Platonic

Chapter 34: An Ugly Feeling

This chapter is dedicated to StingrayKitten! Thank you so much for the comments you leave on this story! It means a lot and I truly appreciate it!

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Previously...

"I can see a bit better," he admitted after a while. She snatched the mirror back from him.

"What did I tell you!?" She said triumphantly.

"Shut up. Night," he said as he sulked into his tent. She rolled her eyes to herself before turning in as well.

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They had traveled a few more days and finally, they were a day's walk away from Azalea Town and they would make it by the next day. On their way, they ran into Brendan and they caught up for a few hours. He had won his match against Bugsy without much difficulty. He asked how the contest went so Drew told the story of their victory. When they parted ways, Brendan and Drew shared a look that left her confused before they continued on their journeys.

As they walked along route 34, the conversation between them had tapered off. She had learned from the many times she's tried to just leave it alone. She'd much rather have silence than her asking random questions to try to keep the conversation going that just ended up making it more awkward than it was with the silence. However, she's grown to appreciate the quiet between them. While she liked talking to him and certainly enjoyed the bantering, something about being able to have silence between them and not feel awkward about it was something she had never really experienced before.

When she had traveled with Ash, Brock, and her brother, there was rarely a moment of quiet around them. They were much too boisterous. She had grown used to it so it was weird when she started traveling with Drew because the conversations would end and she wasn't accustomed to dealing with the silence that followed because it was never there before. She wasn't exactly a quiet person, or at least she thought, but Drew had really pulled out a side of her she wouldn't have found if she was still with the boys. It was thanks to him that she could just appreciate walking next to him even though they weren't speaking.

As they continued along, she barely registered that she had accidentally brushed her hand against his. It was such a light touch that only lasted a fraction of a second that she didn't think anything of it. A few minutes later, she did it again, but she definitely felt it that time. Her knuckles slid across the width of the back of his hand until Drew quickly pulled his hand away as if she had burned him.

"What are yo-"

"Sorry!" She apologized immediately. She noticed the slight bit of red painting his cheeks. "It was a complete accident!" She said. He looked away from her and shoved his hands in his pockets. To her surprise, her own cheeks felt warm. Tentatively, she brought her hands against her face. She felt the heat creep into her fingertips. Why was she blushing? She must have just been embarrassed.

She probably went and gave him the wrong idea by accident because there was no way she'd hold hands with him and she was sure he knew that. Well, maybe, not so much. They had been becoming better friends so he could take it the wrong way and think that she liked him when she really didn't.

Okay, she did like him, but only as a friend. She wasn't interested in him like that. Still though, she couldn't deny what crept into her mind when she had difficulty falling asleep. She would wonder what her husband was going to be like, childish as it sounded. Sometimes though, when it was really late and she was somewhat out of it, she'd imagine Drew in that position.

She'd immediately shove it down and feel guilty for some reason. Besides, even if she actually liked him romantically, which she didn't, it wouldn't work because he would have to go home. Still, she hoped that he would find somebody to love even if he was under the strict control of his parents.

Before she knew it, night had fallen again. They picked a spot to set up their camp in a small clearing they had found. When May finally went to sleep, she had the strangest dream about Drew.

The dream started off random, just a bunch of scenes that didn't really make sense. Until the dream shifted into a different scene. It was her, Ellie, Brianna, and Drew, but for some reason he was completely in love with Brianna and they had run into her while they were traveling. She felt an ugly feeling in her stomach when he hugged her tightly and Brianna clung to him. She just stood next to Ellie awkwardly while wanting to scream out something, anything to end whatever was happening.

She didn't understand, Drew was her partner. He was her... best friend. She hadn't even realized it, but he was. That ugly burning feeling was because he was her partner and her best friend and here Brianna was completely ignoring that. Suddenly, he was looking at Brianna with this expression, and with these eyes she'd never seen before. It seemed to be of love and admiration and she almost wanted to cry for some reason.

It wasn't directed at her and that frustrated her. She didn't know what to do about those ugly feelings bubbling inside of her. As the both began to lean in, she had to shut her eyes tight and look away before suddenly she woke up in her tent, staring at the ceiling. She was shocked at the single tear that slid down her cheek and it took her a moment to snap out of it to wipe it off. She didn't understand why she had hated that dream so much. Besides if Drew and Brianna actually liked each other, then who was she to interfere with them, no matter how much her body seemed to reject that over her mind.

They continued on their way to Azalea Town and at the rate they were traveling, they were going to make it there around dinner time. She was lost in thought still over her dream when Drew snapped her out of it.

"You okay? You're way quieter than usual," he said.

"I'm fine, I just had a weird dream," she explained.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.

"Um, not really, I'm still trying to make heads or tails of it," she declined.

"Well if you want to talk about it and see if that helps it make sense, I'm here," he said after a moment.

"Thanks, Drew," she smiled.

"I mean, we're partners, and we're friends, so you can always come to me,"

I appreciate it, and the same goes for you," she said. He gave her a soft and genuine smile that she doesn't see often.

Finally, they had made it back to Azalea Town and they booked a room at the Pokemon Center before going downstairs and eating.

"The contest is tomorrow! We definitely need to do some more last minute practicing tonight and tomorrow!" May said as she shoved a bite of salad in her mouth. Drew laughed at her before responding.

"Well duh, everyone always practices before the contest" she frowned and rolled her eyes at him.

"I was just reminding you, jerk," she pouted as she stuffed another bite of food into her mouth.

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-A/N-

Sorry that it's a little late! But anyways, the next 2 chapters are going to be fun! For you guys, not for me though XD. Anyways, I've shown a lot of Drew angst and pining, but not as much May, and I wanted to do a bit more of that. I hope that once the main plot happens you guys will like it and it won't suck! 35 chapters later and the plot will finally actually get rolling XD. I did tell you guys a few chapters ago that the pace will be picking up a bit and it is certainly about to, at least I think. I really want to get to a certain chapter I have planned but it's so far away I feel like I'll never get to it XD. Anyways, thanks for reading and as always, until next time,

YouDontKnowShipping