43.
chapter forty-three
you will, won't you?

The suite was absolutely luxurious. Ever since we set foot in, we knew Lusamine was one stinking rich woman. Not that Ash hadn't told me about it, though.

"Ye, the waiter who attended you was one of Prez's underdogs," Guzma explained, leading us into the living room. "Prez let everyone off board after giving one last order: seek you both."

"What for?" Ash asked, his weariness reflecting off his body language.

Guzma shrugged, his eyes turning strangely distant. "To have a word with you, no deal."

Ash made to say something, but I stopped him by grabbing his hand. When he shot me a confused look, I shook my head dismissively.

Guzma stopped in front of a door, stretching his hand towards it. "Find out for yourself, kids."

Ash shrugged, reaching for the knob. His strength fell short, though, his body stiffening. Familiar and unfamiliar voices reached my ears, and I struggled to look over Ash to see the source of the voice that had frozen him in place.

A silent heartbeat passed. Then another. In a spontaneous rush, he staggered back, almost colliding into me, but my hands reached out instinctively to grab him by his shoulders.

"Ash?"

But he was still frozen, like the world had come crashing on him. My eyes flitted down to his trembling fingers, my grip tightening on his shoulder blades. Almost involuntarily, I stepped to his side, never letting go of him.

The room was like any other. It even bore a semblance to the fancy verandah we passed through. My eyes scanned the inhabitants: Lusamine, Misty, and Gary. But that was not all. There were two more people—a man and a woman. My breath hitched.

The resemblances were uncanny. My gut couldn't be wrong now either. They were...

"Mom?" Ash sputtered. "Dad?"

The woman was the first to rise from her seat. She took tentative steps before I was brushed aside, her arms replacing mine around Ash. The man followed her haste, engulfing the two of them.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling awkward. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Misty beckoning towards her. I obliged, taking a seat beside her after greeting Lusamine.

Ash's ecstasy after the reunion was sending waves of infectious happiness through me that I couldn't help but smile for him. The family was still closely knit together, whispering something. I barely managed to catch the sentence that slid the warmth off my face.

"After your second year, will you come back to Kanto? We'll build everything from scratch," his mom proposed, her hand caressing his cheek.

My heart jolted to my feet when his eyes lit up with a sparkle I rarely saw in those swirling orbs. Second year? That was barely a semester away... six months away...

"And that's how I asked you to come up here. Serena?" Lusamine's voice cut through my musings, and I blinked, trying to comprehend what she had spoken.

"What's got you so worked up?" Misty probed, scanning me. I shook my head, shooting the lady an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry. I—I just remembered I had to be somewhere. Do you mind if you—"

The woman didn't seem the least perturbed. Tilting her head, she shot me a knowing glance. "Could I tell you the reason why I summoned you?"

"Yes, please."

"I wanted to inform you that while the Void is dispensed, not every soothsayer of this world is. Beware, and trust no one outside the room your threads have aligned you in."

I swallowed, nodding, before standing up and straightening my clothes. Apparently, Ash noticed that I was leaving. He made to approach, but I beat him to it.

"I've got to... go."

He quirked an eyebrow, trying to assess what I was hiding behind my back. He wouldn't have told them no.

"I'll drop you."

I shook my head, refusing with a polite smile. "I'm good."

He wouldn't have refused them.

"How will you go then?"

His brown eyes twinkled for an entirely different reason, but it wasn’t just one pair of brown eyes that were watching me, assessing my worth as his soulmate.

"A cab. A taxi. Just walking."

But I was just a girl who came into his life, a few months ago. By an accident.

"Nah-uh." He nodded negatively, reaching forward, but I immediately clasped my hands behind my back and pressed my lips into a pleading smile.

"I'll be fine, really, Ash."

A twinge of annoyance seeped through the threads intertwining us by the pinky finger.

By a literal accident, yes.

"Why won't you..." the boy trailed off, frowning. Then his face lit up, and he slammed his fist on his palm dramatically. "Where'd my manners flown off to? Mom, Dad, this is Serena Yvonne, the love of my life!"

I tried really hard to hide the flinch behind a smile. He was going to leave anyway.

"Serena-chan." Ash turned to me, grinning. All traces of the negative emotions he had been feeling before had drained out. I briefly wondered if he was feeling mine. Maybe I should rope them in. "This is my Mom, Delia, and my Dad, Pete!"

Placing my hands on my knee, I fell into a bow. "It's my utmost pleasure to meet you, Mister and Missus Ketchum!"

A warm hand gripped my bare shoulder, forcing me to straighten before the bubbles could hurt us. Those eyes... the shade, the softness... they were so reminiscent of his.

She smiled. "Family don't be formal, Serena sweetie."

"And we must thank you for putting up with our reckless boy," his dad chimed in, mirth clear in his stormy gray eyes. The only thing that he held within them was the twinkle Ash always carried around me... the same teasing shimmer.

"Why don't you come over to Pallet once we're all set in? I'm sure Ash would love that." Delia motioned to the boy, who had reddened.

His eyes caught mine through his fringe, a shy smile almost replacing his smirk. "Yeah, you must, Serena-chan."

To see you go?

I swallowed the pain with another brilliant mask. He didn't have to hear my heart clench.

"Thank you."

Straightening, he managed to take my hand this time. But his gaze was glued to his parents exchanging smiles of approval. "Mom, can I drop Serena home? I won't take that long!"

A lump rose to my throat. "Oh, no!" I interrupted, pulling away from his grasp. "You should spend time with them! It's been so long, and you've only just reunited! They'll be looking forward to hearing all about your adventures and misadventures too!"

One look at his newly formed scowl told me I had spilled too much. And now he refused to let go.

"I can really manage to go by myself. Besides, it isn't even that late to be unsafe," I finished with a huff. When I didn’t talk, he sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Right," he agreed furtively, glancing at his warmth-radiating family. "But you have to text me as soon as you reach home, and by that I mean you must."

But leaving me...

"I will."

You will, won't you?