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"...so I said, Haunter? I hardly know 'er!"
Clemont groaned, but stifled a snort of amusement behind his hand. "That's terrible, Ash."
Serena, on the other hand, was giggling incessantly. The kind of giggle that made a girl laugh behind both of her hands; shoulders hitched, and smile stretching to the corners of her mouth. Her honey blonde locks that flowed far past her shoulders and down her back bounced with her joy, and her cheeks tinted red when she was running out of air. "Haunter… that's… oh, that's terrible, Ash!" She squeaked out the same answer as Clemont, but did a far worse job hiding her amusement. Her voice was honey, and the way her nose scrunched was adorable.
It was the kind of laugh you wanted to hear from a girl, if you liked her.
It was the kind of laugh you'd feel guilty for earning, if you were already spoken for.
Ash noticed himself savoring her reaction a bit too much, and tore his gaze away, hiding himself from the group with his body language; turning towards Nurse Joy's desk. He loudly wondered whether their teams would be refreshed and back with them soon to change the subject.
"...And so I said Haunter—"
"...you hardly know her. Ash, you've told this one before!" Serena snorted, raising a brow at him.
(When they'd first met, she'd never snorted in mixed company, and if she did, she'd excuse herself, mortified.)
"You could've at least let me finish." Ash pouted, brows furrowed.
"You'll just have to bring new material!" Serena teased, lightly shoving his shoulder.
"I'm making up for lost time," Ash justified, folding his arms stubbornly. "...This time, I won't have to feel guilty making you laugh."
That admission stopped Serena in her tracks. Her striking blue eyes widened, processing it, before she softened into soft sympathy; upturned brows, and a bittersweet smile.
Serena no longer wore her hair down in a tie past her back. She'd traded her pink flat top hat for a hot pink fedora, and her hair was untamed and bouncy, cut at shoulder length. She'd traded her fairly safe and coordinated outfit for an improvisational rag-tag of materials she'd had on her, complete with a bold red cloak. Just as well, she'd left her insecurities and hesitance at the door.
She was also no longer a subject of guilt for Ash; Dawn had swept them up in her whirlwind and smashed hers and Ash's exclusivity with the battering ram that was her personality and desire.
None of the three wanted Ash and Dawn to be exclusive, anymore. So, they weren't.
"Well, Mister…" Serena's hand fell on Ash's shoulder in a tender touch, this time. How funny was it, actually, that they'd both been wrestling with their pining for all of those months, while she was none the wiser? Serena winked. "I'm sure you can make me laugh again."
Ash didn't hide from Serena, this time. Rather than shrink away, he leaned back into the Pokémon Center lobby sofa, legs lax, and draped an arm around Serena while he gestured widely with the other hand, regaling him with tales and roasts of old.
"...So I said, 'those guys aren't hitters. I've seen better swings on a playground!'"
He drank in her hitched shoulders and incessant giggling like it was a warm, fresh glass of Moomoo Milk. The way she jostled him with it made his heart pace, and he found her infectious. It was hard to get through his next line without laughing. "The Electabuzz— couldn't beat an egg!"
She leaned into him, nestling his temple into her cheek, which was smooth as silk; the heat of her blush grazed him. He could smell her conditioner that he'd come to recognize.
At this rate, Ash could prattle off his old quips for hours. If he could enjoy Serena without any misgivings in the pit of his stomach, goddamnit, he would. She made him feel like the funniest guy on the planet.