Piers paused in the doorway when he entered his flat.  Inside was cold, dark, silent.  This was not a place he wanted to spend the remainder of his night.  The thought flashed in his head to leave, to go somewhere else, anywhere else.  With a sigh, he decided against it and drug himself inside.  There was nowhere else for him tonight.

Both Marnie and Annais were out of town for matches.  His show had ended early and he was all by himself.  For reasons unknown to him, the loneliness cut deeper this evening.  Sure, tomorrow was his birthday, but never in the past did he care.  To him, it was always just another day.  He couldn’t buy that it would be the reason for the way he felt.  Ambling to the living room, he flipped on the television in hopes the background noise would curb some of the sting of solitude before heading to the kitchen.  He reached into the cabinet above the fridge, the one that was far out of Marnie’s reach, to grab his whiskey.  The moment his fingers managed to grasp the neck of the bottle, he heard the announcer speak the name of his beloved.

Annais… 

Upon pouring himself a glass, Piers decided to place the blame for how he felt tonight on her.  She’d pestered him since at least the month before about his birthday.  For some reason, she made such a big deal out of it.  He insisted he didn’t care, that he didn’t want anything, that he didn’t want to do anything special.  As he stood alone tonight, sipping the bitter drink, he realized that may not have been entirely true.

His mother was the same way, he solemnly remembered.  Birthdays were her thing.  She believed the lives of those she loved were worth celebrating.  She always had parties for Piers, Marnie, his father, and even herself every year without fail.  Even on the years they struggled, she would find a way to make it memorable.  As Piers thought back on the birthdays of his youth, he found himself refilling his glass.  He at least tried to keep the tradition alive for Marnie.  He did something for her each year, even if it had to be small.  He still visited their grave on his parents’ birthdays, but he hadn’t acknowledged his own since they passed away.  Many years the day went right by before he even realized it.  It didn’t hurt him to skip it.  In fact, it was more painful to celebrate his life when the ones who gave it to him were no longer around.

By the time the second glass was empty, Piers picked up the bottle and walked back to the living room.  He flopped down onto the couch and stared at the screen.  Annais’s exhibition match was in Motostoke tonight.  He wished he could be there with her, or waiting in her hotel room for her to finish up.  It was no fault of hers.  She invited him to be there with her, but he passed in favor of performing.  As he watched her on the screen, he regretted his decision immensely.  How was he to know he was going to feel like this tonight?

Piers nursed his bottle as he watched Annais win her match then go on to do post-match interviews.  His heart ached the entire time.  He had been so unnecessarily cold when it came to her questions about his birthday.  He’d get short or brush her off.  She’d already spent so much on him not even a few weeks back for the holidays.  He didn’t need anything else.  He didn’t want anything else.  His tiny flat couldn’t hold many more of her silly gifts.

His face fell to his hands as he thought about the birthdays that had passed since meeting Annais.  That woman was so peculiar and sentimental.  Annais remembered the dates each member of her team hatched and paid special attention them on their ‘birthdays.’  For those she didn’t know the hatch-dates of, she’d celebrate the day they were caught so they wouldn’t feel left out.  She gave the Pokémon their favorite treats and spoiled them even more than usual.

Humans were no exception.  Annais insisted they do something fun for Marnie on her birthday.  Her excitement may have been amplified by the fact she and his sister shared a birthday month.  The three of them and Marnie’s friend went to the beach, something that Marnie loved but Piers often avoided.  It ended up being a nice little trip.  They camped out that night and had a bonfire.  Piers couldn’t even remember what his sister received from Annais, but he remembered feeling like they were a legitimate family the entire time.  Marnie felt the same, confiding in Piers that she hoped they all could do things like that together more often.

A few weeks later for Annais’s birthday, they had a private concert in Spikemuth in lieu of a party.  It was Raihan’s idea, though it was so perfect Piers wished he could take credit for it.  All their friends were there and no one else.  He wrote and performed a special song just for her.  Despite her crying after hearing it, he’d never seen her as happy as she was that night.  He’d also given her some jewelry, not wanting to look like a cheapskate compared to the likes of Leon or Avery.  Still, she seemed more focused on the music.  She begged him to sing to her again when they were alone, citing that it was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her birthday.

Piers thought back on all of this and couldn’t hold back his tears.  When Annais asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he could’ve said anything along these lines.  It was never about gifts with her, though they were always abundant.  He didn’t need to keep being bitter over something that no one had any control over.  This past year was one worth celebrating.  It was nearing a whole year since he first met Annais.  He didn’t need to continue to punish himself for being alive.  If his mother were around, she wouldn’t want him to be miserable on a day that was so special to her.

By the time he quit sobbing, the broadcast had long since ended and the news was on instead.  Since the match was live, that meant that Annais had to be done now.  He needed to talk to her.  Hearing her voice would make him feel better.  He wanted to be with her tonight, and especially tomorrow.  Reaching for the tissue box on the table, he blew his nose before fishing into his back pocket for his phone.  If he didn’t have Annais on speed-dial, he’d have a real issue trying to get a hold of her tonight.  The tiny screen of his cell was a blurry mess.  He held his breath as the phone rang and rang.  He hoped he wasn’t too late.

“Hi Nez!” she said in that sing-songy voice she always used when greeting him.  He let out a sigh of relief.

“Evenin’ Ann…”

“What’s up, baby?” she asked.

“Y’looked so good out there tonight, love,” he said.  He wondered if he sounded as needy as he felt, or as upset.  “Just ‘ad to call an’ let you know.”

“You watched my match?”  It warmed him to hear how happy she sounded.  “I thought you had a show…”

“Caught the tail end of it when I got home, yeah.  Watched the interviews.”

“Aw, had I known your show ended early tonight, I would’ve called you first.  I’ve been back at my hotel room like 30 minutes now.”

“My fault,” he said.  Had he really been crying for that long?  “Shoulda told ya.”

He heard her giggle.  “Sooo… What are you up to tonight?”

Piers looked at the bottle in his hand and frowned.  He didn’t want to tell her how he’d spent his evening up until now.  Worrying her was the last thing she needed.  “Nothin’,” he lied.  “You?”

“Same.  I was about to try to go to sleep actually.”

Hearing that didn’t sit well with him in his sensitive and inebriated state.  He wished she was sleeping with him.  He wished he was in the bed with her.  He wished he wasn’t so alone.

“Y’should come over instead…”

“Now?  I’m already in bed.”

Piers felt his heart clench.  He really missed her.  He wanted to see her so bad.  He needed to hold her tonight.

“Nez, are you okay?  You sound… off.”

Piers shook his head, swallowed his pain, and continued.

“Where are you now?” he asked instead.  “Home?”

“Nuh-uh, the Budew Drop Inn in Motostoke.”

“Bloody Motostoke…”  He couldn’t help but scoff.  “You don’ even like it there.  Y’coulda came to Spikemuth.  S’not dreadfully far.”

“I knew it was going to be a late match,” she explained.  “After I was done with interviews and everything, it was kinda late for travel.  I’m exhausted.”

“Fine,” he huffed.  “Budew Drop Inn?  I’m comin’ to you since y’don’ wanna come to me.”

There was a pause in the conversation before Annais asked, “Nez, you’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I ‘ad a few.  What of it?” snapped Piers.  He found himself getting defensive and he didn’t know why.  Just because he had some drinks didn’t mean his feelings were any less valid.

“Nez.”  He could hear the exasperation in her voice.  “What’s got you so worked up?”

The next words fell from him before he even realized he was saying them.  “S’my bloody birthday tomorrow, y’know.  An’ you won’t even see me.”

Annais scoffed on the other end of the line.

“I do know, Nez.  I was still planning to come by tomorrow after checking out and spend the night with you.  You didn’t want me to make a big deal about it.”

“Y’don’ know what I want, Ann,” he mumbled.

“What the fuck?” she exclaimed.  The higher pitch her voice took made him grimace.  “I asked you.  Multiple times.  And you told me you didn’t want anything and got all pissy with me.  How are you going to hold it over me if I didn’t know?  What’s with you tonight?”

“Decided I changed my mind.  Ask me again.”

Annais heaved a sigh, but decided to play along.  “What do you want for your birthday, Piers?”

Piers winced.  She’d gotten so upset with him that she quit using his nickname.  He closed his eyes, shame rising that he was acting so belligerent towards the one he loved.  She surely wouldn’t want to be with him tonight.  He was surprised she hadn’t hung up on him yet.

“Piers?”

“Ann…”  Against his will, he found himself choking up again.  Now, he had to be really worrying her.  He didn’t understand why this was so hard to say.  “Ann… I don’ wanna be alone.  ‘M tired of always bein’ alone.”

“Oh, Nez…”  He felt that much more emotional from the shift in her voice as it softened.  “Baby, I didn’t know…”

“Annais, ’m sorry.  I shoulda just bloody went with you.”

“No, baby, you had a show.  It’s fine-…”

“I don’ do birthdays, Ann,” he blurted out, cutting her off.  “I don’ usually.  Not mine.  I mean, what’s the bloody point?  But it just started hurtin’ as I was sittin’ ‘ere thinkin’ about it.  I miss you.  An’ Marn.  An’… An’ m-my mum.”  He was hyperaware of his voice cracking now.  “Fuck.  I’m so sorry, Annais.  I-I didn’t know what I wanted until now.  It’s late.  Y’should go to bed.  I’ll go to bed too an’ see you tomorrow.”

“I promise it’s not too late, Nez,” she tenderly said.  “If there’s something you want, tell me right now.  Be honest with me.”

Piers brought the bottle to his lips again as tears slipped out the corners of his eyes.

“Nez?  You still there, baby?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you want?”

His breath quivered.

“Tell me.”

“I-I wanna sleep in a bit, wake up beside you in the mornin’ an’ kiss you first thing,” he confessed.  “I wanna make us a big breakfast like Mum used to make, then spend the whole bleedin’ rest of th’ day in your arms.”  The strain in his voice was audible.  “Marn’s gonna be back late.  We can do anythin’, really.  But that’s all I want, love.  Maybe go visit Mum an’ Pop.  Nothin’ fancy.  Don’ get me anythin’.  Please, don’ waste money on me.  Y’don’ ‘ave to take me to dinner in Circhester or whatever you had planned.  Unless y’really want to.  I don’ care.  As long as I’m with you, I’ll be chuffed.  I wanna spend every second of it with you.”

Annais was quiet, causing Piers to grow embarrassed.  He knew he sounded like a raving drunk.

“Do you have the stuff for your breakfast?”

“I dunno, I’d have to check the-…”  Piers froze, processing what she was saying.  “You’re really comin’?”

“You want me over, don’t you?  What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t get you want you wanted for on your birthday?”

“Oh, Ann.  Thank you.  Thank you.”  Piers began to tear up again.  “I’m so sorry to put you out, love.  You don’ know how much this means.  You’re really okay to come?”

“It’ll be fine.  I’ll be there after I get groceries.”

“Ann, y’don’ really-…”

“No talking me out of it.  My boyfriend is going to have to have one helluva big birthday breakfast to cure that hangover he’s going to have tomorrow.”

“Righto,” he chuckled and sniffled.  “Cheers, Ann.  Be safe.”

“Be there soon.”

“Love you, Ann.”

“Love you too, Nez.  Bye.”

“Bye.”

Piers sat the bottle on the coffee table as soon as the call ended.  He then shut off the TV and curled up on the couch.  He was so grateful for Annais.  He closed his eyes in hopes that she would be there when he opened them again.

~

The frigid winds of Circhester were blowing in Spikemuth’s direction this evening.  Though it had just begun, winter had been fiercely bitter this year.  Annais was bundled up tight as she walked through the empty streets of the old port town with her groceries in hand.  She thought about calling out her Incineroar for warmth, but he’d just get agitated by the cold weather.  She briefly wondered if she was going to freeze to death before making it to Piers, but decided she was being dramatic.  She wasn’t used to winters like this back home.  If he didn’t have a fire going when she got there, she’d have to start one.  His flat was always so chilly.  Most days, she didn’t mind or even enjoyed it, but after being out in this cold she’d need to thaw.

It was nearing midnight when she found his building and began ascending the stairs to his floor.  Once outside his door, she reached into her pocket for the key he had given her.  She balanced her bags on one arm as she worked the finicky old lock.

Once inside, Annais was almost convinced that it was colder in the flat than out.  She shivered as she locked the door then walked to the kitchen and sat down her bags.  Only a few things she bought needed to be refrigerated, not that it was warm enough for these things to spoil if left out.  Still, she put everything away with only the light of the fridge before making her way into the living room.

“Nez,” she whispered.  She walked over to the couch where he was fast asleep. 

Piers was still dressed.  She found the half-empty bottle on the coffee table and screwed the top back onto it.  Crouching beside the couch, Annais brushed Piers’s bangs away from his face.

“Ann,” he groaned upon feeling her gentle touches.  “That you?”

“It’s me,” she said.  “Let’s get you to bed.”

“Mm, nah. ’M comfortable here, love.”  Piers rolled over from his stomach to his side to face her.  “Y’should join me.”

“Nez, I don’t think my ass can fit on the couch beside you like that.”

“Lay on me then.  I don’ care.”

She sighed, crossing her arms as he squirmed to make room for her.

“Aren’t you freezing?” she asked.  “You don’t even have a blanket on you.  You’re going to get sick.”

Piers held out his arms for her.

“‘M always freezin’.  S’why I always need that body of yours next t’ mine t’ warm me up.”

“I’m going to light a fire,” she said.  “Since you insist on sleeping in here tonight.”

Piers closed his eyes and smiled as she walked to the fireplace.  From behind her, Annais heard, “Y’ actually came. ‘S why ’m gonna marry you, love.”

She inhaled sharply.  Her face flushed and heart raced.

“You’re drunk,” she said.

“Might still be a wee pissed.  Still gonna be m’ wife someday.  If you’ll still have me after I was a proper bastard to you.”

Annais didn’t speak, busying herself with positioning the firewood.  Piers began to hum while waiting for her to return to him.  Shortly, his humming was replaced with singing.

“Annais Renée, bloody love of my life.  One day soon, gonna make ‘er my wife.  When I blow out my candles, I’ve only one wish.  I want Annais Renée to give me a kiss.  On the coldest night, on the darkest day, I wanna live with my Annais Renée…”

Annais couldn’t help but giggle as Piers drunkenly made up a song for her.  It was a far cry from anything he’d come up with sober.  She could tell he was pulling it out of his ass, but it was endearing nonetheless.

“Like my middle name, huh?” she asked, glancing back at him over her shoulder.

“Nice syllables,” he said.  “Easy to rhyme.  Almost as beautiful as you.”

“I should make you one,” she teased.  “Like you did for me on my birthday.”

“Nah, my name’s a bloody nightmare.”

“Piers Victor Peterson, my lover, my man,” she recited.  Hers was more like spoken poetry than singing.  “If I play my cards right, he’ll be my husband.  I walked through the snow, I came through the cold, cos Piers Victor Peterson needed me to hold.”

Annais’s laughter couldn’t be contained enough for her to continue.

“Aw, c’mon, love,” Piers groaned.  “Y’ don’ ‘ave to say my mouthful of a name.”

“In my moment of darkness when I needed him most, Piers Victor Peterson pulled me close,” she continued.  “With a kiss and a smile, a hug and a song, Piers Victor Peterson fixed everything wrong.”

Piers had propped himself up to watch her now.  “Come now, Ann.  I never fixed everything.”

She shrugged.  “‘Piers Victor Peterson made none of that matter’ didn’t rhyme.”

Piers cleared his throat.

“I’ll deal with the rumors an’ all of the chatter,” he sang.  “With my Annais Renée none of that matters.”

“Oh, you’re just showing off now,” she said.  She stood to find the lighter than Piers kept on the hearth.

“Is it workin’?”

“You don’t have to show off for me, silly,” Annais said.  “You already won me over.”

With that, she lit the fire.  She watched it for a moment, making sure it caught, then drew closed the mesh curtain and rose to her feet.  She headed to the hallway without a word.

“Oi, Ann?” he called out.  “Where’re y’goin’?  Not leavin’ me already, are ya?”

“Get a blanket,” she said.  “If I’m sleeping here with you, I’ll need one.”

“Grab my pillow too, will ya, dear?”

“Of course, your highness.”

Piers smiled to himself as she walked off.  Annais returned shortly with the comforter from his bed draped over her shoulders and his pillow in her arms.  She looked down at the couch.

“Just lay in front of me,” he said, patting the cushion.

“Lift your head.”

He did as she requested and she placed the pillow beneath his head.  She then tossed the blanket over Piers and lifted the edge so she could join him beneath it.  Laying on her side against his chest wasn’t nearly as bad as she anticipated.

“See?” he said, squeezing her.  “We both fit.  No more cramped than my bed.  Even more cozy.”

Annais laughed as she snuggled closer to him.  “Starting to think you think it’s a challenge to see how tiny of a surface we can sleep on together.”

“Don’ you love challenges?”

Annais laughed softly.  She closed her eyes and let him rub her back.

“You’re okay?” she asked.  “You sounded awful earlier.”

Piers sighed and nodded.  “Yeah.  Sorry for worryin’ you.  Don’ know what came over me.”  He burrowed his nose into her neck and hair as his arms tightened around her.  After another small sigh escaped, he added, “An’ sorry for gettin’ testy too.”

“It’s okay,” said Annais.

“Nah, it’s not, really.  I shouldn’t’ve raised my voice.  You did nothin’ to deserve that.”

“I annoyed you,” she mumbled.

“Oh, Ann…” He raised his head, and tilted hers to look at him.  “That wasn’t your fault, love.  You were just tryin’ to love me.  I was the bastard that didn’t want to let you in.”

A solemn nod was her response.

“But it’s gettin’ harder to live without you, y’know,” he admitted.  “When you’re not here, my soul weeps.”

Annais nodded again, but didn’t speak.

“Annais… Tell the truth.  D’ya miss me as much as I miss you when we’re apart?  Or am I just a clingy bastard?”

“I do,” she said somberly.  “It kills me.  Especially lately with us gearing up for the end of the season.  I feel like we never see each other.  I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Piers pressed his lips to her temple.

“Then remind me why y’don’ live with me already.  Is my bed too small?  My flat?”

“Stop it.  You know I much prefer it here.  I hate being at home, or in some fucking hotel.”  She heaved a sigh before continuing.  “But it wouldn’t look right for the champion to move in with a man she’s not married to…  The whole bullshit role model thing.”

“Then, let’s fix that part first.  I’ve no problem with that.  If we elope today, our anniversary an’ my birthday will be the same day.  You’ll only ‘ave to pester me about gifts once.”

Annais let out a soft laugh.  “It’d kill my daddy if he misses his chance to walk me down the aisle, Nez.”

“Ah, right.  Don’ wanna upset your first favorite man, for sure.  Suppose I’ll have to wait then,” he said.  “I ‘aven’t forgotten you want that October wedding anyway.”

“Yeah,” giggled Annais.

“But just know, the moment I can let the public know you’re mine, I’m gonna make up for lost time,” he promised.  “‘M gonna make everyone bloody sick.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” she said.

Piers snuggled up closer to her, holding her tight against him.  He couldn’t help but notice that her heart was the only thing audible tonight when they weren’t talking.

“I love holdin’ you like this,” he admitted.  “I can feel the beat of your heart…  Y’know, there are times when I feel our hearts beat in sync.  Now’s one of those times.  Can you feel it, love?”

Annais focused on the beat of Piers’s heart as her head rested against his chest.

“Oh, my God,” she breathed.  Sure, she’d listened to his heart, but never paid attention to her own at the same time.  It was incredible.

“Sometimes, when I’m holdin’ you like this, that steady thump of your heart is the perfect tempo.  Music just comes so naturally.”

She hummed in response, focusing on their matching pulses.  The soft, steady rhythm was enough to lull them both.  Before they could really drift off, the sudden buzzing of a phone between their bodies jolted them awake.

“Hm?  Who’s callin’ you so late?” Piers groggily asked as she fished the phone out from her sweater pocket.  “Your pop?”

“No one,” she said with a smile.  “It’s an alarm.”

“For?”

“For midnight,” said Annais.  She swiped her hand across the screen and sat it on the armrest above their heads.  Her fingers knitted behind his neck.  “Cos I still wanted to be the very first to tell my man happy birthday, even if it annoyed him.”

His budding grin didn’t have a chance to spread across his face before she pulled him and pressed her lips to his.  Their lips melded in a languid, dreamy kiss.  She could still taste the alcohol on his tongue, along with a bit of salt on his lips from where he had been crying and the dryness of sleep from his earlier nap.  This was the kind of birthday that Piers could see himself enjoying. 

“Oh, Annais,” he breathed when she broke away. 

“Piers…” he heard her giggle.

His eyes opened again and stared deep into hers, her mutual gaze at him barely illuminated by the dull flames behind her.

“You are, without a doubt, the love of my entire life,” he whispered, reaching up from beneath the blanket to stroke her cheek.  “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I’m so bloody fortunate to have met you this year.  You…  You gave me life again.  Thank you for lovin’ me.”

Tears poured from Annais’s eyes as he said this.  Despite trying to hold it in, she sniffled and squeezed him tighter.

“Happy birthday, Nez.”