A/N: I have been reading a lot of Ikari fics lately and felt like writing something cheesy hah. What's cheesier than Dawn and Paul shopping? Beware, I'm so sleep deprived I can't find my mistakes...

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Paul goes shopping

It was cramped, his back ached and he was surrounded by way too much fabric. Cursing his luck, Paul adjusted his position to give his back some relief. Of course the only place to hide in was this narrow space, where only a child would fit. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Paul was hiding in the middle of a round clothes rack. Why you ask? Because his lovely girlfriend had dragged him off to go shopping. Usually, she would just shop for herself and have Paul carry her bags, but this time around, she had insisted Paul update his wardrobe, hence the hiding.

Dawn shopping for herself was actually tolerable. She took a while, yes, but seldom required Paul's assistance, meaning he had time to walk around as he pleased. Dawn shopping for others, however, was a whole different matter. A matter best avoided. Dawn could go from being her usual cheery self to downright scary in a matter of minutes. She had a tendency to become a little eager and loved offering advice on fashion. So, Paul had done the only sensible thing to do: distracted her and made a run for it. Now, don't get him wrong. He loved Dawn to bits, he really did, but becoming her dress up doll had proven to be traumatic, and Paul wasn't willing to try it again just yet.

Someone moved a dress to his right and Paul peeked out from the opening, before he slowly closed it up again. He hadn't spotted Dawn, and sincerely hoped she was so absorbed in trying on dresses that she had forgotten her main objective. Paul had chosen to hide in the back of the store, where it was less crowded. Hearing footsteps, he tensed up and almost stopped breathing, afraid to make even the slightest noise. A pair of boots slowly walked by and stopped next to him for a few seconds, before walking away again. Paul sighed in relief. Crisis avoided.

"Paul?" Or maybe not. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Dawn standing behind him with a small smile on her lips.

"Are you hiding from me?" She sounded amused rather than angry. That was a good sign.

"No." He mumbled weakly and got up from his 'hiding spot'. Stretching his sore legs - he had no idea how much time had passed - he glanced at Dawn who was smiling brightly at him.

"Let's go then." She took his arm and turned around.

"Go where?" Paul questioned, hoping she meant they were going home.

"To the men's section of course." She grinned at him and quickened her pace.

"Figures." Paul mumbled again. He was doomed.

"Don't be like that Plumkin," she pouted and scanned various racks for something eye catching, "I'll let you choose everything on your own." She promised with a blinding smile.

"Sure you will." Paul snorted, slightly amused. She would break that promise after 40 seconds.

"Alright, maybe I'll lend you a hand, but you get the final say." Dawn expertly maneuvered them through the crowd and stopped in front of stand with shirts.

"Now, pick something you like and come show me." She shooed him away and started inspecting a variety of shirts on display. Paul shook his head at how quickly she took control and left to look for something that would at least please her. After having picked a few articles of clothing, he went back to where he had last seen his girlfriend and found her standing a little ways back with a huge pile of clothes beside her.

She had already seen him coming and raised a brow at whatever he had picked. With a mighty roll of his eyes, Paul handed Dawn the clothes and waited while she critically scrutinized them. Crossing his arms over his chest he awaited her judgment.

"I think you should get something a little more bright." Looking at his chosen clothes, he realized they were pretty much the same as his current wardrobe. He couldn't help it that he preferred darker colors. Dawn apparently thought otherwise.

"I knew you'd go for the gloomy colours, so I found a few that would suit you." Normally, he would have flat out refused to try on anything he hadn't chosen himself, but Dawn was giving him a loving and hopeful look that he couldn't resist. They had been together for a while now, so he decided to trust her ability to choose something he would like.

"Let me see." He sighed in defeat. Dawn smiled widely and presented a pile of clothes, mostly shirts. Paul had to admit that she knew his preferences quite well, but some of the clothes just screamed Dawn. He discarded a pair of jeans and a few pastel colored t-shirts before trudging to the fitting room, Dawn right on his heels, picking up more clothes on the way. Entering a stall and grabbing the first shirt in the pile, he glanced briefly in the mirror before showing it to his fashion obsessed girlfriend.

"I don't think orange is your color." Dawn laughed lightly when he scowled at her. Going back inside, he threw off the shirt and picked a v-neck that didn't look half-bad. Dawn was a sucker for v-necks and black looked great on any person. As expected, Dawn immediately nodded in acceptance, trying hard not to squeal. Paul appreciated the effort she put in not being too excited.

Next he tried a couple more t-shirts, some he liked and a few he knew Dawn would love. Yes, he felt incredibly sappy, but figured he could at least do something to make her happy, when she was taking this seriously and making the shopping as painless as possible. Paul really didn't like shopping.

After another two piles of clothes that Dawn whipped out of nowhere and almost an hour of going in and out of the fitting room, Paul wanted nothing more than to leave. He had chosen a lot of the clothes he had tried on and a few Dawn liked, which he would never admit that he also liked. Dawn, however, was as excited as ever and was still commenting on every piece of clothing she saw.

"I think you have enough casual clothes now. Maybe you should get some dress shirts or blazers for formal events." She suggested sweetly, once Paul had been through all of the clothes. He hated to admit it, but she was right. He really didn't have much formal clothing.

"Fine." He huffed and followed Dawns as she started searching for dress shirts. Leaving her near a rack of shirts, Paul moved towards jackets and blazers. Examining a few, he spotted a table with packs of ties nearby and let out a groan. He could already hear Dawn insisting he get accessories for his outfits. Deciding to keep her away from the accessory aisle, Paul picked two blazers and a jacket for casual wear and made his way back to where the bluenette was. She had of course wandered off in search for the perfect outfit for Paul, so he looked around for a while before finally finding her.

Once Paul was a few feet from her, he noticed two guys not too far away, whispering and openly ogling Dawn. This of course only served to tick off Paul. Not only was he exhausted from shopping all day, but these guys were having perverted thoughts about his girlfriend. So Paul marched up to Dawn, who had turned so she had her back to him and stopped when he was right behind her. Being almost a head taller than the bluenette, he was practically towering over her, not that she noticed. The guys who had come closer - no doubt to hit on Dawn - were standing on the opposite side of the display they were standing at, and looked nervously at Paul glaring at them.

Dawn straightened up and her back hit Paul's chest, at which he smirked. Once she turned her head to apologize, probably thinking she had bumped into another costumer, Paul grabbed her chin and kissed her, putting his other hand across her stomach. Dawn's eyes widened for a second before she smiled into the kiss. Paul wasn't much for being affectionate in public, which she didn't really mind, but she still enjoyed his sudden hugs and kisses. Breaking the kiss after a few more seconds, Dawn smiled up at him.

"Why, I missed you too." She grinned at Paul, who still hadn't let go of her. He gave her a half-smile and pecked her lips again. The two guys had disappeared, which suited Paul just fine and he turned his attention back to his girlfriend. Dawn beamed at him when he showed her what he had picked out and gave him a few shirts to go with them.

"We still need to get you some new shoes." Dawn declared, frowning at his worn sneakers.

"What's wrong with these?" He asked gruffly. He liked his current sneakers, and they weren't even that old.

"You have practically worn them thin. Just get some new ones." Dawn sighed dramatically. She could feel an argument starting. She knew Paul had compromised a lot the whole day, but he needed new shoes, whether he liked it or not.

"No." He crossed his arms defiantly.

"Paul." Dawn growled threateningly. She really didn't want to argue in the middle of the store, but Paul was being stubborn. Good thing she didn't give up so easily. Glaring at each other for a few moments, Paul rolled his eyes and for the second time that day, gave in to Dawn's wishes.

"Fine." He felt that he was repeating the word a lot.

"Let's go then." Dawn broke into a grin, knowing she had won. Grabbing his hand, she started walking towards the opposite side of the store.

"Shopzilla." Paul grumbled under his breath, but Dawn still heard him and gasped at his comment.

"Are you calling me a monster or implying I shop a lot?!" Dawn demanded angrily. Paul just smirked and continued walking, leaving her behind.

"Come back here!"

I have no idea why I wrote this, but hey I aced an exam yesterday. That calls for celebration! I think... (=W=)/