"See, now?" Lebreau gestured from a little beyond the doorway where she and Summer peeped on her sister and girlfriend. "How could you not support that?"

"Hawke's in love," Summer admired with misty eyes on them. "Serah's waited so long for her to say it."

"They're adorable," Lebreau agreed with a smile. "Don't you want to peep with us, Light?"

"I can hear them," Lightning assured from the sink where she washed the morning's dishes.

"Aww," Lebreau cooed again. "I'm happy for them."

"Me, too," Summer sighed in wistful agreement. "Hawke's found her girl. It's beautiful."

Lightning scrubbed a dish with soap. She could still hear them going on in their happiness. She felt happy for them; Serah sounded really, honestly happy, and Hawke was such a good woman, especially more by the sound of it, but a deeper part of Lightning knotted so hard, her heart hurt. An undeniably cold clench pulled and tugged at the muscle. Lightning fought to ignore that selfish, selfish pain in her, that one that wanted to just grab Serah and run away…

"Claire!" Lightning's head lifted from the chore she'd busied herself with to see that Serah had come in and over to her now. With an arm around Hawke, snuggled in at her side, she looked happier than Lightning could remember in that moment. Serah blushed faintly, too. "Thank you for picking her up, Claire! You have no idea what this means to us."

Us. "I'm starting to." Lightning eyed over Hawke briefly, then turned back to the dishes before her. "You love her, do you?" She wasn't quite sure which of them she was asking herself, but Hawke answered as if it'd been directed to her.

"More than you know." Hawke exchanged a glance with Serah, but her eyes turned respectfully back to Lightning. "More than I knew. Lightning, it's the first time I've said it to Serah or any girl. I don't say it lightly, and I want you to know that."

"Hawke…" Serah's eyes, fully on her, glistened. Apparently, it was the first time she'd learned that tidbit, too.

"Serah and I wanted to see you, Lightning. We've actually been waiting for some time now. Both of us, we wanted to ask you something."

"Hawke, now?"

Hawke and Serah exchanged another look. Lightning saw her take Serah's hand and hold it. "Can you think of a better time?"

Lightning's chest tightened all the way to her throat. "Ask me what, Hawke?" Her eyes turned onto her sister, who shyly bit her lip and nervously straightened her skirt. "Serah?" The tightness worked its way into her throat.

"Claire… you know how Hawke and I haven't… fully shared each other yet?"

"Had sex?"

Serah blushed cherry red like she was embarrassed about it.. "Made love."

Hawke stepped in to help. "We haven't because we wanted your approval. I don't have any family left to show Serah off to, but Serah has you, and before we surge ahead in our relationship, we wanted to consult you first. Both of us did, and now more than ever, I especially wanted to ask. I know she's your sister, and I know that's precious, Lightning, so if you don't trust me enough, we won't, period until you do."

Serah put on a brave smile. "What we're trying to ask is just that… Claire, can we have your blessing to… be intimate with each other? Would you trust Hawke with me enough for that?"

"You're asking me permission to have sex?"

"Yes," Serah confirmed, cheeks flaming again at the mention. "Well- no. Sort of. We just… we were hoping you'd approve. Hawke's going to be my first lover ever, so we wanted… we wanted to know if you'd give your blessing over us for it. If you trust us… me and Hawke both.

Lightning's head didn't stop pounding even then. Her chest still hurt. Serah wasn't seeking any parental-like permission to have sex with Hawke. She wanted Lightning's blessing to give her away, essentially, to give her away to Hawke. She and Hawke had been utterly respectful, astonishingly so, even, to hold off on their pleasure to wait and ask Lightning first, but it didn't do anything to heal Lightning's broken heart. Nothing was even remotely unreasonable or insensitive in Serah's asking, and yet…

"I approve of Hawke, Serah." Lightning almost choked on the words, not because they weren't true, but only that she didn't want to voice them. It was everything she'd planned for, making Serah happy, giving her a better life, letting her sister find love like she had, but when it came down to it, Lightning wanted to be selfish. She steeled herself against the turmoil in all of it and kept a strong face for Serah's sake.

"You do?" Serah asked in startled surprise, probably by how quick the admission had come. "You… want to give us your blessing, Claire?"

Serah wanted this. She needed it, for Lightning to release her under from under her protection to give to someone else after years of caregiving. Lightning knew it was right, too. Hawke was right. She'd always been sweet to Serah, and was especially so in being a Yun and denying herself even sex with Serah for this. All those true reasons didn't help the ice pick that lodged into Lightning's chest over it. She felt sick.

"Yes, Serah." Lightning managed, steeling back that wave of pain that threatened to drag her down and away. "Hawke's been nothing but good to you. I know that. You have my blessing, Serah."

"Claire?!" Serah squawked like a bird, then threw her arms around Lightning in pure elation. "Oh, my God, Claire!" Serah hugged her, sounding near tears. Behind her, Hawke grinned like a mad woman, but didn't press it by saying anything. Even just the unfamiliar press of Serah's body was practically foreign to Lightning, they'd been away so long. Lightning closed her eyes and held her, not for Serah's happy, elated reasons, but because she missed holding her sister. Serah had come for the week, and Lightning was happy to have her, but the time had gone so fast… she'd be gone in another tomorrow, and now, her heart was pledged. Lightning wouldn't see her for months again.

"Thank you so much," Serah was tearfully saying. Lightning wondered if they really wouldn't have gone forward if she hadn't okayed it. "We've been waiting so long to ask you. I've been so nervous. Thank you, Claire. I love you."

Nothing had hurt more in her life than hearing it. Lightning gave her another squeeze to curtail the pain. Serah pulled back to kiss her cheek, eyes full of tears and elation.

"Thanks, Lightning." Hawke added, then startled her by stepping in for her own hug. Over her shoulder, mid-embrace, she whispered. "I know what this means to you. I'll keep her safe, Light." Hawke stepped back after only a few seconds with that carefree, casual grin on her face. Lightning may have doubted hearing her if she hadn't whispered it right into her ear directly.

"Well, should we celebrate?" Hawke asked them all as Lebreau came into the room with a smile and Summer with a glance her way. "We have a special kind of drink in Gran Pulse for celebrations. Anything like that here? Maybe we can go to the market to pick some up, Serah!"

"Ohh, and ice cream," Summer added.

Serah chuckled. "I think we've made Summer an addict."

"Oh, shush," Summer hushed. "It's delicious! I wish I could bring that home to my children."

"They didn't have a battery-powered ice cream maker when we checked," Serah offered in grinning explanation.

"Well, that settles it," Hawke interjected. "Serah and I are going to the market. We'll pick up some stuff. Can you drive, Serah?"

"I can drive," Serah confirmed. "But does anyone want to come with us?"

"Sweetie," Hawke wrapped an arm around her hips. "Let's go just the two of us right now."

"Just us?" Serah asked, seeming surprised.

"Yeah," Hawke encouraged, squeezing her around the middle with a small glance around. "Just… show me the store. A half hour at most, alright?"

Serah didn't seem to understand her reasoning, but Lightning was grateful for Hawke's insistence. In another moment, she'd be able to excuse herself for a much-needed moment. She waited until Hawke and Serah were out the door before Lightning departed from Summer and Lebreau, too, mumbling something about changing clothes before she left for the bedroom she shared with Summer, not the one she and her sister had borrowed.

Lightning's heart clenched. She could barely get away fast enough and locked the door behind her. Finally alone, Lightning closed her eyes and let the wave of dread wash over her. When her back hit the wall, all energy left her. Lightning's legs slowly gave way. She sunk to the floor like it was quicksand, then rested her head back to the wall and tried to focus purely on her breathing instead.

But Serah was gone from her. Lightning could barely even think, her head hurt so bad. She felt like that little girl again, who'd been scared and hurt and broken at the car crash… the crash she had caused that'd killed both her parents. Lightning had vowed that day she'd always take care of Serah and never let her come to harm again, that she'd give her the best.

And she had. Lightning just didn't know why it had to hurt so damn bad. Serah was finally free to live her own life away from Lightning, which with Lightning's track record, was disaster-preventative, but she hadn't expected the onslaught to be this bad. She'd already said goodbye to Serah once. Wasn't it only logical that when she did this time, it should hurt less?

Lightning returned her focus to breathing through it, waiting for the pain to pass. She crammed her mind with as many distracting thoughts as she could, thinking about the return to barracks where she could finally graduate and start guarding the populace as an officer. She thought about moving in with Lebreau under her offer if she could get the right stationing. She even thought about Candice and hoped her bunkmate was pulling through her own ordeals okay.

None of it dulled the sharp prick in her chest.

Serah loved somebody. Had Lightning always been this selfish over her affections? God. It hurt as much as seeing Fang with that horrible woman-bitch.

Lightning's heart raced. She really didn't need to think of that on top of all this. Maybe finding a quiet space hadn't been a good idea, but Lightning didn't think she could hold it together in front of others, either, so being alone and keeping to her own painful thoughts was preferential.

Alone. How fitting, really. Lightning truly, honestly found it best that way. At least no one else could be dragged through the muck around her if she didn't have people she cared about there. Maybe she shouldn't move in with Lebreau after all. She might ruin her business or her life again.

The door handle rattled, then jerked sharply when it didn't give in. Lightning merely looked up and caught a glance of it before a forceful shove had wood splintering with a loud CRACK. Summer appeared in the doorway holding a completely-separated-from-the-door knob in her hand. When Lightning looked at her with it, she frowned, too.

"The door jammed…"

"It was locked."

"Oh." Summer turned the knob in her hand to look at its broken parts. "I'll have to compensate Lebreau for that. Does she like rabbit?"

"...I don't think she'll hold it against you."

"Well," Summer put it down on a desk just inside the door. "Just the same. I didn't come for the door."

"I'm okay if you wanted to check up on me."

"Lightning, you're sitting on the floor next to the door with your head down. Do you feel faint?"

"No."

"Then you're not okay." Summer came over to her, shut the door beside them, and crouched. "Light, she's not lost, you know."

Lightning gave a small, wry smile to summer. "Suddenly, everyone can read me. You, Hawke. Is Lebreau following you in?"

Summer lifted a hand to Lightning's cheek and brushed her hair aside. "I'm not buying it, hon." She sat on her knees, then, right in front of Lightning, dropping her hand. Lightning kind of missed its warmth. "Sometimes," Summer began. "I think of my children growing up. Kierra, Rivera, Ember, all of them will grow to love someone. I know it will happen; it's only natural for them in Yun culture, and I can't wait to go through the woes of love with them. Going through Yuns, the potentials, the incredible whimsy of falling in love, and the comfort they'll need if they should ever find their hearts broken- I can't wait to mother them through it."

Summer paused, catching her eye. "But I'm also horrified of it, Lightning."

"Don't want to lose your babies," Lightning understood.

"Yes. That's it exactly," Summer nodded, pretty ambers trained on Lightning. "It's terrifying. I understand, but I'll tell you something, Light. That girl whose eyes shine on you in utter adoration with every glance, who can't go a day in Gran Pulse without mentioning you." Summer smiled softly like it should be a given after all. "How in the world would she ever forget you, Light?"

"Maybe she should," Lightning suggested finally, bearing herself. "Serah doesn't have problems in Gran Pulse. She's better off."

"Without you? Is that what this is about?" Summer shook her head, eyes sad on Lightning. "You really are just like Fang, Lightning." Summer's hand returned to the spot. Forlorn eyes looked over Lightning's head in wist. "One of these days, you will both have to stop it, too, you know. Nobody can live in eternal punishment."

"Some deserve to."

"Some like Jihl," Summer agreed, meeting her eye to confirm it. Her fingers softly scraped over Lightning's cheek. "Not women like you, Light." Summer stroked back into her hair, fingers combing Lightning's champagne roots and burrowing there. Lightning closed her eyes with the touch. Serah wouldn't be the only one she missed.

Summer kissed her gently for only a second there, not even enough for Lightning to respond to the press. "You will have to come to it yourself, Light."

Summer's hand finally left her face. When Lightning opened her eyes again, the Yun stood above her and extended a hand. "Are you ready to spend your last day with Serah?"

Lightning took her hand and stood up.

XXX

"You're so good at this, Hawke," Serah laughed with a reserved and toned down chuckle.

"It's not so hard."

"There!" Lebreau jumped, tight and strained on her spot on the couch. "Behind you! It's swinging-yes! Now, bat that fucking angel to death!"

"Lebreau seems excited," Summer murmured with an amused smile. In the corner seat, snug together on a three-person sofa, Lightning sat half on her lap with her legs overlapping Summer's who maybe purposefully faced the opposite way of hers. Summer didn't seem to mind, at least.

"COMBO! COMBO IT, NOW, HAWKE! GO!"

"When we were younger, Lebreau used to rope me into gaming nights," Lightning explained. "Even Serah was expected to play, and she was ten."

"I wasn't very good," Serah offered in addition. "Claire did pretty well, though!"

"I think she misses the glory days."

"YES, HAWKE, YES! JUST AIM THE LIPSTICK- MISS THE ROCK- FUCK, YEAH!" Lebreau threw herself around Hawke and hugged her.

"Was that it?" Hawke asked, unbothered by the embrace as she sat back against the sofa. "Is Jeanne dead? That's not right. She didn't die before Cereza. And what about mini-me?"

"Oh, don't worry!" Lebreau assured. "There's still the endgame cutscenes and a final boss. You're not there quite yet."

"Ooh."

"Aren't they cute?" Serah admired from her spot next to Summer. She grinned guiltily and bit her lip.

"They or Hawke?" Lightning quirked an eyebrow.

"My Yun would be such a gamer in Cocoon." Serah rubbed up her arm and Hawke turned to her, enthused as she gave Serah a big kiss. Summer's hand found her shoulder and rubbed Lightning's back, drawing her eyes with mesmerizing, mahogany ambers that demanded their own affection to distract her from them. Only an inch separated them before-

"God, I need sex," Lebreau moaned.

Summer pulled back out of politeness with that amused smile of hers as she cast sympathetic eyes over to Lebreau. Hawke and Serah separated too, Serah with a red blush. "Sorry, Lebreau," Serah apologized sweetly, then pet Hawke's chin fondly. "You should finish up your game, Hawke. It sounds like you're close."

"How can you tell? She's been yelling at the same volume for hours now."

"Hmph," Lebreau growled and pouted both. "Let's put Summer in my lap, then see who has to howl."

"Oh, Light, look!" Summer redirected her to the screen, something obviously having caught her attention there. "That pesky man is finally dying! I've been waiting for that this whole time. He was so filthy and lecherous."

"Luka?" Lebreau assumed.

"The one leering at Cereza all this time, yes." Summer shook her head, troubled. "Ruined a perfectly good, Yun name for me, too. He was so disrespectful. You know, if her ancient lover Jeanne had seen him on any of those occasions, he'd be more than whipped in one of those spike-riddled coffins by now."

"Still hoping they're a couple?" Serah grinned.

"They are a couple," Summer corrected. "Or were, whether this movie feature redeems itself by getting it right or not."

"Video game," Serah corrected, still smiling.

"I'm telling you, babe," Hawke shook her head, wrapped arm around Serah rubbing up her arm. "The Umbras were no fable. I'm going to take you to the Keeper's Tower sometime to go through their history logs with you."

"That sounds romantic," Serah cuddled into her side. Hawke kissed the side of her head tenderly. When she lifted her head again, there was another familiar white-haired witch on screen.

"Look, Serah! Jeanne's back."

Serah rolled her eyes with an affectionate smile and snuggled. Lebreau had fallen into rapt attention again.

"You'll like this part, Summer."

"Will I?" Summer asked, smiling, but with bedroom eyes on Lightning and not the screen. Lightning squeezed her wrist discreetly, which Summer took as permission to twine their fingers and hold hands. With her other arm still snug on her shoulder, Summer dropped it lower to curl around Lightning's lower back. She rested her head on Lightning's shoulder, so warmly close. "Light…"

"In a minute," Lightning whispered back quietly, though she seemed to have drawn Serah's eye with it, too. Lightning gave it about two minutes for the cutscene to end, which almost had Summer purring in cuddling to her by that point. She started to stand and announced. "Summer's tired. I think we're going to bed."

"Bed," Serah snorted as Summer stood with her, bedroom eyes and smirk not helping Lightning's case at all. Lightning wasn't really bothered by her following smirk, though. "Good night, you two."

Time stretched as the nighttime biddings were exchanged. After only a moment of them, Summer stuck to her side, and Lightning wanted her there, too. They made their way back to the bedroom with no one mistaking what they intended to do. As soon as they made it through the doorway and it shut behind them, Summer had her against it with hungry lips seeking Lightning's warmth, too.

"Light," Summer murmured, arms wrapping around her almost automatically as Lightning's curled around Summer's neck, comfortable. She caught Summer's light eyes in the parting, and a sharp, startlingly strong attraction ran through her.

"Is it your fallow?" Lightning asked, almost seeking confirmation to explain her sudden, strong lust for Summer, too.

"It's not my fallow, Light." Summer's strong fingers curled around her ass. Her thumbs smoothed into her cheeks in circular, powerful, but tender grooves that had Lightning's legs almost floating up around Summer's midsection with her back against the wall, still. "It's my last night with you."

Lightning actually panted once, twice, a few times. She didn't know if it was Summer's hands squeezing and supporting her from the ass up or just the aura of this incredible woman, but Lightning was fast falling into the same, shared, rhythmic moment as her. It felt like she was experiencing her own fallow, too. "Summer."

Lightning kissed her. Strong and completely stable, Summer brought her away from the wall mid-passion and stepped back with her, able to carry Lightning completely on her own. Lightning squeezed tight her legs around Summer, so incredibly aroused, she could smell it, too. They didn't stop kissing for a second until Lightning fell back-first onto the mattress Summer came down with her, too, landing full-bodily against Lightning. The press of her, even through clothes, sent Lightning's singing hormones through the roof.

"I want to spend my last night with you." Summer's beautiful eyes burned into her, pupils expanded as wide as Lightning's felt. She caught every detail. Every curve of Summer's body was perfect. From the silken curve off her ass up a back too smooth to be human; her rust and citrine eyes, smaller than normal. Even the gentle tumble of her chestnut and golden hair seemed locked in that perfect tussle as it fell over her. Summer had a slight hitch in her voice that was almost unnoticeable, but hadn't been present any time before; and she smelled fresh and wild, even though she hadn't been to Gran Pulse all week now. Every small, minute detail of her otherworldly beauty registered to Lightning in the split second of a moment. It completely overwhelmed her.

"Summer," Lightning's arms curled back around her body under her arms to bring Summer into her in as much as she was able to. Hard nipples pressed to a body already so stimulated, Lightning probably could have came for her. "I want that, too."

Summer's lips shook her to her very core. Lightning more than ached to have her. Every nerve in her body screamed for Summer. Lightning wasn't even sure how it happened, only that she'd reached for Summer's shirt and had it torn off in a fist a moment later with Summer bare for her. "That's how Yuns do it," Summer murmured, topless on her, not even pausing in their breathless kiss that had her heart racing like a storm.

"Oh, God," Lightning groaned, utterly unable to help it as fingers soothed into her hair and roots. She tossed the mysteriously torn garment aside so she could get her hands on Summer again. Touching her warm, impossibly smooth flesh was almost sinful. "What are you doing to me?" Lightning panted because she honestly didn't know what witchcraft must be at play here to make her feel this good.

"The same thing you're doing to me." Summer's fingers went up under her shirt at the hem. Lightning sat up as she lifted it, then lifted her arms, too, so Summer could bring it up over her head without trouble. Warm and perfectly long fingers pressed into her back to hold her upright there as their long and endlessly good kisses continued, broken only for the second to pull it up and over. Lightning had to look up to kiss her with Summer on her knees over her hips, but she didn't mind for a moment and only squeezed the woman harder to her. Summer lowered down upon Lightning until Summer's hand on her shoulder finally broke their loving makeout and pushed her back down the last foot to the bed. She was a goddess looming over her.

"I want to mark you, too."

Lightning uncontrollably clenched and stiffened beneath her. "Have you ever been sexier?" she finally managed off the startled choke.

"I don't think so." Summer came back down on her, only this time with teeth to her shoulder. Lightning was hot enough to be running a fever; her panties were already soaked. Summer's teeth pierced the tender skin of her shoulder, primal enough even to draw a little blood, but impossibly, it only made Lightning crave her more. Her blood ran hot with need for none other than Summer, and Lightning's next slipped, unstoppable groan came out half growling in nature.

In fact, as Summer licked it, maybe in apology for breaking skin, Lightning grabbed her and rolled. This time, Summer gasped in surprise and pleasure as her back hit the mattress. The top button was undone on her jeans before they'd even finished rolling. Lightning hooked her fingers into the belt loops, completely ignoring the zipper as her shoulder throbbed with the hot pumping of blood. Lightning never wanted the imprints to leave her shoulder.

Driven almost entirely by her red-hot need for Summer, Lightning's eyes narrowed on her lovely body with its animal scars, but yet flawless no matter where her eyes looked. Lightning salvated just looking at her and licked her bottom lip not out of any purposeful notion. "I want to taste you, too."

Summer gasped as her jeans came down in one, single pull, coming down over her hips and unseemingly silken legs without a single hair marring the muscular tan all the way down. And that wasn't all. Summer glistened at her.

It hadn't been what Lightning meant when she said it, but she couldn't have stopped herself now, even if she'd wanted to. The jeans fell off to the floor and Lightning parted Summer's thighs fully open. Her muscles clenched, too, at the sight and smell of Summer, but Lightning paid it no heed as she slowly came up Summer's body.

"Lightning," Summer's eyelids fluttered as her gaze turned up at the ceiling, awaiting Lightning's weight on her body again.. "I don't know…" her words broke up between harsh breaths taken. "If I've even been… this aroused before."

Lightning reached her very middle. Instead of continuing to climb over her, she lowered her head to the center crevice of Summer's glistening and extended her tongue there.

"Oh!" Summer gasped in surprise and shock at the first warm contact of Lightning's tongue over her. The long, wet drag was exquisite and like nothing Lightning could draw comparison to. Summer was sticky and uniquely tasteless, but so startling arousing, she opened up a craving in Lightning for more. Lightning liked that sticky scent of lust on her tongue.

"Lightning-" Summer managed to catch her first breath from the shock of Lightning's pause point. She started to sit up a little, but Lightning wasn't done.

"Your taste." Lightning put both hands on her thighs to hold Summer down there. She didn't want Summer to sit up. "I want more." Lightning dipped her head between Summer's thighs again and ran her tongue down to Summer's crevasse. Lightning fingered her with thumbs enough to part Summer and dip in. Summer went taut in an instant mid sit-up

"Lightning!"

Their eyes met across Summer's tone and slender body and caught, Summer's in incredulous, Lightning's in narrow demand. She wanted Summer back down. Not breaking eyes from those golden flecks set in chestnut, Lightning scraped the roof of Summer's walls with her tongue.

Summer broke eye contact first to close hers and shudder. She reclined back down with the shiver, just as Lightning wanted. "Umbra," Summer breathed out raggedly. From there, she was free to experiment with Summer.

Lightning didn't think she was far enough, so after withdrawing her tongue and swallowing Summer's sticky lust, which made Summer's legs quiver, she tried again and parted Summer more with her fingers to delve deeper in. Tremors ran up Summer's legs and body in enticing little spasms whenever she rubbed her in entry or exit, so after licking around her rim, she withdrew her tongue again to breathe and swallow, which seemed to please Summer tremendously.

"Oh, Light…" Summer panted. "Where did you-ohh, oh...!"

Lightning tongued her as best as she could, being sure to scrape Summer's walls whenever she had breath to do so because it made her tremble just so. Lightning could barely cap her own arousal, playing in Summer. Every shudder was a reward. When Summer moaned and whimpered, Lightning clenched, too. Her scent was so overpowering on her tongue, it made her heart pump.

Summer's lust covered her, on her lips, under her nose, in her mouth, and Lightning loved it. She could feel her own heat gathering and oozing between her legs, she was so aroused. Breathing hardly mattered but for the slip chance to renew her efforts and delve deeper into Summer, who quaked from the tips of her toes up. Every quiver was its own reward; Lightning loved the moans issuing from Summer's mouth. She growled when her own tightening stole her breath from Summer, who was all that mattered now.

"Light," Summer begged, eyes shut tight with her fingers curled in the blankets for some kind of support. She panted, thin, beautiful beads of sweat glistening at her hairline. Lightning could only spare to look at her in an eye-flicking moment, but it was enough to make her clench again. She made it up to Summer by burrowing deep into her. The quivers were reward enough without even her groans.

"How?" Summer gasped in such pleasure, she could barely talk now. Lightning could barely compute, either, she was so driven to make Summer orgasm now. Her tongue was sore in ways Lightning hadn't known she could tire out the muscle before, but Lightning wouldn't stop licking and thrusting, not until Summer could take no more. Her lover was so close, Lightning could feel it in her legs and bones. She just needed one more-

"Lightning!" Summer panted and fixed a steel grip on her shoulder. She jimmied Lightning out from between her legs with a flushed-face push-pull just before she could go. Lightning tried to get at her for Summer's last tick into orgasm, but the Yun had other ideas and pulled Lightning straight up over her body once more. Her whole trembled, she was so close, and Summer grabbed the back lip of her jeans with all the grace of a bull, she could hardly control it.

"Fucking- " Lightning's jeans ripped down the back down the middle where Summer pulled with a ragged breath from her. Lightning could barely tell what she was doing, every fucking tremble was so sexy on her. Even the uncharacteristic clumsiness in tearing apart her clothes was hot. Lightning closed her eyes in startling realization just how close she was. If she came before Summer-

"Fuckk," Lightning groaned, too

Summer ripped down the top of her jeans only to her thighs before she grabbed Lightning's ass in that fucking tight and sexy grip of hers and jammed them together with a barely-managed, breathy order. "Come with me."

As soon as Lightning's hips touched hers, hot and filthy wet sexes coming together with Summer bucking and arching to greet hers, Lightning's limits gave out on her. Heart and body both skyrocketed into the clouds as the sharpest, most explicit pleasure quaked through her like she'd never known. Lightning finally forgot to breathe. She forgot everything as it became stars. Lightning had never known pleasure like this before. She soared.

When Lightning finally crashed down into her beautifully tender body from her otherworldly orgasm, she finally released her held breath in a long moan. The pleasure was still there and wasn't fading from her. Summer's hot body pressed into hers, hard nipples inches from Lightning's and poking against her. There was their soaked sexes, too, Lightning lying on top of her. Her senses registered only one by one, feel first, then smell, and the taste of Summer. Lightning lifted the back of a hand to wipe near her mouth when she jerked, frozen, eyes popping open with a half fearful, "Summer?"

Summer's eyes were closed. Her breaths came in shallow pants and, beneath her breast, her heart galloped like a horse. She murmured, but was yet unable to answer Lightning's call. Lightning relaxed in total relief upon her. Summer had come, too.

Keeping an arm around her, but rolling off to give Summer a little more air to breathe, Lightning stopped just at her side, body still touching Summer. She wiped her own mouth with the back of a hand where Summer's incredibly arousing scent lingered and continued to make her warm, kicked off the rest of her jeans, then moved up her other to touch Summer's chin fondly.

"Lightning," Summer murmured, own hand lifting over Lightning's to cup hers. "Oh, Light…" Summer warmed her fingers. Golden-flecked, sweet honey brown eyes were slow to open to the world. They stared at the ceiling a long moment to register. In that moment, even beyond all others, she was absolutely gorgeous.

"Hey," Lightning stroked her with a thumb, drawing those precious eyes on over to her. Summer's instantly lit up with such luminescence the instant they found her.

"Light," Summer rolled to her side to face her, fingers squeezing into Lightning's palm so warmly. Summer's smile alone was worth everything in the world. Her breathing had slowed with deeper breaths being taken as it all registered back to her, too. Lightning couldn't help smiling, too, just looking back at her. Summer's ambers gleamed with that half-guilty smile quirking her lips. "You're a sight."

"I could say the same about you."

Lightning felt great, too, like none of the shit of her world could hit her. Not now with Summer beside her, anyway. Summer batted an eye at her, smile growing on Lightning. "Can I say 'wow?'" Summer extended a hand towards her and brushed back a few hairs that'd fallen in front of her eyes in staring. "Where did you learn to do that to a girl?"

Lightning was just glad Summer had seemed to enjoy it just as much as her. "Some say I'm a quick study."

"Study," Summer scoffed with an ever-widening smile. "That wasn't study at all. Amazing, Lightning. I can't remember the last time I came that hard."

"Been a while since you've been with a Yun?"

"Better than Yuns, Light," Summer said, flattering her. Summer squeezed her fingers and held her eyes on her. "Better than studs I know. Light… you're incredible." Lightning's heart fluttered. Fingers soothed across the skin of her cheek until they held her in a palm, warming her. "You know that, right?" Summer asked of her. Lightning could actually feel a faint warmth flooding her face with the words.

"Couldn't have been that good," she mumbled, embarrassed. While Lightning might've had one of, if not, the most amazing orgasm of her life, Summer had this and whoever she wanted whenever she felt like the sort. It had just been some time for her, Lightning was sure.

"Lightning," Summer drew her eyes back up. "I don't make love like that to just anyone." Make love. Summer didn't ring her as the sort to romanticize words like Serah was known to. Lightning knew well enough what she'd been doing with Summer, but had Summer… is that what she'd been doing, too? "You're incredible, Lightning." Summer repeated to her, then added. "With your spirit… it must have been over the first time Fang saw you."

Lightning's chest squeezed with the same pressure as when Summer told her she could see what Fang had seen in her. It felt both painful and good. "I wish you could stay longer." Lightning conveyed honestly, because they both, Summer especially, knew that was what she truly wanted anyway.

"Lightning," Summer stroked down her cheek dearly, mesmerizing Lightning's eyes with hers. "Come to Pulse," she asked more like a statement than a question. When Lightning's eyes lowered, Summer tilted her chin back up to look at her. "For me, not for Fang, and for yourself and Serah."

She couldn't. Lightning physically couldn't do that. She reasoned it with Summer. "Your father won't like me any more than Jaeger does."

"Come as my friend, Light."

"...Your friend that you make love to?" Lightning felt heavy with wanton desire. She still had trouble grasping that that's what Summer had been doing with her, too. She'd felt her own connection with the woman, of course, but this… this was what Yuns did with their friends. They had sex. When had that crossed over for Summer into lovemaking? When had the jokes of giving her children stopped being just that for Summer? If they had at all, or if Lightning was the only one this deeply interested? Lightning didn't know and she ached to.

But Lightning was sadly a realist.

"It's not just your dad or Jaeger. The Yuns hate me; and they should. There's no making up for what I put Fang through."

"The Yuns can come to forgive you. They don't know you like I do, Light."

There it was again. Like she did. Summer did know her so much more than some casual sex-sharing friend would have. She'd been here for less than a week, and Lightning had shared some of her most private intimacies with her already, the quiet stuff that she hadn't opened up to anyone about, not even Lebreau or Serah knew. Lightning wanted her to know them, too. She'd spoken on things that hurt to even think about and shed off the armor she always wore to safeguard herself. Had that been when it'd happened for Summer? They were only friends and no more, both of them knew that. They couldn't be more, but yet in that friendship, Lightning had formed a bond stronger than trust that had some love equivalent in limbo. It startled her to know that Summer had formed one, too.

But worlds kept them apart. Lightning knew that more than anything. Oddly enough, it had been that exact knowledge, that their friendship could be no more than that, that had allowed Lightning to open up so freely to the woman at all to form this kind of trust she had with her.

It also kept all romantic notions from becoming a reality, too.

"They won't." Lightning echoed sadly because it was true. "Scar tried to kill me before Fang, even. There will always be someone angry enough over it, especially now, and that puts Serah into danger, too. Besides," Lightning folded her fingers between Summer's where their hands still clasped. "I don't outcast you, too, Summer."

Summer must have seen the resolution in her eyes because hers saddened on Lightning. "If you won't come home with me permanently…" Her eyes drifted down to their linked fingers. "Will you make me a promise, Light?"

"Do I get to hear it first?"

Summer's lips quirked briefly, and she was beautiful. Her eyes rose back to Lightning. "Visit," Summer asked truly with clear sincerity. She hurriedly voiced the next part, "I want to see you, Lightning. I don't want false promises." Summer's voice was stern at first, but when she saw Lightning's supreme hesitation, her eyes softened considerably. "Lightning ...Please. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for Serah… and for me, because I don't have the same resolve as you." Summer's eyes searched hers beggingly. She squeezed her hand, fingers still cradling Lightning's cheek. "Will you?"

Lightning's heartstrings tugged. She didn't know if it was admittance to making love with her or simply her sensitivity to Summer in having these intense feelings for her, but Lightning's high-held defenses just crumbled with her. "When do you want to see me?"

Seeing Summer's face light up in joy and beauty was almost entirely worth it by itself to have asked her the question. "You will? Light!" Summer kissed her, immediately making a second reason why Lightning was glad to have tentatively agreed. Summer's lips had her instantly addicted and leaning in to give and receive. Summer stroked her cheek. It only lasted a few seconds, but it could have been an eternity for the warmth it brought Lightning. "Light…" Summer purred more contentedly when her lips finally left Lightning's. "Thank you."

"I'll need two weeks' notice," Lightning stipulated. "So I can take off of work."

"I already know when I want you." Lightning hiked an eyebrow. Summer licked her bottom lip and smiled. "At the Orca festival. I want you to be there."

"When and what is that?"

"Oh, right. Cocoon months are different. Serah mentioned that. It starts on Orca thirtieth, which is… two of your Cocoon months from now? I think."

"I'll probably be able to take off by then."

"We might not go the very first day, too. It lasts half the month. It just depends when Fang's family intends to go, but…"

"Let me know as soon as you do," Lightning asked. "And I will try to clear my schedule for the time if I'm able to."

"Lightning," Summer licked her bottom lip again, this time in a slower, more deliberate motion that had her eyes sparkling. "I think we need to make love again."

Lightning's blood ran warm. "I think so, too."

XXX

"I can't believe we finally have her blessing." Serah chewed her lip nervously, big eyes on her Yun in utter adoration. "I've been waiting for this so long, Hawke."

Hawke chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "Don't think I don't know."

"Hawke…" Serah eyed down at her penis, but Hawke wasn't bulging yet. She was probably nervous, too, with the moment upon them like this after all that time spent waiting for permission. Their moment was finally upon them. "Kiss me," Serah asked, knowing that would help settle Hawke and put her in the moment, too. Hawke bent her head and their lips touched. Serah swam in heaven in the clouds, getting so warm at the gentle brushing of Hawke's soft and tender caress, she could just-

Thump!

Hawke pulled back with a smile and a little chuckle. "Sounds like someone's fallen off the bed." She glanced back at the wall to her left where, a few rooms away, Claire and Summer were in the midst of their own love-making. It wasn't the quiet sort, either. "Those two are in for a long night, I'd wager." She turned her eyes back on Serah. "Has that been going on all week?"

"Almost," Serah confirmed with a glance. "The past few days, it has." Serah put her attention to bigger things, like how Hawke should be now and wasn't. "Maybe… maybe we should make some noise of our own, Hawke." She reached down to take Hawke in her hands.

"Whoa, Tiger," Hawke chuckled and squirmed. Unfortunately, she reached for her hand and removed it, too. Serah pouted at her.

"Don't you want to play, Hawke? Maybe even make love…"

"Serah," Hawke twined their fingers to keep Serah's from nosediving again. "I want to have sex with you."

"Then, why are we waiting around listening to Claire do it?" Serah tried to reach for her again, but Hawke kept her hand up.

"I've been wanting to have sex with you for a long time now," Hawke continued, drawing back her eyes. "We've almost done it a few times, now."

"Don't tell Claire that."

Hawke smiled, lighthearted and cheerful. "And now we're finally allowed to," Hawke continued. "It really takes the pressure off, you know? We won't have any more close encounters that we have to stop during."

"Yesss…" God, she was making Serah want it even more.

"But I've been thinking all day, Serah," Hawke went on. "We shouldn't force it. Not just because we're able to. We've waited a long time for our first, special moment, and now it means something really important to me, too." Hawke stroked her hair back again. "I think we should just let it happen when it does. We don't need to push for the moment, you know?"

Serah blinked at her. On the one hand, Hawke's words sounded incredibly sweet. On the other, "...you want us to wait longer?"

"I'd like us to be natural," Hawke nodded, adoring eyes on her. "So… yeah, I suppose. If it makes our wait a little longer, so be it. Our first time, it… it'll be really special if we just let it be, you know?" Hawke looked on a little nervously. "What do ya think?"

"I think my romanticisms' rubbed off on you backwards."

"You wanna have sex now?" Hawke offered, blushing a little.

"No, no, you're probably right," Serah admitted, girlboner already killed for the night. She looked at Hawke pleadingly. "We can still cuddle, though, right…? Please tell me I didn't break cuddles for you, too."

"No one said anything against cuddling." Hawke agreed and lifted her arm to wrap around Serah's front. "Come here, you."

Serah rolled and tucked in against her, Hawke playing the big spoon as usual. She kept their fingers clasped in front of Serah's chest and leaned over to kiss Serah at her temple, too. "I'm sorry if I ruined the night for you."

"It's okay, Hawke." Serah turned her head to look back at her. "When we do it, I want it to be really special, too."

"And that's the only reason I want to wait longer," Hawke assured, hugging her close. "I love you, and I want it to be perfect for you."

Serah's heart skipped a beat. "Can you say that again, Hawke?"

"It's going to be perfect for you." Hawke repeated, then grinned down at her frowny pout. "And I love you."

Serah squeezed her fingers tight. "That's better, you."

Hawke's smile softened and she lowered enough to share a half-backwards kiss with Serah that ended in Serah being pulled closer against a beautifully hard boner. "Good night, Serah."

More than likely, Serah would be dreaming of it, too. A little disappointed, but at least comforted in her Yun's arms, Serah closed her eyes for sleep, too.