Haven't done this one before. Enjoy! 

(Yes, this is set in the Team Flare arc, as you might've guessed. Too many of my stories are, oh well. Also I know some of the things that happen in this story I use a lot, so sorry if anyone starting to find these boring)

Alain slowly walked up to the edge of the top of the Lumiose Gym, staring into the horizon as the sunset gleamed through the cotton-like clouds, and the sky that had been splashed with rose and amber.

As he stared into the sky, he thought about what had just happened. He and Ash had just saved the world. Wouldn't it be a good time to confess to him now?

'It's now or never', he thought as he heard footsteps.

"Hi, Alain"

Alain smiled and hummed in delight. That one and only voice, that soothed his mind and always managed to calm him, the one he'd always recognized.

"Hey, Ash", he replied as he turned to face the younger boy with lust.

He loved to stare into Ash's chocolate brown eyes as they reflected the bright sun. They shimmered in such a lovely way that he could watch them glow forever.

"I just wanted to say that...you were really brave against Lysandre there, and I'm proud of you. Really, I am. Congratulations, Champion"

Alain smiled again as he placed one of his hands on the younger boy's shoulder.

"I wouldn't have made it without you. You went through so much pain, but you just kept going. You're really special, Ash"

"You think?"

"Definitely. I'd love to get to know you more"

Alain took a deep breath and prepared himself.

"Which reminds me...I have something to tell you, Ash"

"What is it?", Ash asked, stepping closer.

Alain felt the intense heat flood his body as he got closer.

"I-"

"Ash!"

Serena appeared from behind them, throwing herself onto Ash. During their hug, she attempted to force their lips together, but Ash politely and subtly declined with a dodge. Alain grinned with reassurance and surprise as they separated. So Ash wasn't as dense as he thought.

"Ash, you were amazing before! You fought so fearlessly, you weren't even the least bit cowardly, unlike Alain!"

Alain shot her a look of disgust. Serena aimed back at him a smug expression. 

"Thanks a lot...", Ash mumbled with his head down.

Serena grabbed his hand, and begun to try to drag him away with her.

"Come on! Let's go!"

As gently and smoothly as he could, Ash slipped his hand out of Serena's grasp, much to her dismay.

"In a second, I just wanna talk to Alain first"

Serena frowned, but quickly beamed to replace it.

"Okay! I'll be waiting in front of the building!"

She trotted away, leaving Ash and Alain alone again.

"What were you saying?", Ash asked as he turned to face Alain, their eyes coming into contact for a split second.

"Uh-I-Uh, I, um, I really, really...uh..."

Alain begun to panic as the seconds increased. Why was he stammering? He'd planned this moment in his head over and over, even acted it out a few times so it would be perfect.

He looked up briefly to see a tall man with orange hair standing behind Ash, glaring at him so angrily it was terrifying. Before he could react, Ash noticed Lysandre's presence, but it was too late. He held out his hand and shoved Alain off of the building.

"Alain, NO!"

Ash impulsively took Alain's hand into his own, somehow managing to heave Alain safely back onto the ground. But unfortunately, at this point, someone was going to fall off that building no matter what. As Ash finally pushed Alain onto the concrete, his body fell forward as a result, and he began to plunge down the tower. Alain got one last look of Ash's teary-eyed, shattered face before time sped up again. It wasn't long before he heard the echo of a faint thud.

Serena had been waiting for what seemed, to her, like hours now. Alain and Ash had been talking close to the edge, so she could almost see them fully. Halfway through her eavesdropping, Alain suddenly started to fall backwards, then she heard Ash scream, and the next thing she knew, he was lying in front of her, his body and the area around him shrouded in blood.

-Hours later-

Alain silently crept into Ash's hospital room, trying not to breakdown already at the sight of him lying so weakly on that bed. He carefully shook him awake, making sure he was being delicate with him every second. Ash's eyes hesitantly fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Alain standing over him, tearing up as he sat down on the bed.

"Alain..."

"Ash..."

As Ash sat up, his senses started to come back, and he began to look concerned. Alain couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He grasped Ash by the shoulders and squeezed him into a hug, nuzzling into his chest for warmth and comfort. Ash immediately wrapped his arms around the man, playing with his hair a little.

"Why are you crying, Alain?"

Alain sat up from his position so his head was above Ash's, letting him see his face. Ash started to worry even more.

"Alain?! Are you okay? Did something happen? You look so sad!"

"Yeah...something did happen...to you!"

"What?"

"A...Ash...don't you know you're in hospital? You know why, right?"

"I...I don't remember too well. All I remember is...I saw you standing on the tower, crying, holding your hand out and screaming my name or something like that, or, I don't know, I don't remember anything else. All I know is that I was really worried. You looked heartbroken"

More of Alain's tears flowed as Ash continued.

"Like...like you just broke inside. Then everything was spinning, and I think I saw Serena, she was crying too. Probably because of the blood, from the, hold on...oh..."

Alain tightened his grip on Ash.

"You remember all of it now?"

"A-Alain...I..."

Alain pulled him closer, caressing his face with his hand to reassure him. Ash's voice began to crack as tears streamed down his face. His hands shook violently.

"Ash, it's okay-"

"No, I, I'm just, I, I'm...so sorry, Alain, I, I never-uh-I meant to-"

"Shhh, relax Ash. It's just you and me. Everything's alright"

"But, Alain, I, when I saw you falling, my heart, it just, it stopped, and I had no idea what to do, I just pulled you back up, then I was falling, then you were crying, it's my fault, isn't it? No, I never meant for-"

"Ash, it's not your fault. Lysandre pushed me and you saved my life. I know, you just wanted to protect everyone", Alain whispered softly as he massaged Ash's hand and face, "And you have.  You were willing to die for me, Ash. I was worried about you, too. But you're alive. And I owe you everything"

"N-No, I, what I'm t-trying to say...um..."

"What? What is it, Ash?"

Ash's breath and movement slowed as his eyes began to close. He leaned closer to Alain, tenderly pressing his lips onto his. As soon as they separated, Ash wrapped his arms around the stunned Alain as much as he could, and pulled him closer until their chests were touching.

"I love you...so much. Yeah, I was willing to die for you because how could I live after seeing you fall and die like that? I, I wanted to tell you before, but..."

Alain said nothing, only pressed their lips together again, holding Ash's chin in his hand, with his other hand behind his head.

"...So did I"

As Ash cried tears of happiness, Serena watched from the window, as she had been doing for the last few minutes. Wow, Serena. Rude.

"No! I was supposed to wake Ash up! I was supposed to hug him! I was supposed to steal his first kiss! But that stupid Alain ruined everythi-"

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning round, she saw Mairin, who's face was redder than her hair.

"Yeah, no. You're the one trying to ruin things, but that's not gonna happen, you know why?"

She took a deep breath, exhaled, then suddenly began screaming.

"BECAUSE I SHIP THESE TWO MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE! THEY'RE SO PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! LOOK! LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AND TELL ME THEY AREN'T ADORABLE TOGETHER! IF YOU DISRESPECT MY OTP, I'LL BITE YOU"

Well, I mean, same. They're my OTP too, I can't say much.

Serena crumbled under the shock of Mairin's sudden explosion. It was now Ash and Alain watching her.

"What was that?", Ash murmured.

"Hmm. Oh well. Doesn't matter", Alain replied, partly because he wanted to get back to Ash and partly because he didn't want him to understand the context of anything Mairin said at all. 

But, of course, Ash being dense, he'd immediately forgotten Mairin was even there as Alain turned to him.

"Now, back to us..."

Hope you enjoyed! Yes, Mairin's OTP thing was kind of a fourth wall break. :)