The professor had taken to walking lately. Long after all of his assistants had gone home and he couldn't stand any more work, Sycamore would amble back to his apartment. He always took longer than necessary, with unneeded detours. Sometimes he would just let his feet take him wherever they wanted. His thoughts would wander as well, from what he had for lunch to wondering how the kids were coming along. Somehow, though, the thoughts would always turn to a certain person, and he would quickly try to think of something else.
Tonight he stayed especially late at the lab. Finally, at about ten o clock, the professor hit a block in his research. He shut down his computers and put on a long black coat over his lab coat. After turning off the lights and locking the door, Sycamore set off into the cold Lumiose night. Shivering, he drew his coat tighter around him as passed by a pokemon center. Although he seemed to be wandering aimlessly, Sycamore knew deep in the back of his mind where his feet would take him.
Ten minutes later, he found himself in front of Lysandre café. Some force seemed to drag him inside the building and make him turn on the lights, surrounding the professor with a deep red glow. The place was almost the same as the last time he saw it. The only differences were the doorway revealed in the back and the loss of warmth. Sycamore walked over to a booth, took off his coat, and threw it aside. The professor sat down, crossing his arms on the table and laying his head on them. He had no idea why he was there, not after what had happened. Maybe he was searching for some kind of closure? Memories started to flood his mind.
Meeting him for the first time, thinking his hair was weird and unfashionable. Learning about each other's research, starting a partnership together. The hours spent researching mega evolution and trying to perfect the holocaster. The night he opened his café and how they celebrated. How it felt to kiss him, run his hands through the man's now treasured hair. How he then started to grow more and more distant, forming a strange team, and saying bizarre things. And then, that day…
"You need to stop this, it can't go any further," Sycamore pleaded, turning to face Lysandre.
"Don't you see what the world is heading towards?" He took a step towards the professor. "The human greed and filth is sickening. All I want to do is make an improved world, a perfect world."
Holding his ground, Sycamore tried to reason. "But not to this extreme! There are better ways to achieve that."
"Why don't you join me, Augustine?" Lysandre said softly, moving closer and closer to the professor. "We can be in the perfect world together, make it beautiful." He leaned down as he finished the sentence, nearly whispering, and held the professor's face in his hands.
Merde, I shouldn't be doing this, I really shouldn't be doing this, Sycamore thought, yet he held on to the other man's waist and closed his eyes as their lips met. He wished it could just stay like that forever, like how it was before. Perfect. However, when they broke apart for air, he remembered all that was happening and gently pushed Lysandre away.
"I-I can't. Lysandre…"
"Lysandre…" The professor found he was crying.