Summary: When Sofia had been sick, Raihan was there for her. Now that he's under the weather, she's determined to look out for him.Except...why does he keep saying he loves her? Is he really that out of it? Or is there something more to his words?
Notes: This fic was commissioned by Brew and is posted with permission! Sofia is her OC and she has a WONDERFUL backstory and the most gorgeous design ever (Brew is an amazing artist!) and I ship her with Raihan so hard! This story can be read as pretty much a one-shot in itself even if you don't know Sofia though (but you should go check out her character because she's amazing). Also, this is meant to be a follow-up to a fic where Sofia is the one under the weather, and Raihan takes care of her. That fic is written by Usabuns and can be found here!
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With her health significantly restored, Sofia was unable to deny that she was excited about meeting Raihan at Yoshida Cafe. Try as she might to convince herself that their mutual plans weren’t anything special, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was going to be something a little…more. More than just their usual meetup, and more than just an opportunity to go through battle strategies together. She’d been a little out of it while she’d been sick, sure, but she felt, nonetheless, that there was something inexplicably different about things between her and Raihan. It was hard to put her finger on, though, and it nagged in the back of her mind all day while she went about her work duties at the Daycare.
Was it the fact that he’d carried her to her bed? Was it the way he’d been so kind and concerned for her?
No, Sofia thought, frowning to herself. Raihan was a good man and a good friend; his kindness hadn’t been anything out of the norm. Maybe she could just chalk it up to her imagination being a bit overactive.
Or maybe it was the way he’d said he’d stay the night if she asked, and the way she got a chill up her spine at the thought. Or the way he’d asked her to meet up at the Cafe shortly after.
“Hey, Zzzofia!” Her Rotom Phone called, breaking her out of her thoughts as it floated towards her. “You juzzt got four new texts!”
“Okay,” Sofia replied, not breaking from fiddling with a heat lamp that had been giving her grief all day. She’d had to completely empty the pen this lamp usually kept temperature-controlled of all eggs and baby Pokemon, which had made it a priority to fix for the afternoon. “Thanks for letting me know. But I’ve only got a couple hours to finish working on this, and I need it back online before I leave tonight, so I’ll read the texts after work.”
Her Rotom Phone, ever expressive, frowned and lingered closer to her at her words.
“It’zzz important,” it said in a voice bordering on a whine. “They’re from Raihan. Can you read it now? Quickly?”
Sofia’s eyebrows furrowed at this.
“Wait, do you read my texts? Like, before I do?”
“Well -” Rotom Phone started, but Sofia reached out one hand.
“Don’t answer that,” she decided as the Rotom Phone settled on her palm. “I don’t want to know.” Rotom Phone wisely didn’t respond, instead switching its screen to display Raihan’s text.
Raihan • 2:36 PM • Tuesday
hey, Sof, I’m sorry to have to do this, but I think I caught ur cold. I feel awful.
Raihan • 2:37 PM • Tuesday
can we take a rain check on that date at the cafe??
Raihan • 2:37 PM • Tuesday
Shit I’m txting u at work again aren’t I
Raihan • 2:37 PM • Tuesday <,b>
Sry
Sofia set down the heat lamp entirely for a moment.
“Ugh, I told him not to get too close to me or else he’d get sick!” She groaned, an odd wave of frustration, guilt, and pity washing over her. If he was faring as well as she had against this cold, well…he probably was feeling as awful as he said he was.
“He wazzz juzzt trying to help,” her Rotom Phone reminded her.
“Yeah, I know,” Sofia said, standing up and moving outside with her phone still in hand. She didn’t want to make any calls while she was still in the Daycare itself; stepping away would make it more apparent that she was just handling some business for a moment. “That’s why I feel so bad about it. Can you call Raihan for me?”
“You got it!” Rotom Phone chirped, and dialed his number. Raihan’s phone rang once, twice, then three times, and Sofia began to worry he won’t pick up, but finally, she heard a click, then a pause, and Raihan’s groggy voice came on the phone.
“Hey, Sof,” he said, sounding every bit as sick as she had imagined he was.
“Hey, back at you,” Sofia responded, every admonishment about how she’d tried to keep him from catching her illness immediately disappearing from her mind. “You sound awful.”
“I feel awful. There’s not a lot that can take down the great Dragon-Tamer, Raihan, but this is definitely giving me a run for my money,” he said with a weak laugh.
“I’m so sorry you caught this from me,” Sofia groaned.
“’Sokay. I wanted to make sure you were all right and taken care of,” Raihan responded easily.
Somehow, these simple words made Sofia’s stomach flip.
“I - I want to make sure you’re okay, too,” she said, shoving aside the nervousness she couldn’t help but feel as she said the words. “I’m going to catch a Corviknight Taxi and swing by your place after work, okay?”
“Aw, Sofia, you don’t have to do that -” Raihan started, but Sofia didn’t let him finish his sentence.
“Yeah, just like you didn’t have to come and get yourself sick from taking care of me,” she retorted, her mind already made up.
“What if you get sick from me?” Raihan mumbled. Sofia laughed out loud at this.
“I already had it,” she pointed out. “I’m going to be fine. All the more reason for me to be the one to make sure you’re doing okay and have everything you need.”
“You’ve made up your mind on this already, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” Sofia responded firmly. After a moment of pause, Raihan sighed.
“You’re…you’re just the best, do you know that? Really the greatest,” he mumbled, and though Sofia listened carefully for any sign of teasing, she didn’t hear any.
“I - well, um, thanks,” Sofia finally said. “You’re…the greatest too. Well, I’ve got to go hop back into work for a moment to try to get a heat lamp fixed before I leave, but try to go get some rest, okay? I’ll be by in a couple of hours.”
“Kay,” Raihan croaked back. “Thanks again, Sof. Love you.”
Sofia felt certain that she’d heard wrong for a split second, but when a moment of expectant pause passed, she realized she definitely had not.
“Uh - love you too,” she said, because what else do you say to a sick and feverish person (who you may or may not be interested in) who decided to say that first? “Bye,” she added, then took the Rotom Phone away from her ear, ending the call.
Immediately, her Roto-dex flew out of her pocket, circling around Rotom Phone in excitement.
“Did I juzzzt hear what I thought I heard?” Roto-dex asked, its eyes wide and sparkling.
“You did,” Rotom Phone said, doing a flip in mid-air.
“He zzaid he lovezzz you, Sofia!” Roto-dex declared, literally emitting sparks in excitement.
“He’s tired and out of it -” Sofia started, only to be cut off by Rotom Phone.
“You zzzaid it back! We both heard you!”
“What else am I supposed to say?” Sofia fumed, crossing her arms a little defensively.
“But you do, don’t you? You didn’t zzzay that to him just to zzzay it, right?” Roto-dex said, freezing in mid-air and looking at her with sad eyes. Rotom Phone paused, too, looking at her closely. Sofia chewed her bottom lip, realizing that the little Ghost Pokemon weren’t just teasing.
“No, I wasn’t just saying it to say it. At least, not entirely,” she admitted, looking away. “But…he doesn’t need to know that. He just needs to get better. Do you two understand?” She asked, frowning at her devices. After all the meddling they’d done while she had been sick, she didn’t need any more from the pair of well-meaning Pokemon.
“Cryzztal clear!” Rotom Phone chirped.
“You got it, bozz!” Roto-dex added.
“Good,” Sofia said, beginning to head back to the Daycare. She could hear the familiar whir of her devices as they follow in the air behind her, but it still took her by surprise when she heard one of them say,
“Zzzofia? We just want you to know…we really are happy for you. It might not be anything big yet, but…it’zz something, izzn’t it?”
“Maybe,” she replied with a shrug. “But thank you, I think.”
As she opened the door to the Daycare again, she wondered to herself when, exactly, her Rotoms became so interested in her relationship with Raihan.
