can you hear me?; what should totally be the lightning returns universe

It was a bit ridiculous to realize that doing a bunch of menial tasks could aid in saving the world. Luckily for Lightning, she didn't have much time to think. At this point, it was instinct - retrieve the treasure, kill that monster, save that person - they were all things she'd done before.

Perhaps there was something to be said for that. What was it that she'd told Hope when they'd first become partners another lifetime ago?

Still your mind. Move on instinct.

Perhaps that was why these last days didn't feel quite so urgent. She was so busy trying to save them that she never had a moment to spare a thought of just how fragile this whole situation really was.

Which was why, for the third morning - such as it was - in a row, she completely missed the clock striking six.

Honestly, it wasn't her fault. She was in the middle of an extremely intense battle, and when it was over, the adrenaline was enough to keep her going to the next task. And the next. And the next.

Battles kept her from paying attention to most of what was around her. Focus on your ultimate goal and shut out everything else. It was why she didn't say anything to Hope, even though she knew he was talking to her through the communicators.

"Light, where are you?"

"Can you hear me?"

"It's almost six-thirty!"

"C'mon, Light, answer me!"

When she finally collected the spoils from a particularly brutal battle, she finally answered, but she was already regretting it before either of them said a word.

"Light, where are you?!"

"Hope." Lightning sighed. "You should know, right?"

"I don't at the moment," he admitted, sounding a bit guilty. "I've been waiting here for a half an hour and preparing for your return."

"….Sorry." Honestly, she wasn't really feeling all that apologetic. There was no question that she was grateful to have Hope on her side - someone who, even after everything, she trusted unconditionally. Getting through all of these missions would have been extremely difficult without his advice.

But she still didn't see the advantage of reporting to him at 6A.M. - sharp! - every single morning, especially when she was on a roll.

Hope sighed in an irritated manner that, if she chose to listen carefully, was equally full of worry. "C'mon, Light. Just get here. You're late."

She heaved an annoyed noise right back. "Yes, Mr. Hope Estheim."

Even so, when they hung up their communicators, Lightning took her time finding a station to teleport up to the Ark. It was ten minutes after the call when she finally arrived, only to be greeted by his concerned expression and his hands flying out to grip her shoulders, like he was afraid she'd turn and leave if given the chance.

Frankly, his worry always startled her. Maybe because it was so strange to think that the tables had turned - a millennium ago, after all, it'd been the other way around.

His hands fell off of her shoulders a moment later, his face relaxing slightly. "Welcome back, Light."

She simply nodded in greeting. "I suppose now that I'm here, I can give you that report you're after."

"That'd be advisable," he agreed, turning and rearranging the few possessions he had here in the Ark. Most of it was stuff he could use to aide her. "But I have to ask…"

Lightning stood and waited for the rest of his sentence, but after a full minute, it still didn't come. She cocked her head a little in confusion, walking up to his side. "Ask what?"

"I…" Hope sighed and turned back to her. "…How come you don't report back to me on time anymore?"

Though she should have really expected it, the questioned still surprised Lightning. "What do you mean? I came here when you asked me to."

"I had to call for you to come yesterday as well." He met her eyes. "Six o'clock in the morning. That's what we agreed on."

"I was a little busy," she replied, wondering why she had the need to defend herself when he was right. "I think, if nothing else, I've added on a couple of hours. Anything's worth it to buy us more time and - "

She abruptly stopped speaking when Hope's arms suddenly flung around her, pulling her into a hug that gave her a strong sense of deja vu. It was when he spoke that she knew why.

"I just want to protect you," he murmured into her hair, arms tightening around her slightly. "Please, just let me watch out for you now that I'm strong enough."

It was a proclamation that surprised her, to say the least. And here she'd always assumed that Hope's desire to watch out for her was simply for the good of the world.

A moment later, she nodded, returning the embrace. "All right."

As though those two words were enough to calm him, Hope's shoulders sagged a bit in relief. They remained in their embrace a minute longer, and he was smiling when they pulled away enough to look at each other.

"You'll report to me at six sharp tomorrow morning. Okay?"

For probably the first time since awakening from her crystal sleep, Lightning smiled. Suddenly, her mission honestly didn't seem so impossible.

"Six sharp."