" Get up." Someone said as they pulled Dawn's blanket off. Dawn turned.

Zoey.

" Zoey, I don't care what you say but nothing ANYONE does is gonna convince me to move." Dawn snapped, grabbing the blanket and pulling it on herself again.

" Even me?* Another voice asked.

Dawn didn't even bother to look.

The person sighed. " Oh Dawn...."

Dawn didn't even care.

Then she felt the mattress sink a little.

Then the bed moved.

Then the edge of the blanket was lifted, and someone scooted in.

Then two warm arms wrapped around Dawn and hugged her tight.

There, lying down next to her, was her Auburn haired prince.

Her one and only .

" What do you want?" Dawn muttered into his chest.

" To make sure that you get out of your depression."

Zoey nodded slightly to the boy, and he nodded.

" I'll see you outside, Dawn. Good luck, Kenny. You'll need it."

Kenny grinned. " Don't worry. I'm her boyfriend. I think I would know how to snap my Dee Dee out of a funk."

Zoey shrugged. " Your call."

Kenny held Dawn close, his chin resting lightly on top of her head as she burrowed into his chest. He didn’t say anything right away, letting the silence settle over them. His warmth surrounded her, and the steady beat of his heart drummed softly in her ear.

Dawn sighed, her voice muffled. “Why are you here, Kenny? You don’t have to babysit me.”

Kenny let out a soft chuckle. “Babysit you? Dee Dee, you’re my girlfriend, not a toddler. And anyway, I’m here because I know you. You’re stubborn as heck, but you’ve got a bad habit of bottling everything up.”

“I’m fine,” Dawn mumbled, though even she didn’t sound convincing.

“Yeah, sure. And Piplup secretly loves getting sprayed with water,” Kenny quipped, pulling back slightly to look at her. “Come on, Dee Dee. You can’t keep stuff from me. I always know.”

Dawn groaned, covering her face with her hands. “Why do you always have to know?”

Kenny gently pried her hands away, holding them in his own. “Because you’re you. I’ve known you forever, and I care about you too much to let you stew in whatever’s got you down. So, spill it. What’s going on?”

Dawn turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright,” Kenny said easily, surprising her. “Then don’t talk. Just listen.”

He shifted so he could pull her closer, his arms tightening around her as he began to speak softly. “You don’t have to carry everything on your own, you know? I’m here. Zoey’s here. Heck, even Piplup’s here, ready to smack some sense into you if he needs to.”

Dawn let out a faint laugh despite herself. “Piplup’s probably just annoyed I’m not feeding him snacks.”

“See? You’ve still got your humor,” Kenny teased, smiling as he rested his forehead against hers. “But seriously, Dee Dee, you’re not alone. Whatever this is, we’ll deal with it together. I’m not going anywhere.”

The sincerity in his voice made Dawn’s throat tighten. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears, but Kenny noticed. He always did.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he murmured, brushing a tear away with his thumb. “You can cry if you need to. No one’s judging you here.”

Dawn sniffled, finally letting herself lean fully into him. “I just… I don’t feel good enough, Kenny. Not as a Coordinator, not as a person… I just feel like I keep failing.”

Kenny’s arms tightened around her protectively. “Dee Dee, listen to me. You’re more than good enough. You’re amazing. You’ve always been amazing. And yeah, sometimes things don’t go the way we want, but that doesn’t make you a failure. It makes you human.”

“But—”

“No buts,” Kenny interrupted gently. “You’re kind, you’re talented, and you’ve got a spark that nobody else has. You’re Dawn, and that’s more than enough.”

Dawn blinked up at him, her heart squeezing at the earnestness in his eyes. “You really believe that?”

“Of course I do,” Kenny said without hesitation. “I’ve believed in you since day one. And I always will.”

For the first time in days, a small smile tugged at Dawn’s lips. “Thanks, Kenny.”

Kenny grinned, his usual teasing glint returning. “No problem. Now, how about we get out of this bed, grab some hot chocolate, and go prove to Zoey that I’m the best boyfriend in the world?”

Dawn laughed softly, the sound light and genuine. “Okay. But you’re buying the chocolate.”

“Deal,” Kenny said, standing up and holding out his hand. Dawn took it, her grip firm despite her earlier reluctance.

As they walked out of the room together, Kenny kept his arm slung around her shoulders, his presence warm and reassuring. No matter what, she knew he’d always be there.