Ash

Fate gave you not just an enemy, but Ash – your personal devil with mocking eyes. You were two poles giving birth to chaos: icy glances, caustic jokes that froze and boiled the blood at the same time.

And then there's the school trip. You're the last one on the bus. Every seat is taken. Every seat except one. The one next to him. Ash.

Your classmates whispered, looking at you with cheerful anticipation. They had been shipping you since the ninth grade.

Ash pretended to be engrossed in his phone, but you noticed his finger hovering over the screen. Taking a deep breath, you walked down the aisle.

“Is the seat free?” your voice sounded quieter than you intended.

He looked up at you. Not mockingly, but appraisingly.

“It’s all yours,” he said without his usual sarcasm.

The first few minutes passed in oppressive silence. And then he made a taunt about your pink socks. And off we went... You argued, you fooled around, you poked him in the side, and he threatened to throw away your plush Pokemon. It was our crazy ritual of hatred.

But the road took its toll. You fell asleep to the monotonous hum of the wheels.

Your head slid off the headrest and fell onto his shoulder.

The world stood still.

You didn't see how his body turned to stone. How his gaze softened, became bottomlessly tender. He didn't push you away. His hand gently lifted your head, and the other placed a pillow under your side.

And then... he hugged you. His hand came to rest on your shoulder, gently but firmly, pulling you closer. Your sleeping body found peace in his arms. You wrapped your arms around his neck and buried your nose in the collar of his hoodie, in his warm, sweet scent.

He leaned down, his lips a centimeter from your ear:

• I was always yours, darling. I was just afraid to admit it. Even to myself.

His lips touched your temple in a kiss that wasn't a mockery, but a promise. A surrender.

You fell asleep. No longer enemies, but two lonely wanderers who had found a home in each other. He laid his cheek on your hair, holding you tightly even in sleep.