AUTHOR'S NOTES: damn, it's almost a month since I've last updated. sorry guys. school's a bitch sometimes.
Anyways to compensate, I made this chapter especially long. :3
And now for the shout outs:
saku27: that's kind of the problem lately for me. How should I fit Lightning's and Fang's character with this kind of situation yada yada yada. But hopefully, it's still fits their original character portrayal. (hopefully :3). Lols? damn now I want to go to Germany but couldn't, here's just all sunshine one moment the next thunders and storms on a daily basis.
sina: another one from germany! :3 lols here's the update ya'll been waiting for. hope it's okay.
EazyHB: hmm, there are a lot of ffs portraying Lightning in the military or government but I'm not gonna write exactly about that. don't worry. Thanks for explaining to me what an indie movie is. :D
onimimi: hmm, when i read over the latter chapters i'm starting to think that maybe the whole story might bring about a lot of OCCness since I'm not really perfect and I'm writing the characters as how I depicted them to be in my opinionated mind. Nothing too tragic though. Just a heads up.
utenafangirl: hohoho, there is more to come, i promise you that. :3
shazaei-neko: hehe, sorry for writing Serah like that. that's just me having fun on the characters since I noticed that she's almost always the sheltered one but with her sister, Lightning, still beside her. so why not make them separate for awhile they were already depicted as two women with different views in the game so why not twist it a little more? meh. that's just me thinking. Don't worry, you'll have your slap soon. maybe in a few chapters or so.
roxyroxas1313: you cut it in half? damn. you shouldn't have! that would've made MY day. :3. and yes, i leaved it there cuz I thought it was funny that Fang called out to Lightning with that nickname when she was fighting with an old man.
Chapter 4: Have Faith In Me (Part 3)
"Fang, Vanille?"
"Sunshine?"
An hour ago…
Fang was lying on the couch doing nothing in particular. She has no idea what to do whenever her roommate wasn't with her. Who wouldn't if there wasn't anything in the apartment to entertain her with? Apparently Lightning doesn't know the word TV yet from the lack of the said furniture in the living room. Well, at least the raven haired guitarist liked to think so whenever she got nothing to do. Heck, she even did her homework just to pass the time and she never does homework! She hated doing homework but she hated doing nothing more, forcing her to do it nonetheless.
Why isn't her best friend here yet? She called her hours ago. And she was bored dammit! Yes, Fang admitted that she wasn't too fond of being left out since she was more accustomed to the somewhat rampant noise of children in the orphanage she and Vanille used to live in. But maybe having children run around the apartment wasn't such a good idea since the apartment originally can only house two occupants and her roommate would definitely kick her out if she really did bring home a bunch of kids.
Thou, Fang remembered their near death situation last week when Lightning pushed the two kids out of the way from an incoming truck without having an insight of her own safety. Does that mean that the pinkette have a soft side for children? It's kind of hard to imagine when Fang knew Lightning have an aversion towards the people around her like a plague but knowing now that her roommate likes kids, even for a bit, brought a smile on Fang's face.
You're not an Ice Princess like everyone at school says after all. Fang thought still smiling.
Still, remembering another incident yet again the time they had a joined PE class where in the boy's class and the girl's class are held all in the same gymnasium just this afternoon, made Fang wonder why the pinkette hated crowded places. The pinkette opted to sit by the bleachers reading a very big hardbound text book that was about the history of Music and sensing that her roommate would rather skim through the book than attend the actual class, Fang approached her.
"Hey Light, watcha reading? Wow, I didn't know you wear glasses." Fang said as she sat beside the pinkette, mindful that there was still a foot distance space in between them. Peering over her glasses, the pinkette scowled at what she dubbed as an unbelievable nuisance of a pest in her mind.
"Go away; I don't have time for your little mind games." Lightning said irritably as she returned her gaze to the book she was holding on her lap. Fang just laugh at her and suddenly slapped her on her back that brought the poor pink hair down on her knees on the floor. This earned a surprise yelp from the assaulted pinkette and gawking doe-like stares from the spectators around them.
"Why don't we play real games then? Not the ones that let you cramp your ass and your brain all day long." Fang said while getting up to walk in front of the fuming pinkette, "Unless your lazy ass is as stiff as a statue already, that is."
"Are you calling me fat?" Lightning said as she quickly stood up in one motion with the book in one hand and a close shaking fist ready to give a knuckle sandwich to her annoying roommate with the other.
Fang didn't know how her roommate anticipated such conclusion since in Fang's opinion; the pink hair was as fine as a Goddess reincarnated. But oh well, she never knew what goes inside the mind of Lightning Farron and that made her wanted to know the pinkette more. And the little glimpses of emotions in the stoic face of her roommate, albeit most of them are irritation all pointed at Fang, made the raven hair curious as to why would Lightning bring up walls around herself.
Well at least there are still times that she'll bring it down. Fang thought, continuing her early reminisce.
"Fat you? If you keep your pretty little ass park like that with your nose buried on a book every damn PE class. Well, yeah." Fang smirk at the pinkette who was now giving her a murderous glare. If looks could kill, Fang swear she died ages ago. Too bad that ain't happening any time soon.
"Watch out!" A man's voice suddenly called out as Lightning's free hand block the incoming ball hurtling towards her head, surprising yet again Fang and all of the occupants of the gymnasium at the demonstrated speed.
Not affected by the number of audience they have accumulated, Lightning slowly moved her glare from a smirking Fang to the man she knew who yelled out to them.
"Hey, your name's Damon, an ace three point shooter in the basketball club, right?" Lightning called out to the tall but lanky man who sprouted a colourful Mohawk in the colours of red, yellow, and green. Fang nicknamed him instantly as the stoplight man. Damon or stoplight man obviously too nervous in front of her pink haired roommate that the only thing he did in response to pinkette's question was nod vigorously. Lightning smiled dangerously at the man, "Good. I want four more aces here. Now."
Beside Lightning, Fang was snickering at how her roommate easily commanded a man who was towering her at least by a foot. It was like a child lecturing an adult really.
"And you, what the hell are you laughing at? Stop acting like an idiot and come on already." Lightning said while putting down the hardbound book and cat walk her way towards the middle of the court, giving any one who stared her way the evil eye.
"Woof." Fang said simply in reply as she followed the pink haired commando with a bounce on her step.
A few minutes later, four more players came into the court, each of them sprouting a frown on their face as they lined up in front of both Lightning and Fang. Stoplight man was at the left most side of the group followed by a short stout man who has a crew cut. Fang named him Piggy. The next one is a stoic tanned man who also has a crew cut. Fang named him Kissable-lips since she noticed that his lips were biggest among the group. The fourth man was a green haired glasses man who unlike all the others has long hair tied in a ponytail. Fang named the man Horn dog since along with the other girls in the gymnasium; she was given a flying kiss and a flirty wink. Last but not the least Gadot, a classmate of theirs who was overly buffed and like the Spotlight man, he has a fiery blonde Mohawk for a hairdo. Gadot was looking at Light with malicious looking eyes.
"It's funny you want to have a match Lightning, can you even take all of us?" Gadot said with a taunting smile as he crossed his beefy arms over his equally beefy chest. Light however only ignores him and look over the five players.
"Huh, your number six in the ranking right? Where's Lewis?" Lightning said glaring at Piggy before setting it on Gadot who visibly swallowed his spit before answering, "That's Mr. Lewis for you Ms. Farron and fortunately for you he's out with a cold right now."
Lightning only continued glaring at the rest of basketball aces before nodding her head in approval. She looked at Fang and dragged the raven hair away from the group to the other side of the court where she proceeded to do warm up exercises.
"Hey, Hey, don't we like, shake hands or something?" Fang said still looking at the group of basketball players who also proceeded to do their warm up exercises.
"What for? Too time consuming. You know Damon, right?" Light said as she stretches her body in an unbelievable angle. Fang looked away at her incredible beautiful roommate towards the multi-coloured Mohawk hairdo guy, trying to hide the incoming blush from her face.
"Spotlight man, what about him?" Fang said which earned her a bemused look from her roommate.
"Yeah him, he's their ace shooter. He can easily shoot three pointers with a seventy five percent of them going in the basket." Lightning said as Fang caught on to what her roommate was telling her and put her game face on.
"Williams, the plump one—"
"You mean Piggy?" Fang interjected which earned her a glare from the pinkette but afterwards nodded.
"Yeah him, he might be sixth in their ranking but from what I know his defense is as solid as a rock." Lightning continued, "Johnsons over there, the green long hair one, is extremely fast despite his disgusting flirtatious actions."
"What about Kissable-lips?"
"Kissable-wha? Oh, that's Matthews. He's known for his dunks and hooks." Lightning said after looking for said Kissable-lips, "Be careful with Gadot, he's an all-rounder."
"Wait wait wait. Why are you telling me all these things, again?" Fang said while looking at the pinkette who just finished her warm ups and was now walking at the center of the court. Lightning looked over her shoulder at Fang still standing still with a curious look on her face, "I don't know. I just know that you're a fast learner and thought you could be on par with them on their level."
Fang smirked at that time, true she knew she was a very very fast learner to the point where she can copy anyone's tune in playing the guitar and make it her own but she never knew that her roommate noticed that trait of hers. Playing the guitar… not playing basketball, mind you.
"That's playing the damn guitar Light!" Fang shouted at her while trying to keep astride with the pinkette. Lightning however, only spared her with a glance before getting back to glaring at the five men who were smirking at them in the middle of the court.
"So, you're telling me you dragged me here to play your stupid game and now you're chickening out just because you can't take on five over grown, over buffed, meat headed guys?" Lightning said with a cool level tone in her voice that somehow felt like daggers impaling Fang and the boys in front of them from every word uttered.
"No, I'm not chickening out. It's just two against five? Really, Lightning, I don't have the capacity to steal, guard then shoot the ball from all of them." Fang said as she saw the PE teacher acting as the referee take up his position in the middle of the court with the ball on hand.
"Pfft, you're thinking I'm some useless player who doesn't know how to play a silly game like this? Naïve." Lightning said as she gestured Fang to take up as center since she's the taller of the two. Fang relented and just clicked her tongue in dismay at her roommate's words.
"Having a little trouble with Farron, huh? I'm not surprise; she's always full of herself any ways." Gadot said with a smirk on his face when she placed herself in front of him and the referee.
"Shut the fuck up before I shut your ass up, bucko." Fang said with a glare of her own as she readied herself for the jump ball. Gadot's smirk only widen at the threat before the whistle rang to signal the start of the game with the ball hurling upwards.
Fang reached up to tap the ball towards Lightning but due to Gadot's own push, the trajectory of the ball bounce towards Horn dog, the fastest among the bunch.
"Shit!" Fang was about to spin herself and run after the ball before it gets into the hands of the green haired man when a flash of pink blocked her way. Fang didn't know whether to smirk or gawk, as Lightning run off with the ball to their side of the court while all the other players were still dumbfounded at the pinkette's speed. The first one to react was Kissable-lips but Lightning was now too far away from him to block her first lay up, earning them their first two points of the game.
Fang ran up to the pinkette who stood below their basket and was about to give her a pat on the back when a glare from the pinkette stopped her from doing so, "You have terrible aim."
Fang only laughed out loud at that, "Oh? Is that a challenge I hear from Ms. grumpy Farron? And besides, you running like makes up for it."
Lightning only scowled at the raven haired guitarist before running away from her. Fang almost thought she went too far again but then her roommate answered back bringing forth another set of laughter which she unwisely let out again," Think whatever you like Snaggletooth but at least try getting the ball next time."
The game continued on with Lightning almost always stealing the ball from the basketball players, displaying amazing dribbling skills, and running off with it towards their basket. There were times when Fang would steal the ball from Lightning whenever she release the ball from a layup or any two pointer shoots then would proceed to doing a dunk instead just to aggravate the pink hair more.
But whenever Fang would finally get a hold with the ball and attempt a three point shoot, Lightning would suddenly jump towards the ball and steal it. And while still in mid-air she would twirl herself sunshine enveloping her body, ball on hand and attempt a formless layup shoot towards the basket. It always went in. And it always made Fang stop moving just to admire the sight.
Sunshine, Fang thought. It suits her. With her hair and skin against the sun like that, yes… it very suits her. Well, her roommate's attitude needs a little bit of adjustment but what the hell, it suits her.
In the end they felt like they weren't playing with five guys anymore but amongst themselves and indeed when the second half of the game ended, they were surprise to see that most of the guys were lying on the floor already, excluding Gadot who was still stubbornly standing albeit on shaking knees. So they decided to quit the game and gave the guys a rest.
All in all, it was a satisfying day in school for Fang, excluding the increase of stares of course, and at the end of it all she was left here in the quietness of their apartment.
At least get a damn TV or radio dammit! Fang thought as she look over once again at the bare living room where only the coffee table and the white couch with a few maroon pillows she was currently lying on were the only material things occupying the room. Does Lightning even live here? Fang often thought along these lines during these past five days of barely seeing her roommate in their apartment since she often come back home usually after midnight, reeking of alcohol, smoke and a bit of a sweet scent that Fang interpreted as the fragrance of chocolate. It's as if she didn't even treated this place as her home!
What kind of job would make her get back home that late anyway? Fang thought as she remembered one evening when she decided to wait on her roommate, not only finding out that her roommate reeks of alcohol and smoke but she was also wearing a change of clothes consisting of an elegant maroon sleeveless blouse with the two top buttons undone, showing her a peek of her generous cleavage hold up by a black lacy bra and in Fang's amazement her navel rose ring, she was also wearing a tight mini black skirt that lets you see the shape and movement of her ass every time she damn walks. Both garments are a size too small for her roommate which by the way Fang understood the pinkette wouldn't wear unless the situation calls for it. And for the love of god, it didn't helped that she was wearing her usual brown high heeled boots, it only complimented the whole thing.
"Any lower than my face and I'll punch you to kingdom come." Lightning said coldly as she passed by Fang that night after she takes off her boots then gone straight ahead to her bedroom. Fang would've been lying to herself if she thought that didn't scared her but at the same time turned her on.
A knock from the front door stop Fang from thinking any further about her roommate. Hoping that it's her best friend behind the door or pray that the person has a rigid enough body to withstand her fury, she got up and walk towards the entrance of their apartment. She sighed in relief when she saw Vanille with a somewhat impatient look on her face.
"What took you so long?" Vanille said
"That's supposed to be my line!" Fang said back as she gestured Vanille to come in, "Well don't you just stand there, come in already. I've been dying to have another taste of that cake you bought the other day."
"Oh, about that. Instead of bringing you the treat, why won't we just go to the place? It's more fun that way and I know you're bored staying all alone in your apartment since your roommate is obviously out. So let's just go out, your treat of course" Vanille said with her sweet innocent smile plastered on her face.
"Why would I be treating you? You do know I'm still jobless, right? There's no way in hell I'll be—" Fang started but felt an ominous aura coming from her redheaded friend in front of her.
"Cuz I said so, since you made me lose an opportunity to talk to this cute girl that could've become my friend and made me drive six hours straight just so you can talk about your roommate." Vanille said still having that sweet smile of hers though having a somewhat threatening tone in her voice. Fang could only sigh in defeat. She knew that it was her fault for forcing Vanille to come all the way to Bohdum and knowing the redhead's persistent attitude she can only relent.
"Alright, alright, just give me a minute to get my keys. Oh, and I'm driving." Fang said as she goes in to the kitchen where she left her copy of the apartment keys. She then grabbed her black leather jacket which was on the couch then proceeded to go out of the apartment where she found her best friend waiting beside a white Strada Triton with a word Alexander embedded in gold on the side door.
"Woah, which sorry chap who names his car Alexander did you steal this from?" Fang said as she admired the pickup truck. Vanille rolled her eyes at the comment, "For your information, I borrowed it from Hope, my boyfriend, and don't be a hypocrite, Fang. At least Hope named it after a great Greek king unlike someone I know who names their things after mythical fire breathing dragons."
"Heh, you mean the gay Conqueror who had a fling with his best friend during their little game of war?" Fang said while smiling, remembering their world history lesson during high school. Vanille sighed, having to have the same lesson since they attended the same public high school, "Yes, that guy. Now come on, delicious cake is waiting for us!"
Vanille made a move into the driver's seat when a tanned hand stops her from going further.
"Keys." Fang said simply while gesturing to Vanille to hand over the keys of the vehicle. Vanille raise her brow to the raven haired guitarist while folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Fang, you don't have a driver's license."
"And you don't have any idea how many people you can kill in one day. Besides, the police forces here don't care about things like that." Fang said with her hand still outstretch towards Vanille, "Now hand me the keys."
Vanille considered what Fang said for a moment before relenting to her friend. She admitted she was a bit tired from the six hour drive and judging from the narrow alley ways of Bohdum, Vanille didn't want to have an accident occur on her account.
"Fine, but I want two servings of cake since I didn't have lunch yet and skip a couple of my classes just for you." Vanille said as she gave the keys to Fang and walked around the car and into the passenger's seat. Fang also got in the car and started the engine.
"So, where is this place anyway?" Fang said after a few minutes wherein she drove the truck out of the residential area and in to the town square. During the past few days, she would go out to town just to walk around and familiarize herself with her surroundings. She would've asked, or rather dragged, her pink haired roommate but she knew not to interfere the pinkette's working hours with her desire to spend more time with Lightning and get to know her more.
"Hmm, it's on that side of town I think?" Vanille said while pointing to the shady part of town where you can see establishments like motels, pubs and small casinos all lined up with their shiny neon signs flashing into Fang's face. The stench of alcohol, body stenches and nicotine littered the air. I didn't know there's a place like this in Bohdum.
"Oi, Vanille, how do you know a place like this when you're not even a resident here?" Fang said, slightly tilting her head to look at the red head who was admiring the bright neon lights against Bohdum's setting sun outside.
"Hope invited me for his birthday party last week here." Vanille said making Fang's eyes bulge out of her sockets and hit the breaks so forcefully that they almost hit their foreheads on the windshield. If it weren't for their seatbelts they would have a red mark sprouting on their foreheads by now.
"He what now in this dump?!" Fang said now fully looking at Vanille who was massaging the back of her head since it rebounded on the back rest. At the corner of her eyes, Fang could see a group of girls who were wearing skimpy clothes and by the looks of it, were dry humping a group of boys who looked like they came from some kind of messed up gang with all their face scars, dyed hair and tattoos showing. Not that she has any problem of dyeing one's hair and having a tattoo, since she also has those. But having group sex in the middle of the road is something Fang can't picture herself doing. Ever.
"Oh relax will you? It's not like I come here every freaking day unlike your roommate. Besides, we only stayed at this pub once owned by his deceased mom. It was cool of him to invite me too since I'm from Eden-U and he's from Bohdum University. You do know that students from Eden-U and Bohdum University usually fight over the little stuff, right?" Vanille said as Fang continue to drive unless she wanted to squish the little honking car behind them with the pickup truck. Thinking back to what Vanille said, one line caught her attention, making her eyes bulge out of her sockets again.
"Lightning works here?!" Fang said looking at Vanille suddenly, not noticing the drunken middle aged office worker crossing the streets. Vanille noticing this, hurriedly grabbed the wheels from Fang grasp and tried to drive them out of the drunk's way who didn't even notice them coming at him until they were a few inches apart.
"Fuck ya! Ya mother fucka mangye lil twerps! *burp* *bleeehh* " yelled the drunken man before barfing on the middle of the road without a care in the world who sees him there letting out his guts.
"Fuck you too, dickhead shitface!" Fang yelled back, flicking the finger at him before looking back at Vanille who was still catching her breathe from the exhilaration.
"Lightning works here?" Fang said a bit more calmly than the first but you can still hear the shock from the tone of her voice. Fang could not believe that her assessments about Lightning job as being a prostitute was right.
Is that why she didn't want me or any one coming near her? Because she has those sex marks all over her body? Fang thought as she remembered the bathroom incident a few days ago. Then there was the incident just this afternoon where Lightning said she was the cause of all those unwanted stares. Did that mean that everyone knew about Lightning's job? With Lightning's stunning looks and mysterious aura, she wouldn't have any problems finding hormonal clienteles.
"Yeah, she works here, kind of a shocker too when we met at the bar and talk about your accommodations. She was pretty good with her job too." Vanille said, oblivious to the raven head's own musings about the pinkette.
Hearing the confirmation, Fang was a bit disappointed. Being in an orphanage with a rather strict matron, both Fang and Vanille were raised to have both good morals and insight around their surroundings. And being away from their beloved matron from their beloved home, Gran Pulse, it made Fang a little homesick. But imagine her surprise when her roommate suddenly sprouted all those apartment rules, it made Fang remember one of the matrons she was very close with who was also very strict with rules… Well, not that she follows every single one of them.
Yet now, with the knowledge that her roommate works probably in a strip club or something and was good at it as Vanille qouted, she cannot dare to compare her beloved matron to her roommate who she once thought as some sort of cure for her homesickness.
"Oh, turn left after that motel there and stop over that place called NORA." Vanille said, breaking Fang's little bubble of thoughts. Fang shook her head to clear out an image of her roommate wearing a kinky nurse uniform and the glasses Fang remembered she wore during PE while holding a syringe with a seductive but dangerous smile on her face. Damn, mind out of the gutter, Oerba! Fang thought as she park the Strada a few blocks away from the pub.
After parking, Vanille hopped out of the car and waited for Fang, who was still noting how the establishment looks like from the others around it. From the outside, Fang can clearly see the usual bright neon lights advertising its name, same shady look that a bar can only possess and the same aroma of alcohol and smoke coming in through the place. But what really caught Fang's attention was how civil the costumers here are. There are no teenagers without parental guidance doing illicit things, there are the usual drunkards but for some reason they kept to themselves which was saying something because half of what she saw just passing through to get here was an abundancy of out of control drunkards.
"Are you coming or not?" Vanille said with both hands on her hips. Fang only shook her head at the impatience of her red headed friend before finally coming out of the car without the skip and all that her friend just demonstrated a while back.
"Yeah yeah, just admiring the scenery."
Vanille smiled at that and walked beside Fang, "You'll love it here! Some nights they even have bands playing for them. You should sign in for that Fang! That'll bring some greens in your wallet."
"I'll think about it Van. For now I just want to eat, I'm starving!" Fang said as she pushed the pub's door open and let Vanille in first before following suit.
"Sure sure, stomach problems first then others later, yeah?" Vanille said while taking note that the bartender manning the counter wasn't the woman she had a conversation with the other day but she quickly disregard that and went up to the man nonetheless with Fang on tow.
"One Lionheart please!"
"Give me some of that Lionheart."
Two voices said simultaneously, one coming from Vanille and the other from an old man whose age is ranging from forties almost fifties. They look at each other before glaring at the bartender who was giving them a confuse expression.
"Uhmm, I'm sorry, we only have one stock left." The bartender said bringing the man to glare at him first then at Vanille who was sprouting a troubled expression.
"I say little lady, let me have the treat since it's for my daughter's birthday." The old man said gesturing to a woman in skimpy clothes, smoking by the window with an impatient look on her eyes. She was easily half the age of the old man. Who would let his daughter wear those kinds of clothes? Fang thought as she stared at the woman who amazingly, winked at her right in front of the old man.
Both Vanille and the old man caught the action and both scowled at the woman who brought up her hands over her head in the sign of defeat while shaking her head with a smile still on her face. She then proceeded to stare brashly at Fang. Fang didn't mind the attention from the woman, she knew she was hot and sometimes she used that advantage to get what she wanted but she also knew her limits. With Vanille glaring at her with a silent message relaying in between them, Do something. Fang could only sigh in defeat.
"Well, I'm sorry for that sir, but my friend here wants the cake, so you back off." Fang said as she steps forward, bringing herself in her full height that easily towers the man by two inches. The old man raised a brow to her.
"I didn't know Pulsian like you can be trained. Hmm, I guessed Cooper was right about implementing the International Exchange Culture System. Dogs like you can be trained." The old man said with a heated glare at Fang.
Dogs? Fang thought as she immediately yanked roughly the old man towards her with his shirt and punch him on the face which resulted to him falling on his back. She didn't have an ounce of care about the spectators watching around them. She unconsciously let out a growl out of frustration but that only made the old man smirk broaden even in his bloody nose state.
"Fang?!" Vanille said in bewilderment. Vanille never have seen her best friend act like this, much less from an old man they just met now. Sure she knew the raven haired has anger management issues and a damn unholy enormous pride that got her into trouble more than enough times to last them for a life time but she never hurt a person without a sensible reason.
"See what I told you? Only a dog would result into worthless hostilities." The old man said while wipping the blood from his nose albeit a smirk on his face.
Fang would've pounced on the old man and beat the crap on him more when another man, in his mid-thirties with a round beer belly but muscular arms, rounded up the corner from what Fang could only think of as the manager's office since she noticed that the bartender greeted him as 'boss'.
"What in hells and blazes is wrong here? And you. Why are you there when I know it's Lebreau's turn to tend the bar." The man said while pointing to the bartender who obviously shook from his statement.
"She. She's at the kitchen, making cake and stuff with—" before the bartender even finished his sentence the man marched towards the back of the room where she assumed where the kitchen was.
"Will you look at that, another cake? I guess we will be having two Leonhearts this evening. One for each of us since the thing is so small." The old man said as he picked himself up finally and ignored the two Pulsians beside him. For Fang, that was the last straw.
"I don't care whether it's your daughter's birthday today! I'm in a shitty mood right now so fuck off and hand over the damn cake!" Fang shouted at the top of her voice while she tried to once again pounce at the old man but was stop by her best friend who was holding on to her saying something about to order something else. All she wanted was to beat the crap out of the man who humiliated her culture and called her and Vanille dogs, would even pick up a whore from the streets and say it's his daughter and was even selfish enough to bought two cakes that big! If a diameter of seven inches of cake considered small then Fang didn't know what the man deliberated as big.
"Fang, Vanille?" a smooth low octave voice rang out, penetrating Fang's murderous thoughts as she look up and saw Lighting with a white long sleeved blouse with a black tie and black tight slacks accentuating the curve of her legs. A light frown adorning her angelic face, scratch that, she always has a scowl on her face. Still, at least she wasn't wearing nurse costumes.
"Sunshine?" Fang said while still in her half anger filled daze half astonishment that your roommate is her daze to the point where in she didn't realize that there was another woman clinging on her roommate hand until both of them was standing between Pulsians and the old man.
"Sunshine? I didn't know you had such a cute nickname Light. Usually it would be Ice Princess, Bitch Queen, RoboBitch—" Lebreau, the woman who was hanging on to Lightning while a cake on the other, said. She smirked at Lightning who scowled back at her while squirming her way out of Lebreau's grip.
"Neither do I." Lightning said as her scowl deepen when she directed it towards Fang. It was obvious that Lightning didn't like her new nickname by this point. But who wouldn't like that nickname against the other ones that Lebreau stated? At least it wasn't mocking the pinkette, in Fang's opinion, unlike the others.
"At least it's not as bad as the others, Light. I like to think of it as another variation of your name. You know light and sunshine?" Fang voiced her thoughts with a playful grin on her face.
"Lebreau!" Vanille said as she suddenly hugs the woman bartender before Lightning would come up with another come back.
"Woah there, still holding valuable merchandise here, you know." Lebreau said while setting the pastry down not far from her, "It took Light an hour and a half to sculpt that thing."
"You made that." the old man said that brought the attention of the four females. Unlike the last time he spoke, he had no bravado on his voice and the look on his face portrays an expression of seeing something akin to a ghost. He was obviously looking at Lighting. He then lowered his head and started to slowly laugh that grew into a maniacally one that scared the shit out of almost every occupant of the room especially for Lightning.
"Hahahaha, I didn't know the elder Farron was still here. Oh god, mother fucker. Why oh why, can't you just remain incapacitated just like the stories circulated. Or was that a lie too huh Ms. Farron?" the old man said as he glared at Lightning who, Fang noticed, that both her hands was gripping the counter table so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her expression staring straight at the old man neither blinking nor staring somewhere else but Fang knew that Lightning is anywhere but here.
"Because of you, my career is ruined. You Farron! You who steals everything! A devil's child—" before the man could even finish that, Lightning yanked the old man off his feet towards herself over the counter and punch him on the face for the second time of the day. But this time, the old man never got up.
"Don't call my mom that, you bastard." Lightning before she ran out of the establishment with head down low, bangs covering her eyes.
Fang parked the pickup truck just a few blocks away from her apartment with Vanille holding two boxes of cake on her lap. She sat back and reminisce what transpired after Lightning fled the bar.
Amodar, the manager of the bar saw the whole scene and was enraged that an employee of his would punch the living day lights of a costumer but he was more enraged that the said costumer was the one who provoke his employee and even a few costumers, Fang and Vanille. So he ordered two of his bouncers to kick the old man out of his establishment with his supposedly daughter and ordered a sign to be made saying that the two of them are not welcome there anymore.
Lebreau, the woman clinging to Lightning, when they got out of the kitchen knew Vanille and asked if Fang was the new roommate of the pinkette. When Fang nodded at the question, Lebreau instantaneously grabbed Lightning's things from the staffroom and held it for Fang to take. She asked them to give that to Lightning since most are her things for school and gave them the last two cakes for compensation. She told them she would go herself but she didn't have the time to visit Lightning since she have the night shift today and have to deal with her little siblings tomorrow.
"That was one hectic day, don't you think?" Vanille said finally before getting out of the truck, cakes at hand.
"If you mean hectic by misunderstanding your roommate's job as a prostitute, finding out she's a bartender that makes cute chocolate cakes instead and then old man maniac accusing her of a devil's child which earned him another knuckle sandwich, then yes. It is kind of hectic." Fang said while getting out of the car herself with Lightning's belongings then checking if the car was locked in all places. For a shoulder bag, it was kind of heavy. What the hell did Lightning bring to school in an everyday basis this heavy anyways? Rocks?
"You thought Lightning was a prostitute?" Vanille said as she walks on the sidewalk towards Fang's apartment with the raven haired guitarist beside her.
"Well, yeah. Kind of, since she works at that district and her coming home like that night." Fang stop herself from spouting anymore of her roommate before she could be in real trouble. You never know if the pinkette was silently listening just above them and it scared Fang to be another one of Lightning's super lighting fast knuckle sandwich.
"Like what?" Vanille asked nonetheless.
"Nothing you have to know, Van." Fang said as they trudge up the apartment's staircase.
"No fair, having a hot pink haired roommate all to yourself, not to mention she's kind of your type." Vanille said with a playful grin.
"Shut up Van." Fang said repressing the slight blush coming on her face. Thank god she has a tanned complexion that made the blush unnoticeable…that much.
"Pfft, don't deny it Fang. I mean come on, Sunshine? Really?"
"No, Vanille. I don't want anything to do with your so called plans. The last time I said yes to one of those, I almost got married to a stranger who was saying something about the best night she ever had that I don't even remembered. Besides, I don't even think Lightning's gay. Now shut up, we're almost there." Fang said as she fished out her key from her pocket and opened the door only to be surprise by a sleeping strawberry blonde on the couch with bottles of beer on the coffee table. She was wearing the oversized white t-shirt and a pair of maroon shorts that Fang used to see her as her usual night wears. At least she has the mind set to change first before becoming sloshed.
"I call dibs on your room." Vanille said suddenly as she puts down one of the cake on the table and bounded towards what she knew by the mess of the things inside was Fang's room.
"Wait, what?" Fang said following Vanille without even turning on the lights. But Vanille was had a head start and was already in her room when Fang was only removing her sneakers. She looks back at Fang who was frowning at her.
"What? Where do you think I'm going to stay? Certainly not in your roommate's room or the couch where your roommate is currently sleeping. And besides, you're the one who called me to stay here Fang. Goodnight Fang." Vanille said as she gave that angelic but manipulative smile of hers to her dumbfounded friend before closing the door behind her.
Well, that sucks to be her right now.
"Sucks to be you." An angelic voice said behind the raven haired guitarist making her jump literally and unfortunately stumble on the coffee table bringing along the beer bottle with her.
"L-Lightning, I thought you were asleep." Fang said as she sat made herself upright again while picking up all the strewn beer bottles, she noted that only six of them are emptied, "Damn, you sure can drink your alcohol."
"Pfft, I'm a bartender Fang. Being totalled by six cans of beer is an embarrassment in my profession." Lightning said with a small grin.
"Drinking six cans of beer not less than twenty minutes is something to talk about Light, especially when you're not even in a hurry to drink them." Fang said as she sat beside the pinkette on the floor with two beers on hand. She opened hers and gave the other to her roommate who took it nonchalantly after she sat up herself with both her legs still stretch out on the sofa and her back on the armrest, "So want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what." Light said as she took a big gulp of the bitter liquid. Fang too took a gulp from hers.
"You know, what happened from the bar." Fang chance a peek on her roommate and saw a somewhat sad smile on her face.
"He deserves that." Light said as she slouched a little and turned her beer in a clockwise manner, trying to ignore the stare she was getting from the raven head.
"Hmm, not even one shed of tear?" Fang said teasingly as she revert her gaze back towards the front.
"I don't cry Fang." Light said harshly, scowling at the idea of crying just because she was called a devil's child, "I've been through worst."
Fang stopped mid sip by the last statement and was again curious of her pink haired roommate but didn't know how to make the pinkette open up to her. Unless….
"Hey Lightning, ever played question and answer?" Fang asked but was greeted an icy glare.
"If you're one of those people who pry in other people's live then forget it Fang. I'm not playing any of your games." Lightning said finishing of her beer and put it on the table.
"No, this is a different one. You can say pass if you want to."
"Then I'll just say pass to every single question." Lightning said while laying herself on the sofa again. What she didn't anticipate is the grin that greeted her on eye level.
"Then on every pass, the person should sing a verse from one of her most hated songs." Fang said with a devilish smile, "Don't tell me you don't remember them cuz I know you do. And don't sing any random songs either."
Lightning sighs in defeat, "Fine. Ten questions. That's all I'm answering."
"That's fine. Okay, question number one, what's your favourite color?"
"Magenta."
"Wow, Light, never figured you'd go for pink." Fang said with smirk resting her head on the cushion of the sofa beside Lightning's thigh, "Mind if I rest my head here? Thanks."
"Shut up, it's my turn to question you and your head is already there." Lightning said while covering her eyes with an arm.
"Shoot."
"What's your favourite color?"
"Pfft, that's your question? How cliché can you be Light." Fang said while closing her eyes too, enjoying the sound of her roommates voice.
"Just answer the damn question and besides, you're the one who started this cliché game anyways." Lightning said
"Fine, it's blue. My turn, favourite food?"
"Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? Everybody has a favourite food." Fang said making a frown on her face.
"Food is food Fang, doesn't matter to me as long as it does what it supposed to do, making my stomach full. And that's two questions." Lightning said with a slight irritation in her voice.
"Fine fine, ask away."
"What's your most hated song? and will you sing it for me now?"
Fang opened her eyes and stared at the pinkette incredulously, "Say what?"
Lightning moved her arm covering her eyes and peeked at the raven head, "You heard me."
"That's cheating Light. You want me to do the punishment just because I force you to play this game." Fang said. She was about to demand Lightning to change the two questions when not only smirk adorned the pinkette's face but also with her beautiful cerulean eyes were gleaming with what Fang depicted as soft delight even though it was Fang she was silently laughing at. For the whole week Fang had known her roommate, this was the first time she saw such soft gaze directed at her and it felt like butterflies was slowly filling her stomach every second that ticks by by just looking at those eyes.
"Pfft, in my opinion, it beats singing it twice in a row. Don't you think? Besides, you're the one who dragged me to this game." Lightning said while still gazing that same look at Fang. Fang on the other hand cleared her throat and reverted back to her position where her head was near beside Lightning's thighs. Okay it didn't helped one bit, knowing that, but at least her roommate didn't have to see the incoming blush on her face.
Fang sighed after a few minutes and finally looked up towards Lightning's face, "Promise me first that you won't ask why I hate the song."
Lightning nodded and verified it with a, "Sure."
"It's Have Faith With Me by A Day to Remember." Fang said as she closes her eyes once again, blocking out any distractions except her roommates voice. The raven haired was expecting a comeback from the pinkhead but was slightly surprise and relieved that she didn't. Who wouldn't be when the song she just uttered was from one of the bands she idolized right? A hand softly rested on her shoulder prompting her to go on and she did.
Have faith in me
Cause there are things that I've seen I don't believe
The smell of burning flesh and wood suddenly envelopes her sense of smell coupled with the hot burning sensation of fire burning right through your flesh and the cracking of wood breaking it's weight. But what really hated most was the look on those emerald eyes. The eyes that says, it's all gonna be alright.
So cling to what you know and never let go
You should know things aren't always what they seem
Fang clings to that person with emerald eyes, tears streaming out in both of their eyes. A big piece of burning wood from the ceiling then falls on them both but those emerald eyes put herself in between her and Fang. Not caring that it was burning her. Not even caring that a piece of it went through her. She just smiled at Fang and said those, 'Have faith in me.' I said I'd never let you go, and I never did
I said I'd never let you fall and I always meant it
To Fang it was like an eternity looking up at those emerald eyes whilst they were still in a burning house. But never did those emerald eyes let her go nor did she stop caressing Fang's tearstained face albeit her hands were tainted with her own blood. It was like an eternity when finally the fire was extinguished and they were excavated amongst the rubble and the dead but in reality it was just a few hours.
If you didn't have this chance then I never did
You'll always find me right there, again
When Fang heard voices calling out for them, she knew both of them was relieved. They were saved. Oh so thought the eight year old Fang when she look up hoping to see vibrant emerald eyes, her mother's eyes. But there was nothing in them. It was emerald but no hint of that caring warm expression was on her eyes. Even though she was still smiling at Fang.
Fang opened her eyes and was astonished that she was crying. She rubbed it all away vigorously with her left arm, "Oh shucks, now look at what you've done Light. You have to pay for this you know."
There was no reply from her roommate.
"Light?" Fang said as she turned around and saw the most innocent facet from the pinkhead that she had ever seen from the entire duration of the whole week. Well. More like the first. The pinkhead was curled up on herself with her right arm curled beside her breast and with her left arm resting on Fang's shoulder. Her lips were slightly opened apart with a small sigh, more like a purr, coming out every now and then.
"Damn, she took the couch." Fang said remembering that Vanille was in her room, probably asleep on her bed. She didn't want to wake up the sleeping beauty beside her and she didn't know if carrying her to her room is a good plan since she didn't know if her roommate is a light sleeper or not.
"Oh well. Just for this night, Sunshine." Fang said after a sigh as she rested her head on the cushion of the the sofa and closed her eyes to dreamland.
AUTHOR'S NOTES (again): i beg of you...REVIEW PLEASE!
