Work Text:
Planning Ahead
Gary was in the middle of shutting down and packing up his laptop when his ring tone went off. He didn’t need to look at his phone to know it was Ash calling, and he definitely didn't need to answer it to know the message his boyfriend would be relaying. He shook his head with a fond smile. So predictable. He had to hold back a laugh as he answered.
"Hi, Ash."
"I'm so sorry, Gary! I didn't mean to be late this time but -"
The researcher just snickered at Ash’s frazzled rambling. "You overslept, didn't you?" He shook his head again. This was why he had told Ash to meet him at the airport three hours earlier than they actually needed to be there. Gary hadn't even left his hotel yet, so if Ash was on the way then the trainer was actually ahead of schedule.
"I'm sorry," Ash moaned, sounding so earnest that it hurt a little.
"It's fine," Gary replied as he coiled up the wire to his laptop charger and stowed it in the sleeve with his computer. "I haven't even left yet, we have time." He slid the laptop sleeve into the compartment in his bag and zipped it up, quickly going through his mental checklist while his boyfriend’s brain caught up.
"I thought we had to be there at eight?" Ash said, sounding so thoroughly confused that Gary actually felt bad this time around.
"Nope. Eleven. I knew Serena would keep you up late and that you would oversleep."
"You could’ve joined us, you know."
He had considered it, but his flight from Hoenn hadn't gotten in until the afternoon before and he wanted to catch up on sleep before reuniting with Ash at the airport in Lumiose for their flight to their next new region. After all of the field work he had done with Professor Birch over the last two months he desperately needed to sleep for twelve hours straight and be lazy for a day to recover. Ash was on the other side of the city - almost an hour's train ride away - and had been there for a week visiting his friends while Gary was off in Hoenn.
Gary had resisted the urge to meet up with him a day early and instead stayed in a hotel near the airport, crashed into bed before dusk and woke up naturally to the early morning light peeking in through the curtains of his room. Jet lag solved. Their next destination was only an hour off, as far as time difference went, and now he would have plenty of energy when they arrived this afternoon.
He always planned it this way. Just as he always told Ash to arrive far earlier than they actually needed to be somewhere.
“I needed the sleep,” Gary reminded him. “Besides, you’re going to be with me for the next four months. One more night isn’t that bad.”
Ash sighed on the other end, though he sounded more relieved than put out. “Guess you’re right. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Yeah,” Gary smiled, “meet me at the coffee shop when you get there?”
“Got it!” Ash chirped, cheerful as ever. “Bye, I love you!”
“Love you too, you oversleeping idiot.”
Their call ended with Ash’s laughter and Gary turned back to his bag. Everything was ready and everything was going according to plan.
He took his time heading back to the airport, walking rather than taking a cab. Even with him walking, he fully expected Ash to show up at least ten minutes after him. But as he approached the coffee shop just inside the airport, he heard a familiar excited cry.
"Pipichu!"
Suddenly a yellow streak was darting straight at him, leaping into his arms with enough force to make him stumble back a few steps. Gary couldn't help but laugh as he gave his partner’s pokemon a tight squeeze.
"I missed you, too," he said, unable to keep from grinning as Pikachu clambered up onto his shoulder.
He looked back up at the coffee shop and saw Ash kneeling in front of a wagging Umbreon, who had run over as soon as she had heard Pikachu's cry.
Gary’s eyes roved over Ash’s fit form and felt his stomach swoop. The trainer looked good and it had been two months since they had been together in the flesh. Ash was dressed for their destination - not that he knew where that was. That was always kept as a surprise when Gary was in charge of planning. But Gary had told him pants, hiking boots, and a warm jacket, and he had listened, though Gary had to wonder if he'd picked the tightest pants he owned intentionally.
He probably had, but Gary wasn’t about to complain. Especially not when Ash gave him a brilliant smile, closed the distance between them, and pulled him in for a bone-crushing hug.
Gary squirmed against the tight hold. "Ack - Ash, air!"
"Don't go away for two months if you don't want to be crushed."
Fair enough.
Gary relaxed into the embrace, wrapping his own arms around the other man and savoring his warmth for just a little longer. Finally Ash released him, though Gary immediately closed the distance to steal a kiss that was as breath-taking as Ash’s hug was bone-crushing.
Ash looked a little dazed when they separated next and Gary resisted the urge to laugh. He could still make the trainer short circuit after all these years.
"So," he said, pulling away. "What have I missed?"
"Me, hopefully," Ash replied with a cheeky grin.
"Never," Gary retorted, grinning as well.
Ash rolled his eyes and gestured towards a nearby table, which Pikachu had retreated to the second Gary had kissed him. There were already two cups of coffee and a bag of what Gary sincerely hoped were pastries waiting on the table.
Apparently Ash had made it with time to spare. He was getting better at this. Maybe soon Gary would be able to tell him to show up only two and a half hours early rather than a full three.
If that wasn't progress, then Gary didn't know what was.