Work Text:
“No, Raihan. I'm not going with you to some ritzy event. You should just take Nessa.”
Lips turning downward, revealing just the slightest bit of fang, Raihan ducked his head a bit and leaned against the doorframe as Sonia stormed past him. “Aw, babe, don't be that way.”
“I'm not going.” Sonia’s voice rang with finality.
“It’s only one night,” Raihan tried again, hoping beyond hope that he’d be able to disarm her with his glinting smile and the smoothness of his charm.
Striding down the hallway, a flurry of loose papers flying in her wake, Sonia turned around to face him with her hands on her hips. “A night that I’m not going to.”
“Nah,” Raihan smirked. “You’re coming with me.” Someone was going to cave by the end of the afternoon, and it wasn’t gonna be him. Hopefully.
With her fiery auburn hair and soft smile, Sonia was always cute as hell. She rarely ever got angry with people, and with how long he’d known her, one would think that he’d be better at navigating her moods and knowing how to convince her to go with him.
“Oh, c’mon, Sonia.” Raihan would not resort to begging. He refused. “This is a really important party. Leon invited us both personally.” He had to play the status card. “We can’t deny the Chairman of the League.”
Sonia just rolled her eyes. “You can’t deny him, but I can. I’m not a Gym Leader, and I’m his childhood best friend. He wouldn’t dream of trying to force me to attend his silly party.”
Shoving his hands in his pockets, Raihan knew that he was likely going to end up on the losing side of this argument. “You’re really gonna let the paparazzi see me without you?” Maybe he still had a chance. “You know how fiendish my super fans sometimes get… You don’t wanna give them more fuel for the fire.”
“I’m not going to Leon’s party,” Sonia shot back, refusing to look at him.
Raihan was running out of options. He didn’t want to go to Leon’s party without her. Ever since they’d started dating a few months ago, the media had been relentless, constantly trying to break them up and tear them down and make them look bad. Still, more than anything he wanted to go to the party with her because he enjoyed her company. He didn’t like the thought of her alone in her apartment while he was out having fun.
“You’re breaking my heart, babe.”
Sonia folded her arms over her chest and clenched her jaw. “What do you expect me to do about it?”
Searching her gaze, Raihan fought the growing urge to pull her into his arms and cover her neck with kisses. “Sonia.” His desire to ravish her and run his fingers along her skin could wait. “Did something happen?”
That was when Sonia finally nodded her head while hugging herself tightly.
Working through emotions wasn't exactly Raihan’s strong suit, but he would try for her. “Do you… want to talk about it?”
With a shake of her head, Sonia just walked toward the couch, tears lightly forming at the corners of her eyes. Raihan followed her, sinking onto the couch beside her and leaving his arms open. It took a moment or two, but she crashed into his arms, burying her face against his chest.
“Sonia…” Raihan murmured softly. He gently stroked her auburn hair as her limbs tangled with his. “I'm sorry if I've pressured you. I love you so much.”
Without picking her head up from his chest, Sonia whispered, “Your fans hate me. They hate me and don't want me to be seen with you.”
Stiffening, Raihan looked down at her more closely. “You know that I don't give a damn about what they say, right? Not when it comes to you.”
“They don't think I deserve you, Rai,” Sonia said shortly. “And they don't like me.”
Finally, Raihan reached for her Rotom phone. He knew the password well but still looked to her for permission. “I don't believe this,” he muttered, scrolling through the comments of their most recent photo together. “Arceus, Sonia, you should've told me.”
“There are so many hate comments.” Sonia’s grip on him tightened. “I don't think I can bear to show my face in public ever again.”
Raihan cradled her in his arms as he set the phone aside. “I'll limit the comments on my posts, okay? And you can keep your account private. I'd battle the whole damn world if I had to in order to keep you safe.” He cupped her face, tilting it upward so that she could look at him. “Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it.” He breathed in sharply, “Your wish is my command.”
A curious look crossed Sonia’s features. “Stay home with me then?”
“What?” Raihan glanced down at his suit and tie.
Sonia smiled through her tears, looking more and more like herself again. “Stay. Stay home with me tonight. Screw those commenters and screw the paparazzi and screw Leon’s party. Right now, I just want to be with you.”
Flinging her Rotom phone to the other side of the couch, Raihan leaned down so close that they were breathing in the same air. “Oh, sweetheart.” His gaze was both loving and hungry as he promised, “That can most certainly be arranged.”