Lumiose City was a marvel to anyone that didn't live inside the constant bustle and neon lit streets. Regardless of the time of day, the pavements would always be frequented by shoppers, trainers and the working man and woman. Even the Kalos Pokémon Professor was known to work late into the night with only café noir as his companion.
And on this particular night, Augustine Sycamore was toiling in his lab, leant back on his office chair with a book in his smooth, masculine hands that flexed as he turned a page. Bruise like circles hung under his clear blue eyes as they scanned the text. He moved to clutch his now cold cup of black coffee, placing it down before it touched his lips.
The raven haired professor sighed, dropping his book before he pinched the bridge of his nose with eyes clenched.
His lab was empty, him being the only occupant at the ripe time of 2am. Sometimes he just became so engrossed in his research that he lost track of the time, yet his body ached with strain from his lack of sleep and his eyes felt dry and itchy.
Perhaps he should get some rest. Slowly, he pushed up from his chair with a yawn and a stretch before he turned off the desk lamp that had lit his office while he read.
He smoothed down his stubborn curls and left the lab, turning to lock the door.
"Professor?" Soft feminine vocal cords curled around the title, and Sycamore recognised the voice immediately.
Turning, he managed a smile as he greeted his most successful trainer. Her golden hair was bright in the colourful light of the city that never slept and her light brown eyes glittered with youth.
"Serena, what brings you here at such a late hour?" Serena looked up at the professor like a Deerling caught in headlights. What had she come to speak to him about?
"Uh-" she stuttered, suddenly feeling like an idiot for having to make an excuse to talk to the man she had secretly been admiring. "I wondered if you were around to take a look at my pokedex."
Lies, all lies. She felt her cheeks heat and hoped that the brightly coloured advertisement of the PR Video Studio would hide her obvious blush.
"Of course, but perhaps you'd like to do that somewhere a bit warmer?" Augustine suggested after noting the chill that was in the autumn air.
Was he offering to take Serena back to his place?
The thought made her smile excitedly, "That would be nice."
"Follow me then, ma chérie!"
Augustine had begun to notice a correlation between a strange constriction in his chest and being with Serena. He usually associated this with an attraction but, Serena was much younger than his usual conquests and so he would restrain himself from anything more than harmless flirtation.
With long, gliding steps, Augustine led his student back to his apartment which wasn't far from his lab in Bleu Plaza, which was a more residential area of Lumiose. Serena rolled along beside him on her blades leisurely keeping up with his effortless stride.
The silence was comfortable. Serena still hadn't gotten over the enormity of Lumiose despite having explored the city in its entirety and she watched shops, and towering buildings pass until they came to a plaza that was centred on a pillar made of slate blue stone.
"Here we are," he announced, accent thick as his long fingers dipped into his lab coat pocket to pull out a key. Serena noted that the wide building curved around the plaza and must have housed many people.
Stepping inside, they walked up a staircase in the hall to come to a corridor that had numbered doors lining each wall. He came to a door and unlocked it, swinging the door open to allow Serena to enter.
So, this is Professor Sycamore's home. Serena gazed about the apartment curiously. It looked very minimal and spacious, but it didn't look lived in with its uncluttered surfaces and neat furnishings.
"So, Serena, what would you like to drink?" Augustine shot his student a dazzling smile as he walked through his open plan space through to the kitchen area.
Serena felt her cheeks heat again, "Café au Lait, s'il vous plait." She replied, ringing her small hands nervously.
"Any sugar, ma chérie?" He called from the kitchen.
"Oui, just one. Merci beaucoup."
Serena liked that one wall was lined with bookcases that was full of pokémon studies and hypothesis; it made the room seem more like it could be his home and not just a hotel room.
"You're welcome to sit down, Serena. No need to feel shy."
Serena shuffled down into the sitting area that was furnished with white modern sofas with a black sleek coffee table set in the middle. She sat back into the sofa, sighing as her tired muscles settled into the supportive cushion.
She often travelled back to Lumiose on foot rather than flying with her Togekiss, in hopes to find pokémon to fill the last pages of her pokedex but in doing so tired herself out considerably.
Augustine came out of the kitchen with a tray holding both their hot beverages and a plate that showcased two croissants. He placed the tray onto the coffee table, and then preceded to hand Serena her tea carefully before he took his own mug of steaming black coffee in his hands, warming the digits against it.
"How have you been, Serena? I've not seen you since we were together in Anistar," asked the professor before taking a sip of his liquid energy, closing his eyes in pleasure as it smoothly slid down his throat.
"I've been focusing more on the pokémon that have the potential to mega evolve, as I've gone out searching for mega stones which has led me to all new pokémon that I didn't know could evolve. It's been fascinating really." Serena smiled, thinking about the mega evolved Mawile she had recently used in battle.
"That's excellent news, but you didn't answer my question, culotté." Augustine always was impressed with the effort that Serena put into her work as a mega evolution trainer; it was something he often admired about her.
Serena sputtered on her tea, as she imagined telling her mentor that she would be better if she'd seen him sooner. She silently dreamed that he would tell her he'd missed her too.
"I've been well, I guess." Serena tried to act nonchalant.
Augustine smiled at her acting skills, "You guess?"
Serena remained silent, absently staring into the sweet caramel coloured beverage.
This was it - she was going to say it.
"I missed you, professor." She replied tightly, setting down her tea. The silence dragged on and Serena felt it nearly unbearable. She tensed her hands into fists on her lap, hating the sinking feeling in her chest.
"Mon petite lapourielle," Augustine slipped a long finger under his student's chin and lifted it to meet her honey coloured gaze. The sadness that could be seen hidden behind long dark lashes broke his heart. "You are my student, and I am much too old for you."
Serena blinked away tears, before pressing forward to rest her face against his firm chest.
"I don't believe that for one second." She whispered into his shirt which she fisted in her delicate hands.
"You are so stubborn." Augustine raised a hand to smooth down her glossy flaxen hair that twisted down her back like a mane of a Pyroar. He couldn't deny his attraction to the young girl, but he knew there were others much more suited to her in age and personality.
"I am an old man, Serena. You could do so much better." He urged, continuing to soothe her.
She pulled away, pressing her tiny hands into his chest but looking into his crystalline blue eyes with glistening honeyed doe eyes.
"Professor, I don't think there is anyone better than you." She flushed prettily at her honesty and Augustine felt his heart swell.
"I'm very flattered, but-"
Serena cut him off, her conclusions twisted in her mind.
"But you don't like me that way. I understand, forgive me for being so brazen, Professor." She pushed away from him, feeling utterly ashamed with herself for thinking that such a desirable man could ever return her feelings.
"Serena, you've got this totally wrong." The professor's voice held a desperate edge to it and Augustine began having his own internal argument as to whether he could ever be selfish enough to engage into a relationship with Serena, someone over ten years his junior. She was youthful and innocent and untainted and he was growing older by the day, with enough experience in women and sex to write a book on it.
But she was attracted to him, Augustine Sycamore, known womaniser and flirt. It was probably just a teenage crush and he would be terrible to take advantage of that.
"I am not the type of man you want to get involved with. What about Calem, he has shown considerable interest in you?" Saying that left a bitter taste in Augustine's mouth, but he had to try to coax Serena along a different path.
"I don't want Calem. I know exactly what he'd like to do with me."
This shocked Sycamore, who wondered exactly what had been going on between the group he had brought together from Vaniville Town.
"Very well, but what do I have to offer you, ma chérie? I am an old man!" He was gradually losing his resolve, when all Augustine desired was to taste her rose coloured lips and to have her making sweet sounds as he pleasured her.
"Please Professor. I don't want anyone else - just you." Serena smiled softly before rising up onto her knees to press an innocent kiss upon her professor's lips. Her full, pretty lips tasted of cheri berries and it tempted Augustine to return her kiss before she pulled back. She gently pressed her fingers to his mouth to stop him from saying anything more and then she moved in, stealing another kiss with more insistence as she pressed wholly against him. Sycamore's stubble felt rough across her skin as she nipped down on his bottom lip.
Augustine was stumped. Having her beautiful little body pressed against him was doing devilish things to his conscience. He wanted nothing more than to ravish her and teach her the ways of pleasuring a man, but it was so wrong. She trusted him, and other's trusted him to do what was best. But, god, he couldn't deny how wonderful she was, intelligent, angelic and a real dark horse as a pokémon trainer. Her lips moulded so perfectly against his and with a soft lick, all of his resistance fell.
Serena moaned as her professor began kissing her back, his lips passionate and bruising against hers and his hands smoothed down the sides of her body making her abdomen flutter hotly. Sycamore revelled in the feeling of her youthful firm body under his touch. But when he licked against her mouth in askance he finally tasted the full cheri berry flavour on her tongue as they tangled and lapped at each other.
If things went any further, Sycamore doubted he would be able to stop himself from fucking her and he would much prefer to take things slowly with Serena, who seemed as fragile as a flower.
He slowly pulled away from their heated kiss, breathing laboured and eyes dark with lust. He could taste her in his mouth in sweet paralysing notes.
Augustine didn't think he'd ever desired something so much. But there was that theory that you always want what you can't have, that he had never truly experienced.
"Professor, I like you." Serena gasped, her cheeks flushed and lips swollen deliciously.
"I like you too, ma chérie." Augustine smiled, brushing a stray lock of gold hair from her beautiful face. Serena's face brightened with a grin, before she threw herself into his embrace with a giggle.
"So…" Augustine paused, "Did you still want me to take a look at your pokedex?"