AlexKool: Thanks! I feel the same about chocalina fic. I really want to see more. I have thought about writing some, but I may need to familiarize myself with that character more. Interact with her more in the games, study her dialogue, sketches, idk. There's so little about her that I do know compared to the rest of the characters. One day, though. One day I will.

CreedMaster1715: At the moment, I am really into that dynamic you're talking about. I think for this story it works out best, and I am glad you are enjoying it. For my newest story, I am thinking of something a bit different. Not quite the opposite, but when I get there, I'd love to know what you think.

prince_fiend: Thx! I'm glad you're having a good time with this one! I hope you will keep on reading!

makotosmermaid: I did my best to bring out some humor from the Lightning and Fang duo. I was hoping it worked out, and I am glad you think it did. I'll see what I can keep doing with that :)

20

Whitefish

"I'm up! I'm up!" Hope said as he jolted himself from the edge of the couch and onto the floor, "I'm coming! Just hang on a sec."

He put his hands underneath him and drew a careful, deep, slow breath as he pushed with everything he had. Once he had put enough distance between himself and the floor, he drew one knee to his chest, planting his foot flat against the dry carpet. Finally on his feet, he took one gentle step toward to door as he clutched his stomach to gauge just how quickly he could move without overly nauseating himself.

*Kock* *Knock*

"I heard, I heard! Hang on!" Hope answered back to his front door.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Hope took his last step toward the door and wrestled it open.

"What the hell-" Hope screamed.

A hand pressed against his face, interrupting him. The hand took him by the face and pushed him aside as he stumbled back into the wall behind him.

"Stop yelling," Lightning said as she shuffled her way past him and through the threshold of the door, "It too early for that…"

"Why the banging?" He asked, "Don't you have your keys on you?"

"No… I don't. I drank too much at Vanille and Fang's and took a cab home. I drove Serah there so she's gonna drive my car back here and have Snow pick her up and take her home," Lightning replied.

Hope picked himself off the floor once more, groaning in the process, and made his way to their small kitchen. He reached up into the cupboard above him for grounds and filters before turning toward their coffee maker.

"You want any?" Hope asked as he filled the reservoir with water at the sink.

Lightning eased herself onto the couch and closed her eyes as her head rested against the armrest.

"Just keep it coming," She replied.

After Hope had turned on the coffee maker, he made his way toward the couch and planted himself next to her. When he sat down, he jostled the half asleep, older girl next to him.

"Careful, careful…" She warned, "You're making my head hurt."

"I'm sorry," Hope replied as he wrapped his arms around her waist and tucked his head into her shoulder.

"What did you boys do?" She asked.

"We just talked," Hope answered, "What did you guys do at Fang and Vanille's?"

"We talked."

"Okay."

There was a brief silence before Hope spoke again.

"What about?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Okay."

There was another brief silence, this time being Lightning's turn.

"What did you guys talk about?" She asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Just some stuff. No big deal," Hope replied.

"Are you sure? With Snow, it's always something," She said.

"I'm gonna go get the coffee," Hope said as he peeled himself away from the couch and made his way back to the small kitchen.

Lightning remained glued to the couch, head resting on the armrest.

"You'd tell me, right?" She asked unsurely.

"Tell you what?" Hope replied.

"If what you guys were talking was important, you'd tell me, right?"

"Tell you what," Hope began, "You tell me what you guys talked about, and I'll share what we talked about after you do."

"Forget it," She said as she curled her legs towards her chest, pouting.

On the shore of Gran Pulse was a quiet, peaceful little town. Its residents were charming, brutally endearing, and too often mischievous. When the Guardian Corps had finally established a presence on Gran Pulse, he had requested station as close to the town as possible. Despite his short time there, he the loved the people, its name, its food, and he had made it his new home as it was just a train ride from work. For the past week or so, he had made it his mission to have lunch at his favorite little cafe. Today was one of those days.

Today, he wore simple clothing. Baggy shorts and a loose t-shirt hung from his body as his bare toes embraced the sandy beach below his feet with every step. A smile broke free across his face as he approached the steps of the cafe. A larger building, larger than would suggest a mere cafe, and an open doorway greeted him.

Once inside, he was greeted by a familiar face. Below her friendly face, her slim body was adorned with a loose fitting long sleeve shirt that hung loosely about her shoulders. Her legs were well exposed, not a usual characteristic of a beach goer, with a sparse attempt at a skirt hanging from her left hip. She stood behind the counter of the cafe's bar as she dazedly wiped its surface to the left and to the right.

"Hey, Merral. The usual?" Lebreau asked from behind the counter.

"You know it," Merral said as he sat courtside across from his host.

"Hey, Yuj," Lebreau said towards the seating area behind Merral, "Tell 'em another whitefish for me, yeah?"

"You got it," The blue-haired boy replied as he made his way to the back, "Hey, Merral."

"Hey, Yuj," Merral said back.

"Can I get you started off with a drink?" Lebreau asked.

"Sure. Orange juice," Merral replied.

"You got it, soldier," She said.

Once she had ducked into the back to retrieve a fresh carton, a larger man who was sitting with Yuj in the dining area approached the bar.

"Been comin' in her quite a bit recently," The broad-shouldered, blonde-haired man said.

"Sorry?" Merral said as he turned to his guest.

"Snow," He said, extending a hand and a smile, "My name is Snow. You are?"

"Merral," He replied, "I apologize if I have I been a bother?"

"Not at all," Snow replied as he took a seat next to him, "We don't get many regulars here… or anyone at all for that matter. What's your story then, kid?"

"I'm a soldier for the corps. I was recently stationed at the base not too far from here."

"Oh?" Snow asked with a raised eyebrow, "I have some family with the GC. They work out there too, coincidentally enough. Don't get to see them around here very much. Glad to have you, though. A soldier goes a long way around here."

"Thank you, sir. Do you own this place?" Merral asked.

"Hmm… Kinda. It belongs to NORA," Snow replied.

"NORA? Hm…" Merral said, now deep in thought, "Hey! Like in those stories? The NORA that fought Sanctum and built New Bodhum? That NORA?"

"Uh.. yeah I suppose that's us," Snow said chuckling, now noticing his new friends change of demeanor to one of excitement.

"Does that mean you're Snow, the Hero of the Resistance?" Merral asked eagerly.

"I used to be," Snow replied, "That's what I called myself anyhow. I can't say I was much of a hero, though."

"What makes you say that?" Merral asked.

"My friend… well my brother, really," Snow began, "I was careless. I was reckless, and my actions cost him someone he shouldn't have had to live without. For the longest time, I was too stupid to realize it. It wasn't until much later that I realized just how much I hurt him."

"That's… very honest of you, sir," Merral said.

Snow picked himself up from his seat and strode behind the bar.

"It was killing him inside. I know that now," Snow said as he relieved a bottle of booze from under the bar and placed it on the counter.

"Do you still see him?" Merral asked.

"Of course! He's marrying my sister-in-law after all. I've done everything in my power to be the kind of brother he deserves. I love him very much, but the pain is still there. I can see it," Snow said.

"He's lucky to have a brother like you, sir," Merral replied.

Snow reached behind him and took a glass from behind the counter and poured himself a glass.

"It's barely noon," Lebreau said as she came back to the counter, "Already with that stuff, Snow? Didn't you learn anything from last night?"

"I'm just easing into a sober tomorrow. You can't just nosedive out of a night like that," Snow said jokingly.

"Whatever you say," Lebreau replied before setting down Merral's whitefish lunch.

"What about you?" Snow asked his new friend, "You got any family?"

"I did," Merral said as he nursed his orange juice between his hands, "My father was PSICOM years ago and my brother was Calvary. I don't see them anymore though."

"Oh?" Lebreau asked, "They live back on Cocoon or something?"

"No… actually my father was executed by Sanctum while trying to defect during the resistance. My brother was part of the team that tried to infiltrate Edenhall and overthrow Sanctum. He was turned into a Cie'th," Merral explained.

"I'm so sorry…" Lebreau said, "I shouldn't have pried like I had. It wasn't my place."

"It's okay," Merral said, forcing a smile and he plunged a fork into his meal, "They died like heroes. They were the reasons why I joined the Guardian Corps in the first place."

"Now they sound like real heroes," Snow added as he placed a hand on Merral's shoulder, "I wish I had the sense and nobility they did back when it could have really mattered."

"Thanks, Snow," Merral replied, "It means a lot hearing that. I'm sure they would have really appreciated someone like you."

"So tell us more about you," Lebreau said, "What exactly do you do in the Guardian Corps?"

"I'm a Corpsman," Merral said.

"Hey! That's awesome! My brother-in-law is a Corpsman too!" Snow exclaimed.

"Yeah? That is cool!" Merral said, "What's he like?"

"He's um… unique," Snow said, "He's a really good guy, but he is rather… sui generis."

"Got that right! That's a nice way of putting it. He used to be teary-eyed like twenty-four seven! He and that 'older women' were glued to each other too. Remember the wedding? Oh! Remember that time at the beach! That was hilarious," Lebreau added with a juvenile wink towards Snow.

"Hey! He and sis are stronger than ever! They were meant to be!" Snow said.

"You know, you kept saying that. Didn't they just get together like within the past week or something?" Lebreau asked.

"I would argue that they've been together this whole time, and I don't think anyone has the right to take anything away from that," Snow said with his arms crossed and chin held high, "Don't tell me you haven't seen how he doted on her since he met her, and she let him! What does that tell you?"

"That they're both just as confusing," Lebreau answered, "I bet you wish Serah would dote on you half as much as he dotes on her."

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say," Snow said, dismissing her with a hand in her face, "Speaking of Serah, I gotta go pick her up from Light's place."

"See you later," Lebreau said as Snow made his way to the front doors.

"It was good to meet you, Snow," Merral called out to the man.

Snow threw his hand in the air and waved back to the two without turning back to face them as he passed through the threshold of the door and beyond the sight of the bar.

Did he say Light's place? Merral thought.

"So, you married?" Lebreau asked.

"Wha-? Me? Oh, dear Etro no. No, ma,am," Merral stumbled.

"Got a girlfriend then?"

"I… I do not," Merral replied, "What uh… What's with all the questions?"

"Hm…" Lebreau said, hands on her hips, "I was thinking maybe you should spend less time in this place and more time out there chasing your youth."

"Oh, I'm done with that life," Merral said, "I want to just live out the rest of my days in peace and quiet."

"Yeah? You sound like an old man," Lebreau teased, "So you're just gonna waste your days here and not try to meet anyone or do anything?"

"Well…" Merral began as his pair of eyes strayed up to the pair of eyes looking back at him from behind the bar, "I don't think being here with you is a waste…"

"Oh…" Lebreau mumbled as her face grew into a light red, "So… you're saying that… um…"

"You're the first friend I made since I moved out here. Hell, you're the first friend I've had since… well, for a long time. It feels good to feel accepted by someone again," Merral explained with a smile.

"Oh! I see!" Lebreau replied as a smile grew across her face, "Well, thanks."

"What's up? Did I say something wrong?" Merral asked.

"No, it's okay. I was just a bit relieved is all. I thought that… well… never mind what I thought," She said.

"It's just that since my family passed and all that purge stuff, my life was really crazy for a while. I bounced around from roof to roof for a while until I was able to enlist. Now that I have a job, and a sense of direction, I just want to eat good food and live a peaceful life," Merral said.

"How do you do it, though?" Lebreau asked, "You lost your brother, your dad, and the security in your life. What about the resentment and the pain?"

"One day at a time, I guess. Hell, you fought in the resistance. How is it you are the way you are now?" Merral replied.

"I had my friends. I had Nora. We had each other, and as long as we had each other I knew I would always have a home. When we came to New Bodhum with the Farron sisters back with us, and all of the new additions to the family like Sazh and Vanille, I felt like we didn't miss a beat. Our family was bigger, stronger, and happier than ever before. I wouldn't have it any other way," Lebreau said.

"Wow, that was… beautiful," Merral replied, "Your family is very lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Merral. That's really sweet of you to say," Lebreau said.

"What about you, then? Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?" Merral asked.

"Oh? Um…" Lebreau stammered as she glanced behind Merral towards the seating area where Yuj had reclaimed his seat.

"Hm?" Merral said as he glanced behind him, tracing her line of vision to the pile of blue hair, "Oh… I get it."

"No! No, I'm serious. That's not what I… I mean…"

"So you two… You don't-"

"I do! I mean, I…" Lebreau stammered, sighing at her loss for words.

"Okay, okay. You don't have to force anything," Merral assured.

"I… I mean, yes. I do… like Yuj… But he doesn't know. He doesn't care, either. All he cares about is his fashion and that damn cat," Lebreau said into her chest solemnly.

"Oh yeah? You really think that?" Merral asked.

"Look at him!" Lebreau exclaimed as she pointed a finger in Yuj's direction, "He's always over there with his sketchbook and stuff far from me and the bar."

Yuj looked up at the bar as her loud voice reached his side of the room. His eyes met hers and as he cast a confused look in her direction. Lebreau yanked her arm down and frantically withdrew her embarrassed gaze away from him.

"You tend to this place, right? What about Yuj?"

"He has his own work, the fashion and stuff."

"I'm in here a lot, right?" Merral asked.

"Yeah," Lebreau said, "More than anyone else."

"Whenever I come in, Yuj is already here and he is still here when I leave. I would say he spends more time in here than I do. He doesn't eat the food here, so the food isn't his reason."

"He comes here to work, maybe," Lebreau said.

"Yeah, maybe. I see he brings some sketchbooks and materials, but he never touches them. He just sits at the tables across from the bar and faces the counter," Merral continued.

"What are you saying?" Lebreau asked.

"I think he's here because you are. He has to like you worth something."

"But he's always over there. If he likes me, why doesn't he come over here?"

"Why don't you ever go over to him?" Merral asked.

"Why don't I ever do what?" Yuj asked as he appeared from behind Merral.

"Hey!" Lebreau stammered, "Don't do that!"

Yuj's unannounced approach had scared Lebreau out of her skin and left her face as red as a booze induced flush. She clenched her hands together and tried to control her trembling toes from under the bar.

At that moment, Merral felt a buzzing in his pocket. He explored his pocket with his hand, producing his cell phone.

"Sorry," He said as he stared down at the screen, "It's work. I gotta go. Thanks for the food."

"See ya again soon?" Yuj asked.

"You know it!" Merral replied has he placed some gil on the counter and made his way toward the doors.

Once Merral was out of sight, Yuj decided to pester Lebreau about her outburst.

"Did I do something, Lebreau?" He asked, "Why were you so mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad," Lebreau said into her shoulder.

"Okay... Did you want to talk to me about something? I really don't know what's going on?"

"No, Yuj. If you don't get it by now, then forget it," Lebreau demanded.

"Okay then… I guess I'll just start getting ready to head home then. I'll um… see you tomorrow," Yuj replied with an almost hurt look on his face as he traced Merral's steps towards the door.

Lebreau frantically made her way from behind the counter towards the middle of the room to catch up to Yuj before reaching her hand out to grasp at his shoulder.

"Wait, Yuj!" She said, "Just wait, okay? I'm sorry."

"Are you gonna at least tell me what's going on?" Yuj asked as he turned to face her.

"Yeah… okay," Lebreau answered reluctantly, "No matter what I say, please take me seriously. Okay?"

Yuj nodded.

"Hey, Hope," Merral said, "You don't look so good. Are you still recovering?"

"Hey Merral. No, my shoulder is about ninety percent there. I just had a long night," Hope replied.

"Did you go celebrating another day alive?" Merral teased as he made a cup-to-mouth motion.

"Yeah, you could kinda say that…" Hope said as he slumped his way to the command building, coffee in hand.

"You gotta take that stuff easy, man. Now you gotta report in looking like that."

"I know, I know," Hope said, sighing as he shuffled a pair of cheap sunglasses up to his face, "Just with the transfer and the injury, I didn't think the GC was going to call me in."

"When is the transfer finalized?" Merral asked.

"In another week or so. It supposedly takes a while before the transfer is processed and someone comes to me to deliver my new designation and orders. Until then, I'll still be around."

"How about the Warrant Officer? When is she leaving here?"

"You mean Lightning?" Hope said, "Same time table with her as well I think. She reported to the command building a while ago.

"Any idea what this is all about?" Merral asked.

"No idea. I just know we gotta be right here on base in front of command in ten minutes to receive orders," Hope replied, "At least that's what the voicemail said."

"You think it's another short-term deployment?"

"I hope not," Hope said as he nursed his shoulder with his hand, "God, I hope not."