Why Did I Fall In Love!? (Boy x Boy Ship)

Chapter Fourteen: Suppression Is A Dumb Strategy!

"What did you say!?" Gou says in complete shock, turning to face Ash.

"I like you!" Ash responds.

"You...like me?" Gou replies in disbelief.

"I'm sorry! I know you needed to talk to me and I had every intent of listening to you but, my subconscious just sort of...took over. It clearly took this as the opportunity." Ash explains.

"Uhm...ok!" Gou grunts.

"So?" Ash asks.

"What?" Gou says.

"Well, w-what do you think?" Ash asks nervously. He can't look Gou in the eye anymore. Only looking at his shoes twisting in the sand.

Gou just stares blankly. Ash's confession was completely out of the blue. Gou wasn't prepared for it, but, he can't think of a response. His mind is a blank. Nothing. He knows he has to say something but he just can't. He wasn't even prepared to confess to Ash, but it kinda got forced upon him. Despite all that, he wasn't prepared for how Ash would respond. If Ash had said "yes", Gou wasn't prepared for that. Gou wasn't even sure if he would've wanted Ash to reciprocate the feelings.

However, here Gou stands, staring at Ash, who has just confessed to him, and Gou has absolutely no idea what to say or do.

What does Gou want? Does he want to be with Ash?

"G-Gou?" Ash interrupts. "Well?"

Gou starts to internally panic. What does he do? What does he say? This is all too much. Why did Professor Kukui have to force this conversation? He wasn't allowed a moment to take a breath to think about it.

"No!"

Gou suddenly covers his mouth. Why did that come out of his mouth? It was so involuntary.

"Oh... OK. I...I understand!" Ash stutters. "I just thought...you maybe felt the same way. Y-you had been acting strange and I just got this 'feeling' that perhaps it was because you felt the same way...obviously I was wrong!"

Gou just stands there. His hands still covering his mouth. He can't believe he just blurted out "No!".

"I-I'm...gonna go!" Ash blubbers. Tears streaming down his face. He turns to walk away. However, instead of walking back towards the house, he walks in the opposite direction, towards the woods.

Gou starts to hyperventilate. He has to say something. He can't let Ash leave, feeling this way. Although, he still doesn't know what to feel. He just knows that he can't let Ash feel bad.

"Ash!" Gou shouts.

Ash doesn't respond. Instead, he continues to walk away.

"Ash! Please!" Gou pleads, starting to run towards him. However, Ash starts to run as well.

"Please! Ash! Stop! Let me explain!" Gou begs trying to run faster.

"ASH! TALK TO~AHH!" Gou shouts but trips and falls face first into the sand. He looks up, but Ash is too far away now.

"Ash...." Gou cries. Tears dripping onto the sand.

"A......sh~"

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Gou slowly shuffles back to the house. His heart is still pounding. He can't believe what has happened. He can't believe what he's done. He would've chased after Ash, but he disappeared into the woods and Gou doesn't know Alola, he risked getting lost.

He slowly opens the door to a house still full of revelers. They all stop and stare at a tear soaked Gou.

"What's wrong?" Professor Burnet asks.

"I messed up!" Gou confesses.

"What? What are you talking about?" Professor Burnet responds bringing Gou over to sit on the couch. The music has stopped and everyone starts crowding round Gou, curious to know what has happened.

"Where's Ash?" Kiawe questions.

"U-Uhm...I..." Gou stutters.

"Gou! What happened?" Professor Burnet presses.

"He...told me he liked me."

"HE WHAT!?" Everyone shouts in shock.

"Wow! Never realised Ash had the capability of that!" Hau chuckles.

"I didn't know Ash was gay, did you?" Sophocles asks the others.

They all shake their heads.

"Ash was always quiet when it came to things like that. I honestly thought he wasn't interested in that sort of thing." Lillie says.

"OK! The baby is finally asleep. What did I miss?" Professor Kukui interrupts, completely oblivious to the atmosphere in the room.

He looks at the faces staring back at him.

"Uhm... What's going on?" Professor Kukui asks.

"Ash told me he liked me!" Gou responds.

"What!? No way! That's insane!" Professor Kukui laughs. "What did you say?"

"I said... No!" Gou replies.

"You said no?" Professor Kukui asks in shock. "But I thought~"

"This is all your fault!" Gou grunts pointing at him.

"What!? Why!?" Professor Kukui replies.

"If you hadn't forced the issue. This never would've happened. If you hadn't told me to confess, then told Ash that I needed to speak to him, then, he wouldn't have confessed to me and I wouldn't have said something stupid."

"This was your doing!?" Professor Burnet asks sternly. "After we had decided that we weren't getting involved and that it was up to them to figure things out?"

"Yeah..... That didn't quite work out!" Professor Kukui confesses.

"Oh for goodness sake! I can't leave you unattended! An adult needs to be with you at all times" Professor Burnet lectures.

"Hey! Come on! I know we agreed to stay out of it but there was no way that they would get there on their own!" Professor Kukui argues. "Where is Ash, anyway?"

"He ran into the woods when I said no." Gou answers

"Why didn't you go after him?" Lana asks.

"I tried but...he got away..."

"We need to go and find him!" Mallow declares.

"Right!" Everyone agrees, standing up and heading towards the door.

"I think I'm going to stay with Gou." Hau says quietly to the group. "I think he needs to talk to someone who has experience in this area."

"Good idea!" Mallow agrees. "OK guys! Let's head out. Let's try and find him before it gets too dark!"

"And where do you think you're going!?" Hau asks grabbing Gladion's hood.

"Uhm...to help find Ash?" Gladion responds.

"Nope! You're staying and helping me! Especially since you have experience in this area too, right?" Hau snides.

Gladion sighs knowing full well that he's right.

Everyone else leaves to try and find Ash. Professor Burnett also stays behind to clean up and to check on the baby.

Gou burys his face in his hands. He was so insensitive. He was so scared of Ash finding out and losing him.

How ironic that the reason he's going to lose Ash is for the opposite reason...