Archive of Our Own

Gladion finds Moon sleeping at a tucked zone of the Conservation area and he doesn't know how to react.

Wicke had come to him with a mountain of papers and approximately a thousand folders for him to look over in the span of a week. His attention span is all but attentive, though, and he can't help but sigh around half into Wicke's explanation.

Not used to this, the woman stops talking and blinks at him. "You sure look tired, Master."

"That's what happens when you spend your whole week working in your office. Nothing worth commenting on." He dismisses the issue with practised ease, waving Wicke's underlying concerns off.

It is thanks to his wording that she remembers about a small detail she had forgotten about in her hurry to the President's office. "Oh, yes! I forgot to say. The Champion came to visit you a few minutes ago. I believe she is waiting at the Conservation Site."

The way he reacts is uncanny but also to be expected, for it is public knowledge the Champion of Alola has a very dear place in his heart. She is probably one of the few people who can waltz into his office unplanned and get away with it, much to everyone's surprise.

He usually says a lot more with his actions than his words.

And so he goes to the spot and he isn't sure how to react. A few species of Grimer and a Corsola have made their way out of their areas in wonder of who is napping their life away between the lush trees of the facility.

Her legs are crossed and her arms are too. It seems she had been waiting for quite a while.

Wicke comes from behind him, biting back a grin. "Oh, it seems she fell asleep." The President turns to her with a expression of disdain that he camuflages very well. "I might have taken a little too much to tell you about her presence."

Gladion has to think back to put the pieces together. Moon usually visits late in the afternoon when the League is the least busy and the sun is setting. In fact, if he focuses enough, he can see little dots of sunlight glittering her hair and cheeks. Her body is covered in a sheen of orange.

It's getting late, but she has probably been there for not so long.

He gives Wicke a little look before padding to the fence and leaping over it smoothly. Some pokemon instantly approach him and he pats them soothingly, but he's only talking to his assistant. "Are there any ferries Moon could take to go back home?"

"I can get one ready whenever you please, Master." After seeing the meaningful look Gladion is giving her, she walks away. Her heels click against the marble floor while he approaches the Champion calmly.

In the midst of the hush of some pokemon sleeping, water pumping into small canals and crickets chirping around them, he can hear Moon's faint breathing. She looks cozy, slumped there like a doll. It's a surprise she is not cold, seeing her legs and arms are bare as usual.

Gladion clicks his tongue in annoyance. Knowing her, she had probably worked herself to exhaustion and collapsed here while waiting for him to arrive. He can't help but wonder what has her so busy to fall asleep like that.

He realizes he doesn't want to know if this has happened before. Pushing his worry aside, he crouches to his knees and gently pushes her shoulder, causing her to stir. "Moon, wake up."

The girl lets out a confused noise between a yawn and a groan. Her eyes don't even blink open. If anything, she snuggles deeper into the tree and he looks at her with a grimace. A Corsola nuzzles his knee and he absent-mindedly pats it. Seems like Moon wouldn't wake up.

The President looks down his clock. It's 7 in the evening and the last lights of the day are about to go out. He is willing to walk her home but he is also very aware of the mountain of work he has waiting at his table. Such luxuries would have to wait.

But, knowing Moon, she would fall asleep there and wake up in the middle of the night surrounded by pokemon. Granted, she wouldn't even be bothered about it but it would get cold in a few hours.

The Corsola at his feet lets out a small noise as it watches the President remove his white coat, leaving him in his red turtleneck and vest. The coat covers her body and tickles her chin, it's huge on her but it would do the job.

Moon seems to agree with this, curling a little into the big garment and letting out a sigh. The blond stares at her for a little. He wants to ask what got her so tired in the first place, but he knows that it's not his business.

And he can't help but be worried. Concerned. Just a little preoccupied. He knows that if he were in her place he would have a nap too.

He realizes Moon looks so… comfortable. He wonders what it could feel like to fall asleep like that, in her proximity.

The thought of joining her is incredibly enticing and for a second he is about to give it all up and go to her, both comfortable with each other after many years of close friendship. He's sure she wouldn't mind his presence.

Instead, he watches her from a fair distance, at arm's reach in case she woke up from a nightmare or anything. But for a while she doesn't move, she barely stirs and Gladion is content knowing she will be warm, at least.

Eyes lidded like this, he realizes he has never seen her this peaceful and quiet. Where she used to be serious and rather contained, Moon is now a rather tranquil but upbeat person he rarely sees rest– not like this, at least. She is always going from one place to another, battling people and taking part-time jobs just for the thrill.

She's exciting like that. And cute. He knows she is very beautiful in the same way space and the starry night are mesmerizing: it's all so serene. Her eyes are dark like an abyss and her skin is milky like the own satellite bearing her name.

He lets out a small sigh, a little smile curling at his lips that a small cough interrupts. Whipping his head around, he finds the ever so conventionally professional Wicke giving him a look.

Gladion almost falls down in a way Wicke would never let him forget.

"Master, I'm sorry for interrupting your… time off." A teasing smile is hidden behind the clipboard she carries. He can see it in her eyes. Looking back at his visitor, the coat over her body gives his concern away and Wicke notices this. "I would be utmost thankful if we could get back to our planned schedule. There is a lot to plan for the next week before you part to Hoenn."

Gladion sighs and raises to his feet. He sees the pink creature stumble to Moon's side and he can't even be worried about it waking her up before it's settling on her side and closing its eyes. He knows that if he stands there for longer he will not want to ever leave, so he forces himself off the picture.

He makes a small note to ask her about this occurrence though, and disappears into the hallway.

The next time he finds her he has just returned from Hoenn and needs a small breather.

Wicke had fortunately told him to take a few days off (something that, apparently, he can't do on his own) because all other matters were to be solved by other workers at Æther Paradise. Gladion hadn't even had the time to ask before being pushed out of the ferry and into Seafolk Village.

The little harbor is filled with sunlight and clear skies when he arrives, Wingulls flying peacefully and throwing shadows at the wooden pier. He takes his time to stretch his muscles after such lengthy voyage, he walks around aimlessly and buys some sweets to snack on meanwhile.

Gladion is happy nobody picks up on his presence. In the commonplace busy air that permeated Æther it was impossible for him to take a step without being cornered for administrative issues. Not that it was that bad, but he missed having free time like this.

The President is wearing his street clothes today, no less edgy than his teen ones, but they stand out much less than his white formal wear. He has left Silvally in Wicke's care after a battle with a trainer in the other region, so he's alone for now. He has one pokemon in his hoodie just in case some reckless challenger wanted a fight.

He roams around the lush rocky forest of Poni, people strolling around the place. The wilds aren't as packed with people as he had anticipated and this welcome surprise prompts him to investigate certain corners of the meadow without people holding him down.

Whilst walking to one of these corners he stumbles with the sitting figure of the Alolan champion and he almost trips and falls in his surprise.

For a second he thinks she might be awake but she clearly isn't. Her head is lolled to a side against a berry tree and there is a little mountain of the fruits by her. Some are packed in her ajar purse. Her woven red hat has fallen on her lap.

Gladion moves to her and crouches by her side once more. He is about to try and shake her awake but just as he is about to touch her, his hand halts itself mid-air.

She looks so at ease. Her hair blows against her shoulder when she breathes, she moves evenly and judging by how lax her posture was, she hadn't been waiting for anyone to show up – which for some unknown reason relieves him – and she had just fallen asleep there.

Moon doesn't look particularly tired but when exactly does she look tired? Thinking back, Gladion barely sees her (not as much as he would like, anyway) and it has been at least two weeks since he left to Hoenn.

His fingers brush the tendrils that are her hair and he pushes himself to sit by her, right between her and the tree. Her head falls instantly on his shoulder and he feels himself melt. The light of the sun doesn't hit them quite directly thanks to the shade from the tree but warmth reaches them all the same.

Hearing her steady breathing, he allows himself to relax. Æther doesn't exist. His obligations don't exist. The pile of paperwork after his short vacation waiting at his office doesn't exist. The only thing that exists is Moon and him, the feeling of her hair under his digits.

He doesn't know for how long he sits there with her but the President can't make it out of there before she stirs and begins to wake up. Her body tenses at first at the notion of somebody right by her yet for some reason, she immediately relaxes after a second.

Moon mutters his name in a whisper. It's raspy in the middle and she slurs out the end of it. "Wicke told me you were out of Alola." She doesn't know why she says this, but she does. She lets him know that she was surprised despite her state of drowsiness.

A small chuckle vibrates from his chest. "I got back just a little ago. I was pretty surprised to find you, yet again, sleeping outdoors like some sort of stray Grimer." Moon's lips curl into a pout she can't quite shoot at him, for she is snuggling a bit deeper into his shoulder.

Moon swears she can feel the tip of his nose brushing the crown of her head. Such affectionate and unexpected gesture from the President makes her stomach lurch in glee. Tucked away from the people seeking them, these moments of quietness were rare for them. If he minds her being here, he doesn't say explicitly.

His statement is, however, dripping with amusement. "I have been working on some things while you were gone. Alola can't protect itself on its own," Moon mumbles into his shoulder. His fingers wind into her hair gently, so softly she barely notices the gesture.

Gladion is all grunts and seemingly serious demeanor outside but these moments of privacy when no one is watching and nobody will tease him are what makes her heart skip a beat.

He doesn't quite understand what she means but he brushes her statement off. "I'm guessing the League has been bringing you some tough people if you are this tired."

Eyes half-lidded, she shakes her head a little. "None tougher than you, Mr. President."

After all, he has been close to beating her several times. They had learned each other's tactics almost by heart after so many years of battling and training, because neither had as much time as they used to. Resorting to training in their free time had been a way to battle in less official ways.

Gladion hadn't still won, though. Not even once.

"That's good to hear," he says, letting himself drift off as her body stills beside his. "That's great to hear."

His body melts against hers after that. Their shoulders are the only parts that are touching (other than hand on top of her head, fingertips buried in her hair) but it feels like she's all around him.

It's good to be home.

Gladion falls for the first time in a hidden spot of Route 8 right by one of Æther's base at the beach.

He is there for a meeting of some sorts. His employees have detected some strange activity in the surroundings of Akala's ocean and there is a lingering fear of a new type of Ultra Beast that could be living in the ocean.

The President's cup of coffee doesn't last for as long as he'd want and it has been a rather draining week. His nights have been sleepless and devoid of any dreaming, all spent thinking of what he would be working on the next day. An incessant circle.

After one of the boys in the lab says the most innocent of things, he sighs in exhaustion and the lab workers agree in one thing: Gladion is very restless.

So there he finds himself, out of the small building with another cup of coffee he drinks in one go. He hates having to take rests during meeting breaks but after his peaceful encounter with Moon, it's something he finds himself doing more and more recently.

Gladion has never been a man known for taking these many rests. Is his body that weak? Had he enjoyed that small nap so much that his body craves it now? The fact that he actually can't quite tell frustrates him.

He leans against a rock on the seaside by the by the white building. A warm breeze fans his bangs, which he realizes are a little overgrown. He pushes them out of his sight to gaze up at the sky where only a few Wingull are in sight. Sunlight beats down on him but in his exhaustion he can't mind the warmth.

He welcomes it, even, and lets himself relax a little against the rock at his back. The slick surface feels cold against his neck, exposed by his coat's collar. It feels relaxing; soothing, even, after so many days without a rest.

It comes to his mind that he wishes she was there with him. She is probably working at the League with competitors who will, hopefully, not snatch the title away before he can battle her again.

With the memory of her smile bathed in sunlight he feels himself drift off very carefully, like a boat setting sail. It would only be a few minutes. Just closing his eyes to let his sore sight rest.

Gladion falls asleep for five minutes before his body tilts sidewards and hits the grass in a peaceful heap. He stays still for minutes on end, almost half an hour before a warm and very soft figure starts to move him around and he doesn't fight it, really.

He should open his eyes but the touch is comforting and there is a light pressure on his head he can't quite name.

His head is on something soft. A hum fills the air, a gently sung lullaby he immediately relaxes under. A familiar fragrance, known nails tracing his jaw.

His eyes flutter open and he already regrets it when he sees Moon grinning down at him upon his awakening, a hand combing through his askew bangs and a blush threatens to splash on his cheeks at the sight. "Moon."

He breathes her name like it's a painkiller. "Somebody is not getting enough sleep, Mr. President."

Her features are full of disbelief and a certain frustration he can just hear from her voice, but also a pinch of subtle mirth.

He closes his eyes again and sighs out and doesn't move too much lest she stops combing his hair and he knows that's the only single thing he needs right now.

He does not voice out his enchantment. He just takes in the way her fingertips caress his hair and get rid of the little knots she finds gently. His nose wrinkles, however. "You say it as if I had any say on the matter."

The Champion gives him some sort of pout in response, her caressing none the harsher. "You could go to bed earlier, for example. Æther won't crumble if you sleep more– or maybe you could take a break, for longer this time."

Gladion is a terribly stunted and dense individual but her excitement is so palpable and adorable he chuckles under his breath. Moon is one of the most collected people he has ever met, serene and kind and all sorts of amazing but sometimes she is raw like this and he finds himself lulled to affection.

He thinks he might not make it through the day in focus if she keeps on giving him that look.

She lets out a small laugh, barely a giggle. "Stop staring into the void and have a nap, Gladion." He is happy she is not using that annoying nickname Hau once bestowed on him.

A small soft smile, barely a rise of his lips, makes its way into his serene features. He crosses his arms over his torso. "I guess I can't disobey the Champion."

If it was a way of complimenting her authority, she doesn't know. Maybe he is just admitting to being tired for once and in his very own roundabout way. Gladion has this habit of never explaining things and it makes her wonder why is was so attracted to him in the first place.

Her hands never quite stop combing, even as she stills and eventually falls asleep with his head on her lap.

The Æther employees later find him in such vulnerable position they snap a picture just when Gladion is stirring awake after half an hour of doze.

Without startling Moon he runs after his colleagues and allows the Champion to nap peacefully under the fading sunlight.

At some point in the week, Moon's energies finally collapse and she ends up crawling to a meadowy spot close to a ranch in Melemele.

She can barely grab her bearings but she knows it's close to the tiny motel (in hindsight, a much more fitting place to sleep) and the smell of berries fills her nostrils, so it must be close to a plantation.

Yet the moment her back hits the soft fresh grass in exhaustion she can't care about places. She doesn't care.

It had only taken the assistant one smile and the mention of Moon's favorite President to comply. She is that weak for him. It's not like she wouldn't have accepted the job if it had been Hau at the end of the line but Arceus didn't she accept the task fast after hearing Gladion's name.

Spending so much time doing side-work for Æther is making a dent in her energies and it shows. Every time she stepped out of the League's facilities she would be flying to Poni Wilds to catch the amok Ultra Beasts for Wicke and her body just needs some time out.

Her arms are sprawled on the spring grass. Her skin tingles at the cooling sensation of greenery rustling around her and brushing against her skin. She can hear a Pikipek pecking at some berries in a closeby brush. Fearows fly above her and cast shadows over her tired figure.

Looking up, small clouds swim slowly over the cerulean heavens. The sun hides behind a thin cloud and saves Moon from sunburnt, casting her in ethereal warmth nonetheless. A light breeze comes from the sea somewhere to her right.

"Warm…" she lets out softly, a murmur lost in the sound of vegetation coming to life. Her hands are barely curled into a fist and the grass blades sneak between her digits.

Time passes calmly in silence. The only sounds around her are the wind, some people with soft voices and the beautiful cries of pokemon meeting and evolving. Life flows above and around her. Her hair surrounds her like a halo. Her bare legs feel the soil under her body.

Suddenly, a warm body is placed by her side and a shadow looms over her. A familiar chuckle reaches her ears but she doesn't think much of it. Moon thinks that she is dreaming and she remains there with her eyes closed.

That is until she feels a hand close to her head and a very intimate and recognizable touch reaches her hair, combing the threads carefully. Breathing softly, her eyes flutter open so, so very slowly.

Moon looks up and finds herself to be speechless. Her blond companion hovers over her no more than a sigh away. She can see the little dim spots of sunlight dotting his ivory skin, his thin eyelashes and the line of his jaw. His eyes are verdant like the most beautiful of forests, sparkling with mischief.

A small smile, almost like a smirk, curls his face into a expression akin to smugness, but not quite. It was too soft to hold ill intentions.

"You might be a brilliant pharmacist aside from Alola's Champion, but you still sleep around like a Komala," he says softly, almost teasing. If she hadn't known him better (his progress, the lack of bite to the punch) maybe she would pout.

But she doesn't. All she can do is stare and let the sting of a faint blush spread in her intent to deny his claims. She breathes his name. "Gladion."

The gentle spark in his eyes doesn't go unnoticed for her, and that intimacy of theirs spreads through her heart and makes it soar. His fingers carefully trace the skin behind her ear aimlessly and she holds a shudder from shaking her out of her captivation.

A hesitant hand rises to his cheek. Her eyes are clouded in doubt, gazing at him as if asking if touching him like he touched her was okay. At the lack of verbal response, Moon places her hand on his cheek softly. Her thumb traces the dark zone under his eyes, so very subtle.

"You look tired," she whispers, as if speaking any louder would break the spell he has on her. His face is nothing but a shadow under the bright blue sky spread above them, but he still looks as conflicted as ever. Moon speaks on his behalf. "Work is keeping you busy, isn't it?"

Looming over her, his brows crinkle a little yet she giggles quietly. He doesn't like people telling him what to do or not and after all these years of bickering and lately soft encounters like these, he is still as hopeless as usual.

She knows better than to judge, though. Moon is no better than him.

But still… she bites her lip. Gladion is staring at her with the same lazy smile, so rare he'd only wear it once upon a lifetime. "I just found you sleeping in the middle of the route and you want to tell me about resting?"

The President's words cause a grin to spread over her face as she slowly brings him down, careful not to startle him. "Why, yes," Moon whispers. The skin under her hand reddens as she brings him to the grass by her side. He follows her silent command.

His body is lain by hers. She turns to her side to make sure he is comfortable by her and it's her turn to loom over him now, much to his surprise and silent joy. Her hair tickles his neck and his side bangs are combed to a side so she can look into his eyes gently.

"Sleep." She uses a soft low voice that is almost like a lull. Sweetness coats all words he hears. It's a rare tone he secretly adores but Moon never uses it unless they are alone and Hau won't call her out on the intentions those words hold.

The idea of sleeping has never been so appealing and his body relaxes under the sunlight.

Moon lies close to him. Her head is somewhere close to his and he can almost hear her heartbeat. Her breathing is steady. She falls asleep.

He follows her into slumber, their bodies brushing.

He has never felt more at peace.

Gladion loves Moon.

He knows this. Wicke knows this. Hau knows this, Lillie knows this and all of Alola knows this. Even Faba knows, if his snickers and cackles when she's around are any proof. She strouts in like she is invited and leaves him in a distracted mess.

People giggle when they walk side by side around the foundation's facilities. Sometimes, she is at the island to talk to Wicke and she stumbles with him in her way to her office. Others (and these are the best in his opinion) she just comes to his office to say hi and pet Silvally for a while.

Sometimes she tells him about her progress with her own Type: Null and he listens patiently, silently, but very eagerly. He doesn't know if she notices his interest; she never asks, anyway. Often she falls asleep on Silvally's back and he pretends not to notice the times he does notice.

Gladion also knows this has been happening quite frequently, but he never asks. Sometimes she just springs back awake and continues talking as if nothing had happened. He can't quite wrap his head around how she does that so easily.

One day Moon walks into his office as always and she sits in front of his peach colored sofa at a corner of the room, her back against the sofa. The walls are all bookshelves and a wide windowpane to his back. The only comfortable thing in the immaculate room are his sofa, his chair and her lap.

That last one always just slips into his mind and it burdens him to no end yet he tries to act normal around her.

He listens as she rambles about her last battle with Hau, which he can tell by the pitch of her voice she beat him spectacularly no matter how much she flatters Hau and his strategic talents.

But Gladion knows she is an even better strategist. Why is she always shifting tables like that?

"Hau came prepared today, I guess," she says, petting Silvally's back at which the pokemon purrs. Gladion chuckles, watching the creature relax under Moon's hand. "I just wish he would tell me he's coming beforehand. He's caught me empty-handed sometimes."

Gladion hides his face under his bangs and looks at his computer's screen without paying attention to it. He types some numbers. He gives her words some thought. "I told you several times to stock up more berries. You just never listen."

The Champion lets out an irritated sound, like a whine. It's at times like these he notices how much of a child she still is no matter the years that have passed ever since she took over the throne. "Whatever! You know I can manage myself perfectly." He knows that better than anyone.

And then she yawns.

His shoulders stiffen and he sneaks a glimpse at her to check if she has fallen asleep, which she hasn't. At his sudden shift in attention she blinks in confusion, blinking sleep out of her hazy eyes.

He puts his cheek on his hand, eyeing her with a slight shake of his head. "If you want to sleep, you can do it here. You know that, right?"

Moon blinks again, albeit more rapidly as if she can't quite understand what he means. Her daze is short lived and she is denying his insinuations right away. "It's okay! I guess Hau drained a lot out of me today, don't worry."

But he worries, he wants to say. He taps his gloved fingers against the table. He has a lot of creatures under his roof and in his care, so many pokemon of so many species. Moon is the species he has been with for the longest, yet also the most challenging one.

She stares at him and she looks tired. Her eyes are a bit too lidded, she is almost squinting. He chuckles. "You are impossible. If you are tired, why did you come here?"

He doesn't sound mean but he doesn't sound exactly kind, either. Moon doesn't take offense by this, she never does. Had she ever felt attacked by his empty claims and they would have never gotten to the point of trust they were in now.

She just puffs her cheeks like a chipmunk and rolls her eyes. "Because I wanted to see you, why else?"

Maybe a few months before Gladion would have felt awkward about her direct confession, but it is not like he hasn't gone to the League with the sole purpose of visiting her either. They like visiting each other and the fact that she is so tired but still came both flatters and irritates him.

Gladion finally turns his chair around. The sudden noise makes Silvally snap out of its daze at Moon's side and it crawls to be right behind Moon, startled. Moon leans back as well as she sees the President walk over to her with furrowed eyebrows.

He takes out a blanket from a basket by the sofa and wraps her around with the fluffy fabric. "What are you–"

He clenches his teeth. "I would very much rather you slept here instead of napping your day away in some lost forest of Alola. Knowing you, I bet it has happened before." his hand pushes her against Silvally. She falls on her side with the pokemon serving as a makeshift pillow. "Rest for a while. Nobody will be coming to my office today."

Gladion says that last part as if it was an issue, which he knows it isn't. Moon is a far cry from shying away from strangers, even if they happen to find her asleep. He wants to think she is genuinely shy about falling asleep in his office because it's his office, not because it's him.

But then she is nodding and her eyes are fluttering asleep, snuggling against the bright white blanket. She looks tranquil, peaceful. Her breathing is even and her shifting halts altogether. Her legs curl as she gets comfortable in her ball of hair with Silvally as a pillow.

The serious, meticulous and stoic President of Æther stares at her in a daze and brushes some rebel hairs out of her face. His touch is ghostly. He doesn't wish to disturb her but he still allows his fingertips to brush against her skin.

He is beginning to stand up before a hand shoots out from under the blanket and he is yanked back to where he was. Moon has one eye open, peeking from under the blanket. Even when she knows his attention is on her, her fingers never let go of his coat.

"You seem tired as well." her voice is smothered against Silvally and the blankets. "Stay… please? Just for a little."

Gladion seriously ponders if he should answer her or not. No matter what he were to say she would probably give him a little smile and win him over. To her credit, he was tired.

Voicing his messed up sleeping pattern, though, that was another story.

He sighs.

And the President slips under the blanket and removes his coat because it's terribly warm under the cover. Silvally lets out a hearty wail and Gladion wants to tell it to keep it down but Moon looks so very satisfied she got him to rest for a while, too.

For once, he makes her swear. "If you tell anyone I fell asleep in my own office, we will have a problem."

The small smile he pulls at the end makes his statement sound terribly unconvincing. The Champion giggles against the blanket and rubs her cheek against Silvally's back, who is starting to drift off as well. "Don't worry, Mr. President. I wouldn't want to tarnish your reputation like that…"

They are not touching when he falls asleep. Their arms are in their respective places and they are a good hand's length away from each other. Respectable. Intimate and slightly telling of what his feelings for her were, but still respectable.

But when he comes to ten minutes later, his arm is over the blanket and over her waist. He has pushed her so close their chests are an inch away. Her hair is on his face, her hat has fallen off and Silvally is long asleep. Her hands have let go of the blanket and are curled between them. A safe barrier.

Still and very careful not to wake her up, petrified by this discovery, he sneaks a glance at her. Her cheeks are squished against the pillowy fur of his pokemon and her lips are parted a little, glossy. A bit of air blows past them in steady breathing. She is asleep and at ease. She is fine, she is with him and she is so very safe in his arms.

Arms that, by the way, he doesn't remove just yet.

He does the unthinkable, moved by their proximity, and brushes his lips against her forehead past her unkempt fringe, just for a short moment. Her nose wrinkles at this a little and she unconsciously pushes herself closer to him; his wake up call, he decides.

Gladion gently pries himself off from her and covers her with the blanket once more. He hopes she doesn't notice the lack of warmth. He knows that if he stays any longer he will end up not wanting to let go and he knows he has work to do.

But he wants to stay so very badly. Indulge himself into the fantasy of being with her like that.

He stares at her, long and soft. His eyes are gentle and kind. They shift at the sight of something white lying on his desk and the image he sees on the sheet makes his blood boil and his cheeks come alive with crimson.

He sees a photo of him and her curled up under the sheet and a very happy Alolan Vulpix nipping at the edge of Moon's hat, a creature he knows his sister has. He also knows Hau has the means to take a picture this good and that the teasing little hand-drawn face at the corner of the photo was also very, very him.

Gladion wants to tear the picture and burn it with fire. He looks at it again.

He smoothly slides it into his drawer and pretends he never saw anything, but makes a small note to plummet Hau to the ground next time he sees him.

Moon finds him again somewhere close to her home, much to her surprise. Actually, she doesn't find him close to her house, but she finds him within it.

She has come back from a tough day fighting Ultra Beasts at Poni and some of them were rather rowdy. They had been mean to the environment and more specifically, to her. They had been more focused on chasing her out of the field than defeating her pokemon and that worries her as she walks home.

Her arms are littered with small cuts and a few burns. Her hair is a mess she is trying to hide under her hat, which has holes pricked into it by the sharp rocks that had been thrown at her. She is trying to hide as much as she can with her summer clothes and she shuffles into her house in an unkempt fashion.

Her mother is making dinner. Dusk is settling in Melemele by the time the door closes and the noise alerts her mom that she has arrived, yet she has no time to greet her before she is rushing towards her daughter. "Moon! What on Earth happened to you, honey?"

The tired trainer has no time to respond because her mother grabs her cheeks and turns her head around to inspect the damage. "Work wash harf tofay," she manages to say through her mom's grip.

The woman lets go of her and shakes her head. "That won't do, I need to patch you up." Her mom continues with her charade, frowning as she goes fetch something from the kitchen. Moon presumes it must be a first-aid kit. "I told you that job was dangerous."

"Mom, it's not like I haven't done this before–"

"But the difference is," she finds the kit and she goes to her daughter who is still standing on the doorstep, "you never got hurt this bad! And you had company!"

Moon is somewhat used to this, but most times her mom lets her sit down and talk about her day. To her credit though, she is rather bruised all over and a few pats of alcohol would burn but do good to her skin.

Her mom is finishing cleaning her skin when the other yawns tiredly. "I just wanna go to bed… I promise I will be more careful next time, okay? I just couldn't let UB-02 get away again."

The rest is a murmured mess that trails off as Moon begins to crawl to her room. That is when her mother remembers about something but her daughter is already opening the door. "Wait, Moon–!"

The door opens and Moon stares at the individual stretched on her bed. She blinks. Once. twice. Three times and as many as possible because Gladion is there and she doesn't know what to do with this information.

She doesn't want to get excited over this, it's too soon to get her hopes up, and instead decides to worry. She turns slowly to the door with an unreadable face. "What is the President of Æther doing here?"

She regards him professionally so emotion doesn't seep into the mention of his name.

But her mother knows best and giggles. "Oh, he came by earlier to deliver some documents to you since you never made it to Æther Paradise. They are apparently rather urgent and he needed to see you."

"Documents?"

"Yes, from a woman called Wicke he said. Confidential information, too." She sneaks a look into the room. The documents were there, on her desk. "He said they were so confidential he wasn't even allowed to read them."

No wonder, really. Moon knows Wicke is hiding all those documents and information from Gladion and she had probably made him swear not to read them because they contained concerning information.

Knowing Wicke, she had probably wanted for someone else to come but Moon knows Gladion is stubborn and terribly curious. She is so happy but also so terrified to see him, in her house, at these hours with sensitive information so close to him.

"I will look over them later," she says, taking a step into her room. "Why is he…?"

Her eyes dart from the sunset-washed room to her mother. She understands immediately. "I invited him in. I thought you would sleep somewhere else tonight and he looked pretty tired. He works hard, that boy."

Yes, too hard, she wants to say. Instead she takes a step back and sighs. "I will take care of it, don't worry. I will go to bed now, if you don't mind."

Her mother nods with a small hum, smiling gently. "Sleep well, sunshine."

And then she lets her be. Moon closes the door behind her with a whoosh and her body crumbles into a long sigh of exhaustion. She leans against the door and peeps at the President who is curled on her mattress and looking so comfortable.

He must have been tired to crash on her place so unceremoniously. It makes worry settle in her gut. She gathers her wits when a soft snore escapes him and she giggles into her mouth.

It is then when she notices Silvally is curled into her little Snorlax puff and it picks up on her smell and her presence as the wood creaks a little under her feet. She tells him to be quiet with a finger and it nods a little before drifting to slumber again.

Moon slowly sits by him, smiling to herself. His hair is a mess and his bangs have been magically pushed aside, revealing that other half of his face she so rarely sees. The Champion's hand moves on its own and hovers over his face, desiring to caress his skin.

A sneaky finger traces his jaw tentatively, nail grazing the smooth surface. His skin milky, his hair so bright and his face so serene. He looks like a prince, or maybe an angel crashing on her bed by chance.

He has grown so much since they first met but he still retains that rebellious and angelic beauty she is so enamored with.

His presence isn't as brooding as it would sometimes feel when they are in public with the rest of their friends. The thought rattles in her head while she observes him quietly.

Then, he stirs and an eye blinks open, startling Moon into a dim blush at being caught red-handed. A questioning noise blows past his dry lips, which he dampens unconsciously. He breathes her name again, and she sighs his in resignation.

"I told you to sleep and here you are, napping at my place." The girl shakes her head jokingly. "Such a gentleman and a leader, Mr. President."

But he doesn't react to the joke, something she primarily doesn't mind until he is suddenly saying something under his breath and leaning up to curl his arms around her and push her to the bed with him. She squeals in confusion.

"G-Gladion!" she whispers loudly as he tucks her to his side. He hasn't let her go yet. "What are you–"

"Arceus, Moon." His voice is hoarse as sleep clings to his words. He has no problem being honest in his dazed state. She can feel the slight worry in his words, something she isn't quite accustomed to. "I came here a few hours ago. Where were you?"

And she finds herself not knowing what to say. If she tells Gladion what she has been doing he will probably kick her out of her own bed for never telling him. At the same time, Wicke had told her that he was too busy getting the foundation in track and that it would only be a part-time job. Nothing dangerous.

She wants to think he hasn't seen her cuts and bruises and thanks the darkness of dusk for that.

"I was busy," she says curtly. "Don't worry about it, I'm just very tired. Why are you here?" he notes she doesn't pull away. "I thought I told you to go to bed at earlier hours."

He knows that and it is not like he hasn't tried. He has just been more and more busy with so many reported cases of new Ultra Beasts going around. Wicke being so adamant about taking care of things is putting him on edge.

And when she told him she needed some papers delivered to Moon, out of all people, he took up the job and strode here only to fall asleep on her bed, her so very comforting and warm bed.

"I was busy too," he responds just as briefly. His grip on her relaxes a little but he pushes her closer to him, a hand losing itself on the forest of her tousled hair. It's almost out of habit and she accepts it. "I'm having a meeting with Wicke tomorrow and I couldn't sleep. She said it's pretty important."

At this, Moon gulps. A shake of his hand, a little wobble in his voice. There are details that give his nervousness and unease away. She hates seeing the distress in him and she hopes she can help him with her presence.

He speaks sooner than she expects. "I'm so happy to see you." He pushes her back a little to try and gaze at her in the darkness. Some beams of orange land on her stray hair locks and some sparkles slip into her eyes.

He cradles her cheek. As if he is mulling over what to say next, or maybe thinking that what he said is wrong but it isn't, Arceus it will never be wrong and she smiles against his touch. "I'm happy to see you too. Though I expected the circumstances to be different."

Gladion chuckles and her heart swoons at the sound. He is pushing her closer again into his chest where she can feel his heartbeat. "Let's make an exception, just this once."

He is warm. They are not using a blanket and she feels like his body alone will suffice. It's not suffocating her, nor is it so distant she has to focus to feel it. It's in the rhythm of his heartbeat and in the way his arms snake around her so aimlessly.

This feels familiar, it feels perfect. Her body tingles in glee. His breathing fans over her head and she presses her cheek against his chest.

There is a sense of embarrassment over having him in her bed and basically hugging her while he slept but the comfort he always brings along when they are like this overpowers all of it.

Moon finds herself drifting off soon enough before she can respond to his witty argument. She makes a note to talk about it the following day and forgets about it in seconds.

Gladion learns about her departure soon after their meeting at her house.

It happens by accident one late night while he is working after-hours at Æther Paradise. He has finished his regular stack of paperwork and he is ready to go to his house for the night. He had thought of going to his room at Route 8 but he's too tired to even grab a boat and go there.

So he is walking out of his office. He closes the door behind him and Silvally is in its ball, sleeping for the night. The hallways are only lighted up by a few dim lights and everything is dark, devoid of people. He is completely alone in the facility.

By chance, he happens to walk by Wicke's office and he sees the door is open just a crack. Some light is spilling from within the room, warm and dusty. The room feels warm when he walks in hesitantly.

It wouldn't be the first time he has found Wicke sleeping on her desk, but he is surprised to find the place is empty and rather messy. Papers are not stacked and are thrown haphazardly on the desk. The window is wide open. Her computer is turned on yet the screen is off.

Something tells him she must have left in a rush to leave the room like this. Curious, he moves to the desk to try and maybe tidy it up a little for he knows he won't find rest easily if he leaves the place like this.

His eyes skim over the papers briefly and in a breeze. There are several Ultra Beast reports he knows about and has looked over as well, the four Ultra Beasts they know about plus a fifth one that they are yet to investigate with the Interpol's cooperation.

But then, something catches his eye. A report on UB-05, Gluttony, is marked in red letters and has a bunch of new information he is sure he hasn't read before. Gladion reads over the document, some possible sightings and then he stumbles with one name.

A name he knows very well and dates, so many dates and so much new information.

A cold shudder runs down his spine and he is running out from the room before he can even process it all.

His theories are proven right when he arrives to the Altar of the Lunne and Wicke is there. Hau is there, Lillie is there, two officers from the police are there and Lunala is hovering over an open portal.

He can only hope that he isn't too late.

But most importantly, she is there. Moon is standing in front of the portal until Gladion's Charizard abruptly lands on the altar and everyone turns to gasp. He is running towards them but he breezes past Wicke who is quietly calling out his name.

"Moon!" he rushes to her in sheer panic and he is at her side in a second, grabbing her shoulders and gazing into her eyes with what can only be described as desperation. Everyone watches silently. "You– you can't go."

"Gladion–"

He shakes his head, his bangs shifting in the slight breeze. "Why are you doing this? Why didn't you tell me about this?" his fingers press harder against her shoulder and Moon winces. "This is too dangerous! That beast, that–"

"Master Gladion, please," calls Wicke. Her eyebrows have sunk in sorrow at the scene she is witnessing, because she never told Gladion about the mission exactly for this reason: because watching her go would be painful for him. "I offered her the job and… tonight we believe we might make it to Guzzlord's lair and–"

"UB-05 is an extremely dangerous species! Hell, we don't even know what it is!" he snaps, frowning at them and almost shaking. "For Arceus' sake, it eats buildings and other pokemon! Who is to say she won't get hurt in that place?"

Gladion hasn't let go yet but he is looking at his friends and assistant in uncanny worry. This side of him has never been this exposed and seeing him like this pains Moon badly. She bites her lip and her head dips down a little, at which Gladion turns to look at her.

Hau, who has watched the scene unfold silently, finally speaks. "Guzzlord has been causing havoc in Ultraspace and you know this." Hau isn't usually this stern but he believes he has to put this into perspective. "Moon was offered the job, she told me about it. And she will do just fine."

His eyes narrow at the kahuna with bitterness. "It's not as easy as doing just fine! We don't even know how long it will take and we don't know what–"

"Hau is right."

A hand gently presses against the hard of his chest and his speech halts at the touch. He looks down to look at the girl in his arms who is giving him a small yet dazzling smile. Her eyes shine in affection and he feels his body start calming down. He rushes to sputter. "Moon, he–"

"He's right," she repeats, voice soft but determined. "I chose to take the job. As the Champion it's my duty to keep Alola safe. To keep all of you safe." Her fingers curl against his shirt. "Even if I wasn't the Champion I would still do it."

His eyes narrow in disbelief but she can just tell he isn't angry, but confused. His grip on her shoulders tightens and he is pulling her a bit closer. "You could be in danger, Moon."

He says her name so softly and almost brokenly to the point that if Alola wasn't at stake she would just remain by his side, locked there forever with him. Alas, "Everything will be okay." Her lips curl into a smile again. Easy, peacifying. "I have been there before, haven't I? And it wasn't that much of a big deal."

His jaw tenses and his teeth are gritted together. "Yeah, but before I didn't–!"

He didn't love her. He didn't mind it. He stops himself before he can say it and he holds her gaze, a hand travelling from her shoulder to cup her cheek tenderly. "Things were different and this creature… what if you don't make it back?"

Gladion instantly knows that it's not like him to be like this, this hesitant and so unstable and insecure. But he has been with this girl for so long, she is so dear to him. It has taken too long for him to realize that he has great friends to lose one of them to the hands of some ravenous monster.

The thought of losing her in a mission like this and that he almost never said goodbye settles in his gut and stirs, making his hands shake. Moon intimately raises her hand to cup his cheek and stare gently into his shaky eyes.

"I will be alright, Gladion," she whispers. There is a tender level of uncertainty he fails to notice and she buries it with more sweet words to pacify his soul. "I have been there before. I'm a very capable trainer. I will be fine."

His breathing turns unsteady and her smile somehow manages to sweeten and make him weak to the knee. She melts his heart yet the fear of losing her is too much for him to take. He wants to go with her, oh so badly. But he also knows Æther is important and this is the only time he wants to put the foundation aside.

Gladion knows she is the best. That she can manage. But this situation is so big and concerning that such thought is pushed aside.

He just wants to protect her and be with her just like he swore to do when he came back from Kanto all those years ago.

"Please," he whispers. The winds coming from the warp hole blow her hair to a side lightly and lights of many colors illuminate her pale skin. He traces her features as if trying to remember what she looks like for the days to come, "please, promise you will be back."

She catches on to this and pushes herself close enough so their foreheads are touching, eyes closed in a silent oath. "I will be back. You won't even notice I'm gone."

His grip on her tightens at this as if doubting her. It's as if she's gone already, how could he ever forget that she's away from him? Gladion fails to notice the joke but he doesn't separate from her, tasting their last moments together for a moment.

In her proximity he feels so warm. He forgets there are people around. He forgets about her promise for a second, he forgets he has full faith in her and lets himself indulge in his desperation to be with her one last time.

He cups her cheeks and his lips brush against hers gently, catching her off-guard and he fears he might have done something wrong before she is putting her hands on his shoulders to meet him halfway. She kisses him back silently, her frustration just as blatant as his need for her to stay.

Their friends watch the scene, dumbfounded, but also sad for the tragic image. Their hearts swell and they wish this didn't need to happen, but it does and they are overcome with the desire to make her stay as well.

Moon presses her lips a bit harder against him before letting go of the delicate kiss, noses touching and words lingering. "I will be back." Moved by their proximity and unsaid feelings, she pecks his lips once more. "Wait for me. Everything will be fine."

She stares into his lidded eyes once more before she pushes herself off from him, knowing that she will never leave if she stays for one more second. His eyes blink open and he puts distance between them again, walking backwards to his friends and assistant that gather to watch their friend go.

Lillie hugs her brother from a side and Hau swings an arm around his shoulders. Wicke stays close to him and her hands entwine in a little prayer. They hold each other close to not break down as their friend calls Lunala to her side, ready to embark in this lethal mission.

As she hops on her pokemon, she looks back with a dashing and bright smile. "I will be back soon. Save me some celebratory cake for when I'm done."

And with a small salute she leaves a second before Gladion can tell her to stay by his side, the warp hole sucking itself to a close and everything is silent again.

This world is odd, Moon concludes. A man has greeted her from underground and hurriedly led her to the surface. A bright orange light shines in the distance like the sun has taken home in this twisted city.

The ground is made of windows and there are doors and fences under her feet. There are no roads, no grass, no grounds. Buildings are twisted around her and destroyed with chunks eaten away, undoubtedly by the beast that has been there before.

No wind blows, almost no air reaches her lungs. It's as if time is flowing backwards and the stillness and silence is broken by a continuous static. Buildings make the ground and something akin to a pavement with posters make the buildings and nothing makes sense.

Unlike all other realms Moon has visited, Moon feels this is quite more unsettling and tense than anything she has ever experienced.

There is a large – too large, she notes down – bite on a wall. She walks through the crevice to take shelter until the beast makes its appearance. Moon backs herself against the cold wall and she curls in a corner of the fallen building.

Streams of golden from outside sneak into the small room and she can only pray the beast will not see her while she rests from the trip. The space is probably too small for the monster to notice her anyway, and it seems like the beast has already been there.

The place is warm in colors but chilly in temperature. Nobody has been there for a very long time despite this dimension looking familiar. There is a distinct dry salty smell that lingers in the air but it doesn't make her feel at home.

She feels lonely.

Moon thinks about the people she has left behind, she thinks about her friends, Hau, Lillie. She remembers the last time they went to have malasadas. She had a great time, she cried with laughter when Hau almost choked with a bite too big from the sweet and had to swallow it down with water. How Lillie laughed so hard after a long while without seeing each other.

Moon wants to go out for malasadas again, whenever she is back from this mission. She remembers the warmth of Alola, the radiance of her friends' smiles.

She thinks about Gladion, then. She thinks of how warm his proximity always feels. The rhythm of his breathing. That's a cadence she remembers by heart, that steady hum. If she focuses, she can hear it as if he was by her side again.

The thought of being in his embrace brings warmth to her heart. His arms around her like a blanket, covering her from the world and tucking her to slumber. Her eyelids feel heavy.

She remembers how he asked her to come back. She recalls the pain in his voice. The feeling of his lips against hers almost like a dream.

Moon can't wait to be back in his arms.

The Champion whispers his name as she drifts off to sleep, thinking that Gladion is by her side and no beasts exist in this dimension– just him and her.

"Master Gladion, please. You should go to bed or tomorrow–"

"Why hasn't she come back yet?" His voice comes out in a wobbly mess, his pacing setting a tempo. He is agitated and his left hand is twitching. He has it shoved in his coat pocket. "That dimension can't be that far away, right? And she is the best trainer of the region. What could be taking her this long?"

Wicke has been putting up with his rambling for the whole day. While Gladion is a very capable man and he can keep his cool around his employees (who were deeply concerned about seeing the President's hand constantly shaking) it had just taken him a minute of solitude to start questioning basically everything.

This is unusual but nothing surprising. After all, Gladion has grown up in great loneliness and losing one of those few who keep him company must be nerve-wrecking. "Time flows differently where the Champion is at. You should have more faith in her, Master."

"Of course I have faith in Moon! Arceus, she is the Champion of Alola. She defeated the RR Team years ago, almost single-handedly. But UB-05 is…" He finds himself unable to continue because the nature of that beast makes his stomach churn uncomfortably.

Wicke sighs in understanding. "I'm aware." There is a small gap of silence where the blond finally sits and pinches the bridge of his nose in thought. "I'm sorry for entrusting the mission to her without your explicit permission, Master. I did it with my best intentions."

Gladion wants to think of ways to dismiss her apology but he discovers he can't do that just yet. "Just– why didn't you tell me? If Moon was willing to take the job I wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop her."

Very unbelieving, his assistant gives him a knowing, suspicious look that makes him turn his head in irritation. Then, she explains. "I thought that you were too busy to fully take control over the case and the Champion seemed to be the best option. I had the intention of telling you about her participation before we agreed to not doing so, however."

His hands ball to fists on his desk. "Why?"

"Well, after the... issue with the former President," his mother, she adds mentally, "we deemed this case was far too sensitive for anybody related to the family, or the foundation itself. The wounds brought by the Mistress to the region stretch far beyond what any of us can take."

Gladion closes his eyes in regretful understanding. "But Moon could handle it, can't she?"

Wicke nods. Her face is downcast in worry, and she looks out at the window to the glaring moon outside. "The Champion was very willing to take over the case and it wasn't until deeper investigations that we detected UB-05's presence. At the beginning this was only meant to be field work in the Poni grove."

The worst part is that Gladion knows this. He is painfully aware of the case's methodology and what he and Wicke had put forward. Except that Gladion once thought it would be expert hunters taking hold of the pokemon, not his dear Champion.

The President can feel his face changing and paling, so he turns his chair to the window. The moon washes over him in a pale, cold light. "For how long has she been in the case?"

"Several years, yet her activity was only occasional. Her implication only grew fundamental when we found signs of activity coming from spots in the Ultra Space, which was… last time we saw her."

Gladion growls and he takes hold of his fist, controlling that little gesture of frustration. He gets up from the chair, unable to remain still. Walking to the large windowpane, he feels that the closer he is to the moon, the closer he is to her.

"UB-05 is highly dangerous. It has eaten cities, planets…" He trails off to avoid finishing that gross statement. Wicke gulps in the distance, her frame concealed in the shadows. "But Moon is the strongest trainer I know. She's not one to let people down like that."

It sounds like an attempt to cheer himself up and the assistant can hear the small smile in his voice. She's glad that he has so much trust in the Champion but his feelings probably prevent him from being completely at ease.

Wicke is content with him being calm, though. "You should sleep now, Master. It's getting really late and you have two meetings tomorrow."

He nods and Wicke lets him be.

Gladion heads to his house in the island. The place is quiet and he guesses Lillie must be sleeping at this hour.

In bed, he finds himself finally alone. Moonlight filters from the windows he chose to not close because he thinks it will keep him a little bit of company. His arms feel somehow empty, knowing she is far away from him, somewhere he cannot reach her.

He curls into his bed hoping the sheets will make up for the space she left by his side. Gladion discovers that the distance kills him more than her absence. With closing eyes, he imagines she's right by his side, smiling, as it should be.

From across dimensions, he hopes she is resting, too. And that she doesn't miss him as bad as he misses her, in silence.

Moon comes to when she hears a roar in the distance, far away from her and causing ruckus at the end of the avenue. She has fallen to the floor and her clothes are tattered with dust.

Her eyes widen and she feels her pokemon stir in their pokéballs, restless. Moon looks at the wiggling capsules and she nods to herself in affirmation. The day to battle this creature has come and no matter the future waiting for her, she has to face it now.

Her frown is light and she shakes the dust off her white shirt. Moon steps from the empty room and peers at the apocalyptical street, hearing more clattering from the end of it.

Eyes narrowing to make the figure out in the blinding artificial sunshine, she walks out. UB-05 is big, dark, has limbs everywhere and seems to be eating debris from a fallen building, shaking uncontrollably. It wails in hunger like a vulture picks at a corpse.

She slides down a broken pipe and jumps to the pavement, careful not to land on a window. Her feet skid to a halt and she maneuvers through the debris. There is a buzzing screen sputtering old promotional nonsense. Red rails are buried under sand and dirt.

This is a reality Lusamine could have very well created. A reality that could reach her world if she lets this pokemon run amok and maybe reach a warp hole to her home.

Moon approaches the pokemon carefully. Its tail flails up and down and the claws it has for hands shake in ecstasy at the delicious meal. The Champion wants to think there is only concrete and steel there.

She needs to finish this mission for once and for all.

UB-05 seems to pick up on her presence and it stills for a moment before it turns all too quickly, almost hitting her with its tail and hands. Moon gasps in horror at this abomination: giant mouth, clawed hands emerging from it and a heavy blue tongue that expands into the darkness of a mouth that waters in her presence.

Moon firmly nods at this, taking a deep breath and grabbing one of her pokemon and taking a few cautionary steps back.

She whispers against her pokeball. "I trust you, partner."

A pokeball is thrown to the battlefield and Guzzlord releases a high-pitched screech.

The battle begins.

Night has long fallen over Alola when Gladion leans back from his chair. A pleasing crack erupts from his sore back, which Wicke happens to hear as she knocks and walks into the office of the President.

"It seems like you are getting old, Master Gladion." She smiles gently while the other sighs into his palms. "You have been working hard today."

He can't give a coherent answer to that because it sounds like some sort of silent, motherly accusation rather than a statement. He shrugs it off with another subtle statement of his own. "Whatever it takes to keep myself busy." The assistant nods in understanding. "What brings you here so late into the night?"

Wicke is holding a thick stack of papers but the only thing she takes out is a clipped pair of documents in bright blue. She hands them to him. "I just filled these in with information we recently received from our informant. I thought it would be of interest for you to look over them."

The way she glazes over the information makes him think there is nothing of interest until he sees the actual information, all neatly written in familiar lettering and his heart stops.

When he looks up, Wicke smiles knowingly.

"These papers are about… UB-05." It's a very silent and subtle statement. A question lingering. Wicke nods, very tranquil and at peace. Her silent affirmation brings him to his feet and he forgets about the papers. "Did she–? Where–?"

The woman exhales a small chuckle at his eagerness. "You have a visitor at the Conservation area, Master. I wouldn't keep her waiting for very long," she sees his eyes light up in hope and nods again, "she tends to fall asleep in uncanny places."

And Gladion takes her order like lightning, speeding out of his office and bolting to the elevator. He presses the buttons impatiently. His knuckles are between his teeth as he feels the elevator go up to the area.

When he arrives there he tries to calm himself down, for he thinks the girl waiting for him there wouldn't enjoy seeing him in this state. He tries to calm himself down and casually strolls into the Conservation area. It's devoid of people and stars dot the transparent sky beyond the glass ceiling.

Gladion doesn't find her at the central part of the area, so he begins his search. He thinks she might be playing with the Corsola, then he thinks she might be feeding the Grimer and playing with the Starmie.

As memories of her taking care of the pokemon flood his mind he grows more and more impatient. He is almost seething when he sees Wicke overlooking a certain spot at the back of the area, which has a few pokemon sleeping around and a few trees.

He walks to her side slowly.

He is met with the wonderful image of a cozied up Moon sleeping on a hammock hanging from a pair of trees. Her head is facing the sparkling sea that glitters under the moonlight and Gladion has to blink to process the fact that Moon is back, and that she is okay.

It's then when he notices she has an actual blanket around her and he looks at his assistant with a bitter expression. "The Champion arrived here an hour ago and received medical assistance, as well as closure on the UB-05 case. She travelled for a while to get back here, though. She fell asleep almost instantly."

The unmoving and delicate image before him brings him back to their first days into their special routine and he wonders if he should wake her up this time, bring her back to her awaiting mother.

Wicke, however, reads right through him. "Her mother has been informed of the Champion's whereabouts. And the hammock is rather cozy, I'm sure she enjoys it there." there is a small eyebrow rise in her features. "Aren't you tired, Master?"

His shoulders tense at the clear invitation, shakes his head and he raises his chin up before, as the first day, he leaps over the white fence and he walks to her. His steps are silent in order not to wake her up. "Was she that exhausted?"

Wicke leans over the fence, chin propped on her hand as she stares at the couple adoringly. "She was. The Champion had to fight a rather tough creature. It's in our hands now to investigate its origins." Gladion doesn't seem to be interested with the details of that for now. "I will take over the case for now. Have a good night, Master Gladion."

He watches Wicke leave them alone and disappear into the distance of the area. It is now when he realizes that Æther Paradise is dark in its entirety and that he can only see her face through the sheer moonlight hitting her skin.

Smiling to himself, he presses a hand against her cheek.

"You're such an airhead."

Moon wakes up when the sun is rising over the horizon. Her eyes flutter open slowly to find an area washed in pale orange and sparkles of gold. It's early, she can tell, and she wants to get up yet her body keeps her chained in place.

Suddenly, she feels a very intimate touch on her hair, caressing the hairs on the crown of her head aimlessly. Moon begins to notice the warmth, the familiar chemical scent of the Æther labs and his office.

Then, an arm curled around her waist in a way that screams protection.

The Champion looks up from his chest and is met with the face of Gladion, looking out at the sea with a distant gaze before he notices her stirring and looks down slowly. Her cheek presses against his coat.

He sighs out her name, sounding relieved, his grip on her tightening. "You were out of it for a while."

His way of addressing her so casually after such nerve-wrecking period of time brings joy to her heart. Her fingers grasp the fabric of his uniform. "For how long? I barely remember getting here in the first place."

Her voice is raspy and off but he thinks it's beautiful all the same. Even with her skin dirty and her hair all but brushed, Moon looks adorable in his eyes.

"I'd say all night. You got back last night and passed out on here." A small chuckle reverberates under her cheek.

Moon blinks and she wants to say she is embarrassed but her mind is too tired to complain. "Was I that drained? Didn't I even get up when you got… you know. There."

Her innocent way of addressing it amuses him deeply. He continues combing through her hair in a soothingly manner, eliciting a sigh past her lips. "I just moved you a little. I thought that we wouldn't fit side to side on the hammock– or that it was less likely for one of us to fall off from it."

Her eyes fall lidded but she is exuberant with joy all the same. Gazing deep into her eyes, he finds affection pooling in them and his heart does a double-clap at the smile she flashes him, soft and gentle, serene and collected. "Are you comfortable?"

"Are you kidding? This hammock is crazy comfy." Moon gives him one of those looks of fake irritation he has seen her throw at Hau and he shrugs it off. He moves to place a tiny kiss on her forehead, at which she flushes, cheeks stinging.

He sees her press herself closer against him. "Welcome back, Moon."

I missed you. He wants to think he needs no words to convey that feeling anymore. Judging by the small curl of her smile, he thinks his assumptions are correct– and reciprocated. "Yeah, it's good to be back, Mr. President."

Both beaming, they lie there for a little more. He holds her in his arms whilst toying with her hair as she lays her palms against the flat of his chest, feeling his heartbeat and smiling to herself at the comforting sound.

It feels like home.

"So… back to hibernation?"

She smothers her giggles into his chest.

"Back to hibernation."