dorks

Gladion is going to be that character I think about and fixate over for the next few years, I feel like. I love my emo dork son so much.

warnings for (implied) child abuse and suicide ideation

Gladion hated wearing ties. He always had the habit of tying them too tight, and they reminded him of his time when he lived in that place. Aether. She always dragged him along like a little toy, and she always tied his ties even tighter, so it always felt like he was suffocating. Sometimes late at night, he stared up at the ceiling and wondered how many ties it would take to make a proper noose and to just throw himself from the third-story window. He imagined at least four to five for good strength and maybe around seven to eight for good measure.

After some time away, he decided that without her Aether wasn't the worst place in the world, but he would never spend a second living there again. Nor would he ever like ties that much.

That was why he was living at Wicke's crappy two-room apartment for the school season, and that was why Wicke found him lying in bed wearing just his tie and his school pants. Upon seeing him the woman placed a hand over her eyes, blushing. For Tapus' sake she used to bathe him when he was a kid, and she wasn't seeing much, but sometimes he thought she acted more like a teenager than he was. "M-M-Gladion!" she stammered, a little too loudly. She was still getting used to calling him by just his name, so he let it slide. "You're not dressed yet! You're gonna have to eat breakfast in the van if you're too late."

Gladion rolled his eyes, turning to his side. "I don't think I'm gonna go today, Wicke."

"Again? We had an agreement for you to start this week, though-"

"I know. This is all I can do."

He heard her sigh, and he couldn't feel just a little bit guilty. When he made the deal with Plumeria and Guzma to stay with Wicke for the school season, he hadn't anticipated things being this awkward. Awkward, yes, but nowhere close to this level. She was willing to do whatever it took to help him adjust and ease into a more comfortable lifestyle…and that was the problem. She was too kind, too generous, and he couldn't help but think she had ulterior motives to being this way. It wasn't likely because Wicke was always selfless, often to damaging levels, but he didn't trust anyone at this point except Lillie, and she was in Kanto.

Sometimes he thought if he were better off homeless. He wasn't happy, but at least he felt more like himself.

He kinda wished that she would fight with him about it, threaten to drag him to school like Plumeria often did, but all she did was turn off his alarm clock and kiss him on the forehead before leaving the room. Classic Wicke. She deserved to take care of a kid better than him. Pulling a blanket over his head, he shut his eyes and blasted his iPod to the highest level. Silvally jumped onto the bed and laid on top of him, but he made no motion to knock the pokemon off as it crushed him. The pressure soothed him as he fell back asleep and thought about ties.

When he woke up suddenly, arms splayed out across the bed, he stared up to see Wicke staring back. Unusual. Grunting, he rolled over into his pillows and hoped she took her time counting the pimples on his back instead of giving him fake, optimistic cheers. "Waa do you wan'?" he mumbled.

"Well, Gladion, honey, you have a special surprise today-"

"GLADION~ WICKE'S GONNA TAKE US TO GET ICE CREAM LET'S GO LET'S GOOOOOO~"

"AAAAHHHHH"

He felt Hau dive into his back like a Mudsdale diving for the latest batch of golden apples. It was after school, of course. His cheeks reddened as they both fell out of his bed and Hau wrapped his hands around his belly, dragging him halfway towards his closet. In front of him, Silvally began licking at his toes. Gross. It was his fault for letting onto Wicke that he had friends, though. Every chance she had, she let them come over. "Hau, what the hell? Get your hands off of me!" he roared, throwing a pillow at him.

Hau easily dodged it and grinned, placing a hand behind his pillow. "You worried about your flab? That's okay. Grandpa says that's healthy. You've been gaining weight and lookin' good!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Okay, cousin, my bad. You look super-good. Now, what do you wanna wear? I know you always like wearing black, but what about that pink shirt Miss Wicke got you? It'd go really, really good with your eyes."

"Why the hell do you know about my pink shirt?"

"Because I gotta see what kind of things you have that I can wear. We're the same size, y'know."

Gladion placed a hand to his face. Talking to Hau when he was like this was exhausting. Judging from Wicke and her sweatdrops, he didn't think she knew the extent to his unlimited energy, either. Shaking his head he used his other hand to put it on Hau's face. "I'll wear it if you get out right now."

Hau pouted. "Awww, you're always blunt about these things. But ok. Just hurry or the ice cream will melt."

As the boy pushed Wicke out of the room, Gladion stared blankly at the door for a few seconds before furrowing his eyebrows. "Ice cream doesn't work like that indoors, jackass!"

It was exactly like being on a date with your best friend while your dorky-hip mom watched from two booths over with a stupid grin on her face. Gladion knew it was a bad idea buying glasses that looked so similar to Wicke's, frame color and all, but black frames didn't suit him; he looked like a dork. The pink shirt, too, made him look like some sort of tourist on vacation, although he had to admit it was super-comfortable.

And Hau was staring at him. Probably because ice cream was dripping all over his hand as he crushed his cone. Blushing, he wiped the sticky vanilla from his hand and tossed the napkin onto the table. "Sorry. I was thinking."

"When are you staring school? It's lonely without you."

"When the depression goes away."

"When is that?"

"Never."

"Is it because of me?"

"Of course not, you ass dork."

"Gladion, honey, don't call your friend an ass dork."

"Yes, Wicke," Gladion muttered, rolling his eyes at Wicke, who was pretending to have her head buried in a menu. Her transparency was embarrassing. "Look, Hau," he said in a lower voice, "you know I need time to adjust. It's bad enough I'm behind in everything, and Wicke's nice and all, but she's…she's not what I'm used to. I'm used to being alone. I've been that way for a while."

"She didn't tell you?"

"Didn't tell me what?"

Hau made that face he always made when he made a mistake or passed gas too loudly in a malasada shop. Gladion knew better than to pry, but his paranoia needed to know if his caretaker was screwing him over, and if so, how soon should he bail. Sooner than later, definitely, if not right now. "Hau…didn't tell me what?"

"Well, uh, y'know Big Sis and Mr. Guzma are pulling their money to see if they can move and get a bigger place with Miss Wicke. Since my house is kinda far away, too, they thought we could all..live…together…Gladion?"

The ice cream exploded all over his fingers, and he didn't care as he banged a fist down on the table. Hau started groaning under his breath, and he reached over to touch his sticky hand. He flinched but didn't pull away. "Gladion? I mean, I don't have to live with you guys if you don't want. I could live under the house or on the roof. I'm pretty flexible with this."

"No…you ass dork."

The ice cream was all gross and sticky between his and Hau's hands, and soon Wicke knelt down beside him, wiping tears from his face and snot from his nose. The tissue was gentle against his nostrils as he blew. "Gladion, what's wrong? What do you need right now?"

"I…I need *sniffle* another ice cream."

"Of course, honey. Don't worry about this, okay?"

She stood up and squeezed his shoulders, and he felt so childish as Hau scooted close to him and pulled him in a hug. As much as he didn't like it, things were still confusing. Everything was still confusing. They'd never be able to understand him, yet they were the ones who were helping him the most. Plumeria and Guzma, too. He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of them.

When Wicke came back with a second round of ice creams, he made no fuss or snide comment as she undid his tie for him and threw it in the trash can, nor did he deny Hau's request to play Mario Kart until one of them passed out, probably him. Life was draining, but not as it had been.

He was living. For the first time in his life, he was finally living.