A/N: Thank you ATK1734! Like always, I'm so grateful for your detailed and helpful reviews! I went back and redid the parts that were confusing in the last chapter (future readers are thanking you! XD), and I tried to keep dialogue as clean as possible in this one. I separated the narration and the dialogues when it was getting too wordy, so I genuinely hope that it makes the chapter more readable. ^^ Lumina, so many feelings in the last chapter! Thank you for appreciating Sephi-chan's entry. I really struggled with that one. Yazoo was also really cool. He's really just the best Pokemon out there XD Anyway, thank you for your kind words! I am so happy that you noticed everything I worked hard on in the last chapter.

This chapter will finally resolve the Cloud-Lightning-Yazoo triangle... line? XD Some sad stuff incoming, but I hope Cloud shines in this update as much as I intended! Today's chapter is meant to be another step forward for the Clight ship (and some wholesome brotherly love), so I tried my best to flesh out everyone's feelings. Hope you enjoy it, here's chapter 35! :)

CHAPTER XXXV.

Brothers

Lightning

The white haired male tensed next to me, never wiping the creepy smile from his face. He parted his lips to speak, but Yazoo's velvety voice sliced through the air like a sharp knife.

"One word from you and I'll shoot." There was an absolute chill in the air and even I understood that it was no empty threat - Yazoo meant business. He extended his gloved hand towards me, keeping the other one tight around his Nighthawk. "Lightning, come here."

I nodded obediently, and as soon as I met him halfway, Yazoo's hand yanked me towards him. I crashed against his chest, feeling his gloved hand hold the back of my head firmly in place. "There are keys in my pocket. Take them out." He whispered. The sudden intimacy shocked me and I couldn't move for a few seconds. Finally, I forced one of my hands down in the pocket closest to me and pulled out a set of keys.

"Yazoo-"

"Take the Porsche and get back to safety. Call big brother." I closed my eyes against his chest, gripping his shirt nervously.

"You better get back in one piece."

"I'll find you." He pushed me gently towards the door, taking a step closer to the male who was still frozen in his seat at the bar counter. "Go."

I dashed out of Nightingale, finding Yazoo's silver Porsche parked near the entrance of the alley. That ridiculously expensive car was impossible to miss. I was climbing into the driving seat when the old man called Cid ran up to me.

"Master- ah, Young Miss?!"

"Yazoo's still inside, he asked me to get out of there first." I told him, inserting the keys into the car as it roared to life.

"May I come with you? I'll escort you myself." I didn't think I needed escorting, but I jerked my neck towards the passenger seat anyway. Cid jumped in from the other side, whipping out his phone. He paused as he stared at the screen, just as the car began moving.

"Can you call some guards or something?" I asked anxiously, driving slowly in the street that was crowded with students.

"I cannot, Young Miss. Master Yazoo issued a specific order not to alert the family guards." He pulled up a list of addresses on the GPS. "Perhaps we should go to one of the safe houses. Your university might be compromised."

We drove only for a few minutes as I let Cid choose the location. I was distracted. Yazoo was capable of taking care of himself, but what if he was ambushed? After all, that white haired creep didn't look fazed in the least when Yazoo showed up. Almost as if he was expecting him. And his last words had been ominous too.

"Uh oh, here comes the shooter."

Even if I made it to a safe house, Serah and the others were still in the area. I had no clue of Yazoo's fighting capabilities, and with no guards coming to his aid, he was basically in there… alone. I didn't realize that I had turned the car around, and Cid's panic made me recognize where I was heading.

"Young Miss… what are you doing?"

"I'm going back for him." There was no time. There rarely was, in these situations. I wasn't fully recovered, but I had enough confidence to hold off some goons. Hold the door open, so both of us could make a run for it. "Cid, can you stay in the car? I'll jump in, get him out, and bring him to the car. It won't take long."

"But Young Miss-"

"Seriously, trust me." The old man nodded reluctantly as I parked the car in front of the alley, feet propelling into action. I was stumbling forwards, a little careless as I almost tripped over air. But I had a bad feeling about this. My feet paused right in front of the bar, frozen in place as a spine-chilling scream escaped from inside, muffled by the closed door. I hated the fact that I recognized this voice.

It was Yazoo.

The door was locked, and after a few failed attempts I took a few steps back, spinning into a kick with all my strength. It fell to the ground in a straight motion and I dipped under someone's side hook as soon as I entered. It was crowded and there were at least fifteen men inside. Unlike Yazoo's family guards, they were dressed like regular thugs - as if someone had broken them all fresh out of jail.

"Oh, it's just you~"

The white haired male had Yazoo kneeling next to him, legs tied together. He sat in the exact same seat I had left him in. Yazoo's arms were extended upwards, hands spread on the counter. To my horror - the psycho currently held a pocket knife that he was using to carve something in Yazoo's heavily bleeding hands.

"You… you…" I was unable to speak or move, but snapped out of it as I narrowly avoided a knife that swooshed by my stomach. "STOP!"

"Why would I do that?" His grin was disgusting, predatory. "Take care of our princess, gentlemen."

A thug lunged at me and I grabbed his neck, headbutting him before shoving him aside. One clean kick to the shin took out another one, sending him backwards. He threw himself at me but I let him stumble behind me, elbowing his chin as he tried to grapple me. I grabbed the nearest empty bottle and threw it at the white haired male, but missed him.

"Let him go, you asshole!"

A punch in the gut sent me stumbling back, helping me regain my focus. I slammed my shoulder against another tall man, grabbing his sloppy punch and striking the joint of his arm with my elbow. Crack. He wailed painfully, crashing into some others as he knocked them over carelessly. One clean sweep kick made another few of them fall on their butts, and I took this chance to jump towards the white haired male.

"I said let him go!" My fist made his head spin, and he held his cheek, gritting his teeth. A muscular man seized me, locking his arms around my neck as he tried to drag me away. The heel of my boot came slamming down on his toes at full strength, and I spun around, aiming straight for his nose. One of the goons tried to knife me again, but my kick sent him staggering backwards. I leapt, grabbing the knife from his hand, the sharp blade pressing deeply against my palm. Not giving up, I struck him with another low kick, making him release the weapon.

As soon as it was in my possession, I clutched the handle tightly, sidestepping to avoid a punch. I kicked the stool to throw him off, and the white haired male finally hissed. He jumped backwards and landed on his feet. Yazoo was still struggling and I tried to cut the ropes binding him but a hand gripped my hair, jerking me away. I winced in pain, shifting the knife so it faced the opposite way and swiping behind me. The man's grip loosened, and I took this chance to spin into another kick, sending him flying backwards.

Out of nowhere, a sharp pain shot through my head and the knife fell to the floor with a loud clang. The veins in my forehead were throbbing madly and I dropped to both knees, clutching my head. Two men grabbed my hands on either side, swinging them back as they coiled thick ropes around my wrists. I was panting, the pain growing progressively worse.

"Good thing I drugged you. You put up quite a fight~." The white haired male leaned in front of me, lifting my chin up with his bloodied index finger. I growled angrily, trying to bite his finger off. "Tch. Maybe this will make you submit. Yes… this method is a lot faster..."

As soon as the words left his mouth he threw Yazoo on the ground in front of me, his shoes coming down on Yazoo's hands. Another heartbreaking scream. Yazoo's eyes were shut tightly, hands trembling with the pain inflicted mercilessly on them.

"What's wrong, shooter~? Go on, shoot me." A disgusting, deranged smile broke over his face as he stepped continuously on Yazoo's hands, crushing them completely. He threw one of Yazoo's Nighthawks on the floor, within his reach. "I said, go on, shoot me!"

"Yazoo, it's okay, I'm here!" I shouted, struggling to break free of the bounds. A brute gripped my hair, slamming my head against the floor. I blinked as I forced my head up again, blood running down my forehead. My vision was blurring. No… not yet. I need to… protect… Yazoo… An image of the blonde appeared right before my eyes, like a sweet dream I was once living. His voice was so soft, so unguarded.

"I love you."

Tears welled up in my eyes, the hatred for my own inadequacy burning my mind more than whatever else was causing the unbearable migraine. I bit down on my lower lip, stifling the anger, the hurt… all of it. I was not going to break, not like this.

"What's wrong, princess? Are you crying because I hurt your boyfriend?" He was bending in front of me again, both hands cupping my cheeks as he forced me to face him.

"I am her boyfriend." A loud collision followed the familiar voice and I turned to witness the blonde send a thug flying and colliding against a wall, falling limp on the floor. Cloud's strength was almost inhuman, and his speed was anyone's worst nightmare. He grabbed two men and knocked their heads together, pushing them in the direction of the others. They fell onto a small group huddled together in the corner, taking the others down to the floor with them. Cid entered behind him, shooting at the group on the floor, one by one.

Cloud pushed a thug out of his way, rolling back to back with another one as he grabbed the thug's neck from behind. He threw the man over his head and onto the hard counter in a terrifying display of strength. Simply grabbing both arms of the next attacker, the blonde flung him sideways until he landed on the floor on his side, crying out in pain. Cid's gunshots kept up with Cloud's perfect movements, and the white haired male fell back on the floor, crawling away from the approaching blonde.

He picked up the knife from the floor, slicing the rope off of my wrists in one, clean jerk of the blade upwards. He repeated the same for Yazoo. Cloud spun the knife effortlessly in his hand, throwing it in the male's direction. It cut through his shoulder, securing him against the wooden wall as his clothes got caught up in the blade.

"Yazoo, can you hear me?" His voice was gentle. Yazoo was limp, both hands convulsing from the torture that had been brutally inflicted on them. "Cid, help Yazoo up." Cloud said authoritatively, stretching the fingers of both hands as his shadow loomed over us. Cid ran up to the silver haired male, trying to help him up. I managed to get on my knees, panting.

Cloud's boot struck the psycho's throat, who began choking as the air started leaving his body. The boot pushed further against his Adam's apple, unmoving. His voice was calm, but cold enough to alarm me when he spoke.

"You don't know how precious his hands are."

The blonde grabbed a bottle, smashing it against the counter. The loud thrashing sound startled me, but not as much as the bloodlust in his mako eyes. I was next to him, trying to reach him but my body was still weak from the enormous stress. When Cloud finally removed his boot, the man gasped in relief. It didn't last long. He gasped again, louder this time, as Cloud swung the sharp, half broken bottle towards him and I pushed myself to cling onto his arm.

"Stri- Cloud, stop!"

The dangerous object hovered inches in front of the petrified male's eyes. He had been reduced to tears by the blonde's wrath. I breathed weakly against him and he relaxed after what felt like an eternity. Cid was carrying an unconscious Yazoo in his arms, and Cloud supported me with his arm around my waist. The door flung open and I tensed, but luckily it was Big.

"Take him." Cloud ordered and the giant grabbed the white haired male by the neck, hoisting him up. His fingers crushed the male's neck, but he loosened his grip as the creep's head began to wobble.

"What should I do with him, Master?"

"Get him out of my sight," was all Cloud could say. Cid helped lay Yazoo in the backseat of the limousine, and we climbed on the remaining seats.

I did not recognize this Cloud.

His hands were balled into fists, resting on his knees. Cid was driving to the hospital at the fastest possible speed, but time felt like it was going by incredibly slowly. My hand reached for the blonde's fist, resting on top of it. He was breathing deeply, eyes shut. When he opened his eyes and looked my way, I was glad to see that the murderous rage had left them.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Are you alright?"

This Cloud, I knew.

"Are you?" I asked softly as his fist opened up and my fingers naturally went around his palm.

"I'm worried." Both of us glanced towards Yazoo. It felt like the longest ride of my life. When we made it to the hospital, Cloud was the one to carry Yazoo in. The automatic doors allowed us in and we sprinted towards the emergency room as fast as we could manage.

"W-what happened?!" One of the nurses shouted as two young doctors rushed towards us. They called for another senior doctor as Cloud spread Yazoo on one of the hospital beds.

"His hands. He suffered severe trauma and he's bleeding. Please do something," I managed to say since Cloud had gone silent.

The young doctors asked us to wait outside and we both leaned against the wall in front of the emergency room tiredly. Cid was pacing around constantly. Cloud was deathly silent. And me... I turned away from them both. I was ashamed, unable to face them. Whatever happened to Yazoo… it was without a doubt my fault. That lunatic said he was the one who drugged me and Yazoo had been looking for him. It wasn't that difficult to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

In other words, this situation could have been wholly avoided if it wasn't for me.

A few minutes passed and the senior doctor popped his head out of the door. "Is a family member present?"

Cid looked in the blonde's direction and he wordlessly moved forward. "How is he?"

"We are sending him for some tests, but I suspect both his hands are fractured. He also has knife wounds, and we're doing our best to prevent an infection."

"Will he wake up?" Cid chimed in, unable to contain himself.

"Yes, of course. It must have been very traumatic. The anaesthetic will keep him in an unconscious state through the surgery, which we will have to perform soon. But once the effects wear off, he should regain consciousness normally. No need to worry."

Cid sighed in relief, and Cloud's shoulders loosened up as well. When the doctor returned to the emergency room and the door closed, the three of us stood there quietly for a while.

"Cid, make sure word of this doesn't get to Sephiroth. But… call Loz and Kadaj." Cloud directed the old man and he left us at once, hurriedly moving to a quieter location to make the call. I looked at Cloud in disbelief and was about to question his decision, but then I remembered.

They were all brothers.

"Miss Farron!" The chirpy voice of the nurse distracted me and I greeted her with a wave of my good hand. "Do you remember me? I'm Alice!"

"Yeah, hi." I replied, hiding my bleeding hand behind my back. I was too late, because she seemed to have noticed it. Her smile transformed into an expression of shock.

"W-what happened to your hand?!"

Cloud's head snapped towards me and he silently demanded to see it. I begrudgingly opened the palm I had been clenching all this while. There was a deep gash in my skin from the blade I held earlier. My head felt fine, but blood had clotted over my forehead, some of my skin flaking off.

"You need to see a doctor." He said. This time, it wasn't a request.

I was in no position to protest - Yazoo was in here because of me. I sighed as the panicked nurse called 'Alice' led me inside the emergency room. I scanned it for Yazoo, but he had been wheeled away somewhere. A young doctor came to see me and a short examination later, a few nurses gathered around me, cleaning my wounds and patching them up. The whole ordeal took about half an hour. When I went outside, Cloud was waiting. He furrowed his eyes in concern, but said nothing.

"I'm fine." I insisted, and this seemed to have made him snap.

"You just got out of the hospital, Farron. And you're back here within a week."

I sighed exasperatedly, hoping that we wouldn't get into an argument. Cloud was being stubborn, but then so was I. "Look, Strife. I didn't mean for any of this to happen either."

"Why didn't you call me?" His voice was softer this time, a hint of betrayal between the notes. Guilt paralyzed me and I tore my eyes away from him, focusing on our reflections in the polished tiles.

"I didn't… I… well… I thought I could handle it." I inhaled sharply. "Clearly not…"

"We're dating, Farron."

"I'm aware of that."

"I mean, we're partners. You can't keep making rash decisions alone and jeopardizing yourself. You're not-"

"I'm not enough?" My voice had taken on a bitter tone. "I'm not a damsel in distress, Strife. I refuse to be one. I don't need saving."

The blonde was clearly annoyed by my little speech and he looked at me with pure astonishment. "You think that's what this is about?"

"Okay, you tell me what it's about if I'm wrong." I crossed my arms across my chest, glaring at him angrily.

"It's about the fact that I almost lost you again!" He shouted, hands balling into fists by his sides. "I'm not trying to save you. I'm just trying to be with you, Farron. But you always move without me, factor me out of the equation. We're supposed to make choices together, as a team. But you give me no choice!"

I was seething and I knew my anger was misdirected at the man who had saved my life. "I- I!" No words were coming to my aid now, and frustrated, I snapped my head away from the blonde. Cloud was also shaking in anger, and I knew he was also trying to calm himself. There was no point arguing, especially when we both knew who was at fault. It was me.

"I need some time. Just… sorry." I said, letting the exhaustion take over.

My feet were walking away from him, even though I really just wanted to turn around and lose myself in his arms. Why did I always do the opposite of what I wanted? Was it because the wish to hold and be held itself was pathetic? Or was it because I really just was a coward. Cloud was giving me his all, facing me head on, but I was sabotaging our relationship. The truth was… I don't know what would've happened to us without him tonight. And he deserved my thanks, not my anger. I was being unfair, cruel, even. Why couldn't I just tell him that I… I loved him? Why was it so hard?

I walked to the hospital's garden and took a seat at the bench where Yazoo and I had fought. My face fell tiredly into my palms.

"No offense, but no one's ever been able to touch me."

I recalled Yazoo's words, trying to breathe evenly. Why did I have to jinx it? He sat next to me, so tall and proud just a week ago. But seeing him screaming in agony like he did tonight... I just wished I could turn back time. I don't know how long passed as I replayed all the things I could have done right tonight. After cooling down, I made my way back to the hospital. Alice ran up to me, hands behind her back.

"Are you okay?" She asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Fine," I lied, watching her unconvinced look with annoyance. "Seriously."

"You should rest. I don't think he'll wake up before tomorrow morning."

"Right…" Yazoo had been shifted to a private ward, and I observed his peaceful breathing through the cold glass. So this is what it felt like… and he was there for me every day, when I was in that state.

Tifa wasn't in the room when I got back, and I took a hot shower to gather myself again. It felt strange… gather myself - what a strange thought. Almost like I was scattered. My alarm went off at four as always and I went for my morning jog, running past everything. Sunday mornings were usually slow, with everyone sleeping off their hangovers from the night before. After my routine cold shower, I grabbed an extra large coffee, walking to the hospital. It was an hour long walk, and I could've taken the bus, but I needed time to clear my head. When I got there, it was relatively quiet. Alice recognized me, smiling.

"You want to see him, right? It's still early, but here." I took the visitor pass with silent gratitude, knocking softly on the door. Yazoo was awake, staring out of the window. I walked towards him with slow, careful steps. Taking a seat on the bed, I stayed still. He didn't look at me.

"Hey." I tried to initiate conversation, but he pursed his lips tightly, still examining the outside view. It was a clear, beautiful day.

"You didn't have to come back for me." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yes, I did." Finally. Emerald orbs fluttered over to me, greeting me wordlessly. "Yes, I did…" I repeated, staring at his bandaged hands. "Does it hurt?"

"It's just numb," he answered in his usual, aloof tone. I was glad there was at least some semblance to his former self, still here. Yazoo hesitated, blinking slowly. "I don't want you to see me like this."

I chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "You saw me everyday when I was in a coma. Way more pathetic."

My comment lightened the mood and Yazoo chuckled. He sighed softly, lips parting. Then he said something I wasn't expecting.

"No guy wants the girl he likes to see him like this."

My eyes widened as I processed his words. "Yazoo… I-" I didn't know what to say, or what was the right thing to say.

"Why does it have to be my brother…" His eyes trailed to the ceiling and stayed there. "Anyone but him…"

"I'm sorry… I didn't know you felt that way about me." I lied, trying to soften my rejection. But he had dropped hints, at least indicating a romantic interest. If only I had been clear from the start, like I had been with Reno, or Hope.

Why hadn't I rejected him flatly?

"It's fine. It's not like I can claim you after what happened. Having you come and save me, even getting you hurt. You said I'm not irrelevant and some part of me started believing it. But in the end, you saw the difference between big brother and I last night. Crystal clear, I bet." Yazoo closed his eyes. "I can't compete with… someone like that. And you deserve to be loved and protected by the best."

"Don't say that…" What the hell are you saying Lightning?! "What happened to all your confidence from a week ago? I don't want one asshole taking it all away from you." I exhaled, examining Yazoo's limp hands. "I was frustrated too, you know. I have always been the person protecting others. I hate being 'protected'. I ended up fighting with Strife. It's so stupid. Even though I lov-"

...love him this much. I couldn't finish it.

Yazoo smiled, facing me. There was tenderness there I hadn't seen before. "You're really bad at turning people down. It's misleading."

"A-All I'm saying is, don't talk like a loser just because something this small happened. I'm not invalidating your emotions, but, seriously. I like you better when you're… you."

"Thank you, Lightning… For letting me at least tell you how I feel about you. I don't think my feelings will disappear overnight but… I understand yours, so I'll never push them onto you."

"You're surprisingly nice for a villain." We both laughed at our inside joke and Yazoo just smiled wider.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry."

Those four words said everything between us. I patted his shoulder lightly and Yazoo's eyes fell onto my hand. He had long lashes, for a guy at least. Unconsciously, I stroked his head. It was affectionate. I couldn't explain it but… it felt like the right thing to do.

"Miss Farron!" Alice's chirpy voice broke me out of my trance, and I straightened up. "Sorry, no one else is here yet but the doctor wants to have a word. Are you available?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there in a sec." I got up, waiting for her to leave. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I took a final look at the silver haired male. "Stay out of trouble. Let's go get that drink when you get outta here."

Yazoo snorted. "Might be a while. And I might not be able to hold the glass."

"That's what straws are for." Yazoo growled softly in response to my teasing. "Kidding," I added after clearing my throat. "Anyway, you'll bounce back in no time. I know it. See ya."

Cloud

"How long have you been there?" I heard Yazoo's voice from inside, and I abandoned my position near the window, strolling into the now empty room. I took a seat on the chair next to his bed, leaning forward.

"A while."

"So you heard everything." He was staring out the window again.

"Yep."

"And you're not killing me… why?" Our eyes locked. I knew Yazoo wasn't exactly confrontational, but he seemed like he was finally breaking out of his comfort zone. I had seen him since we were kids and it was the first time he actually looked at me when he thought I was angry at him.

"I wanted you to properly convey your feelings to Farron. It was fair."

"Fair?" Yazoo questioned, confusion spread over his delicate features.

"Yep. Farron's never dated anyone before, so she has a right to know all her... options. Though I'd rather it wasn't our family. But better you than me." I placed my hands on the armrests, leaning away from my little brother.

Yazoo raised an eyebrow. "You would just hand her over to me?"

I nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I would, if that's what made her happy."

Yazoo smirked and it was my return to cock an eyebrow at him. "What's so funny?"

"The arm rest is bent."

It took a second to understand what he said, and I immediately released my death grip from the piece of furniture.

"I don't think she'll be happy unless it's with you." Yazoo sighed tiredly, furrowing his eyebrows. "But if you're that ready to 'give her way' I'd be happy to oblige."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Don't think so."

"Then don't say it." His words held a tinge of resentment. "Cherish her, properly."

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm right for her." I don't know why I was having a heart to heart with Yazoo, but the words just poured out of me. "You know how it is better than anyone else. You know our family. It'll never end. It's always one thing after another. Her sister told me that Farron's never even had a cold before moving here. And how many times has she been hurt because of me? I stopped counting. What should I do… it's impossible to let her go, but holding on is what a selfish man would do."

"Then become the man you think she deserves."

Yazoo's words stayed in the air like a heavy weight over my shoulders. But when I had accepted them, there was a lightness that I couldn't explain. "I'm sorry." I found myself blurting awkwardly.

"You're apologizing too? Spare me." He didn't sound bitter at all, even if he tried to.

"She's your first love. I wish things were different. I'd have been happy for you."

"Huh? Did you hit your head or something? Why would you be happy for me?"

I could only chuckle sadly in response to his words. I patted his shoulder unconsciously - forgetting that that's what Lightning had also done. It was just such a simple response. A reassuring touch. "Because you're my brother."

Yazoo looked visibly shocked, and he parted his lips to say something, but pursed them shut again. The door slammed open, and my other siblings entered the hospital room. Kadaj was humming a tune loudly as he a gigantic bouquet of flowers on the side table next to the bed. Loz sat on the opposite side, burying his face in Yazoo's shoulder.

"Don't cry, Loz." Yazoo said boredly, rolling his eyes as Kadaj began to pat his hair.

"Aw, come on now. You're so cute when you're disabled. Makes me want to hurt you more."

"Big brother, mind dropping Kadaj off in the psychiatric ward on your way out?"

I raised my hands in front of me, shaking my head. I was not going to be a part of this. Yazoo scowled, giving me a 'you're-a-traitor' look.

"Come on, Ya-zoo~!" Kadaj cooed, plopping on the bed next to him. "There there. Big brother Kadaj will take good care of you!"

"For the love of god… please leave me alone. Also, stop crying, Loz!" Yazoo shouted out of character and I slid the door shut quietly beside me, observing the three of them for a while. Someday, we'd all be at each other's throats. But I was glad that it wasn't today.

I wanted to make things right with the pink haired girl, but I didn't know how. I could try to talk to her, but I wasn't sure she'd be in the mood to listen. Just… be a man, Cloud. Be a man. I realized I was sulking, but I couldn't help it. I hated how we left off things. Neither of us texted the other. We were in some sort of relationship limbo now.

Truth to be told, I had never dealt with this before. Tifa usually ended fights before they got to this level. But Lightning and I clashed with a fiery intensity. We were both uselessly stubborn. This was one area where our similarities didn't actually help, even though all our friends thought we were always perfectly in sync.

I wasn't expecting her in the parking lot, but there she was, leaning against Fenrir. Our eyes met and we both awkwardly looked away. I walked over to her with unsure steps. She continued to look away as I approached her. Her hand gripped her arm, and her gaze fell towards the floor.

I tried to break the ice, but words were never easy at times like this. I cleared my throat, remembering Yazoo's words. I had to be better. "Farron."

"Strife," she replied almost automatically.

"I, uh… I want to… um…"

"I want to make up." Lightning's voice was also soft and low, but at least she formed a coherent sentence. Our eyes met, and I boldly took a step towards her. One of my hands reached for her waist.

"Me too." She released her arm, moving her hand to rest on my shoulder instead. Her touch got rid of all my anxiety.

"Farron, I'm sorry for the way I acted last night…"

"No, I'm sorry." She looked like she had spent a fair bit of time blaming herself. I knew that look instantly. After all, I wore it too.

"You don't have to be-"

"You saved my life," she continued, interrupting me. Her hand slid up and down my arm gently, before returning to its former position. It ignited a fire in me, such innocent physical contact. It was hard to hold back, but I wanted her to speak her mind. So I waited.

"I am sorry for pushing you away. Truth to be told… I've never really allowed myself to… rely on anyone before. When I'm in survival mode… I want to be self-sufficient. If I can't protect myself, how the hell am I supposed to keep Serah safe? And at times I can get pretty destructive. I have a lot of pride, as you might have noticed." We both chuckled. "And it gets to my head sometimes. But it doesn't mean that I don't… I mean… that I-"

Lightning suddenly began to stutter cutely, cheeks turning crimson. She cleared her throat. "Fine, I'll say it. Fine. I need you, Strife. And I needed you last night. And you were there for me. Thank you for s-s-sa…. sav-... saving me. Humph."

Who ends that kind of speech with a humph? I broke into a loud laugh, startling the girl. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"What's so funny?!"

"Sorry. My bad. Please continue." I tried to control the laughter, covering my mouth with my fist. But it continued to leak out of me, no intention of stopping.

"You're the worst… forget it!" She growled, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Alright, alright…" My hands gripped both of hers, bringing them up to my shoulders. I let them rest there as I closed most of the distance between our faces. "You're welcome, Farron. Not that you need saving. But I'll always be there for you. So when I need a hand, will you come and save me again like you did before?"

Lightning relaxed, nodding hurriedly. "Yeah…" Both our eyes wanted only one thing right now and I would have done something to satisfy us both, had it not been for the completely crowded parking lot.

"Should we…?"

"Yes. Let's." She smiled as we mounted Fenrir, driving off. The city had finally picked up pace, brunch cafes packed with customers. It was bright, but the February wind was still chilly. I parked near the north gate of the campus, and we both wandered the streets. There was a hidden cafe in a long alley, containing graffiti and artwork. We entered it, going up to the third floor. Vines hung from the black rail, flowers wrapped around the balustrade. In the middle was a single round table with two chairs. We took our seats, and a waitress hurried over to us.

"Black coffee." There it was, our sync. I was glad we found it again.

The waitress disappeared down to the first floor and I reached out to hold Lightning's hand on the table. "So… about yesterday. How did you find us?" She asked, studying me curiously.

"Cid called me." I captured her eyes, trying to show her my sincerity. "I wish you did."

"I know…" It got through. She was smiling. And what a glorious smile it was. The sun made her hair look a lighter shade, and the shadows cast by the canopy above us danced over her face. "I'll call from now on. I'll do better."

"That's my line." We both chuckled again.

"I was supposed to meet up with Yazoo. But things… ended up like that. I'm sorry you got dragged into it too."

I sighed, caressing her hand. "Can I be honest?"

Her eyes were concerned. "Of course, Strife…"

"I was jealous that you met with Yazoo. I thought you were shopping with the girls."

"Yeah…" She looked down, staring at the flowers on the table. I wished I wouldn't have said what I did. But she didn't seem angered by my words. "I'm sorry… Actually I avoided you yesterday. I was… nervous being alone with you."

"Have I done anything to make you feel that way?"

"No… of course not! It's so stupid." Her cheeks were burning, and my own followed. What was so embarrassing? It just became awkward all of a sudden.

"I won't know if you don't tell me."

Lightning finally glanced my way. The pale aqua color of her eyes really stood out in the light. "You said I'm all muscle so… I was feeling conscious. Of… you know. Taking off my clothes in front of you."

Why would we take off our clothes during a documentary?!

Both of us blushed harder, and I realized that it was actually an absolutely plausible scenario. It's not like I had invited her over to my room with the sole purpose of appreciating the good old history of architecture. But that wasn't the problem. My mindless comment had started all of this in the first place.

"I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I apologize."

The pink haired girl was taken aback. "Don't be so formal… It's fine. I warned you it's stupid."

"You're beautiful." Way to go, Cloud. Lightning was probably the worst person at receiving compliments, and she scoffed at me like I had said something utterly unbelievable. "I'm serious." I insisted.

"Strife, you dated Aerith. And Tifa."

"So?"

"Well… They're… I'm…" She paused, shaking her head vigorously. "It doesn't even matter."

"I meant you're attractive. Really attractive. That comment about the muscles. I wish I had worded it better. But it meant you're just my type. In fact, I didn't even know I had a type before I met you." It slipped out of me without much thought, and both of us awkwardly jerked our hands away as the waitress served us our drinks.

"That's, um…" Lighting took a sip of her coffee, setting it down neatly.

"Yeah…"

"I, that… hmmm..."

"Right… yeah..."

Somehow we were having a strange… incoherent conversation. But we understood each other, and that's all that mattered. We both realized it simultaneously, and our smiles quickly replaced the awkwardness.

"That was really blunt." Lightning chuckled loudly as I raised the mug to my lips. The hot liquid was calming. I nodded, refusing to indulge her any more than this. I think I had used up all my energy to get that across. It was time to retire to two word replies. Yep. No more.

"You know, Strife… Last night, I almost didn't recognize you."

"That-"

Lightning held up her hand, silencing me. "Before you misunderstand me… I mean that I got to know another part of you. From now on, I'd like to know everything about you so… don't be afraid to show me everything."

"You didn't hate me for it?"

"He's your brother. I would've shot the bastard in the head if it was Serah." Lightning's voice was serious, and I could tell she wasn't saying it just to make me feel better. "But you stopped."

"You asked me to." I answered.

Her eyes were gentle. "And you listened."

Both our lips parted, and my eyes felt heavy. This trance that Lightning induced was addictive. It overrode all my senses, and I reached over the small table to stroke her cheek. Her hand held mine softly, as she nuzzled into it, sighing happily. After a while, she grinned to herself like she was enjoying an inside joke.

I blinked. "What?"

"Now I know exactly how much you were holding back when we sparred."

"That… no. I hate that strength. It comes from mako."

"I don't think so." My hand had dropped to the table, and it was Lightning who held it tightly this time. "You have this amazing strength, and it's not just in your fists. You were fantastic last night, completely in control of the situation. And I hope that… you'll…"

My eyes refused to leave her lips, and I readied myself for whatever romantic thing she was about to say. Judging by the lovely blush on her cheeks, it must mean a great deal to her.

"...I hope you'll… with me… I mean…"

I gulped, tensing as our eyes locked.

"Spar with me again." What a finish. I didn't even feel disappointed. It was hilarious. I laughed again and the pink haired girl frowned. "What?!" She spat bitterly.

I shook my head. "Don't regret it, Farron. I'll go all out this time."

The competitive flare returned to Lightning's aqua orbs. "You're on, Strife."

I realized how much I had fallen for her, and at least today, we were allowed a moment like this together. She was chatting excitedly about a new band she discovered, and as I watched her, nodding occasionally to show her I was listening, I knew that it could never be anyone else.

It was always going to be her. And from on, I'd never give up on us.

A/N: Lightning is our queen! XD Hope the fluffy update was worth the read! I'm wondering if I should address Roy's whole deal in the next chapter or take the gang on a happy road trip. Ah... decisions. Let me know what you guys would like to read! ^^ Hope everyone's enjoying the end of the week. It's Fri-yay!

Until the next update! :)