Rule #8: He puts your happiness first. (Part 1)

"Wake up!" shouts the bluenette who tears open the door.

Paul sits up alertly and blinks in confusion at her. Just what is going on? He's shirtless and in sweatpants, like he always sleeps. Realizing that there is no real danger, Paul groggily rubs his eyes. "What are you doing here?" She had told him that she'd be in town a few days ago, but when she didn't show, he assumed she'd arrive next week, like she was originally scheduled to come.

Dawn rolls her eyes, though she is blushing from seeing the shirtless man. While Conway is pretty attractive, he's no match for Paul. Dawn knows Paul could get any woman he wanted, especially with his immense knowledge on dating and relationships without being in one. However, his scary and loner personality makes him difficult to approach.

"The wedding. Duh." she tells him matter of factly.

Paul notices the clock indicating that it is past 10 in the morning. He normally wakes up early, but due to being bored, the man has been sleeping in later and later. Getting out of bed, he walks over to the doorway where she is still standing. Dawn's blush deepens from the tall man's body. "Move."

Shyly nodding, she steps to the side, allowing Paul to walk to the bathroom. Once the bathroom door shuts, Dawn shakes herself out of her daze. She yells through the door, "Reggie and Maylene are busy today. I have something for us to do!"

"Not interested."

"We all know you're bored, Paul. Maylene says all you do is sleep now."

Paul furrows his brows. Maylene and her big mouth put him in such uncomfortable situations. "I wanna sleep."

"Too bad." Dawn crosses her arms over her chest. "You're going out with me."

"Where's your boyfriend?" Ouch. Paul, stop doing that. He's only hurting himself with these questions.

"I didn't know you cared so much about him." teases the bluenette, though Paul does always ask about Conway lately.

Dawn hears water running, which she assumes is Paul brushing his teeth. Soon, the door swings open and he walks back to his room. "I don't care about him."

"Do you care about me?" inquires the hopeful bluenette. She feels her heart quicken in anticipation of his answer. While she likes Conway a lot, and their relationship is going well, she really misses her friend.

Paul doesn't respond as he puts on a shirt and cap. He feels terrible, so he'll dress terribly. Keeping his sweatpants on, mostly because he doesn't want to take them off in front of her, Paul throws on a black jacket. "Where are we going?"

Dawn is slightly disappointed that he didn't answer her question, but she's also relieved. She knows he heard her. Paul just chooses not to respond to things. Most of the time, she'll repeat herself and press him until he answers. This question, though, she won't. A part of her is scared of his response. Like maybe he didn't answer because he actually doesn't care about her and doesn't want to hurt her feelings. That's just how kind Paul is.

Paul, nonetheless, didn't answer because he didn't want to. He's been avoiding anything that has to do with how he feels about this troublesome woman. He's grateful that she hasn't repeated herself, like she usually does. With her dating Conway, she really shouldn't be asking other men if they care about her, even if she meant in a strictly platonic way.

Dawn smiles as she rushes after him. "Brunch? You need to eat."

"Not hungry yet."

"Well, I am. I came here right when I woke up." she links arms with him out of habit, but he quickly pulls away, much to both of their dismays. "Are you mad at me, Paul?" He's been ignoring her, though sometimes he will pick up her calls. Paul has been very distant.

"No." He's mad at himself for making her feel like this. For making himself feel like this, and he doesn't understand why.

"Why do you keep avoiding me? I thought we were friends?"

"I don't have friends."

"But we're friends." insists the bluenette while they walk the streets of Veilstone together undercover.

"You shouldn't hang out with other men when you're taken." Paul reminds her, making Dawn's frown grow.

"You're my friend, Paul. Conway knows this! Just because I'm dating him now, it doesn't mean that I stop being friends with you." Paul looks away from her, so Dawn grabs his arm to drag him further down the street. "Stop pouting, Paul. I won't forget about you." She glances behind her shoulder to give him a reassuring smile. "You're my best friend."

As Paul follows her into a diner, he feels a lot better hearing that he means something to her. He's her best friend. She has lots of friends, but he's her best friend. Paul can't help but feel happy hearing this. His heart doesn't ache as badly, though it is beating quicker. He hasn't lost her, and she won't let him go. They can still keep being friends.

After ordering their food, Paul smirks at her. "You're troublesome."

Dawn giggles. She's glad he's back to himself. Paul is a tough person, so he needs some tough love. "You're the only one who thinks that."

Of course he's the only one who thinks she's troublesome. She troubles him so much. The way she affects his body and emotions are uncontrollable. Paul Shinji used to be able to know what he wanted and was in full control of himself. However, anything involving this woman sends him into a frenzy he finds troublesome, just like her. "It's true."

"You're a prunehead." she laughs when his face falls into a very irritated unamused one. Dawn has missed messing with Paul. He makes it so much fun and too easy.

"Stop teasing me."

"Aw. Is the big scary champion a giant softie? Did I hurt his feelings?" taunts the bluenette.

Paul rolls his eyes. "Troublesome."

Wiping at the tears from her laughter, Dawn finally manages to calm down. She grins over at the very annoyed man. "I'm happy you're my friend, Paul."

He sighs and gives her a warm look. Paul is happy she's in his life, though he doesn't consider her a friend. "Troublesome." he mutters, making her tease him about how that's the only thing he ever says to her.

Hoenn

"Damn it!" exclaims the furious brunette as she kicks a rock.

Sheepishly smiling at her, the green haired man rubs the back of his head. "Well, at least this time, you didn't lose alone." They both just lost on their second attempt in the LaRousse City contest.

May angrily glares at him. "Why are you so okay with this? We just lost twice! Both of us! You were the Sinnoh Top Coordinator last year, and you lost twice in your hometown!"

Drew is taken aback by her words. She's said mean things to him before, but these words are laced with venom. "Why are you yelling at me, May? Relax! We'll win our fourth ribbon eventually." It's not like they're running out of time or anything.

"Relax?" May scoffs. "This is why I didn't wanna travel with you in the first place!"

Hurt by her words, Drew narrows his eyes at her. "Winning and losing doesn't matter! It's the journey and the memories."

"Oh please, Drew. You're only saying that because you won a Grand Festival already."

"That's not it-"
"I remember you training nonstop before you won. We rarely saw each other because we were so focused on our goals." May reminds him. "Now that you already got it, you're just casually competing. Well, reality check, Drew, I'm not you! I still need to win one!"

He furrows his brows at her. "I care! I'm not just competing for fun!"

"Then what are you competing for?" challenges the brunette.

Drew bites his bottom lip. With his furious emerald orbs on her equally pissed off sapphire ones, he tells her, "You. I'm competing for you."

"That makes no sense."

"It does. You're my biggest rival. Sinnoh wouldn't have been an easy win if you were there." Drew missed competing with May.

"Then why do you keep holding me back?" May hisses. She is surprised that Drew just wants to compete against her again. However, the past couple of months they've been together, May feels like her progress has slowed down. She has to constantly think about him and run on his time, and Drew is too casual about competing. Time is taken away from traveling and training due to Drew wanting to hang out.

"How am I holding you back?" exclaims the man. "We're rivals! We're supposed to be pushing each other!" He feels like he's becoming a better coordinator around her.

May shakes her head in disbelief. "I haven't lost in the same city twice in a row in years, Drew. We're constantly hanging out! I have less time to train-"

"You shouldn't be training all the time! Your Pokemon need to relax."

"They're my Pokemon!" May shouts, causing Drew to flinch. "This is my team, and this is my goal! Your stupid reasons are just bothering me!"

Drew's glare intensifies on her. "Stupid? So it's stupid that I wanna hang out with my best friend I barely saw the past decade? It's stupid that I wanna have fun? It's stupid that I care about you?"

"If you really cared about me, you would've never made me travel with you! You would've respected my wishes of leaving me alone!" May is frustrated, and Drew just won't understand. He was already a Top Coordinator. She still needs to achieve her dream.

Letting out a breath, Drew gazes into her blue eyes. "So do you want me to leave you alone now?"

"Yes!" exasperates May. Finally, he gets it!

Drew takes a few steps away from her. "Okay. You don't have to travel with me anymore." He defeatedly mutters. "I hope you're happy, May."

Still upset, May nods. "I'm very happy. Thank you, Drew."

He fights the urge to look at her one more time because Drew can't fake a smile or even a smirk. This hurts. She really wants him out of her life this badly? She's putting these stupid contests and ribbons over her friendship with him? He does somewhat understand because he didn't realize how important relationships were until he was the Top Coordinator. The job was boring. It made him miss his loved ones.

Walking away, Drew's head is hung low as he keeps his tears at bay. Not only did he just lose a friend, but he lost the woman who has his heart. All he wanted was to be by her side, but that's not what she wants. She wants him gone. She wants to be alone, and he loves her too much to not do as she wishes. He really has been selfish imposing his feelings on her. No wonder why she blew up on him just now.

Sinnoh

"Isn't it romantic?" gushes the bluenette as she sits down.

Paul's scowl deepens. "They're just dancing." The two are watching Reggie and Maylene rehearse their dance for their wedding song. With the wedding in two weeks, Paul and Dawn have been helping out as best they can.

Dawn rolls her eyes. "They're dancing to their song, Paul." Of course he wouldn't care for romance. It still shocks her how she took dating advice from him, but he did lead her to a man who treats her well.

Paul continues boredly watching his brother and future sister-in-law coordinate their dance moves. This is boring. They were finally allowed to rehearse in the venue the other day; thus, Reggie and Maylene want to make sure their dance is perfect in the space. Workers around them are still setting up tables and chairs.

"Ash is coming." Dawn tells Paul.

"Alone." Everyone knows about the Kanto Champion's new relationship status, though Ash is hanging out with Misty. Another rule of dating, exes can't be friends. However, Ash is an idiot who Paul doesn't have to give advice to. Paul will let Ash dig his own hole.

Dawn sighs. Back when Ash RSVPed, he was with Misty, so they both were going to come to the wedding. "At least Misty is still his friend."

"It's stupid." mutters the man.

Dawn has already spoken to Paul about Ash and Misty's breakup, though it was mostly her talking and him groaning. "Yeah. Because exes can't be friends. I know." she boredly mimics him, earning her an annoyed look.

"Good to know you still know the rules."

"They are my bible, Paul." Dawn grins. "You're right. Your rules brought me to Conway."

Paul glances back at the fiances who are rehearsing again. He hates hearing Dawn say that name. It aches his chest too much. She hasn't spoken too much about him due to the hectic wedding, but she has mentioned him a few times. The moments when she's on the pokenav with him are the worst. It makes Paul just want to vomit. Romance is foul, though he finds Dawn's relationship more annoying than Reggie's.

The same song finally stops. Reggie and Maylene had been repeating their wedding song, which is another reason why Paul was getting so annoyed. Listening to the same song for an hour is too much torture. Nevertheless, he already told Dawn that he'll stop avoiding her. He'll be her friend. She still wants him in her life, and he knows he still wants her in his.

With the whole wedding playlist now playing as people continue to work, the finances are taking a break from dancing. Dawn is happily looking at her pokenav, which Paul can already assume is Conway texting her. It's fine for her to text right now since they're all on a break from the wedding rehearsal. The bridesmaids and groomsmen will be arriving this weekend to practice all next week.

Seeing Dawn continue to smile in the corner of his eye irks Paul. When she giggles, he asks, "Wanna dance?"

Dawn blinks in confusion. Paul rarely initiates a conversation with her. He rarely talks to her because it's usually her doing the talking. Curiously looking over to make sure she heard correctly, her midnight eyes lock with his annoyed grey orbs, and she completely forgets her pokenav she absentmindedly sets on the table next to her. "Huh?"

With a slight pink tint on his cheeks, Paul stands up and extends a shy hand towards her. Dawn gazes up at his awkward face. With her own slight blush, she takes his hand where he leads her a few steps onto the dancefloor. They're not in the direct middle because Paul doesn't want that attention, but they are the only ones dancing now.

Dawn is in Paul's arms as they dance to the slow song playing. Paul's hands are resting on Dawn's waist while her arms are draped around his neck. The two avoid looking at each other out of embarrassment. Despite the awkwardness, they are dancing pretty well. Dawn decides to break the tension, "You're pretty good at this."

He grumbles, "It's not hard." All he needs to do is walk around to the beat. He's watched plenty of people dance to slow songs at League events to know this. Paul will never dance to a fast song. Those are not his style. Well, he rarely dances in general. This is the first time he's danced since Cynthia forced him to dance to a slow song with her during his first League event.

Giggling, Dawn playfully looks into his nervous eyes. "Maybe I'm just a great lead?"

Paul scoffs. "You're not the lead."

"And you are?" she challenges with an eyebrow raised.

Paul finally makes eye contact to show his very annoyed gaze. However, this proves dangerous because now they're both enticed with one another. Those midnight blue eyes that are the same shade as her hair. He finds comfort in this color, despite her being the most annoying person he knows.

The woman too is amazed by his grey orbs now that she's mere inches in front of them. Have they always looked this clear? This interesting? She recalls him looking cold and bored, but right now, they're warm. They make her want to get a closer look, so she inches towards him. Regardless of his very chiseled and handsome face, Paul's soft gaze makes Dawn's heart beat quicker. She always enjoys his company and his friendship, so she figured that her heart pounded due to her excitement of being his friend.

Nonetheless, the rapid beating and her very red face tell her otherwise. Paul isn't just a close friend. There's something else that she just can't quite pinpoint. She doesn't like him the way she likes Conway. Conway makes her blush at times and her heart swell from his sweetness, but Conway has never made her heart beat this much. She doesn't hate this feeling. Everything is forgotten as she moves her face to get a closer look at these eyes that she's never seen before.

Paul too doesn't hear the music nor take in the sight of their surroundings. All he sees is this beautiful woman in front of him who is constantly on his mind. Who he's constantly worrying about and finds troublesome, yet will always help her. Something about how she always treats him like a normal person regardless of his title and scary demeanor makes him want to keep her near him. There are few people he can trust, but he fully trusts all of Dawn's intentions. He doesn't need to be wary around her. She's one of a kind to him.

Therefore, Paul inches his face lower to hers. His heart is pounding so loud he's sure she can hear it, though he hears hers too. As they move closer together, Paul's hands shift from Dawn's waist to his arms wrapping around her, pulling her closer. When he feels her warm breath on his lips, Paul shuts his eyes in anticipation.

Kanto

"I'm gonna do it." Ash tells Pikachu who sweatdrops at his nervous trainer.

"Pika pikachu chu pi pikapi pika pikachupi." the mouse knowingly remarks.

"I know I don't wanna do it, but she wants me to." Ash sighs. "I just want her to be happy, Pikachu. If this is what it takes, then I can sacrifice what I want for her." No matter what, Ash knows he's happiest with Misty.

Pikachu facepalms. His trainer really doesn't think things through. Well, Pikachu tried his best. He'll let Ash embarrass himself. Hopefully, Misty doesn't leave him for good after this. "Pikaaa…"

Ash takes in a deep breath. He is annoyed that Pikachu won't support him. Knocking on the door, Ash is soon greeted by his ex who has returned to being his friend. Well, the two haven't just been completely friends. They still enjoy some benefits from when they were still in a relationship. "Hey, Mist." grins the man.

Misty smiles warmly at him. "I was just making lunch. Did you want some?" Ash is early today. Pushing his luck, Ash has been showing up a little earlier every time he visits. Sometimes, he'll call to see if he can stop by more than once a week. The two are really enjoying their friends with benefits relationship, especially now that they're less awkward around each other.

"Thanks." Ash walks inside, and Pikachu happily greets Misty.

While eating, the two adults engage in conversation. They usually do the same thing in their days, so there's not much to discuss. "Isn't Maylene's and Reggie's wedding soon?" Misty recalls it being this month.

Ash opens his eyes wide in shock. He had completely forgotten. He and Misty RSVPed last year. Being Ash Ketchum, and also being the champion, the wedding slipped his mind. "Is it?" He quietly asks. Pikachu runs away upstairs. He's too ashamed of his trainer today to endure anymore of Ash's denseness.

Misty sighs. She understands where Pikachu is coming from, though she just can't abandon Ash too. When they were together, she would walk away, and he would curiously follow asking her why she won't answer his questions. Now that they're still in this weird place after their breakup, she doesn't want to walk away for fear that he may think she's mad at him. Then, she probably won't see him as much because he'll limit his visits.

"I'm sure they emailed you a reminder."

"Maybe." Ash furrows his brows. He rarely checks his email. That's what his secretary is for. However, Ash has very selective hearing, so the wedding may have been missed. "Do you remember when it is?"

Misty rolls her eyes. "You're the one who was invited, Ash. I don't know them."

He sheepishly chuckles. "Right." The two finish eating in awkward silence, and Ash finds the courage to ask, "Are you still gonna go?" Misty shyly meets his gaze. "Ya know. Cuz we RSVPed together last year…"

The woman's face flushes slightly. "Uh. As friends? Cuz we RSVPed when we were together..." She doesn't mind spending more time with Ash, though she knows she shouldn't. A whole trip to another region for a week with her ex is a recipe for trouble. It's already difficult enough just being friends with benefits. She'd prefer to cut out the benefits part, but they both have their selfish needs.

Ash blushes while remembering this. Does he want to attend the wedding as friends? Well, he doesn't plan to be friends after today. "Not as friends." He mutters.

"Ash, we're friends. Remember?" It pains Misty to say this. They've been enjoying the perks of being a couple without actually being one. She knows that once either of them move on to someone new, then the other will be alone. It aches her heart knowing that she doesn't completely have the man she loves.

However, Misty Waterflower knows her worth more than to be strung along. Ash loves her. There's no doubt about that. Nevertheless, Ash won't commit, and Misty can't waste anymore time. She's already getting older, and if she wants to get married and have kids, then she'll need to date someone soon who will marry her. Misty can't wait for Ash to come around and finally decide to marry her. There never seems to be a good enough time for Ash.

Standing up, Ash walks over to Misty where he takes in a deep breath. She curiously watches him bend to one knee on the ground, which makes her think he's looking for something. "Did you lose something?" Had it fallen off the table while she was thinking?

Ash nervously looks into Misty's confused blue eyes. Eyes he loves and just wants for himself. "Yeah."

"What is it?" Misty moves her chair back so that she can get out and help him look, but Ash places a hand on her thigh to keep her in place.

"You."

Her face turns a dark shade of red at his words. Despite his sweetness, Misty already told herself that she won't get back with him. She won't be one of those couples who are constantly on and off again. Plus, if she wastes any more time with Ash, she will lose her prime opportunity to get married to someone who actually wants to marry her. "Ash-"

When Ash pulls out a small black velvet box from his pocket, Misty gasps in shock. What is this? Ash had initially planned to do this at Cerulean Cape, but right now felt like the right moment. Plus, they're in the privacy of Misty's home rather than the public eye at Cerulean Cape. "I don't wanna lose you for good, Mist. I want you to be happy." Ash takes in a deep breath as his confidence is building. "I know I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, and if it takes this ring to prove it to you, then I'll give it to you." His glossy hopeful brown eyes lock with her shocked blue ones. "Will you marry me, Misty?"

A few silent seconds go by as Misty watches the man become more nervous. She said she wasn't going to wait around for him anymore because she doubts he'd ever marry her. However, here he is proposing, and she's not happy. On the contrary, she's disappointed with his proposal. "No."

I'm a firm believer that exes can't be friends. Friends can't be lovers either. For those who say they fell in love with their friends, I don't think it's possible. You can try to lie and say you were friends, but you've always had a feeling that you didn't see them as a friend. I 'fell in love' with a friend, but I know I never saw him as a friend. My current boyfriend wasn't my friend before we started dating, and we are going very strong compared to my 'friend' I dated in the past.

Also, the people I know who don't wanna cut off their exes remain friends with them. However, there is too much baggage with that. Eventually, my friends get fed up with their exes being their friends. Like it's toxic and tolling, so the exes are finally cut off.

IDK. Just my input. Exes can't be friends. It gets messy. :P