"Surprise!"
When Lightning had opened the front door to her small apartment, she'd expected to be greeted by silence and solitude. After a long day at the gym, she'd really looked forward to said silence and solitude. She really liked working as a fitness instructor – and she was good at it, too – but sometimes the gym was just so crowded. Today had been one of those days. I'm going to change into my pajamas, she'd thought while unlocking the door. Then, I'm going to order a pizza and watch Supernatural and...
Her plans were brusquely interrupted when she opened the door, and noticed the twenty-ish people waiting for her in the living room.
"Happy 24th, sis!" Serah gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. She was wearing a strapless purple cocktail dress, and she'd decorated her usual side ponytail with a matching purple bow.
"Why?" Lightning hissed while faking a smile for the uninvited crowd. "Why would you do this to me?" She self-consciously combed through her still wet hair with her fingers. She always showered after work, but rarely bothered to blow-dry her hair afterward. Her hair was a wet mess, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"You need to see more people," Serah said with an apologetic smile. "We've been here on Earth for almost three years now, and you've barely gotten to know anyone new. So, Fang, Vanille and I decided to bring some friends." She nodded towards the sofa where the Pulsian pair had cuddled up against each other. They were having a vivid discussion with a bunch of unfamiliar guys, some of them clearly trying to hit on Vanille – something Fang promptly put an end to by giving her girlfriend a passionate kiss.
"Sorry guys," Fang said with a mischievous grin. "We don't swing that way." The disappointment on the boys' faces was almost enough to make Lightning smile. Almost.
Lightning recognized some of the people in the room, but most of them were complete strangers. She then noticed the empty beer bottles scattered over her coffee table. Drunk strangers, she thought with a frown.
"Why would you do this to me?" she repeated, glaring at her sister.
"I brought you a dress," Serah chirped, ignoring Lightning's question. "It's in your bedroom."
Lightning let out a tortured sigh. There goes my pajamas plan. "Do I really have to?"
"You can't party in sweatpants." Serah gave her a coaxing push. Lightning gave in and fled into the bedroom, glad to have been given a chance to escape the crowded living room even if just for a minute or two. She quickly closed the door behind her and leaned against it, sighing deeply. Serah was right; she did avoid meeting new people. New people always asked so many questions.
"Otherworlders", the earthlings called them. The world had been in total chaos when millions of people had suddenly appeared out of nowhere three years ago. They'd been scattered all over the world, but since their language was very similar to the earthlings' French, most of them had ended up in France or Canada. Lightning herself had materialized in the kitchen of a small house in Strasbourg, interrupting a very surprised family's dinner. She'd been living with the family for almost a month afterwards, and she was still extremely grateful for their kindness. Others hadn't been so lucky.
Those who hadn't found a home to stay in had been forced to live in the Shelters. Some Shelters had been better than others, but most of them had been pretty horrible. The Shelters had provided the otherworlders with food and a place to sleep, and they had also definitely simplified the great task of reuniting families and friends. In exchange for having a place to stay, the otherworlders had had to agree to become scientific guinea pigs.
The scientists of Earth had felt the need to see if the otherworlder human was identical to the earthling human. Many of their tests had been painful and close to inhumane. A whole year had passed before the people of Nova Crystalia got legal rights and an official Earth citizenship. By then, some otherworlders had already been scarred for life.
Lightning's friends had all materialized in France, and they'd found each other in just a few weeks. Together they'd rented a small house in Paris while trying to begin their new lives. It had been a rough year for all of them, but in the end they'd all found something of their own to build a life on.
Lightning liked living on Earth. She liked her job at the gym, and she liked her small but cozy apartment. She liked listening to music by Regina Spektor, and she really, really liked pizza. She even liked the earthlings, most of the time. She just had a hard time connecting with them.
The earthlings were all so easy going. They went on and on about fashion and cars, how to stay young and how to lose weight, whether or not a celebrity was sleeping with another celebrity… Lightning just couldn't stand the earthlings' chit-chat. According to Serah, they weren't all like that, but Lightning didn't really care. She preferred being alone anyway.
Someone in the living room turned on the stereo, and the sound of a low-pitched, pounding bass and a screeching, wailing synth spread through the apartment. Lightning groaned loudly and sank down on the floor, still leaning against the bedroom door. She simply couldn't understand how some people actually enjoyed listening to dubstep. To her, it sounded more like someone torturing a toaster than actual music.
"'Ey Light, how's it going in there?" a voice called from outside the door. "Dressed yet?"
"Go away, you traitor," Lightning grumbled. She could hear Fang's cheerful laughter.
"Come on, sunshine, stop being such a baby and move your skinny ass away from the door."
"My ass isn't skinny," Lightning scoffed, unable to stop a smile from reaching her lips. She scooted away from the door, and in charged Fang carrying two flowerpot-sized glasses filled with a bright orange liquid.
"I bring you…" Fang paused and made a somewhat fanfare-like sound, "… alcohol!" Lightning eagerly reached for a glass, but Fang quickly dodged her hand, holding the glass over her head.
"Nuh-uh love, not until you get up from the floor," Fang said with a grin.
Lightning sighed and rolled her eyes before reluctantly getting up from the floor.
"Good girl. Now the dress." Fang nodded towards the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Someone, supposedly Serah, had hanged a black, slinky thing on the wardrobe door.
"How come you get to wear jeans when I have to wear a dress?" Lightning muttered, glaring jealously at Fang's outfit. She was wearing tight jeans and a simple black tank top, showing off all her tattoos and scars. The outfit was complemented with her traditional Oerban jewelry and high heeled black pumps, giving her a bohemian yet stylish look.
"Because I'm wearing five-inch heels, love," Fang answered, pointing at the pumps. "Wanna trade?"
"No. Oh hell, no." Lightning looked at the shoes in horror, shuddering by the mere thought of wearing heels that high. "And Fang? Be careful with the parquet floor."
This time it was Fang's turn to roll her eyes. "Just put on the freaking dress."
Lightning swiftly changed out of her training clothes, put on the dress and took a look in the full length mirror on the wall. The dress was actually a pleasant surprise – it was simple and elegant, and the satin material felt good against her skin. Its neckline was V-shaped, and the wide skirt ended halfway down her thighs. She took a quick twirl, and watched with satisfaction as the dress flowed around her.
"That wasn't too bad, was it?" Fang commented with amusement in her voice. "Makeup?"
"Not happening."
"Not even to cover up those bags under your eyes?" Fang's voice took a more serious tone as she looked closer at Lightning's face. "Still having problems sleeping?"
"I'm fine." Lightning reached for one of the glasses again, and this time Fang complied. She took a careful sip, and almost spat it right out again.
"What the hell, Fang," she said with a disgusted frown. "You're a bartender, you're supposed to be good at this. How much sugar did you put in this?"
"Stop being such a wuss. I invented it yesterday and the customers loved it. I call it 'Sex on the Fang'." Fang grinned proudly. "Sure, it's a bit on the sweet side, but it totally hides the fact that it's basically just vodka."
Lightning shook her head, smiling at her best friend. Oerba Yun Fang was like an untamable wildfire with a will of steel. They'd had each other's backs more times than either of them could remember, and Lightning trusted her completely. Fang's brutal honesty was refreshing, especially in a world filled with shallow small talk. The small pub where Fang worked as a bartender wasn't far from Lightning's gym, so she would often visit her after work just to hang out for a while, always leaving before the pub got too crowded.
"Hey, hey, hey! The hero's here, and he's got booze!" a voice bawled loud enough to drown out the rumbling dubstep bass. Lightning and Fang simultaneously took a deep swig from their drinks.
"Traitors, all of you," Lightning muttered while putting on a pair of flat ballerina pumps.
"Nah, it'll do you good. Besides, I have a gift for ya." Fang's grin turned suspiciously mischievous. It was the same kind of grin she'd worn when she had spiked the punch at Snow's and Serah's wedding with rum and tequila.
"Damn it Fang, what did you do?" Lightning asked, feeling both excited and terrified. Mostly terrified.
"Come on, I'll show you," Fang answered, looking impossibly smug. She grabbed Lightning's hand and promptly dragged her out of the bedroom. "See that handsome bearded fella' over there?" Fang pointed indiscreetly at the sofa, where a dark-haired man in his early thirties was currently having a beer. He was tall and of muscular build, wearing a black button-down shirt and worn-out jeans. Fang was right; he was indeed a handsome bearded fella'. Lightning looked quizzically at her friend.
"Well, his name is Thomas, he's a friend from work to whom I may or may not have promoted some of your… talents." Fang wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.
"You did what?!" Lightning accidentally met Thomas' gaze, who grinned at her knowingly. She quickly looked away, blushing wildly.
"I also may or may not have let it slip that your curtains match the-"
Lightning punched her friend in the arm. Hard. "You're insane. You're literally insane."
"Old news, old news. Happy birthday, sunshine. Now go get laid." Fang was just about to give Lightning an even less discrete push when the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Lightning quickly announced and hurried to the door. She took two deep breaths before opening it, trying to get the redness of her face under control.
As she opened the door, she realized she shouldn't even have bothered trying.
"Happy birthday, Light."
Lightning took another deep swig from her drink before putting the glass down on the hallway table to give Hope the expected hug. Of course he had to wear a suit, she thought to herself, mentally swearing.
Hope wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. He smelled of his usual cologne and that special scent that seemed to belong only to him; the scent of Hope. Lightning tried to ignore the way her heart was fluttering, and prayed to everything holy she wasn't blushing. He's 17, she silently hissed at herself. It doesn't matter how old his mind is; his body is still 17.
Lately, that fact had become harder and harder to remember. He was already looking almost exactly like his grown-up self again. The most common theory was that since his mind was so much older than his body, his body had tried to compensate by going through puberty extra fast. Lightning didn't care how it happened. All she knew was that he was more handsome than ever, and in that suit… 17, 17, 17, she mentally chanted, feeling disgusted with herself.
Everything had been so much easier when he was five feet tall. When he'd been five feet tall, she'd been able to convince herself that her feelings for him were only those of an older sister. Perhaps that was all she'd felt for him back then, but somewhere along the way – probably when he outgrew her and his voice stopped breaking – those feelings had changed.
A part of those feelings were pure gratefulness. After the battle with Bhunivelze, she'd fallen deep inside her own mind. She'd reunited with all the emotions she'd repressed over the years since her mother died, and they'd almost swallowed her whole. She'd been small and weak, and she'd cried out for help – and Hope had answered. He'd had to choose between saving her and being reborn with his parents, and he'd chosen her. He'd taken her hand and pulled her out of the darkness. He could have had a new life, a better life – and instead, he'd chosen her.
Lightning truly wished gratefulness were the only thing she felt for Hope, but she knew that wasn't the case. She felt something else too, something she really didn't want to think about. Something she hoped would go away if she just ignored it long enough.
"Light? Is everything okay?"
"Huh?" She glanced up at Hope. He was looking a little worried, but a small smile was playing on his lips. Not until then did Lightning realize that their hug had definitely overstepped the boundaries of how long an embrace should last. She had burrowed her fingers deep into his suit jacket, wrinkling the material. Embarrassed, she released her grip and tried to smooth out the wrinkles.
"Not that I mind, though," Hope added, clearly amused. Lightning then realized she was basically just patting Hope's chest, and that if she hadn't been blushing before, she most definitely was now.
"I'm sorry," Lightning said dejectedly. "I just zoned out a bit." She began to back away, but Hope's arm found its way around her waist, holding her in place.
"You're still not sleeping, are you?" he asked. The amusement in his voice was gone, and worry had taken its place.
"I'm fine," Lightning answered automatically, averting her gaze.
"Of course you'd say that," Hope muttered, shaking his head. "Hey." He placed his index finger under her chin and gently tilted her head back, coercing her to look at him. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
"Right," Lightning said with a smile, and flicked him on the forehead. "Stop worrying."
"… And then I caught the cat, you know, like in that Simba scene? The one with the monkey?" Snow was standing on the threshold between the hallway and the living room, loudly bragging about one of his many firefighter adventures. Too late, Lightning recognized the story her brother-in-law was telling. She quickly looked over her shoulder, and realized that she was the person standing closest to Snow.
"Shit! Help me," she hissed at Hope, who only laughed and took a big step back.
"You know, when the monkey goes…" Snow turned around to demonstrate on the person closest to him, saw Lightning, clamped his ridiculously large hands around her waist and swung her up in the air. "… like this! That scene!"
"If you don't let me down right now, I will kill you. I swear, I will kill you," Lightning growled, dangling helplessly in his grip.
"In the cirrrrrcle of life!" Snow hollered, reenacting the movie scene by spinning around and holding her up in front of the crowd. This wasn't the first time Lightning had found herself in this situation, so she knew squirming and kicking wouldn't help her. Instead, she pulled off one of her shoes and threw it in Snow's face. Snow's reflexes kicked in, and he practically tossed her away from him to catch the make-shift projectile. Lightning made a graceful somersault and was about to land just as gracefully on her feet, when someone caught her in the air.
"Hey there, pretty lady," said the Hot Bearded Fella'. "That could have ended badly."
He'd caught her in a bridal-style carry, with one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back. It was all very romantic, and Lightning did not like it.
"Yeah. Sure," she said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Vanille jumped up from the sofa with a little squeal and gave Serah a high five. Lightning glanced at Fang, who confirmed her suspicion with a smug grin – they were all in on Fang's matchmaking shenanigans. Lightning suddenly longed for Fang's disgusting drink again, or at least the vodka part of it.
"Thanks, I guess… Thomas, was it?" Lightning faked a smile, feeling increasingly uncomfortable in the stranger's arms. "Please let me down."
"Sure thing, pretty lady." Thomas gently lowered her feet to the ground.
"Snow. The shoe." Lightning reached out her hand, glaring at her brother-in-law. "Your wife was literally two meters away from you. Two meters." Serah, leaning against the wall two meters away from them, started to giggle.
"Sorry, you were closer," Snow said, grinning widely without a single trace of regret on his face. Lightning grunted and snatched her shoe back from Snow's hand.
"Stop frowning, sis," Serah said, still giggling. "You're really pretty in that dress, but you're even prettier when you smile." She patted Lightning on the shoulder, and then turned to her husband. "If you keep doing that, she will kill you one day. You know that, right?"
Snow answered with an evasive shrug. Serah sighed, shaking her head. "Come on, Farron-boy, let's go and prepare the cake." She took Snow's hand in hers and dragged him towards the kitchen.
"Farronboy?" Thomas asked, looking a bit confused. "What's a farronboy?"
"It's the nickname he got when he married into the Farron family. Serah refused to change her name, so Snow took hers instead," Hope explained. "A Farron sister will always remain a Farron sister."
Lightning noticed that a strand of her hair had somehow gotten caught in the zipper on the back of her dress. She tried to pull it free, but it wouldn't budge. Silently swearing, she walked over to the hallway table and picked up a pair of scissors out of one of the drawers. She was just about to cut off the whole strand when a hand closed over hers, removing the scissors from her grasp.
"What are you doing?" Hope asked.
Lightning turned around and tried to take back the scissors, but Hope quickly dodged her hand and held them high over his head, which turned out to be way out of her reach.
"My hair. It's stuck. Gimme." She tried to reach for the scissors again, mentally grumbling about how much easier life had been when Hope was five feet tall.
"You can't just cut it all off like that. Did you even try to untangle it? Turn around." Hope's command didn't leave any room for discussion, and since he sounded genuinely upset Lightning did as he said.
"It's just hair," she muttered as Hope began to work on the zipper. His hands were gentle and confident, and every once in a while they lingered an extra moment against the bare skin on her back. He's 17, she reminded herself. 17, 17, 17.
"Well, I happen to like your hair. A lot." With one last tug he freed the lock of hair without having to use the scissors at all. "That reminds me – stand still, okay? I've got a birthday present for you."
"I thought I said I didn't want any gifts." Lightning glanced over her shoulder. Hope was searching for something in the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
"Don't look," he said, frowning a little. Lightning reluctantly looked away again.
A cool weight settled on her chest. "A necklace?" she asked curiously.
"Yeah." Hope lifted her hair to fasten the chain around her neck. "I know you didn't want anything and that you rarely wear jewelry, but when I found this… It was just so perfect for you. I couldn't help myself."
Lightning walked over to the hallway mirror to take a look at Hope's gift. The necklace consisted of a simple silver chain, with a silver lightning bolt attached to it. The lightning bolt was adorned with clusters of pink gems in different hues, all of them matching the color of Lightning's hair.
"It's beautiful," she said, and she really meant it. Hope was right; it was perfect for her, and it looked amazing with the dress.
"So, you like it?"
"I love it." She turned away from the mirror to face him, smiling brightly. "Thank you."
Hope froze for a moment, and then chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's ridiculous how beautiful you are when you smile like that." He closed the distance between them and gave her an affectionate kiss on the forehead. Lightning's mind came to a complete standstill, and it only got worse when she once again caught a whiff of his cologne. "I wish you'd smile like that more often."
Lightning fixed her gaze on the floor, since she knew that the look on Hope's face would not be the look of a 17 year-old.
"Guys!" Snow yelled from the kitchen, cutting off their rendezvous. "It's time for cake and alcohol!"His words caused loud cheers and shouts of approval throughout the apartment.
"My neighbors are going to hate me forever if you keep this up," Lightning said to the group as she joined them in the kitchen.
"Was that a frown?" Vanille suddenly closed in on Lightning, inspecting her face.
"I don't think so?" Lightning said, cocking an eyebrow.
"I think it was a frown. Go get her, babe." Fang gave Vanille an encouraging pat on the back.
Vanille grinned widely and put her hands in the pockets of her black brace skirt. "You see, there's a kid in my class at the kindergarten who does this magical spell every time someone frowns, and it always cheers people up." Vanille took a deep breath, and then started to sing.
"Turn that frown, upside down – Don't be so bitter, here have some glitter!" She suddenly pulled her hands out of her pockets and threw a cloud of multicolored glitter confetti over Lightning.
"Why?" Lightning exclaimed miserably while pieces of glitter rained down all over the kitchen. "Just… why?"
Lightning's sparkling misery was enough to make the whole room break out in hysterical laughter.
"Come on, sunshine," Fang wheezed, tears flowing from her eyes. "You can't be bitter – you just had some glitter."
Lightning couldn't help but join her friends' laughter, even though she dreaded the cleanup her kitchen would need afterwards. "Sounds like a great kid," she said to Vanille.
"He is. He graduates this spring with the rest of the class, so there's a chance he might end up in Serah's class next year." She turned to Serah, suddenly looking a little worried. "Are they allowed to bring glitter to elementary school too? He really loves his glitter."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Serah said, still laughing. "As long as he learns to clean up after himself. Cake?"
After the whole confetti escapade was over, everyone grabbed piece of cake and settled down in the living room again. Fang managed to somehow arrange it so Thomas would sit next to Lightning in the sofa.
"But there aren't enough chairs for everybody," Lightning said, preparing to get out of the situation.
"I'll fetch some more from the kitchen. Don't get up, I'm on it," Serah quickly replied and hurried back to the kitchen.
"But I-"
"Sit. The fuck. Down." Fang's hand clamped down on Lightning's thigh. "You're gonna sit here, look pretty, eat some cake and socialize with the friendly earthlings while getting moderately wasted. You hear me?" Fang's words were as rough as her actions, and if Lightning hadn't known her so well, she might have taken offense. She knew Fang was just being concerned about her, and that this was her way of showing it.
"Fine," Lightning muttered with a frown, "but only if we turn off the freaking dubstep."
Lightning spent the following hour socializing with her guests. After a glass of wine or two, it wasn't that bad. They were all nice people, and they even made her laugh once in a while. Thomas turned out to be a frequent gym-goer, and Lightning really enjoyed talking about exercises and gym equipment with him.
"… and that's why I prefer last year's model of those cross-trainers. The models from this…" Thomas paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, Lightning," he continued, "but you've got so much glitter in your hair it's hard to concentrate."
"I can imagine," Lightning said with a short laugh. "And you can call me Light." She started to comb through her hair with her fingers. "Seriously, Vanille, what did you put in that glitter bomb?"
"Glitter powder, glitter sequins, pieces of glitter paper, everything glittery I could find at work." Vanille was practically glowing with pride.
Thomas reached out a hand towards Lightning's hair. "Can I…?" he asked, waiting for her permission to continue. Lightning appreciated it. Any other day, she'd never let a stranger close enough to touch her hair, but tonight she decided to make an exception. "Sure, go ahead," she said, silently wondering if Fang had spiked those drinks with something worse than alcohol. It wasn't like her to be this… happy. She absent-mindedly placed her hand on her new necklace. She did not want to consider the possibility that her happiness was caused by being in the same room as a silver-haired teenager.
Thomas began to pick pieces of glitter out of Lightning's hair. "So, this is actually your natural hair color?"
"Yeah," Lightning confirmed. His question reminded her of Fang's comment earlier, and she could feel her cheeks turn red again.
"I think it's really pretty."
Lightning noticed that Thomas had a really nice smile. In fact, everything about Thomas was nice. Nothing more, nothing less, just… nice. He was handsome, no doubt about it, and he had a great personality, too – yet Lightning didn't feel even the slightest hint of attraction towards him. It was a pity, really. Everything would be so much easier if she could have just fallen for a normal, earthling guy like Thomas. Instead, she'd fallen helplessly in love with an ancient being in the body of a 17 year-old.
"I'm sorry, Thomas, but I-"
"Light. I need to talk to you." Lightning was suddenly dragged out of the sofa, and Hope's grip around her wrist was almost tight enough to hurt. Hope marched right through the living room and the hallway, and he didn't stop until they were both inside Lightning's bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind them.
"Hope? What the hell?"
Hope let go of her wrist and leaned heavily against the door. Silence spread through the room.
"Seriously, Hope, what?"
"I don't know," Hope finally said with a sigh. "I should probably try to come up with a good reason right about now, but the truth is that I just wanted to get you away from him."
"Who? Thomas?" Lightning asked incredulously.
"No, that other guy playing with your hair," Hope answered, voice dripping with sarcasm. He then sighed again. "I'm not the guy I used to be, Light," he continued. "I used to be so good. All altruism and selflessness. Bhunivelze destroyed that in me. I dress up in these fancy suits and have conferences with this planet's scientists, and the old me would have loved it. The old me would have worked day and night to help the earthlings with their technology. The old me would have given them those damn flying cars by now. Present, post-Bhuni me? Couldn't care less." For the first time since they entered the room, Hope actually looked up from the ground and met Lightning's eyes. "The science of this world bores me, Light. Everywhere I go, I'm treated as a child. I learnt everything they know about quantum physics in high school on Cocoon. I'm always bored, Light. Always. And when I'm bored, I think, and when I think, I remember." He smiled humorlessly. "You're not the only one who doesn't sleep." In the dim light from the lamp on the bedside table, Hope's eyes looked haunted.
"I'm so sorry, Hope. I didn't know," Lightning whispered, her heart truly aching for his sake. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, just like she'd done on Cocoon so many years ago. 'I won't abandon you,' she'd said that day. I really sucked at keeping that promise, she thought bitterly.
"I'm not the guy I used to be," Hope mumbled again. He turned swiftly turned them around, cornering Lightning against the door. "I convinced myself I could wait for you, that I wouldn't touch you until this body," he gesticulated at his body with a disgusted frown, "turned 18. I wanted to be sure you'd see me as a man, not as a boy, and I knew you'd be uncomfortable if someone in a kid's body started to hit on you. I thought I could wait, I really did, but seeing you with that guy? The old me would have sucked it up and waited for his turn, but this me is too selfish for that. I'm going to fight for you with all my might. I want you, Light. I want you to be mine. That's how selfish I am nowadays."
Lightning was speechless. Hope was standing close enough to seriously impair her ability to think coherent thoughts. 17, 17, 17, she chanted.
"17, huh. So that really is the problem."
Lightning hadn't even noticed she was chanting out loud. "Shit," she muttered, blushing again.
"Silly girl." Hope gently caressed her cheek, tilting her head slightly upwards. "I'm 530 years old, Light. You're 24. You're just a baby compared to me." He paused for a moment, and then chuckled softly. "I should probably be the one to feel bad for coming on to someone so young." There was a teasing tone in his voice, but his eyes were serious and sincere. "But I don't. I don't feel bad for wanting you anymore. I've been in love with you for more than half a millennium, Light. Etro and Bhunivelze weren't the only ones who saw you as a goddess – you've always been my goddess too."
Lightning's self-control finally snapped. She grabbed the lapel of his suit jacket, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. It began as a calm and tender kiss, but it quickly intensified when Hope answered it, and a passionate hunger took over them both. Lightning entangled her fingers in Hope's hair, her heart shouting with joy and her body craving more. If it weren't for the door and Hope's arms around her waist, her knees probably wouldn't have held her weight anymore. His scent was everywhere, and for the first time since they all came to Earth, Lightning felt like she was finally home.
"Let's travel the world, Hope," she said between kisses. "I want to see the cherry trees of Tokyo and the renaissance art in Rome. I want to walk on the Great Wall of China, and I want to get totally wasted on a pub in Ireland. We could do like Noel and Yeul and take temporary jobs at cafes and restaurants. Sazh could probably get us cheap flight tickets. You don't have to be bored, Hope. We could make the best out of this world. Let's run away together."
"You would do that for me? Just quit your job and run away with me?" His lips left hers, and he started to press soft kisses against her neck.
"Yes," she gasped, "I would. Because I… I love you."
Hope stopped kissing her for a moment and leaned back so he could look her in the eye. "Say it again."
"I love you," Lightning repeated, smiling brightly.
"Again."
"I love you." It was a relief to finally say it, and her heart seemed lighter each time she said the words. "I love you."
Hope's hands left her waist and settled on the back of her thighs instead, and he easily hoisted her up against the wall. Lightning wrapped her legs around him, glad to have been given the chance to be even closer to him. Hope kissed her lips again. "You have no idea how long I've dreamed of hearing you say those words."
Fang grinned smugly to herself as she shooed all the guests out of the apartment. "I knew it would work," she said, taking another sip from her drink. She heard a crash from the bedroom, closely followed by muffled laughter. "And there goes the nightstand lamp."
"I can't be here. This is great and all, but I really can't be here right now," Serah stated, hurrying out the front door.
"I'm sorry, Thomas," Snow said with a grin, patting Thomas on the back. "Better luck next time."
"Let's go home, Fang. Our work here is done." Vanille took Fang's hand in hers, her smile just as smug as her girlfriend's.
"Yeah." Fang took a quick look around to make sure all the guests had left, and then let Vanille drag her out of the apartment too. "Happy birthday, Light," she said, and then she closed the door.