With just one sentence, Dawn fractured all of Drew's vacation expectations.

"I just won two all-expense paid trips to the Hoenn Resort!"

Half of him listened, and the other half tried to imagine what this new reality would look like. Rather than vacationing with May exclusively, lounging together by the pool without a care in the world, there would be Dawn, right there beside them.

"No way!" he heard May say. "So did I!"

Dawn excitedly replied with something else, as Drew tried desperately to mask the disappointment that was no doubt displaying on his face.

"Are you taking Drew?"

"Yep!" May hurriedly responded. "He's right here. You're on speaker."

"Hey, Drew!" Dawn called to him.

"Hey, Dawn."

What were the odds. He looked over to May, who was staring at her laptop screen, excitedly responding to whatever Dawn was saying.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he could make it work.

"What do you think, Drew?" May asked, facing him instead of the computer screen.

"About…?"

"About Dawn inviting Paul!"

"Oh," he said. "Yeah, I think that makes sense."

Dawn and Paul had recently started dating. It was hard— watching them reach a step in their relationship that he and May could never seem to discover. It was even harder giving Paul relationship advice that Drew himself couldn't seem to follow through with. Every what-if about becoming something more with May truly haunted him at night, but Paul didn't seem to be plagued by the same issue.

"Alright!" May said. "See you next weekend!"

She hung up the call with the tap of her mousepad and the room was cloaked in silence once again.

"Well, that's exciting," May said.

"Yeah," Drew said.

His eyes trailed to her face, and he found her pouting at him comically.

He almost laughed. "What?"

"You don't think it's exciting."

The laugh escaped from his lips. "May, yes I do. I'm just thinking about things that are totally unrelated. I promise."

She pulled her mouth to the side as she analyzed his response.

"Okay," she said finally.

He exhaled. "Alright, I'm going to bed," he said, anxious to get away from her prying blue eyes. "Roserade, are you coming with me or staying here tonight?"

Roserade responded sleepily and waved a bouquet in the air, signaling that she'd prefer to stay put. Drew was hoping that would be her response; his Pokémon would surely drill him with questions if she were awake enough.

"Okay." Drew waved his hand dismissively as he approached the door. "Goodnight."

May watched as Drew closed her door behind him. She shut her laptop and reached over to her nightstand to turn off her lamp. With the room completely darkened, she tucked her hands underneath her pillow and let her head rest against the soft fabric of her pillowcase.

Her brow weighed heavily on her face as she tried to digest what had just happened between them. Drew was in a great mood until Dawn called. Was it that he didn't like Dawn?

No, that wasn't true.

May's gaze roamed across the shadowed objects in her room— her closet, her hamper, her bedroom door, which allowed light from the kitchen to leak onto the carpet.

Was it because Dawn highlighted May's intent to invite him? The posing of her friend's question was so revealing.

"Are you taking Drewww?"

May closed her eyes tightly in embarrassment at the memory. Dawn, of course, didn't know that she was on speaker or that Drew was in direct earshot, but what if that was what bothered him? What if Dawn's teasing made it obvious that May had feelings for him, and he was distancing himself because he didn't reciprocate?

She pressed her face into the pillow, groaning quietly in distress. How embarrassing.

She thought of texting him. Just a quick "Are we cool?" would be the perfect way to check in on their friendship. But maybe that would be too much. Maybe she should just let it pass and trust he would've said something if he was truly upset.

She flipped onto her back and stared at the ceiling, causing Roserade and Glaceon to stir.

It was hard being in love with your best friend.

May felt as if they'd built something so beautiful together over the years, but despite how big it was, it was so incredibly fragile.

Her relationship with Drew was a castle of sand. A glass mansion. Beautiful and sloping and crafted with grandeur, but easily destroyed by the wave of her emotions, the bullet of what lay in her heart.

She closed her eyes again.

This was really hard.

Drew was exhausted. He clung to the back of his Flygon as he spotted his home on the horizon. Being a guest judge for Pokémon contests wasn't a difficult gig, but traveling to different cities and regions was tiresome. He was sure his Flygon would agree, which is why he'd asked May to make some poffins for him ahead of time.

Hopefully she hadn't forgotten.

If she did, he couldn't really blame her. He knew she'd had a difficult week as well, tutoring her young students that desired to one day be Pokémon coordinators. He smirked. Dealing with ten-year olds all day wasn't easy, but somehow May had a knack for it. Probably because it was easy for her to place herself in their shoes.

Flygon approached the roof of their apartment building, and Drew felt the tension release from his shoulders. He was finally home.

He slid off of his old friend and patted his back as a thank-you.

"Can you meet me at home?" Drew asked him.

Flygon nodded and flapped its wings to leave the roof of the building. Drew headed to the glass enclosure that housed the building's elevators. He pressed the down button and waited, anxious to step through his own front door. He hoped he didn't get home too late. Maybe she hadn't gone to bed yet.

The silence of the elevator was a comfort for him after the loudness of the contest hall and after party, followed by the wind whipping against his ears.

A ding signaled that he reached his floor, and he made his way down the hall to their apartment. He unlocked the door and found May in a t-shirt and athletic shorts, leaning out of their balcony door to feed poffins to Flygon. She turned when she heard the door open, and her face lit up with a smile.

"Hi, Drew!" she called as he pushed the door closed.

He shook his head in disbelief. How wasn't she tired yet?

"Hey," he said back.

Flygon grabbed another poffin from her palm, and she turned to face the Pokémon again.

"How was your trip, Flygon?" she asked.

Drew's heart squeezed in his chest at the sight. He had no one in his life that could compare to May, and it was moments like these that reminded him of how good he really had it. He wished he could sneak up behind her and wrap his arms around her torso. He wished he could whisper I-missed-you's into her hair.

He sat on their sofa instead, leaning his head back against the cushions.

"Can you hand me Flygon's pokéball, Drew?" May asked. "He's pretty tired."

Drew lazily held the pokéball out to her, and he felt her remove it from his hand. He listened as Flygon was returned to his ball and felt the couch cushions bounce as May took the seat next to him.

"I'd ask you how your trip was, too, but you're obviously tired, too," she said.

He faced her, his cheek now resting against the back of the couch. He opened his eyes slightly and met hers, finally, truly returning home.

"Can I tell you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Sure." She smiled softly at him. "Are you packed?"

Drew groaned, throwing his head back against the couch cushions once again.

"No," he answered. "What time are they getting here?"

"I think nine or ten."

He pondered for a brief moment. "I'll pack tomorrow." He glanced back in her direction. "Now, can you go to bed so I can crash on the couch?"

May grinned at him, and he felt a stupor begin to set into his bones. She was intoxicating.

"No way," she said, pulling on his arm. "You're coming with me."

He let out a breathy chuckle and rolled his eyes. Despite her desperate tugging, she was unable to budge him at all. Drew stood up to give into her demand, and she settled herself underneath his arm as if to walk him to his room.

"You'll feel better when you wake up in your own bed."

He walked with her anyway, knowing he was only half-joking about sleeping in the living room. They reached his doorway, and May slipped from under him, her warmth lingering against his torso.

He turned his back to his door to face her. "Why are you still up?"

She blinked, a pleasant sentiment touching her features. "I just wanted to see you when you got back."

He stood still, her words trickling through his chest like cold water.

"Yeah," he said, maybe because of his tiredness, maybe because of the emotional tipsy. "I wanted to see you, too."

A faint glow brushed her cheeks, and she broke eye contact, tossing her gaze to the floor and running a hand through her hair. Drew's mouth lifted in the faintest, lopsided smile.

"Okay," she said, looking back into his eyes with a new seriousness. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded in amusement and watched her make her way down the hall.

"Goodnight," he said softly.

The morning arrived too quickly. The sun must have been speeding through the sky so May's Vacation could begin as soon as possible.

He packed what May had told him to pack— comfortable clothes, swimming attire, and formal wear for one night at dinner. His clothes fit in a small bundle in his suitcase, and he realized that three days might not have been long enough. Maybe they could extend their stay.

"Drew, are you ready?" May's voice called to him.

"Yep," he called back, grabbing his backpack and lifting his suitcase.

He met her in the kitchen, and she was clearly dressed for vacation. She wore denim shorts and sneakers, a pair of red sunglasses adorning her head.

May's eyes scanned his torso before returning to his face.

"Ready?" she asked.

He chuckled. "You already asked me that."

He opened the front door and laughed at her poor excuses for the repetition on their way down to the lobby.

"Are they almost here?" Drew asked as they exited their building.

"Yep!" May confirmed, checking her phone. "Maybe about a minute away."

Drew nodded, a warm breeze sweeping against them and rippling through May's hair. She brought her sunglasses down to cover her eyes.

"Do you have the tickets?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered back, watching the street for Paul's approaching car.

There was a slight buzz generating within his chest. He didn't want to admit it, even to himself, but Drew was very excited for this weekend. They'd done many things together over the years, but never something like this.

A Jeep turned onto their street, and there was no mistaking the passengers in the front two seats. Dawn waved at them excitedly, allowed full freedom by the absent roof. Her blue hair fluttered behind her as Paul navigated them to the curb.

May ran towards the vehicle, squealing right along with Dawn. They excitedly chattered about the upcoming trip as Paul exited the driver's seat and made his way towards Drew.

"Well," Paul said after reaching the sidewalk. "This is something."

Drew laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah."

The girls' incoherent, animated voices bubbled through the avenue. How did they even understand each other?

"How are you and Dawn?" Drew asked.

Paul nodded, stealing a casual glance at his girlfriend. "We're good." He looked back at Drew. "How are you and May?"

Drew let out a frustrated exhale and answered at a low volume. "We're the same."

He knew what Paul was going to say before he said it. "You've just got to tell her."

Drew watched as May climbed into the backseat of the four-wheeler. Dawn twisted from the passenger seat to continue their conversation.

"I wish it was that easy," Drew said. "She's my best friend, and she has been for as long as I can remember. Everything in my life has to do with her." He faced Paul and met his stone grey eyes. "Would you risk your whole life? For three words?"

Paul took a few seconds to absorb that concept, his eyes analyzing Drew's expression. He turned to face the girls again.

"Maybe not," Paul said. "But I would risk my life for a better life."

The words registered in Drew's mind at the slowest possible pace.

A better life.

His eyes scanned the sidewalk as he tried to decipher what that would look like.

Dawn's raised voice pierced through his hazy thoughts. "What are you guys doing?"

Paul shook his head and moved to grab May's abandoned suitcase from the sidewalk.

"Is this everything?" he asked.

"Yeah," Drew confirmed, carrying his own bags towards the vehicle.

It was officially summer. If a road trip with friends, a loud radio, and a car with the top down didn't scream summertime, May didn't know what did.

Since they'd begun their trip, Paul turned down the volume of the radio and the roof of their rental was replaced (since the wind was ruining Dawn's hair) but it was still summertime.

She stole a slow glance in Drew's direction. He was looking out of his window, wearing a grey muscle tee and shorts. The tone of his arms was apparent, and she followed the sculpture of his form from his shoulder down to his forearm.

The longing she buried within her burned deeply in her core, and she tore her eyes away from him. For a fraction of a second, she met eyes with Paul in the rearview mirror.

Busted.

May quickly looked through her own window, her heartbeat quickening in an instant. The world outside of their car sped by, and May's thoughts were speeding just as fast.

Paul wouldn't say anything.

Right?

"Is that it?" she heard Dawn ask from the front seat.

"Looks like it," Paul answered back.

May moved to the middle seat to peer out of Drew's window. He glanced back at her for a moment before admiring the view of the resort once again.

"Check it out," May heard him say.

She leaned further in his direction, her cheek barely grazing his shoulder as she took in the sight. The property stretched for what seemed like miles, and she could see where the back of the resort met the beach. The building was white with clay-colored shingled roofs, and busy beach chairs lined the pools.

"I'm going to listen to the radio every day," May said.

Drew nudged her playfully. "Yeah, whatever."

"I mean it," she claimed seriously.

They made a right turn and entered the gates of the property. The brick drive was lined with palm trees, perfectly trimmed grass, perfectly sculpted hedges.

"May," Drew said. "Don't you have your own window?"

She swatted at him in response. "Your view was better."

Before long, they pulled into the paved building entrance, where staff was waiting to tend to their vehicle and luggage. May thanked them for their hospitality and entered the air conditioned building with Drew by her side.

The lobby was enormous. The ceiling was domed, revealing a glass skylight in the roof. The sound of a fountain pittering in the distance reached her ears. Sweet aromas filled the space as they made their way across the freshly polished floor.

"Wow," Dawn said from in front of them. Her voice slightly echoed in the lobby.

Dawn approached the front desk with Paul, and May waited patiently behind them.

"What do you think?" she asked Drew under her breath.

"It's nice," he admitted, his voice a low hum.

She smiled up at him, watching as he took in the features of the building. The crown molding. The architecture in the walls themselves.

"You can listen to the radio too, you know," May said teasingly.

"I might," Drew answered. He met her eyes for a second before looking towards the front desk. "If it means we get to go to places like this."

"Alright," she heard the woman at the front desk say to the couple in front of them. "Here are your keys, and if you need anything at all during your stay, please give us a call."

Paul nodded and glanced at the key cards in his hand. "Thanks."

Dawn and Paul began their journey to the elevators before Dawn called over her shoulder, "We'll meet you later for lunch!"

May agreed and approached the front desk to present their winning tickets.

"Oh," the woman said. "Two more winners! It's funny that you know each other."

May smiled and waited as she typed into her computer.

"Okay," she said, still reading from her computer screen. "The only suite I have available is on the fourth floor with a pool view. It does have a king bed. Is that okay?"

May froze at the thought. The seconds of silence from the both of them caused the woman to look up from her screen.

Drew turned to face May.

"That's okay, right?" he asked in a murmur.

"Yeah," May responded as nonchalantly as possible. They'd done that before. She turned back to the woman. "That's fine!"

"Okay!" the woman agreed.

She clicked on her mouse a few times and asked to see their identification. After a quick glance, she handed their cards back and provided them with their key cards.

"Enjoy your stay!" she said.

The short trek to the elevators was made in silence. May knew she should fill it with something, but she couldn't tear her mind away from the thought of one king bed.

They'd shared beds in the past. In fact, they'd shared couches, bus seats, tents, and many other things on their travels. Since living together, however, they'd never really needed to. She had her room, and he had his. It'd been a long time since they'd shared the same sheets in the quiet of the night, and it'd been a long time since she'd realized she wanted to.

"What are we doing for lunch?" Drew asked.

They'd already reached their floor and were making their way to their room.

"Oh," May said. "I'm not sure."

"I thought you planned our itinerary?"

If 'Day 1: Pool' and 'Day 2: Beach' meant planning their itinerary, May had definitely done that.

"It's more of a loose structure than a plan," she said.

Drew sighed behind her as she held her key card up to their door. The door opened to them, sweeping across the floor as their suite was revealed.

There was a couch and a coffee table and a kitchenette. An expansive bathroom lay to the right. May peeked inside as she walked by, spotting a large bathtub in the shadows of the room.

The king bed was laden with pillows, and straight ahead were the double balcony doors. May helped herself to the view, faintly hearing a knock at the door that Drew tended to. He thanked the concierge and directed him on where to place their bags.

The balcony had a swing and a view of the three pools on the property. She could see a tiki bar and a few families already relaxing in the sun. The sky was blue, softened by only a few lazy clouds.

She turned to tell Drew about the view, only to find him standing in the threshold of the open balcony door, gazing past her at the rest of the resort.

The wind played gently with his hair, and his green eyes were lightened by the sunlight.

"This is really nice," he emphasized with a smirk.

May nodded distractedly, feeling the familiar, dreaded tug at her heartstrings. This was a bad idea. This was a bad idea.

It was all too much for her to handle. She was too weak for this. She shouldn't have asked Drew to accompany her to the resort. She should've asked Dawn.

Drew watched her face, his expression falling as he noticed her obvious wrestling. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," May said, brushing past him to re-enter the room. "I was just thinking about Roserade. She would've loved to see something like this."

She could hear the balcony door closing as Drew followed her back inside.

"Oh, yeah," Drew agreed. "She would've loved this place. I'm sure she's happy at their resort, though."

May flopped on the king-sized bed, and Drew followed suit. She stared up at the ceiling, and a fan with blades like palm fronds was rotating on its lowest setting.

"I've gotta be honest," Drew said beside her. "This is reawakening spoiled Drew."

May laughed and lifted herself up by the elbow to face him. "No. Absolutely not."

Grinning, he shook his head and met her eyes, still laying flat against the mattress. "He's waking up. I can feel it."

"You can't let him," May said, laying a hand on his chest to shake some sense into him. "Think about all the work we did. Think about all the progress we made!"

Drew closed his eyes and laughed. "I know, I know. It's just that my family used to go to places like this all the time."

"I know," May recalled.

She stopped shaking him, but watched as he recalled the happy memories of his youth. She was on guard whenever he mentioned anything about his past, since it usually had the opposite effect on him. But since she could see the joy dancing behind his eyes, she opted to just listen instead.

"It was fun," he said. "Traveling the world like that as a kid. Eating the best food. Taking Roserade with me back when she was still just a Budew."

May watched as his expression continued to soften in reminiscence.

"Sounds like fun," she added softly.

"It was," Drew said. He faced May, his gaze gently capturing her. "Getting cut off and traveling on my own wasn't as fun, obviously. Until I met you."

She searched his eyes, her heart desperate to apply meaning to what he said. Then her brow furrowed slightly as she stopped herself from reading too deeply into his words. They'd had so much fun with Ash and Brock and Max and Harley back then. Solidad, too. That's what he meant. It wasn't about her specifically.

"I'm glad we met too," she said plainly.

She realized her hand was still on his chest, and she removed it slowly.

"So," Drew began, sitting up. "What did you mean by 'loose structure'?"

May tucked her hair behind her ear. "Well, so far I have 'going to the pool'."

He blinked. "Is that it?"

She nodded, giving him a sheepish smile. "Yeah, for today."

"Well, you're in charge," he said. "Let's go to the pool."

That's it for Chapter two! Thanks so much for reading. I'd love to know what you think so far! x