Disclaimer: First off, thank you all for leaving me a comment. It helps me out a lot and I have been thinking up new stories as well. So expect more in the future, as well as continuations of stories you liked in Chronicles so far.
NOTICE: These oneshot drabbles contain Lightis and some other couples depending on the story, and are in no particular order, nor do they tell a specific tale of just one story. Some of the drabbles might have a second part in later chapters, and if readers become fond of a certain drabble story, that drabble might have the chance to become a new full story.
CHRONICLES
Chapter XXI: Rescue! Romeo and Juvenile
Rating: T+
Genre: Romance, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Lightning, Noctis, Sazh, Serah, Vanille, Fang, Snow
Pair: Lightis
Notes: It was only natural to worry when he had not showed up for a whole week, the only solution was to check up on him at his place; XIII style.
CAUTION: A part of the Courtship, Comfort, Start of Something New, and Stroll with Me installments. Events take place before Lightning and Noctis started officially dating and living together.
The rain was heavy tonight and despite the hindrance it may cause, it was also a convenient cover for the black pickup truck that was parked at the corner of the empty street.
Sazh and the gang members of XIII stared at the mansion that stood just around the corner from where they were parked. They took note of the security cameras that guarded the front gate and made out the forms of guard moving around in front of the mansion's door.
"You sure about this, Light?" Fang asked, her eyes trained on the seemingly security-tight mansion, "I mean who keeps this kind of security around their home anyway? Old Man Caelum is taking it too far." Lightning pulled her long sleeved hoodie on top of her tank top. "He wants to make sure his disgrace of a son doesn't escape again or have any assistance in doing so."
"Huh, kind of an overboard thing to do just because his little boy has been a party animal and sex addict." Fang commented, turning her attention to Lightning.
The Alpha female frowned as Serah assisted her with her large backpack. "He had done more than that, Fang. Noctis is a playboy, billionaire kid, and a delinquent. When he lived in Nifleheim, he constantly went out to parties and slept with more women than most jocks can count theirs, he participated in delinquent activities such as stealing alcohol for parties that he attends, breaking into strip bars and just normal bars while still at a minor age of sixteen, and even attacking the paparazzi that followed him and every female quarry he had on his arm. Got sent to jail about four times now." Fang blinked and Snow voiced her unasked question, "How do you know all that?"
"It's called digging." Lightning said, focused on getting herself ready for a little break-in; she knew already all those little crimes Noctis committed was out of despair of losing his mother, still she wished he had not taken the easy way out, after all there were other way to express such a feeling of loss. She knew that all too well. "His father is no better though; Giovanni Caelum was involved in a scandal that revolved around his company and his company's now former business partners, it was also rumored he had numerous affairs with his secretary. The rumors got so bad that the Caelums moved here to Bodhum."
"So that's why they came here!" Sazh said, still looking at the mansion. He then shook his head sadly at Lightning's words about the Caelums. "Like father like son, huh? Both seem to be doing their worst." "And yet you wanna help him…" Fang said to Lightning. The gang leader said nothing as she observed the mansion once again. She then opened the door and the sound of the pouring rain grew louder while bits of water droplets flew in and hit the gang's skin. "Unfortunately, I owe him." Lightning said, but a small smile graced her lips.
"Wow, you sure have it bad for him like he has it bad for you." Snow said, but was elbowed by Vanille. Lightning responded with a "Huh" then jumped out into the rain, pulling her hood over her head. The gang turned to the front seat and watched Lightning as she ran towards the mansion, keeping close to the wall that surrounded it.
Serah had never seen her sister look so determined before; Lightning had done some pretty rebellious stunts in the past, but nothing quite like this. Like Noctis, the older Farron had a delinquent past but unlike Noctis, Lightning never took the easy way out.
Despite how much Lightning hated Noctis the moment he came to Bodhum, Serah knew her sister understood him once he opened up to her. They were not all that different; only their ways of dealing with pain and hardship was what made them differ.
Snow broke the silence that hung inside Sazh's pickup. "So, who wants to bet that Lightning gets laid while in she rescues the prince?" The gang groaned and Fang banged the side of her fist into Snow's head. Serah let his words slip for now; more concerned with her sister's safety.
Lightning jogged a few paces away from the main gate of the mansion before she climbed up the wall, far from the security guards that patrolled at the front. She grunted when the backpack hit her backside once she had landed on the other side.
Serah had insisted on packing snacks for Noctis in case he was hungry; Lightning had rolled her eyes at her younger sister but there had been no time to argue so she simply took the snack-filled bag with her.
From what she remembered during her last conversations with Noctis, Giovanni Caelum beats and abuses his son when he feels Noctis has disgraced the Caelum name.
Lightning in a way, had to agree with the father Caelum; Noctis' record was not the kind any parent would want on their offspring's record. But to treat him like a prisoner or punching back was not the way to go; besides he only wanted a way to forget the pain of losing his beloved mother, even if his outlets her disgusting and self-obsessed and weak…
She stopped and stared; the mansion was huge, that was for sure. Some parts of it had security cameras built in, but by the looks of them they were just newly installed. Perhaps Daddy Caelum had snapped during that day when Lightning dropped Noctis off at home; it was last time she ever saw him in a week. That was the only logical explanation for his not showing up in school for the whole week. Lightning smirked bitterly to herself; she hated that bratty and self-obsessed, playboy horny bastard rich boy. And yet here she was breaking and entering just to make sure he was still alive — hopefully this whole thing would go by with less breaking and more entering and exiting.
Her eyes scanned the upper walls, staring at the windows for any sign of…something. Anything.
As she circled the mansion a bit more, she finally noticed a rather dimly lit room. The window was dark but there was a small sign of light; a lamp maybe?
That was definitely it, she could tell. Next problem: How to get up there. Lightning mentally swore. It was always one thing after another. "Fucking rich people." She muttered.
The rain was so heavy she could hardly find her way around, but then again so did the guards. Lightning trekked around the walls, making sure not to lose sight of the window above her. The yard was completely covered in bushes and plants; how could Daddy Caelum afford all of the security cameras and guards, but not a gardener. Lightning rolled her eyes then paused in her tracks. A tree stood tall in front of her and beside the window.
She pressed her hand against the trunk then smiled slightly. Mother Nature seemed to be smiling down on her for once.
After adjusting the backpack slightly, Lightning began climbing the tree and cursed at the weight of the bag on her back. "What in Etro's name did Serah pack in here?" She groaned and continued climbing. The branches looked sturdy enough to stand on, hopefully should would not find herself falling into the grassy ground below.
Her eyes remained on the window, which she hoped was Noctis'. The boy was worth a lot more trouble than he was really worth. The gang leader adjusted the backpack again as she stepped onto the branch that pointed directly at the window. Upon a closer look, she could tell it was indeed a bedroom. And by the way things were arranged and from the items inside, it was definitely Noctis' room.
Good thing his window was large and had a balcony…
A whole week.
He had been stuck here for a whole week; ever since that day Lightning dropped him off at home, his father had confronted him about causing trouble again. But as always, the old bastard refused to listen and Noctis was beaten into a pulp. The next part was the worse; Giovanni threw his son into his room and locked the door. It was only when Noctis tried to escape that Giovanni told him through the door that he had installed a code-lock on his room. There was no way out, only a way in and Giovanni had the code.
Noctis knew right now that there was a panel on the wall beside his bedroom door. That was where his father typed the code to let himself in. But the only time he ever saw his father was when Giovanni wanted to beat Noctis out of his life again.
The young Caelum was not ruined and bruised, and starving. He had not eating anything except for the snacks he kept in his room, but they did not last long. He was hungry but of course his father did not care.
He cursed his life and wished things could have been better.
Noctis had no idea how long he had been lying there on the floor, only that he had been there for days and days on end. His phone and computer had been taken away, his father's orders to make sure Noctis did not contact anyone from the outside for help.
If only his mother were still here, he would be sheltered from his father's abuse. Noctis felt like complete shit now; all those things he did, all the rebellious times he had…He only wanted to ease the suffering of his loss, but deep down it did not help. All he did was sleep around while knowing there was no love for him, no real emotion except for disgusting lust. He had no real friends; he lost them because he would not stop what he was doing. If only… He could not think anymore, he felt tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Noctis grit his teeth and clenched his fists. Why won't the noises stop? He was tired and felt dead, he
just wanted to rest. So why won't those ridiculous won't sounds stop? He covered his ears with his hands, trying to block out that annoying tapping sound. Where was it coming from anyway?
He opened his eyes; where was that noise coming from. Weakly, he sat up and looked around his dimly-lit bedroom.
Tap. Tap. Noctis turned around to look at his window. Immediately his blue eyes widened in surprise; Lightning stood there on his balcony, soaked to the bone despite her hoodie and tapping on his window. Unable to contain his amazement, Noctis got up shakily and walked to his window, his eyes never leaving Lightning's.
He placed his hand against his window, directly over where her hands were. Noctis pressed his forehead against the glass, staring at her with a longing gaze.
Lightning glanced down at noticed the window seemed to be locked from the outside, since Noctis did not seem able to open it himself. She lifted the latch of the window and it opened wide, let huge gusts of wind and rain to fly into the dim room.
She entered and closed the window behind her. In an instant, Noctis arms held onto her tightly, surprising XIII's Alpha. She flushed slightly, but noticed how desperate his hold seems to be. She allowed him to hold on for a bit before pushing him away slightly and taking a look at him.
Noctis looked terrible. He was bruised, his hair looked oily and he seemed so weak.
"… Not one of your best days, is it?" Lightning commented. Noctis smiled weakly at her discreet attempt to cheer him up. He laid his head against her shoulder and nuzzled her. The action seemed so weak to Lightning; he was usually a shameless flirt whenever he interacted to anyone who was a female. Surprisingly, it worried Lightning that he was acting so differently now.
"You should get cleaned up first." She said, feel his hair. It seemed to have lost its shine; had he not been taking a bath?
Noctis did not move. With a sigh, Lightning moved him over to his bed and sat him down before placing her backpack on the floor. "Come on." She pulled him up and brought him to his bathroom. Noctis was silent the whole time, only watching Lightning as she turned on the tap and let the tub fill up with hot water.
Questions ran through his mind. What was she doing here? Why was she here? How did she know where to look?
Despite all these questions he wanted to ask, he could not find his voice; even speaking proved to be tiring for him at the moment.
Lightning noticed how still he was. Was he that weak? By the looks of it, he must have been starved for days. Was Daddy Caelum seriously that cruel to his only son? Lightning approached him and pulled his shirt off for him. He watched her silently as she undressed him until he was only had his boxers on. She led him to the tub and nodded towards it. "Get in."
Noctis slowly climbed into the tub with Lightning assisting him to make sure he did not slip. He settled in the warm water and felt his body relax.
Lightning reached in to pull his boxers off. Noctis lifted himself a bit until he was completely bare in the water. With a sigh, Lightning tossed the wet undergarment aside along with the rest of his clothing. She watched him as he sat there, not saying a word and just staring at nothing. What had happened to him this past week?
Caught up in her thoughts, Lightning did not notice Noctis' hand came reaching up to touch her face. She blinked when she felt his wet palm on her cheek and turned her attention back to him.
He was looking at her with such a sober expression, unlike his usual flirtatious glances. It was a rather nice change; if only it did not look so gloomy.
He slowly stroked her face, feeling her as if making sure she was real and not just some apparition he made up in his weakening mind.
Lightning said nothing and scooped the tub water into her hands and dumped it on Noctis' head. She continued the action for a while until his hear was completely soaked.
When he finally put his hand down from her face, Lightning looked around for his shampoo. When she found it, she squeezed the bottle a bit and let the blue gel fall on the Caelum's head. Setting the bottle aside, Lightning began massaging her fingers through his black-as-night hair.
Noctis closed his eyes and let the warm and relaxing feeling sooth him. It was hard to believe that the notorious Lightning Farron was here, bathing him. And her touches were so gentle and caring, he could feel himself come back to life slowly.
His dark blue eyes followed her every move.
Finally Lightning rinsed his hair off, making sure no suds were left in his now clean hair. "Wait here." She ordered gently and returned to his room. Noctis sat there in the tub for a while until Lightning returned with a new set of clothes for him. She placed it down on the cover of the toilet and grabbed a large towel from the rack. She held it out in front of her, covering Noctis. "Here," She said. Understanding, Noctis stood up, his lower half obscured by the towel. Lightning wrapped it around his waist and let him step out of the tub. She handed him his new boxers and drained the water while he got dressed.
Noctis dressed into his new pants then turned to look at Lightning. This was a new side of her he had never seen before, and for her to help out a complete bastard like him…
"What?" She said, catching staring. Noctis blushed and lowered his head. "Sorry…" "At least you're talking again." Lightning said, leading him back into his room. Surprisingly, he did not say anything flirty or smart back at her like he usually would. Still, it was kind of nice.
"You…came all the way here, even in this weather. Why?" He asked, sounding so confused and a little conflicted. Lightning said nothing for a while and just put his new clean shirt on him.
"You haven't been showing in school or anywhere; the gang got a little worried." She said, grabbing the towel from his hands and dried his hair with it. Noctis looked at her meaningfully. "Were you…worried about me too?"
Lightning paused for a moment. Noctis whimpered quietly; of course she wouldn't. The gang probably made her go up after him to make sure he was fine. Lightning would not care if he never turned up. After all, he was nothing but a playboy brat t her.
"I was kind of concerned." Noctis blinked and stared at her when she said those words. "… You were looking a little worried when I dropped you off here. I had the feeling you might have gotten yourself in a pinch. That's it." Lightning said, seemingly trying to maintain a nonchalant face. Noctis suddenly smiled and pulled her to him. "Thank you, Lightning!"
"… Right." She sighed and pats Noctis on the back. She was really terrible at this whole comforting thing. Noctis tightened his hold on her and nuzzled her shoulder. "I can't believe you actually came here for me…" Lightning flushed somewhat. "Don't sweat it."
Once he finally allowed her to move away from him, Lightning sat him down on the floor and brought her backpack over. She opened it and one by one took out the contents. Noctis stared wide-eyed at the snacks in front of him, and his stomach growled in hunger.
Lightning mentally cursed and thanked Serah for the huge amount of food that was in the bag. Noctis did seem hungry, and the way he was looking at the food and almost seems to be drooling proved it. "Dig in." She said, nodding at the food.
Noctis swallowed then grabbed the nearest thing; a sandwich.
Lightning watched as he wolfed his food down heartily. It made her wonder why his father would go so far as to starve his one and only son. Grounding him should have been enough, but keeping him prisoner like this…
Noctis had never felt so hungry before in his life; being starved to death really did make the food taste better, and soon his energy started returning to him. He licked his lips and fingers clean from the taste of food and sighed in content when he finally finished. He practically ate out the whole supply the backpack had.
Lightning nodded to herself. "How are you feeling now?" Noctis smiled in a bittersweet manner as he moved to sit on his bed. "Like shit. But not as bad as before."
"It's a start." Lightning shrugged and threw the food wrappers into the garbage bin inside Noctis' room. "Have you tried getting out of here?" She asked once she returned to Noctis' side. The dark-haired boy shook his head. "After you left, my dad beat me up. He thought I was causing trouble again like I did back a Nifleheim so he threw me in here and locked the door. He installed some kind of panel beside my door for some code, and apparently, that is what kept my door shut." "A code-pass door lock, huh?" Lightning mused. Noctis nodded. "As for going out the window… Well, you know already; it had been locked on the outside so…" "I guess I unlocked it now." Lightning said, knowing what he meant.
"He comes in here to beat me up like a punching bag when he feels like it." Noctis muttered, his head lowered. Lightning was surprised; bad boy Noctis was scared and depressed? But it proved that he had feelings after all.
Noctis glanced Lightning's way and blushed. "Why did you come here? Really." The strawberry-blonde sighed. "I just had a feeling something was wrong. You seem to be a good student, when you were not flirting," Noctis hung his head at this, "I thought you never skipped school even if you are…a horny bastard. Point is; I just felt like something wrong happened to you. That's all. And the gang missed you…" Lightning grumbled. To her surprise, Noctis started looking around the room shyly. "Did you…miss me too?"
Lightning blushed and shook her head. "Why bother asking? You're always so full of yourself that you're so sure people would miss you." The Caelum touched her hand, his expression a little worried. "Did you?" Lightning blinked, not sure what to make of this situation; Noctis was not his usual self-obsessed, horny bastard self at the moment. She sighed. "… I guess I kind of did."
He smiled at her and hugged her again.
"You should stop doing that; I'm not a stuffed animal." Lightning muttered. Noctis chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair. "I can't help it." Lightning's face burned as she felt him stroke her hair and press his nose against it to take in her scent.
Her heart began to drum against her chest as he moved his face to her neck and nuzzled her, his hair tickling her skin. "Noctis…" "Please." He whispered, sounding almost scared. Lightning sighed and stroked his back comfortingly. "You're alright now."
Noctis tried to control himself from shaking, but after a while his body started to tremble in Lightning's arms. This was a side of him he never wanted anyone to see, but with Farron he felt so…safe. It was strange, but so nice at the same time. It made him wonder; had he found the real thing at last?
He hoped so; it was the one thing he wished for deep down after he lost his mother all those years ago. He kept trembling still but kept a hold on Lightning. She did not push him away or say a word.
"Lightning…?"
"Hm?"
"I…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm such a fucked up guy."
Lightning ruffled his hair gently. "We all can be sometimes." "I only wanted to be just a regular kid, like everyone else. Like you; you have friends and you're happy even though you lost your parents… You worked hard to get this far, but me… All I did was mess around with my life. I hated that I'm always so fucking weak! I hate how I can't express myself in a different way; I hate how I have to fuck things up with myself."
XIII's leader remained silent and just let Noctis express himself. He needed it, she knew. She tensed when she felt her neck becoming wet; he was crying. This was the second time she saw him cry now, but this time all the pent up frustration and pain was pouring out of him.
"Lightning… I…" Even his voice shook when he spoke. Lightning remained in place.
When he finally started to regain his composure, he swallowed nervously and pulled away from her, looking right into those electric blue eyes he grew fond of in more ways than one. He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, sighing to himself. "That was embarrassing." "It's fine." Lightning replied. She head-butted him gently and he smiled at her sheepishly.
"Listen, I know I've been a complete ass since the day I came here. I just wanted to say thanks, for actually being there and listening to me. Nobody ever does."
Lightning nodded. "Sure."
"Also…" Noctis blushed a bright red and Lightning raised an eyebrow at him. "Lightning, I really… I…" This should not be so hard; he mentally berated himself for chickening out now. Lightning lifted his chin, making him look at her. Without warning, she flicked him on the forehead roughly with her index finger. Noctis winced at the sting. "What…?" "You're stammering." Lightning said bluntly. Noctis shook his head and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Lightning… I really like you. A lot. More than a lot actually. I know I'm a total screw up and a complete horny bastard—" "Your point is…?" Lightning asked, giving him a look.
"My point is…" Noctis froze, not sure if he could say it to her now. But now was a better time than ever; if he were to tell her on an ordinary day he would mess up for sure by saying something suggestive and offensive. Now was a good time. "I love you, Lightning. I'm not…I'm not used to expressing myself like this, but ever since we started talking I felt like I can actually be myself again and not that rebellious asshole that I show to people every day. I just want to be who I was before, be who I was before my mother died. You made me realize that…there is a way for me, even though I made so many mistakes. I see you and your friends and it made me think about what I did in my life and how messed up it was, how messed I was. I want to learn how to start over, and I want to do that with you there. Etro, I sound so fucking retarded…" He rubbed a hand over his face.
"Yeah, you do." Lightning agreed with a nod.
Noctis groaned but was caught off guard when Lightning pressed her forehead to his. "Light…?" She sighed to herself and lifted her head. Her lips touched his and Noctis' eyes widened at her initiative; his eyes closed and he allowed himself to relish the feeling of her lips.
She still tasted like strawberries, and it made him smile inside. Lightning was not a normal girl, and for that, he was glad. It made her all the more special to him.
He pressed himself against her, eager to deepen their kiss. He felt the need, the urge to just hold onto her at that very moment. He did not want to move away, nor did he want to stop.
Desire pooled inside him and he felt the heat of lust form in his groin. Noctis growled as he pulled away from Lightning. He inhaled and exhaled, trying to control his primal urges. He wanted to show her, wanted her to know he was serious about her. She was not some plaything to him, she was someone he had some to cherish, and someone he grew attached to, someone who understood him. He was not going to lose control now.
"Sorry." He muttered when he cooled down. Lightning kissed his forehead gently. "Don't worry about it." Noctis kissed her again and she did not object; he wanted her, he knew that for sure. But would she ever want him? Would she ever allow him to touch her? Feel her? Be with her? He was not too sure now. But he knew where he wanted to be, and he intended to stay for good.
He lowered his lips to her neck and nipped her skin. She held still while he ran his lips all over her neck, down to her collarbone. He slowly pulled the hood down from Lightning's head and pressed his nose against her hair.
Lightning ran her fingers through his drying hair and rested her head on his shoulder. Noctis bit down on her collarbone, causing Lightning to tense at the rough nip but she still did not move away from him. He kissed then licked the spot he bit, the action turned out to be rather tender. He grumbled in his chest then took her hand in his, kissing the back of her hand.
It was funny how things turned out this way. What was even more funny was the situation in general; Lightning had come all this way and snuck past all the mansion's security, climbed up to his balcony and took care of him. He chuckled slightly; it seems that in this case, Lightning was Romeo and he Juliet. Such a hilarious twist, but nice in a way nonetheless.
"What are you laughing at?" Lightning's voice brought him out of his thoughts. Noctis smirked. "I was just thinking how you, the gallant knight have come to save the damsel prince…ess." He laughed lightly and Lightning rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap, Noctis." "Sorry, I just thought it really fit the situation. Except, I'm the one who is the damsel here." Lightning chuckled. "At least your ego is not as bloated as before." "Thanks to you I feel like I can be who I used to be once again." Noctis admitted, blushing again.
Lightning then stood up. "I have to get going now; I left everyone waiting in the truck." Noctis' heart fell slightly as he watched her put her hood back on and placed the bag on her back. Lightning opened the windows and the rain was still as heavy as ever.
Noctis lowered his head and sighed; he wished he was able to get out of this hellhole he calls home, away from that bastard father of his. What he did not expect were Lightning's next words, "You coming?" Noctis lifted his head and looked at her, surprised. Lightning just stood there with her arms crossed. "That is, if you want to leave here. It was a suggestion."
Noctis got off his bed. "No. Anywhere's better than here."
He grabbed his own backpack and threw in some of his clothes. He paused when he pulled out a black suit from his closet. Noticing he was staring at something, Lightning moved over to him and saw the black suit in his hands. "Something special to you?" She asked. He nodded. "Mom gave me this suit; it was my very first suit. I'm surprised it still fits me though." "… Bring it along." Noctis looked at Lightning. "You sure?" "Better than not bringing it and then sulking over it later." She said.
Noctis shook his head as he stuffed his suit in his bag; Lightning was definitely the knight in this little episode they were having, and he the woman in need of rescuing. As embarrassing as it sounded, at least it was Lightning he was with.
Lightning waited for him on the balcony. Noctis got into his own hoodie and met her out. "You sure?" She asked him. Understanding what she meant, Noctis looked back at his room then nodded at her. "Yeah. I can take it." Carefully, the climbed onto the tree branch and down the tree.
Lightning led Noctis past the guards and cameras that surrounded the mansion until they reached the wall. Noctis climbed over first and Lightning followed swiftly.
"Sazh's pickup is over there." Lightning pointed to the corner of the street. Noctis nodded and ran with her there until they got to the black pickup truck.
The gang seemed to have dozed off inside. Lightning knocked on the window and Fang jumped awake. Seeing Lightning and Noctis, she shook Sazh awake. "Hey old man! They're here!" Sazh looked around, disoriented then took in Fang's words. He unlocked the doors and Fang opened it for them. By now, the rest of the gang had awoken from the commotion. Lightning tossed the empty backpack into the truck. "Fang, sit in the front." She ordered. Fang nodded and got slipped into the front seat beside Sazh, allowing Noctis and Lightning into the back seat.
Serah hugged her sister. "Glad you're okay Sis. Did anything go wrong?" "No. Nothing happened." Lightning reassured. Snow scooted over a bit to make room, squishing Vanille against the window slightly. "Hey!" She protested. Snow chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry Vanny."
Noctis rested his head against the window, already falling asleep. Lightning watched him as he drifted off. "He looks like he was in bad shape." Serah commented, observing Noctis' face. Her older sibling nodded. "Yeah. His dad beat him up and starved him to death when I found him in his room." Fang cringed. "That's fucking messed up!" The gang leader huffed and leaned back against the seat, crossing her arms and resting one leg over the other. "Noctis didn't seem to hesitate much when I suggested he come along…" She mused. Vanille looked around Snow's large frame. "At least he's safe now, thanks to you Light." She chirped, despite being squished between the door and Snow.
Lightning turned her attention back to the sleeping boy. She stroked his hair gently, ignoring the gang's wide grins and stares. "Wake me up when we reach home." Lightning announced and closed her eyes, letting her head fall onto Noctis' shoulder.
I would like to clear things up for this chapter without spoiling anything much hopefully. And also to clear any confusion you may have after reading this.
First off, this was not the first time Noctis and Lightning kissed. They had already done that several times and even touched each other in a slightly intimate way. But they had not done anything yet.
Second, I noted on the "CAUTION" that this took place before they officially started dating. Lightning and Noctis did kiss and touch but they had not come into any terms that they are actually dating yet. That is why here, even though they are seemingly closer, they are not dating quite yet.
Originally, Lightning and Noctis were supposed make love in his room in this chapter before Lightning decides to head back to the gang. But I scraped that idea and changed it because it would not feel very special and would just feel like they are doing it on a whim.
Let me know what you guys think, ask any questions you have and I will answer them as best as I can in the next chapter I upload, leave a comment if you have the time and I welcome any thoughts you would like to share.
Until then…