Last night I lay awake for a good two hours. I was relentless in replaying my conversation with Ghetsis as I simultaneously questioned his motives for initiating our conversation.

Three years I had been serving under Lord N and in extension, Ghetsis himself. Not once had he ever taken it upon himself to interact with me, much less commence an introduction of himself. A searing series of questions plagued my mind:

'Why had he introduced himself to me? 'And more importantly, 'Why had he initiated the rendezvous by asking me of my Grandfather's whereabouts?' That was something I was certain he either did, or at least should have already known the answer to. Perhaps it was his way of letting me know he knew exactly who I was? The logic behind that theory made more sense than any I had conjured previously. If that was indeed the case then admittedly I was torn, for I found that reasoning both unnecessary and extremely touching.

The more time I spent attempting to analyze Ghetsis' behavior, the further I would stray from receiving a conceivable answer.

Before I had finally succumbed to the gentle persuasion of sleep, I conclusively decided to deem Ghetsis as unpredictable. That was a fair statement; besides, by fixing that perception firmly in place, I knew that I would concede and not allow myself to try to interpret anything he would say or do in the future.

I was brought back to the present by the sound of faintly crashing waves within the waterfall aligning the entrance to my commission hall. Yes, you heard me correctly… a waterfall… indoors. Whoever was responsible for architecting the design concept for this castle was no doubt bored that day. As a result he or she had apparently thrown caution to the wind and shouted "Fuck it, let's have a waterfall inside!" I snickered softly at my daft musing. Despite my quipping, I thought the surrounding view of the pristine stream to be magnificent. The sight was indeed elaborate and yet strangely humble; beautiful in its flauntish state.

I approached the archway hesitantly. I was well rested and for that I was thankful. Were I not, I feared I would have tripped over my own feet as I fought against my rising anxiety. It suddenly occurred to me that yesterday's departure was not nearly as enticing as the conversation prior; in fact I had the sneaking suspicion that I may have actually offended Ghetsis by not denying his accusation: "Perhaps it is my compliments you find unfavorable?" It took the entirety of my willpower to summon the courage to step haphazardly into the office. If I was honest, I felt a dire urge to run away. I wasn't sure what to expect as I entered the vast hall, but to my surprise, my eyes immediately found Ghetsis. He stood statured in all his tall glory by the side of my desk. I caught sight of a large digital tablet in his hand. My footfalls became so lethargic and silent, that in that moment I thought I may have actually forgotten how to walk. I suddenly became aware of how early I was, my punctuality irked my attention.

No one else had arrived yet.

I found myself alone with this man once more.

Never before had the stroll from the entrance to my desk seemed so daunting. Stripped of my usual professionalism, I opted for counting the immaculate tiles beneath my feet as I strode. Only when I had passed the great conference table did I realize that now was an ideal time for my confidence to kick in. To my undying surprise it suddenly did; my chin rose as my eyes faithfully returned to Ghetsis' profile.

Splayed out across his palm was the tablet. He appeared to be in deep concentration as he showed no indication towards being aware of my sudden presence. I used his distraction in order to straighten slightly. No slouching in the presence of Ghetsis Harmonia. As I did I spied the display of text he was currently reading. That's when it occurred to me; in all likeliness he wasn't so much concentrating but actually attempting to read the print in its small scale instead. Half a second later, it finally computed that perhaps he did not -as I previously assumed- wear the eyepiece for display. In fact, it was far more likely that his vision on his right side had either been impaired or –the slightly less comfortable theory- he did not have an eye to see out of.

I was grateful he hadn't looked up from his reading straight away, as I needed a few more seconds to mentally prepare myself for this encounter. Blood pounded through my veins as his head suddenly shot up.

Upon his handsome if not, slightly weathered face, a mask of pure vacancy replaced the usual severity I had half expected to see. After all, that was the only expression I had ever seen him convey from afar.

"Delilah…" His greeting was warm as if he were genuinely surprised by my sudden appearance. "…You're early."

The contagion within the gentle way he engaged me, prompted my reply. I smiled.

"Forgive me; I had an early night you see…" Even I had heard the humor in my voice. Yes, I had had an early night, but only because he himself had seen to it. Did he hear the underline of gratitude in my voice? He must have, since his smirk rivaled my own.

"I confess, I have always harbored under the impression that it was within a woman's nature to arrive late."

I paused. His voice, his stance, even the way his gaze held mine suddenly became too much to bare. I felt as if the temperature in the room had shot up to a less than comfortable heat. He referred to me as a woman! I was being ridiculous. After all I knew without-doubt I was one…obviously; however to have him credit me as such caused a foreign stir within me.

By some divine miracle I managed to retrieve my voice. "Women, perhaps. Not employees with duties to fulfill. Besides…I realized you had not informed me of what time to seek you out, therefore I assumed I should play it safe and come early."

I easily deciphered the approval etched within his firm nod.

"Intelligent girl." Amusement flashed within the curve of his upper lip as he considered me. "Tell me… do you always show such caution?" My brow rose drastically as I contemplated his question.

"No, not always," I replied. He seemed to suppress a chuckle. After a moment I automatically added, "Hardly ever actually."

Ghetsis' demeanor had altered to such an extent that the air of intimidation that he usually radiated seemed to subside completely. "Well then my dear, carry on and I may come to the conclusion that you like the thought of pleasing me."

An ominous heat engulfed me then, like liquid fire pulsing throughout my body. I stood in shock as I absorbed his words. I realized I had now set a new record time for the arrival of my blush. I could only gape as I pondered his choice of words; my jaw dropped noticeably as I cursed myself for such a reaction. Get a hold of yourself Delilah you're twenty-two, not twelve!

"I-I," was my pathetic splutter. The haughtiness in his glare was overwhelming. He stood surveying me with the equal intensity of a Gyrados' Hyper Beam.

"You?" He encouraged, feigned innocence distorting his tone. I straightened immediately in a remarkable display of indifference. I refused to humiliate myself in front of him.

"It's just, I assumed that when it came to tardiness, you somehow would be far less lenient that the other Sages." I managed, truthfully.

Mock-offense clouded his features before piecing into a stern smile. "That is quite an assumption my dear. Would you care to elaborate?" Once again his gorgeous baritone of a voice found my ears before I had noticed his lips move.

I faltered, absentmindedly picking at the light gloss on my nails. "Well, I-I mean, I overheard that… that when it comes to…" I halted immediately. I felt, rather than saw his advancement towards me.

His voice had turned to ice as he whispered, "Come now darling, don't be shy."

Only a fool would have missed the danger in his voice right then. I had felt it; it coursed through my body and hit every nerve on its journey. I stupidly thought to look in his eye for reassurance, only to find there was none.

I knew I had to somehow keep the anxiety out of my voice as I replied. Ghetsis seemed to be far more responsive to my confidence.

"It has been said that in regards to… discipline, you have a tendency to be… creative." My tone did not waver. I wouldn't go so far as to say it was completely steady, but it radiated enough confidence to appeal. I failed to notice his chilling smile then. However in the last moment, before it finally faded, I caught sight of the brief flash of ruthless pride in his eye. If I were to have blinked I would have missed it . Several seconds later his warm smile had returned. Odd.

"Is that what they say?" He chuckled sweetly. "And what of you Delilah? Do you think there's any truth to those claims?" His chest brushed my shoulder as he leaned forward to set the tablet onto my desk. I instantly tensed. I was so distracted by the feel of his firm body against me that I forgot to filter my thoughts from my speech.

"I think there's probably a great deal of truth to them, yes."

His eye widened considerably and I flinched as he rolled his shoulders. "I have underestimated you my dear." He stated. I cocked my head in questioning, although happily taken aback by the warmth that remained in his voice. "You'll forgive me for saying so, but there is something rather… arousing about a woman who tells a man, not what he wants to hear, but what he needs to hear."

My face flooded with colour. Oh Lord! Did he just say arousing? I quite literally felt my cheeks burn. Surely I had misheard him?

He smirked at my flustered state , this being the second time he had done so.

I cleared my throat non-committedly. "Ghetsis? My report…"

"Yes?"

I blinked at the bluntness of his answer. It was possible he was waiting for me to show him, instead of having to be asked.

"Shall I run it by you or would you prefer me to leave it with you?" I asked, hopeful he'd opt for letting me leave it with him. I highly doubted I'd find the task of leaning over him, explaining each of my calculations -whilst being the object of his undivided glare- at all comforting.

I watched as his long, well-defined forearm shot out from the confines of his extravagant robe. With an outstretched hand he gestured to the chair beside me. "Have a seat my dear."

Well…shit! I should have known he wouldn't make this easy. Regardless, I shot him a brisk nod and placed my hand at the chairs spine. Suddenly my hand was brushed away as Ghetsis pulled the chair out from under the desk and offered it to me in a courtly fashion. He stood directly in front of it, hand atop the lumber support, waiting for me to sit. I smoothed my pinafore and complied without hesitation, my body unintentionally came into contact with his arm as I lowered myself down. He smiled. I blushed.

I was soon seated comfortably, but I remained fully aware of how his hand lingered on the chair for a moment too long. I wasn't about to complain though. Truth be told, it captivated me, my eyes even followed him as he retreated a fraction.

I observed him as he in turn examined me. I made a small gesture towards my computer screen. "Shall I print it off or…" I asked, the tension within the room had suddenly dropped to an unparalleled awkward.

"There's no need-"Came his simple reply. I cannot even venture a guess as to what my expression looked like, but I knew it bordered between utter confusion and extreme relief. "-I have already read it."

My face fell.

"How did you gain access to it without my password?" I asked, expressing my awe. In the back of my mind I knew I should have found his breaching of my privacy far more concerning, however I found that no matter how hard I tried, I could not bring myself to feel remotely affronted.

He sighed in amusement. "As you know, I made the mistake of underestimating you my darling. It would be extremely unwise for you to repeat my mistake ." Don't underestimate me! Despite his charm, I knew that was what he really wanted to say.

"Oh I won't," I assured him.

The laugh that emanated from him was hypnotic, for it was genuine this time; not that horrifying roar he had uttered when I questioned his influence over Zinzolin. I didn't resist my urge to smile.

"I like you, Delilah."

What!?

My pulse skyrocketed at his sudden confession. It had took me by surprise. Obviously I was relived if not greatly flattered, but how was I to respond to something like that? It seemed unconventionally cringey to settle for an 'I like you too'. Maybe he wasn't expecting an answer? I was more than content to oblige in that fashion, yet as I recalled our conversation yesterday, I remembered how he appeared to take insult when I had not answered him.

I feared that my suspicions were correct as he stepped forward. Was he going to leave again? I cannot fathom as to why, but I felt great disappointment at the thought of him ending today's encounter so abruptly. I tried to summon a sentence in order to persuade him to stay, but soon found that such an attempt was not necessary as he drew towards me, not away.

I felt a familiar sensation as he calmly approached me. It was the same immense thrill that occurred during yesterday's encounter. The more he intruded within the boundaries of my personal space, the further away I was from caring. The fact that I wanted him closer sickened me. It wasn't due to him but to my own weakness.

My chest heaved with excitement as he towered over me; sinking down, leaning in, closer and closer. How utterly perverted was it that I wanted him to kiss me? I mean, good Arceus! This man could fire me in an instant.

I chewed my lip to prevent myself from thinking such shameful things. His hands clamped down onto the arms of my chair as he gradually knelt to my level. What was he doing? I don't know why but I found his current position bizarre. Ghetsis seemed far too graceful to kneel down at any given time. His left hand extended towards my face and I swear by my life, I forgot how to breathe. The heat from his palm showered my face as he casually retracted my hood. For the first time during our recent acquaintance, his eye was not fixed on mine; it instead darted over my thick locks of hair.

It wasn't until the elegant length of his fingers found my hair, did I deem it acceptable to shudder. I felt him smooth down the kink that had appeared in my departed garments wake. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally retracted his hand. In doing so, his fingertips caressed my cheek; which may have been intentional, just as easily as it may not have been. Needless to say, I had to clamp my mouth shut to prevent from uttering a whimper at the loss of contact.

I didn't know what was happening. Everything seemed to have escalated so quickly, and it had. Hadn't it? I didn't know what to say or do. I wasn't even certain such a protocol existed for this kind of occurrence. Even if this man had not been (in all technicality) one of my bosses, the abnormality would still exist considering we only had about twelve minutes worth of knowledge of one another, and that was only from observation.

"You are beautiful Delilah."

My eyes snapped up from the safe-haven of my lap. What did he just say? I wasn't sure. From the moment he had knelt before me to this precise second, I had lost sight of reality. My wits escaped me.

"But of course, you knew that already."

Intoxicated as I was by my exposure to the surreal, I still attempted to nod my refusal. Did the Sage really think me so arrogant? As if reading my mind, Ghetsis suddenly whispered, "Delilah… It's not egotism if it is the truth."

I couldn't help but notice the way he was currently looking at me; sure enough his expression was nowhere near as gentle as his voice, but the warmth was still present. Despite his reassurance, I found I had to disagree. I did not hold that opinion of myself.

"Ghetsis, I'm not. Really."

"Yes, you are!" he exclaimed shortly, irritation oozing from his tone. Seconds later I heard him sigh, as if in regret.

"I found your research on the Light Stone to be an admirable contribution to our own. I have ensured Lord N will be made aware of your calculations." At his hasty change of subject, I sunk straight back into my comfort-zone.

I smiled at his gentle appraisal.

Ghetsis shifted slightly, remaining in his crouch. I calmly watched him as he watched me, I wouldn't even attempt to speculate what was going on in that unforeseeable mind of his.

"Do you have a boyfriend Delilah?

What…the…fuck!?

I realized I was probably stammering in my bewildered response, either that, or I was gaping like a Magikarp by now. The word boyfriend, it just sounded bizarre on his lips. I suspected that not only was that due to the large quantity of emphasis he had used, and the mocking tone in which it was conducted; but I strongly doubted Ghetsis had ever used the word 'boyfriend' before in his life.

"No I don't," I giggled my reply, overwhelmed by embarrassment.

"A lover then?"

I actually performed a double-take to that. The question rang in my ears, I felt slightly flushed. Did this man get off on making me uncomfortable? "No…" Despite my agitation, I couldn't seem to prevent the faint giggle as the word drew to an end. The devilment in the curve of his smile tore into my vision. A deep growl emerged from his throat. Something dark flickered against the red of his iris. Something I had never seen before on anyone, ever. Ghetsis sank closer then. I noticed his jaw clench as he contemplated his next approach. Seconds later, he opened his mouth to speak.

A mysterious cracking echo seemed to reverberate off of the walls and around the large hall. Both mine and Ghetsis' attention was cast to the entrance behind me, towards the cause of the noise. As my neck craned to seek the sound, Ghetsis' hand shot out to underneath my chin. His gentle fingers coaxed me into facing him. As soon as our eyes met once more, he smiled warmly down at me whilst rising to stand. "Excuse me one moment." There was a strict bluntness to his words. As he sauntered towards the door, I recognized the instructive demand in his voice. I kept my eyes dead ahead of me; I knew a warning when I heard one.

"My Lord!" I heard a band of distinct voices utter in unison. Surely they weren't addressing Ghetsis?

Despite my determination to zone out, I couldn't help having my interest piqued as a voice -someone- continued, quieter by far. The hushed, silky tones within the foreign party chanted an array of words that strayed too far from my hearing range for me to comprehend fully. I did however, make out the following words:

"…the fool…Castelia…gym…plans…" None of them sunk in as they held no interest.

Staring at the large quantity of desks in my field of vision, my ears suddenly adjusted in the silence; not enough to hear every word, just enough to make out the sudden fury in Ghetsis' hushed resonance. I shivered at the sound as I stared blankly ahead, oblivious to whatever was occurring behind me.

Without warning, the unusual whip shot through the air and I assumed that the mystery figures had now taken their leave.

I heard the elegant billow of Ghetsis' robes as he cleared the length of the hall, towards my seat. He halted behind me and I turned my face towards his direction. With an unforeseen pause, I felt both of his hands rest atop each of my shoulders briefly before he rounded passed me, into my line of vision.

"I apologise, my dear. I must leave you now." I stared up at him. No longer was there any warmth in his face. I shook my head in understanding before suddenly blurting: "What's happened?"

I knew it wasn't polite. It was none of my concern. In fact, it was specifically implied that I wasn't supposed to hear any of his conversation, if I were, he would not have bothered to conceal his volume.

His lip twitched slightly but not out of pleasantness. Nevertheless he sated my curiosity with his reply.

"The assembly of members in Castelia have been detected." Was his bland response. I ingested his words.

"Ah…"

"Yes. Bronius in his immortal wit decided that it would be highly amusing to acquire shelter directly opposite the gym."

My brows furrowed as I sniggled at the absurdity of the news.

"I suppose it is amusing… in an acrid sort of way."

I eyed his expression. He didn't look amused.

"Anyhow…" He drew nearer. "Thanks to his insufferable disregard for the consequences, I must now journey to Castelia and… mellow the situation."

I nodded in immediate understanding. I knew by reputation alone just how persuading he could be.

"It will most likely be quite a while before the situation spirals to an extent that is threating…" His large hand found and enclosed itself around my smaller one as he beckoned me to stand. I didn't dare delay; not only because I doubted the durability of his patience, but because the sensation of his hand in mine induced a trance-like giddiness within me.

"…But we wouldn't want anything disrupting our goals now, would we?"

"No we wouldn't." I replied effortlessly. His hand tightened around mine.

I gazed restlessly at our hands for a while, before chancing a glance towards him. He too was looking at our united grip. I was undyingly grateful that my palms were not sweating. I confess I allowed myself a small shiver as his thumb traced the contours of my knuckles. What he said next, changed my life.

"What are you doing this evening?"

I faltered. His simple inquiry threw me… right off a fucking cliff. "This evening? Nothing." I finally voiced.

His smile returned and once again warmed me. "Excellent!" By my hand he drew me closer to him; I could quite literally feel the heat radiating from his body. "Then you are free to join me tonight." It was a statement, not a question.

Butterfree's and Beautiflies swarmed through my stomach. Join him? Tonight? Shit.

It wasn't often I imagined myself being courted, least of all to by Ghetsis Harmonia.

"Ghetsis," I whispered weakly, "I-I can't."

He brought his hands up to rest on either side of my arms. "Yes, you can." He cooed gently, his fingers tracing the chainmail on my arms. I needed air! Arceus did I feel hot. Honestly the thought of spending an evening with him was thrilling. But the possibility of 'spending the evening' frightened me to no end.

I had only ever been with a man once. When I was sixteen. His name was Markus; an Ace Trainer, he and his Dragonite had swept me off my feet and then dropped me, far faster than he could've collected his next gym badge. It hadn't fazed me though; part of the fun of early adolescence was the impetuous ability to rebound from afflictions of the heart.

The feel of Ghetsis' palm on my cheek swiftly snapped me out of my reminiscence.

"And now darling, your answer?" I heard him drawl, there was an unavoidable sense of excitement in his eye as if he had already concluded victory. I pondered the thought of getting to know Ghetsis better. I found that I liked the thought.

"I'd love to." I whispered, frozen in my trance-like state as he caressed my jaw. The deal was struck. I knew, as his soft gaze transformed into a look of pure salaciousness.

My hand was swept away from my side instantly. I trembled as he brought it to his lips and brushed a kiss against it.

"Until tonight," He breathed, hot and tantalizing against my earlobe.

I smiled at my bliss. "Where will I find you?" I asked, realizing that it would be extremely helpful to know.

"I'll find you."

He had backed a great distance away from me before I grinned at his promising assurance. He nodded firmly as he prepared to depart. "Don't. Wear your uniform…"

I laughed then, at his humorous chiding. He could not have been more serious. "I wish to leer at you in different attire,"

I need not have faced him to know he was smirking, but alas, I did. I was repaid in kind by the acceleration of my heartbeat.

By the time I had gained composure and before I could summon a snide reply, he was half-way out the room.

What a man…