Chapter Four
Fang effectively felt like a first rate, five star jack ass. She spent the rest of the gathering avoiding Lightning, trying to stick close to Vanille or the kids. Vanille had picked up that the conversation between her sister and their former leader hadn't gone well but when she pressed either woman for information she didn't get what she was looking for. Fang had grumpily told her to drop it and Lightning had gone back to putting her walls up so part of her was worries that things could get volatile when they two of them went home together. She caught a hold of Fang's arm before she could get to the door and leave with Lightning for the night.
"What is it now Vanille?" Fang asked, the grumpy tone from earlier starting to return. The redhead lowered her voice.
"Be nice to her and if you can't do it then call me okay?" She gave a pleading look to her tall sister.
"Oh by Etro's tits Vanille! I was being nice… She's just being…" She looked to Light. "Frigid-Or something!" Fang crossed her arms over her chest, not willing to back down from Vanille without a fight. She wasn't in the wrong here. She was only trying to make Lightning feel better about her earlier and to let her know that she wasn't entirely closed to the woman's advances. Were women always this complicated? Had she forgotten over the years?
"Don't you swear at me Oerba Yun Fang! She was in a great mood until I left you two alone," Vanille poked her hard in the chest. "You go home and you fix this! I won't have Lightning go back to shutting everyone out."
Fang waved her away and headed to the door. "Good night Vanille," she said dryly as the younger woman looked pouty.
The ride to Lightning's condo was a long and quiet one. Fang reached to play with the radio only to have her hand seized by Lightning's, she pulled it back slowly.
"I am sorry about earlier Fang… This is all just so hard for me," Lightning said and sighed. "I… Do not really do the relationship thing."
"Oh goodness Sunshine," Fang laughed. "I was teasin' ya. It isn't like I pulled out a ring and some kind of proposal," she smiled a little and turned in her seat to face Lightning. "I know you don't like talkin' or expressin' yourself Lightning. Vanille yapped my ear off all night about you."
Lightning's grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Fang I-" Fang shook her head.
"I can do the talking here," Fang watched her. "Sunshine, I am not sure what went on with the two of us before because nobody will tell me anything," she looked out the window. "Ya obviously care about me because kisses like the one you gave me say a lot." Lightning sighed and glanced at her at the lights.
"It was silly and rash and not what I do Fang. We can forget all about it."
"No… We aren't going to just stomp all over your feelings here. I can't remember anything but that doesn't mean I don't want to yeah?" Fang looked back to her. "Maybe if you talk to me more, it'll help me figure this out."
"Fang, I am not even sure -I- have figured it out. It was more like there was a connection than anything. Nothing happened beyond talking, and none of the talking was about the two of us," Lightning looked over her shoulder as she changed lanes. Fang gave a small nod and kept watching her.
"Okay. I just don't want to seem like a complete slag," Fang laughed a bit, trying to ease the tension. "I guess I just get to know you again. I am fine with that."
Lightning pulled the car into her parking spot and shut the engine off. "Come on, let's get inside," she got out of the car and made her way up to the condo. She opened the door and gave a nod to signal Fang to go in ahead of her.
"Maybe I should let ya hit the sheets Sunshine," Fang took her shoes off. "You're probably tired."
Lightning took her coat off and made her way into the living room, she unbuttoned a couple of her buttons and rolled up her sleeves. "I'm not in a hurry to go to bed. I think I might have some wine," she went into the kitchen. "You are welcome to join me, unless you are tired."
"I have slept more than enough recently," Fang followed her into the kitchen. "Where do I find wine glasses?" She opened a random cupboard. Lightning looked in the fridge for a good bottle of wine.
"They are next to the sink, top shelf," Lightning opened the bottle of wine and made her way back to the living room, making herself comfortable on the couch. It didn't take long before Fang joined her, coming in silently and sitting on the other end of the couch.
"So Lightning... You're a soldier yeah? What got you involved?" She took the bottle and poured them each a glass.
"My parents died," Lightning sipped her wine. "I had to take care of Serah. I met a recruiter and the money was good."
"I am sorry. I didn't know," Fang swirled the wine in her glass. "You like it though right? Since you are a ranking officer now."
"I like it well enough; most of the acclaim I have gotten came from my time as a l'cie," she turned to face Fang and settled into the couch, pulling her legs up under her. She could feel Fang's eyes on her and it made her blush a little. "I suppose I have you to thank for that."
"You did that all on your own. I was just trying to keep people I care about alive," Fang sipped her drink. "Or so I have been told," She smiled a little behind her wine glass.
Lightning smiled back and sipped her wine. "What about you? I know you are a hunter, how did that happen?"
"My village had limited things you could do. I could have been a wife and mother, a farmer or a hunter and protector… So I took up arms," She shrugged. "My father was a hunter, most of my clan were. My father died defending my mother from l'cie during the War of Transgression."
"I knew that Vanille met you in an orphanage," Lightning pulled a knee up and wrapped her arms around it. "You must have been young."
Fang gave a short nod. "I was ten or so… She would have been eight. I used to keep to myself, and you know how well that would have gone over with her," she chuckled a little and looked up from her wine glass. "I guess I felt it was up to me you know? Most of my clan was gone and we were always the village's best fighters so when it was my turn to defend my people I decided I wasn't going to let them down, so I decided to become l'cie." This was the first time Lightning had heard Fang's side of the story.
"You couldn't remember much of that last time," she sipped her wine. "I guess you are better off after the last nap."
"Maybe, but honestly I think I would have been better off not rememberin'. It's hard to know that about yourself, the things that you would be willing to do."
"Yeah, but the last time you did it, the intent was noble Fang. So if you are harbouring thoughts that you are in anyway a bad person, you need to stop right there," Lightning let her chin come to rest on her knee. "The hardest times in someone's life can bring out the darkest parts of them, but it can also bring out the light." She finished her wine and smiled when Fang topped them both up again. "I have seen nothing but light in you Fang."
"You're sweet for saying that Sunshine," Fang's eyes dropped back down to her wine glass. "You think that even though I could have killed everyone on Cocoon? Even though the only reason I never did was because I wasn't strong enough to do it on my own? Vanille is the hero here. Not me."
"That is complete bullshit Fang!" Lightning shook her head. "You were the hero last time. You gave up everything for us when it looked like we were all done for," she looked at the younger woman fiercely. "So I am not about to sit here and listen to you say things like that. You don't remember the sacrifice you made… But I do," she reached to take Fang's hand in hers and brought it up to kiss her palm. "Now ask yourself why I kissed you when I saw you again."
Fang was a little taken aback by the words coming from Lightning. She said nothing, made no attempt to pull her hand away from the soldier, and wouldn't pull her eyes off of Lightning's steel blue ones. Her hand moved to slip itself around Lightning's neck as she leaned in, reaching to take both wine glasses with her free hand and put them on the table. She softly pulled the other woman in to press her lips against Lightning's jaw and slowly dragged the kissing up to her mouth. Lightning didn't let herself pull away from the kiss; she'd waited five years for this. Lightning moaned a little into the kiss as Fang moved in closer to deepen it. There was no fight for dominance in the kiss because Lightning was by far less experienced than Fang so she was willing to let Fang take control. It was also Fang that pulled away first, her eyes impossibly bright.
"Sorry Lightning… I know I promised to keep my distance," she put a hand on the shorter woman's cheek. "I've just been waiting to do that since we sat down on the couch." Lightning spoke quietly, almost sounding out of breath. She looked anywhere but at the Pulsian.
"No, it was okay Fang… Really it was."
"You're adorable when you blush," Fang took the pinkette's chin and turned her face back so she could meet her eyes. "I am sure if ya told me how you felt before I became crystal that I would have felt the same way."
"Vanille told me that you might have," Lightning blushed harder. Fang let out a laugh and shook her head.
"Vanille knows my ways. Apparently, she also knows my type," Fang reached for her wine glass. Lightning raised a brow.
"And what is your type?"
"Slim, feminine and capable of kicking my ass," Fang said with a grin. "At least I assume you can hold your own in a fight."
"I've held my own against you before," Lightning grinned and shrugged. "I could do it again."
Fang grinned and moved closer to her on the couch. "Maybe I need to find new ways to distract you," she leaned to kiss her neck. Lightning laughed a little and swatted at her.
"You are distracting enough as it is thanks," she smiled at Fang and shook her head. "I should head to bed," she sat up, thinking to herself. "Before I do something I might regret." Fang got to her feet and started to clear up the wine and glasses. She put them in the kitchen sink and came back into the living room.
"Where am I staying?" She rubbed the back of her neck and followed lightning when she motioned for her to come. Lightning led her upstairs and to the spare room.
"Make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything," Lightning tugged her down by her shirt to kiss her lightly. "Good night Fang." She turned and made her way down the hall to her room, shutting the door behind her. Fang grinned a little and went into her room. She looked around; the décor was fairly simple but nice, neutral shades and the softest bed Fang had ever seen. She stripped down and crawled under the sheets, stretching out and relaxing instantly. She grinned a little as she thought about Lightning and how soft her skin and lips were.
Lightning was having a hard time falling asleep. The decision to go to bed was mostly self-preservation on her part. Something about the other woman made it hard for her to control herself and it was scary for the soldier, she was usually completely in control of everything. Even now as she laid in bed her mind moved to the other woman, she wondered if Fang was sleeping and what she was wearing in bed. Lightning caught herself dwelling on the thought of that tan skin and those long legs and shook her head. She put her eyes back on her book and tried to distract herself.
"Hey Sunshine… I guess you can't sleep either huh?" Spoke a husky voice from the door. Before Lightning could respond she saw Fang move to the bed, taking the book from the shorter woman's hands and tossing it to the floor.
"Fang… What are you doing in here?" Lightning asked, sort of startled at all of this. Her eyes on Fang, clad only in black panties and a matching bra, it was even better than she had expected.
The huntress let out a low laugh. "What does it look like I am doing Light? I am trying to help wear us out so we can get some sleep." Fang leaned in to kiss her neck, her hands moving to sweep Lightning's loose white t-shirt up and off, discarding it on the floor with the forgotten book.
"Fang…." Lightning moaned when she felt hot breath on her neck and cool hands moving up her side. Her eyes closed slowly. "Fang… I've never…" she started; the other woman was quick to silence her with a kiss.
"I know Sunshine. I'll be careful… I promise," She kissed lower down the other woman's body, starting to settle her own body between Lightning's thighs, pulling the comforter over her head as she kept kissing.
Lightning jumped and opened her eyes at the sound of a loud thud; her book had tumbled from her hands and hit the floor. She blinked and looked around the room and then checked under the covers… No Fang. She had a fleeting feeling of disappointment before she realized what had just happened. She could feel the heat coming from her flushed body and was glad she was alone. She shut the lights off and curled up in bed, trying to ignore her wandering thoughts and the heat that has built up between her legs.
God she needed a cold shower.
This woman was going to be the death of her.