A/N: Honestly I've been contemplating whether or not to post this chapter. But alas, here I am. Just a heads up, this chapter will have some minor "smut" in it I guess. Don't worry, I've tried my absolute best to minimize the usage of those words. But if you guys want to skip it, I've put a warning just before that part happens, and another one right after it ends. Gosh, please forgive me if it gets awkward, cause trust me that's how I felt when I wrote this chapter. But anyway, enjoy

CHAPTER 3: A LIFE TOGETHER

Lightning smiled to herself as she remembered the day she finally moved in with Hope. She glanced at her husband who was still busy keeping his eyes on the road and his hands on the wheel. A sigh escaped from her lips as she shook her head. Who would've thought so much could happen in one night.

Lightning stood there in front of Hope's house. It wasn't her first time being there, yet something felt different knowing that she would be living there from there on out. She could hear the sound of the car door closing behind her. Shortly after, Hope appeared beside her with a smile on his face. He reached to grab the luggage in Lightning's hands, carrying them for her.

Just a few weeks back, Hope had brought Lightning to go bed-shopping. He didn't want to upset or disappoint her with his own choice, so he made sure that whatever they chose was agreed by the both of them. Lightning's small apartment in the city had been sold off just a few days ago, and now she was finally moving in with Hope.

Lightning held Hope's hand, letting him guide her into his house. Well, their house now. It'll be nice to have some company, instead of being alone in that apartment, Lightning thought to herself. His house wasn't the grandest or the biggest, but it would be enough for Lightning. She'd always asked Hope why someone like the Director of the Academy would be living in a small house like this one, but he'd always given the excuse that he rarely spent time at home anyway.

Hope opened the front door, allowing Lightning to step inside first. An air of familiarity washed over Lightning. Before this, she'd always spent some days of the week there, especially when it had gotten too late for her to head back home. Hope always accommodated her as best as he could, even going so far as to allow her to sleep on his bed while he slept on the sofa, much to her own dismay and protest.

But now that they'd bought a new, bigger bed, Hope wouldn't need to be sleeping on the sofa anymore.

Hope went on ahead upstairs to place Lightning's luggage in his - their - room. She went over to the living room, letting her hands run over to feel the soft fabric of the sofa. She plopped down right into it, letting herself sink into the soft cushions. Her feet dragged around on the carpet, feeling the soft wool beneath her feet. She had to admit, Hope had a better eye for furniture than she ever did.

Hope came down the stairs having put Lightning's luggage in their room. Just a few nights before, he'd already cleared out some space in his cupboard that Lightning could use. Deep inside, he'd been waiting almost too eagerly for her to move in ever since she agreed that night.

His lips curved into a smile seeing Lightning looking so comfortable in the living room. Seems like she's adjusting well to her new home, Hope thought to himself.

Lightning heard the sounds of footsteps behind her, must be Hope, she thought to herself. She arched her head backwards on the head of the sofa, too lazy to get up and turn her body to see him. Hope chuckled to himself seeing Lightning act so comfortably around him. His eyes met with hers, her face upside down on the sofa. As soon as he got closer to her, he leaned down to plop a kiss on her forehead.

"I see someone's already getting comfortable," he said with a smirk on his lips.

"Hmph. Well it's not my first time being here," the rose-haired woman replied.

She has a point. "So do you think you'll like it here?," the silverine asked.

"Well.. it's not much but it'll do," she replied with her usual tone of sarcasm that Hope had grown to love.

Hope smiled. "I knew you'd like it here," he said leaning down further to give her a quick kiss on the lips whilst her head was still upside down. "Well, you just relax right here. I'm gonna go make us some dinner,".

She lifted her head back up, her thoughts now wondering about dinner. Dinner?, she asked herself. "Wait, you're gonna cook?," she asked the silverine who was already making his way to the kitchen.

Hope smiled at her question. "Yeah, a welcome gift for my new guest. It'll be a special surprise,".

A surprise? Well, it'd better be good, Lightning thought to herself. Well, I guess I could wait for a surprise. She could feel the soft cushions of the sofa pulling her deeper. It felt so incredibly comfy. Her eyes felt heavy, and a yawn escaped from her lips. Well, guess a short nap won't hurt.

An aroma penetrated her nostrils. It smelled familiar, yet foreign. She knew the smell from somewhere, yet she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her eyes slowly opened as the aroma grew stronger. How long had she slept? It felt like hours that she'd been in a deep sleep.

As she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see Hope right beside her, and she could feel his hand gently stroking her pink strands of hair. An eager smile was on his lips, one that she noticed he'd usually show when he was excited about something.

"Honey, dinner's ready," he spoke in a soft voice, taking care not to startle her. Usually he'd expected a blush or a small frown on Lightning's face whenever he used that word, but perhaps now she was too groggy to even care.

She groaned, rising up from the couch and stretching her arms. "How long did I sleep?," she groaned groggily.

"Just long enough to be in time for dinner," the silverine answered. "Come on, you're surprise is waiting for you," he said, leaning in to give her a peck on the cheek.

She got up from the sofa, following Hope to the dining room. The smell only got stronger as she got closer to the source. The familiarity of it only piqued her interest as to what was causing the strong aroma.

As she entered the dining room, she could see candles on the side, a rose in a bottle in the middle of the dining table, and most importantly, the source of the aroma she had been so intrigued by. There on both ends of the table were two plates with fat, juicy, succulent pieces of steaks. Lightning could practically feel her mouth salivating in anticipation of eating them.

"Y-you cooked steak?," she asked surprised. She never knew Hope had the skill nor the talent to even cook such a dish.

"Yeah, I know how much you love them. So, I cooked them just for you," he replied with a toothy grin.

"Thank you…," she spoke softly.

"Don't thank me yet, Light. It isn't exactly behemoth steak, but I tried to find something similar to it," he said. Deep inside, he was glad those hulking monstrosities didn't exist in the new world.

He pulled the chair beside Lightning, inviting her to sit on it. After making sure she was comfortable, he went to his seat on the other side of the round dining table.

The candle-lit room and the rose in the middle of the table set the mood for the dinner. Hope must've went through a whole lot of effort to make this dinner right, Lightning thought to herself Deep down, she was really touched at Hope's romantic gesture, as clichè as it may be.

"Very romantic, Hope," she commented as she observed the scenery around her.

Hope grinned widely at her words. "I tried my best. I'm glad you like it so far,".

The aroma coming off from the steak gave her a feeling of nostalgia. The memories of being on Pulse and feasting on Behemoth steak flashed through her mind. She grabbed onto her steak knife, slicing a chunk of the steak in front of her. The juices leaking out as she pushed her steak knife into the piece of meat looked oh so satisfying. She lifted the piece of steak to her mouth, saliva practically filling her mouth, eagerly wanting a taste of that juicy meat.

Now for the moment of truth. She placed the steak in her mouth, letting it sit comfortably on her tongue for her taste buds to feel. Hope on the other hand swallowed a lump in his throat, anxious to know if his days worth of learning how to cook the perfect steak just for her would all be worth it.

He could see Lightning chew the steak in her mouth, tasting every inch of it. When the taste of the steak finally settled into her taste buds, it hit her like a truck. So much in fact, that her eyes were practically wide open at that moment. She couldn't believe it, it tasted just like the behemoth steak she'd used to make all those years ago on Pulse. She closed her eyes, unable to stop herself from moaning in satisfaction.

"Mmmm. This is pretty good," the rosette moaned as she shoved more of the steak into her mouth.

Hope breathed a sigh of relief. With his worry out of the way, he began digging into his steak as well. He was surprised at the flavour of the meat, the savouriness, the tenderness of the meat - it was absolutely delicious! Hope couldn't help but smile knowing that his hard work paid off in the end.

As he was enjoying his steak in all its delicious glory, he felt the warmth of a hand on his own. He looked up away from his plate, greeted by the sight of his partner, the warmest of smiles plastered across her face, one that he'd only ever seen her give when she was truly happy about something.

"Thank you, Hope. It's really sweet of you to do this for me,". Her words were sincere, she truly was grateful for what he'd done for her tonight.

Hope felt a great sense of fulfillment and satisfaction at her words, his lips forming into a delighted smile. "You're welcome, Light. Not bad for the first day living here, amirite?,".

"Hmph, day's not over yet, so we'll see," she replied with a half-smile.

They enjoyed their romantic dinner in bliss, and soon the dark of night had come to consume the day. Soon they'd be able to test out the new bed, and finally - after much anticipation - sleep together.

After dinner, Hope had went up first to get changed for bed as Lightning stayed downstairs to wash the dishes - per her insistence. She placed the last of the dishes in the drying rack and dried her hands with the kitchen towel. The rosette headed out of the kitchen and up the stairs into her new room.

As she opened the door to the bedroom, she was greeted with the sight of Hope in his pyjamas: a pair of grey pyjama pants and a plain white shirt, sitting down with his back leaning against the bed's headboard. In his hands was a book, and a pair of reading glasses adorned his face. He smiled at her lovingly, patting the other side of the bed, inviting her to be with him.

She huffed. Seems like he's all too eager for this. "I'll go get changed," she said walking into the bathroom on the other end of the room with her night clothes in hand.

She shut the bathroom door behind her, stripping down and putting on a pair of shorts and a purple t-shirt. Her exterior seemed calm, but inside her heart was beating like crazy. This would be something new for her, sleeping with Hope. Deep down her emotions were an absolute mess - anxiety, excitedness and nervousness all vying for control of her feelings.

She reached for the doorknob, turning it slowly and pushing the door open. Hope was still reading his book, but as Lightning appeared from out of the bathroom, he couldn't help but blush and smile nervously. This had been the most 'revealing' outfit that she'd worn in front of him. But he felt good knowing that she was starting to become more comfortable opening up to him.

He repeated his gesture, patting the other side of the bed, inviting her to finally be with him. Lightning only responded with a sigh and a half-smile. She made her way to the bed, sitting on the edge of it before letting her entire body lie on the soft mattress. It felt soft and comfy, almost like she could have fallen into a deep sleep then and there. But there was just one thing keeping her from going gentle into that good night.

Truth be told, her heart was beating at an alarming rate. She was nervous, but she'd never reveal that to Hope. She pulled the covers over her body, turning away from Hope in attempt to hide her deep blush and rapid breathing from his eyes.

Hope noticed her behaviour almost immediately. He chuckled lightly. "Nervous, Light?,".

She let hmphed. "Apparently you're not!," she said still looking away from him.

Just as she had said that, she felt Hope's hands press onto the bed, right beside her head. She looked up, eyes wide at Hope who was directly above her. His red cheeks and his rapid breathing were a dead giveaway of his emotions.

"I-I am. My heart...," he swallowed a lump in his throat. "is pounding,".

His eyes searched hers, waiting anxiously for her response.

"Mine too," said the rose-haired woman beneath him, almost like a whisper.

The silverine felt her arms on his neck. He obliged, leaning down and closing the gap between them. Lightning closed her eyes, getting ready for what was to come. But instead of locking lips with the silverine like she'd expected, she felt his soft lips kissing her forehead, one hand stroking her soft pink hair while another held on tightly to her arm.

She pushed him away from the kiss and pushed herself upright, causing a stunned look on his face.

Oh no, did I go too fast?, he thought worriedly to himself.

But all his doubts were soon washed away once he felt her soft lips against his. He responded back, pushing his lips against hers, letting his tongue roam free. The taste of her lips made him absolutely ecstatic. The silverine cradled the love of his life in his arms, sharing a passionate kiss with her.

Lightning could feel Hope pressing onto her, and all she could do was oblige and lean back down onto the soft mattress, her head resting against the pillows. Now, she could feel his entire weight on her, his lips pressing into hers ever so intensely. She could feel her arms moving as if by themselves, one going up to caress his soft hair while another seemed to be moving along his back. Her fingers traced the shape of his spine, gently stroking them up and down his spine as their kiss only grew more passionate.

Hope gasped opening his eyes, feeling the cold touch of her fingers against his skin. Lightning's hand was already at his waist, pulling his shirt up to reveal his abdomen. He could feel the cold touch of her hand moving along his stomach as it made its way up to his chest. Hope pulled away from his kiss, which had earned him a disappointed look from Lightning. He tried to search her eyes, trying to understand the meaning behind her action.

They'd gotten intimate before, but nowhere to the point of doing the deed. He needed to make sure that she was absolutely sure she wanted to do it.. with him. Lightning noticed the unsure look on his face, the nervousness in his eyes.

"L-Light, are you sure that… this is what you want?," he asked, his eyes conveying a look of uncertainty.

Lightning looked deeply into his eyes. Hope's question had struck her deeply. Did she really want to do it with him? Her first time.. with Hope? She never imagined that the day would come when she would finally do it. To say that she was nervous was an understatement. Her heart was practically beating like it could jump out of her heart at any moment! Yet, she had a feeling that it wasn't lust that was driving her mind, no.. it was a love for him.

Her mind processed the question for a moment. After everything they'd been through, the centuries they were apart, the challenges they had faced together - she was sure. She loved him. No one else could do, Hope was to be the one, he had to be the one.

The look of unsureness still remained on Hope's face, his arms were trembling in anticipation of her answer.

Lightning swallowed a lump in her throat. "I..," she couldn't believe she was saying this. "I-I want you, Hope," she confessed as her cheeks turned a deep red.

"A-are you su-?,". His words were cut off by the sensation of lips smashing into his own. His eyes slowly came to a close, unable to stop himself from letting out a moan of satisfaction. Lightning took ahold of his hands, guiding them to her chest. Hope gasped at the feel of her chest under his palm.

Lightning broke off from this kiss, panting as she tried to catch her breath. She sat up on her knees, moving her hands towards the bottom of her shirt, slowly lifting them up. But before she could go any further, she felt a pair of hands stop her. She looked up, seeing Hope looking at her with a nervous smile on his face. She could see his eyes looking down towards her shirt, as if he was trying to tell her something.

"L-let me do it," he stuttered awkwardly. Dammit, that was supposed to come out a lot more romantically, he cursed to himself.

"O-okay," she replied.

And with that, Hope moved his hands, slowly pulling up Lightning's t-shirt. Lightning raised her hands up in an attempt to make it easier for Hope to lift her shirt off. As soon as it was off, he threw it to the floor. He gulped for a moment, taking in the sight of Lightning's body. Her bare skin was all his to see, except her breasts which still hid under her bra.

Hope's hands moved towards Lightning's back, towards her bra. But before Hope could even think of unhooking and taking off Lightning's bra, she place her hands on his arms, stopping him from going any further.

"W-wait, Hope," she said awkwardly, looking into Hope's emerald eyes.

"L-let me take off yours too,". Gosh, her entire body was practically cringing at the awkwardness of her words.

"Oh right. S-sure," he replied back.

He obliged her, sitting down on his knees. Her hands were trembling nervously as she went to lift up Hope's shirt. Within seconds his shirt had already ended up on the floor. Hope gasped softly as he felt Lightning's hands on his chest, caressing and feeling the muscles on his abdomen. He felt the cold sensation of her hands move away from his chest and towards his hands as she lead them towards her back.

Hope instantly understood what she was trying to tell him. He went to work trying to unhook her bra, his fingers fidgeting about as he fiddled with the hook. Several seconds passed as Hope continued his attempt at unhooking Lightning's bra, the silence only fueling the awkward atmosphere in the room.

Hope breathed a sigh of relief as the bra finally came off. Any longer and he might've needed Lightning's intervention. He let the bra fall off her body and onto the bed. His mouth was agape, unable to pull his eyes away from the sight of her bare breasts. He leaned in closer and placed a trail of kisses all over her chest. A moan escaped from her lips, her fingers pulling Hope's face closer to her body.

She could feel Hope's lips make their way up to her neck, feeling his soft lips kiss the crook of her neck intimately. She gasped, unable to control herself any longer. It was if her hand had a mind of its own, and before she knew it, it was already on Hope's pants. She could feel something hard beneath them. She couldn't wait any longer, she wanted him now.

Lightning pulled down Hope's pants impatiently, letting them drop to his knees. She blushed madly, unable to take her eyes away from the sight of him.

Even before Hope had any chance to act, Lightning had already pulled her shorts off to reveal herself. His breathing hitched as he saw the sight in front of him. There she was, a goddess, right in front of him, in all her beauty and perfection.

"H-Hope," she spoke. "I want you now," she said almost demandingly.

Hope was all too happy to oblige. He slid off the rest of his pants off of his legs and tossed them to the floor. Lightning laid back down on the bed, her head resting comfortably on her pillow. Her breathing was rapid, the nervousness starting to fill her mind. This was it. This was going to be her first time.

(SCENE AHEAD!)

Hope guided himself, gently placing himself on her. Lightning let out a gasp as she felt him at her entrance.

"Tell me if it hurts, okay?," Hope said. The last thing he wanted was to hurt the love of his life and ruin their first time.

As gently as he could, he inserted himself into her. A moan escaped from his lips, feeling the tightness of her walls. Lightning gasped at the sensation. She could feel him inside of her. They were connected now, soul to soul.

He thrusted his hips inwards and outwards, moving as gently as he could, trying to avoid causing Lightning any pain.

Lightning gasped as he moved, her hands instinctively grabbing onto his arms, a jolt of pain surging through her body. "Ah!,"

"Light! Oh god I'm so sorry should I-,"

"N-no. Keep going Hope. I'm okay," she assured him, her arms slowly pulling his body back down onto hers, pressing her lips into his, trying to calm him.

As he continued to gently thrust in and out of her, the pain had seemingly disappeared, replaced by a sense of immense pleasure and ecstasy. It felt so good. Her insides were practically burning up with pleasure and desire.

Lightning's soft and quiet moans filled the air, accompanied by the creaking sound of the bed and Hope's own ocassional moans of pleasure. The entire time, their faces were mere inches apart, both of them locking lips in the heat of passion as they made love to each other, their lips only separating once in awhile to catch their breath.

Lightning could feel herself nearing her climax. Her moans only grew louder which each thrust of Hope's hips.

"Hope… Hope!," she moaned his name. Her arms were interlocked with his, her legs locking their naked bodies into an embrace. She could feel the weight of his body on her, his chest pressing onto her. She placed a trail of kisses on his neck as she felt her pleasure only growing. He responded by taking her lips into his own, feeling her moan into him.

Hope could feel it too. He was about to reach his own climax soon. With each thrust, his arms only embraced the love of his life even tighter, the sound of his name escaping from her lips in moans of pleasure filling him with a sense of love and satisfaction.

She was close. So close. "Hope… Hope… I'm about to.. about to..," she tried her best to let the words out of her mouth, yet the pleasure she was feeling was driving her mind crazy.

She could feel it, her climax. "Aah! Hope!," she cried out in pleasure. It was total ecstasy and she was on cloud nine. Her body trembled as her climax surged throughout her body. She embraced Hope tightly, still feeling him thrusting against her hips.

He could feel her walls tighten around him, pushing him towards his own climax.

"L-Light!," he cried out as immense pleasure flowed throughout his body as well. He felt himself release into her, her moans of pleasure being the only thing he could hear at that point.

He never imagined his first time would be with her, the woman he'd literally dreamed of for all his life.

(END OF SCENE)

They both panted for air, having used up their energy in their love-making. Hope plopped down onto Lightning, fatigue starting to overwhelm his senses.

His head rested besides Lightning's, his body resting on top of hers. Hope panted in exhaustion. Lightning could feel his chest moving up and down against her body as his lungs took in the air.

Her fingers ran through his fluffy hair, stroking his head gently. Her other hand laid on his back, her fingers tracing the outlines of his spine. Minutes passed in satisfactory silence, the both of them taking in everything that had just happened between them.

The rosette felt his face nuzzling into the crook of her neck. She felt him open his mouth, his breath tickling her ear. "Light... did it feel good? I-I mean was I good-," he sputtered awkwardly. The embarrassment in his voice was clearly evident.

The rosette blushed at his question, her thoughts finally coming back to what they had done just minutes ago. "Yes," she whispered into his ear.

"I.. it felt good. Y-you were good,". She too was having a hard time putting her thoughts into words. Deep inside her heart, what she'd just experienced just now was beyond words. She felt a deep connection with Hope, as if her love for him had transcended this mortal plane.. as if they were made for each other from the very beginning. But she'd never let Hope know all of that.. at least not yet.

Lightning felt Hope breathe a sigh of relief, followed by a light chuckle, his chest moving up and down against her own as he did so. She could feel his fingers running through her hair, her strands of pink hair being twirled on his fingers. "That's... good to hear," he whispered back into her ear, placing a kiss right on her cheek.

The rosette could feel her eyes becoming heavy. She felt herself being pulled into a deep sleep. But before she went gently into that good night, she needed to let something out of her mind.

She guided Hope's face up so that he was right above her. She stared deeply into his emerald green eyes, feeling his warm breath tickling her face, his eyes peering into hers lovingly.

"I love you," she said before pulling his face in to give him a deep kiss.

As their lips parted, he replied, "I love you too,".

They both fell into a deep sleep in each other's arms, their bodies intertwined as one.