A/N: Very happy with how this chapter came out.
This is FLight, Christmas themed.
Established relationship. Lots of mush. My kind of holiday~ :D
.X. Peppermint
The soft melodies of Christmas carols drifted through the Farron residence as the inhabitants readied themselves for the upcoming holiday. Smells of the meals to be served tomorrow accompanied the music as it drifted through the air, giving the whole house a very homey feel. The garland, candles, and wreaths positioned throughout the house made the whole place feel distinctly festive.
And if that weren't enough, the decorated pine tree taking the spot light in the living room definitely screamed it was Christmas time on Cocoon.
And for Fang, that was something very new.
Never, in all her wildest dreams, had she ever believed that she'd ever be on Cocoon for Christmas, much less actually enjoying her time here.
She supposed it had something to do with the pink haired soldier leaning on the kitchen counter across from the warrior.
Said soldier looked absolutely stunning in the festive glow. She wore light brown pants that fit her like a second skin, hugging the curves of her legs in wondrous ways. An off white sweater hung around her form, not quite fitting her like the pants she wore, but still showing off the toned boy in just the right ways. A brown belt hung loosely over top of the sweater, just barely dangling from her hips. Boots, not unlike the ones that she normally wore in uniform, were covered in melting snow that hadn't been knocked off when their owner stomped her feet at the door. And one couldn't forget about the light brown scarf draped around her neck or the santa hat sitting atop her head.
And, of course, there was that peppermint.
Since December had come around, the brunette hadn't seen Lightning without a stick of peppermint held between her lips like one might hold a cigarette. She wasn't sure what kind of strange attraction to peppermint the holidays triggered in Light, but she couldn't say she didn't like it. It gave the usually uptight solider a more relaxed look.
Azure eyes flickered towards her, and the Pulsian immediately looked away. She'd been staring for how long now? At least five minutes. From the corner of her eyes, she thought she could see Light's lips turn up in a small smile.
Emerald eyes repositioned themselves onto the three working over a stove - how had the five of them managed to squeeze into the small kitchen of the Farron residence again? Sazh, dressed in an apron, stood in between Serah and Vanille, each one with a pair of fake antlers on their head. Sazh wore no such head gear, but his Chocobo, which was pointing its little head out of his afro, wore a miniature elf hat, made by Vanille.
The trio was currently bickering over how much seasoning to put on the ham. Honestly, Fang would have rather shifted her gaze back to take in the sight that was Lightning, but figured that it as unbecoming of a warrior such as herself.
So instead, she turned her attention to plate of cinnamon gingerbread men behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached for one of the delicious little cookies, not turning around to face the counter as another might. Two fingers closed around one of the little brown men, pulling their prey from the plate with something that could only be described as predatory. Proof she was a huntress through and through.
She turned her head back, intent on staring holes through the wall right next to Lightning, but was stopped short when she felt fabric - most likely wool from the feel of it - being draped around her neck and tugged on. Half lidded azure eyes met surprised emerald ones.
Fang hadn't even heard her move. In the short moments that she had turned to grab another gingerbread man, the strawberry blond had pushed herself from the counter she was leaning on and crossed the short distance to where the Pulsian stood. And then, before the Oerban had turned her head fully, the soldier had looped the loose scarf around her neck so that it ran around the brunette's neck as well.
One delicate hand had caught the wrist of the hand that had reached for a gingerbread man, trapping it between the two bodies. Another was gently placed on a tanned shoulder, the stick of peppermint Light had been eating held between two fingers.
She was smiling too - smirking was a better way to describe it actually - with a confident spark in her eyes.
"Don't you think you've had enough of those?" the sergeant asked, breath cold and minty against the Pulsian's face. Probably from all the peppermint.
"No. Never had a gingerbread man before, remember?" Fang's voice was rather level despite the surprise that showed on her features.
At that, Lightning paused for just a moment. Then she leaned into the brunette further, ignoring the sudden halt to the bickering just a few feet away. Apparently they were being watched now.
"The peppermint is better."
And with that, the strawberry blond pressed her lips to Fang's. It was gentle, but lasting; something that had Christmas tenderness written all over it.
And by the time it was over, the Oerban found it impossible to argue with her girlfriend. She had been right: the peppermint was better, especially when it was on the lips of the one she loved.
.X.X. Cinnamon
The soft melodies of Christmas carols drifted through the Farron residence as the inhabitants readied themselves for the upcoming holiday. Smells of the meals to be served tomorrow accompanied the music as it drifted through the air, giving the whole house a very homey feel. The garland, candles, and wreaths positioned throughout the house made the whole place feel distinctly festive.
And if that weren't enough, the decorated pine tree taking the spot light in the living room definitely screamed it was Christmas time on Cocoon.
For Lightning, it was something very new.
Never, in all of her wildest dreams, did she ever believe she'd actually be celebrating Christmas, much less enjoying it.
She supposed it had something to do with the raven haired huntress leaning on the kitchen counter across from her, but small no more than five feet away.
And speaking of Fang. She had expected a jeer or two about the santa hat that her sister had forced on her with a little coaxing from the warrior. Or some kind of come on, at least. It wasn't like her to be so docile.
Azure eyes flickered from the scene at the stove to find the Pulsian's form. Light was surprised, however, to see the emerald gaze of her girlfriend on her. Had she been staring? The simple idea of that was enough to curl the corners of the soldier's lips upward in a small smile.
Fang staring but not doing? Blasphemy. The Oerban had once told her that staring was a sign of wanting something you couldn't have, and that Lightning was certainly not out of her reach. So why was she staring?
Might have been that the sergeant was in an unusually good mood, proof being her tolerance of the red and white cap on her head. Perhaps Fang just didn't want to disturb that good mood and was opting to just watch her.
As considerate as that was, it simply wouldn't do.
She kept her eyes on Fang, drinking in the woman's form with her eyes as she waited for a chance to strike. The brunette wore her usual sari in a show of defiance - she claimed the cold weather of Cocoon could never conquer her - but, as per Light's request, had slipped on a pair of form fitting jeans beneath the lower part of her garb. That was all that the soldier could convince her to wear, however, and because of that, found it incredibly funny when the over confident woman shivered the entire time they were out and about in the snow.
And then the warrior reached for the plate of gingerbread men positioned on the counter behind her.
Her and her damn cinnamon flavored cookies. Ever since Serah had baked a batch sometime around the middle of the month, the brunette had proved to have an insatiable appetite for them. She'd even gotten Light to bake her a few once.
Seizing her chance, the strawberry blond quickly pushed herself from the counter she was leaning against, not making a sound as she crossed the short distance between them even with boots on. Before the tribeswoman had even turned back around, Lightning had already thrown one of the loose loops of her scarf over her head of chestnut locks and caught the hand holding the gingerbread man.
Fang certainly looked surprised, but in a pleasant way.
The soldier leaned into the warrior more, a playful smirk taking its place on her lips. "Don't you think you've had enough of those?" she asked, hardly one to be talking considering her addiction to peppermint.
"No. Never had a gingerbread man before, remember?" came Fang's level reply, her hot cinnamon breath tickling the shorter woman's face. No doubt it was from all the gingerbread men she'd been eating.
At that, Lightning paused for just a moment. It was her first Cocoon Christmas, wasn't it? Apparently, from what Vanille and Fang had told her anyways, Christmas on Pulse consisted of nothing more than getting drunk as hell and waving around anything sharp, pointy, and could hurt someone.
That was certainly no way to celebrate Christmas, even if the idea of a few drinks did soon appealing to the solider. She'd have to show her raven haired huntress exactly how Christmas was supposed to be spent.
She leaned into the brunette further, ignoring the sudden halt to the bickering just a few feet away. Apparently they were being watched now.
"The peppermint is better."
And with that, the strawberry blond pressed her lips to Fang's. It was gentle, but lasting; something that had Christmas tenderness written all over it.
And by the time it was over, the Cocoon native just about took back her statement. The gingerbread men tasted delightful, especially when they where on the lips of the one she loved.
.X.X.X. Presents
Lightning felt her face color ever so slightly at the way her girlfriend whispered a comment on her gift from Serah hotly into her ear.
She could feel the eyes of the rest of the former l'cie on her as azure eyes stared down at the brightly colored Chocobo print pajama pants. Apparently Serah had thought they'd go well with Fang's Cactuar ones.
"They look easy ta take off."
A swift elbow to the Oerban's gut was enough to get her to back off for the moment, but the soldier was sure she didn't feel Fang's emerald, predatory gaze leave her as the rest of the presents were passed out and then opened.
In her defense, they did look rather easy to slip off, especially if it was a deft, tanned pair of hands doing the removing…
.X.X.X.X. Mistletoe
Lightning was an intelligent person. This notion, Fang had come to find, wasn't a notion at all. It was a fact.
And although sometimes that intelligence was clouded by some kind of natural tendency for recklessness - such as when the solider had decided to try running off on her own in Palumpolum - it was still undeniable that she was clever.
Being able to - almost - single handedly lead a ragtag group of people across both Cocoon and then Gran Pulse was a feat only possible for someone who was either incredibly lucky or had their wits about them. And while the brunette was a firm believer in Lady Luck, Light dismissed the idea as silly. Which left the latter of the two options.
So when, for the third time in the last ten minutes, the warrior recalled that she had to go to the kitchen to get something and dragged the sergeant with her, she was surprised when there wasn't even a roll of azure eyes. She stopped in the doorway, as she had done every time they'd entered or exited the kitchen, and pointed up to the mistletoe.
"Cocoon custom, right?" she asked, flashing a grin.
The bronze huntress then leaned in and brushed her lips against the soldier's in a way that left them both wanting more.
And then backing off and stepping into the kitchen, the brunette paused for a moment, looking around as she placed both hands on her hips. "Bloody hell.." she murmured in mock irritation. "I swore there was somethin' I was s'posed ta get." Then she let out a fake breath of surrender and turned around, shrugging helplessly under the gaze of her girlfriend.
Lightning, for her having the reputation of such a short tempered woman, hardly looked miffed. She normally wasn't one for wasting time, but there weren't any real signs of irritation on her gorgeous features. Then again, the soldier did have one hell of a poker face.
"Sorry, Sunshine. Guess it's back ta tha livin' room, yeah?" she sighed, feigning the tiniest bit of aggravation.
Then the brunette started back towards the doorway, passing right by Lightning and expecting the sergeant to follow her wordlessly as she had done the last three times she'd played her little game.
This time, however, the warrior was caught completely off guard as her girlfriend whirled her about, azure eyes glinting with something unidentifiable. She was mere inches away from Fang's face, the faintest of smiles pulling as her lips.
"Fang." she started, and the Pulsian's heart skipped a beat. "Was there something you wanted from me?" Light asked, voice cool as ever. The warrior noticed the subtle way that the strawberry blond was pushing the two of them towards the door, Fang edging back in reverse as Lightning directed her.
"Whatever could ya be talkin' 'bout, Light?" Fang asked, her voice dripping with faked innocence. So she did realize exactly what it was the Oerban was doing.
The soldier didn't look phased at all by the raven haired tribeswoman's play at innocence. Instead, she just replied in that same level tone, "Just thought you needed something."
There was a long moment where neither of them spoke and their eyes burned smoldering holes into the other's. But then Lightning stopped pushing her.
"I guess that just makes you childish."
And then two delicate hands, ones that had been positioned on Fang's shoulders to guide her, slipped up and around the brunettes neck. Light's lips were on hers; a searing kiss right under the mistletoe. One hand tugged at long, wild locks of dark brown hair.
It took Fang a moment to register the way Lightning had gone from stoic to passionate in the blink of an eye. Once she did, eyelids fluttered closed and tanned hands found their way around her waist, pulling the soldier more into her.
The game she'd been playing had finally given her the results she'd been after from the start. So what if she was childish if she was allowed the privilege that was the soldier's passion?
