There's just something about an awkward silence. She's generally the one who breaks it. Since she is usually bright and bubbly and optimistic. But now, she's enforcing it, and it has nothing to do with the fact that her throat has closed up. And she feels herself fighting back tears of the pain he caused. Or because really, she's just afraid. No. it's not because of that. She's surprised by his presence, and his attire, and his eyes, oh man those eyes. Those dark steel cobalt eyes. One look into those eyes and she swears she is in a whole new world. She's not afraid of him. Really. She. Is. Not. Afraid. Of. Paul. Shinji.

"What are you…?" Her throat kept closing up. "What… um… are you doing here?" Her fingers might be tightening around the doorknob, and her back might be straight, but she was sure that her face was impassive, and she tried to make her voice sound casual.

Paul looked down for a bit before he faced her and asked "Can I come in?"

Dawn's first urge is to slam the door in his face and run up to her room and hide. But instead she opts for civility. And states "This is not a good time…"

Paul glanced over her shoulder a bit nervously. "Is May here?"

"Um…yeah. She is. Er… she's changing. Yup, that's what she's doing. God, she is a terrible liar. Doesn't she know that he can read every single detail about her? Paul quirked and eyebrow at her, and smirked.

"That's funny since I just saw her and Drew on their way to the library." He looked at her expectantly.

"Oh well, she came back." Dawn fabulously lies, thinking she's smooth.

Paul sighed. "Troublesome…"

Dawn huffs annoyed at her cute nickname and the door starts closing on its own accord. "It's great talking to you Paul, but I really have to-"He pushed at the door, startling her. Stepping forward he gently pushed the door further and stepped inside.

"I think we need to talk." Paul states softly as he looked at her with a serious expression.

Dawn stepped back, her eyes scanning for any distraction, anything at all to avoid him, and push him away, after the fight she realized that maybe he is better off without her. Her heart starts quickening its pace, as she tries to find an excuse to get him to leave. "I really can't… I have to go…"

Paul shut the door behind him "I just want to talk." He states in a tired tone.

Dawn sighed tiredly. "About what? What could you possibly have to tell me? She asked exasperatedly.

For once, Paul seemed speechless. "I don't…" He moved restlessly from one foot to the other. "I don't know." He mumbles softly.

Dawn let out a dry laugh, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Are you messing with me?"

"I wish." Paul mumbled under his breath. She keeps looking at him, utterly confused. "I just… I couldn't leave things like that…between us." He shoved his hands in his pockets with an annoyed look on his face as he looked at her.

He expects something, she can see it. But right now, it's only been a week. And she is definitely not ready for this. Dawn let out a bitter laugh. "This is…" She shook her head in disbelief as she started moving back again needing to keep more space between them. "I don't think I can…"

Paul looked at Dawn earnestly, and gently said "Dawn…"

"No." She raised her hands to stop him. "Wait. I…" She practiced this. She went over word for word with her best friend. And now her mind has to defy her and make her forget the entire speech she practiced when she faced this man again. "I don't know why you want to talk to me right now…" She raised her hand again when Paul took a step towards her. "But… I'm over this whole thing between us. I know it doesn't seem like it because it has only been a few days, but it's true." She rambled on. Dawn half expected his face to fall, but it doesn't and she couldn't help but feel a slight disappointment. "And I would really like it if we can go back to being friends, it worked before didn't it?" She finished nervously. There she goes again throwing around the F word, as she thought about it they never really were friends from the gecko. In fact they hated each other. They just had common friends, so they were kind of forced to see each other all the time. But at the same time they didn't have to hang out with their friends, when the other was around, maybe they liked seeing each other, maybe just maybe they enjoyed arguing and getting a rise out of each other, but that doesn't really go with the definition of being a friend now does it?

Paul gave her the most incredulous look, "Friends? You want us… to be friends?" he said grumpily.

She's taken off guard by the forcefulness in his tone. "Y…yes. We can be friends." Dawn stuttered.

Paul growled throwing her an annoyed look, "Unbelievable." He muttered as he looks heavenward. And then he glances back at her. His dark cobalt eyes met her blue ones. "I came here to tell you that we shouldn't be friends." He stated in a frustrated tone. This girl will be the death of him, stupid troublesome girl.

Dawn was confused again. "What are we supposed to be then? Strangers?"

Paul looked into her eyes, and stated "I was hoping for more than that…"

Dawn seriously did not get him. He is so bi polar she thought to herself, "Acquaintances?" she asked again still confused.

Paul growled angrily, "More than that."

Honestly, Dawn still didn't get it. "Then I'm sorry, but we're back to being friends…"

This girl cannot be any denser, God why did he have to fall for someone like her? Why did she make him feel the things that he does. Paul impatiently growled

Dawn was startled when he took a step forward and grabs her shoulders, his gaze met hers seriously. "More than that." He says softly

She doesn't have the strength to shrug him off her. "But that means…" He took a step closer. Dawn looked away. This, she cannot handle.

Paul tried to catch her gaze. "It means… that I was wrong and I think you were right." He smirks. "I'm not wrong often, so take it as a compliment while you still can." He states smugly.

Dawn glanced at him, this time she had the strength to move away from him. "You should leave." She deadpanned.

He scoffs in amusement, as she throws him an annoyed look. "You're serious." He grunted, while raising an eyebrow at her.

"Very." Her glare is deadly. It would have scared every other boy, but no not him. He smirks at her, he loves when she's angry, and all riled up. He doesn't use this word often but he thinks it's adorable when he sees her like this, but of course his ego would never let him admit that out loud. Paul grunted softly "Look, I get that you're mad-"

"Mad? I'm not mad. I'm beyond furious." She interrupted him, her hands flailing for some semblance of normalcy, even though to him she looked like a crazy person. "You tell me that you don't feel anything for me, then you come here, and expect me to just fall into your arms again? No way you stupid plum-head I am not that kind of girl." She angrily pouts. God who does this asshole think he his? He thinks he can come in here smirking to himself thinking that he can sweep me off of my feet and have this fairytale romance? No way, fairytales don't exist. And even if they did, they were so far from a happily ever after.

He sighed warily. "I know that. It's just… a lot of things have happened between us. How was I to know that you wouldn't dump me for the next douchebag who comes along?" God, what was he saying? He sounded like such a weakling, being afraid of getting dumped again. Usually he couldn't careless, but with her it's different. Everything is different. She is different. And he honestly couldn't handle if she left again.

Dawn's jaw dropped at how ridiculous he sounded. "Because I wouldn't" she stated firmly. Who is this man and what did he do with the real Paul? Paul always had a hard time declaring what he felt, so she felt surprised and special that he showed his soft side to her once in a while.

He scoffed with a light blush on his cheeks, as he turned away from her. "You've done it before. Anytime it god hard, you ran." He grunted angrily biting the inside of his cheek.

"And anytime it got hard, you wouldn't fight for me." She stated defensively.

Paul finally looked at her seriously. "Is that how you see it?" She blushed and looked away from the intensity of his gaze. His gaze always makes her heart race. "Seriously Dawn. Tell me is that how you see it? He took slow steps towards her. "I wanted you more than anything, why wouldn't I fight for you?!" he grunted angrily narrowing his eyes at her.

She kept her gaze on a photo of her and May and her mind went back to a conversation they once had. "Because everything is supposed to be easy with you." She said softly. "If it was easy it was meant to be, and if it wasn't…" She trailed off, her eyes meeting his.

Paul sighed sadly, "I'm sorry you thought that, but that wasn't our problem."

Dawn looked at him curiously. "Then what was?" she questioned.

He looked hesitant for a second before making up his mind. "We're just not right together." She opened her mouth to deny it, but he interrupted her. "I know what you're going to say, and I agree. But as much as I care about you, there will always be this nagging voice in my head that keeps saying that I'm not enough for you." Hell he wasn't enough for her. This girl was happy, loud, bright, always living in the sunshine. He was so far from that. He was grumpy, quiet, dark, and always living in the shadow. They were complete opposites. How in world did they think they could possibly work out? Do opposites really attract? Or is science a lie when it comes to real people?

Dawn huffed "Paul-"As she tried to talk.

Paul shook his head. "Let me finish. You're going places, Dawn. You'll graduate, get a job, go up the ranks, meet a nice guy, and have three children and a white picket fence. I'm the guy who's going to stay in Sinnoh for the rest of my life." He paused, and she could see how difficult it was for him to say what came next. "Can you honestly say that you can picture me as that suburban husband?" he grunted softly as he gazed at her with a far off look in his eyes.

Dawn paused in thought, of course she didn't see him like that, but that's because she doesn't want that. She wants him, all of him or nothing at all. She gazes at him and says "No, but we don't have to have the picket fence, I don't want suburban."

"Why? Because it's too boring for me?" She felt like she had been punched in the gut, he is not getting what she is trying to say at all. Her dream is too just be happy, and happiness is wherever he is. Doesn't he understand that? "I want that for you, but not for me." His cold hard gaze softened. "Do you see where I'm going with this?" He grunted.

Now it really felt like she was being repeatedly punched in the gut. "Then what are you doing here?" She asked desperately. She really wanted all these mixed signals to just stop.

Paul gave her an exasperated look, and sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know were not right for each other, but that doesn't mean I don't want to try to be right for you." He will do anything, anything at all. If it's just to be with her. He wanted to be good, he wanted to be good enough for her.

Dawn gently smiled "So you're saying bring on the picket fence?" She asked still confused, trying to make sure this is what he wanted.

"No. I'm just saying that we have senior year. And I don't want to spend it with anyone else." He disclaimed.

Dawn's smile turned into a frown, "senior year? Paul shrugged. "Just senior year?" she asked in a hurt tone.

Paul growled angrily, "Don't take this the wrong way." He sighed, right when they were getting to a good place, it's like they had to crash and burn again.

She felt her anger return full force head on. "Don't take this the wrong way? Are you kidding me?" Dawn snapped as she glared hard at him.

Paul glared right back at her, "I'm being practical." He snapped back.

Dawn scoffed, "No, you're being scared. Being practical is getting together and seeing where we could go with this. What you're doing is cowardly." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Paul growled, can't they ever be civil? Nope, because they enjoy the fire it ignites between them. It shows them as equals in the relationship. Never better then the other. But it also showed passion, and let's be honest. Their lives would be boring if they weren't at each other's throat here and there. "I am not being a coward." He snapped defensively clenching his fists.

She huffed, and glared. "You know what? Just leave." But Dawn didn't want him to leave, you know that thing that girls do when they say they want you to do something but don't actually mean it? Yeah, that's what she's doing right now. She's crazy, but she wants to know if this will work this time. She needed to know.

Paul's back straightened and narrowed his eyes at her. "Fine." He grunted angrily, with a final glare he turned on his heel and stormed out, causing her to wince when her door slammed shut.

Dawn stood there dumbfounded and hurt. He left. He really, truly left. She can't believe he left. She had expected him to stay, to fight for them. But this gave her the answer she needed. It wasn't the answer she wanted. But this proved that they weren't going to work out. She felt tears build up in her eyes as she stares hard at the door, hoping that he might actually come back. Even though she fears in reality that he won't. She practically jumped in shock when he suddenly slammed open the door and stormed back in, his face scrunched up in anger.

Paul glared at her and started yelling, "You know what? Not fine! This whole fucking thing? Not fine! You and me? Not fine! You can't dictate what I do, I sure as hell won't let you. You might want to leave, or ask me to leave and threaten to make me leave. But you know what? I'm not fucking leaving so you can just throw whatever the hell you want at me but I'm not-"

He was silence as Dawn moved quickly across the room, grabbed his shirt and kissed him with all that passion she could muster. He immediately responded, his arms circling around her to pull her closer. It felt like it was the first time in a long time. And she savored every minute of it. Caressing her cheek gently. He slowly pulled away and looked into her eyes. "What was that about?" He grunted softly.

She leaned into his touch, and placed her hand on his, "I just wanted to kiss you." She said softly.

His lips quirked upward into a smirk. "You can. Whenever you want to." He said hungrily.

She smiled radiantly at him. "I want to try this again. Properly." She states happily that they both finally found their common ground.

Paul kissed her softly. "So do I. But this doesn't mean that we don't have our problems." He stated seriously.

"No." She snaked her arms around his shoulders. "But at least we can try." She looks up at him giving him a hopeful look.

"And at the risk of sounding like cheesy romance novel…" He grinned that crooked smile of his, which he only ever saved for her. "I missed you." Mumbling in her hair.

She smiled softly, and whispered "I missed you too."

Paul smirked and looked at her, "So um… when can we get to the coitus part of the relationship?" He quirked his eyebrows at her as he asked suggestively.

Dawn let out a genuine laugh, and raised her eyebrows at him, "Coitus?"

Paul shrugged. "Blame Reggie." He has been teaching me many, many things that I would honestly like to forget." He grunted in annoyance.

She let out a giggle and kissed him again. "Let's wait until our fifth date."

He groaned. "Can we count this as our first date?" Narrowing his eyes at her, slightly pouting.

Dawn smirked, "Not unless you want to experience coitus on our sixth date." She exclaimed laughing.

"Point taken." He growled. Slowly he let go of her. "So then, I guess we shouldn't postpone this practice many call the 'the dating ritual'." He took her hand in his, the other behind his back, as he slightly bowed. "My lady, would you do me the honor of attending dinner and a movie with me tonight, as he looked at her with a grin on his face.

She giggled, and bowed her head in acceptance. "I would." Smiling happily as her bright blue eyes lit up in excitement.

"Excellent." He winked at her as he lightly brushed his lips against her knuckles. "Then I shall pick you up at seven." Standing up straight, he smoothly circled his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. He kissed her softly. "So then, we're not over?" he softly asked.

Dawn grinned as she kissed him quickly on the corner of his mouth. "No, we're just getting started." She said as she gazed into his eyes.

I'm not afraid of tomorrow,

Tomorrow, I'm afraid, will change.

And if we're consumed by counting each hour,

What's left of today?

The End ~

Authors Note: So, I hope people enjoyed this short story, it took a lot of work. I know it isn't perfect. And there might be mistakes. But I'm still new and trying my best, and tips would be great! Thank you for reading

I also forgot to put a disclaimer at the beginning. I don't own Pokémon, if I did I would be the Pokémon master already!