Play Your Cards Right

'Sorry I'm late, got stuck in traffic.'

Lightning found her sister sitting on a patch of shaded grass outside the NORA hut, exactly where she said she'd be almost thirty minutes ago when Lightning called.

Serah looked up from pulling at the long grass, pleased to finally see her sister. 'Oh at last!' she said throwing the blades over her shoulder. 'Come sit, come sit.'

Unclipping her gunblade holster, Lightning joined her sister in the shade sighing loudly as she eased into a relaxed sitting position. It hadn't been a long day so much as a sweltering one. Once she'd cooled down here, she'd grab an icy drink from Lebreau's. Thanks to summer beginning, the light afternoons became golden evenings, and the warmth always made Lightning feel more sociable and stress-free.

Trading the day's events between them, it ended up being Serah who quickly dashed off for two bottles of water.

She returned in a matter of minutes throwing a bottle to Light, who uncapped the bottle eagerly, not realising how much she needed the drink. With their throats no longer dry, Lightning let Serah to most of the talking, taking in the view of the glittering sea and the smell of salt spray carrying over with the wind.

She must've tuned out half way, because the words "Fang" and "birthday" cropped up in the conversation, and Lightning's stomach leapt. 'Wait, what did you just say?'

Serah stopped making her daisy chain to cast a suspicious glance. 'I said since it's Fang's birthday tomorrow, will you be here any earlier than usual or…?'

Lightning took a guilty sip of water. The only birthdays she remembered other than her own was Serah's and the dates of their late parents. If it was tomorrow then there was no way she'd have time to pick up even the smallest gift, and although she knew Fang of all people wouldn't expect anything major, Fang had remembered her birthday so it was only fair.

Using the bottle to cool her neck, Lightning huffed at her forgetfulness. 'So the fact it was her birthday may have crept up on me.'

Serah shot her a vexed look. 'I knew this would happen. After I went shopping today for a card and present, I just knew you'd forget. And Fang of all people.'

Serah looked out the horizon for a moment, savouring the silence as she let Lightning weigh up her options, but there was only really one.

'You wouldn't want to get her something on my behalf tomorrow, would you?'

There it was.

'What was that?' Serah replied, slightly miffed.

They looked at one another; Lightning frowning, Serah providing her best unamused face in order to get the best grovel from big sister. Lightning always hated this part. It should always be the younger sibling begging the older, not the other way around, but she really was strapped for time between now and tomorrow.

'Serah, you amazing little sister, you.' There was no way of making Lightning sound as genuine when she spoke, but she couldn't help that. 'Please, please, please will you get Fang something for me?'

Serah gave a whine of consideration, much to Lightning's chagrin.

'Serah…'

'Yes okay, sis,' she giggled. 'You owe me one though.'

'Yes,' Lightning begrudgingly agreed, wishing her water was something that had more of a kick. Yes she did.

I need a new job, Lightning thought as she burst through her front door and up the stairs to get changed. Once again, she'd been stuck in rush hour, and she was racing against the clock to get to Lebreau's bar and café within the hour of Fang's get together starting.

At the very least she'd laid everything out ready on her bed; a white vest, a sheer white blouse on top, and distressed denim shorts. As she simultaneously kicked off her boots and shrugged off her Corps jacket, her phone rang.

Shit, it was Fang.

'Hey.' There was a chorus of backround laughter on Fang's end, the tell-tale sign that she was already out. 'Happy Birthday, everything okay?'

'Cheers Light. Are you still coming down? Serah said work was being a pain in the ass—'

Lightning laughed nervously, swapping a skirt for her shorts and she cradled the phone between ear and shoulder. 'Don't worry Fang. I'll be there in ten.'

'Great! Don't be too long, y'hear? I'm not getting any younger.'

The huntress's eagerness to see her spurred her on; she couldn't let the birthday girl down. With a quick comb of her hair and a spray of something floral, she was out the door in record time.

The brisk walk downhill to the beach offered a brilliant view of the busy pier, the brilliant weather bringing crowds out in droves. If only her head was as clear as the azure skies right now. Whatever Serah had bought, Lightning prayed it was good enough. At least Lightning could rest easy knowing she shared similar handwriting to Serah, so at least it would look like she signed the damn thing.

She gave Serah a quick dial. 'I'm outside now. So if you could slyly hand over what you bought and I'll love you forever.'

She heard Serah try and use the line "sly is my middle name", and didn't resist the oncoming eye roll as she hung up.

There was no way of telling whether Serah got the card and gift out of Lebreau's without Fang noticing, because it was hard to miss; a black glittering bottle bag.

'Here we are,' Serah smiled broadly, handing everything over. 'I got a bottle of Megalixir, I remember she said it was her favourite drink.'

Nodding her approval, Lightning quickly hugged Serah. 'I take back any doubts, you are the better sister.'

Serah hooked her arms under Lightning's to tighten the embrace. 'Hey, no doubts about it!'

They entered the bar together, and Serah was quick to point out their booth at the far side of the room. There was no missing Snow, who towered over everyone as he hunched over the table, Lightning's view of the others obscured by his entirety. Poking above the booth was a glimpse of Sazh's hair, and poking out on the end of the table was a tanned arm.

'Guess who's here!' Serah sang, boldly gesturing to Light.

She exchanged quick hellos around the table, but Fang stood to greet her.

'At last,' she grinned lopsidedly. She didn't appear to be drunk, just buzzed from the atmosphere, which made the smile even more overwhelming to take in.

The gift made her arms feel like lead, and Light couldn't shake the nervousness even though everything had ran smoothly thanks to Serah. 'H-happy Birthday, Fang. You don't look a day over 500.'

Fang winked. 'Aw, what a sweetheart. Your sister doesn't share the same opinion, her card referred to me as grandma.'

Behind Fang, Serah and Vanille giggled and lifted the offending gold lettered card. Lightning shook her head.

She passed Fang the drink and card like she was handing back a child she was unwillingly made to hold. Before Fang could even peek, Light cleared her throat and nodded towards the bar. 'Drink?'

As if surprised by her abrupt actions, Fang blinked a few before answering. 'Oh, er, whisky lemonade please.'

Lightning made a beeline for the bar. There was no way she wanted to watch Fang open everything and thank her when she wasn't responsible for the idea. For once Lightning cursed the lack of queue at the bar, and she was served almost immediately by Maqui.

'How's it going? What can I get you?'

'Two whisky and lemonades please.'

The anticipation was killing her. Lightning craned her head slightly to the side, but was unable to see anything. As nonchalantly as Fang would, Lightning leant her back against the counter and watched Fang tear the top of the envelope.

Unbeknownst, she was copying the small smile Fang had on her face as she read the cover, then the inside, and then back again. Did he smile just falter? Lightning perked up against the bar, her grip on the counter tightening as Fang stared at her open mouthed.

'Lightning.'

With the same stunned expression, Fang slowly lifted the Megalixir bottle out of its bag, and prompted let it drop back in.

'Hey Lightning, here are your drinks.'

She spun around. 'Thanks, how much?'

Maqui waved her off. 'Snow started a tab, so I wouldn't worry.'

The walk felt like the same distance as it had taken to get here from her house, and with the knowledge that drinks were currently on tab, she could've quite easily necked the two glasses in her hand to calm herself. To her dismay the group, sans Fang were huddled and fighting over a birthday card with eyes as wide as plates.

'Well ain't that something,' Sazh said.

Vanille giggled. 'I didn't know Fang could blush!'

She set the drinks down with a sharp thud, and grabbed the card from Vanille before Hope had a turn to read it.

This card does not contain

~any~

NUDITY, SEX or

NAUGHTY LANGUAGE.

These things I will provide

in person.

Light ;)

x

Was she reading this? Was she actually reading this? Her hands shook and her throat tightened.

She somehow managed to speak, but it came out as a trembling whisper. 'Serah… I'm going to kill you.'

Her sister scrambled over Vanille to the safety of the far end of the booth, which hugged the wall. 'Now, Light, you say this, but—'

Lightning flicked the card back onto the table and hissed, 'No, I promise it.'

Not wanted to be gawked at any longer she grabbed her own drink and stormed out for some fresh air, wondering if Fang had the same idea. A quick scan of the surrounding tables and chairs left her both relieved and upset that she wasn't outside.

Leaning against a railing she looked out to the sunset with the deepest frown imaginable, before changing to a different railing with less affronting sunlight.

She wasn't upset, the low sun was just shining too strongly in her eyes, she told herself. She blinked away her watering eyes and took a large mouthful of the whisky, horrified that her hands refused to stop shaking.

Fang's elongated shadow joined Lightning's on the grassy borders below the railing, followed by a firm grasp on her shoulder. 'You alright, Light?'

Ice from Fang's whiskey clinked into Lightning's glass a she topped up what had become melted water. Then she did that casual backwards lean that Lightning had always admired as she waited for a reply.

Undeterred by the silence Fang pressed on. 'Thanks for the Megalixir by the way. Definitely my favourite gift of the night.'

'Good to hear,' Light managed, taking another drink. Fang was side glancing the hell out of her and it wasn't helping.

'But I must say, that card was something else,' she chuckled deeply as she purposely bumped shoulders with Light. 'You've got more nerve than me, that's for sure. '

She dared to face the huntress, egged on by the fire burning its way down her throat and throat her veins. 'I'm sorry, Fang. I didn't mean to embarrass you on your birthday, it was Serah—'

'—Don't be daft, Light. You shocked me yeah, but in a good way.'

'It was Serah who bought the card and present on my behalf, and, wait what?'

It was Fang's turn to avoid eye contact. She coughed. 'W-what?'

Gasping like an oxygen starved fish, Lightning fought to continue. 'I totally forgot your birthday was today, I was busy, I asked Serah to help me out and she did all that.'

Fang bit her lip, her shoulders dropping. 'Oh, shit. Sorry, my mistake. Ignore what I said.'

Lightning had to grab Fang by the arm before she escaped. She had to be hearing wrongly. 'What you mean you wanted that card to be from me?'

Why was Fang chewing her lip? It wasn't helping at all.

'…Yes?'

Lightning swallowed to keep her voice level. 'Well, it still could be.'

Fang dipped her head to close the gap. 'Good, 'cause it's going to be.'