As the crowds screamed from the roller coaster nearby, Lightning halted Fang and Vanille when she spotted a familiar blonde male climbing up a small step ladder. Her eyes narrowed as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a muscular body and he tossed it aside. Snow then took a plop upon a small wooden seat, a tank full of water pooled underneath his legs as they dangled off the edge of the seat and his feet dipped into the water.
"That's cold!" He smirked at his friend who had just exited the tank, wiping himself down with a dry towel.
"It gets colder," The blue haired male returned.
"Hopefully not." Snow responded, shrugging his shoulders a bit.
Fang stopped as Lightning had, tilting her head gently to the side. "Light? Ya coming?"
"What's this?" She motioned towards the attraction, eyes not leaving Snow.
"Oh, the dunk tank! I didn't know Snow was gonna be here this year!" Vanille interrupted.
"You throw the ball at the target and there's a lever that releases the seat he's sitting on. He falls into the water." Fang simply explained. "It's pretty chilly out today so I didn't expect them to have this out."
"Perfect." Lightning smirked, eyes not faltering from Snow. She passed the moogle plush over to Fang confidently. It sounded simple enough.
"Who's gonna go first? Any takers?" Snow called out to the small cluster of people surrounding the dunk tank. Hopefully, the first person wouldn't be someone with good aim.
Much to his surprise, Lightning stepped forward from the crowd, flicking a coin of gil up and down in her hand. "I'll try."
"Hey, Lightning!" Snow greeted warmly.
Tsk.
The look the blonde received from the soldier was one he hadn't recognized and he didn't know whether to be surprised or scared. "Uh.. you okay, Light?"
"Don't call me that." She shot back, handing the gil over to the woman who was hosting the game. She retrieved the ball the woman extended in her direction.
Fang wasn't sure what the sudden change in Lightning's attitude was but she seemed determined to take Snow down and the brunette had to wonder just what caused such a stirring of events. Still, she held the moogle plush in both arms and shot Snow a smirk as he looked completely puzzled. She shrugged her shoulders, emerald orbs just as confused.
"Go, Lightning!" Vanille's voice tore through the crowd.
"Uhhh..." Snow was sure he was about to hit that cold water.
Glancing between the ball and the hero, Lightning took a step on the line of tape before the target that was encased in a small sphere of plastic, knowing she'd have to hit the perfect spot to actually dunk the male. That wasn't troubling as it would be a simple task. "This is for the other day." She let him know.
"What?" Snow was oblivious.
Without another second to spare, Lightning released the ball and hurled it towards the target. Once the ball slapped against the target and the hinge of the lever flew backwards, the seat beneath snow caved and the blonde fell into the tank with a large and successful splash. The strawberry haired woman smirked warmly, eyes narrowing at Snow.
He had gasped before hitting the water and the cool rush of the substance invaded his senses before he came back for air, inhaling sharply. "Woah!" He climbed the ladder in the tank after pushing the seat back into place. Taking another plop on it, he swept away some beads of water from his face with the back of his hand. "Brrr! Who's next?"
Lightning waved a hand and tossed the woman some more gil. "I'd like a few more rounds."
"Wait... what?" Snow watched the two women exchange gil and then the attraction worker gave Lightning three more balls. "Uh, why don't you give someone else a try? Vanille?" Snow suggested.
"I told you, Snow. This is for the other day." Lightning reminded him, shooting him a glare. With that, she shot off another ball, hitting the target dead on.
Splashing into the tank again, the chill wasn't nearly as shocking as it first had been. However, Snow still clawed his way up the ladder as quickly as possible. Once he had settled again, Lightning simply threw the second ball, causing the seat to cave beneath Snow a third time.
Fang watched this display and before it could happen a third time, she grasped Lightning by the arm. "I think he's had enough." She pressed gently.
Lightning looked back to her, shaking her head. "He really hasn't."
"What's this about?" Fang wondered curiously, confusion wracking her core. She pried the ball out from Lightning's hand and tossed it to Vanille. "All yours."
Vanille cooed. "Me?!" She caught the ball easily.
Tugging at Lightning, Fang took her aside from the crowd, allowing Vanille to take position at the ready. Snow looked relieved at this and he offered the redheaded pulsian a cheery smile.
"Hey, now I know Snow's a little... different but what would possess you to do this?" Fang questioned, a brow kinking high on her forehead.
"It's nothing." Lightning lied.
"Talk to me," Fang prompted, bringing her free hand to one of Lightning's cheeks.
"He just rubbed me the wrong way. That's all."
"What did he do? Should I say something to 'im?"
"No! No." Lightning glanced back over, watching Vanille miss and Snow gave her a wink for good effort. "He... noticed the hickey you left on my neck."
Fang looked surprised at this, but she couldn't help a sly smirk fill her lips. "Is that so?"
Nodding gently, Lightning's gaze adverted from Snow and back to Fang. "What?"
"Nothing."
"What?" Lightning asked once more, fierce in her tone of voice.
"...I like marking you."
Lightning flushed furiously, white cheeks blazing a ruby red.
As the roller coaster spun around and around, Lightning's grip on the handlebar tightened, the soldier laughing at Vanille's high pitched screaming. Fang also laughed, yelling wildly with her sister pulsian, as if it was the first time they'd ever ridden the ride. As the ride came to a halt and the three women exited the cart, Lightning's arms found the moogle once more, Fang climbed out after her, placing a hand on the small of the other woman's back before it looped around to her hip.
Dusk had long since come and the festival was coming to a close for the night. Fang flicked some of her chocolate strands away from her face with her free hand and turned to face Lightning.
"Did you have a good time?" She wondered, hopefulness residing in her voice.
Lightning paused momentarily before a grin stretched out upon her lips. "I did."
Vanille bounced over, noticing Noel in the distance. She spun to face both women, "I'll catch up with ya guys later!" She promised and scurried off with a wave of her hand, pigtails flailing wildly as she ran towards her boyfriend.
Fang gave a gentle wave to the other pair before she huddled closer to Lightning, tugging the soldier into herself before they began walking. As they passed a cotton candy stand, Fang fished out some gil and took a cup of the sweet dessert. Her fingers pulled out a piece of the fluffy sweet and she brought it to Lightning's lips, kinking a soft brow at the woman. "Once you've tried this, I'll say you've experienced just about everything there is to experience at the festival."
The strawberry haired soldier stopped in her tracks once the dessert was pressed to her lips, the fluffy material silky against peach lips. Opening her mouth, she allowed Fang to press the cotton candy inside before she shut it and chewed it around. It wasn't as sweet as she thought it would be, but rather it was light in flavor. "Mmm," She hummed quietly. "I like it."
Fang smiled widely before taking a big bite of the cotton candy herself. "Heh. I knew you'd enjoy it." Pausing she tugged on Lightning, leading her to walk once more as they headed for the exit of the festival. "What was your favorite part of the day?" The huntress wondered.
"Aside from dunking Snow?" Lightning stole a glance of Fang, arms tightening around the moogle plushie. "I can't pick just one part. It was enjoyable and refreshing." She had been so caught up in working and hunting that she'd needed the day out to have a good time.
As they headed towards the city, both women walked in a comfortable silence. Beryl orbs clung to the dark night sky before they flitted to the cobblestone beneath her boots, Lightning's thoughts spinning wildly. She had enjoyed seeing Fang more often, relished in the time they spent together and the closeness they had begun to share. It was very foreign but it was still welcomed and she wouldn't have traded it for anything else in the world. Still, neither of them said aloud anything to solidify their budding relationship and she had to wonder if that was what they both wanted. Glancing over once more, she watched as Fang took another bite of the puffy treat before discarding the rest in a trash can as they passed by it.
"Hm?" Fang caught her glance.
Lightning's cheeks flushed gently and she shook her head. "Oh, nothing."
Once they came upon her apartment, Fang led Lightning up the staircase and as they ascended, her digits squeezed on Lightning's hip once they met the front door. "Guess this is where I tell ya goodnight." The huntress grinned widely, proud of herself for inviting Lightning to the winter festival as at first she had been worried the soldier would decline.
Nodding her head, Lightning gazed downwards at her feet, arms still wrapped around the giant plush.
Fang brought a hand to Lightning's chin and cupped it, prompting the woman to look up at her before her hand flowed to the soldier's strawberry locks and tucked some of them behind her ear. Mossy hues linked with azure in a tender gaze and she stood there speechless before moving in to press a sincere kiss upon Lightning's cheek.
Lightning smiled gently, lips etching upwards marginally.
Retracting herself, Fang took her leave with one last grin aimed right at the other woman.
"...Stay with me tonight?" Lightning suddenly asked, her voice small against the cold wind.
Halting in the middle of the staircase, Fang looked over her shoulder at her lover. One step at a time, she climbed back up towards the strong woman until she met her on the step before the front door, eyes glued to Lightning's. "You want me to stay with you tonight?"
"Yes."
Gently, Fang bumped her forehead into Lightning's shoulder, her lips finding the crook of Lightning's neck before she kissed the skin beneath.
Lightning withdrew an arm from the moogle and fished for her keys in her pouch. Unlocking the door, she pushed it open slowly, stepping into the darkness before placing the moogle down next to the entrance of her apartment. Spinning to face Fang, she brought her hands to Fang's hoodie and she hastily tugged the other woman into herself, eyes intense in Fang's direction as cerulean melted into emerald in the darkness; the silhouette of their bodies against the frame of the door illuminated underneath the faint porch light. The older Farron sister brought her lips to Fang's in a loving but needy fashion, slowly but surely pressing her lips time and time again into the huntress'.
A tiny groan escaped Fang's throat, her eyes screwed shut tightly before she pulled away and opened them partially, peering back just as intensely at Lightning through the darkness. She tried to decipher everything residing behind azure orbs, but the swirls behind them were indescribable. Her heart ached, body quivered from the gaze Lightning shot in her direction, goosebumps littering olive tinted skin, not from the cold. She couldn't recall a time when Lightning looked at her like that, not once. Swallowing thickly, her fingers found Lightning's jacket and gradually, she yanked the zipper down until it opened, fingers curling around the material of the hoodie, eyes not wavering from the roseate's.
"What are we doing, Light?" Fang finally asked, unsure if she should press her luck.
"What do you mean?" The pinkette whispered.
"I mean, we've been seeing each other a lot more. We've been spending a lot of time together recently and... I can't get ya off my mind. When we're not together, I'm thinking of you or thinking of being together." Fang admitted.
Her admittance caused Lightning's neck to flush as did her cheeks. She prayed to Etro that Fang couldn't see just how intense the heat was underneath her skin. "Well... I like being around you."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Lightning breathed out, stealing a quick kiss from the other woman.
"So do I." Fang stated, a cheerful tone resonating from her voice.
Lightning quipped a small grin, this time kissing Fang more intensely.
Fang accepted the kiss, deepening it without hesitation. She reached behind herself as she guided Lightning further into the home and with a swift swing of the door, it shut with a loud click.