Chapter Text
Avoiding attention in Ballonea is easy. Avoiding attention anywhere else is a bit more difficult.
Bede is in Motostoke with the rest of the league, having dinner in a fancy restaurant after an event. He’s sitting next to Marnie, which is probably a mistake considering how much the press loves to imply they're together, but he’s too proud to switch seats. Especially because the only free one is —
Down the table, between the Champion and Hop.
Why is he even there?
Bede recalls something about Hop representing Professor Magnolia, which is a tenuous connection at best. Still, Hop’s the former champion’s brother and the current champion’s rival, so who’s going to tell him to leave?
So yeah. That’s why Bede is sitting next to Marnie.
The meal itself goes on peacefully. For someone who doesn’t say more than a sentence at a time, Gloria seems perfectly comfortable in holding a conversation. She gestures, she nods, she shifts her attention at the right times to make sure that somebody is always talking. Strangely enough, that somebody is never Bede, nor Marnie, nor Hop.
He wonders what she knows that he doesn’t.
At the end of the meal, when the dishes are being taken away, there’s a scuffle from the front of the restaurant. Everyone instinctively turns toward the noise -- What’s going on? Is there trouble? Should they do something?
Soon, the source of the trouble crashes into their dining room. It’s a Team Yell grunt, hair wild, eyes wide, still carrying a banner of Marnie.
Everyone looks at her.
She looks at everyone.
And then she goes diving at Bede. It’s only thanks to Marnie that Bede is pulled out of the way instead of bowled over.
“YOU!”
He blinks. “Me?”
“You’re the one I read abou’, right? The one ‘o thinks ‘e’s good ‘nough for our Marnie! Well, you ain’t! And I’m gonna prove it to ya!”
There has been a terrible misunderstanding.
In the next few seconds, three things happen:
First, Bede stands and moves away from the table, pulling out his Sylveon’s pokeball.
Second, Marnie and Gloria stand, mouths open like they’re ready to say something.
Third: Hop leaps in front of the girl. And he does say something.
“Bede isn’t dating Marnie!”
“An’ wot would you know about that, huh?”
“I know! I know because --” Hop turns his head wildly. His eyes meet Bede’s, but Bede only raises an eyebrow. He refuses to give any suggestions. If Hop wants to act the knight in shining armor for someone who can take care of himself…
Hop shouts, “I know Bede’s not dating Marnie, because he’s dating me!”
For one terrible moment, the room is silent.
The grunt opens her mouth. Closes it. Repeats. Then she runs outside. Gloria moves to run after her — who knows why — but Marnie stops her. The other gym leaders have expressions of amusement, concern, and confusion.
“I’m not involved with him,” Bede says, wanting to make it clear before any of them got ideas.
Melony shakes her head. “Oh, you sweet summer child.”
*
By the next day, the Ballonea gym Chattr account has hundreds of notifications. Bede isn’t actually in charge of running the account, but the trainer who is lets him know about it immediately.
It turns out the league gossip of the day is a short video of Hop yelling that Bede is dating him.
Who took the video? Bede examines the angle of the shot, compares it to what he remembers of the seating arrangements the night before. It was probably Raihan or Gloria. He decides not to rush to judgement on which.
However the video got out, it seems like the public is eating it up. That’s good, he supposes; there’s not much “I KNEW Bede was gay” as there is “Bede and Hop are such a cute couple!”
Of course people would think them cute. Bede knows he’s the kind of attractive usually called “pretty,” and he’s not too proud to admit that Hop is handsome. They’re the same age, too. It’s to be expected that the public would love to see them together.
That doesn’t make the story true.
Bede scrolls through the notifications for a while, then manually checks the accounts of the few people whose opinions he cares to know.
@SpikemuthGym: Please give gym leaders privacy in their personal lives.
@Morpeko960: I wish you all would leave us alone for ONE. DAY.
@GloriaTaylorOfficial: Don’t spread rumors!
@MotostokeGym: What matters most is whether those you spend your time with help you grow.
Neither Macro Cosmos’ nor Rose’s personal accounts have referenced the incident, of course. Bede is angry at himself for thinking they would.
Thinking of Rose reminds him of someone else, though, and he checks one more account.
@ChallengerLeon: Hey, if my brother is happy, I’m happy.
Bede stares at the post. His face flushes.
Once upon a time, Chairman Rose had endorsed Leon for the gym challenge. Rose had spoken so highly of Leon at every opportunity. Rose depended on Leon to protect Galar’s future, and even when that trust proved misplaced, Rose still gave him the Tower. Leon had taken Rose’s name off of it, for goodness’ sake! How ungrateful could a person be to the man who gave him so much?
Suddenly spiteful, Bede imagines humiliating Hop, saying something cruel in public so the whole world thinks Bede has broken his heart. If my brother is happy, I’m happy. If your brother is hurt, would that hurt you, too?
As satisfying as that would be, though, it wouldn’t be a proper way for the elite fairy gym leader of Galar to act.
He supposes he should clear this up. He considers the best method. A post from his official league account? No, nobody would believe it. They’d think he was trying to cover it up. Same if he posts on his personal one. An interview, maybe — but that gives people the chance to make gifs of him discussing the topic, which lets people over-analyze him discussing the topic, and that’s no good either.
He doesn’t want to stay quiet and let the rumors run their course, but he doesn’t see anything else he can do.
At last, he decides to call Marnie. She won’t be able to stop the rumors, but she can give her grunt a good scolding, and he will settle for that.
As he pulls out his phone, though, it rings.
“Who is that?”
His Rotom buzzes, presumably talking to the Rotom in the other phone. “It’s Hop!”
And, well. He doesn’t know how Hop got this number, but it’s a fortunate time to talk, so he’ll allow it.
“This is Bede. Are you going to apologize?”
“No!” Hop clears his throat. “Well, I’m sorry for saying that you an’ me were dating, because I wasn’t thinking an’ that was the first thing that came to mind, but hear me out!”
“...you have two minutes.”
“Thank you! Okay, so, you have to know something: I didn’t do this for you.”
“How reassuring.”
“Sorry! But it’s true! I did it for Marnie. An’ Gloria. They said I could tell you this, but you gotta keep it a secret, okay?” Hop doesn’t wait for a response. “They’re dating! An’ they’re not ready for it to be public yet, ‘cause, well, you saw how Team Yell reacted. So I’m thinkin’ now, what if we gave everybody a distraction? At least long ‘nough for them to tell Piers and Gloria’s mum.”
Wait.
Is Hop really suggesting they --
Bede pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you suggesting what I think you are? You want us to pretend to be dating as a -- as a publicity stunt? Hop, you realize I am not known for being nice to you, yes?”
“It’s no problem! Everyone’ll just think you were doin’ it to cover up your feelings! Come on, please? For Marnie!”
It’s very bold of him to assume that Bede cares at all about Marnie’s reputation. They had never even spoken to each other before they both became gym leaders, and even after that, their towns’ rivalry kept them from becoming close. Officially, Bede isn't even sure if he is allowed to do anything for her sake.
And yet.
Marnie isn't a bad person.
Bede has done worse for worse people.
If he could curry favor with her and the Champion by playing nice with Hop, well…
“Okay,” he says. “The gym closes at seven-thirty. Can you come around then, so we can discuss all this?”
“Sure!”
*
Hop arrives at seven-fifteen.
Bede blinks at the young man before him, because he does not look like Hop. For one, his hair is styled down, tied in a small ponytail. He’s wearing a button-up shirt and dress pants. His Wooloo-smelling coat is gone, replaced by a leather jacket a few sizes too big. (It’s probably Leon’s. Did he ask permission before borrowing it?)
To break the awkward silence, Bede asks: “What are you wearing?”
“I wanted to dress up for you.”
Bede’s uniform is sweaty from the day’s training. He probably stinks. He purses his lips, uncomfortable.
“You look… acceptable,” he says. “Come in.”
He leads Hop through a side door, into the gym leader’s apartment. Opal is supposed to be sleeping in the main bedroom. Bede knows her too well to think that’s what she actually is doing at the moment, but he trusts her not to make this more painful than it has to be.
He gestures to the tea table. “Wait here.”
He takes a step toward the kitchen, then turns abruptly and goes back to his room instead.
He wants to change out of his uniform. It’s silly of him, he knows, to dirty up a whole new set of clothes for what will likely be a twenty-minute meeting, but Hop went through the trouble of looking nice. Bede wants to show the same respect.
His closet is full of outfits in various pastel colors, all chosen by Opal herself. They’re organized by type and color, and Bede quickly picks out a pink polo shirt, beige slacks, and a peach-colored sweater.
Much better.
He returns to the visitor’s room and takes no small satisfaction in the surprised look on Hop’s face.
“So. We have some negotiation to get to.”
“Um — negotiation?”
“Yes. You want us to act like a couple, correct? We are obviously not a couple. So we need to set some boundaries on what we consider appropriate.”
“You mean, like… kissing?”
Bede narrows his eyes. “Do you want to kiss me?”
Hop blushes and looks away. The question is too much too fast, too forward, and Bede isn’t even sure if he wants to be kissed.
“I-I was thinking we could start small,” Hop says. “Maybe… holding hands?”
Bede tries not to think too much about what it would be like to hold Hop’s hand. Bede’s hands are always cold; Hop’s look like they’d be warm. He must be used to affection, growing up with Leon and Gloria.
Growing up being loved.
“Hm… acceptable. So we go out in public, hold hands, and let the press take pictures. Will that suffice?”
Hop nods.
“I could make some time this Saturday. Shall we meet in Hulbury?”
“That works for me.”
They pick a time — 11:00 AM — and a place — the restaurant that Rose always ate at.
Hop smiles as he’s entering the information on his phone. “It’s a date!”
Bede feels his face turn red. He tells himself not to lose his cool.