It was late and, by all accounts, Gideon should have been one of the several patrons currently walking out the door. He'd had a long day in the lab and definitely could have used the few hours of extra sleep that would have come from going straight home.

And yet here he was, nursing a citrine-colored cocktail at one of his favorite public houses, The Barbary Pyroar.

There was just something about winding down with a good drink after a stressful day that was too enticing to pass up.

Not only that, but the prospect of good company too. Speaking of...

"John!" The weight of the man's arms fell onto Gideon's shoulders. He shifted around to look at his friend, a thin-lipped smile on his face.

"Ahh, caught red-handed." Gideon chuckled lowly, playing along.

His umber eyes followed John as he slid into the seat beside him.

"Since my scheming seems to have worked out, let's get you that drink," He called the bartender over with the slight wave of his hand. "I promise you'll love this one."

Did it look like John needed another drink? Absolutely not, he was obviously plastered.

Still, they'd done this enough times that Gideon knew he'd inevitably be taking the man home anyway. Might as well enjoy their time together and savor the night before it came to an close.

john nelson

☉

Though most considered Gideon's general countenance to be severe or lacking in emotion (chronic RBF, the poor guy), John always managed to draw a genuine smile from him.

"Now, now, John..." Gideon laughed, leaning over and extending his hand so that his palm rested beneath his friend's elbow. With ease, he then lifted the other man's arm so that he'd go from pointing to the lowbrow section to the much more appropriate high shelf.

Was Gideon feeling the affects of his last few drinks, too? Probably.

"That's where we need to be. Here, let me show you."

With perfect timing the bartender arrived with the requested cocktail.

"This..." He paused for dramatic effect, letting John really take in the 'overpriced' drink set in front of him. "...is the Moonwalk."

It was a work of art. An enchanting masterpiece. An alluring mixture of the freshest grapefruit juice, the most decadent orange liqueur, the subtlest hint of rose water, and the most divine champagne money could buy. Served in a champagne flute, it was a sweet concoction that would brighten any night out.

"This cocktail was created in 1969 at the Unovan Bar in Wyndon. It was meant to commemorate the moon landing that occurred that same year."

Gideon loved including little tidbits of alcohol trivia whenever he'd push the drinks on John. He thought it made them more palatable to the office worker... but so far had struck out on all attempts. Maybe this time would be different?

john nelson

☉

Ever one for theatrics when it came time to finally taste Gideon's highbrow drinks, john nelson could have won an Oscar for some of his performances. Especially this one! Swirling it, sniffing it, and then absolutely chugging it?!

"John, you're supposed to sip it, you know. It's a cocktail, not a can of Slowbräu or some other cheap beer." Gideon scoffed, mock-exasperated. How could he possibly appreciate the complexity of the beverage if all he did was drink it in one go?? The action defied all logic.

"What am I going to do with you?" Inevitably, Gideon's feigned indignation fell away in lieu of a bright smile and an amused shake of his head. "We need to refine that palate of yours."

john nelson

☉

“Just the worst.” Humor colored his voice and a light chuckle left his lips as he spoke. In reality, it was fairly obvious that Gideon felt just the opposite. He quite enjoyed these small pockets of lighthearted fun that John provided whenever their paths would cross. It was a shame it didn’t happen more often.

By now the crowded bar had dissipated to only a few stragglers, Gideon and John included. The professor’s eyes swept to the watch on his wrist - was it already that late? He had to be in the lab early tomorrow. How unfortunate.

His gaze traveled to where his friend laid on the bar top. Leaning onto his arm, cheek to upturned palm, Gideon watched for a moment as John reveled in his drunken splendor. Seconds passed before his other hand found purchase on John’s shoulder, shaking it gently.

“Do you need help getting home, John? I think it’s about that time.”

john nelson

☉

"How accommodating of you." He chuckled, watching as the other man flopped around the bar top like a fish out of water. Then John mentioned allowing Gideon the privilege of knowing where he lived so he wouldn't have to hunt down the address. Hmm.

It took Gideon a moment to catch on that John was referencing his earlier joke.

"Right, I've been following you around. You sure you want a bad man like me to know your address, John?" At this point, with his friend as gone as he was, Gideon probably shouldn't have continued the charade. He couldn't help it, though - it was much too fun to tease.

Still, he had an obligation to his friend to get him home safely. So, after placing cash on the table to cover their drinks and an appropriate tip, Gideon rose from his seat and moved closer to John.

"Up we go," He encouraged, wrapping his hand around his friend's waist and bringing John's own arm to rest on top of his shoulders. Like this, he'd be supported as they made their way out of the bar. "There we are, John. You good to walk?"

john nelson

☉

Disorderly.

John, the office worker. John, his good-humored friend. The thought of him doing anything disorderly enough to warrant the police getting involved was quite outlandish. Luckily...

"I'm here to keep you in line, you know. We can't have you getting arrested, now can we?" Gideon asked, shifting to shoulder john nelson back onto him, as he was already starting to slip off. The man was no help when it came to keeping himself upright.

"You don't know the, the first thing about what kinda men know my address."

For whatever reason this statement stuck with Gideon. It also served as a good avenue for distraction, so he quirked a brow and innocently inquired, "Enlighten me, John. What kind of men usually know your address?"

Honestly, he'd asked more so to keep his friend talking and at least semi-conscious as they walked down the dark, desolate Slateport streets than anything else. Gideon knew the general direction to go in, but not the exact location he was heading to. Hopefully John would divulge the information without too much trouble...

john nelson

☉

Thank goodness for the surrounding darkness, as it hid the redness that suddenly flushed onto Gideon's cheeks. John was too drunk to notice, anyway, right?

Gideon probably should have figured John's response would take this turn given the question asked, but for some reason he didn't expect his friend to give such specific details. A nice guy from a concert? Tabs?? Followed him home???

"Well, n-no, I had no idea people still used tabs—" He stammered out.

And then came that playful finger and teasing quip.

Did... did john nelson just boop his nose?

It was such an unexpected, fleeting touch that it stopped GIDEON GRAVES in his tracks momentarily. He looked down into John's unfocused eyes and just... laughed. Short, sweet, happy.

"Is that so?"

A sudden thought fluttered into his mind: Arceus, why was John being so... cute?! It caught him off-guard, but Gideon was also feeling the affects of his drinks and his lowered inhibitions showed that. Case in point:

"How nice are we talking? Are you going to make me beg on my knees or will simply asking suffice?"

john nelson

☉