Paul and Dawn: First Light

Chapter 60: Necessary Skills

I watched as she quietly made her way over to where I was, reminding me of the night after her Contest where she'd sat on me. I could remember her blush, the fear in her eyes, the way she didn't want to leave me- only now I understood that I felt the same way about her. It felt like such a long time ago, yet really not much time had passed at all. 

Her form moved until she was hovering above me. I stared up at her curiously, knowing it was too dark for her to see my expression or even know I was awake. I could tell she was dressed in more than a towel this time. She sat down slowly on the bed, letting out a sigh. 

"Are you going to sit on me again?" I whispered. 

I felt her jump slightly, but her tone was steady. "Nah." 

I waited for her to speak again. 

"Paul?" Her voice seemed small and scared. 

"Yeah?" 

I felt her unease, and then she slapped the mattress. "I'm tired of asking you for permission. Scoot over." 

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow, not that she could see. 

"I said scoot over." Her voice was more demanding this time. 

Dumbfounded, I did, and she laid down facing me. I could see her face better and could see she was staring at me as if daring me to retort. 

I smiled lightly. "This is different." 

"Gonna threaten to kill me in my sleep again?" Dawn's defensive tone made my smile widen. 

"I've decided to let you live." 

I felt her foot kick mine gently. "Such a gentleman." 

"You're the only one who thinks so," I said quietly. 

She yawned. 

If I'd been more awake, I would have been questioning her decision to sleep in the same bed as me. She was wearing clothes, so the obvious intention was easily thrown out. 

Sleep shut down my brain and I felt myself drifting. 

"Paul?" Dawn whispered. 

"Mmm?" My eyes were closed. 

"Thanks for saving me."  

"Always," I whispered, my reply feeling a bit off, yet absolutely true, in my drunk-like sleeping state. I fell asleep, leaving the world of reality far behind.

My sleep was dreamless and exactly what I'd needed. When I woke up I felt refreshed and, even better, I felt Dawn's skin against mine. The smell of Pecha berries was strong and I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent that had become associated with the girl who was sharing the bed with me. 

We were under the covers, the warmth of each other making me drowsy again as I refused to move. It felt nice to be here with Dawn, to be on a soft bed. She was safe from Team Magma, right here, my arm wrapped around her. 

When had that happened? 

I opened my eyes and studied our positions. Dawn's back was against me, her body fitting perfectly against mine, My right arm was under the pillow, which was shifted diagonally so that she could use it as well considering her head was level with my chest. My left arm was around her upper stomach and I could feel her breathing slowly. 

It felt nice. Really nice. 

Was I still dreaming? Ever since Dawn had wormed her way into my life, things had seemed chaotic. Tense. Upside down. In some ways good, in some ways bad. I'd become a different person and so had she. We'd changed each other and there was something between us that I would never have thought was possible. 

So had I been dreaming this all up? Really, if someone had told me that I'd even agree to travel around with Dawn a couple months ago, I would have scoffed at them and how stupid they were for bringing such a dim, naïve, impossible theory of theirs to my attention and wasting my time. Now I felt the opposite. She wasn't a waste of time at all. Not a waste of space, not a nuisance, not just some girl who had an annoying repetitive catch phrase that never shut up. 

Dawn was a unique, selfless, gentle, caring soul that was patient enough with me to help me understand that there was more to life than Pokemon training and had taught me that it really was possible to form bonds with people without them pulling away. 

And so here we were- Dawn and I, sleeping in the same bed without any further intentions than actual REM and company last night. Regardless, it was a closeness I'd never shared with a person before and an experience I soon wouldn't forget despite my unconsciousness during the entire ordeal.  

I ended up getting lost in my own thoughts as I memorized what it felt like to touch her this way, trying only to analyze it from a scientific perspective and failing. She really was a piece of work. No wonder she charmed her way into everyone else's lives.  

I smiled. Charming her way into my life seemed to me like a much nicer way than saying she'd wormed her parasitic self into my daily routine. Things really had changed. 

Dawn stirred. Her left hand came down to touch my own, which was still wrapped around her stomach, and I heard her sigh as her fingers intertwined into my own as she attempted to adjust her body so it was even closer to mine. 

Speechless, I wasn't sure if I should say something. It was getting late, but... 

No, I said to myself firmly. Today is not about training. It's a day just to be. Right now I'm mastering the necessary skills. 

I closed my eyes and nestled my head closer to Dawn's. My lips became buried in the locks of her hair, tickling pleasantly. I sank back to sleep, not wanting to wake up.

Hey Readers!

So, what do you think about this chapter? Progress enough for you? Probably not for most of you :P Be sure to vote and comment if you liked the chapter! 

Wow, I don't have much else to say. I'm not sure when the next update on First Light will be, but within the next two Fridays (if you haven't noticed, I update on Fridays). 

Pokemon Question of the Day: If you were a Pokemon, would you rather be a Wild Pokemon, one owned by a Trainer, a Coordinator, or just some lazy person that never made you do anything but gave you free food? I mean, there are way more options than that, so feel free to be imaginative. 

Thanks again for reading! Have an awesome day.

-Flips