It took Lightning a few seconds to come around.
"Light?" an anxious voice called out.
"Lightning, you all right?" The voice sounded muffled, as if coming from a distance.
She propped herself up in the bed and shook her head, attempting to clear it up. Wait, bed? How did I... Oh no...
"Ugh, finally! Y'know, you really got me a bit worried back there for a sec, you - ," but that was just about as far as Fang got.
"What time is it?!" Lightning interrupted in a voice that sounded almost like a growl to her own ears. It seemed like the whole world around her had its volume turned down, confusing Lightning's disorientated mind even further. She shifted her body in a vain attempt to get up from the bed - her muscles suddenly seemed like jelly, and the strange buzz in her whole... being definitely didn't help, either.
"Fang, I mean it, what's the time now?" How could I be so stupid?... To play around with my responsibilties like this?!
Coldness and fury in her tone seemed to take Fang aback. She let go of Lightning's hand and stood up, looking as if Lightning had suddenly slapped her across the face. Again.
"Relax, Saviour, would ya? You're all right. It's a bit past four in the morning."
Lightning closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to clear the dizziness that reigned in her head. After a couple of moments, her breathing seemed to get more steady. Lightning looked up at the huntress, who was now openly staring her down. Fang was right, there's still time and no worldwide disaster is going to happen in the next couple of hours until six anyway. Not anything had to be a race against time, right? A tiny part of Lightning's mind wondered why would she suddenly try to justify her own actions - that never used to happen, she shouldn't feel guilt in any case. Especially if it wasn't Fang's fault you decided to fool around like a complete idiot, so you might as well not lash it all out on her, she mentally scolded herself.
"Right. Fang, I'm... sorry," Lightning offered sheepishly, "I didn't mean to sound so..."
"What...? Like a heartless bitch?" the huntress finished the sentence bitterly, making Lightning lower her eyes.
Fang clicked her tongue. "So...this is the real new, improved you, innit?" she asked rethorically and crossed her arms over chest, her whole body radiating tension and anxiety. It was unsettling to see the proud Pulsian so thrown off balance; what's even worse, Lightning couldn't dig up any meaningful response in her still lightly fuzzy mind. The uncomfortable silence dragged on.
"Well, then. So much for the happy reunion. That went well, didn't it?" Fang continued, with the same bitter tone in her voice, emphasized by a sharp smirk across her lips. Fang's green eyes seemed to burn into Lightning, as if trying to find any kind of explanation out of the Saviour.
"Fang, I..." Lightning began.
"No, y'know what, forget it. It doesn't matter, all right? I'm a big girl, I can handle it, don't you worry 'bout me, sunshine," Fang cut in, still smirking darkly and trying to sound assuring - though it was unclear whether she tried to convince Lightning or herself.
And there it was, all too obvious and familiar to Lightning - Fang's way of dealing with problems, downplaying it all and pretending nothing and no one can touch her. Lightning flinched, remembering the many times Fang had scolded her for the very same thing - the twisted way they both chose to deal with pain - Fang always tried to make everything seem like a big joke, while Lightning simply chose to ignore and forget, but essentially, it was the same damn thing after all. A pretty couple of hypocrites... What was it Sazh once dared to call them, 'two peas in the pod'? Definitely... Now, however, things had changed - unlike Fang, Lightning now didn't have to ignore the feelings - she couldn't feel them in the first place. How ironic. And unfair.
Yet the damage was done. Fang sighed and let her arms drop to her sides. It was evident she had forced herself to calm down somewhat - not a small feat for someone as hot-blooded as the fierce Pulsian. Lightning was still sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to move a single muscle under Fang's scrutinous stare. A part of her couldn't help but wonder how Fang always managed to concentrate her energy on a specific task before her - namely arguing with Lightning in this case, while being completely oblivious to all the marginal inconveniences around - like the fact that they still both were stark naked.
Fang shrugged and continued, her voice low and quiet, "Care to tell me what the flying hell exactly are you, Light? Because that trick you pulled off back there nearly gave me a heart attack, all right?"
Lightning's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh. Well...now I don't know whether I should feel embarrassed or extremely proud of myself."
Raising her eyebrow, Lightning noticed Fang's features relax a little bit, even a slight blush starting to colour huntress's cheeks.
"You, erm... The moment you... well, you started to... glow there for a moment," all but stuttering, Fang explained somewhat shyly.
"Excuse me...?"
"Glow! Y'know... Shine. Just for a moment. Like there's light coming from inside you, all of you. Told ya it nearly gave me a heart attack."
Lightning almost rejected this as something utterly ridiculous, but then Hope's explanation about Eradia came back to her. While still rather unlikely, it wasn't completely impossible. After all, when Bhunivelze enabled Lightning to collect Eradia, doubtful he predicted his Saviour will run into Fang... with all the physical consequences of it. What's even worse, Lightning remembered experiencing something...unusual, but she couldn't pinpoint as to what was it exactly - so there was no choice but to take Fang's word for it. All in all, it's not like she felt any worse - quite the opposite, actually. Even though her mind was still plagued by some doubts and uncertainty, physically Lightning felt as if she had just inhaled a lung-ful of crisp, fresh morning air after spending several hours in a stuffy room. She felt lighter... but for better or worse - that still remained to be seen.
Rubbing her hand at the back of her neck nervously, Fang added, "So I scooped you up and carried you here."
Lightning's eyes fluttered open and, shocked into silence, she gaped at Fang. Now that's just beyond embarrassing.She considered herself to be a lot of things, but a damsel in distress definitely wasn't one of them. Flustered, she shifted her weight awkwardly and reached up to brush off strands of hair that had fallen over her face. Despite feeling extremely uncomfortable, Lightning realised this was the best chance to smooth things up - she didn't want to waste the precious time arguing with Fang over things that were beyond her control and hurting her lover in the process. So she decided to swallow up her wounded pride (or, more accurately, she tried to imagine her pride being wounded, since she was unable to feel it at all), straightened her back, crossed her legs and flashed the most salacious grin.
"You carried me? How chivalrous of you, bandit queen."
Fang frowned in response as she regarded Lightning sceptically. It didn't look like the brunette was in the mood for jokes yet. Her green eyes reflected a hint of melancholy, her lips formed a hard line - an expression Lightning had witnessed only a handful of times, and it was completely uncharacteristic to Pulsian, who was always so brash and confident.
"You still didn't answer my question, sunshine. What and... why exactly are you the way you are?"
Lightning sighed. "Listen, Fang... I wish I could explain - trust me, I do, but it's not that easy, okay? Thing is I'm not even sure I know it myself," she added quietly. Suddenly the conversation with Noel came back to her mind. Not sure if I'm even human any more. Lightning hadn't really meant it back then, she said it just to discourage the Shadow Hunter, but now it actually made a lot of sense. "And you promised not to pry, remember?"
Fang was still watching, her gaze thoughtful. "Yeah... This used to be a lot less painful back in the day, huh? Our fun l'Cie times... I truly thought you trusted me enough to-"
"This isn't about trust, Fang! I cannot control it, there's nothing I can do about it, all right?" Lightning cut in sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn't handle this right now - a drama that she had literally no capacity to feel or process. "Listen, if you wish me to leave, I won't blame you and just leave. As you said...no hard feelings. Right?"
"No! No, don't leave," Fang exclaimed, vehemently shaking her head. "No more 'feelings talk', promise." Abashed, the huntress looked away, lazily running her long fingers through her unruly hair. A small chuckle escaped her lips.
"Look at me - a whimpy village maiden, crying over a heartache - I never used to be like this!" she paused thoughtfully. "This is all your fault, Light, you've ruined my heartbreaker's reputation, y'know. That's it, I'm blaming you for it," still chuckling sardonically, Fang concluded. Despite the unflattering comment, Lightning was relieved to hear sarcasm appear in Fang's tone. She knew very well Fang was far from contented, but anything was better than seeing her angry and hurt. By me, a treacherus little voice in the back of Lightning's mind unhelpfully added.
"Don't exaggerate, you're not crying yet," Lightning countered jokingly. Her voice turning softer, she added, "You never do."
The Pulsian snorted a laughter. "Oh, look who's talking now!" She placed one hand on her hip and Fang's familiar, devilish smirk slowly returned to her lips.
"Forgive me my manners, oh ye godly Saviour," Fang gestured a mock salute and winked as the named Saviour rolled her eyes, "but it seems I've forgotten to even offer you a drink. Though I reckon I'll blame you for that one as well - here I was all innocent, hoping to have a peaceful, long, hot reunion bath with you, and your impatience ruined all my plans!"
Lightning was ready to throw the first thing she could reach - a pillow would have been a victim in this case - at the vicious woman, but she stopped cold after hearing the genuine laughter break out from the Pulsian. Fang looked gorgeous no matter what, but seeing her laugh had always taken Lightning's breath away - that radiant smile, lustrous jade eyes with mischievous sparks dancing all over them - it all seemed like the very essence of who Fang was.
Mesmerized, the Saviour watched as the naked bandit leader turned around and slowly crossed the room to look for something behind the weapon rack. Despite herself, Lightning couldn't take her eyes off of her lover's magnificent body - ignoring and grudgingly accepting the fact that she couldn't feel anything towards the woman in front of her, physically she undeniably was still attracted to Fang. Lightning realized she's staring, and somehow she didn't really care, all her attention fixed on Fang's long, muscular legs and the almost hypnotic sway of those hips. The woman was definitely doing this on purpose, Lightning was suddenly convinced... Sometimes Fang's boldness truly knew no boundaries.
Suddenly Fang turned around, one hand on her hip, the other holding high a large, black bottle by its neck. She shook the bottle gently, making the liquid slosh inside.
"Some stuff, this. Nicked it from the god squad b'fore they kicked my sorry arse out," Fang chuckled, sounding entirely too pleased with herself.
Lightning felt her eyebrows shoot up in shock. "You...stole alcochol from the Luxerion cathedral? Fang, seriously... what is wrong with you?"
Fang threw up her hands in mock exasperation, still wearing the most impish grin. "What?! Had to establish my criminal record, didn't I? B'sides... those godly folk had some decent liquor stashed away, let me tell you that. I reckon they won't even miss it. And you're gonna love it, promise," she said mysteriously.
Before Lightning could muster a witty response about ratting Fang out to Bhunivelze and denying her soul an access to the new world because of the theft from the cathedral, Fang opened the bottle. The cork gave out with a loud pop and Fang wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. The huntress returned to the bedside, still cluthing the bottle and leaning on Lightning's shoulder with her free hand, she climbed into Lightning's lap, straddling her hips and facing the surprised Saviour.
The unexpected movement and close proximity made Lightning's breath get caught up somewhere in the back of her throat. Fang smiled, obviously satisfied with the woman's reaction and leaned in even closer, her breasts deliciously pressing against Lightning's. Lifting the bottle slightly up, Fang winked again.
"Cheers, sunshine," she said simply and raised the bottle to her lips, taking a few gulps and handing the drink over to Lightning. Judging by the way Fang pursed her lips afterwards, the liquor had to be monumentally strong.
"No glasses. How charming, Fang. Is this the bandits' favourite way of drinking or the manners are travelling with you from Pulse?" Lightning observed sarcastically, enjoying the mock irritation flash over Fang's beautiful face.
"Gran Pulse. Don't be such a bloody princess, yeah? I reckon it's more romantic this way," the bandit leader rebuked.
Lightning chuckled lightly before accepting the offered bottle. It was much heavier than it looked like, and because of the thick, black glass it was impossible to identify just what sort of drink was inside. She raised an eyebrow sceptically, but the challenge from Fang could never be ignored or rejected.
"Well...cheers, then," she closed her eyes and drank a healthy measure...and suddenly she felt like she had just taken a sip of pure fire. The alcochol truly was ungodly strong, and she felt the fiery trail it left all the way down to her stomach. By no means she was a lightweight when it came to alcochol, but this was just... damn Fang. Lightning couldn't stop a silent cough escape her throat, pressing the back of the hand to her mouth, as she shot an accusatory look at the other woman, who by now was flashing the most radiant, satisfied smile possible.
"Good, innit? Takes your mind off things...quick and painless," Fang commented as she relieved Lightning from the bottle and took another swig. By now the severe burning sensation in Lightning's mouth had receded, leaving an unfamiliar, slightly sweet aftertaste. Though the drink was something she definitely had never tasted before, it actually wasn't all that bad - and after all she had wanted a stiff drink after arriving to Ruffian earlier tonight. Be careful what you wish for...again.
An arm still propped around Lightning's shoulder, Fang leaned to the side slowly to put the bottle on the floor. As soon as Fang returned to her confortable position in Lightning's lap, the Saviour felt strong fingers under her chin, lifting it up and soft lips brushing against hers. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Fang's waist, letting the woman slowly deepen the kiss. Both of Fang's hands were cupping the back of Lightning's neck, pulling the spiky hair gently and making Lightning let a soft moan in her lover's mouth. Lightning's heart skipped a beat as she felt Fang's tongue brushing against her own. She eagerly savoured the sweet taste of alcohol they both now shared - in some way it made the kiss even more intimate, and Lightning gave in to blissful, warm feeling spreading slowly through her entire body.
A small grunt of dissatisfaction escaped Lightning's lips as Fang pulled back all too early for her liking. Looking up, she saw how flushed Fang's face had become, how her green eyes shone with pure lust, and closeness of their bodies allowed Lightning to feel how rapidly Fang's heart was beating. The Saviour traced her fingers along the length of the huntress's spine, making the latter to sigh happily and lean her forehead against Lightning's.
Light allowed a small grin appear across her lips. The woman in her arms was intoxicating in all the right ways, and in moments like these Lightning couldn't help but to ask herself - how would it all had turned out if things would have been different in the past, if they had met like two normal people, if... So many lost possibilities, so much wasted time. Lightning started to leave a trail of feather-light kisses across Fang's exposed throat, knowing all too well how it drove the huntress wild. Still a couple of hours left then, huh?...
"Y'know, Light..." Fang began, pulling back slightly and putting enormous effort to keep her voice steady, "blame it on my delicate age, but I think I've forgotten to tell you something." Fang shifted her body to press even closer to Lightning, reaching up to run her fingers through silky, slightly curly rose-coloured hair.
The huntress continued, as slowly as her shaky breath allowed, "You are by far the most unusual, stubborn, infuriating, tenacious..." She paused, smiling as Lightning lifted her eyebrow in confusion, "...the bravest, the toughest, the most beautiful woman I have ever...ever met." Fang cupped Lightning's cheek gently, letting the other woman lean into it in delight. Lightning didn't really know how to react to Fang's bold admission, so she simply closed her eyes and enjoyed the huntress's caress.
Suddenly, a completely different feeling overwhelmed all of Lightning's body - she felt strong fingers wrapping in an iron grip around her throat, choking her. Lightning's eyes fluttered open, her vision already blurred around the edges as she looked up at Fang in complete disbelief, only to see the other woman's eyes burning with cold determination.
"Fang... what... the hell are you... " Lightning gasped, struggling for air. She clawed at the hand around her neck, still completely shocked by Fang's unexpected move and unable to react.
The Pulsian's voice had turned down to almost a growl. "Now, Saviour... you listen to me carefully... "