24.
chapter twenty-four
ephemeral happiness

The evening sun dipped below the horizons, hiding behind a wisp of clouds. May and Drew were a few paces ahead of me, talking about something.

"I need names for this cutie here!" May chortled, nuzzling into the chicken plushie she had purchased from the cute store we visited earlier. "Any suggestions?"

"Fluffhead," Drew deadpanned, running a hand through his hair. "Or Longbeak."

May shot him a nasty look, growling, so I decided to step in. "Ignore him, May. How about Mochi?"

The girl beamed, skipping a step and grinning. "Serena, you're the only one who gets me!"

I chuckled, seeing her stick her tongue out at Drew, who remained indifferent to her antics. "Better mockery than Mochi. That hideous furball looks like it's going to get mocked for its beak."

"He's got a cute one, unlike your Grassyhead."

"Says the Loudmouth."

I watched, a smile growing on my face, May and Drew's banter. Sure, they were bickering, but you could see the fondness between them.

"Why are you always the favourite, though?"

My heart skipped a beat, sensing Ash falling into step beside me. One of his hands was stuffed into his pocket while the other held the bag containing my binder.

"And what's your issue with that?" I retorted, tilting my head to look at him. He mirrored my action, and for a split moment, his eyes caught the fading sunlight, setting them aflame. The painted skies cast an ethereal glow over his messy hair, almost making it look soft enough to run a hand through — even if I'd never dare admit it out loud.

"Just asking." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Wondering whether I should start getting jealous or not."

I laughed despite myself, lightly swatting his arm. "You needn't be jealous of anyone, Ash."

"Oi, you both!" May exclaimed, and that was when I realised they had managed to cover a lot of distance. "My phone says they're selling heart-shaped churros in the nearby park! Give your muscles some work already!"

Ash and I exchanged a glance before breaking into a mini jog to catch up with the two. But of course, they were still bickering like old couples.

"Who wants to eat something heart-shaped?" Drew pondered, shaking his head. All that May had to say was:

"Only the romantics know the value of that! I daresay Ash-dude is a better romantic!"

"Well, I'm not losing to him."

"Try him!"

"Sure!"

Ash cast me a furtive glance, but it was my chance to swap tables. Dropping my voice to a low whisper, I teased, "But aren't you the one who reads shoujo to romance? Not to mention, you don't even know my tastes and preferences."

His ears turned red, but his smirk still wasn't wiped clean off his face. It probably was because I was smirking, and he was a mirror. But then... "I thought I was simply irresistible, and that made me romantic."

I quirked my eyebrow, crossing my arms, and that was apparently the Arceus-forsaken mistake.

"Staring at me rather than the movie. Ring a bell, do, do, but do you want to come on? Scooch on over closer, dear?"

Heat rose to my face, and I turned away from him, a curse at the top of my tongue. Obviously, he'd blackmail me. "Jason Mraz is much better than you!"

"Ouch! Well, I won't give up on us. Even if the skies get rough!" He winked, bumping his shoulder against mine and sending an electrifying current down my arm.

Maybe this was a terrible idea.

— xoxo —

The park was humming with a vibrant energy. Demography of all and any sorts were present — playing, gossiping, walking, you name it!

Ash had left to buy us the churros while May and I scouted for a bench to sit on. Drew merely stood in front of us, scrolling through his phone.

"Ash seems pretty energetic today!" May remarked, her bubble softening when she tried to elbow me. The keyword is tried.

"Yeah, well," I started, unsure as to how to answer. The boy was looking at the menu board in a very exaggerated way. So, I decided to cup my cheek, as if I were slapping myself. To my surprise, he didn't mimic the action. Strange. "He's just... Ash."

"Just Ash, eh? I bet he's better than this paragon of a Grassyhead I'm suffering with."

"May," Drew interrupted. However, his eyes were still glued to his screen. "If you're going to mock me, at least be creative about it."

"Look, this is what I was talking about!"

The banter was cut short when Ash brought us the churros, handing one to May and the other to me. "Here's a churro for m'lady," he joked, bowing in a fake curtsy as our hands brushed. I rolled my eyes but returned the gesture.

"Many thanks, kind sir. Methinks it's your heart."

"As you please, Mademoiselle."

Beside us, May was fighting to feed the churro to Drew, who was staunchly protesting the move. "I don't want to eat something that's heart-shaped!"

"Just one bite, please!"

"No means no!"

But everyone knew that regardless of how much he protested, he would give in. That May would always emerge victorious.

That was just how they were built.

— xoxo —

Pulling me aside, he mumbled something incoherent. The streetlight flickered over us, sending a rush of déjà vu that I didn't fancy being caught in. But here we were. "What's up?"

He hesitated, his eyes darting sideways before they came to rest on mine. There was a warm and curious twinkle nestled in them that made my heart skip a beat.

"I just, um, wanted to... give you this."

Before I could question what gift he had in store for me, he leaned in, his eyes closing. My lips broke into a strange coldness on high intuition, and I mirrored him almost instinctively, feeling the bubble between us thrum and give way to mingle. In the darkness of the night, I could faintly make out something golden. Then it came.

The thing my lips were tingling in anticipation for. Ash's mouth pressed against mine, soft but possessive. I vaguely registered his hands shifting to my waist since I was much more preoccupied with balancing myself on my tiptoes and still managing to fit in the embrace.

It was a tentative brush before I deepened the sensation, forcing the bond to concur him to do the same. Ash smiled for a split second before we pulled apart. His face turned into a maddeningly boyish grin that had my heart racing; it wasn't just the exchange, it seems, that was pressuring my organ to take part in a marathon.

"Where did that come from?" I managed to tease despite being rather disoriented myself.

He shrugged before we broke into a walk. His demeanor suddenly turned shy as he scratched his cheek. "I realised that... you were anticipating this, and, uh, you're irresistible too."

My knees felt weak, heat rising to my ears. Yet I let out a hum, looping my arm through his.

May and Drew were far ahead of us, their hands intertwined loosely too. Their banter had given way to a warm camaraderie, and frankly, I didn't mind.

Maybe I was wrong about this night turning bad. It was pretty good. Until...

"And did anyone ever tell you that you taste of ephemeral happiness, Koibito?"