After years of friendship Gladion had gotten used to Moon's outlandish ideas and actions. From trespassing into haunted houses for a Mimikyu, to extensive day trips to other regions, nothing was out of reach or too crazy for the Alolan Champion.
He was used to this-to her.
But as Moon stood across him in his office, nibbling on her bottom lip and avoiding his gaze as she requested something completely unexpected, he couldn't help but to think that she had finally cracked.
"You want me to do what ?"
His disbelief does little to calm her fidgeting, her stare now glued to the wall behind him. "You heard me…" she whispers, a pink hue making its way onto her freckled cheeks. "I need you to teach me how to k...kiss," a shyness makes its way into her voice, which was strange, but not entirely unwelcome.
His conclusion still stood though; Moon had absolutely lost it.
"Moon, wh-what? No! The fuck? Of course not! How-c- We?" he tries to articulate, but the girl rolls her eyes at his lack of eloquence, clearly growing tired of the mulling around.
"It's just two people pressing their lips together for... science ! C'mon Gladion you like science," Moon pleas as Gladion slowly exhales, trying to rewire his own brain for the sake of giving her a proper response.
"Moon," he slowly begins, "we're friends. Don't you think this is a little odd ?"
The Champion shakes her head incessantly at his logical question. "It's only odd if you make it odd!" Moon declares while boldly walking up to his desk, her hands now firmly laying on the crowded surface. "C'mon buddy, pal, bestie," Moon begs with widened Rockruff eyes and a solid pout to boot.
"I need to learn, and it's not like it means anything! You have experience and like you said we're friends. "
But that assumption was wrong. Very wrong.
Because while it was true that they were indeed friends, best friends even, Gladion and Moon had found themselves in quite the predicament over the years. An unsaid situation that created a line neither of them could ever cross.
A line that defined their more than friendly feelings for each other.
A line so driven deep into the ground that neither of them would think it could ever be erased.
But of course, leave it to Moon to want to blur it with her interesting request.
"So what do you say?"
Gladion blinks slowly, coming to from his own racing mind, as he looks up at the girl once more. Her vibrant gray eyes shimmering with hopeful abandon, the same look she always gave him when it came to anything else she requested.
And who was he to ever say no to her?
"Fine, but let me make this clear Moon," he says while standing up from his chair, "nothing, and I repeat, nothing changes between us, understand?"
His sentence although directed at Moon, seemed more like a warning to himself.
"Aye aye edgelord," Moon jokingly mocks to his disdain as he comes around the desk to meet her. His heart increasing in pace almost immediately at the impending action as she turns to look at him expectantly. He narrows his eyes in response.
"Have you ever even kissed a person before?"
Moon scoffs defensively, "of course I have!"
"Then show me."
It was a challenge, and Moon never backed down from a challenge, but for once he could see Moon hesitate when she apprehensively reaches her hands up to place them aggressively on his cheeks. A few seconds later she tip toes and gives him a chaste peck on the lips to finish the task.
Moon hurriedly looks away, already aware that she couldn't be proud of that moment.
He clears his throat, "uh-well, that's not really-"
"THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR YOUR HELP!" Moon squeaks, burrowing her head into Gladion's chest. An endearing action that didn't help Gladion out at all. He takes a deep breath in, glancing down at Moon who was now pouting.
"Why don't you try again?," he gently murmurs, not finding a purpose in teasing Moon in the already highstakes situation. His moment of sincerity, however, didn't stop the heat from obviously rising to his cheeks or Moon's as she closes the gap between them and places yet another chaste kiss.
It lasted about a second longer- until she tried again.
And again.
And again- this time lasting three seconds, only to have Gladion pull away just enough to still allow his lips to slightly touch hers. "You have to move your lips, you know?"
Moon could hear the smirk as she nods slowly, her own nerves finally besting her at the thought of actually kissing Gladion. Not a peck, not a simple touch, but an actual kiss. Her thoughts are cut short, however, when she feels his hand gently tilt her chin up to meet her halfway. Ignoring the clamoring in her chest she shyly slides her lips against. His response just as calm, letting her set the pace, until a minute passed and she found it going all too slow.
Emboldened she decides to snake her arms around Gladion's neck, and it's when she does this that something just seemed to click .
Or maybe break would be the better metaphor because Gladion seemed to forget all his inhibitions as he leaned forward, hungrily seeking her out, as Moon let herself be lifted onto his desk, knocking down a lot of its contents in the process.
Moon gasps lightly, "isn't that impo-"
"Doesn't matter," he interrupts, closing the gap once more as it became evident to the blonde that Moon was indeed a quick learner. Their hands make their way into each others hair, both of them growing more and more desperate to taste and feel one another in a proximity that neither of them could have ever imagined.
But when Gladion's phone rings they both breathlessly pull away in surprise.
" President you're needed on the conservation floor. The investors are here," the intercom speaks as both of them remained silent, almost as if the other line could hear them if they spoke.
Their focus shifts away from the phone and back onto each other. Their hearts were pounding, their chest were rising, their faces flushed and still only mere inches away from each other - waiting for someone to say something, to do something.
Another beep is heard. " Sooner better than later, big brother," Lillie obviously adds with an annoyed tone and the line goes quiet, giving the two a few seconds to come to terms.
Moon's grip releases and a nervous laugh escapes her.
"uUm...that was a good lesson between...friends...," she emphasizes.
"Yeah...friends..." he awkwardly murmurs as she jumps off his desk to readjust her clothes and her hair, the tension now undeniably thick in the air.
"Well," Moon begins as Gladion notices her disheveled hair, her swollen lips. Proof of everything that just happened. "I guess that's my cue to go. Good luck today Mister President!," Moon says while placing a steady hand on his shoulder - sending involuntary shivers down his spine - before turning the action into two very friendly pats.
"Thanks," he responds watching her open her mouth to say something-before blushing and scurrying out of the room, leaving him to a messy office and muddled thoughts.
Yeah, of course nothing changed, that clearly was for science and obviously they were still just friends.
