Written for Imrryr for the Fangrai gift exchange.
AU, kind fluff.. this ended up being way less than it was originally meant to be, so I may do more with it!
The peace was barely a week old when she arranged passage into Pulsian lands. Gran Pulse wasn't new to her; she'd been there many times before, on the path of both war and the pursuit of peace. She was still on edge while traveling, perhaps more so now that she lacked an army at her back. She'd also had to traded in her full armor for something a bit lighter; steel for leather and heavy, though worn, canvas.
She was careful to give wide berth to those she passed on the road, for if any realized who she was, they were likely to raise an alarm even if the war had ended. It was simply too soon for acceptance. Still, she had a purpose and meant to carry it through with as little bloodshed as possible.
Odin nickered beneath her as she gave a short tug on the reins to pull him to the side. A shadow passed over them, though the sky was free of clouds. For a moment she was on edge as she saw the dragon circling high above, but she realized she had nothing to fear from this one.
The large black and purple dragon was known to both her and Odin, even if Odin was always a little uneasy around him. "Easy boy," she spoke while giving him a pat on the neck, trying to calm his tamping as the dragon came in low, only to land close enough for them to feel the ground rumble and the rush of wind as he flapped his wings before settling them. "Quite the show off as usual." She huffed, urging Odin closer.
Bahamut was the biggest dragon she'd ever seen as a mount, and she understood Odin's weariness. The dragon was playful and mischievous, usually at Odin's expense; so very much like his rider.
The rider in question sat upon his back, near his head, no saddle to speak of. She leaned forward, a smug grin on her face as her dark, wild tresses waved about in the wind. "Oi, Lightning!"
Bahamut moved a little closer to Odin, apparently excited to see them. Odin, however wasn't. He snorted and stamped a hoof, a short zap of electricity fizzled before the dragon's snout as a warning; a reminder that he was no ordinary mount either.
She gave him a pat again as she dismounted. The dragon rider too, had rolled to dismount, and gave a playful shove to her dragons head as she walked past. "Go on you great pest." She laughed, letting him know she wasn't angry. "You know he doesn't want to be bothered." Bahamut snorted and took a few steps, then a few leaps before he heaved himself into the air.
"Fang," Lightning smiled, embracing the woman who had become so much more than a friend over the time they had fought for peace between their nations.
"Didn't expect to see you so soon." She smiled warmly as they released each other.
"I expected it to take longer to find you."
Fang laughed, turning to Odin to give him a few rubs along his nose to say hello. "Only took one person to recognize you before word spread like wild fire. I was alerted to your presence yesterday, headed out right away." She turned back to her, a wary shadow across her features. "Everything's alright?"
"Everything is fine. I just.. It's difficult to stay away."
Fang smiled again, genuine and heated. It was amazing how warm she could make her with just a look. "I missed you too." She reached out and took her hand, obviously happy when Lightning didn't pull away.
Fang guided her through the halls of Roma Keep. They made small talk, mostly catching each other up on what they'd been up to in the few months since they'd seen each other last, as well as how their respective sisters were doing.
When they approached a heavy door, Fang quieted and shoved it open with little trouble. Lightning came in behind her, but was not given the time to look around before the door closed and she was abruptly thrust against it.
She met Fang's kiss with equal enthusiasm and was only forced to break it when she was gasping for breath. Fang immediately dipped her head to nuzzle her neck, sneaking a few nips in along her pulse. "Fang.." She breathed weakly, and then repeated it a bit more firmly.
Fang sighed softly but stopped, letting her forehead rest against Lightning's shoulder for a moment before backing off. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
Lightning cut her off with a chaste kiss, trying to show she wasn't unhappy. "It's ok." She should have expected it really. She and Fang danced around each other each time they were together. Heated looks, stolen kisses, brazen touches; Lightning had missed them while apart. It was easy to get lost in the frenzy of it now, when they didn't have to keep up appearances.
Not that it was a secret. So many rumors had surfaced about them during the peace talks. People already thought they were lovers, though they'd never actually gotten that far.
The truth was, she'd fallen for Fang's charm so swiftly, it had scared her. While that fear had eased over each of their meetings, it had never truly gone away. But she needed to find out where Fang intended to go with all of this. She knew the Yun were well known for being a bit promiscuous (a warrior's life was often lead by 'heat of the moment' decisions- life was too short for regrets) and she still feared that all Fang was interested in was a quick roll.
She reminded herself that Fang hadn't started this whirlwind of a romance; she had. She'd expressed her interest first, and even pursued Fang when the warrior hadn't shown any real interest. It seemed funny to her, that she was worried Fang only wanted a quick romp, when she herself had been guilty of the same thing to begin with. But once the Yun had returned her interest, it quickly grew beyond that. Nights spent together under the moonlight while tending their mounts had brought them closer together. Close enough that Lightning had quickly decided she wanted more; she wanted the woman's heart, and now nothing less would do.
"You've been on the road for awhile.. you're probably hungry." Fang stated as she turned away. She looked a bit flustered. "Settle in and get some dinner yeah?" She didn't wait for a reply before she pulled the door open and made her escape.
It wasn't long before Lightning made her way to the hall for dinner among others gathered in the Keep, as was customary. She was greeted by several familiar faces, even if she couldn't remember all of their names. Most of them were people she'd met during the peace talks. She didn't see Fang, so she found a seat and made small talk with an elderly clansman as they waited for the platters of food to be set on the tables, buffet style.
She listened as the clansman, Dia Drokar, told her how much she reminded him of his daughter then proceeded to get lost in his own memories. The way he spoke of her, she guessed his daughter had probably been a victim of the war. He quieted as the food was set out and Lightning was distracted by someone settling into the chair next to her. Expecting Fang, she turned but only found a grinning red head.
"Vanille." She nodded respectfully. Fang's adoptive sister was somewhat eccentric, but she was clever and had a bit of a devious side. All in all, she reminded Lightning of her own sister, even if she was a bit.. strange.
"You know, I heard you were in the area. When I asked Fang if she'd seen you, she went right out with Bahamut to go looking!"
Lightning sipped her cider, unsure how to respond. No matter how often she was around Vanille, she was never quite prepared for how familiar she would act toward her; like they had known each other for years. At least she now knew how Fang had found out about her trek through Gran Pulse. She smiled to herself at the thought of Fang rushing out to find her.
She chose to try and derail Vanille into a safer subject. "How have you been? Are your studies progressing well?"
Vanille waved her off; a visible show that she would allow talk of Fang to drop. "Well enough. Since the peace is finally taking hold, I was thinking about going to study some of the healing methods of Cocoon! There was a really sweet Cocoon lady named Nora who came to stay for awhile during the talks. We talked about the differences and she showed me a few simple field methods. The differences are really interesting!"
Vanille kept on, but Lightning's attention wandered as she sampled some of the unfamiliar dishes. She nodded occasionally, still half listening. As the meal progressed, they continued talking about things that had occurred since they had seen each other last, and eventually they quieted as Vanille became more interested in her food.
Lightning had yet to see Fang within the Hall, and wondered where she was. As the tables were being cleared in preparation of dessert, a messenger arrived and handed Lightning an envelope before bowing and hurrying off without a word. Frowning, Lightning turned the envelope in her hands. It was made of a mid weight parchment and sealed with purple wax with a sigil pressed into it. She smiled as she broke the seal. It was Fang's sigil, which mirrored the Hunter's mark tattooed on her bicep. She pulled a smaller piece of what seemed to be the same type of parchment from the envelope. After reading it, she stood and bowed slightly to Vanille and Drokar before excusing herself and leaving the hall.
She arrived in the gardens not long after. She remembered where they were as she had made a point of visiting them each time she'd been at Roma Keep during the peace talks; mainly, because they were gorgeous. Certainly beautiful enough to rival any garden she'd ever seen in Cocoon, with the added bonus of wildly exotic plants she had never seen before. The gardens were so large, she could always find a part of them she had yet to see; but had to be careful as it was easy to get lost.
She glanced down at her invitation. It didn't say where they were supposed to meet. Hazarding a guess, she followed one of the paths into the maze of plant life. Normally, when visiting the gardens, she would dawdle along, enjoying the solitude, the birdsong, and the fresh scents all around her. Even making her way directly to where she thought would make the most sense for her invitation, it took her nearly twenty minutes.
The area was one that she had found particularly calming. The soft sounds from the trickling brook that fed a small fish pond, the pleasant melodies of the evening birds, even the slight whistling of the wind through the trees around the edges of the clearing added to the tranquility. It was something she sought out when the peace talks had gotten too tense; when she needed to let the stress go and find her center again. More importantly however, it was also the place she had first met Fang.
She smiled as she came into the clearing, lit by the subtle glow of small torches around the outer edges. The sky was already darkening in hue, but once the sun went down, there would be a wonderful view of the stars. Likely, that had been the plan. Fang knew how much she loved the view of the stars; something that was difficult to see in Cocoon, with how crowded people were there, and all the light they produced for creature comfort.
She felt arms wrap around her waist. She knew it was Fang even before the woman nuzzled through the wispy hair at the back of her neck to place a small kiss there. Fang's arms were more familiar to her than anyone else in the world, except for her sister's. She leaned back into the embrace with a happy sigh.
Fang chuckled softly, tucking her chin over her shoulder as she held her close. "Did my invitation get there in time?"
"Too late for dinner, I'm afraid."
She laughed again, a sound Lightning loved for how honest it was. She pulled back from Lightning, loosening her hold so she could come around to face her and lead her across the small wooden bridge over the brook and into the well kept grass next to the pond. "But not too late for dessert?" She grinned suggestively as she spoke, trying to cover her anxiety with humor as usual. And as usual, it amused Lightning. Fang was adorable when she was nervous.
She allowed Fang to lead her over to where a blanket had been spread across the grass. A basket sat on one corner of the blanket, closed, but no doubt hiding some delicious treat or another. Behind the basket was a leather satchel which was likely what Fang had used to carry everything through the gardens.
Fang waited for her to settle on the blanket before doing so herself, opening the basket as she moved. From the basket she produced a small bottle of wine- a red ice wine, Lightning's favorite- and two small cordial glasses. Holding the glasses in one hand, she poured some of the wine into each of them before setting the bottle back into the basket and handing one of the glasses to Lightning, who took it with a gracious nod.
"You remembered." She was only partially surprised. Fang was extremely observant, something that had made her a very valuable asset to the negotiations for peace.
"Of course." She smiled again, holding up her glass to toast. Lightning clinked her own glass lightly against Fang's, though neither accompanied it by a verbal counter. The sipped the wine silently.
Fang wouldn't meet her eyes, which was odd, but it allowed Lightning to see how nervous she was. She wondered what there was to be so nervous about; the peace was solid, even if it would take time for their respective peoples to settle into it, and with negotiations over, there was no longer a reason to steal kisses in the shadows. Was she going to tell her that her clan had decided to marry her off to seal some sort of deal with another clan? Fang had shared that fear with her before, many of the clans were still using such archaic practices, and the Yun were a rather prestigious clan.
Doubt began to swim at the edges of her mind. Was Fang going to break up with her, even though they hadn't really officially been 'together' in the first place?
Fang was staring at her glass, idly tapping her nails against it. "You know.." She spoke, "I wasn't sure I would get to see you again." She sipped her glass again, perhaps looking for a little artificial courage. "What with the peace now, I thought you'd go home to your sister and that would be all." She sounded hurt, though she was valiantly trying to cover it.
"Fang.." Lightning sighed softly, reaching out a hand to rest on the scarred skin of Fang's forearm.
"I'm glad though." She smiled, finally looking up to meet her eyes. "Because it makes it a lot easier than hunting you down."
Lightning had to laugh, she knew how much Fang despised the clustered, overcrowded life that Cocoon offered. Each time the talks had met on Cocoon soil, Fang had been nearly inconsolable; agitated for the loss of the sky, fresh air and the stars. She equated it all to a loss of freedom. After being on Gran Pulse land for so long during the war, Lightning could understand that feeling, and even agreed with it to an extent.
When her laughter stilled and she took a calming sip of her wine, she confided, "I wasn't sure you would bother."
Fang frowned, clearly saddened by the comment, honest though she knew it was. "Of course I would." Her words were nearly a mumble, yet still clear enough for Lightning to comprehend. "I thought.. things were going well between us. I don't want to give that up." She smiled again, genuine though a bit unsure. "Even if it meant knocking on every door in Cocoon to find you." She raised her glass drained the last of her wine. "Thanks for making it easy on me. Don't think your people would react too well to Bahamut."
They both laughed at that knowing that there was absolutely no room for a dragon in Cocoon- another point against it for Fang during the talks. After the laughter died down, they sat in silence, simply enjoying the security of knowing the other truly cared.
Fang delighted in these moments, where she could look into Lightning's eyes and see a softness to than that most people never got to see. The sparkled with the reflection of the torch flames, a contrast to the icy blue that always drew her in. She moved closer and their lips met- a gentle brush that quickly grew more heated. But Fang pulled back all too soon and rested her forehead against Lightning's, their breath mingling. "I have something for you," she said softly, yet did not move to pull away.
"Oh?" She opened her eyes, seeking Fang's. "You didn't even know I was going to be here."
She chuckled softly as she pulled away and turned to the leather satchel. "I've had it for awhile. I just.. wasn't sure before."
The tone in her voice and the nervous action of drawing her hand through her dark hair told Lightning she still wasn't quite certain of it, but she didn't comment. When Fang turned back to her, she held out a small box to her, cradled with both hands. There was a scarf of bold red silk wrapped around the box and tied into a bow. Lightning took the box curiously, her fingers rubbing along the ribbon. From the feel of it, she'd guess it was the same type of silk as Fang's sari- a soft, even delicate feeling fabric that she knew was much stronger than it seemed.
She tugged at the bow, which came apart easily. Freed, the silk slid open to drape down from the hand she held the box in. Slowly she pulled the lid off, revealing a beaded necklace, coiled prettily against a piece of soft grey suede. She carefully pulled the necklace from the box, oblivious to the anxious look on Fang's face as she watched her. Each bead on the leather cord was bone or stone, and obviously carved by a skilled hand. The centerpiece was especially beautiful; a purple crystal, perfectly clear and polished to a shine. As to not damage the clarity of the crystal, it had two silver caps, the first connected it to the cord, while the second had a single pink stone dangling from it. She looked closer at the pink stone, and realized it was intricately carved in the shape of a rose.
Her eyes lifted from the offering to Fang. She knew this gift had a significant meaning.
"I'm tired of this dance Light. I don't want to wonder anymore." She fidgeted a moment, but pressed on, even with the blank look that Lightning offered her. "I love you. I want to court you properly." She gave a nervous grin, once again attempting to resort to humor. "You know, now that I can."
Lightning felt a bit breathless as she looked back to the necklace, wishing there was more light so she could see it better. "You made this?" She asked, rather awed by not only the gift, but also the meaning and the words behind it.
"I did." She nodded proudly. "Sought out all the stones and everything myself. The crystal was hard.. but you deserve the best."
"Fang.." She smiled lovingly and turned, holding the necklace out to Fang with obvious intent.
Fang thought her face might crack from smiling so much. She took the necklace and settled it around Lightning's neck before securing the cord with a tight knot. When she let it go, it set nicely against her collar bones.
"It's perfect." She smiled as she ran her fingertips over the beads. Only Fang could break down her walls and make her feel like a girl again. She felt Fang's lips on the back of her neck, which only added to the delightful shiver. "You'll have to show me where to find the stones. And what bones are best for carving."
Fang stilled, lips still against her neck. A necklace should be given in return when it was an acceptance of marriage. Did Lightning know that part of the tradition?
Grinning, Lightning looked up at the stars, now bright and beautiful in the dark sky. She let Fang stew for a few moments before she continued. "I think a late summer wedding would be wonderful," she sighed happily, laying back to lie against Fang's leg's and look up at her. "That gives me a year to complete it."