Chapter Text
When you got back to the daycare, you hung your bag up and walked past your coworkers without a word. You didn't want to risk a crack slipping into your speech or for them to notice that your eyes were far more red and watery than usual. You went straight out to the pastures. Your shoulders were sagged as you carried huge buckets of water to the troughs. After your basic chores were done you took to moping on a rock.
A young Teddiursa approached you with a brightly colored ball, it's big round eyes shining with hope as it held it out to you. You sighed, taking the ball and giving it a half-hearted toss. It shrieked in delight and chased after it catching the attention of a couple other of the smaller pokemon as well. As you watch they tousle over the ball, making sure it doesn't get too serious, something cool and smooth bumps your hand.
You turn and the pokemon tilts its head and looks up at you with quizzical yellow eyes. It's Flaps , she chirrups and seems to be asking you "what's got you so upset?" with a body language that also says "not that I care."
Normally you would scoff and call her out for her tsundere-esk actions. But now, just looking at her made you sick. After all the pestering and hard work your plan had failed. Now, you had to break the news to the creature that you had promised it would succeed.
"Well, Flaps," you say, the way that her goofy chubby red cheeks were looking at you didn't make it any easier, "It didn't work... he didn't-"
You were interrupted with a shout of your name, from somewhere off in the distance, like it could be from a fragment of a conversation. You look back towards the door of the daycare, thinking it could be someone there trying to get your attention. But everyone was turned away and busy with their own work. Then you heard it again, closer this time. You whipped your head towards the direction of the sound. Just outside the fence and approaching rapidly was-
"Hop?" you yell back, standing up quickly and nearly sending Flaps rolling with an indignant screech. Your heart was pulsing in your ears, what was he doing here?
His smile was a stunning glow that only got brighter at your recognition. He started to run faster to the fence and once he reached it you watched as the soon-to-be professor hoisted himself up and over. Then he promptly got his gangly limbs all tangled in the pickets. He jolted and twisted the wrong way, falling unceremoniously into a heap in the dirt with a grunt. The notecards(?) in his hands flying all over in a puff.
You rushed over to help him up. His goofy grin on his face was way more beautiful than the Carbink that hid in the pasture that the two of you were in. He laughed at his little mishap and it caused a squeeze in your heart that was almost painful. He could hurt you so much and still cause your stomach to do backflips with just a look. Why was he here? You thought once more, he doesn't like you like that, you remind yourself.
"I like you too"
"What?" you reply dumbly. There was a clear disconnect in your brain. This was a very realistic, very cruel, auditory hallucination. You misheard him and when you hear what he actually said it is going to hurt your feelings.
He squeezed your hands (when had he grabbed them?), he seemed more nervous than he was before, "The Applin? The Love Ball? It was a confession right? You'd have to be an idiot to not see it, and well, I sure am an idiot. Sonia had to knock me upside the head for me to get it but I think I love you too."
Oh.
You practically turned to stone in a state of euphoric shock. Here he was, Hop, Future Pokemon Professor of the Galar region, who you had been crushing on since the day he rolled out of bed to greet you. Who had won your heart over with his longwinded passionate talks about pokemon battle strategy and type advantages. With his shining amber eyes full of mischief, dorky smile, and never-ending enthusiasm for chasing dreams. That Hop? Was standing in front of you and confessing.
"Oh Arceus. Was that too much? I'm going too fast aren't I?" He was sweating now, "I'm - shit - I'm sorry. I should have stuck with the note- what Sonia- I-"
You put an end to his blabbering by grabbing his face. It ended less cutesy and more like the energizing slaps he gave himself before his pokemon battles. It was his turn to freeze now. His eyes, which had drifted when he started getting skittish found yours. his face flushed at the intense almost glare that you were giving him. You were as embarrassed as he was and trying to muscle out the words that could express your feelings properly.
"I think.. I love you," you finally push out, face getting hotter at the admission. Sure you had 'confessed' earlier but that was more of a subtle thing and you never actually said the words. It mad you feel raw and vulnerable.
His grin that had dropped came back tenfold. He scoops you up in his arms with a holler and spins you around as you shriek, clinging to his arms. He laughs triumphantly as he sets you down.
"Does that mean I get to call myself your boyfriend?" He says excitedly. He was doing that thing where he pumps his fists in anticipation. As you nod yes he whoops, you laugh freely at him. Once he's done with his little victory dance, he pulls you back to him and holds you in a tight embrace. You stiffen only for a second as he burrows himself into your neck and mumbles against your skin.
"You had me worried for a second. I was really scared I had ruined everything earlier. I mean you ran out, crying, and I thought I was never going to see you again."
You laugh nervously bringing a hand up to pet the back of his head which he graciously accepts, "Well, maybe I was a bit hasty, running away and all that. I took what I thought was the easy route of implication and context clues. It was a bit of a harsh reaction to run away when I wasn't straight forward with it. I just figured it was obvious."
"I thought I was way more obvious!" Hop whines, "Even Lee caught on and he can't tell his left from his right most of the time. Plus he hasn't even seen you!"
"Lee?"
Hop buries his head deeper in your shoulder, "My brother, you'll meet him sometime, and he'll definitely tease me for all of this."
He shifts and leans back to look you in the eyes. His forehead is pressed against yours. He has so much love in his eyes that it sends you for a whirl. For a second your eyes flick down to his lips, something entirely subconscious that you hope he doesn't notice. Though Hop is ever vigilant, at least when it comes to you, and he mirrors your 'mistake'. It seems so natural when you move to close the gap, only a breath away from-
"Hey! Get back to work! You can canoodle on your off time!" Your supervisor shouts from the doorway.
The two of you jump apart. Both thoroughly embarrassed, both by your actions and by the fact that you were caught. Hop's lab coat flapped as he turned away towards the wild area to hide his bright red face. You tugged at your bandana as you profusely apologized. Only now did you notice that your boss was swaddling the Teddiursa you were playing with earlier. They looked down on you, rolled their eyes mumbling something about 'silly kids' and 'dumb young love' before walking away. Hop made a gamble and peeked back at you. Sending the both of you into a fit of giggles.
"I guess that's my cue to go now," He said sheepishly, he picked a few of the long forgotten notecards up off of the ground. Then he straddled the fence and you watched to make sure he didn't fall again, "So, how about I pick you up after your shift? I know this great place in Hammerlocke that we could catch a bite at."
You smile, "That sounds great. I'm done here at around 6 standard."
"I'll see you then."
Hop tries to wink at you but it ends up looking more like a blink. You giggle and lean forward to give his nose a kiss. He practically lights up like a Christmas bulb as you wave goodbye to him. He melts into the fence for a second before he slips off back into the wild area. Where, when he doesn't think you're looking (of course you are) he fist pumps into the sky. You shake your head and laugh at him, your boyfriend, and his silly antics. Wow, your boyfriend. Your boyfriend. Your boyfriend.
Flaps had enjoyed the show, you found. After all, she had the best seats in the house as she had remained right where you left her. Although she had gone 'full apple' to reach maximum comfort as she watched her favorite soap opera. She was pleased as a peacha berry at this outcome because after all, she had been the whole reason for the success of the plan hadn't she? She looked up at you smugly as you put your hands on your hips as you looked down at her.
"Now, let's get you that double plate of curry you little menace."