A/N: Hey everyone! I'm really really sorry this has taken so long.. so much came up, I lost my muse, got sick, lost my muse again.. excuses excuses.. anyways, i'm trying to get fanfics going again, and even though i'm not sure what this cluster of clusteriness is anymore, i'm going to keep at it. sorry again for taking so long!

- Matty

She let out a breath of hot air, that rolled across Vanille's cheek, and slowly caught her lips, bringing her into a gentle kiss, while her free hand reached out then, and gently grabbed a handful of her shirt, raising it up a few inches at a time.

Vanille said nothing, shutting her eyes as they kissed, and sucking in her stomach when a cool wind found her bare skin.

The kiss ended briefly as the material slid up over her head and was set beside them, but she returned to Lightning's mouth with no hesitation. Her arms hooked around her neck, and she absently tangled her fingers in her hair, gripping hard, not enough to be noticed by the older woman however.

Lightning drew in a sharp breath, her eyes heavily lidded, and placed her palm flat against the other's stomach, skin warm to her cool fingers' touch. Her fingers slid, down from her stomach to her naval, and then to her sultry waist. She dipped them along each curve of her body, and finally let them come to a stop along her inner thighs.

Within moments there lay a pile of clothes at the base of the tree, and Vanille could feel the cool of the grass against her backside as she was pressed down into the flush green blades.

Lightning's mouth had begun a slow travel down from her lips, and had only just passed her breasts before the younger drew away. Her breath was coming out in tiny pants, and she felt heat throughout every vein of her body.

Lightning's lips quivered slightly as they twisted into a small grin, and a thin brow raised at the girl. "Why so shy all of a sudden?" she asked, pinning her down to ravage her body with her mouth at her own pleasure. "It's just you and me, Vanille." she whispered against her thigh. As long strands of hair danced across creamy skin at the slightest movement of her head, it kept Vanille on edge, unable to restrain herself and the noises that climbed out from her throat.

At last, Vanille found her voice, as her hands swept down Lightning's back and fingers dug into her shirt. "You're slightly overdressed for a swim."

"Why don't you fix that, hm?"

Vanille sat up with the other woman and mimicked her actions from before, slowly raising the shirt from her body and setting it aside. Every move she made was careful, concentrated. When her fingers slipped and bumped against her partner's skin as they grasped the underwear at her thighs, she looked up for guidance, comfirmation, like a young pup learning from its mother the ways of the world around it.

She was swept up off of the ground then, as the last material hiding away the elder's body fell to her ankles, and was carried down the bank to the waters edge.

As Lightning waded out into the water, Vanille slid her fingers through her hair, and admired her body before the water stole her view away.

"You're beautiful.." she murmered offhand, her fingers moving to her cheek, tracing the soft bones there and then her jaw to her lips.

"Shh." Lightning said, dipping her backwards so her hair fell into the lake and soaked through to her skull. She untied the cloth round her throat and soaked it in the water, and as Vanille rose back up, she brought it to her skin and began to clean the dried red from it with gentle sweeps. "See? I told you it would be okay.."

Vanille closed her eyes as the rag went over her skin, cleaning it of the blood, and kept them that way even after she no longer felt it and the other spoke. "You think this place will ever be like it was? Do you think the world will ever be like before?" She sighed lightly, letting the cool breeze chill her skin. "This place was probably so nice before, and full of children and families, and people fishing on lazy sunday mornings.. it can go back to that, can't it?"

Lightning found herself nuzzling into the woman's neck, breathing her in, unsure of how to answer, like she often was when Vanille asked her things like that. "I don't know.." she said, frowning. "I don't see things the way you do, I never did, and I don't think I ever could.. maybe things can go back to the way they were, but after so much destruction.." she paused, her fingers trailing downwards towards the younger's backside. She fought her habit of pessimism, and pressed a chaste kiss to her jaw. ".. Yes, i'm sure it can return to how it was before.. it might take a while, but people have overcome worse then this."

"I wish you could see things how I do, Lightning.. I want you to see how wonderful things can be sometimes." Vanille said between gasps for air and light noises of pleasure. "One day I hope you can, i'd do anything to make it possible."

"I have you, silly girl. I believe that's enough beautiful for me."