Mahogany City Pokemon Center
DECEMBER 24
- 12:37 AM -
Three quick knocks struck her door, grabbing her attention away from the laptop screen. From a cocoon of a dozen blankets she turned her head.
"Come in!" She shouted.
"I can't, it's locked!" a muffled voice from the other side of the oxide-red door reported back. She paused-she knew who he was, but she had spent an hour comfortable under her mountain of blankets. Granted, underneath them was a long, baggy sweater which would keep her warm for a few seconds, but she wanted to remain inert. After the change of plans for her today, she wanted to adhere to Newton's first law like it was a philosophy.
Yet she knew who the guest would be. She shuffled, sending a quake through the strata of a dozen blankets briefly before the clinking of ceramics together caught her attention. An empty mug and bowl were resting on the toe of the slope, and she reached out, moving the vessels onto a hard surface. She shuffled again and emerged from the warm haven, and the relative cold suddenly engulfed her extremities.
She wished she could set the thermostat higher.
She took in her surroundings-the small fridge and her laptop sat in the corner of the room, the former making a low buzz while the other occasionally chirruped or whooshed as its processor ran its nightly tasks. A microwave-with a few splatters on its door and a tin of dry-mix cocoa-rested silent. The television was a dull murmur, and one of the nightly sitcoms flickered on it. For a show about nothing, the escapades of three trainers sharing an apartment in Nimbasa City was definitely eventful.
She shuffled over to the door, the thick woolen hem of her sweater falling a few inches further than her trusty miniskirt. The sleeves extended far-leaving only a single knuckle on hands-and all the holes slopped loosely about. Her only practical use for it was a mobile blanket. She wished she had a dozen of them.
She unlocked the knob and opened the door, relieved slightly that the brass handle did not gather all the static electricity accumulated by her socks sliding against the thick carpet. A rush of cold air from the hall spilled around her legs and she wished she could hide them under her hem like her hands could retreat into the sweater arms. At the door was a young man, wiry and in night-clothes himself. Taut rucksack straps creased his flannel nightshirt and a soft smile of relief crossed his jaw as he stepped wearily into the warmly-lit room from the hallway. A few strides into the room and he shed the weight of his rucksack, set it down neatly, and fell backward onto the bed, face towards the ceiling.
"Thanks so much May, you're the sweetest" He murmured, shifting to the side a slight bit. She flopped down next to him, chest-down and at a slight angle off perpendicular to his position, a twinkle in her eyes and a soft smile as she cradled her cheeks with her hands. He adored this considerably. He adored the way she was slowly kicking her feet skyward as though swimming. He adored the way the movement caused her hair to bob about, the bangs normally held back by a bandanna now free.
"Hey. Hey Drew." She half-whispered, half-murmured back. He shifted onto his side to indicate complete attentiveness. "Anytime, you cutie."
She wrapped her arms around him as he shed his loafers and corrected his bearing, now aligned with her. Warm arms extended around one another as hearts aligned and chests rose and fell against one another.
He knew she was affectionate, but he was still getting accustomed to how endearing she could be when her warmth lingered. As much as he cherished every sloppy, sternum-squeezing bear hug when they'd meet, he was astonished at how gentle a touch she had. It set every nerve at peace and brought every muscle to equilibrium. It filled his head with warm, fuzzy feelings and melted away all the stress.
"Wow, this is a lot of blankets," Drew mused. "Are they as warm as you are?"
"Wanna find out?" She giggled. Having already moved them, the disorganized strata of blankets was halfway down the bed, so the two tucked their legs beneath them and slid the slab of warmth up. Drew could feel her pulling closer still, the feel an arm around his back and one of her legs crossed over his. The drones and chirrups melted away, and the sound of her breathing and the beat of her heart filled in the emptiness.
They sat still for a long while, appreciating the little cavern in the mountain of blankets they shared together, until May piped up over the background noise.
"I'm sorry that happened with Harley."
"It's okay, we've been rooming together all season so we needed a bit of space," he pulled her closer as he paused. "Maybe it worked out for the better though, you know?"
Her hand was in his hair, tousling the spearmint-green locks about. "You were planning to go home, right?" He asked, lifting his head out of the pillow slightly.
"Yeah, yeah I was."
"I wasn't
"At least we're snowbound together though!"
"And Harley's got Nando to keep him company," he chuckled. "We may be in an outpost but we're not lonely!" May giggled as they touched foreheads and rubbed noses.
"There is one thing I'll miss though..." She could feel a change in his attention towards her, a bit of concern in his grip. "I really wanted to spend Christmas with my family, y'know?"
"Yeah, yeah! I do!" He replied. "They're really sweet."
"My mom's from Unova so...you know how she really goes to town with Christmas. We decorate the whole house and bake for hours, then we exchange gifts and..." Drew noticed a small glisten at the right below her iris and heard her snuffle a bit. "...it's all about family and joy and being with the ones you love!" Drew felt his own eyes water, wiping them with his wrist before hugging her tightly, his cheek grazing hers.
"If it's about being with the ones you love..." He murmured into her ear softly. "I've got you covered. And I'll do my best to make it merry."
He pressed his lips to her cheek softly, and rested his head back on the pillow. He could feel his eyes drooping like hers were, and fell asleep to her soft smile.
- 9:15 AM -
Warmth enveloped her. She stirred slightly, picking up on all its sources. Drew was still asleep, his hair disheveled his arm limply wrapped around her. His heartbeat was slow but strong, calm and collected like the rise and fall of his chest. Everything about him was soothing, from the soft smile on his lips down to the way his sweatpants felt brushing up against her legs.
She rested her head close to his, and cupped her hand to his cheek. His eyelids opened slowly and his lips parted a bit, taking in the morning light on her sweet face. She could feel his legs shifting slightly under her own, soft fleece against her skin. A warm smile crossed his face and soft morning light backlit him, with small glimmers in his hair.
"Good morning Drew," She chirruped. "Did you sleep well?"
"I had help," he replied, easing her in close, her face to his. His lips pursed slightly before he paused.
"It's alright if I...erm...?"
"Yes?"
"I mean, it's okay if you don-"
In one quick movement, she struck, her puckered lips meeting his briefly before she withdrew. He lay astonished for a second, feeling his cheeks heat up to the point where he was unsure whether he would need to spritz a burn heal on them.
"Was that what you wanted?" She giggled.
"Y...yes." Drew replied, rubbing his cheek.
"You liked it?"
His eyes fluttered closed and he leaned towards her, and in an instant she could taste his lips. He lingered there for a few seconds before breaking the kiss and drifting back slightly.
"Drew, I wish I could stay like this forever..." she cooed "But..."
"But what?"
"I smell breakfast is almost ready."
"You know, food and cuddles aren't mutually exclusive" He chuckled.
"True!" She replied, releasing her grip on him. "Come on, let's get ready!"
