#calesere

When Serena arrives at the beige and green building, her smile gets just a bit wider. It seems that by the grace of Arceus, the exact person she’s looking for is the exact person stepping out. 

Calem is looking like his usual self — tall, dark-haired, and absolutely exuding a sense of boyish prettiness. It’s hard to believe that he’s already in the middle of his twenties.

Then again, Serena knows that people probably think the same thing about her. 

The second Calem sets eyes on her, the usual humorless expression on his face softens into a look of relief. He pulls on his jacket just as he hops down the stairs and almost jogs towards her. 

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” says Serena as she approaches her fiancé . 

Without thinking, she spreads her arms wide and pulls him into a hug. As always, Calem embraces her and rests his face in the crook of her neck. 

“Not in the slightest,” he responds. The sound of his voice tickles her skin. 

She feels his warmth as his arms wrap around her waist and hold her tight. For a brief moment she feels him lifting her up, then spinning her around exactly three times. 

Once he puts her down the first thing Serena sees is the smile on his beautiful face. She leans forward and presses a kiss to his lips. It’s brief and over in half a second, yet it brings her the sweetest kind of comfort. 

With her arms grasping his shoulders, Calem reaches up and places his hands on her face. Like the rest of him, his palms are warm. 

But before anything else can happen, Serena feels something pawing at her legs. When she and Calem look down they are greeted to the sight of her Sylveon swiping at the hems of her trench coat. 

“Still jealous, aren’t you?” asked Calem, grinning playfully at the pink little thing. 

Serena lets out a chuckle as she leans down and pats her Sylveon on the head, assuring the creature that no, her love for this “fiancé” of hers will not in any way detract from her love for her team. 

Once all is said and done, Serena takes Calem’s hand as the two begin to walk down the Lumiose streets. Sylveon trails behind them. 

Years ago, Serena was walking these very streets with a Pokemon from Sycamore, an anxious knot in her stomach, and her humourless, often frowny next-door neighbour by her side.

Now she’s here, walking down the streets with her fiancé, a vastly better grasp on the French language, and wedding plans on her mind. 

“So… the reservation’s at six, but we can arrive fashionably late,” Serena explains as they go, referencing the dinner plans they had made last week. 

“And oh! I got a reply back from the location!” she adds on. “If we’re lucky, then we can book Shalour in May. Sounds good to you?”

Calem nods along. For the last few months, he’s made it clear to her that it doesn’t matter to him whether they get married at the Tower of Mastery, under the windmill in Dendemille town, or in her mother’s backyard. What matters to him is that they’re together. 

Anywhere she goes, he’ll go too. 

“It’s fine by me, Neighbour,” Calem says, squeezing her hand tight. 

As they turn a corner on the street, Serena looks at him with an eyebrow raised. 

“Neighbour?” she speaks in disbelief, then a playful grin comes upon her face. “You haven’t called me that in years.”

There’s a brief moment where Calem — at the tender age of twenty-seven — looks about to blush. Perhaps his old nickname for her had brought up something in him that he had not felt for a long time. 

“I know, I was just feeling…” Calem starts, then spends a moment thinking. “...nostalgic, and thought I’d try bringing that back.” 

The cheeky smile on Serena’s beautiful face persists as she lets out a hum. He’s speaking like they don’t spend each day, each night, and each morning together — like he hadn’t made a home with her inside a North Boulevard loft. 

“And how’s that working out for you?” asks Serena, eyeing him teasingly. 

Calem shrugs before gently tugging her close to him. He puts an arm around her and places a kiss on her cheek. His voice is husky as he replies —