Summer was trying to make light of the question he had posed. She assumed that he was joking, perhaps foreshadowing the kind of night they'd have... but one where prevention would be maintained, one way or another. But his tone seemed so serious.

It took her aback.

Of course she remembered the little girl in his fantasy at the Soiree, running in an open yard with him while Summer entertained two of his friends inside. They had looked happy. The girl had looked like Summer, but with Casey's locks.

"Casey..." she trailed, reaching to touch his face.

"Let's have a serious conversation like this when I'm not trying to ravage you after not seeing you for six months. Okay?"

She wasn't shutting it down. But it was something Summer wanted to talk about when she wasn't going crazy with hormones and emotions.

"Babe." The phrase struck chords in her heart, causing her to almost whine as she watched him strip bit by bit for her. That was, until his Pokeball began to roll away. He chased after it like a madman in his silly heart-decorated underwear.

Summer couldn't help but laugh.

"Someone's shy," she said, walking forward in her shoes, click by click until she stopped by the ball.

With an ever knowing smile, Summer leaned down, bending over at the hip, to pick up the ball for him. Of course she had to give as show, as she stood back up with the Pokeball in hand. She looked at it before setting it neatly on the table.

"Now come here," she ordered, beckoning him to follow her to her room.

Casey Fincher

☉

There was so much going on. It seemed like time was moving too slowly and too quickly, at the same time. Summer felt like all the events that happened a week ago were but distant memories now, things that happened years ago.

But everything was still fresh on her mind.

She even doubted her ability to run the company, to keep things afloat. Perhaps it was because of the sudden change of power. Employees and business partners were used to kissing Merrick Prescott's boots, and now they had a new Prescott to please. Sure, she was never kept in the shadows...

What kind of ruler would she become? Would she turn out to be like her father?

The thought made her ill as she shut her laptop, back away from the office for the day. There was another person undergoing as much change as she was right now. Someone she hadn't had time to check on since the events of that night.

Approaching his door, she rapped her knuckles against it several times.

"Blue?"

knox prescott

☉

She caught his pause, how he had to tend to his finger and wince. It cleared some of the fog in her mind, urging her to try to sit up and pause their activities to take care of him.

But it seemed like that moment of pain was gone almost as quickly as it came, because Casey's hand planted itself over her stomach, tracing patterns over there. Summer allowed herself to relax, though what he asked caught her off guard. Of course she remembered his desire to start a family with her. She remembered seeing his desires, clear as day, when they were caught in that fog at the Star Soiree.

But it wasn't a memory she had revisited since he had disappeared.

"Are you trying to lock me down now, with a baby?" she asked.

To her delight, he did as he was told. Summer smiled, and she would purr if she could. She said a soft "good boy" as his shirt was tossed aside, his tattoos captivating her as she bit her lip.

Hot. Sexy.

Even the fading bruises were enough to rouse her. But she'd keep in mind she had to be careful of them, to not be too rough since he was still recovering.

"I don't know who put you in charge, Casey. You have a lot of nerve to speak up to me like that," Summer trailed with a whisper, slowly raising herself up in a sitting position without the use of her hands.

"I'll play along once. Then, I'll have to punish you and remind you who's in charge here..."

She smirked, excitement tinging her gaze as she waited for his reaction. Deft fingers trailed behind her back to grasp the zipper, slowly dragging it down. The top of her outfit sagged as the taught fabric was released, and it slid off her arms and down to her hips. She pulled herself away, standing off to the side of the couch to step out of it.

And dropped it neatly to the floor.

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer, caught in her lust and desire for Casey, only noticed the slight movement in his body as he pushed himself up. She had assumed that he was adjusting himself, to get more comfortable.

However, she didn't expect him to send her flying back on the couch, falling into the cushions and pillows as he sat over her. Ta and domineering.

"You're still so strong. I can see this is going to be a challenge."

Her skirt of the dress she wore was splayed messily about her, rising around her thighs dangerously as she hooked her heel-clad feet around his back. Summer smirked, her free hand clawing at his shirt before pulling it up.

"Off. Or I rip it."

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer looked at the hair band, now holding their hands together like a loose pair of cuffs. She snorted, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Trying to be kinky?" she teased, placing a hand on his chest to push him back.

Of course, Casey wouldn't back down without a fight. She knew that as much. She smirked, feeling him shift under her as he pushed up. She tilted her head to the side, allowing him to do what he pleased with her neck.

"I supposed I'll have to teach you a lesson and put you in your place."

After he left his mark, Summer pushed him back, against the pillows, and leaned down. She dragged his hand, still entangled with hers, with her as she grabbed his chin, kissing him forcefully and with a hunger that couldn't be satisfied.

Her free hand roamed, until she found the hem of his shirt and was able to touch his skin underneath it. She dragged her nails up his chest, shifting her hips over him.

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer couldn't help a small, displeased whine when there wasn't more, because she always wanted, needed more. The touch he left on her thigh, leaning in close enough to drive her insane.

It was only a matter of time before she snapped, like a taut rubber band.

"I'm glad you found me. I don't know how, but... I'm glad you did. I love you," she said effortlessly, like taking in air.

Summer leaned in again to steal another kiss, because all she craved in the world right now was him. Casey's fingers on her thigh, Casey's hand in her hair, Casey.

"Are you okay? I mean... I'm not hurting you?"

Casey Fincher

☉

When he said he knew who he'd meet... it sparked a flame of jealousy in Summer's stomach. And she wanted to ask who it was. But she didn't need to. She had to right to it. Not when she had jumped person to person.

"It won't happen," was her final word on the matter.

She watched as he caught her hands from trailing any further down his body. She listened, her muscles tightening as she felt his finger trail from the top of her spine down, down, down to the bottom. It did things to her, threatened to make her lose control as her chest pushed forward...

"Fuck it."

Summer's control snapped, ignoring the conversation about her brother as she leaned forward, reaching to capture Casey's lips with hers. Desperate to feel him kiss her like he did before he disappeared all those months ago. She made quick work to move through the cushions to place her knees on either side of his legs, straddling his lap, in attempt to get closer.

"Casey, I fucking missed you so much..."

Casey Fincher

☉

To say Summer was shocked would be the understatement of the century. When she revealed what she had been doing for the past six months, she almost expected Casey to stand up and leave. Tell her that she was nothing but a useless whore.

Be put into a position that her brother was put in long ago, with Ollie.

But he agreed. Summer's face didn't hide her reaction. It was amplified to the nth degree.

"You don't think I'm a slut or something?"

The words seemed to blurt out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Another blush, this time from embarrassment, colored her cheeks before she cleared her throat.

"Of course I want you. I never stopped loving you. But I want you to understand, I need to have some time. Not away, just time. It's all so sudden and new again... I still don't know if this is real. And everything's been changing. It's overwhelming."

Her hands reached out, to touch his face, his chin, trail down his neck. The feeling of his skin sent a trail of tingles down her body.

"I don't mean to be distant. I'm just in shock. I thought my life was over for the longest time. But you're here, and now I just don't know what to do with myself."

Self-control was not in Summer Prescott's nature.

"I don't think Knox knows. I haven't said anything to him, and Sam's the only one who's alive that knows. Even he holds a vendetta against Ollie now, since I showed him their old phone receipts. It's not that I feel bad for leading him to his death. He was an asshole. But Knox took it worse than I imagined he would."

Casey Fincher

☉

Where was she?

Summer had been in Petalburg City, doing... something... drinking, maybe? Yeah, she remembered the taste of alcohol in her mouth, shot by shot burning down her throat. She felt light. Dizzy. Fuzzy.

Until she heard the sounds of gunshots in the distance. She jumped, startling her from her flirty conversation at the bar with the bartender. The woman didn't react, instead asking the new head of the Prescott business what was wrong. Grabbing her hand, trying to bring her back to reality.

Then she found herself running, running as fast as she could into the woods. Because the noises grew louder and louder. She could hear knox prescott wailing, Merrick Prescott taunting her as she ran.

"Insolent girl."

"This will be the last time you disappoint me."

"Everything I've done has been for you."

Summer stopped in a clearing, where they had seemed to grow the loudest. But no one was there. She could still smell the blood and hear the crunching noises of samuel carter's Pokemon eating her father's body as they left. She clutched at her ears, falling onto her knees as she hunched over and screamed.

And screamed. And screamed.

BARNABY FINCH

☉

Summer could feel his hand, trying to move in hers. Whether or not he was uncomfortable, she wasn't quite sure, and she was close to dropping it because he was squirming his fingers around so much. But then it clicked.

"He's trying to hold it. His fingers are still..."

She allowed him the time he needed, though she hid a blush that appeared on her cheeks when he was successful in holding her hand. Just like old times.

In the penthouse, Casey took a seat and waited for her. Summer rummaged through a cabinet or two because she couldn't remember where her staff placed her alcohol. When she found it, she grabbed a bottle, or two, and came back with a couple of glasses that clinked with ice. She set them on the coffee table, fancy coasters with the letter "P" enscripted on them underneath them.

"I wasn't loyal to you, Casey. I'm sorry," she prefaced, her hand twitching a bit as she poured into the glasses.

"I thought you left me or died. So I tried to forget. I didn't reach out like I should have. I thought maybe you had used me, like a lot of men had done in my life. Honestly, it's something I was used to... but it hurt all the same. So I did what I could to try to forget. Drinking. Clubs. Luring any wanting individual into my arms..."

Summer sighed as she slouched back into the cushions covering her mouth with her hand.

"You don't deserve to have someone like me. You deserve much better, you know? I'm nothing but a selfish rich girl. You've been so selfless, and I used that for my own benefit."

Summer felt like she was going to cry, breakdown. But she didn't have any right to.

"I'm a murderer, Casey. I killed my father, a week ago. I lured an innocent man, my brother's own ex-lover, and led him to the slaughter. It was my fault. And I shot my own father. I'm filthy. I can't let you come in and let you live your life like this."

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer felt his hand take hers, move it away from his body, in attempt to grab her attention. She pulled her head away, looking at him with a curious yet tear-filled gaze before letting her gaze descend to her hand, where something round and metallic was placed.

A ring. Heavy and black, rested in her palm. On Casey's fingers, a multitude matched. For a moment, her heart clenched in her chest, and she bit her lip as she looked at it.

What did he mean by this?

She didn't reject the gift, instead slipping it onto her thumb since that was the only finger it'd fit on without falling off. Then she looked back up at him as he spoke.

He kissed her forehead, bringing her to the present. He was always good at that. A fresh wave of emotions threatened to drown Summer, but she managed to keep them at bay as she nodded.

"Let's leave this place. I want to go somewhere private. Away from all these morons. I can explain there."

---

In Surtur's blue glow, which was certainly new to Casey since he last saw the EMBOAR, Summer led him by the hand to her penthouse not that far away. A five minute walk, a trip up an elevator, and a punch code away. Surtur would guard the door, as he always did.

"Help yourself to anything. There's probably some food, but I don't typically keep it fully stocked here because I don't cook..."

Casey Fincher

☉

Hearing the small pieces he recounted of his story made guilt crawl into Summer's stomach. He had been left alone, almost died in the rock slide. Arceus knew how much he probably thought he wasn't going to make it.

And it was a miracle that he was here, alive. Speaking to her now.

And what did she do?

Try to forget him. Forget the past and move on. She spent countless nights trying to fight her grief, drinking bottle upon bottle of alcohol and letting strangers touch her. Savor her body, ravage her... she was selfish. She never tried to reach out to him.

Who the fuck was she?

Even as he brushed away the tears falling down her face, Summer dropped her head in shame. Because he deserved so much better than her. Who the hell was she to accuse him of not calling her? And crying over him suddenly appearing?

"Casey, I'm not the same as I was. You said you'd always love who I was, Rocket and I, but could you really even knowing I'm worse than I was before? That I've done terrible things to become who I am right now?"

Summer looked back up, desperate.

"You said you wanted to join Rocket all those months ago. But it's because of me. I'm a horrible woman, Casey. You just don't know what I've done while you were gone... even several days ago."

Casey Fincher

☉

Summer listened as he spoke, still unsure of what to believe until it clicked in her mind. At least, she thought it did.

His face was the same. His hair, his eyes... his tattoo. There were just a few differences, but she could see his face was still there. The Casey that she had met in the berry fields in Oldale. Who she ran into at the Soiree, saw his deepest desires of her.

The night they shared together at one of her homes.

His hand reached forward, to take hers and comfort her. But Summer dismissed it. Instead, as he moved closer, like she was a timid animal to control, she lunged forward. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling her body out of her stool as she stood on the tips of her heels to reach him.

Casey had always been stupidly tall...

"I thought you were dead," Summer spoke into the crook of his neck, her voice muffled but full of emotion.

"One day you were gone, and I... I thought..."

Oh, fuck knox prescott and samuel carter. She leaned back, her hands touching his face, pushing back some of his hair from his eyes. Staring at him with tears in her eyes.

"Why didn't you call?"

Casey Fincher

☉