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To think that she, Lilith, would be dancing with someone in such a perfect setting... With Sorano, no less. It felt like a dream. They spun endlessly around and around, dancing and dancing forever. It might have been forever, or it might have been a few measly minutes. Either way, it was a different sensation entirely for her.

Indeed, all around her felt like she was in a world of imagination. Her and Sorano, Sorano and her, and only they two. The thought of the other party-goers completely faded from Lilith's mind. Even the party seemed light-years away. But even in this dream world, Lilith kept a nagging voice in the back of her consciousness, and that apprehensive and hesitant voice felt the need to remind her every so often that this wonderful feeling would only be temporary. Lilith tried to ignore it as much as she could.

Her train of thought was derailed at the sound of Sorano's voice, and with it, Lilith was violently jerked back into reality. She looked up at her date with surprise clearly visible in her eyes. A chuckle escaped her lips and a small blush colored her face. "I'm getting better? I don't really think I'm that great a learner..." She felt bashful at Sorano's compliment, and she occupied herself by glancing down at her own feet, studying her own clumsy footsteps.

Further was Lilith startled out of her compelling trance by the suddenness of Sorano pulling her back into his arms. She was caught rather off guard, and in her confusion, she raised an eyebrow at her dance partner, pursing her lips together disapprovingly at him. At his remark, she took a look around her and blinked. The dance floor was almost vacant, save for them. Not only that, but almost all of the party-goers had left as well. Lilith frowned and turned her attention towards the tall grandfather clock on the side wall of the great room. To her surprise, the hands told her that it was almost eleven-o-clock.

"Oh, damn... It's getting late." Reluctantly, Lilith turned back to Sorano. She did not want their dance to end, but it was already the middle of the night, and it was going to be a long walk back through the desert to the HQ. They had might as well head out now. "Well... I guess we really should go. We don't want to keep the violinist here all night." She cocked her head towards the musician who had stayed behind to narrate the dance with his violin. With that said and done, Lilith pulled herself away from Sorano's arms and started towards the coat rack and to the door.

Once she had put on her jacket, she turned back to her date and gave a small smile. "In any case, it was fun while it lasted, right?"

In her mind, Lilith silently cursed the damned hour to hell for all it was worth. How inconvenient it was to interrupt one of the happier moments in her life. What nerve it had. Of course, time would stop for no man, not even for the happiness of one person who had sworn herself to a crime organization bent for world domination. Oh, how Lilith wished it would.

Her thoughts swirled in a miasma of disappointment and regret in her mind. She was returned back to the tangible by the feeling of someone holding her. Slowly looking up, Lilith found herself now face to face with Sorano, her eyes staring straight into his squinted ones. Color rushed to her face. "Something? W-what is it?"

Lilith felt strange, being held by Sorano like this, but she hesitantly welcomed the feeling. Her brow was knit with confusion as Sorano fought for the right words to say. Then, out of blue, came his declaration. And with it came his offer for them two to become even closer, to be boyfriend and girlfriend.

Lilith's jaw dropped. She was completely speechless. She felt her hands begin to tremble in her shock.

He... Sorano... wanted to be... boyfriend and girlfriend... with her... Lilith.

No amount of praying or vigil in her entire life could have prepared Lilith for this.

The Rocket Grunt felt tears spring to her eyes, and she made no action to fight them like she would but a few months ago. Now, in her joy, she let them come freely. She gave a small chuckle, which came out sounding like a hiccup, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. A smile was seen on her tear-stained face. In the midst of her small sobs and quiet chuckles, Lilith managed to voice her reply. "...S-sure."

With that, and without thinking, Lilith wrapped her arms around Sorano and hugged him, feeling like any normal person for the first time in a long, long while.

Lilith smiled at the substitute kiss given to her from Sorano. It wasn't much, but it was all she needed right now, and certainly more than she had bargained for. All of this was going very quickly - much more quickly than she had ever imagined. But perhaps that was for the best. She had lived all of her life as a mere shell of a human being, but at this moment, she felt... complete somehow. ...Which sounded horridly cheesy to her ears. It was of little consequence, though.

She gave a small chuckle to her date [or would that be boyfriend now? The whole concept was new and alien to the Rocket Grunt.] and nodded. "I agree... It was a very fun night. We should be heading home, though..." She regarded Never with a slight nod to him, then turned towards the door to leave. As she did, she thought about what she said. Home.

Home? Could the Rocket HQ really be considered home? It would be for the time being. After all, they had sworn their entire lives to assisting in the organization's dark designs, and if they went against it... No, no, it was best not to think of such things. Still, just being associated with the syndicate prevented Lilith from being considered anything close to "normal," anything like the young women she saw at the party tonight. Thank Arceus she could still have nights like this.

Outside, there was hardly a soul on the streets, human nor Pokemon. Lilith's eyes wandered to the sky and she paused for a moment to gaze at the moon for a short while. A sigh escaped her lips, and she turned back to regard Sorano behind her. She spoke quietly, but loud enough to be heard. "A long, lonely walk in the desert... Sounds so romantic, don't you think?" A sarcastic smirk played across Lilith's face.

Lilith gave a small chuckle at Sorano's oxymoron-esque comment and smiled. "Yeah, no kidding. The desert's always freezing at night..." She accepted the suit jacket gratefully, and she put her bare arms through the sleeves to keep them warm. When Sorano took hold of her hand, it made Lilith rather surprised, but she knew that she should not be now. This was to be expected. She laced her fingers with his and held on tightly, feeling very at ease. At that moment, though, a thought came to her mind.

It was a thought of what Sorano's sister, Lennyka, had said, about his somewhat routine ventures with other women, even outside of the HQ. Lennyka had only said this to get back at her brother, true, but the thought still gnawed at the edges of Lilith's mind. As she attempted to brush it aside as no more than childish jealously and pointless worrying, another thought came to her. If they were officially dating now... that meant that the other grunts and agents would find out. She had no way of predicting what they would do or what they would say, but Lilith could imagine nothing good. She paused for a moment, slowing her pace, then looked up at Sorano.

"Hey, Sorano," she began. "Do you think that... maybe we could kind of keep it under wraps that we're..." She blushed and glanced away for a second. "...dating?" She blinked and looked back to the man who was holding her hand. "I mean, only for a little while... So it doesn't become a huge deal, y'know?"

Lilith breathed a heavy sigh of relief from Sorano's answer. That was one weight alleviated from her shoulders. It helped her relax. Very grateful, she smiled and gently placed her head on Sorano's shoulder. "Thank you, Sorano. I really appreciate it." She glanced up to look at her date and caught a glimpse of his smile. Instantly, she felt guilty about her sudden request. Not wanting to upset her date, she blinked and spoke up again. "O-only for a little while, I mean! A week at most! It's just..." She might as well explain herself.

"Well... This is the first time I've ever really been with someone, and..." Lilith blushed momentarily, then continued. "...And I'm not very well known around the HQ. Most of the people I've met don't seem to be particularly fond of me." She chuckled bitterly. "So it seems like the other grunts and agents might think it would be weird that we two would be... y'know." She paused, then looked up at the night sky before speaking again.

"I mean, I'm really happy with you, Sorano..." Another blush appeared on her cheeks. "...And that's the truth. But..." Lilith sighed again. This was not going well. She hoped she would not screw this up already. "I'm kind of scared of what other people might think."

Lilith's eyes drew wide and she turned to gape at Sorano at the mention of his big promotion. "Y-you're being p-promoted? That's..." This was huge news, and Lilith wasn't quite sure how to take it. She knew that she should be happy for her friend, and she was, but... The thought of him being of higher rank than her, well... It set her blood boiling.

"I-I'm very happy for you, Sorano." Lilith's eyes turned slightly downcast and she rested her head against the man's arm. She knew what being an agent entailed: higher status, more respect, more chances to go on missions... but also more responsibility, and more danger. The thought of Sorano getting hurt or injured or worse was painful to Lilith. He voiced those fears when he mentioned - or rather, implied - of what could befall him when he went up in rank. Lilith shook her head vigorously.

"Oh, Arceus, no! I wouldn't be able to bear that! I couldn't." Tears sprang to the woman's glass-green eyes and she clung to Sorano's arm even tighter. How could she even think about that?! The very idea was awful! Still, though... His words held reason to them. If she could possibly not be a total coward and be more open about the idea of them being boyfriend and girlfriend, then, in theory, they could indeed have more time together, and thus be closer. Even so, they would always be a world apart now, with him being an agent and her as just a lowly grunt.

The tears stopped, and a new look of determination appeared within Lilith. She sighed, then chuckled. "I'll have to work harder to become an agent, then. You're right: the only way we can be together for as long as possible is if we just come clean... Which sounds kind of like we're committing a crime, but whatever. It'll be fine, right?" Lilith smiled at the man by her side.

Maybe - just maybe - this could work out after all.

Lilith nodded and followed Sorano dutifully, holding onto his hand all the while. She exhaled through her nose and thought about all that she had learned this night: one, she was kind of awful when it came to dancing; two, she now had a boyfriend [Boyfriend! Ohmigosh!] and she was capable of being at least... somewhat romantic; three, Sorano was becoming an agent, which meant that she would be inferior to him, which meant that; four, she would need to work twice as hard to get promoted, which might involve some schemes on her part; and finally, it was freaking cold tonight!

Lilith shivered through the protective covering of Sorano's jacket, and she could feel the goosebumps forming on her arms in her body's futile attempt to warm itself up. Her mouth stayed silent while her mind was in top-gear. How would she manage to get promoted? She would want to do it in as short of time as possible, but... Lilith figuratively scratched her head in her bewilderment. She resigned to think more about in the morning. For now, all she wanted to do, and all she was obligated to do, was to enjoy Sorano's company, and that was precisely what she was doing.

In the distance, the faint outline of the HQ started to become clearer and clearer until Lilith could make out the shapes of the windows along the sides of the monumental building. Her journey - and her night alone with Sorano - were swiftly coming to an end. Lilith sighed. Damn.