my best friend's brother is the one for me

Chapter 4

Gloria isn't stupid enough to think that all of this means she and Leon are dating, or anything like that. She understands well enough when he comes onto her that it's more than likely going to be a one-time thing, and that, even if it isn't, that doesn't mean they're going to suddenly become a couple.

Still, she decides to be a little more upfront about her feelings the next chance she can talk to him alone, because this is a once in a lifetime chance, and if she wants it to be more than a one-time thing, she knows that she has to be the one to put that out there. Even if he turns her down for more- which be thoroughly humiliating and kind of put a damper on the whole thing, sure- she will at least know where they stand.

He says that he likes her too.

She isn't sure how she's supposed to take that, and the conversation doesn't progress beyond that point because Hop comes back to them, but he says he likes her too, and that he wouldn't mind hooking up again sometime. What that means, and when sometime will actually be, she doesn't know, but Leon says that he likes her too.

In just a day, he's gone from a man on TV that she had to keep her best friend from finding out that she fantasized about, to the man who now knows her more intimately than anyone ever has. She feels warm all over, her body buzzing as she remembers each sensation, and it is hard to think about anything else. More often than not, she spaces out, especially when she and Hop make their way to Professor Magnolia's lab.

Hop seems insistent that if they meet up with her and get proper Pokedexes, that Leon will have no choice but to finally endorse him for the gym challenge, and Gloria simply follows along, daydreaming through most of Hop's rambles.

She's surprised to run into Leon at the lab, but he seems to already know the professor's granddaughter, Sonia, and they reminisce on their own journeys. Gloria can't help but feel a pang of jealousy, watching them interact, though she tries to swallow that, reminding herself that she's fucked Leon one time, they're not together, and she shouldn't make assumptions about his relationship with Sonia, anyway.

He manages to beat them to the professor's house as well, where Hop begins begging him for an endorsement again, and Leon decides that if their battle is good enough, then he'll cave. Gloria manages to emerge victorious despite the huge distraction watching them, and, naturally, Leon produces two endorsement letters, as if by magic.

Somehow, Hop doesn't manage to put two and two together, and understand that Leon was always planning to do this, and that there was no way he just happened to have those in his pocket. He's too busy being excited, already making plans to head straight for the station so that they can get registered for the gym challenge. The opening ceremony is in just a few days, so Hop seems insistent that they get to Motostoke right that second.

Gloria still finds time to hang behind a little bit, so that she can have a moment alone with Leon, who says, "I'll be in Motostoke for the opening ceremony too. They'll put you up in a nice hotel..."

"If you have some free time, you could drop by later..." she says, hoping that she isn't being too pushy, or speaking out of line. But Leon just grins at her, pulling out his phone.

"We should go ahead and exchange numbers. If you let me know where your room is, I'll find my way there!" he says, and rather than telling him that she doubts that, she just gives him her number, before saving his.

~X~

In the end, he does manage to find his way to her room, though it's not without some difficulties, and he shows nearly an hour later than expected. She'd seen him earlier, before she went to register for the challenge, and he'd seemed confused enough by the city then, but he not only struggles to remember where the hotel is, he struggles to navigate indoors, and allegedly passed her room at least three times before realizing where it was.