ash x gladion oneshots

Motorcycle

A/N- A modern au,this was fun to write, they aren't dating yet, enjoyyyyy

When Gladion walks up to the Hakase beach-house, he isn’t expecting anything new. After all, it’s a typical, mundane summer weekday. Go in, greet the professors, run errands with Ash (and spar, a little, at their spot). Come back for lunch, politely turn down requests to stay for dinner, endure the long bus ride back home. Then study all evening, because STEM majors never sleep.

He’s glad it’s summer break, but there were at least more things to do when school was in session.

Today could be interesting, however, because sitting on the side of the house is a gorgeous black motorcycle with swirling white lines and dark red accents, and he immediately knows who it belongs to.

(He misses Val, with his sleek, silver vehicle, the way that the navy blue and pine green details would shine in the light. Misses the other student, too, even though it was a little stupid to name your motorcycle after yourself. He had very pointedly ignored the chuckles about ‘riding Silvally’ and let Val teach him how to drive it.)

He tears his gaze away from it, staring instead at the white paint on the walls as he knocks on the door. It swings open almost immediately, and he’s greeted by Ash’s smiling face. “Glads!”

Wow, Ash has a nice smile.

“Hey Ash,” he greets in return. “How has your morning been?”

“You ask me this every morning,” The other teen points out as they walk through the living room, the creaky door swinging shut behind them.

“Maybe you had a different morning from yesterday,” Gladion counters with a smirk. Ash sighs. “I can’t argue with that. I called Chu today!”

Chu, or Pikachu, being Ash’s lifelong childhood friend and floor-mate, given that they live in the same dorm building.

“And how was it?” he replies, not peeking through the window at grey handlebars. They’re very clean.

“Pretty good!” Ash busies himself around the kitchen, downing a glass of orange juice and grabbing the shopping list pinned to the fridge. Both professors must be busy or sleeping, then- usually Professor Kukui writes it for them when he hears the knock on the door. “He’s actually excited for the break to end. Oh, we’re grocery shopping today!”

On the walk to the outside markets, Ash poses a question. “You’re hot.”

It’s not a question.

“Wh-what?” Gladion manages to stutter, the tips of his ears red and eyes wide.

“I mean-! That’s not what I meant. I meant- uh- are you... not hot? In the temperature way?”

The blonde blinks away the discombobulation from the first statement. “Sorry, can you repeat that?”

“Are you not.. I mean, you’re always wearing long sleeves, and Alola’s pretty..” he makes a fanning motion with his hand, as if to try and draw attention away from the beading sweat on his face. It’s not from the heat. Great improv, Ash.

“Oh. I don’t know.” Is all Gladion says.

The other student gives him a smiley stare. Which makes sense, because that wasn’t.. the most elaborate answer, but it still feels vaguely threatening.