Piers knocked on the door to her cottage and waited.  After a minute, he knocked again.

“Oi, Ann…  You home?” he asked.  “Annais?  ‘S me, Piers…”

A reply never came.  He tried to peek inside, though the blinds were shut and the curtains drawn.  No lights were on.  He wondered if she were even there. 

He decided to call her one more time, just in case.  Again, straight to the voicemail that was full.  With a sigh, he dug into his pocket and pulled out his keyring.  He hated to do this.  He felt like he was invading her privacy, but he was worried.  This wasn’t the intended purpose of his key, but surely, she’d understand.

Piers cracked the door open only to be greeted by a growling Stoutland.

“Shh, shh…  Down, Cap.  Only me.”  The dog recognized him at once and gave a bark of approval.  Piers scratched between his ears as he entered the house and locked the door behind him.

The room was illuminated only by the light of the TV, which wasn’t producing a sound.  Piers slowly crossed the floor.  He was on his way to check her bedroom, believing that she was asleep, until he noticed her Stoutland curl up on the floor beside the couch.  Annais was laying there, bundled up.  It almost startled him, seeing her just staring at him without a word of acknowledgement.

Piers’s heart ached despite the relief he felt from knowing she was safe.  He approached the couch and crouched down to her level.

“Hey.  You restin’?” he asked.

She shook her head and muttered, “Not really.”

“Ah, well.  Sorry to barge in, love,” he said softly.  “Marn said you weren’t doin’ so hot at the stadium this afternoon.  Tried to call, but it went to voicemail.  Can’t have you gettin’ into any messes without me, now can I?”

“It’s fine.”  She managed to drag herself upright and curled up against the armrest.  “You have a key.”

Piers rose to sit down at her side.  He was cautious, sitting close, but trying to test the waters.  He couldn’t tell if she wanted space or physical affection.  He wasn’t sure what to say.  He probably didn’t need to say anything.  He just sat beside her, inviting her to vent to him if she needed it.  He could hear her swallow before she spoke again.

“What did your sister say?”

The voice she spoke with was quiet, uncharacteristically weak.  This was a side of her that Galar wasn’t familiar with, and he had only had brief glimpses of up until this point.  He had noted the shift in her energy and demeanor lately.  She’d gotten steadily worse since the holidays.  She kept up appearances the best she could, but the traces of unhappiness had become more apparent.

“Not much,” he admitted.  Not enough for him not to worry.  His sister was pretty vague.  She likely didn’t understand herself.  Yet what little Piers had heard concerned him.

“She tell you about walking in on my tantrum in the locker room?”

“Not in so many words.  Just asked me if I had heard from you today.  Told me I should probably check on you, that you didn’t seem like yourself.”

Truth be told, Marnie asked him if they had broken up, because that’s how tore up Annais looked before the match.  Marnie then scolded him for not knowing what exactly was wrong.  She loved Annais just as much as he loved her.  She thought of her as a sister at this point, and she was worried too.

It had been a long, lonely past few weeks.  Annais was so busy that she hadn’t been able to visit him at all.  She was rarely home for him to visit her.  She had been a bit distant, hadn’t said much to him when they chatted over the phone, but assured him she was fine- just a bit tired, but fine.  He had no reason to doubt her at first; she had become much better about expressing herself around him.  He had gotten her to a point where she was open with him, but he had the sinking feeling she wasn’t telling him the whole truth this time.  Maybe what she was telling him was trying to convince herself, he reasoned.  Piers knew she liked to isolate herself when she got into her moods, not wanting to be embarrassed or have to explain herself before she was ready.  From his own experiences, he wanted to give her space if that’s what she needed.  Yet he couldn’t deny at this point that his sister was right.  This time around had to be a lot worse if she was no longer able to keep her emotions in check around others.  Whatever the case, he ultimately decided it was best to see it with his own eyes.  He was thankful he did; she appeared to be suffering in silence.

Annais laid her head against his shoulder.  Piers took that as the confirmation he needed; she did want to be touched.  Pulling his arm out from between their sides, he brought it around her and pulled her closer.

“She’s just like you, y’know,” Annais mumbled.  “Marnie.”

“Personal interest, really,” he joked as she relaxed against him.  “Wouldn’t feel like much of a victory to her if she beat her rival when she was down.”

“She can have the title.”  Her voice waivered.  “I’m sick to death of it.”

Piers hummed.  Being champion wasn’t all it cracked up to be from what Annais had been implying the past few months.  The stress of being on top weighed her down.  Though she played the part well, it had started eating her alive.  Piers was all too familiar with that feeling, though not nearly on the same scale.

“Bein’ a gym leader was rough,” he said.  “Can’t imagine bein’ the top dog.”

“It fucking sucks, Nez.”

This conversation was turning sour.  He wanted to make her feel better, not make things worse.  Once he improved her mood just a tad, then he could see about talking through it.  Doing so now would likely just make her shut down.  He needed to change the subject, and a loud growl came from her stomach.

“Didja eat today, love?” whispered Piers as he stroked her hair.  She shook her head.

“No?” he asked, earning a nod.  He hummed again in acknowledgement.  “Well, let’s start there.”

“I’m not hungry,” she weakly protested as he broke away and rose to his feet.

“Then I’ll whip up somethin’ light.”  Not a glance from him was cast back to her as he said this.  He walked straight into her kitchen, flicked on the light switch, and began to plunder.  Still wrapped in her cover, she pulled herself off the couch to join him.

“Ah… Not much in the grocery department,” he commented as he looked through her mostly bare cupboards.  There was some junk food and ingredients that were so random he couldn’t think of a decent combination that utilized them.

“I… haven’t felt like getting any.  Usually, I’m just so busy…”  She lowered her head and added, “I feel like I can’t do anything these days.”

Piers nodded, shutting the cabinet door.  In this light, he could see how weary she looked.  Behind her tear-stained glasses, her eyes only faintly sparkled.  Her makeup had long since smudged and was mostly wiped away.  Beneath her eyes were dark bags reminiscent of how his own used to look.  With that jam-packed schedule of her, it was likely all she had time to do was sleep if she could.  She wasn’t even getting a chance to do that from the looks of it.

“Next time, send me a list,” he said to her.  He didn’t mind running the errands that she couldn’t get to.  He had plenty of free time during most days.  “Or just tell me y’need food, and I’ll worry about the details for you.”

“Okay,” she replied, growing red.  Piers was such a natural caretaker, jumping into action to make sure those he loved were alright.  She wouldn’t try telling him it was fine, that he didn’t need to worry about it, because that was a battle she’d lose.  Not that she had much energy to argue.

“Feel like running to the grocer’s or nah?”

“No, not tonight.”  She paused.  “But… Maybe in the morning if I have time?”

“’Course.”  He leaned against the counter, smiling and crossing his arms.  “I’m holdin’ us to that.  Think it’d be good to get you out of this flat for something not League related.”

“Yeah.”

“Guess this means takeaway?”

“Piers…” Annais exhaled.  “I’m really not in the mood for anything.”

“We can’t both end up thin as rails,” he teased.  He didn’t get much of a response out of that one.  Maybe it was a bit dry.  He sighed and stepped to her.  “I know you’re not hungry, but I need you to eat, love.  I’d wager you’d feel even the tiniest bit better if you got something in your system.”

Piers took another step closer and held open his arms for her.  She leaned into his chest and allowed him to envelope her in his embrace.

“You don’t have to eat much.  I just don’t want you feeling any worse than you do,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of her head.  “Could you try that for me?”

Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes.  He was too kind, kinder than she had been to herself.  She attempted to nod without lifting her head from him.  Just his hand rubbing her back made her feel better than she had in recent memory.

“Fish an’ chips?  Pizza?  I could go grab something for us, but I’d prefer not to leave your side,” he said.  He grimaced, hoping he wasn’t coming off overbearing.  The last thing he wanted was to think he was there because he didn’t trust her by herself.  “Just… Been a while since we got to be together alone, yeah?  I missed havin’ you to myself.”

Annais let out a soft laugh.  Thinking back, their most recent interactions had Marnie or one of the leaders around.  She didn’t want him to go off either, not without her, and she didn’t want to bother getting decent.

“I guess I wouldn’t mind pizza,” she decided.

“I’ll give them a ring then.”  Piers pulled away from her with one final squeeze, then fished out his phone.  “Supreme?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

He looked around the kitchen.  “D’ya have the number somewhere?”

“I usually order online,” said Annais.

“Could you pull it up for me?” he asked.  “The number.”

There was hesitation before she shook her head.

“… I’m afraid to cut on my phone again,” she admitted.  “There might be a piece of mail on the table with it.”

Piers walked to the table and filtered through the stack of mail.  Now he knew why he kept getting voicemail.

“Ann, y’really should leave your phone on if you’re alone,” he mentioned.  “What if there was an emergency?”

“I’m sorry, Nez,” she said, voice cracking.  Suddenly, she broke down into tears.  “Sorry I worried you.  I just… I wanted everyone to leave me alone for a while.”

Crying soon turned to weeping.  Piers was quick to scoop her into his arms again.  “Shh… ‘M sorry, Ann.  Not tryin’ to scold you, love.  I understand.”

She said nothing, continuing to sob against him.

“How about this?  Hand me the phone, an’ I’ll handle it for you,” he said.  “I’ll look at all the missed calls an’ unread messages so you won’t be bothered by ‘em.  Then, I’ll get us some food.”

She pried herself off of him and walked into the other room.  Now alone, Piers scrubbed his face.  She was worse off than he’d ever seen her.  He didn’t know what he’d be able to do to help.  He was ready to call off shows for a few days to take care of her if necessary.  He wanted to call and cancel her matches.  She was in bad shape and in desperate need of rest.

Annais re-entered the room with her phone and handed it to Piers.  He could see her brace herself as he pressed the power button.  It was on do-not-disturb, so she wasn’t privy to how much she missed when it started up.  There was no buzz or noise as notifications flooded in.  Piers could understand how anyone could get suffocated by it all.  There were missed calls.  There were tons of messages.  There were calendar invites and reminders.

“D’ya want me to tell you anything?” he asked, glancing up.  “Anything you care about or should I mark it all as read?”

“Only if my daddy called…  Or Mama, I guess.”

Piers opened up the call log.  Most of them were his own calls to her.  There were a few from Leon, and one from Oleana.  Some other numbers that weren’t in the contacts and he didn’t recognize.

“Nah, doesn’t look like he called.”

A pensive nod followed.

He went to the messages next.  Of course, there was a text from him.  Only one- he didn’t text much.  Marnie messaged her too.  More from Leon, and various other people.

“Want me to call Lee for you, love?” he asked.

“Hm?  Why?” she asked.  “Something urgent?”

“Ann, I gotta be honest.  Not tryin’ to overstep, but the big brother in me’s kickin’ in,” he said with a slight laugh.  She tilted her head.  “I think it’s best if you cancel your engagements for the next few days.”

“I-I can’t do that,” she replied.  She looked right past him as she recounted the countless items on her schedule.  “I have matches already scheduled- televised matches!  I was asked to do commentary for the exhibition match in Stow-On-The-Side, too.  And there’s meetings with the sponsors and stuff.  There’s just way too much to shirk.”

“Ann, you can barely pull yourself up off the couch.  Cuttin’ on your phone nearly caused you to faint.  ‘M worried about you.  ‘M worried they’ll push you too far if you don’ take a step back,” admitted Piers.  He didn’t know how to read the stare Annais was giving him.  “Please, let me call an’ cancel so you don’ have to do it.  I’ll cancel my shows too to be with you, if you want me here.  If not, I can still bring food by.  But you need rest.  Let me tell ‘im you’re not feelin’ well.  At the very least take tomorrow off, if nothin’ else.”

Annais sighed and seated herself at the kitchen table.  She rested her head in her hands.

“Don’t lie to him, Nez,” Annais mumbled.  “That’ll make us both look bad.”

“That’s not a lie.  We both know you’re feelin’ like pure shit,” said Piers.  “I don’ mean to sound rude, but anyone can look at you an’ see that.  ‘M not tellin’ ‘im you came down with the plague, just that you’re not feelin’ well an’ need a few days.  No specifics; he doesn’t need ‘em.  Annais, look at me.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his.

“I don’ want them to break you,” he said, voice cracking and strained.  “I’d never forgive ‘em if somethin’ happened.  If anything happened to you, I’d never, ever forgive myself.  I couldn’t…”

Her eyes squeezed shut again.  Brows furrowed at his words.  She dropped her head again as her face contorted in sorrow.

“I know you’re not selfish.  This isn’t selfish.  If you won’t do it for yourself, think of your Pokémon an’ your opponents,” he reasoned.  “You’re not bein’ fair to them.  Sure, you can battle like this, but it’d be so easy to slip up an’ make careless mistakes if you’re not all there.  An’ what about your fans, your audience?  You’re not givin’ ‘em the shows they love you for if your heart isn’t into it.  Do it for your pop.  ‘M sure he hates seein’ you on screen a world away, knowin’ you’re hurtin’ an’ bein’ unable to come to you.”

Her shoulders trembled slightly.  He rested his hand on her back in hopes of calming her.  She shook her head.

“Annais,” he sighed.  He didn’t want to have to resort to this.  It felt manipulative, but if his love was the only thing that would save her…  “Do it for me, if that’s what it takes.  Just to spare my worryin’ for a day or two.  Do it cos ’m selfish.  Cos I’ve been lonely.  Cos I miss you.  I want a few days with you all to myself.  ‘M jealous of Galar gettin’ all your attention, an’ not even treatin’ you like I would.”

After a long exhale, followed by what he swore was a laugh, she lifted her head.

“Fine.  You’re right,” she sniffled.  “I could use a few days to think things over, so I don’t look like a fool in front of anyone else.  Go ahead.  But I don’t want to get on the line, Piers.  I’m really not in the mood to talk.”

“I’ve got you,” he said.  “You won’t have to say a word, love.”

Piers turned his attention back to her phone screen.  After a few clicks, he held it up to his ear.

“Oi, Lee.  ‘S Piers.”  Annais looked up as Piers strolled over to the counter and leaned against it.  He chuckled and shook his head.  “Sorry for the surprise, mate…  Yeah, ‘m with ‘er now.  Sorry she missed your calls…  Nah, she’s not feelin’ too well today.  ‘M makin’ ‘er rest…  I know she has a lot goin’ on, an’ I had to fight ‘er on this, but could ya get someone to fill ‘er spots?  Don’ think she’d do you much good right now…”

Piers winked at Annais as he listened to Leon, bringing a tiny smile from her.

“Yeah, nothin’ serious.  Think she just needs a day or two…  Sure, what’s that...?  Hm…?”  Piers then turned red, piquing her curiosity.  “Oh!  Nah, nah!  ‘S nothin’ like that…  Uh-huh, right…  No, no.  Not yet…  Right, right…  Brilliant!  Thanks, mate…  Nah, nah.  I think I got ‘er.  Think rest’ll be the best thing for ‘er…  Yeah, I’ll tell ‘er to give you a ring when she’s feelin’ better…  ‘Preciate it, Lee.  Cheers.”

Piers disconnected the call.

“Righto then, Miss Amaryllis,” he said.  “Me an’ you, we’re playin’ hooky for a few days like proper punks.  How’s that feel?”

“A little relieving, actually,” she confessed, smiling a bit wider from his wording.  He somehow found a way to make taking a few days to recover from a mental breakdown sound not as lame.  “I so didn’t want to do commentary tomorrow.”

“Good.”  He looked at the phone again.  “Now, let’s get somethin’ to eat.”

As he navigated her phone to search for the number, Annais spoke up.

“Hey, Nez…”

“Hm?”

“What’d Leon say?”

“That you can take all the time you need, love,” he spoke without looking up from the screen.  “Call ‘im when you’re able.”

She shook her head.  “What else did he say?”

“Oh…”  Piers blushed again and glanced away.  “That bugger asked if we’re expectin’.”

“Expecting what?” Annais asked.  It took her a second and an amused look from Piers to process it.  “Oh, my God!  You’re fucking with me.”

“I wish.”

“What’d he say?” she asked again.  “A-And, I’m not, if you’re wondering.  I checked a few times.”

“I figured I’d know if you were,” Piers chuckled.  “But he was all like, ‘Aw, mate.  I know Ann’s been actin’ kinda puny lately.  Mind if I ask you somethin’?’ An’ I’m like sure, an’ he was like ‘Everythin’ alright?  You’re not, uh… Y’know…’” Piers had to pause to laugh and recollect himself.  “Obviously, I didn’t know.  So, then he stammers an’ clears his throat. ‘You’re not gonna be a dad, are ya, Piers?’  I almost lost it.  Ann, he was so bloody serious.  I could’ve died.”

“Oh, my fucking God!” she exclaimed.  Annais ran her hands down her face in disbelief.  “You know, I felt like he’s been extra… cautious?  I guess?  With me lately.  I just figured he was an empath or something.”

“Nah.  Just thought I knocked ya up.  Like I’d let them run you ragged if y’ were havin’ my bloody baby.  What kinda man am I?”  He scoffed as he pulled out his own phone.  “Just a supreme, yeah?”

Annais nodded as he dialed the number.  She had, very briefly, almost wished that she were with child, knowing it would get her out of her obligations.  The reality was that she was glad she wasn’t, at least at this time.  She was far too stressed and she didn’t want to rush things with Piers, even if he’d be more thrilled than her about it.  Piers… He’d surely rampage the Battle Tower if she were in that situation.  Just the thought of it made her feel warm and fuzzy… then ache.  He was so good to her, so caring and protective.  It made her hurt a little more that she couldn’t spend more time under his wing.

“Should be here in about 30 or so minutes,” said Piers, interrupting her thoughts.  He shut off her phone and sat it on the table, slipping his own in his jacket pocket.

Annais wandered back over to the couch, with Piers trailing behind.  With a sigh, she laid down in the corner, curling her feet up so he could sit beside her.  Piers took that silent offer and seated himself to the side of her.

“We’ve got a bit… D’ya wanna talk?” he asked.  “About earlier today?”

Shame washed over her as she thought back to the incident that brought him here.  She had been looking forward to having a day off at the end of the week to spend a night with him, but was told there was something planned spur-of-the-moment in Wyndon.  Part of her died on the spot.  The other part held on until she thought she was alone to cry and beat a locker.

“I’m embarrassed,” she mumbled.

“Aw…  Y’don’t have to be.  It was only Marnie, an’ she’s seen a lot more embarrassin’ shit from me.”

“It’s just…” She sighed again, letting her face fall into her palms.  Even when she was back home, she never let anyone see her throw a fit after getting endlessly rebuked about it by her mother.  For a while, every time she tried to go to her room when not in a good mood, her mother asked if she was going in there to overreact again.  Since then, she always tried to find a spot to be alone.  Finding spots in Galar was a lot harder than it had been back home; hotel suites, empty locker rooms, sometimes her cottage if she even had time to go back home between events.  She found herself missing the spots on the hill that overlooked the valley or deep in the woods by the pond.  Marnie wasn’t her mother and neither was Piers, but the thought of them possibly thinking she was silly or childish because of this stung.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Piers spoke up.  “But I’m here if you do.”

Annais nodded, but remained quiet.  Piers wasn’t going to force anything out of her.  He held his hand out, sitting it on top of her lap if she needed it.  Fingers burrowed out from under the blanket to grab it.

As she laced her fingers with his, she felt silly again.  She felt silly and ashamed that she would even for a second think that he was anything like her mother.  Time and time again, he talked her down and never made a joke of it, though he still tried to make jokes to lighten her mood.  All he ever wanted from her was honesty, to just talk to him.  It had been so hard to talk before she knew him.  It was hard now, but worrying and hurting him was harder.

“I’m so tired, Nez,” she breathed.  It was all she could muster herself to say.

“I know you are, love.  After we eat, we can get you to bed.”

“No, like, I’m exhausted,” she said.  “I’m tired of being in front of everyone all the time.  I’m tired and I’m scared.  I don’t know how much longer I can go on like this.”

Piers squeezed her hand.  Hearing that broke his heart and he couldn’t form any sort of response.

Annais swallowed the lump in her throat.  A deep breath followed.  She was going to make herself talk.  She was going to tell him everything and get it off of her chest. 

“When I started this, I didn’t know I was going to end up here,” she told him.  “I just wanted to do my best.  I wanted to prove myself and show others my worth.  I did that, for a while.  I did that for the first time in my life.  But now…  Now, I’m always defending my worth.  Constantly.  I can’t slip up.  I can’t do anything… Hell, I…”  His hand in hers made it that much worse.  She choked up, letting out a shaky breath before continuing.  “I… I can’t even kiss you in public.  You’re the only thing that makes me happy anymore and I’m not even allowed to show it!  I hate this stupid league.  It wasn’t like this back home…  I can’t even visit back home either!  I feel like I’m under constant scrutiny.”

Annais couldn’t hold it in any longer.  She broke down into tears.  Her Stoutland jumped up and laid his head on her lap, causing her to cry harder into his neck.  Piers continued to hold her hand, his thumb stroked hers.  She eventually lifted her head, wiping her face with her free hand.

“I just want to step down,” she said quietly.  “I think I might… I don’t know.  All this month, it’s just so hard to convince myself to go to the stadiums.  It’s not fun anymore.  I dread it.  I don’t want to do this anymore, Piers.  I can’t.  It’s too much.  I’m so tired of it.  I’m not champion material.”

Piers didn’t know how to respond.  On one hand, yes, he believed that getting out of the league would be the best thing for her.  He was biased.  He thought it was all bollocks.  It was a tremendous weight off his own shoulders to be free, but he wasn’t champion.  The decision to step down would be a monumental one.  It’d put her business out in front of others to a certain degree.  He’d support her if that was ultimately her decision, but he wanted to ensure that it was something she had thought through.

“‘M curious,” Piers started.  “If you could do anything, what would you do?”

Annais looked at him.  “Huh?”

“Like, bein’ a gym leader wasn’t for me,” he said.  “I felt like the worst leader in all of Galar, felt like challengers were just skippin’ my gym cos I was a shit trainer.  Music was always what I had my heart on.  When Marnie took the gym, I felt like a weight got lifted off me.  Spikemuth was improvin’ and I was finally livin’ for myself.  For the first time, I felt like the Piers my mum an’ pop wanted me to be- happy, passionate, alive.  Doin’ small shows most nights for people who love music like I do, havin’ time to write an’ write honestly, experimentin’ with my sound.  That’s what makes me feel real.  Ann, what d’ya think would make you feel like that?  If you do step down, what would you like to see yourself doin’?”

She sniffled.  “I’m not sure.”

“You’ve always loved your Pokémon, more than anything else.  Do you still wanna be a trainer?  Say someone did take your place as champion, would bein’ a gym leader again be your thing?” he asked.  “I used to see a fire in you when you were on the field.  Once upon a time, it was your element.  I’d wager that it’s still there as a tiny spark, that it’s the reason you’re hangin’ on.  Would steppin’ down an’ battlin’ on a smaller scale bring that fire back?”

She lifted her head.

“Like, what if Marnie succeeded you?  You’ve done so well with her.  Could you see yourself movin’ to Spikemuth an’ leadin’ our gym?  Helpin’ our other trainers be as tough as nails?  I mean, you’d be with me, an’ you’d be with your Pokémon.  Outta the direct spotlight but still able to shine,” asked Piers.  “Or, not even our gym.  I know you left it back home, but didn’t know if you thought maybe givin’ it a go in another region would breathe life back into it.  Maybe a minor league gym, like that friend of yours runs, wouldn’t be as bad.”

Annais shook her head.  “I thought about it,” she said.  “Honest, I have.  Moving to Spikemuth, sure.  Leading a gym down the road after my hype dies down?  Maybe.  Not for a while, at least.  Even if dark types are more my style, being a gym leader is still very public here.  All the exhibition matches and whatnot.  I think I’ll need to withdraw a while.  My batteries are drained.”

Piers nodded.

“No harm in that,” he assured her.  “But it’s something to think about- not necessarily the gym thing, not tryin’ to push that on you at all.  Findin’ what would make you happy.  Hell, you don’t have to have one something in mind either.  You’re brilliant.  You could try it all for size if you wanted to.”

She sighed and adjusted herself to lay against him.

“Sometimes, I wonder if there’s ever anything that would keep me happy,” she said.  “Other than present company, of course.”

“Of course.”  Piers kissed her cheek.  “I’m sure there’s something out there for you.  Or maybe just experiencing it all might be your thing.  I don’ know, but I’ll support you no matter what you do.”  He paused, smiling to himself.  He gave her a nudge.  “Hey, even if ya end up just wantin’ to be my sexy li’l housewife, I don’ think there’s shame in that.”

Annais snorted.  “Now that one I might consider.  Too bad I’m not as tidy as you.”

“Now, did I say you had to be my sexy li’l maid?  Nah,” Piers laughed again.  He felt better now that he got a laugh out of her.

“If I stepped down…”  She looked at his fingers as she played with them.  “We could get married…  And then have that baby Leon is so concerned about later on…  If you wanted…”

“We could.  Is that worryin’ you?” he asked.  Her smile faded.  “Ann…  If you wanna be married, nothin’s stoppin’ us.  There’s no rules against it.  What’ll they do?  Make you step down like you wanna do anyway?  I’ve told ya I’m down to elope.  We can elope to Carolus if y’ want your pop to see you tie the knot.  Don’ feel like you have to give this up for me.  I promise you that I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

She sniffled, rubbing her nose with the back of her free wrist.

“I’m not gonna lie; it’s part of it.  I want to get married.  But I also want spend more time with you and Marnie.  And I want to see my daddy and mama and go visit home again.  I want to be able to play with my Pokémon again, not just train them for the next match.  I want to be able to relax and be myself and have free time.  I want to be able to go on dates in public as a couple.  I want choices.  I want my life to be my own again.”

Piers opened his mouth, but before he could speak, there was a faint knocking noise at the door.

“Ah, has it been 30 minutes already?” he asked.  “Hold that thought, love.  I’ll be right back.”

He walked to the door, digging his wallet out of his back pocket and grabbing some bills.  When he opened it, he was greeted by a delivery Corviknight.

“Thanks, mate,” he said to the bird as he put money into the carrier it held.  Once the food was paid for, the steaming hot pizza box was released.  Piers retrieved it and waved to the bird.  “Cheers.”

Food in hand, he walked inside and into the kitchen.  The smell alone made him feel ravenous.  He hoped it would spark Annais’s appetite.  She rose from where she was seated to follow him. 

“Y’know, I remember when we had delivery boys instead of Pokémon,” Piers joked.  “That make me old?”

This quip made her crack up.  “No?  Well, I dunno.  We never had any delivery back home.”

“Don’ remember when they made the change,” said Piers, placing the pizza on her table then going to grab plates.  “Marn doesn’t remember anything else.  Must’ve switched about the time we got back from Unova.”

“You might be old then,” she teased.  “But that makes me old, cos I’m older than you.”

“Well, let’s pretend we never had this conversation, cos you’re not old,” he said.  He placed a slice of pizza on one of the plates and sat it in front of her.  He went into her fridge and grabbed a soda to share.  When he returned to the table, he grabbed a slice for himself and sat down across from her. 

“Thank you,” she muttered with a mouth full of food.  She gave herself a minute to swallow, then continued.  “You’re right.  I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled it.”

“I bet,” he said, feeling triumphant from the baby steps in the right direction.  He took a bite of his own before continuing.  “Feel any better?”

“A little.”

“Good.  I’m glad.”

Conversation died as the two ate their dinner.  Annais ate her first slice greedily, but picked at the toppings of the next between sips of their drink.  As long as she had something in her system, Piers wasn’t going to bother her.

“D’ya like havin’ your hair washed, love?” he asked in an attempt to distract her from whatever she was frowning about now.  This blunt question earned a giggle out of her.

“What?  Thought it was an innocent enough question,” he scratched the back of his neck as she continued to chuckle.  Not the reaction he expected, but at least it was a pleasant one.  “I know I like havin’ mine washed.  Makes me feel refreshed, ‘specially if someone else does it for me.  Those birds at the salon can almost put ya to sleep.”

“… You want to wash my hair?” she asked, audibly confused.  “Does it look greasy?”

“Nah, nah.  Not at all.  Just tryin’ to spoil you, ‘s all.  If you’d like me to, I’m offering.  I think you could use a relaxin’ bath.”

“Y’know… That does sound nice,” she said.  “Sure.”

Piers grinned and stood up.  “I’ll draw a bath then.”

“You’re too good to me,” she said as he was about to walk away.

“Ah-aht!  None of that.”  Piers wagged a finger then pressed it over her lips.  “Not gonna hear any of that.  Not tonight.”

“Sorry…” she muttered with lips still sealed.

“Nothin’ to apologize about.  Just stopping you from lying to yourself.”

With this, he went to leave the kitchen.

“Hey, Nez?”

Her quiet voice made him stop.  He turned back around to face her.  “Yes, love?”

“How can you stay so patient with me?”

The little voice in which she said this struck something inside of Piers.  She was once again having difficulty understanding his love for her.  He knew she didn’t doubt it, just that she didn’t see why she deserved it.  He took a deep breath, walked back and kneeled onto the floor beside her chair.  He grabbed her hand, and held it in both of his.  His pale mint eyes stared deep into her deep emerald ones.

“Ann… I’ve been in dark places before too,” he said.  “Know what it’s like to feel lonely in a crowd.  Wantin’ to be alone, but wantin’ someone there.  Wantin’ help, but not wantin’ to bother.”

He watched as the tears brimmed again, as the tiniest of streams formed when she blinked.  He squeezed her hand tighter.

“I don’ want you feelin’ like that.  I mean, I know you already do.  But I also know sometimes, just one person’s kindness, one person takin’ a wee bit of the load off your back, can help put you back on the track to feelin’ whole again.  It can bring you back to life.”

She nodded. 

“Annais, I hope you know; you were and have continued to be that one person for me as long as we’ve known each other,” he said.  “I’m only returnin’ the favor.”

“Really?” she asked.  He could hear the disbelief.

“Really.  I dunno if you even realize how patient you’ve been with me.  It’s not something that’s a task for you, it’s just who you are,” Piers laughed.  When she didn’t seem swayed, he took another deep breath.  “Ann, y’know y’ coulda told me to fuck off on my birthday when I was actin’ like a drunken cunt.  Y’ didn’t have to come through the bloody blizzard just to lay down with me- just to spend the bloody night on the couch with me!  But you did, cos you knew it’d make me happy.  Y’ coulda left me to suffer on my own when I didn’t want ya over cos I was sick.  Y’ were sick yourself, but you worried about me.  An’ y’ coulda told me it was time to quit bein’ a baby over my mum an’ pop instead of comin’ with me to cry over ‘em.  Or y’coulda not kept tryin’ to understand me after I shunned ya over an’ over.  That’s not even the tip of it.”

Piers kissed her knuckles.  He didn’t bother trying not to get emotional.  He wanted her to see how serious he was about this.

“Every little thing you do has had a big impact on me.  It hasn’t been unseen.  Stuff you just think is natural, it’s radically different than what I’ve been used to for a long, long time.  Not a soul’s taken the time to care for me since…  Y’know,” he told her as tears rolled down his cheeks.  Seeing him cry made her own tears fall harder.  “Your love an’ patience has made my life so much better than you’ll ever know.  I’m finally startin’ to heal for the first time in my life.  Wounds don’ have to hurt forever.  If someone helps you rest, those wounds can stop tearin’ open at every little thing an’ things’ll get better.  Scars’ll be there always, but the pain can finally fade.”

He paused, resting his forehead on her knee.

“Oh, Nez…” she whispered.  Her hand that wasn’t held by his found its way into his hair, combing it back as he tried to even his breathing.  When he lifted his head, he was beaming.  Tears streaked his face, but his smile was so contagious, Annais couldn’t help but mirror it.

“Annais, you’re doin’ it again,” he laughed and sniffled.  “See?  I’m no more patient with you than you are with me.  We’re in this together.  I wanna be able to help you outta that same pit you saved me from.  I know I can’t fix everythin’, no matter how hard I wish I could for you.  Took me more’n a decade to realize healin’ is ultimately up to ourselves, but I wanna help make things easier around you so you can heal.  We’ll get there, love.  I promise you.  One day we’ll wake an’ the only darkness surroundin’ us will be our Pokémon of choice.”

When Annais giggled at this, Piers rose to his feet to give her a hug and kiss her cheek.

“Finish eatin’.  I’ll be right back.”

When he released her and walked away, Annais reached the slice that she had been picking at before.  She finished it with newfound vigor, even grabbing a third before getting up to find Piers.

The running of the tub’s faucet led her to him.  He was in her bathroom like he said, crouched down, looking through her cabinets.

“Oh, Ann.  Good,” he said when he heard the door creak open.  “You still got bubbles?  Can’t find ‘em.”

“Should be back there behind the towels,” she said despite a mouth full of pizza.  “With the candles.”

“The candles!” he repeated.  “Perfect.  Need those too.”  He pulled the stack of towels out of the way and sat them on the floor before reaching back in.  “Ah-ha.  There we are.”

He retrieved the basket that kept all her relaxing bath things before placing the towels back.  He dug through it, looking for something.

“Lighter?” he asked and stood up.  “Don’ keep mine on me anymore, ‘m afraid.”

“I have one in the bedroom.  I’ll grab it.”

Annais left to go find her lighter, smiling to herself at what Piers said.  He didn’t keep his lighter…  That meant he rarely needed a smoke these days.  Everything he said earlier about healing was true.  If he could heal, with his wounds so much deeper, so could she.  With his help, she’d be able to get better too.  She reached into her nightstand and located a lighter before returning to him.

“Think the tub’s about full now,” he said.  He held his hand out and she placed the lighter in his palm.  He immediately began to ignite the tealights that he placed around the tub.  “Y’ can go ahead an’ get in while I light these, if y’ want.  Not gonna be in my way.”

“Fair warning, Nez,” she started.  “I haven’t, uh… shaved in a few days.”

“An’ I haven’t shaved in about eight years or so,” Piers replied, not looking up from what he was doing.

Annais paused.  “Wait.  You used to shave?” she asked.  He heard her trying to conceal her giggles.  It was okay; he wanted to hear her laughter.

“Once,” he said, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. 

“What?  Why?”

“Thought bein’ smooth would better fit my aesthetic, yeah?  Plenty of rockers I looked up to did it, so why not?  Lots of folks dig the androgynous look.”

“Valid,” she said.

“Nah…  Huge mistake.”  He moved on to the next candle.  “Immediate regret.  It was awful.  I looked like some gangly pre-pubescent baby.  Felt like I was gonna get carded if I were to try an’ shag someone.”

Annais cracked up at this.

“An’ don’ get me started on the next day or so when it grew back,” he continued with a groan.  “I don’ see how you do it so often.  Never itched so much in my bloody life.”

“Nez!” she exclaimed.  “What all did you shave?”

“Let’s just say… everything,” he told her.  Distracted by his story, she pulled off her jersey first and dropped it to the floor.  Her pajama pants were next.  Piers averted his eyes, focusing on the candles to give her a bit of privacy.  “Could barely walk when it started growin’ back.  It’s a miracle I wasn’t scratchin’ myself raw in public.  I don’ know how you do it.”

“Oh, my God!”  Annais laughed aloud.  Folding her arms in front of her chest, she looked towards him.  “Well, you know your hair is a thing of mine.  I think you look so sexy with it.”

“Yeah?  An’ I think you look sexy either way too,” Piers said, straightening up to stand beside Annais.  Blush rapidly spread after he said this to her.  She rolled her eyes and looked away, causing him to pat her bare bottom.  “C’mon.  Get your sexy ass into the tub ‘fore the water gets cold, then.  I’ll hit the lights.”

Piers turned away, and she eased into the water.

“Oh,” she said as mountains of bubbles enveloped her.  The light was flicked off, causing the pure white bubbles to have a soft yellow glow thanks to the candles behind them.

“Too hot?  Cold?” asked Piers when he returned to her.  “I know you like it hotter’n I do, but I didn’t want to burn you.”

She shook her head.  “Nah, it’s perfect…”  With a blissful sigh, she sunk further into the tub.  She looked over to catch Piers take off his jacket and hang it across the towel rod.  “You coming in too?”

Piers was taken aback momentarily.  “Oh, well… Suppose I can.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want,” she said.  “Guess it might not be so easy to wash my hair in here with me.” 

“Right,” he replied and kneeled beside the tub.  “But tell ya what.  Let me pamper you first, then I’ll join you.  Water’ll probably be cool enough for me then.  Deal?”

“Deal.”

Piers smiled and reached for the hand shower.  “Close your eyes, love.”

Annais did as he requested, and was rewarded with a pleasantly hot cascade of water over her hair and face.  Piers made certain that all of her thick locks were wet before cutting off the water and setting the shower back.  He reached for her bottle of shampoo, poured a generous amount in his palm, and began to lather her hair.

She had opened her eyes after he cut off the stream, but they fluttered shut again as he massaged her scalp.  He’d washed her hair for her before when they showered together.  It was something she thought nothing of at the time, but now realized he likely did it hoping she’d relax.  It was a shame she’d never been able to return the favor since he was so much taller.  As his fingers worked the suds, Piers hummed.  Annais listened in intently.  She couldn’t recognize the song, but the melody that came from him sounded beautiful.

“How we feelin’?” he asked before she had a chance to figure it out or ask.

“Amazing.  You’ll have to let me wash your hair too sometime, Nez,” she said.  “Since I know it’s your thing now…  And it feels so damn good.”

“Careful, Ann,” he replied as he reached for the hand shower again.  “Do that an’ you’ll never get rid of me.”

“Oh, promise?” she giggled.

He chuckled in response.  “Promise.”

Annais smiled to herself as he rinsed out her hair.

“Hand me that conditioner, will you?” he asked.  She grabbed the bottle and passed it his way.  When his skilled hands worked the conditioner through her locks, she found herself unable to fight back a yawn.

“Straight to bed after this?” asked Piers.  “Or did you wanna watch something?  ‘S been a while since you made me sit through a horror film.  Found myself missin’ ‘em.”

“I think I wanna sleep,” she said.  “But we can have a movie marathon tomorrow if you’d like…  After we get those groceries, of course.”

“Of course,” he repeated.  “So, ‘m hearin’ we need to make sure we get plenty of snacks while we’re out.”

“Right,” she laughed.

“Tilt your head back, love,” said Piers.  “Almost done.”

“Then you’ll get in with me?”

“Then I’ll get in with you.”

She dutifully complied, allowing him to shower the conditioner out of her hair.  Once done, he rose to his feet and began to strip away his own clothes.

“How we wanna do this, Ann?” he asked, seating himself on the toilet to take off his boots.

“How about I get up, you get in, I sit down in front of you?”

He gave a nod as he took the tie out of his ponytail to put it in a bun.  He then shucked away his pants and stepped towards the bath.  Annais rose to her feet; he stepped in beside her.  The bubbles were still plentiful when he lowered himself into the water.  She followed suit, seating herself in front of him.  Water sloshed over the side of the tub as both of them settled down.

“Whoops,” he said, glancing over the side of the bath.  His chin then rested on her shoulder.  His arms coiled around her waist.  “Don’ worry ‘bout that.  I’ll get that when we get up again.”

“You can use the towels under the sink,” she told him, closing her eyes as she lay against his chest.

“‘Kay… Don’ fall asleep on me now,” he teased.

“Mmm… No promises.”

The two relaxed in the tub for a while.  Not many words were exchanged.  Piers had taken it upon himself to go over her body with a washrag, and go over himself the best he could in his position.  He noticed Annais growing a little less responsive to his touches as the moments passed and the water grew tepid.

“Oh, Ann.  You’re fallin’ asleep for real, love,” Piers commented.  “Up, up.  Let’s get you in the bed.”

Annais unleashed a yawn.  “Fine.  Water was getting cold anyway.” 

She reached for the plug before getting to her feet.  Piers stood up behind her, stepping out of the tub first to grab a towel to wrap around her.

“Brr… Bloody freezin’ out here,” he grumbled.  He quickly located the towels that he put back in the cabinet earlier.  He dried himself with one before tossing it on the ground to mop up the water they sloshed onto the floor.  “Ready to get in the nice, warm bed.”

With a yawn and a nod, Annais stepped out of the tub she had been standing in too.  She rubbed the towel over her head before dropping it onto the ground with his to help.

“Didn’t bring anything with me,” he admitted.  “Did I leave any clothes over here?”

“I dunno.  But I can give you a sleepshirt of mine if not,” she said.  She turned to leave the bathroom as he blew out the candles, before stopping and looking back at him with a smirk.  “Or… We can go without.”

A grin cracked on his face.  “There she is!  There’s my cheeky Ann.”  He threw his arms around her and kissed her cheek.  “Just promise me you’ll stay close so I don’ get cold an’ I’ll consider.”

“Promise,” she said.  “C’mon, Nez.  Let’s lay down before we freeze.”

Piers let her go to scoop the wet towels from the floor.  After tossing them into the hamper, his hand on the small of her back guided her into the bedroom.

Annais was the first to the bed.  She tossed back the blankets and crawled in, patting the mattress beside her.  Piers wasted no time laying by her side and pulling the blankets back over them.  His arms found their way around her as they often did, and she melted into his embrace.

“This feels right,” she said to him with a content sigh.  “This feels like what I could do for the rest of my life.”

“Lyin’ stark naked with me?”

They both burst into laughter at this.

“Well, yes, that too,” she said when the giggles subsided.  “But not even that.  Just being with you.  I think this is how we’re supposed to be.”

“I think I agree,” he said.  He pressed his lips to hers.  “Sweet dreams, Annais.  I love you.”

“I love you too, Piers,” she replied and followed up with a kiss of her own.  “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

Annais closed her eyes, fully ready to enter that dreamy state she had flirted with in the tub.  Yet, sleep wasn’t as immediate as she had anticipated.  Her mind flooded with everything that had happened over the course of the evening.  Every word Piers said to her repeated, but it wasn’t a case of her typical overthinking.  She felt her heart swell as all of his love hit her at once.  She couldn’t go to sleep tonight without properly acknowledging it.

“Nez?” she whispered.  “Babe?  You still awake?”

He hummed in response.

“Hey… Before you go to sleep, I want to thank you…” she started.  “For everything.  I do feel a little better, like you said I would.  I mean, honest, I’m still a little anxious.  I still don’t know what to do, but I’m way better than I was before you came.”

“That’s all I can hope for,” he said.  “Can’t change the world in one night.  We’ll tackle the rest one bit at a time.”

She snuggled closer to him.

“Do you mind…”  She paused to yawn.  “Do you mind if I ask you for just one more thing?”

“Not at all.  What’s that?”

“As tired as I am, I need your help going to sleep.  Can…  Can you sing?  I kinda wanted to ask all night, but it never felt right.”

“‘Course, Ann.  Y’know singin’ to you’s my favorite thing in the whole world,” he said.  “What’ll it be?  Any requests?”

“I dunno…”  She thought about it for a moment.  Her mind went back to what she heard from him earlier.  “How about the song you were humming in the bath?”

“The…?  Oh.”  Piers chuckled softly and nuzzled her cheek.  “Ann, sorry to let you down tonight.  ‘S not finished.  Promise, you’ll hear it when the time’s right.”

“So… It’s for me?” she asked.

“Absolutely is.  Who else is my muse?” he admitted.  “It’s a very special song for you.  Not sayin’ anythin’ else to spoil the surprise though.”

“That’s fine,” she giggled.  “I’ll wait.  What about your birthday song instead?”

“The one I wrote for your birthday?”

“No, no.  That Annais Renée one.  From your birthday,” she said.  A light-hearted laugh followed.  “Do you even remember?  You were so wasted.”

“Oi, that thing?”  She nodded, causing him to snicker.  “That one must’ve really tickled you.”

“It did.”

He kissed her cheek before clearing his throat.

“Annais Renée, bloody love of my life,” he softly sang into her ear.  “One day soon, ’m gonna make ‘er my wife…”

Annais closed her eyes, letting Piers lull her to sleep with his silly song.  For a dark-type trainer, he was certainly the light of her life.