Chapter Text
Marnie was by no means a morning person. When she woke to a foggy and lonesome dawn, she was reasonably irritated. She sat up, resenting the way the quilts slid off and insulted her with the chill morning air. The sleeping bag beside her, judging by the stone cold nylon, had been vacated awhile ago. Marnie had gotten through most mornings thanks to her early-riser of a girlfriend sticking by for extra toastiness, yet Marnie seemed to have misplaced her. Where in Galar did her human space-heater wander off too? Not anywhere in the tent by the looks of it, or her favorite jacket. That no-good thief nicked it again.
Marnie shuffled to the tent flap with a yawn, shivering and drawing her quilt tighter when the flimsy thing no longer shielded her from the worst of the chill. Eerie mist flooded their corner of the Wilds, obscuring the frozen lake and snowy hills they had staked down with for the night.
Sat beside a lively fire and steaming pot, Gloria worked with needle and thread. Since she claimed the title of champion, Gloria had little else to obsess over when she was not battling or hanging out with Marnie. The gothic girl suggested she take up a hobby, like Piers with his music and Hop with his lab experiments. She tried many things - bass guitar and professional cookery to name a few - and in the end settled on sewing.
Marnie watched her fuss for awhile, noting the piece she was making. It was a knit dress - one of Marnie’s designs. Low-key fashion enthusiast she was, Marnie turned to drawing as an outlet for her love of fashion. Where Marnie had the keen eye, Gloria had the steady hand. It warmed Marnie up to see Gloria whiling away for her, but not warm enough to think twice about hugging the other girl from behind, coating the two of them in her quilt.
Gloria hummed happily despite the distraction and snuggled back into Marnie. “Thanks, luv. Was feelin’ mighty cold from that backdraft.”
“Anytime.” Marnie brushed aside Gloria’s unruly bedhead and pecked her forehead, prompting a tug on her sleeve.
“If yer gonna doo that, at leas’ give’em proper.”
Marnie grinned as she was hauled into the champion’s lap, sewing cast aside in favor of holding her favorite person. Anchoring a hand in Gloria’s hair to tilt the girl’s head up just right, Marnie kissed her proper. Gloria’s happy hums, however, quickly turned to grunts of protest and light pushes as Marnie wickedly bit her bottom lip.
Marnie drew back enough for them to butt foreheads, tugging on the exquisite black and silver-studded leather jacket that hugged Gloria just right. “Wonder where this came from.”
“Ain’t thieved it, if that’s wot yer suggestin’.” Gloria said, like a thief.
“Really? Never seen it in your wardrobe before. Whoever’s this is has great taste.”
“Aye, keep flatterin’ yerself. Ya see if awl the hot air don’ pop that big ‘ead ae yers.”
Gloria grinned when Marnie gripped her hair tighter. “You’re in a good mood.”
“Always am when am wae ya.”
Moments like these were rare for Gloria. When they first started dating, the young champion never let an opportunity slide to complement or lovingly insult the goth girl. However, as her duties became clear and the years churned by, an exhausted veil settled on her. Several weeks ago, when Marnie began planning this trip, she didn’t know if camping would do the trick. She was pleasantly surprised how, after just a few days, the champion mantle seemed to fall away. Her Gloria came back, jibes and all.
Marnie smiled and slid her fingers through Gloria’s long hair. She liked it longer; gave her something to hold onto and, when she was in the mood, something to fuss with. Thinking on it, Gloria would look really good in a braid right now.
While she started on that, Marnie finally caught whiff of the pot. “Somethin’... smells. What’s in it?”
Gloria hmm-hmm’d happily. “Haggis.” When Marnie stopped braiding and shot her a baffled look, Gloria laughed long and loud (Marnie loved that laugh). “Jus’ havin’ ae laff, mah dear. Found sum leeks on me walk n’ thought a’d make leek and tattie stew.”
Marnie thwacked the other girl’s arm. “Do not scare me like that. I still remember eatin’ that clag when your mum made it. Thought I was gonna die.”
“Dun blame the dish on the cook. Real haggis is na’ worse than yer bangers. Ya ask me, ae dish from the south is leagues ‘bove any o’ that shite ye find at Bob’s Yer Uncle.”
“You’re only mad because they changed management.”
Gloria threw her hands up, ready to throw down. “That’s ae right good reason tae be mad! The whole menu is shite now. A’m right n’ a should say it. Yie jus’ like seeing me riled up.”
“That so wrong?” Marnie asked sweetly, not the least bit remorseful. Could anyone blame her? Marnie never got enough of Gloria’s voice, and she discovered that goading Gloria into a rant was the most effective method of getting her to talk. That and a few other methods, but now was hardly the time.
Marnie backed off, finally finishing the braid and laying it down Gloria’s shoulder for an elegant finish. No sooner did she do that did she grip it, guiding them into another proper kiss. Gloria happily accepted her olive branch, holding Marnie closer as the goth took the lead.
Marnie pulled back, bringing them forehead to forehead in a moment of stillness. Gloria sighed deeply.
“Thank ye, Marnie.”
“I didn’t do anythin’.”
“Did nae haff to.” Gloria kissed her again, soft and slow. “Ye jus’ needed ta be there.”
Marnie smiled, too overwhelmed for words. What was there to say?
She settled on, “Is the food ready yet? I’m starvin’.”
Gloria laughed. “Jus’ ah‘bout.”
The leek and potato stew, hot and fresh from the Wilds, was still one of the worst camping dishes Marnie ever ate. Gloria insisted on feeding her spoonfuls of chopped leeks and carrots (her least favorites) while Marnie scooped chunks of curdled spuds in Gloria’s bowl. It was the best breakfast ever.
Half-way through cleaning up their site, the weather picked up. Howling sleet battered their clothes and forced them to retreat to their tarp, which threatened to fly off any second.
“Ria! We need to get movin’.” Marnie yelled over the wind, but Gloria was not looking at her. “What is it?”
Gloria pointed, revealing a chaotic maelstrom of clouds looming over the lake that Marnie cannot believe she missed. No doubt the origin of the freakish weather. Frost laced the wind and static crackled and fizzed, lighting up the gloom in flashes. An unnatural energy lingered on the ice, ancient and powerful. Whatever entity lay dormant in the churning tempest was not one Marnie wanted to mess with.
“Lem’me guess,” Marnie asked sardonically, “that’s where you want to go.”
“Rumor ‘as it ae legendary beastie’s been wanderin’ the wilds.” Gloria’s voice was low, almost husky from clamping down on her excitement. “Ae real wallop, this un’. Never before seen, never captured.”
Since Gloria was named champion, the young girl hardly saw much of the world. Off-seasons were spent in office meetings and battle domes, promoting the league and pushing toward a never-ending goal of forging new, ambitious relationships between all regions. Next year would bear the fruits of that labor: Galar’s first international tourney, welcoming Gym Challengers from every corner of the globe. However, work took its toll. Marnie saw the exhausted shoulder slumps and heard the heavy sighs whenever they were alone together. Lately, being a star meant losing the best years of her life.
(How Leon did it, they’d never know, though Marnie highly suspected that he didn’t. He just didn’t)
Even so, Marnie knew Gloria wouldn’t trade the smiles of Galar’s people for the world.
All the noise of titles and obligations faded into the background, lost to the laws of the Wilds as an insignificant fixture always on the periphery. The melancholy had rolled from her shoulders the moment Gloria set foot on the tall grass, embracing the Wilds like a second home. She was eager, itching for adventure and finally finding a way to sooth it. She fixed her gaze on that storm, adventure burning in those soft brown eyes. She was beautiful.
When Gloria turned that burning gaze on her it lit Marnie aflame.
“Come wae me?”
It was a simple request. Spoken so softly, so carefully, like there was a chance Marnie would say no. Come with me .
Marnie sought her hand and squeezed it.
“I’ll follow you anywhere, cheerin’ you on every step of the way.”