Chocolate and Vanilla

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy XIII. Prompts are from 64damn_prompts on LiveJournal Community.

A/N: I wanted to give this a shot! Always wanted to do one of these. Enjoy? Yes? No?

Prompt 01. 2am

Summary: It wasn't an odd occurrence that Fang would wake up in the middle of the night due to Vanille's soft cries. If anything, it was almost a daily routine for them.

…

It had been a long day for everyone. They had trekked the vast expanse of the Archylte Steppe and were still nowhere near their destination of reaching Oerba. Daylight had escaped beneath the grassy horizon and Lightning declared they set up camp for the night. Hope was the youngest, making him the weariest of all after the day's trials. He was the first to fall asleep and was soon followed by everyone else. Fang was the last, and also the second to wake up. She heard sobs in her dreams. At least, it should have just been a dream, but the hiccups following it were too distinct and real to be one. It was Vanille.

The thought made her stir instantly and snap open her eyes, alert and dangerous. Fang slowly propped herself on her elbows and did a quick sweep through the camp, content that the others remained still. They weren't awoken by Vanille. Fang rose from her disheveled blanket and walked in the direction she heard the distant noise. The situation wasn't any different than before. They could have been in Oerba five-hundred years ago, on Cocoon, or back on their homeland after five centuries; Vanille was still a crybaby.

By the time Fang found her, she was perched on one of the many rocks surrounding their base, gently wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands. The bracelets on her wrists jingled and shined from the moon's reflection with her every move, almost drawing Fang's attention away from her pale face and puffy eyes. Almost, but not quite. Fang's lips downturned at Vanille's state and briskly strolled over to her, silent enough to not alert the girl. No matter how many times she saw her like that, it was a sight she would never be comfortable with.

She sat down by her, letting her presence be known. Vanille made a small sniff of acknowledgement. Fang wrapped an arm securely around her waist, as if she wouldn't ever let go. Her other hand guided Vanille to her shoulder to cry on, lightly stroking her hair all the while. Neither of them moved or said a word, relishing in the peace each other's company brought.

"What'd you dream about this time?" Fang coaxed her quietly, after feeling Vanille's shudders lessen until they were no more.

Vanille sat back to look up at her longtime friend, green reflecting on green. "Ragnarok…" She whispered, "And Cocoon being—"

Fang didn't let her finish, pulling her in for another embrace. Vanille was surprised by her action, but circled her arms around Fang's slender neck. She didn't have to finish, they both knew how the rest went. It was one of Vanille's reoccurring nightmares.

"Don't you worry, we're going to get through this together." Fang reassured. She placed a small kiss on Vanille's temple, easing her notably as her tense shoulders relaxed. "I promise Vanille, we'll protect Cocoon together."

The younger girl smiled as they headed back to camp holding hands. Fang went back to her unkempt blanket and glanced over at Vanille one last time. "Going to be okay?" She nodded and Fang grinned before pulling her down with her.

"Liar." Fang tossed the blanket over the both of them, blocking out the cold the night brought. "Just sleep by me tonight. Who knows what you'll dream up of if you're left alone." She said, playfully flicking her forehead.

"Fang!" Vanille whispered loudly, but not loud enough to wake up the rest.

By then, Fang was already asleep. It wasn't shocking. The air was chilly and the moon was looming high above them in the sky. Even the beasts roaming the valley were resting.

Her eyes softened before resting her head on the ground.

"Thanks, Fang."

…

A/N: Hope it was enjoyable! I'm hoping I'll actually be able to write out all 64 prompts without too much of a hassle. Leave a review and let me know how I did!