(Jessie's P.O.V)
I love the spring. The trees full of blossoms, the sky filled with birds and the air filled with the scent of fresh grass. This spring however, was the best of them all! I sat under a willow tree reading one of my many fashion magazines. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was our day off. Meowth was curled up on the grass enjoying the weather, and James... where was James? I hadn't seen him all day! I heard the rustling of leaves and looked up. There he was! Playing in the tree like a little kid! My stomach turned as he looked down at me with those striking emerald eyes that were unique to him.
''Come on up, Jess!'' he shouted down to me. ''It's fun!''
''Poor James,'' I thought to myself. He probably never got to do this sort of stuff as a kid. He was expected to walk refined, talk refined and even run refined! I can't imagine his parents ever allowing him to climb trees.
''Is it safe?'' I asked.
''Of course!'' he laughed as he extended his hand for mine.
I grabbed it in an instant. I trusted him....and I loved him, no matter how dense he is sometimes! He pulled me up, no struggle and scooted over so that there was room on the branch for me. He smiled happily, I smiled back.
''Is this what you've been doing all day?!'' I laughed.
He looked at me questioningly, as if I had gone mad. When he noticed I was genuinely in a good mood, he answered me.
''Yep, just climbing and thinking about stuff.''
Food. That was my first guess, or maybe pokémon, or maybe what the boss was going to do with the "bumbling fools" who hadn't caught a rare pokémon for months.
''Stuff?'' I asked. ''What kind of stuff?''
''Well...um..." he hesitated. Was he blushing? ''You, me, all the years we've known each other, all the games we used to play.'' He stared into space obviously recalling fond memories of our nearly life long friendship.
''Those were the best times weren't they Jess!''
He turned to face me again. They sure were. Now I was remembering, remembering all the after school mischief! We used to play fight all the time, pinning each other to the floor and tickling the loser (the one who was pinned down) until they gave up. I always won, half the time I think he LET me win, 'cause he knew I'd mallet him if I didn't! I wanted to relive those moments, I wanted to play kid too! The branch on which we were sitting hung over a lake. I couldn't resist....I pushed him in!!
''AHHHH!'' he cried as he hit the cold water. I climbed down from the tree in fits of giggles! He wasn't expecting that little stunt! His head popped up out of the water like a cork, and he looked at me in a confused manner, now he KNEW I had gone mad! Being so childish wasn't usually my scene. I was the one in charge, the one who steered us on the right path...or at least tried to. But today I wasn't Jessie of Team Rocket. It was my day off!
Today, I was simply Jessie.
''Can't catch me!'' I teased, sticking my tongue out at him as I began to run away.
He didn't move at first, just stared at me, but after he realized I was deadly serious and actually WANTED to goof off for a change, he smiled.
''Oh yeah?!'' he laughed, jumping out of the water and begun chasing me around our camp.
"You're too slow!" I cried back to him as I continued to run through the soft grass.
"I'm going to make you eat those words!" he panted, still in chase. I slowed down, I WANTED him to catch me, to tickle me, to touch me, but most of all, I wanted him to love me. He grabbed me around my bare waist and pushed me to the floor. I didn't resist. Then he lay gently on top of me, a smug "I told you so" smile adorned his face. I just gazed at him, his sweet face, his wet blue hair dripping on my neck, his moist, soft, supple lips centimeters from my own and his exhausted panting warming my face.........
"So whatcha gonna do now, Jess?" he said, still wearing his innocent smile.
"I gotcha!"
"I guess I have no choice....but to surrender..." I found myself whispering in response. From that moment on, rational, serious Jessie was completely dead, my heart was in control now, and my heart wanted him to kiss me. His smile faded, he began to stare blankly at me, as if I had told him something in another language, but finally, he translated my signal, and kissed me. Nothing could have prepared me for what was happening, he was kissing me (and vice versa). After all these years of waiting. I'd finally dropped my defenses, that I then realized were what had been preventing him doing so in the first place! I had always dreamed that he'd want me as a girlfriend, but I just couldn't see it happening, I was such a bitch sometimes. But that was over now, James loved me, and that was all that mattered! I was so happy, I couldn't help but giggle. But that was to be my mistake. He stopped kissing me and looked down wide-eyed at me. "I shouldn't have done that..." he said, as if almost to scold himself.
With that, he got up quickly and jogged back towards camp. My heart and mind were screaming to call him back, but my mouth (and pride) wouldn't allow it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I finally got back to camp, I was surprised to find that Meowth had woken up and was sunning himself on one of the deck chairs.
''Where ya been?!'' he questioned me.
''None of your business!'' I yelled at the cat-type. I cursed myself silently for my temper. No wonder James was afraid of me! ''Where's James?'' I asked, impatiently tapping my foot.
''Takin' a lie down,'' he told me. Meowth must have been a psychic-type in another life, because he jumped down off of his chair, stomped over towards me and yelled...... ''FOR GOD'S SAKE JESS, JUST KISS HIM!''
''Excuse me!'' I yelped, a little surprised.
''Da tension between yous two is enough to make Meowth puke! Just get it over with so Meowth can relax will ya? Your makin' me jumpy!'' he frowned at me. And I frowned right back.
"Shut your Me-owth!" I hissed, my cheeks now the same crimson red as my hair. Don't get me wrong, I love Meowth to pieces, but honestly! DOES HE HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING?!
"I don't know what you are talking about!" I laughed with false cheer....and the HUGEST sweatdrop.
"Ok Jess, whatever ya say! But I'm tellin' ya! Journals don't lie!"
I froze. That rotten flea bag had gone through James' journal? Of all the low down, rotten scheming......
"You nasty little....!" I began.
"Ah, shut up! Ya glad I did! Go on! Admit it!" Meowth butted in.
"No!" I huffed, turning away from him and folding my arms, refusing to admit the little hairball had a good point.
"Come on! I know it, you know it! You'll feel a whole lot betta!" he teased, smirking.
I sighed, my heart had control again. "Yes Meowth, I'm glad okay?" I whispered quietly.
The cat smiled happily, the teasing faded from his voice. "Good, den go tell HIM dat!" he said, pointing to the tent where I would surely find James. As I headed towards our tent, I swear I heard him mumble "Baka humans....."
As I suspected, I found my partner curled up in his sleeping bag, probably feeling as guilty as hell.
"James?" I whispered.
He jerked up. "Oh, Jess, I'm sorry!" he trembled, on the verge of tears.
"Sorry?! For what?" I asked.
"For, you know....earlier....when I k-k-k....."
He couldn't even stay calm enough to tell me what was wrong!
"Kissed me?" I guessed.
"Y-yeah..."
"Why are you sorry you did? I'm not sorry you did!" I told him plainly. I said the look he gave me earlier was a confused one right? Now, picture that confused look he gave me in the river, then triple it, that's how he looked at that moment.
"You're not?!" he replied.
"Of course not! Why do you think I kissed you back you dim wit?!"
"I don't know." He was too frightened to say it, he thought I'd get mad and laugh, tell him the joke's over. But this was no joke.
"It's because I love you silly!"
"You do?!"
I frowned mockingly, "No James, I go around letting ALL the guys kiss me!" I said sarcastically with a smile.
"Jessie, I love you too, but I never thought that....."
"That I'd feel the same? Why?"
"Because, You're smart, and beautiful, and caring and you should have...."
"The best," I interrupted again. "Yes, you're right, you're absolutely right, I must have the best. The most caring, sensitive, sweet, funny, and good looking I might add, boyfriend in the world! So you know what?"
"What?" he answered me.
"I choose you."