Summer looked from the sheets to his face, surprised. Because yes, she was ashamed. She abandoned him in his time of need, and there was no excuse around that. But...

"I'm not as strong as you think I am," she said with a shaky laugh, gripping the blankets tighter.

"When it comes to business or Rocket, sure... but relationships have never been my forte. You're the only one I've opened up to in such an intimate way like this. I'm not used to it."

A shy blush covered her cheeks, even threatened to bleed down her neck and onto her shoulders. Past relationships were always about getting what information was necessary for her father or for her own benefit. But for him?

Summer tried to please him too.

"I still love you."

There was a tear that fell down his face, and Summer sprang into action. The blankets that had covered her lower half were thrown off as she sat up, pulling him to her chest as she embraced him. Held him there by her heart to comfort him, running her hand gently up and down his back.

Until he pulled her into his own chest, holding her close. Summer could feel her barrier, the one holding back her own tears, trying to break. There was a sniff, but she held him tightly as she nuzzled in close.

"I love you. So much."

She reached up, to brush back his hair and look at his face. Both of their eyes were shiny with tears, as she spoke.

"Please stay. Don't go. Come back with me, to Mauville. Or we can... we can run away somewhere and build the home you saw."

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer scrunched her eyes closed when he kissed her forehead, sighing softly. She nodded, because she knew that he was right. But there was something to say in her ability to show her weakness to him, when she would never show it to anyone else.

She trusted him.

"As long as you don't hurt me... I'm okay with you seeing my weak side," she murmured softly.

The hand running through her hair made her relax, visibly and mentally, as they held each other and breathed. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I want you to be able to trust me too."

It wasn't some pitiful cry for help. It was a hope that he'd one day trust her like he did before. To lay his weaknesses down to her and let her comfort him like he did her. He didn't need to hold back his emotions or be strong all the time. It was okay for him to be soft and release those fears.

Casey pulled away only to come back with his things. Summer settled in the bed, propping herself up with some pillows so she sat straight, the covers pulled up for some decency. She took the phone in her hands, only waiting to search once he got back in the bed with her.

"Honestly, I'd say fuck Hoenn and leave, but since there's no escape now..."

She trailed, with the impending doom of the dome closing overhead over the island, the doomsday coming... Summer didn't feel like she had to explain further.

"Mauville's already an isolated bubble. I've always felt that way. I don't want our future to be in a home that my father built and created to twist my mind and hurt my brother. And if you don't want to go back to Fallarbor..."

She looked over the map of Hoenn, fingers swiping and pinching the screen as she looked.

"Why not live near the water? Dewford is an island, or we could go Mossdeep or Pacifidlog."

Summer turned her head, looking up at him from a lower angle.

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer's lips parted to speak, but her words were halted as his fingers crawled over her ribs. Digging and tickling her skin like he had done that night six months ago. She squirmed, her body writhing to the side as she laughed.

"Not there!"

It felt like one of the first peaceful moments of the evening. Truly peaceful, as she reached for his gloved hand and pulled it back. She'd gasp, catch her breath, red faced from laughing.

She gave him a look after he cackled.

"What? Are you making fun of me for trying to stay warm and look decent?" she asked, wiggling a bit so the covers would come higher.

"You know you can see whatever you want... you just have to ask..."

Summer's head rested on his shoulder as they looked, humming a bit until he agreed with Mossdeep. She pinched in on the map, zooming in to the city and looking at the area.

"Then we need to find land in an area we want to build on. Unless you don't want to build. I just assumed..."

Rich girl Summer, making an entrance. She wasn't sure if he'd want a lavish home, live a lavish life style like she did.

"But if we purchase a built home, I do want to renovate to our liking. Since we won't be short on the money. Which means we would have to stay in Mauville until it's done. Or in Fallarbor, if that's where you want to go."

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer didn't know what happened, since she was being tickled, until he stopped. She heard a thunk, pausing before scooting over and seeing Casey on the floor. She had a moment of concern: what if he hit his head? But he seemed alright.

"You okay, hot shot?" she teased, leaning over the side until he slipped back into bed with her.

"Hey! What's that got to do with it? If that's the case... I'm going to find your spots. Just you wait, Casey..."

She'd strike when he least expected it. Maybe his armpits were sensitive. Or the bottoms of his feet. Maybe it was his sides too. But she'd find it, one way or another.

The blankets shifted as he lifted them and joined her underneath, an instant warmth joining her. She scooted closer, so that her side was touching his furnace of a body. He was always warm. Casey felt like home.

"Well, you have an input on this too, if we're going to live together. Like how big you want the house. Do you want a pool? A big open space for our Pokemon to roam? A, um... plenty of space for us to build a play area outside for our children...?"

Arecus, why did that make Summer blush! She quickly handed him the phone, clearing her throat as she looked to the side and tried to act like it wasn't affecting her some type of way. Like the possibilities weren't... exciting her.

"Of course. We will have the best home in Mossdeep. Everyone will gawk at it, mark my words."

Summer shifted again, this time to her side so she could properly look at him. Her arm reached over, across his torso as she rested against his side. Her eyes closed, breathing deeply and contently for the first time in months.

"As long as you're there... it will be perfect. Do you have anywhere to be tomorrow?" she asked softly.

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer let her lips quirk into a sly smirk, letting her eyes trail down for a moment. Abs, pecs, biceps, triceps... the whole package, right in front of her. Sure, ogling at his muscles wasn't the goal, but she could do that too?

"You're the one egging me on. Keep that in mind when you're begging me to stop tickling you," she said.

Without another word or warning, Summer was crawling on top of him again, her legs straddling him once more as her hands stabilized her weight on his chest. But after she made sure she didn't fall, she was determined to run her hands over his body, to find that spot that would make him squirm like she did.

"A garden. Okay. I'll set off space for a garden. And I'll make sure we have space for free roaming for Pokemon as well as if we want to build anything else in the future."

Summer bit down on her lip as he rested a palm on her stomach and kissed her neck, bringing back those thoughts and possibilities. What would she look like, with a large belly? Would he do this with her then too, touch her abdomen and kiss her? She reached for his jaw, his cheek, and turned so she could look at him.

"My lips are right here," she said softly.

Casey placed her head and hand gently over his chest. His heart was a constant thumping, a solid sound that reminded her that he was there. She grunted, surprised as he told her his appointment to be inducted into Rocket.

"With anyone I would know?" Summer asked out of curiosity.

Though many of her Rocket friends and acquaintances were of higher rank. She wasn't familiar with the grunts of the organization, unless she was assigned a mission or to train them herself.

"It makes sense, that you'd do this with someone other than me. But, I want you to be careful. They throw new people into dangerous situations. Especially people like THEO BECKETT. They won't be afraid to ask you to kill someone. Just..."

Summer heaved a sigh, her grip on him tightening slightly. She nuzzled further into him, hiding her face into his chest as her own hair came to curtain her face.

"Be safe. If anything goes awry, call me. I know people who can twist things around. And I'm a Rocket executive. I have power where certain people don't."

Casey Fincher

☉

There was a sly smirk that grew on her lips as he twisted. So it was his neck. Summer attacked the area with her hands, taking in his laughter with a pleased look. She leaned down to kiss his Adam's apple, but that moment of shifting weight was enough to throw her off back to the other side of the bed as he writhed.

She giggled, entertained by his reaction.

"Bamboo? Okay. You're the one who understands plants more than I do. I've always had a gardener. You know, I was always fussed at for trying to play in the garden, by my dad. Not that I'd trample anything. But I don't want that to happen in the future. Let them learn about plants and everything too..."

Them being their child or children. Though she felt like it was well established this was for their future at this point.

Casey seemed nervous when they spoke about his initiation. Summer peered up at him, a sleepiness in her gaze but still intent on listening.

"Are you afraid?" she asked directly.

Summer snorted, almost laughed. Hazing and property damage were mere child's play for her. But she didn't mention it.

"That name isn't familiar. She may be a newer recruit or someone that's always been away when I was on the sub. I don't frequent that shit hole often."

If he went missing...

"You aren't going to go missing. Because if something happens to you, I am going to raise hell on anyone involved. And I will involve important people in such punishment."

She could always threaten with the new underboss, Martín del Mar, or the admins, Remiel Calcifet, jayden cross, and Elisabeth Fiorelli, but even with them being friends of hers, they were still reasonable people. And it was possible they wouldn't come in and terrify a grunt for hurting her lover.

Summer could still threaten, though.

Casey Fincher

☉