A/N: Thanks to ATK1734 and Lumina for your reviews! I am so glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter. We have one evening left in the cottage, so a lot more stuff will happen when the gang gets back in the next chapter. In the meantime, here's another slow chapter :)


CHAPTER XVII.

Picture Perfect


Lightning

"What about this one?" I asked as I pulled out another record and flipped it over. Cloud was hugging me from behind, his arms wrapped around my waist.

"Yeah, that was a good year for music," his voice was heavier than usual. I was holding two records from the same year, unable to decide between the two. I squirmed slightly in his grip, feeling hot as he spoke directly into my ear.

"Nn, Strife-" I tried to wiggle out but his arms only tightened around me.

"Farron," his breath grazed my ear, "I thought we were still choosing records."

"We're done, I'm playing this one," I said quickly as I went along with the first one I had taken out. Cloud released a groan of complaint in my ear and I almost melted in his arms. Begrudgingly, he broke the hug and let me play the record.

When I turned around, he was smiling slightly, his hand extending towards me. I raised an eyebrow as the album's first song played, but took his hand. Immediately, Cloud me closer, placing his other hand on my waist.

"We're dancing?"I asked as he nodded, cerulean blue eyes staring quietly into mine. I chuckled, awkwardly trying to move with him.

"I have got two left feet," I told him with a seriousness, but he was chuckling as well.

"So there are two things you can't do. I am learning a lot about you. This trip was a good idea," he let out a little laugh. I blushed, looking away.

"Well, there are tons I can't do so… don't be disappointed in the future." I almost stepped on his foot but luckily stopped myself before I fractured his toes. "Strife… seriously. I hate dancing."

"Well, then think of this as practice for the bonfire." He led me gently, placing a kiss on my hand.

"The bonfire?" I repeated.

"Yeah, it's an annual thing," he told me casually, spinning me around and pulling me close again. It was surprisingly invigorating.

I shrugged, trying to frown but smiling instead as I saw the handsome man in front of me continuing the dance. "You know me, Strife. I am not big on school events." I tried but it was Cloud's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You literally organized the annual Halloween carnival," he reminded me coolly.

Ugh, that! I shuddered at the thought of being asked to organize anything else ever again.

"So tell me about this bonfire," I asked, trying to distract myself from the warm feeling burning inside me.

"We usually build something from wood, then set it on fire. Last year it was a goat."

"Sounds pretty straightforward," I chuckled at his short explanation, pursing my lips as I tried to keep myself from laughing. Cloud caught on and continued.

"It's a university tradition. Happens at the end of December, right after the finals. It's supposed to symbolize burning away all the bad luck and preparing with a 'clean slate' for the next year. There's the burning event, then fireworks, and a dance. Happens on the beach. It's pretty romantic."

"So you went last year?" I couldn't help asking. Ugh, stupid Lightning.

"No," he replied as his hand moved from my waist to my elbow, caressing my arm all the way to my hand. He held it, jerking me closer as he guided my hand behind his neck. I followed his lead as he released my other hand, and I went ahead to wrap that around his neck as well. I blushed as our bodies covered the remaining distance, pressing against each other. "I'm asking you. Will you go with me this year?" His arms wrapped around my waist.

It was impossible to refuse him anything when he asked like this. I frowned, even though I was almost bursting inside. I guess I had learned how to show only specific emotions over the years. "Alright. I'll go. We're going to dance like this?" I asked in panic as the thought of dancing like this in front of all our overly enthusiastic friends crossed my mind.

Cloud found my reaction amusing. "This is how couples dance, I think." He said as he ran one of his hands through my hair, smiling wider, a soft expression in his eyes. Sometimes the way he looked at me was so gentle, I felt like I was being truly cherished by this person. "And we'll come close just like this," he added as his face leaned closer to mine. "And then you'll-" he stopped as I tensed, parting my lips in anticipation as I gasped, "Do that," he smirked, his eyes penetrating past all my defenses, "And then I'll just have to kiss you-"

A loud banging noise separated us as we both jumped away, startled, before our lips could meet. Our door had slid open and banged shut, and it wasn't even Serah or Vanille this time. The wind had really picked up outside, snow swirling around furiously. It was completely white outside and we had zero visibility. The room also suddenly felt colder as our windows rattled loudly.

"Okay, it's here," I said nervously as I clung to Cloud without realizing it. His embrace was comforting. When I noticed what I was doing, I quickly pulled away from him.

"Not a fan of storms…?" He guessed as I fidgeted nervously.

"Uh, yeah. I am from an island so… It's warm all year." I informed him and he nodded understandingly. Another loud bang made me jump back into his arms. Cloud held me, kissing the top of my head.

"Farron, it's fine. Let's try to go to bed," he turned up the volume of the record, letting the soft melody spread over the room. We climbed into bed and Cloud held me patiently, trying to comfort me everytime I tensed.

"It scares me," I admitted as Cloud leaned closer in order to hear me over all the clamor outside.

"The storm?" He asked to confirm.

"No, this. You and me. I am scared of being this close to someone. I am scared I'll lose sight of everything else."

"I promised you I won't let us be that way. I'm going to keep that promise." I heard him say as my arms wrapped tightly around him. A shiver ran through my body as the temperature dropped further.

I nodded in gratitude, nuzzling into his chest, my eyes tightly shut. Another loud bang erupted from a different part of the cottage, followed by a scream which we both identified easily as Vanille's.

"I guess you're not the only one who doesn't like storms," Cloud tried to distract me with a joke but the fear I was feeling was quickly overtaken with worry.

"Serah and Zack. Can we check on them?" I asked and Cloud agreed with a small smile, before returning to the aloof expression he always showed the others. We both rolled out of bed quickly and Cloud helped me into my jacket first, before throwing on his. We got out of our room to find a lot of the others were already out of their rooms too.

"Light!" The chorus of Serah and Vanille followed the girls tackling me. I almost fell back but Cloud steadied me with his hand.

"Glad you guys are alright," I said as I squeezed them both, trying to comfort them. "Everyone else alright?" I shouted as Snow and Hope both showed me a thumbs up.

"Vincent?" Cloud knocked softly and the door opened. The tall male was fully dressed, wearing several layers of warm clothing.

"Can't sleep either?" He popped his head out to see everyone awake and standing in the corridor. "Fang," he called out and she joined us outside after throwing on a jacket as well.

"Wow, full house," she joked, but her voice was drowned out by another loud bang. Serah and Vanille both jumped, but I stayed put. I needed to be strong right now. I wouldn't be of any use to anyone if I was scared.

"Zack?" Cloud checked Zack's room next. He knocked several times.

Finally Aerith's voice was heard, "Just a minute~" After a few minutes the door slid open and Aerith looked around in surprise like she wasn't expecting us. "What's wrong?"

"Blizzard's getting bad. Are you guys okay?" I asked as Aerith nodded.

"We were asleep. Didn't hear a thing. Too exhausted, you see," she joked and I felt my cheeks heat up. Cloud looked away awkwardly as well as she threw on a warm coat, walking over to the bed and trying to wake Zack up.

We all waited outside as Zack changed into clothes and made his way out of the room with Aerith, yawning loudly.

"Wow, zombie apocalypse?" His joke sent a shiver down Cloud's spine and I chuckled.

"No unfortunately nothing that exciting, just the weather," I told him and he nodded, sliding his hands in his pockets.

"It should settle in a bit-" The wind hit the window in their room with so much force it felt like the glass was going to shatter, interrupting Zack. Aerith let out a scream as she clung onto his arm, jumping behind him. "Okaaay then," Zack laughed in the face of the storm as I barely kept it together. "Should we go downstairs? It might be worse up here."

"Yeah, let's bring our blankets and sleep together downstairs," Serah agreed quickly.

"I'll help," I offered as I walked into Serah's room, grabbing her blanket and pillow. It took a while to bring everything downstairs, but we all managed to somehow settle into the living room space. Hope and I got the fire going. Snow checked all the windows and doors were secured again, closing the curtains shut. Fang and Vincent went upstairs as well, grabbing everyone's flashlights from their rooms. We opened some of the taps to keep the hot water flowing so it didn't freeze inside the pipes.

"Serah, stay here," I scolded as Serah tried to cling to me, securing the space closest to the fire for her. I jerked my neck towards Snow and he understood, holding her back.

"Serah, it's warmer here." He repeated but Serah ignored him, wiggling around. Finally he released her and Serah settled next to Snow, sighing in defeat as she leaned her head against his arm.

I pushed Vanille and Hope towards the only other spot closest to the fire, and Fang smiled at me in gratitude. "Kids take the front," she teased and Hope grumbled something about 'not being a kid.' I chuckled as I offered the next two rows to the other couples.

"Are you sure?" Aerith asked as she shivered.

"Of course," I said and her eyes met mine, a playful smile on her lips. "What?" I asked quickly. Her expression was making me nervous.

"You even talk like Cloud. Match made in heaven~" she teased as she turned her attention to Zack who was warming his hands. "Warm me up please~" she asked in her usual sing-song voice.

"It'll be faster if you take your clothes off," I heard Zack joke as Aerith pouted. He opened his arms and Aerith jumped into them. He hugged her close, burying his face in her hair. "I got you," he said softly, lifting her up into his lap.

Cloud and I sat furthest from the fire. I settled in between Cloud's legs as he hugged me from behind. We both blushed, avoiding each other's gaze awkwardly. The others were still chatting, occasionally jumping as the wind got rowdier outside. Eventually, everyone drifted off to sleep. I noticed the rhythmic rise and fall of Cloud's chest. Turning around, I found him to be asleep. His lips were slightly parted, bangs falling all over his face like a gorgeous mess. I chuckled, pushing some strands away from his eyes. He was breathing peacefully, and I was glad.

After he told me everything that happened to him… he gave birth to a new feeling inside me. One more person, added to the list of the people I wanted to protect.

I stayed awake, watching the fire burn the wood, small sparks flying around, making beautiful patterns in the space above the fire. The door shook loudly, and Zack jerked awake. Our eyes met and he smiled warmly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Can't sleep?" He asked as I shook my head.

"Keeping watch," I replied as he chuckled.

"We're safe inside." He reminded me.

"I know," I said as I gently slipped out of Cloud's arms, careful not to stir him. "But someone's gotta change the firewood too," I countered and Zack nodded.

"I'll help," he picked Aerith up who was sprawled on him, spreading her on the floor and covering her up with their blanket. I stood up first, offering my hand. Zack took it and got onto his feet, towering over me with his height."Let's do this."

We went to the kitchen, grabbing firewood and adding it to the fireplace slowly. Neither of us spoke. Zack looked intently into the fire as the fresh logs were lit ablaze. Then his eyes lost color and became dull. I quickly touched his shoulder, bringing him out of whatever occupied his mind right now.

"I think I'll have a smoke," he said and I quickly got to my feet as well.

"I'll go with you," I offered. Even though Zack seemed like he was back to being his normal self, I was still worried about him. We went to the back of the kitchen. Zack lit up a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Opening the pack with a thumb he offered me one and I shook my head. He pocketed the packet and looked outside at the darkness. I leaned on the wall opposite him, crossing my arms as we stayed there in the silence.

"What was he like in boarding school?" I found myself asking. Zack knew exactly who I was talking about.

"He was really shy, and much more awkward than now. A super dork," Zack's words brought a smile to my face. "Everyone from our classmates to seniors, teachers, heck, even the parents were thirsty for him. It was crazy. You know, he's a mad good looking dude so," I nodded, silently agreeing with Zack. "Valentine's Day was always insane. He got like… bags and bags of chocolates. We couldn't even finish it between the three of us in the following two months."

I shuddered at the thought of Strife's popularity. Compared to him I had a very uneventful youth.

"I was always getting into fights and Cloud used to come to my aid. We used to get into detention together because of me," Zack told me as he took another puff. "All those disciplinary measures and he still graduated top of our class. Funny thing is, girls used to get in trouble so they could get into detention with us. But you know him, he barely spoke two words to me, and none to the others. The first time he opened up to me I thought I won the lottery or something. I don't know why he chose me." Zack finished, exhaling and flicking the ash off.

"I know exactly why," I told Zack, my eyes meeting his. "I don't think there's anyone in the world like you. You even made me open up to you, and I have never had a friend except Serah. And she's my sister," I chuckled, watching a smile appear on Zack's face. "You're so special," I continued, looking seriously at him. "I need you to stick around, Zack. Just wait. I promise one day I'll show you how special you are."

"You're special too," he responded, putting his cigarette out. "Your pink hair and your permanent frown," he teased and I laughed slightly, rolling my eyes. "You know I had a dream after that day. I was trying to board a train… I felt like I was completely suspended in a void. There was nobody on the train. The station felt like no one had used it for years. I was losing myself. I wanted to disappear. And I heard you calling my name. Zack, Zack. Your voice was like a warm light that filled me up and brought me back. When I woke up, you were holding my hand as you slept."

My hand reached for his and Zack took it, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you," he said as the wind howled again, shaking the backdoor where we were standing.

"I am impossible to get rid of," I warned as Zack broke into a loud laugh. "I am serious," I grinned as well, feeling the warmth of his hand. "I am never giving up on you. But when you feel like giving up on yourself, you need to talk to me. Or Strife. We'll always have your back, even if him and I don't end up working out," I added.

"Nah, something tells me you're the one for him," Zack grinned widely as I let go of his hand, releasing a 'humph'.

"Is it the feng shui?" I looked at him with a look of disapproval and he shook his head, lighting up another cigarette.

"It's more obvious than that. You look at him, and you really see him. Once a guy meets a girl like that, he can't let her go. I know, because I have that with Aerith," he told me and I scoffed, waving my hand dismissively.

"Please, we just started dating. And Cloud had Tifa, and Aerith- sorry, and also some Jessie," I said dejectedly and Zack smiled mischievously.

"You're jealous?" I shrugged, rubbing my arm as I tried to warm up. Zack took off his jacket and threw it around my shoulders. I wanted to protest but he looked down at me stubbornly and I received it with silent gratitude.

"I am not… Dating is hard. He's experienced but… I don't know what I am supposed to do. I try to think of it in terms of something I am supposed to work hard for and get better at. But I don't even know where to start," I admitted. Zack's eyes widened as he flicked the ash off, his dark blue eyes locking with mine.

"Light… It's not homework. You're supposed to have fun," he told me in a voice that betrayed his surprise at my reasoning.

"Have fun?" I repeated.

Was I allowed to do that?

"Maybe you haven't allowed yourself to before but," Zack read my mind, exhaling once before speaking again, "You're not the only one taking care of Serah now. She's our little sister too, we got her. So it's okay. You wanna get better? Practice. Go on dates, be reckless, have fun. The surest way to make Cloud happy is to have a good time with him. You think he's experienced, but he's a dork who's probably also thinking the same thing. He likes you so much that he was even jealous of me and you. And that's a really big deal. No girl has ever gotten between us before." Zack sounded awfully mature, and I was comforted by his words, like pieces of a puzzle fitting together and just making sense.

"Thanks for looking out for Serah." I nodded, my face breaking into a blush. "I'll try to have fun," I promised and this seemed to satisfy him. He finished his cigarette and decided to make some hot chocolate.

"Sugar cravings?" I asked rhetorically and he showed me a toothy smile. I rolled my eyes as I helped him with it, and soon we had two cups of hot liquid in our hands.

"He told me everything, how you saved him...," I said in a quiet voice. Zack took a sip, a relaxed expression on his face.

"He saved me, Light. I almost lost myself before, once. It was much, much worse than what happened in front of you. But Cloud fought everyone and everything to save me from myself. What I did for him can never, ever repay even part of what he's done for me. You don't know how much he's had my back since we've met."

I took a sip from my drink, relieved that I had stopped Zack from adding any sugar to it. It felt good on this cold night. I smiled, swirling the liquid around in the huge mug.

"I hope we're all together like this for a long time...," I confessed, grateful for the two men in my life. Zack laughed, patting my back with such force that it almost made my hot chocolate spill.

"Strength, Zack!" I said through gritted teeth and Zack smiled apologetically. "What's with the laugh?!" I narrowed my eyes threateningly at him.

"I just thought of something really nice," he said through the laughter. I growled in annoyance. Here Zack was lost in his world when I had something that embarrassing out loud. His laughter died down and Zack showed me a smile I hadn't seen before, like he was thinking of something that made him truly happy, but it was far off in the distance somewhere.

"What is it?" Curiosity won over my restraint and I ended up asking him.

"Nah, I just… I just thought of the day when Cloud will say two words to you, and they'll be enough." He was still smiling through my confusion.

"Okayyy, well I don't know what that means and I don't care. Go back to sleep. Aerith's probably freezing to death. Her heater has been gone for too long," I joked and Zack placed the now empty cup in the sink, stretching once.

"Yep, that's one of the many uses of a boyfriend. You should use Cloud for it too," he grinned at me and I blushed at his poor choice of words.

"Humph!" I grunted as I placed my cup in the sink too, following him back to where everyone was. Cloud was awake, sitting with his legs crossed.

"I was wondering where you were," he said as I joined him on the floor again. "Damn Farron, you're freezing." He took my hands in his, rubbing them gently. I let out a sigh of relief at the warmth.

"Smoke break," I replied and he raised an eyebrow questioningly at me. "Not me, Zack. I was just accompanying him. And I changed the fire," I pointed out. Cloud nodded. Zack slipped back in the blanket with Aerith. We watched them cuddle and after a few minutes, Zack was snoring away peacefully.

"What did you guys talk about?" He asked me casually.

"You, mostly," I replied honestly. "But then he ended the conversation with some cryptic shit. You know how he is," Cloud's eyes always had a slight glow in the dark, shining like blue gems. He was trying to hold back his curiosity, but I ended his torment by telling him what it was.

Cloud's face turned red so fast that I was also blushing without even understanding why. Did he catch onto something I hadn't?

"Strife?" I asked and he coughed, looking away awkwardly as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Yeah, nevermind," he dismissed me quickly and I decided to let it go for now.

"I heard you were really popular in boarding school," I said in a low volume, careful not to wake up the others. Cloud cringed, like he was thinking about something unpleasant.

"It was painful," he said with a deadpan face.

"Painful popularity: A day in the adolescent life of Cloud Strife," I said sarcastically, but Cloud stared at me, parting his lips to say something, but holding himself back. It was quiet for a good minute, until I asked him what it was.

"You said my full name," he mentioned, taking my hand and looking down at it as he held it. "I liked it."

My face reddened as my gaze fell down on our hands too.

"Can you say it again?" He asked in that goddamn sweet voice.

"Cl-" I wanted to indulge his request but it was too embarrassing to be put on the spot like this.

"Sorry, don't worry about it," he held up my hand and kissed it, eyes closed. Then he leaned back, opening his arms as he smiled to look at me. "I'll stay up so, why don't you sleep for a while?"

I nodded, quickly turning to the warmth of Cloud's body, feeling it envelope me. Uses of a boyfriend, huh? I chuckled at Zack's words, burying my face in Cloud's chest. Soon the warmth completely took over, and the tiredness took me away from consciousness.


Cloud

"Ssh, you'll wake them up!"

"Turn off the flash you idiot!"

There were voices around me. My eyes were closed but I could hear the commotion. I stirred, my eyes snapping open after I heard the sound of a camera. Vanille's phone was right in our face, and I noticed the position we were in. We had fallen asleep while sitting. Lightning was sitting sideways, her head resting on my shoulder, legs draped over one of mine. She was clinging onto me, and my own arms were holding her tightly, no space between our bodies. I blushed as my muscles tensed, causing the pink haired girl to wake up as well.

"See? You woke them up!" Serah complained loudly. Lightning quickly moved away as I released her.

"Blizzard's over," Hope informed us calmly as the girls looked through Vanille's phone, squealing.

"Good. Are we heading back today?" I asked. Hope pointed outside the window and my eyes followed his direction.

"Where are the cars?" Lightning asked as she rubbed her eyes, sitting up properly.

"Snowed in. We need to clear the snow and then check if we can drive. If not, we're stuck here another day," Hope filled us in. We both nodded, checking our phones.

"Lines are down, I think," Zack had picked up the receiver. He checked and put it down. "Still dead," he confirmed.

"No bars," Lightning showed me her phone. Mine was the same.

"The TV. We can check the news," Vincent suggested and we nodded. Lightning and I did a long stretch, both of us grunting in pain as we heard a 'crack.'

"How's the water?" Lightning asked.

"Totally fine. Fang and Aerith are upstairs right now taking a shower. We all finished already," Snow told us. I glanced at Lighting.

"Go for it," I said but she shook her head.

"Go ahead Strife," she told me, jerking her neck in the direction of the stairs.

"Or you guys can take one together," Zack suggested with a smug smile. "It saves water, good for the planet and all."

Lighting just rolled her eyes as we both ignored him, our cheeks slightly red. "Alright then, thanks," she grabbed our pillow and blanket as she made her way upstairs.

Snow and Serah decided to make us brunch, since we had sort of a late start. I was the last person to clean up, and by the time I was done showering food was already served. I hurried downstairs to find everyone seated around the table.

I occupied the space next to Lightning, grabbing a piece of French toast. I poured myself a cup of black coffee, refilling Lightning's empty cup silently as well.

"Man, I wanted eggs benedict again," Vanille complained as Serah glared at her.

"Stop being ungrateful," Hope's fist landed on Vanille's head again as she let out a loud 'ow!'

"The news says all roads are blocked and it's advising against travel so, what do we do?" Snow told us. I was still sleepy, but the coffee was helping.

"Uh, we should stay," I heard Lightning say. "I don't want to risk it," I knew she was probably thinking of Serah more than herself.

"I agree!" Zack smiled as he dug into a sausage. "Maybe we can do something fun," he suggested.

"No more horror movies," Aerith put her hand up. "I don't think I can take it anymore."

Relief washed all over me. Good job, Aerith.

"No pool, because Lightning and Cloud will beat us all," Vanille complained.

"Farron will beat us all," I corrected her, remembering yesterday's defeat.

"We can just study," Lightning recommended and everyone except Hope disagreed with her.

"My dude, come on. We'll only be studying when we get back, until the finals. We have to have fun while we're here," Zack tried to win her over. Lightning thought about it for a while.

"Have fun, huh? Fine, what the hell," she threw in with a smile. I was surprised, but decided to go along with whatever everyone else decided.

"SNOWMAN!" Serah shouted, almost making me jump.

"Do you want to build a-" Snow started but Lightning threw a piece of toast at his face. Everyone burst into laughter.

"No," she declined sharply, finishing her coffee as she leaned back in her chair. "We're supposed to be clearing the snow, not playing in it."

"Yeah but even if we clear it, if there's more snow tonight it'll be a wasted effort," Serah fought back. "Pleaseeeee!" She begged and Lightning instantly caved in.

"Fine, dress warm. I am only gonna watch," she announced. I agreed with her, silently nodding. When we had finished clearing up the dishes, we went back to our rooms and changed into warmer clothes, gloves and hats. It was freezing outside, but the white view was stunning. It was a clear day without any cloud cover. I could see my breath in the air. The snow on the ground was like powder, glistening under the sunlight.

Serah, Snow, Hope and Vanille began working on their snowman. Aerith and Zack excitedly worked on theirs, forcing Vincent and Fang along to help. Lighting and I sat on the porch with hot coffee, drinking it as we watched everyone hard at work.

"It's pretty," Lightning said to no one in particular. I saw her face brighten up as she took in her surroundings. She was smiling to herself, enjoying the view. I watched her for a while, relaxing in my chair.

"Things will be hard when we get back, huh?" I said softly. Lightning turned her attention to me. She hesitated for a while, and then nodded.

"I might not be able to see you for a while. I have to take freshman and sophomore exams together. And I can't fail, with Ballad breathing down my neck all the time. Then there's the security office."

"Right, of course," I answered, trying to be supportive.

"I am sorry," she added quickly. I shook my head.

"Not at all, I can wait," my voice sounded more and more bummed out by the minute. Why couldn't I sound more convincing? I stared down at the cup in my hand.

"Let's go on a date after finals," Lightning invited me and my eyes shot up to look at her. She was looking away, her face had taken on a dark red tone. I blushed as well, feeling some vigor returning to my voice.

"I'd like that." Lightning's eyes met mine, and I set the cup aside. She did the same before taking my hand in hers.

"It's just a few weeks," she reassured me.

"More like almost two months," I reacted but instantly regretted it. Thankfully Lightning was patient with me.

"No, you're right. It'll suck. I'll still run into you on campus. I just need to do this so I can concentrate."

"I know. I get it," I nodded, smiling at her a bit. Lightning seemed to relax as well as she showed me a small smile of her own.

"Hey lovebirds, get in here!" Zack called out. Lightning and I both groaned as we walked through the snow over to the group.

"Okay, since you guys are really honest, you judge. Pick the winner," Vanille excitedly pulled us both towards the snowmen.

The kids had done a solid job, but Zack's team had concocted a strange creature, straight out of a nightmare.

"It's a snow-bot! Snowman-robot. He is your regular snowman during the day, but protects the galaxy at night!" Zack told us enthusiastically and I saw Lightning chuckle next to me.

"They both suck," I said as Zack threw his arm around me, trying to ruffle up my hair. "Let's give you some love, you grumpy little thing."

I broke out of his grip with a 'humph.' Lightning surveyed the two seriously, like she was actually evaluating the two.

"The task was to build a snowman right? Well, you guys get points for creativity but you built a snow-bot. These guys completed the task well, so. I am going with Team Vanille." She threw one of her hands in Vanille's direction like a referee. "Alright, I am going back inside." She turned around without a second thought and started walking back.

Zack quickly picked up some snow, rolling it in his hand.

"Zack don't-" My warning was too late. The ball collided with the back of Lightning's pink head, breaking as the powder fell off, some of it sticking to her hair. A loud grunt escaped her but she continued walking.

"Let me show you how it's done," Aerith challenged before rolling a bigger ball and throwing it at Lightning too. Lightning spun around, seething as she shouted at the group.

"You asked for it!" She glared angrily as she started to roll a snowball in her hands. I chuckled as everyone panicked, running around and taking cover. I didn't know Lightning was this threatening, she just looked damn cute to me.

While I was spacing out, Lightning's ball landed on my face and I fell back with the sheer force of the hit. Laughter echoed around me, but a shriek was heard when Lightning got her next victim, Vanille, who now lay in the snow next to me.

"Oh my god, you've unleashed a monster you two!" Serah shouted as she dodged Lightning's next attack, blaming Zack and Aerith who were hiding behind a pine tree now.

I cracked my knuckles loudly, growling as I decided to return the favor. I chased Lightning, ball at the ready, waiting for the right moment to strike. When I found her cornered, I threw the ball at her. She tried to dodge but slipped on the snow, falling sideways. The ball hit her in the shoulder and she grabbed her shoulder where it hit, laughing without holding back.

She quickly tried to retaliate, but her former victim Vanille came down on her head with a big block of snow. Hope tackled Vanille on the floor, coming to Lightning's rescue. He helped Lightning up, but Zack and Aerith's snowballs shot them down again.

"You guys are the worst!" Lightning shouted, smiling fully. I helped her up to her feet. She shook the snow out of her hair. "You're no better, Strife! I hate this!"

Her words didn't match her expression. She seemed like she was truly having fun. I was entranced by her, how beautiful her face looked as small snowflakes danced around us in the air. It had started snowing again. Her cheeks and nose were flushed red in the cold, standing out against the rest of her pale skin. She was out of breath and disheveled, but she looked like she was having the time of her life.

A snowball hit me in the back with full force and I fell on top of Lightning, crushing her underneath me.

"Sorry," I apologized as Zack cackled in the background.

"THE FENG SHUI IS WITH ME!"

Lightning wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a quick kiss. She broke the kiss before the others could notice as she said only to me, "I lied. I think I can get used to this."

"Help, incoming!" Hope screamed as we both rolled away, missing Zack's next snowball.

"Let's show him who is boss," Lightning and I began working on our mega ball as Fang and Vincent tried to take Zack down.

Just like that, everything felt right. I took a second and looked around at the group as Lightning flung the mega ball towards Zack. Aerith took the hit, falling dramatically as the others continued to laugh.

When we were away from everything, we could let loose like this. I knew the road ahead would be full of obstacles. My family was the biggest one, but I felt ready. As long as Lightning was with me, I felt like I could do anything.

Just when did I start feeling this way about her?

"Strife!" Her voice was cheerful. Lightning's hair had come undone, flying in the wind. That smile was contagious, I thought as I smiled back. Zack tackled me to the floor, and tried to hit me with a snowball but missed. I grabbed some snow from next to me and slapped it on the side of his head. Lightning ran towards us as she tackled him from the back, climbing on top of him and smacking his head with a snowball. Zack stood up with Lightning still on his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck to stop herself from sliding off. He slid his hands under her knees and held her up.

Aerith ran up to us and wrapped her arms around one of mine.

"Picture perfect!" Vanile shouted as she placed her phone on a chair, setting it up on an auto-timer.

"Smile, frowny and broody!" Zack hoisted Lightning up a little bit higher. Fang and Vincent caught up with us, standing on Zack's other side, holding hands. Snow stood next to Aerith, Serah leaning against him. Hope crouched in front of us. Vanille pressed the button and ran over to join him, crouching as well as she held up a peace sign.

"Feng shui on three!" Zack shouted as we all laughed uncontrollably, trying to say the words without falling on the floor laughing.

"1...2...3...Feng shui!" We all screamed together as the camera went off with a click.


A/N: Snowball fight! XD I am sorry I couldn't resist. Plus Lightning is so competitive I thought it'd be a nice touch. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Suggestions are always welcome. Until next time. ^^