Disclaimer – I do not own the characters of Final Fantasy XIII. They belong to Square Enix.

Author's Note - Hope you all enjoy this story~ =3

~Together~

Lightning found herself walking slowly along the newly-constructed pier a little ways down from New Bodhum. She wasn't really sure what brought her down here. She just felt a need to have some time alone to herself, and the quiet waters by the pier seemed like a good place for that.

As she walked along she thought she could hear someone singing softly. The voice was clear and strong, and sang in a language Lightning had never heard before. A small knowing smile pulled at her lips as Lightning recognized that pure, strong singing voice.

Fang

Lightning continued walking slowly until she reached the end of the pier, where she saw a small boat bobbing in the water, being held in place by a thick line of rope. Dark hair that always looked like it had been raked through with a lover's hand before she rolled out of bed, framed Fang's face as she continued to softly sing an ancient song from a Pulse now five-hundred years in the past.

Fang heard Lightning slowly approaching but she didn't stop her singing. She was enjoying her time out here on the water, sitting in this little boat, just watching the sun slowly set on the Pulsian horizon. How long had it been since she'd been able to just sit quietly on Pulsian waters, and just enjoy the wild nature of the world around her.

She and Vanille had re-awakened not too very long ago after being crystallized a second time, and Fang had just wanted to spend some time alone by herself getting used to being on her homeland again, without the worry and fear of being branded a l'Cie. She was now free of that horrible curse, as she and Vanille's brands were now both completely gone. Gone like the rest of the former l'Cie's brands. She was now free to live the rest of her life as she wanted. But she wanted to live the rest of her life with someone in particular. Someone very special to her. Someone who had been with her through some of the hardest times of her recent life, and who wouldn't allow her to quit even when everything looked hopeless.

Lightning

The hardheaded, stubborn, infuriating...beautiful, wonderful, amazing woman simply would not allow Fang to give up...to quit...even during her weakest moment. Lightning had stayed by her side through...everything. And Fang had fallen head-over-heels in love with the the pink-haired woman for it.

Not that Lightning knew that, Fang thought to herself with a soft, wry chuckle which cut the song she had been singing quietly off.

The sudden end to the singing caused Lightning's steps to falter, but she stepped forward quickly again and continued her walk all the way to the end of the pier, where she stopped and looked down at the grinning face of Fang.

"Why hullo thar, Sunshine. What can I do for you this fine evening?" Fang asked as she looked up at the woman who unknowingly held her heart in her hands, and grinned cheekily up at her.

Lightning let a small smirk cross her lips as she tucked a bit soft, pink hair behind her small ear as the wind picked up over the water, and blew gently around her.

"I could ask you the same thing. Or rather ask you what you're doing out here sitting in the middle of a boat, floating on this secluded bit of water," Lightning asked in a low, melodious voice that never failed to send a small shiver through Fang's body whenever she heard it.

Fang raised a hand to wave dismissively around her.

"Oh, no reason at all really. Just felt like getting a bit of fresh air. New Bodhum is nice and all, but sometimes a girl just needs a little bit of...wildness...out and away from the hustle and bustle of people," Fang replied lazily as she leaned back against the side of the boat, and looked up with sparkling green eyes into Lightning's sky-blue eyes.

Lightning felt the small smirk on her face grow a bit more at Fang's answer. In truth that was also mostly the reason Lightning had found herself strolling alone out here by the pier. She loved her family, both Serah and the 'new family' she had formed with Sazh, Vanille, Hope, and even Snow. But like Fang, sometimes she just needed...a break. She and Fang had that in common with each other, among other things. And even though Lightning didn't think she would ever reveal this to the dark-haired woman...she considered Fang her best friend. She'd had a best friend once...what seemed like a lifetime ago when her parents had still been alive, and her life had been carefree. It had been a wonderful feeling to have a best friend then, and Lightning had missed that feeling. She didn't know what had ever happened to that former friend of hers, as she had closed her heart off to everyone except Serah when their parents had passed. But now...here like this...standing by Fang's side, looking down at the emerald-eyed woman who was grinning back up at her...Lightning remembered that feeling of having that one special person who always stood by her side, and who she could call true friend...

And perhaps...something a bit more than 'friend'...

Lightning quickly shook her head as that stray thought flashed through her mind, and she re-focused her gaze on Fang.

"Well Capt'n, I'm coming aboard," Lightning said in a decisive tone, and proceeded to step down into the small boat. Fang sat up quickly and just kept from squawking out loud, as the small boat rocked back and forth at the unexpected weight of Lightning stepping in like she owned the damn thing. Fang could only throw her head back and laugh as Lightning settled herself down beside her with a pleased grin on her face.

God, but she is beautiful when she is being pushy, Fang thought with deep fondness, as she grinned at the woman now sitting beside her. "Well now, you've decided to become my First Mate, eh?" Fang asked as she worked to keep the already wide grin on her face from getting any larger.

Lightning sniffed lightly as she lifted her nose into the air, and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Actually I'm commandeering this ship as my own. I'm the new Captain in charge now," Lightning replied with a bright twinkle in her eye, as she looked over at Fang to see what she would do and say to that.

Fang just let a sexy grin cross her lips, before she suddenly lunged forward, and began tickling her long fingers along Lightning's sides.

Lightning couldn't stop herself from shrieking with laughter as she tried to fend off Fang's insistent, questing fingers all while trying not to rock the boat about too much.

"Fang! Fang, you have to stop or we'll fall out," Lightning exclaimed laughingly, as she unsuccessfully tried to bat Fang's hands away.

Fang just grinned down at her trapped quarry, and continued to run her fingers all along Lightning's squirming sides.

"Oh, I don't think I'll be stopping any time soon, my lovely. You have invoked a mutiny on this 'ere ship, by trying to overthrow its Captain. And for that you must pay the price! This 'ere tub is too small to make you walk the plank, so instead I'll just tickle you 'till you cry out for mercy!" Fang chortled as she continued her attack.

Lightning let out a laugh as she tried again to clutch at Fang's quicksilver-moving fingers, with no more success than she'd had the first time.

"Okay okay mercy, oh Great Captain! Mercy!" Lightning cried out with a laugh, and Fang's fingers instantly disappeared from her sides and the tickling stopped. Lightning fought against the sudden feeling of loss of Fang's fingers trailing across her body, and looked up into the twinkling bright eyes of the dark-haired woman grinning unrepentantly down at her.

"I am so going to get you back for this," Lightning promised with a soft chuckle, as she sat up in the boat and tried to smooth out her rumpled clothes.

Fang flashed her a dazzling grin, as she replied with a wink, "I'll hold you to that, Princess."

Lightning paused in her clothes-smoothing to look over at Fang with a wry grin.

"Now I'm a Princess?"

"Why, of course," Fang replied with a matter-of-fact grin, as she settled down comfortably next to Lightning. "I'm the wicked Pirate Captain Queen who raided a Kingdom, and swept the Princess away with me. Now we sail the seas looking for conquest and adventure, and then we sail off into the sunset...together," Fang said with a grand flourish at first, before her voice trailed off softly on the last word.

Lightning looked over at her friend curiously for a moment, and caught a softly-yearning look in Fang's eyes that was quickly covered up, when the emerald-eyed woman turned to look back at her with a soft smile.

Lightning averted her gaze quickly, feeling a faint warm blush stain her cheeks at having been caught leaning in so close, and looking so intently at Fang's face.

It was Fang's turn to gaze quizzically at her companion, as she tried to puzzle out why Lightning was blushing and looking so shy around her now. Lightning was never shy around her. Fang shrugged her shoulders lightly and dismissed it, as she turned to stare out over the water at the now-setting sun.

It was a gorgeous sight, as the fiery-orange and yellow hues of the setting sun spilled out across the sky, reflecting back up from the crystal-clear surface of the water.

"It's beautiful out here, Fang," Lightning said in a soft, hushed tone as she found herself unconsciously leaning against Fang's shoulder.

Fang hesitated with herself for a moment or two, before she slowly raised her arm and lightly slipped it around Lightning's shoulders. When the fuchsia-haired woman looked up at her in brief surprise, Fang muttered something lightly under her breath about it suddenly getting chilly with the wind blowing across the water. Lightning just hid a small smile as she allowed herself to press a bit closer against Fang's side, as she quietly agreed that it had indeed become a bit colder, and they really should share body warmth.

And so the two close friends sat in peaceful, pleasant silence next to each other in a small boat that bobbed quietly on Pulsian waters, watching the sun slowly melt down beyond the horizon...not wanting to be anywhere else in the world than right where they were...Together.

Really hope you all enjoyed! Please review and let me know if you guys did~ ^.^