Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XIII, just my oc.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A man snaps as he was almost tackled down by a running young woman in her early twenties.
"Sorry!" She apologized, not looking back as she continued to run down the seaside town of Bodhum.
'Why the hell did you put these on, Kai?!' She asked herself, wincing slightly as she felt blisters take form on her feet. 'Oh, that's right, they were the first shoes I found in the rush of not wanting to be late for work. But why did they have to be heels?!' She mentally cried. The woman ran a hand through her chocolate brownlocks as she turned a corner, almost running into someone again. Slightly panting, she shot a glance at her wrist watch and cursed.
'Dammit! I'm gonna be late!' She thought quickening her pace. A relieved sigh came out of her pink lips as Lebreau's café bar came in sight. She stopped in front of the door to catch her breath, then she placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed the door open, a small smile forming in her lips, only to stop dead in her tracks.
'Shit…' The smile she wore was immediately replaced with a scowl as she took in the sight of the long line of people waiting to order. 'I don't have time for this!'
She stood on her tip-toes and looked around for Lebreau. The raven haired woman was taking people's orders by the cash register while Yuj and Maqui prepared their orders.
Luckily, the woman caught sight of her and gestured for her to come over. Kaiko walked past the people lining up, ignoring the glares shot at her. When she reached the cash register she told the woman what she wanted, paid for her order and then moved on to rest her arms on the counter as she waited.
"One hot chocolate and a cappuccino with two macadamia cookies, I'm guessing?" Yuj asks smirking at her when she blinked owlishly at him. She smiled tiredly and nodded.
"Tough night?" He asked, noticing the bags under her eyes as he moved around getting her order ready.
"Yeah, I stayed up till late editing some pictures from a client. The dead line was today. The pictures were already finished, but I wanted to make sure they were perfect." She answered, yawning as she looked around the café. The place was ridiculously crowded today. She wasn't surprised though, the beverages served there were amazing. That's why she always dropped by early in the morning so she wouldn't be late for work, but she overslept.
The place had a welcoming feeling which drove costumers to drop by. Plus, it was located right in front of the beach and it had an outdoor area with tables set up for the people who wanted to watch the ocean while enjoying their beverages. In the inside there were small tables around, a TV was set up on the wall for entertainment and there were also stools for the ones who wanted to sit by the counter.
"Hmph, why am I not surprised?" He asks teasingly as he handed her the bag with the contents she ordered. She laughed lightly before taking the bag and thanking him.
She walked over to Lebreau, a grateful smile on her lips as she gave a small bow. "Thanks Lebreau! I owe you one!"
The woman waved her off and smiled. "Don't worry about it. Now go or you'll be late!" She replied, before turning to take care of another costumer.
"Right. Thanks again!" Kaiko called over her shoulder before turning around and starting towards the door. She took out her cellphone to send a text to her best friend and work partner, Serah, telling her she was on her way. Not really looking where she was going, she bumped into someone almost spilling the coffee in the person's hand.
"Ah! Sorry…" She apologized and looked up at the person she bumped into. The man before her looked really familiar, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. He was wearing an Academy uniform of a long-sleeved yellow and white coat with a light blue necktie, light gray pants and black boots.
'So, he works at the Academy.' She noted after seeing his uniform. The Academy was a company that did historical research to build things that would benefit the people of Cocoon and Pulse, the country next to Cocoon.
He looked down at her, a glint of curiousness in his light blue-green eyes. His silver bangs falling slightly in front of his eyes as he tilted his head. "Don't worry. No harm done." He smiled down at her and extended his hand. "I'm Hope, by the way." She took his hand and lightly shook it while nodding. She noticed him look at her expectantly and realized she hadn't said her name.
"…Oh! Right. I'm Kaiko." She told him, her cheeks tinting pink in embarrassment. His smile widened slightly at her reaction, not that she noticed anyway.
"Kaiko, huh? Well, I won't keep you anymore, you were in a hurry after all, no?" He asked.
The brunette looked at him confused before her eyes widened in realization. She lifted her left hand to look at her wrist watch.
"Oh man! I'll definitely be late now..." She groaned and started for the door again.
"Right. It was nice meeting you!" Kaiko heard the man called after her. She looked back at him and nodded.
"You too!" She replied before exiting the café.
Hope watched her go until he couldn't see her anymore as she had turned a corner. He tilted his head to the side, his eyes slightly narrowed thoughtfuly. 'Could it really be her?'
"Ugh! My feet are killing me and the day just started!" Kaiko groaned, wiping sweat from her forehead as she walked through the door to her studio. Serah looked up from the pile of pictures on her desk and smiled when she saw her best friend come in. She bounced her way towards Kaiko and greeted her with a hug before taking the bag the brunette held.
"Did you run all the way here?" The pinkette asked as she looked for something under her desk and handed it to the brunette. Kaiko opened the box handed to her with a bewildered look as the pinkette took out her cappuccino and macadamia cookie from the bag. Kaiko smiled as she took out a pair of converse from the box. It was kind of scary how much the pink haired woman knew her.
"Yeah. I overslept and had to hurry to get here. Did Ms. Brief come by?" She asked as she put on the shoes.
"No, she hasn't. And you do know you have a car, right?" The pinkette asked, taking a sip of her cappuccino. The photographer froze at that and then replied in a nonchalant manner.
"Of course I do, but it would have taken me longer to get here with all the traffic." She answered standing up straight and avoiding eye contact.
"You forgot, didn't you?" Serah asked, raising an amused eyebrow when the brunette blushed slightly.
"No! It just would have taken me longer and it wouldn't have been as fun and exciting as running around the town in heels like a crazed woman if I had taken the car."
"Right…" Serah said quietly as she watched the brunette sit down in her own desk and take a bite of her cookie. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. Not really knowing how to voice what she wanted to ask the brunette. As she pondered on how to ask properly she didn't notice she was staring. Kaiko sensing the stare, turned her head slightly to look at her from the corner of her eye before turning to face her completely.
"What is it?" Kaiko took a sip of her chocolate and looked expectantly at the pinkette, but frowned when the pink haired woman started fiddling with her fingers.
"Umm, I uh, I umm…" Serah looked down at her lap, her brows furrowed nervously. Kaiko's eyebrows furrowed in concern as she stood up to place a comforting hand on her best friend's shoulder.
"Serah, are you okay? Did you and Snow had a fight or something?" The brunette ask, recieving a shake of Serah's head. "Are you sick?" Serah shook her head once more. "Are you pregnant?" The brunette tried again. Serah's head snapped up and she shook her head furiously while blushing.
"What?! Of course not!"
"Then, what is it? You're making me worry here." Kaiko chuckled slightly as she sat down in her desk chair again and typed her password in the laptop.
"You remember my sister, right?" Serah began.
"You mean Lightning? Yeah, what about her?" Kaiko replied looking back at Serah.
"Well, she's coming back from the mission she had in Gran Pulse. But the thing is, she found out I was dating someone…"
"…She knows you're dating Snow?" Kaiko asked her best friend, surprise written all over her face.
"No…" Serah replied, shrinking into herself. When Kaiko shot her a confused look she continued. "A few weeks ago I found out that Lightning had met Snow once. Apparently someone tried to rob a store and Snow, being the idiot he is, went there to help out. Lightning mistook him for a thief and almost killed him, and because of that the real thieves were able to get away. I'm pretty sure Lightning has a deep dislike for him now. If she found out that I'm dating him, she would most definitely kill him!"
Kaiko just stared at her. "And you don't know how to tell her, huh?" She asked to which Serah shook her head. "Wow, she's gonna be pissed when she finds out…"
"Well, that's why I need your help. Lightning wants to meet the guy I'm dating." Serah told her, once again avoiding eye contact. "Uh, do you remember that time in high school where you had to cut your hair because some kid stuck gum in it?" Serah began.
Kaiko's face scrunched up in confusion at the random change of subject. "Unfortunately, yes I do. Everyone mistook me for a guy, girls kept flirting with me everywhere I went! That was the worst year of my life." Kaiko replied, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "But, what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, I would never ask you to do this if it wasn't because of the short notice and if I wasn't so desperate." Serah said as she watched Kaiko take another sip of chocolate. "But… I-I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend."
"PFFFFFTT!" And so, Serah was covered in hot chocolate.
Author's note: Yup, that's it for first chapter! Tell me what you think! BTW! I listened to "Go, go naruto" while typing the first bit...it makes it more fun. How cool would it be if you had background music in real life?!... Okay, sorry I'll stop now. I seriously don't know where I got the idea for this, maybe it was from watching coffee prince or something...I don't know... Should I continue? Please let me know, yeah?