Misty was rubbing the exfoliating cream gently on her face when the doorbell rang.
"I'm co-"
Ding dong! Ding dong!
"Hey, take it easy you person." Misty wrapped her hair in a towel and left her bathroom. On her way to the door, the visitor rang the doorbell two more times.
"I said take it easy!" Misty opened the door.
"What-..."
Ash.
It was Ash, wearing jeans and a big hoodie. The hood was on his head and his hands were in the pockets of his pants. He looked... tired. He had eye bags. He smelled like coffee. His face wasn't shaved to perfection like he likes it. Something tickled about him; either he was wearing layers of thick clothes; either he really did put on weight. Misty presumed it to be the latter, considering she wasn't around him for almost a year and he could eat as many burgers as he wanted.
"Oh."
"Hi." Ash pulled down at his hoodie.
"Oh, Ash..."Misty let it out unconsciously.
"Does that 'oh, Ash' mean I'm not welcomed?"
Misty looked really confused. She wasn't sure if she should be happy or not. How did Ash even find her new address? Couldn't he call her before coming?
"It really depends on what you want, Ash."
"Come on, Misty. It's been a year we haven't seen each other. Let me in." Ash nodded. "We can work it out this time."
Misty sighed.
She opened the door wide to let Ash in.
Misty was applying the moisturizing cream on her face in front of the bathroom mirror while Ash sat on the edge of the bathtub. No matter how many times Misty told him to go wait for her in the living room, he refused.
"You're still the same." Ash glanced at Misty now and then. "You still like putting stuff on your face."
Misty smiled slightly. She started rubbing some of the cream on her neck.
"But you look a little different."
"Huh? Different?" Misty panicked. Holy cow. She knew she shouldn't have eaten any of that candy. "How different? Why? Did I get fat?"
Ash chuckled lightly. "No, I did." He looked at her. "You're just not happy to see me."
Misty frowned slightly. "That's not true."
"I want to us to work, Misty."
"Me too."
Ash got up. He pulled close to Misty and placed his hands on her cheeks. "Let me write one last book; it's one last chance for me. Then, I'll see what I'll do. I'll... change."
"You know I have nothing against you writing. I just want you to think more seriously about the future, that's all." Maybe if the future doesn't involve writing it's better for Misty, but she didn't want to tell him that.
"I still promise it'd be my last book." Ash smiled. "This book will be like a bachelor party for me."
"You get weird ideas sometimes, Ash." Bachelor party? Was he hinting at marriage or was just being silly again?
"I'm insane."
"I know you are." Misty slapped his cheek playfully.
"But I love you and you know that."
"Yes, I do."
"And I don't want to lose you."
"I don't want to lose you either."
Misty giggled through the deep kiss Ash gave her.
"Bear with me, okay?"
"It's been almost twelve years. I can't say I'll stop bearing with you now." It may sound cheesy, but Ash was her destiny. She met him back in high school, and they dated for such a long time. Ash may be stubborn, reckless, lazy; it didn't matter to Misty.
She loved Ash with all his flaws.
She loved every bit of him; she loves the scent of his shower gel, she likes to drink coffee from his cup and put her mouth right where he put his, his socks make her go Misty Angry Mode but that's alright, she laughs when he's brushing his teeth because it makes his belly jiggle, she doesn't get enough of hugging him and she just loves it when he picks her up and kisses her.
But it's not only this.
She loves him. She really does.
"Ready to go back to our house, then?"
He had no idea.
