Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix and I make no money off the use of their characters.

The Holidays sucked for me.

I had to work them, Yes all of them. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. It was also busy as hell at my job so the stress of it all killed my energy for writing. This fic is more about me getting back into the swing of things.

A Need of Convergence.

By Slayzer

-Three years after the end of the game-

Lightning almost had to drag herself home. She was dead tired in ways she had been sense the whole l'Cie thing. A week out in the wilds of Pulse with new recruits could do that to you. Lightning should still be at the base resting after the harsh training but she caught the last airship home. Even if the only thing Lightning could do now was sleep she was determined to do it in her own bed.

The bad memories of those so called solders she was training left a bad taste in her mouth. 'The recruiters swear that they passed the I.Q test but some of those guys couldn't tell the differences between their ass from a hole in their head. Maker, this was so much easier with Hope.'

After the Lightning's reinstatement to the Core and a promotion she went to work helping train in the new generation of soldiers. She was hard, and unforgiving but that was because she knew what was out there. The major problem was no matter how well her troops or how well she drilled them did they never did as well as Hope.

Odd that in her mind she compared grown fighting men with the memory of fourteen year old boy. Back then Hope not only listened to Lightning but he comprehended what she was saying and learned form it. He grew and adapted in ways that at time shocked her and made her proud. In Lightning's mind Hope was the bar for excellences she held her troops too and so far none of them measured up.

That was a problem as Lightning had forbade Hope form joining the Core. It was the cause of the first real fight she and him had after she adopted him three years ago. Lightning wanted Hope to have a normal and safe life. Hope knew people were still suffering on Pulse and believed he could help stop it even if only a few people at a time. Maybe after everything Hope had been through and done he believed normal life was the one thing he could never have.

So far any attempts between the two of them to come to an agreement on Hope's future ended in raised voices and slammed doors.

"It was all so much easier when Hope was still just a little bit afeard of me." Lightning muttered to herself as she walked up to her home. It was late but some of the lights were on.

'Is Hope up at his hour? Well it's not a school night and he did have the house to himself so I'll let it slide.' she wouldn't say it but it was nice to come home to a house with lights on. To know that somebody was their waiting for you.

Lightning unlocked the door and as she walked in was greeted with slow but pounding music.

If you're horny, let's do it

Ride it, my pony

My saddle's waitin'

Come and jump on it

(Lyrics from the song Pony by Ginuwine. I know it's from back in the day but damn you can still bounce to it.)

Lightning walked in the living room and was about the yell at Hope to turn down the volume when she froze. Other then the music Hope was playing he had the lights down low and lit candles all around the room. The there was the half naked girl grinding on Hope's lap.

The teenager's had gotten their shirts off but the girl still had her bra on. However what little clothing they had on didn't seem to provide much of a barrier between them. The girl, some whip thin redhead, was grinding herself angst Hope's bare chest using the music as rhythm. Hope's hands were slide under the girl's short skirt and squeezing her cute butt. The girl would called Hope's name as he licked and chewed her earlobes.

Lightning's mind ran through about a hundred battle scenarios. She decided to be more domestic about the thing and not treat this like a battlefield. Lightning just clicked the overhead light on.

The heavy and sexual atmosphere of the room evaporated like mist. Both teenagers turned to see Lightning watching them, her face was neutral but her eyes said avalanche.

The girl jump off Hope so quickly that Lightning thought she could fly. Hope sat up but he had the scents of mind to zip up before he did. "Light! I didn't think you get back until late tomorrow?"

"I wanted to come home early. What's the matter Hope you sound upset?" there was a hard cold edge in Lightning voice.

"I'm not upset. It's just that me and Amber were just…"

"I can clearly see what you and Amber were just about to do." Lightning cast her hard gaze on the girl 'Amber' as she rushed to redressed. The girl was understandably spooked. In the better light she could now see Amber's face.

Amber's hair was too red, like blood but there was still a resemblances around her ears and chin with another girl Lightning knew. 'I see why Hope likes her.' the thought brought with in a moment of cool sadness in Lightning's swell of hot anger.

Lightning was standing by the only door out so if Amber wanted to leave she have to pass by. The girl ducked down as if to make herself less of target as she passed by Lightning.

It didn't work.

Lightning's arm shoot out and blocked the doorway. "You do have everything don't you? Because if you forgot something I wouldn't make the mistake of coming back here for it. I wouldn't make the mistake or coming back for any reason."

"-gulp- Yes. Oh hey Hope call me next time your free. Maybe would could get together somewhere else and…"

-Clack!-

Lightning's hand brushed against hilt of her, for the moment, still sheathed gunblade. Then whatever Amber was going to say didn't seem so important and she took off running out the door.

Hope had used Amber's retreat to find and pull on his shirt. All of Hope's clothing seemed be darker toned as opposed to the brighter clothing he had as a kid. Lightning was struck by how much Hope had changed in a few short years. His mob of messy sliver hair was now cut sharper and slicked back into spiked locks. He had also closed the height gap Lightning had on him to a mere few inches and he was still growing. Hope was growing in so many ways, not all of them good ones.

Lightning and Hope found each other having another stare down. The thing was Lightning doesn't back down but Hope had become as immune to her temper as anyone could. Even the sharp dagger filled look she shot him now was doing nothing to him.

"I guess I should be grateful you didn't come in ten minutes later. If you did then we would have given you quite the show." Hope wasn't ashamed of what he was doing or the fact that he was caught.

"You never told me about her. what was her name, Amber?"

"I didn't tell you because you have no business knowing."

"So that's how it is now. Your keeping such secrets from me. Even after everything we've been thought you feel you can't trust me."

"Fine, I'll try it your way and be more honest. Light, there's this girl I like named Amber. I'm inviting her over for one night so we can have sex, are you okay with that?" Hope asked is sweetened voice plainly mocking Lightning.

"Like hell I'm okay with it!"

Hope didn't even flinch at Lightning's anger. He just flashed her a cocky smile and ran a hand through his hair. "I thought so. Don't worry next time we'll just get a hotel room."

Lightning took a deep breath before speaking. "Hope that girl is not Vanille. You'll only hurt yourself chasing a girl who's not even pale shadow of Vanille at best. "

The air between Lightning and Hope become so tenses that it felt like it could spark. Hope clenched and unclenched his hands, his whole body trembling. "That has nothing to do with it." his voice was both low and cold.

"Does it really! Hope we all miss them but you have to move on!"

"How! How the hell do you move on! Tell me Lightning, what do I do to fill all the holes in me after the world stole everyone I loved! Even here in Bodhum some people are still afeard of me because I was a l'Cie, they still blame me for what happened. Is it so wrong that I just want to feel loved again. That I need some to treat me kindly and not like a monster."

Lightning sighed, as good as things have been she knew Hope still struggled with it. The death of this parents and the weight of all the people he seen die. Most heavily of all the guilt of people he'd killed to stay alive.

"What do you need Hope? If there anything I can do for you just say it?" Lightning asked as she reached out to touch Hope. He slapped her hand away before she got to close to him.

"Lightning what I want, what I need, is not something I can ever ask of you."

As a young man there are things Hope wanted and things his biology told him that he needed. As sharp and absolute as the line between man and woman was the line between Lightning and Hope, a line that must ever be crossed. Lightning was his guardian in every sense of the word and Hope was as precious to her as anyone in life had ever been.

The fact that the love between was even a clean or pure thing. In truth an unspoken taboo lust boiled just under the surface for both of them.

Now it was Lightning who felt ashamed and either of them could find each other's eyes. She told herself that her words were only poorly chosen. Lightning did however feel a secret and erotic thrill at what Hope might say or do to her.

"Hope go to bed. We'll talk more in the morning."

Hope nodded and moved up the stairs to his room. As he left the room Lightning thought about how she could help him but not in that way.

"Hope…?"

"Yes, Light."

"If you really can't move on then maybe join the Guardian Core is the right decision."

"I thought you were against me joining?"

"Before when you asked 'How the hell do you move on?' the Core helped me move beyond my parents death. Hopefully it will do the same for you."

Hope became quite again. Odd as Lightning thought he be happier with the news. He just smiled sadly and shook his head. "Light I've been keeping a secret from you."

"What, a secret bigger then Amber?"

"Kind of. The thing is Light I was already accepted into the academy. I applied without telling you."

"You did? Your name never came up with the new cadet roster."

"That's because I didn't join the Guardian Core." Hope paused to take a breath.

"Light I joined PSICOM."

-End-

As much of a Hope/Light fan that I am I wanted to do something like this. Hope as he growing up becoming a different persona and Lightning not being able to deal with him on even ground anymore. Like two trees growing apart but who's roots are still so twisted together in a shared passed.

I don't know if anything else will come of this. As I'm still working on other fics. No, I haven't abounded them. It's just life kind of jacked me a bit for the holidays. When you're a kid the holidays are great, it's all time off from school and playing. For me it was work harder and miss out on the family gatherings. It was so stressful but I'm coming down off that low and working my way back.

Anyway tell me what you think. Good or bad I loving hearing both.