First Faith

Chapter 24: Meeting

Chapter 24: Meeting

I woke up in the middle of the night, with Dawn's head on my chest. It was comforting, but I felt worse than ever. Like my heart didn't work. Which was even crappier than I'd imagined because a few months ago it hadn't worked either. And it was fine when something didn't work and you weren't aware of it, or didn't care. It was fine when a child had never had chocolate cake before and had been living off lettuce and had no idea what chocolate cake was. But after eating it, the child can't go back to something as ridiculous as Buneary food. The kid would choose cake every time, no matter how long it took for cake to be an option.

I just didn't know how to make chocolate cake.

I spent half the night staring at Dawn, tracing her face gently enough so she wouldn't wake up.

I loved this girl.

My heart felt a bit more at ease as I thought that, so I imagined moments with her. The moment I realized she still wanted to travel with me despite the Contest. How it'd felt to give her that rose. The feel of her skin as she hugged me, melting into her embrace and feeling like a child again. Feeling secure. Every caress, every kiss. The first one, where the storm seemed to speak what was raging within me.

Realizing I couldn't live without her, no matter how much I tried to push her away. Finding her in the Team Magma cave, knowing she was alive. Realizing that I could finally breathe again, knowing she was safe.

I loved this girl.

My breathing came easier after that and I soon fell back asleep, my uncle's voice drifting through my head, Strength comes from love.

A kiss pressed against my forehead made me awake, though groggily.

"Good morning." Dawn whispered.

I put a hand in her hair in response, letting my fingers trail through her silky hair.

"Demi told me everything that happened yesterday." Dawn said.

"We're going to talk about this now?" I groaned mentally. I hadn't even been awake for ten seconds.

"You locked yourself in the room so you'd be all alone, shutting people out. I let you be yesterday. But today you need to be honest with me. You can't run away."

I traced her ear gently, glad that I'd fallen asleep thinking about much I loved her. It kept me from closing off, "Alright."

I began explaining everything from my point of view, how the satchel must have been a fake. I left out Demi telling me she loved me as a brother. I couldn't deal with that.

"Are you still upset with her?" She asked.

"I don't want to see her anymore." I answered truthfully. I wasn't upset with her, not after hearing how she felt, but I couldn't see her. Not when everyone I got close to seemed to die. I looked at Dawn again, wishing I could promise that she also wouldn't get hurt. But I couldn't. She could have died because of me with Team Magma, or when Salamence had fallen. And it was because she was with me.

At least Ash Ketchum hadn't ever almost gotten her killed, as far as I knew.

"But are you upset with her?" Dawn asked, snapping me from my thoughts.