Being outrageously bored in my 4 hour long evening Economics class spawned this little story. Like it says in the summary, this is very silly, extremely corny, and fluffy. It made me chuckle imagining it, so I decided to write it down and share it with you guys. Hope you enjoy!

Hope ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Sweat dripped down his face and into his eyes. The screams that assaulted his ears from close behind spurred him to go even faster. He scrambled around a corner and very nearly lost his footing.

Shit shit shit shit!

Hope felt a tug on the back of his shirt and he spun, wrenching himself from the fierce grip. A janitor pushed his cart into the intersection of the next corridor. Hope took his chance. A mighty leap propelled him over the cart. He heard a huge crash and some outraged wailing but he didn't dare look back. His gait didn't even slow as he continued to run through the halls.

Gotta find a place to hide! But where!

A few more turns and Hope found himself in a more familiar corridor. He nearly wept with relief.

Of course! She'll hide me!

Hope collided bodily with the door and he fumbled with the handle. He heard the screaming again. A final twist and the door opened. He tumbled very ungracefully head first into the room. Hope sprang to his feet and slammed the door shut, locking it for good measure.

"Hello, Hope." Lightning did not even look up from her paperwork.

The screaming gaggle of girls ran past the door. Hope sighed in relief as their horrific noise died down. He turned to glance at his mentor, "Uhh, hey Light."

Lightning placed a packet of paper in one pile and reached for another, "Something I can help you with?"

"I just need a place to hide." Hope sank into the metal chair in front of her desk.

Lightning looked up at her protégé. He was flushed and sweaty and looked absolutely terrified. She put her pen down and leaned back in her chair.

"Enjoying your first day in the GC, then?"

Hope scoffed, "I didn't know all these girls would be all over me! Even some of the guys were in there! What is their problem?" He threw his hands up in the air, "I can't even go to the bathroom without running for my life!"

Lightning rolled her eyes. Ever since the whole L'Cie fiasco, all the former L'Cie had endured their fair share of unwanted admirers. Lightning was able to discourage them with a few well-placed fists. Fang kept them away with threats and, ok, maybe one or two people nearly got a spear to the head. Sazh was too busy with Dajh to pay them any mind. Vanille was actually a lot tougher than any of them had thought. She had surprised them all when the tiny redhead took out a fully grown man with a hard kick to the groin. No, Vanille hadn't had any issues since then. And Serah and Snow had each other. No one dared to go against Snow and most people were as scared of Serah as they were of Lightning.

Hope was the only one who had no real buffer against the raving, adoring hordes. His kind nature wouldn't let him be mean enough to people to make them back off and when it had first started, he had been too young and focused on school to really understand what was happening, but now Hope was eighteen. Fresh out of high school, a new Guardian Corps recruit, and finally legally on the market for all.

Poor guy never stood a chance.

"I don't know why they're so out of control." Hope dropped his head into his hands, "What did I do to deserve this?"

Steel blue eyes took in the teen in front of her. Lightning saw Hope as her younger brother and she was very happily involved with a certain huntress, but she could see how much Hope had grown and changed over the past few years. He was taller than her now. His voice had dropped to a lovely timbre. He had finally filled out his frame in a very nice way. Being one of the famous L'Cie had given him a nice bit of money for him to live on and he had a personality that most women would kill for in a romantic partner. Lightning could easily see why he was being sought after.

"They certainly are being particularly overzealous. You're the first one to get chased by a mob."

"But why?"

Lightning did NOT want to have this type of conversation. She had a hard enough time discussing things of a romantic or sexual nature with her own partner (alright, her sexual "discussions" with Fang were not difficult), let alone her sister or the rest of her adopted family. She took in Hope's pathetic look and heaved an exasperated sigh. No getting out of this one.

"Look, Hope. You're a nice young man. You've grown up to be a fairly attractive one, too. Now -" A sharp ring cut through the room, "Hang on." Lightning flipped open her phone after glancing at the caller ID, "Hey, Fang."

The room was quiet enough that Hope could just barely hear the disembodied voice.

"Hey, love. What's the deal with these screaming girls? I can't get inside the base."

Lightning pinched the bridge of her nose to fight off the headache she had brewing behind her eyes. "They're after Hope."

"Ha! Kid's finally gettin' a taste of the 'adoration', huh? 'Bout bloody time."

"You're not helping, Fang!" Hope yelled.

"He's with you?" Fang sounded surprised.

"Yeah. He's hiding out here in my office until they calm down."

Fang laughed, "I wouldn't count on that one anytime soon, Sunshine. Guess they think he bolted so they're sniffing around the gates like a pack of Gorgonopsids in heat." Lightning could hear the grin over the phone, "Actually, that's not too far off the mark."

"I'll send security down there. They can't be blocking the entrance to the base."

She heard Fang hum in thought. Oh, no. That noise from Fang was never good.

"Don't you worry about that. I've got an idea. I'll take care of it."

"What? No, Fang. What are you going to do? Don't -!" Lightning glared at the phone when she heard the dial tone.

Silence reigned in the room for several moments.

"Well, I don't hear any screaming so she hasn't gotten lance happy again." Hope said in relief. He knew how his Pulsian friend could get. He had been with her the last time she had turned what the group now jokingly referred to as "lance happy". There had been so much blood and so many behemoth carcasses to clean up. They joked about it, but it was pretty scary to see. The gleeful expression on Fang's face was the scariest part about it.

"I should get down there. There's no telling what she'll do." Lightning got up from her desk and started towards the door. Hope panicked.

"What? What about me?"

"No one's making you stay here."

"You can't leave me here! What if they find me?"

"Then come down with me."

Hope looked at Lightning like she'd grown a second head, "Are you insane? I'll get mauled if I go down there!"

Lighting rolled her eyes, "Tch. You're being ridiculous. Fang's up to something. If she does something stupid I'll be the one stuck doing the paperwork after." She grasped the handle just as a knock hit the door.

Hope squeaked in fear. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he whispered harshly, "Don't open it!"

"Nah, you should definitely open it, Sunshine." Lightning opened the door to reveal a smirking Fang. "Hello, love." Lightning rolled her eyes again but accepted the greeting kiss from her lover. "Hey, Squeaky-boy." Hope glared.

Lightning sat back at her desk as Fang took the empty chair next to Hope. The pinkette gazed quizzically at Fang, "How'd you get in? I thought the gates were blocked."

Fang leaned back and laced her fingers behind her dark head, "Vaulted the wall." Fang laughed at Lightning's thunderous expression, "Don't worry. No one saw me." Emerald eyes turned to the silver haired teen sitting next to her.

"So, got your own raving mob now, huh?" Fang grinned.

"It's not funny, Fang. I can't go anywhere on the base!"

"Actually, yeah it is funny. But I didn't come up here to make fun of you. I came up here to help."

Hope perked up, "Really? How?"

"Fang..." Light's tone held a harsh warning.

"Relax, love." She turned to Hope, "Listen, kid, the vultures are after you because you're the last L'Cie who is up for grabs. Sazh has Dajh to take care of. Serah and Snow have each other. And I have Sunshine here."

"What about Vanille?"

Fang smirked, "Vanille took herself off the market when she kicked that jackass in the balls at Serah's bachelorette party."

"So...you're saying I need to hurt someone?"

Fang chuckled and shook her head, "No, kid. You don't have it in you to hurt someone without a really good reason." She poked Hope in the shoulder, "What you need is to find yourself a girl. As soon as you're off the market, most of the vultures will disappear."

Hope threw his hands up in exasperation, "Most? I want them all to go away!"

"Well, they won't ever completely go away. I still have to fight the vultures away from Lightning from time to time. Gotta make sure people know she's mine. Why, just last week I had to -"

"Finish that sentence, Fang, and you're sleeping on the couch." Lightning fought the rising blush on her cheeks at the memory of last week. The pink haired woman didn't mind being pinned up against a wall by her possessive partner and getting kissed senseless. She enjoyed it very much. However, she did NOT enjoy being pinned up against a table and kissed senseless in the middle of a very public restaurant just because another woman had asked Lightning for her autograph. Granted, the woman had asked for Lightning to autograph her breasts. Fang had not been happy, even when Lightning had refused the woman with a snappy comment and threats of physical violence.

"You know you love it, Light."

Lightning scowled. Fang smirked.

"As I was sayin', you need to get yourself a girl. Pretty soon, judging by how much that mob was foaming at the mouth." Fang's phone buzzed. She pulled it out, checked it, and nodded decisively, "Alright, time to face the music."

"Wait, what?" Hope looked puzzled as Fang stood.

"Come on, Squeaky-boy, time for you to face your adoring fans." She grabbed Hope by the arm and dragged him to the door. The silver haired teen panicked and started struggling.

"Fang, what are you doing?" Lightning followed them out the door.

"You'll see." She called over her shoulder, "Stop struggling, Hope. You'll thank me for this later."

They slowly made their way to the gates with Fang having to practically drag Hope most of the way. As soon as the mob saw him, they started screaming again and made a mad dash towards the three companions. A harsh glare from both Fang and Lightning stopped them dead in their tracks.

Fang passed Hope off to Lightning, "Hold him here. Don't let him run off." Lightning nodded and grasped Hope's shoulder firmly when he tried to get away again.

Fang spotted a velocycle parked nearby and jumped on top of it. She raised her voice over the mob, "Alright ladies, and some gents, here's what's goin' down. This guy," she pointed to Hope, "yeah, he's not available. So back off."

The mob immediately went into an uproar. Hope and Lightning glanced at each other in confusion.

"Quiet!" Fang twirled her spear threateningly, "All of you will keep your mouths shut for the next five minutes or else, I swear to Etro herself my lance will find your vital organs."

Silence.

"Good." She hopped off the velocycle and beckoned to the outer edge of the mob, "Ok. You're up."

Hope was shocked to see a very shy looking Vanille come forward. She looked beautiful. Hope had always thought she looked beautiful, but the shy and nervous expression on her face made her glow. He barely felt Light's hand slip from his shoulder as Fang pulled her away. His entire world was focused on Vanille. Finally, the tiny red head stood right in front of him. He towered over her now. So different from when they first met.

Nervous green eyes tilted up to meet his, "Hi."

Hope scratched the back of his head, "Hi."

Vanille was fidgeting. She was rubbing her arms and shifting her weight. Hope thought it was the most adorable thing in the world.

"Listen, ummm...I was wondering..."

"Yeah?" Hope had to lean down a bit to hear her.

Vanille took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, "Can we go to dinner tonight?"

Hope was stunned, sure he had flirted with Vanille. She was the only girl he felt comfortable really being himself around. She was the only girl he really, truly liked. But Vanille was liked by nearly every guy she met. She had been on tons of dates with other guys. He never thought he even had a chance.

"Like, a date?"

Vanille held his gaze, "Yeah. Like a date."

A grin slowly formed on Hope's face. Vanille smiled back when she saw it. Hope couldn't resist hugging the petite woman tightly.

"I'd love to, Vanille."

"I have one condition though."

Hope laughed, "You're the one who just asked me out and you have a condition?"

"Kiss me."

Hope quieted immediately. "Seriously? Now?"

Vanille nodded and pointed behind her to the mob, "Need to stake my claim for all the vultures to see." She grinned and wrapped her arms around Hope's neck.

Hope took one look at Vanille's angelic face and his introverted, private, personality crumbled. He slid his arms around her waist and carefully lowered his head. Their lips touched softly and Hope was lost. He pulled her in closer and deepened the kiss. He hardly heard the dismayed wailing of the mob and Fang yelling, "Finally!"

They pulled apart and Vanille buried her red face in Hope's jacket. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. The stupid grin on his face simply refused to leave.

Lightning smiled fondly at them. They were her family. Many people viewed the soldier as selfish and cold, but in reality, nothing made Lightning happier than seeing her family happy. Fang draped an arm around Lightning's shoulders.

"You thought I was going to do something reckless and stupid, didn't you?"

"Your track record led me to believe so, yes." She slipped her arm around Fang's waist.

The brunette scoffed, "Have a little faith. Vanille's been whinin' to me about Hope for months. Kid's so romantically challenged he couldn't see she was basically throwing herself at him. This was the perfect opportunity for her to tell him how she feels and it gets the vultures off his back. I called her before I vaulted the wall."

"We're going to have a talk about your wall vaulting tendencies."

"Well, if this 'talk' involves being upstairs in your office with the door locked and a lot less clothing, I'm in."

"You and your one-track mind." Lightning couldn't stop the smile that lit up her face. She laughed lightly as Fang pulled her back inside the base.

The mob dispersed reluctantly with several girls patting each other on the back consolingly and some of them dragging away the more persistent admirers while Hope and Vanille clung to each other tightly. Their eyes were closed in contentment. Vanille smiled and pulled away. "I've been wanting to do that for a while."

Hope stroked Vanille's cheek with his fingertips, "I'm glad you did. I think I owe you a dinner." He took her hand and led her out the gates.

Vanille relished the feel of her hand in Hope's strong grasp. She sighed happily and giggled. Hope glanced at her, "Hmm?"

"I'll bet you're glad to be free of your 'adoring fans'."

"Maker, yes! That was insane. I haven't been that terrified in years."

She looped her arm through his and snuggled into his side as they walked, "Well, even if they start sniffing around you again at least you know that I will always be your biggest fan."

Hope pulled their entwined hands to his lips and kissed her hand. Maybe having one fan wouldn't be so bad. Just so long as it was Vanille.

Best. Day. Ever.