As they leave the Academy for the day she clings to his arm, no embarrassment, nothing at all. Infact she basks in his warmth, loves the way he blushes tomato-red as she pulls him here and there.

Around her. she can feel stares burning with jealousy. She smiles minutely as she tightens her grip on his hand. She doesn't know why she's acting like this, but it isn't unwelcomed. A long time ago she had to live her life for Serah but now that Serah's safe and sound, making something of herself as a teacher back in Bodhum she felt she should live a little.

She just didn't think that meant flaunting her boyfriend around. But there was a novelty to having him fawn over her, having his eyes only on her. As they walk hand in hand, she sees the new café that opened recently.

And before she can ask, he pulls her along, smile on his face. She blushes minutely a smile forming on her own face.

/

The entire café is a buzz, and that's no understatement.

Hundreds of people are outside, taking picture on their holo-devices and all around her she can hear giggling and mutterings. And beside her, smiling is the main buzz of the topic – Hope Estheim.

He waves at the cameras and the crowd but then turns back to her, smiling as he takes her hand underneath the table. She smiles, a small blush on her face as she hears him whisper that he's sorry for the crowd.

She leans forward hand on her chin, smiling as she takes a sip of her coffee. She hears the hushed whispers, girls in the crowd asking who's the girl sitting next to the Director.

She hears one of the girls in the crowd tell her friends that she's just the Director's friend. And before Lightning knows what's happening, his lips are tasting hers, a hint of expresso lingering. They separate, their faces flush as they both stare into each other's eyes.

Then suddenly, he pulls her up of her chair and tell her he wants dessert. She blushes tomato-red as they weave through the crowd gossiping louder. They make it to their apartment. They stumble into the hallway, with him picking her up.

They never make it to the bedroom satiating their quench for each other in their Livingroom. She falls asleep with her on top of him as his arms wrap around her.

/

"So, let me get this straight, there's a hundred scientists on this excavation but they still called you in?" Lightning asked, tapping her foot impatiently as she glared at him, "And you're only telling me now?"

Hope glanced at her a sheepish smile on his face and turned back collecting a few pieces of clothing for the trip. As he runs himself around their apartment getting all his things ready, he fails to notice Lightning pulling something out the closet.

When he arrives at the front door, he's stopped in his tracks by Lightning wearing a bunched-up jacket, red-scarf wrapped around her neck. An ass he took a closer look, he recognized that the clothes she wore underneath was her GC Uniform.

Not to mention the two suitcases on other side of her?

"Light?"

"I'm coming with." She said as if it was natural, "Commander Amodar called this morning." As if that explains everything, "Members of the GC unit is to accompany you all."

"Commander Amodar called, eh?" Hope smiled as he crossed his arms, "That's weird because I received a text from him." Smile on his face as he crossed his arms, "Someone's eager to get going, huh?"

"I swear one of these days I'll really punch, Estheim!" She was cut off as warm lips planted on her own. Pulling away she gazes at him and thinks to herself that she's the luckiest woman on Pulse.

She gets to taste candy all day, every day.