Chapter I:

"Aren! Aren, look at daddy!"

"No!"

"He doesn't like you, Snow. Isn't that right?"

"I love Light!" the toddler giggled.

Lightning stuck her tongue out at him. "See? Your own son doesn't love you."

"But daddy's big and strong! Light's too...uh..." he noticed Lightning's narrowing gaze, "nice... and... pretty..."

"What are you two fighting about now...?" Serah sighed, walking into the living room from the kitchen. She'd become a common housewife, a fact that Lightning detested.

"Who Aren loves more" Snow chirped, welcoming a kiss from his wife.

Lightning scowled.

"Gee, I wonder" Serah blinked. "Hey, Claire, do you know when Hope's coming over?"

Lightning furrowed her brow. "Hope's coming over?"

"Yes. It's a family lunch!" Serah slapped her sister lightly on the arm.

"Then why is Snow here?" she smirked. Snow genuinely found it funny, and laughed his goofy laugh. "What about Sazh and Dajh?"

Serah shrugged. "Said they were going down to Mah'habara for the day."

"Tch. They won't last two seconds down there without me" Snow leaned back in his armchair.

Lightning raised her eyebrows, running her hands through Aren's blonde hair. "In the Mah'habara Subterra, Hope, Vanille and I took the lead. If I remember correctly, you just sulked your way through."

Serah started to giggle. Snow frowned. "I... don't remember that..."

"Really? I had to save you from a Pulsework Centurion. You were so dopey looking."

Serah's laughing intensified. Lightning smiled in satisfaction.

"I'm trying to make my son like me, sis..." he hung his head in embarrassment.

Knock. Knock.

"Ah! There's Hope!" Serah grinned. "Claire, could you get the door?"

Lightning raised an eyebrow and gestured to the little boy on her lap. "You're standing up. Talk about lazy..."

"But you and Hope... Aren't you...?" Snow smirked, making his hands kiss each other.

"I also remember this one time when we were in Taejin's Tower—"

"Alright, alright! No more nostalgia trips, please!" Snow begged.

Lightning scooped Aren into her arms, earning a giggle from the boy. "You're getting heavy, squirt" she sighed.

"No, Light, you're just getting old" Snow grinned, pulling Serah by the hand to defend himself.

"...Whatever..." was all she said. Hope was probably confused by now, standing there all alone in the cold. She trotted down the corridor to the front door, and opened it, struggling to keep Aren upright. "Hey, Hope" she smiled.

"H-hey, Light! And Aren!" he laughed nervously.

She set Aren down on the floor, much to his dismay, and stretched her arms out. Hope complied, hugging her. He moved his hand up and down her back. "How've you been?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"I feel exactly the same as I did two days ago" she told him.

"O-oh, right."

"O-ho-ho! What have we here!? Light's showing..." they heard Snow say. He gasped dramatically. "...Love!" He chuckled and moved through the corridor to see the young man. "I never thought I'd see the day!"

"D-Don't make fun of her..." Hope mumbled when they parted. He crossed his arms. "Or do you want to face my boomerang, foul beast!?"

The two men laughed and shared a friendly embrace. "Let's go into the living room! Come on, Aren!" Snow beckoned. But Aren clung to Lightning's leg, gazing in terror at his father as they passed him.

"I...It was worth a try..."

End of Chapter One!

I decided to do a sequel (this time a full-length story) to Birthday Wish, because I enjoyed writing the aftermath so much.

I hope you enjoy it ^^

Will update soon.