Hiya!

Boy, I've been gone forever, haven't I? Hah... Is there even anyone there who follows this anymore?

Well, life happened and so on. I'm sorry.

A special thank you to TheLastSuperSaiyan1987 for asking about the process of this chapter!
(I know I didn't reply to your PM, it's mostly because I didn't have anything to say, it would all be excuses, so I finished this instead.)

He's why it's finished at all at this moment, so.. haha. Thanks for the help buddy.

I was hit by writers block and I felt like I had painted myself into a corner with this fic.
But - I've written two one-shots while I was gone just to keep writing, I'll upload them in a few days. (one of them is WHOPPINGLY long for a one-shot...)

Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fic, they all belong to Square Enix, I am merely borrowing them for the lols.

Thank you, and hope you'll enjoy chapter twenty-one of Fatum Amor!

"Are you certain?"

Vanille turned her head and smiled. "Yup," she said before turning back to packing her bag.

Lightning stood still and watched her. The redhead had spent so much time with them, the thought of her going to her actual home and that she wouldn't sit with them for breakfast the next day almost felt foreign to her. But there wasn't really anything she could do, Vanille seemed to have her mind set on going home. Not that she had in any way tried to convince her to stay, it wasn't as she could really explain why she didn't want her to leave. That would be way too awkward.

She sighed.

Vanille paused her packing and sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Look, I've been latching on to you guys for far too long already," she shook her head slowly. "I started sleeping here because Serah needed my support, but you're fine now, the need of me has passed," she slowly started packing her things again.

There weren't many of her items left on the floor, making Lightning nervous and hurry to come up with some kind of excuse for her to stay. But her mind failed her, and before she could decide on something that wasn't too awkward and weird to say Vanille had already stood up and flung her bag over her shoulder.

The young redhead didn't look at her as she passed by her and left Serah's bedroom.

Coming out into the hallway, Serah came out from the kitchen. "Have you got everything?" Vanille nodded, still on her way to the door and with a disgruntled Lightning on her heels. "Okay, well it's been nice having you here," Serah smiled at her friend. "No matter what you say Vanille, had you been a pest we would have told you," she said and winked playfully.

Vanille chuckled and smiled back. "Thanks, well it's time anyway. Not to mention that I've got no clean clothes left," she said and motioned to her bag. "So it's laundry time for me," she sighed.

Reaching the door, she turned around to receive a hug from Serah. As she stepped back, the younger pinkette expectantly turned to her sister. Lightning simply stood and looked at the redhead who was sheepishly poking the floor with her foot.

"Well, bye then," Lightning murmured.

Serah facepalmed. Moving behind her sister, she forcibly pushed the older girl closer to the redhead. "Hug her for heavens sake," she muttered and kept her hands steady on Lightning's back so that she wouldn't bail out.

Vanille was looking up at Lightning, their eyes locked and she felt herself pulled towards those shifting blues. Both of their cheeks colored.

Complying to her sisters wishes, that she was projecting by slightly increasing her push on her back, Lightning opened her arms and pulled the shorter redhead into a hug.

Vanille's heart somersaulted at this, she didn't know why though since they had been more intimate than this before, just the night before even. The hold the older girl had on her was tight, but gentle. Compared to the hug they had shared back when Lightning was still on her medicine, their budding relationship was apparent in this one.

The way she wrapped her arms tightly around her without squeezing the air out of her, the way her body was gently held against her own and the way she tilted her head so that her cheek pressed against her forehead. Everything told Vanille things that had yet to be spoken.

Or she could just be making things up because of her heart that was hammering like she was having a seizure.

Little did she know that Lightning's heart was pounding in the same manner. Though none of them heard each other's heart beating, since they where both worried that the other may hear their own.

Lightning was cherishing the feeling of Vanille's in her arms. Feeling the girl's petite arms coming in under her own and grabbing a hold of her shirt between her shoulder blades, along with the sensation of her soft cheek against her collarbone and her smaller frame pressed against her was driving her heart and mind mad.

Releasing each other, Vanille reluctantly backed out of the embrace that she hoped would repeat itself sometime soon.

"I'll see you soon," she mumbled to Serah, whose knowing smile made her cheeks flare up in scarlet. "Bye," she said hastily and smiled at the Farron siblings before turning and walking out the door.

As the door closed quietly, both of the Farron sisters stood silently and watched it for a couple of seconds.

"Well, I guess that's it then," Serah shrugged. "It was nice having her here, don't you think?" she said and turned to her sister.

The older Farron sibling was staring holes in the door, with a scowl and a small pout.

Serah could do nothing but smile. "I suppose you agree," she said quietly and left Lightning standing in the hallway.

Coming out of sight, Serah shook her fists happily and almost skipped into the kitchen to continue preparing her breakfast. Just watching her sister hold Vanille told her what they meant to each other, whether or not they knew it themselves yet. It was a gentle and tender hug that had lasted a few seconds too long to be a simple hug between friends. And the way it looked like they fitted perfectly in each other's arms, it made her squeal on the inside.

Knowing both Lightning's and Vanille's past love lives, she could be nothing but happy for them.

She was happy that she had seem this coming. It all started out with Vanille acting strange around her sister, but soon enough, she could see a look in Lightning's eyes that she hadn't seen directed towards anyone previously. It was similar to the one she used to have when looking at Jihl, but this was different, seemed deeper somehow. A chill ran up her spine when she thought about that awful woman. And to think that she was the only experience Lightning had about love made her all the more happy that se had found something in Vanille.

Vanille on the other hand, had no more experience with love than the love television and the occasional novel she read portrayed. Serah knew that she had never found a boyfriend, and it wasn't because no one was interested, because there where always boys that asked her out. No, it was because she wasn't interested. Serah hadn't given it much thought back then, but maybe Vanille just wasn't interested in boys that much. Maybe not at all?

That, or she was way too shy to say yes.

She smiled at this. Vanille, ever so gentle.

Taking the cup of tea and the sandwich she had prepared, she moved out of the kitchen and walked towards the living room. Noticing her sister still standing on front of the front door made her stop. "What are you doing?" she asked, a bit concerned now.

"She's not coming back, I thought she'd come back," Lightning mumbled. "Didn't think she where being serious," she frowned when she turned to look at Serah, who smiled sympathetically.

"Claire, you knew this day was coming, se doesn't live here with us. Frankly, I'm surprised she haven't gone home sooner. The mattress she's been sleeping on must get very uncomfortable in the long run," her words didn't change Lightning's mood. Serah chuckled. "You look like a lost puppy. If you would have looked at her like that, she probably wouldn't have left," Lightning furrowed her brows. She knew that Serah was calling her cute right now, and it didn't really sit right with her. She didn't really relate with the word cute. But she said nothing, because she knew that Serah already knew that she got agitated by it.

Serah only chuckled as she continued on her way onwards to the livingroom. "Don't forget to eat breakfast, you won't be any use to her starved," she called over her shoulder.

Lightning sighed and gave the door one last glance before following to Serah's advice.

... ...

xxXxx

... ...

Walking away from Lightning had been one of the hardest things she had done recently. Especially after that warm, wonderful hug. She wanted more of it. In fact, she wanted to step right back in when they pulled apart.

Sighing, she took out her phone and texted LeBreau. She got no reply the whole time she walked home, but it didn't really strike her as odd. LeBreau was not much for texting, so she didn't always reply.

She was about half way home when her shoulder started aching. This reminded her of how long she had stayed with the Farrons. And just thinking that it was just lately that she had stopped joining them for laundry day, she had stayed longer than her used clothes suggested. She had stopped because she was thinking about going home, she knew when she wasn't needed anymore.

The thought made her pout. She would have liked to stay, but she couldn't do that anymore. Fang and LeBreau needed her for the rent of their apartment, and she hadn't helped as much as she felt she should have with the Farron's rent.

Sighing, she opened the door to the apartment complex she lived in. Getting home and sleeping in her own bed would feel good though. The mattress on Serah's floor was okay, but she had been waking up stiff for longer than she preferred. But to be honest, with the recent events, the thought of her going home didn't even cross her mind. She never thought about home when she was with Lightning, because somehow, nothing else mattered. Thinking about it, she had felt that way since long before the event at the beach yesterday.

A blush spread over her cheeks at the thought of it. Everything about it felt unreal to her, like it had occurred in a dream.

"So she's finally returned home," she heard a voice beside her, it startled her and caused her to turn around more quickly than intended. LeBreau was coming from the living room, smiling knowingly at her. "Nice blush you have there, thinking about someone special?" she asked with a chuckle.

Vanille felt her cheeks heat up even more. She didn't know if LeBreau was joking or not, but none the less, it was a subject she rather leave untouched for now. Desperate to change the subject, her eyes darted around the room. "Where's Fang?" she asked and smiled nervously.

"She's out running," LeBreau replied, her malicious smirk broadening. "Are you trying to change the subject?" she chuckled.

Vanille frowned. Knowing how hard it was to lie to the dark haired girl, she decided on saying the truth. "Yes," she mumbled as she lowered her gaze from LeBreau's brown orbs to the floor.

The darker girl's smile turned genuine as she walked up to the redhead and wrapped her arms around her smaller frame. "I'm only teasing you, and you know that. You don't have to tell me anything y'know," with a little squeeze, she distanced herself from the girl. "It's good to have you back 'Nille," she said and flashed her a smile.

Vanille smiled back. "Thanks, I guess I'll go get re-settled in my own room," she said with a soft chuckle before leaving. Hearing LeBreau call after her that she has Fang to thank for the cleaning.

Stepping inside her bedroom, she softly closed the door behind her. It was just as she had left it, all those days ago. The bed was made, her desk was dusted and her floor vacuumed. Although sloppily made, she was happy that she didn't have to come home and clean the first thing she did.

Slowly she started putting her things back where they belonged and tidied up some, and once she finished, she sat down on the bed and took a final look at her room.

Tidy, fresh air from the open window, no Serah, her favorite curtains, her stuffed pink pony that always slept with her, no Lightning, dirty laundry in the basket, and her clean clothes was back in the wardrobe where they were supposed to be.

But no Serah, and no Lightning.

Vanille frowned. Maybe coming home wasn't as nice and cozy as she thought it would be?

... ...

xxXxx

... ...

Lightning sat sloppily on the spot in the couch from where she could see the front door through the living room arch.

A steady frown and knotted eyebrows had marred her face since that morning.

She had honestly expected Vanille to be back by now, expected her to just go home and pick out new clothes before returning. But these four and a half hours of silence told her that she had been wrong.

She sighed for approximately the fifteen hundredth time and poked the television remote with her toe, changing the channel. But not even the sports channel could better her sour mood.

How could she abandon her?

How could Vanille pack up and leave her when she finally grew some balls and told her —or more like showed her— how she felt?

How could she kiss her only to leave her the next day?

Her hand moved up to gently touch her own lips. Her fingers were far from as warm and soft as Vanille's lips. But the touch caused a tingle in her lips that she had never before felt, a tingle and a want to be connected once more. Removing her hand, her face fell into a scowl again. She felt awful, honestly. She didn't know what to think of this whole mess that she had caused within her own mind.

She knew that Vanille needed to go home, she didn't exactly live here. And she knew that she had no real reason to be angry or disappointed, but she couldn't help it. Vanille had kissed her the night before, pounced at her and kissed her hungrily. A smirk spread across Lightning's lips at the thought. She liked a woman that took charge every once in a while, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the redhead had it within her to take what she wanted in that moment.

To be perfectly honest, it had sparked feelings within her that had been long dead since Jihl took her leave.

An uncharacteristic blush spread on her cheeks. She was really not expecting to experience that kind of tingle just yet.

A happy tune and a silent buzz made its way into her senses.

It was Serah's phone she figured, as Serah answered it. She didn't really know where her own phone was.

Listening to her sister talk, she figured it was Snow. Her sister sounded happy, happy in a way she only where with the Doofus, it seemed. Lightning had always been skeptical of love, —well, at least since Jihl.

Serah, on the other hand, always said that love always found its way to reach you, which Lightning hadn't believed. But listening to her sisters happy laugh, she couldn't help to believe that love was real. And she wondered briefly how she sounded when she talked to Vanille.

A short buzz much closer to herself startled her out of her mulling. Reaching into the pocket of her sweatpants, she found the phone she always seemed to lose track of. She didn't use it much, which is why she got so surprised when it vibrated.

A text message lit up the screen. Unlocking the phone, she found a message from the one that had occupied her mind for almost five hours now.

Hey! ^_^

She stared at it, unsure of how to respond. She didn't chat or text much, so she wasn't too comfortable around these smiley faces. A smirk made it onto her lips when she thought back to the time Vanille texted her smileys until she replied.

... ...

xxXxx

... ...

Sweating, she held her phone in both hands and stared at it intently. Vanille hadn't put much thought into it as she sent that text message, but for every second that passed by without a reply, she got increasingly nervous. What if they weren't on 'texting terms' yet?

Shaking her head, she threw the phone onto the bed and then threw herself down beside it. Massaging her eyelids with her fingers, she scoffed at herself. 'Texting terms', what the heck does that even mean?

Letting her hands fall down to the sides, she sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling. She was being silly, worrying about texting her -... her what exactly? Where they even girlfriends?

A heavy blush spread rapidly across her cheeks as her heart skipped a beat at the word. Girlfriends. She might have a girlfriend, and that girlfriend is... —or might be, if she really want to be— ...is Lightning Farron. The Lightning Farron.

A heat grew in her chest as her tummy somersaulted within her.

Lightning —no, Claire Farron might be her girlfriend.

She couldn't keep it in anymore, she rolled around in the bed with a pillow pressed to her face, squealing into it. "Lightning might be my girlfriend," she whispered into it.

This was amazing, never could she had thought that someone like Lightning could ever like someone like herself. She was such a goofball, and Lightning was so cool.

"Lightning might be my girlfriend!" she said it out louder this time. She just couldn't believe it. She skipped out of bed, a huge, happy grin plastered on her face as she pirouetted around the room. "I just can't believe it, Lightning Farron, the Lightning Farron might be my girlfriend!" hugging the pillow close to her chest, she giggled like a schoolgirl.

A knock on the door startled her so bad she tripped and fell helplessly onto the floor.

"Heh, wops?" Fang poked her head through the small opening in doorway. "Didn't mean ta startle ya, sorry," sure she apologized, but her big grin told Vanille that she was far from regretting startling her. She frowned.

"It's fine," she said with a sigh, figuring that she'd laugh too and therefore didn't have the right to scold the girl. Fang moved over to help her off the floor.

"What are ya so happy 'bout anyway?" she asked with arched eyebrows. "I heard ya mumbling stuff, but didn't hear what through the door."

Vanille blushed, she didn't know if she was ready to tell anyone yet. She didn't really know what they where yet, and telling Fang could prove to be fatal to their relationship. If Fang told Lightning she'd told her —or worse, teased her about it— Lightning might back away from her and she'd never have a shot at whatever was blossoming between them. Swallowing hard, she looked her lifelong friend made roomie in the eyes. "Ah, y'know, just happy being home," she said and smiled nervously, hoping Fang wouldn't notice her lying.

"Oh, haha!" Fang threw her arms around the petite girl and squeezed her tightly. "Well welcome home, happy ta have ya back," she said and patted her back gently before stepping back. "I thought I heard ya talk about Sunshine, guess she's a pain to live with, huh?"

Vanille's ease that her lie had worked vanished in an instant and was immediately replaced with ice cold spreading through her abdomen. Trying to come up with another lie turned futile, so she simply followed Fang's assumption. "Hah, yeah, you'd never guess," she said and her nervous smile came back.

Fang laughed and patted her back. "She can be a real pain just hanging out with her, I'd never survive living with her for weeks!" she laughed some more. "But I guess ya was really there for Serah, huh? She's been good?" the ravenhaired girl asked with a hint of worry on her tone.

Vanille nodded. "Lightning's much better now and Serah's happy again. But it wasn't easy I tell you," she said and frowned.

Fang nodded with a small worried frown of her own. "Well it's good she's gettin' better anyway," she said and smiled instead, squeezing Vanille's shoulder softly. "Anyhow, I'm hittin' the shower. Again, real happy ta have ya back," winking, she turned and left Vanille in her room.

The redhead smiled, happy that she had such wonderful roommates.

A buzz called for her attention, and it took a few moments before she remembered that she texted Lightning previously. Her tummy fluttered as she slowly made her way towards the bed. She wasn't even sure it was Lightning, it might just as well be Serah.

It was Hope.

The flutter died down instantly. Not that she didn't like Hope, she was just expecting a text from Light. Besides, he only asked what that show she had told him about was called, so it wasn't even anything interesting. Sighing, she started typing a reply.

Halfway through, her phone buzzed again and a banner in the top read Lightning's name. The butterflies in her tummy came back to life and she found herself almost trembling nervously as she chose to ignore Hope's message and instead switched over to Lightning's.

Light-3:

Hey. Is it good to be home?

Seeing the heart after her name didn't help her hearts relentless thundering. Thinking about removing it, she remembered that they where a thing now. She didn't know what, but they where definitely something. And she was privileged to have a heart at her name.

Smiling to herself, she replied almost honestly. She didn't dare say that she already missed both of the Farron sisters company, that would be to embarrassing at this delicate stage of their relationship.

Could she even call it that? A relationship?

She was seconds away from sending a text asking what they where, but she scrapped the thought just before her fingers got to work. A day had passed since their ''interaction'' on the beach, she could wait a day more or so.

A buzz in her hand alerted her that Lightning had replied to her message.

Me:

It's nice! ^_^ Fang have cleaned my room while I was gone, so I didn't have to clean as soon as I stepped foot in here!

Light-3:

Fang cleaned your room? Without you asking? Are you sure she's OK?

Vanille chuckled softly at this. Sitting down in her bed, she replied to Lightning's text.

... ... ... ... ...

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Serah threw a glance her way before returning her eyes to the book she was reading. Taking it out gingerly, Lightning made sure Serah wasn't ogling her when she read the message.

Red Head (Serah's Friend):

She paused right there, figuring that Vanille was worthy a name by now since they too where friends. ...well, they where something.

Red Head (Serah's Friend):

Haha! Well she seemed fine, but you never know. Maybe she was Fangnapped by aliens and her brain's been transplanted?! ( ~ ;) How can I tell?!

Lightnin smirked, Vanille's imagination and was something she had rarely experienced previously. Mostly because people usually kept a straight face and acted serious around her. She usually didn't enjoy people who's conversations spun off and ended up out of this world too much, but Vanille was okay. She kept it on a moderate level.

Replying, she glanced over her whole to see Serah smiling at her knowingly. "What?" she barked and clenched her jaw.

Serah closed the book. "It's Vanille, isn't it?" she asked, and her grin only grew in the same speed that Lightning's cheeks heated up. "I knew it!" Serah exclaimed.

Lightning huffed loudly. "So what?" she asked and turned her eyes from her sister, tapping 'Send'.

"Oh nothing," Serah said and reopened her book. "I was just observing," she chuckled lightly and smiled at her older sister. Who only frowned at her.

... ... ... ... ...

A few blocks away, the television played the 5th season of a lighthearted show for teenage girls. But the redheaded teen in the room wasn't looking at the television. And if you listened closely, you could almost heat the heartbeats emanating from the petite girl's chest.

Vanille stared wide eyed at her phone and at the letters that where on her screen.

Light-3:

If you notice anything suspicious, just give me a shout and I'll come running.

Pzzt!

Don't forget to leave a review with your thoughts, it's very much appreciated!
Thank you for reading!