Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
She was very much like the moon – warm, kind and amiable to anyone and anything that sought her. Sometimes, she was so bright and beautiful, everyone admired her. Otherwise, she seemed cold and unfeeling, and chose to hide away in her darkness. He had rarely seen her deeply enraged, and on those days, she seemed to burn deathly red, unafraid of piercing flesh and drawing blood. And much like the moon, she had her mysterious ways, but always seemed calm and composed. Many people and Pokemon felt drawn to her, and that included Lunala, that sweet Nebby, the emissary of the moon herself.
Gladion had seen some of her secrets. They'd often shine under her light.
Like how she admired him.
"You're so amazing", she'd say incredulously, and his heart would flutter.
Like how she cared about him.
"I trust you enough to talk about my feelings, without fear and judgement", the message reads. "It might sound like oversharing, but when I tell you all this, it's not just because I want to voice my thoughts, but also because I want to know how you feel too. Your feelings matter to me."
Your feelings matter to me.
If Gladion didn't approve of something, it was discussed at length. He was always the first to be informed of her whereabouts. It wasn't necessary. It was irritating sometimes.
"I want you to be able to look out for me if anything happens", she'd told him, when he expressed his annoyance about being called and texted all the time.
"Can't you just go ahead and get things done with?" He was exasperated. "You have your Pokemon with you, you'll be fine."
Selene sighed, and he could see the longing in her eyes, before he muttered a quick "see you" as she disconnected the call.
Like how she wanted answers to their relationship.
"Gladion, we should spend some free time together sometime."
He hesitated. "Well-…we'll…see about that."
And it was never brought up again.
Since then, she had always skirted around that conversation, or anything even remotely close to it.
When Lillie and Hau "declared their courtship" (as their butler James had put it), Gladion, the former's older brother, remarked about how Hau was an unusual match for his sister.
"I guess so." She said softly, and Gladion could've sworn he saw sadness in her eyes, maybe for a millisecond or two.
Back in Professor Kukui's wedding, when he and Professor Burnet were pronounced husband and wife, Gladion could feel the wedding bells ringing in his heart. His eyes were drawn to her, a stunning bridesmaid at that time. His mind seemed to play tricks on his senses, when all he could stare at was her. All he saw was a beautiful moon goddess whose silk dress shimmered under the sun, and maybe it was the light, but he did see a halo around her figure.
Much to the amusement of the newlyweds and his sister, Gladion was seen gawking at Selene. "Looks like Cupid's arrow has struck you too, President," the groom chuckled.
How embarrassing.
"Ehhh, don't worry too much about it. Selene does look pretty today. You seem really in love with her."
The bride smiled. "It's not worth stuffing your feelings in your chest like that, you know. Love is beautiful when it's shown, when it's shared. You complement each other really well, it's always wonderful to see you together."
A moon goddess.
"You're like the sun, you know?"
Her voice was impossibly soft, Gladion had to lean in.
"I always thought you were like the sun. A strong, bright presence that demands attention, one which cannot be simply ignored. Sometimes, your light is harsh and unyielding, but when you smile, when you interact with pokemon, you are really warm and welcoming, like the sun after the storm. It warms my heart."
Her cheeks were bright red, her eyes carefully avoided meeting his.
"You know how the moon shines, it reflects the light of the sun in phases. Right?"
He nodded.
"Sometimes, I feel like you are the sun to my moon."
He was stunned. He could feel the heat in his face, the sunshine in his heart.
"I wasn't always like how you know me now. But since meeting you, I have been able to find strength. Your influence, your light has really helped me shine in ways I never thought I would. I'm really thankful to you."
It was a confession. One that was wrapped in a metaphor, one that barely stopped short of the declaration. One that almost, almost gave her feelings away.
And like with any conversation about love, it was sealed away, never to be spoken of again.
But it weighed heavily on his mind.
Do I actually love her?
It was a question that he asked himself all the time. When she was there. When she wasn't. When he saw couples in love. When he saw the moon at night. When he saw the sun at dawn. When he strolled around. When he ate his meals. When he could see her in his mind. He tried to ask his Pokemon about it. It seemed like an easy question. But it was difficult to find an answer. Or rather, trust the answer he already knew.
I don't feel ready for it. Or that's what he tells himself. Being with Selene means letting her in on his thoughts, letting her in on his secrets, opening himself to her. Would Selene be ready to embrace his darkness? She was the moon, why would she run away from it? Selene was no stranger to his dark side, she had seen it. She was no stranger to Aether Foundation's secrets, she worked from the basement's restricted zone. There wasn't much, if not anything, to hide.
Besides, there is so much to do, so much to attend to.
The Aether Foundation was in his hands now, an enormous responsibility only he was qualified to take. He had to oversee their research, keep Ultra Beasts at bay and protect the Alola region. He had to work hard as a Pokemon Trainer. He had to care for his family and find his missing parents. He didn't really have time for Selene, or their relationship.
But if Gladion's definition of "family" meant including everyone who cared about him and his sister; Hau, Wicke, James, Kukui and Burnet were a part of it. Selene was certainly a part of it.
He didn't want Selene to leave him, to dismiss him, for being so busy, so dark, so shadowy, chased by the monsters he had to fight from time to time. Romance wasn't his forte. He wasn't one to serenade her with anything. He wasn't one to say cheesy lines. He wasn't one to say "I love you" either - it always made his stomach lurch. Selene deserved better lovers, men who would smile and laugh and touch and kiss and make her feel loved, for once. She deserved a lot better than a cold, brooding man who was always caught up in his work, his insecurities, his darkness, one who would rather bathe in lava than open his heart to her.
Yet, he was stubborn. He wanted Selene. He wanted to witness her grace and beauty. He wanted to love her, and be loved by her. He wanted to hug her and be hugged by her. He wanted to smile and be smiled at. He wanted to touch and be touched. Only Selene should see him naked, only Selene should tend to him, only Selene should kiss him. Only Selene should melt his icy fortress, only Selene should give him warmth. He wanted to come to her in those quiet moments, to embrace his moon, so he can feel the sun in himself. He wanted to keep her next to him: in meetings, events, photos, the altar, on their bed, their coffin too. He was ready to give the love he could give, if it meant Selene would be his.
But it seemed like the ship had already sailed. It was probably too late.
Selene seemed oblivious to his growing feelings. She was more distant than ever. They barely talked. They barely saw each other. Gladion's phone was eerily quiet, when it almost always buzzed and beeped with her incoming calls and unread messages. The other day she went out with a handsome Ace Trainer she'd met on Akala Island. Wicke had told him about it.
"I don't think it was a date," she added quickly, as he tensed. "It just felt like a friendly outing."
To say that Gladion was jealous was an understatement. Selene was his partner, his girlfriend, his moon. Nobody dares to make moves on her, or they'd be meat to his Pokemon.
But who was he to think like that? He was just a friend.
Just a sun.
He found Selene in his mother's bedroom, seated on the edge of the enormous bed, studying her reflection in the mirror facing her. She had changed into a soft white nightdress – one that left little to his imagination. Her hair was left flowing, but some strands from the front were pulled from the sides and pinned behind.
How symbolic, a white dress.
Gladion stood awkwardly near the door, with just a pair of shorts.
It almost took his breath away. In that moment, she wasn't just Selene, the trainer-slash-researcher-slash-housemate he had an unexpected crush on. She looked like Queen Selene of Aether Paradise, waiting for King Gladion to come to bed. Under the moonlight streaming through the windows, she looked like the moon goddess he had seen at the wedding. He could see himself going to her, holding her, kissing her, slowly unravelling the dress…but his feet were planted firmly at the entrance.
Eww, Queen and King, what the fuck was he fantasizing?
"Selene."
Gladion walks in. Selene makes space for him, and he sits with her.
It gives her chills. She had rarely seen Gladion look so pensive, so vulnerable, so…tired. Tired of keeping everything together, tired of being the stoic and levelheaded trainer, tired of being the President of the Aether Foundation. It wasn't like him to show up to a woman's room at night unannounced, with just a pair of shorts. Perhaps that would change tonight.
The room is silent. A gentle breeze from an open window lightly sways the satin curtains. The moon is bright and beautiful, they don't need a lamp. The tension hangs in the air. She knows that Gladion wants something, something that she wanted to give. She wants to take the opportunity. His attire seems inappropriate for their relationship, but she doesn't care. She wants to change the relationship, if it means he would come to her every night like that.
It seems like he came with a purpose. She feels a surge of anticipation. She catches a whiff of his scent mixed with some aftershave, and something inside her blooms, like a white flower under the moonlight. Gladion is sexy, and she is attracted. She wants to rip her clothing off and make him touch her, make him kiss her. She wants to feel him against her. She wants to be held in his arms. She wants a sweet release. She wants to go all the way to the climax, and for the love of The Radiant One, there should be no condoms. She wants to feel it flowing inside her. It feels moist between her legs.
They had never been this close. Gladion could feel Selene's energy. It matches his own desire. It feels like a sudden rush of excitement. He wants his sweet release too. He wants to pull the heavens to fall on them tonight. It feels like a calling - a calling to put his seed deep inside her, a calling to mark her as his own, like a Salamence establishing his territory.
The act seems wild and disgusting, but it is loving. It is a deep gesture of vulnerability, where lovers are stripped to their bare skin, and their hidden imperfections are left in the open. It is one that befits their relationship - one that didn't fit societal norms, one that didn't sound like "true love". It was called "Schrodinger's Love", "stringing along", "situationship"; but there was no such thing. It was still love, love for what they knew it to be.
Making love now feels like a rite of passage, a symbol of them moving into deeper commitment. It was something they both wanted in that moment. Only that matters.
"May I touch you?" Gladion asks nervously. Consent is important, after all.
"Mm." Selene moves closer.
Gladion feels nervous, but he gathers the courage.
It's now or never.
He gently tucks Selene's hair away, revealing her neck. He places a soft kiss there.
Selene feels a jolt of electricity from where his lips touched her skin.
"Uh, what's with you?"
He shifts around, now embracing her from behind. He tucks her hair away from the other side, and puts another kiss on her neck. His hands are firmly crossed over her stomach, and he buries his face into her shoulders.
"Gladion."
"Always, I feel like you're the moon to my sun." He breathes against her neck.
Selene takes a sharp breath in. She didn't really want to admit that she loved him deeply and thought of him like that, but that conversation happened almost a year ago. She expected him to forget it altogether, just like any other attempt she made to deepen their relationship.
"You're a really beautiful moon. I'm honoured to be your sun, love."
Love. Love.
All this gives Selene chills. She had never expected Gladion to confess his love, especially not with his sexy voice on her neck, especially not with the word "love" in the end.
"What do you want to do?" Selene barely manages to get the words out.
Gladion looks up.
"Hmm, what do I want to do?" he sounds playful. His grip loosens around her stomach, but his hands gently move down. Up and down. Up and down.
Selene forces herself to pay attention. She looks at him through the mirror.
"I want to make love to the moon. My moon."
Selene blushes. Her heart feels like a blooming flower. It feels euphoric to hear Gladion address her as a lover.
No, this wasn't the Gladion she'd admired from the distance, this was the Gladion she had been looking for. The Gladion she'd dreamt of as a lover, a husband, a romantic partner was finally here. The moment feels serene and special. Gladion was literally making her his.
Selene takes his hands off gently, and turns to face him. Gladion catches her hands, and is now smiling at her, as he runs her hands over him, slowly coming to terms with his declaration, with their new relationship. His breathing quickens, as he lets her touch and explore. Selene always liked touching things. She had a hard time avoiding it.
When her hands reach his face, Gladion leans in and pulls her close. He tries to leave a soft kiss on her lips - a tiny one to start with. Selene keeps him in position, and she tries to kiss him well. She pulls away after the first attempt.
"I'm a bit rusty. I haven't done this in years," she admits.
He grins. "How about we practice regularly from now on?"
She feels shy, she playfully pushes his torso. "Ughhh Arceus".
It makes him smile. He brings her forehead to his lips, and plants a kiss there.
Selene isn't worried about her blemishes, her stretch marks, her uneven skin, and her long list of flaws anymore. She feels ready, ready to make love with her sun, ready to give herself to Gladion, ready for the ritual. Her breaths are getting shorter. She gives him a kiss on his torso.
Gladion is ready too. His breaths are slowly synchronising to hers. He wants to take charge. His grip on Selene tightens. She understands the gesture.
I love you.
Gladion brings his lips to her own, and the world around them fades away.
Hi, it's alainornothing, and as per my account stats, I'm back after 6 years lol.
My love interest is a lot like Gladion sometimes. He's not as mysterious and brooding, but he certainly is a big and bright sun in my life.
I don't usually write on sexual themes, but I really wanted to do it this time around. I stopped short of the actual thing because...well, you can picture your own fantasies.
I hope you enjoyed reading this. I would be grateful if you can rate and review. Thank you so much for your support! Have a happy day/night!