Love Me Like You Do (Ash Ketchum x Reader x Calem)

- 34 -

"Wait, wait. What did you say?"

"I said Alain is lying to you. He isn't trying to be your friend. He wants you to join this shady organization. That's why he's taken such an interest in you."

"Calem, aren't you just overthinking things?" [Name] asked, rubbing her arm. "I mean, it was late at night. Couldn't you just have imagined it?"

"I know what I saw. And what I saw and...heard was Alain plotting to hurt you in a way," Calem continued arguing, remembering yesterday night's incident. He bit the inside of his cheek. "Please, [Name], you've got to believe me. Who do you trust more? A guy you barely met a few days ago or me, someone who you actually know?"

[Name] sighed and glanced to the side. "Calem, I'm not saying I don't believe you. It's just...it all sounds unbelievable. I know I don't know him that well, but the way Mairin talks about him makes it hard to believe he would do anything like that. I mean, you've seen the way she looks up at him, like a brother or even a role model."

"But what if he lied to her, as a way to gain her trust and fool us into thinking he's a good guy," Calem sighed through his nose with frustration. "That man he was talking to was a huge red flag. He had red hair and an almost red/black outfit. He had a creepy interest in you. I'm just trying to protect you."

[Name] ran a hand through her hair and let out another sigh. "Could we talk about this another time? This is giving me a headache."

"But—" Calem began only to be cut off by [Name].

"No buts. Calem," [Name] grabbed ahold of his hands and looked into his eyes. "Thank you for worrying about me. But...we've been inside this tent for the past ten minutes and it's getting really stuffy in here. Let's talk somewhere more privately, somewhere Mairin and Alain aren't at. Okay?"

"Okay," Calem reluctantly agrees.

~

The group continued on their way to Snowbelle City, traveling through route 18 and trying to arrive at Couriway City before sundown. It was noon as the air felt a little chilly from the change of weather. It seemed the closer they walked to Snowbelle City, the cooler the weather got. Though the sun did provide some warmth. It wasn't that long since the group packed up their things and went on their hike. For the most part, it was the same thing each time. They would wake up, eat some breakfast, walk for endless hours, take a break, continue walking, and then settle down for the night. There weren't that many interesting events happening.

"[Name] woke me up because she was holding my hands tightly as if she were holding something important," Mairin recalled the morning [Name] gave her a scare. She chuckled as her nose grew long. "Hehe. I scared her awake by whispering her name in a creepy tone. She screamed like a little girl, but not like Calem. His voice was almost higher than hers when I went to scare y'all."

[Name] gave her a gentle hit on the head, shaking her head with an amused smile. "That's not what happened at all. You just laid there the entire time, waiting for me to wake up. And when I did, you seemed more relieved. The only person here who screamed like a little girl was Calem."

"What? I did not scream like a girl," Calem pouted, crossing his arms and looking the other way. "I screamed a manly scream, okay."

"Says the guy who was drooling all over his pillow," Alain comments, hiding his smirk behind his scarf.

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least I wasn't snoring the entire night," Calem grins as Alain's face turns light pink. "It was so loud, the Hoenn Region heard it!"

"Oh, thank god Calem told him," Mairin mumbles under her breath, holding her head and loud enough for [Name] to hear as she gives her an amused look. "I was afraid if I told him, he was going to get mad."