"Cher," Aaron's asserted, his fingers drumming on the dinner table, "you haven't put that book down at all today. More so than your usual books."
Aaron and Cheren sat at the dinner table, eating in silence as Cheren buried his nose in his book, taking a few bites before flipping another page. The young green-haired man had enough and decided to try to get his husband to maybe say a few words today. Without looking up, the teacher responded, "This book is just too good... I'm almost done with it so I'm trying to finish."
...More silence. Aaron knew he wasn't going to get much more out of his partner until he finished that book so Aaron didn't press. Quietly, the two finished their dinner and cleaned up, Cheren choosing to rush up stairs and read his book instead of helping with dishes- something the bug trainer was going to scold him later on about.
After putting up the dishes (and cleaning up the mess of soap that he made. Got a little too carried away with the bubbles) the tired elite ascended upstairs to join his husband in bed. Such a nerd, locking himself up to fini- the bug fanatic stopped mid-thought. Something was coming from his bedroom. It sounded like...sobbing? A quick jolt of panic bolted though Aaron. Cheren.
Throwing the bedroom door open, Aaron busted into his room. "CHEREN, ARE YOU OKAY?! I HEARD CRYING AND-" The gym leader hastily brushed his tears away, face red from obvious crying.
"No, shush, I-I'm... I'm fine..."
"Cher...?" the elite's eyes softened and he made his way to his weeping lover on the bed, effectively crawling over to him. Glancing at what his partner gripped in his hands, Aaron spotted that same book that his husband had been so enraptured with. "I-it's just," the teacher took off his glasses to brush off new tears, "she was my favorite character.. A-and she..."
Cheren was crying over the book. He hadn't hurt himself, no one died (no one real at least). With a soft smile, Aaron gently cuddled his husband, brushing back his black bangs and placing a tender kiss on his forehead. "How about we put the book down for tonight, hm?" More kisses around the eyes, as if to dry up any more tears.
With a small nod, Cheren closed the book and placed it on his nightstand, put aside to be read another night. Aaron pulled the gym leader into him and Cheren responded by wrapping his arms around his partner's waist and resting his head on the bug trainer's chest. Slowly, the pair fell asleep together, wrapped in each others arms. Cheren had fallen asleep with a small smile on his face. Happy to fall asleep in the arms of someone he loved.