Feral
Chapter Eleven
Lenora's Cafe was one of the finer places to have dinner in Eden's outer suburbs. It was later in the evening, around seven. Hope dropped Vanille off at the restaurant, saying he would be visiting a friend who lived nearby and that she should call him when she was ready to go home. She waved him goodbye as he drove out of the parking lot, lingering on the curb just outside to wait for her mother.
Patricia Tannis was a startlingly pretty woman in her early forties with long, dark auburn hair, and she stepped out of her car looking dressed for a date, not dinner with her daughters. All the same, Vanille was happy to see her, hugging her mother tightly as they met on the sidewalk. They waited there but a few more minutes before going inside, certain Yun would be along shortly. This was reinforced when she called Vanille but a minute after they were seated at their table.
"So how are things?" Patricia asked, seemingly eager to hear what her daughter would say.
"They're fine. A little crazy lately," Vanille smiled a little, knowingly. "But we're all okay."
"Are you still with the painter? Hope was his name?"
"Yes, I am."
"How is he?"
"Well, he sold a couple of paintings this week, so he's pretty happy." All things considered, he sure as hell should be.
"That's wonderful, darling. Have you heard from your dad at all?"
"Just a couple of weeks ago, he called just to say hello."
"It's nice to know the three of you stay in touch." Patricia nodded, taking her eyes away from Vanille to peruse the menu for a moment. "And your sister?"
"She's been a little stressed out with work."
"Yup, work's a bitch. Hi, mum," Yun seemed to appear out of nowhere, sliding into the only other vacant chair at the table. She had a napkin to her nose, an array of red stains on her white shirt.
"Are you okay?" Vanille gaped at her sister.
"Oh yeah, just fine. Punk elbowed me in the puss while we tried to put him in the cruiser. That's why I was a little late. Sorry to keep ya waitin'."
"Just glad you could make it." her mother replied, though seeming less than convincing. And her expression was more akin to poorly hid disapproval than relief. Then she shook her head. "I don't see how you stand it."
"I know, mum, you've told me before." Many, many times before. "But I enjoy my work."
"You enjoy getting shot at and slapped about by delinquents?"
"If that's what it takes to make the bill, that's fine with me."
"I still don't approve."
"Then it's a good thing that ya don't have to, 'innit?" and her tone was bitter, but she smiled. It was certainly not sincere.
"Can we not have this conversation another time?" Vanille almost whimpered. The last thing she wanted was an argument.
It had been this way between Yun and their mother since the divorce, and it had only gotten worse as time went on. Tension, too many things no one was willing to say, a hot mess.
The server came by before anything else could be exchanged between them, taking their drink orders. He would come back not five minutes later with two iced teas and a tequila sunrise.
"Still drinking?"
Yun only looked up at her mother, trying to pull in the frustration, her eyes cutting. "Yup." and then she stirred her drink before taking a sip.
Vanille could feel herself shrinking. It was gonna happen. Like watching a train wreck in slow motion.
"I'd think that would get you in trouble at the station."
"In that case I'd figured you'd be happy." Yun's sarcasm was starting to show, as if that wasn't clear enough already.
"I would never be happy with a daughter of mine unemployed."
"But you sure as hell can't stand for one to be a cop, can ya?" but the question was rhetorical. Patricia never approved of Yun's career choice, making it evident early on when she decided not to show up to her graduation from the academy. "What's your problem with it, anyway?"
"Could we change the subject? I just want to have a nice dinner with you."
Yun frowned, scowled even, especially when her mother refused to meet her eyes. She'd gotten that dismissive look and tone from her before, and she hated it. Yun held her gaze on her mother from across the table for a long, heavy moment, only growing angrier. When it appeared evident enough that Patricia wasn't going to look at her, Yun felt as though she'd had enough. She didn't have to take this.
Yun finished her drink as quickly as she could, a tightness forming at the center of her brow and increasing as the glass became empty. She then fished out her wallet and tossed five-spot on the table as she stood up.
"Thanks for the drink." and she walked away.
"Yun!" Vanille called after her, receiving no response.
Patricia stood up and went after her, which surprised Vanille. Their mother hadn't seemed to care enough to do it before. And she had many opportunities in the past.
She caught up to Yun half way across the parking lot.
"Would you stop and talk to me?" Patricia cried.
"What the hell for? You don't wanna listen," and she just kept walking. "You never wanna listen."
"I've always done my best to be there for both of you when you needed me,"
"And what fuckin' good were ya?!" Finally Yun stopped, turning, her arms straight to put her clenched fists at her sides.
Patricia stopped dead in her tracks, stunned. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"You never wanted to listen, and when ya did, you never gave me a straight answer! And I only ever had one question! Just one! Was that just too fuckin' much for ya, mum?"
"Yun, you have to understand,"
"Understand what? Understand why when I kept askin', you kept pushin' me away? Understand why you can't seem to give more than passin' interest in anythin' I do or have to say? Or, how about this one," she took a breath, a nasty smirk on her mouth, "do I have to understand why I don't have a right to know why the supposed love and affection that spawned me-" and the words were cutting with blistering emphasis, and that smirk fell into a snarl, "suddenly failed?!"
Once again Patricia couldn't stand her daughter's gaze and looked away.
Yun scowled. Her heart was pounding, her body throbbing with each heavy breath. Then she put her hands up. "To hell with this."
"Yun, wait," and I'll tell you she was surprised when Yun actually did. "I didn't tell you...because I didn't want you to be ashamed of me. I didn't want to lose your trust."
The look Yun gave her mother was empty, her brow flat over her eyes. "How's that workin' for ya?"
"I never meant to become so distant from you." still she wouldn't meet Yun's gaze.
Yun crossed her arms, seemingly unable to find any honesty in that statement. Then it was quiet for a long spell, the only sound being the rushing air of cars going by.
"Just tell me why, mum. That's all I've ever wanted to know." Yun shrugged, some of the anger having ebbed. "Why?"
Patricia stepped closer, coming to a stop perhaps a foot away from standing on Yun's toes.
"I cheated on your father," and still she couldn't meet her daughter's eyes, "at a realtors conference in Bodhum."
Yun's expression sank, her eyes wide and brow low, tightening in the middle. She felt her body tighten, the muscles in her jaw bunching as tight as her fists, now white knuckled. Yun cringed.
"My god." and she made a sound of disgust, shying away from her mother.
"He wanted to-,"
"No, no," Yun raised her hand, palm forward, to stop her. "I don't wanna hear it. I don't need the details...I'm goin' home."
"But Yun, you've been drinking!" Patricia cried as her daughter started walking again.
"Oh now you care? Now ya give more than two shits about what I'm doin'? A little late, 'innit, mum?"
"Please, Yun, please don't drive!" she had run to grab Yun's shoulder, thinking to stop her, only for her daughter to jerk away.
"Just leave me alone, mum," Yun said, her tone blank and unusually calm as she opened the door to her car and slid into the driver's seat, "you're good at that. Don't call me, don't try and get in touch with me, because I probably won't answer. You know, like usual."
Patricia had started to cry, a hand over her mouth as she simply stood there, seemingly without anything else to say. Yun looked up at her as she turned the ignition, still looking rather disgusted.
"Seriously, mum, stop cryin'. We both know I'm not suddenly important enough for you to be caterwaulin' like this." because it was obvious she hadn't been to keep her mother faithful. "Now go and enjoy your dinner with the daughter ya actually love, and do have a good night." Then the car peeled out of the lot and charged down the highway, back towards Eden.
Much to the contrary of her mother's fears, Yun made it home without incident around ten thirty that night. What took so long is that she decided to stop at the Doughnut Truck, as she was still hungry, but she also took the long way home just to try and relax. Though the latter didn't work. She was still as tightly strung as a drawn bow when she stepped out of the car, and you could see it how her back hunched a little, how her head was slanted forward and her brow was low over her eyes.
She spotted Hope's car on the curb as she walked up the paved path to the door, finding a quiet relief that her sister had made it home, never mind that dick-boy was here too. It wasn't important.
It would be an understatement to say that Yun was upset. Or even angry. She was furious. Though she couldn't really put into words exactly why. Everything was just a mess in her head, and she didn't like that one bit. But there was a way to fix that.
Yun was fairly quiet coming in the door, mindful of anyone that might have been in bed at this hour. Though that was highly unlikely on a Friday night. Chances were greater of Snow and Serah having gone out and having yet to return, as she hadn't spotted Snow's truck in the driveway. The television was on but the sofa and recliner were empty save for the cat curled up on the cushioned arm of the chair. Thinking little more about it she went straight to the liquor cabinet and then into the kitchen. She had two bottles in her hand this time, one was a nearly empty bottle of tequila, the other an unopened bottle of whiskey.
She cleared the last third of the tequila in one chugging go at the bottle. She wasn't doing this because she liked to drink, she was doing this because she hated what she was feeling. If she wasn't sober, she wasn't feeling, and if she wasn't feeling, she wasn't pissed at the world. And that made everything else better.
Once the tequila was gone she put the bottle in the trash and then went right back for the whiskey. She twisted the top off and took a big sip of it, coughing just a bit when she pulled the bottle away from her mouth. Now Yun saw fit to get a shot glass out of the cabinet. From there she adjourned to the living room. She switched whatever was on the TV to the news.
"Yun, is that you?"
For a moment she didn't move, didn't respond. She heard the shuffling of bare feet on the floor. "Yup. How was dinner with mum?"
"Fine." Vanille sighed quietly. "You know...she was really upset that you left like that."
"What a coincidence," she took a shot, "I don't really care."
Vanille frowned from where she stood behind the sofa. "She's our mother."
"No. No-no-no-no," Yun twisted around on the couch to look at her sister, pointing with the empty shot glass still in her hand. "She's a selfish bitch who just so happened to grace us with the esteemed opportunity to be vomited forth from her twat. Did she tell ya? Did she tell ya what she did to dad? Huh?"
"You're drunk."
"No shit." Yun laughed, a puff of sound as she settled back into her previous position. "Besides, what are you bitchin' about? She's always favored you."
"She loves us both."
"Oh I know that," Yun nodded, pouring another shot, albeit unsteadily. "But she's always liked you more. Ya think maybe it's 'cause I look like dad?"
Vanille frowned, rounding the couch to look at her sister with a noticeable degree of severity. "Maybe it's because you drink."
"And maybe," she downed another shot, "it's because I work my ass off day-in-day-out and drive a piece of shit car so that my little sister can get a good education. Or maybe 'cause I 'put up with gettin' shot at and slapped around' to draw a check every week so the two of us have a place to live." every word ground its way out through a clenched jaw. And she wouldn't look at Vanille, her eyes ever narrowing with roiling anger that she was trying to keep in control. The alcohol was helping to dampen it, but not too much considering she was still having to talk about it. "Excuse the ever-living-gods-be-damned-hell outta me." That was the last of what she would say about it. At least that's what she told herself.
For a long while Vanille simply stood there, frowning, her face darkened with shadows. She wasn't angry. Sad, perhaps even heartbroken, but not angry.
"Why do you have to be like this?"
Yun sighed after a moment, thinking. "Because it's a helluva lot easier than bein' mad all the time. I got a lot to be mad about."
"Couldn't you just talk about it? You know I'll listen."
"Yeah, I know." another shot. Two, actually. "But I'd have to want to, and I don't. Talkin' about it never made it better."
And, if it were physically possible, Vanille's frown deepened. For a moment more she lingered, hoping Yun would at least look up at her, if even for a moment. But she never did.
"I'm glad you made it home okay." she said, her tone whispering a sense of defeat. "Goodnight."
"'Night, kiddo."
Lightning was sitting at the top of the stairs, had been since she heard Yun come in the front door. She had heard the whole thing and was trying desperately to understand. All she knew for sure was that Yun was upset, and she didn't like that. She could sense it even from where she was sitting, feeling tense. She watched as Vanille came back up the stairs and went back to her room, going completely unnoticed by the younger Oerba. Lightning stood up slowly and eased down to the ground floor. She remained by the banister, maybe waiting, maybe just unsure of what to do, and she watched Yun from there for several minutes. She watched her knock back shot after shot, change channels, laugh a time or two, and put a few more shots away. Yun would cycle through this behavior several times.
"Yun?"
"Eh? Wassat?" Yun twisted to have look over the back of the couch. "Well hey there, sunshine, whatcha doin' up at this hour?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"Sorry, darlin'. Why don't ya come an' sit with me a while then?"
And she did, Lightning's steps spirit-like as she crossed the floor and settled on the cushion next to Yun. "Are...are you okay?" she asked quietly.
"Eh? Yeah, I'm fine," Yun put the shot glass down and picked up the bottle, which was nigh on empty now, as she leaned back into the couch and propped her feet on the coffee table. The heels of her boots went thunk. "Real good now that I'm home with my best friend. Did ya miss me?"
"Yeah."
Yun chuckled and cleared her throat at the same time, making a strange sound. "You're such a sweetheart."
Lightning felt her nose wrinkle a little. She could smell the whiskey on Yun's breath.
"You...you're upset about something."
"Nah," Yun dismissed. "It's nothing, just me an' the old lady at odds is all. It happens in families sometimes...just don't get along."
Lightning's brow lifted, curious, the gears in her head at work again. It was almost like she was seeing something that wasn't really there, hearing or maybe sensing things that Yun wasn't actually saying.
"It hurts you...doesn't it? Hurts your heart."
Yun's eyes slid to Lightning, narrow, her head not turning. And then she said, quite possibly, the most unkind thing she ever had. "What the hell would you know about hearts?"
Lightning flinched, surprised. And she felt those words, deep down. What did she know, really? It was a perfectly valid question. But Lightning was more aware of these things than many would think. Maybe she didn't know, but she could still feel. And for the moment she felt a prick of pain. Yun had never spoken to her like that.
"I bet you don't even know what love is, do ya? Or hate? I'll say you're lucky."
"I don't," Lightning answered, "but...I'm learning." Which was very true. The lot of you would be surprised.
"You're better off without 'em, I'll tell ya." Yun nodded sluggishly. "Nothin' but trouble, the both of 'em."
For a long moment Lightning simply sat there and thought, her eyes exchanging between the floor and Yun at regular intervals. She thought and thought, her expression shifting through several phases before it settled on something that resembled empathy.
"Why are you so sad?"
Yun found herself laughing for a moment, quiet chuckles that made her shoulders bounce. "That's a long story, sunshine, one I don't wanna tell right now. In any case it's nothin' for you to be worryin' about. Just don't wanna talk about it right now, okay?"
"Okay."
"But I'll admit, I'm a little down. Think ya could scooch over here and give me a snuggle for comfort?"
Lightning only nodded, feeling a sense of relief and pride when she had been given some helpful purpose. She tucked her body against Yun like before, when she had woken from the nightmare, and felt her tender fears ease as Yun put and arm around her.
"There we go, that's much better."
Yes it was, actually. Everything seemed like it would be okay now.
Yun couldn't tell what was on the TV anymore, the booze goggles having gotten that thick now. She felt warm all over, comfortable, ready for sleep though she wasn't entirely sleepy. Tired most certainly, but not sleepy. She turned her head, having to consciously control the muscles in her neck as she looked down at Lightning who was still in focus at the moment.
She found herself twirling the soft, now tamed tresses of Lightning's hair between her fingers. "Yuj really did a good job, didn't he?"
"I like it."
"Me too, it really does suit ya better." Yun leaned her cheek against the crown of Lightning's head. She took a breath. "Anyone ever tell ya how pretty you really are? I mean...everythin's new about you now, I almost didn't recognize ya the other day when I first saw ya."
Lightning could feel heat pooling in her cheeks. Was this what flattery felt like?
"And I mean that, I'm not tryin' to kiss your ass or anythin'."
Lightning made a strange face that Yun didn't see. Why on earth would anyone want to kiss someone's ass?
"Almost makes me wish I was someone else, 'cause I'd totally hit on you." and she laughed again. "But I don't suppose you'd understand that either, would ya?"
No, she wouldn't, but she didn't have much of an inkling to considering how unpleasant the term "hit on" sounded.
"I mean...who wouldn't, right? You're pretty, you're sweet when you wanna be...yeah. I feel like I'm ramblin' now."
Lightning was feeling the same way, or at least she thought so.
"Still...you're all right, Lightning, and don't let anyone tell ya different."
"Okay."
Yun nodded, her cheek nuzzling into Lightning's hair, her fingers still twirling the tresses idly. This was really soothing, she only half realized. It was like those years passed when Wedge would lay in her lap and she would just stroke his neck, not a care in the world. But Lightning wasn't Wedge, something Yun was still very aware of. However that was failing to take away from the comfort Yun had found.
Her mind was starting to wander.
It feels good.
But you're drunk.
Don't care. I like her.
But you're drunk.
Don't care. She's makin' me happy.
But you're drunk.
Don't care. She doesn't give me any expectations. She takes me as I am.
But you're drunk.
Don't care. Not listening. La, la, la.
But she's a woman.
Don't care.
Yun would only remember what she did next in dreams, fleeting images she could only half recall. She shifted, though she didn't know how exactly as her skeleton felt like jelly, and managed to coerce Lightning to straighten. Yun curled a finger beneath the soft bend of her chin so their gaze would meet. And for a moment Yun just looked at her, looked into those cerulean eyes, finding a purity she didn't know, had long since cast off. She was just so damn innocent.
"You're such a sweetheart." she murmured, almost slurred.
And for breath's moment, she genuinely didn't care. Damn it all.
Yun kissed her.
Lightning's reaction was sudden and only half controlled. The confusion was so striking that she shoved Yun away, both hands to the cop's chest. Yun tried to catch herself, but inebriated as she was, there was nothing stopping her tumble off the sofa and to the floor.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lightning jumped to her feet only to kneel beside Yun, trying to help her up. "I didn't mean it," and she didn't, at least, not as hard as she had.
Yun was laughing. "Sweet Bejeezus, can't sit on my own ass, can I? I'm okay, sunshine, but I think it's time I went to bed."
Lightning nodded, now able to calm herself a little seeing as Yun was unharmed. "Yes, you need to sleep."
"Didn't I just say that? Nevermind. Now be a darlin' and help me up the stairs." and still she laughed.
All the way up to the second floor she was giggling like a fool, her face hot and red now, much like Lightning's still was. With Yun's arm across her neck, Lightning hauled her up to her room and deposited her on the edge of her bed. Yun slouched, completely unwilling or unable to control her bodily motions any longer, and now her shoulders were between her knees and her fingers were on the floor. And she was still laughing.
Lightning knelt on the floor in front of her, leaving her as is for the moment, and began to untie her boots. Even she knew that no one should sleep in their shoes. The socks went next. Then Lightning stood, carefully lifting Yun's upper half by the shoulders, and began to pull her blazer off. It was stubborn at the sleeves, bunching at the elbows and refusing to budge. Lightning tugged and tugged, making Yun laughing that much more, until they finally gave and she stumbled back to hit the desk.
"Sorry, sunshine," Yun chuckled. "My jacket's a bitch, just like my mum."
Lightning didn't say anything, wasn't sure what to say anyway. So she simply continued, unbuttoning Yun's blood stained shirt and tossing it on the floor with her jacket. Now all she wore were her slacks and undershirt.
Lightning thought to leave, go sleep on the coach so that Yun could have her space, but her thoughts weren't agreeing with her feelings. She felt the need to stay, she felt like she should watch over her.
"Hey, sunshine, you know what? You know what? I gotta nickname too. You wanna know what it is?" she stopped to laugh, the sound more of a wheeze though. "Guys at the station call me Fang. You wanna know why? It's because I bit a guy for callin' my mum a whore! But that's not the best part!"
Lightning stood still, looking down at her on the bed, listening.
"You wanna know what the best part is? The bastard was right! My mum is a whore! She's a dirty whore! I should apologize to him, shouldn't I?"
Lightning felt that twang of empathy again, a sting in the middle of her chest like a needle. Yun was in so much pain, and yet she laughed. But the laughter was empty.
And it suddenly stopped.
Yun pulled her arms up to bend just over her head, on he bed. The smile had left her face and she seemed to sober up a little. She looked at the ceiling, her brow creasing.
"My mum's a whore." and it was more like a restrained sob than a chuckle.
Lightning felt the sting again, this time deeper. With a heavy sigh and slow footsteps she rounded the bed to the nightstand, switching off the light. She crawled onto the bed, searching for Yun in the dark, and eventually settled, gathering Yun against her.
Almost naturally Yun curled into Lightning's side, an arm around her waist and her head on her stomach. She was so drunk she just didn't care anymore. She was tired, ready to sleep, and had found the comfort needed to do so. Nothing was going to stop her, nothing was going to ruin it.
Lightning started to thread her fingers through Yun's hair, thinking it would soothe her. After all, Yun was human too, so physical contact would do some good, right? Lightning only paused when she heard a tiny whimper, a sound of pained sadness coupled with a tightening of Yun's grip, but began again when it didn't reoccur.
And this is how they stayed until, after some hours, Lightning couldn't stay awake any longer.
(-)
Serah had seen Lightning's new look upon her return from her weekend away, and her reaction had been far from what the others had expected.
She looked startled, like someone would after having seen a ghost. She was stunned for a moment, only uneasily responding with "It looks nice," after several minutes of awkward looks from her roommates. She was just acting...strange about it, and she did nothing to hide it. Everyone asked what was wrong, but her only answer was "It's nothing, I'm just tired". But all of them knew better, especially Snow. He knew Serah better than all of them, and he knew she was telling a tale. Still, she wouldn't tell him.
For most of that day she would sequester herself in her room, door locked, and pacing about that was disguised as unpacking from her trip. When that was done as much as it could be, everything back in it's rightful place, the bed even made over again, Serah sat on her side of the bed, contemplating her nightstand.
She didn't often do what she was thinking to. She simply didn't, for no particular reason. It was just on her mind to. In the end she reached for the bottom drawer, stalling but a brief second as she clutched the handle, and pulled it open. She fished through the few papers in it, like her birth certificate, wedding license, things of the like, and found what she sought at the very bottom.
It was a family photo, one she had never kept out in the open. Snow didn't even know she had it. She was maybe five at the time it was taken on the beach at Bodhum, and she could barely remember the moment. In the picture she was propped up on her father's hip, smiling just as he was. Jack Farron had hair then, though it was on its way out, wispy blonde locks that just covered his head. Beside him was her mother, Rachel Farron. And she was a beauty, simply put. Gentle, statuesque features and stature that would make Venus blush, staggering blue eyes and waves of plentiful rosy tresses that were always kept in check be it with a ponytail or a twist.
Serah's mother had died when she was somewhere between eight and nine years old. Although the peculiar part about that, the unspoken reason Serah rarely looked at the photo, was Mrs. Farron had committed suicide. When it happened Serah hadn't understood why, not entirely. As a young child who had just been told her mother was dead, how could she? It wouldn't be for a few years after that her father would explain the intricacies surrounding her death.
You see, Serah hadn't started out as an only child. She had, at one time, and older sister. And she too was in the photo, a near perfect replica of Rachel. Claire Farron was around seven in the picture. Nearly two years later she would disappear, never to be seen again. Not that they didn't search. Gods know they did, vehemently, for two years. But nothing came of it.
That, and the strain of an uneasy separation from Jack were the ultimate causes behind her mother's suicide. Now that Serah thought back on it, as she had many times before, she could recall how guilty her mother felt over losing Claire. Both of her parents were convinced of their fault. Jack had consoled himself with drink, but Rachel had found no other peace than what waited for her at the business end of a pistol.
And that is where Serah found her own seed of guilt, but not in the same manner. Her mother's actions had driven her to choose the career she was so deeply routed in now. Serah wanted, eventually, to be able to help those that felt as lost as her mother had, maybe keep them from making such an extreme decision.
And that was the root of her reaction to seeing Lightning when she stepped through the door that afternoon. For a very brief second it was like looking at her own mother. But then she blinked and the illusion faded, but it left her stunned inside.
It just couldn't be. She told herself again and again. It's just a coincidence.
But then a little voice reminded her of the blood tests Doctor Jennings had done some week or so ago. They would be in within the next couple of weeks. Surely the results would put her mind at ease.
(-)
The last few days had been so weird. Yun didn't really know what to make of it.
She'd been fretting and fretting, unable to look Lightning in the face since she came home last Friday and drank herself stupid. She woke up the following morning with a masterful hangover and her head resting soundly on Lightning's stomach. At first she couldn't remember what she did, why she felt so uneasy or why Lightning seemed to look at her differently. When it came back to her she was driving to work, Sazh in the passenger seat, and she slammed the breaks hard enough for the tires to squeal. And for the next, perhaps, five minutes she sat there, clutching the wheel, a look of utter disbelief on her face. She realized it wasn't just a dream. It actually happened.
Sazh poked and prodded all that day about "what her problem was", but Yun had no answer. What the hell would she say? I kissed a girl and I liked? Not hardly.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. What was true was that she wouldn't say it like that.
It was troublesome, like taking the nasty-tasting medicine, but Yun would eventually accept that kissing Lightning hadn't been entirely terrible. It was nice, actually. Very nice. But her feelings otherwise were very much mixed. She had confusion over the fact that she had kissed another woman and didn't feel abject disgust about it. Yun had only ever been with men before; she still found the prospects of getting dick in the future very appealing, so she couldn't be gay. Right? Then there was that nagging sense of guilt that she had done something the Lightning probably didn't understand. Hell, she'd gotten a good hard shove out of the gesture. It had probably scared her, and now she was most likely not going to say another word to her. Yun didn't like that idea one damn bit.
I'll just have to explain it to her, tell her I'm sorry. Maybe she'll be all right.
And that's what she kept telling herself as she drove home that afternoon, having drawn straws with the other officers to get off duty early. It gave her just enough time to think of a way to apologize. She had it all planned out by the time she parked on the curb in front of the house, right behind Hope's car.
Yun stepped inside, closing the door behind her and taking a steadying breath. "Lightning?" she waited a moment, receiving now answer. "Sunshine? You around?"
Then, as she walked further, she found the back door slid open. Further still, and she could hear laughter. She stepped out onto the back deck and was immediately mortified.
Apparently Hope had brought some of his painting supplies with him. He'd stretched out canvas across a large square of the back yard and, naturally, brought his paints and tools along as well. It wasn't so much that, or even that Vanille was in on it too. She had assumed she had helped him with his paintings before, considering how long they had been together. But what got her was that they had somehow managed to get Lightning in on it. And it was clear by the small smile and delighted glimmer in her eyes that she had absolutely no clue what she was holding. All three of them were bespeckled with paint, yet thankfully most of it was on the canvas.
"Oh Jesus," Yun gasped quietly, entirely unsure what to do. So she did what first came to her. "P-pardon,"
The three of them turned in unison and waved, though Yun hadn't expected them to have heard her meager greeting. She returned the gesture with a nod and a raised hand.
"Light, ya think I could have a minute?" she called across the lawn.
With a look of keen curiosity, Lightning came to her, not too quickly and not too cautiously. Yun had to fight a chuckle when she came onto the deck, now having a clearer look at all of the pain that had gotten on her.
"You havin' a good time?"
"I am." Lightning nodded, a small smile on her lips. "Is...is something wrong?"
"No, sunshine, everythin's fine." in fact it was wonderful, seeing as she was speaking to her again. "But I was wonderin',"
"Yes?"
"Ya think you could go and clean yourself up? I'd like to show ya somethin'."
Lightning seemed to think about it for a moment, but eventually agreed and stepped inside. Yun only took one last fleeting glance at the spectacle in the backyard before shaking her head and going inside herself. She needed to change clothes. Yun would come down the stairs to find Lightning waiting, fairly clean with but a few stubborn blobs of paint on her arms. She gestured for her to follow and they both went out the front door and to the garage.
Together the two of them lifted the noisy metal door, shedding light on the dusky chamber behind it. Amidst the tools and nick-knacks and the lawnmower was a tarp covered mass allotted to its own space. Lightning watched as Yun went to pull the stretch of heavy plastic away.
The motorcycle was beautiful, chrome and leather and steel. Black, silver, and amethyst. Pristine. Immaculate. I need a moment...
"Whatcha think?" Yun asked knowingly, smirking with her hands on her hips.
"Wow." was Lightning's only response. Her expression was priceless.
"You wanna go for a ride?" though she already knew damn good and well what she would say. Lightning smiled at her, which was answer enough. "Well here, put this on, can't go anywhere without it." and Yun passed her a helmet.
The two of them walked out of the garage, negotiating to motorcycle down the pavement to the street. Yun threw one leg across the seat and fished her jeans pocket for the keys. She allowed herself a small smirk as she felt Lightning slide into the seat behind her, scooting close, the press of Lightning's chest against her back. Yun turned the key and revved the engine once it turned over. The pipes roared and the entire machine shook. Lightning flinched at the sound, but was ultimately fascinated by it.
"Ya like that, huh?" Yun chuckled. "Now hold on tight, yeah?"
Lightning wrapped her arms around Yun's waist, almost tight enough to be a second skin.
"Easy now, got vital organs in there." another chuckle as she took the handlebars and revved the engine once more. "Ready? Then here we go,"
And Lightning felt an immediate, resounding thrill surge through her as the bike started to move, only picking up speed as they went on their way.
Author's Note: One day, one day, that's how long it took to write this chapter. My brain started puking and it wouldn't stop. But I bet it shows, doesn't it? I'm treading unfamiliar territory right now, so please excuse my awkward stumbling in regards to the growing FLight. Thankfully I'm already starting to get comfortable with it, though by little steps at a time. I really wanted to take this chapter to really flesh out Yun's emotional frame, to show just how lopsided it can be, and I think I managed that in spades. Also I wanted to show how much Light had grown, which I might have come short on in some ways. I'm trying to show progress while attempting to keep her in character. You know, quiet and aloof. And thanks so much to "MasterPro". You're review couldn't have come at a better time, and they were just the words I needed to hear. Thanks so much, and thanks to all the rest of you too!