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agentpotatoduck214 · 3 months

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He loves me, He loves me not (Contestshipping)

Synopsis: May yearns to understand her relationship with Drew as they complete the year together.

(two idiots in denial) uhhh might be a lil OOC of them (I'm going off my memory of their dynamic). Unspecified time skip ? May is just a girl. Anything else just lmk ig??

A/N: have this New Year's Post at the end of January (my bad). kind of rushed ending ?? Sorry if a lil awkward, this is my first time ever publishing anything

word count: 4.36k

May had always known that her feelings for Drew were complicated. It lingered in the back of her mind everyday, swirling in the background of her daydreams about him, fueling her desire to travel and compete in contests.

It was weird, since she was certain he was the most infuriating man she had ever met. When they first met when they were younger, she was certain she would hate him until the day she died. So arrogant and rude, teasing her when she was just a rookie.

She supposes the conflict started the second he offered her a rose. For Beautifly, he had said. Whether there was any other meaning to that one flower, or the subsequent ones that followed during their every interaction, he rooted himself in her heart as the boy, now man, who gave her a garden.

She treasured each one she received as much as she could. They were for her Pokémon, extensions of her own heart and soul. Of course it felt like he was offering something directly to the very root of her love and passion.

She sighs as she twirls the one in her hand, these thoughts now brought to the forefront of her mind. Drew has yet to return to the Pokémon Center, running out to get more firewood. It was just them there, except for Nurse Joy, somewhere in the Sinnoh Mountains where snow blanketed everything for as far as you could see. It was a rather beautiful winter wonderland. A very cold winter wonderland.

It was why Drew was out right now, gathering more wood to fuel the fire where they curled up. Sitting far too close for just friends, but too far to be anything more. Her jacket got ripped on the branch of a bush while they were out walking today, which is why Drew insisted on going alone. She stared at the spot that he had previously occupied, wondering what it would be like to curl up against him. But, that’s not what friends do.

Friends, what an odd thing to label their relationship as. May was so sure they would never get along. She’s certain that her certainty about their relationship is why she feels an unfamiliar twinge of emotion tug at her heart as he jokes with her, casting playful glances at her as he sips his cocoa. She blames the hot cocoa for the heat that bloomed in her chest when the lighting from the fire hit him in a way that made his eyes look much brighter than she ever cared for.

It’s definitely the hot cocoa that causes that heat to linger far after he’s been gone. The hot cocoa that definitely bloomed the heat that lingers as she twirls his rose.

They had come here together, Drew searching for a specific Pokémon and May taking up any opportunity to travel and explore, any opportunity to be with him.

She swears it got warmer in the room when Drew shot a smile in her direction when they arrived at the center, cheeks rosy from the cold. It was just the amount of layers she had on that makes her feel warm when Drew offers to, and takes, her bag to her room for her.

She swore the Pokémon Center was just hot, which is why her chest warmed and her heart pounded when she saw him this morning, hair tousled and pajamas still on as he ate the breakfast Nurse Joy served.

They had walked all through the woods together today, in search of Drew’s future Pokémon partner. May marveled about the scenery most of the time, using her fingers to pretend she was recording another May’s Expeditions.

Drew had chuckled when she stopped because her fingers were cold, even with her mittens. She had scowled as she tucked her hands in her pockets, but there was no actual anger behind it. Quite the opposite. A warmth spread throughout her as she looked over at him in the snow. Snowflakes had caught on his hat, and the pieces of his hair that stuck out. It was quite an enchanting picture.

She swears the newfound warmth was from sticking her hands in her pockets.

The laughter that erupted from her chest when she hit him with a snowball was strictly from the ‘thud’ where the snow made contact, and not the fact that she was delighted about how cute his shocked expression was. The laughter that continued was just because the snow that got in her jacket tickled as they had a snowball fight.

She only tried to stuff snow down his jacket because it was funny. Nothing more. She didn’t need to be close to him.

Him holding on to her arms to stop her was just that. Nothing more.

Them struggling to get the snow in each other’s jacket was nothing but their rivalry, and it meant nothing when he pulled her into his chest as he fell into the snow.

May swears he has abnormal body heat, and that’s why she felt so warm as she laughed against his chest.

The Pokémon Center doors open with a whoosh and May looks over a little too quickly for someone who wasn’t missing him.

His rosy cheeks are back, which makes her chest twinge with a heartwarming ache. He looks really good, she realizes, and she wonders if she always thought about him this way. Her heart aches at the idea that he doesn’t think about her the same.

She watches as he dumps the logs next to the fireplace.

“I tried to find the driest ones,” He says breathlessly, looking behind her at Nurse Joy and Chancey. May doesn’t bother to look back, focused solely on how beautiful he suddenly is. Suddenly isn’t the right word, she concludes. He’s always been this way, hasn’t he? Isn’t it that it suddenly occurred to her that she wants him to think she’s beautiful, too?

“What’s that look?” He asks softly, gaze focused on her. She startles out of her thoughts, trying her best to look indifferent, despite how her heart ached.

There was no way she could be anything near beautiful to him. Anything near elegant, or strong, or awe-inspiring.

She wasn’t like Solidad, strong and stunning. Capable, Graceful.

She wasn’t even creative and cunning like Harley could be.

The only thing she had in common with those two was that she loved her Pokémon and contests like Solidad. And that she was annoying like Harley. It makes her stomach churn, this doubt, but she blames it on too much hot cocoa as she realizes she’s been quiet for a little too long.

“What look?” She asks, throat suddenly dry. He’s looking at her with an unreadable expression that mirrors her own, but his lips quirk upward at her response. He stands and her gaze involuntarily follows. She doesn’t say anything as he approaches, pulling off his gloves. Her heart twinges, nerves erupting in her stomach and flying up her spine.

“Need more cocoa?” He motions to her mug, now long been cold, as he reaches for his own. She looks down, brow twitching. “I’ll get you some, anyway.”

His fingers brush against her own when he takes her mug, and sparks shoot throughout her.

“Your hands are freezing!” She gasps, looking back up at him. He smirks, raising a brow.

“I suppose I’ll have to hurry back with my cocoa then. So you can warm me up.”

He leaves like nothing happened. Like he didn’t just ignite a fire that spreads throughout her chest. It makes her cheeks and the tips of her ears flush and it settles in her stomach, where it swirls with the icy coils of doubt.

She’s overthinking it, she decides. There’s no way he meant anything from that. He’s teasing her. Maybe he knows how she’s feeling right now, is she that easy to read?

He’s only gotten better at reading her expression the longer they’ve known each other, it’s how he can get on her nerves so easily. He knows what she’s thinking so he knows what to say to piss her off. She nods slightly to herself, that’s why he said it. No other reason. He doesn’t want her like that. The roses are just roses for her Pokémon, nothing more.

It makes her ribs suddenly feel a size smaller as she thinks about her childish hopes. That the roses meant something. That his special interest in making her his rival meant something. That she meant something.

All she was to him was a trainer that he gave a few tips to. So he could say that he inspired someone. To help them grow. That’s all it is, she concludes. He’s not wrong to think that. Drew played a huge amount in her growth. She tributes him with motivating her to do so much on her journey. Probably more than what normal people tribute to their inspirations.

But why would that mean anything to him? He’s got fans all over the place. He says the gushing fans irritate him, but doesn’t she irritate him, too? Doesn’t he sneer and tease at her because he slots her in the same place as them? As someone who bothers him?

“Here you go, May,” Drew says as he returns, handing her her mug from behind the couch. She accepts it with a murmur of thanks, the air getting knocked out of her lungs as she watches him walk around the couch.

He changed out of his snow gear. Now in a black turtleneck and a comfortable pair of pants. She’s seen him in a similar outfit before, so she can’t figure out why this time it’s so mesmerizing.

“You okay?” The soft tone has returned and she fights away thoughts that he never speaks to her in this manner. “Did something happen?”

“Solidad texted.” She answers too quickly. Her brow twitches in irritation at herself for answering with that. There was nothing wrong with that. She loved when Solidad texted.

“She’s co-hosting a New Year’s event,” May quickly follows up, finally meeting his gaze. Once again, another unreadable look. She wishes she could understand him. Was close enough to read him like Solidad. She figures it must be different with them because there was trust.

Drew never outright said he didn’t trust her, but she reached that conclusion because she wasn’t sure she remembered a time he outright said he did. Her mind goes back to moments when they were younger. In Hoenn and Kanto.

She thinks about how he made her feel warm and nervous then as well. How she thought she might’ve done the same to him. She always equated to wanting to impress him, to show that she was worthy of being a rival. But as she sits in and stares at him in this Pokémon Center, she knows better now.

It occurs to her that if she had meant anything to him at all during all these years, that he would’ve said something. Done something. Sure, they’ve got this awkward pseudo friendship where she can laugh against his chest after a snowball fight but he makes sure not to touch her when sitting on the couch.

“I was thinking of going,” She clears her throat after another short pause. Her mind is racing as she tries to act like she isn’t affected by her revelations. That she isn’t affected by him.

“New Years is tomorrow,” He adds, slowly nodding. “Can you even make it to Kanto in time?”

May takes that as a doubt of her ability. Her ability to fly with one of her Pokémon or to travel on time. Drew was trying to think of ways to have her stay. With him. Here. It was selfish to want her all to himself, but he didn’t care.

“I can fly,” She says a little indignantly and Drew can’t figure out why she sounds hurt.

“What kind of event even is it?” He asks, studying her expression. It makes his heart hurt to see her look so torn up. She wasn’t looking like this earlier. She wasn’t looking at him like this earlier. Her expression reminds him of a wounded Pokémon, though he can’t understand what would’ve happened to make her feel like he’s backed her into a corner.

“I don’t know,” She says flatly, looking at the fire now. Why was she upset? His brow twitched and he looked at the fire, too. Her tone made his stomach churn. Did he do something wrong? Does she feel uncomfortable?

“Then why-?” “Because I want to.” She interrupts and he nods, pressing his lips together. Neither of them are facing each other anymore. May feeling stupid for just now realizing how badly she loved him and Drew feeling confused on why she suddenly seemed to not want to be around him.

Solidad has told him to be careful with her feelings. He knew he teased her, but he always knew when to draw the line. At least, that’s what he thought.

When May agreed to come with him, he felt relieved. Happy. Excited. He could finally enjoy her company just to himself while showing her that he wanted to be around her. That he wanted to enjoy cocoa and curl up on the couch, that he wanted to throw snowballs, and laugh in the snow.

He figures this is her way of rejecting him. That she picked up on how deeply he cared about her and was fleeing from him as soon as possible. He swallows, trying to bite back these new feelings of shame.

“I’m going to pack,” She stands and his eyes shoot to her, wanting to protest. Beg her to stay. Beg her to sit back down. To be with him. He only nods, face turning back to the fire.

May, judgment clouded with self doubt, assumes that he just doesn’t care and sulks back to her room. Less time was spent packing and more of it was spent wallowing in self pity that she is so emotionally consumed by him.

Drew stays by the fire, watching it die out. There are logs to continue to fuel it, but he doesn’t feel like getting up. He returns to his room, a lame goodnight spoken to Nurse Joy. At least he has the rest of the trip to wallow in this rejection without interruption.

Solidad pointed out years ago that she noticed his change in feelings for her. That she could tell he stopped seeing her as just some kid, but as a rival. That she could tell he stopped seeing her as a rival, but as something more. In his very few attempts to flirt, he got more and more on May’s nerves, so he decided to keep the rose tactic. To offer her a flower in place of an ‘I love you.’

He sighs as he gets back to his room, an idea sprouting in his mind at the sight of his jacket thrown carelessly on the bed. He was in a rush to change and get back to May, so he didn’t exactly properly deal with his snow gear.

If he could give her his jacket, then she’d at least have to speak to him again to give it back. He was sure he would see her, after all they travel in the same region for contests all the time, but he wanted to speak to her. To brush his hand against hers when she gave it back. He wondered if she’d even wear it.

May feels like she’s moving in slow motion as she packs her clothes. She needed to relax, she kept telling herself, after accidentally putting hand lotion on her toothbrush and trying to pull pants on like a sweater, she knew she couldn’t keep going like this. But, she was sure it was impossible to get him out of her mind.

A knock on the door knocks her out of her stupor. There’s only two people it could be and she’s really hoping for one of them.

They stare at each for a moment when she opens the door, as if their breaths have both been taken away at the sight of each other.

Drew breaks the silence. “I brought you this.”

May tilts her head, brows furrowing as she takes his jacket in hand.

“Your jacket?” She looks back up at him, curling it against her chest.

“Yes, to keep you warm while you walk-,”

“Nurse Joy is giving me a snowmobile.” May interjects, lips quirking upwards when he clears his throat.

“Snowmobile to the city.” He corrects. “Because your jacket is ripped.”

He holds a finger up when she starts to protest and she closes her mouth, nodding. She was just going to sew her jacket up, but her heart fluttered as his gesture and she smiled up at him.

Drew felt relieved at the sight of her smile, a smile of his own starting to form.

“Thank you. But won’t you need it?” She asked softly. Drew was glad to hear her tone from before he got wood. The tone she had when they giggled over their mugs.

“For what?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Well aren’t you catching that Pokémon?” Her head tilted to the side again. How he did love when she did that. He shrugged, which made her more puzzled.

“I have more layers,” He said simply and her brow twitched as she processed that.

“What about when you go to the city? Won’t you need it?” She asked. It was his turn to furrow his brow.

“Why would I go there?”

“Aren’t you going to fly to Solidad’s event?” She sounded nervous when she asked that. “There will be loads of other coordinators there.”

He nodded in understanding, gazing at her. She didn’t like his silence, feeling her hopes come crashing down.

“You.. are going, aren’t you?”

“We’ll see.” Was all he replied and she swallowed, nodding.

He couldn’t care like she did. If it were the other way around, she would drop everything to go with him. He felt his heart twinge with regret at the sight of her disappointed look, wanting to immediately take back his statement.

He didn’t need that Pokémon. He wouldn’t lay a hand on any Pokémon but the ones he already had if it meant he could accompany her anywhere.

“I’ll be there as soon as I catch one,” He amended softly, lips quirking upward at the sight of her more hopeful expression. She nodded slowly.

“It ends after New Year’s.” was all she could respond with. He nodded, an unsaid “I know” in the air. Both afraid to break the moment.

“Have a safe flight, May.”

“Thanks, Drew.”

May replayed that conversation over and over on her flight, wrapping Drew’s coat around her tightly. The woman next to her had asked if it was her boyfriend’s and May could only muster a nod as she repeated I wish, I wish, I wish in her head.

May supposed that her sulky mood was written all over her face because Solidad gave her a knowing look when she retrieved her from the airport.

It led to a complete breakdown in the passenger seat of her car, frantically wiping at her cheeks as she cried about how she was so overcome with emotion whenever she was near him.

Solidad listened kindly, trying her best not to sigh wistfully and say, “Ah, young love.” To Solidad, it was painfully obvious how in love they were. It was more confusing that they couldn’t see that the other liked them just as much.

May tried her best to keep her terrible mood to herself. It was easy to smile and converse with the other trainers at the get together. The event was hosted by Solidad and Vivian, wanting to bring together coordinators who were in Kanto for a nice party. Some were already trying to set up an impromptu contest.

May graciously accepted the role as mock judge, sitting on the seat closest to the window where she could stare in hopes to see him. Solidad would always nudge her right before it was time for her to say something and May would make up something based on the glimpses of the contest battle out of the corner of her eye.

People could tell that she was distracted, and who she was distracted by. Everyone in the coordinating sphere knew of the power couple that was May and Drew. They figured they’d be dating for years and were placing bets on when Drew would pop the question.

How wrong could they be? May had thought when some girl asked if she and Drew were going to be each other’s New Year’s kiss. He’d never see me like that..

But the question made all her doubts resurface and she quickly found a way to weasel out of the conversation, retreating out the door to the front porch. She was wearing Drew’s jacket over her own, staring out at the snow. It was peaceful away from the ruckus.

May usually enjoyed these events, while Drew was the one to walk out silently. Her mind drifted to all those years ago where she had chased after him from the Grand Festival celebrations.

It was hard to be her cheerful and social self when her heart was longing for something she couldn’t have. The yells from inside about “One more minute till New Year!”, “I need a drink!”, and “Where’s my boyfriend?” made May chuckle. The last one made her sigh.

She wondered if Drew had any luck. She supposed she could fly back tomorrow and see if he’s still there. Then, she could give him his jacket back. She sewed her jacket up on the flight over, when she had nothing to do on the plane.

She wondered if he was at the fireplace in the Pokémon Center again. Maybe he and Nurse Joy had dinner and were keeping each other company until the new year came. A sliver of jealousy made her sigh again, wishing she could be with him.

A call for thirty seconds erupted from inside the house. The shouts and cheers faded out until only a rustling noise was heard at the side of the house, May’s brow furrowed, craning her neck to see if there was a Pokémon there or not. She walked over to the side of the porch closest, peering into the dark.

Twenty seconds.

The rustling stopped and a silhouette rounded the corner of the house. May wished she could see but they were just beyond the reach of the porch light. She moved back towards the stairs to greet them. They were in such a rush, maybe something happened?

Ten seconds.

The countdown within the house started as she stared at Drew, standing there and panting at the bottom of the stairs.

Five.

Her feet moved on her own.

Four.

He moved towards her.

Three.

He had smiled when he saw her.

Two.

What was he doing here?

One.

They met on the stairs, crashing into each other. She threw her arms around his shoulders. Drew held her firmly, stabilizing them as they kissed. It was weird, chests and teeth thumping together as they met.

May pulled back after the house erupted in cheers, face flushing.

“What are you doing here?” She asked shyly, looking down but not removing her hands from his shoulders.

“Finding you, obviously.” He panted, looking at her with that expression again.

“You flew here?” She asked, brow furrowing. That can’t be.

“With Flygon, yeah.” He shrugged. Her jaw dropped, and she glared at him.

“Idiot! You flew here in this weather, without a coat?!” She had exclaimed, pulling off his coat. He had laughed as she draped it around his shoulders, smiling down at her. Her smile grew as she kept her hands on his shoulders.

“Of course I did,” He eyed her lips again. “I had to give my coat to someone else.” “Oh really?” She quirked a brow, smiling despite trying to pretend to be mad. “They didn’t have their own?” “I’ll have you know that the pretty girl I lent my coat to did have her own,” He hummed, running his fingers up her arm. “But, hers got ripped.”

“Is that so?” Her heart races at his words, her remark ending up more shaky than intended.

“Mhm, and what kind of guy would I be if I didn’t give her mine?” He asked, his forehead leaning against hers now. She smiled, shaking her head slightly.

“A smart one?” “How about this?” He glanced at her lips again. “I wanted an excuse to see you again?”

Her brow furrowed at that, gazing at him in confusion.

“You wouldn’t if you didn’t give me your coat?” She asked, seemingly offended.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d want to.” He said, she tilted her head some more, blinking in stunned confusion. “I thought you were leaving because you didn’t want to be around me.” “I left because I thought you didn’t like me.” She said in surprise. Though, like was a mild term for it. Because you didn’t yearn for me in your bones was a better phrase.

“What a ridiculous thing to think,” He muttered, scooting even closer to her. “How could I not like you?”

Warmth spread throughout her at his statement, her lips parting in stunned silence. “Because..”

He chuckled, shaking his head. One hand held the back of her head while the other cupped her chin, tilting her head to be looking completely at him. “I love you, May,” He confessed, gazing at her intently. “A lot.”

She was sure her entire body was on fire as she stared at him, shocked. She must be dreaming. One of her hands reached for his wrist, holding his hand in place as she gazed at him.

“I love you, too” She whispered, reaching her other hand to adjust his jacket. She smiled, and he smiled right back at her.

“Happy New Year, May,” He murmured, leaning closer.

“Happy New Year, Drew,” She wrapped her arms around him again, leaning in for another kiss.

#contestshipping #may x drew #pokemon may #pokemon drew #pokemon

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