Well, I knew this one was going to get away from me, and it did. Into a multi-chapter fic did. So…here is an excerpt for this week, and then I will post the full version at the end.

Day 3- Meeting the Family

They were silent as he guided her through the vast hallways. May couldn't help but be amazed, despite everything running through her head at the seamless blend of the technology LaRousse was known for and the ancient flair the house had. Finally Drew threw open half of a set of double doors and slung her forward, probably a bit harder than he meant to, and slammed the door shut again with his body.

"What just happened?" May asked, worrying a little over how agitated Drew looked. "For about thirty seconds there I thought it was going great and you'd been exaggerating about how horrible they were, but then…"

Drew sighed, and moved past her into the room. May followed as he made his way to the massive canopy bed and flung himself face down onto it.

"That actually was pretty tame." he mumbled into the duvet. May huffed and shoved his shoulder so that he rolled over onto his back.

"Okay, first of all, no, it wasn't. And second, you're going to have to do better than that, because I'm not going back into a room with them until I get some background."

Drew took a dramatic breath, and rolled slightly to look up at her.

"My dad doesn't think that training Pokémon is a real job. Especially not Contests. Like he said, they put up with it when I was younger, encouraged it even. They figured it would teach me responsibility, being out on my own like that. They were trainers themselves, even, but they gave it up for the "adult life", and when I turned 18 they told me I had to do the same."

May skipped and bounced as she landed on the bed next to him, settling in by leaning back on her hands.

"I remember that…sort of. You mostly just got really moody that whole year. That was also the year you won your second ribbon cup." Drew raised his eyebrows knowingly.

"I always knew that deep down they saw what I was doing as a hobby. But I thought, maybe if I was good enough, they'd see that I was serious about it. That that's what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I never had any interest in what my dad does."

"But your sister has?" May asked. Drew sighed.

"Katie lives for it. She's amazing with business and tech, she's already running almost everything. Dad doesn't even realize."

"But he still seems to think that you need to walk away from what you love and take what your sister loves away."

"Patriarchy dies hard." He said, flinging his arms up and letting them crash theatrically back down beside him, crashing into May's as he did. She sighed, slid down so that she was lying next to him, and laced their fingers together.

"Hey, at least they approve of me." She said with a weak smile. She turned her head to look at him, and he turned too so that their noses were centimeters apart.

"Of course they do. You're royalty." May laughed once, and Drew smiled.

"Right."

"I'm sort of serious." He said softly. "You are about the only part of my life they do approve of. Unfortunately it's because they see you as a trophy, but I suspect they'll approve a little less when I let you yell at them later."

"And what makes you think I want to yell at them?" May teased, bumping his arm.

"You won't take them wanting to shut me up in an office building laying down. You won't take well to being used as a pawn in their game either. Also, you sort of already did." May narrowed her eyes.

"What if I like the idea of being a kept woman, huh? What if this was my plan all along? Retire from all that grueling training into the life of a LaRousse socialite?"

"Not funny." Drew said, and May dropped her eyes.

"Sorry." Drew sighed.

"I know you're just trying to help. And I know that in their own way they really are just trying to look out for me. I just wish they could see how stupid it is. They're so worried about legacy, but Katie is right there chomping at the bit and they won't see it. I'm happy the way I am, and they won't see it."

"They see how happy you are." May corrected, and Drew cocked an eyebrow at her. She sat up, and he heaved himself along too.

"Really, they do. That's why they're pushing it so hard." she explained.

"How do you know?" he asked. May rolled her eyes.

"You heard them. They think you bringing me here means you're ready to settle down. That's probably why they thought it was a good idea to bring it up even though that is horrible first meeting conversation." She rolled her eyes, and Drew smirked.

"Why does everyone say that, 'settle down?' What is it about marriage that means you have to stop your life in its tracks and stay in one place." he said. May shrugged.

"I never understood that either." she said.

"I mean really, I'm going to marry you, doesn't mean we're going to stop travelling." He grinned, but May lost control of her face.

"What?" she squeaked. Drew looked at her like she was crazy for a moment before realization dawned on his face.

"Oh! Well, I mean…if you…I just…and we…that is…" he was stuck, that much was obvious, but while he was stuck with words on, May was stuck with them off. She blinked slowly, and images started flooding her mind's eye like a movie. A beautiful beach at sunset, flowers everywhere and herself and Drew under a cute archway. The two of them making their way around contests circuits, just as they always had, but with a new sense of connection, and new rings on their fingers. The two of them holding hands and watching as a group of little kids with green hair and blue eyes ran around playing with their pokémon.

"Drew." She finally said when she realized he was still spouting off random verbs. He stopped.

"Sorry." he said.

"No." she shook her head. "Don't be." She grinned. "We aren't going to stop traveling when we get married. Your parents are just going to have to suffer with the utter torture of your perfect, amazing sister being in charge, because we're going to be living our own, fabulous royal lives." Drew laughed.

"You're going to marry me? Even with my crazy parents?" She said, knocking her knee into his and grinning at him.

"Only if that's not actually your proposal." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers softly before resting their foreheads together. They stayed like that for a moment before he leaned forward again and tackled her into the unbelievably soft bedcovers. She giggled as he burrowed his nose into her neck and attempted to tickle her before wrapping his arms tightly around her and holding her so that they were nose to nose again. She looked at him through her lashes. He kissed her nose, then smiled at her.

"Deal."