Work Text:
“Soups on!” Raihan declared with a bright smile as he opened the door, carrying a huge pot of curry. Typically a pot this size was made for more than one person, but Leon as of late could wolf it down whole no problem.
Raihan closed the door and looked to the piles upon piles of blankets and covers on the makeshift nest of a bed off to the farthest side of the room. The mound shifted and out of a tiny spot peered two fevered, grumpy eyes glaring right at him. Raihan chuckled and gave him a teasing smile.
“Now don't give me that look. I worked hard to make this supper for you, sweating away over a hot stove, so you better enjoy it.”
Leon said nothing, and ducked his head back under the covers with an angry huff. Raihan sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew exactly why the man was acting this way.
“Look, I said I was sorry but you know it’s a bad idea for you to be around Hop when you're sick. You’ve drilled that into my head for years when that poor kid gets sick it gets serious.”
At the mention of the boy a sad, pitiful whining escaped the mound of blankets and covers.
“I know you miss Hop.” Raihan offered in a softer voice. “I also know it’d break your heart to see him get sick too. Especially catching it from you…” Leon said nothing and Raihan went on. “Look I’m sure that being away from him right now is unbearable for you with your instincts going crazy, but you got to at least hold strong for his sake if not yours.”
Silence followed his words, but the covers shifted slightly and Leon poked his head out. Raihan was taken aback by the tears welled up in those sad eyes.
“Leon…” He sighed softly.
Leon was a complex man. He wasn't just the happy, beaming proud former Champion all of Galar thought they knew. Leon was passionate. Everything he felt, thoughts and emotions, he felt with every single fiber of his being. That included the not so positive ones sadly. It had taken years of practice from the orders of Chairman Rose to try and keep the more negative moments under control. Not too hard of a feat since Leon had always tried to keep a positive front for his family, more specifically Hop.
Getting sick, as rare as it happened though, was the times he couldn't hold it together anymore and he became a huge raging storm of emotions and feelings and it was messy. Raihan had seen more than once first hand and it was part of the reason he wanted to make sure Hop didn’t. He was already worried enough about his brother and seeing him like this would only make it worse.
Now that Leon was connected to Eternatus and had more dragon like qualities he was even more emotional, which meant this bug was going to be a real terrible time for everyone.
“C’mon now don't look at me like that…” Raihan muttered as a few tears dripped out of Leon’s eyes. “Trying to make me feel bad isn't going to make me bring Hop back to you…”
Leon’s mouth twisted as he ducked back under the covers and whined sadly again.
“Hop is still in the flat okay? He’s in the living room with Gloria watching the tele.” He tried to assure.
Leon just whined louder and Raihan sighed.
“We’re all still here. He’s worried about you just like little Glori is too.”
‘And me…’
Leon shuffled under the covers, and Raihan winced as he heard soft sobs coming from under the covers. Oh, this was a bad one…
“It’s only 12 hours left… Then I’ll bring back Hop and you can barrage the kid with love as much as you want. Right now, as hard as it is, you two got to keep your distance from each other.”
The sobbing worsened and Raihan tried to grasp what was making him so upset. His nesting instincts of course had to be making the separation utter torture but he was almost acting like he was scared and…
Oh…
Old fears sometimes don’t go away so easily it seemed.
“Leon…Hop is not going to leave you, or stop loving you just because you’re sick.” Raihan told him firmly. “For goodness sakes that kid adores you just about as much as you do him. You being ill, having a moment being weak, isn’t going to stop him from caring about you. He won’t just run off and leave you…”
Leon lets out a small barrage of noises, like he’s trying to speak but is too upset to. Raihan could barely make out a very broken hearted garbled. “He did though…” Under all the cacophony and he winces.
When Hop had left without telling him. Raihan hadn’t been joking when he had said it had hurt Leon. Of course it did, the man had been looking forward to spend time with Hop because he had missed him. That hurt probably multiplied now thanks to Eternatus’ connection.
“He didn’t leave because you weren't being strong enough, he left because he was worried about you. He wanted to find all he could to figure out a way to help you, something he’s doing here at home so you won’t worry about him.”
Leon let out a broken whine and Raihan sighed. Nothing he was saying was getting through.
A soft knock came from the door. “Raihan…? Is Lee okay?”
Leon’s head shot out of the covers, wet eyes wide with surprise and Raihan let out a relieved sigh. Count on Hop to make a break through to his brother.
“Yeah don’t worry about it kiddo. Just go back and relax with-EY! NO!” Raihan gasped as beaming Leon joyfully scrambled out of the covers and practically flung himself straight towards the door.
Raihan shoved his body in between the door and the Chairman, not backing down at the angry glowing eyes glaring at him as he did.
“Raihan?!” Hop cried out worriedly. “What happened?!”
Leon let out a loud, sweet croon to the boy, only stopping to glare and bare his teeth at Raihan frustration.
“Just go back and watch the tele, I got this!” Raihan ordered sternly.
“I… okay…” Hop mumbled and he could hear the boy slowly strode out of the hall.
Leon let out a despairing whine looking utterly miserable as Hop walked away. Raihan didn’t even flinch as the man then jerked his head up at him and gave a frustrated snarl in a whiplash of emotions. He had expected it really.
Even before this whole Eternatus incident Leon always took his bond with Hop seriously. Anyone who stepped in the way or tried to mess with it would deal with just as livid of a Leon as the one in front of him now. The only difference was he was a lot physically stronger now, even with being sick.
Raihan kept his head up and his gaze firm though. Leon was a man yes, but with circumstances like these Raihan used all his knowledge of training Dragon types at play.
Keep firm, don’t back down, show you won’t budge…
“Go back to bed Leon.” Raihan told him firmly.
Leon growled lowly, grinding his teeth before his eyes flicked back to the door almost desperately with a whine.
“No, you aren't seeing Hop yet. He’ll come back, but only if you go back to bed.”
The man let out another growl, but much to Raihan’s surprise did as he told. Albeit with an attitude, stomping his feet heavily and flopping into the mass of blankets with a huff.
‘Huh… that was surprisingly easy…’ Raihan frowned. ‘Too easy…’
He picked the pot back up and carried it over to the bed. As he placed it on the ground, he looked to Leon still glaring at him.
“Are you going to glare at me the whole time while you eat?” Raihan asked flatly. Leon’s eyes narrowed and Raihan sighed. “Of course you are…”
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Hop you’ve been staring at the door for the past thirty minutes. It’s not going to make Leon get better any faster.” Gloria’s voice was as gentle as her nudge, pulling Hop’s gaze away from said door.
“Right… I know…” He mumbled.
Hop couldn't help it. As long as he’s known his brother, Lee never ever got sick. If he was sick now it could have to do with the whole mess he was in and not just a 72 hour bug like Raihan said.
It was Hop that woke up to his brother sweating, feeling feverish as he clung onto him in his sleep. The fact his brother had remained asleep even when Hop had called out for Raihan out of worry had scared him, it still did honestly. His senses as of late seemed stronger so it should have made him jump if anything.
When Raihan had felt the Chairman’s head, he had been the one to declare he was ill from a bug that had been going around Wyndon. Something that happened around here apparently once the Tournament season died down.
Hop wanted to stay with his brother, to try and do something to help him, but Raihan was adamant. It was a miracle Raihan had managed to pry Hop out of his brother’s arm’s. Even when he was ill his arms were steel vices around him, but the fact he had managed to get him out at all without his brother making a sound showed just how out of it Leon was. It had definitely taken some work though and after Raihan had urged him to leave and get washed to make sure he hadn’t have any germs.
It had been hard to do what he was told when he was so worried about his brother. Especially when half an hour after Hop had been sent away and he had finally gotten clean, Lee had screeched out a heartbreaking wail that sent shivers down his spine. He had rushed toward the door, but Raihan had told him sternly not to come inside and he could handle it from the room. The reason he had screeched at all was because he had realized Hop was no longer in his arms and had panicked he had explained.
‘Shouldn’t I be in there then…?’
It had been days since then and Hop’s worries didn’t lessen in the slightest. Sleeping out in the living room with Gloria and Raihan in a makeshift sort of slumber party had been nice… Yet then Hop would hear the upset groans or whines or hacking coughs in Leon’s room and his fears for his brother would double again.
Hop wishes they could at least let his brother’s Pokémon in there, but Hop worried that because of Lee’s connection to Eternatus it could somehow make the Pokémon get the bug too. It seemed far fetched but so did your big brother basically becoming part dragon. That was why all their Pokémon were confined to their balls as well, just to be safe.
“GAH!”
A loud yelp and clanging thud from Lee’s room made them both jump and share looks of surprise.
“Raihan!”
They leapt from the couch and bolted towards to door, only to stumble back as it opened and closed quickly to reveal as curry covered Raihan, looking downright frustrated.
“Is Lee okay? Could he not keep the curry down?” Hop asked worriedly because that was his first thought.
“Oh he can keep it down…” Raihan grunted as he wiped away some of the left overs around his eyes. “The man decided that he wanted me to have some of it too as revenge…”
“Huh?”
“Haaaaa…. Nothing Kiddo…” Raihan grunted as he looked at his clothes with a grimace.
He then turned back to the door and began to lock it up tight. Hop winced at the sight of the barrage of locks that had been placed hurriedly on the door by the man days ago.
Hop hated the fact that his brother had to be kept in such a way. It felt absolutely horrible, but according to Raihan they needed to do this or else Lee would come barreling out to be with him and then they’d all be sick. Something Raihan was doing everything he could to keep from happening. Not that Hop didn't appreciate it, he just wished it didn't have to be this extreme.
“You’re not burned are you? That curry was hot when you brought it in there.” Gloria fretted softly as Raihan turned back around.
The man gave her a soft smile and shook his head. “No, it cooled down by the time the grump did this to me. See?” The man wiped a bit off his face and poked her nose with it.
“EEK!” Gloria squeaked and batted her nose to try and get it off. Raihan laughed at her reaction merrily, laughing even harder as she began lightly slapping at him in retaliation.
Hop watched them with a smile, though his heart was heavy over his brother’s condition.
“Welp, I better go get washed up. You two stay in the living room you hear?” He began moving them back towards the couch and Hop once again peered back to the door in worry.
Painful coughing echoed the closed room, along with low, raspy groans. Hop wasn’t sure what kind of bug it was, but it sounded miserable.
“Here… Why don’t you two play on the console a bit yeah? I’m sure Leon won’t mind if you do.” Raihan motioned to the very thing plugged into the tele. “That should help get your mind off of all this.”
With that the man turned around and walked back down the hall, leaving Hop and Gloria alone.
“That sounds like a good idea, c’mon Hop let’s play some Poké Kart!” Gloria took a controller and made sure to hold the other out to him.
Hop took it. He had to admit that did sound like fun and maybe it would help get his mind off of worrying so much…“Okay yeah, that sounds good.” He smiled. “As long as we don’t play Poké Party 8.”
Gloria giggled. “I’m pretty sure after the last time we all played it Rai-Rai threw the game out the window.”
“That was after Lee had Charizard to burn it to a crisp!” Hop laughed with her.
As she turned the game on, another round of hacks and coughs came from his brother’s room following what sounds like sad whines. Hop looked back to the hall with a grimace.
“I know it’s hard Hop…” Gloria pulled Hop down to the couch with her. “Raihan’s already given him medicine, food and everything else he needs to get better. Now he has to just let that stuff work…”
Hop let out a worried mumble. He understood that, it just felt horrible feeling so helpless…
As Gloria got the game set up and they began playing, it slowly made it easier and easier for Hop to focus on it and not on something he couldn't help.
“You can’t escape my Blastoise shell!” Gloria cried as it came flying right at him.
“Gah!” He yelped. “You stole that item from me and then you use it against me?! You’re awful…”
“I am not, I am the Queen of the tracks!” Gloria declared loudly, laughing gleefully as she passed by the other racers… only for her kart to go fly off a sharp turn.
“Oh! Well, there goes Queen of the tracks! Right off a cliff…” Hop giggled, laughing even harder as she playfully slapped him in the arm.
“Shush, I will make my come back.” She told him sternly, though the silly smile on her face was hard to deny she was having just as much fun as he was.
“Oh yes sure you will you-GLORI!” He suddenly screamed as her kart rammed his off the road where they both fell off together.
“If I go down you go down with me Professor!” She cackled gleefully.
“Oh this means war…” Hop grinned to her. “Prepare to take this!”
The races went on exactly like that. Each one became more and more chaotic that led them both into screaming and shrieking with laughter. By the end of the cup neither of them had won thanks to them trying to wreck the other’s kart, but they hardly cared.
“Okay, okay! Best two out of three?” Gloria asked brightly.
“You’re on-!”
Hop froze as a rather loud sad whine echoed from Leon’s room behind them. Gloria did the same, sharing a guilty expression that mirrored his.
“Um… can we take a raincheck on that rematch…?” He asked softly. “I just wanna check on Lee…”
Gloria smiled and nodded. “Go ahead.”
He nodded back in appreciation and walked to the door, only for Raihan to come out of the wash room clean and in new clothes.
“Okay now that’s… Ey, Hop no.” He quickly walked over and began to lead him away. “I told you, you can’t go in there.”
“I wasn’t going to go in there…” He mumbled. “I just want to check on him… He sounds like he’s hurting…”
Raihan frowned. “Then I’ll check, but you go back in here. If he sees you I know he’ll try to make a break for it and we don’t want you kiddos getting sick. Trust me, the Wyndon bug is not fun.”
Hop sighed as he was once again push to sit on the couch and wait. As Raihan walked off Gloria bounced in the seat next to him.
“It’ll be okay Hop… The 72 hours will be over soon. Today’s the last day…” She told him as she began to spin the controller on her palm watching it go in circles to distract herself from what was going on.
“I know it’s just hard I…”
A mix of a wail and snarl ripped through the air. Gloria yelped and the controller in her hand went flying off to the other side of the room. A rather loud ‘CRACK’ followed it and they both winced.
“Uh oh…”
They scrambled to their feet and rushed over to where it had fallen. The good news was that it hand’t broken anything. The bad news was the controller itself was in teeny tiny pieces.
“How did this break! I wasn’t even being rough with it!” Gloria gasped in a panic.
“I think that's the one Lee’s been using lately. With how strong he’s gotten he might have worn it down.” He pointed out. As it fell even more apart as she picked it up he winced. “I don't think that one’s going to make it…”
There’s a ‘SLAM’ and a heavy sigh that pulls them from their spot. As they look back they see Raihan come walking in looking torn. The expression on his face sent panic through his heart.
“How’s Lee? Is he okay?”
“Rai-Rai?” Gloria questioned weakly.
Raihan let out a long sigh. “Well, he’s not in any physical pain…” He said nothing more but glanced back to the hall with a guilt filled grimace.
Hop’s mind wracked what he could mean. It took him just a few seconds for the idea to come to mind.
They were all out here, doing activities together. When Raihan wasn’t taking care of him he was in here with them. Hop and Gloria had been out here playing or watching the tele. Leon had spent most of the time alone, and if what Raihan said about his brother’s new instincts was true then Hop could imagine his brother had to be miserably lonely…
Hop clenched his fists and quickly strode past the tall man right to the hall. He’s surprised that he doesn’t stop him, but he’s also thankful.
Once he makes it to the door, Hop turned around and sat on the ground pressing it back against it.
“Lee… It’s me Hop…” He began softly. “I’m really sorry you’re so sick right now…I hate I can’t help you get better but… If you’re okay with it I can stay out here until you feel better? I… I don’t want to leave you alone Lee…”
For a moment there’s silence, only for some shuffling from the other side.The sound of footsteps moving closer until he hears the door creak loudly as if something heavy had pressed against it. The wood shakes from familiar purring and Hop smiles at the sound.
He looks down at the tiniest little crevice between the door and the floor and he can’t help but move his small fingers down and poke them through cautiously. Even if there was a possibility Leon pushed him away or Hop could get sick, he wanted his brother to know he was there for him. At the very least give him some sort of comfort.
He jumps as he feels larger fingers gently wrap around his, grasping them with tenderness as the purring behind the door increases in volume.
The smile returns to his face, happy to see that his brother accept his help.
“Okay then… um…” Hop wished he was as entertaining or charming as Lee or Raihan. How could he entertain his brother who loved battling and excitement when he couldn't do either yet?
“I can tell you about some of the things Sonia’s been teaching me… Is that okay?”
The purring continued, so Hop took it as a yes. He began talking about the discoveries of different legendary Pokémon that were rumored to live in the region. Three Legendary ones that seemed connected to swords much like Zacian was yet uniquely all their own too.
Hop explained all he could remember from his talks with Sonia, which soon turned into talks about funny things he had Gloria had been watching as of late on the tele, and soon turned into ideas he’d thought of to add to his training room for the Pokémon. As he spoke, the purring from behind the door didn’t stop. It continued on and on, showing his brother was listening. Well, that or he just seemed content that Hop was close by.
At points in his talking he can hear movement behind the door and it creak louder as more weight is pressed against it. Like Lee was trying to get closer to him as best as he can. Hop would wiggle his fingers to let him know he was staying there, and at best press them into the larger ones holding them to give sort of hug. It’s returned by his fingers be given a gentle squeeze.
It was further into his talking that Gloria finally joined him, plopping down by Hop’s side at the wall with two bowls of curry. As he moved to take a spoon to eat she held a hand up smiling. Without warning she put the spoon into the curry herself and held it up to his mouth. At his expression she gave him a playful smirk.
“It’s hard to eat with one hand, besides this way I’ll know you’re actually taking care of yourself.” She whispered.
Hop snorted but gulped the spoonful appreciatively. After he did she took the spoon into her curry, slurped it up and moved to spoon to his bowl before holding it to his mouth. The cycle continued even as Raihan joined them on the floor. There was a twinkle in his eye as he watched Gloria and Hop, fond and affectionate as he ate with them and listened to Hop’s stories. The entire moment had felt the softest and most homelike Hop had ever felt. It was nice, and a far cry better from the worry and chaos that had been most of the day.
Hop wasn't sure how long they sat there. Him talking and them all just enjoying being in each other’s presences, but soon enough Gloria was the first to fall asleep. Their bowls left on the floor wiped clean as she had laid her head against his shoulder as a pillow. Her slow, gentle breathing and Lee’s purring from beyond the door were enough to finally have Hop drift into a doze as he laid his head on hers.
Before long Hop could feel Gloria being slowly picked up and carried away in a manner that didn’t move him much from his place on the floor. Raihan’s affectionate chuckles following as they stopped in the living room. He could hear the shifting of blankets and Hop was sure the man had tucked her in on the couch much like he had been doing since they’ve been staying here.
Not too long, Hop suddenly feels himself be plucked up by the man.
“Let’s see…. Yep, 72 hours finally done and gone…” Raihan murmured approvingly. “Okay Leon back up from the door.”
There’s a hurried movement from behind the door while Hop is bounced slightly in the Gym Leader’s arms as he hears something unlock. After many tumblers click, the sound of the door creaking open follows.
A happy gasp of gleeful croons and purrs sounded from in front of him.
“See, here’s your Hop just as I promised.” Raihan chuckled softly as he felt himself being held out.
He was tugged fast to a warm, rumbling chest and snuggled close. Lee’s purrs tickled his ears and he couldn't hold back a smile even as he felt they were moving again.
Through a bit more shifting around, Hop was back in a spot he had quickly become accustomed to. Laying in the nest, Leon’s body curled around him while his arms kept him cuddled safe and secure in his brother’s hold.
Hop relaxed as he felt Leon’s cheek press against his head as his happy purring continued. The older nuzzling him, snuggling him up as much as he could, pressing a tender kiss on his head before repeating the pattern. As he continued to shower him with affection Hop suddenly realized just how much he had missed it, about as much as Lee seemed to have missed him.
Hop managed to turn around in his hold and press his cheek against Leon’s chest and nuzzle back. The happy, content sigh from Leon that blended with his purring only made Hop smile more.
He vaguely heard Raihan finally walk off over the croons and purrs from his brother, and he allowed himself to drift off feeling at peace with the special lullaby that could only come from Leon for him. He was thankful that the painful stretch of time apart was finally over for them both.