Let me say this first: Sorry for not updating last week; I got caught up with responsibilities of taking care of my dogs and taking care of the house while my parents were away for a meeting, so there's the reason, but I'm back and I have a chapter for you~! ^_^

It feels like a running gag for me to make it rain almost every day, or in this case, every chapter. :P It's a good inspiration for a lot of reasons, and from where I'm at, it's been raining almost every day. XD Summer rain is just wonderful, I really wanted to add in some of that in this story. :) I also want to let you know that a good friend of mine, who is on here with her awesome Dance Central story, has made a couple of cute pictures of Luce in her street-style outfit and another with just something you might know who else wears it. I'm happy about that as I hope you'll be too! I have the links on my profile of her for you wanting to see. Anyways, here's the next chapter! ^_^

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~Chapter Ten: Lightning Strikes~

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After a few hours of getting to know each other a bit, things got quiet, resulting in the two sleeping until morning comes. As Luce sleeps comfortably on her warm bed, Oblio sleeps on the side of the bed, never leaving her. He was on his knees, and he didn't seem to mind sleeping like that.

Luce woke up when the limited sunlight hit her face. She blinked too hard, trying to get the weary feeling away. She noticed that her glasses were still on, feeling a bit guilty for that. She turned to her side, trying to block the sun from her sight. A few seconds after, she noticed that Oblio was there, his arms crossed on the bed with his upper body and his head laying on his arms as a pillow.

You never left at all? Luce thought, smiling with a weak chuckle. Making sure that he won't be awake by her moving, she slowly got off the bed, stretching and moving the curtain away to reveal more sunshine. She still felt a bit numb from her sickness, but she was getting a lot stronger since her fever was gone. Taking one more look at Oblio, she noticed that he was still asleep, so she used that advantage to carefully head down the stairs to get the dinner that Mo left her.

A few moments later, Oblio slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he sees is that Luce is out of her bed. Getting up, he stretched and breathed in and out, looking at the sky. It looked like it won't stay that way for a while, so it was good enough for the sun to be there to wake people up. The bluenette later noticed that his jacket, the one Luce used to shield herself from the rain, was sitting down on a beanbag chair. Before he went to get it and put it on, he heard a ringtone a few feet away. It wasn't his phone because it was on vibrate, so it had to be Luce's. He didn't want to be sneaky or be in her space, but he went to her phone to make sure it was a call or a text.

Oblio took her phone and went downstairs, hoping to find her so that she can read the message. Down there, he saw Luce and Claire across from each other, the brunette sitting down at the kitchen bar while the blonde is getting her favorite ice cream. Sitting down beside Luce, she noticed the bluenette the moment he took a seat.

"Morning, Oblio," Luce said to him. He smiled at her in return.

"Morning to you as well," he replied. He revealed her phone in his hand and gave it to her. "Someone sent a text to you not too long and I didn't want to snoop, so I wanted you to read it for yourself." Luce nodded and took her phone, respecting his generosity and for not being a sleuth. She read it, bringing a big smile to her face.

From: Angel

Claire told me about your sickness. Don't worry, I'll bring you your favorites. I'll be there in five minutes, okay? :)

Angel's going to be at her house again, just like old times when she was sick. Usually, when he brings the goodies, it ups her energy a bit, making her sick days shorten, but since Oblio took care of her most of the time yesterday, it'll make it better and she'll be feeling great hopefully by today.

"Thanks for letting Angel know, Claire," Luce spoke up to the Italian.

"You're welcome, Luce," she replied. "I told him because there's one more errand I must take care of for your father, so I figured that he and Oblio can help take care of you. Are you feeling a bit better?" she asked, giving her a small bowl of chocolate mint ice cream. Luce nodded before taking a spoonful of the cold treat. "That's good to know, then. Oblio, I have your ice cream in the freezer; if you want, then you can get yourself a bowl of it." The bluenette nodded and went to the freezer and found his blue raspberry-flavored ice cream. While he was getting settled with fixing himself a bowl of it, the doorbell rang.

Luce went to see who it was, and it was the Latino outside her house. With a smile, she opened the door. Angel wore his "Show Off" outfit, but the torso's covered, due to the rain from behind him. He smiled and gave her two plastic bags. When she took it, Angel placed his gloved hand on her forehead, then brushed a piece of hair out of her face carefully. Luce chuckled from his touch. "You're feeling better than last time," he told her. From afar, Oblio raised an eyebrow when he noticed the two of them.

"You bet," Luce said. She headed to the bar and put her bags on there, checking what was inside. One holds two Vitamin Waters and a small box of Ritz. The other bag has a can of chicken noodle soup and something that isn't food, but it helps her when she needs it: a gift card for iTunes so she can buy some music. "Thank you so much, Angel. Perhaps you remember Oblio," she told him. After that small incident, he has to watch out for whatever Oblio has his mind set on, but if he's kind, then that's fine.

"Hola, Oblio," Angel spoke up, adjusting his visor to see the Asian fully.

"Hello, Angel," the bluenette replied. Before anyone else can make a move or speak, the blonde's heels are heard, passing the three from the kitchen to the front door.

"Alright," Claire spoke up, getting her keys from the side table close to the front door. "I'll be back in two hours, so please take good care of Luce, you two." Once she's outside, that leaves only the three of the dancers. There really wasn't that much to say, but it wasn't too awkward.

"I guess I'll take a shower then," Luce said with a small smile. "Don't be too quiet okay?" She went upstairs to her room and then the shower, leaving only the Asian and Latino in the living room. Now it was awkward, especially for Angel. Honestly, he didn't know how to start up a normal conversation with him, and he's not a solitary person, unlike Oblio. For the bluenette, however, it seemed easy.

"Luce has told me all about you," Oblio said, referring toward Angel. He stood up to put his finished bowl in the sink and then went to stand across from Angel. "You've been friends with her since you were five, correct?" Angel nodded, trying his best not to look at the bluenette.

"That so? Well, she's rather shy right around now, but she was confident and obstinate when I first met her. By the time we were in middle and high school, she was always defending me when girls reject me when I flirt or ask them out on a date. Despite her shyness, she can be bold and happy, but at times like this, you'd just wish that you can hold her." Oblio looked at the brunette curiously.

"Why is that? Besides the sickness?" he asked, himself turning more concerned. Angel sighed deeply and crossed his arms, his visor preventing him from seeing Oblio for a bit.

"Her mother's death," Angel answered, frowning. Oblio knew of this, raising his eyebrow as a result, but he would like to hear it in Angel's words. "That day has to be the darkest of anyone's life. Seeing her worried when her mother went missing for at least three days just made me want to take the life of the one responsible. When we found out what happened, her depression lasted for a month. She put herself in solitude, never replying to messages or calling us right after the funeral."

Oblio responded to that with a rare frown, imagining Luce shed tears so badly it can result from a waterfall. He agrees with Angel, wanting to get rid of the murderer, but in his way of life, killing would lead him into the dark. "Poor sparrow..." he muttered. "I never knew that a strong soul like hers would receive something so ill-lighted." The brunette turned his head to Oblio, his brown eyes glistening for what he is about to say.

"Anyone that knows her didn't expect it, either," Angel replied. "After Luce was out of her depression, she told me that she hadn't talked to anyone during that month, and she even skipped meals for a week." Oblio felt his skin turn cold. She even lost her appetite for that long, she could have been as skinny as a broom. Angel's cell phone rang, which really interrupted the mood that was created during his words from his past. "Hello?"

"Angel, if you're going to be at dance rehearsal, then you better get yourself here right now!" Aubrey scolded through the phone. Despite his feelings for her, he sighed from her impatience, replying that he'll be on the way. As much as he wants to stay to take care of Luce, he doesn't want another scolding from the Queen.

"I'll see you soon, I guess," Angel said to Oblio. "Tell Luce that I hope she gets better soon." Oblio nodded, watching the Latino leave. Since he's all by himself, Oblio decided to give himself a tour of the living room. He noticed the picture frames on the mantel and surrounding the television. He took one of them and looked at it carefully,

It was Luce with her family, smiling together. That picture portrays her as a young teen, right around thirteen, and her brother at fifteen. Oblio didn't notice that he smiled lightly when they are happy together in the picture. Sadly, it was the last five years of happiness for the Valentine family. The rest of the pictures were from childhood to now, with Mrs. Valentine holding Luce and her brother from the times she gave birth to them, and Mr. Valentine having his arm around her just when they were born.

When he put them up, he later discovered a book. Taking it and flipping the pages, he noticed that it was the same as his own copy: Mrs. Valentine's poetry. It was a best-selling book about life and taking advantage of what you want to do, and it inspired a lot of people. It even inspired Oblio to continue his dancing career as how he wanted it to be. He feels spiritually connected to her, understanding her to strive and have confidence. It gave Oblio the answer to how Luce got her confidence from. Hearing footsteps from the stairs, he carefully put the book back in its original spot and decided and open the curtain to see a now heavy, rainy view.

When Luce came in with the same shorts and tank top since she's still healing up, but wore a bra under it due to the straps almost being noticeable. It's not like Oblio's going to look at that or anything. Also, with her hair dry and brushed, there was something different about her. Oblio turned his head to look at her, and he noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual glasses. She looked... a bit prettier without them on. He even noticed that the look in her eyes seemed a bit sad, but she was trying her best to replace that with a positive look, with the help of a kind smile. Why is Oblio having the feeling of wanting to embrace her? Sure that he felt really bad for Luce's loss, but another came to him that had him stop in his tracks.

"Can you see?" he asked out of curiosity. Luce smiled when she figured that he noticed she was not wearing glasses.

"Yes, I can see. Normally, I always wear glasses, but I wear contacts whenever my eyes aren't irritated. It's a rare event, so be lucky you've seen it now," she chuckled, heading to a mirror to give herself one last check. She went to get a Vitamin Water from one of the bags and took a swig of it, wanting the taste of it to quench her thirst. Twisting it closed, she noticed someone was missing. "So Angel left, huh? Dance rehearsal?"

"Something like that," he answered. "He told me, however, that he hopes you'll get well soon." Luce nodded, understanding that. There was something that she wanted to let Oblio know of, but she doesn't know how to start it. Something about him would understand the words she gathered in her head, but how will he respond to it, is the question.

"Hey, Oblio? There's something I need to tell you. I probably should have done that before I asked you to be in the crew." When Luce looked at him to see if he was listening, he nodded, telling her mentally to continue. "Well..." she sighed, feeling herself tremble. "I respect you for being solitary until I came into the picture. However, when my mother died, I decided that no one should know what I'm feeling. Even ignoring Claire was part of my past depression. If I tell anyone how I'm feeling, they will either show pity or catch that emotion I have by comforting me." She started to shake, avoiding eye contact with him. "I don't know how you do it, but-"

The Asian stopped her speaking by pulling her into his unplanned embrace. Luce gasped from the act, dropping her drink and looking to her right, which was the back of Oblio's head and his dyed blue hair. The grip became a bit tighter, making Oblio look at Luce to make sure that she wasn't fully surprised. Luce's eyes started to tremble, feeling unsure and wanting to cry at the same time.

"I'm alone for a certain reason, but you shouldn't have brought yourself into that kind of pain," Oblio told her, closing his eyes. "Even though you've already coped with your mother's death, I want you to know that it's okay to cry in front of me. If you ever feel weak, sad, or alone, just let it go so it won't rip through your advantages."

The brunette recognized the last part he spoke, that being her mother's words from one of her poems. Her mother also said that to her whenever Luce was in a depressing mood. She lowered her eyes to stop the tears, but she failed, burying her face in Oblio's shoulder, her shoulders quaking faster, and holding onto him so that she wouldn't be let go of.

He can hear her sobs escape her lips and feel her tears staining his tank top. The bluenette opened his eyes, his frown returning to understand Luce's pain of loneliness. Hearing her sobs of sadness was too much for him, never wanting Luce to bear such pain. When he first met her, he knew that she was something different, but in a good way. He began to speak while comforting her with his embrace. "Angel told me about your depression," Oblio brought up, which made Luce's frown wider. "We have something in common; my mother died from the stress of giving birth to me, so we share the same predicament. It was hard to never grow up with a loving parent who would take care of you and protect you no matter what."

Luce froze, feeling a chill down her spine and her blood drain when he mentioned his mother died. She felt more guilty than sad now. With that result, she hugged him tighter to let him know how pitiful she felt. This time, the last of her tears were for him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know." Oblio looked at the window, the gray clouds becoming darker, but harmless, with heavy rain and lightning appearing in the background. Still holding onto her, he carefully went to the couch and sat down with her.

"Just stay put and relax," Oblio whispered, as Luce nodded after her tears were shed. He slowly rubbed her back in order for her to calm down, and while doing that, he looked out the window, seeing lightning flash before his eyes. When that happened, it gave him an idea of what their crew truly is. "Our crew name... is Lightning. Once we appear at our competition, we will be done with it seconds away..." Oblio smiled slightly before finishing. "...and win."

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~Chapter Eleven coming soon...~

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It's odd that we don't have the info for Oblio's mom. *shrugs* I'm just being creative here, so I decided that she died. If you want to know why he called Luce a sparrow, look up bird meanings to find out. ^_^ Since he's a crow, I'd figured I give Luce a bird as well. :P

I'm also planning on doing another story for Dance Central. :) It'll be after the events of DC3 (if DC4 was confirmed, then I wouldn't have to do this), and for those who have the game, you know what that means~! :D I highly doubt that Luce will appear since technically, Oblio is in M.O.C. with Dr. Tan... and we all know what happened to him. If anyone has an idea of what I should put in there, let me know in the reviews!

Review for the newly named Lightning Crew~!