Cilan's POV~
I wasn't a social media kind of guy.
I was perfectly fine reading and cooking and sitting outside watching the bird Pokémon fly by our house. I didn't want my eyes glued to my phone for hours. I wanted to be aware of my surroundings and present in my space.
However, this morning was different. I sat at the kitchen table, phone in hand, creating an anonymous Twitter profile. Iris was still asleep in our bed, and she had warned me not to, but what she didn't know wouldn't kill her.
We had just gone public with our relationship. After we moved in together, it became too much effort to keep it a secret. It had been a couple days since we made the announcement to the public, and I knew the entirety of Unova was talking about us. I just didn't know what they were saying.
Who could blame me for being a little curious? Iris knew; she had an active Instagram page with millions of followers. But when I asked about it, she'd always dodge the question, reminding me that it didn't matter what anyone else thought as long as we love each other. She was right, of course (she usually is).
I logged in anyway, and I didn't have to look further than the trending tags. #irisandcilan was at the third spot, and I took a deep breath before clicking on it. The first few tweets that popped up made me smile.
im still not over #irisandcilan theyre SO cute
why can't i have what they have #irisandcilan
CONGRATS TO MY BRO AND HIS GIRL THEYRE SUPER IN LOVE TAKE MY WORD FOR IT PEOPLEEE #IRISANDCILAN
That last one was from Chili, and it made me smile. I didn't know what Iris didn't want me to see. But then I kept scrolling, and my smile slowly turned into a frown as the positive comments disappeared and turned into negative ones.
ok so #irisandcilan ?? who even is he? i was rooting for her and marlon
i literally cant believe the CHAMPION is dating some guy who couldn't even keep his gym open #irisandcilan
#irisandcilan ? yikess she can do so much better than that loser
My heart sank as I clicked on each comment and went though the threads. What was even worse was I realized they were right.
It's not like I hadn't thought about it before - the fact that Iris had been extremely successful over the past few years, and I had, well, not. She had become the Champion after her long reign as a Dragon-type Gym Leader. I, on the other hand, was forced by the league to close down Striaton City Gym with my brothers and turn it into our restaurant, instead. I liked working at the restaurant - I was more suited for cooking than battling anyway - but I guess from the outside looking in... I did look like a loser.
"I..." I said aloud, quietly, to myself. "I don't deserve her."
"What are you doing?" I heard Iris say, and I closed my laptop quickly, turning to meet her eyes with tears forming in my own. She looked like she had just woken up, disheveled and still in her pajamas, but her eyes had widened in alarm and then narrowed. I open my mouth to speak, but I had nothing to say in my defense. She placed one hand on her hip, reaching for my computer and opening it.
"No!" I protested. "I was just- ow!" I had reached for my laptop, but she flicked my forehead in retaliation, then typing in my password. The page popped up on my screen, and I looked to the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. I was embarrassed I even tried to do something behind Iris's back.
"Cilan," she said quietly, setting the laptop on the table. "I told you-"
"I know, I know," I said. "I'm sorry."
She didn't say anything to that, only stepped forward and curled her arms around me. She placed a hand behind my head, pulling it down to rest on her shoulder, and wrapped me in a soft, warm hug. I hoped she didn't feel the couple of tears that fell onto her shoulder because I loved Iris, and I didn't want to let her go, but maybe I really wasn't good enough for her. Maybe I was holding her back.
Was it selfish to want to keep her?
"Listen to me," she whispered, pulling away from me but keeping her hands on my shoulders. I forced myself to meet her eyes, and she wore a sad smile. "I've been all over Unova, Cilan, and I have never met anyone more perfect for me than you."
"They're right, though," I said, and her frown deepened. "You deserve better - someone who's as good at battling as you, someone who can keep up with you, someone who's not so weak in comparison."
"Cilan, no one's as good at battling battling as me," she giggled softly, reaching out a hand to cup my cheek. "I'm the Champion, silly. That's kinda the point."
"I suppose you're right," I nodded, and she laughed again, leaning forward to pepper kisses on my cheeks.
"What did I tell you?" she asked when she pulled away, and we stood with our arms wrapped loosely around one another and my head atop hers.
"Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks," I repeated, and she hummed quietly.
"As long as we love each other," she finished. "I love you."
"I love you, too," I said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. And Iris's love was all I could ever need.