More wishfulshipping! The episode from this morning inspired this one shot. Enjoy!

Wine Red with Jealousy

Cilan could hear noises.

They weren't loud. It was a series of little shuffles, soft and muffled. They came slowly and unsurely, matching up almost perfectly with Cilan's gentle breathing. He rolled over to glance at the woman next to him. She was fast asleep, violet hair draping over her slender body. If the noise wasn't loud enough to wake her, then it certainly had to be nothing serious. After all, whenever a noise was made at night that could be deemed suspicious, Iris was up as fast as lightning, she and Axew fully prepared to attack.

He closed his eyes again, nestling a little closer to his wife. Yes, it was probably just Axew or Pansage wandering about. They sometimes did that at night when they couldn't sleep.

As Cilan tried to return to sleep, however, the shuffling continued, its consistency increasing and seemingly coming closer. Cilan groaned and rolled back around.

"Dada."

His eyes snapped open, and he found himself staring at his young daughter. I should've known it was one of them, Cilan cursed himself inwardly for exhibiting such poor parenting skills.

"Dada," the girl repeated, her voice laced with worry.

"I'm awake darling," Cilan groaned, sitting up slowly. He had slept with no shirt on, an act he was only committing because it was such an unbearably hot summer night. Holding his nicely toned arms out to the little girl, she slowly walked into them, allowing her father to lift her up onto the bed and onto his lap.

"Dada," she sniffed, rubbing her eyes. That's when it became clear to Cilan that she had been crying.

"Oh Sage," Cilan frowned, brushing back some of the girl's long, dark jade hair, "why are you crying dear? Has something upset you?"

Sage's lip quivered, and she nodded slowly. This was quite the unusual situation. Although she was only two years old, Sage was quite an independent child. She hated being cuddled and treated like a girl. All Sage ever wanted to do was run around in the mud with her parents' Pokémon and be left by herself with them. She didn't even like to be with her brothers.

"What is it? What's got you so distressed cupcake?"

"That…giwl," Sage squeezed her eyes shut tightly as some tears escaped, "wif' the puwple hair…"

"Do you mean Burgundy?" Cilan tilted his head slightly. It seemed that Sage was referencing his connoisseur rival. She confirmed this thought by nodding again, more quickly this time. "What about Burgundy?"

Sage's next words came out in a whisper, "I fink she wikes you."

"Yes, we're friends!" Cilan smiled comfortingly.

"No!" She cried rather loudly. Iris stirred in her sleep, and Cilan pressed a finger against his lips, signaling for Sage to be quiet. Lowering her voice again, Sage continued, "I fink she wikes you the way Mama does."

Cilan nervously bit his lip. Sage was right. Burgundy did have romantic interest in him. She had for awhile; even though Cilan had made it perfectly clear he was in love with Iris. When he had met up with the connoisseusse earlier that day, Iris wasn't with him. Neither were Basil or Kokum, Sage's triplet brothers. It had just been Cilan and Sage, and somehow, the child had picked up on Burgundy's flirty habits, even during battle.

Before Cilan could respond, Sage burst into more tears, her little body convulsing with sobs. His heart wrenching, Cilan reached forward and pulled his young daughter into a tight hug, gently rocking her back and forth.

"Oh, don't cry anymore, my dear Sage!" Cilan hushed, holding the toddler's head against his chest, "there's no reason to be upset, love!"

"Thewe is!" Sage wailed, gripping at her father's side, "you an' Mama!"

"What about Mommy and I?" Cilan brushed through her silky tresses.

"You won't wove each uffer no more," Sage breathed out shakily, "I no want dat. Pwease Dada."

Cilan gasped quietly. Did Sage really think it would be that easy to break him and Iris apart? Apparently so, since the toddler began to cry even harder.

"Sage," Cilan murmured, "Mommy and I love each other dearly. We won't ever separate."

"But da giwl…" Sage continued to sniffle, pulling her face away from Cilan's body. He cooed gently and began to wipe away the tears streaming down the girl's cheeks.

"Burgundy is only my friend, darling. I do not love her the way I love Mommy. You believe me, don't you?"

Sage thought for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Good," Cilan smiled at his daughter, who was slowly beginning to calm down. "Why don't you go back to sleep now, sweetheart? I can detect an aroma of exhaustion around your sweet little head."

"Okay," Sage squeaked, throwing herself down in between her mother and father, "night Dada." Cilan looked down at the child; sweat dropping as he did so.

"I kind of meant in your own bed, darling…" Cilan laughed nervously. But the only response he got was the mixed snoring between Iris and Sage, who had fallen asleep instantly. "Ah, so much like your mother," Cilan sighed as he laid down to go back to sleep.

Burgundy may have become a more sophisticated connoisseusse over time, but she had also become more of a trouble maker.

And that caused Cilan to worry.