Bored. That was how Jupiter was feeling at this exact moment. Looking down at the recent recruits, she chewed the top of her pen and knitted her brows in agitation. Today was supposed to be her day off, but due to the influx of recruits and the status update on their current project, she was hard pressed to get any time to relax.

Flustered, she dropped the pen and fell back against her chair, crossing her arms with a huff. She glanced down at her Pokétch and muttered something unintelligible under her breath as she saw that there was still an hour left of work. As she stared at the paperwork in front of her, the light from her gear caught her attention. Reaching over, she noticed she had a new message.

Barry: So... I got my forth badge now...

Jupiter giggled slightly at the message he had sent. Even his speech mannerisms showed through his texts. With a faint smile she sent her reply.

That's great! Done anything to celebrate yet? she asked innocently.

Barry: I can't say that I have.

Jupiter stroked her chin in thought before looking at her Pokétch again. With a newly formed idea in mind, she issued her response.

Why don't you swing by my apartment in about say... two hours? I'll give you directions to it from the Pokémon Center. I assume that's where you are now right? Jupiter replied, deducing his location based on given information.

About a minute or two went by before Jupiter got her response.

Barry: Uh... sure, that sounds cool...

Jupiter smirked at his reply and sent him her address along with a message mentioning the Aura League season two. Having secured her after work plans, she was able to focus on finishing up her paperwork before work let out for the day at Galactic Headquarters.

It wasn't long before the clock struck five, signaling the end of her day. With a relieved sigh, she wiped the sweat from her brow and shut her desktop down before standing up and pushing in her chair. It had been a long day, but it had all been worth the trouble since she would now be able to go about her evening the way she wanted to... Pokéflix and all.

Gabe opened his badge case and looked down at the four badges that were inside. Every battle he had ran through his mind, a feeling of pride welling up inside of him as he reflected upon his victories. Glancing down at his gear, reading the address that Jupiter gave him to her apartment.

In his mind, he knew full well that he was fraternizing with a criminal. But at the same time, curiosity was tugging at him.

I still can't believe I agreed to this. I mean... I have literally every reason to back out and run away. So why don't I, knowing everything that I know about her?

Gabe crossed his arms and sighed as he leaned back in his booth inside the Pokémon Center.

But at the same time... can I honestly say I know everything anymore? I mean, is this dorky, anime-obsessed fangirl intellectual the real Jupiter? and if so... what are Mars and Saturn really like? what's Cyrus really like?

These thoughts and more bounced around in Gabe's head as he contemplated what to do next. Continuing to speak with Jupiter could further complicate things for him in the future. But for now, things seemed to be fine. Resolving to stick to the plans he'd made, he stood up to head out of the center.

It wasn't long before Gabe was at the large apartment building just down the street from the Veilstone Department Store. Judging by the extravagance of the structure, he could only guess that these were high-end apartments.

Team Galactic must pay pretty well if Jupiter's living here, Gabe mused, looking down at the apartment number before entering the complex.

The interior of the building itself reminded him of his uncle's apartment. Elegant chandeliers hung from the ceiling. He spotted several waterfall wall fountains inside the lobby. Spotting the elevator, he made his way to it and got inside, pushing the button for the eighth floor. After what felt like an eternity of people getting on and off, Gabe finally reached his destination.

Stepping out of the elevator he glanced around at the floor and took note of how few apartments there were. Having seen things like this before, he concluded that these were high-rise flats, confirming that her job definitely was footing the bill if this was where she stayed. Finding her apartment, he reached out to knock, hesitating for a brief moment before tapping on the door three times.

"Just a sec!" he heard from inside.

Footsteps could be heard nearing the door. Moments later, it opened, revealing Jupiter standing in the doorway. She wore a black cut-out top, that had long sleeves and a round neck, with a pair of casual, form-fitting grey slacks that accented her rear to perfection.

"Here already huh? I wasn't expecting you for another five minutes," Jupiter chuckled.

"It's seven o'clock right now isn't it?" Gabe blinked.

"Yeah, but I was half expecting to find you rehearsing what to say before knocking," Jupiter replied with a snicker, opening the door wider and sauntering away into the living room area.

"That's not--I wouldn't--" Gabe cut himself off, his eyes now drawn to the interior of her flat as she opened the door wider.

Her apartment was huge. Granite countertops were could be seen in the kitchen area as well as a smooth wooden floor that practically shined when he looked at it.

"Don't just stand there, come on in," Jupiter called to him.

And enter he did, his eyes exploring the decor as he stepped inside. While her apartment would be enough to make others green with envy, the way she chose to decorate her living space would raise some brows. Posters of her favorite series could be seen on the walls as well as a massive book case located off to the right of the room. The bookcase was lined with a variety of novels and of course, manga. He would recognize it anywhere.

Behind the couch was a large set of glass double doors that opened up to a large balcony with a breathtaking view of the city.

"Like what you see?" She giggled, amused by his wife-eyed stare. "Just so you know, I don't exactly pay for all of this. My job affords me this without me having to pay a dime."

"You mean you live here for free!?" Gabe exclaimed, a trickle of sweat trailing down his cheek as he spoke.

"In a manner of speaking... yes. If I had to pay for this damn place I would hardly have anything left over for food," Jupiter laughed.

"I can see why you would say that," Gabe added with a slight laugh.

Jupiter smiled and patted the seat next to her.

"Come sit. You can leave your bag and coat by the door if you want," Jupiter replied calmly.

Deciding to follow her advice, Gabe took off his coat and placed it on the rack by the door, along with his backpack. He then proceeded to kick off his shoes and meander over to the living room to sit on the black sofa Jupiter was sitting on.

In front of them was something he should have expected. It was a large flat screen TV that was mounted on the wall. Waiting for him was a table full of snacks and drinks. A few were alcoholic, judging by the labels, while the rest were not.

"I hope you don't mind. I drink a little after work. It's been a stress-inducing day," she frowned.

"Huh? Oh, no... i-it's fine. My day was intense too," Gabe replied as he leaned back in his spot on her insanely comfortable couch.

"That's right," she began, pouring herself a glass of Pecha Berry wine. "You had your gym battle today didn't you? congratulations on winning by the way," she beamed as she took a sip."

"Thanks, it was a tough battle," Gabe stated with a grin.

"The best battles always are am I right?" Jupiter responded, swirling her glass as she looked over at him.

"Got that right," Gabe agreed with a laugh. "So uh... were we gonna--"

"Ah! yes. Tonight we are going to be starting season two," she said proudly as she turned on the flat screen. "I think you'll find this season to be more... intense than the last."

"What makes you say that?" Gabe inquired, slightly hesitant to ask what she meant any further.

"I'm not giving any spoilers, but let's just say that you'll be on the edge of your seat... a lot," Jupiter grinned as she made her way to Pokéflix and searched for the second season of Aura League.

Finding it, she made herself comfortable before starting the first episode. As she had forewarned, right out of the gate there was an intense fight scene. Gabe found himself wincing at several scenes as the episode played out. As time went on, he had hardly taken note that Jupiter had slid closer to him and was now leaning on his shoulder while watching.

Heat rose to his cheeks as he felt the warmth of her body leaning on his. While nervousness was getting the better of him, Jupiter seemed perfectly content with her position. Had he been paying so much attention to the show that he forgot he was sitting in the home of a very dangerous woman? A Commander of Team Galactic no less. So why was he just sitting there and not moving away? Perhaps it was due to him being seated at the corner of the couch with no room to reposition himself.

As his mind wrestled with his thoughts, the second episode began playing, drawing his attention to it. By the time it had ended, Jupiter had graduated from simply leaning on him to hooking her arm in his at the same time.

"You okay?" Jupiter asked as she saw the embarrassed look on his face.

"Y-Yeah--I'm fine. It's just that... well, I've never um..." he paused, looking down at their joined arms.

"Oh? Not even with any friends? I'm sure you and Dawn have sat close together before, right?" Jupiter replied with an arched brow.

"N-Not like this! Dawn and I are friends. Besides, I think my buddy Lucas likes her and I am pretty sure she feels the same so..."

"So what your saying is, this is the second time you've been this close to a woman," Jupiter smirked.

"Second? What do you--oh... right. That's what you mean," Gabe stated, remembering the first time Jupiter had gotten close to him.

He still remembered the feeling of her chest pressed against his. The mere thought of it caused him to blush.

"Barry?" Jupiter started, drawing his attention to her. "You've never kissed a woman before, have you?" Jupiter asked point blank.

"H-How did you figure that out!?" Gabe sputtered, recoiling a bit as Jupiter gave him a wry grin.

"You just told me," she said with a playful wink. "So it's true then. You've got virgin lips," she giggled. "That's adorable."

Dammit I walked right into that one! Gabe grumbled mentally, frowning at her laughter.

"Oh don't look so serious. I think it's cute you've never kissed a woman before. It's not every day I meet a guy who hasn't swapped saliva with every girl he's met," she mused.

"The way you described it sounds like you've done your fair share," was Gabe's rebuttal.

Jupiter flashed him an amused smile before drawing closer to him.

"Indeed I have, would you care to give it a try?" she teased, placing a hand in his lap as she spoke.

"Say what now?" he blinked, taken aback by her question.

"Do. You. Want. To. Kiss. Me?" Jupiter stated, moving closer with each pause. "Only if you want to that is. You are curious right?"

"Well... you're not... wrong," Gabe replied nervously as he gripped the arm of the sofa.

"Oh? I'm not huh?" Jupiter giggled, playing with his scarf as she toyed with his mind.

"N-No. You're not," he repeated, heat rising to his cheeks again while she played with his scarf.

"You know, I love it when men wear scarves," Jupiter said casually.

"And why's that?" Gabe replied nervously.

"Because," she grinned, gripping the scarf tighter before yanking it along with him, closer to her face. "It makes it easier to draw men into a kiss," she breathed onto his lips as they were mere millimeters away from each other.

Gabe's heart began pounding out of his chest as he sat there, his lips a breath away from hers.

"You know, when a woman brings herself ninety percent of the way... she's giving the guy an opportunity to take the other ten..." she whispered onto his lips.

She was right about that. The fact that she still had a tight grip on his scarf, coupled with the closeness of her lips to his, was evidence enough to prove her point. The only question remaining, was if he intended to waste the opportunity or take a chance while it was being handed to him. Almost without thinking, he went against his better judgement, shut his eyes and met her the rest of the way. After all, it was only a kiss... right?

Her lips were as soft as he'd imagined them to be. Granted he had no clue what the hell he was doing, he didn't need to because she started working her expertise, keeping him reigned in gently with his scarf while snaking her free hand around his head to pull him into a much deeper kiss.

Gabe's mind began to spin as he felt her pull him closer to her body. He felt her chest press against him, causing his face to burn. Her tongue slid across his lips a few times before she released him slowly. Though she had removed her lips from his, she remained close to him, her breath on his lips still.

"Not too shabby Barry," she cooed, walking her fingers up his chest before playfully flicking his nose.

"Was I that bad?" Gabe asked with a worried expression.

"Bad? got ears Barry? I said 'not too shabby' dummy," Jupiter giggled. "I mean sure you got nervous on me and you seemed unsure, but," she smirked, her hand running between his legs, much to his surprise, "I thoroughly... enjoyed it."

Gabe's eyes popped as her hand went south. Instinct told him he should run. Red flags were popping up all over in his mind and yet he still didn't move.

Is she... flirting with me? Of course she is dummy, she just kissed you!

Gabe inhaled sharply as she breathed hot air onto his neck.

"If you're feeling brave... we can take this to a more... private setting..." Jupiter coaxed him, nipping at his ear before standing up while keeping a grip on his scarf.

It was almost as if his body moved on its own, because he found himself standing with her. Maybe it was because he was curious, or maybe he truly felt a desire to be close to someone right then. Jupiter, at this time, was closer to him than the family and friends he had here. He still had yet to get to really know the others, but with Jupiter, there was an air of familiarity around her. Maybe he needed more of that, and that was why he followed her right into her poster plastered, anime infested bedroom, and allowed her to yank him in and lock the door.