Edit: Made a change in Snow's description after doing a little research. Turns out he didn't have the cat pendant until after he met Serah. It's fixed now! ^^

When We First Met

Game: Final Fantasy XIII

Pairing: Snow/Serah

Genre: Humor/Romance

POV: Serah

BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

Waking up with a groan, I reached over to shut off my alarm clock. I quickly got out of bed, got dressed and then headed downstairs for breakfast. My older sister Lightning was nowhere to be found, but I found a note on the counter.

Serah,

I had to leave early, so you'll have to walk to school by yourself today.

-Lightning

I sighed as I read the letter. Ever since she joined the Guardian Corps, Sis had been growing further and further away from me. I knew she was working hard for my sake, but that didn't stop me from feeling a bit lonely sometimes.

After eating breakfast, I grabbed my schoolbag and headed out the door. As I was walking, I pulled out my history book so I could get some quick studying in, glancing up every few seconds so I could see where I was going. A few blocks away from the school, I started crossing the street along with everyone else. By that point, I had become so absorbed in my book that I didn't even hear an aero car coming toward me.

"Look out!" a voice shouted, and I looked up in time to see the aero car before someone pushed me out of the way, landing on top of me.

My mind went blank for a few seconds. Something feels… warm, I thought as I opened my eyes and realized that my face was pressed up against a bare, muscular chest. I could hear heavy breathing, and two strong arms were wrapped around me.

Finally, my hero pulled away a little, gazing down at me with beautiful blue eyes. "You okay?" he asked with a concerned expression. All I could do was nod, and in response he flashed a smile. "Good," the man said as he carefully helped me stand up. "Can you stand on your own?"

"Y-Yeah," I stammered, still a little shaken up from almost getting run over. On the plus side, I had a better view of my handsome hero. He was very tall with light blonde hair and a stubble beard, and he was wearing a long beige trench coat over a light blue vest and black shirt which showed off his bare chest. A black bandana, black gloves, large gray boots, and a blue scarf hanging from his belt completed the ensemble.

"You gotta be a little more careful," the man said as he knelt down and picked up my school bag, which had slipped off of my shoulder. "Those books can be pretty dangerous," he finished with a joking smile.

I couldn't help but laugh at that. This guy was pretty funny, and he seemed really nice, albeit a little rough around the edges. "Yeah, I don't usually get that wrapped up in a book," I admitted, my face a little red. "Um, thank you for saving me."

"Hey, no problem. What kind of hero would I be if I let you get run over?" he replied, scratching the back of his head. Just from that comment, I could tell that this was the sort of guy my sister wouldn't be able to stand; outgoing and flamboyant, with a bit of an ego. And yet, he risked his life to save me, so he was definitely a good person in my book.

Smiling up at him, I told him, "Um, it was nice meeting you, but I have to go or I'll be late for school."

"Oh, alright," he said reluctantly. "Maybe I'll see you around, Miss…?"

"Farron," I answered. "My name is Serah Farron."

"Oh, you're related to Lightning? I kinda see the resemblance," he commented. "I'm Snow, Snow Villiers. Nice to meet you, Serah!" he said with a grin as he waved good-bye and walked down the street in the opposite direction.

I walked the rest of the way to school with a spring in my step. I had quite a few questions on my mind. Just who was Snow Villiers? How did he know my sister? How come he called himself a hero? And perhaps the biggest question of all was… Would I ever see him again?

…

The rest of the day went by like a blur. I just couldn't get Snow out of my head, for some reason. Then again, he was pretty hot, even though he was waaay taller than me. I was determined to learn more about him, no matter what, and I knew just the people to go to.

After school, I was able to catch up to Biggs and Wedge, two of my classmates whose information-gathering skills were pretty reliable. "Hey guys, can I talk to you?"

"Oh, hey Serah," Biggs greeted. "How can we help you?"

I took a deep breath before answering. "I need some information about a man named Snow Villiers."

Both boys' eyes widened in surprise. "S-Snow Villiers?!"

"So you know about him?" I asked.

"Not a lot of people don't know about him," Wedge replied. "He's pretty infamous as the leader of NORA, real hot-headed and fearless."

I had heard about NORA before, or rather I had heard Sis complaining about them. They were a small group of vigilantes, a kind of neighborhood watch, who protected Bodhum from any stray monsters. Their name stood for "No Obligations, Rules, or Authority." Who would imagine that the man who saved me was their leader? "Um, is he the kind of person who would put himself in danger to save someone else?"

"Oh, yeah! He doesn't call himself 'The Hero' for nothing," Biggs said with a nod. "Snow can never turn his back on someone in need; it's just not in his character. At least, that's what Lebreau down by the beach told me. Rowr!"

"Forget it, man. She's out of your league," Wedge told him as he gave his friend a hard nudge.

"Where can I find him?" I asked, suddenly eager to meet with this man.

"Try going to the seaside café," Wedge answered. "It's apparently how NORA gets their funding. Even if you don't find Snow, there should be someone there." Then he gave me a sly look. "Say, you're not thinking of joining them, are you Serah?"

"Uh, no?" I answered uncertainly. "I, uh… I gotta go. Thanks for the info, guys!" I shouted as I dashed out of the school and made a beeline for the beach.

Once I got there, I walked along the shore until I found the café Wedge mentioned. I walked up to the bar and sat down, glancing around for Snow but not seeing him.

"Can I help you, miss?" a feminine voice piped up. I turned to see a young woman with black hair and a butterfly tattoo on her shoulder standing behind the bar.

"Um, can I just have a strawberry soda?" I asked, feeling a little nervous. "Also, I'm looking for… Snow Villiers."

The woman smiled as she handed me a cold soda bottle. "Serah, right? Snow mentioned you," she said. "Don't worry, he and Gadot should be back soon."

"Thank you," I said before opening my soda and sipping it.

About ten minutes later, a certain hero sat down next to me. "Well, well! If it isn't Serah," Snow said with a grin. "Somehow I knew we'd see each other again."

"Nice to see you too, Snow," I replied before noticing a scratch on his right forearm. He must've gotten it fighting some monster. "Oh no, you're hurt!"

"What, this?" Snow asked, holding up his arm. "It's just a scratch, I can't even feel it!"

"Nice try, big guy!" the woman said as she stepped out from behind the counter, first aid kit in hand. "You're getting that thing wrapped up."

"Sheesh Lebreau, it's not that bad!" Snow protested, folding his arms. Ignoring him, Lebreau pulled his arm away and wrapped it in a bandage.

I giggled as I watched Snow. "Is he always like this?"

"Nah, he's just tryin' to be tough in front of you!" a man with orange hair answered as he slapped the NORA leader hard on the back.

"Keep that up Gadot, and you'll be paying for your own drink," Snow warned, and the other guy shut his mouth in response. "Thought so. Hey Lebreau, we'll have the usual and, uh… I'm also paying for Serah here."

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" I blurted out.

"No, but I want to," he retorted as he set some money on the counter. "So how was school?"

"Oh, it was okay," I answered. "I'm guessing you've been fighting monsters?"

Snow gave a light laugh. "Yeah, a few of them got loose in the shopping district. Gadot and I took care of them, though. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were alright after… you know."

I knew he was referring to the aero car almost hitting me. "Oh, that! I'm fine, thanks for asking." It took me a second to realize that Gadot and Lebreau had moved further down the bar, leaving me alone with Snow. I gulped before I continued speaking. "So, um… how old are you?"

"Me? I'm 21," Snow answered without hesitation. "You?"

"I'm 18, in my senior year of high school," I said as I sipped my soda, my cheeks turning red again.

"18, really?" the older man asked raising his eyebrows. "To be honest, I thought you were a little younger. That's a compliment, by the way!" he added quickly, holding up his hands in surrender.

"I should hope so," I replied. "So how do you know Sis?"

"Lightning, you mean? We've crossed paths before," Snow explained. "The military has pretty much left NORA alone, but every once in a while she'll send a glare in our direction. Let's just say she and I aren't on the best of terms."

"I can imagine. You don't seem like the kind of person she would get along with," I stated.

The two of us continued speaking for a while before I noticed that the sun was setting. "Oh no, I'm supposed to be home by now!" I exclaimed.

Snow then patted my head. "Mind if I give you a ride home?" he asked. "My aero bike isn't too far away."

I nodded. "Yes! Thank you so much!" I said good-bye to the other NORA members before following Snow to the parking lot. We got on his aero bike, and once he started it, I held on tight as we flew through Bodhum.

"You'll have to tell me which house is yours," Snow told me. "I don't know your address."

"Okay," I replied, hugging the older man around the waist. "Hey, can I ask you one more thing?"

"Go ahead," he said. "Ask me anything at all!"

"Why do you call yourself a hero?" I asked boldly.

Snow's smile fell a bit, and his expression became serious. "It's because I want to help anyone in need, regardless of the danger. That's why I started NORA in the first place, to protect the people from monsters. That's why I call myself a hero."

I gazed up at this amazing man. There were very few people like him, and I considered myself lucky to have found him.

Eventually, we reached my house and Snow parked the aero bike on the sidewalk before walking me to the door. "I had fun today. I'm really glad I met you, Snow."

Flashing a grin, Snow replied, "I'm glad I met you, too. In fact…" he paused as he rummaged through his pocket, pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen and wrote something down before handing it to me. "Here, it's my cell phone number. Call me anytime, okay?"

I nodded as I took the paper from him. "I'll call you tonight, so you can get my number."

"Thanks," Snow said. "Hey, are you busy on Saturday? I thought we could… have lunch or something?"

I grinned. "Are you asking me out, Snow?"

"Maybe," he answered, leaning against the door. "But I'm not moving till you answer!"

Laughing, I answered, "I would love to!"

"Alright!" Snow cheered, pumping his fist. "Guess I better get going. I'll see you Saturday!"

Smiling, I motioned for him to lean forward, and I stood on tip-toe to plant a kiss on Snow's cheek. "See you Saturday." Then I watched as he rode off on his aero bike.

I went inside the house, feeling all giddy inside. I had a date with Snow! Sis may not approve, but at the moment I could've cared less. Unable to wait, I went into my bedroom and called Snow to work out the details. Little did either of us know that our first meeting would lead us to some incredible adventures.