Chapter Text
"I love you Hop."
The young professor in training lets out a loud sigh and ungracefully lays his head down on the open textbook in front of him.
The words his best friend had said to him a little over a month ago have refused to allow him to forget about them and continue to distract him from his work. As if it wasn't already incredibly difficult for him to not think about his childhood crush, these words threaten to push him over the edge... what that edge is he's not quite sure but he can feel that he's reaching his limit.
"Hop," Sonia pokes her head around the corner to see what could be bothering her assistant, "You okay over there?"
"No..." Hop mumbles before lifting his head to face his mentor, "just tired is all."
Sonia rolls her eyes and makes her way over to the boy. She pulls a chair out from the table to sit across from him and rests her chin on her hand while giving him a unamused look.
"Are you sure?" She questions.
"Yeah..." he answers unconvincingly.
"Hop," she prods further.
He sighs again and stretches his arms above his head before leaning back into the chair and looking up to the ceiling to think about what to say next.
"Have yo... Have you ever been able to… to not think of someone?" He finally asks.
Sonia tilts her head a bit and raises a brow.
"What do you mean?" She asks.
"like uh... you know..." Hop rubs the back of his neck and nervously looks at the Professor, "you think about someone a lot an- and you can't stop thinking about them..."
"...sure, plenty of times," she leans forward a bit, "but I have a suspicion that theres more to this then just that."
"maybe..." he admits quietly before also leaning in, he rests his elbows on the table and Sonia turns her head slightly so show him she's listening, "have you ever thought of someone... too much...?"
"Oh" she straightens up in her chair, "you mean like... love?"
"I didn't say that!" he retorts loudly.
"Wow," Sonia laughs a little before smiling, "it's not a bad thing Hop."
"I... uh," he lets out another sigh and rests his head on the textbook again.
"So my assistant has a little crush on someone," Sonia chuckles.
"It's not funny Sonia," Hop turns his head to look up at her.
"Oh chin up, i'm not making fun of you," she leans back and taps her chin, "so, who is it?"
"Sonia..." Hop gives her an uninterested look.
"I'm just curious," she stands up and walks over to the counter, "come on, tell me who's caught your heart?"
Hop makes an unenthusiastic sound and turns his head back down into the textbook.
"I'll start guessing if you don't tell me," she jokes.
No response.
"So be it," she begins pacing,"hm let's see..."
Yamper follows behind her blissfully unaware of the boys situation whilst the Professor paces back and forth.
"Oh!' she turns to him, "that girl from Motostoke? she's had googly eyes for you ever since you started working for me."
"What!" he lifts his had and snaps it around to look at her, "she has!?"
Sonia nods and a smirk grows on her face.
"Wait! no," Hop shakes his head, "it's not her anyway..."
"Drat... alright..." her pacing continues, "Miss Marnie?"
"No."
"So it's a girl I don't know?"
"It's not a girl," Hop mumbles.
"What was that?" she asks.
"It-" he sighs and lowers his voice, "it's a... boy..."
"A boy?" Sonia’s eyes widen a bit.
Hop's cheeks grow a bit red from his admission and he nods his head hesitantly .
"A boy..." Sonia just stares at her assistant for a moment while he nervously looks back at her, "Bede."
"What?"
"It's Bede isn't it?"
"I- I-" Hop's expression morphs into shock horror before he waves his arms around and shakes his head in adamant disagreement, "are you insane! Absolutely not! "
"Okay okay," she chuckles lightly, "relax... what about that cute boy up at the corner store?"
"Also no..."
"Then who Hop?" she pushes.
"Vi... Victor..." he answers in a hushed and low tone.
"Come again?"
"Victor..." he repeats, slightly louder.
"Victor..." she contemplates this for a moment before slapping her forehead with her hand and laughing.
"What's so funny now?" He asks in a slightly more annoyed tone accompanied by an unamused glare.
"It's not that it's funny, it's that it makes so much sense Hop," she answers through stifled laughter.
"Really?" the nervousness returns with his question.
"For sure!" the Professor jubilantly answers.
Hop looks down for a second and smiles a bit. Having someone else say that his feeling are at least sensible makes him feel all the better about his predicament. It's also a great feeling knowing that Sonia appears not to be weirded out by him liking Victor.
"What's that face for?" she walks over and places her hands on his shoulders, "thought i'd be all grossed out by my assistant falling in love with a boy?"
Hop shrugs his shoulders. There are plenty of people in Galar that would've been less than enthusiastic about whom the young professor in training had fallen head over heels for.
"Arceus, and here I thought ya knew me," she jokes.
The two stare at one another for a few seconds.
"Soooo... are you and Victor...?" she moves her hands about in front of her.
"No..." he answers honestly and shakes his head slightly.
"Okay," she looks away to think before looking back, "is he...?"
"I don't know,' Hop sighs.
"Gotcha... and I assume you haven't told him you like him," she gives him a knowing look.
"No..."
"Right..."
More silence as the two think about the conversation.
"Wh- what do I do Sonia?" Hop breaks the silence.
The Professor looks down at her assistant. Hop's desperate eyes remind her all to well of her own experience with falling in love with someone.
"Tell him," she answers plainly.
Hop blinks a few times at the Professor with a befuddled look on his face before standing up and walking over to the sink. He fills a small glass with water and Sonia watches him return to his seat and place the glass down in front of her.
"whats this for?" she asks pointing to the glass.
"Oh, it's for you," he replies.
"For me...?" she questions with a raised brow.
"Yeah, thought you could use it because you've clearly lost it," Hop semi-joked.
"What'er you goin' on about," she nudges his shoulder playfully.
"I can't just tell him Sonia!"
"Why not?"
"What if it's the wrong time or- or I say the wrong thing and he get's confused!" he stands up again and begins pacing back and forth like she had done, "what if he doesn't like me back!" he takes in a sharp breath of air, "what if I freak him out and he does't want to be friends anymore!"
Sonia watches her assistant walk about the room whilst rambling to himself.
"I couldn't risk that!" he grabs he head, "I love him sure but..." he begins shaking slightly and his eyes widen, "I couldn't live without him!"
"Okay!" Sonia quickly stands and takes hold of the boy's arms, she brings them off his head and down to his sides before holding him reassuringly, "relax Hops, okay relax for me."
Hop slowly stops shaking and regains his composure as the Professor rubs his back.
"I- I... I'm sorry..." Hop apologies quietly. It's one thing for Victor to comfort him when he's stressed but for Sonia to do so, someone whom he looks up to as a mentor and boss, feels wrong to him.
"No need to apologies," she smiles warmly and gives him a side hug, "believe me, I get it."
"You do?" he asks with a tinge of uncertainty.
"Hop, remember who you're talkin' to, I've been around the block a few times."
Sonia laughs and Hop can't help but smile a little at the joke.
"Okay okay, but really... how do I... you know?"
"Tell him?"
"Yeah... that..."
"Isn't his birthday in two days?"
"Yeah."
"Tell him then."
"On his birthday!?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that... a bit much?"
"Maybe," she takes a sip from the glass, "but if he likes you back then it might make for a pleasant surprise."
Hop closes his eyes and crosses his arms as he contemplates the professors suggestion. It's not a terrible proposition... but, what if Victor doesn't feel the same and rejects him... on his birthday no less.
"Stop thinking so hard about it," Sonia places the glass in the sink, "I can see the smoke rising out your ears."
"But what if he-"
"Rejects you?"
"..."
"You'll get your answer at least," she walks over and places a hand on his shoulder, "but i've got a feeling you've got nothin' to fear."
"You really think so?" he asks with a nervous yet hopeful look.
"I do, now!" she spins around and claps her hands together, "we still have work to do young man."
"Right!" Hop thrusts his hand into the air, "and then I'll tell Victor I like him!"
"In two days," the Professor reminds.
"In two days," Hop reiterates with a small laugh.
Sonia watches her assistant jump back into his chair and return to his studies. She smiles at his dedication but it slowly fades as she reruns their conversation back trough her head.
'It'd be a crime if the Champion didn't like you back Hop...' she walks back over to her corner of the Lab and rests her head in her hands, 'I just hope i'm right about this...'