Disclaimer: I own nothing at all. Satoshi Tajiri rocks my socks. He's awesome.
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
An hour later, at 12:30, Dawn hadn't moved from her spot on the couch. She had turned on the Pokémon Contest in Petalburg City, wanting to watch May's performance. The appeals round was about to begin. Vivian Meridian – still the Master of Ceremonies for Hoenn Contests – was introducing the judges.
"Hey, everyone!" Dawn called to her Pokémon. "Come in here, let's watch this Contest!"
Her Pokémon flooded into the room; Mamoswine lay down behind the sofa with Pachirisu atop his back, Piplup and Lopunny sat beside her, and Togekiss stood near the window.
"Now, let me introduce our first Coordinator of the Petalburg Contest – Harley!" Vivian annouced.
"Oh, brother," Dawn sighed.
"Alright, Ariados, let's go, hon!" Harley called, throwing his Pokéball high into the air. The spider Pokémon erupted in a blinding flash of red light. "Use Spider Web!"
Ariados raised its head and shot a strand of sticky web straight up at the ceiling. Within seconds, the web expanded, shading the stage with a colossal web.
"Wow!" Vivian shouted, "Ariados' Spider Web has covered the entire stage, showing off its power. Gorgeous!"
"Heh," Harley murmured. "You ain't seen nothing yet. Now, Ariados, use String Shot!"
Ariados spun out a String Shot that connect with the Spider Web that was suspended above the stage.
"Now, String Shot, rapid fire!"
Ariados shortened the String Shot and began to swing across the stage. It released multiple String Shots one after another, and appeared to be flying through the Contest Hall.
"Harley's doing an excellent job of showing off Ariados' speed!" Vivian commented.
"Now for the grand finish – Ariados, Shadow Ball!" Harley called. Ariados shot a ball of dark energy up at the Spider Web it had created earlier. The Shadow Ball smashed into the Spider Web and exploded, clouding the performance stage with smoke. When the smoke cleared, Ariados was posing beside Harley in the center of the stage.
"And Harley finishes that amazing performance by showing off Ariados' awesome battle strength. And now, for our next contestant, here's Isador!" Vivian shouted.
Dawn shook her head. "He never changes. That was a great performance, though. May's got her work cut out for her today... I wonder what Pokémon she's going to use? I would guess Beautifly, 'cause her mom's watching..."
"Lup," Piplup chirruped agreement.
She watched the next three performances, where the trainers used a Swampert, a Bagon, and a Gallade, respectively. She was mildly impressed by the Swampert's performance; she was fairly sure the Pokémon and his trainer would make it past the first found.
I haven't eaten today, Dawn realized. She laid a hand on her stomach, expecting some guidance on what she should eat. I haven't made buns in a while... That sounds really good. Plus I can make the dough while I watch May's Contest.
Dawn pushed herself off the couch and traipsed to the kitchen, watching the next entrant's appeals over her shoulder. She set the milk to heat on the stove and the yeast in water to dissolve before she gathered the rest of the ingredients. She kneeled on her countertop to reach the flour on the top shelf. A sharp knock at her door startled her off onto the floor.
"Ow," Dawn groaned, massaging her ankle. She stood and hobbled to the door. On the other side stood Paul, holding a small cardboard box, and behind him, Reggie.
"Hi!" Dawn said, surprised. She glanced at the kitchen clock. "I didn't know it was already one... Come in, sorry."
Paul brushed past her into the apartment. Reggie smiled as he followed his brother in quickly, shifting often to keep his grip on the large box he was holding.
"Do you need help bringing more stuff up?" Dawn asked.
"Nope," Reggie said as he set the box down on the table off the kitchen. "This is everything."
"This is all you've brought?" Dawn asked, shocked. "I thought you were moving in, Paul, not staying the weekend."
Reggie laughed. "That's what I said."
"This is all I need," Paul said, shrugging. "Clothes. Everything else, you've got."
"It's like you complete each other," Reggie laughed. Paul frowned at his brother.
"Well, if all you've brought is clothes, it shouldn't take long for you to get all settled in," Dawn said. "Reggie, can I get you anything? Water, something to eat?"
"No, Reggie was just leaving," Paul answered. Dawn raised her eyebrows at him.
"Jeez, Paul. You're welcome for the ride, and for helping you pack," Reggie said, half-jokingly. "He's right though. I need to get back to Veilstone – I'm expecting someone to drop off their Pokémon in about an hour. So, Dawn, it was really nice to see you. I'm sure I'll see you again really soon. I'm happy to help with the wedding in any way I can.
"Thank you, Reggie," Dawn said sincerely. "I'll need it!"
"Bye, little brother," Reggie called. "I'll see you soon."
"Don't call me that," Paul said for an answer. Dawn shook her head at him before she walked Reggie out.
"You should be nicer," Dawn informed Paul when she shut the door.
"Whatever," Paul grumbled. "What is this you're watching?"
"My friend's Contest," Dawn answered, returning to her hunt for ingredients.
"I'm turning it off."
"No, you're not. It was on before you got here," Dawn said firmly. "Besides, it's my house and you can't change what I'm watching."
"It's not just your house."
Oh, right.
"Well, it was still on before you got here. So don't touch it."
"I need to unpack," Paul said, annoyed.
"Oh, right, I forgot," Dawn said, pulling the milk off the stove – it was just starting to steam. "I cleared you out one of my dressers. It's all yours now."
"Which one?" Paul asked uninterestedly.
"I should probably show you around –"
"Don't bother," Paul said. "Just, which dresser is it?"
"It's on the right side of the closet, as soon as you walk in," Dawn told him, returning to the buns. She figured he'd ask for her help if he needed it. Or he wouldn't, and he'd be busy trying to figure it out for himself for a while. Either way, he would be out of her way for now.
Paul heaved the heavy box up from the table and pushed through the only door off of the main room. He entered the room and dropped the box, then returned to the main room and fetched the smaller box. When he returned to the bedroom, he kicked the door closed with his foot. He raised his head and looked around the room. His room, now, as well. The walls were a light shade of purple. Reggie would probably call it lavender or periwinkle or something stupid like that, Paul thought snidely. The bed was full, probably a king or queen-size, with a bedspread several shades darker than the walls. There were approximately nine pillows on the bed. Paul rolled his eyes.
The room was pretty spacious, he had to admit it to himself. As the girl had said though, not big enough for another bed. Too bad, Paul sighed to himself. He saw one door at the far side of the room, which was slightly ajar. He walked over and pushed the door open. It was the bathroom – the walls were yellow and the towels were fluffy and pink. There was one sink, and the girl's things – a velvety box that lay closed on the end of the bathroom counter, and what looked like several medieval torture devices – lay neatly to one side. She had clearly made an effort to give him some space.
He left the bathroom, deciding to put his things away quickly so he could leave and train him Pokémon for a few hours before nightfall.
So, what did she say? The first dresser when you walk in on the right?
Paul saw the dresser and pulled open the top drawer. He pulled the big cardboard box he'd brought in open and grabbed a handful of black socks off of the top. He turned to dump them into the drawer he'd just opened, but it was full of colorful, lacy things he didn't want to look at, let alone comprehend. He slammed the drawer shut and dropped his socks back into the box.
"You okay?" Dawn called from the other room. Paul didn't bother to respond. He now remembered that the girl had specified that the drawer was the first one on the right in the closet.
He pushed the door to the closet open and flicked on a light. The closet was far bigger than the bathroom. Paul stared at the long row of dresses that the girl had hanging neatly along one wall of the closet in disgust. No one needs that many dresses, Paul thought. Along the other wall were three identical dressers. Paul tentatively pulled the top drawer of the first dresser open and was relieved to find it empty. He unloaded his clothes into the dresser systematically. He didn't bring enough to completely fill it.
Paul folded up the two cardboard boxes and left the room. His eyes swept the main room. Closest to the front door was the kitchen. Directly off of that was a table and the living room area. The table was square and made of scrubbed wood, and had four chairs around it. The living room had a plasma TV which was currently blaring some girl and a Beautifly's Contest Appeals, a long black sofa, a piano, and some (probably) fake plants near the wall of glass that overlooked Amity Square. The girl's Pokémon were lying around near the sofa. Lazy and undisciplined. Paul rolled his eyes. The girl herself was sitting on the couch, riveted by the girl on TV's performance. In her lap was a large metal bowl. She was stirring the contents with a long wooden spoon.
"Where do I put this?"
"Shh!" Dawn shushed him, annoyed. "May's on now."
Paul glanced at the television. The Beautifly was clearly making some kind of final show – a Silver Wind was shooting straight into the air at what looked like the move Morning Sun. The two moves collided and sent a shower of golden sparks down to the stage.
"She's making it past the prelims for sure," Dawn said happily.
"I hope the rest of that performance was better, then," Paul muttered. Dawn clearly didn't hear him, so he repeated, "Where do I put this?"
He raised the folded cardboard boxes. Dawn waved vaguely towards the kitchen. "Under the sink, on the right."
Paul put the boxes where he was instructed. "I'm leaving."
"Why?" Dawn asked him, placing the bowl on the coffee table and standing up to face him. Paul made a face at her.
"Because I need to train my Pokémon if I'm going to defeat Cynthia any time soon," he said as if it were obvious.
"I, uh," Dawn said, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "About that – I actually have to tell you something."
"What?"
"Um..."
"Some time today would be nice, I do have things I'd like to do today," Paul said, bored.
"It's just... I found out something today that I think –"
"Well, clearly it's not urgent," Paul said, walking towards the door. "So you can tell me later. I need to borrow you key to the apartment, though."
"I – what?" Dawn asked, caught off guard. "Why?"
"So I can make a copy of it," Paul said exasperatedly. "I am living here now. It would be nice to be able to get in and out."
"Oh, of course," Dawn said, flustered. She hurried towards the kitchen, where her keys hung on a hook next to the refrigerator. "But, Paul, what I need to tell you –"
"Can wait," Paul finished, taking her keys. "I'll be back later."
Dawn watched him walk out the door and close it softly behind him. Well, that went splendidly. How are you going to tell him this? It's not a little thing. Besides, he might back out of this whole thing if he knows. Wouldn't that be nice...
- / - / - / -
Dawn called May after the last contestant left the performance stage.
"May, no need to worry!" Dawn assured her. "You and Beautifly were totally in synch. Your combinations were beautiful."
"Thanks, Dawn," May said, breathing out a sigh she'd been holding. "I needed to hear that. Isn't it silly that I still get so nervous during my contests? It's like I haven't been doing them for 11 years."
"I do it too, May – those kind of nerves never go away. It's a good nervous," Dawn said, kneading the dough for the buns with her hands.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, um, how's... Paul?"
Dawn shrugged, forgetting May couldn't see her. "Dunno. He left to go training. Oh, he moved in here today."
"He what?"
"Yeah, I know. He's living here now."
"Gross."
"We'll see. He's sleeping in my bed." Dawn shuddered.
"You never even slept in the same bed as Kevin," May noted. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You keep bringing him up, May," Dawn said. "Why are you talking about him all the time?"
"I'm just saying. You're doing all this stuff with Paul that you never did with Kevin."
"Like what, actually getting engaged and living together?"
"Well, yeah."
"Totally different."
"I know that," May said defensively. "I'm just thinking about what other things you'll do with Paul that you never did with Kevin."
"That's gross," Dawn said, wrinkling her nose. May giggled.
"Oh, it's back on!"
"And, now, after that agonizing wait – the judges have come to a decision!" Vivian Meridian shouted. "These eight talented Coordinators will be advancing to the next round!"
Eight images appeared one by one on the screen. May's was the second photo up, after Harley's. The boy with the Swampert, Isador, was right after May.
"May, you're in!" Dawn squealed. "That's so great!"
"Whew!" May giggled. "I hate the wait."
"Yeah, it sucks. Hey, I'd watch out for that boy, Isador. His Swampert's pretty impressive," Dawn cautioned her friend.
"His performance was really good," May admitted. "So was Harley's."
"But I know I don't need to warn you about him."
"I guess not."
"Well, good luck! Knock 'em dead, May!"
"Thanks, Dawn," May said. "I'll talk to you later."
"Bye."
Dawn hung up with May and covered the dough for the buns with a towel and set it on the kitchen counter. It would need to rise for about an hour, and refrigerate for another four hours after that. She had plenty of time to relax and watch May's Contest.
- / - / - / -
Paul had dropped the key off at a hardware store near the apartment, with the promise that the key would be done in an hour. He left, setting off for his training grove.
The training with Magmortar alone went fairly well, Paul conceded. I should work with him alone again. Maybe work with all of them, one by one. Then I can really decide which Pokémon I'm going to use against Cynthia and really focus on just them. I know Torterra and Electivire are definitely on that team, so their individual training can wait.
As he walked, he thought about Cynthia's team of Pokémon. But for some reason, his brain kept drifting back to the girl in the apartment. Eventually, he decided it was because of the girl's Togekiss. Cynthia's Togekiss has always given me some trouble. None of my usual Pokémon can match its speed. Maybe the girl will have a battle with me, so I can get an edge against Cynthia's Togekiss.
After arriving in his little grove, he pulled out a very familiar Pokéball. "Torterra, come out."
His enormous, most trustworthy Pokémon appeared in a flash of light.
"Torterra, it's been fourteen years since you and I first met," Paul said quietly. "And now, we're so close to the goal we set then. We will be the Champions. But... I need your help deciding who else to bring along with us. The five we choose will be my Champion's team; it can't really change after we make this decision."
"Torr," the giant Pokémon growled.
"So this is crunch time. We need to decide, by the end of the week."
Paul pulled out the other five Pokéballs and threw them into the air, revealing Electivire, Magmortar, Ursaring, Drapion, and Froslass (traded for Honchkrow at Reggie's last night).
It's time, Paul thought, leaning forward. He glanced at Torterra, who met his gaze steadily. Paul nodded slightly, before beginning the screening process.
- / - / - / -
Dawn lazily watched the first battle round of May's Contest. She had been paired up with a girl that used a Shroomish. May easily drained her opponent's points with Beautifly's super effective moves. Harley also won his match, against a boy with a powerful Sableye. The boy with the Swampert, Isador, also won his match. The fourth semi-finalist was a boy that used a Gardevoir, who easily knocked out his opponent from the first round.
In the first semi-final match, the Swampert and his trainer destroyed the opponent's Gardevoir, sending them to the final stage. The second semi-final match-up had May facing Harley. It was bound to be a close match, as well as unpredictable – Harley was as erratic as they came.
"And this exciting semi-final match will have Harley's Ariados against May's Beautifly!" Vivian Meridian announced. "On the performance stage and in their first battle round, Harley showed off Ariados' great speed and power. May did an excellent job of showing off Beautifly's elegance and grace. This will be a fantastic match! There's five minutes on the clock – begin!"
"Now, Beautifly – take the stage!" May cried, sending her Pokéball flying.
"Ariados, you're up!" Harley called.
May commanded Beautifly to start off with a Silver Wind. Harley countered with Spider Web.
"And they start off with the moves that served them so well on the performance stage," Vivian commented.
Harley quickly gained the upper hand, having Ariados shoot off a round of Shadow Balls. May could only ask Beautifly to dodge – failing to show off any of Beautifly's moves. Harley went on to trap Beautifly in a String Shot, and continue his barrage of moves.
"We've now hit the two minute mark, and Harley's got a huge lead over May. Will she be able to pull it together for a twelfth hour victory?" Vivian wondered aloud.
"Yes!" May shouted determinedly. "Beautifly, break that String Shot with Psychic!"
Beautifly used the powerful move to split the restraints of String Shot and soared upwards, away from Ariados.
"Now, Beautifly, Aerial Ace!"
"Oh, no you don't, girlie!" Harley shouted. "Ariados, Scary Face!"
Beautifly's Aerial Ace was too quick. She dodged the Scary Face and scored a direct hit to Ariados. Harley clenched his jaw angrily.
"Then use Double-Edge, Ariados!"
"No! Beautifly, Psychic!"
Ariados' attack was dead before it was fully executed. Beautifly lifted the spider Pokémon into the air, and slammed it hard into the ground.
"Follow up quickly with Silver Wind!" May cried. Beautifly launched the attack, and time ended just as it hit Ariados.
"That's time!" Vivian shouted. May and Harley both whirled to look at the points board. "Who will be advancing to the final stage?"
May's points were an inch above Harley's.
"And it's May and her Beautifly advancing to face Isador in this exciting Petalburg Contest!"
Dawn breathed a sigh of relief for her friend. She sure can make a battle exciting.
She watched May face off against Isador and his Swampert. The battle was intense, and the points were practically even when time was called. Isador and his Swampert beat May and Beautifly by a fraction of a point. Dawn frowned in sympathy for her friend. The shocked look on May's face said it all – she'd been too confident, facing a young boy – and she had paid the price.
"Well, we all have to learn about overconfidence the hard way," Dawn sighed. She picked up her phone to call her friend and offer her condolences and support.
- / - / - / -
When Paul returned home from his day of tough training, it was well past nine o'clock in the evening. He was pleased, more or less, with the way the training session had gone. He had, as he'd expected, added Electivire onto his Champion's team (as he planned to call it). Ursaring had looked particularly good as well; Magmortar was finally putting in the effort, and looking better every time they trained. Drapion made an excellent show – and Paul was rarely, if ever, disappointed by Drapion's performances in battle. He made a note of that. Froslass, too, had improved just in the day; she had learned to use Destiny Bond, which would be particularly useful against any of Cynthia's Pokémon – namely that Garchomp of hers.
"Where've you been?" Dawn asked from the kitchen when he walked in. Paul raised his eyebrows at her. He hung up he borrowed key from where the girl had taken it that afternoon. "Thanks. But where have you been? It's late."
"Training," Paul said succinctly. He sat at the table off the kitchen, facing away from her.
"You shouldn't be out this late, you know."
"Noted," Paul said, bored. He didn't need this from the girl.
"I kept some stew warm, in case you're hungry," Dawn said, walking past him to the living room. She gathered up the book and small bowl that lay beside it and returned to the kitchen. She pulled the silver bowl she'd been working on earlier that day and set it on the counter.
Paul stood and pulled the bowl of hot stew the girl had left on the counter towards him. He sat down again, now facing the kitchen (and the girl), and began to eat. It's not half bad, Paul admitted grudgingly. He watched the girl pull out several baking sheets and push a few buttons on the oven before turning back to the bowl of chilled dough.
She said nothing to him as she pulled a small handful of dough out and began rolling it between her hands, flattening it into a circle. She unloaded a fistful of cheese and a small sausage onto the small bit of dough and rolled it into a bun shape. Paul watched her do this methodically as he ate his stew slowly. Every movement the same.
"What is it?" Dawn asked, confused, when she glanced up to see Paul watching her intently.
"Nothing. I just can't imagine how that is as interesting as you seem to make it," Paul said, shrugging. Dawn rolled her eyes and returned to her task. Paul stood and washed his bowl.
"I'm... Well, I'm going to sleep when I finish these," Dawn said, trying to block the discomfort from her voice. Paul smirked, knowing the girl couldn't see his face. So, she's nervous about sleeping with me... "Just, uh, so you know. I didn't get much sleep last night, so..."
"Alright," Paul murmured, drying the bowl and spoon he'd used. "Where do these go?"
"Um, the bowls go in the cabinet under here," Dawn responded, nudging the cabinet in question with her knee, "and the spoons go in the drawer to the right of the oven."
Paul placed the spoon in the silverware drawer, and turned to put his bowl in its proper place. He stopped short though.
"You need to move if I'm going to put this away," Paul said flatly. Dawn glanced up from the buns she was neatly lining on the second baking tray. She edged to the side, barely giving him enough room. He crouched beside her legs and pushed the bowl into the cabinet.
He straightened up and looked at her. She was, again, focused on the dough. He rolled his eyes and left the kitchen, headed for the bedroom.
"Where're you going?"
"To take a shower," Paul answered. "Stop asking me stupid questions."
"That's a perfectly valid ques –" Dawn began heatedly, but Paul shut the bedroom door behind him, silencing her defense.
Paul stripped his clothes off and left them in a pile by the closet. He made his way to the bathroom and turned the water on in the shower as hot as it would go. He waited for it to heat up, and took a closer look at the girl's torture devices next to the sink. One was large, black, and shaped rather like a handgun. Another was metal, flat, with a red handle. Yet another was similar to the second device, but rounded rather than flat. He shook his head. Women.
He stepped into the shower and had a whole new realm to be disgusted by. There was a shelf, of sorts, that held more of the girl's things. Two identical bright blue bottles, a smaller white bottle, a red-and-white sponge-looking-thing, and an opaque bottle that held yellowish fluid sat atop the shelf. Paul's eyebrows knitted together when he realized he didn't bring any of his own shower necessities. He looked distastefully at the blue bottles. He scanned the shower for anything else, and found a bar of soap. He lathered the bar between his hands and scrubbed his hair clean with that.
Hardly the most effective method, but it will have to do, Paul thought lamely as he ran his soapy hands over the rest of his body. He relaxed into the hot water for a moment, and let the water clean his body. He turned the water off after less than five minutes and stood in the residual steam with his eyes closed.
- / - / - / -
Dawn finished rolling the buns and covered the trays with clean dish towels to let them rise again. They'd be ready to be cooked to perfection in the morning. She made her way to her bedroom, yawning sleepily. She pushed the door open and blinked several times with the image that met her eyes.
Paul stood in the darkened bedroom, silhouetted by the light from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Do you mind?" Paul hissed, irritated. Dawn blinked again and turned away, mumbling an apology. "That means get out while I change."
Dawn turned and left the bedroom. "You look stupid in that pink towel, Paul," she called back into the room.
"Close the door, too."
She did, and giggled. Her Pokémon were stretched out sleepily in the living room. She tiptoed to the light switches near the front door and flicked the lights off. The only source of light left came from the lamps in Amity Square. She felt her way back to the bedroom door and tapped on it lightly.
"Are you... wearing clothes now?" Dawn asked tentatively.
"Yes," Paul grunted in reply. Dawn pushed the door open. Paul was wearing a pair of plain black sweat pants with no top.
"You lied," Dawn accused, looking away from Paul. "Put a shirt on, I don't need to see that."
Paul sighed in exasperation, but obliged. He pulled on a plain white shirt.
"Thanks. And shall we make a rule?" Dawn proposed. Paul looked at her, waiting. "We get dressed in the bathroom after taking a shower."
"Fine by me," Paul grunted. Dawn smiled and felt it was safe to look at him again. She saw the clothes and the towel strewn near his feet.
"Ugh, you're one of those?" Dawn asked disgustedly. Paul frowned at her, as though she'd lost her mind. "Pick up your stupid clothes, and put them in a hamper or something! It's not that hard!"
Paul rolled his eyes, but gathered up his clothes and dumped them in the basket Dawn pointed at.
"Thank you."
"Whatever. I thought you were tired."
"I am," Dawn assured him. "I just hate dirty boy clothes on my floor."
"Ah, so it's specific to male clothing?" Paul clarified. Dawn nodded. "One too many bad experiences with boys leaving their clothes here?"
"Not on your life," Dawn said, flushing slightly. "But, like I said, I am tired. Are you.. uh.. Going to sleep now, too?"
"I may as well. I suppose we should try to make it easy the first night."
Dawn crossed to the bed and started flinging the decorative pillows off the bed into a corner. Paul rolled his eyes again; he didn't understand why people had pillows on their beds that they never used.
Beneath the excess pillows, two plain white pillows lay on the bed, with something dark laying between them. Paul scrutinized the object, but couldn't tell what it was before the girl whisked it away.
"I sleep on this side," Dawn stated, climbing onto the bed on the side nearest the window. Paul shrugged, he didn't care. He flicked the bathroom light off, and turned the main bedroom light off as Dawn switched a bedside lamp on. He finally recognized the object in Dawn's arms.
He burst into laughter. Dawn stared at him, fearing that he'd lost his mind.
"Y-you... You... Oh, Arceus," Paul breathed out his final laugh. He straightened up and looked directly into Dawn's eyes. "You sleep with a Pokédoll?"
Dawn hugged the doll in her arms closer. Upon closer inspection, it was a Teddiursa. And clenched in Dawn's right hand was a piece of what looked like Mareep wool.
"What's it to you?"
"You're what, twenty? Twenty-one?"
"So what?"
"Wow. Just... wow."
"Shut up," Dawn ordered, blushing. "We're going to sleep now."
Paul was still chortling to himself as he sat on his side of the bed and slid under the covers. Dawn did the same, her back to him, curled around her Teddiursa doll. She switched the light off. Paul took that moment to take his shirt off. He hated sleeping with a shirt on. He was making a big enough compromise by wearing the sweat pants – he usually slept only in his boxers.
"Um... Good night, then?" Dawn said from somewhere on his right, ending it as a question.
"Sure," Paul chuckled, pulling the covers up over his chest.
"Arceus, are you going to laugh at this forever?"
"I might."
"That's just sad, Paul."
"Well, at least I don't sleep with a doll."
"Well, at least I'm not a judgmental little toad."
The two reverted to silence as they tried, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep.
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
.
A/N: Sorry it's been a while... It's been a crazy few days. Harry Potter midnight premier (which was AWESOME), minor home drama (called me breaking my wrist off whilst gardening; yes, I'm exaggerating just a little bit), and my boyfriend's birthday have left me with not too much free time to write/edit. I'm also going to (try) make the chapters longer from here on out.
Also lots and lots of baking has been stealing away my time. I have an actual recipe for the things Dawn was making during May's Contest, if anyone's interested. They're really good; I've gotten back into my baking kick and have made like 8 batches of these in the past week (they're called kolaches, by the way).
I also haven't yet taken the time to thank my reviewers. Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate everything. You're why I keep writing this – I know how it goes in my head. So thank you so so much!