Work Text:
The world is always spinning
And I can't keep up
Whoa, oh, oh, faster and faster
Can't do it on my own
…
Paul sat at his desk, his attention focused and ready for when class started. He had his notebooks set neatly on top of his desk, and his pencil case just beside his books. He had been excited about his first day back to school–not that he would ever express that outwardly–and couldn't wait to start learning all these new things that were never taught in the years before because those were for babies . And he wasn't a baby anymore. He was in eleventh grade. Practically a grown-up. He could even drive now.
His steely focus was interrupted when a trio of girls walked into the classroom laughing. Paul frowned at them and tried not to snap at them for being so disruptive. He rolled his eyes when one of them shrieked and laughed some more. But then his breath stilled when one of them–a blue-haired girl with yellow triangle hair clips wearing a pink leather jacket–started making his way over to him. He hadn't seen her before, so Paul assumed she must be a new kid here.
He stayed very still and kept his eyes forward until he remembered there was an empty seat beside him. His lips pressed tight into a visible thin line and he was certain he was scowling now.
When the girl sat down, she slung her yellow backpack onto her desk with a loud thump .
Arceus.
Could she be any more annoying?
From the corners of his eyes, he caught more details from this girl. Smudged black eyeliner, double-lobed piercing and an industrial piercing on her left ear (which, to be fair, was the only side he could see as she was seated to the right of him. So he wasn't entirely sure if she had more on the other ear), and her nails had chipped black nail polish on them.
Oh great.
He was sitting next to a delinquent.
Paul adjusted his dark blue sweater and brought his attention back to the front of the classroom.
"Dangit. Ah, hey, do you have a pencil I can borrow? I totally forgot my pencil case at home!"
Paul grimaced when he heard the delinquent's voice and knew she was probably asking him that question. He spared a glance in her direction and wouldn't you know it? He was right.
Her large dark blue eyes sparkled for some reason as she looked at him with a smile (and it was here that he saw she had triple lobe piercings on her right ear).
"No," he said sternly and he saw her smile drop. Good. Serves her right for forgetting something so important.
The girl pouted. "What? Oh, c'mon, please?"
"No. And stop talking to me."
Her pout depended but her brows furrowed together, as if she was judging him . Ha! That was almost funny.
"Well, aren't you Mr. Peachy…" She huffed with clear annoyance.
"And you're just troublesome."
"Ha!?" She barked. “What did you just say!?”
Paul ignored her, not wanting to continue a pointless conversation with a troublesome girl like her. And he was smart not to respond because their teacher arrived just on time. Paul opened up his notebook and entered his studious mode, all while blocking out the obvious glares that the new girl was shooting at him.
The past six months of having to share classes with Troublesome (he had decided to just give her the name Troublesome instead of calling her by her name) had caused Paul to question if the fates were playing a prank on him to cause immense misery in his life. He did his best to steer clear from the punk girl and kept to himself and his studies–he had to if he was going to become valedictorian next year. But despite making himself sparse from Troublesome, she seemed to always be everywhere.
Probably by coincidence but it was still annoying and made Paul want to scream. And he was sure that his presence around Troublesome made her want to scream too. Which has happened a lot. He had to hear her scream about how he was a rude punk. And that made Paul snort because out of the two of them, she was more of a punk than him (especially because Paul had heard the rumours and gossip about Troublesome fighting some of the ruder students at school, the typical big shot bullies who thought they could get away with anything through pure intimidation and violence).
Anyways. He was tired and annoyed that Troublesome has ultimately disrupted his peaceful school year with her loudness, both in volume and personality.
Which was why he was holed up in the school library studying for a test that won't happen for another two weeks. He liked to stay on top of things, so sue him.
Paul checked the time on his phone and saw it was getting late. He was certain his older brother was going to worry and call him (his brother, Reggie, was a bit of a worry wart at times). So he sent Reggie a quick text to let him know he was on his way home before he gathered up all his things and left the library.
As he exited the building, he furrowed his brows when he heard some distant voices and sour laughter around the corner. Ugh, probably some idiots who were causing a ruckus on school grounds despite it being almost empty. He was about to leave when he could distinctly hear a shrill voice that he knew all too well.
"I said to leave me alone!"
Was that Troublesome?
Paul's frown deepened and for some reason, his body moved on its own. He carefully pressed his back against the wall and peeked around the corner. What he saw made his gut churn.
Troublesome was surrounded by a group of five students–seniors from the look of it. He recognized those five too, they were always up to no good. Underage drinking, smoking a plethora of whatever it was they had on hand that day, and bullying whoever it was that offended them just by existing. And it seemed Troublesome had unfortunately been targeted.
It made sense considering some of the tussles he saw her in. And these bullies were typically the more common of the people who ended up beneath her pink steel-toed boots.
Troublesome was wearing her signature pink leather jacket and her usual triangle hair clips–though they were pink today instead of yellow, and her dark midnight blue hair was tied up into a ponytail. He also noticed she pocket her e-cigarette (something he had definitely seen her do on school grounds on more than one occasion) into the outer pocket of her leather jacket.
"Hey! You're the one who bumped into one of us !" One of the bullies snapped. She sneered at Troublesome and squared her shoulders, trying to be intimidating. Paul held back a snort because that girl was trying way too hard.
"I said I was sorry !" Troublesome bit back with a snarl of her own.
"You’ve been a pain in our side since you got here, new kid. It really ought to be time for you to learn your damned place here in school," another bully said, crossing his arms.
Troublesome rolled her eyes. "I hardly think being here for almost half of the school year counts as me still being the new kid. And if you hadn’t figured it out after all the times I knocked you guys out, I don’t play by the rules of some whiny attention-seeking bullies."
The first bully scowled and stepped forward toward Troublesome. "Looks like we have a jokester. Think you're funny, eh?"
"I don't know, I'd like to think I'm plenty funny," Troublesome responded with a quick shrug.
However, that answer didn't seem to go over too well. He saw the bullies tense up, their ring leader, the girl, locked her jaw and narrowed her eyes at Troublesome.
Shit.
Troublesome was going to get her ass beat.
Now, Paul generally stayed clear of other people's problems because they were, well, other people's problems, not his. He didn't need to weasel his way into anyone's problem and have it blow up in his face.
However…
He was about to witness five people gang up on Troublesome and that hardly seemed fair. If he left, he would be the only one to hold the weight of knowing something bad had happened to Troublesome. And he really didn't need to acquire a guilty conscience suddenly. Which was ridiculous because he’s heard the rumours about Troublesome being able to take these assholes down without a sweat. He’s heard people whispering about how much of a monster Troublesome was. He’s seen the bullies come to school with black eyes and bruises! So there was no need for Paul to step in and help!
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” With a deep mix of a growl and groan in annoyance, he decided he would be a decent person and try to stop whatever this was before he ended up a witness or an accomplice–or both.
But before he could even take a step forward, Troublesome had already thrown the first punch. And boy was that a punch.
One of the bullies fell flat onto his back. Everyone gawked at the sight and then at Troublesome. She huffed, wiping her hand on her black and pink plaid skirt.
"Wow, that was one helluva punch! Anyone else wanna be my punching bag again?" She smiled at the group.
There was an eerie silence and Paul was wondering if this was the moment the bullies would preserve their life and fall back.
Oh how wrong he was.
A sudden yell from the ring leader and all four of them charged to get a hit on Troublesome. The girl was quicker on her feet though. A pivot here, an uppercut there. Neither party was willing to back down and it had gotten so disastrous to the point that school security heard the commotion during his rounds. The bullies heard the heavy footsteps of the security guard and were frazzled when they decided to retreat. But not before they called out to the girl who was essentially beating their asses. Again.
"Don't think this is over!"
Troublesome flashed them the middle finger and blew a raspberry at them. “Get the fuck outta here!”
"Hey! What's going on!?"
Paul cursed under his breath and for some reason, he launched himself into the fray and grabbed Troublesome's wrist.
"Wha–? Mr. Peachy?" Troublesome blinked.
"Shut up. We gotta move or you're going to get into deep shit." Paul dragged her away right when the guard arrived at the scene. He didn't know where he was taking her or why he even bothered to save her from getting in trouble. In fact, he should have just let her get in trouble! Who in their right mind would try to pick a fight with five other people !? But at least this confirmed the rumours to be true. That Troublesome was a monster.
They made it two blocks down the road before stopping and catching their breath. Paul was hunched over, his hands resting on his knees, as he tried to get as much air into his lungs as possible. He hadn't had to run like that since gym period when they had to run six laps around the damn track field. It was bad, needless to say. Paul was not the athletic type, not like his older brother.
"Haha, wow! That was something."
Paul snapped his head up and glared at the girl who was clutching her stomach, laughing.
"What's funny about starting a fight?" Paul hissed.
Troublesome paused and looked at Paul with curious eyes. "They started it."
Unbelievable.
He should have left her to get in trouble.
"Though, I'm surprised you were there, Paul. Didn't peg ya as some sort of knight in shining armour," she teased. “You’re actually a lot more thoughtful than I thought. Like a teddybear!
"I'm not," he snapped. His face felt hot at the implication that he was soft .
She shrugged her shoulders, dismissing his rebuttal. "Well, either way, thanks for not letting me get in trouble. My mom would throw a fit if she knew I was fighting again. D’ya know how hard it is to cover up some of the bruises and shit around her? A hawk, I tell ya."
Paul pursed his lips but said nothing else. He brushed off whatever imaginary dirt he had on his pants and stood up straight. He gave her one last hard steely glare before turning back around and leaving.
"Ah, wait, where are you going?"
He didn't respond and continued to walk away.
A week had passed since Paul unintentionally saved Troublesome from her own hubris and it was a giant mistake on his part. Mostly because now he can't help but be hyper-aware of the damn girl. And what's worse, she had begun to talk to him. Chat him up as though they had been long-time friends who hadn't seen each other in years. It crudely cut into Paul's self-study time and he hated it. Hated it with a burning passion. Why must the universe be so cruel?
"Heya, Paul."
He groaned and tried to use his textbook to hide his face. Maybe Troublesome doesn't have object permanence.
"Just because you're hiding behind your books doesn't mean I can't see you, ya know…"
Dammit.
He was really banking on her not having object permanence.
Paul lowered his book and glared at her.
"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy right now?"
She shrugged, smiled, and sat down across from him. “What’cha up to, Teddybear?”
Paul sputtered curses under his breath and felt his cheeks light up with warmth. Teddybear!?
“Excuse me?” He balked. “What did you just call me?”
Troublesome tilted her head to the side and continued to smile brightly at him As though she was mocking him because he knew for a damned fact that she knew what he was asking. “You mean Teddybear ? I figured it was a good fit for you since you went out of your way to swoop me away from getting into trouble. You were very sweet about it.”
“I didn’t swoop in! I–” Paul floundered while trying to refute Troublesome’s comment about saving her–which, yes. He did, but he still didn’t understand why . “Just… Leave me alone, Troublesome. I’m trying to study.”
She hummed and continued to stare at him. To study him. Her lips pursed slightly and her eyes narrowed just a smidge. Paul felt like he was on trial or something, and it was rather hard to focus back on his studies when her midnight blue eyes were staring a hole into his skull. With a heavy sigh, he dropped his book and glared right back at her.
“What do you want, Troublesome?”
“You know, I've been wondering… I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say my name before. It's always been Troublesome this and Troublesome that ." She said casually.
“So?”
She raised a curious brow at him and her lips tightened into a fine line. “You do know what my name is, right?”
He said nothing.
And his silence seemed to be all the confirmation she needed. She stared aghast at him, her mouth ajar and her eyes flew open wider. “Are you kidding me!? We have five classes together and you don’t know my name !?”
Paul winced at her shrill voice and shushed her harshly. “Would you shut up? You’re disturbing other people.”
“The name’s Dawn, okay? D-A-W-N. Dawn.” She huffed angrily.
“Okay, okay, whatever. Just keep your voice down–you’re going to get us kicked out.” He glared at her while he carefully looked around to see if the librarian was approaching them or not. Thankfully not.
She levelled with him. Continued to stare into his steely grey eyes before she shook her head and leaned back into her chair.
“Alrighty,” she said in a chipper tone, as if she hadn’t scolded him for not remembering her actual name–which, fair. She got up from her seat and flashed a bright smile at him. "I’ll let this slide for today. Anywho, see ya later, Teddybear!"
He watched her retreating form skip put and he really wondered if the universe was truly enjoying their time torturing him.
Finals were almost among them and Paul was feeling good about his efforts. He had been studying vigorously non-stop since two months ago and had taken a plethora of mock exams on the side, just for fun. Reggie had shook his head and chuckled at him for being such a studious nerd.
Anyways. Paul was leaving the school with his mock exams in his hands. He wondered if he should start with his social studies mock exam first tonight, or maybe do his biology one. As he was making his way off school grounds, he heard faint footsteps behind him. From the sounds of it, it seemed like there was a group. Paul kept an annoyed sigh from escaping his lips as he stopped. Without turning around, he addressed his… Visitors.
"What do you want?"
"Look, the nerd finally noticed us."
He tossed a glare behind him. There were four people, all from most of his classes. And they were also the ones who had the worst grades, so there was no doubt what they were about to ask (force) Paul to do.
"We need you to give us the answers to the exams."
His brows furrowed and Paul actually turned around to properly face them. "You know these are just mock exams, right? I won't have the actual answers to the actual questions that will appear on the actual exams. If you're that press to pass, maybe you dumb fucks should pick up a book instead of harassing me."
He smirked when the four classmates glared at him, bristling with anger.
"Always think you're the shit just because you get better grades than us?" One of them scowled. "Your superiority complex has been grating on our nerves since eighth grade."
Paul shrugged with indifference. But that only seemed to make them madder. One of them stepped forward and gripped the front of Paul's shirt, bringing them nose-to-nose. Paul's mind was going a mile a minute as he tried to figure out a way to get himself out of this predicament.
Only to be startled–along with the other four–when the guy who held Paul by the scruff of his shirt was violently pulled away and slammed onto the ground.
"What do ya think you're doing, picking on Paul, hah!?"
Paul's eyes shot open wide when he saw Troublesome–no, Dawn , standing in front of him with her hands placed on her hips and a vicious glare that rivalled his own. His mouth was open ajar, trying to process why she was here.
She spun to face the other three and hunched her shoulders, stalking towards them like a predator to their prey.
"Well? Anyone gonna say anything?" She asked grimly.
The three other classmates of Paul's shook their heads, probably not wanting to upset her further. They helped their fallen comrade and all scampered away.
Dawn snorted, cackling and throwing her head back at the poor sight before she turned around with a lopsided grin.
"Heya, Paul."
Paul didn't say anything, still partly registering the events that happened in the last ten seconds. Dawn frowned and waves her hand in front of his face.
"Yoo-hoo. Earth to Paul? Paul? Hello? Teddybear? You awake in there?" She poked his cheek and that seemed to wake Paul up from his stupor.
He slapped her hand away (not hard enough to intentionally hurt) and scowled. "Personal bubble, Troublesome, ever heard of it?"
She snorted, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "' Oh thank you so much Dawn for helping me out of that pickle! You saved me from almost becoming angry toothpaste by those scaredy cats! '" She mimicked his voice and it was almost comical with the way she tried to lower her voice to the same deep register as Paul's. Then she quickly brought her voice back to that grating soft and airy natural tone of hers. "You’re totally welcome, Paul. It's what friends are for."
Paul's frown deepened.
"I do not sound like that–and since when were we friends ?" The word in itself felt foreign on his lips. He didn't like it.
"Since now!" She chirped happily.
He stared at her for a beat. And then another beat. And then a final beat before he pivoted on his heels and briskly walked away from the delinquent.
Paul craned his neck as he tried to loosen up the tension in his upper trapezius. He had been hunched over his books and notes for hours on end for his finals. He was actually leaving his last final exam of the day when he noticed Troublesome in all her delinquent punk glory. He scowled, already dreading the interaction with her. He tried to find ways to pivot away from Troublesome’s line of direction, but he was essentially standing in an open area, the outdoor basketball hoops just twenty feet away. He was exposed. And Troublesome would have no issues spotting him if he went elsewhere.
So he decided he’d do the one thing he did best.
He would ignore her.
Paul was determined to go home and relax, and nothing and no one was going to come in between him and his nature documentaries, dammit!
As he was about ready to pass her, he realized she seemed different. Her eyes were distant and her entire demeanour was pensive. It was weird. It was strange.
He also did notice a single cigarette in her hand but she barely lifted it to take any puffs.
Paul frowned.
He’s seen her smoke a few times around school grounds–which was bound for suspension, and even expulsion if the warnings did not stick–but it was usually from her e-cigarette or vape pen. Paul had never seen Troublesome hold an actual cigarette before. But then again, this was Troublesome he was talking about. The school’s resident delinquent.
The smell of the cigarette wafted over into his direction and his nose twitched sourly.
“You’re going to fuck up your health if you keep smoking that shit,” he said with a clipped tone. He was sort of startled that he was even acknowledging Troublesome’s presence in front of Troublesome . And it seemed that surprise was mutual because he saw her eyes widen in his direction.
There was a short pause before Troublesome smirked, threw the ash-heavy cigarette down onto the pavement, and squashed it with the sole of her steel-toed boots.
“Aw, is Teddybear concerned for my health?” She cooed.
Paul scowled and decided to ignore her question.
“Smoking and second-hand smoke aren’t something to take lightly.”
Troublesome hummed for a brief moment. Then she grabbed a box of cigarettes from her jacket pocket and walked over to a nearby trash can. She casually tossed it inside and turned to Paul.
“There,” she said, smiling.
Paul frowned deeper.
“What was even the point of buying a pack of that shit if you’re just going to toss them out so wastefully?”
She shrugged. “Felt like it. But you’re right. About smoking. It’s not good for my health or others, and to be honest, I’ve been trying to find a way to quit but never found a good reason to actually quit.”
“Fucking up your health and other people’s health isn’t a good reason to quit smoking?” He deadpanned. Was this girl serious?
Troublesome laughed, shaking her head. “No–I mean, okay. Yeah, that may have come out wrong. I just mean, I never had the urge to actually stop even though I know it’s bad. But ya know what? After you said all that, I think I’ll really try to stop.”
“All because I called you out on it?”
She flashed a lopsided grin at him.
“Yup!”
Paul was feeling a headache creep up in the back of his head. Why was he wasting his breath and precious time with Troublesome when he could have already been on his way to the comforts of his own home?
Shaking his head, he began to walk away from her.
“See ya around, Teddybear!” She called out. “Hope you have a wicked summer vacation!”
Paul will never admit that he stopped and turned his head back towards her.
“You too.” He refused to acknowledge that he also wished her a happy summer vacation.
Paul didn't expect to do much once summer vacation started. In fact, he had been holed up in his room for the entire first half of the month brushing up on his reading for his AP Physics class that he was going to be taking once September rolled around. However, Reggie would often drag Paul out of his room and into the great outdoors to soak up sun rays. Something about how it was healthy to get some fresh air once in a while. Pfth. Yeah, whatever.
However, today was one of those dastardly days. Reggie was planning on making some homemade ice cream with the ice cream machine he won at a raffle last month. He dragged Paul out to the market to grab ingredients.
"What flavour do you want for your ice cream, Paul?" Reggie asked with a smile as he walked down the aisle.
Paul hiked his shoulders up and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. "I don't know. I don't care. This is your project, so you pick."
Reggie stopped in front of the cereal aisle. "Aw, come on, Paul. I'm making ice cream for both of us to enjoy. It won't be worth it if I'm only making flavours that suit my taste."
Paul grumbled something under his breath before letting out a harsh sigh.
"Fine… I want sea salt ice cream."
His brother tapped his chin with his finger and looked to be in deep thought. "Hmm. Okay, I think that should be doable. I'll have to find a recipe for it though."
"Yeah, whatever." Paul turned to the right and saw they had a small sale on ballpoint pens. It would be good to stock up on a few, but should he get them now or wait for a back-to-school sale? As he thought more about it, he failed to realize a certain blue-haired-pink-leather-jacket-wearing punk making her way over towards him with a large grin plastered on her face.
"Heya, Paul!"
The purple-haired teen grimaced and whipped around to see Troublesome wave at him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked tersely. And then he mentally slapped himself because they were in a supermarket. Obviously, she was here to… Buy something. Probably.
But she didn't seem to poke fun at Paul's wording and laughed. "I wanted to make some banana muffins so I needed some ingredients. What about you? I'm kinda surprised to see you out and about."
Paul frowned.
"I'm allowed to be outside if I want to. I'm not some vicious animal," he gruffed out. "If anything, it should be you who shouldn't be allowed outside. You'll only end up in a fight and then get arrested for assault and battery."
She chortled, throwing her head back and clutching her stomach as if what he said was comical.
Paul, flustered, frowned aggressively. "Stop laughing!"
"Sorry! Sorry, it's just–you're totally not wrong, haha. But I don't start fights. I just finish them before they really start."
He stared blankly at her.
"Hey, Paul, what do you think ab–oh! Hello there!"
Oh, Arceus.
Please no.
The two people that should never meet .
"Heya! My name's Dawn! I'm a friend of Paul's from school!"
Reggie's eyes widened in shock but there was a bright smile that curled up on his lips.
"I didn't know you finally made a friend, Paul!" He said proudly. "I'm so happy for you!"
Troublesome arched her brows in surprise and amusement. "Wait, am I your first friend, Paul?"
Paul wanted to say no. He really did. But let's be honest. The answer to her question was a painful yes . But instead of letting her know that, he just kept quiet and hoped for the best.
Which… Granted, he should have known better than to rely on silence to help him out.
"Oh my Arceus, I really am your first friend!" She gasped, smirking wildly at him.
"Shut up, Troublesome," he hissed. Why was his face getting warm!?
"I really had hoped you remembered my name, Teddybear ," she huffed, slightly annoyed but doesn't seem to be too offended that he had called her by the name he had given her.
"Teddybear?" Reggie snorted, still highly entertained by Paul's continued embarrassment.
"Mmhm." Troublesome turned to Reggie. "He saved me from getting in trouble after I defended myself from a bunch of bullies. I always thought he was this broody aloof loner, but he's actually very caring!"
Reggie nodded. "That's my baby brother alright. He may have a bunch of walls put up around him, but deep down, he's a good kid."
"Shut up, Reggie." Paul's face continued to get warmer and he hated it. "If you losers are going to keep yapping, I'm going to leave to get what we actually came here for ." He didn't give either party a chance to retort as he marched down the aisle with clear annoyance and determination to get out of there.
The very next day Paul was wondering if he was dreaming. Or if he was in a nightmare. Because there, on the couch in his home with his older brother was none other than Troublesome herself.
"Reggie, what the fuck?"
The older man frowned and tutted. "Paul, language, we have a guest over."
Troublesome laughed and waved it off. "Nah, it's totally fine, Reggie. I'm used to hearing swears and shit. I say it a lot myself too."
A fever dream, then. Because how else would anyone be able to explain why the fuck Troublesome was in his home chatting gregariously with his brother as though they have been friends for decades?
"I'm going to my room," he finally announced.
"Eh? Wait, Paul, you just woke up–you haven't had breakfast yet," Reggie called out, but it was pointless. Paul calmly scampered back to his room and locked himself there, hoping, wishing for this fever dream or nightmare to end.
Clearly, the fever dream nightmare never did end as it was the second month of summer vacation and Troublesome was sitting on the couch inside Paul's home. But what was even weirder was that Paul, of all people, was sitting on the same couch next to her–albeit maybe a cushion away, but still.
Troublesome had been coming over more and more since the first time she was invited over by Reggie. At first, Paul had been sorely against it and had made a plethora of excuses to avoid her when she was over. Even resorting to sneaking around in his own home to eat the meals he missed because he was a stubborn asshole. Now, though, he was used to it. Sometimes he would simply ignore her presence, as though she were just oxygen in the air. But then she would complain loudly about how he was being a poor host and then be forced to entertain her whims. Which, truthfully, wasn't so bad. But you did not hear that from him.
Both of them were watching some nature documentary that Paul had been itching to watch ever since he first saw the trailers for it. He was so engrossed in the documentary that he hadn't realized Troublesome had gotten up to go to the other room to answer her phone. When he heard bouts of hushed yelling and groans, Paul lowered the volume and turned his head to where Troublesome was. After a minute, she came back into the living room looking livid and plopped herself back down onto the couch.
A beat.
"You look angry."
No duh, Paul.
But Troublesome did not reprimand him for stating the obvious. Instead, she forced out a smile and tried to play it cool.
"Oh! Sorry about that. Just had to answer a call."
He frowned.
"Is everything okay…?"
She blinked, probably not expecting him to ask. And truthfully, he was also surprised he asked. But her slight shock was replaced with that same fake cheerful smile. It was almost gross how hard she was pretending to be fine when it was clear that she was not.
"Yeah! I'm okay! No need to worry!"
His frown deepened and he fully turned his body on the couch to face the girl.
"Clearly something is wrong. Either get it off your chest to feel better or just go deal with your issues outside of my house. It's plain as day that you're masking your feelings. So stop pretending you're okay and say something."
Troublesome balked at him, her mouth hung open and Paul was worried he had crossed the line. It wasn't like they were friends–no matter what she kept telling Reggie–she had no obligation to tell him why she was angry, and he had no right in forcing her to tell him. Damn. Reggie was right. He was socially inept.
When the silence continued to loom over them, Paul was ready to apologize. But before he got the chance, Troublesome had beat him to the punch.
"Got into a small spat with my mom," she said finally, the fake smile on her face crumbled into a furrowed frown. Her brows almost kissed as they knitted together, and her already sapphire blue eyes looked even darker. "I love her, I do, but her constant nagging and expectations from me are so frustrating. She keeps forcing me to go to these dumb extra tutoring classes all because she expects me to become a surgeon."
Paul stayed silent but nodded, soaking the words in. This was a first for him, and maybe even a first for her, to hear and see this other side of the blue-haired punk.
“Like, okay. Maybe I did want to become a surgeon, but I was like ten when I did! And it was only because she would tell me all these cool stories about her residency and all the different operations she would scrub in on. I thought it sounded cool, to be able to save people’s lives like that.” She frowned, brushing her hand through her hair.
Paul nodded.
“But things are different now, ya know?” She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her. “I keep telling her what I want to do but she never listens to me. She just brushes me off and expects me to follow in her footsteps all because stupid ten-year-old-me wanted to be like her.”
Troublesome sighed. She leaned back into the couch, looking upwards at the ceiling.
“I think she’s using me as a way to relive her youth and the dream that was robbed from her too early too soon. She actually never finished her residency. Had to drop out completely.” She paused. “Mom got into a really bad car accident that badly affected her motor functions. Could barely even hold a cup steady–and to a surgeon, you need your hands. She was only twenty-nine when it happened… And I get it. She worked so hard to become a surgeon only to have that hard work and dream be taken away from her.
“But I’m not her . I am not my mom. I am my own person with my own dreams and wants and wishes. I just… I just wish she could understand that I don’t want to be like her or be used to fulfill her unattainable dreams. I’m not a puppet for her to force her will onto.”
Paul listened intently and for once, could see the cracks forming in Troublesome’s happy demeanour. It made him feel sympathy for her and what she was currently going through. His parents worked abroad, so he never really had to experience disagreements with them. Hell, Reggie was technically Paul’s legal guardian and Reggie was always supportive of what he wanted to do with his life.
“Sorry you’re going through that. It’s wrong for your mom to ignore that you are your own person and to force you to basically become a mini version of you,” he said genuinely. For some reason, seeing her upset like this made him uncomfortable–he was not used to not seeing a happy smile on her face (or an angry scowl that was generally directed toward him when he doesn’t use her actual name, or toward idiot bullies).
Troublesome raised a brow at him but then her face softened up with a smile, her head tilted just ever so slightly to the side and her sparkling blue eyes lit up when their eyes met. “Thanks, Teddybear.”
For some reason, Paul’s chest felt weirdly warm.
Paul was in his room studying for his midterm exams, scouring over his notes and working on mock exams, when he felt something poke his arm. With a heavy sigh, he lazily gazed over to the cumbersome person who was in his room looking bored as ever.
“Teddybear. You’ve been studying for like, five hours. I’m bored.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve only been studying for like–” he checked the time on his watch. “Half an hour.
She groaned. "That's half an hour too long, Teddybear."
He rolled his eyes again, not all that bothered by her complaining anymore. He was used to it by now, it was like a routine. If Troublesome didn't complain to him at least once a day, then that meant the world was going to end.
"I'm going to get something to drink, and maybe eat,” she declared.
Paul raised a brow at her. "Make yourself at home, why don't you."
She snorted. "Don't I always?" And then Troublesome got up and left Paul's room.
It was true. Ever since Troublesome had started hanging out with Paul, she had made herself at home rather quickly. She claimed she was always like this when she hung out with friends at their places, and when he asked why she wasn't with them, she shrugged and said they were busy. But Paul suspected it was because Troublesome felt more at ease with Paul. Probably ever since she opened up about her troubles with her mom during summer vacation.
He stopped looking down at his notes and found his eyes growing weary. So he pulled the drawer from his desk and grabbed a glasses case. He opened it up and put his reading glasses on. It was definitely better than before. Just then, Troublesome returned with two glasses of water and whatever disgusting healthy snack Reggie bought from the store the other day.
"You really need to convince your brother to buy some of the good shit instead of–" she gestured to the gross healthy snack tucked under her arm. " This good shit…"
Paul snorted. "I tried. He just doesn't listen."
She set one of the glasses of water down on his desk and held the other one in her hands. Then she did a double take, her eyes widened comically.
"Whoa!" She smiled. "I didn't know you wore glasses?"
He mindlessly adjusted his glasses. "I only wear them if my eyes get tired when I'm studying or reading anything."
"So they're like, your reading glasses or something? You far-sighted?"
"No, my vision is pretty decent, but again–I wear them if my eyes start feeling strained.”
She hummed, then grinned brightly at him. "Well, you look very handsome, Paul."
His chest tingled with growing warmth and he wasn't sure what to do with this feeling.
Paul, Reggie, and even Troublesome were gathered around the living room in Paul and Reggie's home for New Year's Eve. Paul and her were on the couch, watching the NYE special on tv while Reggie was in the kitchen preparing an assortment of snacks and non-alcoholic beverages for them to drink and cheer to.
"I can't wait until the countdown," Troublesome said as she put her nail polish away. She had been painting them earlier and had just finished adding a top coat, whatever that meant. She waved her hands as if that was going to dry them faster.
"Why do you always paint your nails when they're just going to get chipped again in a week?" He asked with genuine curiosity.
She glanced at him from the side and smirked. "'Cuz I look fucking badass and it makes me feel badass too. You should try it sometime, Teddybear."
He scowled. "No thanks."
He regretted bringing this up because there was a mischievous glint behind her eyes. She turned her body and held up a bottle of black nail polish.
"Come on, Teddybear! I bet you'll look totally badass with nail polish on!" She chirped excitedly. But he was not excited by that premise at all. He began to scoot further from her but she was relentless.
"Absolutely not.”
"Come on ," she begged, still grinning like the devil himself. "Just try it out! For me?" She batted her eyelashes for extra emphasis.
Paul grimaced and shook his head. "I'm not painting my nails, Troublesome."
She pouted, jutting her bottom lip out in exaggeration. "Then, how about just one finger? And you can choose which one!"
He was nothing if not stubborn, but so was she. They continued this back and forth of "Please, Teddybear" and "No way, Troublesome" until finally, she had gotten her wish.
Paul sighed heavily as he gave his left hand as a sacrifice. Troublesome smirked with a sinister evil he had never seen on anyone before and she uncapped the black nail polish bottle.
"You better only do the fourth nail, Troublesome," he huffed in annoyance.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, Teddybear." She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth as she concentrated on painting the fourth nail of his left hand.
He watched patiently at her utmost concentration on making sure his nail looked flawless. Her brows scrunched up in the middle and her eyes narrowed slightly. It was a funny sight. She was literally painting one nail, so why must she look so serious as though she was diffusing a bomb? But he couldn't help but think it was cute.
Wait.
Huh?
Cute?
Who did he think was cute? Troublesome ?
Did he think Troublesome was cute? Did he think Troublesome was cute?
It couldn't… Could it…?
Paul narrowed his eyes and tried to glare Troublesome out of existence, but when he imagined her not being here, hovering over his one hand as she applied a smooth layer of black nail polish, his heart ached. And then it ached some more when he imagined the rest of his days without the troublesome punk by his side.
Then finally it hit him.
Oh.
Paul pressed his lips into a thin line at the sudden realization.
"Okay! First layer is done!" She announced, and that broke Paul out of whatever crisis he was currently experiencing. "We'll have to wait a bit for it to dry before I add the second layer and then the top coat and–Paul? You good? You look constipated. Do you need to take a shit?"
Well, that certainly grounded him again.
Paul snarled and tugged his hand back from her soft ones. "Don't be so crass."
She shrugged, laughing. "I call it as I see it, Teddybear."
The television hummed with the static background noise of the NYE special, and Reggie was humming some children's song–an unfortunate side effect from being a preschool teacher–in the kitchen. Troublesome seemed to lose interest in Paul's obvious flustered take and focused her attention back on Paul’s one painted nail. She gently grabbed his hand back and started on the second layer of black nail polish.
His heart hammered loudly in his chest and he hoped she wouldn't be able to hear it.
"Tomorrow–" he gruffed out hoarsely. She perked in interest and lifted her head toward him. "Let's go somewhere."
She cocked her head and frowned in confusion. "Where?"
He gulped.
"There's a place I always go to on New Year's Day."
"And you want to go?"
He nodded.
"With me…?"
He nodded again.
"Is it gonna be just… The two of us…?"
He nodded a third time. Arceus, how many times did he have to nod so Troublesome could take the hint?
Her expression was unreadable and that sort of scared him. Which was laughable because he was never scared of anything. After another long and gruelling minute of silence, Troublesome beamed at him.
"Sure! Sounds like fun."
Paul visibly relaxed and he hoped she didn't notice. He gave her a slow and simple nod. "Meet me here at five pm."
She leaned a little bit forward and her lips curled into an even bigger smile if that was even possible. But it was softer and tender compared to her usual loud and cheerful one.
It was as though she knew.
The very next day, she showed up at exactly five.
"So, where are we going, Teddybear?" She asked. She was wearing her signature hot pink leather jacket with a black t-shirt underneath, pale pink shorts and matching pale pink steel-toed boots. Her hair was up in a half-ponytail with yellow triangle clips to secure them in place and a rose pink beanie. She looked, well, like she usually does, but Paul felt like she looked better today. He looked down at his own attire, a simple dark green turtleneck sweater with grey-blue faded jeans and sneakers. He looked relatively plain compared to her.
As if she was reading his mind, Troublesome patted Paul's shoulder.
"Looking good, Teddybear!"
He grunted and gestured to the beat-up old car that he and Reggie shared. Troublesome 'ooo-ed' at the sight and hopped into the passenger seat. Paul slipped into the driver's seat and after buckling in, he pulled out from the driveway and drove off.
"So, where ya taking me, Paul?" She asked with a lilt in her voice.
"I told you yesterday–" he made a turn at the upcoming intersection. "A place I always go to during New Year's Day."
She hummed. "Do you always go there by yourself? And at five in the evening?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting…" She said, as though she was a detective solving a mystery. "So it's a tradition for you, going to this mystery place by yourself at the start of a new year. A tradition in which you decided to share with little ol' me?"
Paul gulped and tried to silence his rapidly beating heart.
"I guess so…" He gruffed out, hands gripping the steering wheel as he drove down a long road.
Troublesome didn't say anything after that and the two enjoyed the near-silence of the ride. She did eventually turn the radio on and some sort of indie rock music was playing in the background of the car ride. He appreciated the act because–as much as he enjoyed silent car rides–having to drive while Troublesome was beside him, not chattering away like usual, freaked him out and battered his anxiety about this whole ordeal.
Eventually, after forty-five minutes, they made it to the outskirts of Veilstone City. Paul drove off-road and towards a large plateau for another twenty-five minutes. The sun was already setting, painting the sky in brilliant watercolour hues of soft pink to miasma purple to midnight blue. Once he arrived at the destination, he turned the ignition off and unbuckled his seat belt.
"Come on," he said as he got out of the car. He heard Troublesome exit while he headed to the trunk. Paul popped the trunk open and inside was a thermal cooler and large cozy blankets. "Help me carry this blanket and spread it out on the hood of the car."
Troublesome nodded, but she was looking at him with a curious gaze. He could tell she had a million questions but hadn't voiced them out. She did as she was told and grabbed one of the blankets to lay out on the hood of the car. Paul unzipped the thermal cooler and grabbed a large thermos and two tin cups generally used for camping. He tucked the thermos under one arm, held the cups by the handles with his hand, and then reached for the other blanket with his other. He closed the trunk and rounded the car so he was at the front. She had already laid the blanket on and had noticed the thermos and cups that Paul had if the surprised brow raise was anything to go by it.
"Well? Hop on." He put the blanket he had onto the covered hood and hoisted himself up with his now free hand after he carefully took his shoes off. He made himself comfortable, carefully brushing out the wrinkles of the blanket underneath and adjusting it as need be.
Troublesome stared at him with her mouth ajar but her surprise quickly changed into interest. She scrambled up onto the hood of the car, spending a little bit more time taking off her boots, and leaned back.
"So this is where you go?" She mused.
Paul grunted, setting the thermos and cups between them as he grabbed the second blanket to wrap around both of them.
"Veilstone isn't usually cold during the winter seasons, but it's better to be safe than sorry," he said as the blanket was now sufficiently draped over both of their bodies. Troublesome just looked at him, puzzled by his behaviour probably. He didn't blame her, he would be just as confused as she was right now as well.
But instead of poking fun at him or bringing up his uncharacteristic side, she gripped the blanket edge hanging by her shoulder and beamed at Paul. "Thanks, Paul."
He grunted again for what felt like the umpteenth time, not trusting himself to use his voice to actually respond to her. He leaned back as well and stared up at the darkening night sky. They could already see the smattering of stars above them, like sparkling freckles.
"I always come out here to stargaze on New Year's Day," he started, still gazing up. "There's no light pollution this far out either, so it makes the activity worthwhile."
He heard Troublesome hum with interest. "And why on New Year's Day specifically? Why not New Year's Eve?"
"Because this helps me prepare for the rest of the new year. It gives me some semblance of peace before things get hectic again. And also it's quiet. New Year's Eve is supposed to be celebrated with others, but this?" He gestured to the stars. "This is for me. This is a celebration for me from me."
Troublesome stared awestruck at his answer. Paul caught her wonderment and couldn't help but smile just a little bit.
"That's awfully deep, Teddybear." She whistled low and glanced back up at the stars. A comfortable pause between them was set up before she started talking again. "Are you a big fan of astronomy then?"
He thought about it for a moment before shrugging. "I'm not really sure… I just always loved how vast the universe is and how freeing the stars looked every night–even if they're technically exploding to death."
"Wait what!?" Troublesome shrieked, sitting up and gawking at Paul. "They're what now!? What do you mean they explode !? And to death !? Huh!?"
Paul blinked up at her.
Then he blinked again.
And again.
Until a flurry of sounds escaped his lips. Laughter?
Paul was breaking out into laughter, a rare occurrence that even he didn't know he had it in him to do. Hell, he didn't know he could laugh!
"Paul!" She shrilled, offended but was actually joining Paul in the whimsical laughter. "Stop laughing! It's not funny!"
"Your-your expression w-was–" another burst of laughter escaped his lips. His stomach ached with the lightness of the situation, it was foreign to him. But hearing Troublesome laugh with him, hearing her enjoy herself here with Paul at his special place? It oddly felt nice. Like this was where she belonged–where they belonged.
The giggles died down eventually into a slow decrescendo, and the pair made eye contact, aching smiles on their lips.
His steel cool grey eyes met with her dark sapphire blue eyes. He saw how radiant her eyes looked. How much they looked like the universe above their heads. He didn't know how long the pair had been staring into each other's eyes, nor had he realized how close their faces were getting.
Paul watched as Dawn's eyes began to flutter and hood as their noses were just millimetres from touching. His eyes flickered between her eyes and her lips, and he was sure she was looking at his mouth as well. Her breath ghosted over his chapped lips (he silently cursed himself for not applying chapstick before) and he felt a tender buzz pulsate through his body and to his now rapidly beating heart.
And then, finally, Paul felt how soft Dawn's lips were.
The first day back from the holidays was always a weird transition for most students, but not Paul, never Paul. He was able to pick himself back up from before the holidays without any mistakes or distractions–
Okay, well… Maybe there was one distraction he was completely fine with.
Dawn had draped herself over Paul's back as she peered down at the contents of his desk with wide eyes. "Damn… How are you able to make sense of any of that?"
He turned his head to face her, their faces merely inches apart, and raised a brow at her. The two of them had the same spare block in their schedule oddly enough, and Paul usually spent his spare block in the library, and Dawn just joined without a second thought. He was currently looking through his notes for his AP Physics in preparation for the class once this block was over. He watched Dawn wrinkle her nose with disgust and confusion at the graphs and equations littered on the page.
"Arceus," she said. "Just staring at it makes my head hurt…"
He rolled his eyes, smirking slightly. "That's because your alternative artsy fartsy brain of yours is taking up valuable space to learn these scary graphs and equations."
She pouted and booed him. He chuckled and returned to his notes but was stunned when she planted a chaste kiss against his cheek. Then he felt the warmth of her body leave his back and she slipped into the chair across from him. Paul will not admit that he felt grumpy she did that, because now he wasn't able to feel her as close to him now (he will not admit it, will not !).
But he was dealing with Dawn, and she always saw right through his gruff and aloof exterior. The sly smile that ghosted on her lips was a prime example. She knew what she was doing. Payback for making fun of her alternative artsy fartsy brain, probably.
After they shared their first kiss that night on New Year's Day, Paul and Dawn hadn't brought it up again. They just continued on with their lives, spending even more time together. Eventually, there came a rhythm in their new relationship where the skinship was ever so prevalent that it was comfortable and welcomed. Light kisses here and there, casual hand holdings over there, and–dare he say it–going somewhere in the city or elsewhere to hang out instead of at Paul's place. They had even gone back to Paul's special place a couple of times to look at the stars (and if they ended up kissing instead, then that was fine with him too).
"So, Teddybear," Dawn drawled. He rolled his eyes, but there was no hint of annoyance in them from hearing the nickname. "What'cha doing over the weekend?"
"Studying, probably."
"Huh?" She gawked at him and then huffed, pouting. "How could you be thinking of studying? And on a weekend no less."
He quirked a brow at her. "You have met me, right?"
Dawn blinked.
Then she sighed.
"Ugh, right." Dawn shook her head. "The ever studious Paul the Teddybear. Making all us alternative artsy fartsy plebs look bad."
He shook his head but stopped. He knew she was only joking, but something about her comment made him feel a little bad. He pressed his lip in a fine line and looked at Dawn seriously.
"I like your alternative artsy fartsy mind… If… If that wasn't already clear… Before…"
Dawn was taken aback as she blinked in rapid succession to digest his words. But then the blank shock was replaced by a bright brilliant smile that melted Paul's insides.
"I know, Paul." Her voice was so sweet that Paul wondered if he was going to get cavities from just hearing it (Arceus, he was being sappy). "I like your stupid nerd brain too."
Paul grunted, lowering his head to focus on his notes but failing profusely as he tried to wrest away the sudden warmth and heat from his cheeks.
Dawn stretched her arms over her head as she let out a huge yawn. The two of them had gone to the movie theatres as it was the fourth day of spring break. Paul was miffed that he was wasting two weeks away (spring break was one week and then the following week was a professional development day–which was just a week off for the teachers, meaning no school that week either) and not getting any schooling done. But he didn't mind it as much since Dawn had dragged him everywhere around Veilstone City for their, quote-unquote dates . Dawn was adamant about labelling what their relationship was because it was better to both be on the same page as there would less likely be any misunderstandings. Paul found out that they both detested misunderstandings and miscommunications.
"What did ya think of the movie, Paul?"
He shrugged. They had gone to see the new animated movie about a monster trainer saving the world from a diabolical tyrant. Dawn had been so stoked about it and Paul, admittedly, was also excited.
"It was good. The pacing could have used a bit of work though, they really rushed the third act and it took me out of the story," he replied. “Also, why have the main character suddenly so hell-bent on revenge when we did not see a glimmer of that side of him in the previous two acts?”
Dawn giggled, hooking her arm around Paul's arm. "You're such a movie nerd."
"I didn't say I didn't like it. They could have just sharpened up the story a bit, that's all."
They continued their trek around the street, talking about the movie to what they wanted to eat later to Dawn insisting Paul paint his nails again.
"I'm not going to do the full set," he stated.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Then we can just do the one nail like last time. And you can pick the colour this time!"
He raised a brow at her as they passed by a quaint little cafe that Dawn had them stopped at for lunch. "You have other colours than black?"
"Just because I primarily wear black nail polish doesn't mean I don't have other colours. I have like, blue, pink, and purple. So your pick, Teddybear." She sent him a flirty wink as they were taken to their table at the cafe.
The waiter handed them the menus and Dawn immediately thrummed through the list to pick what she wanted to eat. Paul gave it a cursory glance before he saw the sirloin steak and considered it a win. The waiter came back and took their orders. Once he left with their menus, Paul took a sip from the glass of water in front of him.
"If I were to get one of my nails painted again, I definitely do not want pink."
"What's wrong with pink?" She frowned, cocking a brow at him.
"Nothing," he grunted. "Just not my colour."
Dawn hummed, already amused by the conversation. She placed her arms on the table and leaned forward. "Oh? And what is your colour, Teddybear?"
Without missing a beat, he stared into her dark blue eyes and answered seriously.
"Blue."
Dawn's cheeks turned rosy pink and Paul couldn't help but think how nice it was that he flustered her for once.
He reached his hand over and gently took Dawn's hand into his. She visibly gulped and looked wide-eyed at Paul. He said nothing else and just looked back at her with the same tenderness she had shown him. After a beat, a smile curled on Dawn's lips and she gently squeezed Paul's hand.
"I've always loved the colour pink, but I'm beginning to really love purple a lot more."
Paul's heart squeezed and his gut tingled with adrenaline. If his face was warm, then he didn't even notice because all he could see was the girl in front of him.
It was a Sunday afternoon, Paul and Dawn had enjoyed their second spring break week together full of adventures in the city and elsewhere so they decided to spend this last day before school tomorrow at his place. Paul was on the couch reading a book he borrowed from the library the other day while Dawn was sitting beside him painting his one nail–the same one she did last time, his left ring finger nail.
"Aaaand… Done!" She exclaimed with a bright smile. "The top coat is on so just let it dry off and handle it with care."
He rolled his eyes, placing his book down on his lap. "You make it sound like my nail is fragile or something."
"It is fragile considering the hard work I put into it," she huffed, sticking her tongue out at him teasingly.
Paul took a look at his freshly painted ring fingernail and admired the colour.
Blue.
The same shade as Dawn's eyes.
"It looks good," he said. "Thank you."
The bluenette cheerfully giggled and held up her left hand. "And now we match!"
All the nails on her left hand were painted black except for the ring finger. In place of the usual black colour that Paul was accustomed to seeing, it was a soft lilac colour.
The same shade as Paul's hair.
Something swelled inside of him as he looked at their coloured nails. Blue and purple. He felt a rush of emotions clinging to his heart and before he knew it, he was leaning forward and capturing Dawn into a kiss. She squeaked in surprise before she melted into the act and kissed back with a smile.
"Are you seriously dating him?"
"Dawn, you're so cool, though. You could totally do better than that nerd."
Paul had gone to the washroom at the start of lunch and had asked Dawn to wait for him with their things. When he had come back, he spotted Dawn with their two classmates–two wannabes who always tried desperately to follow the status quo–chatting. He wasn't annoyed, per se, he knew Dawn was a gregarious person and had no trouble befriending anyone and anything, even if they were annoying gossiping shmucks. But when he got closer to the trio, he realized they were talking about him. So he hid behind a row of lockers.
"Paul's great too," Dawn said. "And who cares if he's a nerd? I think it's rather cute."
"Oh, please. He's more annoying than cute. He's always scowling and always takes up class time asking questions that nobody gives a shit about."
“Not to mention his obvious superiority complex,” another added. “Arceus, it makes me want to just stuff him in a locker with how pretentious he acts after getting full marks on tests or assignments.”
Paul pressed his lips into a thin line and his expression soured. He knew a lot of his classmates weren’t a big fan of him, with being so closed off and biting at people who dared waste his time. And he was aware of the eye rolls and the scoffs whenever he asked questions in class–but that was purely because he wanted to capitalize on the time spent in class with a teacher that knew what they were doing. He wanted to make sure that he got all the information he needed to pass, get good grades, become valedictorian, and get into a well-known prominent university. He had goals and a future to think about.
And then Dawn came into the picture, like a loud storm rolling in and wreaking havoc wherever she went. He won’t admit this to her, but there were moments when he thought that Dawn would be better off with someone who was more like her. Someone who wore their emotions on their sleeves, someone who shone bright like a star, someone who could ease anyone into a sense of security and familiarity and warmth.
Someone that wasn’t him.
“You don’t know him the way I do,” he heard Dawn snap viciously. “Paul is an amazing guy who has ambitions and goals. Sure he’s not approachable most of the time, but he’s a really caring guy underneath all that brooding scowl. If you’re going to talk shit about my boyfriend like this again, I won’t hesitate to fucking stuff you in a fucking locker, ya hear?”
Paul sucked in a sharp breath at the level of protectiveness and threat that tumbled out of her mouth. He’d seen her angry before, both times with two different groups of bullies, but this was the first time he had ever heard such strong conviction and assertiveness from her.
The two girls who had been talking to Dawn sputtered nonsense and eventually left, cursing Dawn’s name in the process. Paul waited for a beat, trying to stop himself from smiling at how much Dawn seemed to care for him when he realized a certain phrase she had used.
My boyfriend .
“Paul?”
He flinched and turned to see Dawn standing beside him. How had she known he was there?
“I had a feeling you were listening,” she said with a small smile. “Don’t listen to them, okay? You’re literally perfect and not anything they said you were.”
He nodded slowly but the crease between his brows didn’t seem to convince Dawn. She continued to look worried and he knew exactly what she was thinking. Probably trying to find other ways to reassure him that he was not a creepy nerd who wasted their peer’s time with questions in class. But that wasn’t what bothered him the most.
“I’m your boyfriend?” The words fell out of his mouth languidly. There was no hint of frustration or anger, no. He was calm about it, in fact.
Dawn squeaked and froze, probably realizing that she had told those two classmates of theirs that Paul was her boyfriend–without even talking to Paul about referring to him as her boyfriend.
“Oh my Arceus–” she whined. “I’m sorry–it just slipped out! I swear I was gonna talk to you about like, you know, us and–okay, like I totally know that we already established that we’re dating and all but we just, you know, never really talked about calling each other boyfriends and girlfriends and I just never saw a right time to bring it up since we were already so comfortable with each other and I just–”
Paul gently cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers. She sighed into the touch and kissed back. They pulled away after a quick second and Dawn fluttered her eyes, confused. Paul huffed out a small grin.
“I guess that means you’re my girlfriend.”
He watched her expression go from mild confusion to curious realization to overwhelming ecstasy. She did a little hop, slung her arms around Paul’s neck and pulled him back down for a deep kiss. He chuckled into the act and carefully put his hands on her waist. They pulled away, but just far enough for their foreheads to still be touching.
“I’m your girlfriend,” she whispered.
“And I’m your boyfriend,” he answered back softly.
It was pouring down violently for the first time in years in Veilstone City. Paul was in his room studying like he usually was. Dawn was sitting on his bed working on some embroidery project for her sewing class. She was apparently making a sundress and wanted to try embroidery or something. He gave her props for having such dedication for an act that required meticulous details and patience. Sure he was detail-oriented, but embroidery? No, he would never be able to do it with the level of dedication that his girlfriend had. Besides, he already knew that sewing and any handicrafts were not for him after he had to take sewing in grade eight due to the mandatory rotation of electives. He had poked himself with a sewing needle thirteen times and almost sewed his finger when he was using the sewing machine. Never again.
He heard her grumble something under her breath and he decided to check up on her.
“How’s the embroidery going?” He asked, pushing himself from his desk and walking over to sit next to the bluenette on his bed.
“Why did I think embroidering my dress was a good idea?” She bemoaned.
Paul shrugged. “I don’t know, you’re the masochist over here, you tell me.”
Dawn gawked at him but playfully shoved his shoulder. “Oh, shut up–anyways, I think it’s going okay. I may just have to embroider smaller things around the bottom of the dress instead of what I had in mind, especially if I’m going to finish this project by the end of the school year.”
He hummed, nodded and peered down to look at her handiwork. She was embroidering flowers, from the looks of it. He would have been surprised by flowers of all things, but he knew there was more to Dawn than just her outward punk appearance. She seemed to have noticed him looking intently at the floral embroidery and presented her project to him for further inspection.
“I know I may not look it, but I really do enjoy flowers, ya know.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Mmhm!”
“You know,” he started. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Why do you dress like a delinquent?”
Dawn laughed and shook her head. “Ah, well. At first, it was because it pissed my mom off, ya know? ‘Cuz I used to be a real girlie girl and loved to play dress up and wear skirts and dresses and all that. Then when we started butting heads about my future and her unachievable expectations of me, I started dressing like this as an act of rebellion. Mom was so mad and demanded I change into outfits that were more appropriate for a lady . But I didn’t, and eventually, I actually enjoyed wearing things like these.” She gestured to her pink leather jacket and her ripped leggings.
“But then I realized that dressing like this does come with some… Unsavoury things…”
He frowned, not liking how that sounded at all. He didn’t say anything else though and just let her continue, which she did.
“One time I was going into a store to buy a cleansing foam for my face ‘cuz I ran out, right? And I was browsing through the aisles and I had an employee following me and when I tried to buy the cleansing foam but was short on cash–” she paused, shaking her head. “Let’s just say it wasn’t a fun time.”
Paul’s frown got deeper and he wrapped an arm around her small shoulders. “Sorry you had to go through that…”
"Nah, it's fine. I mean, it's not fine since that still happens, unfortunately, but whatever. If they wanna be sad and judge people on their appearance, then that's on them. No happiness and sunshine for them." She laughed, tucking her hair behind her ear. Paul's eyes shifted to her piercings and another question popped up.
"How did you get these ear piercings, especially the industrial one? I doubt your mom would have been happy with them."
"Yeaaahhh," she flushed pink and chuckled awkwardly. "I know a friend from Snowpoint City who did piercings for fun and she helped me with all of them. The industrial piercing was a bit of a hassle though, almost got infected. But you're right that my mom was absolutely livid when she saw them. It was great."
Paul raised a finger to gently run against the triple lobe piercings on her right ear and hummed. "Well, they suit you, the piercings and this look of yours, I mean. I like it."
She laughed again and leaned her head against his shoulder. "If I suddenly dress like I did before, would you still like me?"
He furrowed his brows. "Of course, I would. No matter what style you wear, I'll always like you."
Dawn angled her head up and studied Paul. Then she wrapped her arms around him and snuggled closer to him.
"I'll still like you too if you change your style as well, Teddybear."
Paul snorted. "My style is never going to change. Sweater vests and sweaters are comfortable. Why replace them with anything else?"
"Haha, that's true." She leaned her head up and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "You'll always be my cozy nerd!"
Paul's chest rumbled with a low laughter and he kissed her back. Dawn hummed, pleased, and helped deepen the kiss, her sewing project forgotten.
"What are your thoughts on tattoos?"
Paul raised a brow and looked at his girlfriend. "I don't really have much of an opinion on them… Why?"
Dawn hummed. The couple had just come back from a date and were lounging around the living room as Dawn repainted both their nails (or just the one nail in Paul's case).
"I was thinking of getting a tattoo," she said simply.
Paul chuckled lowly. "I'm surprised you didn't already have a tattoo."
"I'm very picky with the design and aesthetic I want." She finished applying the second layer of the blue colour on Paul's left ring finger nail and was gently blowing on it to help it dry faster.
"Oh yeah? What design and aesthetic did you want?" He asked, curious about her vision for her dream tattoo.
"Mmm…" she paused when she was grabbing the purple nail polish to paint on her left ring finger nail. "I want something simple but still looks good, ya know? Geometric shapes and watercolour effects were the two that I always loved. I also love the trash polka style too!"
"I have no idea what trash polka is but knowing you, it's probably really fitting to your aesthetic."
She laughed brightly. "Ain't that the truth!"
"You got a design in mind though?"
"Not really , but I do know I want one specific image present in the design. Like it's a must-have ."
His curiosity continued to elevate like rising air. He remained silent, letting Dawn continue with her ramblings like she always did.
"If I don't include my favourite flower in the design, then what even is the point of getting a tattoo, ya know?" She nodded with conviction.
"What's your favourite flower?"
Dawn's eyes shifted to Paul and a small smile curled on her soft pink lips.
"Lavenders! I really love lavenders! They're so pretty and they smell so nice!"
Paul gave her a quick understanding nod. "Lavenders are pretty nice."
"What about you?"
He quirked a brow.
"What about me?"
"Do you have a favourite flower?"
Paul thought for a moment. He didn't find any particular interest in florals, but he did appreciate the beauty and symbolism behind each flower. But despite that, there was a flower that he always seemed to be fond of despite his indifference.
"Bluebells," he said finally. "I really like bluebells."
Dawn's mouth opened up into a small 'o' shape as her eyes lit with intrigue.
"Bluebells are also pretty."
He nodded. "The symbolism behind bluebells is pretty nice too. Gratitude. Everlasting love…" He said the last few words slowly as he looked at his girlfriend. Dawn's eyes seemed to sparkle at that and her lips once again pulled up into a tender smile.
"Lavenders mean devotion and calmness, and I think that's pretty neat too."
For some reason, Paul had a feeling that neither of them was actually talking about their favourite flowers anymore.
Paul stared at the contraption–or well, more like he was scowling at it.
“C’mon, Teddybear! It’s safe!”
He shook his head and gestured to the death trap.
“How is that safe? There aren’t even seatbelts and also, where the fuck did you even get a motorcycle ?”
Dawn shrugged but was laughing. “I know people.”
That didn’t convince Paul nor eased his worries about this whole thing. Dawn held up the second helmet toward him and ushered him to take it.
“C’mon, I promise I’m a safe driver. And we’ll be wearing helmets, so you know it’s extra safe.”
Despite all his protest, his hand took the helmet from her. But he was still scowling angrily.
“We’re more likely to be in an accident riding a motorcycle than we would be in a car, Troublesome.” Paul still held the helmet in his hands. “And if we were to get into an accident, there’s an eighty percent chance of being injured or dying–way more than car accidents, which is just at twenty percent.”
Dawn rolled her eyes. “Paul. I promise you on my life that I will make sure we come back in one piece. You trust me, don’t’cha?”
He did. He trusted her a lot.
Dammit.
Paul groaned, put the helmet on, and hopped onto the seat, pressing his body behind Dawn. He wrapped his arms around her waist tightly.
“We better come back in one piece, Troublesome. You promised.”
Dawn giggled, flipped the visor of her helmet down and began to rev the engine.
Paul held onto her even tighter when the motorcycle lurched and zoomed off. He felt the wind pepper his body roughly and he didn’t dare open his eyes, at least not at first. Dawn didn’t seem to stop at all and just kept driving and driving. Eventually, Paul lifted his head up just a smidge and opened his eyes. Despite the visor of the helmet creating a dark tint, he was still able to witness the ridiculous speed they were going and the sight that was around them.
He was in awe.
Sure being on the back of a motorcycle was nerve-wracking and he will probably never want to get on it again, but at this moment? It felt freeing. It felt exhilarating. It felt amazing.
Dawn picked up speed when the lights at the intersection turned yellow. Paul didn’t know why she wasn’t slowing down to a stop. When the light turned red, they zoomed through the intersection without any issues. Paul felt his heart hammering inside his chest. He knew he should be livid that Dawn ran a red light. But truthfully speaking, he didn’t care all that much.
Eventually, Dawn did slow down and stopped the motorcycle and turned the engine off. Dawn took her helmet off, which prompted Paul to do the same. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the obvious helmet hair Dawn was sporting.
“Hey!” She laughed, pointing at him. “Don’t laugh at me, you have helmet hair too, Teddybear.”
He frowned and tried to smooth his hair out as best as he could, but that only made Dawn laugh harder. He decided to forget about his hair and just take a look at their surroundings.
“So,” he started when he realized they were at a park. “Why’d you bring us here?”
“‘Cuz I wanted to show ya somethin’. C’mon.” Dawn hopped off and began walking towards the park. Paul stalled for a second before doing the same.
They were walking through the park, not even stopping, which made Paul curious as to why his girlfriend brought them here in the first place if it wasn’t to have some park picnic date (although he never spotted a picnic basket in the first place, so maybe this wasn’t a picnic date). There was an old building just to the left of them and Dawn was clearly leading them over there. Paul had heard stories about this building–a haunted place where restless souls of the dead would walk around, wailing about their tragic deaths.
“We’re not actually going in there, are we?” He asked, peering up as they finally reached the building.
“We totally are.”
“You know this place is haunted, right?”
“Mmhm.”
Paul groaned. “Why are we going in there?”
Dawn clicked her tongue.
“Can’t tell ya or it’ll ruin the surprise! Now, c’mon, Teddybear!” She took Paul’s hand and led them inside.
Once they passed the threshold, Paul felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. His brows creased together as his steely grey eyes looked around–on guard for anything spooky or demonic that may come at them. He felt Dawn squeeze his hand gently and realized she was trying to soothe him. He appreciated the thought, but he also wished she wasn’t leading them into some demonic death trap. Seriously, he will never understand his girlfriend’s love for the ghoulish and demonic nightmare fuel.
They walked for another three minutes before stopping. In front of a closed door. A decrepit-looking old door that had cobwebs around the rusted hinges.
This was a portal that was going to suck them in and kill them.
“Absolutely not,” Paul said firmly.
Dawn rolled her eyes. “It’s not that scary, Teddybear.”
“Says the girl who devours horror movies like her life depends on it.”
“Trust me, Teddybear,” she said softly this time. “There’s nothing scary behind that door. No need to worry, okay?”
“You saying that always makes me worry the most…” He grumbled. Dawn just laughed.
The blue-haired teen reached over to the handle, twisted it, and pushed the door open. Its hinges squeaked with terrifying distress that Paul couldn’t help but plug his ears. Dawn, who still never let go of Paul’s hand, carefully guided him inside the demonic death trap of demonic possessions (Paul refused to admit that he squeezed his eyes shut when walking through).
He heard a soft click and the darkness of the room lit up with the soft orange glow of tungsten lights. Paul, confused, looked around the room but was even more bewildered by what he saw on the wall.
It was a graffiti painting of them and their favourite flowers together.
Paul was speechless as he dropped Dawn’s hand and made his way over to the artwork. He took in the details of the petals of the flowers and the soft strokes of their hair. The way Dawn perfectly mimicked and captured their polar opposite personalities through just graffiti art alone. He turned around to face her.
“You did this?” He asked quietly.
Dawn nodded. “I found this place a while back when I first moved to Veilstone–barely anyone comes here since it’s so old and shit. But I wanted to venture around and see what sort of neat history I could find. Then I found this room–which was perfectly intact despite some of the cracks in the wall. This was where I would go a lot when I didn’t wanna be at home.”
She walked up to him and brought his hands together into her own hands.
“That was until I became friends with you and started hangin’ out with you. And I guess I wanted to show you this place since it meant a lot to me but I didn’t want you to see it all bland and shit. So… After our talks about our favourite flowers, I kinda, well–” she gestured to the wall. “Do… Do you like it…?”
Paul breathed in sharply as he looked into her deep blue eyes. Paul leaned down, his lips gently brushed up against hers. When he pulled away, he was sporting a small comforting smile.
“I do like it,” he said. “Thank you for sharing this place with me.”
Dawn beamed and kissed him again, but longer this time. Paul’s hand slipped out of Dawn’s and placed them gently on her waist, pulling her closer towards him. Dawn didn’t seem to mind as her hands were fisting into the front of Paul’s shirt.
Paul sat across from Dawn, his mind blank and processing the words she told him just minutes ago.
"Paul…? Are you gonna say anything?"
He met her gaze and hummed. "What exactly am I supposed to say? Congratulations on being accepted to the Fashion Institute of Hearthome? I am. I am happy you got into your dream school…"
She frowned. "But you're upset about it."
Paul groaned. "I'm not upset."
"Oh, please," she scoffed. "You're doing that thing you do with your mouth when you're upset."
"What?" He balked. "My mouth doesn't do a thing when I'm upset."
Dawn stared at him with blank disbelief. Paul decided she was right and remained quiet.
Paul sat and contemplated the information and his emotions. Yes, he was incredibly proud of Dawn for getting into her first choice of school. He remembered she was freaking out about applying to different fashion schools and wondering if she would ever get in. He knew the Fashion Institute of Hearthome was her first pick and wanted so desperately to get in. But she had also applied to the fashion program at Castellia University in Unova–the same university Paul applied to for their history program. When Dawn had not heard back from her first choice but heard from Castellia U, Paul imagined a university life and experience with Dawn at Castellia U. Sharing an apartment together, going to school together, staying up late together…
He had never really thought about the possible outcome of the two of them attending different universities, let alone two different universities in different regions .
Paul was startled when he felt Dawn's hand gently touch his hand.
"We can make this work," she said softly. "Lots of couples can make long-distance work."
He scowled. "But not all long-distance relationships can last, no matter how much work they put into the relationship."
"You think we won't make it?" Paul hated how broken Dawn's voice sounded. He didn't want to hurt her, but she hurt him first by accepting the Fashion Institute of Hearthome.
"I'm just saying that no one would be able to know what the outcome of the relationship will be once they actually experience it. I'm just thinking realistically here, Troublesome."
Dawn frowned. "No, you're thinking pessimistically ."
"And you're thinking too naively."
Silence.
Paul growled quietly and hunched into his seat.
"I still think we can make it work."
Paul opened his mouth to say something but closed his mouth when the words didn't come out. He pressed his lips into a fine line and stayed quiet again.
"I may be thinking naively , but I know in my heart that we will survive this and grow stronger together. I believe in us, Paul… Don't you?"
"I do–I really…" He doesn't want this relationship to end. He doesn't want to give up and let Dawn go because she and this relationship has made him so much happier. He felt freer and seen and loved. So… Why was he so hesitant about having to shift his relationship with her to a long-distance relationship?
"Paul?"
"I guess I'm scared…"
Dawn's eyes softened. She got up from her seat and walked around the table to sit next to Paul. She draped her arm around Paul's shoulder and held him close to her.
"Long distance is a scary thing. But I have faith that we can do this. We can visit each other during the holidays, and we can video call each other whenever we have the time."
"Plane tickets are expensive, and even if we video call during free time, you'd still have to account for time differences." Paul frowned. The time difference between Hearthome and Castellia was thirteen hours. It would be tough to schedule anything with each other because of that.
Dawn shrugged, smiling. "We'll make it work!"
Always the optimist.
"How are you so sure?" He asked, furrowing his brows.
Dawn pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Because it's us. We're both stubborn as hell and I know we'll make sure this long-distance thing will work no matter what we have to do."
Paul sagged in Dawn's hold and huffed out a laugh. He kissed her temple and she gently rested her head against his shoulder.
"Okay," he whispered. "We can make this work."
"Of course we can," she chirped.
Prom.
Paul had been so nervous about asking Dawn out to prom that he gave Reggie a scare when he asked him for promposal help. He knew how much it meant for Dawn to attend, especially after they had another encounter with a rude and biased employee accusing his girlfriend of stealing from their store. Paul was ready to throw hands with them but Dawn calmed him down and dragged him off. So Paul perfecting this promposal had to be perfect .
He had planned to ask her during lunch with a bouquet of lavenders and bluebells. Truthfully speaking, it had been hard finding the flowers, but Reggie apparently knew some people who dabbled in floristry and managed to get the flowers Paul needed for this promposal. He did have to owe Reggie an unhealthy amount of prom pictures when it does happen though. He supposed it was worth the embarrassment if it meant he could go to prom with Dawn.
Currently, Paul was in front of Dawn's locker, enjoying the slow quiet morning as he decorated the front of her locker with a few different wrapping papers that he found and then put together in some weird Frankenstein monster collage. He also added ribbons and cut-out pieces of paper that spelled PROM on it. (He had to thank Reggie for help on this as well because Paul's first attempt looked pathetic and downright disastrous.)
"Mornin', Teddybear! What're'ya doing in front of my…"
He gasped internally.
She never usually stopped by her locker before the first period!
Paul spun around and saw his girlfriend before him. Her eyes were wide as she took in the look of her locker and the bouquet of both of their favourite flowers resting in his hand.
"Paul…?"
Dammit.
Paul was going to have to shift his promposal plans to now instead of lunch.
He cleared his throat, taking a step closer to her. At this time, there were already students making their way through the halls. Some had stopped to watch the event unfold while others couldn't care less. His cold steely gray eyes looked into Dawn's and he was filled with resolve and confidence. Paul presented the bouquet to Dawn, who graciously took them while still flabbergasted.
"Troublesome–" he began. "Since meeting you, you've turned my life upside down. I thought of you as a nuisance and a bother, but the more you wheedled yourself into my life, the more I was accustomed to having you by my side. And in time, we both got to know each other as more than our preconceived notions of one another. It was a drastic yet slow-evolving change with you in my life making it better each day."
"Paul…" Her eyes glanced at the words PROM on the front of her decorated locker before they landed back on Paul.
"Dawn Berlitz. Will you do me the honour of going to prom with me?"
Dawn stared at him–shell-shocked–and her mouth hung open. Paul gulped nervously as he felt sweat begin to form at the back of his neck. Her silence was unbearable and Paul wasn't entirely sure if he was actually experiencing a nightmare or not. Should he pinch himself to check? But he was too stiff to move any limbs, so he stayed right where he was. Tense. Nervous. And sweating.
He could hear the whispers of other students who were now gathering around them. He wanted to curse them out but again, he was too frozen with nerves to even send out a menacing glare. His eyes were on Dawn and only Dawn.
Finally, for what felt like forever, she took a breath and spoke.
"No."
His heart shattered and he truly must be living a nightmare.
Paul sucked in a tense breath and pressed his lips together into a fine line. "Okay. Alright. I understand. I'm sorry to have troubled you–"
"Oh my Arceus, no! Shit–that came out so wrong!" Dawn flailed her arms in a panic, reaching out to grab Paul. "I didn't mean no I wouldn't go to prom with you, because I do! I really want to go to prom with you. I was just–taken aback. You stole my thunder, Paul."
He arched a brow at her, frowning.
"What do you mean I–" He never got a chance to finish his sentence because his jaw dropped and eyes bulged out when Dawn went down onto one knee.
Everyone watching gasped loudly.
"Teddybear," she began, smiling tenderly at him. "When we met, I thought you were the grouchiest person I have ever met, and I knew that there was no way we would ever get along. But then you helped me out when these assholes were trying to start shit with me… And in that moment, I knew you were just a big ol' teddybear behind that grouchiness. And then I got to know you more and more each day and discovered just how amazing of a guy you are. You showed me a different side of you and it made me fall so stupidly in love with you."
Paul felt his breath leave him at her words of falling in love with him. He didn't know what to say or do, because, at that moment, he was just starstruck. And then she produced a brown teddybear plushie with a picture of a bluebell and lavender embroidered to its stomach and his chest swelled.
"Paul Volkov," Dawn continued, looking up at him with those wonderfully beautiful blue eyes. "Will you go to prom with me?"
He quietly reached out and took Dawn's hand and had her stand up. He wordlessly stepped closer to her, his hand brushed up against the embroidered flowers on the teddybear. He looked into Dawn's eyes and felt his entire body swell with unfamiliar emotions that he couldn't help but tear up a little. With his other hand, he cupped Dawn's warm cheeks.
"I would love to go to prom with you, Dawn."
Dawn beamed at him and crashed her lips against his. Paul savoured this moment with Dawn, ignoring the applause and cheers from their peers that were still surrounding them.
Paul fidgeted nervously with the bow tie currently strangling him. He growled at it in the mirror and then at his brother when he heard Reggie cackle with amusement.
"It's not funny–" he said. "This stupid bow tie is choking me."
Reggie shook his head fondly and helped Paul readjust the cursed object. When the bow tie was no longer trying to kill Paul, the younger of the two took one final look in the mirror.
Paul was wearing a gorgeous dark royal purple suit with dark gray pants and a navy blue bow tie. His hair was styled differently from what he was used to. The left side of his hair was gelled back while the right side remained down and voluminous. It created this faux side-shave cut that Reggie had claimed would match him really well. And his brother was right.
DING DONG.
"You ready?" Reggie asked, smiling at his younger brother.
Paul gulped. He was already sweating. Dammit.
"As ready as I'll ever be…"
Reggie and Paul headed to the front entrance where Reggie opened the door. Paul's breath was taken away splendidly when he saw Dawn in her prom dress.
She had on a pastel pink dress with a sweetheart neckline. The bottom of her dress was short but looked fluffy and full due to the petticoat and tulle. Her hair was pulled into a braid with a pink ribbon laced into it and was draped over her right shoulder. Unsurprisingly, Dawn wore white combat boots, her signature hot pink leather jacket, and white fingerless leather gloves with little silver studs around the knuckles.
She was beautiful.
"Aww, are you speechless because of how hot I look, Teddybear?" Dawn teased.
"Sh-shut up…" He hissed weakly. He had to swallow again because Dawn looked way too dazzling for him to say anything else.
Paul felt someone clap his back, causing him to stutter out a cough. He turned to send a sharp glare at his older brother, who only flashed a toothy grin at him.
"Alright, how about we get some pictures, huh?" Reggie pulled out a camera–the clunky ones, those DSLR's–and wagged his eyebrows.
Paul scowled. "Is that really necessary?"
Reggie chuckled. "Of course! My baby brother is attending prom with his girlfriend! This is a memory that needs to be documented, don't you agree, Dawn?"
"Oh absolutely!" She agreed. Dawn linked their arms together and pressed their faces closely. Paul could smell the sweetness of bubblegum and cotton candy from Dawn. "C'mon, it's for the memories , Teddybear!"
Paul grumbled something incoherent under his breath but relented. If his girlfriend really wanted these prom pictures, then who was Paul to deny her that? Besides, she would only wear him down eventually, and Dawn was very persuasive when she wanted to be.
Dawn linked her arm around Paul's and leaned closer to him, almost resting her head against his chest. He could smell the charming scent of lavender body wash wafting from her, and he couldn't help but think back about how they told each other their favourite flowers.
"Aw, baby brother! Are you blushing?" Reggie squealed in delight.
Paul scowled, his face feeling undeniably warm.
"Am not!" He gritted out. "Just take the picture already, we're going to be late."
Dawn laughed, craning her neck up so she could press a kiss against Paul's cheek. "Don't worry, Teddybear. We are super early. And even if we're not, it's always better to arrive late. That way you can make an awesome entrance and mesmerize people with your awesomeness."
"That makes zero sense."
"That's 'cuz you need to learn how to have fun–but don't worry!" She pecked his cheek once more. "I'll be sure to teach you the ways of having fun."
Paul rolled his eyes, slightly smirking. "Can't wait."
After Reggie had taken enough pictures to fill up an entire photo album ("Seriously, Reggie!? Why do you need to take so many pictures?"
"I want to cement this moment in the form of pictures so we can look back on them!"
"But to take fifty pictures !?"), Paul and Dawn made their way to the venue where the prom was being hosted at. They got into Paul's car and drove off.
"I wonder if the punch is already spiked or not," Dawn mused innocently. Paul turned the corner and found parking almost immediately. He quickly glanced over at Dawn before beginning to park.
"You're planning to spike the punch bowl, aren't you." It came out as more of a statement than a question, already knowing what the answer was going to be.
Dawn hiked her shoulders up, feigning ignorance. Paul rolled his eyes but wasn't really bothered by what Dawn was planning. As the pair exited the car, Paul held his arm out for Dawn. The blue-haired teen smiled up at him with the bright and dazzling grin Paul was so accustomed to. She hooked her arm around his and they walked into the building.
Paul and Dawn were taken to their table and waited for dinner to be served. Paul was nervously eyeing the dance floor and the DJ booth. He then glanced over to Dawn, who was looking over at the snack table.
An hour passed and dinner was served. Paul thought his meal was okay. The chicken was a bit dry though. But the mashed potatoes made up for it. And the cake. Paul enjoyed the chocolate cake that the buffet had provided.
Once dinner was over, the tables were cleared and the music got loud and boisterous. Paul sat at the table as he watched Dawn get lost in the music, laughing and dancing and having fun. He was never one for parties and dancing, but he could appreciate others who would. And by others he meant Dawn.
The upbeat pop music winded down and was replaced with a slower and calmer song. Paul perked up when Dawn stumbled back to where he was and held her hand out toward him.
"You're kidding." He raised a brow at her.
Dawn shook her head. "Nuh-uh. C'mon, Teddybear!"
He was slightly dazzled by her charming and charismatic smile. He looked behind her and saw a few other of their classmates slow-dancing to the music. He sighed, knowing full well that he was not going to get out of this. So he took her hand and let Dawn lead them both onto the dancefloor.
Dawn’s arms reached around and rested on top of Paul’s shoulders, while his hands rested gently at her waist. He may or may not have fumbled his steps, and possibly stepped onto her feet. Dawn never chided or got upset with Paul, no, in fact, she just laughed. She dipped her head back, letting out a startling yelp of cackles anytime Paul accidentally stepped on her foot again. Paul tried to apologize but Dawn shushed him with a kiss.
“It’s a good thing these are steel-toed boots,” she hummed.
Paul frowned and looked down at her white combat boots that were now scuffed with dark lines because of him. “How many steel-toed boots do you even have ? Also, I didn’t realize regular combat boots came with steel-toed options.”
Dawn shrugged again. “They don’t, not normally. But I bought steel toe add-ons and put em’ on most of my normal boots.”
“Oh.”
Dawn had spun them around so Paul was now facing the back of the dancefloor.
As the song continued, Paul felt Dawn rest her head against his chest. He smiled down at her and couldn’t help but lean forward to press a kiss atop of her head. He felt Dawn giggle, her shoulders shaking and then moving her head so her eyes were looking back up at him.
“I love you, Paul,” she said softly. And it was a wonder he could even hear her over the music despite the song being a ballad.
“I love you too, Dawn,” he whispered back to her. He watched her face flush a warm pink and his heart filled with elated happiness.
“And now to welcome you all to your graduating class’s valedictorian, Paul Volkov!”
Paul gulped nervously as he stood up from his seat. He peered over to Dawn, who was sitting in the furthest row away from him–they were all seated in alphabetical order via their last names, which sucked because her last name was Bertliz while he was Volkov. He saw the back of her head turn around and flashed him a smile as if knowing that he needed that extra boost of support and reassurance.
He smiled back at her, thankful for her strength.
It was finally here.
Graduation.
He made it to this final stretch of his teenage goals he had made up for himself when he first entered high school.
He was finally here.
Paul made it up to the podium, with the stage light shining down on him and the crowd seeped in darkness. He had to adjust his eyes a bit because of how bright it was on stage. He gathered his thoughts. He calmed his mind. And then he took out the note cards that he had written a week prior out of his back pocket.
“All my life, I had only one goal to achieve. And that was to graduate top of my class and get into a good school and get a good job. So far, I’ve achieved two of those goals…” He cleared his throat. He turned back to look at Dawn with such tenderness that he didn’t even know he was able to show before meeting her. He looked back into the crowd and took another deep breath. “I always put my focus on my studies because that was what I was good at and knew that it was going to help me in the long run. But then I met someone who brought out a different side of me that I never knew I had. This past year with her has taught me a lot and opened my eyes to new possibilities that I never thought of before meeting her.
“What I’m trying to say is… Our goals, our dreams, and our ambitions? They’re all good to have. But a more important thing that we should all keep in mind is to be open to change and adapt to what life brings us. Because you never know when you’ll be met with a raging storm that changes your entire outlook in life–and for the better.”
Paul could hear the silent murmurings of his classmates behind him, all probably whispering in awe and admiration. But he didn’t care about them. All he cared about was Dawn who was probably sitting in her seat trying not to burst into tears or something. He was going to make sure he hugged her tightly once the ceremony was over.
He stepped away from the podium, gave the audience a bow, then gave his classmates a bow, before he walked back over to his seat. He made sure he walked past Dawn, shooting her a simple smile.
Paul was spot on when he assumed Dawn was probably trying not to cry earlier when he was giving his speech. He could see her eyes water and red and the brightest smile plastered on her lips.
“ I love you. ” Dawn mouthed quietly.
“ I love you, too. ” He mouthed back.
Paul hated that he wasn’t going to be able to spend as much time with Dawn before he had to leave for Castellia City. He hated that their time had to be cut short due to the two of them going to different post-secondary schools.
He really, absolutely, truly, hated it.
But Dawn, ever the beacon of light, would reassure Paul that just because their time together was going to be cut short and the next phase of their relationship was going to be changed didn’t mean they couldn’t make the best out of the little time they still had.
So Dawn took Paul to where it all began.
The plateau on the outskirts of Veilstone City.
Dawn had prepared a full-course picnic meal. Although they had to sit in the car to do it because it was sweltering at thirty-five degrees. It was a good thing Paul’s car had AC. They both spent hours and hours there despite the insane heat wave. He appreciated the thought she put into it, and she did her best to distract him from the thought that he was going to leave in two days.
“Hey, cheer up, Teddybear. It’s going to be fine,” she said softly.
It was already five in the evening and they were already on their way back into the city. Dawn thought it would be good to eat out for dinner and then head back to Paul’s place to spend the night. And because Dawn drove them here (in Paul’s car, mind you), she wanted to be the one to drive them back, to give Paul a little bit of a breather. Which was very kind of her to do.
“Have you packed everything you need?” She asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
Paul grunted. “Yeah.”
She hummed.
“Have you talked to your dorm mates yet?”
Paul sulked into his seat and looked out the window. “Briefly. We exchanged emails a few days ago.”
The car stopped at a red light and Dawn turned to face him.
“Paul–”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re definitely not fine.”
Silence.
“I’m just worried…” He said quietly.
Paul felt Dawn reach over to take his hand. He dared to spare a glance over in her direction and saw the sympathetic smile on her lips, but when he looked deeper into her eyes, he could tell she was feeling the exact same way as he was right now.
“Long distance isn’t ever going to be easy, but as long as we both try and do our best, we’ll make it through it,” she said. There was so much conviction in her tone that she truly did believe that the two of them would be okay. Paul knew he was just being a sour sport and only thinking about the negatives.
He let himself close his eyes and took a deep breath before lacing their fingers together and gently squeezing her hand.
“You’re right,” he said finally. “If we put in the work, we’ll be fine.”
Dawn leaned over and pressed a kiss against his cheek. “That’s the spirit, Teddybear.”
Paul snorted, but smiled, appreciating her unwavering optimism and ability to turn the tides for the better.
Paul had his arms wrapped around Dawn so tightly that he didn’t care if he was going to miss his flight. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay here beside Dawn.
“Paul–” it was his brother.
The purple-haired teen glanced over to meet Reggie’s gaze and saw the pity in his eyes. Paul scowled at him.
“Paul,” Reggie said again. “You’re going to be late for your flight.”
“Then I’ll be late for my flight,” he answered deftly. But then he felt Dawn shift in his arms and knew she was going to tell him to go. His heart clenched sourly.
“Teddybear, you need to go. You’re gonna be stressed as hell if you don’t, especially ‘cause you still have a lot of shit to do when you arrive at Castellia U.”
His scowl darkened even more.
“I know that.”
Dawn cupped his face with her rough gentle hands and pulled him down just slightly to press her lips against his. Paul closed his eyes, savouring the taste of bubblegum and spearmint. She was the first to pull away, but her hands still held onto Paul’s face. Her thumb gently stroked his cheekbone and Paul reached a hand up to cover one of her hands.
“Call me when you land, okay, Teddybear?”
Paul didn’t trust himself not to stutter and trip over his own words with how many emotions and feelings of broken loss that were shattering into his gut right now. So instead, he nodded, and gave Dawn one last kiss, before turning to his brother for a hug. When the brothers pulled away, Dawn quickly dashed in to kiss Paul for the last time before letting Paul leave through the terminal.
“Shouldn’t you be sleeping, Troublesome?”
Paul was currently face-timing Dawn for their weekly virtual date. It’s been three months since they started their long-distance relationship and it’s been tough on both of them. Paul would often spiral if he never got his weekly virtual date time with her–which has happened a few times. And it was always Dawn who would try to lift his spirits up, but he knew that she was also feeling the brunt and wear of this despite her resilience.
“ Oh, no need to worry, Teddybear. I’m actually staying up late to finish this assignment that’s been kicking my fucking ass like a bitch ass motherfucker– ”
Paul tried not to snort because he knew that when Dawn was swearing like that, it meant she was stressed. Beyond stressed was probably a more accurate way to put it.
“Don’t push yourself too hard,” he said.
Dawn hummed and he could see her move from one place to another. She set her phone down and Paul saw the table where Dawn typically used to lay out her fabrics or whatever else. He never asked too many questions, and mostly observed.
“ How’s that essay going, Teddybear? ”
Paul groaned.
“ That bad, huh? ” She chuckled.
Paul had an essay for his Intro to Psych class due next week and he was struggling a lot with getting his points across–which was unlike him since Paul was always meticulous and organized with his thoughts and formatting. But he was also feeling a bit down because they had missed two virtual dates prior, so…
“ I’m sure you’ll be able to spruce it up and make it sound all fancy and nerdy. ”
Paul grunted. “Maybe.”
He was about to say something else but his phone vibrated, showing his reminder alert that he has class in twenty minutes. He tried his best to hide his disappointment but he was never good at hiding how he was feeling around Dawn.
“ You have to go to class? ”
“Yeah.”
There was a sombre silence between them. Paul, who kept surprising himself, didn’t want to go to class. He wanted to skip it and just stay with Dawn. But he knew he couldn’t. He needed to go to class, get good grades, aim for a four-point-oh GPA and then graduate and get a decent enough job.
“ Go, Teddybear. And I promise I won’t stay up too late. I’ll text you when I sleep, okay? ”
“Okay.”
Dawn smiled, brought her index and middle finger up towards her lips, kissing them before bringing it to the screen, as though sending her kiss to Paul. He did the same action as she did, sending his own kiss back to her.
He took one last minute to stare at her before ending the call.
Paul sighed, leaning back into his chair and staring up at the ceiling of his dorm room.
They continued to have their weekly virtual dates whenever they could, but when it wasn’t an option for both of them, they resolved to text each other with vigour. As time passed on, Paul felt like he was sort of getting a hang of this long-distance relationship thing. He was able to get into a rhythm that helped him balance his school work and his emotions and feelings about being in a long-distance relationship with his girlfriend.
When the holidays arrived, Paul and Dawn had never strayed from each other’s side for more than two minutes, both not wanting to waste any time. They spent the majority of their holidays at Paul’s place–and sometimes at Dawn’s place. It was weird for Paul to meet her mother, but Dawn’s mother didn’t seem to mind too much that her daughter’s been dating someone for close to a year.
They also spent their time at the plateau where Paul took her on New Year's Day. It was also–what Paul considered–when they first got together. He still remembered their first kiss, tingling against his lips as he looked beside him to see Dawn smiling and enjoying the breeze. The two of them ended up staying until nightfall on more than one occasion to stargaze and cuddle.
And then in a blink of an eye, the holidays were over and the two had to depart once more. This was always the toughest part for Paul to have to deal with. He didn’t want to leave her. He wanted to stay with her–or maybe take her with her, he wasn’t sure which. But Dawn, as usual, would tell him to catch the flight and that they’ll talk more when he landed.
This routine went on for another two years, getting familiar with the virtual dates and flying home to spend time with each other during the holidays. And truth be told, the holidays were honestly the one thing Paul found solace in to help him get through the semester. It was strange, though, being excited about the holidays instead of complaining about how the holidays were cutting into his valuable education. He would think back about how much of a studious prick he was in high school, before meeting Dawn and mellowing out.
Soon enough, Paul found himself being greeted by the summer holidays. But despite the bursting sunshine and cheerful laughter and celebration, he had unfortunately signed up for summer courses. It wasn’t so much a requirement as it was mostly out of interest and benefit to further advance his education, something he knew he needed to do despite the nagging guilt inside his chest that told him otherwise. Dawn was perfectly understandable with his reasoning when he told him. He felt bad that he was breaking his promise to her about going back home to spend time with her. But Dawn reassured him that he did no such thing, that it was alright to want to learn even more.
Paul was coming back from his first class of the summer semester, shielding his poor sensitive eyes from the blistering sun that threatened to blind him every time he looked around. He was beginning to think that Reggie was right. That Paul should invest in some sunglasses because fuck, the sun was being a rat bastard.
He passed by one of the campus’ local cafes and thought about grabbing something cool to drink as he made his way back to his dorm. He was about to head in when he got a text message from his girlfriend. When Paul checked, he was greeted with a selfie of her in front of a building.
“Huh?” That was strange. Because that building looked really familiar…
Wait…
Paul’s eyes widened when he realized what it was.
Not wanting to waste any time, he booked it to his dorm building, not caring that he was already gathering sweat all over his body due to the heat and the adrenaline.
When he made it to the building, he was clearly out of breath and struggling to breathe properly. His heart was racing furiously and he felt cramps at his side. He was doubled over, trying to calm his body down from the burst of physical activity that he was not used to. When he felt sufficiently okay, he poked his head up and saw the familiar figure smiling down at him.
“T-Troublesome–” he wheezed out.
“Heya, Teddybear. You good?” She asked, laughing a little as she walked over to him. She pressed a hand onto his back and helped him stand up. Paul ended up leaning against her–which was a bit of a funny sight considering he was a head taller than her–and appreciated that Dawn did everything in her power to hold him up.
“Y-you’re here.”
“I’m here.”
Paul’s mind was trying to compute all of this. How was she here? She never told him she was going to visit him in Castellia City. Plane tickets to Castellia were also pretty expensive, so where did she get the money to get a ticket? How long was she going to be here? Was she going to be here for the entirety of summer? And where was she staying? A hotel? Motel? Hostel? Those also required a hefty amount of money, especially if she was staying for the entire summer–
“I can practically hear your thoughts, Teddybear.” Dawn giggled, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss against his cheek. “When you told me that you can’t make it back home for the summer, I decided, why not visit you instead?”
Paul cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply and passionately. Dawn hummed, snaking her arms around Paul’s neck. Paul gripped her by the waist, but not too tightly that it would leave bruises, just enough to let Paul know that Dawn is real and that she was here.
When they pulled away, Paul pressed his forehead against hers and looked deeply into her eyes, almost being able to see the entire universe behind them too.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said softly.
Dawn grinned. “I’m glad I’m here too.”
They shared another kiss.
“I love you, Paul.”
Paul’s heart swelled and his chest felt warm and fuzzy and tingly.
“I love you too, Dawn.”
…
Part-time soulmate, full-time problem
Yeah, hold me like a grudge