A/N: Thank you ATK1734 and Lumina for your awesome reviews. I am glad you enjoyed the proposal! ^^ Today's chapter is just a big, happy drinking party, Secret Santa, a Christmas date, and our very own favorite Pokemon Yazoo's birthday XD Lightning needs to redeem herself for that horrible 'thank you', so our favorite couple will make some progress today. XD Hope you like it, here's chapter 28! :)

CHAPTER XXVIII.

First Christmas


Cloud

A loud bang erupted just as we had finished taking our photo, and colors splashed over the sky. I noticed the couples around us kissing, and I gulped, peeking at the pink haired girl. She had noticed too, and was staring at her feet awkwardly.

After a few seconds her eyes nervously met mine, and I leaned in slowly, careful not to scare her away. To my surprise she took a step towards me, placed her hand on the back of my neck and pulled me into a kiss. Our lips moved slowly against each other's, and I wrapped my arms around her small waist, unable to tear myself away from her soft ones.

"Ahem…" Vanille snapped a photo as Serah loudly cleared her throat. We both parted quickly, and ignored the burning gazes of the others.

Lightning was blushing, but the color on her cheeks faded and she nodded to herself like she remembered something. "Hey, Zack," she called and my blue haired best friend quickly parted from Aerith, walking over to her. She gestured with her hand for him to come closer, and he bent slightly. Lightning whispered something in his ear, before showing a full smirk. Zack nodded happily, holding a thumbs up to her.

"Guys, it's Christmas Eve! We should do something!" Serah suggested and everyone seemed to agree. Both the bars we frequented were fully packed, so we walked around hopelessly for a bit.

"I know a place. My coworker took me there one time," Lighting told us as we continued unsuccessfully to search for a bar that was not at full capacity.

"Lead the way~!" Aerith pointed in a random direction. Lightning nodded, walking ahead of the group. Aerith linked arms with her, and Zack took over her other side quickly, throwing his arm around her shoulders. Watching the three of them walk together like this, as the lights endlessly danced around them... I thought back to the times each of them had saved me, and how much I loved them.

Love.

I remembered the words I had said to Lightning, and hoped that there would be some time tonight when I could bring it up with her. When we got to the alley, most of the bars were full there too, except one. It was at the far end, and Lighting led us there, waving to the owner as she stepped in.

"Merry Christmas!" He was wearing a Santa costume, and Lightning just nodded back in response.

"Sorry, we're kind of a big group. Can we squeeze in?" She asked.

"If you don't mind standing," he said before removing the chairs from the counter so we had standing space. We all got inside and ordered a bottle of champagne.

"First round's on-" I was about to offer but Lightning beat me to it, paying for the bottle before any of us even had the chance to take our coats and jackets off.

"Dude, no… you've done too much already," Zack stopped her but she just shook her head.

"You should be happy. I am enabling you drunkards tonight. Drink as much as you want," she smirked as Tifa threw her arms around the pinkette.

"I want to see you get drunk! Just once in my life!" She pouted and Lightning shrugged.

"Impossible, but do your best."

"Humph!" Tifa imitated Lightning, and we all laughed as the owner handed her the bottle. "Okay guys, we're opening this thing!" Tifa announced before expertly twisting the cap open. The cork flew out with a loud pop and some of the other girls squealed and took a step back. The owner slid glasses to us over the counter, and Tifa filled them up. We each took a glass, and toasted to Zack and Aerith.

The door jingled open, and a loud "Merry Christmas, yo!" greeted the owner. Lightning and Tifa both waved at the redhead who walked in. He paused, surprised to see our whole group there. "Wow, you sold out my secret place, Farron." He rubbed his hands together in the cold. "Hey, think you have room for four more?"

"Do you mind…?" Tifa asked Zack and he just shook his head.

"Come on in!" She invited them in with a warm smile. The bald guy who always followed Reno around dipped at the entrance, walking in, hands in his pockets. He was followed by a short, blonde girl, and finally Tseng. All of them were wearing suits.

"Tseng!" Aerith smiled as we all adjusted around the counter to make space for her to move. Lightning's back softly collided against mine, and I took the chance to hold her waist in place against me. She leaned back further, and my arms slipped around her waist.

"I'm getting married~!" Aerith held up her ring finger, and Tseng's eyes reluctantly traveled over to me.

"Which one?" He asked.

"Zack!" She punched his shoulder and he nodded, now facing Zack.

They started a silent glaring competition, and Aerith pouted at my best friend. He sighed in defeat, walking over to Tseng and reluctantly sticking out his hand. Tseng took it, and they both proceeded to break each other's fingers.

"Men…. I swear!" Aerith protested loudly as they eased, but neither broke the handshake.

"You better take care of her."

Zack grit his teeth, trying to smile. "Always have, always will."

"Tseng, buy us champagne~" Aerith snaked her arm around his and he finally let go of Zack's hand.

"Sure. Anything you want." He replied, and I watched Zack sigh again, holding Aerith's free hand.

"I have never seen Tseng like that." Lighting observed, as Aerith said something to him and he laughed in response.

"He's pretty close with Aerith," I told her as she watched them quietly.

"Right, guys," she waved her hand to get everyone's attention. "I work with these guys at the security office. This is Rude, that's Elena, this useless one is Reno, and the one at the counter is my boss, Tseng," Lightning introduced them to us.

"I can guarantee you I'm not useless," Reno waved both his hands in front of him. I chuckled as Lightning ignored him.

"You guys already know Zack Fair and Aerith soon-to-be Fair," Lightning paused as Aerith cupped her own cheeks with both hands to control the blush spreading on her face. "This is the Dean's son-"

"Hope." Elena finished as Rude passed her a glass.

"Right. That's Vanille, Fang, Vincent, Snow, my sister, Serah-" she made the introductions one by one, "Yeul, Noel, and obviously everyone knows Tifa," she smiled at the brunette. "And um…"

I shifted uncomfortably as Lightning began fidgeting as well. "This blondie over here is-"

"Cloud Strife. Yeah, we know who he is, alright," Elena smirked in our direction and I looked away.

"-My boyfriend," the pink haired girl added it like an afterthought, but just hearing those two words made me smile.

"Look at this dork… he can't stop smiling," Tifa pointed out and I quickly wiped the smile off my face. Lightning cleared her throat before continuing.

"Yeah so, that's everyone. Enjoy," she said monotonously as Tifa poured the champagne Tseng just bought in all our glasses one by one.

We stayed there for several hours, and I waited patiently as Lightning moved around, talking to everyone. Tifa refilled my empty glass again, swaying side to side. "Don't forget to talk to her," she reminded me.

"I want to, but…" I watched the Turks surround her next.

Tifa wobbled, and I steadied her with both hands.

"I got her," Reno was suddenly next to us, and I gripped Tifa protectively.

"I got her." I insisted, glaring at the redhead.

"I got her," Lightning rolled her eyes, striding over to us and yanking Tifa away from us both. "Oi, you were getting me drunk, what happened?" She spoke to the giggling brunette.

"Oh yeah!" Tifa smiled, throwing her arms around Lightning. "Let's get you wasted~"

"Oh boy," Hope walked over with a brand new bottle of champagne, and Tifa started refilling Lightning's glass.

"Bottoms up~!"

Lightning just shot it back, and Tifa refilled her glass again.

"Slow down, Farron," I warned but the pink haired girl proudly shot back the next glass too.

"That's my girl!" Tifa hugged Lightning even tighter, who just groaned in response.

"I'll end up drinking this by myself," she sighed, indulging Tifa quietly. Just as Lightning had predicted, she ended up being forced to drink the whole bottle.

"You're all alcoholics…" she complained as Tifa sighed in disappointment.

"You look fine…"

"I told you, Tifa. You can't get me drunk on this," she snaked her arm around Tifa's waist as the brunette flailed around.

"Some more~!" The Tifa and Aerith chorus resumed, and I looked helplessly over to Zack for back up.

"Some more~!" Zack joined in as the owner brought out more bottles with a loud laugh.

"Thanks a lot," I narrowed my eyes at him but he just patted my back.

"It's Christmas Eve, dude! Live a little."

"Fine, what the hell. Give me some more," I stuck my glass out in the front as Aerith poured in the champagne.

"Go Cloud!" She cheered as I shot it back.

"And Cloud Strife makes a solid entry, folks!" Vanille announced, holding up an invisible microphone to her lips. "But Lightning Farron takes another shot, and we're excited to see whose liver will fail first-" Hope smacked her head lightly with his fist, and the gang burst into laughter.

"Again," Lightning and I said in unison.

"Why are we drinking?" I tried to ask her, but she was in the competition zone.

"Drink drink drink!" Vanille and Serah giggled as Aerith emptied the bottle in our glasses.

"Back off, Strife. You can't win this," Lightning warned me and I smirked, clicking my tongue.

"Don't regret it tomorrow morning, Farron."

We both glared at each other as we continued the meaningless competition. The rest of the group was also keeping up with us, until Noel waved the white flag.

"Sorry guys, I can't get Yeul any more drunk than this. Caius."

"Should I walk you guys out?" Lightning offered but he shook his head.

"No, thanks for offering. Take care kids, see you tomorrow!"

Snow steadied a swaying Serah and Vanille as well, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well, I think these girls are just about done for the night too."

"I'll help," Hope grumbled as Vanille threw her arms around his neck.

"You're such a gentleman~"

"I swear to god Vanille…" he glared at her, before sliding his arms around her waist. "Sorry everyone, see you tomorrow."

"Take care of Serah," Lighting's icy tone could cause a blizzard. Snow gulped, nodding quickly.

"I am out," Fang drank the last glass and sat it down. "Got things to do," she smirked at Vincent who took the cue and immediately emptied his glass.

"Good night!" Aerith waved at them.

"We should get going too… Tseng?" Elena nudged him, glaring at Aerith for some reason.

"See you after winter break, Farron," Tseng extended his hand, and she straightened up before shaking it back firmly.

"I'm staying with this one," Reno pointed at Tifa and the other Turks nodded, waving at us.

"Merry Christmas Tseng~!" Aerith waved back and the male smiled at her softly.

"Merry Christmas," he replied before disappearing out the door.

"It's already Christmas, huh…" Tifa checked the smart watch on Lightning's wrist. "Wow… you have really soft hands."

"Thanks, drunkie," Lightning chuckled, jerking her neck in Reno's direction. "Can I trust you to take her back safely?"

"Of course, yo." He glanced at me and I awkwardly looked away. If Lightning trusted him, I had no reason not to.

"Fine." She replied, pushing Tifa's hair back, out of her face. "Oi, Tifa. Get back safely, alright?"

"Okay~" Tifa pecked her cheek, but Lightning didn't seem to mind. "And don't come back tonight, the room will be busssyyy~"

"I sure as hell hope not," Lightning glared again at Reno, and he waved at her dismissively.

"Chill out, Farron. I am sure she'll pass out as soon as we get back."

When it was just the four of us left, the owner brought out the stools, lining them up by the counter. We finally sat down after hours of standing, sighing in relief as the tiredness hit us.

Are you guys moving out next semester?" I asked Zack, who was currently drinking slowly from his glass. With just us, the pace slowed down considerably - and I was glad. Zack smiled brightly, pulling out a key from his pocket and dangling it in front of me.

"What?! Zack!" Aerith was as surprised as I was.

"Yep. It's right by the west gate. Just a regular apartment, nothing fabulous. Light helped me with the deposit."

"Light! Thank you!" Aerith called out to the pinkette over the counter.

"No worries. I sold a house before moving here," she told Aerith casually as she took a sip. "The interest triples if you're divorced, so stay together," she joked, pouring me another drink.

"We'll need help decorating the place, so… if you guys have time after tomorrow?" Zack asked, looking between us.

"I am good for tomorrow too," Lightning added before tilting her head as her eyes met mine. "Right Strife? Evening plans?"

Crap. I completely forgot to plan our date.

"Yeah, the afternoon should be fine," I answered. I quickly pulled out my phone, going through restaurants in the area. Everything was fully booked until after the new year.

"Busy?" Lightning asked in a soft voice.

"No," I pocketed my phone, taking her hand in mine. Both our hands were warm, and I guessed it was all the champagne we drank.

"I want to to talk," I whispered, waiting.

"Me too," Lightning nodded, craning her neck to witness Aerith and Zack kissing passionately again. Her cheeks heated up, and I tried to ignore the two behind me. "Right, Zack, Aerith, we're out," she said as she got up.

They broke their kiss, and Aerith grabbed her hand quickly.

"Call me Aerith again~" she teased and Lighting rolled her eyes.

"Don't get too used to it," she joked as she broke free of Aerith's grip gently and slipped on her jacket.

"It kinda turns me on~" Aerith laughed, and I threw my arm around Lightning.

"Get your own Farron."

"Wow, Cloud. Look at you!" Aerith poked me in the forehead, laughing even louder. "Have fun tonight~" she said suggestively as we both blushed again.

"Right… see ya, Zack." Lightning hugged Zack, and I followed suit.

It was nice to be finally out of the tiny space, even though it had been fun celebrating Zaerith with everyone. Lightning seemed fine, but her face was very flushed.

"Are you alright?"

"Humph." I didn't ask her again, but took her hand in mine. I slipped our hands inside the pocket of my jacket, and we began strolling around leisurely. It was past midnight, but it had only gotten more crowded.

"What did you do last Christmas?" I asked her, just to end the silence, not that I minded it when I was with her.

"Work," Lightning replied, taking in the scenery. The lights reflected in her aqua blue eyes, and she smiled a little.

"What do you want to do tomorrow?" I asked, breaking her out of her trance.

"Right… anything's fine. We could watch a movie, or play video games."

"You're very low maintenance. No fancy dinners or lavish gifts?" I teased and the pink haired girl smirked, meeting my eyes.

"Please. All of that is overrated. Just somewhere - anywhere, is fine. As long as it's with you."

We both broke eye contact, choosing to examine random stalls as we walked. My heart was beating faster, and I guessed it was the same for the girl next to me.

"About last night…" She started carefully, and I didn't look at her to give her space. "I am really sorry for the way I acted."

"I am not angry," I told her, and she tightened her grip around my fingers.

"Well, you should be."

"Well, I am not," I repeated, pausing as I faced her. "I meant what I said. And I'll wait for you to say it back. If it's pressure then… I won't say it until you're ready."

Lightning nodded, but disappointment was obvious on her face. "Thanks… Strife."

"Cloud."

"Huh?" She blushed and I leaned in close to her lips. "Is it too early to call me Cloud?"

"I- mmn," our lips came together briefly, but I ended the kiss, remembering we were out in public.

"I'm… working on it," she answered when I backed away from her.

We walked hand in hand back to campus, and somehow ended up in front of my room. "Stay with me tonight," I offered and Lightning accepted it with a nod. I let her shower first, and gave her a pair of my pajamas to change into. They were baggy on her, and she looked adorable as her hands disappeared into the long sleeves.

"Thanks…" she mumbled as she caught me staring at her.

"I'll be quick," I told her before heading in. It only took fifteen minutes, but when I came out of the room Lightning was already curled up in my covers, breathing peacefully. I chuckled, climbing in bed next to her. Pulling her against me, I felt a warmth spreading inside me. I was drowning it in, and the sweet scent of her drove me further into that feeling. I couldn't recall another time I had been this happy, and couldn't believe that it took just one girl to bring this much joy to my life.

I nuzzled her neck. Lightning moaned softly, squirming.

"Sorry," I whispered, closing my eyes as I buried my face in her neck, cuddling with her tightly. I really wished she would still be here when I woke up, and the thought that she might not be kept me up for some time, before exhaustion got the best of me.


Lightning

When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find the bed empty. I looked around and found Zack snoring away in his. I chuckled, unlocking my phone.

Fenrir: Something came up. I'll be back before dinner.

I sighed, throwing my head back against the pillow and closing my eyes. It smelled like Cloud, and I felt instantly lonely… So much for not being a clingy girlfriend. I sighed, shooting up in bed. Rubbing my eyes, I looked through the news to see if something was up there. I googled his name, but nothing came up except the news about the shares. I tried again with Jenova Group, and an article updated last night popped up. I clicked on it, reading through the text.

Jenova Group's youngest heir, Yazoo, will be celebrating his 20th birthday on December 25. The family is to gather at their country club for a private afternoon party. Celebrations will continue until the late evening in different establishments around town for the 20 year old.

Since Zack was still asleep, I decided to go back to my room. Tifa was awake, lounging around in her pajamas with a cup of hot tea.

"Cloud's pajamas?" She scanned me and I nodded.

"Nothing happened," I told her before she could start interrogating me.

"Well, I had a lot of fun~" she laughed as I showed her a disgusted expression.

"It's disturbing because it's Reno."

"It's sexy because it's Reno. You just don't see it because you're dating a dork."

"Well, my dork is pretty sexy too," I defended as Tifa rolled her eyes, watching me change into black ripped jeans and a thick black, round neck sweater.

"You're going over to Zack's new place?" She asked as I slipped on my leather gloves and jacket.

"Later, I am stopping by somewhere real quick first."

"Alright!" She chirped happily, finishing her drink as she waved me off. I took the hour-long train to the neighboring city, and when I arrived I noticed that it was buzzing even more than our small campus town. Christmas songs blasted off every speaker in the city. I noticed a huge banner that read Happy birthday, Yazoo! It was hanging right outside the train station. When the news said every establishment would be celebrating his birthday, they weren't kidding. I looked around the stores, finding a vintage one close to the record shop I had been to a few times.

I looked through the items there, and couldn't really think of anything specific. I didn't know much about the teenager, except that he was an excellent shooter. I recalled his shooting gloves, and started looking for something more casual. Finding a pair of black, long, fingerless handwarmers, I went to the cashier and bought them. He packaged them in a simple brown envelope for me, and I wrote a note, borrowing a piece of tape to stick it on top of the envelope.

I didn't know where to find him, and didn't really have his number. So I walked to Pulse, the only place I had seen him at before. Big recognized me, and he quickly opened the door. "Young Miss!"

"Uh... '' I was not used to being called 'Young Miss', but it was too much effort to correct him. "Is Yazoo here?"

"Master Yazoo is at the country club. Shall I call him for you?"

"No, it's fine," I answered, looking around the empty club. An incredible number of people had gathered to set it up. "You know what? Can you just pass this to him when he comes in?" I handed him the brown envelope and he looked at it curiously, flipping it. "It's not a bomb or anything," I clarified as Big nodded apologetically at me.

"Of course, Young Miss! I will pass it on to him as soon as I see him."

"Thanks, see ya." I waved at Big, making my way around the city. Might as well look around, I thought, since I had some free time on my hands. My phone buzzed, and I got a message from Tifa.

Tixfa: Light, we're doing Secret Santa! Pick a number between 1 to 13.

I typed back a response.

Lightning Farron: 1.

A few minutes later, Tifa replied.

Tixfa: You got Hope! Meet us at six to exchange presents before dinner!

I sighed, looking around the city. Great, last minute present. I went back into the vintage store, looking through the items. There must be something here...

I ended up buying two presents, one for Hope and one for the blonde. Receiving two more brown envelopes, I grabbed an iced coffee and got back on the train. I was already feeling tired when I rang Zack's apartment bell, but I wanted to help as promised.

"Hey Light!" The door flung open. Aerith greeted me, eyes shining as always. I chuckled as she stepped away to let me in. The empty apartment was full of boxes and flowers.

"That's a lot…" I noticed the mini...jungle that Aerith had created.

"Sorry," she grinned, scratching her cheek nervously. "I got carried away for the balcony-garden."

"Right… How can I help?" I asked as Aerith handed me a tool box.

"There's this stuff… but I don't know what to do…" she pointed at a strange... collage of wood.

"Is that… Did you assemble that?" I asked as I looked over the failed project.

"I t-tried my best!" She defended and I nodded, waving my hand at her.

"I'm not blaming you. Anyway, let me take care of this," I took off my gloves and threw them in my bag. It was just the two of us. Aerith worked on setting up her garden and I assembled the furniture. The bell rang half an hour later, and all the guys in our group entered, throwing their coats in a corner.

"Damn, my dude's already working hard!" Zack passed me an energy drink and I took it gratefully.

"I'm done with the chairs and the table. You guys can do the bed and the sofa," I directed as everyone broke into mini-groups.

"You're really good at this stuff," Hope smiled as he helped me carry the table into the kitchen.

"The instructions were pretty simple," I replied, setting the table and chairs down. "Alright Hope, help me with the TV."

The two of us worked with the wiring, and it was already early evening by the time we managed to assemble and set up everything. The bell rang again, this time it was Serah and Vanille carrying a huge frame.

"Yay! It's here!" Aerith excitedly clapped her hands together.

"What is?" I looked over the frame as the girls turned it around. It was the feng shui group photo we took at the cottage on our trip.

"Perfect!" Aerith smiled as Vanille and Serah set it down. "Tall humans, help please~!"

Vincent, Snow and Zack grabbed the frame. I hammered two nails in the wall, and they hung it in the living room.

"PIZZA DUDE IS IN THE BUILDING!" Vanille screamed as the doorbell rang. The pizza guy took a step back and Hope pushed her aside gently.

"Stop scaring him," he scolded, taking out his wallet and paying for our food. We all sat on the floor, tired from all the labor. I checked my phone again, sending a text to Cloud. Just as I had pressed 'send', the doorbell rang again. Hope opened the door, and the blonde entered, shaking off the snow.

"Sorry," he said automatically as he saw the fully furnished apartment. "Good job," he praised us, slipping out of his long coat. Inside, he was wearing a sleek navy blue suit with a matching vest, and a light blue shirt. He loosened up his tie, tiredly sitting down next to me.

"Good job," I repeated as he reached for a slice.

He thanked me with a silent nod, glaring at Tifa. "You're last minute."

I chuckled as Tifa blushed, nodding apologetically. "Sorry… we were all working on the flash mob so I totally forgot about Secret Santa this year…"

"That flash mob was so cool. You guys are the best!" We all smiled back at Aerith. Dinner was fast, and Serah and I helped with the clean up. We all settled on the floor again and Zack brought out a bottle of wine. He poured us each a glass, and we raised it for a Christmas toast.

We set the glasses down as Tifa pulled out the list. "Okay, let's start! Fang, go!" She started off the gift exchange, and the girl passed a box to Zack.

"Dude!" Zack opened it quickly and showed us all the colorful cupcakes. "I love this bakery! Thanks!"

Fang smirked in response. "Sure thing."

"Alright, Aerith, go!"

"Merry Christmas, Cloud!" She was smiling cheek to cheek as she passed a very small envelope to him. The blonde took it quietly, opening it with his fingers. He blushed, glaring at Aerith.

"Seriously?"

"Please, you'll need it someday!"

Judging by Cloud's embarrassment, I dared not ask what was in it.

Tifa somehow knew what it was, and she burst into laughter. Finally calming down after a few minutes, she called out for the next person. "Serah!"

"Merry Christmas, Tifa!" Serah handed Tifa a rather large, fancy looking bag.

"Awww, lingerie? You shouldn't have!" She smiled, moving over to hug my sister. "Thank you!"

"No problem!" Serah smiled as she sat back down, drinking from her glass.

"Okay, Noel!"

"Merry Christmas, Serah!" Noel beamed, going over to another room. He brought out a huge box and set it down. Serah quickly undid the ribbons, cut off the tape and opened it. Inside was a life sized teddy bear, similar to the one Tifa had.

"YOU DIDN'T!"

"I did!" Noel chucked as Serah hugged him tightly.

"Alright, Yeul!"

The blue haired girl shyly passed an envelope to Vincent. "Um, it's a gift card. I wasn't sure what to get…"

"Thanks." Vincent held it up for us to see before pocketing it. "I guess I'll go next." He passed a bag over to Snow. Snow quickly opened it, pulling out a warm beanie.

"Aw man, thanks!"

"I'll go next!" Tifa passed me a huge bag. "Merry Christmas, roomie~!"

"Dude… no…" I looked through the… outrageous tops inside.

"Fang helped pick these out. We figured your wardrobe needs a serious revamp."

"A coffee gift card would have been fine… but thanks," I sighed as the two girls flashed me suggestive smiles. I wouldn't want to be caught dead in any of these…

"Can I go next?" I asked as Tifa nodded. I took out the envelope, passing it to the silver haired male.

"Light? Whaaat!" Hope ripped it open. "It's perfect!" He smiled as he observed the retro keychain.

"Your Mercedes keys deserve a good one," I said and he beamed at me, pulling out his car keys and swapping his old keychain with the one I gifted him. When he finished, he took out an envelope and passed it to Aerith.

"Merry Christmas future Mrs. Fair!"

Aerith blushed, taking it from his hand and going through it. It was a collection of the memories we had accumulated as a group.

"They're all from Vanille's phone but… thought you might want to hang them up or something."

Aerith smiled at the thoughtful gift. "Thank you, Hope!"

"I got something right here for my buddy," Zack threw a small envelope and Vanille caught it, excitedly looking though it.

"Movie tickets… for two?" She asked as Zack winked at her, jerking his neck in Hope's direction, who wasn't looking, thankfully.

Vanille blushed, before showing him a thumbs up with a toothy smile. "Where's my homegirl at?" She passed a shopping bag to Fang.

"Oh…. you did not," Fang smirked, showing us a beautiful red dress. "Vanille… Thank you."

"I don't know anyone who'll look as nice as you in that!" Vanille smiled, nodding at her.

"Okay, Snow, it's your turn." Tifa told him, checking people off one by one.

Snow passed Yeul exotic looking peacock earrings. "Sorry we didn't have time to wrap them, but Serah helped me choose."

"So… cute!" Yeul excitedly took them, putting them on instantly. "How do I look?"

"Great!" Serah smiled as all eyes fell back on Tifa.

"Okay Cloud, you're last." She told the blonde, who was leaning back on his elbows. He straightened up, before giving a small envelope to Noel.

"Wow, from the man himself. I am honored," Noel took it, peering inside. "Okay, wow. This is really cool." Inside were two tickets for an exhibition. "Dude… I have been trying to get these for months…"

"You liked museums so, I just got them on my way here." Cloud told Noel, who was almost on the verge of tears.

"Thanks, Cloud!"

"I think that's everyone," Tifa looked over the list, double checking it. "Yep, it's a wrap! So feel free to go on your Christmas dates and everything."

I glanced sideways and found that Cloud was already looking my way. He nodded as we both got to our feet. "I'll come back tomorrow to help," I told Zack and Aerith as I took turns to hug them.

"Merry Christmas!" The group waved at us. I followed Cloud out of the apartment, closing the door behind me.

"So… where to?" Cloud took my hand, pocketing it in his coat. "I uh… well, there's a place. It's not amazing or anything."

"Strife, it's fine," I reassured him and he started walking. We walked for a long time, cut through campus to the north gate, and then walked some more. I didn't mind. Even though it was cold, all the noise around me sort of uplifted my mood.

"It's our first Christmas like this…" I told him as we walked hand in hand, passing by large groups of people. "I was always working and… I guess I left Serah alone."

"You want to head back?" He asked me out of consideration, and I shook my head.

"Nope. Serah's not little anymore. She doesn't want to spend it with her sister. She probably wants to spend it with her boyfriend… and…" I paused, feeling hot under his gaze. "I want to spend it with mine."

Cloud blushed as well, looking away at the city lights. "What about you?" I asked for a change of topic.

"Christmas… It's just a regular day for me. Always had… something going on. But Cid always bought us all a cake, and forced us to cut it together, when we were little at least. Over time we all grew apart, and started shooting at each other, so I guess he gave up."

"I am sorry," I said softly, squeezing his hand inside the warm pocket of his coat. I admired his attire before complimenting him. "You look really hot in a suit."

Cloud smirked, staring at me. "Do I?"

"Yep, you should wear it more often," I smiled, before remembering Tifa's present. "What am I going to do with all of these…"

"Just wear them," Cloud suggested but I could only groan in annoyance.

"Wearing these is like… I might as well be naked."

"I know one guy who wouldn't mind that."

"Are you flirting with me?" I raised an eyebrow at him, laughing lightly.

"I'm trying. How am I doing so far?"

"Surprisingly… very well." We stopped in front of a small bar. You could barely tell it was even a bar, save a single small sign awkwardly sticking out from a window on the second floor. I followed Cloud up the narrow staircase. It was a dimly lit LP bar, with endless shelves of records behind the counter. There were a few seats at the counter itself, and a few small tables next to the many windows on the left. Cool jazz was playing, and there was a faint scent of lavender lingering in the air. Two other couples currently occupied two of the tables. Cloud led me to the counter, where an old couple currently stood, polishing glasses.

"Merry Christmas, guys."

"Cloud Strife! Never thought we'd see your face around here again," the old man pushed down his glasses to the bridge of his nose, scanning me.

"And wow, you brought a girl." The old woman excitedly wiped the counter and gestured for us to take our seats.

"My girlfriend," Cloud introduced me to the couple, and I nodded awkwardly, shaking their hands.

"Hi. Lighting Farron."

"Cloud and Lighting… now that's a match made in heaven," the old woman joked, leaning over the counter. "So my dear, what would you like to drink?" She asked me in a motherly voice.

"Um…" I looked over at Cloud who just smiled at her. "Scotch, neat."

My eyes traveled to the records, and I couldn't help but try to read their names. The old man noticed my curious gaze, and waved at me to get my attention. "Want to come over here and have a look?"

"Is that okay?" I asked quickly - too quickly - feeling embarrassed as Cloud chuckled at my enthusiasm. The old man nodded and I went behind the counter, going through the records slowly.

"Can you play this?" I pulled out one and handed it to him.

"This is at least twenty years before you were born," he laughed, patting my back. "Good choice. You want to give it a spin?"

"May I?"

"Go ahead, dear."

I carefully set the record in place, amazed by the antique player in front of me. I had only seen this one in movies. A soft song played as jazz filled up the room once more, and I went back to reclaim my seat next to the blonde.

"Where did you find one like this?" The old woman teased, smiling as she passed us our drinks.

"I got really lucky," he said coolly, holding my hand over the counter.

"Well, take your time," she beamed at us again before withdrawing to the back of the bar with her husband.

"This is… so perfect," I told Cloud as the liquid burned the back of my throat. It warmed me up, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the music.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Do you come here a lot?"

"I used to. Only a few people know about this place, so I came here when I wanted to get away from everything. It's nice being able to… not talk."

I smiled, picking up my glass. "You're pretty talkative right now." He nodded and I took a sip of my drink. "I know what you mean. I don't talk much either, so this is nice." I hesitated, stirring the drink before knocking it down. "Strife… I stopped by Pulse today."

"Why?" Cloud took a sip, looking around the bar. There was a comfortable silence between us. He took his time and finished his drink. I had finished mine long before him, and the old woman quietly refilled our glasses.

"I saw the news. Dropped off a present for Yazoo."

"You know, he won't hesitate a second to pull the trigger if Mother asks him to." Cloud told me calmly.

"You're not angry." I said, caressing his hand. It wasn't a question.

"No. You seem to have a bond with him."

"Not really…" I thought about it silently, drinking from the chilled glass. "He's a little different from your other brothers."

"It's fine, Farron. I get it. It's good of you to do something nice like that."

"Well… thanks for being so gracious about it," I told him, looking through my bag. "I actually, um, got you something too."

Cloud smiled slightly, setting down his glass. I noticed how his last finger propped on the smooth counter as he lowered his glass gracefully to it - without making a sound. I hesitated, took a deep breath and handed him the small envelope.

"It's vintage. But nothing… great. Don't expect too much."

"I am getting used to your little disclaimers," he laughed and I couldn't help but laugh back. He opened it gently, taking out the antique wolf studs.

"I noticed that the one you wear is really old… so I just... I mean, you don't have to wear it."

Cloud silently removed the studs in his ears, replacing them with my gift. "I actually got you something too…"

I blushed, waving my hand dismissively. "You didn't have to-" Cloud didn't let me finish, pulling out a box from his left pocket.

"Very sneaky…" I observed as I remembered how I had tried to walk on his other side, but he had guided me to the right. He looked nervous as he flipped the box open. Inside was a delicate necklace, and a lightning bolt shaped pendant hung from it. The diamonds sparkled brightly, and my mouth just hung open in awe.

"Strife… I can't accept that."

"Don't worry, it's not my family's money. I used to work a lot when I was younger and saved up, just didn't have anything - or anyone - to spend it on before." I opened my mouth to say something, but Cloud slowly pushed my hair back. He opened the necklace clasp, and leaned in close as he draped it around my neck. My hair grazed his cheek, and he pushed it aside to kiss my cheek when he was done. "Merry Christmas… Farron."

"Thanks…." I mumbled, squeezing his hand again. We looked into each other's eyes, and I struggled to say the words I knew he deserved to hear.

"Take your time," he said softly, and I hated how he read my mind so easily.

We had a few more drinks, promising the old couple that we'll visit again. "That was a really nice date," I told him, wrapping my arms around one of his in a bold display. Cloud placed a kiss on my forehead, smiling.

"I am glad you enjoyed yourself. Want to buy a cake?"

"A cake…?" I asked as we started walking around again.

"Yeah, let me show you something funny." He pulled up his phone and tilted it towards me. I read through the messages he had received from both girls.

Aerith: Take her somewhere romantic!

Tixfa: Don't forget the Christmas cake! Every girl needs DAT CAKE!

I laughed out loud and Cloud reacted the exact same way. "You heard her. Every girl needs dat cake, Strife."

"Guess I have to."

We walked to the nearest bakery and lined up outside. It took a while for us to get the cake, and Cloud decided on cheesecake because we both hated sweet things.

"I actually love cheesecake," I told him as I complimented his choice.

"And you love records," he reminded me, grinning playfully.

"That… I do." I smiled even wider, unable to hold back all this happiness he gave me. "What about you? Tell me what you love, so I can blow your mind away on our next date." Cloud fell silent, blushing as he looked around once. His feet slowed down, and we both stopped as he turned to face me.

"What?" I finally asked. Cloud's eyes fluttered over to mine. He blinked slowly, his thumb gently tilting my chin up.

"You…" I gasped softly as he kissed me, slowly, gently. I squeezed the hand I was holding, tilting my head as I kissed him back eagerly. We were both blushing furiously when we parted.

"Me too…." I said in a small voice. Even if I couldn't say the words, I could at least convey my feelings to him this way. Cloud's eyes widened as he processed it, and he looked away with a happy grin on his face.

"Cl-Cloud." His expression was even more tender as I said his name, and he pulled me close, wrapping both arms securely around my waist.

"Merry Christmas..." I held his silk tie in my hand, gently pulling him close as I tugged on it. I pressed my lips against his, reveling in the warm feeling that overtook all my senses. As the snow fell slowly all around us, I just wished nothing would ever come between us… and that I could hold onto this little piece of happiness for a long, long time.


Yazoo

"Cid. Final appearance at Pulse and then I can go home," I double checked the list Mother had sent me, scrolling through it on my phone.

Since the early hours of the morning, I had been running around, following the 'birthday errand list' Mother issued every year. First, it was the stupid group photo with my brothers for the newspaper. Thankfully Sephiroth was still abroad, otherwise I'd have to put up with him too. Then I had to meet literally every person on the planet I didn't care about, but they were all involved in our business, so I had no choice. And last was this public appearance at Pulse, where so called influential people gathered every year to throw my 'birthday bash.'

What a joke…

Cid held the door open for me and I slid into the limousine, closing my eyes tiredly as I leaned back. We arrived at the club within minutes. "Stay here, I'll only pop in for twenty minutes." I told him as I exited the car.

Cameras flashed and their blinding light was disorienting. I ignored the questions hurled at me by desperate reporters, grateful as Big ran up to me. His size alone scared most people away. "Master Yazoo! Happy birthday."

"Thanks…" I mumbled as he escorted me inside. "Loz and Kadaj are here?"

"Yes. Your usual table."

"Understood. I am only here for twenty minutes. Get rid of the annoying reporters, will you?" I fought back a yawn, adjusting my long coat.

"Master… Young Miss stopped by and left this for you earlier." Big handed me a simple brown envelope. I looked over it without taking it, noticing the name of a store I had never seen.

"Just put it with all the other gifts. I don't even know who you're talking about," I told him coldly. Big gulped, but continued to hold it towards me.

"Uh… Young Miss with very… pink hair."

I paused, quickly snatching the envelope out of his hand. People began greeting me endlessly when I walked in, and I realized I wouldn't be able to open it until I finished my 'duties' for tonight. I went through the yearly greeting routine monotonously, finally sitting down on our table. My brothers were both talking to models - thankfully - and I took this chance to rip the envelope open.

Inside were long, black hand warmers. I chuckled at the gift, taking off my shooting gloves and slipping the hand warmers on. I noticed a folded note attached to the envelope and I flicked it open with my thumb.

You're not irrelevant. Happy birthday, Yazoo.

I read and re-read the note - an intense, alien feeling rising up in my chest.

"Why are you smiling like a moron?" Loz asked me, shooting back some tequila.

"That's ironic, coming from you," I tried to look how I usually did, but I couldn't stop smiling.

"You're creeping us out…" Kadaj added, and I took this as an opportunity to escape.

"Actually, I am not feeling well, so… I am going home early. Enjoy," I waved, quick to get on my feet. I could hear them both protesting in the background, but I didn't care. I banged the door shut and Cid jerked awake in the front.

"Master… welcome back," he noticed me, still smiling as I covered my mouth with my hand.

"Did something good happen, Master?" He asked me, smiling as well.

"Yes," I replied as the car started moving, and I stretched my fingers, feeling the warmth that engulfed me for the first time in as long as I could remember.


A/N: Yazoo XDD He's definitely going to be a big help in the future as well, so I wanted to build up their friendship a bit more. I don't know if you guys remember, but Yazoo said he's "essentially irrelevant" in chapter 20, so this was a reference to that! Light is so thoughtful. Also that fluffy date... my heart can't take all this romance, so I am going to bring back some depressing shit at some point XD BUT NOT TODAY.

Until the next update! ^^