A/N: (!) Fluff and smut warning... (!) It's about damn time! Although... I did have to chop this chapter in half. My apologies. I will post the second half when it gets edited.
Pretty much no plot elements. XD Please enjoy the love.
Help me forget...
Long thoughtful seconds passed before he picked Lightning up easily, and without warning, to sit her down at the end of the long leather chaise.
He dropped to his knees in front of her. Resting his heavy head in her lap, he closed his eyes, sliding his hands innocently under her resting thighs. The feel of her warmth both calmed and inflamed his heart. Out of all the 'heroic' things he'd done, he was deathly afraid that he had missed the chance to seize the one thing in his life that would matter to him. He'd helped people; saved them; watched over them; defended them when they couldn't defend themselves, but he simply didn't do the one thing that would have brought him happiness... and now maybe it was too late. He hoped that wasn't the case. He longed to be the one that she could lean on; the one that would show her what utter and absolute devotion was.
"I would never hurt you. You have to know that." he whispered, his warm breath sliding over her satin covered thigh.
"Snow..." Her hands drifted into his mane, stroking the coarse hair achingly slow.
With every action she dared the fire within him grew. If she didn't want him she wouldn't be here; wouldn't have invited him inside, and soon it would be too late to turn back. She said that she wanted him to help her forget... He assumed she was referring to the most recently discussed events, but he didn't need to be reminded where assuming got him.
With her vulnerable voice still in his ear, the only thing he knew for sure was that he intended to make her forget everything but him.
Shifting a hand from under her, Snow stroked the familiar black cloth tied around her arm, finally closing a large hand around it. He looked up at her from his place on the lush pile carpet under his knees.
"Do you trust me?" The look on his upturned face had evolved. No longer was it his usual silly and endearing expression, but it wasn't entirely unfamiliar to her either. She'd seen it before when they had been together in the past; something seductive in the gaze of the man that melted the woman within her.
Painfully self-aware, Lightning's uneven voice surprised her as she confirmed out loud what she'd known all along. Of course she trusted him. She hadn't been nervous like this before, but both times they had kissed and wallowed voluntarily in each other's intoxicating presence had been backed with some intense emotion. Anger, fear, impending doom... but now none of these emotions reigned supreme and all they had was time. Time to explore, time to enjoy, time to share the love that had never faded.
Snow nodded, a piece of flaxen hair falling in his eyes. Finding herself unable to stop, she brushed it from his face, caressing the mature skin of his cheeks.
Inching closer, she parted her legs for him to fit in between while his hands slipped around her waist, pulling her closer in an embrace.
A breath away from his tantalizing lips, the raven-haired beauty conquered the final inch of torturous space between them.
Initially keeping her mouth modestly closed, Lightning slipped her hands into Snow's hair, eliciting a slight shiver from her sentry. In response, he brushed his tongue over her lower lip as she very readily parted her lips gently against his. Stroking long meandering patterns over the expanse of her back, his firm actions helped to drain the tensions of the day from her, but added some skittish energy of his own. The play between their mouths was unhurried and exploratory in nature punctuated with short, sweet affectionate kisses in between.
Nothing could have prepared him for the generous curve of her smile against his lips; knowing whatever he was doing, that whatever they had together made her smile nearly made his heart burst.
This was how it was meant to be all along.
Taking her precious head in his hands, silky black tresses cascading between his fingers, he pulled back to look her in the eyes. He was kneeling, completely defenceless, in front of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. It had taken longer than he would have liked, but somehow they were reunited. Someone had heard his pleas from the cold darkness of his bed to bring her back to his arms.
"If I knew you were on Gran Pulse this whole time and that I could have had you in my arms sooner, I would have walked here." he near whispered to her, hypnotically massaging the nape of her neck.
Slightly stunned at his profession, she wasn't sure what to say. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She was usually the one doing for others. "You can't walk to Pulse." She stated, her weakened voice losing all of its intended teasing tone as her head tipped back into his hands. Always the hero...
"You can't come back from the dead either..." he trailed off, pressing lazy, luxurious kisses below her ears and down her neck "...but here I am."
If the feel of his stubble brushing over her skin wasn't enough, the masculine rumble of his voice was a very sensual and very real reminder of that fact.
Touche.
Loving the feel of him against her, she let herself go limp in his capable arms. She felt so good with him; safer than she had ever felt in her life. Her skin became feverish under the sweet worship of his lips; soon needing to be rid of some of the clothing she was wearing.
The taste of her honeysuckle skin was not what he remembered it to be; it was so much more addictive than his lackluster memory had led him to believe. Taking his time at the base of her throat, he gently tongued the small indent, moving one hand to the centre of her back as she arched towards him. The dim light of the room caught the slight sheen on her skin. So it wasn't just him that thought it was unusually hot. Sitting her back up, he teasingly fingered the hem of her camisole, pulling it up past her waist, swollen bust and finally over her head, flinging it aside.
She watched as it hit the floor.
Before she fled Bodhum, she'd clutched the ruined jacket Snow's lifeblood had stained to try and hold on to some piece of him. Emptiness had consumed her then; always kept her raw and broken, but now things would be different. She held in her arms the key to her resuscitation. His love would breathe life into her damaged and scarred heart. Snow would fix her like he had before, but with a different type of magic.
Cradling her cheek in his hand once again, she closed her eyes as he brushed his lips against hers. Drawing her long legs up to wrap around his waist, she sought his warmth not to keep her warm, but to comfort; to keep him close. Exploring the lengths of his firm arms under his smooth dress shirt, she decided to relieve him of it.
Feeling her legs locked around his body and her fingers fumbling with the front of his shirt sent him reeling, pressing farther into her lips encouragingly. While she worked clumsily at the buttons, he pulled apart his loosened tie. When her hands freed the last button and his shirt fell open, her delicate fingers probed every inch of his supple skin, teasing small sounds of pleasure from his mouth as they continued their breathy kisses.
Wanting to make damn sure he never forgot a moment, Snow took note of everything he felt. The way her fingers appreciatively massaged the hardened muscle of his slightly heaving chest; how they walked down his sides and over his tight abdominals and all the newly discovered places in between. Lightning's face was set in a cute concentrated line as she took in the sight of his bare skin. He couldn't help but smile; he'd never been so happy in his life.
Suddenly sliding a tight nipple between her fingers made him jerk, the front of his pants unintendingly rubbing against the flattened angle between her legs, as they gasped against each other's open mouths. Locking lust-laden gazes, they continued the exploration of one another's warm mouth. Boldly, Lightning kept her eyes open, not backing down from the challenge of his virile stare. She teasingly flicked a short nailed fingertip over the same hard nub that had made him jerk. With a sharp intake of breath, his eyes became heavy, but he did not break their steamy eye contact. Wondering what reaction she'd get out of him next, she continued to play the little game. Not until she slid her tongue against his and buried her hands in his wild locks did his eyes roll into the back of his head and close. Now pressing the entire length of her body against him quite willingly, she eased his head back to nip at the prickly skin of his jaw, his tempting moan suitable spoils for her victory.
Guiding her arms around his neck, he whispered lowly against her ear. "Hang on." Picking her up effortlessly against his frame, he stood only to kneel on the end of the chaise to drape her over it, head on the pillows at the other end. He shifted so that only one leg was between hers, the other kept him firmly upright with foot braced on the ground, and his knee was awarded with searing heat as it pressed against her shielded centre. Her waiting, wanting body evoked a pleasingly sympathetic reaction from his; the constant throb of his groin like a biological alarm clock.
Snow had to set the time back a little.
He was already getting way too excited; he'd ended up rubbing against the chaise every time she moved and shifted and wriggled. It had regrettably sped up the process immensely for him, and he did not want to make a fool out of himself. After all, he had no idea this day would turn out as it did and he had no chance to prepare himself for any test of endurance.
Straddling her provided only a slight reprieve of stimulation, but at least he wouldn't be able to grind himself against the place he longed to breach and make things worse by moving too fast for her, or losing control prematurely. There was so much sensation already, he could barely stand it. On top of that, Lightning had stripped down to her bra, and once he'd sat her down, he raised himself up to get a good look at the woman laying prone beneath him. Long absent was the mark of the l'Cie he so fondly liked to taste, replaced with vibrant healthy skin, giving no indication it had even been there. He was almost sad it was gone.
"Don't stare like that..." Lightning said shyly, shifting her gaze away from his face.
He shook his head slightly. "Can't help it. The last thing I thought about last night was you, but I never thought then I'd be here with you like this... together." he took a deep breath to attempt to calm himself a little. "I just want to remember everything about this."
"You can remember later, hero." Lightning assured, pulling his hands to her lips, pressing kisses against the centre of his palms.
He watched, fascinated, as she placed his hands flat against her throat and manipulated them down her chest to her covered mounds.
With a sharp intake of breath, Snow cupped her breasts gently, tracing the half crescent of exposed skin atop the cups with his thumbs. Amazement etched upon his features, he followed the fabric of the brassiere with his hands towards the clasped back, when she shuddered. He stopped abruptly, yanking his hands away. "Lightning?"
She looked away from him again, sourly.
"What's wrong?"
With a slight huff, she twisted around to display the marred skin of her side, he saw the long white scar running from her hip and under the band of the bra. A pang of regret tugged at his heart looking at her injury. The skin that covered it was still quite new looking, making him wonder how long ago it had happened. If she would have known he was alive, would she have had to experience the trial that granted her this wound?
Holding her arm loosely above her, he examined it. "Does it hurt...?" he wondered out loud, reaching a hand out to touch it tentatively. She shuddered again as he traced its length. Not sure that she wanted to talk about it, he debated putting off asking her anything further.
"It's... sensitive." she offered, pulling her arm away to slide a thumb under the clasp that was his original destination. Unhooking the back expertly, she crossed an arm over her chest to hold the garment in place as she slid the straps down and off. "Are you finished look -"
Not hearing her remark, and strangely entranced by the sight below him, Snow fearlessly sampled the long line of scarred flesh from bottom to top in a long firm lick. A shock of warm, wet sensation jolted her eyes wide and she involuntarily arched her back, pressing her head into the pillows, ripping a surprised moan from her. Her hand knotted in his hair as the intensity quickly passed, leaving Lightning senseless and quivering.
"Wow..." breathed Snow unsteadily. He didn't expect to get that strong of a reaction from her, let alone a sound like that. He resolved to hear more.
Shrugging out of his own shirt he slid his hands around her back, lifting her loose body to him. Pulling the black barrier out from between them as their lips met, her bare breasts were forced against his taut chest. Rewarding her earlier exclamation with a deep, demanding kiss, he relished the warmth that radiated off her lithe frame... and from between her legs.
Supporting her with one strong arm, he slipped the other hand into her hair, caressing her scalp and teasing her head backwards again to lap at her throat. As long as he was concentrating on her he would attempt to ignore his own building pressure, but if she insisted on making those noises he didn't think he'd last as long as he would like...
He could feel her widely spread hands moving up and down the corded muscles of his back, her fingertips pushing into his flesh, never lingering in one spot for very long. Feeling her quickened pulse against his lips, he kissed up the side of her face and over her forehead before claiming another passionate kiss from her lips. She planted her fingers into his flesh as their mouths worked to deepen the kiss. The caress of his tongue, the sweet taste of his mouth and the feel of his supple lips against hers continued to assail her senses.
While he savoured the sweetness of her mouth, she crawled to her knees in front of him, depriving him of further mouthy ministrations to begin a sensual journey over his body. Snow's unique scent swirled around her when she pushed her nose past his ear, placing short sweet kisses all over, snaking her tongue out to touch the lobe of his ear tentatively. He quaked against her, his hands gripping her waist. Making her way down his throat, brushing her tongue over the expanse of his collarbone, Lightning pressed open mouth kisses over his hairless, chiseled chest, revelling in the delightful sounds he made.
Stroking her hair gently, he tucked it behind her ears and over her shoulders so he could look down and watch her, half unbelievingly, half lost in pure sensation. "You are... the most beautiful thing I have ever seen..." he murmured, prompting her to look up at him with a knowing half smile. Seeing her smile was a rare pleasure indeed, but seeing such a smile now was encouraging.
Holding his gaze, she slipped her hands down to unbuckle his belt.
A tinkle of metal on metal drew him back to the realization that he was beginning to lose control once again, but no matter how good it felt he didn't want things to get out of hand and end early. He had waited too long for that to happen.
Her hands worked quickly at the button and zipper of his pants, but he had to act quicker.
Beckoning her back up to his lips, he attempted to bring the stimulation full circle, tracing the smooth curvature of her neck, down her chest and over the swell of a breast. She invaded his mouth with her tongue excitedly when he eventually palmed the supple fullness of her stripped bosom, unsealing their lips to pant against him. He opened his eyes to peek at her expression as the pleasure bricked up in her. A lovely flush began to creep its way across her cheeks and forehead. As large hands honoured the feminine shape of her chest, her mouth hung open helplessly, obviously unable to keep her mind from straying. Smiling, he tasted the swollen entrance of her mouth with his tongue, continuing to slowly stoke and knead her chest, intentionally avoiding the peaks of rose-coloured flesh.
Quivering under him, she rolled her breasts into his teasing palms, tangling her own hands in his hair to tug roughly as molten desire pooled low in her core.
Pulling away from him, she stood, teasing open the drawstring of her satin sleep pants, as they slid down her long tanned legs to pool around her feet.
The sight of her standing there in tight, black panties was almost too much; his mind blissfully blank, staring blatantly, but appreciatively at her fine form. It wasn't the first time he'd witnessed her like this, and although he had no right to expect it, he at least hoped that he had been the only man to witness her under just these conditions.
As his gaze travelled down her flat belly, he noticed something about her that he hadn't seen before. She had a navel piercing. Not only that, butit was very alluring; the way the small diamond glinted in the dim light of the room. Coming to seat himself on the chaise, he reached out to clutch the swells of her hips, slowly edging her towards him, staring at the tiny glint in the middle of her belly. When she was close enough, he tongued the piece of jewellery, taking it between his teeth, tugging it. Nails scratched their way up his shoulder blades. Making a pathway with his clever tongue, he followed the straight line from her belly button to the waist of her panties. Before he had time to do anything else, she pushed him firmly back into the leather chaise, straddling his lap to shove a taut nipple into his surprised mouth.
Electricity coursed through him, her boldness pushing him into a near frenzy. Latching onto the firm piece of flesh with his mouth, he squeezed it teasingly in his hand and began his devilish assault.
She had accused him of having a big mouth in the past, but now she found it more of a blessing than a curse. A wicked little smile danced on her lips as she watched him easily take a fabulously satisfactory amount of her breast past his lips, his suckling reckless and unrelenting. She barely managed to restrain herself from vocalizing the chorus of embarrassing sounds that clawed their way up her throat.
He felt the sounds trapped in her chest, and he frowned slightly. He was desperate to hear her sing his name as she used to. With strong hands, he pressed her tightly against his hot mouth, moaning huskily to try inciting the same vocal reaction within her. Curling his talented tongue around her nipple, she split her legs farther, at first resting on the growing hardness in his lap, but soon rubbing herself firmly against it as he moved from one side of her chest to the other. Humming as her hips rolled faster against his length, he almost wished she would choose another activity to keep those sinful sounds coming. Threading her hands over and over again through his hair, she wriggled against him as his hand glided down the curve of her backside to cup it, lifting her slightly away from the bulge with relief.
Protesting at the loss with a little whimper, she took his hands away from her body and held them in her own, lowering herself back onto his excited covered flesh.
He growled lowly against her, lapping shamelessly at her breasts; around, over, under, in between. If she kept rubbing on him he wasn't going to last at all. Through a lust-hazed brain, he needed to figure out a way to keep her from grinding against him... not that he didn't take the utmost pleasure in it – he just needed her to concentrate on something else for a spell. Slowing his ministrations above the waist, but still adoring and worshipping her feminine scented flesh, he placed her hands on the back of his head, in his hair. Words could not describe how his skin tingled with excitement when she stroked his pale strands. Dragging his hands once again down the curve of her buttocks to pull her up and off him, his hand closed around the tops of her thighs, brushing his thick fingers against her centre.
He almost lost it when he pushed tenderly against the soaking cotton between her legs.
A sharp pain shot through her when she felt his fingertips on her ache and she gasped, suddenly terrified. She struggled against him, her body quickly expelling the slow collected heat as a chill of unabashed fear gripped her.
"Lightning?"
"Not... there..." she begged, sounding unlike herself as she tried to shrink away from him.
His mind was still sluggish, but he quickly came to his senses. Ah hell. So this is what he did...
Snow scowled, pushing his face into her chest suddenly to hide his obvious displeasure. He was wondering how long it would take for that part of her past to rear its ugly head. Snow didn't blame her for reacting, actually quite the opposite, but he was angry at his own uselessness. "I wish I could make you forget..." he said, muffled. Maybe it was as far as she could go tonight. And he would accept that.
She remembered what she requested of him, but at the time she obviously didn't know what she was saying. Now she didn't feel as though she could go through with it, and at the first hint of him initiating that specific contact, she clammed up. After all, the rest of their foreplay had no where else to go but there. Of course she knew that he wouldn't hurt her... and that her feelings of shame and guilt were useless and destructive, but still, they were there and she was honestly unsure how to rid herself of them... or even if they could be banished.
He kept her pressed tightly against him until her breathing calmed and once he could manage to keep his face serene and detached from the vengeful rage, Snow once again picked her up to carry her to the bed. Wrapping her arms securely around his neck, he pulled back the sheets to deposit her inside. She looked utterly exhausted, the passion and lust that was so apparent before was replaced with droopy eyelids and loose, uncoordinated limbs. Interceptor had raised his head from the far side of the bed as Snow tucked his master in.
Pressing his lips to her forehead affectionately, he had no intention of leaving her room. He'd sleep on the chaise where she could see him if she awoke and needed him. There was no way he would sleep another night without her as close as possible. Only a moment before he pulled away from her did she grab his wrist, eyes still half open. She didn't have to even say anything, her silent request to keep him close was written all over her face.
Peering down and brushing a mammoth hand through her hair, her lids now completely concealed her blue eyes. Slipping out of his boots and dress pants, he crawled in beside her, immediately taking her in his comforting arms and letting her settle against him before he settled himself. Stroking her hair and kissing her brow, he stayed awake until she was fast asleep, then allowed himself the leisure of following her into slumber.
Rays of light lit the back of his lids, prompting him to roll over in escape.
Feeling warm breath on his face, he smiled, remembering where he was.
Lightning Farron's bed...
With eyes closed, he brought a hand up to caress her face, her fur so soft and her nose so elegantly long...
Wait... a minute... she wasn't this furry last night...
Peeking an eye open, he discovered that he was face to snout with Interceptor, and not his Farron sister. The dog snaked his slobbery tongue out to lick Snow's cheek and he jerked back in surprise, throwing him himself into a seated position, looking around the room for her through sleepy eyes. "Lightning?...!"
"Oh. You're awake." Lightning said from the chaise with a slight smile for him, reclining, folding back the newspaper she'd been reading to look at him. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, the night attire sadly nowhere to be seen. Her hair was damp from the shower he guessed she'd already taken – sadly he had missed that part too. Smooth, tanned skin glowed in the light spilling through the huge windows, and he could see a teasing hint of curved flesh at the bottom of the v-neck of her shirt.
Without even thinking, words of praise tumbled from his lips. "You're so beautiful..."
She huffed at him, raising the newspaper back over her face.
If you could only see what I see... he thought at her. Random thoughts of the night previous scampered fleetingly through his memory and he sighed, feeling himself twitch with interest.
Maybe I better stay in bed for a few more minutes...
He rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed to be waking up to the deceptively gentle breathing of that mutt. Laying back down, Interceptor again tried to lick his face, but he dodged this time."Easy, you. We just met." he grinned at the canine, offering his hand for Interceptor to sniff.
You're so beautiful...
Lightning felt her cheeks blush hotly from behind the safety of the newspaper wall. The printed words bled together as she barely skimmed the article, choosing to think about the man in her bed instead. At least he still felt something for her after the way she behaved last night. She didn't understand why she'd felt how she did after so long. It was true that she never really dealt with the situation, but it was totally unfair that it had to keep popping up with Snow. She trusted him implicitly, without a doubt. So why had she locked up under his promise of further pleasure...?
Peeking at him from behind the very corner of the newspaper, she saw he was laying back down under the massive white coverlet. She wanted to go and launch herself into the bed and hide away in the safety of his arms. She slept dreamlessly and calmly all night in his arms. Just once she'd woken up before dawn to witness the first blush of light on his face. Sleepily she had regarded him; so handsome with his strong jaw and kissable lips. Winding her fingers into his hair, she had pulled his arm tighter around her and fell back asleep.
Refolding the paper in her hands silently, she stood and walked over to the bed, touching the edge of the rumpled comforter as she approached his sleeping figure. Interceptor raised his head as she leaned over him curiously. Placing a finger over her lips, she silently hushed her hairy companion.
Preemptive strike!
Snow flung back the covers, snatching a delightfully surprised Lightning and pulled her down playfully into the bed with him.
Flailing her arms wildly about as he cackled trying to pin her to the mattress, she unceremoniously decked him square in the nose. Shocked, and a little dazed, he sat up, covering his nose as blood dribbled past his hands and down his chin.
"Oh shit!" she cursed, scrambling to sit upright. Pulling at his bloodied hands, she maneuvered his fingers to pinch the bridge of his nose closed. "Hold that." she demanded, hopping off the bed and running to the bathroom.
Snow's head was spinning slightly as she did what he asked. That's the arm I remember... He thought with a grin.
As she dashed out of the bathroom and back to him, there came a knock at the door.
"And that's breakfast." she informed him, slipping her hands into the back of his hair, holding the damp facecloth underneath his lowered face. The small comfort of her warm palm against the back of his head was amazingly tranquilizing, but shortlived as the distracting knock came again.
"Sorry... I've got to get the door." She said quietly in his ear, unknowingly tempting him to attack her and smother her with kisses even though she just made him bleed. Apparently he was a sucker for punishment. Instead, he took the terrycloth in his free hand, lamenting the loss of her touch.
Dismissing the attendant and ushering the cart into the room, she parked it in front of the empty table and went back into the bathroom. The sound of running water made its way to his ears, and soon she emerged once again with a white steaming tub in her hands. Stationing the container on the end table, she perched in front of him, taking the soiled cloth from his hand to immerse it in the steaming water. Wringing it out, she pressed it against his bloodied chin and lips, gently wiping him clean. He took his hand away from his nose, and she snapped at him to keep it positioned where she'd left it.
Muttering an apology, and holding back a smile, he did as she commanded. Watching and feeling her tend to him seemed to be the most natural thing in the world, and he almost thanked the Maker that he had gotten in the way of her fist.
After a few quiet moments of unhurried care, and the realization that he was still only in his underwear, she spoke; her tone very much like the one he'd heard during her apology in Palompolum. "You... surprised me. I... didn't mean to slug you like that..."
"Hey, it's ok. I was asking for it. This is a first though, huh? You've never drawn blood before!" he noted nasally, still smiling.
She snorted in her usual obstinate manner, rinsing out the face cloth once again, wiping it across his stubbly chin, chasing the small tributaries of blood drying on his throat.
What an idiot. First I leave him hanging and now I assault him. Good going, Farron. Let's see if you can make up for any of this. He'll probably never let me near him ever again...
"Hey." His voice interrupted her thoughts. "Can I take my fingers off now?"
She looked up from her work as he spoke, finishing up. "Sure."
Experimentally, he released the pinch on his nose and wiggled it. "Feels ok now..."
Taking the cloth from her hand, he pushed it into the hot water and squeezed it as she had, but took her blood caked fingertips in his. Sliding the wash cloth thoroughly across the backs of her hands first, he cleansed her of his involuntarily spilled gore. At one point they met each other's eyes, taking turns wiping fingertips and knuckles and palms. Once their hands were free of splotches, and the cloth was tossed back into the bucket, he took her chin in his hand and presented her with a lingering kiss.
"What was that for...?" she asked quietly, a blush settling in over her cheeks and a phony scowl pulling at the corner of her lip.
"Just because I can." He loved the sound of that and thought having her around to kiss whenever he wanted was going to be something he would quickly get used to. "And because you took care of me."
"Well, I was the one that -"
He silenced her with another kiss, this time holding her head against his.
Slumping forward into his waiting arms, Lightning resigned herself to his charm. Snuggling his freshly wiped face into her hair, he whispered to her what he knew to be the truth now that they had found each other.
"It's ok now. Everything is going to be fine. You'll see."
Those words wrapped themselves securely around her heart, a lump rising in her throat. Returning the embrace, a happy tear escaped her eye.
With him she never had to be strong.
With him she didn't have to pretend.
With him she never had to be anything more than what she was.
Now she realized that all she wanted was him.
Over night she had received a text message from Amodar advising that the potential site wouldn't be ready for another week and that she should take the week off. She offhandedly wondered if he knew who was waiting for her yesterday in the conference room.
When she informed Snow of this fact over breakfast, he got the most thoughtful look on his face. She guessed what he could have been thinking about as it was probably quite similar to what she had been considering as well. Although, she didn't want to stay in Leámonde any longer. She wanted to get back home and Interceptor was getting a little antsy being cooped up all day, even though the untrained eye would never be able to tell over his sheer laziness and tendency to sleep all day.
Her long lost lover was very receptive to her suggestion that he come home with her for the week. She had admitted to him that Hope was the one who brought her to Leámonde in the first place, and he happily informed her that he had an aircraft from home waiting for him at the Aerodrome they could use to get back.
Snow didn't want to leave her side for a single moment, but he had to go pack up his own hotel room, and make a quick stop at a shop downstairs.
With the promise that he'd be back as soon as humanly possible, she packed her things and got Interceptor ready. Snow was waiting for her in the hall when she was done. They bid farewell to the hotel room where they'd spent their first night together, Snow insisting he carry their luggage down to the parking garage. Not shocked to discover, when one considered all the chances that fate had lined up for them throughout their absence from one another, his rented vehicle was parked right beside her gift from Amodar. With a ironic laugh they swapped stories once again about their near miss in Nautilus at the other hotel parking lot and how he'd admired that ride.
Lightning said if he was good maybe she'd let him take it for a spin sometime.
Before leaving the city, she stopped to grab a few food items to tide them over for the week until her monthly delivery. She sincerely hoped that Hope wouldn't be waiting for her when they arrived, although if it was his intent to harass her he would have made it known by now, and she had seen hide nor hair of him since her departure from his supply plane two days ago.
During the trip back they discussed a range of topics. Mostly they returned to the missed opportunities they'd had. She mentioned the trip to the dance club on her birthday and asked if it had been him that she saw. He confirmed that he was there that night, but hadn't seen her.
So that was him.
How cruel fate was to bat her around like a cat with a mouse.
"Now that I think about it, there was this tall kid with a girl. She was sexy as hell from the back, but I never got to see her face..." he trailed off, trying to remember what details he could about that night.
"The guy was tall with spiky black hair?" she mumbled.
"Hmm. Yeah. That's him. Was real chummy with the bouncer."
Looking at him from the corner of her eye, she noticed he wasn't looking her way. "...Sexy as hell, huh?" she prodded suggestively.
"Oooh yeah. She was something else." Snow whistled appreciatively.
"Long sexy legs?"
"Hell yeah. They went on and on... And she had this wavy black hair." He wet his lips, wishing he didn't have to keep his hands on the wheel the whole time.
Lightning fell silent.
And then an alarm went off in his head.
Ah hell.
Why did he have a feeling his mouth had got him into trouble? He talked too much... and now he was talking about some woman he salivated over in passing. There were very few women who caught his eye, but the one in that short skirt with the long hair had piqued his interest. She was something special, but even then he had been distracted by thoughts of Lightning Farron all night.
She couldn't help but chuckle, blowing her disgruntled cover.
His mouth went dry. Why was she doing this? Was she testing him? He didn't understand women at all, so he really didn't know what he could say to keep him on the right side of her fist.
Oh man. Please don't hit me again... He could feel the tight swelling in his nose from her accidental jab earlier.
Her chuckle turned into a laugh, and he turned his head to her in utter confusion.
"...Wha...?"
She just kept laughing.
She's lost her marbles! He thought, joining her awkwardly in laughter, still not sure what it was that she thought was so funny.
They chortled together for a few short moments, but when she looked at him she stopped cold, boring a hole through him with her icy gaze.
"What the hell are you laughing at?" she asked flatly.
Oh, man... I'm gonna get it... Snow snapped his attention back to the empty sky before him and waited for his punishment.
Hearing her rise from her seat beside him, she leant down, her warm breath tickling his ear, tracing a single fingertip over his stubbly jaw. His heart knocked around unevenly in his chest.
"That was me." she whispered clearly in his ear.
Snow's mouth hung open. Quickly closing the gaping maw, he cleared his throat. "Uh... Really...?"
Then he hit the accelerator.