Work Text:
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap.
He looks up from his work and brings his arm up to rests his elbow on the desk.
Tap Tap Tap.
He leans his head into his hand as he stares out at the world beyond the window.
Tap Tap Ta-
"Hop!"
The boy snaps out of his train of thought with a small jolt and he spins around in his chair to look at the cross armed Professor standing on the other side of the room.
"What?" He asks with a semi startled gasp.
"You were tapping your pencil really loudly," Sonia answers.
"Oh..." Hop puts his pencil down and scratches the side of his neck, "sorry... didn't notice."
Sonia lets out a short playful huff before walking over to the boy. She leans on the desk and looks over her assistants work.
"Hop..." she raises a brow and gives him a slightly confused look, "you haven't started any of the assignments I gave you."
"I... I know," He sheepishly looks down at the books and research papers on his desk.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, Im fine..." he gives her a small side glance, "just distracted I guess."
"Anything I should be worried about?"
"No!" Hop waves his hands around in front of him, "It's nothing serious."
"O-okay..." Sonia gives him another odd look.
Hop lets out a slightly loud sigh and leans back into his chair, he lays his arm over his eyes after he stretches them above his head.
"Hop?"
"Hmm?" he lifts his arm off his face and looks at the professor.
"Why don't you take the rest of the day off."
"What!" he quickly sits up in his seat, "I can't do that!"
"Why not?" she crosses her arms and raises a brow.
"What kind of assistant would I be if I left you here to work all by yourself."
'Not exactly like you were working already...' she starts closing his books, "don't worry Hops, your ol' pal Sonia can mange what's left."
"Sonia..." Hop gives her an unamused look.
"Hop I'll be fine."
"Bu-
"Hop, as your boss, I'm telling you to take the rest of the day off."
The boy sighs and stands up from his desk. He helps the professor clean up his work station and gathers his belongings before he makes his way to the front door.
"Your sure that you want me to go?" he asks one last time.
"Yes Hops," she puts a hand on his shoulder and opens the door, "besides its Valentine's day."
"I know..." he looks down a bit.
"You got any plans?"
"No... that's sorta why I'm so distracted."
"Ah, I see... want some suggestions?"
"No!" he shakes his head before looking at her, "I gotta do it on my own... ya know."
"Well, alright then... I wish you luck," she pats his back as he exists the Lab and waves to him as he walks away.
Hop walks through Wedgehurst and down the dirt road to his home. He opens the front door and closes it behind him, he sighs again, albeit its slightly more relieved but still as un-relieving as it was before. He hangs his coat up on the rack in the foyer and walks into the living room.
'I've got to think of something... but what?' he plops himself down on the couch and stares at the ceiling, he takes a lazy glance at the kitchen then lifts his head up to the look at the kitchen fully, 'I could cook something!'
Hop leaps up from the couch and speed walks into the kitchen and takes a look around the room.
'But what...?' he leans on the counter, 'he loves baking... maybe I could bake him something...'
He walks over to a small shelf on the wall and runs his finger along the spines of the books until he finds the one for baking. Taking it back to the counter he opens it and flips through the pages looking for something that he could make before the end of the day.
'Cakes... pastries... Pokemon treats... oh!' he flips to a page on cookies, specifically heart shaped cookies, 'he'll love these!'
He reads the ingredients list and goes about the kitchen gathering all that the recipe asks for.
The train doors open and he steps off and onto the platform. He walks through the station waving his hand and thanking the station staff before he exits and enters into Wedgehurst.
With a small pep in his step he walks through town, he waves to the people passing by and gets stopped by some of the local kids wanting to give their Champion a few gifts. He thanks them for the chocolates and wishes them a happy Valentines day as he continues on down the road home.
Victor reaches into his pocket and fiddles with the house key. He opens the door and enters the home, he closes the door behind him but the smell of something burning catches his attention before he can say his usual greeting. He runs further into the house and searches for the source, the Champion runs into the kitchen and spots a very hectic scene playing out in front of him.
Hop is fanning a tray of... something with a towel. The kitchen is a mess, flour and various other ingredients lay strewn about the counter top... and rest of the room as well.
"Hop?"
The boy in question whips his head around and his expression turns from mild anger to heavy embarrassment.
"Vic!" he shouts and covers the slightly smoking tray with the towel, "you're home early!"
"I am..." he slowly walks further into the kitchen, "are you alright?"
"Me! Oh yeah... I'm fine, just peachy, nothing the matter here!" Hop nervously answers.
Victor gives him an unconvinced look and darts his eyes around the room before bringing them back to meet Hop's.
Hop sighs and leans back against the counter adjacent the oven.
"Alright... its not fine..." Hop avoids eye contact.
"What were you trying to do?" Victor asks eyeing the tray.
"I was trying to bake something... for you..." Hop slumps to the floor and leans his back against the cupboard.
"For me?" Victor walks over to the stove top oven and pulls the towel off to view whats beneath, he gets a whiff of the chard lumps of coal on the tray and recoils back a tiny bit.
"They were supposed to be cookies..."
"I love cookies."
"I know, that's why I wanted to make some for you..." Hop continues to avoid looking at Victor.
Victor bends down and kneels in front of Hop, he reaches out and place a hand on the other boy's shoulder.
"Love," Victor begins and Hop turns his head to the side, "Its okay."
"No, it's not," Hop counters.
Victor moves his hand to Hop's cheek and slowly moves his head to look at him, Hop gives him a rather pitiful look and Victor just smiles.
"I'm sure they would've been great," the other boy's expression morphs to being more slightly annoyed and he looks away again, "Hoppip."
"They were pink heart shaped cookies with little V's and H's written on top..."
"Aww Hop, thats so sweet."
"Not anymore... look how it turned out..." Hop glares up at the cookie sheet.
"But it's also the thought that counts too Hop."
"Y-you mean... you're really not upset that I mucked up your Valentine's gift?" Hop asks with confused and nervous look in his eyes.
"I do," Victor smiles, he leans in and kisses Hop.
Hop's eyes widen a bit before relaxing and closing as he kisses Victor back.
Victor pulls away and smiles again before standing up, he hold out his hand and helps Hop up as well.
"But," Victor looks around the room again, "We do have to clean this up."
"Heh heh... yeah, we should." Hop rubs the back of his neck.
Both Hop and Victor go about cleaning the kitchen. With the Kitchen restored to pre baking disaster Victor cooks a meal for the two to share.
As the sun sets and illuminates the house with a beautiful orange glow Victor shows his boyfriend the small gift he got him and the card attached to it. The Champion then shows off all the other gifts he had received from people around the region which at first brings Hop's mood down as he couldn't provide his boyfriend with a gift but Victor kisses him and reassures him that it wouldn't have change how much the Champion loves him.
"You really mean that Vic?"
"Of course I do," Victor takes Hop's hands into his own, "I love you so much Hoppip."
Hop's cheeks grow a little red and he lets out a short flustered laugh.
Victor pulls Hop closer and wraps his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, he smiles as he looks deeply into the other boy's brilliant golden eyes. Hop stares longingly back into Victor's deep brown eyes and rests his hands on the other boy's shoulders. Victor leans in again and kisses Hop, Hop returns the kiss and moves his hands to pull his boyfriend in closer. They pull back and stare at one another warmly.
"I really love you too Vic."