Part 8: He Is in Love

And you knew what it was

He is in love

You can hear it in the silence, silence

You can feel it on the way home, way home

You could see it with the lights out, lights out

You are in love, true love

- You Are In Love, Taylor Swift

To May's disappointment, when she trudges downstairs the next morning, Drew is nowhere in sight. Solidad and Harley are sitting at a table and Harley is sulking, but there's no sign of her rival and upcoming opponent. May slides in across from Harley, next to Solidad and both her rivals look at her.

"Ready?" Solidad asks, skipping the formalities. May be able to only shrug. Her conversation with Drew from the night before is still fresh in her mind and she can still feel the heat of his body pressed against her own. The Top Coordinator smiles at May's silence. "You just missed him," she informed, reading May's mind. "He's headed to the contest hall already. I hope you're ready to face him, May, because he's certainly ready to battle you."

May remembers the fire in his green eyes and she can't stop a smile from spreading across her face. "Solidad, I think I was born for this moment."

The older coordinator smiles. "That's the spirit May. I hope you understand, but I'll be remaining a happy neutral during the battle. You and Drew are two of my closest friends. I'll be happy and sad no matter who wins today."

May nodded. She had expected no less from Solidad. "Of course I understand," she reassured.

"Well," Harley cut in with a snooty tone. "You'd better win May. Drew beat me and for that he needs to pay."

She glanced curiously at Harley. May knew he wouldn't be cheering for Drew, but she didn't think that he would be cheering for her instead. She had figured he would root for the referee or something ridiculous. "Thanks Harley," she replied tactfully. He grunted in return.

Her Pokéballs were starting to weigh down her pockets and her stomach was starting to flip. For once in her life, May was pretty sure that eating anything would make her absolutely sick. Her Pokégear buzzed against her leg and she plucked it out of her pocket, turning it on.

Dawn had messaged her good luck from Sinnoh and gave regards from Ash, Brock and Zoey as well. Apparently they were watching from Lake Valor before the Sinnoh Grand Festival kicked off as well. She'd sent along a winky face in the message and May knew exactly why. Her cheeks reddened, but she couldn't hide her smile.

When she looked up, Solidad and Harley were both giving her curious looks. May just smiled brightly and disguised it as nerves. "Good luck wishes from Ash and the gang," she explained vaguely.

Solidad smiled in return. "That's nice," she commented. "You probably should make your way to the stage soon," Solidad reminded, pointing out the clock on the nearby wall.

May blinked. She had less than half an hour before her match and she still wanted to brief her Pokémon. "Oh Mew, I have to go!" she blurted, standing up so fast that her knees knocked on the underside of the table. She flashed one more confident smile to her friends and headed for the exit.

On the short, rainy walk to the contest hall, May constantly felt eyes on her and noticed that fans and eliminated contestants alike were watching her curiously. Their gazes made her a little uneasy. She'd always had fans, but never at this scale. She quickened her pace towards the hall and blinked the raindrops out of her eyes as she walked.

When she slid inside the door, the first person she saw was Marina who gave her a bright smile and a wink. Lucy was with her and waved enthusiastically. May waved back and gave both girls her best smile. From there, she headed towards her locker room to get ready. She passed by a crowd of girls outside another set of doors and realized with a start that it was Drew's locker room.

They were calling his name, banging on the door and yelling for him to come out. May almost laughed. Drew's fangirls were out today in full force and she bit down on her lip to keep from smiling as security appeared from around the corner and herded the girls away.

May didn't catch a glance of Drew as she walked past his locker room to her own. Once she passed the door, she let the thoughts of her rival shift to the back of her mind as she called out her decided Pokémon pair. The battle for the title was looming over her head and she was determined to meet Drew with her absolute best and give him a battle to remember.

She finally saw him as their names were called to the roaring crowd and they walked out into deafening cheers and flashing stage lights. The roof of the stadium was closed due to the rain, but May was fine with that-she wasn't planning on using a Flying type. Drew lifted his hand to the crowd and a confident smirk tipped up his lips.

May connected their eyes and smiled. She raised both of her hands and soaked in the cheers of the crowd, feeling them rock her right to her core. Drew's eyes were still fixed on her and she gave him her most confident look and his smirk widened. Their rivalry-five years-had led to this point and they were both so ready for that title that May was sure this would be the toughest battle she'd ever fought.

Her knuckles tightened around her selected Pokéballs in anticipation as the MC introduced each competitor. Drew's Pokéballs were tucked between his fingers and he looked confident. When the referee raised his hands, time slowed. May felt her connection to her Pokémon deep in her soul and made her move.

Across from her, Drew did the same.

Flygon, Blaziken, Absol, and Wartortle land on the field.

May felt the laugh bubble up in her chest and she was unable to hold it in as the reality of the situation set in. She looked at Drew and he didn't look surprised. He looked amused though and May fought to get her laughter under control. This was the exact same match-up that had occurred at the Kanto Grand Festival and it was long overdue a rematch.

The flags rose and fell and Drew jumped on the attack, calling for a Dragon Breath. Flygon let loose the attack and May barely commands her partners to dodge. The purple stream narrowly misses both Blaziken and Wartortle. Drew was standing perfectly still, his expression composed and May was struck again by the memories of their early morning confessions, but she blocked him out. It was time to battle.

"Wartortle, use Aqua Jet!" she commands. Her Pokémon obediently uses the priority move to try and get in close and just before she can call an Aqua Tail attack, Drew counters.

Absol's Razor Wind rips through Aqua Jet and knocks Wartortle back and takes a sixteenth of May's points-first blood.

May bit her lip, but focused on Blaziken, instructing a Blaze Kick. Drew didn't have time to dodge and her Fighting type lands the attack and their points were equal once again. They were only forty seconds into the match, but already May saw fire blazing in Drew's eyes and she didn't need to see a mirror to know she looked the same.

"Sandstorm!" he yelled. May's heart skipped a beat as Flygon whipped its tail, stirring dust up. The cloud grew bigger and bigger as the Dragon-Ground type whipped up the sand storm.

Her vision of Blaziken and Wartortle was obstructed and May knew she was in trouble. Not only could she not see her own Pokémon, but Drew was clearly used to this tactic so she had no idea where Flygon and Absol would be. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she tried to regain her composure, but the panic lingered deep inside.

"Night Slash," Drew commanded, sounding as cool and confident as ever.

May had no idea which of her Pokémon Absol was attacking, so she yelled the first thing that came to mind. "Jump!"

Blaziken sprung up over the cloud of smoke and Drew frowned. Seconds later it appeared like it hadn't been enough as Wartortle was sent flying out of the sandstorm. Her turtle Pokémon rocked back on his shell, unable to continue. Her throat tightened and her points dropped more. She returned Wartortle, pressing a kiss to the top of his Pokéball.

As if suddenly luck was on her side, she caught the briefest glimpse of Flygon hiding in the sand. Since she still knew exactly where Blaziken was thanks to his spring jump, she felt a little surer of herself as she called her next move. "Sky Uppercut, Blaziken!"

Her starter sprung forward, moving blindly and yet accurately as it solidly hit Drew's Flygon, sending the Dragon type flying out of the sandstorm on his side. Drew's lips pressed together in frustration as he returned his defeated Pokémon. As he did so, the sand around the pitch settled slowly back into nothingness.

Blaziken and Absol were left standing on opposite ends of the field. They were both battered, but definitely still able to battle and May knew that she wasn't out of the woods yet. Her eyes found Drew's from across the field and for a second, all the sound just disappeared.

He looked fired up and also a little stressed and there was a crease in his brow. His green eyes looked so alive and May could almost feel the adrenaline flowing through him just as it seared through her veins. They were rivals, the ultimate match-up, in a battle for their dreams and it was dead even. Her whole career as a coordinator had led to this point and as she looked across the pitch at Drew, he met her gaze and her heart flipped.

Win or lose, May had finally figured it out. She and Drew were two incredible coordinators and it didn't matter who walked away with the title, because they had an incredible connection. Yet in that moment, with the crowds screaming and their Pokémon panting and the rain pounding into the roof above their heads, it was as if the world had righted itself and May saw her goal.

She extended a hand forwards and the command that left her lips was barely heard as Blaziken launched forward, using Sky Uppercut once again. Her eyes caught Drew's once more as he waved a hand forth, his emotive state radiating, and called Slash.

The Pokémon collided and locked for a second before they were both shooting backwards. As soon as they hit the ground they had launched towards each other again. May chose Blaze Kick and Drew chose Night Slash and they once again locked and the flames and darkness radiating around them was startlingly beautiful. Once again, the resulting block resulted in a tie as the two Pokémon staggered back.

Drew caught her eye once more and he lifted his chin, a confident smirk settling into place. "Aerial Ace!" he yelled.

May felt dread rush her bones. The Flying type move would be super effective and if it landed a direct hit, Blaziken was done. Aerial Ace, she recalled in a panic, was a one hundred percent accurate move. The only thing she could do was hope to lessen the damage.

"Overheat!" she cried, forcing the fear out of her voice.

Blaziken let loose a swirling vortex of fire and May's eyes widened. It was not Overheat; it was something stronger and far more intimidating. Later, she would find out that Blaziken had learned Blast Burn in the perfect timing. Absol didn't even slow with Aerial Ace, launching straight through the fire to land a solid hit that made a cloud of smoke erupt.

May's heart skipped a beat as she watched, shoulders tight with anticipation. As the dust settled, Blaziken was kneeling, but still conscious. Across from her starter, Absol was also up, but after a second, the Disaster Pokémon flinched heavily and May knew it was burned. She was about to call another attack for Blaziken when the buzzer sounded and her voice died in her throat.

May, Drew, and the rest of the stadium stared at the scoreboard. The points were nearly equal, but there was one competitor with a tiny fraction more in points.

The crowd erupted in cheers and May watched as a face that wasn't her own lit up the screen. Her eyes darted across the pitch to Drew. He was staring slack-jawed at the screen as if he couldn't believe he had won. He glanced at her, green eyes swirling with all sorts of emotions. He had won through the tiniest margin May had ever seen and he wasn't sure whether to celebrate or collapse in relief.

May tipped her head to him, conceding defeat, and letting him know that she was proud of him for winning. Drew's expression split into one of pure happiness and the most radiant smile she'd ever seen took over his face. He ran to Absol and embraced his partner and May felt her heart flutter for him. Drew deserved it; there was no one she would have rather faced and lost to.

Blaziken padded across the pitch towards her, exhausted and worn. May ran the last few steps to him, throwing her arms around her starter. "I'm so proud of you," she assured, blinking away tears.

She had come so far and though she had lost, she was incredibly proud of her Pokémon. Internally, she was crushed, but she painted on her best smile and promised herself to be happy for Drew. After all, he hadn't beaten her by much and it was a victory he had earned.

May recalled Blaziken and tucked his Pokéball away. "Get some rest," she said softly. "I'm so proud of you."

Drew had returned his Absol by the time she looked up and he was already walking towards the halfway point in the field. May walked quickly out to meet him. They stood face to face and the crowds' cheering didn't lesson at all. He extended a hand to her, as was customary after a match, but May ignored him.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. Drew doesn't hesitate to hug her back and May inhales shakily. He was warm and familiar and May smiled. Her heart was still beating with adrenaline, but she wasn't sure whether it was from the heat of the battle or her racing mind and wild emotions in that moment.

After what was probably a touch long for a friendly hug, they broke apart, but Drew didn't remove his hands from May's waist. He was tentative touching her, but May left her hands on his shoulders too. She smiled brightly at him, heart still pounding. Everything in her brain was screaming at her to lean forwards and kiss him, but the roar of the crowd hadn't dissipated and May knew that kissing him here would be a terrible idea.

So she retracted her hands back to her side and stepped out of his embrace. "Congratulations," she said firmly.

Drew's smile slipped a little and he looked like he wanted to say something to her, but he didn't and instead just nodded. Their gazes both shot skyward as a loud creaking sound announced the opening of the roof. They watched in unison as the roof split away revealing grey clouds in the sky that shone a silvery tone from the hidden sunlight. The rain had finally let up. May smiled a little wider.

An hour later had May squeezed between Harley and Solidad in the stands as she watched Drew step onto the podium to be handed his Ribbon Cup. He raised it above his head and shared his brilliant smile with the world. From her seat at such a distance, May couldn't make out his slight dimples, but she knew they would be out in full force.

Her own smile was contagious and she caught Solidad glancing between Drew and her with a tiny smile perking the other coordinator's lips. May blushed, understanding the wordless implication and Solidad just laughed. May knew she had fed the fires with her and Drew's very much not-friendly hug after the battle and now she had to face the furnace.

It didn't take more than a minute for someone to corner May at the closing ceremonies. Thankfully it was a coordinator she liked, and Marina hugged the brunette tightly. Pulling back, she held May at arm's length and smiled radiantly.

"You were incredible today! Both you and Drew deserved the Ribbon Cup, and he just barely beat you, but that truly was a battle to watch. I'm proud to have lost to you," Marina explained.

May laughed and patted the other girl's arm. "Thank you," she said honestly.

Marina dropped her hands and gave May a quick once over. "You look lovely too," she added, dropping a little wink. "You'll knock his socks off."

May didn't even have a chance to respond as Marina darted away, teal curls bouncing over her silver dress. May watched her, cheeks warm, as she linked arms with a tall young man with messy dark hair. In the right light, he could almost look like Ash. She laughed, recalling the whirlwind of conversations she'd had after the battle. Ash had prattled on about how amazing she was, while Zoey and Dawn gushed over her combinations and Brock threw in a few words here and there. She'd spoken to her family too and some other friends she'd met along the way.

She flattened her palms against her dress to smooth out imaginary wrinkles. There was no pretending that she wasn't trying to look nice because she was wearing the most expensive dress she owned. It was a black lace dress with a pale pink underskirt. The lace was embroidered with sequences that made it sparkle under the light, but avoided looking tacky. Her favourite features were the roses sewn into certain areas of lace. It was more low-cut than anything May was used to and the whole back was sheer so her back was visible through a thin layer of lace.

She'd put on matching pink heels with tiny black bows on them and her hair had been teased half-up and half-down with big bouncy curls. Dawn had called her and walked her through the process of putting on her make-up and though she felt a little uncomfortable in the amount she'd put on, the Sinnoh coordinator assured her that she looked stunning.

Marina complimenting her had made her feel more confident and she no longer felt out of place amidst the other coordinators who were all dolled up in the same fashion. She scanned the mobs of competitors for a familiar face, but didn't see anyone. A few people whose names she didn't know congratulated her, and May thanked them graciously.

Finally, May found Harley at the punch bowl, talking to Lucy. The redheaded New Bark town trainer was looking a little exasperated and May smiled to herself. Anyone would be that frustrated talking to Harley, except for maybe Solidad. She made her way over to them, and Lucy jumped on her appearance to avoid Harley.

The redhead had pin straight hair that fell below her shoulders and a dress that was yellow at the top and blue on the bottom and ombréed to a green colour in the middle. It was very pretty and May complimented her on it. Lucy laughed and thanked her before returning the compliment. Harley cleared his throat and May took in his purple suit. She forced a compliment out and Harley beamed at her, adding that she looked absolutely ravishing.

"Where's Solidad?" May asked, glancing around.

"She went looking for Drew," Harley explained, picking at his nails like he was bored. "She'll be back once she realizes that she can't find him."

"Drew's not here?" May questioned, surprise ebbing into her voice.

"No," Solidad agreed, appearing out of the crowd. "He's not here anywhere."

May set her jaw. "He'll be here. He just won the Grand Festival, he has to come!" she insisted.

Solidad's expression told her that she wasn't as sure, but she smiled at May anyways. "I'm sure you're right," she said.

May glanced around the room, looking for a flash of green hair, but she saw nothing.

An hour passed in the party and May still had not found Drew. She danced with several people including Harley, and a couple of the male coordinators she deemed nice enough, but there was still no Drew. She had found herself next to Solidad again as Mr. Contesta stood on the stage at the front of the room and called for everyone's attention.

He thanked the judges and the staff of the event and the city of Goldenrod for hosting, and he also honoured all the competitors for earning five ribbons and coming out to compete in the largest Grand Festival in Johto's history. Contesta's eyes searched the crowd until they picked out May and he smiled at her, wrinkles crinkling the corners of his eyes.

"A special congratulations to the Runner Up, May Maple of Petalburg!" he said, still smiling at her.

The crowd of coordinators clapped enthusiastically for her and a few people cheered and May heard someone whistle. A light fell on her like a spotlight. She giggled and blushed, but raised her hand and waved, glowing with pride. Contesta eventually waved his hands for silence and all eyes fell back on him.

"And now to congratulate, again, our winner and the Johto region's newest Top Coordinator, Mister Drew Hayden!"

A light roved over the crowd looking for Drew, but he was still nowhere to be found. People murmured in confusion and scanned the faces of people next to them for the winner, but no one was able to find him. A frown slid onto May's face as she too, caught no sign of Drew.

Contesta looked awkward, but he called for attention and congratulated everyone one last time before he stepped off the stage and let the festivities resume. People were still confused about Drew not showing up, and May was beginning to feel less confident in her assumption that her rival would show himself before the night ended.

Solidad touched May's arm gently to catch her attention. "May, have you even thought that Drew might not be coming?" she asked gently. "We both know he never sticks around after contests, that could extend to the Grand Festival as well," she proposed.

"No," May argued, shaking her head. "He's always stuck around after the Grand Festival."

"But how often have you seen him at the closing ceremonies?" Solidad pointed out.

May paused. She'd never seen him at closing ceremonies. He was always off somewhere else. She remembered finding him on the beach in Hoenn where he'd been training with Masquerain. Suddenly she recalled a conversation she'd had with him before the festival started when they'd been having coffee in Goldenrod. He had claimed that the National Park was his favourite area of Goldenrod. She'd stumbled across him training there multiple times in the week too.

A sudden revelation caused May to straight up and pull away from Solidad. "I have to go," she said vaguely.

Solidad just smiled. "Go find him," she said firmly.

May turned and darted off into the crowd.

He was sitting on a bench in front of the largest fountain in the park, bathed in light from the streetlight overhead. He was wearing a dress shirt, tie, dress pants and dress shoes. There was even a coat draped over the back of the bench. From his attire, May guessed that he had originally been planning to attend the ceremony. His Ribbon Cup was on the ground at his feet and Drew was massaging his temples like he had a headache.

He didn't look up as she approached and she sat silently on the bench next to him.

"You didn't come," she murmured softly.

Drew finally looked at her. His green eyes were clouded with so many emotions that May couldn't pick one to focus on, so she just smiled sadly at him. "I don't like parties," he reminded. May raised an eyebrow at him, but Drew just looked away, squinting up into the light overhead. "I wanted some time to reflect," he continued.

He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly and May brushed her knee against his reassuringly. "I phoned my father," he confessed. "I wanted him to be proud of me, to tell me that I battled well." His hands curled into fists. "He didn't watch it. He didn't watch any of it." He paused and May sat, waiting for him to continue. "I won a Ribbon Cup and he didn't even watch."

May opened her mouth to say something reassuring, but Drew's hand suddenly covered her own, surprising her. "There's something extremely important I need to tell you," he confessed. May blinked in surprise. "I'm going to talk, and you are not allowed to interrupt me," he said matter of factly.

He took a deep breath and looked out over the silent park. "I won the Grand Festival. I'm a Top Coordinator. I worked for years to get to this point and now that I'm here. I'm so grateful to my Pokémon, to my friends, and especially to you. Facing you in the finals, I was more nervous than I'd ever been in my life and rightfully so. That was a battle that I'll never forget. You lit a fire in my blood and I only barely beat you. And honestly, I'm so glad it was you. It wouldn't have been the same if I had faced anyone but you.

"I'm honoured and humbled by the fact that you classify me as your rival. You're a much better person than me, and I'm grateful for the chances you have given me as a friend and a rival. We started off rivals, and through Hoenn that's what we were, but here in Johto, and through Kanto too, we were friends." He paused and May was staring at him, wide-eyed. His lips tilted into a tiny smile. "I never had a lot of friends. Before you, the only one I even liked was Solidad, but there were always people around through coordinating. Somebody told me that I'd meet my best friends through coordinating. With Solidad I believed it, but I never thought there would be somebody else until you came along.

"I admire you," he admitted. "You have this spirit, this fire, that's unique to you and I've never met anyone who can match it. Through the years I've known you, we were rivals, friends and now, there's something that I've been trying to place since Kanto."

At this point May knew exactly where he was going and she really needed to do something. "Drew, stop," she said, cutting him off. He glanced at her, looking a little peeved, but May ploughed on. "I know you told me not to interrupt, but I'm at the point where I can fill in the rest myself and you need to let me talk too."

Their eyes locked and Drew said nothing. "When we met," May began, "you were a brat. I really, really didn't like you, even as good at coordinating as you were. Yet through our journeys, you've become my best friend alongside Ash and Brock. Every time we met in Johto, there was something there and I couldn't put my finger on. There were feelings I had for you that I've never felt for anyone else and maybe it took someone like Dawn or Solidad shining a light in my eyes, but now I can see it. This thing we have, it's real," she finished softly.

Drew's fingers brushed against her own and his eyes were clouded with a deep emotion that May felt all the way to her soul. She was so busy staring into his eyes, she almost didn't notice the rose he gently curled her fingers around, thornless, red, and flawless as usual. She glanced quickly down at it, brushing the tips of her fingers over the edges of the petals. It was slightly damp, but it had to be the most beautiful one she'd seen yet.

It's then she knew it: she loved Drew and Drew loved her.

He pressed his lips together and tried to disguise his smile. May pulled her hand away to muffle her own laughter and soon they were both laughing, the soft and romantic atmosphere ruined. As though determined to finish what he started, Drew abruptly cut off his laugh and leaned towards her.

His breath brushed softly across her cheeks and she caught a whiff of sandalwood and roses-from him or his cologne, she wasn't sure-and then he was kissing her. It was soft, tentative at first, but May leaned into him and Drew's hand brushed against her cheek, pulling her close.

She leaned away first, cheeks flushed. He was looking at her in a way that warmed her all the way to her core.

"When I met you on that beach in Hoenn, this is probably the last place I thought I would be," Drew admitted, his tone light and teasing.

May scoffed. "Excuse you," she retorted. Drew just smirked at her and May leaned up to wipe it off his face.

Right before their lips met again, a drop of rain fell from the dark clouds gathered and landed right on May's head. She jerked away from Drew and looked up. More rain followed and soon it was sprinkling. Drew frowned, but stood up, pulling May with him. He offered her his coat and she slid her bare arms through it gratefully. Drew picked up his Ribbon Cup with one hand and before she could think herself out of it, May slid her fingers into his.

He squeezed her hand gently and smiled at her. "The press are going to have a field day," he remarked.

May tapped her fingers against his. "Honestly," she started, "let them."

Author's Note: Wow. This story man... It took almost a year to complete thanks to writers block and my occasionally very busy life, but it's finally finished! Thanks to all the readers and reviewers, this couldn't have happened without you guys. I apologize for the long and unreasonable breaks between updates at times, but I thank you for sticking with the story. I'm so happy to say that Sand, my Contestshipping 8-piece, and my first multi-chapter, is complete!

I've been toying around with a couple of ideas at the moment as for what I want to do next.

1.) I'm writing an angsty Gary/Misty/Ash one-shot that I'm about 40-50% complete. The standing title, subject to change, is fire in her veins.

2.) I'm working on a couple of different multi-chapters, but I'm not sure where to go with any of them at the moment. Warriors' Gazette, the Pokémon Highschool AU, is likely to be the first published, but I'm not sure it'll happen anytime soon.

3.) My PJO/HOO Big Bang piece. It's at 7,000 words and the target amount is at least 10,000. I've got the plot for it, I just have to write it. It has to be completed by October so hopefully my inspiration will have returned by then. I think this will be where I place my priority. I WILL GET IT DONE.

4.) A PJO Soulmate AU where one person gets a tattoo and it appears on the other person for Jasper. (0% written, some ideas penned)

5.) An angsty ML one-shot called a crack in this façade of glass that's about 30% completed, but I'm blanking on it at the moment and I feel like I've written too much angst lately.

6.) A post-reveal ML one-shot called so we'll take our time that I haven't started, but I have ideas for it.

7.) A Voltron angst one-shot that's about 70% written

Anyways, thanks for reading Sand, I hope you enjoyed the story!

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-Nicole