Chapter 3
Lightning was not one for relationships. She never had been. In middle school, a boy had asked her to go out with him in a note. She had walked up to him, thrown the note on the ground, and punched him in the stomach. And that was because she had liked him.
Of course, a lot had changed since middle school. But the one thing that hadn't? Her lack of a boyfriend. Lightning had never actually had a "boyfriend," at least officially. She'd been on plenty of dates in her almost 26 years, a few of which even turned into something more. But they never lasted even a month. Finally Lightning realized that there was nothing more threatening to a man's ego than a woman soldier who could probably kick his butt. But she was more content to be alone than to change who she was.
But Noctis, he was different. Being a soldier himself, he wasn't threatened by her, which Lightning had to admit she found attractive. And there was something about his eyes…
The first time they'd met was years ago, only a few months after Cocoon had fallen. The Guardian Corps was preparing to make its way to Gran Pulse, and Lightning was in charge of the training, since she was the only person who had been there before.
It had been during a routine sparring match, which pitted Lightning against all the recruits. She had never lost once, not in the hundreds of matches she'd been in, and as she watched the smaller, lean-muscled man walk into the ring, she could tell it'd be business as usual.
"Okay, recruit," she'd called across the ring. "When you're ready to begin, raise your hand in the air so I can see it."
"Well hold on a second," he'd replied casually. "I don't even get to know your name before I beat you in front of all these recruits?" A chorus of muffled laughter rang out along the edges of the ring, where a couple hundred young recruits were standing around to watch the fight. "You're Lieutenant…?"
"It's Lightning," she'd snapped. She didn't have time for his immature talking which was obviously meant as a way to get attention. But she wasn't allowed to start until he raised his hand. So she resorted to staring at him with a slight snarl.
"Lieutenant Lightning," he said, chuckling. "Well, not the name I would've chosen…" His laughing had obviously disturbed his perfectly styled hair (a little unnecessary, in Lightning's opinion), because he suddenly raised his hand to run it through the dark mass.
Good enough for me, Lightning thought, and she began her normal sprint when in pursuit of a target. Possibly slightly more aggressive, as he had really started to get on her last nerve. But he wasn't taken by surprise, like she'd hoped. He caught her mid-flip, twisted her arm behind her back, and shoved her to the ground. There was a collective gasp from the other recruits, and Lightning felt her face flush.
Finally he let her go, and as he extended his hand to help her up, he said smoothly, "It's Noctis." Lightning scoffed at him, but her smart comeback was nowhere to be found. As soon as her eyes had met his, she'd melted. So dark, they were like black holes, and she definitely felt herself being sucked in.
She'd let him help her up, but hurriedly left before he could say another word. Black holes? That was what she'd thought of? Lightning was a lot of things, but mushy was not one of them.
But later, when he asked her out for a drink, those eyes wouldn't let her refuse.