"At Long Last"
By MisterAnimeFan
Alright, I am back with a new chapter to DP Love! Now the preview in the last chapter said that there would be tension between Prinplup and Magmortar, and while I do plan on there being a full-blown fight between the two teams, I decided to do something a little different with this chapter. I hope everyone will enjoy! I know the Ikarishippers will!
Disclaimer: Did you know a Quagsire could naturally learn Earthquake? Well, it just went from annoying to useful! In addition, Pokémon belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak. The fan fiction exists out of fun and enjoyment.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
(A/N: 03-23-2011; Minor edits made to the chapter. Just fixed a few sentence structure problems and made the ending a little less chessy.)
Dawn and Paul were back at the campsite. They healed and scolded their two Pokémon for fighting and almost destroying their campsite. Previously, they were in the hot springs and the two were close to locking lips, but Magmortar's Flamethrower interrupted them.
Both Dawn and Paul broke up their Pokémon, set some distance between them, and began to discipline them. "Prinplup, what were you thinking trying to pick a fight with Magmortar?" asked Dawn.
"I figured that since I am a Water-type Pokémon," began Prinplup, "I could show him not to mess with me."
"So, you just want to pick a fight with them to prove how tough you were?" asked Dawn.
"Well…actually…umm…the thing is…they were harassing me…I mean…us! They were calling us weak and bossing us around."
"Is that true?" Dawn asked to her other Pokémon.
"Yeah, Prinplup is telling the truth," chirped Pachirisu.
"That's why the food bowls are turned over," added Buneary.
Dawn surveyed the area and. As Buneary said, everything was either trashed or burned. Pokémon food pellets were scattered everywhere. The table was turned and all of the supplies were wrecked. "Well...I need to figure out what really happened here," she said.
"I told you what happened!" protested Prinplup.
"I don't want to hear it!" scolded Dawn. "Now clean up this mess while I get Paul's side of the story!"
Dawn then walked over to where Paul was interrogating his Pokémon.
"Honestly, why did you try to fight with Prinplup?" Paul asked, sternly.
"We weren't hurting them or anything," Magmortar answered. "You see, I walked over to the Pokémon and told them that I would like to make them stronger. But that Prinplup got offended for some reason and she tried to use Metal Claw on me. In defense, I had to use Flamethrower."
"That's really how it happened," added Drapion, backing up Magmortar.
"Is that so?" Paul asked.
Paul began to pace around. He let out an angry sigh. "I just hate how you interrupted us!" he shouted, angrily.
"Why?" asked Torterra. "What were you guys doing?"
Paul blushed as he remembered the last few moments before the Flamethrower interrupted Dawn and him. "Ummm…nothing," stammered Paul. "We were taking a nice hot bath. It was peaceful and quiet. And you guys screwed it up!"
"Oh…well…sorry…" apologized Torterra.
"And that's all we were doing!" Paul shouted, angrily. "We were just taking a hot bath. Got it?"
"Okay!" Magmortar said. "Don't she why you are so defensive."
"Look, just clean up the mess, okay?"
"Yes sir!" Paul's Pokémon said.
They stormed past Paul…all except Luxray. Luxray stood on its four legs, looking at Paul. "What are you looking at?" asked Paul.
Luxray then had a sly smile on his face and eyed Paul. "Did you try to put the moves on her?" Luxray asked, slyly.
"JUST GO!" Paul shouted, his face turning even redder than it already was. Luxray snickered as he joined the other Pokémon in cleaning up the mess.
As the Pokémon were cleaning up the mess, Paul and Dawn were at their tent. Their tent was big enough for two sleeping bags. Dawn was inside, changing from her swimsuit into her pajamas. Paul was outside, waiting for her to be finished so that he may change. "So, what did your Pokémon say happened?" Paul asked Dawn.
"I asked Prinplup, and she tells me that Magmortar was taunting her," replied Dawn, as she slipped her arm in a sleeve.
"Oh that? Magmortar told me that he was just offering Prinplup some strength training. He was apparently trying to help her."
"He told you that?"
"Why? You don't believe him?"
"Well…to be honest, I can't really imagine your Pokémon being the 'helpful' types. Except for Luxray and Torterra, all of them look scary. They don't look like they will help out my Pokémon."
"So, are you calling them lairs?"
"I'm not saying that. But their story does seem like a stretch."
"And what if Prinplup was lying to you?"
"She would never lie to me! Are you calling her a liar?"
"Well…I read on the PokéDex that Prinplup have a very strong sense of self-pride. Maybe Prinplup twisted the story so that she would make herself sound good…seeing as how it's very prideful and hates to be wrong."
"That's what the PokéDex says, but I know Prinplup. She wouldn't lie to me. Actually, Pachirisu and Buneary backed her up and said it was the truth."
"Well Drapion backed up Magmortar on his story."
Dawn, having finished changing into her pajamas, opened the tent flap and poked her head out. "Look, I don't want to argue about this," she said. "So let's just agree that neither our Pokémon could be telling the truth."
"Why? It's already proven that my Pokémon was only trying to help."
"You complain that Prinplup has a high sense of self-pride, but look at you. Can't you admit that you might be wrong?"
"Why don't you?"
Dawn glared at him, and Paul glared back at her. He shut his eyes and turned away. "Yeah, you're right," Paul said. "Let's not argue about this."
Both Dawn and Paul went into their tent, getting their sleeping bags ready. Their Pokémon continued to clean up the mess. Prinplup fixed the mini table right-side up. Ursaring passed by and flipped the table over. "Oops," taunted Ursaring.
"Hey, you did that on purpose!" shouted Prinplup.
"Do something then!" provoked Ursaring.
Suddenly, the rest of Dawn and Paul's Pokémon appeared. They held them back from fighting each other.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Late at night, everyone and everything was sleeping sans for the Kricketune chirping, as well as the suspicious Prinplup. Prinplup was fully awake next to Dawn's other sleeping Pokémon. She continuously glared at Paul's Pokémon. She constantly yawned, very tired and exhausted. Mamoswine woke up slightly and noticed Prinplup on her guard. "Seriously Prinplup," Mamoswine snored. "Just leave them alone and forget about it. They're just bullies, and bullies are best dealt with if you just ignore them."
"That is impossible," yawned Prinplup. "Since Dawn and Paul are traveling together, we're stuck with…them. We can't ignore them. Somebody has to show them whose boss!"
"Ehh…good luck with that," finished Mamoswine. Mamoswine then fell back asleep. Prinplup struggled to keep her eyes open.
Inside of the tent, Dawn and Paul were sleeping in their sleeping bags…or at least Dawn was. While she was sleeping peacefully, Paul was struggling to fall asleep. He tossed and turned, but the thought in his head won't leave. The two thoughts circling around his head were his two near-kisses. First there was their near-kiss back at the cabin during Christmas and the one a few moments ago in the hot springs. The first time, Dawn chickened out and kissed him on the cheek. Their near-kiss in the hot springs was interrupted when Magmortar's Flamethrower burned a hole through the forest of trees.
"It seems like someone's out there to make sure that I never receive my first kiss," Paul thought to himself. He turned onto his side and looked at Dawn. The two were facing each other, but Dawn had her eyes closed. Paul could only focus on one thing…her lips.
Paul began blushing as he grabbed his own lips. "I always wanted to know what it was like when a girl kisses me. I wonder how her lips feel…what it tastes like." He continued looking as Dawn snored quietly. "I wonder if I kissed her right now, if she would wake up."
Paul suddenly turned onto his back and forced his palms into his eyes. "Why am I thinking about that?" Paul asked. "That's just…I can't do that! It's not right! But then again…it's not the worst thing I could do to her while she's asleep. Wait…why the hell did I think of that?"
Paul took a deep breath and looked right back at Dawn. His stomach churned a bit as he continued looking at Dawn's lips. He blushed as he imagined himself kissing on the lips. He slid out of his sleeping bag and quietly walked out of the tent. He stretched his limbs and looked around. The moon gave his surroundings a beautiful white glow. He began walking away from the camp, walking past the sleeping Pokémon.
However, Torterra was woken up by the sound of his footsteps. "Hmmm?" he asked. "Why is the master up this late?"
Torterra looked and saw that everyone was asleep. Even Prinplup failed to keep herself awake. Torterra got on all four of his legs and followed Paul quietly (or as quietly as a humongous Pokémon like him possibly could).
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Paul found a small rocky hill that stood above the trees and hiked his way up to the top. He sat down and leaned against a large rock. He looked up at the full moon. He sighed and shut his eyes. He then felt the ground shake beneath him.
He turned and saw Torterra climbing up the rocks. His enormous size frightened him a bit. "Torterra, what are you doing up so late?" asked Paul.
"Why are you up this late?" Torterra asked, turning the question around onto his trainer.
"I couldn't get to sleep," answered Paul.
"Is there something on your mind?" Torterra asked.
Paul remained quiet. "Master?" Torterra asked, again.
"It's nothing. I just can't sleep," Paul said.
"It took a while for you to answer," mentioned Torterra. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't tell the others. I just want to know what's wrong."
Paul just scowled as he continued looking up at the moon. "Is this about the girl?" Torterra asked.
"Why do you assume that?"
"Why must you be so defensive?" Torterra asked. "You're thinking of her. That's why you can't get to sleep!"
Paul looked to the ground and hid his blushing face. "Master, have you fallen in love with her?" Torterra asked.
"Getting right…to-to the point…aren't you?" Paul asked, stuttering a bit. "I can't really say that I'm in love with her."
"It seems that you are," Torterra said. "It's okay to admit that you like her."
Paul let out a frustrated sigh. "Look," continued Paul, "the real reason I can't fall asleep is not because I'm in love with her. I just want to know…what it's like kissing a girl. That's all."
Torterra continued looking at him. "So, you won't admit that you love Dawn, but you want to…kiss her?"
"I'm just curious, that's all," Paul said.
"But a kiss means a lot to a girl. You can't just walk up to her and say, 'please kiss me because I want to know what it's like'. If you kissed Dawn, she'd see it as if you love her."
"I know that but…"
"You can't kiss Dawn unless you actually love her…and if she loves you too."
"Well, it's kind of obvious she does like me. When we tried to kiss before, she didn't push me away," admitted Paul.
"Wait…you two kissed before?" Torterra asked, surprised.
"Almost kissed…back at the cabin and again in the hot springs."
"You forced yourself on her?"
"NO! Oh course not! That first time, we were under the mistletoe, so she said that we both had to kiss each other. But she chickened out. And then in the hot springs, Magmortar interrupted us."
"And she didn't push you away?" Torterra asked. "Well that proves she does like you. Now why don't you return her feelings already?"
"I don't know! I'm just…I don't think it's time yet."
"And yet, you want to kiss her?"
"Well, that's something different entirely!"
Paul stood up on his feet and turned to Torterra. "You know what?" he asked. "I'm done! I'm tired of talking about this! I'm heading back to camp!" Paul shouted, angrily.
"But master…" Torterra said.
"I'm done talking!" Paul shouted at Torterra.
Suddenly, Paul slipped on a loose rock. His foot slipped and he began to tumble down the hill. He screamed as he rolled down the hill. He cried out as his body bashed against the rocks. He eventually stopped rolling when he reached the bottom. Paul lied on his stomach, his clothes covered in dirt. "Master…are you alright?" Torterra asked, worriedly.
Paul groaned a bit as Torterra hastily ran down the side of the hill. "Master, please tell me you're okay!" Torterra continued worrying.
After a few seconds, Paul slowly got up on his feet and brushed the dirt off him. "I'm…I'm okay," he muttered. "That didn't hurt…at all…"
"You look pretty bad," commented Torterra.
"No really I'm fine," reassured Paul. "Let's go back to the camp."
Paul began to walk back towards the campsite. But Torterra noticed his trainer limping. "Master, please…you look hurt. You can't even walk straight."
"I'm fine!" Paul shouted, loudly.
Paul winched as he continued to walk back to the camp, with Torterra walking beside him. "Master, I am sorry," he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Paul.
"You must be angry at me because I was trying to help you with your problems," Torterra said.
"No, don't say that," replied Paul. "I know you're just trying to help, but…well…this is something that Pokémon don't really know about. It's a human thing."
"We're not much different from humans."
"Yeah, but still…"
"I just want to help you with anything master."
"I understand. Oh and please, stop calling me master."
"Fair enough…Paul."
The two continued walking. Torterra smiled to himself. "So that is what happens when a cold heart melts," he thought to himself.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The next morning, Dawn woke up to the sound of the Bird Pokémon chirping. She sat up and yawned. She stretched out her arms up towards the roof of the tent. "Morning Paul," she said.
She turned to Paul, who was still sleeping soundly. "Paul?" Dawn asked.
"Hmmm…" groaned Paul.
"Paul, wake up!"
"Naammm!" Paul groaned, slightly louder.
"Come on, wake up, you lazy bum!" scolded Dawn.
Paul then zipped up his sleeping bag. Dawn grew serious as she looked at Paul, wrapped in his plush cocoon. "Wake up!" she shouted. Dawn jumped up and body-slammed Paul. "AAHHH!" Paul yelped loudly.
"Oh good, you're awake," teased Dawn.
Paul continued groaning in agony as he clutched his ribs. Dawn's mood dropped as she watched Paul in pain. "Hey, I didn't body slam that hard, did I?" she asked.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Paul asked, angrily.
Dawn then noticed that Paul's clothes and face were dirty. "What happened to you?" she asked. "Why are your clothes dirty?"
"It's nothing," replied Paul.
"It's not nothing! Now tell me what happened."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
As both of Paul and Dawn's Pokémon were eating breakfast, Dawn and Paul (now changed into their regular clothes) sat at the table. Paul began washing his face with a basin of water that Dawn collected for him. "Do you feel better now?" Dawn asked.
"A little bit," replied Paul, as he washed his face with a wet towel.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dawn asked.
"I'm fine," replied Paul. "I just feel really sore."
"If I knew that I wouldn't have body-slammed you."
"Yeah well, don't beat yourself up over it."
Paul washed his face. Dawn closed her legs and began to tap her two index fingers together. Her face turned red as well. Paul noticed this. "Is something on your mind?" he asked.
"Oh…umm…I was…it was…no…just thinking…about…last night," stammered Dawn. "You know, when we close together…back in the hot springs."
"Oh! Oh right, that…" Paul said.
"You know…it looked like we were about to kiss back then."
"Um…yeah…it was…I mean we were pretty…close," stuttered Paul.
"If I recall correctly, that was second time we tried to kiss."
"Yeah, I remember back at the cabin during Christmas time. But you kissed me on the cheek that time."
"But in the hot springs…we almost kissed…on the lips…"
There was a moment of silence between the two as they continued blushing. Paul let out a small, nervous cough. "Dawn," began Paul, "I want to ask you something."
"Yes?" asked Dawn.
"Well…me and Torterra were talking about it last night. I was wondering what a kiss mean to you?" asked Paul.
"What? What do you mean?" Dawn asked, frantically.
"Well, to most people, a kiss means that the two people are in love."
"That's true."
"But Christmas, you kissed me on the lips like it was nothing."
"It…wasn't for nothing," snapped Dawn.
"Then does that mean you love me?"
"Are you teasing me?"
"No, I'm not. I am being serious. If the kiss on the cheek meant something, then I want to know what it meant."
"We were under the mistletoe. We had to kiss each other."
"Did we really? I mean, the mistletoe is not some evil ruler that will kill us if we didn't kiss. We could have just hugged and everything would have been fine."
All of the Pokémon were busy eating their breakfast. Torterra, however, looked up and saw the two talking. "Hmm…I wonder if Paul will tell that girl the truth about his feelings," thought Torterra.
"Hey, stop that!" Prinplup shouted, angrily.
"Make me!" taunted Ursaring.
"Stop it, right now!" Pachirisu shouted.
Prinplup, Pachirisu, Ursaring, and Magmortar were starting to argue once again. It began to get very heated between the two. A sweat drop appeared on Torterra's face. "Seriously, can they hold this off until later?" Torterra asked, annoyed.
Dawn and Paul were both silent as Dawn searched for something to say to Paul. "Well?" Paul asked.
"Umm…" stammered Dawn. "I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"It's…it's stupid. You'll laugh at me once I say it."
"What is it?"
"No, it's too silly!" refused Dawn, as she hid her blushing face.
"Just tell me!" said Paul. "I tell you personal stuff all the time. Look, if I can trust you with all of my secrets, then you can tell me anything. I won't laugh or anything, I promise."
Dawn turned to Paul, still a bit uneasy. "You really promise?" Dawn asked.
Paul lifted his hand up and stuck his pinky out. "I promise," offered Paul. "If I break it, I'll swallow a thousand needles."
Dawn just smiled at him. "What?" Paul asked. "It's a pinky promise. You taught me this when you and I were at Lake Valor."
"I know. I remember."
Dawn then entwined her pinky with his. "Okay, now tell me what the reason is," Paul said.
"Okay."
Dawn shut her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, the thing is…I wanted to kiss you back at the cabin because…I never…really…kissed a boy before," admitted Dawn.
"What?" asked Paul.
"I know! I'm such an idiot, right?"
"No! That's not what I meant! I mean, you never knew what it's like kissing a boy?"
Paul turned to Dawn, who whimpered nervously and blushed like crazy. He turned away and his face began to blush. "You know, if it makes you feel any better, I've...always wondered what it was like kissing a girl," confessed Paul.
"Really?" Dawn asked, surprised.
"Yeah," continued Paul. "When we almost kissed back at the cabin, after you kissed me on the cheek, the thought of what it feels like to have our lips touching clouded my mind."
Dawn blushed as she and Paul looked away from each other, both very embarrassed.
Back over to where the Pokémon were, Torterra anxiously watched as Dawn and Paul continued to act nervously around each other. "Why is Paul so bashful?" Torterra asked. "Come on, Paul. This is your chance! Man up and get on with it already!"
Prinplup, Pachirisu, Magmortar, and Ursaring continued fighting. "Will you all shut up?" Torterra asked, angrily.
"You know, it's funny how back at the Sunmoon Islands, you didn't want to be a couple. But now, we both want to kiss each other," mentioned Dawn.
"Well…does a kiss really mean that we'll be a couple?" Paul asked.
"That's what most people think," replied Dawn.
"I think the best way to find out is…well…for us to kiss each other," suggested Paul.
"What?"
"It's clear that we're thinking too much about this," he explained. "So let's just do it! We'll kiss each other on the lips for only a second, just so we can get this over with."
"I don't know about that," worried Dawn. "You...really want me to kiss you?"
"What? You don't trust me?"
"No, no! It's not that! It's just..."
"You said earlier that you were wondering what it was like kissing a boy. I'm giving you a chance to without any repercussions! Come on Dawn, do you want to continue worrying about this?"
Dawn began thinking to herself. "Just…one kiss…right?" Dawn asked, quietly.
"Just so we can both wonder what's it's like," repeated Paul.
"Well…okay then. Let's do this."
Dawn and Paul adjusted themselves to get comfortable. They both faced each other, took deep breathes, and shut their eyes. They then began to lean in closer to each other.
Torterra was surprised to see this developing between the two. "Wow!" Torterra said, excitedly. "I didn't think another moment would happen so soon."
Dawn and Paul blushed as their faces began to lean a little closer. Despite Paul's claim that it was a simple kiss, his heart pounded against his chest. Dawn's did as well. Their faces grew closer together, their lips almost touching.
"Please…don't let anything happen to interrupt us," pleaded Dawn.
Unfortunately, Dawn just had to tempt fate. Because right at that moment when they were about to kiss, a lighting bolt flew into the air. Dawn and Paul both broke away with a frown on their face. "Do you even want to look at what's happening?" asked Dawn.
They both turned their head and saw Pachirisu and Prinplup fighting with Ursaring and Magmortar. Dawn and Paul sighed depressingly as their Pokémon continued bickering and attacking each other. Torterra sympathized with Paul and Dawn's stress and disappointment. As Torterra continued looking at Dawn and Paul, the anger inside of him began to swell up. The annoying and childish fighting going on beside him didn't help either. Actually, it made things much worse.
Torterra growled quietly. The growling grew louder and louder. The other Pokémon failed to take notice. They also didn't see Torterra glowing bright green. Torterra let out a loud angry roar. He lifted his two front feet and slammed them onto the ground, creating a large tremor to shake beneath the Pokémon. The ground gave away as huge and heavy vines with thorns arose from underneath the ground and wrapped themselves around the offending Pokémon. Paul, Dawn, and the remaining Pokémon were amazed and frightened by Torterra's anger and immense strength.
The Pokémon caught in Torterra's thorns were struggling to break free, but the more they struggled, the more pain they felt, especially Prinplup. "Some-something on your mind, T-T-Torterra?" asked Drapion, a bit scared.
"What is the meaning of this?" Magmortar asked.
"Like you don't know!" scolded Torterra. "I can't believe I have to deal with you four like you were babies! Every day since you guys met each other, you four always fight and argue and fight and argue and fight and argue some more! Dawn and Paul just want some time to themselves and they never have a moment because you always ruin it for them! You always have to pick a fight over something so ridiculously stupid!"
"But look, there's a good reason for…"
"Shut up, Prinplup!" Torterra shouted. "You're the one in most trouble here! You're usually the one who start the fights! If anything, it's mostly your fault that Dawn and Paul can't relax! If you would just let go of your pride for one minute, maybe you wouldn't be wrapped in my Frenzy Plant right now, now wouldn't you? All of you should feel guilty for letting your anger and hatred for each other get in the way of Paul and Dawn's happiness!"
Dawn and Paul continued watching with their mouths wide-open as Torterra continued ranting angrily at their other Pokémon. "Wow…!" Dawn shouted.
"Torterra!" gasped Paul.
"Starting now, I am going to be the peacemaker between the two of us! And let me tell you, if I ever have to step up and discipline you guys again, I'll unleash everything I have to set you straight! Do you guys understand me?" Torterra asked, angrily.
All of the Pokémon were too frightened to answer back. "DO YOU ALL UNDERSTAND? Torterra asked, angrily and more loudly.
"Yes!" they all answered, frightened by his power.
The thorns from the Frenzy Plant then disappeared back into the ground, freeing the four Pokémon. Pachirisu immediately ran to Dawn and cried its little eyes out. Magmortar and Ursaring turned away from the others. They tried to hide their fear. Prinplup remained prideful, but secretly, she was still scared of Torterra.
Torterra took a deep breath and calmed down. "Wow…that gave me such a headache," he muttered to himself.
Dawn and Paul stood still as the Pokémon tried to continue with their routine. "Ummmm…" stammered Dawn.
"That was something I never thought Torterra would do," remarked Paul.
"You know," said Dawn. "Maybe we should pack everything up and get ready to go."
"You read my mind," replied Paul. "Let's go!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few hours later, Dawn and Paul have completely cleared the entire campsite. They packed up the tents and the food. Their Pokémon retreated into their Poké Balls, all except Torterra. "Alright, looks like we're ready to go," Dawn said.
Paul turned to the Torterra, still a bit exhausted from his little rant a moment ago. "Alright Torterra, it's time to go," Paul told him.
The red light beamed from the Poké Ball, bringing Torterra back into his Poké Ball. Paul held the Poké Ball close to his mouth. "Thank you," he whispered.
He put the Poké Ball in his pocket and walked back to his bike. "Are you ready?" asked Dawn.
"Let's go!" Paul said. Paul hoped onto the bike and Dawn jumped up and sat behind him. Paul then began to peddle towards the Cycling Road. Dawn wrapped her arms around him as he rolled down a small hill. "You know Torterra really did something amazing back there," commented Dawn.
"I know," Paul said. "He really is a beast, isn't he?"
"Well…yeah, but I meant that it was really nice for him to get our Pokémon to stop fighting."
"Yeah, that was. I'm not sure how long that effect will last though."
"Well, at least that will stop them for a little while," Dawn said. "You know, I like how you thanked Torterra. I think you've come a long way from what you were before."
Paul turned around and smiled at Dawn. Dawn lifted her head and looked Paul in his eyes. Dawn smiled back, but then her smile slowly turned into a frown. It worried Paul. Paul suddenly slowed down and stopped the bike. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
"No, there isn't anything wrong," replied Dawn.
"Yes there is," replied Paul. "What is it?"
Dawn twirled her fingers around before answering. "We were...so close that time," she muttered, just loud for Paul to hear. Paul turned away and began blushing again. "Yeah...we were," he replied. "We almost kissed, but then we got interrupted...again."
"Do you...do you want to try again?"
"I don't know. Do you want to try again?"
"Because we were really close that time and I still want to know..."
"Well, if...you want to."
The two of them got off the bike and faced each other again. They both took deep breathes to calm themselves down. "Just like last time, only one short kiss and that's it," reminded Paul.
"Fine," agreed Dawn. "Ready?"
"Hold on."
Paul then looked all around his surroundings. He looked for anything that could possibly interrupt them. "No wild Pokémon, no clouds in the sky..." he mumbled. "Okay, let's do this."
They both closed their eyes and leaned in closer to each other's faces. Their faces felt hot, their hearts pounded, and their palms sweat. They felt nervous, yet somewhat excited as well. Both of them would have their curiosities answered. "Please don't let anything get in between us this time," Paul pleaded in his mind.
They could almost feel their lips touching, but suddenly...Dawn pulls away. Paul remained where he was, with his lips pouted, unaware of what was going on. When he opened his eyes, he saw an embarrassed Dawn leaning back away from him. Paul let out a frustrated sigh. "What's wrong?" he asked, annoyed.
"Look, it's not you," answered Dawn. "It's just that..."
Dawn didn't finish her answer. She was caught off-guard when Paul suddenly embraced her …and kissed her on her lips! Her heart stopped as emotions overwhelmed her body, overloading her senses. Her face turned very red and became very hot.
Paul kept his eyes closed. He had no idea what her reaction was right now. Nevertheless, he deepened the kiss even further. "I don't know if this was a good idea or not, but…this feels wonderful," thought Paul.
Paul eventually broke away. He looked at Dawn's face. She was still surprised, stunned, and confused. She put her hand up to her lips. "Paul…why did you…" began Dawn.
"I know it was very sudden," explained Paul. "But...I really wanted to know what it was like kissing a girl."
Things were silent between the two for a moment. They didn't make any eye contact with each other. The air surrounding them reeked of awkwardness. "So...what did you think?" Dawn finally asked.
"Umm...well," began Paul.
"Did you...like it?"
Paul opened his mouth, but no words came out. He hesitated to answer. "Well, your lips were...very soft," answered Paul.
"And?" Dawn asked.
"And...and..." stammered Paul. "Kissing you made me realize something."
"What's that?"
Paul brought his hand up to his mouth and turned his head away. He tried his best to collect his thoughts and think about what to say next. "I...I don't know how to describe it," he answered.
"Well...just it let come naturally," said Dawn. "Whatever comes to mind, just say it."
Paul looked at her and saw that she desperately wanted him to say something. He took a deep breath and turned back towards Dawn. "Dawn, kissing you made me realize...that I love you," he confessed.
Dawn gasped. Her eyes popped as she heard Paul confess his love. Paul's face was bright red as she covered her mouth with her hand. "You love me?" she asked.
"Dawn, after my battle with Fantina, when we left each other, I felt like something was missing," Paul said. "I just didn't feel the same as I did whenever I was with you. At first, I didn't want to accept these feelings. I was afraid of what would happen. I wondered how everything will work out between us. But out of everyone that I know, you are the one who made the most impact on my life. Luxray became an invaluable member of my team because of you. I conquered my fear of swimming because of you. I beat Fantina because of you. I learned to love and respect my Pokémon because of you. I send my evil dad to prison because of you."
Paul suddenly choked when he realized what he said. "Umm…well…I'm not sure if…that's was something you should be…then again, he was an evil jerk who…" stammered Paul. "Look, the point is Dawn is that…uhhh…"
Paul was suddenly at a loss for words. "What?" Dawn asked.
"Well...it's clichéd," continued Paul. "But...you complete me, Dawn. You really do. I feel...happy whenever you're around. You...you know...make me feel like there's more to life than just the drab, dark life I'm used to. I feel like everything's perfect...for the most part. You..."
He looked up and saw a tear drip down Dawn's cheek. She, however, remained smiling. "Oh Paul…" she sobbed, happily. "I never realized that I made that much of an impact on you."
Paul smiled as he used his thumb to wipe away Dawn's tear. Dawn then suddenly reached out and kissed Paul. Now it was Paul's turn to be surprised. He shut his eyes and kissed Dawn back, wrapping his arms around her. The two were trapped in their own little world of bliss and happiness, and they didn't want to leave anytime soon.
The two broke away again. Dawn looked up at Paul. "I love you Paul," she admitted.
Paul brought her head closer to his chest. "I love you too Dawn," he said back.
The two stood there, embracing each other for a minute or so, maybe more. The two felt very happy being with each other. They both smiled, feeling like their souls were soaring into the heavens.
After enjoying the moment to themselves, they both got back onto the bike. Paul began to quickly peddle towards Eterna City, with Dawn's arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Paul continued to smile as he looked towards the horizon. "So, this is what it's like being in love," he ponders to himself. "In that case, I should have done this a long time ago!"
"I don't if this is just a dream or if this is really happening," thought Dawn. "If this really is a dream, I NEVER want to wake up."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
THE END…
A/N: Yes, yes, I know: what took you so freaking long to hook them up?
I believed I teased you guys long enough. I thought now was the time for them to get together and make it official. I mean, it's been two years and twenty chapters!
Speaking of two years, I am very surprised to see that this story is now more than two years old! My, time sure does fly, am I right? Anyway, I want to take this opportunity to thank some of my loyal reviewers who have taken the time to read my fanfiction for all of these years: mednin, KuraiDawn, SecretAgent99, Hayles45, earlymorninglight12, suigetsu-is-da-bomb, Gaia798, PerlaNemesis, Infinite Freedom, Spartan 20, ShadetheEchidna666, Lyra Ramirez…
If I failed to mention your name, I'm sorry, but thank you as well!
I hope you will all continue reading, because just because Paul and Dawn are now together doesn't mean they'll always have happy moments. Watch as their love gets pushed to the limit by jealousy, depression, angst, overly hyperactive mothers, evil older brothers, criminal fathers, and old friends, especially one who is angry with a certain someone for ditching them. And just because Torterra placed some fear into their Pokémon doesn't mean their Pokémon still won't fight each other.
Don't think this is the end! No sir! We are just getting started!