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Purely by luck, he and his teammates had finally managed to capture a suitable Pokémon for their boss. Their dratini made quite a handsome prize, but even better was the heft bonus they received in return. With a bulk of cash in his wallet and a new title to boast, James had a renewed sense of confidence in himself.
It was this confidence that fueled his next endeavor; he would finally ask Jesse to marry him.
The bells’ chimes announced the entry of a customer into the tiny jewelry shop. A smiling clerk rushed to acknowledge her guest.
“Welcome!” she said cheerfully. “How may I help you?”
Suddenly feeling a flush of nerves, James’ murmur was almost completely inaudible. “I’d like to see your wedding bands, please.”
“I’m sorry, what did you say, sir?”
James cheeks streaked with pink. “I…I said I would like to see your, uhm…your wedding bands…please.”
“Oh! Certainly! Right this way, please.”
The clerk led James to a large glass case. There, nestled in tiny folds of satin, lay several beautifully crafted wedding rings.
James caught his breath. “I don’t know which one to choose…”
“Why don’t I help you?” the clerk offered. “What do you think your girlfriend would like?”
“Hm?” James had never heard Jesse being referred to as his girlfriend before.
“Do you think she would like something a bit fancy? How about this one?” She carefully opened the case and withdrew a shimmering band of diamonds. She held it up in the light for James to see (whose eyes shimmered in delight as the light caught each jewel) and then pressed it into his hand.
“This one is beautiful…”he said. “But I’m not sure if it would suit her…she’s never really had anything fancy…”
The clerk nodded. “Too much? Alright then…how about this one?”
The next ring was less ornate, yet for some reason much more beautiful. The simplicity added a sort of elegance, “Just like Jesse,” James thought happily.
“I’ll take this one,” James said. Then he paused. “How much is it?”
The clerk laughed gently. “Why don’t you come over to the register and I’ll check my inventory for you.”
James followed and the clerk quickly set about searching through the price lists.
“Could you read me the serial number please? It should be on that tag.”
“KM143,” James read. He started to reach for his wallet.
“Uh-huh! $14,000.67 please. No tax.” The clerk prepared a box as James counted out the designated amount.
“Would you like it wrapped?”
“Oh, yes, please,” James said accepting his change.
“There you go!” the clerk said cheerfully. She handed James a neatly wrapped ring case and his receipt. “Have a nice day.”
“Thank you,” James said politely and walked towards the door.
“Oh!” the clerk suddenly bolted from her counter and caught the door just before it shut.
“And good luck!”
Standing amidst a pile of discarded shirts and socks, James stood, dressed in a sleek black suit, fumbling with his bowtie. Meowth looked over from his perch on the bed, where he had been admiring himself in the mirror mounted across from him. Straightening his own tie, the feline leapt off the bed and went over to James.
“Stupid human,” he mumbled. “Can’t even fix yer own tie?” He climbed up onto James’s chest and adjusted the bothersome tie. James smiled, looking somewhat sad.
“Thank you, Meowth.” He turned around slowly to look at himself in the mirror. He never felt right in a suit, even though he had spent much of his childhood wearing one. He sighed deeply and collapsed on the bed behind him. Lying face-up, all he could see was the plain white ceiling.
Breath in. Breath out. Suddenly a blurred figure obstructed his view. James sat up.
“What da heck is wrong wit yas?” Meowth asked standing over him. “Ya should be happy. You’re about ta go to a formal dinnah in our honor, but instead ya look like you’re on yer way to a funeral!”
“Let’s hope not,” James said easing himself off the bed, reaching out to give Meowth a ruffle between the ears. He began to pace somewhat blindly about the room, with his hand clasped around something in his pocket. Meowth just shook his head.
“I’m gonna go find Jesse. We should leave soon.”
“Mmm,” James barely acknowledged the door shutting behind him.
He went over the words a million times, but each time there was something missing. He finally decided he would just have to wing it. As he reached to open the door, it rushed open, causing him to stumble backwards.
“James, what are you doing?” a loud, female voice demanded. James looked up from where he had landed.
“Jesse?” She looked beautiful. She had replaced her large, green earrings for a more becoming set of pearl teardrops, and she was wearing an elegant gown that fit her trimly and sleeked all the way down to the floor. James stared breathlessly.
“Jesse, you look…” He was cut abruptly short.
“We’re going to be late!” Jesse grabbed James’s hand and tugged him out the door.
All throughout dinner, and Giovanni’s lengthy speech, James stared down at his plate with a look discomfort. He looked up to his right, sensing that someone was looking at him. Then his eyes caught Jesse’s. She smiled at him, and gently squeezed his hand. James returned the smile, and relaxed a bit. The night had been a long one for him.
When dinner was over, the three teammates walked out of the restaurant, each relishing silently in their own success. James stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, James?” Meowth asked. James hesitated a moment, then bent down and whispered into the cat’s ear.
“Uh…I just remembered dat I hafta…erhh…feed my fish…by Jess!” James stood there simpering as the cat made a less than subtle exit. Jesse glanced curiously at him, and then turned to James.
“I guess it’s just us.”
There was a fountain nearby that was absolutely beautiful in the moonlight. Jesse and James sat there, gazing at it silently. James silently withdrew the box from his pocket. He kept varying his gaze from the box to Jesse, and then to the fountain.
“It sure is beautiful.” Jesse’s sudden comment made James jump a little.
“It…sure is,” he said recollecting his thoughts. He scooted closer to Jesse.
“Jesse…”
“Yes, James?” She turned to look at him. James suddenly stopped. He just stared into Jesse’s crystalline gaze.
“I…”
“What is it?”
James took a deep breath and started over. “Jesse, we’ve been together for so long…from our days in that silly bike gang, to here, now…” he paused.
“And that’s how I always want it to be. Us together.”
Jesse’s eyes wavered.
“Oh…I’m no good at this.” James got up, and knelt in front of Jesse. He slowly opened the box, revealing the beautiful wedding ring he had bought earlier that day. Jesse gasped and held her hand over her mouth. James shyly took her other gloved hand. Gently slipping the glove off, he then slid the ring onto her finger.
“Will you stay with me, Jesse?”
Jesse’s tears flowed more freely now. She got up slowly.
“I…”
James’s heart beat hard inside his chest, almost making it ache.
“I can’t!”
“What? Jesse wait!” It was too late. Jesse ran off.
The breeze blew gently around James, whisking petals from the nearby Sakura tree through the air. He mechanically closed the ring box, and knelt on the hard stone floor. His head hung sadly.
“Jesse…”
James got up slowly, and with some effort, as thought he had just gotten the wind knocked forcefully out of him. Sniffling a bit, he plunked the ring box into his pocket and began walking slowly home.
At the other side of the park, Jesse sat by herself, crying softly. She wished she knew what was wrong with her. She tried to tell herself that she should be happy, but the truth was, she was a little scared. Things were happening too fast. She had only known James as a friend, and though she also had feelings for him, consecrating those feelings seemed like an intimidating venture. She didn’t know how to act like Jesse, the wife…only Jesse, the Rocket. The one in charge.
No, not in charge. A partner.
Partner…
She wiped her tears away with her soft glove. Looking down at her hands, she realized that she was still wearing James’s ring. It was funny, but the ring that had once driven her to tears now gave her immense comfort.
“That’s it, Jesse…don’t be silly, now.” She got up slowly and stood up straight. “If James loves me…then that’s enough. I won’t need to worry.”
She slid her glove on, carefully minding the ring, and began to walk home.
James pushed through the door of Team Rocket’s current safe house, allowing the cold air to rush in. It closed slowly behind him. The house was dark, and James could hear Meowth snoring in the other room. With a shuddering breath, he collapsed onto the couch, the last of his tears making their lonely passage down his cheek. All the hurt and gloom melted away as he fell asleep.
Moments later, the door opened again, and then closed quietly. Jesse crept in. She saw James laying there, with his usually perfect hair just a little rustled, and that one stray lock falling down into the arch of his nose. She eased herself onto the couch slowly, so as not to alarm James, and then stretched out beside him. She smiled peacefully, and allowed but one whisper to escape as she drifted off to sleep.
“I will stay with you, James.”
James awoke groggily, with the sticky trail of tears still lingering on his face. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes, he went to roll over for another five minutes, but found he couldn’t.
“What the…” Turning fully around, he was shocked to see that it was Jesse’s body that prevented his moving. He sat up like a shot. He shook his head and again wiped his eyes. Then he felt Jesse move beside him.
So he wasn’t dreaming.
He wasn’t quite sure what to think. “If she’s here with me then surely she must…”
Not wanting to wake his partner, he got off the couch carefully and padded over to the kitchen. He rarely drank coffee, but it seemed that some sort of awakening would have to come to him soon, and a good jolt of caffeine was the most readily available.
As the black liquid softly perked in its pot, James made his way into the bathroom. A quick splash of cold water on his face, and a mouthful of Scope better prepared him for the so far unpredictable morning.
Going in to retrieve his coffee, he again turned his gaze to Jesse. He smiled, feeling very pleased with himself. She was there, and she was wearing his ring. That could only mean one thing.
He slurped his coffee slowly; careful not to burn his tongue, and sat in the small kitchen, listening to the somewhat distant sound of the clock ticking. So this is what married life would be like, he thought happily, and his feet began swinging under the table as little children do when they think of something pleasant. His thoughts were broken as he caught the sound of feet shuffling towards him.
Jesse stood in the small archway that separated the kitchen from the living room, and she took a long, cat-like stretch before continuing to enter.
James sat, grinning like an idiot, trying with some effort to contain himself from exploding with happiness. Jesse crossed the floor gracefully, despite her having just woken up, and when she reached James, she bent over to give him a kiss.
She looked him in the eyes with a mixture of gladness and sorrow.
“James, I’m sorry. Let’s talk.”
Like a true gentleman, James got up and pulled out a seat for Jesse, then returned to his own.
“You’re wearing your ring,” James pointed out after a long pause. He smiled.
Jesse’s cheeks reddened a bit. “I’m sorry about last night.”
James was still smiling, but his eyes grew sad from the memory of his tearful return.
“I was frightened at first,” Jesse continued. “A lot of wonderful things have been happening to me James. To us. And I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
“I think that’s why I was afraid. I didn’t know how to react. And I wasn’t sure if, I did say yes, I would make a suitable wife for you. It’s your life, too.”
James went to speak, but Jesse pressed her fingers against his lips and smiled gently.
“But I gave it a lot of thought. And I know that, if you chose me to be your wife, then it is something that I want to be with all my heart.” James’s eyes glittered.
“So you’re saying…”
“I’m saying yes, James.”
The two sat there for a moment, hanging in the sweet silence of each other’s gaze. James was the first to crack. He hugged Jesse tightly, holding her so close that her heartbeat got confused with his own.
“I love you Jesse,” he said, still holding her. “You know that, right?”
Jesse laughed, hugging him back. “Of course I do, James. I love you too.”