Chapter IV:

"So... how're your grades?"

"Really? We're talking about that now?"

They shared a hearty laughter. Hope sipped at his coffee in relief. He'd dodged that bullet. If Lightning knew that his grades were plummeting thanks to thoughts of her... There's no doubt she wouldn't go with him to Oerba.

"Hope... How've you been...? Without your mom, I know your relationship with your dad is... strained..."

Hope smiled. Lightning cared about him a lot, he could tell that much. "Things have been great. Dad and I are happy, we go see the grave we made mom together every week."

"That's good" she breathed, shivering as a cold breeze passed them. She clutched the warm mug and got a hold of herself. She was a soldier. Soldiers don't feel cold!

Hope raised his eyebrows. "You want my jacket?" he blushed.

Lightning chuckled under her breath. "No thanks. I'll endure."

He frowned. "But... you're cold. The girls in the movies always take the guy's jacket."

"I'm not a girl in a movie..." she blinked. She noticed his disheartened expression and sighed. "Come on, then. Just for you, I will be."

Hope immediately shook off his jacket and placed it over Lightning's shoulders, beaming. He felt like such a kid, but nevertheless, he was happy.

"...How about you...?"

"Huh?"

"How are you holding up...? Without Serah, I mean. You're living all alone now."

"Oh" was all she said.

Hope gazed into her eyes, awaiting a (hopefully) positive answer.

"As long as she's happy, I'm happy, right?" she muttered, managing to laugh a little.

Hope shrugged. "I don't know, Light."

Hope was at a loss. Lightning was unhappy, but why? Could it be him? Snow? Serah?

He clicked his pen so fast that it was starting to annoy the people on the other side of the room. "Hope!" his friend hisses from beside him. He stopped and turned his head.

"Yes?"

"Stop it!"

"...Stop what?"

She slapped her hand to her face. "The pen. It's driving me insane."

"Oh, right. Sor-ry" he sang, resting his chin on the desk. "Hey, you're a girl, right?"

"Last time I checked" she groaned.

"What makes you sad?"

She hesitated, looking at him with an eyebrow raised. "...Why...?"

"Because! Just tell me!"

"Alright, alright. Just, keep your voice down."

Hope smiled and nodded.

"A lot of things make me sad. Sad movies, puppies dying, onions..."

Hope tuned her out. She wasn't Lightning. No one was... except for Lightning.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have asked" he sighed.

She scoffed. "Geez, alright then. Maker knows why you don't get lonely without any friends" she joked.

That's it!

"Oh my... You're a genius!" he triumphantly grinned, hugging her half-heartedly, grabbing his books and running out of the library.

He tried dialling as fast as he could, but it wasn't working, so he tried to calm himself, pressing one button at a time.

One ring... Two rings... Three...

"Hello?"

"You're lonely!"

"Hope? What...?"

"That's why you're unhappy, right? You're lonely, all by yourself in that big empty house!" He brushed past a few people in the crowd.

"Uh... Hope, I have work to do. Call me back later, okay?"

"You're living in denial, Light!"

"Whatever you say. See ya" she chuckled.

Then she hung up.

He sat down on a nearby bench and smiled.

If Lightning was lonely, he'd have to fix that.

And then there were four.

Enjoy.