Author's Note: I don't have much to say this time, except that I think you're really going to like this one. :)

Enjoy!

As with any conversation, their words eventually ceased. Everything they could think of had been said, followed by a satisfied silence. Now, they were nowhere near being whole, but there was obvious remodeling in their fractures.

Hope and Lightning ended up on the couch, where they had accidentally fallen asleep together. Lightning had fully intended on going back to her bed, and Hope had fully intended on leaving for his hotel room once more; but they talked until after six in the morning, and sleep just followed.

When Hope was awoken later that morning, Lightning was still lying there with her head on his chest, sleeping soundly. He groggily rubbed his eyes with his free right hand - she had trapped the left - before reaching for his phone to check the time. It took several seconds of him staring blankly at it, wondering why he couldn't see the time, before realizing it was what had woken him up.

Vanille was calling.

He hastily answered, nearly forgetting Lightning was asleep on him, "Hello?"

"Hey, Hope..."

"Vanille..." he had thinks he needed to say, he did, but they were barely coming out of his head to get stuck in his throat. His brain still hadn't woken up.

"I called because...well...I was wondering if you'd like to meet for lunch?" she sounded nervous.

Hope blinked a few times, forcing his brain to work, "Yeah, sure, of course. Just tell me when and where."

"I - I was thinking...11:30? At the park where we met?"

Hope smiled, "That sounds great. I'll be there."

"O-Okay, great. Um...see you there."

"Okay, see-"

She hung up.

Huh...cut off twice in twelve hours. He senses a pattern

Now able to check the time on his phone, he saw that it was almost ten-thirty. He had an hour. That is, after he got Lightning off of him...

She was sleeping peacefully, probably deep in dreams, unaware of where she'd fallen asleep. He didn't want to disturb her, but he needed to get up and get ready... He looked around, hoping to be inspired for a solution.

And he was. Upon seeing her open bedroom door, he decided to gently carry her to her room. Okay, maybe not the best plan. A thousand different awfully awkward outcomes flew through his mind, but he had to do something. Moving as little as possible, he eventually got her in his arms. Standing only a little faster, he carried her to her room, shouldering the door open just a little wider so he wouldn't hit her on anything. After putting her in bed, he wrote a note explaining where he went and he was sorry he left her. He left it on her bedside table.

Walking back to his hotel room - which he'd have to check out of that night - he contemplated how much time he had. Forty-five minutes until he was supposed to be there, which meant a half hour to get ready. He had time to get dressed, but did he have time for a quick shower? Probably. He didn't have to worry about eating, since they were meeting for lunch. ...He'd shower.

Thankfully, he was well practiced in taking quick showers. Unfortunately, that meant he was out and ready to go a lot earlier than he planned. He ended up just sitting on his bed and contemplating everything that could happen for about twenty minutes.

What if she was freaked out about him having feelings for her and didn't want to see him again? What if this lunch was to say goodbye? What if she used to have feelings for him but didn't anymore, and called him to let him down easy? What if she never did? What if she'd always seen him as a sad little kid? What if...?

On the way to the park, the few lazy clouds that had been lingering in the sky drifted completely away, leaving it pure blue. A deep, flawless blue that was almost more beautiful than anything else he'd ever seen...

But not more beautiful than her.

She was sitting at one of the picnic tables set up in the park, Bhakti laying in the grass, panting at her feet. There was a basket on the table, most likely filled with their lunch.

Hope's heart practically stopped as he approached her, putting on a smile, "Hey."

Vanille turned at the sound of his voice, as did Bhakti. He gave a very loud, very friendly bark, and started trotting around Hope, wagging his tail - into his legs fifty percent of the time - and sniffing his shoes. Content, he plopped down again, waiting to be petted.

Hope obliged, crouching down more to his level and giving the dog a good rub, "There you go, good boy. You know I won't hurt her, don't you?"

Bhakti just smiled, panting happily.

Hope chuckled, and turned his attention back to Vanille, "So, what's up?"

She still seemed nervous, even more so now that he could see her instead of just hearing her voice. She opened the basket, pulling out two paper plates, "Just lunch. I made it myself."

Hope sat across from her as she pulled out sandwiches and some kind of salad, "It looks good. Better than anything I ever had at the Academy."

Vanille blushed a little, "I'm sure that's not true."

"Are you kidding? It was all bland, processed, mass-produced stuff. Poor excuse for food."

He thought it was funny, but she didn't laugh. She smiled a little, though, and served the food. Some of the tension from the night before lingered between them, it was unavoidable now. He had to say it, he had to tell her. For better or for worse. And quickly, before he changed his mind or lost his nerve.

He cleared his throat, "Vanille...about last night..."

"N-no," she said quickly, "It's alright, it was my fault..." she handed him his plate, her hands shaking a little.

He took the plate...and then her hands. His heart was nearly exploding in his chest, and both of their hands were shaking now. He was also pretty sure that both of them were tomatoes. At the very least, she was red and he was on fire.

"No, i-it's my fault," he stammered, "I've been a coward. I- I should have told you..."

"T-Told me what?"

He couldn't look at her, but he couldn't look away. He should never have looked away, not even for a moment. Maybe...maybe he'd never have to look away again, "That..." he took a breath, "my mother was right, Vanille. I do care for you. A lot, actually..."

She gasped.

He wasn't sure what that meant, so he kept going. Even if he knew, he didn't think he could stop, "And I have for a long time... This doesn't have to mean anything, if you don't want it to. If - if I made things awkward between us, I'm sorry, but... I can't keep this to myself anymore. You deserve to know..."

They sat in an odd silence for a time, undefinable in characteristics. Vanille's face held on to her expression of shock, while Hope's heart stopped completely. What she said next would change everything, no matter what it was. If she felt the same way, they could finally be together. If she didn't...then there would always be a present film of awkwardness between them, no matter how much they tried to ignore it.

Goddess...what if she didn't feel the same way? He had always accepted the possibility, but now that it was right in front of him... Obviously he would take the rejection like an adult, and not act on his feelings in any way, but how would she feel? Would she want to see him again? What if she was uncomfortable with the knowledge, and tried to avoid him from now on? What would the others think of him? How quickly would Fang kill him when she found out? (Which she would, he had no doubt that they'd find her) Maybe this was a mistake, maybe he shouldn't have said anything... He began to sweat under his own anxiety.

Until she smiled.

She did smile, squeezing his hands tight, "Oh, Hope, I care for you, too."

A thousand different emotions exploded in his chest, so quickly he didn't have time to process them all. But he did process joy, and smiled back at her, "Really?"

She giggled, looking more beautiful than ever, "Really. I have since we were l'Cie together. I told myself back then that you were too young, to get over it, but now," she beamed, "look at you, all grown up."

Hope couldn't help but chuckle a little, "That's basically what I told myself. But even during all those years without you...I didn't even look at another woman. I know plenty of them looked at me, but..." he started to blush even more. Goddess, why did he say that? "I didn't care. I just wanted you back..."

Vanille lifted their hands in a wide gesture, smiling, "Here I am."

Bhakti got up and put his big front paws on the bench beside her, leaning forward and sniffing their hands curiously. There was a strange man touching his owner, even if he liked the strange man, she was his.

Vanille gave Hope a happy look, then let go of him and hugged her big pooch, giving him a kiss, "It's alright, Bhakti, we like him. A lot, okay?"

The lab gave Hope a scrutinizing look, which he found strangely intimidating, before licking Vanille's cheek in acceptance. He trusted her judgment.

Hope smiled and held his hand out to him, hoping to show him he was harmless. Bhakti sniffed his hand thoroughly, and even got up on the table a bit to sniff his face. He had to make extra double sure Hope wasn't a treat-snatcher, or something else horrible that would hurt his owner. But in the end, he licked Hope's cheek as well. He was officially in.