Let me tell you the story about the call that changed my destiny…

He was late again, now an hour past time with no explanation why. She'd called him twice; both times her ears were met with a series of rings and his devil smooth voice coming over the voicemail. Thunder crashed outside her window, and worry nested in her gut. Maybe the weather had something to do with his absence tonight.

But then, this scenario was nothing new, nothing she wasn't already used to. They'd been together nearly a year and he'd broken more dates than he'd made, so this surely was just another notch in his belt of forgotten promises. Still, there was something different about tonight. Maybe it was the electricity in the air making her feel this way, but Karen couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing.

She sighed, running her hands down the valley between her waist and hips for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. The slinky black fabric clung to her figure, and shimmered lightly as she paced from one side of her room to the other. Her Houndoom, Salem, watched curiously from the bed, her whip-like tail swishing gently.

"What are we going to do, baby girl?" Karen asked wearily. She claimed the edge of the bed and lightly patted her thigh. Salem clambered into her lap. Not since she was a Houndour had she actually been able to fit between her trainer's dainty legs, but that didn't keep her from trying. Karen smiled, idly trailing her fingers over her Pokemon's sleek fur, tracing the bony armor that arched in half-circles down her back. Salem licked at her face and she giggled, for a fleeting moment forgetting all the night's toils. But the thunder rolled and reality smacked her like the rain against her window.

Then, there was the call. Karen jerked her body up and her heart leapt to attention with her. Maybe their night wasn't ruined after all. She snatched the phone from her bedside table and swiped her finger across the touch screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kare."

Wherever he was, it was loud; she could barely decipher his words for all the commotion around him. Karen scrunched her face as she tried to make out his whereabouts. "Grim, where are you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm—I'm not going to make it tonight."

Of course not, Karen thought. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to scream every expletive in the book at her boyfriend. She eased herself back onto the bed; Salem anxiously nudged the hand at her ear, and Karen half-wondered if the Pokemon was trying to knock the phone onto the floor. "Why?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"What?" I can't—You're really dropping out, I-I think my battery must be low." There was a slur to his speech; he'd obviously been drinking. But there was another voice on his end of the line, high with laughter and distinctly feminine. Karen felt her heart freeze in place. Ice crept down her spine and, for a long moment, she couldn't find her breath.

"Who the hell are you with?" She detested the way her voice shook. No answer. "Grimsley, who the hell are you—"

"I-I'm out with the guys, but I can't—don't stay up and wait for me, okay? I-I gotta go."

The call dropped. Whether it was from a battery or his own hand, Karen wasn't sure, but she had her suspicions.

She yanked the band from her hair and her carefully-twined updo came spilling all around her in waves of soft blue. Her eyes were burning wildly with tears and with anger. How many times had he used that excuse, or others just like it? Trying to count the numbers made her head spin and her heart fast with fury. And then there was that voice, that girly, piercing voice…

Karen used the heel of one foot to pry a stiletto off, then the other. Salem whined fitfully at her, and blindly she trailed her fingers across her Houndoom's face. She felt numb, sure of only the pounding of her heart in her chest and the gushing downfall outside her window. The shock of it all was nigh impossible to process. The sound of Grimsley's drunken stammer and his giggling counterpart rang madly in her mind. Then, the memory of another voice crept into her head. It was soft and sweet, comforting in a way that her boyfriend's never had been.

"If you ever need me, I'm here."

She forced a breath out when she realized she'd been holding it a moment too long. Karen liked to think she never needed anyone, but times like this one reminded her that was just a ridiculous lie she told herself, a shield she brandished to keep her heart safe. Now, she realized bitterly, it never protected her at all. It was just a barrier that walled her off from the one person who had ever braved to venture past it.

"Salem," Karen called, her voice hoarse from the dry sobs she'd swallowed in her throat. The Houndoom watched carefully as her bare feet shuffled across the floor, from the bed to the door. Her fingers hovered over the doorknob, her forehead brushing against the wood as she struggled to piece her composure back together. She glanced over her shoulder and, in a voice that sounded as broken as she felt, whispered, "Come on."

The plateau was dark, illuminated only by the occasional burst of lightning filtering through the windows. Judging by the silence of it all, Karen was the only one still awake—it came as no surprise, but it didn't help sate the lonely pang in her belly, either.

She wasn't alone, of course. Salem padded quietly alongside her, her pointed tail curled snugly around her trainer's wrist. Will always liked to tease that Karen was the one getting taken for a walk. She laughed softly to herself, and the sound felt at once foreign and welcomed. His was the kind of smile she needed right now.

Karen hesitated when she came to his room, her hand brushing the wood of his door. She opened her mouth to speak, but the door handle twisted open without a word, without a touch, robbing her of her need to say a thing. A smile ghosted her lips. "How did you know I was here?"

Will laughed from his bed, shifting into a sitting position. "I could hear you. You might be the only woman in the world who is less graceful without her heels on."

Even in the darkest hour of night, even amidst the storm that brewed both outside the walls and inside her heart, there was something about being in his room that was oddly warming. Karen walked through the doorway and to his bed, where she quickly claimed the empty space beside him. Salem sprung up onto the mattress along with her, shooting Will a pointed look before nestling against her trainer's legs.

"You seem… awake," Karen said, slumping against his shoulder.

Will shrugged. "I'm always up on Friday nights."

"Then why are you in bed?"

"I think the question that needs to be asked here is, why are you in my bed?"

She didn't answer him right away. Thunder groaned deeply and lightning hissed, splintering across the night sky in a brilliant web of light. It flooded the room for a half-second and lit up her face just long enough for Will to catch the bleary redness that circled her pretty eyes. Some of the life drained from his. "Karen?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. The words rose in her throat, but for the life of her she couldn't force them out. She just whined and braided her arms around his neck, netting her fingers in the ends of his hair.

"What did he do to you?" Will enveloped her with his arms and rested his head atop hers, tucking her in close to him. His touch was soft, but his body was tense, his jaw clenched tight. He'd never liked Grimsley—how could he ever—but whatever this was, whatever happened between them tonight, it was bad. And Will was sure that if he could spend thirty seconds in close proximity to the man's mind, he would retain no longer the mental capacity to count to five, much less ever hurt his Karen again. "Karen. Talk to me. Please."

She closed her eyes tight in a halfhearted attempt to hold back her tears. "He was… He was with somebody else," Karen whispered. All the words came out in a jumble, but he understood them all the same. She silently cursed the weakness of her voice. "I'm an idiot, Will, I can't believe I—"

"Karen," Will's voice shushed her. His hands ran through the length of her hair, following the curve of her back as it heaved and shook against him.

It was there in the sanctuary of his arms that she finally broke. Karen turned her face into his chest and bawled. He was the only person she ever let herself cry in front of. He was the first person who didn't make her feel weak for showing the emotions that the tyrant who raised them tried so desperately to conceal. He was her safe place. He always had been, he always would be.

She cried until she couldn't possibly anymore, until the sobs became coughs and hiccups and shaking breaths. Will hadn't loosened his hold on her; if anything, he'd held her tighter, keeping their bodies together as one.

"Karen." Her name was a prayer whispered on his lips, soft and intimate and for her and her alone. She was still trying to catch her breath, still trying to stop her aching chest from heaving so erratically. "You don't have to look at me, I just need you to listen to me. You're not an idiot. You're the strongest person I know, and Arceus, you're the most beautiful. You're brilliant, and you're passionate. You're one of the best trainers in Johto—you're one of the only people who can beat Lance! You could be the Champion if you wanted to be, but you don't have to be, because… you're you, and that's perfect enough. If Grimsley can't see that, then he's the idiot. He's never treated you the way you should be treated. You deserve so much better. There will never be anyone who can be as good as you deserve."

By Arceus, he thought, You have no idea how hard I would try.

"You give me too much credit," Karen murmured.

"No," Will said, "You don't give yourself enough of it."

Karen sighed, hiding her face in the curve between his neck and shoulder, her fingers lazily winding themselves in and out of his mess of violet hair. This wouldn't be her first night spent together. There were those cold winter missions when they were just agents in Team Rocket, not to mention their first night in a jail cell, their first failed assignment. Then there was their first night here in the plateau, when the reality of freedom and how close they'd actually come to dying slammed them both. They slept tangled up in each other's arms that night, waking up every so often to comfort one another from nightmares of legendary beasts and half-masks with grim smiles. It had come to feel natural, this space in his arms, like her body was made to perfectly meld against his this way.

Maybe it was. Maybe her instinct had something more than heartbreak in mind for her tonight. Maybe…

"Karen?" His voice pulled her back, tethering her to reality as he thumbed little circles between her shoulder blades.

"Mm?"

"Promise me you won't go back to him," Will mumbled against her hair, "No matter what he says."

"I won't," she shook her head, "I promise."

"Karen?"

She unwrapped her arms from Will's neck and wiggled out of his embrace, straightening herself into a sitting position, so this time she could look into his eyes this time. He only had the one good one now—losing half of his sight was nothing compared to what he could have lost, he would always tell her—to Karen, they were both still just as striking. "What?"

Will grinned. "Promise me you'll post my bond if he shows his face anywhere near here ever again."

Something other than lightning flickered in her eyes this time: the shadow of a smile. It tugged at her lips and a tiny laugh escaped out of her. "I guess I could maybe part with some of my winnings," Karen mused. She laughed again, louder this time, as Will pulled her into a hug.

"That's more like it. You haven't been smiling enough lately," he said, combing his fingers through the length of her soft hair. He held her tight for a long moment, resting his chin over her shoulder. On the other side of her, Salem was glaring at him, her lips edging up over her teeth in what was supposed to be a threatening snarl. But Will knew the Pokemon far better than that.

"You know you love me, Salem." He offered a hand to the Houndoom. She considered him with a deep sniff, then promptly snorted and buried her muzzle against her trainer's hip. Karen giggled; Will sighed overdramatically. "Thanks a lot, mongrel."

"She likes you more than she likes Grim." Karen bit down on her lip, hard. She said his name without thinking, and it stung her far worse than she would ever care to admit.

Will frowned. "Karen, I—"

"You said you were always up on Friday nights," she cut him off, rocking back into a sitting position so they were speaking face-to-face again. "Why is that?"

He was the one to hesitate this time; that alone was uncharacteristic of Will. He was always sure of everything he did. He was fully confident when there should be no possible allowance for it, fearless even when any rational being would be scared witless. Yet here he was, the picture of calm, stumbling over his thoughts.

Karen screwed her face up at him. "Will?"

"You're always with him on Fridays," he said quickly. Karen searched his eyes, trying to follow his thoughts. "Look, Karen, I—I honestly can't remember a day of my life without you in it, and I never want to. I never thought he was right for you, I thought maybe… maybe I was."

Everything went strangely quiet between them, and for the first time that night, Karen couldn't hear the sound of lightning striking the mountaintop. She couldn't feel the crash of thunder as it rattled the plateau on its very foundation. She couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own heart, drumming wildly in her ears. She couldn't feel anything but the way she felt about him. She couldn't stop thinking about way their bodies fit together and the way her smile reached her eyes when she was with him. He made her laugh when her body ached to cry, he made her feel safe and sound without speaking.

"I shouldn't have said anything, I'm sorry, just forget I—"

Karen's lips brushed Will's, smothering what words he had left on his tongue. They broke apart almost as easily as they came together, their foreheads brushing, their mouths dangerously close to meeting again. "I pushed you away," she whispered, her strength breaking. "You were always there and I… I…"

Karen, I love you, he whispered not to her lips, but to her mind. I have loved you for a very long time. I love you more than he ever did. I'm asking you to give us a chance. Please. There's not a day that passes by that I don't regret not being the one to ask you first. So I'm asking you now: stay. Don't leave me tonight. Be mine.

She stared into his eyes, hers glistening. She lifted a dainty hand to his face. Her fingers brushed feather soft against the angle of his jaw, over the curve of his lips. "You are the only person who has always been there for me. You said you can't remember a day without me in it, well, I can't remember one before you, either. I love you, Will. I'm sorry I—"

Their lips met again, slow and soft this time. Will wreathed his arms around her tiny waist and she braided hers around his neck, drawing him ever closer to her. There was something different about these kisses, something unlike she'd ever felt with Grimsley or anyone else. Something smoldered behind each one of them, sending little bolts of electricity all through her veins.

Her touch made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, shooting little pinpricks of feeling all down his spine. Between their minds, he uttered love; to her lips, he proved it.

Outside, the storm was blowing over. Pitter-pats on the roof replaced the gushing cascade of wind and rain. The thunder settled into a tired grumble, and lightning flickered dimly in the distance. Now it was inside the high-reaching walls of Indigo Plateau that something brewed, something stronger and more encompassing than any storm nature could ever knit together.

He kissed the brokenness of her heart away, bandaging holes that even she didn't realize she had. When they finally broke apart it was out of need for breath, not distance. Karen leaned into his chest and reveled in the warmth she found there, at the softness of his fingers as they wove in and out of her hair.

"Can I stay in here tonight?" she asked quietly, her voice muffled against him.

"You're really asking me that question?" Will couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't count the nights he'd spent, his stomach sick, knowing that it was Grimsley's arms she was wrapped in, his lips that hers were on. He died a little each time, knowing his life, his love, his heart belonged to someone else. And now here she was, the most perfect being in the planet enveloped in his arms, and she was asking permission to sleep in his bed tonight. He tipped her head back and kissed her tenderly. "Of course you can stay."

Karen smiled and stole one last kiss from him, then carefully untwisted herself from their tangle of limbs and stretched into a laying position beside him. He adjusted his pillow so that their heads could share it, then gathered his mess of blankets and pulled them up to cover their bodies. Salem, vaguely annoyed with the new sleeping arrangement, rose to her feet and circled the bed a few times, finally settling on a space between Will and Karen's legs, preventing them from lacing together too closely.

"You cozy?" Will asked, gently brushing a hand across her forehead, sweeping a few stray strands of hair away from her face.

Karen nodded and tucked her head beneath his chin, then softly folded her hands against his chest. "I love you," she whispered. From under her fingers she felt his breathing sputter, his chest tense, and she giggled. "I think I've found a new weapon to use against you, love."

"I'm completely used to it," Will smirked, "Your entire existence is a weapon to be used against me." Karen bobbed her head in agreement and he laughed, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. "I'll love you forever," he vowed, his mouth brushing over her long tresses.

"Love you, Will," Karen mumbled, her eyes fluttering shut. She took in one deep breath, sighing peacefully as the canopy of sleep and his arms came over her.

Morning came far too soon, or maybe Will just left his curtains open far too wide. Either way the sun came shining into his bedroom much earlier than Karen would ever want it to. She groaned as the light danced over her face, and lazily she swatted Will's chest as he chuckled at her attempt to hide from the first light of day.

"Karen, come on."

"Arceus, Will, It's Saturday," Karen grumbled, "The league is closed. We have nothing to do. Why do you want to get up?"

Will laughed, peppering the top of her head with kisses. "Why do you want to sleep your life away?"

"I don't want to sleep my whole life away," she shot back, "Just the morning part of it."

"Tell me this doesn't make it a little more enjoyable." Will trailed kisses down the line of her jaw. Then, just as she she was starting to look a little too comfortable, he planted one just beneath her chin, exactly where he knew she was the most ticklish.

"WILLIAM!" Karen shrieked, batting and kicking at him in vain. "I SWEAR TO ARCEUS, I WILL—"

His bedroom door swung open wide and a familiar voice boomed from the doorway, "Will, have you seen… well, nevermind," Bruno chuckled. "It's about damn time. Ever since the two of you joined the Elite Four, we've all been betting on how long it would take Willy to get the b—"

"What exactly do you need, Bruno?" Will asked. Karen turned her face into the crook of his shoulder, giggling lightly.

"Look, I'm not trying to interrupt you lovebirds but… Karen, your boyfriend's on the phone."

Her face fell. "What?" she asked, pulling away from Will. She shouldn't have sounded so surprised. It was just the next turn in the game he played: a morning after of excuses and apologies that amounted to nothing in the end.

Will didn't know that, though. He felt his heart hang in his chest, his breath lump in his throat. He couldn't lose her now, not already, not ever. He would fight for her this time. He would do something, anything, whatever it took to keep her beside him. He wouldn't let her go back to Grimsley, he couldn't…

Bruno shrugged. "Yeah, he called the main line a few times. He said he's been trying to call your phone for a while, but he can't get through."

"Thanks for letting me know," Karen nodded; he gave them a wave in regard and started back down the hallway. She turned to face Will, a soft smile playing on her lips. He opened his mouth to speak but her lips met his with fire. It was like an inferno from somewhere within her, a passion she'd never felt before, not once in her life.

It was love. Her only love.

Since she silenced his mouth, he turned to her mind. Karen, I can't lose you. I love you. Please, stay with me.

Shh, she smiled against his lips, Will, you love me more in a breath than he ever did. I'm yours.

What are you going to tell him?

I think I have an idea.

She broke apart from him only for a moment, her eyes flashing to the door, still gaping open. "Hey, Bruno?" Karen called out. She heard his heavy steps hesitate, and his voice soon returned.

"Yeah?"

"If he calls again," she looked at Will and grinned, "Tell him my battery must be low."