[attr="class","ashley1body"]

There's a knock on the door, and being that the kitchen to the apartment is right near the front door, Ashley makes his way over, having been making some treats for his partner when he came back. Moving to open the door, he peeks through, and sees-[break][break]

Ah.[break][break]

Sunshine.[break][break]

There's a small smile, as he opens it, and speaks immediately, the smell of baked goods inside of the home. Little chocolate fudge treats for the duo, made in tiny little heart shapes on the counter. "Hey, Sunshine. Glad to see you're still kicking."[break][break]

That doesn't forgive what had happened the day previous, but Ashley was a good enough person to be able to take it in stride. He'd never hold it over Cygne's head.[break][break]

"Come on in. Partner is out currently. Grocery run. Whole place is to myself. Well, myself and-" A tiny Pikachu peered out from Ashley's sweater, and sees the Raichu. Little Ana squees with a high pitch cry, hopping onto the nearby table, and waves to the duo. Ana was happy to see new people!

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Hearing Kepler rushed, breathy confession only has him pull his partner closer to him, head right to his heart. He doesn't know what it is about this position that he likes, but the feeling of his heartbeat was what he liked giving to him.[break][break]

"Love you too." It's quiet, it's loving, ooey gooey, and he just closes his eyes and listens.[break][break]

They both had been busy all that time. Sure, Kep wasn't benching a load of weights like he had, but he had been studying. A strong mind, like a whetstone. That was something he adored about Kep, and hearing that he felt stronger with Ash only made that feeling blossom like a Florges.[break][break]

"Good to be afraid, you know. Courage is based by it." He holds Kepler tighter, lacing kiss after kiss to his forehead, before letting go, and tilting his head to face him. "I'll be there every step of the way... we can get Isaac too."[break][break]

Isaac would be invaluable, considering his ranking in Rocket and his experience. That would ensure Ash and Kep's survival.[break][break]

Right?

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

They were a mess, mangled into each other. Inseparable, maybe. Gravity kept the duo locked together. And as Ashley let it all out, finally at the edge of it, his request was met with Kepler's accpetance.[break][break]

With the caveat of a week of emotional recovery.[break][break]

Ashley's smile broadens, as he nods. He holds back on the cheesy response, feeling it in the back of his mind, shutting himself up before giving the real response.[break][break]

"Sure. I need the time off." He knew he needed to slow down, and with the hug, the nuzzled space... and when Kepler says that he's glad he's home. Ashley's heart races faster. Kep is his home. In fact, it doesn't matter where they live. They could move to Fortree, to Rustboro, Lilycove, Sootopolis. Doesn't matter. Home was where the heart was. It was invaluable.[break][break]

"Yeah." He took a second to look at Kep... and he smiles quietly.[break][break]

"Kalos, right?" The planned vacation after the job was done; something he wouldn't forget. "We'll be quite busy." And so would he, going to some jewelers in Kalos.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

That was how he felt too. Only difference was, during leg day it felt like his treadmill runs were triple disorienting, almost like vertigo. It was something else entirely, and getting used to it was hard.[break][break]

Feeling Kepler in his arms, steadily beefier than they were last month, jubiliation fills the air.[break][break]

"Well... okay, I can explain what I've been doing on the side." He's grinning ear to ear, stopping Kepler's fingers from continuing the skewering process. "I'm looking to lead an operation, a couple Rocket operatives are going with me to do a bank heist before everything goes digital."[break][break]

It doesn't sound wrong in his head at all. In fact, it made perfect sense. The best kind of sense.[break][break]

"Intend to make off with ten mil, if we can. Some banks are for corps. Who would have thought." He had no intention to hide it.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

The grip on his arms kept him grounded, as those big blue eyes, and lips moved. The reassurance sobers him more and more, with each finger giving him a moment to relax. Kepler truly was like a rock for him. His rock. Keeping him stable, present.[break][break]

When face met shoulder, Ashley finally just sobs. Jelly and Bass didn't deserve death. Neither of them deserved to die. They were just Pokemon that had a bright future, but by Ashley's inclusion, ruined by proxy. He sobbed, knowing that there was nothing he could do to the growing graveyard of Pokemon that fought beside him. They loved him, and the sharp edge of that love being that they gave their lives to protect him, and keep him going. That broke Ashley inside and out.[break][break]

As he pulls onto Kepler tighter, it's like a child never wanting to let go. To let go really meant to let him fall away. Minutes on end, he just lets it all hit him. One minute. Five minutes.[break][break]

Finally, he's able to stop.[break][break]

"Thank you. For being here."[break][break]

He wipes at his face, and every single time he can, he kisses Kepler's hand, trying to pull it back together. The composure was shattered, but the suffering and hell he went through in this recent mission...[break][break]

Ash wanted to get past it.[break][break]

"Can we just rent a bad, cheesy movie, get some takeout and just... do nothing?" It's a simple request. Just like when Kepler was on his 90 days, they had done this before. But this time, it was a request directly from Ash. After one hellish day, he just wanted to be there with him. A terrible movie, a bad and cheesy romcom even. He didn't care.[break][break]

Anything to help this pain in his chest to go away.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

That question. It infested into him. How could a man be capable of doing that? He wondered himself how someone could do that, and it wasn't hard to figure it out. So, as he holds onto Kepler, his arms tighter now around him, his hands shake. "Because she wanted the money for child support. She decided she wanted to let me live. He didn't want that."[break][break]

It still stings, knowing that even foster fathers wanted him more than that man. It burned knowing that his misdirected hatred over his birth mom was meant for someone else. Someone else he would come to despise, that anger and hatred would fester into this disgusting, twisted tear. Ashley hated the League, and the members who took his family from him.[break][break]

He despised that man more than Landon. (paxton concordas)[break][break]

But fury was stilted over the last day, when revenge had led him so close to death. Watching Bass and Jelly fall to keep him protected, like a shield over his heart. If it happened to Kep, Ash would never come back. He was still able to tread through the black tar pit of Rocket, and keep his head above it. That could so easily shift though.[break][break]

For now, he found his way home.[break][break]

"After getting revenge, how disgusting it looked, how vile it felt, I felt nothing. No satisfaction, just a deep pit in my stomach. You probably noticed I hadn't slept. It only got worse during the mission. Bass and Jelly are gone now. Bass saved my life in Ultra Sea, taking a lethal blow to keep me safe. Jelly... he was just a little Stufful less than a year ago. His mom died, and I thought I was doing good saving him... but I was so consumed with wanting to see Landon die, I-"[break][break]

The tears begin running now. His grip tightens, and everything in his heart was burning. Incineration, burning it red hot flames, with the same vile power of soothing warmth and scorching hellfire.[break][break]

His voice cracks more.[break][break]

"All because I saw him. I saw Landon. I wanted to avenge Bullet, Pluto, and Kiryu. Jelly died because of me. He was crying, so scared that I would hurt myself, and I think I woke up. Realized where I was. And I just-" He pauses a moment, his tears dripping down his face. He was shaking now. The moment, he relived over and over and over again in his mind, and so he finally is able to force the word through a pained voice.[break][break]

"-collapsed." He needed Kepler now more than ever.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Congratulations. More war, more bloodshed, death, and they have what to show for it? Something potentially too powerful in nature? Maybe it was Eris Halla that pushed a twisted line of thought into him that this whole war was pointless. Isaac Merlo too, had pushed the pendulum the other way. But a pendulum swings harder the more it's pushed.[break][break]

Walsh getting this seal stone was not a good thing. Not at all. Ashley curses under his breath. Would the League have been better? mint frost's hand on his shoulder makes him feel better. Only slightly though.[break][break]

Only slightly.[break][break]

Doesn't matter. It still feels like a hollow victory. Two deaths, the shit kicked right out of him, lives taken, lives almost taken. War had been so much, that as he leaves the space completely, he just decides to grit his teeth and go to the med bay.[break][break]

His mind empty, he goes to get looked at. Bandages for his chest, and a lot for his face. No hospital stay this time. He'd need a long couple hours to process all of today.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Those three words. He'd said them first after Mt. Pyre. Pulse was honestly to blame, but really it was him. But still, ever since those three words had been spoken, it was stronger. Much more raw, emotionally charged.[break][break]

Brushing the bandages... Ashley grabs Kep's hand, and closes his eyes. Was he even emotionally ready to release it all? To dump it all? But...[break][break]

A smile moves across his lips. Of course he was. Kep deserved to know.[break][break]

"... yeah. Let's get out of the water."[break][break]

With a short walk, with legs feeling like lead, he takes a small stride to the dry sand, and sits down, placing a spot to lean on him. It would be a lot tonight. Ash wanted to make sure Kep was comfy before he began.[break][break]

"Where do I even start?" He takes just a moment, a small, quiet moment to consider the origin point. Once he finds his footing, he starts off slow. "I told you how I was an orphan, right? Well, when I rejoined Rocket, I found out my birth mother died years ago, buried in Slateport. Saw her grave recently too. She worked the streets of Castelia at night. Sex worker, right? Guess that's where the drive comes from?" He begins. No matter how many times he retells it, it still stings. He used to hate her. Now...[break][break]

Ash just wished he got to know her.[break][break]

"She had a number of clients. One such was my birth father. Guess he told her that he had protection, but accidents happen. The way I heard it was that she didn't want to give me up. I'm here because of that."[break][break]

Then comes the sour part.[break][break]

"But my old man decided to try to overdose her while I was in the womb. I came out alright. But she... she got hooked on the stuff after my birth. Friends had to tell her to put me up for adoption. Doesn't take a genius to know that skid row isn't meant for kids, let alone months old babies. It's a miracle I survived."[break][break]

His eyes look slightly more empty and faded, as he stares to the sea. "Found out after that, he got a cushy corpo job in Unova. Complete piece of shit. Worse, mom got pregnant again... with a half-sister I don't know and never want to meet. Not... really, anyways." He withdraws a little. The whole story felt old now, as if it had played out years ago and wasn't just told to him by word of mouth of old friends. Friends of the late Katherine Sheperd. "He was here, in Slateport for a day, on a trip recently."[break][break]

"So I hunted him down like an animal-"[break][break]

It's harsh, but true. All of what he'd learned had made him capable and able to do it. At the cost of part of himself, he got revenge. Compounded on that though-[break][break]

"-and a lot of regret." He pauses. This is just the first part of the last few days, after all.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

"No kidding. I go there to lift weights, and I can hardly stand it. Think it's my least favorite spot to meet people." He just hated the smell, the sensation of it all. He hadn't thought of it much, since he owned his own place, but who in their right mind would stay there when they had a perfectly good place to use?[break][break]

It was literally and figuratively beneath him.[break][break]

When he mentions how Kalos, they could sample the wine, or Alola having to handle the sun, his heart goes a mile a second. Staring the whole time, watching him skewering the strawberries, and a big smile on his face.[break][break]

"Either." His voice is serious, as he moves closer. The moment Kep finishes one skewer, his hand grabs Kep's, and tightens. His grip strength and the tighter hold should have been all they needed to know he was serious.[break][break]

"I just need to make the money first. I have a plan."[break][break]

He decides to help skewer some strawberries himself, working double time to get these strawberries glazed in the caramelized sugar.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]

[attr="class","ashley1body"]

Upset wasn't really the word that applied to Ashley, but as he moved closer, a nuzzle into Kepler, laying on his side, and pressing his forehead to the other.[break][break]

"Nah." It's pretty straightforward, actually. "Worried, sure. Not upset." Feeling the hand curl down his side, Ashley closes his eyes and just lays there, placing a hand onto the other's cheek.[break][break]

Thinking about it, the last time was a freak accident that put him into full-on training mode as is. It just happened to light a very convenient fire under Ashley to try and succeed more and more, strengthening his resolve while extrapolating the fire in him. He wasn't going to tell Kepler no.[break][break]

Then again, when does he ever?[break][break]

Opening his now half-lidded silver eyes, he kisses Kepler's forehead. "-I trust you. I've trained my Pokemon, myself, everything just in case you did. Wasn't just for the sex."[break][break]

Just a bonus.

[attr="class","ashley1credit"]