"Do you love me?" Dawn asks her boyfriend as they're camped out under the stars.

"Hm?" He grunts in response. Why is this troublesome girl asking him this right now? He's tired and they both have a big day of traveling tomorrow.

"Do you love me, Paul?"

Sighing, he grumbles out, "Sure."

She pouts at this answer. "Then say it!"

Paul groans as he says, "I love you."

"No. Now I know you don't mean it."

Arceus, what did he do to deserve this? Oh yeah, agree to date her. "Troublesome."

"You know my name is Dawn!" she angrily exclaims. Why is he being such an ass right now? Yes, they've been dating for a couple of months now, and they've been traveling together, but he's never said those three words she's been longing to hear. He also only dated her after she spent many weeks convincing him. Does he even like her or is he just doing things so she stops complaining?

Paul only chuckles to himself. She makes it too easy to tease her. That's a reason he likes her. Of course, this causes Dawn to kick him because she hears him.

"You're so mean."

"Good." He mutters into her hair while she places her head on his chest.

Dawn loves listening to Paul's calm heartbeat because it soothes her. But since it's calm, that must mean he doesn't feel anything for her. Her heart beats rapidly whenever he's around; however, his is always so calm when she hears it. Did she really just force this guy to date her? "Do you even love me?"

"You know I do." Arceus, he's not gonna get to sleep tonight, is he? Although he likes this girl, she's always so troublesome and insecure. Paul Shinji doesn't interact with anyone, so she should get the hint already because he even allows her to be this touchy feely with him.

"But you never said it."

"I did earlier."

"That's because I told you to. Not because you want to."

He inwardly groans. She really is troublesome. "Well, if I tell you it now, you'll just say the same thing."

Dawn sighs as she knows he's right. She wants him to tell her when he means it. Although she's told him plenty of times now, he never says it back, or she doesn't believe him.

Sensing her sadness, Paul swallows his pride as he asks, "Do you really need me to tell you 'I love you' in order for you to know I do?"

"It'd be nice." she manages to say.

Shaking his head, Paul pulls away from her so he can look in her beautiful midnight blue eyes. "How many friends do I have?"

Why's he asking this now? They're talking about each other, not their friends! Whatever, she'll play his game. The bluenette thinks for a while as she mentally lists them off her hand. "Five."

Paul inwardly groans again because that is five too many. Who is this girl? Oh, yeah. His girlfriend. "Troublesome, who are my friends?"

"Barry, Kenny, Zoey, Ash, and Brock." she tells him knowingly as she remembers them interacting a few months ago.

"Those are your friends!"

"But they're also yours!"

"I only tolerate them because they're yours!" Does she really not get it by now?

Dawn quietly sits as she thinks to herself. It's true though. Paul rarely talks to them because she does all the talking, but Paul also doesn't talk much. Does he really not consider them friends? If not, does Paul even have friends?

Sighing, Paul decides to ask, "How many times do I tell you you're troublesome?"

"Too many." she pouts because he's constantly telling her this. It's her nickname now, which she finds annoying yet cute.

"How many people have I ever traveled with?" he annoyedly asks.

When she was traveling with Ash, Paul traveled alone. He was such an asshole, but eventually, he showed a softer side to him. That's why she stuck around and eventually, she started traveling with him. Had he traveled with anyone else before though?

How had they even started traveling together? Oh yeah! She just tagged along one day since they were going in the same direction, and they've been traveling together ever since! "Um. Just me?"

Paul gives her a knowing look. "Now tell me I don't love you."

Blushing, the bluenette shyly looks away. Paul tolerates a lot of things because of her. Even though he finds her annoying and troublesome, he still keeps her around. And she's the only one he's ever let travel with him. That must mean something, right?

"Based on my personality, do you ever see me dating anyone?"

This makes the shy girl giggle since she can't imagine the stoic Paul ever being interested in anyone. Too many people find him scary or disinteresting since he only seems to care about Pokemon training. Plus, Paul finds people too annoying. He'd never date anyone...but he's dating her, and he finds her very annoying.

Dawn kisses him because, despite never saying those three words, he loves her in his own ways. It's also not a Paul thing to declare his feelings verbally. He loves her, and she'll be fine if he never says it because she knows it. Dawn meets his gaze again as she stares into Paul's annoyed coal grey eyes. "I love you too, Paul."

With a small smile on his face, he softly says, "You're troublesome."