Proposal approval (part 2)

By the time he got home, May was in the kitchen making coffee. She was still in her pajamas and had adorable bed head. However, she wasn't too happy about waking up alone after a week long trip away. She glanced up at him with a deep frown when she heard the front door close behind him.

"Hey. Where did you go? Why didn't you wake me up before you left?" May asked, trying to keep calm.

"You don't have to worry about. I just needed to talk to Solidad about something." Drew shrugged it off.

May rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Another round of judging unsuspecting contest rookies?" May snorted.

It wasn't true, but he would take whatever excuse she gave up. For now at least. He could tell her all about it later.

"You got me. Anyway, I brought you pancakes while I was out." Drew remarked.

He held up the to-go container and May's eyes lit up at the mention of food. In an instant, she forgot all about the coffee and that he left without telling her. She eyed the to-go box eagerly as she approached him.

"Really?" May beamed.

Drew nodded and May swiped the to-go box from him. In less than a minute she had popped the box open and had everything in it doused in butter and syrup. He sighed in relief, thankfully that she was back to smiling.

After breakfast, they continued on with their day as they usually did. With some time taken out to prepare for the dinner, of course. But other than that, it was the same sweet times they shared on a daily bases.

Finally, the time of the dinner party had come and this time, neither forgot anything. They even brought a fresh bouquet of daisies as well. Partly to make up for last time, but mostly as a nice gesture for the invite.

They dressed nice for the occasion too. May was in a cute red shirt that tied at the back of her neck with a red rose pinned to the front. Also a frilly black skirt with cute black flats.

Drew was dressed in a light blue dress shirt with a sleek gray vest over top. Nice navy slacks and matching navy shoes.

The couple had arrived at the Maple residence at 5:30 on the dot. However, Drew was getting more and more nervous the closer they got to the door. The sweet potato casserole he was carrying actually felt light in comparison to the weight of the ring in his pocket.

He wasn't even sure why he brought it along, but he did. Maybe it was help prove something to Norman. Show the man that he was really serious about marrying May. Whatever the case, it certainly wasn't helping his nerves, but he played it off like everything was fine.

After a few quick knocks, the door opened to reveal Caroline Maple. She smiled widely at them, seeming even more chipper than usual.

"Welcome you two. I'm so happy you two could make it. Please come in." Caroline greeted.

She held the door open wider and practically dragged them inside.

As they entered the cozy house, they saw Norman settled on the couch with Max, and his girlfriend, Bonnie next to him. They two youngest were talking animatedly while Norman listened intently.

"Hi everyone!" May greeted them.

The three turned and gave happy greeting to the couple.

"Hey sis. I'm surprised you're actually here on time. Especially after last time." Max smirked.

Bonnie elbowed him lightly in the ribs as a warning.

"Max." Bonnie pouted at him.

Max only chuckled in response, but the girls remained unamused. Luckily, May was more than prepared to dish it back out.

"Really funny, Max." May rolled her eyes. "But if I remember...there was this one, or was three times when you-"

Max's eyes widened and he sat up quietly with his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, you got me. Please don't say anymore." Max pleaded.

"That's what I thought." May smirked.

"Too bad. That was a really funny story." Drew commented.

Max glared at Drew, but he only smiled back. Which only irritated Max more, but he didn't dare say anything for revenge. Unfortunately, Drew had a lot more dirty and funny stories on Max than Max had on Drew.

"But it's still really nice to see you Bonnie. I'm glad to see your feeling better." May remarked.

"Thank you. It's great to see you too, May. We just have to catch up, AND you have to tell me about the trip!" Bonnie chimed.

"Of course!" May beamed.

Before May could take a seat, Caroline slipped between them.

"And while they do that, I'll take care of these lovely flowers." Caroline remarked.

With that, May handed off the flowers to her mom and joined Bonnie on the couch. She told them about the trip with its most fun and silliest moments.

Caroline walked off to the kitchen to fine a vase, but stopped short in the doorway. She turned back to the group, catching their attention.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Norman sweetie, would you mind showing Drew where he can put his dish?" Caroline asked her husband.

"Of course, dear." Norman smiled at her.

Caroline smiled back and continued her way to the kitchen. With that, the conversation went on as if nothing interrupted them.

Meanwhile, Norman lead Drew to the dinning room where the rest of the food was already set. And there was a ton of food. There was actually so many different dishes on the table that they had to rearrange it to make room.

Drew wasn't sure why he was surprised at the amount Caroline had prepared. After all, May's stomach was a bottomless pit. No doubt everyone would make sure there was nothing left.

As they reorganizing the food the table, Drew silently debated on how to bring up his proposal to Norman. This had to be done perfectly. No mixups, no misunderstandings, no chickening out.

However, in the few minutes it took them to fix everything on the table, Drew still hadn't come up with anything. He didn't even have a good conversation starter ready. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Hey, before we head back, I need to talk to you." Norman suddenly said.

Drew's eyes widened in surprise. He definitely wasn't expecting that, but it took one thing off his to-do list. So, he couldn't complain.

"Okay. What do you need?" Drew asked.

Norman crossed his arms and his expression turned dread serious, but not in the threatening way Drew was used to seeing.

"You have been with May for a long time now." Norman stated.

There was a brief paise as Drew waited for him to continue. When Norman remained quiet, Drew spoke up.

"Yeah, it's been 7 years now." Drew nodded slowly.

"And you still love her?" Norman asked.

"Of course, I still love her. I love May, a lot." Drew answered obviously.

He wasn't sure where Norman was going with this. It seemed like Norman was going somewhere with this, but it wasn't clear where.

"That's a long time." Norman commented.

"It is." Drew agreed.

Another long pause fell between them and they just stared at each other. Drew opened his mouth to speak, but once again, Norman beat him to it.

"So, when do you plan on making the next move? You've been boyfriend and girlfriend long enough, don't you think?" Norman asked.

Drew's mouth gaped open in shock.

"E-excuse me?" Drew choked.

"I think it's about time for you to man up as ask May to marry you." Norman clarified.

Drew blinked a few times, having trouble processing this. If someone had told him that Norman would be asking when he planned to pop the question to May, he never would have believed it. Yet, the Norman Maple, overprotective father, and renowned gym leader, actually encouraged it.

Drew was so caught off guard, yet happy that he didn't know what to do other than laugh. And he laughed hard. So hard that tears came to his eyes.

Norman raised a confused eyebrow at the top coordinator. Now he wasn't sure what to make of the situation anymore.

"Why are you laughing?" Norman asked, sternly.

Drew held up his index figure to signal that he needed a minute to collect himself. Because after all this he definitely needed it. Once he calmed down and wiped his tears away, Drew straightened himself.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect you to ask me that before I could. Truth be told, I have wanted to marry May for a while. I just wanted to ask for your blessing to marry May tonight. But you just made my job a whole lot easier." Drew chuckled.

"So, you are planning to propose? Do you already have a ring?" Norman questioned.

"Yes. I actually brought it with me. Just in case I had to prove how serious I was about it." Drew answered.

He took the small box out of his pocket and showed Norman the ring inside. Norman nodded in approval at Drew's choice. It was a gorgeous ring. May was sure to love it.

"Good. Because if you want my blessing, you are going to propose to her tonight." Norman stated.

The ring box almost flew out of Drew's hand after hearing that. Luckily, he didn't lose it or the precious ring inside.

"What? Tonight?" Drew asked.

"Yes, tonight. I want to see May's happy reaction and celebrate with her in person. That's the deal. Take it or leave it." Norman remarked.

Drew scratched his head and bit his lip. He was completely unprepared and couldn't do anything close to his original proposal plan. Nonetheless, Drew refused to give up. He was going to make a memorial, showy proposal that all of them would remember. He just needed some help.

"Okay, okay, okay...but if I'm going to do this tonight then I need to borrow a phone." Drew responded.

"What for?" Norman asked.

"I can't do something like this without making a show of it and May insisted we leave our Pokémon and cell phones at home. So, I need to-"

"Fine." Norman cut him off. "There's one in the kitchen. Make it quick."

Drew nodded gratefully and darted over to the kitchen. As soon as he found the phone he dialed up a familiar number and held the phone to his ear. After a few quick rings the other end picked up.

"Hey, I need you to do something for me. Listen carefully, because this is my one shot and it has to be perfect. For May." Drew instructed.

Meanwhile, Norman went back into the living room. Everyone was catching up and laughing over still stories. Norman stayed quiet in the doorframe for a few minutes, simply enjoying this happy family. It was nice.

Caroline was the first to notice and turned slightly to face him.

"Oh, honey. You're back!" Caroline beamed.

Everyone turned and greeted him on his return. Norman smiled back at them and went to take a seat next to Caroline, but May noticed Drew hadn't come out with him. Before he sat down, she questioned him.

"Wait? Where's Drew?" May raised an eyebrow.

Norman didn't falter for a second and quickly came up the a coverup.

"He got a stain on his shirt when we fixed the table and went to clean it up. I'm sure he won't take too long." Norman responded.

"Oh okay." May remarked.

A minute later, Drew came back and rejoined the party. Norman took his seat and Drew took one beside May. From there, everyone carried on laughing and catching up on what they had missed. Everything was calm and natural.

Although, Norman kept glancing at Drew in a silent warning to hurry up.

Whenever Drew noticed, he would just shrug. He couldn't rush things no matter how much he, or Norman, wanted. It would take time for help to arrive.

Finally, a small flash went past one of the side windows. That was the signal that everything was ready. It was time. He turned to May, ready to start his plan. But one look at her adorable, gorgeous self, and his plans were forgotten.

Oh, he loved her so much. He couldn't help just admiring the beautiful young woman that he was lucky enough to call his girlfriend. However, she noticed his stares and broke him of his blissful daze.

"Drew? Something wrong? Is there something on my face?" May questioned.

She rubbed cheek and looked at her hand to check if she got anything. Drew took her hand and gave it a light squeeze as he shook his head.

"Not at all. You're just too beautiful, I can't help it." Drew remarked.

May blushed and giggled sheepishly. No matter how much Drew complimented her like that, it always flustered her.

"Oh, thank you." May muttered.

Drew leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, earning an even darker blush from his girlfriend.

"Adorable." Drew smiled warmly at her.

May gave the girliest giggle, but had to turn away. Drew grinned at her but soon became uneasy. He could feel Norman's eyes burning holes in his head, although he wasn't sure if it was warning to leave May alone or get on with the proposal. Probably both at this point. Regardless, Drew got the message.

"Hey, there's something outside I want to show you." Drew whispered.

May whipped her head back around in surprise. Her blush was nearly gone by now.

"Now? Can't it wait?" May asked.

"Not another second, but it will just take a minute. I promise you will love it." Drew answered.

May bit her lip and glanced around at the other guests. Everyone else seemed occupied enough that they wouldn't be missed if it was only a little bit. Still, she didn't want to be rude. But when she looked back at her boyfriend, she couldn't deny him.

"Okay." May gave in.

Drew's smile grew despite his sudden nerves. He stood up, bringing May along with him.

"We'll be right back. There's something I need to do." Drew announced.

On the way to the door, Drew gave a nod to Norman, letting him know that it was time. Norman gave a subtle nod back, but Caroline caught it too. She managed to stay quiet but couldn't help the beaming smile. She was probably the most excited.

Before they stepped outside, Drew covered her eyes with his hands.

Once he was sure she couldn't see anything, he lead her out into the front yard.

Just like he had asked, Masquerain had created large ice shards that looked like crystals sparkling in the moon light. Drew was super grateful that it was a full moon. It was going to make this spur of the moment proposal that much better.

Drew took in a deep breath and swallowed his nerves. He was done putting this off. Finally, he was going to do it.

"You know, I love you, right?" Drew asked.

"Of course, I know that. I love you too. So, so much." May remarked.

Drew smiled to himself. Of course, he knew that, but it still helped settle his nerves.

"I love you too. More than you know. And how could I not? You're an absolutely gorgeous, crazy talented, goofball. I'm the luckiest man alive that you gave this dork a chance." Drew remarked.

May giggled at that last part.

"You know, I have loved you for a really long time. Even back when we were just rivals, I had feelings for you. I wasted so much time back then, but I won't do that anymore." Drew stated.

Drew then removed his hands and the second he did, the show began. Masquerain quickly flew up with Roserade on her back.

Once high enough, Roserade used petal blizzard and Masquerain used bubble. Many of the bubbles and petals fused together while others just rained down. Some of the bubbles popped against the ice, making them sparkle and glisten even more.

It was so beautiful, but there was more to come.

The next step was a combination of Masquerain's hidden power and bubble and Roserade magical leaf. The three moves together created a stunning display of fireworks.

May was awestruck by the display. She'd expect nothing less from him, but she still didn't understand why he wanted to show her now. It could have waited until they were back home, right?

"Drew...that's amazing but what's..." May trailed off as she turned around.

Her hands few to her mouth in surprise at the sight before her. Down on one knee with a sweet smile and a crimson colored ring box in hand, was Drew.

"This might not have been how I originally planned it, but I couldn't wait anymore." Drew admitted.

With that, he opened the small box and presented her the ring that sat inside. It sparkles beautifully in the moonlight in the most perfect way.

"So, will you marry me, May?" Drew asked.

For a few long minutes, May didn't say anything. She started at the ring, glancing at Drew every few seconds. The moment was so wonderful and she was the happiest she had ever been. She could hardly believe it was happening before her very eyes.

"Y-you...you're serious?" May stammered.

"Of course, I am." Drew playfully rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't-"

The next thing Drew knew, May had tackled him in a near bone crushing hug. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks and she had the biggest smile.

"Yes, yes, yes! I love you, I love you, I love you!" May exclaimed.

Before Drew could even say a word, May pulled him in for a long, passionate, sweet kiss. Which Drew was more than happy to return. He pulled her closer, completely forgetting that her family had been watching the whole proposal.

But he was reminded as soon as he slipped the ring on May's finger, the front door burst open. Caroline came charging out at the two, cheering loudly in celebration, and Bonnie wasn't far behind her.

Norman and Max waited by the door with wide smiles. They might not show it as enthusiastically and the girls, but they were still really happy for May and Drew.

"Congratulations you two!" Caroline chirped.

"Oh, that was just the cutest!" Bonnie added.

The two caught the couple in a tight group huge as they continued to celebrate. May and Drew laughed along with them and happily went along with their mini celebration.

Eventually, Norman and Max managed to calm the girls down, and they finally had their dinner. Only now, the dinner party was used to celebrate their new titles as fiancé.

THE END!!!

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