Chapter Five
It was a fairly restless night for Lightning, the whole night her dreams followed a particular theme and when she woke up the next morning the thought of it made her blush. She lay in bed for a long time, reading and trying to relax before starting the day. Her phone went off on the table next to her and she took a look at the caller I.D. before picking up.
"Hey Vanille," she greeted. "No worries… We're both still alive."
"Good. I hope that Fang behaved herself last night. She and I had a little chat before you guys left. Is she awake yet? We're still going shopping today right?" her voice was too perky for this early in the morning and it made Lightning cringe a little.
"She's still asleep I think. I just woke up myself," Lightning got up out of bed, in boxers and a loose t-shirt. "We were up late. But yeah, we are totally still on for today."
"Good… Wake her up, she might be grumpy at first but she's always like that," Vanille giggled. Lightning made a noise to the affirmative as she made her way down the hall, knocking lightly.
"Fang? Are you awake?" She waited and then knocked again before opening the door slowly and stopping dead. The other woman was still asleep, on her stomach with her tattooed arm under her head. Her body was stretched out on the mattress, her raised arm causing the muscle on her side and back to stand out. Lightning blinked and looked at her for a long second. Fang was wearing nothing but the soft brown sheets, loose around her waist and making her tan skin look even richer in colour.
"Uhhh Fang…" She leaned to touch the other woman's bare back lightly. "Fang… The phone is for you."
The Pulsian stirred, raising herself up on her elbows slowly, keeping everything hidden. She squinted at the light, wild hair falling loose on her shoulders. She looked to lightning and reached for the phone. "Vanille I assume?"
Lightning handed the phone over with a nod before retreating, trying to distance herself from the beautiful and very naked woman sleeping in her spare room. She got back to her room and went directly to the ensuite to shower. She had to do something, anything to quell this foreign rush of hormones that was making it so she couldn't even think straight.
Fang sat up in bed and yawned. "Nagging me already Vanille?" She laughed a little, wondering what time it was.
"Well good morning to you too you jerk… So, did anything exciting happen last night? Lightning said you were up late. Not that I am trying to pry, just curious," Vanille spoke back.
"You are pryin' Vanille," Fang rubbed her eyes. "Yeah we were up late, talkin' and getting to know each other."
"And?" came the younger woman's impatient whine.
"And she's pretty fantastic. She seems to think a lot of me and one thing led to another…" Fang got up and wrapped the sheet around herself, trying to keep from dropping the phone.
"OH MY ETRO! You two had…" Vanille lowered her voice. "Sex?"
"No we didn't! Why would you assume that's where it would go?" Fang made her way down the stairs to make coffee.
"Because Fang, that's usually where things go with you and all girls that like you," Vanille stated matter of factly. There was a pause. "If you're fumbling around her kitchen… She keeps her coffee in the freezer."
"Bingo!" Fang said with a chuckle. "And for the record Vanille… I don't do that with ALL the girls."
"You've done it with enough of them." Vanille giggled.
Fang scoffed. "I will thank you to bloody well keep out of my business," she leaned to listen for the shower, hearing it running she grinned. "I kissed her. That's all that happened."
Vanille squeaked. "OH! This is so exciting! Wait until I tell Serah… She will be so-" Fang cut her off.
"You will tell no one Vanille. This stays quiet until Lightning says otherwise. You don't even know about it. Got that?" There was a certain amount of threat to her tone.
"Okay fine! Your secret is safe. Spoil sport," Vanille sighed on her end. "When are you guys going to be ready?"
"Just drinking some coffee and maybe getting food. Sunshine is in the shower right now," Fang took out a couple mugs. "We can call you when we are on our way."
Vanille could be heard talking to Serah before coming back. "Okay. We'll be ready! See you soon Fang!" and she hung up.
Fang shuffled around the kitchen, making herself a coffee before sitting at the kitchen table with it. She was only two sips in when Lightning appeared in the doorway.
"Morning! I would have made you a coffee but I wasn't sure what you put in it," Fang smiled, watching the other woman make a cup of coffee. Lightning was in jeans and a loose shirt, and definately trying hard not to stare at Fang as she sat down.
"Morning," it was more mumbled as she looked into her mug. "Nice outfit."
Fang looked herself over and laughed. "I wasn't about to come down here in my pjs," she winked at Lightning and sipped her coffee. "I am lucky I was lying' face down when you came in yeah?"
Lightning coughed on her coffee. "I think I was lucky too," she blushed. "I might not have made it out of there." Fang smirked.
"Not in one piece anyways," she chuckled and sipped her coffee. "Should I cook you somethin'?"
"No, we can get something when we go out. Then we'll take you out and get you some things, clothes, toiletries…" Lightning shrugged. "We all set aside money in case you and Vanille ever woke up. You're welcome to stay here though and if you want to work I think Lebreau might have something at her bar for you."
"Wow… I can't believe you guys set all this up for us," Fang watched her. "It's really amazing Sunshine… Thank you."
"What you guys did was amazing Fang. Think of this as a small token of our thanks. I have my life, my sister, everything because of what you did," Lightning took a sip of her coffee. "I can't express enough what that means to me."
Fang looked at her mug. "Vanille and I… We didn't have those things. She said we slept for hundreds of years, in which time our people were lost. We had nothin' else to lose. Really."
"You had us Fang. Our own sort of family…" Lightning looked away. "I was pretty lost at first. I sort of distanced myself…" She paused. "Well more than I usually do." She sighed. "I worked, a lot, I drank too… To numb the sting I guess. I hadn't thought too much about why I did it until Vanille woke up and you didn't."
"What changed?" Fang watched the shorter woman intently. Lightning was quiet for a long time as she tried to figure out how to say it.
"When Vanille woke up alone I found myself disappointed. I missed you a lot more than I realized I guess. She helped me figure it out, got me to work less, drink less and spend more time with Serah and Snow. When I went to their wedding things became clear. I wanted that closeness with someone… Namely I wanted that closeness with you." Lightning cringed a little as she waited for a response.
Fang got up off her chair and moved to Lightning, pushing her chair back so she could sit in her lap. She leaned in and kissed her softly. "Well I am here now Claire." She put a hand to Lightning's cheek.
"When you woke up in my dreams you remembered me, I think I clung to that and it's why I kissed you like I did." Lightning leaned her cheek into Fang's palm. "It was a shock to me that you didn't."
"I am sure that in time I will. The way you are now I could see you havin' the same effect on me as I seem to have on you," Fang watched her eyes. "You sort of amaze me Sunshine. I've never had someone say things to me like you do and I've never had a compliment hit me as hard as it does when it comes from you."
Lightning pulled her in to kiss her harder this time, taking the lead away from the huntress. She let her hands settle on Fang's hips, pulling her in closer as they kissed. Fang took one of Lightning's warm hands in hers, pulling is off her him and slipping it under the sheet to rest on her bare hip instead. She was trying to encourage the soldier, to let her know that the closeness and that Lightning craved was hers if she wanted it. It was weird for Fang to give control up so easily but the change was welcome, it was nice to be the one that was hunted instead of the one that did the hunting all the time. Lightning ended the kiss reluctantly.
"We should stop… We need to meet Serah and Vanille," She swallowed hard. "If we keep this up Fang… I'll end up taking you to bed," her hand travelled up Fang's side. "I'm not ready for that, and we don't have the time we'd need." Fang leaned to kiss her softly before getting up.
"I'll go get dressed then Sunshine, so I can remove the temptation," Fang chuckled and left the kitchen. "But plan on continuing this later."
Vanille was dragging Fang around by the arm and yapping her ear off as they walked around the mall. Serah was all smiles as she hung further in the back with her own sister.
"Claire, I don't think I have ever seen you so smiley. I like it, it's a nice change," She pushed Lightning playfully as they walked. "This woman has quite the effect on you huh?"
"I can't help it Serah, she's just so incredible," Lightning grinned wide. "She has this modesty about what she did and this way of looking at me like I am the only other person on the planet."
"So, I guess this might be love huh Claire?" Serah nudged her again. "There is no way it's not."
"I don't doubt that Serah, I'm not about to say it to her though. I don't want her to feel like I am rushing her or pushing her," Lightning kept her eyes on Fang's tanned shoulders as the other woman was looking at clothing. "I was trying to hold out, but she encourages me and I find myself just going with her."
"That's a good thing Claire, you need someone to drag you out of that shell and if you are willing… Then all the better!" Serah grinned. "Soooooo… Have you guys… You know?"
"Serah! No… We haven't!" But Lightning had been thinking about it constantly.
"But judging by that blush you want to. Don't you?" Serah clapped her hands. "You're totally going to let her do it!"
"Will you just shut up already?" Lightning was blushing furiously. She wanted to do anything at that moment but discuss losing her virginity. Serah grinned triumphantly as they walked down the corridor.
"What do you mean she says she's not ready for that? She looks at you like a starving dog looks at a steak!" Vanille giggled.
"I don't bloody know Vanille. I think I was makin' it pretty clear that I like what she does to me," Fang shrugged her shoulders as she looked at a top. "Maybe she's shy yeah?"
"Maybe. I am sure that will go away… What woman can resist your Oerban charms?" Vanille grinned, she knew why Lightning was hesitating but was sworn to secrecy.
"Will you stop makin' me sound like some lesbian lothario?" Fang shook her head.
"Come on Fang! All the girls we knew wanted you and so did the guys…" Vanille grinned.
"Yeah, but it's not like I did anythin' most of the time," Fang went to a change room. "Just because someone likes me doesn't mean I like them. If Sunshine wants me, she has to come get me." She stripped her top off and put a different one on before stepping out.
"It is too old looking. You need something young and sexy… Like this!" Vanille handed over a black sleeveless top, with a swooping neckline.
"Vanille… I need functional. Not sexy." Fang shook her head.
"You need some of both Fang. Every day wear and things to wear for Lightning," Vanille gave a firm nod and handed her a few tops. "Try them on." Fang rolled her eyes and went into the change room. Lightning came into the area and sat down silently.
"Not that I wouldn't do it though Vanille. Have you looked at her? There is so much about her that gets me going yeah?" Fang opened the door wearing the swooping black top and stopped dead when she saw Lightning there smirking. Serah was blushing and trying to look away and Vanille was giggling. Fang tried to flee into the change room and Lightning held the door to keep her from closing it.
"Wait a second. I want to see the top," Lightning grinned. Fang let out an anguished groan and stepped back out, pleased to see Lightning grin and nod. "I like it. I think you should get that one."
"I will put it with the things I am gettin' then." Fang was still desperately trying to flee, her cheeks pink. Lightning leaned to kiss her softly, causing both there sisters to gasp in an attempt to keep from getting too excited.
"It's nice to see you blush for a change," Lightning grinned and let her go back inside.
Author's notes:
Sorry for the delay in posting. I have been working all week and had a bit of a block. I seem to be getting back into the swing of this and am coming to some days off so I should have another chapter done soonish.
Thanks for Reading and all the great reviews!