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Prompt #44
Fang attempts to cook dinner for one of her dates with Lightning…with very questionable results.
I was very, very naughty and played with the prompt; Fang is cooking dinner for a date but it's not for Lightning but it is with Lightning. Get it? Ay, ay?...no I don't get it either.
It's also AU so you have to imagine FXIII never happened. Don't cry it did happen, let's just imagine it didn't while being comforted by the fact that it did.
Once again another author has already filled the prompt before me *double lament* but I hope you enjoy this version as well. You may deduct points if you wish, I deserve it.
Everything belongs to Square Enix.
Hope you like it.
"Hey Lightning?"
"No," Lightning immediately answered interrupting the woman's question. She listened as light footsteps exited the kitchen and entered their open plan living room. Sprawled out on their couch Lightning raised the book she was reading to hide behind.
"How can you say no when you don't know what I was going to ask?" the amused woman currently obscured by the book inquired.
"Because I know that you were going to ask me to help you cook a Valentine's meal for your date."
"Awww Lightning," her roommate cooed pulling the novel out of her hands, "you can read me like a book."
Lightning folded her arms and scowled up at her grinning brunette tormentor. "Ha, ha, ha Fang," Lightning stated without any trace of humour.
Fang looked down at her flatmate, casually leaned on the back of the sofa with Lightning's book in her other hand. "Come on Lightning it's not like you've got anything better to do," she coaxed.
"I had something better to do," Lightning growled trying to grab the book that Fang managed to keep just out of her reach, "and you took it."
"Don't be like that sunshine," she beseeched her irritated roommate, kneeling down until only her head was visible above the back of the couch. "Pleeeeasssseee. Pretty, pretty please. Oh please, oh please with a cherry on top." She pouted giving her roommate her best wide, sad eyes which never failed to break the obstinate soldier's will.
Lightning rolled her eyes and tutted at Fang's puppy dog expression. She wondered (not for the first time) why she could never say no to the brunette. Although, she suddenly reasoned it didn't mean that she couldn't profit from Fang's current predicament.
Fang blinked in surprise as Lightning's face grew a small malevolent smile. I'm in trouble!
"Two months," Lightning smiled sweetly.
Fang gasped that was completely unfair. "One month," she bartered.
"Two. Months," Lightning repeated slowly arching an eyebrow.
"Come on Lightning," Fang whined standing up with a huff, "Two months of doing all the chores in completely unfair!" she pleaded stretching her arms out imploringly towards her roommate. Her roommate however was unmoved and continued to regard her with an extremely smug expression as she calmly laced her hands behind her head. Fang's date was arriving in just three hours, she couldn't cook to save her life and her Lightning knew she had her right in the palm of her hand. "Five weeks?" she tried, nervously nibbling her fingernails.
"Six," Lightning countered. She held her hand out towards the huntress knowing that her roommate was so desperate she'd have to accept.
"Done," Fang grinned taking Lightning's hand and using it to pull the grumbling solider to her feet and into the kitchen.
xxxoXoxxx
Lightning stood at the kitchen counter. "So what have you got," she sighed peering into a few of the bags that covered the countertop.
"I thought I'd do roast chicken, with roast potatoes, carrots, sprouts, parsnips, stuffing. Ya know all the trimmings," Fang chirped happily behind her.
Lightning turned to her friend with an incredulous expression. "You're cooking a roast? For a valentine's dinner date?" the solider shook her head sadly.
"What?" Fang was confused by Lightning's dismay. Roasts are real tasty.
"Roast dinner does not really inspire romance Fang"
"It doesn't?" Fang's face dropped. Amused Lightning leaned back onto the counter and shook her head. Realisation suddenly dawned on the huntress, of course the greasy meat-feast doesn't. She whined, "I haven't got time to go back to the store..."
Lightning silently watched her friend pace the room. She was finding Fang's mounting distress highly entertaining, especially when her agitated friend started worriedly running her hands through her thick, ruffled, dark hair. A small selfish part of her didn't want Fang to have an enjoyable date but her loyalty to her friends was always at the forefront of all her motivations. She will help Fang...eventually after she'd let her stew for a while. Plus Lightning found Fang incredibly cute when she babbled in her sexy accent.
"...I'll get a take-away! No, no, no she specifically said home-cooked. I'm gonna be in so much trouble..."
Lightning sighed wistfully as she observed the beautiful huntress stalk the kitchen tiles completely oblivious to her longing gaze. Lightning had lost count of how many dates Fang had been on since she moved in eight months ago. Her roommate wasn't promiscuous but she was a prolific dater who had pretty much dated every woman in Bodhum. Everyone except her love-smitten roommate; smitten ever since she opened the door to her new roommate and found a captivating dark-haired beauty with bright mischievous eyes and a roguish smile.
Lightning had hoped for the sake of a happy and uncomplicated home life that the attraction was superficial. But the more she got to know the huntress the more disappointed she became. The woman was strong, confident, loyal, intelligent, laid-back, charming (in a jovial brash kind of way). And she had this infectious light hearted nature that even the stoic Lightning could not help but succumb to on occasion. Fang was everything that Lightning revered, wanted and needed, and she showed absolutely no romantic interest in her pink-haired friend.
It was so irritating.
Lightning had the power to make this dinner a complete disaster and get rid of the Pulsian's current girlfriend for good, but that would never happen. She might dislike the fact that Fang was seeing someone else but she hated seeing the huntress upset. Lightning rolled her eyes and cursed her stupid girly crush.
"Fang stop pacing," Lightning ordered, to which the huntress immediately complied turning her worried face towards the solider. Stupidly adorable puppy dog eyes, she seethed internally. The solider pushed away from the counter and put a reassuring hand on her roommate's shoulder. "We have a fridge full of food. We'll put something special together and create the perfect Valentine's dinner for your date," she promised with a small smile.
Fang immediately felt better. Lightning never made promises she couldn't keep. "Thanks light you're the best," she smiled brightly.
Stupid dashing smile. The soldier opened the fridge door and stuck her head inside to hide and cool her resulting blush. "So what's she like?"
"Well, she's kind of quiet and serious but real classy and intelligent. She's kind of reminds me of you." She smiled, Lightning is really going to like her. Lightning pulled her head out of the fridge and scowled at her flatmate. "What's that face for?" Fang frowned at the soldier's displeased expression.
Lightning quickly schooled her features from annoyed to nonchalant before she hid back inside the fridge. "I meant what does she like to eat?"
"Oh right," Fang thought about all the restaurants she had taken her date too. "Errrrr...I haven't taken her to many restaurants so I can't really remember," she admitted shamefully scratching the back of her head. Once Fang got a plate of food in front of her everything else faded away into insignificance until her plate was clean.
Lightning rolled her eyes at her friend's negligence. "Then we'll just have to take a gamble," she decided beginning to take various items out of the fridge and pass them to Fang. She paused and looked towards her surprised friend, "what did you get for dessert?"
"Dark chocolate torte from Gino's," Fang answered flabbergasted by Lightning's solution to her problem. The soldier hummed thoughtfully and took out the raspberries she had saved for later. To Fang this was a dangerous strategy, the soldier didn't know what the Pulsian's date was really like. "Take a risk. Are you serious?" Fang said her voice slightly raised with anxiety. She took the cherry tomatoes, courgettes and raspberries Lightning passed to her. Her date may be similar to her roommate but unlike Lightning she was also a demanding, short-tempered perfectionist. But this was the longest relationship Fang ever had, she was sick of being known as the woman who 'didn't do the long-term'. She felt like she had something to prove to herself and to everyone else and had worked so hard on this relationship, jumping through hoops, giving in to her date's (often) unreasonable demands, and she was determined that this dinner was not going to ruin everything.
"There's no other choice," Lightning rationalised closing the fridge. She turned her back to the brunette pulled a couple of red onions and a red pepper from the vegetable drawer and placed them on the counter top along with their wooden chopping board. "You can't exactly call and tell her you can't remember any of your dinner dates together."
Fang hugged the few ingredients Lightning had given her. The soldier was right it was the only option but it didn't seem like enough to make a good impression. "But...but we need more stuff." Surely a romantic meal needed more effort, more labour, more...stuff.
"It doesn't have to be complicated Fang," Lightning grabbed a large knife from the kitchen drawer and pushed the drawer closed with her hip as she turned to her friend. "It just has to have the right flavours that complement each other to create something wonderful." She recognised her friend's nervous expression and knew just how to make the proud warrior forget her anxiety. She held out the knife handle first. "I assume you know how to use this," she smirked.
Fang snorted derisively and put down the items she was holding beside the chopping board. Taking the knife she maintained eye contact with the solider as she expertly span the knife around her hand before throwing it up and catching it by the handle with a dramatic flourish.
"Good," Lightning smiled at her roommate's cocky grin, "you can chop the vegetables." She laughed as Fang's smile dropped. The brunette really hated cooking...and vegetables. Lightning pointed at the tomatoes, "dice half of them in the food processor with three garlic cloves, some basil, half a roughly chopped onion, a few spoonfuls of olive oil. The rest of the tomatoes chop in half. The courgette cut thinly, pepper dice and the other onion julienne," she instructed walking away from Fang to search the shopping bags. "I'll start on the chicken."
Grumbling about stupid, boring vegetables Fang started chopping the stupid, boring vegetables, and soon became distracted. She watched the solider move confidently round the kitchen; turning on the oven, opening cupboards and drawers to retrieve pans, cutlery and everything else they'd need. When Lightning was she was in her element she looked so hot.
Why does my roommate have to be the sexiest woman in Cocoon? Fang lamented (not for the first time).
Lightning set up her own chopping board beside her and Fang observed the soldier from the corner of her eye as she put her long pink hair up into a messy ponytail with a hair-band on her wrist. It revealing the rest of her lovely neck and shoulders that was already exposed by the thin strapped white vest she was wearing. The huntress bit her lip as the soldier dealt with the chicken watching muscles in her shoulders and arms flex with each slice of the knife. Fang acknowledged that the sight of someone amputating a chicken carcass should not be appealing, but to Fang almost everything the gorgeous woman did was alluring. And it wasn't just because the woman had a sexy deep voice, was aesthetically pleasing and her neck was covered in these soft little pink hairs that Fang longed to brush her lips against and feel the skin beneath– they were some of the reasons but not the only reasons.
Lightning had this sensitive attention to detail over everything she ever did. Even now just helping her friend cook a dinner she had this cute little frown of concentration that Fang found utterly adorable as she leaned over her plastic chopping board removing the chicken's drumsticks and thighs.
"I don't hear any chopping," Lightning smiled without looking up.
Fang chuckled at her friend's bossy tone. Shaking her head she got back to her thoughts about the soldier, and to the vegetables.
Fang found Lightning to be thoughtful, confident, strong, clever and determined (or stubborn depending on which way you looked at it). She had this unusual dry-wit that made Fang laugh and just being around the solider made her feel happy. Lightning was everything that Fang desired, needed and wanted but Lightning was also her roommate.
The hunter had to continuously tell herself that pursuing the soldier could ruin everything; Fang loved the house and living with Lightning. And Vanille and her had quickly been welcomed into Lightning's little circle of family and friends. She couldn't take the risk. As much as she desired Lightning she also couldn't lose her and Fang's track record with relationships was abysmal.
So to minimise her temptation the Pulsian kept her flirtations with the solider to friendly teasing and did everything to avoid any compromising or enticing circumstances. For example Fang made sure never to meet the woman when she could be post-shower or in any state of undress. During late night movies Fang sat on the uncomfortable armchair while Lightning sat on the sofa to prevent any sort of potential cuddling-while-falling-asleep situations. All hugs were friendly i.e. no tummy touching or hair smelling. And she never, ever went to the gym with the solider for a muscle moving, breathless, sweaty workout. Fang also dated, dated, dated and dated.
But it was still so frustrating.
Lightning on the other hand had never been on a date since they had met and the huntress was always curious to find out about the reserved soldier's love life - purely for platonic reasons of course.
"So how about you Light any hot dates tonight?" Fang said trying to sound casual.
Lightning put the chicken legs and thighs to one side before washing her hands and drying them on a towel. She faced her friend and crossed her arms. "No," she answered. "I thought I'd give you both some space and go to the cinema. Maybe pop into work to do some paperwork." While you enjoy your dinner date with someone who is just like me but not me, Lightning added sullenly to herself.
"On Valentines!" Fang shook her head in disbelief. "Lightning, how is possible that someone like you is dateless on the most romantic day of the year?" Fang questioned dangerously gesturing towards the solider using the tip of the knife she was holding.
Lightning furrowed her brow. "Someone like me?" she asked keeping her eye on the knife Fang was dangerously waving around.
"Yeah you know beautiful, smart," Fang complimented briefly smiling at her flatmate. She bashfully looked down and started tackling the onion missing the soldier's blush. "Either the entire population of single people Cocoon is blind or stupid. So which is it Farron?"
Uncomfortable for obvious reasons, Lightning stared down at her feet she cleared her throat. "Anyone of any interest isn't interested," she muttered. It was partially true except she was currently only interested in one person in particular. The soldier was single-minded about everything even her crushes.
"Stupid then," the huntress decided with a chuckle using the back of her hand to wipe away tears induced by chopping the onion.
"So it seems," Lightning sighed as her roommate began filling the food processor unaware of the soldier's pointed gaze.
I wonder who it is she likes. Is it Gadot? Lebreau? She does spend a lot of time at Lebreau's bar. Fang didn't like the thought of either of them dating Lightning. In fact if she was honest with herself she didn't like the thought of anyone dating Lightning. She highly doubted that they were not interested the soldier was so private about her feelings they were probably just oblivious to them. It was only a matter of time until whoever Lightning liked found out and they would be a stark raving loon not want to pursue a relationship with the soldier. For this first time since she had started living with Lightning she wished she had never moved in with her. And instead they had met her somewhere else, in a bar or a club. Then everything would have been different.
Irritated by the mere thought of Lightning being with someone else the Pulsian threw the ingredients into the processor and battled with the unceasingly difficult lid. "Stupid bloody contraption." Their kitchen appliances never worked when she tried to use them, especially the food processor. If the huntress didn't know any better she'd think the inanimate objects were being selectively petulant towards her. "Stupid bloody lid," she yelled becoming increasingly exasperated. "Just lock will ya!" she growled twisting the lid back and forth but it refused to lock properly. "Just...lock you fuc-." Before Fang could finish her favourite four letter word Lightning silently brushed in front of her and covering her hand closed the lid with one expert flick of the wrist.
There had been very little space between Fang and the counter; a very small space that the soldier now occupied. Fang was startled and shocked by the intimate situation and for her own sanity and self-control she really needed to create some distance between the woman and herself. But for some reason her body seemed to be ignoring her half-hearted instructions to move. Have we ever been this close before? Fang couldn't remember and even if her body started listening to her she wasn't sure she wanted it to. She managed to move her hand from under the soldier's and let both arms hang at her sides but she stood still frozen to the spot behind her. If she could just take a moment to gather some self-control she could move. Unfortunately for the huntress she didn't need to move because it would be her sensitive olfactory perceptions that would be her undoing.
Don't smell her hair, don't smell her hair, she repeated to herself. Don't smell her hair...Don't smell her hair...Mmmm coconut...Damn it!
Intoxicated and dazed by her Fang closed her eyes and leaned forward just slightly so she could take in more of her, her scent, her body heat, her closeness. Lightning was so addictive and Fang wanted as much as she could get without touching and pushing the boundaries she'd set herself. Breathing out she was mesmerised by the resulting goosebumps on the back of the woman's neck. Who knew sunshine was so sensitive.
Lightning continued making the bruschetta completely unaware that the huntress was still standing behind her. She was so accustomed to the huntress moving away when she got too close that she had assumed that the huntress had stepped away as she stepped between her and the counter. She blitzed the ingredients in the processor, took off the lid and used a spoon to taste it. It tasted really good. She froze with the spoon in her mouth as a puff of air blew across her neck.
At first she thought she imagined it but then another breath crossed her neck and her entire body flushed with heat as she suddenly became acutely aware of how near Fang was standing to her. The spoon from her mouth clattered onto the counter as her mouth dropped open slightly. The huntress obviously had no idea how she was affecting her and for the sake of their friendship Lightning needed to move away before she did or said anything she might regret. So she decided that the best strategy was to slide to the side, without turning and showing Fang her darkened eyes.
As Lightning began to step to the side Fang moved without thinking, slapping her hands on the kitchen counter either side of Lightning. "No," Fang demanded surprised at how thick her voice sounded. She didn't want her to move quite yet. She organised her muddled mind to try and think of a reason to keep her there. "I...Julie-Anne...I don't know how to cut onions Julie-Anne...please."
Lightning nodded slowly and ignored Fang's incorrect mispronunciation of julienne. She was too preoccupied wondering how she was going to concentrate on a task involving a sharp implement when Fang was so close. She grabbed the onion and knife trying to concentrate on preparing the meal. Fang kept her arms on the counter and didn't look like she was going to release Lightning any time soon and truthfully Lightning didn't want move anywhere every again. Does she know what she's doing to me? Is she flirting? She bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying not to moan as Fang shifted and purposely blew against her skin this time on the other side of her neck. Definitely flirting, she decided with a slight shiver.
The absence of sight made it worse because now she was acutely aware of everything else. The sound of their heavy breaths, her body heat, the feel of Fang's shirt sleeves against her arms and her heart racing in her chest. It felt incredible. She opened her eyes just as Fang's arms behind to slowly slide forward and inwards on the counter enclosing her inside them. The meal forgotten Lightning began to slowly lean back while turning her face towards Fang who was already waiting at her shoulder. Their eyes met before their bodies and she gasped at the huntress' dilated eyes. Fang's eyes dropped to her lips, Lightning's to hers and they both began to lean in...
Bleep, bleep, bleep,
Fang blinked as her irritating ringtone broke the spell. She stood upright abruptly. She couldn't believe what just happened. She'd never felt like that before with anyone. Lightning had made her lose control so quickly and forgot everything and all without even touching her. Still bewildered she stepped away and pulled her phone from her back pocket cursing when she read the caller ID.
She accepted the call and held the phone to her ear. "Hi Vanille...Yeah I'm getting ready now...No don't worry Lightning's helping me make the dinner." She glanced up at Lightning who looked at Fang with a hurt expression over her shoulder before turning away. She distractedly spoke to her sister keeping her eyes on her roommate's back as the woman slowly chopped the remaining vegetables. "Stupid, stupid," she said quietly smacking her own head with her palm. "No not you Vanille someone else. What you up to?" She asked her sister. "Oh right I forgot you got that double date with Serah and Snow that'll be fun...Yeah, yeah I'm excited about mine too," she lied. "Can I call you later Nill I'm kind'a busy. Thanks, bye hun." She pressed the end call button and put the phone back in her pocket.
Fang couldn't see her friend's face but her bowed head, and high tense shoulders told that huntress that she'd really screwed things up this time. She hadn't even considered that Lightning might want her too. She should be elated but it didn't change anything; the obstacles and rationale still remained. The huntress should have gathered some self-control and stepped away sooner to minimise the damage. Now she'd just made everything harder for the both of them.
Agitated with herself she rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Light, look I'm-".
"You better get dressed for your date," Lightning interrupted in a firm voice while keeping her back to the Pulsian. It was clear to to the Soldier by Fang's conversation with Vanille that the date was still going ahead. Obviously their little moment had meant nothing more than a flirtation to the huntress. "I'll finish the dinner."
Fang wished she would turn around. She stepped towards and placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder to try and get her to turn but Lightning tensed shaking off the woman's hand. "It's fine," the soldier almost growled, "I can finish doing the prep by myself."
"Aright," Fang agreed quietly feeling guilty.
"I'll leave cooking instructions. I won't be here when she arrives," the soldier said curtly.
Fang's heart dropped with dread. She didn't want Lightning to leave. The huntress knew she meant that she would only be absent during her date but it was the way it was said. It seemed so final like she was announcing the end of something. She watched Lightning ignore her as she chopped the remaining onion and wipe her eyes with a tissue from her pocket. Everything had changed, that could not be rectified but Fang realised that there was something she could do to make things right. She just needed a little courage.
Determined she left the soldier in the kitchen and took her phone out of her back pocket. Walking up the stairs she scrolled through her contacts until she found the number she was looking for. She waited until she reached her bedroom and closing the door pressed call.
xxxoXoxxx
"Lightning can you please come down here for a moment," Fang yelled up the stairs to the soldier in her bedroom.
Grumbling Lightning finished dressing, grabbed her bag and left her bedroom. Checking her bag for her purse and keys as she walked down the stairs she reached the last step and looked up gasping in astonishment.
The entire living room was covered in candles and red roses. Fang had pushed the sofa to the side making room for their small, infrequently used dining table and dressed it with wine, red candles and their best cutlery. She'd even folded the red napkins sitting in the wine gasses. Fang had made a lot of effort to make it look beautifully romantic.
Lightning was silently looking around room as Fang stepped out of the kitchen. Lightning's jaw dropped as her eyes rested on the brunette and the sight made the soldier forget all her residual resentment towards the other woman. "You look stunning," Lightning gushed at the huntress. Lightning had never seen her look so beautiful dressed in a thin strapped long black dress with her dark long hair to one side exposing her shoulders and neck that looked even softer in the low lit room that she now outshone with her beauty.
"Thank you," Fang said grateful that the dark room would conceal the slight flush to her cheeks. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and taking a deep steadying breath, she summoned up all her courage and moved towards the soldier.
Lightning's brow furrowed in confusion as the huntress took her bag out of her hand, placed in on the floor and taking both her hands began to walk backwards into the room. "Have dinner with me," Fang asked timidly as Lightning let her lead her to the table.
"But what about your date?" Lightning asked deepening her frown.
"Cancelled it," Fang replied. "I decided to take a risk on something I've wanted for a long time." Lightning still looked confused so Fang decided to show her exactly what she wanted and she didn't want dinner with a friend. The Pulsian held the soldier's gaze as she raised one of Lightning's hands to her lips to gentle kiss her knuckles. "Please have dinner with me."
"A date?" Lightning gasped in disbelief. Her heart began to pound in her chest when Fang nodded hesitantly. "But I'm not properly dressed," Lightning worried looking down at her skinny black jeans and white loose t-shirt she was going to wear to the cinema. She looked so dowdy compared to Fang.
The huntress' eyes crinkled in amusement and sparkled warmly in the candlelight. "You look beautiful," she reassured releasing the soldier's hands to pull out her roommate's chair. She grinned victoriously as Lightning silently accepted without any further questions and sat down. Fang was too happy to be nervous and almost skipped to her own seat. Sitting down opposite Lightning she knew she'd made the right decision - she felt like the luckiest sod in Bodhum.
She poured them both a glass of red wine and raised a toast "Happy Valentines Lightning."
"Happy Valentines Fang," Lightning replied and wondered if she would ever stop blushing around the huntress as she lifted her own wineglass. As their eyes met across the table she gave the huntress one of rare wide smile and her heart leapt when Fang returned it with a rare bashful smile of her own. It made her feel like she was the luckiest woman in Bodhum.
Her glass half way to her mouth Lightning's nose twitched curiously, "Is something burning?" she asked the grinning huntress.
Fang leant on her elbow after taking a sip of her wine and hummed dreamily. The Pulsian couldn't quite believe that she was on a date with the gorgeous Lightning Farron. So she was too busy being mesmerised by her date's beauty to really listen to what she was saying. "Huh?"
"Burning, Fang is something burning?" Lightning repeated.
Through this indulgent haze Lightning had created Fang's nose twitched with a familiar odour her clouded mind quickly worked out the rest. "Oh crap," she yelled, "I forgot about the bloody food!" She tore out of her seat and into the kitchen as the smoke alarm started screeching. Pulling out the grill tray she looked down at burnt smoking toast. "Hey Lightning?" the huntress began to ask grabbing a tea-towel.
"No," Lightning laughed watching Fang in her elegant dress and heels curse and yell as she used the towel to frantically fan smoke away from the shrill sounding alarm. The familiarity of the situation calmed the soldier's nerves and she leaned back in her seat as she relaxed. When it came to Fang and herself some things would never change but she was very hopeful that this was the start of something new for the both of them.
What were they cooking? Some of my favourite meals of course; bruschetta, followed by roast vegetables and chicken over couscous and finished with a chocolate torte with raspberry coulis. I'm actually drooling right now. If you want a recipe just send me a PM and I'll be happy to oblige.
This is dedicated to the Chef in my life. Whose ingenuity and abilities in the kitchen will never cease to amaze and delight me. As for me...well I make a very mean roast. A very belated Happy Valentines Hun Bun and all those other romantic idioms that I can't say out loud because I get too embarrassed and shy, she knows the ones.
As always let me know what you think. And any registered betas out there that would like to take on my gramatically-challeneged stories I'd lurve to hear from you.