It was the Christmas season.
Lights were strung on trees that weren't pine. The smell of gingerbread and chocolate infiltrated the air ventilation. Red and green decorations on every windowsill, door edge, and hidden corner made it hard for him, for anyone , to avoid the festivities.
And it wasn't that Gladion hated the holidays per say.
It was more that he hated things that inconvenienced him.
But as the clock ticks past 7PM, everyone else from Aether safely in their homes by now, that he decides it's finally time to get his much deserved vacation.
Vacation that's interrupted by a ping on his phone.
Lillie 7:03PM
"So you finally left the office huh big brother?"
Lillie 7:03PM
"Just a reminder you can't run away from dinner for the 7th year in a row."
The Dinner.
The biggest inconvenience of them all that's hidden under the claim of holiday familial bonding and quality time.
He glares at the message on his phone, how Lillie knew he left the office all the way from Kanto was beyond him, but the sentiment was the same: he wasn't going to that dinner. He had already prepared an excuse for this year (the flu), but as he began typing his response his sister decides to call instead.
"Don't bother giving me an excuse Gladion," Lillie says with a mixture of desperation and disappointment. "It's just one evening."
All she gets is a disgruntled gruff in response.
"Gladion please, I'm tired of having to make up lies on your behalf. Broken leg one year, working the next."
"Lillie, you can't make me go," Gladion announces as he reaches the bottom floor of Aether, so close to freedom , but all he hears is a scoff from the receiver.
"Well, for once I can."
His hand hovers over the last door handle.
"What do you mean?"
"Eventually the lies would catch up you know?," she slowly says and Gladion could feel his body tense at her prolonged pause. "Remember how last year your said you couldn't go cause you were meeting your alleged girlfriend's family?
"Uh huh…"
"Yeah, well in that lie you said you would bring her next year–next year is now, and mom expects it."
Given the holidays Moon had found the League to be more vibrant than usual.
Sure, a small part of it may have been cause she decorated the place from top to bottom, but another part was that there were more challengers coming by. Passionate and determined trainers who filled the League with hope and joy– but right now that wasn't the case as Moon stood across the room with widened eyes.
For starters, Gladion bolted into her chamber before the intercom could even announce a challenger. He was hunched over and completely out of breath. His hair and clothes in a disarray, and for someone who just beat the Elite 4 in record time, he sure wasn't reaching for his Pokemon to challenge her.
"I need," a breath "to ask" another "for a favor," Gladion wheezes as he tries to remember how to let oxygen in.
Moon's face shifts from worry into curiosity.
It wasn't like him to ask for help from anyone.
It also wasn't like him to show up disheveled, but who was counting?
She rapidly nods her head seeing the blonde come too as he straightened himself up and walks across the floor as if he was a man on a mission. The confidence, however, only lasted until he stopped right in front of her and he found himself hesitating. His teeth biting his bottom lip in uncertainty as if unsure of what he was going to ask himself.
"Can you pretend to be my girlfriend at my family's Christmas dinner?"
Moon breaks out in laughter instantly. Her giggles fil the echo chamber as if taunting Gladion as his face changes back into his typical scowl and furrow combo.
The Champion gasps for air, one hand grabbing at her torso and the other lifting a single digit in the air. She was asking for an extra moment of patience from him.
"Arceus, it's almost as if you came in here seriously asking me to pretend date you," another laugh, "now what do you really want Glads?"
His arms cross against his chest, his patience drawing thin. His silence only confirms what Moon had heard and she feels a tinge of heat rise to her cheeks as all of it begins to click into place. "Wait—were you serious?," Moon asks in disbelief as Gladion's intense gaze doesn't leave hers.
Yup, he was serious…seriously desperate.
"You're the only girl I know who would be crazy enough to take part of this charade," Gladion shrugs, losing all sense of self-preserved dignity.
Moon scoffs, "I know plenty of people who would jump at this opportunity Gladion" she emphasizes, much to the disdain of the blonde who still hadn't heard a clear yes or no.
"My mom loves you, you'll get to go to Kanto, you'll get a free meal–"
"Woah woah woah, back up there Mister President," Moon interrupts, "if I remember correctly your mom tried to kill me when I was 10."
"Let bygones be bygones?" Gladion says unconvincingly as Moon rolls her eyes.
He was the grudge holder in this friendship.
"Gladion this makes no sense!" Moon replies, "you've been avoiding this holiday dinner for years anyways–what makes this year any different?"
And Moon was the ever observant one.
An exasperated sigh leaves his lips as his eyes focus on something other than her scrutinizing stare.
"Lillie made a good point over the phone," he murmurs. "We're not getting any younger and neither is Lusamine."
Moon blinks slowly as she watches his desperation shift into something more solemn. She takes a small breath in and shakes her head with a small chuckle forcing him to look at her.
"If we're going to do this, we might as well make it big," she extends her left hand towards him with a cheeky grin, "you need to give me a ring, Mister."
Although the journey to Kanto was straightforward, the emotional journey for the Aether president was anything but.
Their battle plan was simple. They were to hold hands at obvious and opportune moments. To cast longing gazes and to give soft passing touches. To smile gently at one another, and to keep their love story sweet and simple.
And with every giggle he heard leave Moon as they added to their list he had to keep reminding himself that it was all a ploy, a game, a made up scenario.
A sudden thump cuts off his thoughts. Moon's head awkwardly leaned on the plane window, her soft breaths capturing how sound asleep she really was, and their agreements written on a page precariously were held in her fingers. His hand reaches over without a second thought as he gently pulls her head towards his direction and onto his shoulder.
It was all a false pretense.
One that his mother believed almost immediately.
Lusamine fawns and showers Moon with love and affection that only increases when she sees the ring on her finger. Lillie bites her tongue trying to not expose her shock that her brother could pull off a ruse such as this and Moon was a complete natural.
Going with the flow, laughing at jabs at Gladion's expense, and just simply pulling everyone in with her charismatic charm and presence.
Even he would believe the scenario if he wasn't in on it.
And to his surprise nothing exploded at dinner. It was a little awkward, a little tense, a little strained–as expected from an estranged family, but somehow it all was okay. Nothing perfect or out of a cheesy movie, but it was okay enough to move forward.
"I think Moon's presence helped," Lillie says softly as she passes the last recently washed dish to her brother. His own focus elsewhere as he watches Moon animatedly talk with his mother in the living room. "Gladion," Lillie calls out once more as she shakes her hand to sprinkle water on him, a offended look on his face as he glares at her much to her enjoyment. "You know what sells your charade is the looks you keep giving each other."
"It's in our agreement," he responds gruffly as he takes the plate defiantly, but Lillie simply clicks her tongue in disagreement.
"There's only so much you can fake," Lillie says with a laugh as she looks away from her brother, walks towards the living room, and very clearly calls out "hey Moon can you help Gladion in here?"
The undeniable sound of agreement sparks a flight response in him as he walks towards the doorway to deny her help only to nearly bump into his supposed fiance.
"Aww isn't that cute," Lillie coos as she looks over at their mom, sly smiles on both of their faces as their eyes move up and expose a small berried plant hanging. "How about we give the future spouses some time to themselves, Mom?"
Gladion's eyes widen, his cheeks flare, and as he begins to say "no you don't have to–" the two members of his family were long gone, leaving him and Moon alone and caught in awkward situation.
A soft laugh leaves Moon.
"We didn't prep for this now did we?"
"No…but it's not like they're watching" Gladion dismisses, only to have Moon step closer to whisper.
"Their footsteps were never heard going upstairs."
"Of course…" he says through gritted teeth, his mind trying to find a way to get out of the situation. His looks around his house looking for an escape only to stop on Moon's face. She was blushing, avoiding his gaze, and whispering something unintelligible.
"What?"
"Would you be so opposed to this?" she repeats clearly this time around. Her gray eyes clear with resolve meeting his shocked emerald ones.
"I mean, I know you're not super into Christmas like I am," Moon babbles, "but I'm not one to break tradition, and if we want to make this whole thing seem real then it only makes sense that w–"
Moon never got to finish her sentence as Gladion's lips softly land on hers. His hand gently holding the side of her face as his thumb caresses her cheek. It didn't take long for her to respond, her lips sliding against his with the same unsaid want and desire.
When they part they could feel their hearts clamoring in sync, the evident blushes on their faces, their feelings only now being acted upon.
Moon slowly blinks before shyly dipping her head into Gladion's torso.
"Does this mean I'm invited next year?" her muffled voice asks, prompting a soft chuckle out of the blonde.
"I guess we can arrange that."