It had taken Snow the better part of the afternoon to get Serah to calm down, and she'd been meek and apologetic for the rest of the day. She assured him that she was already fine and that he shouldn't shrug off Gadot and Maqui for her sake.

He tried to interrupt her. Several times. And each time she assured him more confidently than the last that she was just fine and that she just wanted a little time to catch her breath.

They didn't really talk about what happened or why – she didn't seem ready to do so – so Snow did what she asked and went back out to help the others. And that all would have been fine, even though his gut told him that she was more hurt than she was letting on. But if she didn't want him there, then what was he to do? The last thing he wanted was to aggravate any situation by impressing his own will.

A concealed look back through the storm door, however, saw her leaning heavily on the banister.

It was unlike Serah to keep her feelings bottled for long, but it took until the next afternoon when they were quietly relaxing in the comfortable coolness of their living room for Snow to feel as though it would be the time to broach the subject with her.

"I don't know what came over me yesterday. When I think about it now, I feel stupid. I shouldn't have freaked out like that..." Serah sighed, snuggling farther into Snow's embrace. "But it was like – well, remember that time you were working on that engine, and it overheated? Then that cap blew off and all that steam came out?"

"Mmhm..." he hummed into her hair, petting it.

"That's what it was like yesterday. First, I couldn't help but feel like something might be really wrong with Lightning. My heart started beating really fast, and I felt like I was choking... couldn't catch my breath, and then I felt like I was gonna be sick..."

Snow felt her shudder; the memory a bodily one.

"I've never felt that way before. I was really scared." She admitted in a little voice, abandoning the crook of his arm, crawling into his lap instead.

She was so tiny; so helpless in his arms. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe and sound; her and his unborn child within her. It was strange, but he felt her yesterday as she trembled in his arms, overwrought with panic. Not just physically, but he swore he felt what she felt; knew she believed, at that moment, that something was very wrong.

"It's okay." he soothed, kissing her forehead before tucking it under his chin. "Lightning is fine. You'll see."

Perhaps he wasn't as convinced as he sounded, but he wasn't about to jump to conclusions. One of them had to be stubborn enough to be stupidly optimistic; and he would make sure that it would always be him.

He would take anything she couldn't handle upon himself; catch her when she stumbled; and do all that she willed him to do.

Snow had been out working solo on the deck into the evening, and discovered, upon entering the house, that Serah had fallen asleep on the couch in front of an old movie. She must have been tired; she typically didn't watch the television, favouring more active pastimes. It was still relatively early, and even though he was tired from working all day out in the yard, Snow relished the idea of a sleepy Serah cuddled up to him in their bed.

He knelt at the side of the couch and just watched her for a quiet moment.

Snow was attracted to his fiancee. There was no question about it. Though she hadn't been his usual type, there was something about Serah he adored but couldn't quite put his finger on. Sure she was beautiful and kind and sweet, but she had a way of caring about others too much. This trait had extended to himself in the beginning of their relationship, but as time went on, and they settled into their relationship; their routine, she became less and less receptive to him.

Though, to be fair, she did have a lot on her mind. The pregnancy, adjusting to a new home away from Cocoon and... Lightning.

Lightning.

After he assured Serah that her sister was just fine and had probably just lost track of the date – it wouldn't have been the first time – and with a little encouragement, Serah resolved to take a day off from the stress of worrying about her sister.

Lightning always had been a work-a-holic, but he understood that more than anyone else. Throwing himself into his work had a way of letting him forget about things that were bothering you, even if it was just temporarily. He tried not to do it for Serah's sake, but sometimes, when he just didn't feel a connection from her, he would work late or help to cover jobs that needed backup. He wanted to be home with his girl every waking second, but sometimes it just seemed to be less stress on Serah if he wasn't around as much as he wanted. Even though she never said anything to him about his suspicions, nor did he ask her, she offered no cross words, no suspicious questions, no remarks... just nothing at all.

Sometimes, when he ended up working by himself, Snow's thoughts ran away with him. Without someone to distract him and chat with, those thoughts and worries caught up with him.

Lately they'd been about Lightning.

He knew why he worked himself ragged some days, but he couldn't even begin to speculate on why she would be working too much to even keep in touch with her only family.

Snow and Lightning didn't get along; hadn't from the very start. He didn't have anything against her, even admired the will and stubborn streak that allowed her to get her way as often as she pushed – or stood with her feet rooted firmly to the proverbial ground – to get it. The only thing Serah had remained staunch on had been their relationship. And, coincidentally, that was also the one thing Lightning tried obsessively to put an end to.

At one point, before they left Cocoon, it seemed as though Lightning might have started to accept him, but a few days before they were due to leave, Lightning made it crystal clear that she still hated him, only telling him that he wasn't good enough for Serah and that she'd never change her mind about that.

After that, he never put up a fight with Serah anymore; always choosing the path of least resistance if given the option. It wasn't until Lightning said it out loud to him that he actually believed he really wasn't good enough for Serah.

He might have been a big guy, but big guys often had big hearts, and his had been bruised and abused more by Lightning Farron than anyone else. Not that he'd ever tell her that.

Deciding not to disturb his sleeping fiancee just yet, Snow cleaned himself up with a shower and worked quickly at brushing his teeth before he padded downstairs in his skivvies to pick up Serah. She stirred and smiled up at him when he was halfway up the staircase to their bedroom on the second floor, deliberately stroking her hair in a way that usually made her purr, but instead, her eyes just grew heavier.

Undaunted, he hurried to the bedroom and sat her down on the edge of the bed to kneel and help her with her clothes. When it came to Serah's body, nearly every encounter they'd ever had was slow and cautious. He was so much bigger than she was, and always terrified he'd hurt her. Sometimes his enthusiasm got the better of him, and like an overgrown puppy, he was clumsy in his attempts to be gentle. Still, she seemed as though she enjoyed letting him place her, and hold her and move her while they were intimate. He enjoyed it too, but there was always the nagging thought in the back of his mind that she was too fragile to do some of the more adventurous things he had in mind. So he took as much pleasure as he could in taking his time with her and let her set the limit.

The last time they'd actually made love had been longer than Snow liked to admit to himself. He didn't want to remember that the last time very well could have been the night of their baby's conception.

A hand held each foot tenderly in it's turn to pull off her socks, kept right side out like she preferred, then he lifted her arms to tug her shirt off. She was so petite. Snow would never have given her trouble if she wanted to eat more than she did, but it was almost like she was on a perpetual diet. He enjoyed cooking and encouraged her by making too much food, but she still ate like a bird. That would have to change now that he body was going to go through a myriad of changes, but he'd never push her.

Next, the pretty, lacy, petite bra.

Even after all the time they'd been together and seen each other naked, Snow felt a little shy about stripping Serah for bed. He'd done it before. But this time, unwrapping Serah's little chest set a twinge of desire sparking in his stomach. The backs of his huge mitts caressed the sides of her breasts, drawing out a lazy giggle instead of the usual moan she reacted with, as she twisted away from them.

Want hazed over his brain, and sliding his soft palms up her back, he gently pulled her toward him and nuzzled up the middle of her chest with his nose, inhaling her scent. Kissing her collarbone, she hummed sleepily, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck. Serah usually didn't stop moving; always doing something, running around the house or backyard working on a project; something that kept her busy. The only time Snow got to enjoy his fiancee as a still body was when she accepted his advances or when she was sleeping.

He hoped tonight this line of affection would lead to the former.

"Snow..." Serah breathed, lightly gripping his shoulder.

"Mmm, Serah..." Trailing light kisses down to the top of her breast, Snow was nearly giddy at the intimate allowance she was giving him.

A little breath, a little moan as he wet his lips and pressed them against her flesh.

"Did you..." a sharp, satisfied inhale as he mouthed around the perky mound "...call my sister today?"

He hadn't quite heard all over her question, and once he realized it wasn't a comment to further the mood, he stopped his ministrations. Peeking up at her from his place at the tip of her breast, his mouth ready to ply his tongue to the hardened nipple, he reminded her of her own decision. "I thought we were going to give it a day..."

"Ummm..." she blushed, diverting her eyes. "I changed my mind. Can you go try her?"

It wouldn't do any good for Serah for him to argue, so he, a bit reluctantly, pulled away from her warmth and stood up with a smile. "Anything you want, my love." Turning, he reached for a pair of sweatpants folded on the dresser.

"Before you go. Can you...?" she started innocently, and when he turned his attention back to her, she was leaned back wiggling her hips. Though the first thing he caught with her reclined like that was the gentle sway of her small, round breasts.

Another smile, not allowing himself to linger too long on her assets, he hooked his fingers underneath the waistband and pulled them easily off her hips. Flipping herself on her hands and knees, and crawling up the bed to pull the blanket back, Snow couldn't help but stare at her backside clad in pink polka-dot panties.

It was... unfortunate that since Serah had started sleeping in just her panties, the frequency of which they made love had disappeared as the clothing had.

The knowledge that she was nearly nude in that big bed all alone wasn't the encouragement he needed to make him leave the bedroom, go get on his bike and drive to the only area near the house that he could place the outgoing call to Lightning when she wasn't even going to answer.

But he would.

"I love you, Snow-bear." said Serah through a yawn finally settling down between the sheets.

"I love you too, baby." Adjusting himself to a comfortable position inside his underwear, he put on the pants, pulled on a white tank and kissed Serah on the forehead before leaving. "I'll be right back." he assured her.

But she was already asleep.

Snow had honestly not expected the line to connect.

"Serah?"

Shit.

"Uh... Lightning."

"...Snow. Why do you have my sister's phone?"

Double shit.

"Uh, well..."

"Let me talk to her."

The stubborn woman he was speaking to had been the target of most of his ire lately. It was Lightning this and Lightning that. He'd never had actual blood family, but he knew he would want to keep in touch with them if he had any. The fact that Lightning obviously didn't share that belief irked him to no end, and he had a lot to say about it. "She's been worried about you, Lightning."

"Then let me talk to her."

He gritted his teeth. Was that all she could say? "She's been trying to reach you for a month."

"I know."

"Then why haven't you returned her calls?"

There was a long enough pause on the other line that Snow's brows furrowed, wondering if he'd lost the signal somehow.

"I've been ...busy. Look, I just want to talk to Serah."

He was sure that Serah had told Lightning before about their reception issues, but perhaps she forgot. "We don't get any reception at the house, and so I have to drive out to where I get reception. I left Serah at home because she's not feeling well -"

"So you took my sister away from me to some alien planet, and now she's sick and can't call me from the house you built her? Seems awfully convenient, Villiers."

He couldn't win for losing with this Farron sibling.

Snow would have liked to claim that Lightning enjoyed busting his chops, but in a way that was familial and sisterly. The truth was glaring, however. She didn't see him as a person let alone a friend or a soon-to-be brother-in-law. She wasn't even being fair let alone playful.

And he couldn't manage anything to say, as usual.

He should have been used to her kicking him in the head while he was down, and by default, he was always grovelling at Lightning's feet, but that was something he never wanted to get used to. Though, on the other hand, he knew if he just accepted the fact that Lightning hated him, her verbal whippings might not sting so much.

"I will be expecting Serah to call me tomorrow at noon. You better make sure that it's not you calling me again, Snow, or I won't be happy."

And she hung up.

He looked at the phone's dark display, almost surprised, but sighed instead.

No 'nice to talk to ya' or 'talk to you later' or even a 'fuck you'.

Hmph.

He wasn't even worth that these days.

Good to know.