Breathe

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Have you ever spent a long time away from your home and friends, and found throughout that time you began to realize that you appreciate and enjoy their company more than you thought? Someone at work asked me this once, my answer was a cold 'No.'

I finally experienced it, well into my journey of being a l'Cie. I didn't remember where I had gone or where I had been, only that seeing their faces made me feel happy. Even if I didn't act like it.

Drifting through darkness wasn't something Lightning particularly enjoyed. She didn't feel anything, and to be honest, if she stopped thinking she was pretty sure she would cease to exist at all. It felt like she was in a river, moving with an unseen current in whatever direction it wanted to pull. Faintly Lightning recalled her last near death experience, and for the briefest of moment she could remember this exact feeling somewhere between a strange dream and the waking world.

She was acutely aware she hadn't died though, she had been sleeping. Or that's what she hoped. Her hope seemed to pay off, as distantly, she could hear things, muffled things, but things none the less. Feeling was quicker to come back than her other senses, she could feel someone's warm body up against hers, she could feel her lungs burn as they refused to work for oxygen, and her hands slightly twitch.

"Come on, Light..."

That voice was very distinct in her mind and the allure of the accent caught Lightning off guard. She felt her imagined lips twitch into a smile, and then she buried it. She had no control over her body at the moment, it may, or may not listen to her.

I can't breathe...

Then's when she felt her head being leaned back so her airway felt open. Her hands twitched again, trying to grab onto the smooth, silky sari that she felt so close. Someone was pinching her nose shut, and inwardly she nervously waited for the next moment. As she knew what was coming when someone's gentle finger opened her mouth.

Soft, plush lips pressed against hers, and she felt the rush of air zoom down and into her lungs. It was strange, feeling the air sacs fill not by their own will, but another. The whole experience would've been disagreeable and downright terrifying if Lightning hadn't recognize the lips that had so selflessly provided her with air.

Her lungs refused, apparently her organs had gone on strike.

I'm useless, how could I be so weak?

"Breathe..." Fang's accent lulled into her ear, it was like the woman was trying to gently coax her out of being dead.

Lightning's right hand weakly responded and grabbed at the sari for comfort. She felt Fang move and someone in the back ground said something, the deeper tone of the voice signalled it was either Snow or Sazh.

Where's Hope?

Her heart, for a reason she couldn't fathom, throbbed with guilt.

Fang's lips met hers again, and another rush of oxygen, more this time, forced its way into Lightning's body. The sergeant felt her lungs inflate, and suddenly, that amount of oxygen the Pulse woman was providing wasn't enough.

Lightning's eyes shot open, their serene blue turning hard with a rush of emotions that had been left on the back burner from the strange woman's assault. She was blind, and temporarily forgot that poor Yun Fang was the one holding her so close. In her blurry vision, she could barely make out the woman from the wall, and instead gasped as she lurched up, forcing the assailant away.

"Hey!" Fang's outraged voice broke her from the emotion tizzy that was controlling her, Lightning coughed roughly and looked over in the direction of the exclamation. Her eyes didn't want to function, but she could see the shades of blue against the cold, steel floor. "Twice I save you and this is the thanks I get?"

Lightning heaved in and out, thankful she could breathe on her own. Her eyes narrowed, but to be honest she wasn't even sure if she was staring at Fang's face. "I could... Hit you, if... You'd like."

She could mentally see the slick smile Fang was probably wearing. "You couldn't hit the side of an airship at the moment." She teased, Lightning listened to the woman's boots slide across the floor, she was recovering from the shove. "And we're in one."

She could hear the others laugh, and in a sudden rush she was one again against the floor as a smaller body slammed itself against her in a sudden glomp. Lightning coughed, wincing as Vanille very blatantly invaded her space.

"You're back!" She cried, painfully loud, next to Lightning's ear. The sergeant winced, and very slowly, very awkwardly, returned the embrace. Vanille snuggled closer, like a kid who hadn't seen her mother in ages.

Or sister...

Serah... Lightning's hug tightened just a tad, enough for Vanille to notice and take it as a sign to keep lying on top of the twice dead sergeant.

"Comfy?"

"One word, Snow," Lightning threatened, staring up at the blurred ceiling. "And I swear to Eden, I will end you."

Snow grinned, she knew he was. "Glad your back, sis."

A vein in Lightning's forehead throbbed. "Don't call me that."

"Am I allowed to comment?" Sazh piped up, and she could hear the chocobo twittering happily.

"No." Lightning shot back, using her upper strength to force herself up, and make Vanille sit in her lap.

There was suddenly a noise she didn't recognize, a hum that was barely audible over Snow and Sazh's jokes. She tilted her head slightly, ignoring the awkward presence of the pig-tailed red-head so she could try and focus on whatever that giant fuzzy thing was in the corner.

"What the hell is that?" Lightning questioned, her eyes nearly slits they were trying to see so bad.

"Oh that's, Shiny." Fang offered, and she watched the blue and bronze shape move towards the thing and pat it on its shoulder. "Don't worry, he's friendly."

Another hum.

"What is he?"

"An Orion." Vanille piped up, looking over at the mechanical creation. "He helped Fang bring you back."

There were many, many questions running through Lightning's mind.

"How on Cocoon did you get an Orion?"

"Commander Whats-his-face-"

"Captain Dustan-" Vanille promptly cut Fang off as an attempt to correct her.

"No it was Desmond-" Snow interrupted her, confident he had it right.

"Dimitrius!" Sazh offered.

Lightning's eyebrow rose. "I'm loving this story already."

"It was not Dimitirus," Fang countered. "Who the hell would name their kid Dimitrius?"

Snow began to laugh. "Who the hell would name their kid Fang?"

Vanille was in hysterics as she watched Fang scowl at the giant and stomp forward.

"Whaddya say?" She questioned, eyes narrowed so her eyes were sparkling with doom.

"I'd say someone who had a thing for teeth." Sazh added in, grinning.

"Hey!" Vanille was still laughing. "His name is Snow, that's worse than Fang!"

"Is not!" He spat, "I am not someone's dentures!"

"Why you little-"

"No, instead your something that people walk all over." Lightning threw in, with a small smirk.

Snow blinked, Sazh and Vanille broke into laughter as the man's jaw hung open a little in utter helplessness. Fang's cheeky grin broke onto her face, as she crossed her arms, her confidence returning. "Ha."

"You're still someone's dentures..."

"Aye, but people got a use for me." She puffed up, happily.

"You can make snow angels in the snow." Vanille chimed, whether she realized the implications of this statement remained illusive to everyone.

"Really..." Sazh snickered.

"Yep!"

Lightning closed her eyes, suppressing an annoyed sigh.

Here we go.

Snow and Fang glanced mischievously towards one another.

"How do you make a snow angel, Vanille?" Fang questioned, hoping to lure the girl in.

"Well you lay down, spread your legs and..." A blush furiously broke onto Vanille's cheek and she glared with shock and horror at Fang. "FANG!"

Too late, both she and Snow were dying of laughter. Quickly the girl lifted herself from Lightning's lap and had tackled Fang as hard as she could, but the obviously stronger woman stayed upright, catching Vanille's wrists.

"Hey now, don't get all bothered, just a joke!" Fang was still snickering, and she could see the smile threatening to overtake Vanille's miffed expression. "Turn that frown upside down, peach. Rather see you smile."

For some reason, that made Lightning's heart flutter a little. She wasn't sure if it bothered her, Fang saying that to Vanille or if she was a tad bit jealous.

I'm not jealous. She assured herself calmly. Fang and Vanille have always been close.

That didn't change the fact that a smidgen of envy managed to poke at her heart. She didn't even know why it was there until she recalled a certain event right before the encounter that had sent her into a slumber.

Oh...

Yeah.

I'm not jealous.

Of course not.

That feeling, that was obviously not jealously, disappeared when the commotion stopped and the others parted. Somehow, Lightning began to suspect that they knew something she didn't, as the only one who remained in the room was Fang, who had sat down right next to her. Her shoulder touching Light's.

"I can't see."

Fang looked over at her, concern on her face, not that Lightning could see it. "No?"

"Everything is blurry." She looked over to the woman, though she kept her eyes cast downwards. "Could you see, when you woke up?"

"Yep," The tribeswoman replied without a second thought. "Your stasis wasn't normal though, reckon that's got somethin' to do with it."

"Yeah..." Lightning agreed quietly, suddenly feeling horribly awkward. "Fang..."

"Yeah, Sunshine?"

She ignored her nickname, trying her best not to get annoyed at it. "About what happened..."

"Before the crystallizing?"

"Yeah..."

"Uh huh..."

Lightning fought with her emotions. She wasn't usually the type of person to be controlled by them, and Fang changed that. With this woman she was constantly fighting things like irritation, embarrassment, jealously (not), anger, and sometimes even happiness. She wanted to control them, but Fang's attitude made that hard.

The woman wasn't bothered by anything, and that drove the sergeant insane. Fang was always in control, she robbed Lightning of her leadership, and challenged her strength.

"Um..." She twitched at the noise, that also seemed to slip out a lot when Fang was present. She found herself fiddling with the opposing woman's sari. She recognized the cool feel to it, enjoyed the distraction. "I..."

"Won't happen again." Fang took the cue, and Lightning suddenly reeled inside her mind. She had given the woman the wrong signal, and now their skin was no longer touching.

"I, no..." The pink-haired woman frowned. "That's not that I meant..."

Fang's eyes narrowed and she moved a bit closer. "Take your time, Light, breathe. You'll get through this." She teased.

"Stop sounding so damn amused."

Fang chuckled, she leaned a bit closer, brushing some of Lightning's bangs from her face. "Can't help it, it's fun to bother you."

"Tch," Lightning looked away, feeling Fang lean closer and pull her a bit towards her. "Don't you dare kiss me-"

"Wouldn't do it here." Fang leaned against the wall, smiling as she pulled Lightning in to lean on her. "Too many witnesses."

"What?"

"Don't get all bent out of shape, it's just Shiny."

"Who? Oh..." Lightning recalled the machine being mentioned. "I just..."

"You need more time?" Fang questioned, though really she already knew the answer. Lightning was easy to read, or at least to her.

"Yeah..."

"I can still tease you though?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't."

"Wouldn't be teasing if I had your permission." The woman snickered, Lightning sighed. She had walked into that trap.

"So what would it be then?"

"Flirting."

Lightning hid most of her body's need to blush, but a soft shade of pink managed to break through the barrier and paint her cheeks. Fang laughed and wrapped an arm around her, resting her arm on Lightning's opposite shoulder.

"You're cute." Fang spoke in a hushed voice.

"... Thanks, I guess."

"Trying not to be bothered?"

Light nodded.

"So you want to flirt?"

Maker damn you... Lightning scowled and returned to staring helplessly at the floor, Fang snickered. She then rested her forehead on the sergeant's shoulder, and sounded so solemn for a second.

"I missed you." The tanned woman admitted quietly. "I said I would bring down the sky for Vanille, and for you I'd become the right hand of the devil."

Lightning snorted, not knowing the true weight of the words. "You hardly know me."

"Maybe," She shrugged, "But adventures like this, make people grow closer faster than you'd imagine."

"Hm."

They make you grow close against your will. Lightning noted inwardly, with a bitter undertone. "You want to get to know me?" She sounded disinterested, like what Fang had told her was a lie.

"Aye, I do." Fang nodded, chuckling to herself. "That hard to believe, Sunshine?"

"You may have noticed, but I'm a hard person to like."

"That you are, but it doesn't change anything."

For a moment the sergeant was quiet, mulling over things in her head. She looked at the tribeswoman disbelieving. "You really missed me?"

Fang rested her chin on Lightning's shoulder, looking up at her with sparkling eyes. "Uh huh."

She frowned. "Tch.." She acted displeased, and some small part of her was. She didn't want attachments, especially if they had to destroy Cocoon. She was willing to bet whatever was left of her gil that people were going to die, and that's not something she wanted to deal with again.

Never, ever again.

But another part of her squirmed with delight with hearing her answer. Lightning let out a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. She glanced at Fang who was still staring up at her reminiscent of a puppy.

"Hm..."

"And until you make up your mind," Fang leaned back, looking as cool as ever. "I'll be waitin'."

"All right..."

Her eyes still foggy, Lightning stared across at what she believed was the wall. It could've easily been something else, but her other senses, which were functioning normally, told her it was nothing but a boring, steel-grey wall. She chewed on her tongue a bit, glancing at her companion.

Thanks.