered back onto the bed laying back and admiring the beauty of the amulet once more, that had been two years ago. She hadn't taken it off since that day, until a few months ago when she took it off to go swimming in a fast flowing river to keep it safe. It had disappeared by the time she got back, she had been upset at first but she kept it to herself and moved on. Ross must have thought she'd got bored of it and still he'd kept it with him.
She began to tear up, this was why she loved him, he wasn't always the nicest guy to other people but his pokémon always came first. Life was never boring with Ross and it was never lonely.
She cast her mind back further to the day she first truly met Ross, to the day she fell in love with him.
Ross had not been her original trainer her original trainer was a teenage boy called Barry if she remembered correctly. He was not the kindest person.
Everyday she had been forced into the training room, everyday she had been forced to face opponents who were much stronger than she was. Barry would command her to use moves she hadn't learned yet and would hurt her or suspend her food if she didn't get them right.
Looking back on it now it didn't seem right. She could have easily beaten that podgy horrible excuse for a human being into dust if she had met him now, but back then she was a broken thing, and she was loyal to her trainer, no matter how deranged he was.
Eventually her old trainer had figured she was no use as a battler and began using her as target practice for his stronger pokémon. In the end he found she was no use for that either as she cringed away from the shots fired at her.
The next time she was released she was in a forested area, the snow came down thick and heavy and numbed the pain from bites and shots that had hit her. She turned to see her trainer behind her with a wooden camping peg in one hand and a rope in the other, her pokéball lay at his feet, discarded.
He pushed the peg as deep into the ground as he could and began to tie the rope around it in a knot. He then grabbed Kayla by the yellow floatation ring around her neck causing her immense pain. "This is so you don't try to follow me home you worthless rat!" The trainer's words hurt almost as much as his hand on her neck. He tied the other end of the rope around her neck and tightened it harshly. He got up turning slightly before saying "Better hope the cold gets you before the mightyena do." He turned and walked away, leaving Kayla whimpering with the cold and fear.
Almost a day passed before she saw a figure heading towards her. She mewled lamely hoping it was her trainer having a change of heart. As the figure came closer however, the differences became clear. This person whoever he was, was thinner than Barry and he only had one pokéball at his belt.
Now that he was closer she thought she did recognize him. She'd seen him around the building she had been in before, just glimpses as she moved through the large house.
She remembered his eyes, Ice blue and with a determined look in them. He only looked about twelve years old but his face told of intelligence beyond his years. He knelt down next to her and she mewled weakly, whatever her trainer had sent him to do she had to hope it would be over quickly.
To her surprise the mystery trainer took out a small damp towel and dabbed it on her now blood soaked fur. He then reached into the pack he was carrying on his back. Taking out a fur jacket that had been roughly stuffed into the bag. Kayla had seen the jacket before, being worn by the woman who she had assumed was the mother of her old trainer. He moved towards her wrapping the warm coat around the wounded Buizel.
How much trouble must he have gone through to steal this just for her? She was confused by this person's kindness, she'd never seen this kind of compassion since she had been hatched. Next the human dug through his bag again digging out a case that smelled of food. Opening the box he reached in and pulled out a triangular pink cake-like thing which she later learned was a poffin. He offered it to her and she accepted it without complaint.
He left another couple of these near enough for her to reach then began to scritch her on the side of the head. She discovered that she loved this treatment and pushed her head further into his hand. Suddenly he stopped his scritching and turned and wordlessly began to walk away.
She was worried, she didn't want him to leave, but she was still too weak to protest. He slowly walked out of sight and she was alone again, albeit much warmer and fuller than before.
This went on for a few days, each day the mystery trainer visited her, giving her food and company, still without speaking. The fourth day brought a change. He came back this time with a proper bag, it looked stocked to the brim and had a sleeping bag rolled up tied to the top.
The Buizel watched with it's usual confusion as the trainer drew the single pokéball from his belt. He spoke in front of the Buizel for the first time, his voice breaking with sadness and tinged with hate. "I need your help." he said, activating the ball. In front of her eyes an Eevee appeared, happily chirping it's name as it was called out.
"Alba, use bite." The Buizel closed her eyes waiting for the flash of pain. There was a gnashing sound but the pain didn't follow. Kayla opened her eyes to see the severed end of the rope that had held her in place hanging from her neck.
He picked her up brushing the snow coating her fur off and discarding the coat he had wrapped around her. He held her in one arm and crouched down to retrieve her pokéball, he offered it to her but she shook her head, hoping to be carried rather than be put back into the one thing that most symbolized her pain. He nodded to her and quickly returned the Eevee.
Kayla noticed various bruises and cuts on his face. "Bui, bui?" she managed to get the energy to say
The trainer of course couldn't understand her but replied to the best of his abilities, what he thought she wanted to hear. "We're going to a pokémon centre where you can heal... But I don't think you, or I can ever go home again. Whatever happens I promise my brother will never hurt you again."
"Kayla couldn't believe it, this trainer who had shown her the most kindness she had ever experienced, was the brother of the monster who had caused all her pain in the first place. After a long time. (She couldn't tell exactly how long.) She felt the air grow suddenly warm, they had made it to a pokémon centre.
After a series of tests and treatments she was given back to the trainer who had saved her life. He was given a stern lecture about caring for his pokémon better, which he accepted without bothering to tell the nurse that it was his brother's fault, and they were put up in a room for the night. She remembered him putting her on the spare bed that had been provided for her, she remembered looking into his eyes. She felt at home as long as he was near her.
"By the way my name's Ross. What did my brother call you?" The Buizel simply shook her head indicating he had just called her Buizel... that or worthless "Typical of him... I can't just call you Buizel, it makes you sound like an object, how about Dizzy... no? uhmm... Alistair... no, wait. He turned the Buizel over to a small Bui of protest discovering the single oval patch of lighter fur that marked her as a female. "Oh you're a girl," Ross said blushing and rubbing the back of his head with one hand. "In that case, what do you think of... Kayla?"
A click in the lock on the door broke Kayla from her memories, her head jumped from the pillow wondering what effect Alba's "plan" might have had on her crush.
Ross repeated the events in the restaurant over and over in his mind, after attempting and failing to hit on two blind drunk girls at the entrance he chose a corner seat where the least attention would be drawn to him and waited for Alba to hop up onto the seat opposite him.
A waitress quickly appeared at their side and asked to take their orders, Ross was about to say something when the waitress cut across him running round the table to appreciate Alba "Awww," she cooed putting on the baby voice of all idiots who apparently thought they were speaking to a slowpoke. "what a cute Espeon you have!" she reached under his head and began scritching the pokémons chin.
"See?" the Espeon taunted "even I get more affection from human girls than you."
Ross waited until the girl had taken their order and gone away before answering "Fine! you know what fine, I am... undateable... you win, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn round and start fucking my pokémon."
"Yeah sure like you've never thought about it."
"Have you been reading my mind again, you know I fucking hate it when you do that." The argument had to be whispered to avoid alerting other customers.
"For your information I've been reading your actions not your mind... You spoil her, you flirt with her and the only reason I get to walk around out of my pokéball is so that I can communicate what she says."
"That's not true and you know it, we have fun, we're a team and you love going to new places with me, No matter how much of a self-satisfied dick you can be about it sometimes."
"All of that may be true, but don't even try to pretend that you don't feel special when you're around her, that you don't feel obligated to treat her better than the rest of us, that every second of your waking life isn't spent thinking about her, because that I know is true."
The waitress arrived with Ross' drink and told them that their meal may be a while as they were short of a sous chef that night. Ross began chugging the water trying to avoid talking about the subject any further.
"So my forfeit to you," Alba continued despite Ross' best attempt. "is to give Kayla a chance at being your mate."
Ross had to stop himself from spitting the water in shock. "W-what even makes you think I'd consider that?"
"I think you'd consider it because you care for her much more than you'd like to admit! I think you'd consider it because if you turn her down you will break her, and you can't take that! but most of all I think you'll accept it, because I'm not asking you to do this because I think it would be funny, or because it would benefit me, but because for four long years that girl has idolized you, admired you and loved you... and I think a part of both of us knows that since day one back on the outskirts of snowpoint city when you ordered me to cut her free and took her to the pokémon center, you've loved her too."
Ross had been stunned into silence by this outburst of depth and honesty from Alba. He didn't speak, he had just put enough money to pay for the meals which hadn't arrived yet on the table and left the building as quickly as he could, closely followed by a now silent Alba.
He was snapped back to reality by chance as the lock he'd not been paying attention to finally turned and he stepped into the darkened room. Kayla was of course still sitting on his bed where he had left her, illuminated by the patch of sunlight streaming in through the bay window giving everything a vivid aura. He stood in the doorway awkwardly for a few seconds before proceeding over to his bag, picking it up and slinging it over his shoulder, having picked up the pokémon he'd left at the pokémon centre on the way back his only thought now was to get out of this city and back onto the road.
He looked back at the bed and saw Kayla watching his every move, she was clutching something to her chest, he recognized it as the amulet he had given to her a couple of years ago. she looked nervous, at what he couldn't tell but he felt the need to comfort her, to let her know that he wasn't going anywhere without her. Suddenly he knew that Alba had been right, he did always feel special around her, he did want to flirt and make her feel like she was the only thing on the planet that mattered, but love? Could he even? Was it possible even if he did break through the moral barriers separating him from her?
He sat down next to her on the bed dumping his bag on the floor and watching her as she looked up at him questioningly. Looking down at her he smiled warmly, remembering the way he had saved her, and all the things he needed to apologize for. He knew that if he broke her heart she would likely never love another pokémon, and she deserved so much more than that.
"Kayla, Alba spoke to me, told me... Told me things I know you've wanted to say to me for a long time." His voice began to waver, he took a breath before continuing "I... don't know that I love you," He spoke the sentence quickly, "but I know that I think you are the prettiest, most intelligent, cutest and sweetest girl I've ever met, human or pokémon."
Kayla blushed at his words wondering how Alba had talked him into this. "I know that I have... a lot of things to be sorry for, I'm sorry that it took me so long to cut you free all those years ago, I kept wishing... I kept hoping that my brother would have a change of heart. I couldn't stand the thought that any human, especially my own family, could be so heartless. I failed you, if I'd cut you loose earlier... I don't know."
Kayla wanted to tell him that it wouldn't have made a difference how early he cut her loose and that it didn't matter, but Alba was nowhere to be seen so she let Ross continue.
Now that Ross was here next to her, it didn't seem so wrong, nor so impossible as it had on the walk back. She was intelligent, funny, and much more beautiful than many of the human girls he had met in his travels.
"I'm sorry that I haven't, in all this time realized your feelings towards me, or mine towards you. It's unfair that I ask you to wait just because I'm not at the same stage that you are."
He reached for the amulet she was still fondling and removed it from her grasp, slipping it over her neck so that she wore it like she used to.
"I'm sorry that in all these years I never told you how proud it makes me to call you my friend and my partner." Kayla had begun to tear up and he saw how much he cared for her even if he hadn't yet admitted it.
"But what I guess I want to say most, is that I'm willing to give you a chance... to be more than just a friend."
At first Kayla was stunned, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, slowly a smile crept across her face and she lunged for him, an elated "BUI!!!" escaped her maw as she pinned him to the bed, hugging him as hard as she could. He let her nuzzle his face figuring he'd come as far as admitting his feelings he might as well let her express hers.
Then she stopped, Kayla decided she had waited too long, it was time to do something impulsive, It was time to use one of the lessons that Alba had taught her. She brought her head back and looked into his eyes. Those perfect eyes which made her feel so safe and at home. "Bui?" She enquired.
He didn't know what it meant but right here, right now it didn't matter. "You look beautiful." he replied. Kayla blushed again and began to lean forward, eyes closed. He recognized this motion, surely she wasn't about to kiss him? He tensed up unsure how to proceed but as her lips connected with his he stopped resisting and gave in, even returning the kiss to his own surprise. He felt Kayla's tongue press against his lips demanding entry, this really had gone too far now but he didn't have the heart to reject her. He opened his mouth and made the kiss a mutual one.
Alba silently entered the room closing the door behind him, he had not wanted to disturb the tender moment and slipping in now had allowed him not to interrupt. He sat in the corner watching the pair with a smile on his face, mission accomplished, he thought to himself. If he could make these two come together maybe, just maybe he could get himself out of this mess without Ross ever having to know. He curled up next to his trainer's bag and waited for them to finish.
Kayla had no idea how long this kiss had lasted but she didn't want it to end, eventually however Ross pulled away whispering "We have a long way to go." into her ear.
He removed her from his chest, much to her discontent, placing her beside him on the bed, got up and began collecting the various belongings he had, stuffing them into his bag in no real order. Then moving through to the bathroom to collect any towels he might have left in there. He realised suddenly how quickly Kayla had gone from being a great friend to the most important thing in his life, and he wondered quietly if those fairytale romances you see in the movies ever worked out in real life.
Kayla watched as her trainer, and now her love, walked into the bathroom before turning to see Alba. She hopped off the bed and ran to pull him into a tight embrace. "I don't know what you did, or how you did it Alba, but thank you, you're a true friend y'know that." she smiled as she let him go.
He smiled back as he resumed his position "Yeah sure, anytime." he said as he watched her scramble back onto the bed and bounce up and down exciteably waiting for Ross to return. He shook his head, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach remembering why he was in this mess in the first place. You wouldn't say that if you knew the significance of what I've done to you. he shook himself clear of these evil thoughts and instead wondered if he would manage to at least get a decent nights sleep tonight.
Sorry about how boring I made this chapter but it really did need to focus on memories and stuff so I couldn't fit much excitement in :(
also sorry about the lack of yiff but I'm a real sucker for a really soppy romance xP. Next chapter will be much better hopefully and will explain some more of the stuff that doesn't quite fit yet.
once again honest reviews please and I hope this chapter didn't bore you into a coma ^^