A/N: Thank you Lumina (I totally laughed reading your comments about Yazoo, I do think action always revolves around him. And he tends to appear like a Pokemon XD) and also ATK1734 (I am sorry for the break up, but the reunion in this chapter, I hope, will be worth it! :)) Here's chapter 23, a fluffy and wholesome chapter! ^^

CHAPTER XXIII.

Things We Love

Lightning

"I miss you."

Lies, I told myself repeatedly, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake off the warmth that had enveloped me when I was in his arms. It still lingered on my skin, and I hated feeling so weak. My steps were taking me somewhere, but I didn't care where it was as long as it was away from him. Why did I explode at him? I just had a small taste of his family's insanity the past two days, but he's been living with them his whole life.

I had no right to judge him or to tell him how to live his life. But the feeling of being thrown away scratched at me, bit by bit, unwilling to even let me catch a breath. I gave in to the feeling of grief, letting it take whatever it wanted from me. My feet came to a stop as my arm covered my eyes, which released the burning tears that I had been repressing. I heard footsteps but I didn't turn. I already knew who it was.

"Don't come any closer, Z-Zack," I warned, my voice breaking towards the end. I didn't want anyone to see me as pathetic as I was right now. Zack didn't listen, obviously, and a few minutes later his arms were around my shoulders, hugging me from behind. Placing his chin on my head, he let the silence and my sniffling continue for a while. "I'm fine," I tried but his grip tightened around me.

"You're not fine. Heck, even I am not fine. None of us are fine, Light," he took a deep breath. I wiped my cheeks quickly, breaking out of his grip as I turned around to face him. He placed his hands on both my shoulders, bending down to my eye level. "Hospital first?" He asked with a big, warm smile. I relaxed a bit, controlling the sobs as I nodded.

"Shower first," I requested and Zack obliged as he followed me to my room. He waited for me to finish. When I came out, Tifa was also there, her worried crimson eyes scanning my injuries. "I'll be back," I told her and she nodded quickly.

"I'll be here, Light," she told me as Zack and I exited the building. I got into Zack's Jeep and we drove to the nearest hospital in silence. It was not a long drive, and we arrived in a few minutes. The doctor was wondering how I managed to get bullet wounds, but I told him I got caught in the line of fire in the neighboring city.

"Yeah, lots of bad business happens there. Well, be careful when you're out," he told me as he finished wrapping a bandage around my arm. I thanked him, finished paying up front and Zack began to drive me back.

"Wanna get ice cream?" He asked me on the way back.

"In December?" I raised an eyebrow and he chuckled loudly.

"Why not?" He just shrugged his shoulders and I agreed with a quiet nod, staring out of the window. I saw cars around me come to a stop as the traffic light turned red, and I wished there was some way to make all this madness around Cloud stop, too.

We jumped out of the Jeep, lining up at a popular ice cream parlor. There were couples all around us, and I felt annoyed watching them. Zack bought an ice cream that gave me diabetes just looking at it. I bought the least sweet item on the menu and we both bit into our treats. It was cold, and I remembered I had returned Yazoo's gloves back to him at the station. I wondered if he got home safely, but I had no way to contact him and make sure of it. Knowing the silver haired male from our short encounters, I knew he'd just appear anywhere, anytime - an oddly comforting thought.

"He's pretty dumb when it comes to this stuff," Zack said out of nowhere, taking a big bite. "He's so perfect otherwise you'd think he's good at everything, but he's not," he added.

"I am not getting back with him," I said flatly, sensing where this conversation was going.

"Can you talk to him, at least?" Zack asked with a tilt of his spiky head.

"No," I refused, adamant in my anger. "He broke up with me, Zack," I reminded him.

"Why did you bring him back?" He asked, staring at me seriously. We were walking around now, the bokeh of city lights flickering in the distance in front of us.

"For you guys," I answered honestly. "And for his sake, too. I wanted him to fight," I found myself saying. "I know how much you all love him. He's a part of the family," I finished, digging into the last bit of my cone. Zack nodded understandingly.

"So there was zero self interest?" Zack was awfully perceptive, despite having the reputation of an airhead. I sighed, trying not to give away how I actually felt. I missed him and I hated the idea of not being able to see him indefinitely. But there was no way I could admit that. "If someone gave you a clean choice like that - to leave. And in return, everyone you loved would be untouched, safe, free to live their lives to the fullest. You're telling me you won't even consider it, given the circumstances?" Zack asked and I felt guilt wash all over me. I knew I was being unfair and letting anger get the best of me.

"I…" I looked away, watching the lights dance against the darkness, unable to say anything.

"I fought with him too, when I heard he broke up with you," my eyes met his to notice he was grinning. "But then I remembered how dumb he is and my anger just vanished," I smiled as Zack said that, chuckling loudly myself. I felt lighter, and I owed it to Zack. "All I am saying is, just hear him out. And if after that you guys want to just be friends, it's fine. You still like him, right?"

"Goes without saying..." I stopped myself, unable to say anything else. The sadness began poking at me, and the painful reminder of those three words I didn't think I'd hear from him replayed in my head.

"Let's break up."

"Alright, just sleep on it," Zack patted my head and I was surprised that he had been able to comfort me this much in the short span of an hour. The blue haired male saw me off at the dorms and Tifa was still awake when I entered my room.

"Hey… are you okay?" She asked as I kicked my shoes off, sitting tiredly on my bed.

"Yeah…. What a day," I just sighed as Tifa smiled at me.

"Thanks for bringing him back," she told me, rushing over to my bed and throwing her arms around me. I hugged her back as she sat there, patting her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"It wasn't easy," I recalled, trying to forget everything that had happened.

"Light, I… I kissed Cloud. After you left," she said while her arms were still around me. Her head was resting on my shoulder and she held onto me tightly. "He pushed me away, you know. I am sorry… I wanted you to hear it from me first." My hand stopped on her back, staying there. I tensed, feeling the sadness double.

"It's fine. Tifa… maybe you and Strife really are supposed to be together," I said, even though my heart didn't agree with the words. I inhaled softly, trying to stay collected. "I should just… let him go," I finished, my hands falling limply to my sides. Tifa still hugged me, squeezing me even more as she released a sigh of her own.

"You know… all these years, he disappeared so many times. But Cloud never called me. Not even once. I wanted to believe that's just who he was, but it was also me. I was always cornering him. When you told me that you were holding back to allow him his share of emotions, I understood exactly what I hadn't done. But you still need to show him how you feel, too. I am sure he wants to know. Please don't push him away," she begged and I didn't know why I was nodding.

"He told me to let him go," I told Tifa, my arms finding the strength to wrap around her, returning her hug again. There was no anger at all, just this strange, inexplicable pain in my chest.

"Can't you see, Light? He said that because he's holding onto you with everything he's got," Tifa's words surprised me and she finally broke the hug. I realized she had been crying silently. I wiped her tears with a swipe of my thumb, chuckling.

"Why do you always break into tears?" I teased and she frowned slightly.

"I have to cry enough for the both of you!" She countered and I nodded, patting her cheek lightly.

"Well, thanks. Is it enough if I talk to him? No guarantee how it'll go and it might even be a repeat of tonight," I gave a disclaimer, but it seemed to have satisfied Tifa.

"Yes! Okay. That's all I am asking for," she lit up, but the smile on her face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "You don't want to hit me or something?" She asked and I snorted.

"Please. When I saw him my first impulse was to kiss him too," I admitted honestly to the girl in front of me. "It's fine, thanks for being so honest," I said sincerely.

Tifa blushed, nodding. "Okay, you're officially perfect. I think I might also be into you. If things don't work out with Cloud, I'm available," she joked and I rolled my eyes.

"Go to bed, Tifa," I jerked my neck in the direction of her bed and she nodded again, showing me her trademark 'Tifa smile' before heading to her bed and slipping under the warm covers. I was too tired to change, so I did the same and turned off my small night light.

It was hard to fall asleep with everything on my mind, but the exhaustion took over, silencing every thought. Before I knew it, it was bright. I opened my eyes, having woken up at my usual time. I repeated my morning routine, just going through it. I came back after a solid few hours of exercise, took a shower, and changed into slim fit ripped jeans, throwing on a grey full sleeved sweater on top. I grabbed my coat from the hanging rack, quickly wearing it as well. With hurried steps, I made my way to the boys' dorm. I paused in front of the door, my fist stopping before it made contact with it.

Don't chicken out, I scolded myself. I took a deep breath and knocked loudly.

"Zack?" I called out and there was no answer.

"Strife?" I tried again, but still nothing.

I leaned against the door and listened in, but I couldn't pick up anything. Maybe they were both out. Just when I was about to remove my ear from the door I heard a painful groan. "I'm coming in!" I said quickly, entering the room and taking off my boots and coat off at the entrance. Both beds were empty, but then I noticed the blonde lying curled up on the floor, clutching onto his right arm.

"Oi, Strife!" I ran towards him, sliding on the floor slightly before falling onto my knees next to him. I helped him up in a sitting position against the wall so his back had some support.

"Farron… what are you doing here?" He asked, and I felt another sharp pang in my chest. Hearing his voice like this when he was right in front of me… but he felt so far away. His eyes were tightly shut, and he refused to look at me.

"Open your eyes," I requested but he ignored me, shutting his eyes tighter.

"Just please leave," he said coldly and I was taken aback.

"Take off your shirt," I asked him angrily. Cloud hesitated, his eyes finally fluttering over to mine. They were glowing, bright blue.

"What the…." Panic quickly took over the annoyed feeling from before, and I repeated myself for a second time. "Strife, shirt!" I shouted and he sighed in defeat, pulling his shirt over his arms and tossing it somewhere on the floor. I quickly removed his fingers which were concealing whatever the injury was.

The place he was holding onto earlier was swollen and had a bruise. There was a mark there that was easily identifiable - and I wished that I wasn't right about this. "They injected more of it into you?" I asked in a low voice and he just looked away, his hand covering the injection site again.

"Farron, just… please," he answered and I threw my arms around him, before I could control my feelings. Cloud was surprised. He tensed, before quickly relaxing as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He buried his face in my neck, his lips against my skin making me tense in response. But I stayed still, letting him hug me to his heart's content.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, and I didn't care. After a while he pulled away, looking into my eyes.

"When?" I asked immediately.

"The past few weeks, everyday. I was supposed to meet some customers at the next destination, and my eyes were…. 'Looking a little dull', according to Mother. That's why I didn't have a lot of strength yesterday. I am sorry I couldn't be of more help," he ended and I quickly shook my head.

"God Strife, I am sorry. I just burst like a volcano when I should have just listened," regrets poured in and out of me, and my hands held his face as I stared into his cerulean blue eyes, now with this concentrated, alien glow in them. "Can you tell me what happened? Everything?"

"Um, yeah," his cheeks flushed and I felt mine follow their lead, and I quickly let go of his face. Cloud grabbed one of my withdrawing hands, holding it up to his lips and kissing it. "You really were like a volcano. Lava works and everything," he joked and I was able to smile a bit. He sighed, tugging on my shirt and I climbed into his lap, not minding the intimacy one bit.

"At first, Mother just sent guards to pick me up, saying she had plans for me. I followed and very quickly realized she was onto something that would stir a fair bit of trouble for me. On day two she told me she's going to elevate my status and I still didn't know anything about the shares. I suspect my brothers didn't know either. I insisted that I was going to take finals, and she agreed that I would be allowed to if I was supervised. In return, I was to join her in business meetings with people on the board I had never met before. She introduced them one by one to me, also forcing me to join…" he paused, inhaling sharply before continuing, "...business deals, the other business of course. I hated it, but I went with it as long as I could come back to you… to us," he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I obeyed, even when the injections started coming in, I just took all of it, silently. But then she made me a major shareholder, and the announcement set Sephiroth into action. He called her and fought with her, but it was no use. Mother's mind was made up. She told me to leave the country immediately, and connect with potential… business partners abroad. She wanted me to go sell the drug and cause thousands of deaths in another place. She's always like this. One place is never enough. Addiction is already at an all time high here, so now she wants to pollute other populations, until she controls the whole world," Cloud ended.

I nodded supportively, letting him kiss my hand again as he held it against his cheek, gazing into my eyes. "She told me Sephiroth will come for him. For Zack. I almost lost Zack again not too long ago, I couldn't bear to think of him being taken away from me," Cloud's eyes dilated and he shut them tightly, opening them again after a few minutes, letting out another painful gasp. "She told me she will personally protect Zack, Aerith and Tifa if I went abroad and closed this important deal for her. It was a big chance - with Mother's protection even Sephiroth wouldn't dare to harm any of my friends. So I agreed, and the injections continued until last night. I was supposed to be on a plane… I am not even supposed to be here," he finished with a sad sigh, the lifeless expression I saw last night returning to his face.

"No," I said loudly, causing Cloud to jump slightly in surprise. "You belong here. So don't you dare say you're not supposed to be here," my hands slipped around his neck as I pulled him close. "I am never, ever letting them hurt you like this again. But no more running away", I smiled and Cloud smiled back as his arms tightened around my waist, jerking me closer.

"I promise," his deep voice sent a shiver of pleasure running through me, and my cheeks turned ridiculously red in response. Get a grip, Lightning! I told myself, exhaling deeply. Our lips were so close to each other's, but neither of us could close the distance. We both held back, staring into each other's eyes. "Farron, I am sorry. I hurt you. Can you forgive me?"

Cloud's hypnotic eyes drew me in, and I found out very quickly that the anger was long gone, leaving only this warm feeling behind.

"I really put myself out there, Strife. I put myself out there for a person… and that person just threw me away," I didn't mean to make him feel guilty, but I was taking Tifa's advice and letting him know how I felt this time. "I missed you… You don't know how many times I called just to listen to your voicemail. I didn't leave any messages… I held everything in, so you had space to truly feel and process each of your emotions. I was desperately waiting for the moment you returned, so I could be strong for you. I took care of myself, pushed myself to stay on top of everything even when I wanted to break…. so you could come back and find the same me that you had left behind," I finished as the blonde inched closer, caressing my cheek. "What you said hurt me. It still hurts."

"I'll never, ever say those words to you again. I promise," his voice was deadly serious - a tone I had never heard before. I shied away from his eyes but he tilted my head to face him again. "Unless you order me away, I will always be by your side. I'll bare my soul to you just like this, and the next time you're fighting for me I'll fight with you. Please, Farron, go out with me again," our foreheads touched, and we both closed our eyes. Cloud kissed my forehead, withdrawing to look into my eyes again.

I nodded and a happy smile took over his face. He tilted his head to kiss me, but threw his head back as a sudden pain shot up his arm. "Ugh," he released another sound of discomfort and I quickly got off of him. I extended my hand towards him and he took it, getting onto his feet in one fluid motion.

"Sorry," he mumbled as he flexed his fingers. I shook my head, smiling at him.

"Don't be, I can wait," I said. Cloud's smoldering eyes captured mine again, his arms holding me captive as he pulled me against him.

"I know, but I can't," he said as he pressed his lips against mine aggressively. I moaned loudly, running my hands over his bare chest as our lips moved eagerly against each other's - desire taking over with an intensity I had never felt before. Our heads moved in a rhythm as we kissed - both of us pushing hard into the kiss, unwilling to slow down. Cloud released a sound of pleasure as I parted my lips, allowing him to deepen the kiss. My knees felt weak, and I dug my nails into the blonde's bare back, trying to hold on. "Ughn..." Cloud groaned and his deep voice excited me further. He withdrew only for a second, before diving back into the kiss. Resuming the kiss, the blonde's hands gripped the edge of my sweater but stopped. Displaying tremendous self-control, he broke the kiss, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"It's fine," I managed to say, still out of breath.

"Are you sure?" He asked as he inched closer and I nodded quickly, letting him pull my sweater off. He tossed it on the floor, both his hands caressing the sides of my waist as his eyes scanned me with deliberate slowness.

"D-don't look," blood rushed to my face and I looked away, but Cloud just continued to stare at me.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly, switching places as he pushed me gently against the wall. He placed one of his hands on the wall, next to my ear as the other felt me up, his hand cupping one of my breasts as he massaged it over my bra. I moaned louder, shutting my eyes tightly as his lips took mine again. He growled softly as I dug my nails harder into his back. Cloud's muscular form pressed against mine, his tongue boldly exploring my mouth. One of my hands tugged on his hair, and I inhaled sharply as his hand moved away from the wall and over to my waist. His other hand left my chest, slipping behind and trying to undo my bra as the kiss grew wetter.

The door burst open suddenly and the blonde immediately abandoned the task, covering me with his body so I wasn't visible to the intruder.

"OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY!" Aeith shouted as she turned 360 degrees and went out of the room at the same speed she had entered, slamming the door shut behind her. "Cloud and Lightning are getting it on in there, so we need to find somewhere else, Zack," we heard her say and both of us paused, trying to catch our breath.

Cloud bent down to retrieve my sweater, passing it over to me. I quickly threw it on and he followed suit, slipping into his shirt again. We couldn't speak to each other at all, and I took this chance to make my exit out of this awkward situation. When I opened the door Aerith and Zack were still outside. Aerith was blushing, and her blush only caused my own to darken.

"Um, I'm gonna go, so," I said hurriedly, grabbing my coat and slipping into my shoes. I didn't even have time to do the laces as I darted towards the elevator. I sat on a bench outside the boys' dorm, finally tying my shoelaces. The cold air felt good, and I touched my cheek, realizing how high my body's temperature was. I spent a few minutes in the fresh air, trying to calm the excitement I had felt as Cloud… well, did what he did to me. I heard heavy footsteps, and the blonde dropped onto the bench next to me.

"Sorry," we both said in unison. The awkwardness died down slightly, and we both laughed.

"We should really learn to lock the door," I heard him say. I agreed with a nod, laughing some more.

"Yep, good idea," I answered. Cloud's hand reached for mine, and I didn't shy away from his touch.

"Farron, look at me," he asked but there was no way I could meet his request.

"I can't," I replied, feeling the hot feeling return as it burned through me. He turned my face towards his, quickly pecking my lips. "I am sorry. I always lose control when it's with you," he spoke seductively and I shuddered, feeling the urge to kiss him again.

"I am the same," I answered, watching his cheeks turn red in response. "Hey… how about that date I promised you? If you have time today," I added the last part quickly.

"I'd love that," his voice was so gentle, I was glad he didn't show much of this to anyone else. I didn't want anyone else to know this part of him. I was surprised at my thoughts of wanting to monopolize Strife, and I blinked them away. "I'll change and meet you in the parking lot?" He offered and I agreed.

"Yeah, me too," I smiled as we both separated. I rushed back to my room, throwing open my wardrobe. Tifa was watching a horror movie by herself, and she screamed at the sound of my wardrobe door banging against the wall.

"Jesus, woman!" She yelled and I nodded apologetically.

"Sorry, emergency. I have a date," I told her and she showed me a sad expression. "With Strife," I clarified and she broke into a smile.

"Good. Want some help?" She got to her feet and walked over to me, disapprovingly scanning my wardrobe. "You need to stop dressing like a guy."

"My clothes are fine," I defended as I pulled out a sleeveless shirt and cargo pants. Tifa grabbed my wrist.

"You and Cloud will look like siblings if you wear this," she warned me.

"That's pretty gross," I flinched.

"Wear something of mine," she offered and I shook my head.

"Tifa, I don't think anything you own will suit me," I tried but failed as she rummaged through her clothes.

"Oh! How about this?" She held up a tube top which would cover a little bit more than my bra currently did.

"No way in hell," I scowled and she quickly began looking for something else.

"Okay, this one?" She asked as I scanned the mini dress she was holding up.

"No dresses, ever," I clarified and she pouted, throwing it back and finding a shoulder-less sweater top.

"Okay, come on. This is black," she added as I sighed, grabbing it from her hand.

"This one's fine I guess," I said as I took off my sweater, throwing on the one I got from Tifa.

Tifa was blushing when our eyes met, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're really hot," she blurted out and I smiled sarcastically.

"Have you seen yourself?" I responded, trying to put my hair in a bun.

"No please nooooo," she dived for my hair dramatically and I gave in, letting her do whatever she wanted with it. She straightened out the spikes with a hair iron, letting my hair fall freely behind me. "Perfect!" She admired her work and I nodded in thanks. I grabbed my bag from my room, reaching for my coat. Tifa snatched it from my hands."Trust me, you'll thank me later," she finished with a smug smile.

"If I die of hypothermia, it's all on you," I pointed my finger at her, getting into my heavy boots despite her attempts to get me to wear… heels. I shuddered at the mere thought of them. I waved her goodbye as I went over to the parking lot. Cloud was already there, in his usual all black get up. He wore black fitted jeans with heavy boots identical to mine, a sleeveless black sweater and a thick, oversized biker jacket, also similar to the one I owned. I finally noticed how similarly we dressed, and was glad to have followed Tifa's advice for once.

He had bandaged up the injection site. I touched the bandages gently. "Does it hurt?"

"It'll get better in a few days," he replied, his eyes scanning me quickly. "You look great."

"Thanks," I fought back a blush as I mounted his bike, wrapping my arms tightly around his muscular torso. Ah, the advantages of bike riding, I mused, smirking against his back as I nuzzled into it.

"Well then," Cloud was blushing too, but he revved the engine nonetheless and we sped away. I didn't ask him where he was taking me, or what we were going to do once we got there. I was having too much fun in the moment. The cold wind whipped against my face, and I shivered in the cold.

Thanks a lot, Tifa, I thought bitterly as I scooted even closer.

Cloud placed one of his hands over mine and rubbed it, trying to warm me up. We had come to a small town a little far from campus. He parked Fenrir, helping me off with a hand. Just when I was about to withdraw my hand, he laced his fingers with mine. He pulled me closer, slipping our joined hands into one of his pockets. We walked around for a while, admiring the colors of the town. There were food stalls scattered all over the place, and little pop up shops selling all sorts of interesting items.

"Man, I love festivals," I announced loudly and Cloud smirked.

"I know, Serah told me."

My eyes shot up at the blonde and I raised an eyebrow. "You asked Serah what I liked?"

"What else?" His smirk grew wider as I chuckled in response.

"That little traitor," I joked and Cloud laughed softly, letting me lead him to the various stalls. We tried tons of food, and I learned that he didn't enjoy spicy food as much. I bought cheese fries, passing them to Cloud. He was still holding my hand, so I asked him to hold them for me. I took one and popped it into my mouth, moaning.

"Nnn… this is so good," Cloud just chuckled again, staring at me.

"You know, I thought you only ate healthy food," he remarked and I laughed a little.

"Estheim asked me the same thing. Yeah, I mostly eat clean. But… come on Strife, cheese fries," I emphasized as I held one up for him and he opened his mouth, taking a bite.

"Pretty good," he replied as we finished them. We went over to an exotic looking stall, and I scanned the items quickly.

"I didn't think you were into this stuff," He said in a surprised voice, and I looked up at him.

"Can you think of one person who is?" I asked and watched the blonde's eyebrows furrow in thought, before easing as he relaxed into a smile.

"Zack?" He asked and I chuckled, calling for the staff.

"I'll get eleven of the black and gold obsidian bracelets," I told the old lady behind the stall. She beamed at me, before beginning to pack them up for me.

"Great choice, Miss! These are feng shui bracelets that promote health, wealth and love!" She told me, but I already knew what they were, thanks to Zack raving on and on about them for weeks. Cloud pulled out his wallet but I stopped him.

"Seriously, these are from me," I insisted and he slipped it back into his pocket. I paid for the bracelets and threw them in my bag. I noticed Caius' assignment still in it and growled irritably.

"What's up?" Cloud asked, alarmed by my unexpected frown.

"Caius' stupid assignment," I mumbled, before telling him what it was. Cloud listened patiently as we walked away from the festival, now exploring the small town at a slow pace, taking in the scenery.

"You don't want to go back to the military?" He asked and I rested my head on his shoulder as we stopped at a crosswalk.

"No… not really. The only reason I joined the military was to provide for Serah. I don't think it would have been my first choice if I had… well, choices," I replied. Cloud nodded, tightening his fingers around mine as the light turned green and we began crossing the road.

"What about you?" I asked for a change. He looked away in thought, before staring straight ahead.

"I wanted to find a cure. For the poisoning," he surprised me, and I nodded, encouraging him to continue. "I don't think I have the freedom to, but… if I could I would become a doctor," he told me and I had to kick the extremely enticing image of him in a white coat out of my brain to focus on what he was saying.

"Right…" I said, frowning slightly. I hated that Cloud felt like he couldn't do what he wanted to because of his circumstances. I wanted to say something else, but I gasped as I saw the church in front of me.

"Want to take a look?" Cloud noticed my expression of awe, and I could only nod as we entered it. I admired the beautiful arches and stained glass windows, releasing a happy sigh. Cloud slowed down until he came to a halt, and I automatically stopped with him. I looked over to find him gazing curiously at me.

"Right, my dad used to take me to a lot of churches when I was really young. I kind of have a thing for buildings," I filled him in and he nodded, thinking for a while.

"Farron… how about majoring in architecture?" I thought about it silently for a while.

"No, it's okay. I can't," I replied quickly, trying to end the conversation. Cloud caught on, saying nothing as we toured the church. Afterwards he led me back to his bike.

"Come on, there's a place I want to show you," he said as we mounted the bike again. We drove uphill, up a mountain. It was a long drive. When we reached the top, Cloud parked his bike and we both got off. The sun was already setting, a pink horizon spread in front of us. The sky was stunning, and my mouth fell open at the absolutely breathtaking view.

"Wow…" was all I could say. It was cold up here, and I shivered again, rubbing my arms to warm myself. Cloud unzipped his jacket, pulling me against his chest as he hugged me from behind, the oversized jacket covering both of us. He nuzzled my neck and I moaned softly, letting him place a kiss on my skin.

"Farron," he called my name, and I turned my face sideways to glance at him.

"Hmm?" I asked, watching the thoughtful expression reappear in his cerulean blue eyes.

"What's stopping you?" He finally managed to ask. I turned away from the beautiful sunset, facing the handsome man behind me. I gripped his jacket tightly, gazing into his eyes.

"Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys," Cloud furrowed his eyebrows, cupping my cheek.

"It's just a name, not who you are," he reminded me, leaning closer.

I chuckled bitterly. "The thought of me building… creating something beautiful, I can't even imagine it."

"I can," he contested, caressing my cheek. "Try, Farron," his voice coaxed me and I couldn't help but kiss him. It was short and sweet, but the warmth spread over my entire body in that brief moment.

"What about you, then? I'll do it if you do it," I bargained. Cloud considered it, trying to joke his way out of it. "I can't draw," he stated as a matter of fact, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I meant med-school," I pressed and he sighed. "I know you'll find a cure. You're literally a genius, and if it's something you're passionate about, you should do it," I told him, making him face me. "Try, Strife," I repeated his words, a smirk playing on my lips.

He smirked back, groaning in defeat. "There's just no winning against you," his eyes traveled down to my lips and I gasped, parting them.

"You're doing that thing again," he growled softly and I gasped again, a blush spreading over my face. Cloud kissed me passionately as the sun began to sink into the sea, bathing us in warm orange and pink hues. We kissed for a long time, lost in each other. When we parted, we were both blushing madly. I withdrew from him, but he quickly pulled me against his chest.

"Let's stay like this for a while," he suggested and I agreed, hugging him tightly. I was so glad he was back, back to all of us. Back to me.

Before we left, I sneaked in a quick text to Hope.

By the time we arrived back on campus, everyone was already having dinner. I returned to my room with Cloud to find it packed to the brim.

"Ey, welcome back, broody and frowny!" Our beds were pushed aside and the whole gang was sitting on the floor between them, Chinese food and beer spread over the floor. "We got take out, your dinner's here too. Dig in," he invited us and we both chuckled, taking a seat on either side of Zack. Serah passed me a cold bottle of beer and I drank the liquid, hoping to warm up.

"How was the date?" Tifa asked as Cloud and I both cleared our throats awkwardly.

"Fun," I replied since Cloud chose to remain silent. "Right, I got you guys something," I remembered, setting my beer down and opening my bag. I passed the little packets to everyone in the gang, my eyes trailing over to observe Zack. He ripped the paper bag open, his eyes shining like a kid in a candy store. I held back my laughter as Zack's eyes became moist with tears of joy.

"Don't cry," I warned him and he pulled me in a death grip, hugging the crap out of me.

"I love you dude!" He literally screamed at me and I winced from the volume, patting his back.

"Yeah yeah, I love you too, dude," I chuckled as he pulled away, breaking into a monologue about feng shui bracelets and what they were supposed to do. Everyone indulged him by listening through bouts of laughter, even asking him questions about it. We all slipped our bracelets on, and came close together for a selfie, holding up our hands and showing off the bracelets. Vanille held up the camera as she managed to get us all into the tight frame.

With a snap, the photo was done and we all returned to our food, chatting away until the late hours of the night.

Everyone cleared the food away and began lounging around. Cloud and I chose a CD together, letting music fill up the room. Hope pulled a folder out of his bag, passing me two pieces of paper. "Light, I got the forms you asked for," I nodded in thanks as he passed the forms and a pen along with a smile. Talk about preparedness. Hope would be a great council president.

"Strife, got a sec?" I asked as the others drank leisurely.

The blonde nodded and we went over to my desk together. "Here," I pushed one of the forms in his direction.

"Ladies first," he smiled and I let out a 'humph', filling in the form. I signed it, handing the pen over to him.

"Let's go, Doctor Strife," I said teasingly and he sighed, shaking his head as he filled in his own form, signing at the bottom.

"Are you guys getting married over there? Don't do it like this, I want a ceremony!" We heard Aerith's voice behind us and we both smirked.

"I think I just declared my major," I told the others as I turned around. I went back and the others tackled me into a big, warm group hug.

"Congratulations!" A euphony of voices surrounded me.

"I don't get a hug?" Cloud said sarcastically as the others pulled him in too, squeezing the life out of us both.

Zack passed around drinks, and we all raised our chilled bottles. "To feng shui?" I joked as he elbowed me lightly.

"No, to Cloud and Lightning-" I interrupted him with a groan of protest.

"Again?" I elbowed him right back as the others laughed.

"To finding things we love," Hope recommended, and we all nodded in agreement, our bottles coming together with a loud clink.

"Chug chug chug!" I heard Aerith and Tifa cheering us as Cloud and I downed the entire contents of our drinks.

I sighed as I took a good look around this amazing group of people, thankful for having friends who believed in me, and celebrated me every step of the way. Cloud's hand reached over to mine and our fingers intertwined quietly as the noise around us grew louder. Our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat, looking at the spiky haired guy that made everything better.

A/N: I just love this group so much *cries*. Fifty shades of Lightning returns XD *smacks self in the face with the script* Ahem, sorry about all the thirst. Anyway, happy that Cloud and Lightning could have their first proper date after all the action in the past few chapters. And of course, it's not complete without feng shui XD Hope you liked it! ^^

Until next update!