Whoa... It's been a while. Sorry guys.

Anyone else reeeeeeeeally excited that there's a week-ish until Lightning Returns comes out?! I might explode. I played the demo a while ago, and I just thought, Holy crap. I can't wait to see what happens in the full game!

But, anyway... I have to thank everybody who is still favoriting/following after all this time. You're the reason I'm actually updating any of my stories this week... Ha ha.

Day Six: Confrontation

The morning was like a cliff standing in front of her. Lightning shied away from it as best she could, but eventually she had to drag herself out of bed and go downstairs. Fortunately, when she reached the kitchen hardly anyone was there, except for Hope, who cast her a withering look as he passed. Then the room was empty. Voices carried from the edge of another room.

Lightning had the sudden urge to cry, or scream at Hope, or do something. But she couldn't. She could only embrace her numbness as she stared out at the rest of the world she knew.

Then, suddenly, she heard the telltale sound of footsteps behind her. She closed her eyes as she realized who it had to be.

A hand slid around her waist and rested on her hip. Lightning opened her eyes, but didn't face him.

"You should leave," she said. "You should really leave."

"Why?" Caius's voice asked softly in her ear.

"You're distracting me," Lightning told him.

"Distracting you," he repeated, his lips moving against the skin just below her ear. She felt his mouth move further down her neck and involuntarily leaned her head back onto his shoulder.

Then she jerked away, shoving him hard. "Don't, Caius," she said. "If anyone sees us…" She trailed off.

He looked down at the floor. She knew she was right. "I'll meet you upstairs later. Okay?"

"Fine." He glanced up at her for a second, but then quickly turned around and left.

The day passed as usual. Lightning tried to distance herself from everyone, but couldn't keep herself from thinking about Caius. Her feelings didn't make any sense, but then, his actions didn't make any sense either. Where had this different Caius come from, the one that asked her for help and gave her his clothing and didn't threaten to kill her?

She felt like there was a tornado inside her head. Part of her hated Caius because of their fight in Valhalla and hated him even more because of what he did to her—what he was always doing to her. And part of her wanted him. There was no getting around that.

Later she ascended the stairs to Caius's floor, but found the floor empty when she got there. She was about to knock on the door to his room. Just before she reached for the access panel, though, she heard voices.

"This is getting a little out of hand," Hope was saying, his voice sounding distant but determined.

"It is only getting out of hand because you are forcing it out of hand." The voice that replied was distinctly Caius's. Lightning frowned. Why would Hope be talking to Caius?

"Forcing? You want me to use force? I can definitely do that," Hope challenged.

"I wouldn't mind seeing such a thing," Caius mused.

"You know what?" Hope said. "How about we take this somewhere else."

"Let's," Caius's voice replied.

And then there was the sound of a door opening and closing.

Oh Etro. No, Lightning thought. She raced down the stairs to where she had thought she'd heard their voices, and then left the building. Sure enough, she found the two of them standing across from each other in the alleyway lodged behind a few other Academia buildings. She concealed herself behind a wall and watched, willing herself not to intervene just yet.

"I recall you saying that weapons weren't allowed here," Caius said, looking amused, as he swung his huge sword back and forth.

"Why on Pulse would I tell everyone they could carry around weapons? We'd have complete chaos," Hope replied.

"Hm," was Caius's only reply. Although Lightning did note his trademark smirk.

Hope drew his own weapon and, Lightning realized, it wasn't his boomerang. It was a gunblade. Before Caius could even say another word, Hope aimed it at his face and fired. Caius ducked out of the way and swung his sword in Hope's direction.

Lightning gripped the wall until her knuckles were white. She couldn't believe the scene that was unfolding in front of her.

"Why do you insist on fighting me?" Caius asked almost bemusedly. His blade collided with Hope's and they stood facing each other once more.

"You—cannot—have Lightning!" Hope shouted, attempting to push Caius back. Caius slid back a few steps, and then resisted. He threw Hope into the opposite wall.

"Why would I be concerned with Lightning?" Caius asked, his tone provocative.

"Don't you dare deny it, Caius Ballad," Hope shot back. "I've seen the way you look at her."

Caius raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" he challenged.

Hope stalked forward and pressed the tip of his blade to Caius's chest. "I saw you two this morning."

"Did you?" Caius replied.

"You were with her," Hope said through his teeth. "You—you—"

"What?" Caius asked, the smirk on his lips spreading. "Are you going to tell me?"

"You kissed her!" Hope spat, shoving the blade harder at Caius. "How long have you two been leading me on? How long have you been doing this?"

"As if that is any of your business," Caius replied flatly.

"I'm going to make it my business!" Hope lifted his blade into the air, holding it over his head. "I'll make you wish you'd gone back to where you came from!"

He started to bring it down over Caius's head, but Caius quickly deflected and sent Hope flying. Hope stood up just as quickly and ran toward Caius, again swinging the gunblade, but the outcome was no different. This time, however, Caius kept him pinned against the wall.

"Let's not forget who the stronger fighter is here," Caius said. "Must I end this now?" he added under his breath.

Lightning realized she was on her knees. "No," she heard her own voice whisper.

"If this fight is over Lightning," Caius said, "it looks like I've won her."

Hope made a strangled sound. Caius's blade was pressed uncomfortably against his throat, nearly slitting the skin.

"But I don't think this fight was intended to be over Lightning, was it?" he asked with a snarl. "I think it was intended to be over your life…"

"No!" Lightning screamed.

Both men turned to look at her, their eyes wide. Caius drew his blade back from Hope's throat.

"Light…," Hope called out.

The three of them stood there, frozen, for a few seconds. Then Caius stepped toward her. When Hope tried to follow him, he shoved him back with a hand and kept walking.

Caius set his sword in the patch of dirt beside Lightning, leaving it standing upright next to her. "Lightning," he said quietly, "I would not have taken his life."

"You're lying," she shot back. "You don't even know what you're talking about."

"Why would I lie to you?" he asked.

"Lots of reasons." She pursed her lips. "Because you didn't want me to be angry. Because you didn't want me to know about this fight. Because—"

He leaned forward, tilting her chin up with a finger, and pressed his mouth to hers, once again cutting her off.

"Caius," Lightning hissed when he'd pulled away. "Don't you dare—"

And then a voice screamed from behind them: "Caius!"

When Lightning looked up, she saw Hope, lunging forward, gunblade in hand, looking like he was going in for the kill.

He made one clean slash through the air—and across Caius's back.

Caius froze for a second, seeming to shake with fury, and then he pulled his sword from the dirt, spun around, and attacked Hope.

And the fight continued. But this time, it didn't take Lightning long to step in. Caius's back was dripping blood, and Hope was on the verge of taking some hits as well.

"That's enough!" she screamed. "Stop it!"

When neither of them paused in their onslaught of attacks, Lightning finally lunged between them, forcing them to stay their blades.

I can't take this anymore, she thought.

"I'm—I'm leaving." She took a deep breath and then shook her head. "This shouldn't be happening, and I'm leaving!" With that, she turned around and started toward the edge of the alley.

But soon enough, Caius caught her by the arm. He pulled her close to him and whispered, "Lightning. Come with me. I can explain."

"Light—" Hope began from a few feet away.

"Hope, I'm sorry." Lightning shook her head again. "I'll talk to you later. I need… I need some time alone."

"Alone with him?" Hope asked.

"I'm sorry." She closed her eyes, exasperated. Then, before Hope could say another word, she let Caius drag her away.

Caius took her straight up to his room, and Lightning knew he wasn't kidding around.

"He challenged me, Lightning."

She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"He asked me to fight him."

"You accepted." Her tone was unforgiving.

"And what should I have done? Backed down?" he asked, fixing her with a questioning stare.

Lightning stayed silent.

"Do you realize—"

"Hope is my friend, Caius, no matter what happens between us," she told him, clenching her teeth. "I don't want to ever see anything like that happen again."

"Fine," he said.

There was another moment of silence between them. Finally, Lightning dropped her head into her hands. "I hate this," she murmured.

Caius reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. She'd never dreamed that his touch could be so reassuring.

Then she glanced up. "You're still bleeding," she whispered.

"Is it that important?" he asked with a smirk.

Her eyes danced along the line of his shoulders. "Take off… Take off your shirt."

Caius did as she told him without a word. She examined the wound on his back, trying not to stare at the map of scars covering his skin, and then walked across the room to the bathroom cabinet in search of some bandages.

And she found them. She reemerged from the bathroom and found him sitting on the bed. She began to wrap the bandages around his chest, covering the wound neatly. When she had finished, she sat back and set the roll of bandages down beside her. Caius stared straight ahead for a moment before turning to face her.

Lightning barely even had time to react before he leaned forward and swiftly pinned her down on his bed. She let out a slight gasp.

"Need I say anything?" he asked.

She let her eyes trace his face, allowing her gaze to linger on his lips for a moment. Finally she said, "No."

"Right," he answered. Then he leaned down and kissed her lightly, one kiss turning to two turning to enough that Lightning lost count. She slipped her hands around his back, but he gritted his teeth and winced in pain when they scraped over the bandages on his newly-opened wound. Lightning stifled what might have been a laugh. "Sorry," she muttered.

"I don't think you are." He smirked, and she felt his mouth start to trace the line of her neck. She sighed.

"No," Lightning amended quickly. "No, I'm not."

Her whole body seemed to be screaming Give in, give in, give in. She was so close to him, but something inside her wanted him closer still, and she didn't know if that was even possible. His mouth was on hers, his legs entangled with hers. They were breathing each other's air, air that seemed to be on fire with every second that passed.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Lightning gasped. "We really shouldn't be doing this."

"So I am aware." Caius tore his mouth away from hers just long enough to say it.

She began to say something, but whatever it was, it was cut off by the sound of a knock on the door.

"Damn," she muttered.

"Don't," Caius said in response.

She cupped his face in her hands to keep a safe distance between their lips. "I have to," she whispered.

Then she pushed him away and started for the door.

"Lightning." Halfway across the room, he grabbed her around the waist to stop her from going anywhere. She felt his body pressed against hers, and had to force herself to focus.

"If you answer the door, they'll know we were here alone," he informed her.

"Right," she said. "Fine. Answer it."

He exhaled. "If you insist."

But before he could move, Hope's voice came through the door. They both froze, Lightning with one foot in the direction of the exit and Caius with his hand around her waist.

"Caius, if you're in there, I hope you can hear me," Hope called. His voice was cold and—could it be?—vengeful. "This isn't over. The next time I see you, I am going to end this. I hope you know that."

The sound of his footsteps faded away down the hall.

Behind her, Caius laughed, a low, short sound. "I will be the one to… end things."

Lightning spun around, grasping his shoulders with both hands. "Caius, don't. You can't. I'm telling you, you can't."

"And why is that?" he asked her coldly, pushing her away. "Because you still have feelings for him?"

"No!" she protested. "Caius—"

"Do not try to stop me," Caius hissed. "You must choose. Him, or me."

"No, no, no," she gasped, stepping back. "Don't do this," she added, so quietly that she was sure Caius couldn't hear her.

"Leave me," Caius finally said, turning away.

Had it come to that so quickly? Lightning was stunned as she backed out of the room and into the hallway. Not for the first time, she felt the tension of the events surrounding her pull her in too many different directions.

And then, just as she set foot outside Caius's room, she saw Hope's face staring incredulously at her from the end of the hallway. She met his eyes for a second too long before turning away and dashing in the direction of the stairs.