"Serena, I thought that you and Professor Sycamore were dating!"
Serena turned to face her green eyed friend with a sardonic look upon her face. They were browsing the boutiques that lined Vernal Avenue. Shopping with Shauna was something that Serena liked to do on occasion, but more often than not she would go out to shop on her own. It became obvious to people that knew her that she loved fashion.
"Will you give it a rest, Shauna?" Serena sighed before she continued to admire the fabric of a shirt on the rail.
She was becoming increasingly annoyed with the peppy romantic. Who at the beginning of their shopping trip was picking up items that she thought Professor Sycamore would like. It didn't help that Serena was still holding a grudge for Shauna telling Calem about what had happened.
"But, I just saw-!"
"What, Shauna? You just saw what?" Serena quipped harshly, hands on her hips.
Shauna was fortunately completely oblivious to her friend's offensive tone.
"Professor Sycamore is out with Diantha!" She shrieked, spinning on her heel to point out of the window of the small store.
Serena's eyes followed in the direction of Shauna's finger to spot the handsome Professor with his arm around the famous Kalos Champion. Serena felt her heart drop into her stomach, as she spotted Diantha who looked like she had just stepped out of a movie scene.
Her cropped hair was sophisticated and her fair skin looked like porcelain. She looked up at Professor Sycamore with adoration as they walked along the street.
"Diantha is so so pretty." Shauna drew closer to the window to stare at the celebrity, blind to the fact that Serena was on the verge of tears.
She didn't think that he would actually move on. Serena was so used to her professor being unattached that she thought she could always try again with him. Goes to show just how naïve she was. In that moment Serena hated herself for wanting someone so unattainable.
A stiff lump formed in her throat as she forced herself to look away and pretend that she hadn't seen it. Pretend that she hadn't seen that man she loved with someone else.
"Serena?" Shauna looked back at her friend; concern laced her falsetto pitched voice as she moved to stand beside her. "It will be okay, he's not all that." She cooed, pulling Serena into a hug.
Serena felt burning tears well up in her eyes as she rested her head on her friends shoulder. She gripped Shauna tightly hiding her face in the brunette's puffy pink jacket as sobs shook her.
Shauna stroked Serena's back comfortingly.
"Don't worry, Serena. You'll win him back."
The Sushi High Roller was a restaurant that Augustine couldn't say he dined in often. The pretentious and stuck up air that the staff had would put him in a bad mood. But as he was taking a celebrity out for dinner, he had to take her to the best diner in Lumiose.
And my, was Diantha radiant. She was dressed in a slinky cocktail dress that shimmered like ice; it dipped low at the back to show off her toned flesh. Sat across from her now, with candlelight illuminating her delicate bone structure and those bright blue eyes lined with mascara coated eyelashes, Augustine felt nothing but purely platonic emotions.
As beautiful as she was, Diantha wasn't Serena and Serena seemed to be all he was thinking about.
"Augustine, what troubles you?" Diantha uttered, her soft spoken words barely heard above the sound of an authentic oriental quartet that was playing rather loudly around the table. The musicians were eying his celebrity date like she was made of meat.
The professor sighed, feeling rather deflated now that he realised he wasn't enjoying his date as much as he'd planned.
"Is it the restaurant, would you rather just come back to mine for coffee?" She offered, speaking a bit louder as she coldly looked out of the corner of her eye to a shamisen player who misplayed a note nervously.
Augustine glanced back at his date, which rested her head on her long slim fingers and fluttered her lashes provocatively.
Was she suggesting that we-?
For once, Augustine wasn't sure about having no strings attached sex with a beautiful woman. It just didn't seem right, and Serena was constantly in his head making him feel like he was changing his mind every five minutes.
Did he want to forget about Serena? Yes. Was he attracted to Diantha? Yes.
So what was the problem? Augustine exhaled, feeling rather hot. He stood up from the table, causing the musicians to jump and stop playing abruptly. He held out his arm for Diantha to take, regardless of how he felt – Augustine was always a gentleman.
Diantha slid her arm across his purposefully, and locked it in place. Gracefully standing on her stilettos, the two escaped leaving the thoroughly star-struck quartet to serenade some other poor diners.
"Well, that's a relief." She joked, smiling flirtatiously. "Shall we get a cab?"
Augustine wasn't used to being dominated, but then he wasn't normally so indecisive. He simply nodded. Diantha hailed for a cab and the two got in the back seats.
After telling the driver their destination, he recognised Diantha and they began chatting leaving Augustine to dwell on his growing weariness with himself.
Why could he not forget about Serena? Why couldn't he just fool around with Diantha and not feel guilty? He felt remorseful even now, just thinking about sleeping with another woman when he so desperately lusted after his student.
"Are you filming anything at the moment, Mademoiselle?" Asked the cabbie, who was looking at Diantha through his rear view mirror with twinkling crinkled eyes.
"Oui, I am. It's a romance about a young woman who falls in love with a prince who was turned into a pokémon – I play the young woman, of course." Diantha replied, enthusiastically.
Augustine lazily stared out of the window, watching the buildings pass while Diantha continued to chat with the cab driver.
The actress always found herself in situations where she would be at the receiving end of interview like questions with a fan. But Augustine was just taking the back seat. She frowned, before grinning mischievously.
Slowly, she let her hand drift over the leather seats as she laughed along with the driver. Until her hand took a firm grasp of the Professor's thigh. The handsome man tensed, as her hand travelled up his leg to take hold of his manhood.
This wasn't right. He didn't want this.
"We're here, Mademoiselle." Called the driver, turning back to face us. Diantha quickly pulled away, and pretended nothing had happened as she pulled out money to pay the man.
"Oh no, I can't take your money. The conversation was plenty."
Augustine wondered if she got many things for free due to her fame. Diantha smiled, before moving to peck the driver on the cheek in thanks.
"Au revoir, monsieur," She sighed, getting out of the car. Augustine anxiously followed suit, as she strutted along the pavement towards her luxury apartment.
He could back out now. No harm in that was there?
"You know, Diantha. It's getting late, I should head home."
"Augustine, don't be silly. You'll be staying the night." She insisted, flipping her short hair out of her cerulean eyes and trailing her fingers up his arm.
She turned to the door, fumbling with the set of keys until she found the right one. The door swung open revealing an elegant and luxurious suite decorated in white and gold. It was blindingly white and clinical and the gold accents were scattered about the room in feminine modern touches.
To put the apartment into words, it would be Diantha personified - stark white and bright gold.
"Come, come Augustine. Let's move to the bedroom!" She giggled flirtatiously, taking his hand in hers and leading him to her bedroom. They hadn't even gotten to the door when Diantha suddenly spun on her heel and launched herself at the startled professor. Her lips pressed down firmly on his, and she sloppily moved her mouth across his in wet Magikarp like gestures.
Augustine was completely put off by this, his own lips static in the assault.
"Oh Augustine," she moaned enthusiastically. Taking hold of his coat and roughly pulling it from his body, whilst maintaining contact just at the mouth. Augustine was getting increasingly annoyed at her persistence.
"Diantha," He pushed against her, trying to pry the actress from him before he grew too agitated with the woman.
"Would you prefer it if I called you Professor, mon amour?"
I like you, Professor.
Serena.
Augustine pushed the woman away roughly, gasping in an attempt to control his breathing. Diantha looked to him questioningly, her eyes round and wide.
"Forgive me for letting this get too far. I should not have led you on when I have no intention of staying with you, Diantha." Sycamore ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.
"You're actually saying no - to me?" She gaped incredulously. "I do not believe this." Diantha turned away, collecting her bearings.
"Diantha, I never meant to hurt you."
"No, I'm sure you didn't." She said, covering her face in embarrassment. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did. I thought you called me because you wanted this." She motioned between them dramatically.
"I should go." Augustine could take no more of this, he needed to get out.
"Yes, you should." Was all she said as she retreated to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Augustine gathered his coat from the floor and hurried out of the glaringly white apartment and out into the vivid lights of Lumiose that painted a picture against the midnight velvet of the night.
He pressed on, letting the sound of his dress shoes against concrete guide him to wherever his feet wished to take him. In the quiet area the clack of his heel echoed against the walls until he reached the populated avenues.
It was a strange feeling to Augustine that no matter how much of a standstill his life was that Lumiose was a constant. It was ever moving and always alive.
He wondered how Serena was. Whether her life had come to an impasse as his had in her absence. Arceus, how he missed her.
He missed how much her smile would brighten up the room or how infectious her musical laughter was.
"Professor!"
Augustine looked up from the pavement; his eyes trailing up knee high laced boots across creamy skin to a pleated skirt and then eventually to the concern filled eyes of Serena.
"Serena," he breathed, their eyes locked before both the blonde realised how long they had been staring and turned away blushing.
"How was your date?"
She had known? Had she been following him? The thought made him smile; perhaps she was just as hung up on him as he was on her.
"Honestly?" He began gazing her as she turned to figure out the emotion in his expression, "It was awful."
Augustine watched as her frown slowly turned into a grin, and she began laughing. Augustine loved how carefree she was when she laughed, her sparkling eyes full of mirth. He chuckled along with her, suddenly all the weight that was on his shoulders lifted as he realised how much of a fool he was.
After a while, Serena calmed down.
This was it, he had to tell her. He could deny it no longer.
"Serena…" Augustine moved to take her hands in his, his masculine ones dwarfing hers. She looked up at him inquisitively.
"I have been hiding my feelings for a long time, because I thought that what I felt for you was wrong." He paused, releasing one of her hands so that he could caress her cheek. "But, I don't want to hide anymore."
Augustine moved closer to Serena, who seemed to be captivated by his words.
"I want to be with you, Serena. I can't deny my feelings for you any longer. Serena, I love you."
Serena felt her heart soar, as she was pulled into a passionate embrace.
"Professor," she cried, "I love you too!" His hands tangled into her long blonde waves and she looked up at him. His eyes filled with adoration as he looked down upon the girl.
Slowly, he leaned down until his lips pressed into a soft and imploring kiss. Their lips moulded together fervidly. Serena on her tip toes, her hands combing through his glossy raven locks and smoothing down the stubble upon his jaw.
The two pulled away. Serena was reluctant to pull away from the comfort of his arms.
"So, this means we're…"
"Dating, I suppose." Augustine finished with a dazzling white smile, looking considerably younger as he did so.
So, they were exclusive now. Serena grinned, standing back up on her tiptoes to press a kiss upon her lover's chin and then resting her head against his chest contentedly.
Serena had never felt so happy in her life.