*.✧ Glowing Butterflies • Marissonshipping ✧.*

Chapter 1

A/N: In this book Alain is 19, Mairin is 15, I just made it like that so this would be easier to write. This story takes place in Professor Sycamore's lab. Enjoy ^^!

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‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　Normal PoV　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

Mairin stared out of the window. It wasn't usually too chilly in Kalos, but outside, it was snowing, the first flakes were falling, it might've looked pretty if it wasn't at such frigid temperatures. Even with the fireplace crackling, radiators on, and extremely fluffy coats, Mairin wasn't anywhere near warm. In fact, it was more of the opposite.

Just then Alain came in. Mairin was too cold to say anything, but she always admired Alain, maybe even crushed on him, and not just because he was Kalos Champion. "Cold?"

There came his voice. Bitter as ever. True, he always speaks in a harsh tone, but to Mairin, it always hid a dense, burdened and unappreciated essence of sweetness obscured tightly below all else. I am cold, Mairin thought. But I don't want to look like an idiot.

"Not really," Mairin muttered, but as soon as the words escaped her mouth, she wish she could've taken them back. "Uh, actually-"

Alain seemed to read her mind. Not unexpectedly. "-you want hot chocolate?" he finished for her. "There's some cocoa powder back in the kitchen, and just enough milk and sugar."

Shivering, Mairin was too painfully freezing to reply. She felt like someone had dunked a gallon of boiling water on her. The floccose down coat that was already the fifth layer of clothing suddenly felt like nothing. Ugh, what if I'm getting sick? No, I must stop thinking like that.

Despite her own self-assurances, Mairin still felt like her body had suddenly changed. Then her doubt finally got evidence.

hIIIH'tSH-iu!

A sneeze. A terribly soft, quiet sneeze, marking the beginning of her cold, only she didn't know she was coming down with something, not yet. Mairin sniffled wetly, and blew her nose on the sparkly purple scarf around her neck.

>>>Time Skip<<<

Alain came back with the chocolate stuff. Mairin's head was aching with deprivation from heat that she could barely think straight. She grasped the cup and started guzzling it down like she had never drunk anything for days. Not even the tiniest drop of rain.

The truth was, Alain had suspected something just after he left to make the hot chocolate. Mairin was definitely ill. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Mairin shook her head. But a sudden sneeze ran across her body, and her head dipped forward with a sudden jerk.

hh'sCH'iEw!

This time, Mairin was also as certain as Alain, but didn't dare show it. It took her by surprise when he picked her up and carried her across the room. "Wh-what are you d-doing?" Mairin asked through the rising sizzle burning through her cheeks.

Alain didn't respond. Instead, he brought her back to her bedroom. "You need rest, and you know it."

Mairin sighed and flopped onto her bed. The intense fatigue overwhelmed her body, and she passed out. Alain stayed beside her. She needed comfort. He still needed to feed the rescued pokemon and heal their wounds, but he felt that Mairin was more important. Not because she was human, and not because she was better than pokemon. She was his crush. He always did everything for her. He remembered saving Chespie, for her. He remembered inviting her to be a lab assistant, for her. He remembered saving her from a tremendous height, all just because he loved her. So now, all he needed was her to love him back.

>>>A few hours later...<<<

Mairin opened her eyes. Alain was still there. He was looking away, but she sensed an utmost temptation to take a slight glimpse at her, see if she was fine, safe, and alive. Mairin tugged at Alain's sleeve. "I... can't... talk..." she croaked, her throat hurting so badly she assumed that she would fall unconscious for the second time. "Please... stay..."

Alain looked alarmed, but comforted her and hid his ulterior worry very well, even his friend, his friend who stuck by him, couldn't make it out. But very, very soon, she would. Mairin's eyes fluttered, struggling to stay open; she was using an inordinate amount of effort to keep down her illness, even if it was torturous and her whole body was aching like crazy.

Then a migraine struck, right at the back, a throbbing, recurring pain, followed close up by sudden nausea. "Head... ache... help..."

Alain wrapped his hands around her head, but the pain continued to torment its victim, not failing to occupy Mairin with agony, and not failing to occupy Alain with the same amount of agony also. If she died, if she died, it would be all his fault.

What would Sycamore say, if he didn't complete his assignments? No, he had to reason with the professor. But the embarrassing part, telling Sycamore his feelings towards Mairin; Sycamore would ask why he wanted to stay with a sick girl.

The professor probably wouldn't care if Alain told him, but Mairin would continue to suffer without him. The two sides fought, and in the end, he was most unwilling, but he left Mairin in bed.

Mairin could feel tears trickling down her chin. Alain had left. She was all alone now, and she had to deal with all the harassment of her cold, which maybe wasn't a cold anymore. "Damn you, not-pretty-at-all snowflakes and extreme blizzard temperature."

It was the first time she ever swore, but she liked it, and right now seemed like a good time to say it.

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So, what did you think? Please say in the comments!                                  Wait for the next chapter, I promise I'll try update soon. The main reason I'm lagging behind is school <_<                                                        Thank you for reading ^^!