Chapter 10

Adjusting her jacket over her back with a gentleness that was still foreign to May, she stared down at her feet as Brendan moved to face her. Focusing on every scuff, dirt and tear on her shoes, May tried to ignore how Brendan was crouching down so he was on her level, trying not to notice how much she must have hurt him.

How had she not noticed how he felt? He'd always been there to care for her, cover her bruises and lie for her if the story was bad. Sure, she'd hoped that her other friends would do that for her, but no one had ever done nearly as much for her as Brendan had.

Offering her a small, exasperated smile, Brendan stroked her cheek before saying, 'don't rush anything on my part. You're in no condition to be zooming around so we're going to take it nice and slow and get you out of here in one piece. I've got some breakfast bars in my bag; I'll go get them. Blaziken, can you help pack up camp? I don't have the time given the situation. Swellow, I'll need you to find a safe route to carry May out of here.'

The pokémon reacted quickly, climbing around the camp with ease, seeming more than happy to help Brendan, an unusual action from the usually sassy pokémon.

Grimacing, May released her own Blaziken, who, unlike Brendan's battle-ready pokémon, stood with his arms crossed and foot tapping, his expression extremely dark.

He was pissed, and May knew why.

She had promised to train her pokémon last night, but with the events of the previous night she didn't have the chance.

'Hey Blaziken,' May grinned at her starter pokémon, who let out an irritated huff of fire before seeing her bruised and bandaged state. His eyes narrowed as he inspected his trainer, followed by their terrain, his eyes searching the vast canyon below before focusing disbelievingly up, at the clifftop.

'Blaze,' Blaziken began, though May hurriedly interrupted him, 'I know, Brendan already scolded me, I promise, I learnt my lesson. No more racing anyone up Mount Chimney, or maybe even anywhere. So, Blaziken, can you help clean up the camp? Brendan's really been helping me out so it's the least we can do.'

At her words, her pokémon turned to see Brendan arguing with his starter, who seemed to be teasing him, though May couldn't hear what was happening.

Slowly, Blaziken's gaze turned back to May's, a knowing glint in his eyes as May instinctively avoided his gaze.

Opening her mouth to assure her pokémon that it wasn't what it looked like, May faltered.

What did it look like and what wasn't it?

Hadn't she and Brendan confessed their affection for each other? What was she meant to tell her pokémon?

Before she could find any words to say, Brendan had come back, handing her a bar, 'eat up. Now let me see your foot.'

From her position on the ground, May tried to do something, anything, but all she could do was blush in childlike embarrassment at Brendan's attention and affection.

Her pokémon watched the exchange with crossed arms before he turned an amused gaze into May.

Unable to believe her luck, May warned, 'if you're not going to help, I'll just return you.'

To her surprise, her starter let out an indignant squawk before hurriedly rushing around the camp, never quite straying too far from her side though.

'Brendan, do you have something to eat?' May asked as she heard his stomach growl.

'I'll be fine,' he muttered, acting unaffected by how hungry he was.

Rolling her eyes, she broke the bar in half. Giving him the bigger half, she muttered, 'take this and eat. We both raced up this mountain so I know you'd be hungry, even without your stomach letting me know.'

She couldn't even look at him as he took his portion with an eager grin, 'youngster Joey in full pants, did you just share food with me?!'

'It's your food!' May retorted indignantly as she heard both their pokémon laughing, undoubtedly at them.

'Yeah, but you're a glutton, thanks May,' Brendan grinned before kissing her gingerly in the lips.

'W-what?' May gasped, almost dropping her bar at how surprised she was.

'If you drop it, I'm not eating it. You gave me this half and I'm eating it,' he scowled, though May was already eagerly eating her meal, trying to do anything and everything to keep herself from looking at anyone around her, especially with the eager chuckles coming from their starter pokémon.

Once she had eaten the bar, May was about to get up when Brendan hissed, 'stay seated you great munchlax. I still need to check your ankle.'

'I'm not a munchlax!' May hissed back, mortified that he'd still call her a munchlax. Those comments from Brendan always got to her, but after last night she didn't think he'd still call her that.

'Right, that's why I was awake before you,' he snorted before carefully placing her ankle on his leg, inspecting it with a deftness that came with familiarity... The familiarity of being around May the catastrophe, that is.

Watching his movements, May's heart fluttered at the delicacy with which he handled her injury. She'd never noticed it before, but Brendan had definitely memorised the first aid book.

'Were you awake long?' May asked, poking her fingers together shyly to look up at him.

'You're still super swollen,' Brendan frowned as he pressed into her foot to judge how bad it was.

Gritting her teeth, May tried not to hiss in pain as the man frowned down at her foot, his concern visible.

'Brendan?' May asked wincing through the pain that shot up her leg.

If she let him know that it hurt, he'd only worry more.

With an apologetic glance, he replied, 'sorry, yeah I couldn't sleep 'cause of your snoring.'

'I snore?!' May squeaked, feeling the blood drain from her face. No one had ever told her that before.

With a snort, he muttered, 'easier than getting a kiss from a smoochum.'

Instead of responding, she stared down at her foot, too mortified to even react to his statement.

Did she really snore?

Shaking his head, he assured her, 'no, not a squeak, though you were out good.'

Pouting, May muttered, 'you're just saying that.'

Just her luck, Brendan hadn't slept a wink because she'd been snoring away like a snorlax. Maybe if she was lucky she'd fall off their ledge.

Shaking his head, Brendan looked up at her with his ruby eyes, 'no, I'm not.'

His eyes flickered to the two starter pokémon who were watching them with visible amusement, both visibly dawdling around the clean campsite.

Running a hand through his brown, almost black hair, Brendan scowled, 'May, after all this time, I really thought you knew.'

'Knew what?' May echoed, glancing sneakily up at his dead-serious expression. Brendan was almost never this serious, not around her.

Nervously, she tried to swallow the dry lump in her throat. She had no idea what he was going to say now, so she sat quietly, poking her fingers together uncertainly.

'When are you going to see that I think you're perfect?' Brendan said, so seriously that May almost asked what had happened to him.

Where had her diaper buddy gone? The man who'd tease her for all of her imperfections… was now saying she was perfect?

The eager crows of excitement could be heard from the fire types as May blushed, staring at him in disbelief.

Had he hit his head last night? Why was he spewing lies about her being perfect?

Before she could voice her concern, Brendan was kissing her, pulling her towards him, his warmth and familiarity making May's heart jump in her throat, though she wasn't complaining.

Running her hand through his dark hair, May closed her eyes, her lips moving instinctively around Brendan's, wanting more.

Why was Brendan Birch and his petaya scent so addicting to her? Sitting on his lap, May leant into him, enjoying the way his arms wrapped around her waist.

Only when a swellow's cry could be heard did they pull apart, cheeks flushed and breathing heavy.

She wanted more.

'We should go,' Brendan whispered, his forehead leaning on hers, his ruby eyes searching her sapphire ones.

Nodding in agreement, May tried not to show her reluctance.

She didn't quite want to leave, but she knew they should. Her ankle wasn't going to improve by itself on this cliff, and Brendan was probably still hungry.

'Given how steep the cliff is, I think we'd best make our way down. Blaziken, you'll be carrying your trainer. Blaze, I want you to find a path and keep an eye on May. I'll be right there with you, and Swellow will be too, watching to make sure everything is ok,' Brendan explained, both pokémon nodding at his words.

Biting back the question if she had anything to say in the matter, May hesitantly let her starter lift her up. Her pokémon, for all his amusement, carried her with a fragility and respect she's come to appreciate from her starter pokémon.

Once everything was ready, May glanced at Brendan, hoping they would be ok.

She didn't like that he'd be climbing down the cliff too, or that his unusually large flying type would be prioritising her. She trusted the pokémon, she just didn't like Brendan being in such a dangerous position.

'Relax, your blaziken won't let you go, and if anything happens my pokémon will catch you,' Brendan assured her, his voice as confident as ever.

Peering nervously over the ledge, May whispered, 'but it seems so far, and I don't want anything to happen to you.'

'I'll be fine, now let's get going,' Brendan grinned before ushering the pokémon on.

Watching Swellow fly up in the air, May sorely wanted to be back on firm ground. It didn't help that her pokémon had to carry her, and, whilst she trusted Blaziken to look after her, she wanted to be closer to Brendan. She'd always had that sentiment, but now it was worse than before.

'Blaze,' her pokémon teased, and May could hear Brendan's pokémon make a snort that would have made Brendan proud.

'Oh shoosh, I don't want to hear it,' she grumbled, avoiding even looking at either of the two fire types as Brendan busied himself with his backpack.

In response, they cackled.

A/N:

Sorry it's a little late! I got distracted hehehe

This'll still be going, I'm just writing this for the sake of writing it now to be honest. Let me know if you like it :)