After a night full of silly games that had culminated in a goofy dance contest, I'd laughed for so long and so hard that my sides ached. My breaths were coming out in short gasps punctuated by hysterical giggles and I flopped onto my bed as I tried to get ahold of myself. Soon three other bodies fell onto the single mattress and just looking into the other girls' faces made me burst out laughing again. It took several minutes for us all to calm down.

"Hey, there's still some eggnog left," Lily pointed out as she pushed herself off my bed and walked over to the last of the snacks and drinks we'd been munching on all night.

After three years of being roommates in boarding school, these three girls were as much family to me as my mom back home. She was disappointed when I asked to stay at school for winter break this year, but since it was my senior year and I'd have to say goodbye to these girls soon she eventually agreed.

I looked at Lily with her flowing yellow-blonde hair and elegant nightgown that made her look like a fairy. She'd been shy and hesitant when she got here from her home in Alola since it was her first time being away from her mother, but as we got closer she'd opened up to be the cheerful girl she was known for and was always the first to offer a helping hand.

Turning to my left I smiled at Serena who was still letting out bursts of giggles every few seconds. Her honey-blonde hair was cut to shoulder length and her fashion choice exuded maturity and self-confidence. Her mother was against her going to a boarding school since she wanted her to follow in her footsteps of being a professional jockey, but Serena's passion was dancing and she had gone behind her mother's back to sign up and attend this school had several dedicated arts programs ranging from painting to acting. Anything that could possibly be considered art had a specialized curriculum here and all of the students had to go through a rigorous audition and written test to get accepted.

"Ugh, who even bought that? Eggnog is so gross!" May huffed from my left as she scrunched her nose at Lily. Growing up with a martial arts instructor as a father and a gardener for a mother had given May's personality a strange mixture of tough and sweet. She could be harsh and she had absolutely no filter, but she was also unfailingly loyal and a true friend. She was in the sculpting program and our dorm featured many of her works that were so delicate and detailed you could hardly believe this brash girl had made them.

"I like eggnog," I rebutted when I saw Lily's bottom lip begin to tremble and I realized she must have been the one to bring it. "It's sweet and creamy, what's not to like?"

Lily's lips immediately turned up into a sweet smile and she reached for a plastic cup. "Would you like some then, Dawn?"

"Sure, thank you, Lily," I responded with a smile as I pushed myself up from my sprawled position.

"Ugh, you're both crazy. No drink should be that thick," May grumbled as Lily poured a cup for both herself and me before handing it to me with a sweet smile.

"What about milkshakes?" I rebutted and May huffed as if she was offended.

"You're joking? That's blended-up ice cream! It's heaven in a cup! How dare you compare the two."

Serena dissolved into giggles once again as May and I bickered good-naturedly. Suddenly she leaped from my bed with a startled "Ah!" and dashed towards the window nearest my bed.

"What are you..." Like a woman on a mission Serena swiftly unlatched the window and threw it open, letting a breeze that carried some stray snowflakes from the window ledge into our room.

"Ack! Serena!" Lily gasped as her pale skin burst out in goosebumps.

"Are you crazy?!" May hollered as she dove under my bed covers and hid from the cold.

"Oh, stop being such babies, and come over here! It's nearly midnight, we're going to miss out on making a Christmas wish!" Serena urged in a scolding tone as she beckoned for us to join her.

"A Christmas wish? What's that?" I asked with interest as I left my bed behind and walked over to join Serena by the window.

"It's a tradition my mom taught me," Serena explained with a wide grin as she looked up at the sky and then pointed toward a star that seemed to twinkle a little brighter than the others. "Every Christmas there's always one star that shines brighter than the rest. If you make a wish on that star then it is absolutely guaranteed to come true."

"Really?" Lily responded with awe in her tone. She'd slipped on a robe first but was now eagerly moving towards the window.

"Guaranteed my butt. What do the stars care about our wishes? And how would they even make them come true?" May jeered from the safety of my bed. I couldn't help but think she made a good point but Serena frowned in her "disappointed big sister" way which immediately made May close her mouth.

"I've been making a Christmas wish since I was five years old and every single year it's come true," Serena rebutted with a look of absolute confidence.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Lily gasped and immediately began scanning the sky for the brightest star.

"Pfft, oh, sure. What kinds of wishes do you make?" May asked, remaining fully encased in my blanket. However, she sat up on her knees, and I could see a spark of interest in her eyes.

Serena's lips quirked up in a half grin and her eyes danced with happiness. "Last year I wished that Ash would kiss me."

My eyes widened as I quickly did some calculations. "Wait, but you weren't even dating him at the time!"

Serena's grin widened as she nodded towards the open window. "And yet, as soon as we got back from winter break Ash marched right up to me and kissed me."

"Gosh, I remember that! He kissed you in front of everyone then asked you to be his girlfriend!" Lily recalled with a little squeal. "It was like something out of a romance novel!"

"Ha! Ash is a nut, he'd been psyching himself up to ask you out for weeks before then. That doesn't count!" May rebuffed but even as she protested she slowly stepped off of my bed, dragging the blanket behind her as she came to join us.

"That doesn't change the fact that my wish came true. And anyway, I had no idea he wanted to ask me out because my lovely best friends didn't tell me anything," Serena replied while narrowing her eyes at May and me.

May and Ash had been friends for years since they'd gone to the affiliated middle school together and as a fashion major I'd made clothes for the acting class many times which is how I got to know him. Getting a guy as clueless about love as Ash to notice Serena's affection and guide him into confessing once he realized his own feelings had been the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. The guy was hopeless! I couldn't understand what about the guy made Serena melt for him, but they were an adorable couple.

"Well, I believe you, Serena. I'm going to make my wish now," Lily announced before clasping her hands together and closing her eyes while facing the twinkling star Serena pointed out.

May grumbled a bit but to my surprise she also clasped her hands together and scrunched her eyes closed. The two finished their wishes quickly and May dragged Lily back to the snack table.

"What about you Dawn? Are you going to make a wish?"

I glanced at Serena before turning my eyes back to the sky and let out a little laugh. "What do I even have to wish for? I'm doing well in school, I have the best friends I could ask for, and my health has never been better."

"Oh, don't give me that. I noticed you flinch when Lily mentioned a romance novel. Why don't you wish to find love?" Serena prodded me with a glimmer of mirth in her eyes.

I winced at her teasing smirk and rubbed a strand of hair between my thumb and forefinger. Finding love isn't the problem. I just can't get the guy to be nice to me.

"Come on, I'm not kidding about how effective it is! One year I wished to be a princess and I was selected to be a princess in the class play! No matter what you wish for it'll come true, so just go for it!"

I couldn't help letting a laugh out at that and I gave her a sly half-smile.

"Is that so? I'm tempted to make a wish just to prove you wrong,' I replied while bumping my hip against hers. Serena's eyebrows raised and a wicked gleam filled her blue eyes as she smirked at me.

"Oh, yah? And what naughty thing are you going to wish for to prove me wrong?" Serena teased and I felt my cheeks flush with heat.

"I never said it would be naughty!" I hissed back while placing my hands over my cheeks.

"Why not? Go big or go home, right?" Serena taunted me with a jovial laugh.

"Gosh, you're incorrigible," I muttered but I couldn't help but smile along with her.

After a few more minutes of Serena's prodding and teasing I held my hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine. I don't want anything naughty, per se, but... how about..." I glanced at my bedside table where I left a shoujo manga that I loved.

"You got an idea? There's only one more minute of Christmas!" Serena prodded with obvious excitement. I gave her a wide grin and nodded. "Yes! Alright, let's make our wish, and as soon as it comes true you have to tell me what it was."

"Pfft, sure," I agreed with a chuckle before clasping my hands together and gazing straight at the shiniest star. As I looked at it I was surprised by how beautiful it looked, shining brightly against the dark sky.

"I wish to experience what it's like to be a shoujo heroine," I wished silently, sending the ridiculous wish into the night.

I could feel myself blushing just from the thought and as soon as Serena finished with her wish I closed the window and walked to my dresser to pull out a sweater. Even after the lights turned off we talked for several more hours and by the time we finally went to sleep I'd all but forgotten about my wish.

Staying in the dorms over winter break came with an unexpected downside to it. A few days after Christmas the staff called all the students and told us we'd be helping the staff with going through school equipment to take an inventory and write down if there was anything in need of replacing. Even worse than being forced to work on our vacation, we were even pre-assigned in teams and where we would be going. So that's how I found myself in the gym storage room with Paul, the school's resident bad boy.

Paul was in the music program and was something of a genius. He could play more than seven different instruments and possessed a voice as deep and luscious as melted chocolate. As embarrassing as it was to admit, I fell in love with him at first sight when I went with my friends to a school concert and saw him perform for the first time. His dark eyes seemed to bore into my soul in that performance and whenever his purple bangs fell across his face my heart gave a weird little flip.

As a fashion student, I didn't have many classes with Paul, but in my sophomore year, I got lucky and had a general math class with him in it. I'd tried to start a conversation with him only to discover that he was a world-class jerk. There was a reason that Paul was a loner in school despite his amazing talent. He was a beast to work with, he had no empathy for anyone or anything, he was critical of everything, and it seemed like he only cared about himself. Every time I tried to talk to him it always ended poorly with him insulting me in some way or another and I quickly gave up.

Weirdly enough though, in our junior year, Paul was in ALL of my general classes. The coincidence was insane, but over the year we'd found something of a weird equilibrium where we weren't exactly friends but if there was any group work assigned to us it was a given that Paul and I would be teaming up. If he didn't say anything we got along great and as he'd gone through his growth spurt I found myself more and more attracted to him. But as soon as he opened his stupid mouth I was reminded how much he drove me insane.

I glanced over at Paul who was glaring daggers at the closed door of the outdoor storage shed as if he was trying to incinerate it with nothing but his eyes. I let out a quiet sigh and slowly walked towards the door, key in hand. Sliding the key into the lock I frowned when it didn't turn immediately and I had to fiddle with it for a while before it finally shifted and I could slide the door open.

"Idiot teachers treating us like janitors. I stayed to work on my songs, not clean up after other people's mess," Paul growled in his deep voice that even now sent shivers down my spine. We only had two classes together this year since seniors didn't have many generals left to worry about, and I felt like an idiot for having missed hearing his voice, which was so rich it felt like his words wrapped around me like a fuzzy blanket.

"We're not cleaning, Paul. We just have to take inventory and write down if anything needs to be replaced," I reminded him while pointing to the clipboard he was holding haphazardly.

Paul sneered, pulling his upper lip back with a look of open disdain and he jerked his chin towards the door. "The teachers are treating us like free labor. Doesn't that bug you?"

I shrugged my shoulders and held my hand out for the clipboard.

"The sooner we start the sooner we can get back to our own thing," I responded lightly. Paul smirked at me with his usual look of superiority.

"Always such a goody-two-shoes, Troublesome," he sneered before bopping my head lightly with the clipboard. I scowled up at him, rubbing the spot he'd hit but he shoved the clipboard into my hands and turned away before I could respond. "You cool if I close the door? I'm freezing my tail off."

I was tempted to snap back that humans don't have tails, but realizing that I would just be starting a pointless argument with how contrary the guy was, I shook my head and turned the lights on. The door slid noisily shut. I frowned and made a note about the door needing to be oiled before turning to the shelves. To my surprise, Paul actually helped. As I counted the batons he counted the safety cones and we made quick progress, although I had to listen to a running commentary of how idiotic this was and how he'd let the teachers have a piece of his mind when we finished.

With the last item on the list recorded, I let out a sigh of relief. Even with the door closed, the storage shed was obviously not well insulated, and I exhaled warm air onto my fingers, which had turned red from the chill.

"Let's get out of this ice chest," Paul huffed before turning and stomping towards the door. I walked up behind him as he pulled on the door. It made a weird rattling sound but didn't budge and I sighed.

"They should really replace the door," I muttered as Paul continued to pull on it. After the fourth pull with no results though my eyebrows drooped in concern and he glanced back at me with a frown.

"You have the key, right?" Paul asked gruffly as he held out his hand.

I immediately passed it over to him, surprised when I could see the obvious callouses on his fingers. He pulled away from me too fast for me to make any other observations about his hands though. A barking laugh erupted from him suddenly, and I stepped to the side to see him staring at the recessed handle of the door. With no keyhole above it. Great.

"What kind of idiot puts in a lock only on one side of the door?" Paul growled out with obvious annoyance and I gulped, glancing around the cold storage room.

"Umm, it might just be stuck. Do you mind if I try?"

"Knock yourself out," he quipped before stepping aside and leaning against the wall next to the door.

I tried pulling up on the handle to maybe loosen the bottom of the door, then jiggled it, pulled back while trying to slide it, and every other possible thing I could think of. But no matter what I did, the door was stuck fast.

"Ugh, this isn't working," I admitted defeat as I stepped back and let out a sign of frustration.

"I'll try one more time, maybe it just needs some muscle," Paul suggested before stepping in front of me and reaming against the handle with all his might. The door shuddered from the force but still remained firmly shut.

"I... must have only temporarily unlocked it. Somehow?" I mused out loud, trying to figure out how this could have happened.

Sheesh, locked in the gym storage with the guy I liked. This is just like... My eyes widened as I stared at Paul who was now kicking petulantly at the door with a heavy scowl on his handsome face. Just like a manga... Isn't this a common situation in shoujo manga? Getting locked in a room together? Did that wish... actually come true?!

My mouth opened in complete and utter bewilderment. Paul turned around to face me and I quickly snapped my lips shut when he glowered down at me. Neither of us said anything but before I could fully grasp just how awkward this situation was, Paul took a step closer to me. I instinctively stepped back but Paul continued to advance towards me.

Blinking rapidly I opened my mouth to ask if he was angry but my legs suddenly pressed up against some folded mats. I looked over my shoulder to quickly regain my balance but suddenly thick, warm arms circled my body and pulled me towards Paul's chest.

"Eep!" Heat coursed up my neck into my face and all the way to my ears at the embarrassing squeak that leaked out of me, but Paul's arms tightened even more.

"Ugh, it's friggin' cold," Paul growled, sounding extremely annoyed. Another embarrassing squeak leaked out of my throat when Paul bent down and burrowed his nose (which admittedly was quite cold) against my neck.

"Huh? Paul? What are you..." My body was stiff as a board and my mind was racing so fast that I couldn't identify a single thought long enough to process what was happening right now. Paul released a long breath that flowed down my neck and past my collar bone and suddenly my entire body felt like it was on fire.

"The least you can do is keep me warm," Paul muttered against my skin and I gulped, suddenly feeling extremely parched.

"Uh, but, I, you... phone!"

"Huh?" Paul grunted, pulling back slightly and once his warm breath was no longer washing over my skin my brain finally started functioning again.

"We should try to call someone. Maybe they can open the door from the outside," I suggested while doing my best not to give in to the temptation of wrapping my hands around Paul's firm torso. Since when are musicians muscular?! What is this nonsense?

Paul's eyes narrowed at me silently for a few beats before he eased his grip around my shoulders. Instead of letting me go though, he twirled me around, pulled my back snuggly against his chest then turned us both around and plopped down on the gym mats. I inhaled sharply as he circled his arms firmly against my waist and dropped his head back to my shoulder, snuggling up against me and almost enveloping me with his large body.

"Go ahead," he agreed flippantly while nuzzling against my neck.

What. The heck. Is happening right now?!?! I peeked over at Paul and could see that his eyes were closed as he continued to hold me like a teddy bear. I'd never seen him look so relaxed before and for a moment I just stared, not believing that this handsome jerk was cuddling against me like it was the most natural thing in the world. After a moment of my silent observation passed his purple eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened into small slits. I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks explode with heat once again.

Clearing my throat and trying to clear my mind at the same time, I quickly patted my jeans pockets. As soon as I did though I groaned, remembering that I'd forgotten to charge my phone last night so I left it in my room this morning when the teachers assembled us.

"Now what?" Paul grumbled into my neck as his chest pressed tighter against my back. I whimpered dejectedly and turned my head slightly away from him to try and get some space to breathe.

"I don't have my phone," I admitted.

Paul let out a sardonic chuckle. Shivers raced down my spine as I felt his whole body tremble from the low sounds coming from him and then transfer into me. I'd never blushed for so long in my life and I hoped that Paul hadn't noticed.

"Could you call someone?" I asked hesitantly.

Paul huffed out a breath that streaked across my collarbone and lit a strange fire inside of me that made me all fidgety. Paul's arms tightened a notch more around my waist and I immediately stilled, closing my eyes and trying not to dwell on the fact that the only guy I'd been attracted to for nearly three years was wrapped around me like a taco. Even his legs were pressed firmly against mine. Ugh. This is not good for my heart, I thought to myself and hoped that Paul couldn't hear how much it was racing.

"I don't have anyone's numbers saved," Paul responded nonchalantly.

I blinked for several long moments, trying to work through the ridiculous statement I'd just heard.

"What? Nobody? At all?" I repeated in utter bewilderment.

Paul chuckled again, prompting another shiver to go down my spine and he slowly lifted his chin from my shoulder. I looked over at him hesitantly only to find that his face was so close to mine that our noses were almost touching.

"Unless you want me to call my brother then no. It's not like there's anyone in this school that I'd want to communicate with in my free time," he responded caustically.

I swallowed down a lump in my throat and quickly looked away from him, my blush instantly fading. Right. This is what Paul's like. No one is worth his time, including me.

"Then give me your phone, I think I have Ash's number memorized," I replied while holding my hand up to my shoulder. "Ack!" I let out a grunt when Paul's grip, which had been warm and firm before, suddenly tightened into a chokehold.

Without thinking I hit my fist against Paul's arm, trying to get him to ease up. Immediately his arms pulled away, but with a swift tug, I found my shoulders being pressed against the mats and Paul leaning over me with a fierce look in his dark eyes. He'd somehow slipped his leg down below my butt so my legs were draped over his and his large hands were gripping my shoulders so firmly that it was just under the threshold of pain.

"Why would you have that pathetic dweeb's number memorized?" Paul asked in a growl that sounded almost animalistic. I gulped, utterly shocked by the predicament I found myself in. Paul looked... "angry" was an understatement. He looked like he wanted to tear someone's head off.

"S... Serena wanted to memorize his phone number so she came up with a silly song to remember it. It was catchy, so I ended up memorizing it too," I explained, too shocked to be anything but honest. Paul's face shifted from murderous to confused. He tilted his head to the side and when his long, feathery bangs shifted above me I could feel the familiar sensation of butterflies in my stomach.

"Who's Serena?" he asked without a shred of sarcasm and my mouth dropped open.

"Serena Yvonne? The star of the dance program? One of the most popular girls in the school! She was in World History with us last year and she's one of my best friends." Paul's face didn't show a shred of recognition and I shook my head in bewilderment. "She's also dating Ash Ketchum. That's why she wanted to memorize his number."

Paul blinked once and his grip on my shoulders relaxed noticeably. I raised an eyebrow at him, utterly befuddled by his reaction. An involuntary yelp escaped me once again when Paul slipped one arm behind my shoulders and the other around my waist then swiftly tugged me up and onto his lap. Releasing my waist, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black phone. Using his thumbprint he unlocked it, handed it to me without a word, then looped his arm around my waist and tugged me towards him so that I was the one nuzzling against his neck this time.

What is this? A "How many ways can you hold a person" challenge or something?! When I said I wanted to be a shoujo heroine I didn't mean this! Not that it's... bad... but still!

Taking a deep, calming breath, I hummed the stupid song that Serena had come up with and typed in the numbers. Hoping this was right, I hit the call button and waited. I was relieved when the phone rang and even more relieved when Ash actually answered the phone. I explained the situation and he said he'd call Serena since he'd gone home for the winter break. I hung up with relief and tried to pull back from Paul's chest to offer him his phone but his arms kept me solidly in place.

"Put your number in while you're at it," Paul ordered, his voice rumbling through his chest and vibrating against my cheek. I stared down at the phone in my hand, then over at the manly adam's apple in front of my nose, then quickly back down at the phone.

"I thought... you said you didn't want anybody's number?" I protested weakly, trying very hard to ignore my heart which was racing as fast as a rabbit being chased down by a wolf.

"Just do it," Paul demanded brusquely, lifting his hand from my hip and pushing his phone more firmly into my hand.

I gripped it tightly, blinking down for a few seconds in awe before slowly opening up his contact list. It really was impossibly short. Reggie. Manager. Idiot Band Member #1-3. That was it.

"You're not typing," Paul grumbled, resting his chin against my temple and tucking me even further against him so he could see his phone screen.

Gulping much louder than I wished I had, I quickly opened a new contact and filled in my name and number for him.

"Now text yourself so you have my number," he instructed bossily. My finger hovered over the text message icon but then stopped as I scrunched my eyebrows together.

"But I already have your..." I trailed off, wishing I hadn't opened my big mouth.

Without warning, both of Paul's hands went down to my waist and I was suddenly lifted up so that I was facing him. My knees naturally rested on either side of his hips and one hand grabbed onto his shoulder to steady myself. We were face-to-face once again and I was shocked to see something that looked like amusement glittering in his dark eyes.

"How did you get my number, Miss Stalker?" Paul asked with an almost triumphant smirk. Once again heat raced into my cheeks and I wildly whipped a hand in front of my face in denial.

"No no no, I am NOT a stalker! We had a big project last year in economics and we created a group chat," I explained myself vigorously, mortified to think that Paul might actually think I was stalking him. His amused smirk didn't ease up though and he pulled my hips slightly towards him as he raised one eyebrow.

"And you saved my number from the group chat? Why would you do that if you didn't even consider me a friend? Are you sure you weren't just collecting my personal info? Like a stalker?"

I pushed against his chest and leaned back, trying to get some distance from his handsome face and the teasing glint in his eyes that was making me want to melt. Paul pushed down on my hips this time, forcing me to sit in his lap while straddling him and he leaned forward, chasing after my retreating face.

"Hmm? Cat got your tongue, Dawn?"

"It... It doesn't mean anything! We talk a lot in class, I figured it would be useful to have your number! I'm not stalking you!" I had never felt so flustered in my life. Paul was usually always picking on me and looking for any chance to insult me, so what the heck had gotten into him now?! Was he just messing with me? Did he find out I was attracted to him?

"Methinks the lady protests too much," Paul responded with a wicked glint in his dark eyes.

"You're such a jerk, let go of me!" I demanded, beyond embarrassed by this point.

I pushed Paul's hands off me and rushed to get off of his lap. I dashed across the room to the door to catch my breath but the sound of footsteps sent tension through my whole body. I quickly turned just in time to see Paul closing the distance between us with his long strides and he reached out a hand. I opened my mouth to say something but instead of trying to hug me again his hand went past me and pressed against the door with a solid thud, his tall frame towering over me.

K-k-k-kabedon?!?! Seriously?!?! You can freaking stop now Christmas Star! It was a joke! I'm going to have a heart attack!

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Paul asked with a lazy smirk. He reached out his other hand and grabbed onto the back of my hand which was still holding his phone.

"S-Serena should be here soon," I responded lamely. Paul's thumb slowly stroked from the bottom of my pinky down to my wrist and a shiver went through me at the unexpected caress.

"Why didn't you text me?"

"Huh?" I glanced up at Paul, shocked to see his teasing smirk had vanished and he was gazing at me without blinking.

"If you had my number, then why didn't you text me?" he rephrased with complete seriousness. My mouth opened and closed uselessly as I tried to figure out why he asked such a thing.

"Because... you can't stand me. I didn't want to bother you," I finally responded in barely a whisper. Paul's lips turned down in a frown and I flinched when his hand snaked down to my wrist and brought it forward to tap against his chest.

"What made you think that?" he asked gruffly. I blinked rapidly up at him, not believing that this conversation was even happening.

"What made... every time we talk you are always insulting me and telling me I'm troublesome. How could I not think that way?"

Paul's frown deepened and he looked off to the side for a second, but his tender grip on my wrist didn't falter. When he turned to face me again he bent his elbow and leaned towards me, trapping me even tighter between the door and himself.

"I didn't mean to insult you," Paul admitted, sounding awkward as if he'd never bothered to explain himself before. "And I normally hate being around people, so being around you who everyone likes and admires is troublesome because I have to constantly share you. You barely give me the time of day if I'm not arguing with you... So it just became a habit, I guess."

I stared into Paul's eyes so deeply that I could see my own blue ones in their reflection. Everything slowed down and I felt like I was pushing through thick sap as I tried to connect my thoughts together.

"That sounds like... you like... me?" I could hardly force the ridiculous sentence out of my mouth. Paul's expression didn't change at all from his impassive mask and I was about to say "Just kidding" when the sound of muffled talking came from beyond the door and a loud banging began to ring out.

I yelped in shock and Paul smoothly pulled me against his chest in a protective embrace. My heart raced at the gesture but the banging was soon punctuated by my best friend's voice.

"Dawn! Dawn, are you alive in there?! Are you okay?"

I let out a shaky laugh and stepped out of Paul's arms to go over to the door.

"Yes, Serena, I'm fine. Could you try opening the door instead of banging on it?" I asked with a genuine laugh this time.

"Oh, right," Serena's muffled voice sounded and the door rattled as she tried to pull it open. "It must be locked. Mr. Dawson, you have your keys right?"

After a muffled conversation, a loud click sounded from the door and it finally shuddered open. Serena burst into the room and wrapped me in a hug, blubbering about how her phone was on silent and she was so sorry for taking so long. I calmed her down, surprised to see the usually unflappable Serena so worried, but she bounced back quickly as soon as she was sure that I hadn't gotten frostbite or claustrophobic. She barely even looked at Paul, I seemed to recall she disliked him because he kept calling Ash "pathetic" for no reason.

Serena began ushering me out of the storage room and rubbing my arms even though I hadn't really gotten that cold since Paul insisted on cuddling with me. I couldn't help but peek over my shoulder at Paul. Our eyes met immediately and I froze in place at the intensity of his gaze.

"Trouble, meet me in the town square at 7 in front of the Christmas tree," Paul ordered.

"Huh? Why would she do that? What's going on?" Serena asked with frost in her voice as she glared at Paul with obvious dislike.

I glanced between her and Paul, but Paul's eyes remained squarely on me. Not trusting my voice at the moment, I slowly nodded and a familiar smirk quirked up one corner of Paul's lips. He raised his phone in a weird wave and then immediately turned and walked away.

"What was that about? You're not actually going to meet that troll, are you, Dawn?" Serena demanded with a cute pout of her lips.

"He's not a troll, Serena," I immediately defended him and Serena's eyes widened.

"I thought he drove you nuts? You're always complaining about how he can never say anything nice to you," Serena pointed out with narrowed eyes and I flushed before turning and hurrying toward the teachers' lounge.

"He does drive me nuts... But... he's not as bad as I thought," I muttered, trying to not blush and give away just how ecstatic I was about the thought of going on a date with Paul. That's what that was right? Was he asking me on a date?

"What do you mean 'not so bad'? He's one of the most brutish, arrogant, stuck-up, know-it-alls I've ever had the displeasure of knowing!" Serena exclaimed with a huff as she followed me as I turned in the clipboard with our inventory notes.

"You only think that way because he was rude to Ash," I pointed out, hoping to distract her from the topic by bringing up her boyfriend. Just as I expected, her entire body relaxed and she beamed adoringly as if she was picturing him in front of her.

"Well, how could anyone call my darling 'pathetic'? Something must be wrong in his head," Serena quipped.

With a few more gentle prods she was soon singing Ash's praises and retelling me the story about how they met as children and he'd inspired her to follow her dream. To my delight, it also happened that Serena was meeting her dance team for dinner and a planning meeting for their next performance so I was able to successfully distract her from Paul's suggestion to meet him.

As soon as she left the room I swiftly changed into a cute knee-length knit dress with thick tights and boots. An oversized hat and some simple makeup completed my look and I quickly left campus and headed towards the town center.

As I got closer to the center of town more and more light displays were visible and I smiled brightly up at the beautiful sight. Realizing that I was running a few minutes behind, I started shuffle-jogging down the snowy sidewalk toward the middle of the city where a gigantic Christmas tree was still standing proudly, even though Christmas was a few days ago.

I didn't see a tall purple-haired boy at first glance though so I nervously circled the tree, wondering if he was waiting on the other side. When I'd made a full 360 and hadn't seen him I quickly checked my phone (which was fully charged now) and saw the time was 7:04 pm.

I nibbled nervously on my bottom lip and looked around once more. Paul was normally obnoxiously punctual, to the point he would berate me if I was even a few minutes late for a study session in the library.

What if this is a prank? I couldn't help but wonder pessimistically. What if he doesn't show up? Or maybe he got in an accident?

I'd just about worked myself into a tizzy when I remembered how he'd asked why I hadn't texted him. Gulping nervously, I quickly looked around one more time before looking down at my phone and slowly opening up my contacts. My thumb hovered over the text or call buttons for a moment, but ultimately I hit the call button.

I only heard one ring before he answered and goosebumps raced across my neck when Paul's bass voice floated through the speaker and directly into my ear.

"So you were telling the truth, Ms. Stalker," Paul said with a teasing gloat in his tone. I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, hoping that this ridiculous nickname would not stick.

"I am not a..." Before I could finish my sentence arms suddenly circled my shoulders and a chilled nose pressed against the skin right underneath my ear. I froze when I felt the warmth of Paul's lips pressing gently against my neck for a split second before he pulled back and rested his cheek above my ear.

"Although I'm the one that's been watching you for the past five minutes so maybe I'm more of the stalker," Paul whispered in a husky voice that I'd never heard before and caused my heart to tremble.

"Why..." I tried to squeeze out of my tight throat. Clearing my throat quickly I tried again. "Why didn't you say anything if you were here the whole time?"

"I wanted to see if you really saved my number," Paul replied immediately as he pulled away and slowly turned me around to look at him. I was shocked at the gentle smile on his handsome face that seemed so out of place and yet so stunningly attractive at the same time. "Plus, when I saw you rush here dressed up all cute like that I realized I really like watching you look for me. You should be that anxious to see me all the time, Trouble."

I could feel the heat of a blush rising up my neck as Paul looked down at me with a wolfish grin. My lips quickly turned down in a pout though and I pushed against him lightly, breaking his grip on my shoulders before folding my arms grumpily.

"Why should I be anxious to see you? What even are you to me?" I snapped at him, part embarrassed, part annoyed, and part desperately hoping that he would tell me I wasn't alone. That he felt the same attraction to me as I did to him.

Paul gazed at me silently, not giving any hint of what was on his mind. My shoulders tensed as I wondered if maybe he wanted me to confess to him first. Should I? No way. I mean, he's the one who initiated this date and all of that touching and cuddling in the storage room. This is on him! Stay strong, Dawn.

My inner pep talk was running out of steam though and I could feel my nerves building. Just when I felt like I was about to burst, Paul suddenly reached out and cupped my cheeks with his large, cold hands. I blinked up at him, unsure what was about to happen, but he tugged me forward, pulling me off balance. My arms instinctively reached out to break my fall and came to rest against Paul's chest as he drew me right up against him and ducked his head down so we were staring straight into each other's eyes.

"Be my girl, Dawn," Paul requested in a low hum that seemed to vibrate down to my soul.

I stared into his dark eyes. Now that I was seeing them up close I could tell they had purple flakes in their dark pools of color that hovered somewhere between black and gray. Everything about this moment seemed too good to be real and I slowly licked my lips to try and prompt them to move and say something. I took too long though because Paul continued speaking.

"You were right. I've liked you since sophomore year. I even eavesdropped on you when you were decided on your schedule so we could have all of our generals together last year. The band was just taking off last year though and our manager said we shouldn't date anyone until we were more established and I'd graduated high school. But I can't wait any longer."

My eyelashes fluttered crazily as I tried to process what Paul just said.

"Wait... but if you liked me then why were you always so rude to me?" I asked in a slight daze, wondering how I could have missed something like this for so long. I'd always thought it was a coincidence that we had all the same classes our junior year. To find out that he'd planned that was throwing me off more than I would like to admit.

"Like I said, I wasn't allowed to date you," Paul reiterated as he began to gently mash my cheeks between his hands. It was a weird sort of massage that was more uncomfortable than anything, but when he pushed the edges of my lips together to make a fishy face I finally came to my senses and pulled away. Paul laughed melodically and my stomach flipped when he gave me another of his easy smiles that made him seem young and carefree.

"I wasn't about to let any other guy make a move on you though, so I did my best to monopolize your time whenever I could and sent both verbal and nonverbal signals to anyone that tried to get close to you that you weren't available."

I blinked mutely for a moment but then gasped and pointed accusingly up into his gorgeous face.

"You're the reason I never got asked out!? Are you kidding me? What gave you the right to do that?"

Paul immediately reached out and enveloped my pointing finger into his huge hand then stepped forward to reduce the distance between us to inches once again. I stared up at him sullenly while trying to keep my heart from racing but Paul gave me a cheeky grin and leaned down to place his lips next to my ear.

"Who else would you have even wanted to date when you couldn't take your eyes off me?" he whispered huskily, his voice taking on a seductive quality that made my knees weak.

"Wh-who me?" I stuttered, desperately wishing that I could deny it.

When Paul pulled back just enough to give me a knowing smirk I groaned and covered my eyes with my hands. Suddenly my feet were no longer on the ground and I yelped as Paul slung me over his shoulder and began marching away.

"What the- put me down! What are you doing, you jerk!"

The impromptu kidnapping came to an end much sooner than I was expecting though. Paul lowered me to the ground and then pulled me into what turned out to be a recording studio. I stumbled after him, my hand firmly tucked into one of his, as he pulled me into an empty recording booth. He closed the door, pushed me gently against the wall, and then placed his hands on either side of my head and stared down at me with an intoxicating mix of triumph, anticipation, and desire glinting in his eyes.

"I know you like me, Trouble," Paul stated with confidence as he gazed down at me hungrily. "I've been watching you for almost three years. I bet I know you better than anyone. And I bet you also don't know how many times I've wanted to pull you into a dark corner and kiss those tiny lips of yours until they're swollen."

My eyes widened, shocked to hear that the guy I'd secretly (or apparently not so secretly) admired for years had been having fantasies about me. A calloused thumb ghosted over my lower lip, causing me to flinch in surprise and I looked up to see Paul staring fixedly at me as his thumb slowly and purposefully traced the edge of my lips. I could feel my cheeks heating up and I nervously swallowed past a lump in my throat.

"The band's going to go on a global tour after I graduate from here," Paul's sultry voice wrapped around me in the tiny, dark booth and my eyelids began to flutter closed as my attention focused completely on his voice and his wandering thumb. "I talked to our stylist and he said he's been thinking of training an intern. He liked your portfolio and he said he'd take you on."

My eyes flew open at this unexpected declaration to find that Paul was so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my nose. Backed up against the wall I didn't have anywhere to go, but I wasn't about to let that slide. I placed my hands under Paul's chin and pushed, turning his smoldering eyes away from me and giving me a moment to breathe and recollect myself.

"Did you say stylist? I don't want to coordinate other people's clothes, I want to make clothes!" I protested strongly, not willing to compromise my career dreams for anything. Even if it was a sexy musician who was moments away from kissing me.

"All of the band's clothes are custom-made," Paul responded while wrapping one large hand around both of my wrists and gently pulling them down so he could look at me again. "Our stylist is in charge of the team that designs, makes, and coordinates our looks."

"Oh... really?" I couldn't help a thrill of excitement go through me to think that I could be a part of the fashion team in charge of an up-and-coming band. "But wait. Why would you talk to him behind my back? And how on earth did you get my portfolio to show him anyway?"

Paul's fingers tightened around my wrists. Suddenly they were jerked up above my head and pressed gently against the wall, giving me an unobstructed view of Paul and his eyes roiling with a deep hunger that made my mouth go dry.

"We can talk about that later," Paul responded with a husky growl as he leaned down. "I'm going to kiss you now. Kick me if you don't want to be my girl."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Paul took the opportunity to press his lips against me and plunge his slick tongue into my mouth. The sensation of his tongue rubbing gently against the roof of my mouth sent tingles through my whole body and as he began pushing against my tongue my body jolted in surprise. My first kiss had been back in middle school and had been a dare from one of my friends. The swift touch of two sets of lips hadn't done anything to excite me, but this... I didn't even know how to react to a kiss like this with a man that I had both admired and despised for years.

Paul pulled back slightly, removing his tongue from my mouth, and whispered, "Breathe through your nose," before moving back and clamping his lips around my bottom lip and beginning to suck. Hard.

My mind slipped into a haze as Paul patiently but passionately taught me how to kiss. I briefly wondered how someone as antisocial as him could know anything about kissing, but I was in no hurry to interrupt him and ask.

At some point, Paul released my hands in order to lift me so that my legs wrapped around his waist with my back still pressed against the wall. My hands had immediately sunk into his soft hair and shivers were constantly going up and down my spine as Paul's hands wandered from my legs, up my waist, to my neck, then back again.

Time was irrelevant and I could hardly believe that not only had Paul been hiding his feelings for me all these years, but he was asking me to follow him and his band around the world. To think he'd planned to have me next to him in his future was overwhelming in some sense, but as our lips finally parted and our ragged and moist huffs filled the tiny recording booth, I had already made my decision.

"You have to stop being mean to me," I gasped out as my chest heaved and my brain began to recover from the lack of oxygen.

Paul met my eyes with a wanton grin and licked his bottom lip, making me recall all of the ways that tongue had sent fireworks through my blood and caused me to quiver.

"Your reactions are really cute so I can't say I'll never tease you again," Paul admitted shamelessly. I couldn't quite decide whether to be angry or embarrassed by that, but soon Paul leaned forward and began nuzzling my neck.

A shocked gasp escaped me when the nuzzling turned into sucking and I shuddered and squirmed as Paul sucked on the sensitive flesh with determination. When he finally pulled away my entire face was flushed and I met his smug expression with slightly watery eyes.

"I'm technically not supposed to date anyone until I graduate," Paul admitted with an annoyed scowl, but it quickly turned into a smile as he brushed the hickey he'd left on me. "But until then I promise I'll lavish you with attention and praise whenever we're alone. Can that be enough?"

I met his dark eyes and felt both excited and resigned to the fact that I didn't think I'd ever be able to live without this man.

"Alright. You can be my boyfriend. Pending graduation, I suppose," I acquiesced, not quite ready to give him all of the control in this relationship.

Paul's lips exploded in a grin and soon he'd pressed himself even tighter against me and we were once again kissing like there was no tomorrow. I think this might be going beyond a shoujo manga at this point, the thought flitted through my mind amidst the passionate kisses, but thank you, Christmas star. I'll consider this wish officially granted. 

A/N Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. I am hoping to write the continuation of the ikarishipping oneshot I wrote two years ago (the one based on Pokemon Legends: Arceus) but time got away from me this month so I'll have to try and finish that another time. Hopefully you enjoyed this silly oneshot though. Sorry my oneshots are always so long :P