#i feel so warm and fuzzy i need at least 5 business days to comprehend this | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

misskikuwrites · 4 years

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Into the Wild (5/8)

Bede/Gloria (dressedinpinkshipping)

Bede knew instantly what had happened overnight the very moment he woke. The warmth pressed against his back, the tightness around his waist, the gentle breath wafting against the nape of his neck told him immediately what had happened.

Gloria was hugging him - spooning him - from behind.

Again.

Bede stiffened, became as still as a stone, holding his breath tight in his lungs as a wave of panic crashed over him. Sure, she'd done this previously, but that was because they'd shared a bed out of necessity. This was different. He should have anticipated something like this would happen again the moment he'd relented and crawled into bed beside her, but the reality of having Gloria snuggled up to him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist, her fingers wound into his shirt, short-circuited his brain.

The pounding of his heart was so loud, so forceful, it felt like his ribcage was thumping with every single beat.

Bede swallowed and surveyed the situation, his chances of extracting himself from her hold without waking her. The arm around his waist could easily be taken care of. It wouldn't be difficult to ease the tight grip of her fingers off his shirt. The only issue was that her right leg was wrapped around his, locking his leg between her thighs.

Bede blew out a sharp puff of air, feeling his cheeks burn, feeling the heat crawl further down his neck the more he focused on the press of her body against his. This was bad. He had to move, had to get out of her grip before she woke up and realised she wasn't snuggling up to her Cinderace.

As slowly as he could, Bede slid his hand over hers, resting his palm gently, lightly, over the top of hers and stilling. He held his breath. Waited and listened. The rhythmic, warm breaths against the back of his neck remained constant.

So far, so good.

Bede eased his fingers over hers, unwinding them from the wrinkled fabric of his shirt. Gloria shifted behind him, against him. He felt every inch of her body draw closer, firmer, against him and he froze. A heavy sigh dusted the back of his neck, sending an involuntary shudder through him. He caught the strangled gasp in his throat before it could sound, his eyes blowing wide in shock, in panic, and he couldn't breathe.

He felt the hum she sounded in her chest, felt the vibration on his back. He knew, if she was awake, she'd be able to feel the hammering of his heart.

Her nose brushed the back of his neck, trailing up into the curly locks of his hair, and he shivered. A tingle skittered down his spine as she nuzzled her nose against the sensitive skin. Her lips hovered millimetres away.

He wanted to scream. To tear out of her grip, to chide and snap at her for being so damn oblivious and naive and-

"Bede…"

He froze. Mouth agape in a silent scream, a gasp that died in his throat at the sigh of his name.

His name.

She'd-

She'd said his name. Bede. Not Fyrian, not her Cinderace.

His name.

Murmured softly against the back of his neck, right by his ears, unmistakably his name.

Bede tore himself out of Gloria's grip. Yanked himself out of her arms, lurching off the bed and rushing for the bathroom as she snapped awake at the sudden movement.

He needed to douse his face in cold water. Needed a moment, or a hundred, before he could even begin to comprehend what had just happened and what it meant, if anything at all.

A sudden movement jolted Gloria awake, snapping her out of her dream as she sagged into the now empty spot on the bed in front of her. She blinked groggily, feeling a lingering warmth on the sheets. Footsteps pounded away from her. She glanced up in time to see Bede disappear into the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind him.

Gloria's heart slowed to a stop. She looked at the mess of blankets beside her, reached out and felt the remaining warmth beneath her hand. Vaguely, she remembered something pulling out of her arms. Something warm and solid, carrying a soothing scent that reminded her of-

Oh no.

Blood drained from Gloria's face as the remnants of her dream came back to her. The fear of Bede leaving her. Searching, searching, searching for him desperately. The smile he gave her when she found him. When he opened his arms to her, when she leapt into his embrace.

She could feel the memory of his body against her and knew instantly that it hadn't just been in her dream.

She'd hugged Bede in her sleep.

Again.

Gloria dropped her head into her hands as a wave of heat rushed up her neck. It was bad enough the first time she'd done it, when they'd had to share a bed, but now…

Gloria snapped her head up as a slow trickle of realisation trailed down her spine. She took in the room before her; the bag on the counter, the shoes by the door.

This was Bede's room. Bede's bed.

Not only had she cuddled up to Bede in her sleep, but she's done it in his bed.

While dreaming about him.

Her eyes slid over to the bathroom door, the heat on her cheeks beginning to ache. Her blood thrummed as though an electric circuit had been drawn beneath her skin. Buzzing and humming and filling her chest with warmth.

Arceus.

She'd… she'd never dreamt about him before. Not like that, not with a dazzling smile on his face, beckoning her into his arms…

Even now, her heart fluttered at the memory of her dream. At the memory of his embrace, her body aching as though a part of her had been torn away the second he'd left.

Gloria shook her head, trying to clear her mind of those dizzying thoughts.

It was just a dream. Bede didn't really smile at her like that - not often, at least. Maybe… maybe he had, once or twice…

She grumbled something incoherent and pushed that aside. She had bigger things to worry about. Most urgently, how she was going to face Bede the moment he stepped out of the bathroom.

The door opened before she'd worked out what to do and she jumped at the sound.

His gaze swept over the room, casually landing on her. She couldn't read anything behind his eyes.

"Oh, good. You're awake," Bede noted, striding into the room and over to the counter, where he tucked his toiletries bag into his backpack. "It's almost half nine, and checkout is at ten. We should get moving soon."

Gloria nodded. Her lungs felt like they were full of helium. Too light, too full. Like she was breathing underwater.

She looked down at her hands the moment their eyes met again. She was still in his bed. Cheeks still burning.

"Um… Bede…?" she began. "Was I…? Did I… um…" She motioned wildly in the air, hands flapping and gesturing between them.

Bede busied himself with the contents of his bag. "If you're asking if you hugged me in your sleep again, the answer is yes."

The matter-of-fact way he said it made her heart plummet. It plopped sickly into her stomach and she dropped her head in shame.

"Sorry," she squeaked quietly.

"At least I knew what to expect this time."

She should have been relieved. Grateful that it didn't bother him, that she hadn't disgusted him, and yet… the calmness of his voice, the neutral way he spoke to her, made her realise she was the only one flustered by it.

And immediately felt like an idiot for making such a big deal out of it, for letting it affect her so much.

Confused as to why it affected her at all.

Gloria forced out a breath of laughter, trying to ease the weight off her heart. "Sorry about that. I'm so used to cuddling Fyrian when it's cold. Didn't mean to fall asleep in your bed - you should've woken me up."

She climbed out of his bed, taking the moment to turn away from him and gather herself. Her heart fluttered noticeably in her chest.

"After the day you had yesterday?" he scoffed. "I'm more surprised that you managed to fall asleep during a horror movie. If you were that exhausted, there was no way I was going to wake you up."

Her cheeks warmed. She grabbed her phone off the bedside table, trying not to think too deeply about his words.

She needed to think about something else.

"So… about today-"

"Let's leave any discussion about what we're going to do until we've eaten," Bede said. "I'm not about to start planning on an empty stomach."

She blinked at him, her idea cut short. "Oh, okay. Good idea." She paused for a breath, feeling out of place in his room all of a sudden. The mess of blankets on the bed was too noticeable. "I'll… go get ready, then!"

She strode past him quickly, fleeing to her room as casually as she could. She slammed the door to her room behind her, standing frozen against it as her heart pounded in her ears.

She felt warm. Too warm. Too fuzzy and fluffy, her mind clouded and dizzy. Like she'd inhaled a thousand cotton balls.

Her room was strikingly untouched. The bed as neat and tidy as she'd left it.

Gloria gathered her things, changing into a clean set of clothes, unable to discern the strange emotions swirling through her. Her mind kept drifting back to Bede. To her dream, to the way she felt the moment she awoke, the lingering impression of his body against her still vivid in her mind. She hugged her arms around herself, trying to bring back that feeling.

Wondering why her heart ached so much. An ache that was, strangely, not uncomfortable at all.

She didn't understand this. She didn't understand Bede, why he was causing her to feel this way. How he could make her feel like this, when he hadn't before.

Something was different. Something had changed over the time they'd spent together over the past few days. She'd seen so many different sides to him, realised there was so much she didn't know, so much she wanted to see. All these different expressions and emotions that he'd never shown her before.

The way he'd snapped at her when she'd fallen down the cliff on the first day. When he's drawn his jacket around her, the calm notes of his voice soothing her panic.

The patience he'd shown her when she'd been terrified by the Joltik. The way he'd threatened to throw her in the lake and stormed out of her tent in a huff when she'd fallen asleep again.

The concern he'd shown her, again and again. He'd cooked for her. Calmed her down when she'd been afraid of losing Fyrian.

And when he'd protected her from the Thievul, taking the blow and ending up with horrible gashes on his back for his trouble…

The tears he'd shed after dragging her from the lake still shocked her. She could still hear the tremor in his voice, the way his voice cracked in pain, with a broken sob, as he snapped at her to lie still.

When he'd fallen apart on that bench and she'd held him close.

All those sides of Bede that she hadn't seen before.

It was strange. The effect it was having on her.

It only made her want to see more. To get closer to him, to learn more about him.

Gloria drew a deep breath, the fluttery feeling in her chest yet to fade.

Now wasn't the time to think about that.

She grabbed her bag, swung it over her shoulders and, after giving the room a final glance, strode outside.

Bede was waiting for her in the hallway, leaning casually against the wall with his arms folded, and Gloria's pulse spiked. He'd changed into a dark turtleneck, his magenta jacket worn over the top. Slim fitting pants accentuated his long, lean legs.

Gloria swallowed as he glanced at her, snapping her eyes up to meet his so she was no longer staring or studying his figure.

"That was quick," Bede remarked. "Sure you didn't leave anything behind?" He raised an eyebrow at her, an almost teasing lilt to his voice.

The warmth that had dissipated suddenly returned to Gloria's cheeks and she pouted. "Of course not!" She pulled her phone from her pocket, waved it at him for emphasis.

"If you say so." He shrugged, an amused smile pulling lightly at the corners of his mouth. "I'd rather we didn't have to make a mad dash back here when you realise you've forgotten something important."

Gloria strode past him for the elevator, grumbling. "We won't."

She thought she'd heard him laugh, a quiet chuckle beneath his breath, as she stormed by. It made her heart jump. Made the elevator feel impossibility cramped when Bede entered after her. She hurriedly pressed the button for the ground floor, wishing the doors would close faster. She stared at the numbers displayed above the door, watching them intensely. Ignoring the image of Bede in the corner of her vision.

She needed to get over this - whatever this was - fast. Needed to calm herself down again.

It's just Bede, she told herself over and over. Just act normal.

She couldn't remember what normal was anymore. Something had indeed shifted between them. Not all at once; it wasn't a sudden shift like an avalanche. It had been a gradual change, like the slow redirection of a river over hundreds of years.

Somehow, she just hadn't noticed until now.

Gloria measured out her breathing, slowed it down enough so she could think again. The rapid pace of her heart followed until the thumping quietened and became unnoticeable once more.

"How did you sleep last night?" Gloria asked, wanting to break the silence. She shifted awkwardly on her feet. "I mean, other than… you know."

Great. She hadn't meant to bring that up again.

"I sleep remarkably better on a bed, that's for sure," Bede replied. "I must say, I do not see the appeal of sleeping rough when a decent bed is available."

"Tenting is not sleeping rough," Gloria said with a laugh. "If that's your idea of rough sleeping, then I'd love to know what you'd call sleeping under the stars with just the clothes on your back."

Bede's nose scrunched in displeasure at the idea. "Sounds like a form of torture to me."

She fought back a grin, finding the expression on his face extraordinarily cute. The scrunch of his nose, the narrowing of his eyes, gave her an urge to hug him tight like an adorable Wooloo.

She was thankful that the elevator reached the ground floor in the next moment so she didn't have to act on that urge and instead followed Bede out into the lobby. They checked out quickly and left the Budew Drop Inn in search of breakfast.

Bede turned to head towards the main street and Gloria reacted without thinking, snatching his hand. She tugged him in the opposite direction, pulling him along behind her.

"This way!" she said quickly, not even bothering to glance at him over her shoulder as she hurried along. She didn't want to know what kind of expression he had on his face. "There's a great cafe over here."

She pulled Bede into a side street, relinquishing his hand as abruptly as she'd grabbed it. Her hand burned, skin tingling from the contact. She gave him a flash of a smile, forcing down the surging of her heart, acting normal.

Or, at least, she tried to.

"It's not far," she said casually, motioning down the quiet street.

Bede huffed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "You could have just said so. There was no need to manhandle me."

"Sorry, I got a bit excited, that's all!" she laughed, hoping it sounded genuine.

"Is there some reason why you're avoiding the main street?"

Gloria twitched. He'd hit the mark.

Bede stopped, making Gloria do the same. She slowly, reluctantly, turned to him. She couldn't hide the sheepish look on her face. He looked right at her, violet eyes seeing more, reading more in her expression than she'd like.

He could read her like a book sometimes.

"There's… no particular reason..." Gloria began, before trailing off at the unimpressed look Bede gave her. Unimpressed by her blatant lie. She huffed. "Fine. There is a reason."

"And what would that be?"

Gloria cast her gaze off to the side. "I saw someone I recognised. A journalist. From one of those trashy magazines, the ones that write all that junk about me." She sighed. "I just didn't want to deal with that right now. Especially after yesterday. If they'd heard anything…"

"I doubt anyone is aware of your hospital visit," Bede said. "Patient confidentiality would prevent any of the Doctors and Nurses who treated you from saying anything, and I doubt anyone who was in the emergency department would have noticed, let alone recognised, you."

Gloria pursed her lips, twisting them in thought. "You think so?"

"It's the most likely scenario. I'd wager that none of the hospital staff would risk getting sued by the Champion."

His comment made her smile faintly. "I guess so. Even still, with that jacket you're wearing, there's a chance you would have been recognised by the journalist."

"And here I thought you liked my jacket."

She pouted at him, before realising that he was teasing her. "I do! It's just very recognisable, that's all!"

The amused smile on his face, the twinkle of mirth in his eyes, made her huff.

"Anyway, I wasn't lying when I said the cafe down here is really good. They make the best pancakes!" She whirled on her feet, heading down the street again. Bede followed, walking in step beside her.

"Pancakes again?"

"And waffles, and crepes, and french toast, and-"

"Alright, I get it." He shook his head, still smiling.

The skip of her heart made her forget to breathe for a few moments. She strode through the cafe doors, focusing on grabbing two menus and finding a table out of view from the street. She spotted an empty booth in the corner and tried not to rush over to it too eagerly. She plopped onto the comfy couch, shuffling closer to the wall as she unloaded her bag onto the seat beside her.

Bede slid into the seat in front of her with more grace than she could ever muster, taking the menu off her and studying it. Gloria took the moment of silence, of calm, to relax slightly. She'd been to the cafe often enough to know what she wanted already, and glanced around at the other customers.

The quaint cafe, though nestled in a side street, was fairly popular. The morning rush had already begun to ease, people trickling in and out for coffee, a few people sitting at tables around the room. The air was filled with the scent of rich coffee, the soft music coming from the speakers barely loud enough to hear over the hum of the heaters and the bustle of the kitchen nearby.

Gloria sighed, content. She sank into her seat, her wandering gaze finally drawing back to Bede. He was still reading the menu, a hand perched over his mouth in thought. Those deep, violet eyes of his were focused on the menu, and she let her gaze linger. Let herself study him for a moment.

A soft warmth began to pool in her chest, filling her lungs, her heart, as she watched him. His pale skin was remarkably, enviously, smooth and clear. The hand he rested on his chin covered the delicate pink of his lips. Loose curls of his platinum blond hair swirled over his brow, dusting his perfectly angled eyebrows. His long eyelashes, as light and fair as his hair, outlined those gorgeous eyes of his.

Eyes that were staring back at her.

Her heart stopped.

"Is there someone on my face?" Bede asked, raising an eyebrow as he sat back, lowering the menu onto the table.

"What?"

"You were staring."

Gloria looked away hurriedly. "Was I? Sorry, I spaced out for a moment!" She fumbled for her bag as her cheeks began to burn, digging out her wallet. "Anyway, have you decided what you want? I'll go order."

She barely heard Bede's reply in her scramble, her mind drawing a blank as she headed for the counter before she managed to remember his order.

So much for acting normal.

Gloria stepped into line, muffling her sigh. She was so strangely reactive to Bede today. Hyper aware of his presence, as if all her senses had honed in on him at once. Everything he did made her heart skitter and flutter.

It reminded her of the way she'd felt when he'd stepped in front of her on Wyndon's stadium pitch, dressed in the Fairy Gym uniform, and challenged her. In front of the crowd, in front of the world.

He'd poured his heart out to her and her heart had stopped at the sight.

The light in his eyes had taken her breath away and she hadn't looked at him the same way ever since. Even now, as she'd grown accustomed to that light, to the way he'd smile at her, it warmed her right through.

Gloria stepped forward and recited their orders, shoving down those thoughts for now.

Perhaps nothing had changed at all. Bede had always had a strange effect on her, right from the start.

Perhaps this was nothing new.

Perhaps…

She took their number, paid swiftly and stalked back to the booth. She placed the stand on the table and shuffled into her seat again. Her pulse had finally settled, the gnawing of hunger taking over. She glanced at Bede, saw him studying that same weather map on his phone from a few days prior.

"What's the forecast?" Gloria asked. "I hope it's not going to rain again."

"That depends on where in the Wild Area you're talking about," he replied, not glancing up from his phone. "Where we're heading, it looks to be rather warm today. Not a cloud in sight."

"Finally! I am so over winter."

A smile twitched on Bede's lips for a brief moment. "You would prefer to swelter under the sun? I'd rather not hike around the Wild Area in the heat if I had the choice."

"It's not going to be that hot," she huffed. "I'm just looking forward to being able to go outside without a ridiculous amount of layers on."

"You seem to do that anyway."

"If I can get away with it." She grinned at him, then straightened as their drinks arrived.

She breathed in the heavenly scent of her mocha with joy, catching the way the corner of Bede's lips rose as she did.

"Oh, come on." Gloria huffed. "It's not that funny."

Bede wiped the smile off his face and took a slow sip of his cappuccino. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You were smirking at me again."

"Was I?"

She narrowed her eyes and raised her mug to her mouth, letting the warmth bleed into her hands. "You were. It's not even that funny."

"What's not funny?"

She could tell he was smirking at her over the rim of his mug as he drank by the twinkle in his eyes. She pouted, taking a cautious sip as she watched him. The rich, bitter coffee and warm chocolate blended perfectly over her tongue and she melted happily with a sigh. She almost forgot why she was miffed at Bede, the mocha tasted so good.

"I just want to enjoy my mocha in peace without judgement. Is that too much to ask?" she huffed.

"I'm not judging you."

"You are too!"

"Being amused and judging are very seperate things."

"There's nothing to be amused about!"

Bede snorted. "Gloria, you're the only person I've ever seen who actively tries to inhale whatever they're eating or drinking."

"I don't try to-!" Gloria cut herself off with a grumble. "Whatever. It smells good, and I'm not going to defend myself to you."

"I didn't say you had to. You're the one who brought it up."

"Because you were smirking at me!"

"This is just my face. I was not, and am not, smirking at you."

Gloria's glare narrowed sharply as she pouted. The twinkle of amusement in his eyes remained even after he'd quelled his grin. She silenced her retort as their food arrived and her annoyance was quickly forgotten as she grinned at her fluffy, warm french toast. Alongside it, there was a small bowl of fruit and an even smaller cup of maple syrup. A perfect breakfast, even next to Bede's crepes that were topped with fruit, cream and a drizzle of syrup.

Gloria sighed heavenly as she sliced into her french toast, drowned it in maple syrup, and melted it in her mouth.

"I told you this place was good," Gloria said between bites.

Bede meticulously cut into his crepe, eating with enough care as to not leave even a single spot of cream on his lips. "I'm actually surprised. You have a penchant for overselling quality at times, but this place is rather nice."

She rolled her eyes. "When have I ever taken you to a place that wasn't nice?"

"I wasn't necessarily talking about that, but, if I recall correctly, we've only ever been out together a couple of times."

"And were any of those places awful? No! When it comes to food, I'm not about to take someone somewhere that isn't nice."

"When it comes to food, yes, I suppose your judgement is decent," Bede conceded.

"Decent," Gloria echoed with a scoff.

"Better than most, then."

She nodded, satisfied, and went back to eating.

She finished her french toast swiftly, popping the slices of fruit into her mouth and downing the rest of her mocha.

"So," Bede began after a while, lowering his knife and fork onto his clean plate.

"So?"

"If we are to continue our course through the Wild Area, a few things need to change," he said, leaning back into his chair and folding his arms.

Gloria instinctively straightened, feeling her stomach flop uneasily. "Okay…?" She didn't know where this was going.

"First of all," Bede said, raising a single finger, "you can't just go off on your own anymore - even with your Cinderace ." He added that last part with a pointed look. "If this is to work, then we need to start acting like a team. No more wandering off, no more acting on your own."

She nodded slowly.

A team.

The idea made her heart squeeze gently.

"Continuing on from that, we need to start actually discussing what we're going to do." He raised a second finger. "We're deliberately seeking out danger, things that need to be addressed in the Wild Area. When we do come across something like that, whether it's a Pokemon, a person or anything else, you can't just act without thinking. That's only going to land us in more trouble."

Gloria bit back a sheepish smile. He was right about that. "Right. Discuss what we're going to do. Like a team." She nodded again.

"Exactly. Thirdly," he lifted a third finger with emphasis, "we need more Pokemon. As strong as your Cinderace is, it's too risky to depend on a single Pokemon. Before we head out, we need to visit the Pokemon Centre and fill out our teams."

"Yeah, I was thinking about that," Gloria agreed. "If I take Pecko with us, he can scout from above. It'll make our journey a lot easier if he can spot things from the sky."

Bede nodded. "Your Corviknight is a good choice. It would be worthwhile to take your Gyarados as well; that will help round out your team's types a bit more."

Her jaw tightened. She stiffened reflexively, so slightly that Bede didn't notice before she snapped out of it.

"Sure, good idea," she said naturally. Casually. Swallowed the trepidation crawling up her throat. "What about you? You mostly have Fairy Types, don't you?"

"That's right, although they've got a decent spread of moves. I was planning on bringing Sylveon and Reuniclus with me."

Gloria sat up with interest. "You have a Reuniclus now? I didn't know you evolved your Duosion!"

Bede shrugged. "There was no reason for you to know that; I haven't continued to use my Psychic Pokemon in battle since I'm the Fairy Gym Leader."

"I know, it's just nice to see that you kept training them." She smiled at him, a gentle warmth flooding her chest.

Bede glanced away. "It's not that big of a deal."

Maybe it wasn't to him, but it meant… something to her. That he hadn't just abandoned his previous team upon becoming a Gym Leader. It was almost sweet, in a way.

Another side to Bede she hadn't known about.

Silence dropped over them for a brief moment, and Gloria let his terms sink in. His conditions.

"Wait, is that it?" she asked.

"I could add more conditions if you want."

"No, no, it's fine!" She shook her hands at him in protest. "I'm just… surprised. I was expecting you to be more…"

"...more what?" He levelled a flat stare at her, daring her to finish that sentence.

She pursed her lips, feeling caught out. "Well, you know… a bit stricter? Everything you said is actually reasonable."

Bede sighed. "Just what kind of person do you think I am?"

"Sorry!" she laughed sheepishly. "I'm actually really happy about it. That you're willing to work through this with me. As a team."

She let the feeling of those words linger on her tongue, sounded them out silently in her mouth again.

A team.

Bede's gaze narrowed slightly. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing! I'm just happy." She swayed in her seat, a giddy bubble of joy swelling inside her, blooming in her chest with warmth. She felt like laughing, unable to stop herself from beaming a smile at him. "You said we're a team."

His eyes widened fractionally, an expression of shock flashing across his face for a split second before he looked away.

"We're working together towards a common goal," he said quickly, his voice quieter than before. "That's what a team is."

"Mm-hmm." She was outrightly grinning now, and sat her cheeks in her hands, elbows propped on the table, and grinned at Bede. He folded his arms with a sharp huff. A slash of pink settled high on his cheeks.

He stood abruptly, grabbing his bag without looking at her. "If we're done here, then we should get moving. We still have to visit the shops, unless you'd rather we run out of food halfway to Hammerlocke."

Gloria rolled her eyes and slid out of the booth after him, still smiling.

Bede was surprised, to say the least.

He mulled over the conversation they'd had after breakfast as they walked through the grocery store aisles, keeping track of what they needed on a mental list.

Things had gone over better than he'd expected. Gloria welcomed his conditions, even expressing her own surprise as she'd thought he'd be stricter. It wasn't as though he'd expected her to reject his conditions, but he'd prepared himself for a bit of resistance on her part.

Instead, she'd latched on to the fact that he'd called them a team. A bright, delighted smile had risen on her face, her eyes widening with joy, and the sight had taken his breath away as though he'd been tossed into a frigid lake.

A team.

He and Gloria were a team.

Of course they were, they fit the definition of the word, and yet her excitement over it made his heart skitter. He'd said it casually, not really meaning anything by it, but now he couldn't think of anything else.

A team. He and Gloria. The term suddenly felt more intimate than ever before, and he silenced the frustrated grumble in his chest as he turned down the next aisle. Gloria followed him with a skip in her step.

She'd perked up ever since they'd left the cafe. Smiling and jovial, whatever had bothered her earlier in the morning long forgotten by now.

Bede grabbed a pack of muesli bars and added them to the basket. Gloria tossed a block of chocolate on top, grinning cheekily as he shook his head with a sigh. He placed the chocolate back the moment she walked away.

At least she'd returned to normal. The way she had been acting earlier, stiff and quiet, had almost made him suggest that they take the day off and rest. He'd assumed she was still sore and exhausted from the day before, but now, seeing her try and sneak the chocolate back into the basket, he wasn't so sure.

Bede snatched the chocolate off her before she could lower it into the basket.

"Gloria…" Bede warned, giving her a hard look. "Chocolate is not an essential."

"It is if we're making s'mores!" She stuck her bottom lip out at him, pouting with her arms folded. "Chocolate is a must!"

"Who said we're making s'mores?" He tossed the chocolate back into place, turning around just as Gloria tried to shove another block into the basket. "Gloria!"

"Aw, come on, Bede!" she drew out his name with a pleading whine more befitting a toddler than the Champion. "You've never had s'mores before! You can't tell me that and then expect me not to make you some!"

"I'm fairly sure I can."

"Please?" she pleaded again, batting her eyes at him. She drew close, lifted up on her toes as she pouted those soft, pink lips of hers at him, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

Bede's heart lurched into his throat with a surge of heat. She was close - too close. Pleading with her voice, her wide eyes fluttering sadly at him. Her pouted lips trembled slightly and his gaze latched onto it, to how close they were, how damn soft they looked, soft and pliant and warm-

"F-Fine!" he barked, snapping his head to the side in order to steal a shaky breath. "But they're going in your bag. I'm not going to carry it."

"Yes!" Gloria sank down onto her heels again, pumping her fist in victory. She dumped the chocolate into the basket and skipped away happily.

Bede grumbled silently in burning frustration, the back of his free hand pressed to his flushed cheek. Damn her, playing him like that. How was he supposed to resist her when she did something like that? For Arceus' sake, he'd been a split second away from acting on a dangerous thought and leaning in to her, from closing that tortuous distance and-

No, no, no, no, no.

Stop.

Bede let out a sharp sigh, a tight breath hissed through his teeth. He had to stop thinking about that if he wanted to be able to maintain any semblance of calm around her. As much as he wanted to - and damn, did he want to - he couldn't. He couldn't act on that thought. Not now, not when there were so many signs that she didn't feel that way towards him, not when he hadn't even told her how he felt.

No, he was going to do this in the proper order.

Just not now.

With their supplies replenished, s'mores ingredients safely tucked into Gloria's bag, they sat on a bench outside the store. Bede meticulously removed all excess packaging from the food, dividing the muesli bars, oatmeal, dried fruit and nuts and everything in-between into neat ziplock bags. Anything that could be tossed was tossed. Anything to lighten their load.

Gloria helped, impressed once again by how much thought Bede had put into this. He was infinitely more conscientious than she was, making sure they had a range of food, filling yet relatively healthy snacks, taking into account how much they'd have to carry on their backs. She almost felt bad about insisting on the s'mores, but there was nothing she could do about it now, and she knew it'd be worth it later.

She wasn't about to let Bede go another day camping without trying a s'more.

After they'd packed everything away, the excess packaging tossed in the bin, Gloria stood up and stretched, her backpack feeling heavier than before. Her muscles and joints protested a little, her shoulders aching slightly under the weight of her bag, but it was nothing she couldn't deal with. Once they got moving, the pain would ease.

"Pokemon Centre next?" Gloria asked, looking down the street towards the familiar building.

"Not yet." Bede stood, motioning up the street in the opposite direction. "There's another place we need to visit first."

He headed in that direction, Gloria skipping slightly to catch up to him. She went to ask where they were going when Bede stopped in front of a boutique.

"Here?" Gloria asked as Bede strode through the doors. She followed, confused.

"I suppose you haven't realised," he said, removing his bag and placing it on a couch, "but I am short two jackets, one shirt and a pair of shoes."

She blinked at him for a moment before it hit her. "Oh, the jacket and shirt were wrecked by the Thievul… wait, what happened to the rest?"

He glanced at her as he removed his magenta jacket, draping it neatly over his bag. "Most likely, they're at the bottom of the lake. Had to remove them otherwise I would have sunk trying to rescue you."

Her heart dropped. "Oh."

"I knew what I was doing," he said, shrugging. "It was either that or attempt to remove your clothing, which I'm not sure you would have appreciated."

Gloria flushed. "Y-Yeah… but, um… if you're getting replacements, then let me pay for it. After all, it's my fault they're ruined."

And lost at the bottom of a lake.

"It's not that big of a deal."

"Just let me pay for it, okay?" Gloria insisted. "I'll feel bad if I don't, and I owe you as much anyway…"

He looked at her for a moment longer. "Fine, if that's what you want."

Gloria nodded, plopping herself onto the couch beside Bede's bag. "I do," she said firmly.

He seemed nonplussed about it all, and headed off to peruse the shirts on display nearby.

"I won't be too long," he said, disappearing out of sight behind a rack.

Gloria sighed to herself once he was gone, her shoulders slumping. It was bad enough that Bede had been injured protecting her, and had to drag her from a lake, but the fact that he had to spend money replacing clothing ruined because of her made it even worse.

She shucked off her bag onto the floor and shivered as the automatic doors opened for another customer. A cold wind blew inside, and she drew her legs beneath her, arms crossed over her chest. She hadn't worn the thickest jacket, sure, but it hadn't felt this cold when they were outside in the sun. The cool breeze rushing in through the doors whenever they opened was biting and frigid. She shifted uncomfortably under the onslaught of frosty wind again, before noticing Bede's jacket beside her.

Bede's thick, magenta jacket.

Gloria glanced around the store. She couldn't see Bede, and none of the other customers were paying any attention to her. The doors opened again and she snatched Bede's jacket off his bag and slid it on.

It was warm. The jacket carried the lingering heat Bede had left in it, and as Gloria fed her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up, she felt that warmth bleed into her. As though Bede himself had wrapped her in a hug. As though he'd slid his arms around her and pulled her into his arms.

The dream from this morning crept into her mind. A familiar buzz trickled through her veins, pooling in her chest. Her eyes slowly fluttered closed as her mind wandered, her imagination fueled by the embrace they'd shared overnight. With her arms wrapped around her middle, she could almost bring back that feeling, the pressure of his body against hers. Her nose dropped into the high collar of his jacket, picking up a faint but familiar scent.

Oh.

It even smelt like him.

A faint, soothing scent that filled her lungs as she breathed it in. Earthy and rich, reminding her of Ballonlea.

Something clattered to the floor close by. Gloria shot her eyes open, seeing a shoe box lying on the ground in front of a pair of long legs - legs that she recognised instantly. Her heart surged into her throat, her mouth, as her eyes lifted up to meet Bede's.

His empty hands hung frozen in the air. Eyes wide, staring right at her, his mouth open in shock. The shoe box he'd dropped lay forgotten at his feet.

"B-Bede!" Gloria squawked, straightening instantly as though a rod had been shoved down her spine. She pulled her nose from the high collar of his jacket, despite desperately wishing that she could bury her face into it so she didn't have to meet his eyes.

"I-I borrowed your jacket because it's cold," she said quickly, stumbling over her words. A rush of heat flooded her cheeks. "I hope you don't mind!"

He blinked at her. Stared at her. Then calmly retrieved the shoe box from the floor, his expression neutral when he straightened and met her gaze again.

"Sure," was all he said before he whirled on his feet and stalked away.

Gloria couldn't breathe.

Her heart pounded in her chest, in her ears, her blood roaring and surging through her veins. She stared at the spot where Bede had stood, her mind reeling.

What had just happened?!

First of all, what on earth had she been doing?! Burying her nose in Bede's jacket?! She'd pulled it on in the first place because she was cold but… but everything after that…

And… and the way Bede had looked at her…

He hadn't said anything. Why hadn't he said anything?

He'd looked so shocked, so stunned and mortified, and then hadn't said anything at all.

Gloria yanked the zipper down, parting the collar slightly so that it no longer hung at the level of her chin.

Arceus.

She wanted to bury her face in her hands and scream.

Bede almost walked into a mannequin. He jolted, went to mumble an apology, before realising he was talking to plastic and flushed darkly.

He stole a shallow breath, heart thumping in his ears. His whole body tingled with heat, right to the tips of his fingers. Buzzing and burning, burning so hotly he could feel the heat thrumming on his ears.

What.

Had.

Just.

Happened?!

His legs felt weak. Knees threatening to buckle beneath him in shock. He stared, wide eyed, at nothing.

All he could see was the memory of Gloria burying her nose into his jacket.

His jacket. The one she had professed to love time and time again. Her favourite.

His jacket.

Arceus. Bede blew out a forceful puff of air, feeling his lungs deflate. Too many thoughts were swirling around in his mind.

That was the last thing he'd expected to see when he went to leave the shoes he'd chosen by his bag. The sight had been so shocking, he'd been so dumbfounded, so astonished, that not only was Gloria wearing his jacket, but was almost snuggling into it, that all motor control had gone out the window and he'd dropped the stupid shoe box.

Everything had stopped. His heart, his breathing, his mind. Even now, as he walked to the farthest side of the store, as far as he could away from her, his mind was jumbled. He couldn't think straight, couldn't focus on the jackets in front of him without thinking of the one Gloria was wearing.

His.

Jacket.

He sucked in a long, deep breath, and resisted the urge to smack his head against the wall. He had to calm down. She'd simply borrowed his jacket because she was cold. She'd said so herself.

Right?

He didn't know what to think, especially because of the events of this morning, the way she'd whispered his name in her sleep. Two separate events which, by themselves, could easily be dismissed and excused.

But taking both of them into account…

Bede sighed again. Deeply, pressing a hand to his forehead. What was he thinking? Of course it meant nothing. This was Gloria. She was too naive, too oblivious about things like that.

Surely, it had to mean nothing at all.

When they finally stepped out into the Wild Area, Gloria almost cheered aloud in relief. They'd spent too long in Motostoke, the sun already high above, and they had a lot of ground left to cover. Gloria had relinquished Bede's jacket back to him as soon as she could, practically shoving it into his arms when he'd finished choosing his clothes in the boutique, and neither had said anything about it. Neither mentioned it at all. Bede had folded it neatly, tucked it away, and that was the end of it. They hadn't spent long in the Pokemon Centre, withdrawing their Pokemon and leaving as quickly as they could, both eager to leave Motostoke behind.

Gloria pulled out her phone and brought up a map of the Wild Area to study it.

"What's the plan for today?" Bede asked, stepping in close so he could see the map on her phone.

Gloria's heart skipped, her whole body tensing slightly at his proximity. She stared at the screen, focused on the map in her hands and not the crackle of energy thrumming in the space between them.

He was close. So close, so casually, the air carrying his scent-

"I wanted to head south around East Lake Axewell, cross the bridge at South Lake Miloch, to the Giant's Seat," she said quickly. "We can stop around there for a late lunch."

Bede stepped back, finally giving her some breathing room. She took a shallow breath, feeling too warm under the blazing sun.

"I think you're being a tad optimistic there, but it's a decent plan. We'd be lucky to reach the Giant's Seat by dusk at this rate," he said.

"Well, we'd better get moving then!" Gloria reached for her Corviknight's Pokeball when a voice made her turn.

"Are you Champion Gloria?"

She turned, finding a group of teens not much younger than her. She startled, blinking at them in shock for a moment before one of the young girls spoke up.

"You are, aren't you?"

"I recognise you from TV!" one of the boys added.

An awkward smile plastered on Gloria's face, she laughed uneasily. "Yes, that's me!" She gave them a wave.

The teens surged forward, like a tidal wave crashing on an unsuspecting swimmer, crowding around her with excited gasps, eager questions and bright smiles.

"Can we get a picture with you?" a girl asked.

Gloria stumbled back a step. "Ah, sure, I don't mind."

Phones flashed, Gloria was jostled back and forth as the teens swapped places to stand next to the Champion in selfie after selfie. Arms slung over her shoulder. Around her waist. One of the boys held her tight, his hand low on her hip, and the smile froze on her face until he stepped away as quickly as he'd grabbed her.

Her heart thumped heavily, loudly, in her ears. She couldn't hear what they were saying. It was a buzz of noise, a blur. A rush of movement, of being tugged back and forth as the group shuffled around her. She felt all of it.

And none of it.

She had to endure. Put up with it. These were her fans, it wouldn't last much longer. Another tug. Voices in her ears, strangers pressed up close. Another picture, another stranger.

Endure it.

She smiled. Laughed. Felt everything and nothing at once, empty and overwhelmed at the same time.

Too much.

"All right, that's enough."

A calm voice cut through the chaos. A hand caught her wrist, pulled her gently out of the swamping bodies and into fresh air. She fell into a solid chest, an arm protectively draped around her back. She breathed in a soothing scent, earthy and slightly bitter like black tea.

The group protested, grumbles and groans rising somewhere behind Gloria.

"The Champion is not a party favour to be tossed around."

She heard, and felt, Bede's words against her ear through the vibrations in his chest. He'd swiped at the teens with a blunt, but calculated, warning tone. The hand on her shoulder gave her a gentle squeeze, a comforting touch.

She stood there, in Bede's arms, as if frozen. Frozen stiff, yet not from fear, not from shock or panic or anything like that.

She was stunned.

"You've had your selfies, your handshakes," Bede continued. "Surely that's enough to satisfy you for now? If you want to see the Champion again, I suggest you take on the Gym Challenge."

The arm around her back dropped, Bede taking her hand firmly.

"We're going," he said, his voice low and right by her ear.

A light tug on her hand was all it took to get Gloria moving again, her feet following Bede instinctively as he drew her away from the complaining teens. Her vision cleared, yet she still felt like she was in a daze. In a dream. As if she was floating behind Bede, pulled along like a leaf drifting down the gentle current of a river.

His hand was warm. Warm and solid and she saw nothing else but Bede. His confident strides took them away from Motostoke, away from the noise and bustle until the world was calm again.

He slowed to a stop, turning to face her. His violet eyes flashed with concern, studying her face.

His hand was warm.

"Are you alright?" he asked. His voice gave her a breath of clarity and she collected herself enough to nod.

"Yes, I am now. Thanks." She smiled faintly, her body slumping with relief. "I didn't know if they were going to stop or…"

She hadn't known what to do. What to say. There had been so many of them, so close and loud and all at once. Her body still thrummed uncomfortably.

Bede tsked. "They had no sense of decency, clambering over you like that. You realise you're allowed to say no? You don't have to humour them."

"I know, but… I mean, it's usually fine, I'm just… not used to so many of them."

It was like the world around her had come alive with noise, vibrating with uncomfortable energy, drilling into her ears, crackling under her skin. So many people, so much noise. Surrounding her like a wriggling cage of bodies.

Bede's hand was warm. Still holding her hand firmly, the feeling of his fingers around hers brought her back to the present moment. She glanced at their joined hands, Bede following her gaze.

He released her hand with a start, stealing his hand back to his side. She'd thought she'd heard him murmur a curt apology under his breath, but he'd turned his face away and she barely caught it.

A flutter of warmth replaced the sickly churning in her chest, Gloria's strength and drive slowly returning. She looked around them, recognising where they were. The lake a short distance away was Lake Axewell. They were right on track.

"That's one way to get us moving quickly," Gloria joked, fishing out her Corviknight's Pokeball again. She sent Pecko out, the giant Steel bird taking to the sky at her direction.

Bede had a similar idea, sending out his Sylveon.

"Hey, Sylveon!" Gloria called, kneeling down so Sylveon could come up and greet her. Sylveon chimed happily, resting his front paws on Gloria's knees and nuzzling her face. "Aw, I'm happy to see you too!"

Gloria laughed, jumping at the touch of Sylveon's wet nose, and ruffled his cheeks. She gave the Fairy Pokemon a few, quick smooches to the top of his head before standing. Sylveon tracked around her, his tail curling around her legs as he rubbed up against her.

"Yes, I love you too," Gloria cooed sappily. She dusted her knuckles between Sylveon's ears.

Bede cleared his throat roughly. "Are you finished?"

He wasn't looking at her, his gaze fixed further down the trail. He stood with his arms folded tersely. A hint of pink coloured his cheeks and softened the hard set of his brow.

Gloria's lips twitched as she bit back a smile. "Yup. All finished."

His eyes shifted to meet hers, still facing away. "You realise it's not considered polite to snuggle up to another trainer's Pokemon?"

"Aw, are you jealous?"

Bede whirled, mouth dropping open, then snapping shut abruptly. He jabbed a finger at her, his voice cracking. "N-No, of course not! Why on earth would I be jealous of Sylveon, you…! You complete and utter…!" He cut himself off as heat rushed up his neck.

Gloria blinked at him, her heart flopping. "I… I meant jealous of me , not your Sylveon," she said quietly.

Bede's eyes blew wide. The flush on his cheeks doubled in intensity, surging to every inch of his face as his expression contorted in panic.

"Th-That's what I said!" he barked. He turned his nose up in a huff, scowling at something in the distance.

"I'm pretty sure you said-"

"I know what I said!" Bede stormed off down the trail, his Sylveon trotting behind him, mewling curiously up at his flushed trainer.

Gloria followed, pursing her lips to silence the bubble of amusement, of laughter, rising in her throat. He was already in a huff and if she laughed, he'd surely snap something awful at her. The slip of his tongue had been embarrassing for both of them, but Bede's flustered panic made it easier for Gloria to deal with.

And the idea, the faint possibility that Bede could have been even slightly jealous of his Sylveon in that moment…

Gloria placed a hand over her heart, feeling it pound through her ribcage. She wondered if his heart was doing the same.

The march around the east of East Lake Axewell was uneventful, Gloria's Corviknight circling high above them, on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

Bede doubted, once again, that they'd be able to finish scouting the Southern Wild Area by the end of the day. Gloria, ever the optimist, had wanted them to reach the bridge between the two Wild Area's. That would have been reasonable if they'd woken up by seven and eaten breakfast as they walked. The way it was now, with the sun already beginning it's descent as they finally headed east around South Lake Miloch, reaching the Northern Wild Area by nightfall was beyond them.

Bede didn't mention that. It didn't matter to him how long they took to route the Wild Area, didn't see why it meant so much to Gloria that they do it all at once, within a week. A single week to scout the entire Wild Area.

He glanced at her as they walked, carefully heading down a rocky incline to the flat plains between the North and South Lake Milochs. Gloria kept her focus on the uneven path beneath her feet, on the shifting pebbles and jutting boulders, and Bede did the same, not wishing to have his feet slip out from beneath him in front of her.

Sylveon danced down the slope ahead of them, kicking up stones.

Gloria chuckled deprecatingly. "Wish I had that kind of confidence." She stepped uneasily off a large rock, almost losing her balance for a moment before catching herself.

Bede acted as though he hadn't been a split second away from lunging towards her, his body ready to launch itself forward to catch her at the slightest fumble.

"That is overconfidence," he sighed. "Not something you should envy."

"He seems to be doing alright."

Sylveon bounded right down to the bottom of the slope, skipping happily around the thin patches of grass.

"I suppose having four legs makes balancing easier," he said with a huff.

"Maybe I should have Pecko fly me down there…"

Bede gave her a flat look that quashed that idea.

"Alright, alright." She pouted, shuffling off a boulder. "It was just an idea."

"I'd rather you keep both feet on the ground," Bede said, dropping off the rock beside her. "Though, I am glad that you decided to voice your idea before acting on it this time."

"I wasn't seriously going to do it!"

"I never know with you."

Gloria breathed out a puff of air, rolling her eyes. The tight press of her lips, her cheeks rounded and flushed with her pout, almost made Bede smile. She reacted so easily to him sometimes. Her protests and huffs, the way she'd pout and roll her eyes, made his heart flutter and swell. To think that the Champion of Galar could be so easily teased, so easily flustered by him. Drawing reactions like that from her, when she was the one usually making him fluster, felt like cathartic payback of the best kind.

Not only that, but she was so damn adorable when flustered.

Thankfully, they made it to the base of the incline without incident. Sylveon rubbed up against Bede's legs when they reached the bottom, happy to be reunited with his trainer. High above, Gloria's Corviknight cawed. She searched the blue sky, a hand shading her eyes from the sun, as Corviknight circled lower. With powerful beats of his large wings, Corviknight flew overhead, sounding another long call.

"He's found something," Gloria somehow deciphered, and headed off after her Pokemon.

Bede made sure he wasn't more than a step behind her, his Sylveon right at his heels. Whatever her Corviknight had found, Bede hoped it wasn't too serious. Or dangerous.

They jogged past groups of Machop sparring in the grass, heads turning and bushes rustling as they followed Corviknight to the base of cliffs circling South Lake Miloch. A boulder the size of a Dubwool flew through the air. The Excadrill in its path disappeared with a flash of steel claws and a cloud of dust and dirt under the ground. The boulder crashed right where Excadrill had been, shattering into a myriad of tiny fragments.

Bede edged back cautiously, forcing Gloria back as well with an outstretched arm in front of her. Corviknight circled over a collapsed section of the cliff, the wall slumped in a mess of trees and earth. From behind the landslide, an enraged Rhydon lobbed another boulder with a roar. Half a dozen more Excadrill vanished beneath the earth.

"What's going on?" Gloria squeaked, taking a few quick steps back without Bede's prompting.

A second Rhydon appeared along with the first, stamping and shaking the ground beneath their heavy, powerful feet.

"Some kind of territory dispute?" Bede suggested. "That landslide may have had something to do with it. Perhaps it forced the Excadrill closer to the Rhydon's territory."

"Well, we can't just let them fight it out!"

Gloria flinched as one of the Rhydon stamped the ground, splitting the earth beneath its feet and sending a stream of pointed boulders up from the once flat ground. An Excadrill flew into the air, launched up by the Rhydon's attack. It managed to right itself mid-air, diving towards the ground with its claws. It pierced the ground, digging through it like a hot knife through butter.

Bede sighed. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"We have to do something," Gloria said. "Or someone's going to get hurt."

Of course she'd say that. Of course she'd want to involve them in this petty, albeit dangerous, dispute. He surveyed the situation, the half a dozen or so Excadrill against two enraged Rhydon. Ground, Rock and Steel. The Rhydon stamped the ground again, sending powerful tremors through the earth. Both he and Gloria wobbled for a moment as the ground shook and shifted beneath their feet.

"It'll be easier for us to break up the fight than deal with the landslide," Bede said, recalling Sylveon and pulling out an Ultra Ball. "Your Gyarados can distract the Rhydon, send them further north."

The Excadrill thrust their claws into the ground, shooting a stream of jutting earth at the Rhydon. Rocks flew. The earth shook. Gloria hesitated, staring ahead at the feuding Pokemon.

"Gloria?" Bede turned to face her slightly, unwilling to turn his back completely on the wild Pokemon's.

She jolted, blinking at him. "What?"

"Your Gyarados," he repeated.

"Right, right." She nodded stiffly and dug out her Gyarados' Pokeball. Her hands tightened around it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She pressed her lips together firmly.

"Gloria, if something's wrong-"

"Not now!" She cut him off with a sharp look, a flash of something cold, something dark, behind her eyes. "I'll… I'll tell you later."

She turned towards the wild Pokemon, determination taking over as she steeled herself. The confidence that blazed forth, that overtook whatever it was he'd seen in her eyes, made him push those doubts aside.

Not now.

Fine. Bede clenched his jaw, threw his Ultra Ball as Gloria sent out her Gyarados. The sudden appearance of more Pokemon distracted the Rhydon and Excadrill long enough for Bede and Gloria to call their commands.

Gyarados sent a powerful blast of scalding water towards the Rhydon, the jet of water slicing through the air and cutting them off from the Excadrill. Bewear launched himself at them, dashing across the rocky plain, trailing a cloud of fine dust and dirt.

Bede focused on the Excadrill. On his Bewear. He called command after command, determined not to give Bewear a moment to act on its own. The Excadrill scattered beneath the earth. Scurried up the cliff away from Bewear's earth-shaking strikes. Away from the landslide, away from the Rhydon.

Bewear readied himself to chase them.

"Enough!" Bede called.

Bewear paused, his gaze following the Excadrill as they clambered and climbed up the cliff. He turned and marched back to Bede. Stood right before his trainer. Towering over him.

Bede gripped the Ultra Ball tight.

Bewear sounded a short huff, beaming at Bede with pride. A twinkle in his eyes, an eager twitch of his ears.

"Bede, look!"

Gloria's voice made him turn. She was pointing at the Rhydon, her Gyarados having backed them away from the landslide in the opposite direction. Cowering behind the Rhydon was a small Rhyhorn, no bigger than the boulders that had been launched through the air earlier.

"They've got a baby!" Gloria said. "That's why they're so upset at the Excadrill!"

"That would explain why they're being so territorial."

The Rhydon stood protectively in front of their baby, sounding a low grumble they could hear across the plain. The grumbled became louder, teeth beginning to show.

"Recall your Gyarados," Bede suggested quickly. The Rhydon had their gazes fixed on her Gyarados as they snarled.

Gloria didn't argue and called back her Gyarados. Bede did the same with his Bewear.

"Now what?" Gloria asked. She held her Gyarados' Pokeball close to her chest. The Rhydon had stopped snarling but kept watching them.

"Now, we give them a wide berth."

"Wait, let me tag this location on the map-"

"Later, Gloria!"

She stopped digging for her phone at the urgency in Bede's voice. He stepped over to her, slowly and calmly, feeling the tension sizzling in the air. He caught her elbow as he drew close, speaking low and into her ear.

"No sudden movements," he said. "See that boulder in front of them? We don't want to give them a reason to send it our way."

He saw the colour drain from Gloria's cheeks. "You… you think they would?"

"I don't want to find out."

She took a shaky breath.

"Can you put Gyarados' ball away?" Bede asked. "Slowly. Just tuck it in your pocket. Good - as long as it's out of sight, it should be fine."

Gloria's eyes glanced skyward, her Corviknight still circling high above. Too high for the Rhydon to have noticed.

"Your Corviknight's not going to get any closer?"

"He… he shouldn't," Gloria said quietly. "Not unless something happens."

Bede released a small breath of relief. Her Pokemon weren't prone to acting on their own.

"Alright. We're going to back away. Slowly." He gave a slight tug on her elbow, urging her to step back with him. "Watch your step, there's a rock behind your foot."

Gloria reached between them and took Bede's hand, squeezing it firmly. Her palm was clammy against his. She took a cautious step back, her eyes never leaving the Rhydon. They shifted slightly and Gloria twitched. Her breath caught, Bede heard it hitch by his ear.

He held her hand tighter.

"It's okay," Bede said calmly, sounding more focused, more confident, than he felt. "They just moved. See the Rhydon closest to us? Its tail is still, ears pointed at us - it's not aggressive, it's watching."

"You sure?"

Not really.

"Yes."

They took a few slow steps backwards. Cautious and slow, Bede directing them away from the Rhydon, away from the path they'd taken to get here.

The Rhydon turned. They stomped away, retreating around the landslide.

Gloria staggered back a step with a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, Arceus, that was terrifying!"

She released his hand, retrieving her phone from her pocket. Bede flexed his fingers absently and took a casual step away to put a more comfortable distance between them. She tapped at her phone, the colour slowly returning to her face.

"I'm definitely informing the League about this; the Rhydon and the landslide!"

"It must have come down during the storm the other day," Bede said. He rolled out his shoulders, feeling the tension slowly ease away as he moved. A lingering buzz, the remnants of adrenaline, trickled through his veins.

"You're probably right." She kept glancing up from her phone, towards where the Rhydon had been standing. "Let's keep moving. I can do this as we walk."

"As long as you don't trip."

She laughed weakly. "I'll try not to."

They reached the Giant's Seat by dusk, Gloria finally relenting and accepting that they weren't going to reach the Northern Wild Area that day. She set up her tent in a huff, grumbling under her breath at nothing in particular.

She was more frustrated at herself than anything - or anyone - else. Frustrated that she's slept in. At all the times she'd been distracted that morning, at not pressing them to get moving, to leave Motostoke, earlier. She'd been happily dithering around the store with Bede that morning, enjoying the moment, the easy going mood, and had wasted precious time.

The moments she'd shared with him throughout the day now came back to haunt her. A waste of time. Precious minutes that added up to hours.

Gloria tossed her bag into her tent with a sigh. She didn't even feel like making s'mores, her mood souring as the sky grew darker, the air colder. They ate a brisk dinner in the dying light, Gloria staring into the fire with her lips pulled into a pout.

"If I had known you'd be so fixated on reaching the Northern Wild Area by today, I would have woken you up earlier," Bede said, noticing her expression. "I hadn't thought to set an alarm. I assumed we would be taking it easier from now on."

"It's not your fault," Gloria mumbled.

She drew her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around then and resting her chin on her knees. The cold chill of frustration gnawed at her stomach despite the warmth of the fire. She felt Bede's gaze on her. Her heart flopped uneasily.

"Why are you so determined to do this in a single week?" he asked. "There's no rule that says the survey of the Wild Area needs to be done in one go, let alone in seven days."

Gloria pursed her lips. "Is that your question for today?" she asked pointedly.

"Only if you're willing to answer."

His reply was quiet. Softer and kinder than her biting question had deserved, and it forced her heart into her stomach. She dug her chin between her knees in shame.

The fire crackled and snapped, wood popping and spitting and filling the silence.

"I… I wanted to see if I could do it," Gloria said finally, raising her head enough so that she wasn't speaking into her knees. She continued staring into the fire, seeing an echo of flames on her eyelids when she blinked.

Bede waited for her to continue.

Of course he wouldn't be satisfied with that answer.

Gloria shifted, resting her cheek on top of her knees. The weight in her stomach began to ache.

"I wanted to prove that I deserved to be the Champion. That it wasn't just a fluke that I won, that I can do everything Leon did."

The heat of the fire stung her eyes, prevented any tears from forming. She blinked firmly, making sure there weren't any tears forming anyway.

"Prove that to who?"

Another question.

She answered anyway.

"To myself," she said quietly.

Bede straightened. "You don't think you deserve to be the Champion?"

Tears blurred her vision. She blinked them away.

"I don't know."

A log hissed in the fire.

"Becoming the Champion was Hop's dream. I always… felt like I was just along for the ride. And then I beat him, and I beat Leon… I destroyed two dreams for what?" She shrugged. "I mean, it's not like I didn't want to be the Champion; I did! Otherwise I wouldn't have joined the Challenge, but… I just… I feel like maybe Hop deserved to become the Champion more than me."

She sighed.

"I feel like I got in the way of so many people's dreams. Hop becoming the Champion, Leon remaining undefeated… and you…"

Gloria hugged her legs tighter.

"Do you regret becoming the Champion?"

His question made her pause. She lifted her gaze, looked over at him. Bede was looking into the fire, his expression unreadable.

Gloria raised her cheek off her knees. "No, I don't."

"Then what's the issue?"

She blew out her cheeks, a harsh puff of air. "I don't know. I feel like I'm not living up to everyone's expectations of the Champion. Hop and Leon, they had so much passion. It was their dream. I feel like my reasons for joining the Challenge, for becoming the Champion, don't measure up."

"Why did you join the Challenge, then?"

"Because I love Pokemon battles. I love the energy, the adrenaline, having to think on my feet. I love working with my Pokemon, the struggle to come out on top. I feel… at home when I battle. Like everything else falls away and it's just… there ."

Gloria motioned out in front of her, unable to articulate the feeling. Bede looked at her, meeting her eyes. Flames danced across his eyes, the golden glow illuminating his face, his expression.

"And because you can't scout the whole Wild Area in a week you're suddenly unfit to be the Champion? Despite defeating Leon, despite capturing Eternatus and saving Galar from the Darkest Day?"

Bede's look fixed her to the spot.

"No, of course not!"

"Then what? Why does it matter if you take eight, nine days? If you don't do it all at once?"

"Because Leon could!"

"And you, for some reason, have to do everything exactly the same way?"

Gloria huffed. "No!"

"Then what's the issue?"

"Bede, you're not helping!"

"I'm still not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be helping, when you can't even tell me what the issue is in the first place."

"I don't know either!" She threw her hands in the air. "I don't know what I'm doing half the time, but I can't even say that because I'm the Champion, I'm supposed to know that already! I'm supposed to be able to do all these things, scouting the Wild Area, dealing with fans and the media and interviews, but no one has told me how!"

Her voice cracked. Tears slipped from her eyes as she blinked and she swiped them away hurriedly, swallowing the raw, tight feeling in her throat.

"I just…" Gloria hiccuped, swallowing a sob. "I wanted to be able to do one thing right. I thought, if I could scout the Wild Area like Leon did, then… I'd feel like I could actually do this."

"Gloria…"

She forced a laugh. "Gosh, sorry, I didn't mean to get like this. Arceus. What's gotten into me?" Her voice quavered. Lip trembled. Her laugh disappeared as she sniffled. "I must be really tired or something. It's been a long day."

"It's fine," he said softly. "Maybe I… should not have asked you that."

She shook her head. "No, no, it's okay! I shouldn't have rambled off like that, or snapped at you either. I'm a bit of a mess, aren't I?" She laughed again.

"I think you're the farthest thing from a mess right now."

He was looking right at her, almost right through her. She felt his gaze as though it had pierced her heart with a spear blazing like the sun. A sudden warmth coursed through her body, making her stiffen and straighten, her tears drying instantly from the shock.

She couldn't speak. Something had stolen her voice, made it impossible to reply, to do anything but blink at him and burn under the soft warmth of his gaze.

It was so soft. He was looking at her so softly, the gentle light of the fire flickering in his tender gaze. Her heart skipped and the spell broke, Gloria snapping her eyes away.

"W-Would you like a s'more?" Gloria asked quickly, scrambling to her feet. Her voice sounded too high. Too sharp. Her lungs too tight. She whirled on her feet before Bede could reply, hurrying over to her tent.

"Sure," he said, his voice reaching her as she stumbled through the entrance to her tent for her bag. "I'm interested to see what they are now, since you've hyped them up so much."

Gloria dug the marshmallows, chocolate and crackers from her bag, juggling them in her arms as she returned to the fire. She ripped open the packets, snapped the crackers in half, breaking the chocolate into matching sized pieces. Bede watched in silence.

"This is a pretty basic way to make them," Gloria said, skewering a marshmallow on a stick and holding it over the flames. She focused on the marshmallow, the white beginning to golden, instead of Bede's curious gaze. "And, y'know, it's camping food so don't judge too hard."

When the marshmallow was sufficiently warm and gooey, she pulled it off the stick and squashed it, with a bit of chocolate, between two crackers. She then held it out to Bede.

"There! A s'more!"

He took the s'more, looking at it sceptically. "That's it?"

"Don't judge it before you've tried it!" Gloria huffed, already working on another s'more.

He looked at it a moment longer, the chocolate beginning to soften and melt beneath the marshmallow, before taking a bite. The cracker crumbled, chocolate dripping down his chin. He scrambled to hold the s'more together, blinking in shock at the sudden mess.

Gloria laughed. He looked so stunned, a mess of chocolate, stretchy marshmallow and cracker dust on his chin and mouth. Bede scowled at the disintegrating s'more in his hands.

"How did you manage to make such a mess?" she laughed as Bede wiped at the chocolate dripping off his chin. "Hold on, let me get you a tissue."

"It would have been nice to have a warning beforehand that these crackers are liable to break so easily!" Bede scoffed, covering the mess on his face with his hand.

Gloria was still laughing when she returned from her tent with a small pack of tissues, handing it to Bede.

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd take a bite from the side," she said through another bubble of laughter.

He quickly cleaned his chin, staring with a huff at what had, minutes ago, been a neat s'more in his hand. It now resembled… nothing at all.

"What do you mean 'from the side?' Which side?" Bede looked at the melted goo on his hand, obvious debating whether to turf it or eat it.

"From the shorter end, like this." Gloria held up her s'more, showing him before taking a bite. A shower of crumbs landed on her lap. "See? Less mess."

Bede rolled his eyes, deciding to try and eat the s'more off his hand the best he could. "I suppose it's not too bad, if you ignore the mess."

"Arceus, Bede! I've never seen anyone make such a mess from a s'more. You've even got some chocolate on your cheek!"

He huffed, rubbing the spot with a clean tissue. "I'm beginning to suspect you made this in order to make a fool out of me."

Gloria laughed. "No, it's just an unexpected bonus."

Bede licked the remains of the chocolate off his fingers, leveling a suspicious glare at her. "I'm not sure I fully believe you."

"It's a good thing you don't have to. Want another one?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Sure."

"Try not to wear it all on your face this time."

He sighed, but a twinkle of amusement danced in his eyes.

"I'll try not to."

Gloria's heart warmed as she made him another s'more.

Bede watched her out of the corner of his eyes as he carefully bit into his s'more. The way she was now, smiling and happily enjoying her s'more, it was hard to believe she'd been in tears moments earlier. She laughed and joked with him as she always did. Her eyes crinkled with mirth.

He would have thought she was flirting with him on occasion if it had been anyone else. Anyone else but Gloria. She teased and joked with everyone. She flushed so easily anyway, regardless of the situation.

And sure, he was the Fairy Gym Leader, but Gloria was the Champion. The hero of Galar. Would she even consider someone like him in the first place?

He doubted that she'd even thought about that in the first place. She wasn't the kind of person who had love on their mind anyway.

Bede finished his second s'more, licking the remains of chocolate off his fingers, Gloria already halfway through her third. He shifted closer so he could reach the packets of crackers, marshmallows and chocolate she'd laid out between them, and decided to make his own.

"So…" Bede began, stabbing a marshmallow onto a stick and levelling it over the dwindling fire.

Gloria glanced at him, her eyes widening fractionally as she finally noticed he'd come closer.

"Mm?" she sounded through the s'more in her mouth.

Bede yanked his marshmallow from the flames as it'd caught on fire. He blew on it quickly as Gloria laughed, her mouth still full. She waved at him, sounding something unintelligible, before she scrambled to her tent and retrieved her water bottle. She drank from it greedily for a few seconds.

"You can't just shove it in the fire," Gloria said, laughing. "You need to hold it near the flames- no, lower. Closer to the logs. Like this."

She took his hand, directed his marshmallow to a spot above a glowing log. Her touch was gone as quickly as she'd taken his hand, but his skin tingled and buzzed as though she hadn't let him go at all.

"Now, wait 'till it goes all nice and brown. Then it'll be gooey and soft."

Bede turned his stick absently in his hand, sending occasional glances towards Gloria. Their eyes met.

"You were going to say something earlier?" she reminded him.

He shot his gaze back to the fire, to his bronzing marshmallow. "You haven't asked me anything yet."

"Oh, right." She stabbed another marshmallow, holding it over the same log as Bede. "Hmm… I haven't really thought of anything… well, I had, but now I've forgotten."

"That's helpful."

"Hush. I'm trying to remember."

"And you require silence for that?"

"Yes! Oh, wait! I remember now!" She turned to him, a curious look in her eyes. "Did you and Hop talk or something? You guys seem to be getting along better now."

He raised an eyebrow. "What made you suddenly think of that?"

"When we left Motostoke this morning - that was where you and Hop fought during the Challenge. You guys were really sour around each other for ages after that, but now you're not."

"We talked. A while ago."

"Really?"

Bede pulled his marshmallow away from the fire, and finished making his s'more. "That's what I just said."

"Oh, come on! Details, details! Tell me what happened!"

"Nothing really. We spoke. I… apologised for certain things that I said and did that I now regret. What else is there to say?"

She turned back to the fire. "Oh. That… makes sense. When did that happen?"

"At the Fair."

"What? That long ago?! And you didn't tell me?"

"Why would I have?" He took a bite from his s'more, catching the falling crumbs with his free hand.

"Hop didn't tell me either," she grumbled.

"It really wasn't that big of a deal."

"I guess not…" She pulled her marshmallow back and, instead of using it for a s'more, she plopped it in her mouth. She stabbed another marshmallow on her stick and replaced it over the fire again.

"How many of those are you planning on eating?" Bede asked. He tossed his stick away, not willing to risk eating another s'more.

Gloria looked at the packet of marshmallows between them, her finger bouncing in the air as she counted them.

"You'll make yourself sick."

"I'm joking!" She laughed, eating her marshmallow straight off the stick before breaking it and throwing it into the fire. "Besides, I want to get up early tomorrow. We've got a lot of ground to cover to make up for today."

"You still want to try and do it in seven days?"

She grinned at him, the light blazing in her eyes brighter, warmer, than the fire. "Of course! I'm not giving up just yet!"

Bede sighed. Of course she wasn't.

That suited him just fine.

He wasn't about to give up either.

#bederia #bede #gloria #dressedinpinkshipping #btyu #my writing

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