Apparently I felt the need to write another stupid one shot. I don't know where this came from. (I'm great at endorsements aren't I ;p) I guess I should tell you that this story is after Vanille and Fang are trapped in the tower, but this time, Lightning doesn't disappear. Oh well. Here you go.
She rested her hand on the cool glass overlooking Bodhum's turbulent beach. A serene expression took over her face as she watched the rain, the thunder drowning out her sigh of contentment. "I love lightning..."
Lightning glanced over, her military uniform shining dully in unlit elevator. "Oh?"
The red head sighed again, never taking her eyes off the dark sky. "Yeah," she whispered. "It's beautiful, and it's gone so fast. Only the privileged get the chance to see it."
Light shifted her weight, wishing that the power would come back on so that she could get out of this stupid hanging box, all the while considering moving into an apartment with an elevator in the middle of the building, not outside. "But lightning is so destructive. There's no point in it. It strikes once, destroys something, and disappears."
Vanille spared a glance for the pink haired woman beside her. "That's what makes it beautiful, don't you think?"
.
.
.
It'd been four months since Lightning had seen the strange red head with a fascination for lightning when she happened to run into her on the beach as she watched the fireworks. Neither knew what to say.
The red head smiled, and Light nodded in return. "I remember you," she said happily, clasping her hands behind her back. "I'm Vanille."
It took her a moment before she realized she needed to respond. "My name's Lightning."
Vanille's eyebrows shot up and she let out a little giggle. "Well then, Lightning, I guess that might make our last conversation just a little bit awkward."
Lightning shrugged. "Just call me Light."
Vanille giggled again, and Lightning found herself enjoying the girl's warmth. "Then you can call me Van." Her head tipped slightly to the side. Lightning couldn't help but smile with her.
.
.
.
Now Vanille was trapped in a crystal tower with Fang, holding up Cocoon and saving billions of lives. Light knew they were heroes, that Cocoon was forever indebted to the Pulsians, but she still had an urge to break it down and pull out the two women.
Lightning needed the warmth the sweet girl provided, especially now that Serah was gone.
She'd left with Snow to live in New Bodhum, and Lightning was having trouble making friends in the big city when she spent every night beating the crap out of someone for touching her inappropriately. It would have been nice to have Fang there to help her kick their faces in.
It was hard for her to admit, but she craved the feel of Vanille's hand in her own, the sight of her smile, the sound of her laugh. No one else had mastered being sweet and innocent as well as Vanille; she'd even surpassed Serah. And right now, all Lightning wanted was to be with someone sweet and innocent.
The people in the capital were corrupt, dark, twisted, and sadistic. There was no time to relax in a place where everyone considered her a viable target for a night of pleasure. Especially because she had no intentions of becoming a whore like the rest of the population.
For the first month or so, Lightning hadn't known how to deal with the women trying to seduce her, but her annoyance overtook her better judgement these days so she just kicked them around a little and they ran away.
This sucks.
She sat back on her plush couch, watching the rain fall as the clouds blocked her view of Fang and Vanille. Visions of the first time she met Fang ran through her head and mixed with her memories of Vanille.
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.
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"Go away."
"What if I don't want to?" The Pulsian's long strides quickened as she walked next to a nearly jogging Lightning.
Lightning grunted, pulling out Blazefire and slicing cleanly through the meca in front of them.
"You're not much for words, are ya, Sunshine?"
Ignoring her, the pinkette simply continued to fight through the tunnel, hoping that she didn't have to stay much longer in the manly woman's presence.
The tunnel ended up being a lot longer than either woman had expected-not that they'd known what they were getting in to when they fell through the hole with a behemoth. Despite the soldier's rigorous training, Lightning was getting tired.
"Hey, Sunshine? If you want some help, you're more than welcome to ask," came the Pulsian's indifferent offer. Of course, most things come off as indifferent when one is leaning lazily against a wall, their staff propped up against their shoulder, watching a fight to the death with a bored expression. Who knows, maybe Fang did care, but it sure didn't look like it.
"Nn," came Lightning's noncommittal response.
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.
Sinking deeper into the couch and turning on the muted television, she tried to shut off her mind, tried to forget everything for a minute so she could just relax. Her eyes betrayed her, forcing her to look at the tightly closed guest room she'd never bothered to clean up.
Serah's stuff was in there, lying innocently around the room, throwing painful memories at her without a care. Her fists clenched. "Come back, you idiots..." She whispered into the thunder. "I'm drowning here, you know."