sorrow; au of the game verse. sort of a continuation to 'precious treasure'

Since coming out of the rift from Valhalla, Lightning hadn't seemed to be at all like herself. At first, Hope figured it was simply from getting used to a place where time existed once again, not to mention that now, she had nothing to physically fight for. He figured that was more jarring than anything, since as long as he'd known her, Lightning had had something to focus on; something to put her life on the line for.

But now, everything was peaceful. The timeline had been restored and they were all together again - five hundred years from when they'd thought they'd be, but nobody seemed to mind.

Except Lightning.

Honestly, though, Hope couldn't tell if the time period itself was the problem. She'd made some vague comments about the incredibly advanced technology, but otherwise seemed rather subdued. She hadn't left his condo in the time they'd been here and spent most of her days staring out the window. He kept telling himself it was because she was still recovering, but as the days passed by, he became convinced it was something more.

When he came home to find her beside the window for the fifth day in a row, he decided that it was time to find out just what.

Hope approached her carefully, though it was a useless endeavor since Lightning didn't seem to notice him atall, even when he sat on the window seat ride beside her. She kept gazing out the window and not giving any acknowledgment that she knew he was there at all.

For a few minutes, he just stared at her, amazement once again taking over at the fact that she was really here. For so long - ever since he'd discovered on the Oracle Drive that she was alive - Hope had dreamed of the moment she'd be close to him again.

Though of course, his daydreams were usually a little happier than this.

"…Lightning?"

The only response he got was a slight tilt of her head. He figured that was better than nothing, so he kept talking, his tone a little hesitant.

"I realize that it's probably strange for you to be here, after your time in Valhalla, but…well, to be perfectly honest, I'm getting worried about you." He'd meant to say 'concerned', but it went far deeper than that now. "We're all really glad you came back to us. It's all we…I've been fighting for all these years. I just…"

Impulsively, he reached out and touched her wrist, frowning slightly when she immediately flinched. "Light…"

He expected her to pull her arm away, but instead, he saw that she was staring down at her wrist, where he was touching her. There was an odd expression on her face that seemed almost distraught with wonder, somehow.

"There isn't anyone in Valhalla," she said softly. Hope had to move closer in order to hear, trying not to look surprised at her tone - so unlike the steady one he'd always heard from her. "No one human, anyway. There's no time. Nothing. It's a vast eternity of nothingness."

He squeezed her wrist a little in sympathy. "Then why did you fight for so long?"

"You know me, Hope." She paused, looking up wit surprised in her eyes, like it'd just dawned on her. Yes. He knew her. "It was my reason for existing. It's been like that for a long time…or perhaps, not so long, I guess." She shook her head a little. "If anything, it was a distraction from the nothingness. It made me feel like my old self for awhile."

"Lightning - "

"It's been so long since I've felt human." To his absolute shock, he saw a tear trickle out of the corner of her eye. She squinched them shut as though to keep any more from escaping, but it didn't work. Her other hand rested on top of his. "Even just the simplest of touches from someone else…I've forgotten what it was like. It makes me wonder if I'm even human at all anymore."

"You are." Hope found himself leaning in without thinking about it, his free hand cupping Lightning's face so his thumb could brush away her tears. A nearly inaudible gasp came from her as she leaned into his hand like there was no greater comfort. "I can help you with that. I'll help to remind you about, if it's all right with you."

Her eyes opened slowly to meet his, though she didn't move except to meet his gaze - and neither did he. She needed to see it, he thought. She needed to realize that as desperately as he'd been searching for her all this while…perhaps she'd been searching for him, as well.

Shock widened his eyes for a second when she abruptly leaned up and crushed their lips together. It wasn't a kiss laced with romance or passion - much of it, anyway - but a way for them both to feel again. And Hope would make her feel like herself again.

…In whatever way she needed.