Synopsis: After the loss of her beloved Piplup to a fatal rogue strain of Pokerus ravaging the Sinnoh Region, Dawn's old struggle, an eating disorder, returns with a vengeance. Will she survive her demons with the help of her best friend, May? And what about her growing feelings for her fellow coordinator, who is engaged to Drew?
Note: I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is the property of Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokemon Company.
Warnings: Trigger warning for some serious eating disorder/anorexia content, and an abusive and violent relationship. Also, some Pokemon death.
This is a May x Dawn fic (SapphirePearlShipping), and an anti May x Drew (ContestShipping) fic. Lots of tragedy, some romance, and maybe some mild Yuri lemon later on (I haven't decided yet).
The title is taken from a Sara Teasdale poem, "Tonight". The poem is public domain, so I may use it here later on.
r/r please! I haven't written fics in ages so it would be nice.
Chapter 1
"Dawn," a girl's voice cooed, "you haven't touched your food at all tonight. Is something wrong?"
May and her Skitty watched from the other side of the little round table, May's normally bright eyes dark with concern. I wonder, Dawn thought, if she knows how pretty she is, even when she worries. But Dawn caught herself in this thought, and before her gaze could turn into a stare, she looked away. Ugh...how can I even be thinking that at a time like this? I'm disgusting.
She tried distract herself by observing the Pokemon Center around her, but her surroundings were as chaotic as her insides. Masked Nurse Joys and Wigglytuff hurried about, supported by volunteers who had decided to help out during these terrible times. At the landing bay, another sick Pokemon, a Swinub, arrived by stretcher, as its trainer, a boy no older than eleven, looked on, helpless. "It'll be okay, Swinub, I promise! Just hang in there!" It was all too much.
May's voice woke her from her trance. "Dawn? Are you there?"
"I- um- yes, I'm here."
"Are you okay? You've barely eaten today. I know you said your stomach hurt at breakfast, but then you didn't eat lunch either, and now..you must be starving."
Dawn looked down at her hands, picking at the cuticle of her index finger- a bad habit she'd had since she was little. "Yeah, I am hungry. But I just can't...I keep thinking about-"
"I know," May said, "it's going to take time." May got up from her seat and moved her chair, sitting down beside Dawn. "But I'm here for you, okay?" May put an arm around her.
I don't want her to see me like this. I don't... Dawn's thoughts were interrupted by a nudge at her foot- May's Skitty looked up expectantly at her, a cookie in its mouth. Oatmeal chocolate chip, her favorite.
"For me?" She held the cookie in her hand, and took a nibble. The sweetness collided with the bitter taste in her mouth, a chunk of chocolate melting in the back of her throat. But then it caught in her throat, and she couldn't take another bite- she back looked down at Skitty, who mewed as it nuzzled her leg, happy that she was eating. Before she knew it, she started to cry, that yellow and pink Pokemon becoming a blurry mess in front of her. "I- I can't. This is just like how he used to-"
"I know." May held Dawn in her arms, her hands stroking that blue hair, as Dawn sobbed. In the distance, the siren of another ambulance drew nearer to the Pokemon Center.