Chapter Text
"Look! Drew, look over there!" Her voice was high-pitched, in that way when something had caught her attention and gave her that exhilaration that he found annoyingly adorable. She tugged his arm slightly.
"What is it now, May?" he groaned.
"Look!" she squealed, pointing ahead. "There's that dessert shop that is popular for their ice cream with waffles! Come on, let's go!" She pulled his arm harder, dragging him slowly across the street.
"But May, we just had lunch," he said, stopping her in her tracks.
"Oh Drew. Don't you know that we all have a place in our stomach reserved for desserts?" She turned to him, pursing her lips into a pout. Her eyes were a bright shade of blue and they displayed a hint of sadness. "Please, Drew. Can we go? I really want to try them." He rolled his eyes. He knew that at this point, it was useless to argue with her. He would lose even if he tried. Especially when she had her mind set on something. Just like any other day, he gave in. Anything to see her happy. He let out a sigh, nodding slightly. He watched her eyes light up instantly and couldn't help but smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck gleefully and kissed his cheek, like a dew freckled petal caught in a breeze - so soft and with the smallest hint of coolness. She drew back and grabbed his hand, giving it a tight squeeze as she resumed dragging him towards the shop.
The chime of bells tinkled incessantly as they walked in and stopped in front of the counter. The interior of the shop was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colorful walls. Music was playing softly behind the chatter and laughter of the customers. May stood with her hands spread over the chilled glass. If there had been only a few flavors, she would have made her choice quickly. But the array put her mind into a happy yet confused state. There wasn't just all the flavors, but all the possible combinations. There were a wide selection of toppings and sprinkles – strawberries, shredded coconut, bananas, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, walnuts, pecans, hot fudge, butterscotch sauce and many more. The possibility was endless.
"Can I get the chocolate ice cream with shredded coconut and pecans?" May spoke to the girl behind the counter after what seemed like hours. She turned to face Drew. "What about you?"
"Pistachio please, with the chocolate chips and walnuts. Thank you," he said to the girl.
"Pistachio?" May stifled a laugh and smirked at him. "Why? Because it matches your hair?"
He rolled his eyes. "I like the flavour. And it has nothing to do with my hair."
May giggled softly. She enjoyed teasing him, much to his chagrin. Especially when it concerned his hair. He was lucky that he had finally got rid of his aqua pants and purple jacket or he wouldn't hear the end of it. They paid and walked over to an empty table with their desserts in hand. Without a minute to waste, May took a bite. She licked her lips contentedly. The thick, Belgian waffles were a beautiful golden brown, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The ice cream was rich and smooth, and the toppings really complimented it. Eaten together with the waffles, it was the perfect dessert. No wonder the shop was very popular.
Within minutes, May had finished the entire thing. She looked over at Drew's plate. A mischievous smile crept on her face. She took her spoon and grabbed a scoop of his ice cream.
"Not bad," she said, licking the spoon. "A little nutty, but still tastes good." He arched his eyebrows at her.
He shook his head and chuckled. "Remind me again why I'm getting married to you."
She shot him a smug look. "Didn't you say that I was the best thing that happened in your life? That's why you proposed to me."
He snorted. "Please, I think the best thing that happened in my life was being a top coordinator actually."
She scowled at him. "Arrogant moron."
He flicked his hair and smirked. Just the same, she was always quick to take offense to his statements. He had always loved the fire inside of her and how easy it is to force it out of her. And it never failed to amuse him everytime. If she could tease him, so could he.
She placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin into the palm of her right hand. She looked at her left hand, staring at the engagement ring. Her furrowed brows loosened. Her eyes met his and she smiled. "I can't wait for our wedding, Drew. I can't believe that it's happening in two months."
"Me too," he said, a smile exploded onto his lips. He grabbed the last scoop of his dessert and offered it to her. She accepted it, closing her eyes gently as she savoured the sweetness that filled her mouth. She hummed gaily. She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze again. Her smile disappeared slowly. A thought seemed to bother her.
"Drew, have you talked to your parents yet? Are they coming to the wedding?" she asked hesitantly.
He swallowed, fumbling to think of a response. Her sudden questions had definitely caught him off guard.
Her face fell.
"I guess that means no," she said, her voice low.
"May, I-I'm sorry. I haven't talked to them since we saw them last week," he muttered under his breath. He paused for a moment, looking at her hesitantly. "And I don't think they changed their mind about coming too."
She turned her eyes away from him. "I guess I can't do anything if they hate me right."
"They don't hate you, May," he assured her.
"That wasn't how I see it when we visited them. Your mother literally gave me the cold shoulder and your father…"
He cut her off. "I've told you before. When I left home to become a Pokémon coordinator, they were furious. They wanted me to take over the family's business, but I was adamant. That's why I've been shutting them out all these years. I knew they would just badger me about the matter if I contacted them. And when they knew I was getting married, they decided to take it out on you instead. If anything, it's all my fault. It probably wasn't a good idea for us to visit them that day."
"Well, I bet you they would feel at ease if they knew you would be marrying some sort of businesswoman. But instead, you're marrying… me," she choked on her words.
He bit his lips slightly. He hated seeing her like this. She was the kind of girl who was always full of life, pumped with endless positivity. He hate to see her so dispirited and down like this.
"Hey. May, listen. I don't want you to blame yourself about this. I chose not to take over my family's business. I chose to be a Pokémon coordinator," he told her. He stifled a laugh as he added, "A great and talented one too might I add. But most importantly, I chose to marry you. Nothing they say could change my mind about it, okay."
She looked back at him, her eyes a little teary. "I didn't mean to cause more conflict between you and your parents, Drew. I'm sorry for dragging you to go and see them. Even though you didn't want to. I thought it would be nice, you know. Having them come to our wedding. I wanted them to come and meet my family. Watch you get married. Be there in person to witness the happiest day of your life."
He leaned forward and held her other hand, lacing his fingers with hers. The corners of his mouth curved into a smile as he slowly met her eyes. They were a beautiful shade of blue, like the ocean. He could stare into them all day. "Don't worry about it, alright. Whether they're there or not, I'll still be happy. I'm still going to marry you. And I can't wait to start a family with you."
Her eyes softened. She wiped away the solitary tear that trickled down her cheek.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he smiled softly at her. He slowly brought her hand to his face, pressing each of her fingers to his lips and kissing them separately. His lips lingered on the finger where the engagement ring was. It gleamed beautifully under the fluorescent light. "So, I heard that there will be a Pokémon contest in Fallabor Town tomorrow. Should we go? We could head to Lavaridge Town afterwards. I know you'd love to spend the day at the hot springs."
She rested her right hand on top of his, brushing her fingers across his knuckles. "I'd love to, but I can't. I'm meeting Dawn tomorrow. She's going to help me choose my final wedding dress," she said, mouthing a quick sorry to him.
"Oh. Do you need me to be there as well?"
She shook her head. "No, it's fine. Anyways, don't you know that the groom shouldn't see the bride in her dress before the wedding itself? It's supposed to bring bad luck!"
He scoffed. "I don't believe in those superstitions, May."
"Well, I'm not taking any chances." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Sorry, I'm afraid you just have to wait till the wedding to see the dress."
He rolled his eyes. "Make sure it'll be worth the wait then."
She winked at him.
"Oh, it will be."
The Wedding Dress
"What about this one?" May asked slowly, pulling the silvery curtain away. She had pulled her hair up into a messy bun to make changing slightly easier. She had on an intricately detailed beading sheath dress that hugged her body figure nicely. She turned to face a woman with long, dark blue hair that curled past her shoulders.
The woman's eyes, that matched perfectly with her hair, twinkled brightly. "You look really beautiful, May! The dress is so elegant," Dawn beamed in delight. She walked over and viewed the dress up close. She brushed her fingers lightly against the beading of the dress. "And I just love the details of it. Don't you?"
May turned to look into the mirror and shifted her weight from one foot to another. She nodded.
"The dress really gives a nice silhouette of your figure. It accentuates your assets," she added, giving emphasis to the last word. "You know… assets."
"D-Dawn!"
Dawn suppressed a giggle. "It really shows off your body perfectly. And, Drew is sure to choke when he sees you in this!"
May flushed a little at the thought of it. She took another look at the dress and shook her head. "But it'll get too tight. And that's going to be a problem, Dawn! How will I be able to eat everything at the wedding? This dress will rip!"
Dawn let out a laugh. Only May would care about food on her own wedding day. Not her image. "This dress is lovely though. But if you insist. Let's keep our options open. Are there any other dresses that you like then?"
"Yes, there's still one more. Let me go try it on!" She chirped, as the curtain slid shut.
Dawn combed through the racks of wedding dresses nearby, stopping at every single one to admire them. There were so many types of dresses to choose from, with so many different patterns and designs. From mermaid, A-line to bohemian styles. Pearl, floral or glittery details. Satin or chiffon material. No wonder May had a hard time deciding. This was her third trip to the bridal store, and she had possibly tried on about fifty different dresses. She must feel so overwhelmed. Especially since the wedding is inching closer and closer.
"So, are you excited for the wedding, May?" she asked.
"Of course! But, it's normal to feel anxious. Right?" Her voice was muffled. She shuffled around, as she carefully put on the next dress.
"Yeah! I think it's normal for the bride to feel nervous about her big day!" Dawn replied.
"I still can't believe I'm about to marry Drew. It's crazy to think that we started off as rivals when we first met. Then, we became friends. We spent so much time together, travelling, inspiring each other to conquer every obstacle that stood in our way. I found myself always anticipating to see him. To hear his voice. To just be with him. His presence brought warmth to my heart. And slowly…" She paused, taking a deep breath. "… I started to fall in love with him. I'm happy. I really am."
Dawn smiled, taking an asymmetrical dress off the rack and posed with it in front of the mirror. "Aww, that's so sweet! I'm happy for you, May." She returned the dress back to the rack and took a seat on the settee. "How did it go with his parents?"
May let out a sigh. "They're not coming."
Dawn raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Why?"
"I don't want to talk about it," May muttered. "I just feel so bad for him, Dawn. I can't ever imagine not having my parents be there during my wedding."
"How's Drew holding up about this?" Dawn asked.
"He doesn't seem bothered by it actually. The only reason we even went to visit his parents was because of me. He was against it. I guess I understand why now. I just hope things between them will get better one day." May couldn't help but smile, remembering what he said yesterday. She held out her left hand, her gaze fixed on the engagement ring. Her smile grew wider. "Whatever it is, he still wants to marry me. And we can't wait to have a family of our own."
Dawn giggled. "You two are just the cutest. I hope that one day I'd get married and be happy with the man I love too."
"Oh I'm sure you will," May replied. "What about Paul? Didn't you two go out or something?"
"Wh-What? P-Paul?" She stammered. She looked down at her feet and sighed. "I don't know. I don't think he likes me that way. He's always so cold and mean."
May laughed. "Drew was mean to me at first too. Remember? He used to mock my skills as a coordinator when I was just a rookie and was always full of snarky remarks. He was always so confident and critical about everything. I would say he and Paul are just the same. They're like two peas in a pod!"
"Maybe," Dawn agreed. "But Paul doesn't give me roses like Drew did to you. At least he showed that he was interested and that he cared about you."
"Oh Dawn. You don't have to give roses just to show you like or care about someone," May spoke. "In the beginning, Drew kept insisting that the roses are for Beautifly. People have always told me that I was dense to realise what they actually meant. People show that they care in different ways. The right one will always find its way back to you. When the time is right, the person will always be attached, no matter how far they go from you."
Dawn remained silent, as she thought about what the brunette had said. She tapped her foot lightly on the ground as she twirled her hair around her index finger.
"Give it some time, alright," May added, causing her friend to snap out of her thoughts. "Is he coming with you to the wedding?"
"He's currently back in Sinnoh. But he mentioned that he would try to come," Dawn said, giving off a faint smile. "Thank you, May. I hope things would work out for us. For you and Drew as well, with his parents. But enough about me. Are you ready to show me the dress?"
The silvery curtain pulled away again, and May stepped out. Dawn sat upright, her eyes lit up instantly. This time, May had on an off-shoulder ball gown that had lace details on the top with a very long, flowy and sparkly bottom. A nervous smile crept onto her face, as she silently asked for her friend's opinion.
"May you look…" Dawn said softly. "… really beautiful. You look like a princess."
May giggled. "You think so?"
Dawn nodded excitedly. "I really love this dress."
May grinned, as she did a little twirl. She promptly looked into the mirror before turning to face her friend again. "I think this is the one."
Dawn smiled at her. "I agree. You'll truly live up to your name as the Princess of Hoenn. And you'll be the most beautiful bride ever! I can't wait to see Drew's face when he sees you in this!"
May winked at her. "Me too."