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Gloria strode into the Fairy Gym with a bright skip in her step. She gave a brief wave, a passing greeting, to the staff, and headed to the waiting room where she knew she'd find Bede.
"All ready for your exhibition match today?" Gloria asked cheerfully as she spied Bede. "You're up against Gordie, right? I'd wish you good luck, but I know you won't need it!"
Bede levelled a hard stare at her. "What are you doing here? Surely you have more important things to be doing than bothering me so early in the day."
"Aw, don't be like that! I came to cheer you on!"
His disinterest didn't phase her at all, she was used to his cutting remarks and knew that, deep down, he didn't actually mind her company. It was always like this - Bede acting annoyed at her presence to begin with, then softening up as she insisted…
Except the frown on his face hadn't eased at all. He stared right at her, no, right through her, as if she wasn't there at all. Gloria took a step closer, noticed a haze over his eyes.
"Bede? Are you okay?"
His brow twitched. Furrowed deeper, his gaze wavering for a moment as she drew closer again.
"Bede-"
His head dropped to her shoulder. She stiffened, jolting at the sudden contact, her hands instinctively flying up in fright, in a protest and confusion - Bede wasn't one to initiate contact like this, all of a sudden, and he was so close, his curly hair tickling her neck, and then his weight collapsed into her.
Gloria squawked, almost buckling and collapsing herself beneath him before she locked her knees and grabbed his shoulders.
"Bede?!"
The pit in Gloria's stomach deepened as the hours ticked by and Bede had yet to wake. His skin, usually delicately pale, was flushed and clammy. A layer of sweat beaded on his forehead, Gloria taking the damp cloth to his furrowed brow once again.
She sat at his bedside, chair pulled as close as possible, as he battled a fever. Despite Ms Opal's, and the Doctor's, reassurance that he would be okay.
She couldn't just leave him. Not when he was in pain, suffering with a dizzying fever. Not when he hadn't woken up at all after fainting that morning.
She couldn't leave him to wake up, alone and in pain. She wouldn't.
The faint pants escaping his lips made her heart clench. The tight furrow of his brow hadn't eased at all. Gloria reached out, resting her hand atop his scorching forehead, his skin burning against hers.
His fever hasn't gone down one bit...
"Bede…" she whispered, knowing fully well he couldn't hear her.
Is he really going to be okay…?
His eyelids twitched, and Gloria leaned closer, almost questioning if she'd seen the movement or not before his eyes fluttered open weakly.
"Bede, are you okay?" she asked, a smile of relief washing over her face when his cloudy gaze slid over to her. "You've been unconscious since this morning. I was worried you wouldn't-"
His hand cupped her cheek. Fingertips caressed her face in a featherlight touch, gentle and tender, before sliding into her hair.
Gloria's eyes blew wide, unable to turn away from the intense heat in his eyes, the way his gaze seared right through her.
His voice, quiet and strained, stole her breath right out of her lungs.
"Never in my life... could I have imagined that such a beautiful angel would come to me in my time of need," Bede said, trailing his fingers down the side of her cheek. "Thank you…"
The back of his fingers dusted along her jaw, knuckles brushing her bottom lip when they fell past her chin and her mouth dropped open in a broken gasp.
His hand dropped. Eyes fluttered closed, his rhythmic breathing returned.
Gloria burned inside as if that simple touch, the way he'd caressed her cheek so tenderly in his delirium, had transferred his fever to her in an instant.
She jolted upright in her seat, swallowing the scream in her throat.
Wh-
What was that?! What on earth just happened?!
She couldn't breathe. Her heart thundered erratically in her chest, in her ears like a thousand drums pounding at once. She stared down at Bede, sound asleep once more, and wanted to scream.
Looking at him now, curled on his side, a flush of heat colouring his face, there wasn't a shred of evidence left of what he'd just done. That he'd woken up momentarily and… and called her an…
Did he really say that?!
His words echoed in her mind, loud and deafening as if he'd said them right into her ears. The soft whisper of his words sent a warm shiver down her spine and Gloria shook her head, trying to shake that thought, the weird fuzzy feeling in her chest, away.
He'd been delirious, that's all. He hadn't known it was her, he must've mistaken her for someone else!
She peered down at him again, pursing her lips. Even with a fever, he still looked remarkably beautiful.
If anyone was the angel, it would be him-
No, no, no, no, no.
She looked away as heat crawled up her cheeks again. She had to forget that. He hadn't meant it, certainly not to her, he must've thought she was… someone else…
She couldn't forget. His words had seared themselves into her heart, forever etched into her memory.
Such a beautiful angel…
The way he'd caressed her face, his fingers gentle against her cheek as though she were a precious treasure.
Thank you…
His eyes, hazy and half-lidded, locked on hers, unwavering and purposeful as he spoke. As his lips, barely parted, formed those tender words.
If he had said her name, Gloria would have combusted on the spot.
She sighed, sneaking a glance at him as though it was forbidden, as though she was breaking some kind of rule to even look at him now. She rested her knuckles against her chin, feeling a ghost of his touch against her bottom lip.
Arceus.
He had no idea what he'd done.
And she had no idea what he'd done to her.
She couldn't face him the next day, her face burning with heat whenever she saw him.
"Why are you acting so strange today?" Bede asked casually, fully recovered after a day of rest. "Did you get sick too?"
Gloria's cheeks sizzled at his questions, the memory of his touch, his words, coming back with force.
Oh, Arceus.
She wouldn't be able to face him for a while.