A/N: In the Paying it Forward universe, Celes and Locke are invited for Thanksgiving. How will Seven and Lasswell react when Terra pays a visit with someone else? Pairings: Fang/Lightning (married), Celes/Locke (married) and Terra/Fina (dating)
That was Unexpected...
"Seven! Lasswell! Is the dinner table ready for our guests?" Lightning asked the kids, taking note that Fang was still in the kitchen finishing up Thanksgiving dinner for the Yun-Farron household. The pair nodded, with Lightning offering a gentle smile at how organised the table was, proud that the kids remembered where things went on the table. In years past Serah, Snow, Vanille and Hope would be the only ones who would show up for the annual dinner due to the size of the house being the biggest of the three, meaning they would be hosting each time for that reason alone. This year was different: the Villiers family was away on a cruise and the Estheims were visiting Oerba, meaning that Fang and Lightning wouldn't have much to cook this year. Until a call from one Celes Cole changed all of that in a hurry. It turned out that not only Celes and Locke had no one to celebrate the holiday with but so did Terra, the owner of the no kill shelter where Bahamut and Y'shtola were at when Lightning and Lasswell adopted the two Miq'ote cats. To everyone's surprise, it was Lightning who gave the okay for all three to pay a visit to the Yun-Farron house for Thanksgiving, with the older Farron giving Terra the okay to bring a guest if need be.
As for Fang, the brunette was humming a traditional Yun song without a care in the world while cooking like a boss in the kitchen. Being the chef in the family, Fang was attending to the vegetables while monitoring the potatoes Seven picked from the garden for her to make, as the Yun-Farron family grew some of their food despite what some have thought, considering the lifestyles the family has in the public eye. A few minutes later, Fang was doing a little dance while preparing a traditional Yun dish, which caused Lasswell to laugh at the scene. Bahamut and Y'shtola, being two very smart cats, made sure that the youngest Yun-Farron doesn't hurt himself from laughter. A short time later, Seven and Lasswell were excused from Thanksgiving prep so they can have time for the cats, who at this point were meowing for attention from at least one or two of the humans. Out of the blue, Lightning heads to the kitchen to see how the food was going and to do a quick check on the turkey and honey ham, since the pinkette felt there should be more than one type of meat to pick from.
All of which would be music to Terra's ears.
XXX
Fina, Terra's new girlfriend - the same Fina who allowed Fang to adopt both Odin and Kain from her stable - is driving the pair to Fang and Lightning's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Terra's car was in the shop for a few days, but Lady Luck was on her side when Fina spent the night at her house plus had her own car, which made things a LOT easier for the new couple. Fortunately for Fina, Terra knew where the Yun-Farron household was and according to Celes, is the best co-pilot New Oerba and New Paddra has seen, mainly because of her reliability with providing directions. Instead of the quiet talk and sweet glance exchanges, Fina drove while Terra provided directions. The stable owner was a bit sad about not being able to look at her girlfriend but Neo Oerba was no walk in the park, especially when you're going to the Yun-Farron household and the only person one knows HOW to get there without a map is a married woman from Vector! In an unexpected move, Terra placed her right hand on Fina's lap for reassurance, which helped things during the very long drive to Neo Oerba. It was about 45 minutes later that the couple finally found the Yun-Farron household, which the Cole family JUST arrived two minutes before them.
Upon seeing Terra and Fina emerge from the latter's car, Celes wasted no time in greeting her childhood mate. "It's SO good that you made it... are you and Fina...?!" Celes began asking the blonde whether or not they're dating, which a nod and a small smile from Fina confirming that they're dating caused Locke to do a fist pump in the air, as he was wanting them to be a couple after the duo constantly exchanging varying but sometimes suggestive looks at each other for years followed by "About damn time", causing the three lasses to release a proper belly laugh. What surprised Locke was that Terra and Fina brought something to the Thanksgiving feast - more specifically, a local Vector dish that was Seven and Lasswell's favourite which one Celes Cole taught her to make and the one dish Claire 'Lightning' Yun-Farron can make without Fang kicking her out of the kitchen. After swapping pleasantries, the two couples made their way the front door of the Yun-Farron household, which Fina rang the doorbell - and the Coles hauling the lot of food between them AND the newly dating couple, much to Terra's amusement.
They would be floored by who greets them.
XXX
"Miss Terra?! Miss Fina...?!" Seven and Lasswell greet two of the newcomers at the same time, both with smiles on their faces. The only thing the Yun-Farron kids knew was that Terra was spending Thanksgiving with them but had no idea that Fina would be joining them. Seven would jump up and down for joy upon seeing Locke and Celes Cole with them for this Thanksgiving - it was the silver haired girl's idea to have them join the family for Thanksgiving dinner this year, as Seven was quite sad upon overhearing - and by accident - that Locke and Celes had no one to celebrate Thanksgiving with and she wanted them to join the family for Thanksgiving dinner and asked Lightning and Fang if it would be okay for the Coles to spend Thanksgiving. Upon seeing the silver haired girl, Celes couldn't stop smiling with her eyes. You really are the Lucky Charm Snaggletooth calls you, as you know how to make people's days better... please never change Seven... Celes happily mused to herself, knowing that any person - male or female - would be the happiest person in the world when they snag Seven as their romantic better half. Lightning and Fang would not only greet the newcomers but also help with the food they brought in, to make this Thanksgiving the best one yet, and without the Villiers and Estheims around.
Lasswell, at a loss for words, also chipped in with helping getting the food to the table, so that they all can have a happy day with each other. The youngest Yun-Farron was just done providing food to the cats after setting up the food for the two horses who were outside by the time the Coles plus Terra and Fina showed up. Fang - who wasn't saying much at all beforehand - was one proud parent at this moment. The kids were chipping in, aided the pets and welcomed the guests with open arms and smiles. "I love those two... and I love you, Sunshine," Fang quietly said to her wife just before planting a chaste kiss to her cheek, while watching their two kids help the Coles, Terra and Fina with their coats so that they feel at home. It was a few minutes later that both Bahamut and Y'shtola went straight to Terra for a reunion cuddle as it was the blonde who saved their lives. As for Odin and Kain, they only smiled with their eyes upon seeing Fina, their former owner, and kept it together for the time being, until she had time later for a proper reunion.
One announcement would shock all..
XXX
The dinner itself had just about everything, and included something for the areas each member at the table came from, something that Lasswell, of all people, was the most excited for. In true Lightning fashion, everyone got in line with a disposable plate in their hand, that way they can fill up their plate their way. What surprised Locke was that Seven didn't get much food but was relieved that the silver haired girl was bound to get a second plate, especially when Celes noted that the first plate was meant for the two horses outside the Yun-Farron household. Terra and Fina, however, weren't surprised that Seven placed more concern for the horses than herself, as they knew about Seven being a real miracle worker for the two currently hanging outside the household. It was after Seven's return TO the house that everyone saw her grab the second plate to fix herself a plate. All Lightning could do is smile at the scene.
There was a decent amount of chatter going on, but more time was spent enjoying the food. To everyone's surprise it was Celes, Seven and Fina who had to keep certain sounds in check because they were clearly enjoying the food provided. As everyone had a decent amount of Strawberry Dr. Mog available, the meal was even more enjoyable. Fina personally brought that to the dinner, as she remembered Celes' allergy to alcohol and literally decked a lad for mocking the Vector native's condition (Lightning, who witnessed the actual incident, was the one who informed Fina of what had happened). With Terra and Celes being childhood mates/friends, it broke Terra's heart every time Celes was made fun of because of said allergy. What surprised everyone was that both Lasswell and Seven begged Terra to find a way to bring Strawberry Dr. Mog to the dinner, which Terra herself revealed at some point during dinner.
The looks Terra and Fina got from the rest warmed their hearts.
XXX
Ever since finding out that Celes and Locke supported Fang and Lightning being a couple years ago, it gave Terra the needed confidence to come out as a lesbian - another thing Celes knew but Lightning and Fang figured that out on their own, making the blonde feel more at home than as a child at the orphanage in Vector. As for Fina - she is a complete mystery. Terra, in a strange turn of events, was the only one who knew certain things about the blonde. One, Fina, an only child, is from the continent of Lapis like Lasswell's (and Seven's by extension) pen pal Rain. Like Terra and Celes, Fina grew up in an orphanage but had no friends left by the time she was able to leave said orphanage. It was about a decade ago that Fina moved to the Neo Oerba/New Paddra area to start her life on a fresh start, with hopes to find lasting friendships and, maybe, love.
It was a random visit to Terra's no kill shelter that Fina first met the blonde. The one item Fina had wanted was to adopt either a cat or a dog. It didn't take long before both a dog's bark and a cat's loud meow claimed Fina's attention. With the Lapis native having a successful stable business, Fina was able to adopt both the barking dog and the meowing cat since both claimed her as their human. The dog, a girl, was named Chere, with the boy cat being given the name of Cole. Months later, Fina was given a donation for the stables, with the donor only going by T. Branford. Their friendship was as strong as it is because the duo kept on helping each other's business stay afloat, amongst other things. When Fina - not Terra - found out that Fang and Lightning were looking to adopt some pets for the home before wanting to adopt Odin and Kain, Terra's no kill shelter was at the top of the list.
A few months ago changed things for the two, when Fina's romantic feelings for the Vector native truly came to light. The pair, who had been living together for a couple of years to help save money, were watching a movie together when it was Terra who placed her head on Fina's shoulder, initiating a cuddle that they tend to do. It was this particular movie that Fina moved her head at the right time to kiss Terra's lips, to convey how she had felt for a few months beforehand. It was this kiss Fina started that Terra returned with love and joy, relieved that Fina felt the same way. Ever since that kiss, they would become a couple and doing the most mundane things on the planet, which rivaled Lightning and Fang to a degree. The new couple were over the moon when Celes asked them to join Fang and Lightning for Thanksgiving dinner, which they immediately agreed to.
Everything for them came to full circle.
XXX
"Everyone... Terra and I have an announcement to make..." Fina began, before Seven - being Seven - blurted it out. "Are you and Miss Terra a couple, Miss Fina... because if you are, I was able to catch on as quickly as me mum's namesake," the silver haired said out of the blue, causing everyone at the table to blush or laugh their arses off. How was she able to catch on that we're dating before we said anything... I'm happy that Seven doesn't care, I can see it in her eyes... Terra happily mused to herself here, knowing just who her parents are. "If ya wanna know how Sevsky caught on that quick Terra - and Sunshine had less to do with it - it's the way you two looked at each other. The Lucky Charm here caught it before we did, that's all..." Fang revealed to the new couple, causing Lasswell to cheer for the pair. "That was unexpected Snaggletooth... Sevsky finding out before it was revealed... now who wants dessert?" Locke, who was the most quiet all dinner long, interrupted the happy moment.
Everyone got caramel pecan pie - or key lime pie - plus ice cream. Seven and Fina had a horse riding lesson which Fina gave Lasswell, Lightning and Fang later on. All the while the other humans, Bahamut and Y'shtola had an equal amount of fun inside the house that included the extra Strawberry Dr. Mog and the board games available.
For Terra and Fina, this was an unexpected Thanksgiving - one spent with those who cared about them which they cared for the same - and ended up having the best time, even if a certain silver haired girl knew certain things before it was confirmed. A few weeks later, Seven got a year's supply of food for Odin and Kain as a thank you gift, with Lasswell getting the best cat food for Y'shtola and Bahamut. Lightning and Fang? They were given the car they wanted but was too late in buying. Locke and Celes were given receipts of varying house payments being taken care of.
All of that was unexpected, but when you have a meal with the Yun-Farron family, you're a part of their family.
A family filled with love and acceptance.
FIN
A/N #2: Next story is back in the Second Time Around universe, the sequel to 'You Don't Mess with The Ysh'.
