Chapter 4

Oh great, Lightning glumly thought, as Snow's hulking figure blocked the entire hallway with his arms hanging dejectedly at his sides. His crystal blue eyes were misted over with an oncoming flow of tears as he continued to stare fixated at Lightning and Serah from the kiss he had just seen them share. Lightning crossed her arms over her torso and looked over at Serah - she could blatantly see the full-fledged fear plastered all over Serah's pretty face.

Serah felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of Snow's pained expression etched all over his usually cheery face. She placed her folded hands against her chest to try and calm her erratic heart beat. Serah wasn't sure what a panic attack felt like, but she was pretty sure it was something close to how she was feeling at the moment. She felt a strong urge to hide behind Lightning, but stopped herself from being so weak. This was her problem and she was the one who had to fix her own mistakes.

Lightning's instincts to protect her little sister overtook her as she felt her legs automatically wanting to step in front of Serah, but before she could do so, Serah had surprisingly walked up to Snow first in a determined fashion. Lightning was taken aback at Serah's boldness - she had never seen her sister handle a difficult situation such as this on her own, without her sister's help.

Snow's sad eyes followed Serah as she took the few steps towards him. His lips were quivering as he opened and closed them slightly as if he wanted to say something, but had no will to. Serah's head was bowed down as she made his way towards him. She lifted her head to meet his gaze and smiled sadly. "Snow," she whispered gently as he only stared down at her in silence. "Please believe me when I say, I never wanted you to find out this way."

Snow remained silent, but his eyes remained expressive -signifying that he was listening.

Serah reached her arms behind her neck to unclasp the pendant Snow had given to her when he proposed to her. She was caught up in the romantic moment of Bodhum's fireworks display and Snow's utter devotion to her. Deep down, Serah knew she never had the intention of marrying Snow - even if she did love him, but in a way that would never compare to the love she harbored for Lightning.

She gingerly took one of his gloved hands to place the necklace onto his palm. Snow's palm was quavering as she held his hand. Serah felt her heart break for the man she had fooled herself in believing she was in love with. She never meant to make Snow a pawn in her world of taboo love - it just happened. Serah only wished she had realized it sooner so she could have spared Snow the pain he was feeling right now. Serah took Snow's hands and enclosed them down over the pendant. She held his hand for a moment longer and then let it go.

Snow let his hand drop like deadweight - sapped of energy and any emotion from what Serah was doing to him.

"I'm sorry Snow, but I can't keep this pendant - it wouldn't be right," Serah said truthfully, trying her best to keep her voice from shaking.

Snow slowly opened his hand back up to stare down at the necklace he had carefully picked out, for what he thought, would be his future wife. His mind was racing as his eyes remained locked on the hypnotic spiral design of the pendant. Serah was no longer his, and it crushed him harder than anything ever crushed him before in his entire life.

"Snow," Serah said. "Please, say something," she pleaded.

"I'm not going to give you up…" Snow said softly.

Serah couldn't quite hear him, but Lightning had heard his words perfectly - she was listening to the conversation intently on the side. "What did you say, Snow?" Serah questioned.

Snow's eyes were alit with determination and fire. "I'm not going to give you up! Never!" he roared with passion.

Serah took a step back from the harsh tone in Snow's voice. "B-but…" was all Serah could mumble before Lightning decided enough was enough.

Lightning covered Serah in a defensive stance and glared at the much taller Snow to show she wasn't afraid of his massive stature. "Snow," Lightning said as gently as her nerves could offer her. "I know this may come off as a complete and utter shock to you, but please, don't push this any farther than it has to go."

Serah put a her shaky hands on top of Lightning's shoulder as she cowered behind her - she knew she was once again letting Lightning handle her problems, and she hated herself for that.

Snow looked Lightning square in the eye and scoffed. "I can't believe you, Lightning. I thought you gave us your blessing. Now, you go and do something like this?" He had his fists balled up - clearly trying his best to hold back his anger.

Lightning pressed her lips tightly together and thought of a way to justify her actions, but she shouldn't have to justify something that felt so right, should she?

"I love her…" Lightning stated, with such emotion, it brought tears to Serah's eyes.

Snow didn't seem affected by Lightning's profession. "I can't let her go that easily," Snow rebutted. "I love her too much to do so."

Lightning was becoming increasingly angry at Snow's stubborn refusal to let Serah go. "She's already made her decision Snow, you should respect that," Lightning said bitingly - as if goading Snow to challenge her.

Snow pulled back from the insulting tone of Lighting's voice and looked as if he was about to take a swing at her, before Serah stepped forth in front of Lightning.

"Lightning. Snow. Please, stop this," Serah begged as she stood between the two of them. "Please, I don't want you two to fight."

Snow and Lightning both huffed and mirrored each other's gestures by crossing their arms like disobedient children. Neither one of them looked at each other.

Serah felt like things were spiraling out of control. She had to figure out a way to resolve things, quickly.

"Snow, why can't you just let me go?" Serah asked him bluntly.

Snow's eyes reflected sadness as he spoke. "Isn't it obvious? Because I love you."

"So do I." Lightning interjected - becoming territorial over her love for Serah.

"Who asked you?" Snow fired back, and they both got into a combative stance.

"Stop!" Serah shouted. She had enough of this childish quarrel. "Until we can all talk like adults, I'm not going to deal with this!" Serah walked past Lightning agitatedly to her room and slammed it shut behind her.

Only Lightning and Snow was left standing in the hallway. "Look at what you did, you big oaf," Lightning murmured.

"Wha-? Me?" Snow cried out incredulously. "It's because of you this all started!"

"I can't help it if she chose me over you." Lightning said, causing Snow to lash out at her with a heavy-handed swing of his massive fist.

With her cat-like reflexes, Lightning dodged the attack and elbowed Snow in the stomach, causing him to double over clutching at his torso.

"Wh-why y-you!" Snow gasped out in pain as he started towards Lightning, but collapsed in a heap on the floor before he could reach her.

"I didn't want it to come to this, Snow," Lightning said, somewhat apologetically as she looked down at Snow curled up on the ground.

Snow shakily lifted his head up with one eye shut tight in pain. "Well," he panted, "I'm still not going to give her up." He then passed out from the pain.

Lightning sighed and picked him up to sit him against the wall. "Then let the battle begin," Lightning said softly, as she stared at the unconscious Snow.