Chapter 15

Reaching the familiar paved driveway of her home all too soon, May hesitated as she held onto Brendan's shoulder as she awkwardly climbed off of her bike.

Being at her house, knowing their families were just inside made everything so much more awkward.

Stiffly, Brendan wheeled her bike out from behind her, his eyes firmly avoiding looking at her.

'Do you want to go in first?' May asked Brendan hopefully as he wheeled the bikes down the path to the side of the house, leaving her to balance haphazardly on her good foot.

'Nope, you're going in first. You're the one they're worried about, not me. We all know it's you who fell off that cliff for no reason and almost gave me a heart attack in the process,' Brendan scowled back at her, crossing his arms from where he stood, his jaw tightening.

Balancing as best she could, May pouted. She hated being fussed over, and she definitely wasn't sure she could face them alone. She heard him walk towards her as she stretched out her arms, trying to remain upright.

She didn't want to see their faces, not without Brendan giving her someone to hide behind.

Turning her gaze to Brendan's, May's voice caught in her throat as she whispered, 'please?'

As soon as she'd said the word, Brendan's ruby eyes flashed with concern. Smoothly, he closed the gap between them, one of his hands on both of their foreheads.

Blinking, May blushed at how close his face was to hers. She couldn't believe that he was doing this in front of her own home, and with their parents inside, to boot!

'No, no fever,' Brendan muttered as a door was yanked open with a crash.

'BRENDAN BIRCH, I EXPECTED BETTER FROM YOU!' A voice snarled as another cried, 'May, thank Arceus you're home! What happened?'

Her heart lurching painfully in her throat, May swirled to face their parents.

Losing her balance, May let out a yelp, though Brendan caught her, his arms wrapping around her torso with ease.

Having instinctively wrapped her own arms around his, May stared at the familiar, gorgeous ruby eyes she'd fallen for so long ago.

Without a word, Brendan pulled her upright, his jaw tightening as he searched her face, his eyebrows creasing with worry.

'W-what?' May said, her voice sounding strange even to her own ears.

Remembering where they were, they yanked their hands off of each other, clearing their throats, their cheeks burning.

She couldn't even look at him as their mothers reached them.

'May, sweety, are you all right?' Mrs Birch asked, placing a hand on May's forehead.

'I already checked, there's no fever. She's got scraps and bruises, a pretty badly sprained ankle, but she should probably still get checked out by a professional,' Brendan muttered, and May could hear his nervousness in his voice.

Glancing at him, May internally floundered when Brendan couldn't even look at her, his hands shoved in the pockets of his dirt-covered pants.

'What's gotten into you?' Mrs Birch frowned as she turned her attention to her son, her usually sunny disposition evaporating.

'Brendan, is everything ok?' May's mother, Caroline, asked, sounding equally concerned and May internally panicked, remembering that Brendan wasn't the best liar either.

'What? I'm great, dandy. Ask May,' Brendan assured them, and May sent him an incredulous glare, wishing he'd picked any other words.

Seeing both mothers turn their attention to her, May froze, trying and failing to wipe the tense smile off her lips.

Struggling to stay upright, she instinctively placed a hand on Brendan's shoulder, the man tensing instantly at her touch.

'Mum, Mrs Birch, can we sit down? I can't stand without hanging off of Brendan like an aipom,' May asked nervously, hoping that their mothers didn't detect just how scared she was.

Sneaking a glance at Brendan, she saw the way his eyes were shifting anywhere and everywhere but at her.

Forcing a smile, May internally wanted to kick the man, knowing that relying on Brendan in this frazzled state would be futile.

He was far too nervous, far too tense, for this conversation to happen smoothly. And, whilst she loved the chance of gaining comfort from him like this, she knew this discussion should happen indoors, where she wasn't stuck relying on him for balance.

'Sweety, it's Scarlett, I've been telling you for years!' Mrs Birch chastised softly as she fussed over them, Caroline rushing inside, muttering about finding a first aid kit.

Limping next to Brendan, May's mind was racing. Brendan was going to be beyond useless, and with their feelings for each other, she'd always referred to Mrs Birch by her surname to offer the woman more respect and place that additional barrier between herself and the Birches. Now, though... If she wanted to be family, was it really ok to call her by her first name? Didn't calling them by their surname also add a layer of respect?

She'd shot herself in the foot with bullet seed, never even daring to hope that Brendan might actually like her back.

Nervously, she glanced at Brendan's tense expression and knew that, if he could come here to face her parents, she should at least try and remove the barrier with his.

Unable to meet Mrs Birch's gaze, May mumbled, 'right, Scarlett.'

Thankfully, the woman didn't seem to hear her, bustling into the house and calling out, 'everyone, they're home! There's no need to call Officer Jenny!'

Seeing the seemingly tiny step that led into the house, May hesitated, flailing her arms slightly.

She'd tried to step over that step whilst hurt tonnes of times, and the statistics were stacked up against her.

Whoever had built that particular step must have had a particular vendetta against her. Gritting her teeth, May internally promised that she was going to be having words with them when she could walk again.

'I've got you,' Brendan assured her, placing his arm around her waist, his breath warm on her neck, the far too familiar scent of petaya berry making her want to turn and hug the man.

She hesitated only slightly, knowing that this behaviour was unlike both of them. Before, she would have leaned on the wall and Brendan, arguing about who'd been reckless in what way.

No, this was definitely not normal.

Biting the bullet seed, May hobbled in with Brendan's at her side, muttering, 'careful, you know how slippery it is.'

'Thanks,' she mumbled, sending him a guilty glance, before reluctantly extrapolating herself from his arms.

Holding onto the wall, May couldn't even look at him as they made their way to the sofa in the living room.

Once she was comfortably seated, May was about to close her eyes—she hadn't been able to sleep much with Brendan so close—only to freeze when Brendan crouched down beside her.

'What are you doing?' She asked, though the man ignored her as he took her shoe off, his hands swift and confident in their movements. He seemed completely oblivious as Caroline walked in with a first aid kit, or Mrs Birch—Scarlett, glancing in on them from the entryway.

'Brendan!' May hissed at him, aware of both their mothers staring at them.

'What? I've got to make sure you didn't make it worse with your weird hobbly bike-walk,' Brendan retorted flippantly, his words seeming to appease their mothers slightly.

After all, Brendan Birch, as brilliant as he was, never did anything kind for May without one or another remark.

'Shut up,' May huffed, though she couldn't hide her small smile.

He was still the Brendan Birch she knew and loved all right.

'Is May home?' Norman's voice called, followed by both the sounds of the other Birch men.

'Yes,' Brendan called our, his voice cracking slightly as he lowered his head, appearing not to notice as Caroline placed the first aid kid next to him.

'Brendan!' May hissed, wanting him to at least be beside her for this and not tending to her injured foot. As far as she was concerned, her foot could wait, this was by far the more pressing issue.

When he didn't respond, May gritted her teeth, he obviously didn't agree. That, or he was avoiding their parents.

With how freaked out he'd been, May wouldn't put it past him as Norman, Mr Birch and Professor Birch entered the room. Her lips pressed in a thin line, May felt herself straightening her back, trying not to appear completely invalid, lowering her own windbreaker to hide some of the scratches on her arms.

Seeing Brendan inspecting the items in the first aid kit with far too much interest, May internally cringed.

They were acting nothing like themselves and it was definitely going to raise giant red flags.

Normally they would have been bickering with each other, so intensely that Caroline or Mrs… Scarlett, would be looking after May. Now, though, Brendan wasn't giving anyone else the chance to look at her, and they weren't talking at all either.

Their parents were going to get the completely wrong idea.

'What's this? Did you two fight?' Brendan's father asked, his gaze going from her to Brendan and back again.

Recalling that she'd almost plummeted to nothingness off a cliff, May couldn't bring herself to reassure him that everything was fine.

Her cheeks felt far too warm.

Glancing at her mother, May was mortified to see a look of understanding dawn across her mother's face, her lips pressed into an amused smile, her eyes focused on Brendan's hands on May's foot.

'Brendan!' May whispered, pleading.

Normally, she would have been calling him any of the numerous nicknames she'd had for him, diaper buddy, Brenny, Bren-Bren, Shiny Gengar Head.

She couldn't do this.

Hearing the familiar steps of Max and Orlando, May sent her childhood friend another, pleading glance, though he seemed not to notice, placing her foot gently on the coffee table for elevation, another ice compress on it.

'May!' Orlando grinned as he rushed around the corner, an out of breath Max at his heel.

'May, honey, did something happen?' Norman asked, a dangerous tone entering his voice, his eyes intent on his daughter, who couldn't even bring herself to look at anything other than Brendan or her foot.

Snapping his head up, Brendan abruptly stood to face the man.

The room fell into an awkward, uncomfortable silence as everyone looked at Brendan, who was acting like a Goldeen out of water.

'Norman, sir, I would like permission to date your daughter,' Brendan said, his voice far steadier than May's would have been had their positions been reversed.

Blinking at his words, May suppressed a choked squawk.

This is why they should have come in with a plan!

Did he think they were back in the Hisuien era?! Arceus dancing on a bicycle, May wanted to be back on that cliff more than anything.

The silence continued, so thick that May could almost hear the Shroomish scurrying outside.

'You want do date May?' Professor Birch repeated, his voice penetrating the silence like Kyogre could fill a river.

Glancing at the man, May saw him arching an eyebrow at Brendan appearing unaware of Orlando, who seemed to be gripping the doorframe for dear life, his face contorted.

'Son, as much as I like you, that's not really my choice. The person you should be asking is right there,' Norman smiled, visibly amused as he pointed at May, who would have run for the hills if she wasn't quite so stuck on the sofa… with the ice Brendan had put on her injured foot.

Realising everyone had gone from staring at Brendan to staring at her, May's cheeks flushed ten shades of red as she squawked, 'w...what?'

Brendan, realising he wasn't being thrown under the bus, sent her a Banette level grin as he asked, 'May, do you need your hearing checked? I thought I checked everything out in My Chimney, but clearly you're not right in the head if I need to repeat myself.'

With a gasp, May hissed, 'Brendan!'

In response, Brendan chuckled, taking a seat next to her.

Before either of them could say anything, Orlando squeaked, 'you're together?'

Watching the slightest hint of nerves in Brendan's eyes, May nodded, 'I guess this time I was a bit too reckless.'

In response, Brendan sent her an incredulous glance, shaking his head.

With a proud smirk, he chuckled, 'yeah, a bit. That's why you're not going anywhere without me.'

'You'll need a job for the medical bills,' Max muttered dryly, not at all surprised by the current turn of events.

'Why do you think I took that first aid course after I started helping out my uncle?' Brendan responded seriously, stroking May's cheek affectionately.

Seeing her family appearing completely at ease with her and Brendan, May frowned, 'wait... This is it?'

All that internal panicking, avoiding Brendan because it would change the dynamic of the friendship between their family… had led to this? All that worrying, avoiding, frustration and misery could have been avoided?

'Honey, we knew you had a crush on each other since you were young. Neither of you are particularly subtle,' Caroline began, covering her lips to hide her amusement.

'We were beginning to lose hope it would ever happen,' Scarlett chuckled, her warm voice filled with such an amused relief that May couldn't look at her.

So, everyone had known except themselves? May stared down at her hands, unsure what that meant.

With Brendan's comments, even he'd probably known.

Looking down at her hands, May bit her lower lip with apprehension.

A warm hand engulfed her own, making her look up at the owner.

'Stop that or I won't be able to stop myself,' Brendan warned when the others weren't looking, his eyes hovering over her slightly bruised lips.

Smiling back, May suppressed any of her unease. It might have taken them a while to get there, but May didn't want their relationship to crash and burn.

No, she wasn't planning on letting Brendan disappear from her life, as surely as he wasn't going to let her disappear too.

AN:

It's a little early today, but I thought it was better to be early than late :)

Isn't it sweet how both May and Brendan's families were low-key shipping them?

Hope you liked this chapter and remember to stay hydrated :)