A Love -Hate Relationship

43

The Bond Between You and Me

A/N: This Fan Fiction is based on the Galar region and games (Sword/Shield) featuring CanonXOC It based on the GAMES and NOT the anime version.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" said Hop, "Since you and me sat together and talked alone...like this." he smiled. The two sat side by side at the edge of the bridge in Hammerlocke that connected them to Route 6, sharing a bag of scones between them. the sure fire way to calm a raging Anani...smooth her ruffled fur with food and sweets.

"Yeah...it has." she said softly, nibbling away at the provided treat, "What happened to Marnie? And Bede..."

"Marnie decided to do a little Window Shopping at the Boutique." said Hop, "As for Bede...who really knows, not exactly my place to keep up with him," he muttered.

"True..." said Anani, It's not that I'm complaining or anything..." she said to him, "If I'm being honest, I kind of missed it being just the two of us for a while..." she smiled, "It's nice..."

"Yeah...it is." said Hop with a soft blush.

The sun was setting and it was giving the sky an orange tinted color, providing each of them with a warm glow to their skin.

"Hop...I'm sorry-" Anani tried to begin but he held his hand up to her and shook his head.

"Don't be." he said softly, "I can't blame you for being mad." he chuckled, "After all that's a bit of a rough way to wake up after having just gone through the previous situation after all." he smiled, "And besides...I thought it out and...I don't really have any room to say anything about." he said softly, "After all...it's not like I have been completely open with you either..." he sighed,"I know I have been down in the dumps for most of our journey since Motostoke..." he said, "I'm sure that's been bothering you too."

Anani blinked in silence and gave him a gentle nod.

"I'd much like it if you talked about it." she said, "You don't have to tell me everything..." she said softly, "I just want to understand..." she blinked, "I've been...worried."

Hop stifled a chuckle and managed a little bit more of a genuine smile.

"Yeah...I know." he said softly, "And I'm sorry to have been the cause of that worry." he stated, "It's...nothing too serious I don't think." he said to her, "More like...it's complicated?" he sighed, "See...back when Bede and I battled..." he began. He seemed to struggled with talking about it, but pushed it through anyway, "He...really wiped the floor with me." he stated, "Now, don't get me wrong, I can take a loss!" he said, "Battling means you've got to lose sometimes..." he sighed, "But it was what he said that's been weighing so heavily on me." he blinked.

"Why?" Anani asked, "What did he say?"

"He said that I was dragging Lee's good name through the mud...being so rubbish like I was..." he said, "And I just can't get those words out of my head."

"What...!?" her eyes widened.

Why on earth would Bede say something like that!?

She could feel her fists begin to ball up in anger before the warmth of his hand, much bigger than her own, swallowed hers up in its cupped embrace.

"...If I'm weak...then people will think that Lee is weak too..." he said, his hand beginning to tremble, "I don't want that! I can't let Lee's name get dragged down!"

"Hop..." Anani said softly, but he shook his head.

"I just...need to take a bit of time trying to figure all this out..." he said to her with a gentle yet broken smile, "I'm only telling you so that you need not to worry yourself over it." he blinked, "This is something with me and not with you...so...don't linger too much on it all right?" he said, "Bede and I have our situation and we'll figure it out, just like you two have your own thing and can figure it out too...okay?" he smiled.

Anani stared back at him. His pained expression stung her heart. But she knew there was nothing she could say at this point to sway him. Just simply smile, and nod in her understanding.

"All right, Hop." she said softly, "But, just know that while you're struggling with this, that I want you to remember your own words." she said to him, "We are all friends in this lot." she stated, "If one of us has a problem...we all do. That's how friendship works, right?" she smiled.

Hop blinked as he blushed softly.

"You were awake for that!?"

"Well...sorta." she shrugged, "I wasn't exactly present...but I could still hear your voices when everything faded away."

A stunned silence rested between them and he stifled a light chuckle, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Thanks, Anani." he said softly, "I'm glad to know I got you at my back..."

the two shared a smile as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. in the glow of the setting sun his eyes looked gold. And when they rested so heavily on hers she felt an unwavering safety. She couldn't help but flush a little pink as she exchanged a nod with her smile and their hands clasped just a little more tightly together.

"Ugh...PLEASE tell me you two are NOT about to kiss!?"

"WH-WHAT!?" Hop gasped in startled distraction quickly yanking his hand back from her. Anani reacted in a very similar reaction, both darting their heads to the source of that rather abrupt interruption.

"YOU!?" Hop huffed, blushing even brighter in the golden light.

"BEDE!?" Anani gasped, blushing as she cupped both her cheeks in a poor attempt to hide the color, "O-Of course not!"

"Man why did you have to go and interrupt it!?" said Marnie, who was there standing next to Bede while this went down, "It was getting SO good!"

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Bede scoffed, "There is in NO WAY that that would have ended good!" he stated, "Blech! Disgusting!" he huffed, "Utterly disgusting!"

"Hmph...me thinks you do protest too much~" said Hop, "Jealous?"

"Wha-!?" Bede's cheeks tinted pink, "ME!? Jealous!? of YOU!? As if!" he huffed, "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Marnie soon found herself snickering at Bede's over-reaction.

"Really?" she blinked, "'Cuz your reaction says otherwise~"

"I'm NOT I tell you!" Bede huffed, "Anani! Won't you scold your so called friends and put an end to their ridiculous assumptions!?"

"D-Don't get ME involved in your drama!" the wine-red head stammered and took off running.

"Wait! Anani!" said Hop, "What about the scones!? Don't waste food!"

"Get BACK here!" Bede cried, "You get back here RIGHT NOW and EXPLAIN!" he huffed before giving chase.

"We're headed to Stow-On-Side, right!?" Anani laughed.

"ANANI!" called Bede.

"Run Anani, Run~!" Marnie giggled, "Don't let Bede catch you!" she laughed, "At least not until I kick your butt at the next Gym!"

The four were off in a game of chase that later turned into a race, on their way to Stow-On-Side. Meanwhile a presence in the Shadows lingered behind, with eyes on them the whole time.

"So, those two..." the old woman blinked, "Hop and Anani? They are the Trainers endorsed by the Champion, are they...?" she chuckled, "Well they certainly have Spirit..." she stated, "But they are severely lacking in Pink."

To be Continued