A/N: Hi readers! Sorry for the late upload! It seems like I've caught a cold so I've been rolled up in my blankets all day like a sushi roll. Also there is a thunderstorm in my area right now (for the next three days) so it's good reference for writing storm scenes. I almost skipped today, but I decided to end this chapter early just so I could put out my daily update. This and the next two chapters will be mostly funny, fluffy and romantic, with not much else going on so feel free to skip to Chapter 19 in a few days if this is not your cup of tea! (Please forgive typos, I can't proofread in my current condition T^T)

Anyway, big thanks to my really faithful and incredibly helpful reviewers AK1734 and Lumina! Thank you so much for answering my last question! *tosses thirsty AF chapter out the window* The day for thirst will come, but it is not this day XD Hope you enjoy today's chapter and happy Saturday! :)

CHAPTER XV.

Our Song

Lightning

We had decided to spend the upcoming blizzard in a cottage on top of a nearby mountain. Why we were plunging right into the blizzard, I had no idea. But I wanted to get off campus for a while too, so I had agreed for the distraction. As Cloud had correctly pointed out, we needed to get there well in advance of the blizzard, so we booked for a total of three nights, with the possibility of extending the stay if the roads were blocked on our way back.

Luckily we could still make it back in time for the finals, even if we got badly snowed in. I was bringing my books just in case. I couldn't think of much we could do in the cottage anyway, so I might as well get some studying done.

The next few days were spent preparing for our trip. Vanille and Serah were going overboard with the shopping, and Fang was indulging them while I wrapped up work for the security office. Tifa had officially won the best roommate in the world award, because she had been silently checking things off of my checklist in my absence. I came back from my run this morning to notice that half of my 'to do list' had been checked off. She had even gone as far as returning Reno's hoodie to him, all the way to the seniors' dorm.

Tifa was helping me manage all the tasks I had been pushing back. I decided to take her out for drinks to thank her. It was probably the first time we were properly hanging out, just the two of us. Tifa dressed up so nicely for our 'date' that I had to put in some effort too.

We chose Sin Club because we had only been there once, but the cocktails had been amazing. It was a little mature, but Tifa blended right in with her usual elegance. I was awkward, but loosened up after a few drinks.

"You seriously didn't have to take me out…" Tifa spoke and I glanced at her, drinking my martini slowly.

"Yes I did. I can't tell you how much you've been saving my butt," I replied sincerely and Tifa smiled in response.

"Well, if it's been that helpful then I am glad," she said. I ordered some more drinks, relaxing at the bar counter. A nice selection of music was playing and it was too early to be crowded. Tifa looked thoughtfully at me, placing her cheek on her palm, elbow propped on the smooth counter.

"So, how goes it with Cloud?" She asked innocently.

Ah, the dreaded question.

"Good," I replied monotonously but Tifa looked at me hopefully. Her eyes were clearly asking me to elaborate.

"Are you sure it's alright to talk about him?" I asked just in case. Tifa nodded, smiling happily.

"You'll be happy to know I've been moving on just fine. I took Fang's advice," she added with a blush and I gave it some thought as I drank slowly.

Fang's advice? What advice?

It can't be… that advice?!

"Tifa… please don't tell me you made a 'special friend'?" I asked, releasing the full extent of my shock. Tifa only chuckled, rolling her eyes.

"Come on Light~ we're adults. It's actually been going really smoothly. I am the happiest I have been in a while. There's lots of romance and zero drama." Tifa's expression confirmed her words.

"Well, if it's what you truly want… I just imagined you to be more of a settler than a go-with-the-flow type." I said honestly, hoping not to offend her.

"I was," Tifa nodded as she ordered another set of drinks, sliding our now empty glasses back to the bartender. "I really thought I was going to marry Cloud and start a family with him in the future but look how that turned out. So… I stopped chasing the whole idea of having that kind of 'happy ending' with someone. Just want to see how things go when I try to enjoy the present moment." She took a deep breath, tapping the counter lightly as she reiterated her original question.

"So then, how's it going so far?" Crimson eyes met mine. The chances for escape were growing scarcer by the moment.

I thought about it honestly. "It's… really nice, I guess. Recently we've been trying to share movies that we like with each other. I don't know that many, never had time for them before. But Strife has an interesting taste. I guess we're really just not the talking types, so we're more physical."

Tifa's cheeks turned red as she patted them lightly to cool herself down. I quickly corrected myself.

"Sorry, I mean, we both like exercise and doing activities, rather than talking. We do talk, of course."

"Yeah no, it just sounds all wrong." Tifa laughed, pushing back her long hair as she took a sip of the new drink. "I feel like Zack's rubbing off on you."

I agreed with a chuckle, watching the liquid in my glass move around as I stirred it absentmindedly.

"Did you guys…?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

"Everyone needs to stop asking me that. Of course not, we just started dating two weeks ago. Serah made him feel like she married me off to him with her speech, and Zack's been suggesting baby names for two days straight," I sighed in defeat. "Everyone needs to slow down." I emphasized the last two words. Tifa let out a giggle.

"So you've done nothing, Miss Slow Down?" Tifa pressed and I realized that she wouldn't budge unless I properly answered her questions.

"We've kissed," I finally admitted, fighting back the blush threatening to overtake my cheeks. I really wished this would be the end of this awkward as hell interrogation.

"Cloud… kissed you? You kissed him?" She threw another question in my face. What was with the technicalities? I thought it was the same thing?

"Well, I haven't dated anyone before so… he's been good about leading and initiating in those situations. It's a relief." I replied as I downed my drink, raising my hand to order another one.

"Wow…." Tifa fell silent for a while as she downed her own drink quickly too. "Cloud's been initiating? He must be really attracted to you then."

"I am sure he's just more experienced now, thanks to you and Aerith." This conversation was taking dangerous turns. I didn't want someone as beautiful as Tifa to even compare herself to someone like me and then even feel bad about it.

"And Jessie- ah, nevermind… Shouldn't have mentioned her. " Tifa shifted uncomfortably and I sighed in annoyance.

How many girls, Strife?! And just the other day he was calling Zack a player. That blonde hypocrite.

"But but," Tifa added quickly, hoping to do damage control. "You're the first one he's actually initiating things with. Seriously, I had to do a whole thing to get him in bed with me."

"A whole thing?" The way Tifa phrased it made it sound a bit tedious but funny at the same time.

"Yep, a whole thing. Like dimming the lights and preparing mood music in advance. Many failed attempts. But getting him wasted finally worked in the end. I just jumped him after." She laughed out loud as our drinks came and I couldn't help smirking at her explanation.

"You're describing a crime scene, Tifa." This seemed to have amused her, because she broke into a loud laugh.

"You're so funny Light!" She patted my shoulder through her intense laughter and I sighed, a smile spreading on my own face as well. I really was glad to be able to spend time like this with Tifa.

"Don't you need to head back and pack for tonight?" She asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I am already packed so…" I told her as I drank the next cocktail. I had lost count of how many we had had so far.

"That's weird… I didn't see your luggage in the room," Tifa said as she finished her glass, holding the now empty glass in her hand still.

"Yeah, I just have a bag. I pack light." I answered, which did not satisfy my roommate for some reason.

"Lightning, what if you and Cloud end up… doing that? Please tell me you packed sexy pajamas at least?!" She shrieked and I asked her to turn the volume down with a gesture of my hand.

"Tifa… it's a blizzard. I am not wearing 'sexy pajamas' and dying of hypothermia in the pursuit of a passionate night with Strife." I said sarcastically and Tifa laughed again, reaching out to hold my hand.

I didn't mind, but I was slightly surprised.

"You're a really great person. We're all so lucky we met you, Light." Tifa's words were kind as always. But then she followed them with a an announcement I wasn't expecting. "I won't be going with you guys."

"Why not?"

Was it because of us?

"It's not because of Cloud or anything… I actually just wanna spend time with my, ahem, friend. Preferably naked in his room." She blushed through a giggle and I furrowed my eyebrows in concern.

"Too much information… and well… take it easy. I'll kick his ass if turns out to be an asshole, so just… just call me. Or text, whatever." I said quickly and Tifa's eyes widened as she stared at me.

"Lightning you…. Are you perhaps... worried about me?"

I blushed, nodding as I looked away like it was no big deal. Tifa threw her arms around me, squeezing me tightly.

"Gosh, you're the best. Once Aerith gets to know you, I am a hundred percent sure she'll join the Lightning Farron fan club." She teased me and I began to get up from my seat.

"Yeah no. Nobody needs that club. Get rid of it immediately."

We walked back to campus, still laughing. Tifa was telling me childhood stories, chatting away excitedly. It was amazing, being reminded of the fact that people have these whole lives behind them. We think we know someone, but there's so much to unpack. I thought of Cloud and Tifa, how two people can be friends for their entire lives, fall in love… and fall out of love. It made me somewhat anxious. I hadn't even discovered the surface of who Cloud was. A deep, complex person like us all. We had met each other at a specific point in our lives. It made me wonder if we wouldn't have liked each other if we met when we were younger or older. Would I be able to let go as Tifa was bravely doing?

"You're completely spaced out," Tifa mentioned in a gentle voice. I snapped out of it, apologetically shaking my head.

"Sorry…"

Tifa wrapped her hands around my arm, giving it a squeeze. "I don't know what it is, but stop worrying. You and Cloud are so damn alike, always lost in your thoughts."

"Sorry," I repeated honestly, steadying a tipsy Tifa who was humming loudly. It was still early in the evening by the time we got back to our room. Serah and Vanille were there, agonizing over clothes as usual. Fang was also fully packed.

"Are you moving there?" Tifa looked over at Vanille's luggage. It was too much, even by Tifa's standards.

"I might as well only take pajamas. It's not like I'll be dressing up or anything. There won't be any hot guys. I mean, there will be but all of them are dating my friends," Vanille complained bitterly.

"There's Hope?" Serah suggested only to be shot down by the redhead.

"AS IF! He's annoying as hell," Vanille hid a blush as she turned her face away from us, busying herself with her packing.

"If you say so," I smirked in her direction before throwing my charger in my bag. "Well, I'll head over to Zack's room so, meet you guys in the parking lot." I waved the girls goodbye, walking over to the boys' dorms.

I flung the door open, yawning slightly as I called for the blue haired male. "Zack, I am here-" Cloud and Zack were both walking around shirtless, throwing clothes in two bags placed next to each other on Zack's bed.

"Does nobody wear a shirt anymore?" I complained as I plopped down on Cloud's bed, putting my feet up.

"Hiya grumpy, see you're in a mood today too." Zack joked as I picked up a shirt from the floor and threw it at him.

"Oh! I was looking for this one. Thanks!" He thanked me in his happy go lucky tone.

"Glad I could help," I said sarcastically. I hated myself for doing it, but I couldn't help peeking at Cloud. Wow. What a build… I knew he liked to train, but exactly how much did he train to look like that…

Lightning. You're despicable, I chastised myself as I began scrolling through my emails to distract myself. I found a meeting request from none other than the dreaded professor Ballad. I groaned in frustration, which caught the boys' attention.

Cloud sat down on the bed near me, curious as to what had caused my distress. My eyes fell onto his torso, trailing up slowly towards his chest, to his jaw, to his lips… by the time I got to his eyes I realized he had noticed I was checking him out, and was blushing. My own cheeks heated up as I cleared my throat. Luckily Zack came to my rescue - and at least he had a shirt on now. "Light, what is it? Bad feng shui?"

Zack was always into weird new things and feng shui had been this week's latest obsession.

I sighed deeply, showing them the email. "Ballad wants to 'check in' on me."

"Yeah, he's like, against organized anything. So military? Not so good in his books. He's probably just going to be an ass." Zack shook his head. "But hey, you'll be fine. You're badass enough to give even Caius a run for his money."

Cloud agreed with Zack with a nod before asking. "When are you scheduling it?"

I looked through my calendar, doing everything in my power to resist looking at him. "Um, maybe right after we get back."

"Good plan," Zack patted my shoulder, rising from the bed to stand at his full height. "Alright, we should get moving." Cloud also got up, pulling a shirt over his arms as he got dressed. I kept my eyes glued to my phone screen until I heard the zippers of their bags closing.

"Are you driving?" Zack asked but I only shook my head.

"I took Tifa out for drinks, so no." Zack seemed unfazed. "It's fine, just checking. Cloud?"

Cloud also shook his head. "I don't like cars, so no. Ask Snow." He offered but I shot him down immediately.

"I don't trust that idiot to drive. Hope should be fine," I recommended and Zack seemed to agree with me.

"I'll ask him to bring his car then." He pulled out his phone from his pocket and started texting.

When ready, the boys locked up their room and we walked over to the parking lot. Hope and Vanille were bickering as usual. I chuckled as we met up with them.

"Who brings this much luggage?!" Hope was shouting. Vanille had her arms crossed across her chest as she glared back at him, not planning to back down. "Who cares?! I am not asking you to carry it!"

We waved at them and Hope's mouth fell open as he looked over to us, before turning back to face Vanille. He pointed at me. "Look at Light!"

"She's like a Zen master!" Vanille complained. "It's different! Serah and Fang have more luggage too, look!" She tried to deflect, but Hope wouldn't step down either.

"Nobody has as much as you," he spat and Vanille released a 'humph!', grabbing her bag and dragging it over to us.

"I'm going in Zack's car then!" Vanille shouted over her shoulder.

"Fine!" Hope said angrily as I jerked my neck in the direction of Hope's car. "I'll go over there." I told the boys.

Cloud automatically followed me, not even bothering to say anything to Zack who only shouted a 'hey!' behind him.

"I'll go with you," Serah offered as she ran over to Hope's Mercedes. I was going to get in the front seat, but Cloud's hand around my wrist gently caught my attention. I blushed, letting Serah climb into the front seat as I slid into the back seat with Cloud.

Fang, Vincent, Vanille, Aerith and Snow got into Zack's jeep.

There was distance between us. It wasn't fair to always expect Cloud to make a move, so I slid closer to him, trying to be as discreet as possible. He noticed, casually draping his arm around the seat behind me.

Okay, good. We're a couple, this much is normal. Serah turned around and smirked at us as she did her seat belt, before facing forward again.

Hope didn't help either. "Okay, everyone looks really comfortable now, so let's go." I glared at Hope who was smiling at us in the rearview mirror as he adjusted it.

We drove only half an hour out of the city and the snow was already becoming a problem. Hope slowed down his car, having trouble driving at a decent speed in the snow compared to Zack's jeep, which just cut through the snow. After some time, both cars couldn't proceed any further.

"Hey Hope, let's put on the snow chains," I suggested and he nodded. The four of us parked on the side of the road behind the jeep, getting out of the car and taking the snow chains out of the trunk.

"I don't know how to do this, haven't really put them on before," Hope deliberated, looking around the trunk. "No manual?" He searched for instructions that came with the rental chains.

"It's fine, I've done it plenty. Strife?" I looked over to the blonde who also nodded like he knew what to do. We both took one side each and finished the job in no more than five minutes.

Meanwhile Zack was still having trouble. "Get back in the car guys, it's cold. I'll go help Zack."

Cloud gently touched my shoulder. "I'll go." He began moving before I had a chance to insist, so I jumped back in the backseat and waited for him.

After the chains were secured around Zack's tyres, Cloud penguin walked back to us. The snow was very heavy now. He looked really cute struggling in the snow.

"What?" He asked, observing the three of us grinning as he got back into the car.

"Oh nothing~" Serah said teasingly as she turned up the music.

Cloud decided to let it go, his arm draping around my shoulders this time. I didn't mind this closeness one bit as my head found a cozy spot on his shoulder. He rested his head against mine, closing his eyes. We must have drifted off to sleep at some point, but were jerked awake as the car suddenly came to a stop.

"Easy on the brakes," Cloud instructed and Hope released the brake.

"Sorry, I am getting nervous driving in the snow. We're almost there though."

I felt guilty for drinking. "Sorry, I'll drive on the way back." I offered.

"You've driven a Mercedes before?" He asked as we began approaching the parking area.

"I've driven a tank. It's gotta be easier than that." I chuckled and Cloud did the same next to me.

When we arrived at the cottage, I took a moment to just stare at how beautiful it was.

A long winding road through the woods led to a wooden log house, standing completely on its own in the wilderness. Against the background of tall pine trees, the cottage looked perfectly cozy. A path covered with pebbles led to the entrance. Inside, the ceiling was high, with beautiful glass doors and windows. There was a lovely rustic smell, probably all the wood around us. Inside the lobby or living room, whatever you want to call it, was an actual fireplace burning, with a lush white rug placed in front of it. The room was decorated with vintage sofas and paintings. It was incredibly warm inside, a safe refuge from the snow.

"It's perfect!" Snow thundered as their group entered behind us.

"Really neat," I found myself saying as I explored the room next to the living room. It was a fully equipped kitchen, with a real stone oven for baking. The room opposite that was a lovely lounge area with a pool table, bookshelves and sofas, as well as a mini bar.

"Man this is insane…" Zack complimented as the owner came out. She was an old, friendly looking woman with red hair.

"Hi!" She greeted us nicely as two young men came out of the office area as well, grabbing our luggage for us. "Here are your keys." She handed over all the keys to Zack. The keys were organized by color names. "Would you like a tour?" She asked us. Zack shook his head.

"No, we'll explore it by ourselves, thanks," he replied and she bowed slightly.

"Very well, then we'll head out and will be back after the blizzard. I am sorry that there won't be housekeeping available during this time, but feel free to use the laundry machine or anything else you need. The pipes get frozen sometimes, so it might become a problem, depending on how cold it gets. But we have a heater running in the whole cottage, and you'll always have a supply of water. There's also a hot spring open air bath in one of the rooms where you can enjoy a bath outdoors once the blizzard settles." The lady explained as Zack took mental notes.

"There are wolves in the wild, so please don't wander off at night by yourselves. Also the storage area has everything you need, including logs if you'd like to use them for the oven or the fireplace. I've stocked the bar and fridge, and we'll just bill you based on whatever you use. There are no convenience stores nearby, plus there will be bad weather, so we arranged it this way. Will that do?"

"That's actually perfect. Thanks a lot," Zack bowed back in her direction.

"Well, have a nice stay." She smiled at all of us once, waiting for the two young men to carry our luggage upstairs. When they were back downstairs, their group exited through the back door.

"Rooms?" I asked as Zack was spacing out, admiring the place.

"Right, so… red's my lucky color right now-" He started but both Cloud and I growled in annoyance.

"Zack, please don't assign us rooms based on feng shui…" Aerith protested but Zack ignored her.

"Yep, sorry. I am taking 'red.'" He passed the key to Aerith. "The dark couple can have 'black'," he threw a key at Vincent and he caught it easily. "'Pink' for the pinkette," Serah caught the next key. "Vanille and Hope, you guys get 'yellow' cause I feel like it," Zack teased as Hope started complaining about sharing a room with Vanille, "...and 'gold' for the broodies, because they're the newest couple," Cloud caught the key as Zack flung it towards us. "Okay done, let's take a shower, relax, whatever, and reconvene."

Cloud and I made our way upstairs, passing by the other rooms.

"That was the most random way to assign rooms…" I heard Vanille say as we walked by and both of us chuckled.

"I am glad it just got done so quickly," Cloud sighed tiredly as he stretched his arms above his head. I agreed. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't be as random or quick. A yawn escaped me as we made our way to the end of the corridor.

The last wooden door at the end read 'gold' in bold letters. We slid it open to reveal what was probably the most spacious room on this floor. Polished wooden floors, walls made of logs... and a mini chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was a king sized bed, a mini fireplace, a large bear rug and a beautiful balcony. The balcony had an open air bath that could easily accommodate at least ten people. Steam was rising from the hot water that was constantly running. There was an old record player with at least two shelves of records. A dresser with a large antique mirror was placed opposite the bed. There was an attached restroom, and a room with a shower.

"Wow…." I admired the grandeur of the room. It was so cozy that I wouldn't actually mind being stranded here. Suddenly a wave of guilt hit me. "Is it really okay for us to take this room? Maybe one of the other couples can make better use of it…" I was pretty low maintenance and I knew Cloud was not high maintenance either.

Cloud chuckled, snaking his arms around my waist as he pulled me close. "You want to go fight feng shui?"

"Maybe not," I quickly surrendered, glancing up at him nervously.

"I am sure we can make good use of this room too," he teased and I smirked at him defiantly.

"How are we going to do that?" I flirted. Cloud unzipped my jacket, sliding it off my shoulders. He repeated the same with his own, staring deeply into my eyes. His hand pushed my hair away from my neck, before resting on my skin. I placed both hands on his chest, tilting my head sideways as he leaned in close to kiss me.

"Hey Light, do you have a charger- oh my god I am sorry!" Serah shrieked as the door to our room slid open and then shut.

Cloud and I awkwardly shied away from each other. "Right… um, I'll go see what that's all about so… feel free to take a shower first." I grabbed my phone charger from my bag and hurried out of the room, trying to calm the mad thumping of my heart.

An 'almost-kiss' does that to me. There's no way I could imagine doing anything else with him.

Serah was pacing around awkwardly near the stairs. I walked over to her and handed her the charger. "I am so sorry Light, I should have knocked-" She apologetically took it from me.

"It's fine, just come find me whenever you need me. Seriously." I insisted, sliding my hands in my pockets.

"Are you all settled in?" I asked and she nodded happily.

"Our room's so cute. Lots of lace and curtains and doilies. I love it. Wanna see?" She asked and I nodded in response, following her. I took a look around the other rooms and it looked like they all had themes in the image of the colors they were named after. The 'black' room had elegant, dark furniture with books and an LCD screen TV. It was also fully carpeted. The yellow room was decorated elegantly, with a cool, modern look, sleek furniture that stood out against the rustic feel of the cottage. Zack's 'red' room was mature, with bold colors and traditional looking furniture, including a mirror with peacock feathers and a low coffee table.

After touring the place I returned to my room to find that Cloud was in casual black track pants and a matching sleeveless shirt. I took a quick hot shower too, changing into black cargo pants and a full sleeved, fitted black sweater. I took some time to dry my hair thoroughly. I had put it in a bun, but I decided to let it loose - the way Serah and Cloud preferred.

It felt good not having to think about anything. I made my way downstairs to find that everyone was relaxing in front of the large fireplace.

"Cloud and Lightning have the open air bath!" Serah was pouting as Zack shook his head.

"Look, gold is good for fertility, so I gave it to the new couple. The feng shui can't be mistaken." I took a seat next to Zack.

"You guys are welcome to use it. Seriously. We all might as well before the blizzard." I grabbed one of the cool beer bottles that Hope had just brought out and took a sip.

"You look relaxed," Serah commented as she scanned me over with a smile.

"I am," I answered honestly, stretching lightly. "So, what are we doing?" I asked as Vanille excitedly sat down on my opposite side.

"How about… telling scary stories?!" She said excitedly and I saw Cloud shift uncomfortably. I remembered that he didn't like haunted houses. Guess he wasn't big on ghosts either. Everyone more or less went along with Vanille, and we took turns telling scary stories. Cloud passed without giving a reason, and I passed because I didn't know any.

By the end of Vincent's story, Serah and Vanille were shivering in fear, tightly holding onto each other, at the verge of tears.

"This is so dumb…" Hope mumbled when he saw the girls screaming as the door rattled. It was just the wind.

"Okay, let's do something else," Cloud quickly suggested and I agreed with a nod.

"I prepared this question game too!" Vanille pulled out flashcards from her bag.

Just how much did this girl plan…

Fang took the cards from her, skimming through them before saying, "'Questions to Ask When You're Drunk'. Ha! These look fun. We can just ask the person next to us. Okay, Vincent. If you were an animal, what would you be?"

"A bat," he replied with a deadpan face as he read the next card. "Aerith, what turns you on the most about your boyfriend?"

"Just say everything," Zack teased Aerith and she indulged him with a nod. "Mmmhm~ Everything!" Zack pecked her boldly on the lips and she smiled as she read out a card. "Alright Zack, what was the last thing you ate?"

"Your-" he earned a smack from the girl as he cleared his throat. "Pass." He picked up a card from the bunch in front of us. "Lightning, if everyone here was drowning and you could save two people, who would they be?" He asked as he turned to look at me.

"You and Serah," I replied as I grabbed a card. "If we were lost in a jungle, who would die first?" I asked Cloud who answered immediately.

"Vanille."

"Hey!" Vanille protested but we all laughed. "Serah, if you could have any power in the world what would it be?" Cloud ignored the redhead's pout and asked my sister.

"Flying!" Serah chirped before reading out another card aloud. "Snow, if you found your girlfriend's phone unlocked, would you read her texts?" She asked.

"Absolutely," Snow joked as Serah playfully smacked him.

"Vanille," Snow started as he went through, "Who is the most attractive person in this room?"

"Easy peasy. Lightning." She replied and I rolled my eyes. "Don't roll your eyes at me young lady!" She joked and I jerked my neck towards Hope.

"Right," He pulled a card. "Fang, is there anyone in this room you would kiss?"

"Lightning," Fang teased and I sighed in defeat. I guess everyone had jumped on the annoy-Lightning bandwagon today.

"Me too," Cloud whispered only to me and I chuckled, the annoying feeling disappearing as I leaned my head against this shoulder.

"Vincent, have you ever done it in public?" She asked as Vincent thought about it. "Does a changing room in the mall count?"

"Wow," Vanille and Hope said in unison as he continued the game, ignoring the blushing duo. "Aerith, if you could have a threesome with anyone in this room, who would they be?"

"Zack and Cloud," she joked and I cringed as Cloud shook his head. "I refuse." Everyone laughed at his expression of disgust.

"Zack," Aerith asked, taking a swig of her beer, "Have you ever been to a strip club?"

"Unfortunately no. But I should take my dude and Cloud to one soon. Boys' night out." Zack answered.

I shrugged. "I know you think I am a dude, but I'll pass on the latest episode of boys gone wild." I joked, feeling Cloud's arm pull me close against him.

Zack smirked at me before continuing, "What's the most attractive thing about your boyfriend?"

Euh… wow, there were lots. I felt like I was at a loss for words.

"Abs of steel!" Vanille suggested.

"Biceps on fire!" Zack threw at me.

"Gravity defying hair!" Aerith joked and I could barely hold back my laughter.

"Ability to turn you on with only two words," Fang smirked.

"Skin fairer than any maiden in the world," Hope chuckled as Cloud grunted in frustration.

"Um, his eyes. I guess." I replied quickly, mostly to shut everyone up. "They're very pretty." I took a deep breath, trying not to blush as I could feel Cloud's gaze on me. "Okay then," I picked up the next card, "What does your dream girl look like?"

"Pick me~" Snow joked as Cloud cleared his throat. "You." He said so casually that it took a few seconds to sink in. The others broke into an applause as I felt my cheeks heat up. Cloud looked away awkwardly as well.

"Well, thanks for being so polite…" I said dismissively. Yeah, compared to the other girls he had been with, there was no way I was the 'dream'.

"Serah, who is the most likely to betray us in this room?" He asked Serah.

Serah thought about it, taking turns to look over everyone. "Vanille." She said with a smirk.

"WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME?" Vanille shouted and we all burst into laughter.

"Snow," Serah continued, "Who's the coolest person in this room?"

"Cloud," he answered without hesitation. "But Zack and Lightning come pretty close."

"Vanille, if you could steal anything from two people here, what would it be?" Snow asked the redhead.

Vanille finished her beer as Hope passed her another one. "Fang's style and Light's legs. Yep. Combination made in heaven." She looked over the next card. "Hmm! Hope, have you ever walked in on your parents doing it?" Vanille giggled as the silver haired boy sighed.

"...Yes." He finally replied and both Zack and Aerith slapped their hands over their eyes. I tried to shake off the visual too, since I actually knew what the Dean looked like.

"Okay, Fang," Hope read from his card quickly, trying to forget the last question, "Who here is most likely to get everyone stupidly drunk?"

"That's a tough one… I'd say me?," Fang replied with a chuckle. "My turn," she picked up another card. "Vincent, what's a lie you often tell people?"

"'Go on, I'm interested'," he answered mechanically. "Aerith, if you could be best friends with one person who would it be?"

"Lightning." Aerith surprised me with her answer, since things had been weird between us. I hoped we could talk sometime during this trip. Then she continued, "Zack, if you could travel anywhere, where would you go?"

"Back in time," he said with a sad smile. Cloud and I both worriedly glanced at Zack. "I'm getting hungry guys," he neatly stacked the cards and passed them back to Vanille. He will still smiling normally and he clearly had an appetite, so those were good signs.

"Me too," I quickly seconded, a slight shiver running through me. It was getting cold, even though we were in front of the fireplace.

"Barbecue? I can start the grill." Hope offered and we all nodded appreciatively. It took a little more than an hour to cook dinner. Everyone helped, so it was relatively fast. We ate slowly over a few more rounds of drinks. The losers of group rock, paper, scissors, Hope and Serah, did the dishes. Zack and I helped them put everything away.

We hung out for a while in the lounge after dinner. My eyes were starting to feel a little heavy...

"Should we start heading to our rooms? I am kind of sleepy," Serah rubbed her eyes and I felt the tiredness from today hit me as well.

"I have been drinking since four…" I stretched my legs in front of the fire, enjoying the warmth.

"But I want to jump in the bath!" Vanille whined and Hope began dragging her away. "Maybe later. Look at her. Light needs to sleep."

We said our goodbyes, putting out the fire in the living room. Silence fell as we cleared the area. The winds were getting stronger, thrashing against the windows. I yawned, stumbling a little as I pushed the door to our room open.

I was ready to call it a night.

"You alright?" Cloud asked as I wobbled.

"Too much alcohol, I think," I replied honestly, grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge in our room and drinking its entire contents. "I'll re-hydrate and then I'll be fine. Sorry to worry you," I apologized quickly but Cloud shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. Uh… do you want me to take the sofa or..?" He asked nervously.

"Don't be ridiculous, it's really cold. And we've slept together before," I smiled, turning up the heater in the room as I got ready for bed.

"Farron, come here. There's a song I want you to listen to," Cloud said softly as I moved towards him, trying to walk as gracefully as possible.

He grabbed his earphones, passing me one end. Once we were done pressing one each into our ears, Cloud pressed play.

It was a romantic slow melody that I hadn't heard before. An almost comforting, thoughtful song about loving someone who is also broken, imperfect. "It's really nice…" I released a happy sigh, allowing myself to sway slightly with the music.

"Do you remember the first CD you ever gave me?" I heard Cloud say.

I thought about it for some time. "Yeah… why?"

"It's my favorite album," he chuckled and my eyes widened in surprise.

"I explicitly remember you saying, 'thanks, I'll give it a listen'." Cloud held my hand gently, pulling it up to place a chaste kiss on top of it.

"I was just amazed. I meet this beautiful girl I barely know, and she hands me my favorite album," his cerulean blue eyes were tender.

I chuckled, smiling as I closed my eyes. I continued to listen intently to the melody that was taking root, somewhere deep in my heart and memory. "Is this going to be 'our song' now?" I asked, leaning against his chest.

"I'd love that," he rested his head on top of mine, wrapping his arms around my waist. We listened to the whole song like that. When it finished, Cloud released me from his embrace and asked me in a soothing voice, "Ready to sleep?"

I held onto his hand tightly, placing my other hand on his chest. "I want to listen to it one more time," I spoke in a low voice. Cloud played the song again, moving one of his hands to the side of my waist. The hand I was holding pulled mine up to his lips. Cloud kissed it again, before holding it gently against his cheek. We both closed our eyes, reveling in the moment.

Moonlight scattered on us through the windows, illuminating everything. Outside, the snow was swirling, the wind must be howling as it tried to break in. The erratic crackling of wood burning continued, and other sounds of the night also poured in.

But the song played over all of them, drowning out all background noise.

We stood there in silence, gently swaying, clinging onto each other's warmth on this cold night, waiting for our song to end, but hoping that it wouldn't.

A/N: Alright guys! I did my best. I am sorry if it sucked, I am too sick to continue writing today. T^T If you have any specific romantic requests for our mains or any of the other couples in the cast, please drop some suggestions in the reviews!

Until the next update. :)