Author's Note: Hi it's been a year. Sorry. I'm still with this, don't worry. Enjoy the chapter!

Fire and Brimstone

"Thanks, Claire. For agreeing to meet with me."

A tremulous smile, as Serah brushed aside wisps of pink with the crook of her finger.

"Don't make this sound like a privilege or anything," Lightning grunted. "You know I always have time for you."

A curve of her brow, and abruptly Serah pursed her lips into the verge of a frown.

"Then why haven't we seen each other in weeks? Why aren't you coming over anymore, or...gosh, talking to me at all – "

"That's not – " Lightning groaned. "You know why, Serah."

"Please," Serah placed her hand on her sister's. "I just don't understand. Is he honestly so...unpleasant?"

In the distance, the shrieks of giddy children wafted over from the jungle gym. A woman, fussing over her jam-smeared child. A man, dutifully cleaning after his dog.

Dew had seeped from the bench seat to Lightning's rear and she thought idly that she should have checked before sitting so hastily.

Through the silence, she took note of Serah's eyes, watery and pleading and trembling like submerged jewels. She was distinctly reminded of a similar expression. One instead framed by strands of silver.

"I…" distress and teeth alike gnawed at her lip. "I…yes, okay? Yes, he is. You know I've never approved."

"Claire," Serah implored. "If we just…If only the three of us could talk, I'm sure we can figure this out. Please don't ask me to choose."

A rare moment had Lightning's features softening.

"Serah, I would never," she shook her head vehemently. "I wouldn't ever do that. Just give me some…"

She sighed.

"Give me some time."

"But, Claire – "

When a familiar jingle rumbled against her leg, Lightning swore she never moved so fast as when she scooped up her phone.

"Sorry, Serah, one second – yes, hello? Oh! Yes. Yes, the trip, I know. …You're sure you can't make it? Okay, okay, please stop apologizing, I get it. I'll stand in for you and take care of her. It's no trouble. Of course I mean it. Alright. Okay, we'll hash out the details tomorrow. Uh, just in front of the coffee shop behind the school is fine. My office is too stifling. Right, see you then."

No sooner than when she ended the call, Lightning let out an undignified yelp, Serah's face sidled up much too close to her own.

"Who were you talking to?!" Serah eagerly exclaimed, her eyes stars. "I hardly ever see you on the phone with anyone else! That was a guy, right?"

Lightning pressed two fingers on either side of the bridge of her nose and inhaled.

"I'm going to say this once so you don't get funny ideas. His name is Hope Estheim. He's the father of one of the kids I teach. Said kid is who we were discussing. This weekend, there's a field trip for parents and children, organized by the school. He can't make it so I agreed to fill in as his kid's guardian, and our relationship is strictly. Business."

Under Lightning's glare, Serah donned a placating smile and retreated to her seat. But of course, she couldn't be a Farron without being stubborn.

"The thing is, Claire," Serah waggled a simpering finger. "You wouldn't go out of your way like this for just anyone. I know you. I haven't seen you so invested in someone who wasn't family, since, well…ever."

"Say what you want," Lightning scoffed, folding her arms and leaning back. "I'm done with this conversation."

"Well, alright," Serah shrugged. "But, um…from before you got the call…promise me you'll contact me about…you know. Sooner rather than later."

Lightning grimaced, but walked over and looped her arms about her sister in a gentle embrace.

"I will."

The bell at the rim of the doorway chimed her arrival as Lightning made her way to the counter.

"One mocha frap, please."

As the cashier cheerfully took her order, she glanced around the shop, wrinkling her nose at the sifting aroma of coffee grounds.

The tuft of silver swam across the edge of her vision and she couldn't help the small upturn of the corner of her mouth as she took decisive strides towards the booth.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me here, Mr. Estheim," she offered, sitting down.

"Oh – no, no! I'm the one who should be grateful. That you're willing to do this on such short notice."

Opposite her, the man held out his palms nearly like a gesture of surrender. Lightning found his timidity cute. Then immediately attempted to purge that thought from having ever existed.

"U-Um," he stammered. "You don't have to call me that or anything. Just…just Hope is fine, if you want."

Her brow rose in amusement.

"Well, then I insist you can't keep referring to me as 'Ms. Farron' all the time. It's only fair."

Her heart clenched, however, when she realized that she'd only ever let her sister call her by her first name.

"You can…well, you can – " her tongue stuck itself to the roof of her mouth as her mind blistered and raced. She couldn't very well tell him to use Lightning, either. God, what sort of example would she be setting –

"Um, Ms. Farr-?"

"Call me Light," she blurted. Breath hitched, Lightning's train of thought caught up to her babble and she mentally cursed.

Given that he still appeared – understandably – confused, she hastened to explain.

"It's – it's an old nickname. From back in my days serving in the Pulsian Gulf War. S-So you can use that."

Now she was the nervous wreck. Fantastic.

"I didn't realize you were in the military," his eyes widened. "That's incredible."

"Please," she grimaced. "It's anything but."

She thanked their server briefly as she arrived, cupping her drink gingerly as it was delivered to her.

"Enough about that, though. Let's talk about Nora."

"Oh, of course," he blustered. "Like I said, I'm so sorry about this being so last-minute. I really do have overtime in the lab on Saturday, and I tried to shift the schedule, but…"

"Like I said," she rolled her eyes. "It's fine. I've told you that I'm happy to help. Moving on. Since you won't be able to personally drive her, I'll drop by your house and pick her up. If that's alright?"

"Absolutely!" he vigorously nodded. "Here, I'll jot down the address…"

"Another thing," she interrupted, digging through her purse. "We should exchange numbers. In case things need some adjusting on the day of."

A faint pink across his nose, but Hope merely nodded, his lips pressed together.

Their fingers brushed as they exchanged back their phones, and he couldn't help but notice the marks, jagged but faded, scrawled across her palms. And yet, how the softness of her skin belied such scars.

"Not one of the pretty ones, am I?" Lightning chuckled, aware of his scrutiny.

"Wh-What?!" is where he chooses to blurt, at last. "I mean, you are! N-Not that-! I was looking…or anything…"

His trailing mumble caused her brow to yet again raise.

"Calm down, Hope. I'm just teasing. I'm well aware I'm not exactly a prize catch, and that's fine with me."

"Okay, but – " he frowned. "But you can't say that. It's…well, not true. Any guy would be lucky."

She laughed, and it was a genuine sort of affair, to her own surprise.

"Well, thanks, I guess. Better not let the missus catch you saying that."

The speed with which Hope's face fell was like a boulder plunged into icy, unfathomable depths, his eyes so suddenly bitter that Lightning felt her tongue stumble, her next words dead before they could leave her lips. She hadn't yet seen such an expression on he who was so frequently good-natured.

"Um, there isn't one," his throat rang hollow. "A missus, that is. So there's, uh…no need to worry."

"Oh, Hope," she offered, peering regretfully across the table . "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so insensitive. I know I overstep a lot, but – "

"No, no, don't be," he assured, trying to smile. And how seemly, how neat, that it was she who now prattled in apology and he who would have none of it.

"It's just…" he hesitated. "Something I don't really go around broadcasting."

"No – " Lightning waved both hands in a cursory attempt to relieve him, to afford him an escape. "You don't have to tell me anything. We'll end this here, and that's that."

"It's alright," He did smile this time. "It's not like it's a secret. There isn't much to it, I suppose, other than…around a year or so ago, my wife died. Nora's mother. There was an accident with a fuel tanker, and she was caught in the debris from the explosion, and..."

He trailed off, as if that same death hung over his shoulder, a skeletal clutch that dissipated his voice, haunting, haunting, haunting him to this moment.

"Is that why…" Lightning had unwittingly resorted to a whisper. "Is it because of this that Nora-?"

"I'd say so," Hope said, despondent. "It's just not been the same since then. I don't know what to do."

There was silence then, and Lightning felt the heat unfurl from her drink in thickets. Felt it brush her, this warmth. Felt the moment wrap her up, her mind a chamber that sweltered, that swayed and smelled sickly sweet, sultry breath fanning until she was dizzy –

"The first thing you'll do," she gulped down the drink in one fell swoop, and suddenly she was resolute, was a star, and Hope was struck by her radiance. "Is trust me to take good care of your daughter on Saturday. I've said I'll help you and Nora. And so I will."

His eyes, dazzled by she who was wreathed in flames, who spelled her intentions in heat and would hardly back down from a single goddamned thing. And his lips curled, if only a little.

"I trust you."

He stood, just as she was standing now.

"I really do."

Author's Note: Yeah so there you have it. I have plans for where this is going. Heck, I've had them for a year now, just been lame about writing it out. Hopefully you guys are still with me. Btw, been playing Nier Automata. Is it just me or are 2B and 9S LITERALLY Lightning 2.0 and Hope 2.0. Seriously I've actually started unironically calling them Lightning and Hope while playing.

Anyway, till next time. Which will definitely probably be sooner rather than later. Review?!