Dawn took a sigh of relief as the plane landed in Lumiose City. Her journey would have been uneventful if the boy named Ash wouldn't have dropped his book on her head and said words to infuriate her. What troubled her the most was her incapability to see his red string of fate and it was making her annoyed.
Why couldn't she see his thread?
Why was he so damn special?
Why was she even thinking about it the whole journey?
She kept watching as he was walking in front of her, carrying his small bag. She had somehow managed to fit all her belongings in one suitcase and quickly went to retrieve it.
She took a deep breath as she gathered her luggage and began walking towards the exit. She wasn't going to see Him again so there was no need to think and worry about his thread. Moreover she couldn't afford to be distracted by such small detail. She had work to take care of.
Stopping a taxi, she hopped in and gave the driver the address to Paris's abode.
Throughout the ride, she was intrigued by the new place. She was constantly staring out of the window, amazed by the beauty of the place.
.
The taxi stopped infront of a tall building and Dawn came out, looking amazed. She quickly paid the driver and entered the building, heading straight for the reception.
She was met by a red-haired lady at the desk and Dawn politely asked,"I am here to see Paris."
The red-haired lady looked up and then asked,"Do you have an appointment?"
Dawn shook her head and glanced at the name tag the girl was wearing,"Miss Zoey, I don't. But I've got an invitation letter from her and was told to show it at the desk."
Dawn pulled out the letter from her bag and placed it on the counter. Zoey took the letter, read it and then typed something on her computer, giving back Dawn her letter.
"Please go and wait over there. Someone will be here to pick you up soon."
Dawn thanked her and went to the nearby waiting area and down. Her head was spinning and she felt dizzy. The building was big and painted light pink. There was a big chandelier hanging on the ceiling. Various photos were out up in the wall, each showing a artist or someone who was a part of the company.
'Calm down,' she whispered to herself, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt. She had never been so anxious about anything!
Hearing some footsteps arriving, she took a deep breath. 'Calm down. Everything will be okay.'
"So, you're going to follow me everywhere huh?" Dawn heard a masculine voice call her. Snapping her head upwards, she scowled at the sight of seeing the raven haired boy there and couldn't help but make a face,"What are you doing here?"
"I work here," Ash signalled her to get up,"Miss Junior, I am amazed to see you here."
Dawn got up, feeling annoyed. She was sure she wasn't going to see him ever again but here he was, standing with a smug look on his face. Her eyes automatically went to his hand and her frown deepened on seeing the red strings absent. "I'm here because Paris called me." And within a moment, her anxiousness was replaced by irritation.
"You mean you got the scholarship?" Ash asked as they began walking towards the interior of the building.
"Yes!" Dawn boasted, ignoring his surprised tone,"But what about my luggage? Will it be safe in there?"
"Absolutely," Ash passed her a amazed look,"So what made you ask those stupid questions on the plane?"
Dawn looked away, a little offended,"Those were not stupid questions."
"You're a weird girl so maybe that's why those seemed normal to you," Ash teased her.
Dawn rolled her eyes,"Whatever."
"So?" Ash pestered her again,"Why did you ask those?"
"Because I felt like it."
"You feel weird things. Not everyone asked about deceased loved ones on their first meeting with a stranger."
Dawn couldn't counter that. Would he even believe her if she told him about those red string of fate? He calls her weird now. After she tells him that, he will definitely call her mad.
"Where are we going?" Dawn asked to avoid the question.
"To Paris's room." He said and stopped infront of a room saying 'STAFF ONLY'.
"Go inside," he said and opened the door to enter. Dawn exhaled deeply and slapped her face twice, muttering,'Everything will be okay!' and entered.
The room wasn't too big, but it was beautiful. Dawn was amazed to see two big mirrors infront of her and she cringed on seeing her reflection. 'I look like a ghost with anemia,' She thought and turned. The room had dresses arranged in neat rows and Dawn unknowingly went to feel the fabric of some clothes, intrigued.
"So, I guess you're Dawn," Dawn heard a feminine voice and she turned to see Paris standing there with another girl with long blonde hair. She immediately recognized her.
"Yes!" She bowed,"I am Dawn. Its a pleasure to meet you, Paris and Cynthia."
The blonde girl crooked her head to get a clear look at Dawn's face. The close inspection made Dawn a little embarrassed as she asked,"Is everything okay?"
Cynthia back away with smile on her face,"Hey. Wanna try your luck on being a model?"
Dawn blinked twice,"I.. umm... I think I'll be a terrible model."
Paris chuckled and Cynthia gave a dejected sigh. Paris just put a hand on Cynthia's back as if to console her. ''Come on Cynthia. We may have a problem because your partner met an accident before the show but you shouldn't steal my interns."
Dawn was looking at them with confused looks and rolled her eyes on seeing Ash holding back his laugh.
Ash spoke, hiding his amusement,"Ladies. You're creeping the newbie."
Paris gave him a grim smile,"Mr. You better not interfere.'' Then Paris turned to Dawn,"Okay. You're welcome to stay in the dorms until you find a place of your own or you decide to move out. Its your choice. We start work at 9 so don't be late, okay."
Dawn nodded and took everything in.
"And if you want," Cynthia said with a small smile,"Take Ash to show you around. He doesn't have any work right now."
"Hey," Ash exclaimed,"Don't decide whether I'm free or not without asking me!"
Cynthia raised her eyebrows,"Do you have work?"
Ash gave her a blank stare,"No."
Dawn was the one holding back her laugh as she saw the interchange and nodded, saying,"Yes Mam."
Her eyes subconsciously went to Cynthia's hand and noticed that her red strings were dancing happily. Unable to control her excitement, she asked,"Hey..." Then she remembered Ash standing behind her. 'He will call you weird! And it might cost you your job! Shut up Brain!'
Cynthia was waiting for Dawn to say something. "Yes? Ask?"
"It's Nothing," Dawn waved it off with a smile,"I hope one day you'll wear what I design."
"I will wait for that day," Cynthia encouraged her.
Waving them goodbye, Dawn came out of the room followed by Ash and took a deep breath. Ash suppressed a chuckle as she was still shaking.
"You were about to ask another stupid question," Ash remarked.
Dawn just rolled her eyes at him,"You're just trying to make me seem weird."
"I know I'm not wrong," he said with a smug face and began walking, Dawn following him.
"So.." Dawn initiated a conversation,"Let me officially introduce myself, I'm Dawn Berlitz."
"I am Ash Ketchum."
Dawn nodded. "So do live in the dorms too?"
"Yeah but I'm gonna move out as soon as I get a good place and a roommate," he said,"The dorms are good but it's gets annoying when you've rules imposed on you. Even though you're 23."
"So you're 23?"
Ash nodded.
"Why were you on the plane? I mean are you from Kanto?"
"Yes. My Mom stays there and I sometimes go to visit her."
"That's nice," Dawn smiled,"So what do you do here?"
"I do the makeup and occasionally help Newbies. Just like now."
"Its better if you designate yourself as an errand boy," Dawn joked and Ash gave her a death glare, making her giggle. "Okay, fine. But what was the fuss about needing a new model?"
"Actually," Ash sighed,"The one we hired to model for the designs just bailed on us because of some sickness. So we're in a crisis here."
Dawn nodded, understanding the situation,"But I know they will manage."
"They always do after all."
Ash helped her by carrying the luggage to the outside and then they started walking towards their left. Dawn was trying to memorize the streets and roads knowing how bad her sense of direction was.
They entered a building and Ash helped her fillup the legal documents for her stay. She took her key from the warden and then Ash followed her till she was infront of her room.
"Wanna eat something?" Dawn asked as she opened her door,"Since we both directly headed to work place, I don't think you had anything to eat."
Ash shrugged,"You should probably clean up first."
"And I needed other helps too," Dawn mumbled,"Like which places are good for dining and all."
"Then cleanup quick and we will head out for lunch. You can have lunch or dinner at dorm mess too but you gotta inform them earlier."
Dawn nodded and went inside.
'He is not that rude afterall.'
Unlocking the door behind her, she quickly put her luggage at the corner of her room and hopped into the bathroom.
'Shit, I didn't ask for his room number or his contact number! How am I gonna contact him!' She mentally slapped herself and turned on the knob.
Having done with her bath, she wiped herself off and wore a bathrobe and came out of the bathroom. She quickly put on some black yoga pants and a white button up shirt. Her hair was still wet and in a towel. She opened the door to check if Ash was outside but didn't see anyone so she came back inside, leaving the door open.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she grabbed a brush and sighed. All the adrenaline rush was now gone and she felt exhaustion overpowering her. And before she knew it, she fell asleep on the dressing table.
Ash who was about to knock on her door, saw it unlocked and was surprised. Softly calling her name, he knocked once. Hearing no response, he frowned. She didn't slip or faint in the bathroom, did she?
"I'm coming in Dawn," He called again but only heard silence from inside. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door only to find her passed out on the table.
"Geez," He mumbled as he slightly shook her but she didn't budge.
"I don't blame you though," Ash softly smiled to himself and picked her up slowly and carried her to the bed.
Seeing her like this, he felt his cheeks heating up and a goofy smile appeared on his lips. Before this, he never noticed how her eyelashes were large and beautiful. He never noticed how long her hair was. He didn't notice how petite she was but looked extremely attractive.
"Stupid Ash," he muttered, brushing the stray strand of hair on her face,"Looks like she's trouble."
.
Dawn knew she was dreaming. How? Because there was no way she would be able to see her red strings of fate in real life.
Looking around she just found herself in her college classroom, in company of May and Leaf. They were there but Dawn couldn't hear what Leaf was saying.
She saw how Leaf's strings started dancing and Dawn automatically knew Gary was near. She was confused because everything seemed black and white yet the strings were vibrant red, fluttering, dancing and swaying even without wind.
Dawn automatically looked at her pinkie and saw her red strings were dancing just like Leaf's. Following the trail, Dawn cringed on seeing it getting tied up in a tree. And suddenly she was in a park, Leaf and May nowhere to be found.
"What the,"Dawn mumbled and looked up to see her red string tied to a branch.
"Gonna die single huh?" Dawn asked herself and saw a boy running towards her in hurry. The boy who just looked 7 yrs old, with bright red hair hugged her legs, saying,"I need strings to fly my kite!"
Dawn waved her hands to show she had nothing.
The boy pointed at her hand and said,"Give me this string! My kite needs a long string!"
Dawn was amazed and she sat down to reach the boy's level,"It won't come off.."
The boy sadly nodded,"Why don't you search for the other end of this string? Maybe then you can untangle this and give it to me."
Dawn just ruffled his hair, smiling,"Okay."
'Find the other end of the string huh?' Dawn mumbled to herself and suddenly heard a loud noise.
Startled, she stood up only to hit her head on thin air.
"Calm down girl!" Dawn heard and looked up to see a raven haired man in front of him. She turned around and everything was gone, the kid, the kite, everything except a dull throbbing on her head. Was it even possible to feel pain in dream? Was she even dreaming because she felt like everything was real.
Dawn felt as if everything was blurring out yet.. yet the strings on her hand was dancing as if.. as if it found life.
"Wake up!" Ash muttered quite loudly, rubbing his forehead.
Dawn slowly opened her eyes and for a moment she couldn't tell if she was in a dream or in real world.
"Can you fly the kite now?" She asked, still feeling sleepy.
"You dumbass," Ash sat up straight on her bed.
She sat up, slowly understanding her situation. "Hey.. what are you doing here?"
"You left the door open so I invited myself in."
"What?" She was fully awake now,"Shit! What time is it?"
"Seven pm."
Dawn passed him a stupid look,"Did you have headbutt me or something? My forehead hurts!"
Ash turned away, not meeting her eyes,"I was just trying to wake you up. You turned and hit my head."
"I was asleep!" Dawn pouted and then realized. How close was his face that her just shifting made her headbutt him? The more she thought, the more flustered she got.
"Lets leave the topic,"Ash mumbled and Dawn just nodded, saying,"Yeah. Should I..umm.. get ready for dinner?"
"I ordered dinner because you were sleeping,"Ash said and pointed at the table,"Didn't want to disturb you while you were resting. And please close the door when you sleep, okay."
Dawn just eyed him weirdly,"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"
Ash rolled his eyes,"I am a nice person."
"A nice person who calls people weird on the first meeting."
"Only when the person is interested in some dead past."
"That was research okay," Dawn mumbled.
"Whatever," Ash got up,"So I'll pick you at eight tomorrow morning. We will grab breakfast and head to work."
Dawn nodded,"Yeah. Thanks for everything. And well, can I have your number?"
"Sure."
Ash shared his number and put his phone back into the pocket. "Well, sleep well. Goodnight Dawn."
"Goodnight Ash," Dawn got up to close the door behind him.
Ash turned to face her when he was at the door and Dawn stopped, asking,"Yeah?"
He gave her a slight, suggestive smirk, saying,"And close the button of your shirt cause, well, you're not wearing anything inside."
Dawn took a second to process her thoughts and she yelled,"You jerk!" And shut the door behind him, her face red and flushed. Instinctively she looked down to see that her shirt was okay.
"That jerk was just messing with me!"
She lied down flat on her bed and glanced sideways at the food he brought. Feeling the pang due to hunger, she got up and opened the packet and smiled.
'He even got me a water bottle.'
She slowly opened up the bag and took out the packet. She opened it up and saw that he had bought some fried rice along with a dish she couldn't comprehend.
Picking up the phone, she called him,"Hey."
"Miss me already?" He joked from the other side.
"I just wanted to know what is in there with the rice?"
"You.. I got you mushrooms."
She cringed,"Oh. Okay. Thank you."
"Wait, you don't recognise the mushrooms? Did you even eat mushrooms?"
"Ah, oh, ya. I do!" She lied,"Thanks again."
.
The morning was awful. Her stomach hurt and she rolled over to her side, picking up the phone to look at her schedule.
"Its just seven," she mumbled,"Gotta reach workplace by 9."
She got up and clutched her stomach. "Gurhhh... The mushrooms," She mumbled and gulped. Her stomach was twisting and turning in all the wrong directions and she quickly called her mother, asking,"I ate mushrooms by accident. What do I do?"
Johanna, a bit surprised on hearing those words, asked,"Why? You know you can't handle them!"
"It just.. I was having dinner and I was hungry and didn't notice," she lied.
"There are some medicine in the side pockets of your bag," Johanna sighed at her daughter's stupidity,"Don't eat those things again dear."
"Yeah!" Dawn sighed happily,"I'll call you back."
"Gosh, will you be okay? Its just your second day away from home,"
Dawn sweatdropped on hearing her mother's words. "I will manage Mom."
"Please do. Well have a nice day and take care."
"You too Mom," she chimed and disconnected the call.
.
Once she was done getting ready, she called Ash who picked up on the second ring.
"Hey?" She said,"Are you ready?"
"I am. Meet me outside."
He disconnected before she could ask where his room was. Did he tell her to wait outside her room or the building? Gosh! He didn't give her the time to finish.
Picking up her bag, she rushed outside only to see Ash coming out from the next room, fully dressed.
"You live closer than I imagined." She commented and locked her door.
"Yeah. Wanna head for breakfast. I already told Brock that we will have breakfast here," he put his hand inside his pocket as he began walking.
"Who ia Brock?" She asked, catching up to him.
"The cook here," Ash replied, looking at her face,"Do you even do makeup?"
She looked away,"No? Hardly! Why?"
Ash shrugged,"Nah. I thought you would look better with some makeup."
Dawn glared at him,"Do you mean I don't look good now?"
He rolled his eyes,"I said you will look better. Stupid."
A warm blush dusted her cheeks as she turned away and walked with him in silence. What was he doing to her?
.
Dawn could have sworn that Paris made her work like a slave. With every passing day, she could feel her workload increasing yet she also noticed that she was improving.
At first all she heard from Paris was,"It could be better." Or "Try again." But within a few weeks, she had already gone past that stage and was working at a pace which even Paris admired.
Ash would walk her to her room everyday and pick her up before work. She couldn't be more grateful to him.
His first impression of her being a weirdo had changed to her being a friendly weirdo and she was still troubled by his red strings.
After three months of working her ass off, Dawn finally achieved the opportunity to publish her first piece of art in the magazine. And she couldn't be more happy.
And she couldn't wait till she tells Ash about it.
So as soon as she was done, she rushed to their meeting place with a big grin on her face. On seeing that he had yet to arrive, she pulled out the phone from her pocket and told Leaf and May about it. Then she called her Mom who was thrilled to hear about it.
Glancing at the watch on the wall, she gave a restless sigh. Ash was an hour late so she decided to give him a call.
He picked up on the fifth ring.
But before she could say anything, she heard him say,"Hey Dawn. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that I am currently outside and can't go home with you. Please go on your own today?"
She blinked once,"Okay? Are you that busy?"
"Kinda," he said and Dawn heard a female voice in the distance.
"Who are you with?" She asked, a deep, sinking feeling in her stomach as he heard the girl giggle and call out Ash's name.
Ash replied,"Yeah hold on, I'm coming. Oh, Dawn, gotta go! See you tomorrow."
And before she could ask anything else, he disconnected the call.
She stood there for almost a minute, holding the phone in her hand as she was trying to process everything. He always walked home with her but what happened today? Didn't she deserve an explanation? And who was he with?
Her face was showing her annoyance and she kept her phone in her bag with a slight 'hmph' and came out of the building.
She received a call from May after a while who congratulated her and rambled on about missing her and everything but Dawn could barely keep her concentration on the conversation.
"May," she stopped May from talking,"I think..."
"You think what?"
She felt a choke coming up to her throat as she spoke,"May, I think I am jealous."
And before May could ask anything, Dawn cut the phone and ran back to her room.
She knew she was being a child but she couldn't stop from feeling this .. helpless. He was always beside her, teasing her, supporting her, caring for her but now it seemed like it was all a dream.
Ash didn't pick her up in the morning either.
.
It wasn't like Dawn was ignoring him on purpose but she just couldn't shake off the feeling of yesterday. He didn't go home with her. Neither did he pick her up in the morning. She was already in a bad mood and it had turned worse.
So when she met him in Paris' room, she couldn't help but take a seat which was farthest from him.
Paris eyed the two of them and cleared her throat,"If you're having a fight, then clear it up. I don't want this to hamper my work."
Dawn kept the neutral look on her face,"We are not five years old Mam. We are not fighting."
Ash raised his eyebrows on hearing her tone and looked at her. Unable to read her expression, he just shrugged. Maybe she was just in a bad mood.
"If you say so," Paris added and began explaining her plan.
"For this photoshoot, a new model will be joining us," Paris spoke up,"Her name is Serena and she will be here in a minute."
"She is already here," Ash spoke up,"She is waiting in the waiting room."
Dawn's head perked up on hearing it,"How do you know?"
"We met yesterday and she told me."
Dawn felt her annoyance seeping further,"Oh? So you were with her yesterday?"
Ash nodded. Paris sweatdropped on seeing him unable to sense the sarcasm in her voice.
"Did you pick her up today too?" Dawn asked casually.
"Yeah. She is new here so I helped her out," he grinned.
Paris saw the exchange between the two of them and sighed. How could someone be so dense?
Dawn silently watched as Ash called Serena and told her to meet them. She was silent the whole time. From the moment Serena walked in and sat beside him, she could only frown. The girl was in her early twenties and had long blonde hair. Her eyes were sparkling with life and the blue dress she was wearing hugged her figure perfectly.
'What the hell is wrong with me,' Dawn shifts in her seat and tries to concentrate on her work.
"So you will be wearing this design," Paris held up a rough art of a dress and gave it to Serena,"Ash, what hairstyle and makeup would you like to do with this dress?"
Ash glanced at the sheet and gave a small whistle,"This design deserves to be in the cover page."
Paris smiled,"This is in the cover page idiot."
Ash gave a small laugh,"You really worked hard on this one Paris. It looks really cool!"
Serena chuckled too,"I can't wait to try this dress."
Paris passed a look to Dawn who was biting her lip. One more comment and she was about to blow up, Paris could tell.
"I wasn't the one who designed this," Paris spoke, surprising Ash.
"What?" Ash looked back at the picture again,"Then who?"
"It's Dawn," Paris added.
Ash's head shot up to Dawn and he gave a big smile,"Really? Well done Dawn! You should have told me you finally achieved the 1st goal!"
"I tried," Dawn said, her voice sounded a little shaky,"But you.. nevermind. Paris, I'm heading to the dorm."
"Okay," Paris gave her a hug,"Good work today. I'll call you once they make this dress."
Once Dawn left, Ash got up, frowning,"She didn't even ask me if I was heading to the dorm too."
"She must be tired," Paris covered for Dawn,"I think."
Serena, not knowing what was going on, just looked at them blankly.
.
With every passing day, the photoshoot was drawing near and Dawn got busier and busier. Ash picked her up occasionally but that stopped all of a sudden before a week of the photoshoot.
Dawn could swear that it was around that time when the rumours of him and Serena dating were fresh and hot topic of the area.
She would simply shrug if someone asked her what the real news was. She didn't knew, Ash never told her about anything. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know.
Paris occasionally asked her if she was okay with how things were and she only told,"Yes. Why wouldn't they be?"
Dawn knew she was fighting a lost case. Everyone around her could tell but she won't accept it. She was not going to admit how much lonely she felt nowadays.
She was working on the dress' final touches when Ash walked in, taking her by surprise.
"Hey Dawn," he said and sat down opposite to her, watching her working on the minute details.
"Heya." She said, without looking up at him.
"You hardly have time anymore," He said.
"Yeah. Paris is making we work till I perfect everything."
"You are working way too much."
She stopped for a second,"What?"
"I .. I know it's your first time working with someone like Paris but you're giving your best. Don't overdo and get sick on the main event."
"I have to give it my all," Dawn began working again. 'Otherwise my mind will go back to the depressing thoughts.'
Ash sighed. This girl was way too stubborn. "Wanna have dinner tonight in someplace nice? We never celebrated when your work got selected."
Dawn could feel her eyes becoming slightly moist as she asked,"Shouldn't you be with Serena, helping her with the makeup and all?"
"You don't wanna celebrate?"
"That's not the point here."
Ash stared directly at her,"Look at me Dawn. Why are you ignoring me?"
"I am not."
"Then look at me and say it to my face."
She looked up at him, staring blankly,"I am not ignoring you."
"Gosh woman!" He whined, getting up,"We are getting dinner tonight at the restaurant's food you love and don't be late. I'll pick you up at 6."
"I never agreed Ash!"
"You have no choice!"
"Serena wouldn't like you going on dinner with another girl you know," She added, making him stop in his tracks.
"We aren't that close," Ash clarified.
"That's not what the rumours say," Dawn held her own against him.
"We are just good friends Dawn," Ash added, his frustration becoming clear,"Serena and I aren't dating. Rumours are not the truth."
Dawn shrugged and went back to her work,"You are not obliged to make me believe it, you know."
He sighed as he stared at her figure,"I know. I just wanted you to know the truth."
"Yeah yeah," she added.
"I am picking you up at 6. No more excuses." With that Ash left the room.
Dawn smiled stupidly at herself and went back to her work while whistling.
~Not dating, huh~
.
Picking up a dress for dinner was more draining than she had imagined. She settled for a knee length purple dress. The straps were thin and it was pleated. She opted for a medium sized heel. It was already 6 and she had yet to tie her hair and apply the makeup.
She was hardly done on her hair when she heard the knock on her door. "Are you done?" A voice, unmistakably Ash's called her.
"I am not. You can come in! The door is unlocked!"
Ash walked in and saw her applying a little foundation on her face.
Chuckling, he went over to her and asked,"Doing makeup?"
She blushed a little,"Yeah." 'Who told me I would look better with makeup? Yeah. It was you.'
"Mind if I do it?" He asked, taking her by surprise.
"N-no."
She sat down and he told her to close her eyes. She felt him applying something on her face then massaging it. She could hardly keep her head calm when he was this close to her. So close that she could smell his cologne. She could feel his warmth covering her up and a small, inaudible sigh escaped her lips.
"Done."
Dawn was amazed. How was he done so quickly? She glanced at herself in the mirror and for a moment, she thought she was looking at someone else. Her face was almost glowing and her eyes looked divine.
"You're fast!" She breathed,"Wow."
"So shall we go?" He asked her with a satisfactory smile gracing his lips.
"Yeah!" She picked up her small purse and followed him out.
He carried her to an Hoenn Themed Restaurant and Dawn could swear that the dishes were not meant to be pronounced.
"I had no idea you ordered something from here," Dawn mumbled,"So this is the place whose food I am a fan of?"
He smugly replied,"Yes."
When the waiter came for the order, they ordered what seemed to excite their curiosity the most. Dawn giggledd on seeing Ash looking at every waiter carrying a dish even though it wasn't their order.
"Be patient!" She slightly hit his palm lying on the table,"You look like a hungry mongrel."
"I am hungry," he pouted,"But I'm no mongrel."
Dawn didn't pull her hand away from his. Instead, she tensed up when he wrapped his fingers around hers, saying,"You have pretty fingers."
Warmth rushed to her cheeks,"Thanks." His hand felt so big, so masculine and so warm. She didn't want to pull away. She didn't want him to pull away.
It was at this moment, that she knew, how badly she had fallen for him.
They talked and caught up on things. Ash told her how he was looking for a place to move to and how his mother wanted to come to over but was afraid to leave Kanto. He told her about his childhood friend Gary, who was in the same college as hers and Dawn immediately recognised him. She even told him about how Leaf and Gary became a thing and Ash was amazed on hearing the news. He had no idea that Gary could settle for one girl for the rest of his life.
Once they were done, they decided to walk home. Dawn didn't mind because that would mean spending some more time with him. She told him how Leaf and May became a part of her life. She almost told him about the red strings but stopped.
"Hey Ash?" She asked him,"Have you ever fallen in love before?"
"I had a girlfriend when I was in highschool. That was the closest I came to love."
Dawn hummed.
"What about you?"
Dawn shrugged,"Nope. It's not like I'm looking for love but if the opportunity arises, I won't back down."
Ash laughed on hearing her words,"You stay weird stuff, you know that?!"
She chuckled and hit his arm,"Don't remind me! Well, did you find someone interesting or not?"
"Serena sure is interesting," Ash said with a slight teasing note,"But naaah..."
"What do you mean by naaaaah?"
"I mean," Ash stipped and scratched his head, embarrassed,"I ... Umm..."
"What?" She laughed on seeing him struggling with words.
"She is the girl I dated in highschool."
Dawn blinked once then twice then finally asked,"What?" She heard wrong, didn't she?
"So I was surprised when I saw her walk into the office. We caught up on things and such."
She bit her lower lip slightly. So the passion, the possibility of them ending up together was there. Her heart sank further as she sighed,"I see. So did the old flame reignite?"
Ash passed her a look,"What?"
"I am just asking," she playfully tried to hide her embarrassment away.
"Shut up," he said, pulling her cheeks,"Its nothing like that."
He walked her to her room and waved her goodnight. Dawn closed the door behind her and sighed. She discarded her heels and went to the bathroom to get rid of the makeup. Looking at herself in the mirror reminded her how he worked on her face. Ash. And he dated Serena in the past.
All the emotions she had been keeping bottling up inside rolled down her cheeks. The first one, then the second one and then it all came down like rain. She hadn't cried this much in ages.
.
Dawn couldn't breathe. Even though she was getting congratulated on her big success on the magazine's release, she just couldn't be happy. She wanted to do this for so long but she wasn't happy.
The whole staff had arranged a small party to celebrate the popularity of the magazine and everyone was there. Dawn, being the major reason for the success, had to come. Even though she did not want to. All she wanted was to sit in her room and weep.
After that dinner date with Ash, everything was going fine until one day she saw Serena and Ash walking with intertwined hands. That was the first time but to her dismay, wasn't the last.
The rumours were in full fire again. Serena and Ash were dating. And this time, Dawn knew it wasn't a rumour.
She was sitting by the bar, sipping on her drink when Cynthia walked up to her saying,"You look gloomy."
"I am just tired."
"Because of work or is it something else?"
Dawn passed her a look as if not believing she asked her that,"It's work. Definitely work."
"You really don't look happy after this big success," Cynthia nudged her again.
"It's not like that," Dawn lied again.
"So tell me, are you happy?"
Dawn couldn't answer immediately,"Y-yes! Of course!"
"Dawn," Cynthia put a hand on the younger girls shoulder,"I don't know what happened but don't lie to yourself."
Dawn nodded and sipped on her drink again. From the corner of her eyes she saw Ash and Serena dancing on the dance floor, enjoying themselves. Her face turned sour again and she put down her drink on the table.
Cynthia noticed her change in demeanor and shook her head,"You know, when I first walked into this industry, all I wanted was to be famous. But right now, all I want to do is travel the world. After a while all I will want is to get some rest while reading my favourite novels."
"Heh?" Dawn was puzzled.
"What I mean is, my reason for my happiness changed with every passing day. One day it was this and the other day it was that but it made me realise one thing."
Dawn was paying her full attention now,"What?"
"That only I could make myself happy. I create my own happiness."
.
Dawn immersed herself in her work. She knew what she had to do next. She couldn't just sit and mope around, crying over the puny heartbreak. She didn't come here to ruin her career. She was here to build it from scratch.
She tried to get along with Serena but the bittersweet feeling on her heart just couldn't go away, she could hardly suppress the pang on seeing them together.
Her friendship with Ash had hardly progressed. It seemed like they were even more distant than before.
Dawn had promised Cynthia that she could make the blonde wear one of her dress and was currently working towards it with all her heart.
It was during December when Dawn discovered that Cynthia had finally chosen something which Dawn made. Needless to say, the ecstatic Dawn called Ash, even though it was 4 in the morning. She wanted to let him know as soon as Cynthia had mailed her.
"Hello?" She said on hearing someone pick up the call.
"Dawn?" Ash said, his sleepy voice echoing in her ears.
"I did it! I finally made something worthy of Cynthia!"
This news was enough to break Ash out of his sleeping state. "No kidding!"
"Yep!"
He smiled on hearing her ecstatic voice and got up, saying,"Open your door."
"Why?"
"Just do it!"
She jumped down her bed and rushed to open the door and a slight woah escaped her lips on seeing Ash standing there, with a big smile on his face.
She was speechless on seeing his unkept bed hair, his sleepy state standing on her doorstep like it was the most natural thing ever.
"Congratulations!" He wished her and pulled her in a hug.
She wrapped her arms around him instinctively and pulled him close if it was even possible. "Thanks."
"You finally did it!"
"Yeah!"
"Gosh!" He broke the hug and then rose her up in the air, making her gasp then laugh.
"Put me down!" She laughed,"Stupid!"
"Its just a year and you are already on fire!"
"Yeah!" She laughed and supported herself in his arms. The smell, the warmth, the closeness was making her so damn happy!
And then she remembered. He had a girlfriend. She shouldn't be the one in his arms. Dawn was not a girl who laid her eyes on someone else's boyfriend.
Her face darkned a little and even though it was dark outside, the moonlight was enough to make Ash realize the change in her mood.
"Is everything okay?" He sounded so genuinely worried about her that Dawn let out a small sob and wrapped her arms around him tighter even though her mind was telling her to let go.
"We shouldn't be holding each other like this!" Her sudden words made him take a deep breath. Her voice was low but clear and he heard her clearly.
Ash was startled and thinking he hurt her somehow, put her down,"Is everything okay? Did I hurt you?"
His words hurt. She knew he was just happy for her but him not knowing what he was doing to her hurt.
"You have a girlfriend Ash. We shouldn't hug eachother so.. so.."
Ash completed her words,"Intimately."
She cringed on hearing the words,"Yes."
"Dawn, Serena and I broke up in a month. The spark wasn't there."
Her head shot up in his direction as she mumbled a feeble,"Oh." She wished him goodnight and apologized for breaking his sleep. Before he could say anything further, she closed the door.
.
When January rolled by, Dawn had again immersed herself in making the perfect dress for Cynthia. The deadline was just a week away and she had also some other work to take care of.
After discovering that Serena was no longer his girlfriend, she tried to spend some more time with him and he happily reciprocated. Their usual routine of walking home together was active again. Dawn wanted to cherish it while it lasted.
It was on February 4th that Dawn noticed Serena handing Ash some packed gift as he entered the office.
"Happy birthday!" The blonde had wished him and Ash thanked her.
"Don't forget to treat me!" Serena said with a chuckle.
"Sure. So you have photoshoot today?" Ash asked and Serena nodded,"I'm heading to Nearby City for some work. See you tomorrow."
Ash waved her goodbye and turned to find Dawn staring at him and the departing girl. Ash shook the neatly wrapped box infront of her eyes to get her attention.
Dawn eyed the gift then looked at Ash,"It's your birthday today?"
Ash nodded,"Yeah."
"Happy birthday!" She said and gave him a side hug,"Fuck , I had no idea and I am without any gift!"
"Relax Dawn!" He laughed,"Lets watch some movie tonight!"
"You sure, you don't wanna go out or hangout with anyone else?" she asked.
"I like to spend my birthday alone. What's so exciting about aging anyway?" He pulled her cheeks, making her giggle.
"So 24 huh?"
Ash looked at her, surprised,"You remember?"
"Yep!" She boasted.
"So to celebrate that, lets run a movie marathon!"
She laughed at his childish demeanor. However, the fact that Serena knew something which she didn't was pinging her at the back of her mind. She didn't want to acknowledge it but deep down, she knew that she and Serena will never be on the same level. She was his ex-girlfriend. Dawn was just someone he knew.
.
As Ash had promised, they decided to watch some movies in their room. Since Dawn had no collection or whatever, they decided to hang out in his room. She put on a pair of shorts and a sleeveless white tank top. Then she put on a jeans cardigan over it and grabbed her keys and went over to his room.
His room was the same as hers, except for the few picture frame he had put up on the walls.
"So what should we start with?" He asked as she hopped on his bed and he climed in, bringing the laptop with him.
"It's your birthday, you pick." She said.
"So... How about some horror movies?" He asked and she paled," I am bad at those.."
Her voice was ignored as he clicked on some random horror movie.
The blood and gruesome death was making her creeped out but he held her hand and said,"Not so scary now, right?"
She leaned on him, supporting her head on his shoulder,"Better."
The screen lit up with a man, covered in blood, walking towards a scared girl. He was holding an axe and it was clear that he was going to cut her up.
Dawn's grip on his hand tightened and Ash, seeing her tense, said,"She will get up, try to run away but will fall down. The ghost will catch up to her and kill her."
"You've watched this before," She pouted,"That's why you're not afraid."
"That's not it," Ash laughed,"This happens in every movie so its not hard to predict."
Once they were done with the movie, Dawn immediately clicked some drama on to wash away the after images of the horror film.
Even though Ash wasn't a big fan of drama, he sure liked how she laughed at every little joke, how she tensed up on every 'tearjerking' moment and how she was looking so intensely at the kiss scenes.
"Milady," he asked as soon as the film was over.
"Hmm?"
"Can I have a dance?"
She eyed him weirdly, seeing the mischief in his eyes,"What brought this on?"
"No reason."
"Really?"
"Come on," he impatiently whined,"Will you dance with me or not?''
She laughed and nodded,"Sure, Dearest Sir."
He got down from bed and helped her come down too. Putting some sweet, rhythmical music on, he placed his hands on her hips and she rested her hands on his shoulder, staring directly into his eyes.
Her heart was beating fast and she could swear she didn't want this moment to end.
Ash laughed as he twirled her, making her laugh too.
"I had no idea you could dance," she said, amazed.
"I can do many things," He smugly said, swaying with the music,"Just never bragged about it."ⁿ
"Are you okay, celebrating your birthday eve like this?"
Her question took him by surprise,"Yeah. I am."
"Won't Serena get angry?" She teased him.
Ash rolled his eyes at her,"We are just friends now. Stupid."
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She teased him again.
He playfully pulled her close and warmth spread to her cheeks. "Serena is just a friend," he whispered in her ears,"There will never be anything between the two of us, I know that."
She inhaled deeply on hearing this and her body relaxed against his. Dawn had no idea she and him would become this close. The irritation she felt on seeing him for the first time was long gone. It was filled with a sense of possessiveness Dawn didn't want to admit she had.
"You know Ash," she started,"It is said that people who are destined to be together are tied with red strings of fate."
Ash nodded,"I heard. Its a popular japanese legend."
"Wouldn't it be awesome if someone could see that strings?"
Ash glanced at her, surprised,"Why? It won't be fun."
She was surprised,"Why? It will tell you who is going to end up with whom? Isn't that exciting?"
Ash thought for a while,"Nahhh.. it still won't be fun."
"Why do you think so?"
"Because then someone won't try hard to win over the person they love. If she or he knows who they're going to end up with, they wouldn't try at all, leaving it up to fate."
Dawn nodded, he had a point. "That's true."
"Moreover, I don't think people need something like red strings. You know automatically if someone is for you or not. You look at a person and tell your heart, yeah that's the person I've been looking for. I want to spend my whole life with her or something like that," Ash continued,"There isn't be any fun if someone already does your work for you, right?"
"Sometimes you say stupid things which actually makes sense," she giggled and laid her head on his chest, still swaying to the music.
Ash laughed and moved along the rhythm,"But.. even though its not possible, it sure will ne awesome if I could see those red strings though."
"Doesn't this contradict what you said earlier?"
"I said that it won't be fun. No one said anything about seeing them or not."
"Yeah yeah. You know what they say right?"
"What?"
Dawn smiled,"That those strings may get tangled and twisted and lengthened but it will never break."
"So basically it doesn't matter if we can see those strings or not! We will end up with the one even if things look impossible sometimes."
Dawn could swear his heart was beating fast. She knew that her's was too. If they were destined to be together, they will be. No questions asked. If Ash and she were supposed to be together, then he will cross the barriers and she will overcome all the negativity. And if it isn't him who is supposed to be on her side, she will search for her soulmate, her other end of the red strings. All she had to do was wait.
"Since you were a jerk enough to hide your birthday date," she said and freed her hand from his shoulder, putting it inside her pockets,"I was a jerk enough to get something from you."
He gave her a blatant look,"Dawn, I don't need gifts."
"I already got one," She laughed,"Give me your left hand."
He extended his hand and Dawn spoke again,"Now close your eyes."
"You're not going to kiss me, are you?" He joked.
He met with a small punch on his arm as she glared at him. "Don't get any ideas. Close your eyes."
He sighed and closed his eyes, extending his arm at her. He felt her two small arms holding her wrist and working on it. Was that a ribbon she was putting on his wrist?
"Open your eyes."
He slowly eyed his hand and looker at her,"Wow. Thanks. Hey... You're wearing the same thing?"
Dawn smiled, showing her wrist too,"Yep." The red bracelet on her wrist was thinner and a more feminine one. The bracelet was simple with a small artificial stone engraved on it which was shining in the dim light. The one in Ash's wrist was a little broader but made of the same material.
Ash slightly hit her head, and turned away, his face red. She knew what these are, right?
'Maybe there is no red string between us,' She thought,'But atleast now, we have something connecting us.'
''You got these?" He asked, flustered.
"You don't like it?"
"It's not that," he hid a smile,"It's..."
"A token of our friendship," she said,"Now you will never forget me."
He rolled his eyes at her,"I wasn't going to."
"Nah, I mean," she giggled lightly,"As long as I'm here, I won't allow you to forget me. But once I'm gone.."
Before she could finish, she felt her hands being held by Ash as he slightly but steadily closed the gap between them and placed his lips on hers.
The kiss was short but was enough to make Dawn forget to breathe for a second. He wasn't forcing him on her, she could push him away any moment but she didn't. She closed her eyes and savoured the memory of his lips on hers. As he broke the kiss, she whispered,"One more."
He kissed her again, pouring all the untold emotions into it. His hands were holding hers tightly as he nibbled on her lower lip, making her moan a little. She kissed him without backing down, matching his every pace, every action. Her heart was in cloud nine, she had never, ever felt so happy.
Breaking the kiss to breathe, he said,"I won't forget you. Ever. Because..."
Dawn didn't let him finish as she put her index finger over his lips. Her face was red from his hot kiss and she wanted to explore more but she knew she had to tell him the truth.
"Ash, I am moving back to Kanto. After the shoot with Cynthia is done."
'Please! Please, Ash! If there is actually a red string connecting us, do not let go.'
.
This is the longest chapter I have ever written! I thought that this chapter was going to be a two shot but by now, you might already guessed that it's going to be a three shot.
This month had been hectic. I was hardly done with my exams but my 3rd semester started without giving us any time to recover from the exhaustion. And then the fucking heatwave. Gosh! Its so hot over here!
And yup, I should be sorry for putting a love triangle in there but the thing I wanted to portray is how Ash felt something was missing when he was with Serena. Its not clearly mentioned in here but the hints are there if you read between the lines. Moreover, strings are bound to get tangled. Its for Ash and Dawn to untangle it and find their way to each other.
Anyways, don't forget to leave your thoughts on this chapter! And the next chapter should be up soon! I have a general idea about it so all I need is a little motivation to work on it.
Oh, before I forget, let me ask everyone. Should I or should I not add a smut in this fic? Because I feel like I might end up adding one whether I plan it or not... What do you think?
~ darkestlightofhope!
