Well this was originally supposed to be a requested Neapolitan fluff story, but unfortunately I took it in a completely different direction. I'll bring it back on its intended track with a few additional chapters though...this was really more of an introduction than anything else. This is my first attempt at a romantic fic...so I apologize beforehand.
Sunrise
Eyes flickering across one of the bright reflecting pools of Sulyya Springs, Vanille exhaled a jubilant sigh of relief. She was finally home, thought the Pulse-born native, her bare toes stretching out to entrench themselves within the soft grassy floor and the rich, dark soil beneath it. She enjoyed this, the natural feeling of her skin touching the earth. Since birth she had a great respect for Gran Pulse, a feeling of astonishment and wonder, of curiosity and the never-ending desire to explore every valley, every sun-dappled trail and the vast expanse of the outstretching plains. Now returning to her homeland, not much had changed geographically over the past five hundred years, those feelings returned with unstoppable force.
Gran Pulse was vibrant and beautiful, fragile yet resistant, and the sense of nostalgia and childhood memories permeated the air with each passing night. Besides her hometown of Oerba, the foremost location to indulge herself in such pleasant memories was none other than Sulyya Springs! Nestled within the mountains of the Archylte Steppe, the famous Springs were a popular spot for tourists across Gran Pulse and natives alike to visit.
The memories she had spent here, her family when she was only a child and Fang when the two were older, were but fleeting glimpses of her life before, well...the fal'Cie...Cocoon...their Focus. Vanille swallowed a knot in her throat, not because she did not want to release those enjoyable moments of the past, but simply because she didn't want to cry. Not like this, not when the others were around. The thoughts of never returning to what she had was saddening, but the unknown mysteries of what lay ahead was far too important to set aside.
She was a l'Cie, and because of her lies she had thrusted a fate that could not be reversed upon innocent people, the very few who were strewn lazily about the makeshift campsite, lost in their own dreamlands. She also couldn't count how many deaths could have been avoided if she had not lied to so many people.
Vanille shivered, a finger stretching out to dip into the perfectly still water of the pool. Bismark, the resident fal'Cie, was elsewhere, so Vanille swirled her finger around the temperate water without caution. The evening was reaching its end, the faintest signs of rosy red and pink clouds on the horizon. The moon hung low in the sky, shining defiantly despite the battle it knew it would lose.
Caught on that last thought, a smile broke out onto her lips. No matter how hard the moon tried to illuminate the sky during the day, the sun would always best it, the distant stars shying away against the sun's presence. In a way, the ensuing fate of what her Focus would lead her to do was similar. No matter how hard she tried, being a l'Cie came down to two simple concepts: become a crystal, or go Cie'th. Neither sounded too appealing. But the fact was that even if fate was unescapable, she could not let it ruin her life in the present.
Serah said that she could run away and face it later, and by doing so Vanille desired to switch her thoughts to the here and now, living for today instead of wallowing over what will happen tomorrow.
A swim would be quite refreshing right now...
She slid her entire hand into the water, testing it. Turning back, she scanned the lazy sleepers. Snow was huddled next to the fire, snoring loudly enough that Vanille wondered how none of the others bothered the giant oaf about it. Hope was close by, nuzzling his trusty boomerang. Snow was sure to keep the silver-haired teenager in his sights. Sazh had drifted off against the lone shade-providing tree, a flash of bright yellow within his afro meaning his chocobo was asleep too, probably making a nest.
Vanille's eyes brightened as they laid upon the sight of Fang's sleeping form, the redhead failing at stifling a smile. The closest to Vanille, as she wasn't going to worry Fang by straying too far, the raven-haired woman slept soundly, a single hand reaching out towards Vanille. Her tanned skin was smooth and deceptively soft, the rough calluses on her palms telling you otherwise. Fang was the strongest person Vanille knew, stronger than Snow, yet her body retained her feminine design. Her sari, used as a blanket for the night, shuddered in a light breeze, revealing her navel, just a slit in her flat stomach. Her lips were only slightly ajar, minuscule drops of drool beginning to form. Fang was curvy, yet well sculpted, lovely and savage just like the rest of Gran Pulse.
Vanille grasped Fang's hand in her smaller one, rubbing her thumb across the woman's palm affectionately. She immediately froze when her eyes reached Lightning's steel blue gaze, the soldier girl gazing at the pair's tender moment. Lightning was sharpening her gunblade, quiet except for her whetstone grazing across the surface of her weapon, but Vanille knew the strawberry blonde was aware of what was going on. Retracting her hand back to rest on her lap, Vanille swallowed another lump in her throat, her eyes snapping to the pool before her, her cheeks flushed with red.
"Morning." Lightning stated in a calm monotone.
Vanille cringed, the hair on her neck rising up as she sensed Lightning's presence next to her. Silent as ever, the soldier had made her way next to Vanille, nearly causing the younger girl to leap out of her skin. A smile was suppressed as she watched Vanille quickly shuffle a few feet backwards, startled. Instinct led Vanille to inch closer to Fang's huddled form. Hand's subconsciously encircling themselves around Vanille's waist, eager to drink in the familiar source of warmth.
"M-Morning." she squeaked, obviously embarrassed by the way Lightning had caught her. Her blush only deepened as Fang tightened her grip on Vanille. Not bothering to pester the girl further, Lightning merely sat down against the waterline, the bioluminescent plants glowing evermore faintly as the sun crawled into view. A finger poked the reflecting pool, sending out tiny ripples to disturb the image. She trailed aimlessly through the water before drawing her finger out and shaking the water off.
"The others will be awake in the next few hours," she began, her eyes still on the water. Vanille looked at Lightning with earnest, as the opportunity to strike a conversation with her was more rare than Snow's cooking being delicious. "But why are you up so early? You and Fang are typically curled up against each other for hours."
Vanille let out a nervous, whispered laugh before gingerly removing Fang's arms from her waist. The redhead only succeeding in receiving an annoyed, sleepy groan from her before Fang's arms were once again tight across Vanille's stomach. She sighed comfortably, enjoying the tiny embrace but didn't let herself get lost in it when Lightning was but a foot away.
"I figured I would go for a swim, ya know. Relax a little before you march us off to fight more scary monsters!" she giggled softly, rocking back and forth. Lightning quirked an eyebrow at Vanille's sudden energy and enthusiasm, pondering when the girl was actually able to sit still for a moment.
"Well Pulse is dangerous. Can never be too sure. No one would want you getting hurt." Lightning replied, her eyes flickering over to catch Vanille's vibrant green, her statement regarding Fang. It was Vanille's turn to raise an eyebrow, a quaint smirk on her lips.
"What's that now? Is the great Lightning Farron caring for the safety of little ol' me?" Vanille raised a hand to touch the base of her neck and gasp in mock surprise. Lightning opened her mouth to chide Vanille but abruptly paused, then shut her lips. Her eyes shifted ever so stealthily, but Vanille caught her redhanded. Quickly standing up, hands on her hips and a reprimanding look on her face, Vanille stared down at Lightning. The soldier was showing the faintest signs of fright, or was just playing along.
"Ya know, even if I might not be as strong as you or Fang, I can still fight! Without me you wouldn't know how to tackle down the baddies here!" Lightning's eyes widened, shuffling back to distance herself from Vanille who only bent down to scowl at her. "You don't need to worry about me, missy. I should be looking out for you, seeing as Hope and I are the better healers."
Lightning wasn't the least bit intimidated by Vanille, playing along to hear the whole story. She found the redhead to be quite adorable when her mood swung so quickly from happy to mad. Vanille was playfully angry at Lightning, but scolding her nonetheless. Lightning smirked.
"You have your uses." she jeered, receiving another gasp of astonishment, this one far more serious, from Vanille. "Hey!" the redhead countered, jabbing Lightning's shoulder. The soldier girl wasn't even phased by the attack. "That wasn't nice, Lightning."
The strawberry blonde smirked, eyes darting up to see Vanille's trademark pout that Fang always fell for. The similarities between Vanille and Serah was a growing list, Lightning noticed the longer she stayed around the bubbly young girl. She was so happy, so carefree it was hard to imagine a sad Vanille, and try as she might Lightning wouldn't try and conjure the image. Her time around Vanille was short so far, especially nowadays with Fang around, but the soldier girl couldn't help but feel some connection towards her. Whether it was due to the loss of Serah and those similarities that drew Lightning to her, or the weak, clumsy, and utterly lost aura she read off of Vanille from the moment they met, she felt something.
"So says the girl who just punched my arm..." she replied, rubbing the appendage for effect. A grin was suppressed when she saw a flash of worriment on Vanille's face. The young Pulsian actually took a step forward to feel it for herself before scoffing at Lightning. "Hey!" Vanille's arms were shaking slightly by her sides, fists balled tightly. "You actually had me worried for a moment there!" Lightning blew a stray lock of pink hair covering her view, watching Vanille stomp away.
Lightning would never let whatever feelings she felt for Vanille grow any further. The younger girl held a certain ambience about her that made Lightning want to reach out and protect her, finding it strange that anyone other than Serah had evoked such thoughts. Judging from how Sazh, Hope, and certainly Fang felt around the spirited redhead it was of no surprise. Vanille was an attractive person, but it would only be moments wasted when all six of them were on borrowed time anyhow.
"Care to join me?" she asked, her voice returning to its cheerful and happy tone. Her shoes and most of her jewelry had already been discarded prior, and Lightning looked up to see the beer pelt strapped onto Vanille fall to the ground.
Lightning raised an eyebrow and observed Vanille continue to strip, not seeming to care that Lightning was a few yards away. Remembering that Vanille had spoken about swimming a few minutes ago, Lightning politely declined with a nod of her head. Then realizing that Vanille wasn't even paying attention to anything other than testing the water with a dainty foot and removing various articles of clothing, the strawberry blonde spoke up.
"No..." Lightning began, swallowing slightly when Vanille carelessly took off the cloth sashes around her waist, effectively revealing her backside to her.
Her eyes drank in the smooth, milky skin on the redhead's body, her bright curls spilling down her back as she removed the bands. Lightning felt slightly awkward watching the younger girl strip down, twisting around to let the girl have some privacy, but the sight captivated Lightning's eyes. The long smooth line of Vanille's arms, the curve of her elbow, the vulnerable dips of her underarms and legs as the girl stretched skyward. Her entire body shivered subtly in its state of near-nakedness, up from her bare feet and hips, through her narrow waist and the lines on her back.
Lightning watched, her mouth dry, only seeing the display through her peripheral. She had a hard time believing that this girl could act so innocent about such an indecent act. With an audible swoosh, the abbreviated top the redhead always wore floated to the ground, and then Vanille was naked. Lovely beyond compare. Lightning abruptly turned all the way around as Vanille shifted to see her. A slight red tinge was on her cheeks as Lightning got onto her feet to leave.
"Wait! Why don't you join me?" Vanille asked sweet and endearing, the question only seeming to taunt Lightning. Sighing, the soldier girl turned back to give Vanille the respect of at least looking at her before responding.
"Uh...No...I'll just watch you..." she stuttered, shaking her bangs over her eyes to hide Vanille's nude form. Thankfully she had sunk deep enough for the water to cover most of her.
It was then that Lightning realized how awfully creepy her previous sentence just sounded. Her mouth opened listlessly, unable to form words. Her eyes scanned to the left and right, looking for a possible route to get out. Vanille didn't seem to catch it, thankfully. Her lips formed an innocent pout at Lightning's resistance.
"Oh come on! It'll be fun!" she piped up, waving her arms around in the shimmering pool. "The water is nice and relaxing." she added, her voice rising over the pitter-patter of the tiny streams of water from the pools residing on the rocky outcroppings above. "No thanks, Vanille. I'll be fine." Lightning replied, her thoughts shifting to how she would manage the groups time today.
They'd reach Oerba in a few more days. Taejin's Tower loomed in the distance, leaving Lightning in a muddled state, wondering how long it would take the six of them to trek through it.
She was lost in bewilderment at how Vanille could not worry about what was before them. They didn't have time to waste on swimming. Her strict soldier regimen kept her going these days as red eyes slowly began to open upon their brands, but looking at Hope or Sazh or even Snow sleeping soundly, calm, Lightning felt like taking a break sounded like a good idea. Swimming though, was still out of the question.
"But Lightning!" Vanille whined, a child begging her parent to get what she wanted. The older woman was resolute though.
"Yeah, Sunshine, why don't ya join us for a swim, huh? We got hours before the other three wake up." Fang chimed in, her voice startling both Lightning and Vanille. Their heads twisted to the lying form of the huntress, her head cocked to stare at the other two, a toothy grin on her face.
"Fang!" Vanille called out in surprise, not noticing her companion waking up. She waded through the water till its edge, the raven-haired woman quickly rolling out of the few articles of clothing she wore under her blue sari. Not bothering to test the water like Vanille did, Fang strode confidently into the pool, the water only coming up to her waist.
Lightning only felt the awkwardness of the situation for her increase as the two Pulsians, both completely naked and Vanille's skin glistening with crystal water droplets, embraced. Fang craned her neck down to kiss Vanille's head affectionately, her arms encircling the redhead's waist possessively. Fang grinned as Vanille melted into the hug, nuzzling closer to the raven-haired woman. Lightning rubbed the back of her neck as Fang smirked at her.
"What's the matter, Lightning?" Fang asked with mock sternness, but the face suddenly lifted to a sarcastic smile. "You're not shy are you?" Fang seemed to invite Lightning to join them in the experience. Lightning paused, but shook her head no. Turning on her heel she briskly walked away from Fang and Vanille, not stopping despite their protests.
It wasn't that the situation in itself was awkward, despite the two Pulsians being completely nude in the water at the moment, but Lightning felt like detaching herself from the moment. While Fang and Vanille weren't objecting towards the others touches and glances as they carried on after Lightning's departure, the strawberry blonde was beginning to feel like a third wheel.
Still, she felt a twinge of jealousy for what Fang and Vanille had. The bond the two shared reminded Lightning of her and Serah's relationship so many years ago, before she went by the name of Lightning. She missed that feeling of having someone look up to her, someone to protect and someone who loved her. And while she knew Serah still loved Lightning with all her heart, they were family after all, the feeling of being selfish haunted Lightning, having not reciprocated those feelings since their parents had died.
When Fang and Vanille's eyes met, they conveyed the thoughts that they could find no words for, and probably something more primal too, but Lightning wanted to have something similar to that also.
As the last remnants of the nighttime sky faded away, the morning sun casted its bright gaze upon Gran Pulse. The sky was lit ablaze with a variety of different shades and hues of deep reds, vibrant yellows, and fiery oranges. The white puffy clouds gave way to the shining star, its gaze enveloping the cracked shell of Cocoon. Sparkling fresh dew covered the grassy floor, the wildflowers swaying every so gently in the breeze.
As Lightning trudged through the gathering of trees away from the canyon Suyyla was nestled in, she found herself drifting off to such childish thoughts of love and the future after her Focus. To her, love was a fool's luxury, but the relationship Fang and Vanille had for each other, whether they were friends, sisters, or soul mates, Lightning found herself wanting.
It was something so fragile and unobtainable to Lightning, a different kind of fight that she couldn't plan nor strategize for. Something so spiritual and wholly beautiful for her to share with another, to nurture a blossoming sensation she could only fathom of now.
It was futile and meaningless to waste time on such thoughts, but Lightning couldn't help the pull she was feeling.
Lightning did not know if she truly wanted it.
