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Cold...So cold!
The days it snowed in the Wild Area were some of the worst; Gabrielle didn’t actively carry a set of thicker clothes for this situation. Bad on her, she supposes, but her rucksack is heavy enough! Her hands had an iron grip on her upper arms in a pathetic attempt to keep herself warm, thin frame shivering almost as pathetically. Her shaky breaths came in small puffs, visibly clouding into the air, occasionally distracting her for a few seconds before cold struck again. The abundance of flakes were merciless on their way down, paying no mind to her already reddened nose as they made it their homeland for a few moments before melting, only furthering her torture.
A displeased whine crept out of her lips, arm raising to wipe her nose after a sniffle. Oddly enough, the snow was so light, it seemed to just melt upon making impact with the grass. The snow didn’t tend to last long either, a few hours, at most. Weird, but nobody seemed to question that fact anymore. With a gentle smile, her frozen fingers brushed the pokeballs at her hip, glad that her precious pokemon were safe and warm. They were what mattered, she could worry about being warm herself in one of the Budew Inns later; or so she thought. As her gaze lifted back to the sky, dread crashed down in a heavy weight as she noticed the sky darkening, only lit by the fading pink-orange on the distant skyline. Brows furrowing in distraught, her gloved fingers thread through her nearly platinum blonde hair, other hand moving to hold her black scally cap to let her do so.
“Of course… Just my luck.” Shaking it off, Gabrielle affirmed herself; now is no time to be negative! Setting her cap back into its proper place, a smirk made way to her confident posture before she hunched over again, the breeze deciding then would be a good moment to pass by. Shuddering until the breeze passed, she let herself crumble to the floor, a defeated sigh heaving from her chest. The Snover sheltered in nearby grass peered curiously at her, a handful of Stuffuls bounding out to sniff curiously at her form and bag, a few sitting at her front to chirp cutely and wave their front arms. With a small laugh, her hand reached to brush against the one closest to her. The Stufful pressed into the affection with a happy squeal, nuzzling its cheek into her palm, allowing itself to be pet before her hand pulled away shortly. Gabrielle knew better, Stuffuls were forces to be reckoned with, and she didn’t want to stimulate it into a battle mood. Although seeming momentarily disappointed, the Stufful went back to its previous activities. She hummed, stripping herself of her rucksack, “Guess there’s no better time to camp then now!” She smiled, turning it around the pull off her camping gear, “Ah~ Nothing sounds better than a warm bowl of curr- ”
Her monologue was cut off as her hands brushed a nearly empty rucksack, at least of the largely needed objects she’d needed. A confused and panicked ‘ah?’ came from her lips, hands messing with the contents of her rucksack, double— no, triple checking— each pocket with growing panic. After the search, she came up fruitless, shoulders sagging as she let the bag slip from her grip and gently fall into the grass. Of course. She had forgotten her camping gear; the most essential set a trainer could have, especially in the Wild Area… and she didn’t have it. Swallowing harshly, Gabrielle whimpered as she bit back a frustrated sob, icy blue eyes clenched shut to prevent the flow of her oncoming tears. In place of her cries, her body sat quaking, her head ducked in shame and fists clenched against her knees. This night possibly couldn’t get any worse!
“What are you doing? You look more pathetic than usual.”
Bede.
Her head shot up at the familiar voice, nearly giving herself whiplash as she turned to look at him, startling him for a split-second. Bede—as one of her rivals and self-proclaimed friends—was a familiar sight nearly everywhere she went, though, Gabrielle never expected to see him here. At least, not now, nor in this weather! She shot up, rushing over to him and grasping his shoulders with a broad smile, making him reel back in surprise, “Bede! Am I glad to see you!” Glad? Why is she glad? His brows scrunched in confusion, mouth opening to prod at her situation further before she moved to decide and do so herself.
“What luck! I don’t have any of my camping gear, it’s snowing, and I’m almost an icicle.” He seemed unmoved, staring at her blankly, “Yeah, I know, stupid of me! Right. ‘No less to expect from a nobody’ or whatever it is you say. But… I really need your help right now! You have your camping gear, and even if you leave now, I doubt you’d make it to the nearest city in good time. Can I please ,” she emphasized her begging, fingers lamely digging into his shoulders, “camp out with you? At least for tonight?”
Bede sat, almost flustered as he turned his head sharply to turn away from her, not daring to meet her gaze and succumb to the puppy-dog eyes Gabrielle was very much using to attempt and sway him. Taking a moment to answer, giving him time to collect himself, he brushed her hands off of his shoulders and glared her down, a smirk making way to his face. “Share a tent with somebody like you? Please, I among many others know you’re nobody important! You may have beat me twice before, w-which I let happen of course!” He cursed himself for stuttering, “But you’re not worth the time for something like that.”
Glancing at her, he tensed, startled by her dropping smile, so outwardly sad that she looked like a kicked puppy. Seeing Gabrielle look so defeated… It didn’t feel as good as he thought it would, not even close. In fact, it kind of... hurt? His confident stature slowly dropped, eyes shut as he fought himself internally. He didn’t like feeling this way, there was a dull ache in his chest, and he didn’t want to disappoint. Opening his eyes again, he sighed and crossed his arms, gaze settling to the brush beside her.
“Although...” A small blush tinted at his cheeks at her hopeful gaze he noticed in his peripherals, hands clutching at her chest, “I’m not completely heartless… I’ll allow it.” Though he grumbled this out, she had heard it well, rising to throw her arms carelessly around his form, nearly knocking the two of them over. He choked on his breath, attempting to push her off in vain, “D-Don’t touch me!”
Gabrielle only squeezed tighter, chanting her thanks into Bede’s shoulder like her life depended on it. Which, it likely almost had. Letting him go, she wrung her hands as he brushed off the front of his jacket. That damn jacket, he was lucky, it almost taunted her. It was large, puffy, and obviously very warm, the end of it reaching his knees. She shivered unconsciously, watching him set up his own camp, making a petty remark about her not assisting him in pitching the tent. Gabrielle apologized softly, stating she would have helped, but she doubted her shaking hands would help him set the tent right. Bede knew she was right, but gave a small eye roll in response, because he’d never admit such a thing.
Once the tent was propped up, Bede was pleasantly surprised at Gabrielle setting down an armful of firewood, setting it into a neat pile for a fire. She stepped back, reaching for her belt, tossing a pokeball between her hands a few times before tossing it forward, allowing a Centiskorch into the field. Gabrielle rose a hand to carefully stroke two fingers along the top of its head, “Bede, you remember Ashe, right?” He nodded. Of course he did, the damn thing helped her sweep his entire team, though he rose a brow, forgetting she had nicknamed her pokemon. She stepped back from the wood pile, asking rather than demanding—as most would in battle—for the Centiskorch to light the fire for them. Without hesitation, Ashe churred in response, obediently doing as told.
The fire quickly crackled to life; luckily, the snow hadn’t made the logs and branches too wet. Gabrielle threw herself down, sitting as close as she could without it burning, “Ahhh!~” Her body sagged in relief, Ashe settling nearby, disliking the cold just as much as her trainer. The wild Pokemon nearby quickly scuttled off, not wanting to be near the blaze. Bede kept back, attention brought to her shivering again. She’s still cold? Why, the fire is lit, right? This is when he took a moment to realize how long she had actually wandered in the cold, her fingertips quaking and red, so darkened that the change was obvious against the caramel coloring of her skin. When she had grabbed his shoulders, he could visibly see the flush on her cheeks and the discoloration of her nose. Clearly, Gabrielle had been out for hours. Bede sighed, shaking his head, expecting nothing less. He knew she was capable of great things, lest he ever tell her that, but she was obviously careless about a lot of things too. Idiot.
Bede sighed audibly once more, taking it upon himself to remove the jacket that had been secured around him pretty much his entire journey, hesitating in a moment of self doubt. Willing himself, he approached with the jacket, open in hand, and—in a moment of panic—more or less threw it on top of her, throwing off her weight. Once catching herself, Gabrielle glanced at Bede, who had silently plopped himself by the fire a good foot or two away from her. Pulling his arms flush across his chest, his cheeks flared in a familiar flush as his gaze darted away from her form. She sat silent, only smiling softly, huddling herself into the warmth with a quiet coo.
The pair sat in silence for a while, Bede seeming to only hunch further into himself every glance she took towards him. Huddling into the jackets warmth, Gabrielle hummed in content, seeming to bring some sort of ease to Bede’s initial panic. The fire continued to crackle as the night bore on, the sky darkening slowly. Tossing a smile to Bede, Gabrielle softly inquired, “Why not let out the Pokemon for a while? Make some curry? I don’t think either of us have had dinner.” Without waiting for an answer, her hands reached to cluster the pokeballs at her hip into her palm. Allowing them to enlarge, she tossed them lightly away from the fire, the five remaining Pokemon burst from the pokeballs. As soon as they had finally set, they quickly perked to nestle up by the fire. Turning to Bede, Gabrielle eyed his own pokeballs before glancing back up at him, “Your turn, I’m sure your pokemon would enjoy a little leisure!”
Bede’s nose wrinkled a bit, “As if you know what they’d enjoy…” Contrary to his statement, he nudged the four pokeballs into his palm. Tossing them almost carelessly, or seemingly so, as he normally would for any battle, the four Pokemon of his own joining the group. The Pokemon were a welcome sight, even the blank ‘stare’ of his Hattrem. After they settled themselves, his Ponyta and Hattrem excitedly moved up to nudge against Bede affectionately, his Duoision and Gothorita instead going to peer at Gabrielle’s own Pokemon in curious familiarity. Although Bede tried playing it off as if he was trying to push away his Pokemon’s loving touches, he sat contently and let them do so, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. As Gabrielle watched the interaction, she tilted her head curiously, “Hey, Bede? Do you nickname your Pokemon?” She knew he never referred to nicknames in battle, but he might in private, right?
“What? Why would I do something as childishly trivial as that?” Wrong. He turned his gaze towards her, looking almost bewildered by the question. Gabrielle pouted in disappointment before perking back up and crossing her arms confidently, “Alright, then I’ll do it myself!”
“No, you can’t-”
“Too bad! Hmm… The Ponyta is definitely a Cotton Candy!”
“You’re not naming it tha-”
“Hm… The Gothorita seems like a Muffin.”
“Are you serious-”
“The Hattrem is Eloise.”
“That actually… isn’t too bad?-”
“I dub the Duoision to be... Jello-Mello!”
“I hate you.” Bede groaned, burying his head in his hands, further showing his disapproval. Gabrielle only snickered, pressing a playful finger into one of his now-puffed cheeks, “No you don’t~”
He snorted, gently slapping her hand away from his face and moved to lightheartedly sneer at her. Her hand obediently fell back into her lap, but the grin on her face only grew in turn. While it was true Bede didn't hate Gabrielle, he tried multiple times to convince himself he had at least disliked her, but even now the events unfolding before him tonight were proving otherwise. It kind of... terrified him; it was clear to many—especially after learning of his upbringing—that Bede wasn’t one to know how to handle his own emotions very well. Chairman Rose is all he has, and assumes he ever will have, he can’t lose focus and disappoint him now. He can’t. He won’t.
A soft brush against Bede’s arm knocked him out of his stupor, his gaze out of it for a moment as his eyes met the Ponyta sliding its snout along his forearm in concern. Bede sighed, frame relaxing and a hand gently brushed through its mane in a silent thanks. His fingers slid through his platinum blond—nearly white—hair, bangs lifting and falling perfectly back into place.
“Are you alright, Bede?”
As if his previous thoughts had made him forget the entire world around him, Bede jolted at the sound of the female voice; he had forgotten how close she was. He felt vulnerable, hands wringing in his lap, why did she have to notice?! Of course she’d notice, she’s close enough as it is, but you’re being awfully obvious! His hands stopped wringing to allow him to clench his fists carefully. Get ahold of yourself. His eyes lid almost tiredly, in no mood for his usual witty responses at the time.
“...Yeah.”
And that was that. Gabrielle knew better than to push into his emotions, no matter how badly her playful nature really wanted to. Though her concerned gaze remained on him for a while, the pair sat silently. She remained quiet before glancing up at the stars slowly gathering above, thinking of a topic to change the mood. Gabrielle took a moment to watch the pokemon across the way by the grass, Jello-Mello playing a game of tag with Egg, her Dracozolt, then across the field where Muffin playfully pat at Cider’s—her Appletun’s—back. It was nice seeing them get on after all the battling they've done in the past. The others had either nestled down for sleep or were simply relaxing in the fires warming blaze.
After another long moment of silence, Gabrielle hummed and shuffled to stand, “Nothing cures a quiet night like curry, how about it?” Her voice was soft, though not a whisper, not akin to her usual tone. He only nodded, her smile widening in return. Without a word, he stood to join her, leaving her in momentary silent surprise. Her surprise melted into a soft smile, moving to dig ingredients she had packed in her bags; berries, that is to say. Hopefully Bede has something to add into the pot that’ll spark up a delicious mix! Sifting through her berry collection, Gabrielle tugged a small bag of pecha berries from their confines and glancing over at Bede setting out a pot for the works, carefully starting up the base curry mix.
Bounding over, she offered the bag to Bede, who took it from her with a curt thanks. Removing a pecha berry, the look of momentary shock on his face was evident on his face; did she know he preferred sweet curries or was it just chance? Bede blanched, shaking the thought off, it had to most definitely be chance. Gabrielle smiled, “Do you mind helping me chop them?” He huffed, but took a few from the pile, collecting blades for the two of them to dice the berries up. Bede took the first one, moving to slice the fruit quickly to scoop it into the curry mix before it burned, the berry chunks all different sizes and shapes. Glancing over, he watched Gabrielle’s fruit pieces dice into quaint pieces; sure, they weren't all identical and perfect, but they were fashioned into manageable bite sized pieces.
“What are you rushing for, Bede? The curry isn't going anywhere, it doesn't cook that fast!” Gabrielle laughed between her last few words, causing Bede’s cheeks to redden in embarrassment. He had typically always rushed through his curries at times, deeming he didn’t have enough time to spend slowing down, he needed to train! Before he knew what was happening, her small hands encased his own in a guiding manner, moving to guide him into slicing. With a choke in his breath, his hands quaked in her hold, making some of the bits fairly misshapen. Gabrielle didn't mention it.
———————————
Once the curry had finally been fully cooked—Gabrielle having had to stir it herself since Bede had been going a bit too fast and spilling some over the edge of the pot—the pair filled their bowls in respective shares for their Pokemon, who all took the food with grateful chirps. Luckily, Bede had a few fruit bunches on hand to make the curry extra sweet! Even though it wasn’t up to par with the curries she usually ate, those being much spicier, she didn't mind having something new that others would prefer.
The Pokémon tucked in rather quickly, Bede’s Pokemon taking delight in the enhanced quality of the food. The teens sat quietly with their own portions, Bede absentmindedly stirring the stock, Gabrielle lifting a spoon and offering it to Bede, “Here!”
His cheeks flushed red, choking, “Y-You’re not going to feed me! I’m not a baby!” His voice gave small crack of embarrassment, disproving his point to some extent.
Gabrielle pouted before her lips lifted into a smile of amusement, “I wasn’t going to feed you, I was offering a cheers! Unless… you want me to feed you?~” She was only teasing, but it was fun to push his non-emotional buttons. The splutter that escaped his mouth was plenty reward. Bede’s mouth falling open and shut in unsaid words before he lifted his spoon to haphazardly clank against her own to shut her up, in turn making both the utensils contents shift and fall to the ground. With an embarrassed ‘tch’ he looked away and dunked his spoon back into the curry.
“Boo! Don’t be a stinker, Bede! I just want a toast!” She took another scoop, lifting it with a pout. His eyes wandered to her spoon, patiently waiting mid-air. With a defeated sigh, he lifted another spoonful to bump hers, much more gently this time in a successful toast. With a cheer from Gabrielle, they both swallowed their generous scoops of curry. Bede hummed in satisfaction, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth at the sweet taste.
“I like sweet curry, what luck.” Gabrielle jumped, not expecting him to talk but smiling quickly, swallowing her own bite.
She chuckled softly, waving her spoon, “I know you like sweet curry, you mentioned it in a conversation once some time ago.”
He had? Bede was puzzled, he didn’t recall ever mentioning that, and if he did, why it was important enough to remember. She only smiled, taking another bite of the curry, Bede silently following suit after another moment of thought. Many of the Pokémon finished rather quickly, nestling together to sleep for the night. Gaze moving to meet the sky, Gabrielle smiled softly at the comforting presence of the stars, the snow lessening.
Tapping his shoulder, Gabrielle pointed skyward, “Look, the snowfall is clearing up!” Following her gaze, the snow has actually visually lessened, the flakes having not only lowered in number, but also shrunk in size.
With a quiet hum to himself, Bede murmured a quiet, “Seems so…” Gabrielle cooed, snuggling further into the borrowed jacket and smiled against the fabric.
The pokemon began taking extra shares between their trainers eating slowly, the curry pot finally left empty for the night. The two gaped at the empty pot, having been unaware of their Pokemons escapades for extra food, leading Gabrielle to pout some, but let herself sag in defeat, “Ah well… It’s time we head in anyway.”
She smiled softly, setting the dishes aside to be cleaned properly later on, fully fastening the jacket around her form as the breeze blew just as cold as before. Bede only rubbed lightly at his arms, doing what he could to avoid the breeze. He was tempted to ask for it back, but something about her content and general want to wear his jacket struck a hidden cord in Bede; what was this feeling? He didn’t understand why her wanting him around had affected him in such a way, he didn’t care, right?
A small yelp came from him as Gabrielle's Drizzile, Bahari, was quick to put out the fire. She shot him an apologetic smile for spooking him, the smile returned with an indignant huff, as if he hadn’t been startled at all. Once the fire had died down, Bede silently made a trek for the tent, a yawn squeaking its way past his lips. “Ah, wait!” A sharp tug at the back of his shirt almost knocked him back to the floor, and the front to choke him for a moment. Bede turned to glare at his attacker, Gabrielle shrinking sheepishly, “Sorry!”
Standing straighter, her fingers idly twirled in her locks, “I was wondering if you’d like to stargaze for a while? You don't have to! But the snowfall is clearing, I think it’d be nice.” Bede quirked a brow at her behavior, she never usually seemed so bashful about asking him to do anything before. His exhaustion was clear by his half lid eyes and the soft scowl on his features, but despite this—
“Sure.”
Both appeared surprised by his answer, Gabrielle brightening and Bede taking a moment to question if he had made a mistake. Her hand clasped his own once more, tugging him to sit at the end of the tent where the door sat open. Sitting criss-cross style, Bede promptly ignored the feeling of her knee brushing his, no matter what sort of comfort it brought. Gabrielle craned her neck up towards the stars, on a mission for the nearest constellation. His own gaze remained on her for a moment, features unconsciously softening at her content before letting his eyes slip shut before opening to follow her gaze.
Gabrielle pointed out a few constellations, though when asked further about them, covered her eyes with her cap with a claim she knew nothing more than their names. Typical. Bede smirked, glancing down at a sudden added weight in his lap. Cider, Gabrielle’s Appletun, took his Hattrem’s usual place in his lap; a given, as it was asleep with most all the others. Cider only peered up at him curiously before nudging its head under his hand. With a breathy laugh, his fingers brushed across the Appletun’s head and returned his gaze skyward, not seeming to mind when Cider began affectionately nibbling at his fingers. The snow had finally ceased falling, now only leaving the breeze and the remaining snow for a chill.
Gabrielle sat up, lifting her right arm to point upwards, “Hey, Bede, look! I actually know about that one! It’s—“ A sudden weight on her shoulder cut her off. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed an ‘o’ in a silent gasp, quieting at the sight of Bede pressed to her side, asleep. It was nice to see him look comfortable, a small smile gracing his features and eyes shut softly, brows relaxed rather than furrowed in their usual frustration. His breaths were soft, hand draped lazily over top the Appletun in his lap, who had dozed off along with him.
Reaching behind her, Gabrielle took one of the heavy blankets he had in his tent, carefully working—with mostly one arm— to drape it over the two of them. She couldn’t bring herself to wake him or risk moving him. With a squeaky yawn of her own, she rested her head against his own and let her eyes slip shut for the night. It was a perfect moment she’d never forget.
Click!
Especially not when she had a photo to remember it by. Surely he wouldn’t mind.
———————————
Her trek back to Hammerlocke didn't take long, not after being shooed off by an embarrassed Bede before she could even help him pack up, claiming that she had gotten them into such a sleeping position and saying she should have woken him up to sleep inside. Gabrielle only chuckled, taking it in stride and collecting her Pokémon. Thanking Bede once more, her arms enveloped him in a farewell, much to his protests before she rushed off again. He had glared softly down at the dirt, pink tinting his cheeks again and his arms crossed. He seemed back to his usual self.
Gabrielle only chuckled to herself, glancing at the photo she had taken for at least the fifth time that morning.
“Gabrielle! Hey, Gabrielle!”
She perked at the sound of the familiar voice, an even more familiar face rushing towards her. Hop smiled brightly, tugging a badge from his bag, “Hey look, I bea-“ he paused, glancing her up and down, “Did you get a new jacket? It looks familiar.”
Oh no.