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Quick, random 'drabble' for Beloved Turnabout.
Red was warm.
It was a no-brainer- the Champion had often joked to his family he probably somehow received the Flame Body Ability from the Ketchum family's quirky genetics- but Red was warm, and warm was what Ash desired right now. He nestled himself against the older boy, bringing the bed covers closer to them both.
"Still tired?" Red's voice was soothing as always, like drinking cool water during a hot day.
"Just a little cold," Ash admitted. He was still recovering from blood loss, after all. "...Hey, Red, can I ask you something?"
"Hmmm?"
The younger Ketchum's face clouded as he looked away. "...Were you serious, when you said you left earlier from Mount Silver to meet with me?"
Red exhaled sharply, shook his head in a manner that didn't signified the word 'no', before nodding with a smile. "There was nothing left to do there, and Jasmine sent me a message that you were spotted not far from Olivine. I thought, 'you know what, I haven't seen Ash in a while- I wasn't there when he was presented with his Pikachu; I wasn't there when he became a trainer. I wanna see how much he's changed since I left for that mountain.'" He passed a hand through his cousin's dark hair. "I just..." The deep breath he took trembled. "I just didn't wanted to meet you like this."
"I'm sorry, Red."
"There's no need for that, Ash. And even if there was? I'd already forgive you."
To that, Ash looked up to his cousin. "You... you mean it?"
Red nodded once more. "You did nothing wrong, Ash. It's the ones who hurt you who's gonna need to apologize to me." He brought his arms around his cousin's shoulders. "And I'm here now- if they dare try and come back to hurt you more, they'll have to face me and my team."
"Red," Ash began, his eyes watering, "you don't have to-"
"I need to, Ash, they almost killed you!" Red cried out, tightening his hold on the younger Ketchum. "I don't wanna lose you, please understand¹..."
It was like getting a Mach Punch right into the heart- remembering what Red said about not wanting Ash to be in his shadow, how he broke apart before saying that, how he wasn't wearing his cap when meeting his cousin... Red wasn't the most expressive person in the world, but Ash knew the Champion had good reasons when his emotions gets the better of him. And Red wasn't one for lying, either.
Ash took a shaky breath. "...Thank you, Red. You're the best cousin ever."
¹The name I've given Red for the Japanese version is Satoru... after Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo President, who was known for saying "please understand". Yes, Melanie likes to make memes poignant and tearjerking.
It was a no-brainer- the Champion had often joked to his family he probably somehow received the Flame Body Ability from the Ketchum family's quirky genetics- but Red was warm, and warm was what Ash desired right now. He nestled himself against the older boy, bringing the bed covers closer to them both.
"Still tired?" Red's voice was soothing as always, like drinking cool water during a hot day.
"Just a little cold," Ash admitted. He was still recovering from blood loss, after all. "...Hey, Red, can I ask you something?"
"Hmmm?"
The younger Ketchum's face clouded as he looked away. "...Were you serious, when you said you left earlier from Mount Silver to meet with me?"
Red exhaled sharply, shook his head in a manner that didn't signified the word 'no', before nodding with a smile. "There was nothing left to do there, and Jasmine sent me a message that you were spotted not far from Olivine. I thought, 'you know what, I haven't seen Ash in a while- I wasn't there when he was presented with his Pikachu; I wasn't there when he became a trainer. I wanna see how much he's changed since I left for that mountain.'" He passed a hand through his cousin's dark hair. "I just..." The deep breath he took trembled. "I just didn't wanted to meet you like this."
"I'm sorry, Red."
"There's no need for that, Ash. And even if there was? I'd already forgive you."
To that, Ash looked up to his cousin. "You... you mean it?"
Red nodded once more. "You did nothing wrong, Ash. It's the ones who hurt you who's gonna need to apologize to me." He brought his arms around his cousin's shoulders. "And I'm here now- if they dare try and come back to hurt you more, they'll have to face me and my team."
"Red," Ash began, his eyes watering, "you don't have to-"
"I need to, Ash, they almost killed you!" Red cried out, tightening his hold on the younger Ketchum. "I don't wanna lose you, please understand¹..."
It was like getting a Mach Punch right into the heart- remembering what Red said about not wanting Ash to be in his shadow, how he broke apart before saying that, how he wasn't wearing his cap when meeting his cousin... Red wasn't the most expressive person in the world, but Ash knew the Champion had good reasons when his emotions gets the better of him. And Red wasn't one for lying, either.
Ash took a shaky breath. "...Thank you, Red. You're the best cousin ever."
¹The name I've given Red for the Japanese version is Satoru... after Satoru Iwata, former Nintendo President, who was known for saying "please understand". Yes, Melanie likes to make memes poignant and tearjerking.
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...BTW, a little off-topic, but if you wanna RP a sort of role reversal in which Red's the one hurt and Ash brings the comfort, I just added a scenario at my musebox that's exactly for that situation. :3