Final Fantasy XIII 1. Chapter 1

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix.

Unlike much of my other work this isn't a out and out Hope/Lightning fic but is spiced with it. Maybe all dump more in the later parts if you like it that way.

It's all Fair Game

By Slazyer

"Vanille go long!" Hope yelled as he threw his boomerang at her. Hope's new low level Airwing boomerang flew towards Vanille and she caught it easily.

Sazh whistled and waved his arms. "Come on Vanille put it right here!"

Vanille remembered what Hope told her about throwing a boomerang. 'The throw starts in you hips, then shoulder, your elbow and ends with your wrist.' She let it fly and the orange toy took off like a bird. She didn't have Hope's accuracy with it so Sazh had to jump to make the catch.

Hope, Vanille, Snow, Sazh and Fang were running around a big open and monster free field playing a impromptu game of catch. Although it seemed that half the time was spent play fetch because not everyone had gotten use to throwing the boomerang.

Hope had bought the new Airwing just for this reason, a toy that everyone could play with. He was playing a game without any rules or winners but full of laughter with his new friends. They were having so much fun they almost forgot they were on Pulse. Laughing like this you'd think they were playing on the beaches of Bodhum or a park in Palumpolum.

Lightning, however was not amused at all. She stood far way from the game glaring at it's players. She thought back to when Hope bought the new Airwing and asked if anyone was up for a game of catch. She was already a little upset that Hope would wasting gil on a downgraded weapon.

Worse then that was everyone agreed to the childish idea. Sure, Lightning, knew Vanille and Snow would be for it as those two were just big kids at heart but Sazh and Fang had joined in as well. Lightning was the sole opposition and was out voted.

"Ridiculous." Lightning said hotly.

A memory from Lightning's childhood replayed in her mind. She was eighteen an dressed in a fresh new Guardian Core cadet uniform. Serah then a little girl of fifteen ran up to Lightning holding a beach ball. 'Come on sis, don't you want to play with me?'

'I don't have time for kids games.'

The image of little Serah's crestfallen face didn't even tug on Lightning's heart even now. "Absolutely ridiculous."

It was then that a stray throw form Fang sent the boomerang flying at Lightning. It landed a about a foot away from the brooding soldier.

"Hey, give us hand will you?" Fang asked waving her arms around.

With a snort of contempt Lightning picked the boomerang up. She didn't want to get caught up in this silly game but if throwing once it would get them to leave her alone then that was alright. Hope was the closest one to Lightning so she picked him to be her target.

Lightning wound back her arm and threw.

Thud!

The boomerang struck the ground not three feet in front of her. To the observers it looked like she spiked the thing into the ground. Everyone was watching at Lighting with stunned looks on their faces, only Hope dared to crake a smile.

"It just slipped!" an embarrassed blush crossing Lightning's normally stoic face.

"Don't worry about it Light. Boomerangs are harder to use then you think." Hope said trying to console Lightning, something that just made her even more self-conscious.

Lightning picked the boomerang, something little more then a child's toy and snorted. She would not be made a fool of by a toy. Lightning threw it again with all her might.

The Airwing took off spinning straight for about six feet. Then it did a 180 turn and flew right back at Lightning.

Crack!

The boomerang smacked Lightning right in the face and left a red mark on her forehead. No dared laugh as Lightning picked up the boomerang and glared at it like it was full of this treacherous intent from the start. Hope walked over the Lightning to personally retrieve his new Airwing.

"You okay Light?"

"I'm fine." Lightning said curtly.

Lightning then looked down at the boomerang that was the causes of all this, the one the was in her hands. Before Lightning even knew what she was doing some evil intention took over her.

Lightning snapped Hope's new boomerang in two.

Lightning took the two busted orange wings, folded them on top of one other and gave them to Hope. She even smiled with satisfaction at the destruction of the damnable thing.

Hope looked down at the busted remains of his Airwing boomerang in his arms and bowed his head as if lamenting it loss.

The next few seconds lasted forever because on one moved or say a word.

Lightning came back to her senses a few moment's later. She had not indented to do that but she was so angry that it just happened.

Then Lightning heard a sound that almost tore her apart for the inside.

"Hic…"

A few more muffled sobs followed as Hope's shoulders jerked with each one of his repressed cries. She couldn't see his face through the mesh of sliver hair but saw the teardrops fall down his chin and Hope held the broken remains of is boomerang against his chest.

Lightning had made Hope cry.

Lighting was never one to use kid gloves with Hope but that was life and death stuff. When she'd teach him the things he needed to know to stay alive. Lightning defiantly didn't take it easy on Hope but she'd never been mean to him, at lest until now.

Hope turned and walked away very slowly. Then a he stopped and let the busted boomerang fall from his hands and wiped the tears from his face.

"Lightning what the hell's the matter with you, why on Pulse did you do that!" Snow asked angrily.

Lightning felt about a foot tall and it's wasn't just Snow massive height but the fact that she didn't have an answer for him.

Sazh had to physically pull Snow away from Lightning. For all the abuse Snow had taken from Lightning without a word anger he now looked ready to strike her, sister in law or not.

"Come on man, ease up. You know that's just how she is." Sazh said while shooting Lightning a dirty look.

Fang and Vanille where no more understanding then the guys were.

Even happy sunshine and flowers Vanille was pissed. "How could you Lightning? I never knew you could be so callous."

Fang pointed an accusing finger at Lightning. "Good going fearless leader. We're all having fun playing a game, reminding Hope that he's still a kid. He gets his mind off his mother and worrying about what happened to his father when you ruin it or him."

Honestly she had forgotten that. Not that she forgot that Hope lost his mother or was worried about his father but that he was still a kid. Hope's maturity and composure in battle often surprised Lightning. Like how Hope handle himself in a mess that would make many strong men break down. Before long Lightning held Hope up to the same high stander she set for herself and he meet them easily.

Somewhere along the way Lightning forgot that Hope was still a child and had the needs of a child, like a little fun now and then.

Hope stopped crying, he dropped the remains of his new boomerang on the ground and wiped any remaining tear tracks from his face. "It's alright." no Hope didn't sound alright. The forced cold indifference in his voice was chilling, like he was willing himself not to care that he was hurt. "If we don't have time to play then we defiantly don't have time to waste on me crying."

Hope's cold hardened voice was worse then his crying to Lightning.

Lightning hurried after Hope not to apologies or anything like that. If Lightning didn't get away from the disapproving glares from her four friends then Hope wouldn't be the only one fighting back tears. She had to make it up to Hope somehow but she didn't know what to do.

-end-

Now where did this come from? I was thinking about Lightning and Hope playing a came of catch and his Boomerang flying back and hitting her in the face. Now it's become this and I'm sorry.

Anyway there may be a little (or a lot) of Hope/Lightning in the next part of this. I'm only planning this as a two part fic so until next time.


	2. Chapter 2

Final Fantasy XIII is owned by Square Enix. I don't own or make profit on any of this.

It's all Fair Game

by Slazyer

Introvert was a good word for Lightning. She wasn't shy but she was a loner. She drew strength from solitude more then being around people. In a some ways it made her a better soldier. However it also made understanding other people and their feeling very hard for her. The cold and icy silence that followed Lightning was proof of that.

Lightning had hurt Hope and the others weren't going to let her forget that, as if she could.

As they moved on Lightning saw a save point and almost sprinted to it. A save point was always a welcomed sight out in the wilderness of Pulse but there was another reason of Lightning's enthusiasm. A little online shopping and Lightning had what she was looking for. Then through what ever means they use to send items though the internet Lightning retrieved her new purchase. A new Airwing boomerang.

"Here." Lightning said simply as she offered the new boomerang to Hope.

Hope looked for the boomerang to Lightning's face and back again. "What do you want from me?"

Lightning couldn't say a word. The reasons why were so clear to her but she couldn't bring herself to speak them aloud. 'I want to apologize. I want your forgiveness. I never want to see you cry ever again.' but nothing came. Even now Lightning couldn't bring herself to say the right words to Hope.

"I broke your old one so I'm replacing it." That was lame and Lightning knew it.

"It's fine. I have a better one and you were right. There's no need for toys like that out here in battle." Hope then coldly brushed past Lightning.

Lightning wanted to turn around and go after him. To say the words she really wanted to but couldn't.

-Later that night-

A camp fire was made and everyone was resting after another day of travel. Lightning sat lone looking at the Airwing she bought in an attempt to win Hope's forgiveness.

"Hey sis you alright?" Snow asked as he sat down next to Lightning.

"How many times do I have to tell you! I'm not your sister!"

Snow just smiled at Lightning's anger at his teasing. "Good to see your in your comfort zone, to bad it's anger but whatever works for you."

"What do you want Snow?"

"I'm trying to encourage you not give up."

"Don't worry. I'm not quitting until we get Searh back."

"I was talking about your situation with Hope."

Lightning sighed when she wanted to growl. A kind of depression washed over her. "It's not my fault if Hope want's to be a spoiled little kid."

"Right, you brake Hope's boomerang and he's the one's who's spoiled."

"I bought him a new one!"

"Do you really think that's it? That after Hope lost his family and his home that the lose of one toy is what hurt him?"

"I know, it was me. I'm the reason Hope's hurting right now but I don't know how to make it right. Maybe it's better this way, if Hope stays away from me then I lest I can't hurt him anymore."

Vanille had wandered into where Lightning and Snow were talking. "Do you really believe that Lightning?"

"Yes, I've let Hope get to close to me. That's how it always is. I always hurt the people closest to me."

"I see." Vanille put her hands on her hips and walked around thinking. Vanille then did something no one would expected from the kind sweet girl, she slapped Lightning across the face. "I can't believe that your such a coward or so full of yourself. Just because forgiveness isn't a easy thing to attain it doesn't mean we don't try."

Lightning rubbed the spot on her cheek where Vanille slap her. Not a slap at all as far as Lightning graded physical corrections.

Vanille's face puffed out like blowfish in a comical mix of pouting and anger. "What's wrong with you Lightning! Hope's a sweet boy and thinks the world of you. If you just reach out to him I'm sure he'll meet you halfway."

How many times in Lightning's life had she let people drift past because she didn't understand them or they didn't understand her? Hope was one of the rare people who tried to build a bridge to Lightning when she usually burned them.

'I'm I really okay losing Hope like this? That after everything we've been through that we're going to drift apart because I'm afeard of getting close to him?'

Lightning folded the orange boomerang close with a sharp snap. No she wouldn't let it end like this.

"Your right, thank you Vanille." Lightning said as she got up and started to walk toward where Hope was. He was away from camp doing some late night physical training.

Vanille waved happy and cheered Lightning on. "Don't worry about it and if you ever need someone to hit you just ask."

"Good luck Sis!" Snow added for extra encouragement even thou he knew it pissed her off.

-some distance away from camp-

It was getting dark when Lightning found Hope. He was working on the power and accuracy of his boomerang throws.

A bladed wing slicing thought the air, swooping this way and that like a hawk. When the boomerang end it's dance it flew back to Hope's hand like it belonged there. Lightning always thought it was easy but it was just that Hope made it look easy. Her own failure at even a simple throw had shown her just how skilled Hope was.

The memory of that embarrassing incident just gave Lightning an idea.

"Mind if train here?" Lightning asked as she stepped out of the shadows.

Hope shot Lightning a short cold glace before shrugging. "Whatever."

'Hope's isn't cute at all with this new attitude.' That mental observation of Hope lead Lightning to another revelation. Did she think that the old Hope was cute?

Lightning ignored the suggestions of such a thought and focused on her goal here. 'That's right just think of this like a mission.' she reached to grab her weapon but it wasn't a gunblade.

With a snap Lightning unfolded the new Airwing she had just bought. Hope stopped what he was doing to watch her and he cringed as she moved to throw. 'Light's posture is all wrong.'

Sure enough Lightning's first throw was a mess. It hooked far to the left and struck the ground. She ran to pick up the boomerang where it landed and made another attempt with it.

This went on for twenty minutes and Lightning hadn't improved at all. In all that time not a word was spoken between Hope and Lightning.

'Why doesn't Light just ask for my help?' Hope's mind then answered him back with another question. 'Why don't you offer to help her?'

Lightning made a move to throw but was stopped at the last moment by Hope. "Stop, just stop before you hurt yourself again."

"Am I doing something wrong?"

"Only everything."

Hope moved next to Lightning and placed on hand on her hip and other on her thigh. "First you stances is all wrong. Move your feet closer to together."

Hope went through all the motions with Lightning. She willing let Hope put his hand on her body and twist her arms and legs this way and that until she got the motions down. Hope was trying to be the model of professionalism here but he couldn't help the blush that crossed his face. He had never been so physically close to a woman like this and it was Lightning for Maker's sake. With the close physical intimacy of the two it was almost like dancing.

'I bet Hope would be a great dancer.' that thought derailed Lightning's focus for a moment and sent her heart racing.

After a few minutes of this and Lightning was ready to try again. She mentally picked a target and moved her body as Hope showed her. The boomerang took off flying just like Lightning wanted.

"I did it!" that was real and almost child like excitement in Lightning's voice as she caught the boomerang on it's return flight.

Hope smile at Lightning's brief moment of childishness.

Lightning then coughed into her hand hoping to hide the slight blush on her cheeks. "What's that look for?"

"It's nothing Light but for a moment there you looked very…" Hope stopped himself before he could say anything else.

"I looked very what!"

"…cute."

Lightning had been called many things before and most of them too rude to be repeated. The one thing Lightning had never been called was cute. Cuteness just didn't add into her self-image.

"Thanks and I'm sorry." Lightning held out the Airwing boomerang for Hope to take. "I want you to have this. It would be safer for everyone if I stuck with my gunblade anyway."

"Are you sure about this Light? It's your's and if I had it all I'd do is play around and waste time with it."

"I don't mind but next time you start a game of catch maybe you could invited me to play."

Hope nodded and took the boomerang for Lightning. "Thank you." then he quickly turned around and started to rub at his watering eyes.

A small smile played on Lightning's lips. "I made you cry again didn't I Hope."

"Nonsense, a boy shouldn't cry over a getting gift."

Lightning snuck up behind Hope and hugged him. "Don't hold back your tears. If you need to cry then cry, there's nothing shameful about that."

"It's just I thought you were leavening me. Back when you broke my boomerang I thought you were turning your back on me."

"I'd never do that but I know I did overact. Do you think you could forgive me."

After a few moments Hope stopped his watering eyes and smiled. "Yeah I guess I could forgive you, if you show me how to use a gunblade that is." he was joking about that.

"Alright."

Hope was stunned and he wanted to tell Lightning that he was kidding. Before he could say anything Lightning upholstered her gunblade and handed it to Hope. "Be very careful with that. Get hit with that and it well leave a lot worse then a burse."

Hope swallowed a lump in his throat as he unfolded the gunblade. It moved like a living thing twisting in his hands but it wasn't unwieldy or unbalanced.

"So what do you think?" Lightning asked as she took in the sight of Hope holding a gunblade for the first time.

"It's well how should I put it? It doesn't weigh as much as I thought it would but it's still heavy somehow."

Lightning nodded solemnly, if Hope could feel that heaviness then he was a lot farther along the she thought. "That heavy feeling is pride."

Hope held the blade up and looked down it'd body as the moon light reflected off the edge. "It's the weight of pride."

"Yes." Lightning took Hope's hands in her own and helped him take a proper hold of the blade. "That blade is filled with my pride. As well as the sweet of my determination and the tears of my frustration. The pride of all that I am and all that I still strive to become, is now held in your hands Hope. I trust you with it."

Hope calmed down. What he held in his hands wasn't just a weapon but an extension of Lightning's self. It wasn't something to be afraid of but it was something to treat with the utmost respect.

Lightning then took Hope through some basic moves. First showing him how to stand and move while holding a gunblade. Then simple things like cut, slash and parry. He didn't move until Lightning told him to and she was always close by to make sure he didn't get hurt.

An hour of that passed by while it only felt like ten minutes.

"Can I shot it just once?"

Lightning moved behind Hope and helped him shoulder the gunblade in it's gun form. He could manage using the sword form but the gun was it too large for him. She helped him hold on tightly and take aim. "Okay now the flip off the safety and be careful. This things' got a hair…"

BLAM!

Even before Lightning could say the word 'trigger' the gun went off. Nether Hope nor Lightning had been ready for it and it knocked both of them to the ground. They weren't hurt but Lightning had her arms wrapped tightly around Hope just to make sure he was alright. In fact Lightning probably held Hope longer then was necessary but he didn't say anything and she wasn't going to stop.

"Light I know what I want for my birthday." Hope said as Lightning finally let got of him after some time. Why did she find it so hard to let him go?

"Ha, not for a few more years." Lightning joked as she went to retrieve her gunblade from Hope.

As he gave Lightning back her gunblade Hope saw that she still had a bruise on her forehead from that morning. "Light your still injured from getting hit by that boomerang?"

"I wouldn't call this an injury. Besides it seems healing magic doesn't work well on small things like this."

"But it still hurts right? Here let me try something, I know a good magic trick for small injuries like that. Just lean in closer to me but you have to close your eyes for this to work."

"I have to close my eyes? Just what kind of magic is this?"

"It works just trust me."

Lightning shrugged and did as she was told. She closed her eyes and leaned her head forward.

-kiss-

The little red bruise on Lightning forehead meet Hope's lips as he kissed her injury. If that had been anyone else in any other situation, whoever stole a kiss from Lightning that would have been the last thing they did. Yet whatever anger and furry that Hope's trick kiss arose in Lightning faded the second she opened her eyes.

Hope smiled so sweetly at Lightning that melted her heart. "It's a magic trick my Mom used to use on me. So did it help, do you feel any better?"

Lightning didn't say a word but Hope was right, she did feel better. Not just her forehead but in her lonely heart to, Lightning felt a whole lot better.

"That was really sneaky of you Hope." she didn't sound mad about it at all.

"No Light, I think It's all fair game."

"Is that so…"

Then without warring Lightning kissed Hope. This time it had nothing to do with injuries and she made sure to kept her eyes open.

'If this was some kind of game then it's very fun.' Lightning thought as she kept kissing Hope.

-The End-

Damn it all! Again this fic got away from me.

I wasn't going to make this and out right Hope/Lightning thing and I was going to keep it at a platonic level but I just couldn't. I think they make such a cute couple, even if I know in the real world there are laws against this kind of thing.

Anyway I'm all out of Hope/Light spice.

I hope you enjoy this small offering from my mental kitchen. Now if you'd please fill out the comment cards if you have any remarks of the service here today.

Or in other words drop me a review.

Thank you all and goodbye.


End file.

Final Fantasy XIII, Friendship, Hurt-Comfort