Author's note: This fic was written in 2014. I tried out some new things and played with words in some ways that may not be very logical, that's just me experimenting. Excuse me for any dumb wordings.
I don't remember when was the last time I wrote about het pairing. I absolutely love how Drew and May's blooming crush is portrayed in the anime, though, so here goes. Oh and just to mention, it's never been said if May's Beautifly is a male or a female, but I chose to make her female.
Drew checked his belongings for the last time to make sure he had everything with him, then walked out the door of the Pokémon center. He had just heard the thump that indicated the door was closed, before a slight screech of hinges signaled it had been pushed open again.
"Drew! Wait! I have something to give to you."
It was May, hair escaping from under her bandanna, eyes fixed on him, cheeks – were they a little flushed? Maybe from running after him.
May frowned, gritted her teeth, stepped further and shoved an envelope towards Drew without saying a word.
"Wow, that serious?" Drew questioned with a hint of sharp-edged tease in his voice.
"Just take it", May said, and Drew couldn't help noticing her voice was a little dry. He let his gaze rest on May, who had turned her head away, before he looked down at the envelope.
"It's not from me, it's from Beautifly", May muttered.
Drew stared at May again. "From Beautifly?"
May glanced at him. "You know, you've given her some roses recently, so… I thought it would be fair to give you something in return."
"But it's not even a special occasion of any kind."
"It is nothing special. Are your roses always special?"
Drew flared up for a moment, hiding embarrassment. "There was thought behind them!"
May didn't seem to know how to continue from that, and suddenly, neither did Drew. "I mean…" He cursed in his mind; he felt his confident cover fall. "Yeah, they were nothing special, too. Uh… can I open it right away?"
"Yes." The word was almost just an outbreath.
So he concentrated on opening the envelope, doing it carelessly to make it seem like he wasn't too interested in it, but still intentionally avoiding ripping the whole thing into pieces. He decided to ignore his quickened pulse. He was just curious, because things in envelopes are always tickle some curiosity, right?
He pulled out a card – simple, one-sided paperboard card – and studied it for a while. It was a simple self-made card, portraying a Butterfree, a Beautifly and a Masquerain flying among some glitter, no text at all. But the way the pokémon were drawn and the glitter was glued made Drew wonder how much time May had spent making it.
"From Beautifly, you say?"
"I – she – just wanted to give you something before you wander off again. We don't know how soon we'll meet again."
"It's nice." Beautiful, he meant, but it wasn't a word he was used to say at times like this. "For being made by a pokémon, that is", he added jokingly.
"I, uh. I helped. I mean I drew it – Drew. Drew for Drew", May laughed awkwardly, quickly making a face that indicated what she was thinking by herself; something among the lines oh for Ho-oh's sake and I can't believe I just said that and why can't I just shut up.
Drew smiled at her.
For a moment they just hovered hesitantly. Drew put the card into his pocket.
"So… Where are you heading now?" May asked quietly.
"Beautifly wants to know that, too?"
"Wh– yes."
"West. There's this pokémon course I want to attend. I'll make it if I leave now."
"Okay." And then, hesitantly, "I hope we'll meet soon."
"So now it's you who says that? And not your pokémon?"
May stared at him. At that moment, Drew could see a layer of restraint peel off.
"Yes, it's me who says that", she said.
A lot happened in Drew's mind. A neutral, knowledge-sensing part of his brain stated she wants to see me soon. A skeptical, pessimistic voice in his head asked what does it mean she wants to see me soon? – which was answered by a smug little piece of Drew who normally decided what he said out loud, claiming well of course she wants to see me soon, I knew it all along. And lastly, slowly getting louder and louder, a parade of glee cheered out yes! She wants to see me soon!
The said parade made his body shiver, his heartbeat grow louder, the corners of his mouth to climb into a smile and his feet to take a step closer to May.
But as Drew's brain registered May's astonishment and the way that she blinked in surprise, his body froze still, halfway between standing in an appropriate distance and leaning in to touch the girl.
Slow seconds. Three slow, painful seconds that probably were keeping up to the normal speed of time, but felt like weeks.
May leaned in. Lips. There were lips. On his lips, which weren't moving, weren't they supposed to move instead of being cubes of ice?
Drew opened his mouth just a little bit, just enough to make the kiss feel more like… a kiss, and not just two random body parts pressed together.
Another set of slow seconds. Three slow, blissful seconds that probably were right on clock, but were over way too fast.
May parted from him. Drew absently wondered when he had become this person who needed to be led to know when to start a kiss and when to end it.
"That was from me", May said.
"Well, obviously", Drew noted.
"I don't just mean this… kiss. The card. It's from me."
Drew rolled his eyes. "As I said, well, obviously."
May blushed and buried her face against Drew's chest. "Now I feel kind of stupid."
Drew wrapped his arms around the girl. "Don't. It was kind of… sweet."
They stayed like that for a while. Breathing. Feeling. Learning how to be so close to the person they both had wanted to be close to for a long time.
"Your heart beats fast", May said, almost an amused tone in her voice.
"No it doesn't."
"I can hear it, you know."
Drew said nothing, trying in his head to concentrate on calming down his heart – probably only ending up having an even tenser and quicker pulse.
May giggled. After her shy approach and nervousness, it sounded comforting; she wasn't so uneasy around him anymore. The girl lifted his head and looked up to Drew's eyes, face painted with soft delight. "You were leaving. I'm sorry I'm keeping you."
"It doesn't bother me the slightest", Drew immediately said. He bit his lower lip, having mixed feelings; he was kind of embarrassed about these soft words that kept coming out. This – crush – May – made him do and say things without thinking, and that wasn't something he was thoroughly okay with. He was used to being calculating and saving soft talk to his pokémon.
But then May leaned into him again, lips touching his slowly, slipping the words "I'll see you at the next contest" in between kisses and Drew forgot all about his embarrassment. There was a promise in those words and Drew almost wanted to skip the leaving part and find out right now what the promise meant.
Then May ended the kiss, let go of him and took a few steps backwards, almost as if she had to physically restrain herself from clinging onto him. "So… go now. You don't want to miss the course."
"Y-yeah."
They hovered, told each other byes that meant I'll miss you, then parted their ways. Drew walked with quick, steady footsteps, partly to release the tenseness of his body and mind.
"Drew!"
He stopped and turned to look at the Pokémon center door. May still stood there.
"Drew, I –" she gasped. Her face had lightened up when their eyes had met, but she just stood still.
Then, after few seconds of silence, she just laughed and shook her head. "Oh, never mind. Have a safe trip!"
"Yeah", Drew said, "you too."
Drew turned away again and kept walking towards the forest path nearby, absently wondering what May had originally wanted to say. He'd probably find out the next time they'd meet. Or any time they'd meet. They had time, he realized. Something had just begun, and May had – somehow, someway – given him a promise.
He pulled the card out of his pocket and looked at it, smiling. The roses had never been for Beautifly.
