Fang sipped her drink as she eyed up her prey. She had been watching for several minutes already, cloaked in the low light and enjoying the pounding music. Her target was sitting at the bar, occasionally sipping from a drink and seemingly unmoved by the loud drunks around her or the dancing crowd a few feet away. Fang's eyes had first been drawn to the shock of pink hair on the other woman, and on closer study she knew she hadn't seen her around anywhere before. Could be she was new in town, or she was recently... curious. Either way, Fang intended to find out, just as soon as an opportunity presented itself. When the woman put down her empty drink, Fang emptied her own and moved in.
"Hey there," she said when she reached the bar. She had to raise her voice a little to be heard over the music pumping throughout the club. "What are you drinking?"
"Sorry, not interested." The woman's voice was low, husky. Fang decided she could listen to it for hours. Although it seemed the other woman probably wouldn't indulge her.
"Hey, no worries," she said. "Just here to enjoy the scenery then?"
"I'm straight," the pink haired woman said.
"Ah," Fang said. She waited a moment. "Most straight girls go to gay clubs to dance y'know," she said.
The other girl turned her head to look at Fang. "I'm designated sober-person." She wasn't quite glaring, but her eyebrows were drawn together.
Fang didn't care too much. She was busy taking in the other woman's features. Her face was sharp; her eyebrows were thin and angled up, giving her an almost perpetual glare. Her nose tapered neatly down to a set of enticingly-pink lips. Bangs fell over one eye, while the rest of her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that on the other side of her head, giving the woman an asymmetrical look that did nothing to detract from how beautiful she was. Her eyes were a light blue with flecks of darker shades throughout, and were currently narrowed at Fang.
"Ah, gotcha, gotcha. Pulled rough duty, yeah?"
"You don't take hints well, do you?"
"Just trying to make conversation," Fang said, "while I wait for the slow ass bartender," she yelled loud enough for the woman behind the bar to hear. She raised her middle finger at Fang.
"You know her?" the pink haired woman asked.
"Me and Lebreau go way back, isn't that right babe?" Lebreau, the bartender, had made her way over to the pair at the end of the bar.
"This loud idiot giving you a hard time?" she asked the pink haired woman.
"She wants to," she responded.
Fang barked out a laugh. "Didn't think you had a sense of humor there, sunshine."
"I wasn't joking."
Lebreau laughed at the look on Fang's face. "What'll it be, Fang? Hurry up so you can leave the poor woman alone."
Fang sniffed, pretending to be hurt. "Nothing. I won't have anything. I know when I'm not wanted."
"You're learning Fang, good for you," Lebreau said.
"Alright, alright, don't push your luck there," Fang said. "I'm gonna head out to the dance floor. I guess you won't be coming with?" she asked the pink haired woman, who shook her head in response.
"My loss then. See you 'round."
After half an hour on the dance floor Fang made a startling discovery. There, in the middle of a crowd, was a shock of pink hair. She shoved and wriggled her way to the shorter girl and leaned in towards her.
"Didn't think I'd see you out here, sunshine," she said.
When the woman turned around Fang received another surprise. This was not the woman who had been sitting at the bar, though she looked incredibly similar. This one looked younger; her face was softer, friendlier.
"Oh, sorry, I don't think we've met before," the girl said.
"Ah, no, my bad. I met someone at the bar who looks like you is all," Fang said.
"Did she look angry? Something like this?" The girl pulled her face into a cute imitation of the same look Fang had received at the bar.
"Well yeah, but really that could have been my fault. I tend to piss people off sometimes," Fang said with a laugh.
The girl giggled too. "Well it was probably my sister. Not many people with pink hair, are there?"
"Suppose not," Fang said. "But that explains why she's here. She doesn't seem like the club type."
"She's really not. But it's not like I'm dragging her out, she insists. Thinks I can't take care of myself," the other girl said.
"One of those sisters, eh?" Fang asked.
"She's really not that bad, it just gets to me sometimes, you know?"
"I can see where you're coming from, but I'm an older sister myself."
"Oh."
"I think I'm gonna grab something to drink, maybe say hi to that sister of yours," Fang said.
The girl got a sly look on her face. "I had thought that... nevermind. That's a good idea."
Fang arched an eyebrow at her. She had a suspicion about what the younger girl had on her mind.
"Alright," Fang said. "Oh, one thing before I go." The girl nodded. "What's her name?"
"Lightning. Lightning Farron."
Armed with this new knowledge, Fang made her way back to the bar. Lightning was in a different seat, one at the corner of the bar. There were no open seats next to her, so Fang settled for wedging herself between Lightning and another patron.
"Hey there," she said. "You moved."
Lightning turned to her and raised her eyebrows. "You're a master of observation," she said.
"Listen, whatever else Lebreau says about me, I'm not a complete idiot."
"Shouldn't be too hard to figure out why I moved then. What happens when you spend all night drinking water?"
"Bathroom break and someone stole your seat?"
"You got it." Lightning's voice was flat.
"Hey now, you were pretty cold earlier. I wasn't quite sure you were human," Fang said.
"This gonna be some cheesy pick up line? Did I fall from heaven?"
"Nope, nothing like that. Legitimately thought you might be some kind of robot, Lightning."
Lightning looked surprised for a moment before her face returned to a more neutral look. "You met Serah."
"Yep," Fang said. "She says you're a right pain in the ass too."
Lightning rolled her eyes. "Nothing she hasn't already told me."
Fang chuckled at that. "Sounds like you need to relax. Why not have a drink? I'm sure you could taxi home."
"Trying to get me drunk?" Lightning asked.
"No, no. Well yeah, I guess, but not to take advantage of you."
Lightning turned fully towards Fang. "You're saying you don't want to have sex with me?" Fang wasn't sure what was hotter: the other woman's voice, or the look she was giving Fang.
"Trust me, I'd love to lay you down and fuck you silly," she said. Lightning maintained a stoic look. Fang had really hoped to get a better reaction out of the woman. "I just think you could do with some loosening up," she said.
"I don't think so," Lightning said.
"You wouldn't," Fang replied. She turned to lean her back against the bar. She really thought the pink haired woman could do with some fun, but if she wasn't going to drink or screw, her options were limited. Fang looked out over the crowd and spotted another head of pink hair. Maybe some back-up was in order.
She waited until the younger girl- Serah, she recalled- was looking her way before waving to her. Serah spotted her and waved back. Fang tilted her head toward Lightning then to Serah. Serah's eyes lit up and she nodded. Fang nudged Lightning.
"Hey, I think your sister wants you," she said.
"Hm?" Lightning turned to the crowd. Serah was beckoning her frantically to the dance floor. "I wonder what she wants," she said cynically.
"Let's go see, yeah?" Fang said as she pushed off the bar. Lightning sighed, but got off of her stool and followed the taller woman to her sister.
When they reached Serah the younger girl immediately grabbed her sister.
"Dance with me!" she yelled over the music She grabbed her sister's hands and started to wiggle her hips. Lightning was having none of it.
"You know I don't dance."
Serah moved close, pressing her hips into Lightning's. "Come on, please?" She pouted at Lightning. "One dance, then I won't ask you for one ever again."
"That's a lie." Even as she said it, Lightning started to move to the beat of the music.
Serah grinned. She knew her sister couldn't say no to her.
Fang stood back and took in the sight before her. She knew it was probably wrong on some level, but damn if the sight of the two sisters grinding on each other wasn't the hottest thing she'd seen in her life. She hadn't expected it, but Lightning could really dance. For a woman who seemed anti-fun, she knew how to move.
Serah caught her eye over Lightning's shoulder. She brought her arms up to her sister's neck and fluttered her fingers in Fang's direction. Fang took that to be a signal to move in, and sidled up to Lightning.
She moved in to speak into Lightning's ear. "Mind if I join?" she asked
Lightning shook her head, so Fang grabbed her hips and started to move with the sisters. She had a couple of inches on the pink haired woman. She pressed her nose briefly into Lightning's hair. The other woman smelled intoxicating, and the way she fit against Fang made the taller woman revel in some of her more basic desires. She closed her eyes to focus on the way Lightning felt when pressing into her.
Fang wasn't sure how long they danced. The DJ kept a constant beat and the music flowed from one song to another. Lightning was warm and Fang's hands spent time wandering up and down her torso. Eventually she felt Lightning pull away from her. When she opened her eyes Serah was nowhere in sight and Lightning was looking at her with burning eyes. She grabbed Fang and pulled her down.
"I'm going outside," she said into Fang's ear. The puff of air made Fang shiver. She followed Lightning through the moving bodies to the entrance.
The air outside the club was clear and comfortable. Spring was just turning to summer, and the slight chill in the air was welcome. Fang watched as Lightning walked up and down the sidewalk outside the club. The pink haired woman was doing some kind of stretching routine. She alternated between stretching her arms out and rotating her back or neck. She reminded Fang of an animal on the prowl.
"Alright there sunshine?"
The other woman looked at Fang. "Crowds aren't really my thing."
Fang chuckled. "I figured."
The light outside the club was little better than inside it. Still, it provided a better view of Lightning, one that Fang decided to take advantage of. Lightning was wearing a short, dark, tight skirt that showed off her long legs. Her top was a shade lighter and form fitting. The sleeves were uneven, with the left one going down to her wrist and the right stopping halfway down her upper arm. Both arms were toned; it was clear the other woman kept herself in great shape.
"I'm glad you came out," Lightning said. "I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh? What about?"
"The way you move, it-"
"It's Enticing? Sensual? It turned you on?"
Lightning gave her a flat look. "When you're walking around. The way you carry yourself. It reminds me of an instructor I had when I started with the Guardian Corps. What do you do?"
Fang was surprised. Not a lot of people could tell she practiced a martial arts. "Muay Thai. That's a good eye you've got there."
"Thanks. How long have you practiced?"
"My whole life, seems like. I love it. How about you?"
"I've only done a little bit of Thai. I prefer kickboxing. I've also studied Judo and Wing Chun."
"Impressive list you got there. You any good in any of them?" Fang couldn't help herself. She loved stirring things up.
"Very." The confidence in the other woman's voice sent a thrill down Fang's spine. "I was looking for someone like you."
"Someone who knows Muay Thai?"
"Someone who could hold their own against me."
Fang chuckled. "I think I could do a little better than that, Lightning."
"Maybe. Maybe not. Only one way to find out, right?"
"I don't think fighting outside a club when I'm a little bit drunk will tell anything."
"Not what I meant. Think you'd be interested in sparring?" Lightning asked.
"Might be, sunshine."
"Only might? And here I thought you wanted to get physical with me."
"Listen here you tease," Fang said indignantly. "You shouldn't play with people when they're as horny as I am." Lightning's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Fang counted that as a victory for herself.
"You like to dish it out, but you can't take it?" Lightning said. Fang raised her eyebrows in return.
"Oy, I can take it just fine." Lightning just looked at her while her words registered in her head. Fang squared her shoulders. "I stand by what I said."
Lightning rolled her eyes and pushed past Fang. She showed the stamp on her hand to the bouncer and made her way back into the club. Fang took a minute to wonder where her usual suave self was before following the other woman.
"What'd be in it for me?" She asked when they returned to the bar.
"It never hurts to have another competent sparring partner," Lightning said.
"Anything else?" Fang asked suggestively.
"Well you can't seem to leave me alone, I figured you'd jump at the chance to spend more time with me."
"That makes me sound desperate, and if there's one thing I'm not, it's desperate," Fang said.
"Really?" Lightning asked sardonically. "The way you were pawing at me earlier says otherwise."
"Hey, what I do on the dance floor shouldn't count."
"Alright then. If you really don't want to, forget I asked," Lightning said. She turned away from Fang, and even though she knew the other girl was playing hard to get, Fang couldn't help falling for it.
"Now, let's not move too fast. A new partner could be interesting." Fang punctuated her words with a salacious wink. Lightning didn't react. Fang frowned, but continued. "And variety is the spice of life."
Lighting let a moment go by before responding. "So, you're in?"
Before she could reply, a stumbling, shrieking form engulfed Lightning. Lightning's squawk of indignation was drowned out by Fang's laughter. She didn't know who was brave enough to do that to Lightning, but she was sure the results would be... was that red hair? Fang stopped laughing and quickly pulled the body away from Lightning, revealing her own adoptive sister, Vanille. Vanille was short but boisterous, and had a propensity for enthusiastic displays of affection. Fang just couldn't figure out why Lightning was the target of one of Vanille's greetings.
"Fang! I made a friend!" Vanille shouted as she pulled Fang into a tight hug. She was drunk, probably a little too drunk, and Fang cursed her luck. She'd have to take this mess home, right in the middle of something interesting.
"Vanille, there you are," Fang heard from behind her. "What are you doing?"
Fang turned to see Serah, and things started clicking. Vanille had probably made the same mistake she had earlier, just on the other sister. Speaking of whom... Lightning's features were once again stony. At least they weren't as murderous as Fang had feared.
"Wait, there're two of you?" Vanille said to Serah. She turned dramatically in Fang's arms to look at Lightning. She squinted to get a better look before whipping back around to Serah. "Make that four of you." She hiccuped.
"No, but you did find my sister," Serah giggled. From the flush on her face and the way she was swaying in one spot, she was almost as drunk as Vanille.
"No, I found my sister." She patted Fang's arm to show who her sister was.
"And mine! Who do you think you tackled just now?"
"You."
"Alright, cut it out," Fang said. Both younger girls jumped and looked at her. "Seems like it's time for the two of you to get home, yeah?"
"Pssh, no," Serah said.
"Yeah, what she said! Don't be a killjoy," Vanille said.
"Look, the two of you are drunk as skunks."
"Skunks don't get drunk," Serah giggled. Vanille hiccuped again and nodded.
"Serah." Lightning's voice cut across their conversation. "How does a kebab sound?"
"Oooooh, that sounds sooooo good right now," Serah drooled. Vanille purred in Fang's arms. Fang shook her head. Drunk as she was, her sister still responded to food like she'd never eaten a day in her life.
"Then come on, let's get out of here," Lightning said. Lebreau had their bills, or Lightning had already called her over, and Fang and Lightning settled before dragging their sisters out of the club and into fresh air.
Once outside, Fang asked which why the other sisters were headed. She could hardly believe her luck when Lightning pointed in the direction of her own apartment.
"Plus there's a kebab shop on the way," lightning pointed out.
"He, kebab shop," Vanille said, popping the 'p' in shop. She had an arm over Fang's shoulders, and Fang had her arm supporting Vanille. Serah wasn't quite as stumble-y as Vanille, so Lightning settled for staying near her weaving sister and watching her like a hawk. Fang couldn't help being envious- she loved her sister and all, but having a drunk Vanille draped all over her could be a pain sometimes.
The foursome dropped into the kebab shop and scarfed down their food. Well, three of them did, and Lightning ate half of hers and wrapped the rest to go. They set off again, Serah at the front weaving and laughing, Lightning close behind in case her sister fell, and Fang and Vanille bringing up the rear. They passed other groups heading home as well, some more sober than their group, most worse off. Fang saw a few guys eying Serah up, but as soon as they saw Lightning the buildings around them suddenly became much more interesting. Fang could only imagine the look the other woman was giving off.
It was with a heavy heart that she spotted her apartment building. As heavy as Vanille had become on their trek, and as big a relief it would be to set her down, Fang couldn't help but feel that she had missed her chance with Lightning. Sure, maybe there was nothing more than friendship there, but the other woman probably would have made a good sparring partner, and she was pretty sharp-witted too.
"This is us," Fang declared and stopped by the doorway.
"Serah, hold up for a second," Lightning said. Serah whined about having to go to the bathroom but Lightning brushed her off. It seemed like a common complaint from drunk-Serah.
"You never gave me an answer earlier." Lightning's eyes bore into her own, and Fang almost couldn't answer.
"I'm in. Definitely in."
"But you're not desperate."
"Nope. Not one bit," Fang said. Lightning smirked.
"Looks like your hands are full right now, so..." she trailed off and pulled a piece of paper from her pocket. She moved close to Fang and wrapped an arm around her side. She slowly slid the paper into Fang's back pocket, eyes never leaving Fang's own. A couple of pats, and Lightning pulled away.
"Give me a call, we can set something up."
The words themselves were pretty innocent, but that tone... Fang barely garbled out a reply as Lightning collected her sister and slipped into the night.
Fang pulled Vanille into the building, up to their floor, into their apartment, and finally into her bed. She left some water and some advil for the younger girl and flopped into her own bed. She took out the paper and stared at the numbers written there. She flipped it a few times in her hand, almost to make sure it was real, before she set it on a nearby table. She wasn't sure where the two of them might go from there, but damn if she wasn't excited to find out.