"Um….Operation Nora didn't work out."
"You'll be okay. I'll keep you safe."
"Lightning. Me too. I mean, at least I'll try. I'll try to watch out for you too."
Lightning was just so relieved to see that Hope was alright. Not too long ago, she had been prepared to sacrifice herself to make sure that he's survive the PSICOM assault, so it was a huge weight off her shoulders knowing he'd made it out safely. If anything had happened to him-
I'll never let anything happen to him. After everything we've been through together I'm not about to let him disappear from my life.
Her own thoughts took her by surprise. Lightning realized that Hope had somehow managed to work his way into her life, and now that he had she wanted him to stay. Strange.
Not really. I mean, I've always tried to keep myself distant from others so doesn't it make sense that the one person who chooses to be with me should get to stay there?
But that meant being seen 24/7. Being open to scrutiny. Being vulnerable during times of uncertainty. That certainly wasn't an appealing prospect considering that Lightning had managed to survive on her own for so long. And that was the biggest problem of all.
On my own…
Strength and solitude seemed side by side, but as she became more and more reliant on the latter a strange kind of bitterness had emerged. Whenever she saw couples holding hands or kissing or making ridiculously baby-like conversation, Lightning was relieved beyond words that she didn't have to play at juvenile courtship games or make idle conversation about nothing.
But at the same time she felt a kind of sorrow, almost grieving that she'd never had the chance to experience those emotions for her own. And that there'd be nobody to provide her with words of comfort during those difficult days, hold her hand when she needed somebody close to whisper sweet nothing into her ear.
Yet her logical mind screamed that such things were frivolous and Lightning didn't want to waste time or effort in something that didn't seem worth the hassle. So why then did she find herself constantly thinking about it?
Ugh, this argument could go back and forth in her head for days and she still wouldn't find a solution. All she knew for certain was that she cared for Hope more than she previously thought possible and that she's never abandon him.
"Hope?"
"Yeah?"
"You know I care about you, right?"
"Sure…I guess."
"That's never going to change. And I promise I will always be by your side."
In that instant, Hope felt more secure and content than he had in a very long time. In Light's arms there was nothing in all of Cocoon that could come close to touching him. They were more than partners now. More than friends. But then, what did that make them exactly?
The only example Hope could come up with was his parents, always standing by each other come hell or high water. Okay, his dad wasn't perfect but nothing in the world ever was, but even so, they had resolved to dedicate themselves to each other for the rest of their lives.
Hang on a minute! But…does that mean that Light has those same feelings for me? Does that mean that she…s-she….l-loves me?