A/N: Can you blame me for giving Snow all that bad luck? I don't really like the doofus. I still question why Serah's even marrying him. If you ask, she's better off with Hope. She should be dating him instead of Snow...wait, did i just say that?
Day 4
In the next morning, Hope and Serah got up early. For Serah, she wanted to make a special breakfast for Lightning. As for Hope, well, he's too excited. The kid's really happy to give Lightning his gift. Man, it's funny how a kid can go from depression to excitement.
Hope decided to help Serah out with breakfast. What Serah wanted to do is make breakfast in bed for Lightning. She would have to get up early since Lightning's an early bird. Serah has some coffee ready for Lightning. Hope works on some eggs, he's getting really good with cooking, thanks to Serah.
Lightning is still asleep in bed. Normally, she's up by now, but Lightning decided to sleep in a little, since she has no reason to get up early in the morning. Lightning wakes up, she sits up in bed, reading her book.
Serah and Hope finishes making the breakfast. Serah carries the whole thing on a tray. The both of them makes their way to Lightning's room. Before they go in, they take a peek inside, just to make sure Lightning's up. They find her reading her book in bed.
Hope opens the door and walks in. "Hey, Lightning."
Lightning looks at Hope. "Hope? What are you doing there?"
"Well, me and Serah have something for you." Hope says.
Lightning closes her book, letting it rest on her lap. "Serah?"
Serah walks in. "Hey, sis. Happy Birthday."
Lightning looks at the breakfast Serah's serving. Plate of eggs, some toast, sausages and a cup of coffee. Lightning is surprised by this. Serah sets the tray on Lightning's lap.
"Serah, breakfast in bed?" Lightning says with a smile.
"Yep. It is your special day." Serah says.
"Well, thank you." Lightning grabs the fork and takes a bite of the eggs. "Hmm...this is really good, Serah."
"I didn't make them." Serah says.
Lightning seems confused, then she looks at Hope. "Hope? You made this?"
"Well, yeah." Hope says.
"I didn't know you cook." Lightning says.
"Well, I didn't. Your sister taught me how." Hope says.
Lightning is impressed. Lightning eats her breakfast in bed. Serah leaves her room, leaving Hope and Lightning alone. There was a knock on the door. Serah answers it to find Snow. Serah isn't too pleased to see him. It's Lightning's birthday and she knows the last thing she would want is to see him. Which is odd since Snow's gonna be around for the party.
"Snow!" Serah quickly looks up the stairs then back at Snow. "What are you doing here?"
Snow can tell from that surprised worried tone that Serah doesn't want him here. "Hey, is something wrong?" Snow asks.
Serah walks outside, closing the door behind her. "You can't be here."
"Whoa. Since when am I no longer invited to your house?" Snow asks.
"Snow, I love you, but it's Lightning's birthday." Serah says. "She's spending the day to relax and...well..."
Serah gesters her hands around Snow. Snow is still confused, but soon realizes what she's talking about. "Oh...I get it. So I guess I'm uninvited to the party."
"Oh no, no. You can still come. I'm sure she'll be okay with it...I hope." Serah says.
"All right. I'll see you tonight." Snow walks away.
"Oh, make sure you bring the cake!" Snow waves his hand in the air as he walks off. It's a way of saying 'Got it'.
Vanille and Fang are just waking up at home. Fang's not too happy after what happened last night. They bot banned from market row since Vanille cut a hover car in half with a lightsaber and Fang assaulted a cart vender, even if it was just shove.
Fang lays down on the couch, groaning in frustration. Vanille just sits on the counter, weaving something. Vanille decided that she should make her own present. After all, there's no better gift if it's homemade. If only Hope thought of that.
"What are we gonna do?" Fang shouts, waving her hands in the air. "We don't have a gift and the party's tonight."
"Why don't you make one?" Vanille asks.
Fang sits up. "What are you talking about?"
"Make a gift. That's what I'm doing." Vanille sits aside, showing her accessories and materials on the counter.
Fang stands up, looking at Vanille with disappointment. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that? Before we went to market row."
"I was gonna, but you got all moody cause it was last minute shopping." Vanille says.
Fang groans in frustration. She walks to the corner, grabbing her lance and heading out the door. "I'll be back!"
just like that, Fang's out the door, and Vanille continues doing her work. Fang walks out the door, walking down the sidewalk, until she bumps into Snow. Fang and Snow falls on the ground from bumping into each other.
Fang looks at Snow in front of her. "Hey, watch it yea blockhead."
Snow looks at Fang, insulted. "Hey, you should watch it." Snow and Fang stands up. When they do, they recognize each other. "Hey, wait a minute. You're that chick that was living with Vanille."
"And you're that guy that want out with Vanille the other day." Fang says.
"Actually, she was going out with Hope, me and Serah were just with them. It was a double date." Snow says.
"Whatever, I don't have time for this." Fang walks past Snow. "I got a present to make."
Snow turns and looks at Fang hearing that. "Wait? Present? You're coming to Lightning's birthday?"
"Yeah!" Fang answers, not looking back.
Snow catches up to Fang. "Wait. Let me go with you. I can help."
"You better, cause I don't like to have people getting in my way." Fang says.
"Man, you sound just like Lightning. I think you two would get along." Snow says.
Lightning spends her day relaxing at home. Just sitting down and reading her book in silence. There's not much for the soldier girl to do. Hope wonders why Lightning would just do that on her birthday, but he doesn't question it. Serah has gone to find Snow, figured she could try to keep the man occupied until the party, but she couldn't find him. Not even with team NORA.
Lightning feels happy to get some quiet time for once, what with Snow always visiting and all that hard work at the Guardian Corps. She's glad that Serah insisted she would take the day off.
Hope spends the day doing some cleaning up around the house, figured the house should look nice for Lightning. By afternoon, Serah returns. She's surprised to see how the house looks. Serah walks into the kitchen to find Hope mopping up the floors.
"Hey, Serah." Hope says.
"Hope. Did you do some cleaning?" Serah asks.
"Yeah. I mean, it is Lightning's birthday. Figured the place should look nice." Hope says.
Serah smiles as she looks around. "That's sweet of you. You need some help?"
Hope nods. "That would be nice."
Serah helps Hope out with some cleaning. Lightning wonders what it is Hope and Serah are doing downstairs when she hears some noises. It's not real loud, just a little quiet. But she doesn't bother, she just wants to have her day.
By the time Serah and Hope were done, they crashed on the couch, exhausted. It was mostly Hope that was exhausted. The two of them decided to rest. Serah makes sure she doesn't take too long, since she has to prepare for dinner soon.
After an hour of rest, Serah gets up and goes to the kitchen. Hope is still soundly asleep on the couch. Serah couldn't help but smile, she thinks Hope looks adorable when he's asleep. Serah bends down and gives Hope a kiss on the cheek, earning a smile and a sigh from him.
Lightning comes down the stairs. She's surprised to see how clean the house is. "Whoa..." Lightning slowly walks around the house as she admires the house. Lightning stops in the living room when she sees Serah and Hope, well mostly Serah. Lightning is standing from behind the couch.
Lightning walks up to in front of the couch, there, she sees Serah is looking down at the sleeping Hope. Lightning wondered why the kid's sleeping. Serah looks up to see Lightning. "Hey, sis."
Lightning looks at Serah. "Hey, Serah." Lightning looks around. "The house...is so clean."
Serah stands up. "Yeah. Hope did some work around the house."
"Did he now?" Lightning says. "It looks nice."
Serah goes into the kitchen to get started on dinner.
Fang returns to her house, dragging a dead Megistotherian behind her, with Snows help. It took all day for the two of them to take the thing out, but Fang better hope it's worth it. Fang and Snow drags the body into the house. It was hard to get it though the door compared to the size of the beast and the door.
"Whoa! That was something." Snow says.
Fang is still dragging the dead creature. "Yeah, well. now I have an hour to make my gift. So don't distract me!"
"No problem." Snow turns and waves a hand in the air as he walks out the door. "I'll see you at the party."
Fang drags the Megistotherian into another room. The corpse lays in the center and Fang takes out two daggers. "Let's get to work."
Vanille is all finished with her gift and she skips her way to the Farron house next door. Serah is almost done with dinner, and Lightning is still sitting on the chair right next to the couch where Hope is sleeping.
Vanille walks into the house, she sees the birthday girl in the living room. "Hey there, Lightning."
Lightning turns to see Vanille. "Hey...Vanille, right?"
Vanille nods. She turns to Hope. Vanille is surprised to see the sleeping boy. She gasps and rushes to his side in front of the couch. "Aww...he's so cute when he's sleeping." Vanille starts tickling Hope on his cheek. Hope giggles in his sleep, Vanille laughs along as well.
Lightning just smiles and shook her head. She thinks those two look silly together, even through Vanille's doing all of the silly. During this silliness, Hope opens his eyes. Hope was startle when he gets a clear vision of Vanille. The kid screams and backs up.
"Vanille? What, you trying to give me a heart attack?" Hope asks.
"No, silly-willy." Vanille says with a giggle. "You just looked so adorable."
Hope feels surprised hearing that, then blushes while nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
"Dinner's almost ready." Serah says. "Vanille, can you and Hope set up the table?"
"Sure thing." Vanille grabs Hopes hand and drags him to the kitchen room. "Come on."
Hope and Vanille sets up the table. Lightning sits down on the couch, relaxing. However, that relaxation is over when Snow comes in.
"Hello!" Snow shouts.
Lightning lays her head back on the couch. "Well, there goes my day."
Snow walks in with a chocolate cake. Snow sets the cake on the counter. Serah looks at Snow then smiles. "Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you go sit down with Vanille and Hope?
Snow moves to the dinning room. Lightning joins in as soon as Serah mentioned dinner's ready. What Serah had made was something Lightning didn't have since the day her parents died: Sea Gumbo. It was always her favorite. Lightning couldn't really believe it's sitting right in front of her.
"Serah...is that really...?" Serah nods. After Lightning gets a bowl, she tastes it. "It is...it's just like how mom use to make it."
"I've been practicing, it took me years to get it right." Serah says.
Everyone sits on the table, eating the dinner. Minutes later, Fang walks in with her gift. Fang sits it down in the living room, then joins in with everyone else on the table. "Hey, looks like I made it."
Fang sits on the last chair on the end of the table. Lightning notices Fang. "Who are you?"
"Fang. She's my friend." Vanille says with a smile.
"Well, nice to meet you." Lightning says.
"So you're the famous Lightning..." Fang looks up and down at Lightning. "Eh...I've seen better."
Lightning raises an eyebrow. "What's that suppose to mean?"
Fang grabs her bowl of gumbo. "Oh...nothing."
Lightning didn't bother wondering what she meant. Fang and Lightning got to know each other, but only a little. Right after dinner, Serah and Snow goes and get the cake.
Serah cuts up the cake and everyone gets a piece, Lightning first since she's the birthday girl. Fang doesn't get any however, she's not a fan of chocolate. Boy, I'd hate to be the guy who has a crush on her on Valentines day.
After cake, everyone moves to the living room, where Lightning opens her presents. Lightning opens Snows present. His gift is just a silver ring. Lightning looks at Snow and gives him a small nod. That's probably as close as she could ever give him as a thank you. Lightning puts the ring back in the small box, then she reaches for Vanille's gift.
Lightning opens the present, and inside it is some weaved necklace. A black thin rope with feathers and sharp teeth attached to it. Lightning just looks at the necklace with confusion.
Vanille just smiles and stares at Lightning, hoping for an answer. "Well?"
"Uh...It's nice." Lightning says with a stale tone. She doesn't really hate it or anything, just not really sure about it. Lightning tries it on. After taking a moment, she realizes it's not so bad.
"Oh, I'm glad you like it!" Vanille says with a squeal.
"All right, do mine next." Fang says.
Lightning figured she should cause Fang's present is probably not going to be as good since Fang doesn't really know Lightning at all. So, Lightning opens Fang's present, and inside it...is some rug made out of hide from the dead Megistotherian.
"Thanks, Fang...I always wanted a..." Lighting's tone was as stale as she said about Vanille's gift. Lightning turns the rug side to side, just wondering what it is. "...Fur sheet?"
"It's suppose to be a rug, love." Fang says. "You try gift shopping at the last minute while banned from market row." Lightning looks at Fang, she was about to ask until Fang interrupts her. "Don't ask."
Lightning sets Fang's gift aside. Hope hands Lightning his gift. Hope sits back patiently as Lightning opens his gift. Lightning is surprised at what her gift is, the rose earrings. Lightning takes them out of the small box, gazing at the crystal roses.
"Hope...Did you buy this?" Lightning asks.
"Uh, yeah. You like it?" Hope asks.
Lightning smiles. "I love them." Lightning puts on the earrings. Hope seems speechless, Lightning looks even more beautiful with those earrings on, and with that smile. Of course, he really has his eyes set on Vanille, since it would be weird to have a crush on his foster sister. Hope snaps out of his thoughts when Lightning reaches for Hope and hugs him. "Thank you."
Hope hugs Lightning as well. "You're welcome."
Everyone smiles at this moment. After the hug, Lightning gives Hope a kiss on the check. Hope blushes and chuckles nervously. Serah giggles, Snow pats Hope on the back, and Vanille gives a bit of a grumpy face and humphs. Looks like somebody's jealous.
All that's left is Serah's gift. Lightning opens it. She cannot believe what's inside. It's the knife that she wanted. "Serah. You got me this?"
"Of course I did." Serah says.
Lightning puts the knife down and she and Serah hugs each other. For the rest of the night, Vanille and Fang went back home, Hope, Serah, Snow and Lightning watches a movie together. Hope falls asleep halfway through the movie. The kid rests his head on Lightnings shoulder.. Lightning wraps her arm around the kid, letting him rest on her.
When the movie was done, Serah goes to her room. Snow goes home. Lightning carries the sleeping Hope and rests him in the guest room. She lays him on the bed, tucks in him. Lightning gets a good look at Hope. She strokes his hair and whispers in to his ear.
"Good night." Lightning leaves Hope's room and closes the door behind her.