Work Text:
Shauntal sat in her seat on the plane ride back to Unova, turning towards the window for just a second before she closed the blinds. The last thing she wanted was to have a visual of a place where she was rejected after a month of waiting. She should've listened to her gut and know that all that waiting was pointless.
Closing her eyes, she took a shaky deep breath. Thinking back on the night before, the scene played over and over in her head.
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As she sat on Lucian's lap, inquiring how he felt about her, she noticed that his brows were knitted at the inquiry. His hands were firmly placed over her shoulders, pushing her away from his personal space. He sighed softly, head tilting for a moment.
"You're a brilliant and beautiful woman, Shauntal. However, I'm afraid I don't feel the same about you that you do with me. I apologize for making you wait so long just to be disappointed in the end. I see you as a wonderful colleague to speak with and a friend to talk to but..I feel nothing more past that."
"Oh..." her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as the knots from earlier twisted tighter. She felt like she was going to be sick. At least she got her answer. Swallowing a dry breath, she gave him a nod, "R-right. I..respect that. Um..sorry for interrupting your reading then."
Shauntal quickly slid out of his arms and gathered her chocolate.
"I'll be returning home in the morning. I think I've over stayed my welcome. I hope you have a pleasant evening..Lucian." She forced a small smile as she waved off to him before heading back up to the guest room.
Shauntal immediately began to pack her things and change her clothes. There was a temptation to just toss it out but she did enjoy the design. It may be a long while before she has the courage to dress up again, but maybe she'll have a better chance next time..if there ever was a next time.
She didn't say a word next morning, leaving at dawn, just before Lucian woke. Thankfully, she learned how to fast travel there and made her way to the airport with ease. She sent a quick text to Caitlin that she would be returning home before boarding.
Now, she was off to Unova, hoping to never step foot on Sinnoh territory again. After all the kindness and careful consideration he gave her, she honestly thought she had a chance. Turns out, he was just being polite and was only treating her like a friend. She should've seen the signs. Why else did he only offer a guest room and avoid the subject every chance they spoke?
He didn't want to hurt her feelings. After being on the edge for nearly a month..she felt like she was just in shock. The rejection probably wouldn't hit until it was inconvenient for her. That would just be her luck.
After nearly eight hours being on her flight, she was finally back home. She didn't bother heading to the League when she returned. Shauntal just went home and started to unpack. As she finished taking care of her things, she sent a message to Caitlin, letting her know she was home safely but didn't want to talk. She would possibly converse in the afternoon but for now, she just wanted to be alone.
After sending the text, she saw that there was a message from Lucian. Just seeing his name come up made her freeze. She was so hesitant to even see the message, but she knew that her curiosity would boggle her brain until she saw it. Holding her breath, she tapped on his message.
[Text] <--Lucian:
'Good evening Shauntal. I hope you had a pleasant trip back home. I wish to apologize for how cold I may have been last night. I truly didn't mean to make you upset, nor should I have allowed myself to stall when I knew my response to your inquiry wasn't something you were hoping for.
You are a bright and beautiful woman. I'm sure you will find someone far more fitting to your standards than myself. I hope you have a pleasant rest.'
She read over his message over and over again, blanking out on a possible response when she felt a sharp pinch in the corner of her eyes. Oh great, now she was starting to cry. Well, he did make her upset. She didn't even respond to his message. Her heart felt too broken to even spare him a word.
Instead, she just turned her Rotom off and curled into her bed. As she clung to a pillow, her Froslass floated to her side, embracing her trainer while her Chandelure dimmed the lights. The rest of her ghosts who could fit in her room cuddled close to give her comfort.
All she truly needed, she supposed, was just those that were in the room with her. At least she could trust her Pokémon.