Dear readers: this story blossomed from a simple idea I had about the relationship between Lightning, Snow, and Serah. I understand that I most likely got their characteristics wrong, since my knowledge of them consists of the information in the game's instruction manual. Please don't judge based on OOC alone, especially on behalf of Snow. Most importantly, enjoy! ~ LC

Lightning sat in her kitchen and waited. Despite the chair's best attempts, she was uncomfortable, an affliction that became more prominent and bothersome the longer she lingered. Her sister Serah's lethargy made her on edge. She'd rather be doing than thinking. And that meant more dress shopping and less time thinking about how much she disapproved of it.

If she had any say in the matter, they wouldn't be making the trip at all, and the large gap her sister had reserved for her wedding attire would remain empty. Hell, if it was up to her that spot would not ever be occupied, at least while Serah was engaged to Snow.

The thought made her grimace. He was a great fighter, but he would not make a suitable boyfriend, let alone husband. He was adequate in some ways, but pathetically lacking in others. He could amuse her, but not sympathize; provide, but not compromise. And he could never, ever protect her as thoroughly as Lightning would have wanted, as long as he kept putting himself first.
She wished she could explain this to her sister, but Serah was caught up in his hypnotizing cocky charm. She was flattered when he started flirting with her, and her ego grew to unhealthy proportions when they started going steady. But even she thought his proposal was unexpected, though that didn't stop her from accepting enthusiastically. Now, she was a princess, sitting high on a throne of self-confidence. With Snow behind her, there was nothing she couldn't do, or obtain. Spoiled, naive, self centered, this is what her little sister had become.

How quickly Lightning would tell her what a regrettable choice she had made, or even forbid her from marrying. She was barely out of school; she wanted her to enjoy life without responsibilities, to remember what true freedom was, before being tied down again. But even now, she couldn't stand to see Serah cry, especially when she knew she was the cause of her tears. In that way, she controlled her too.

Well, not today. She stood up, staring at the door. She would form an excuse for her absence later. But right now, there was someone she had to visit. Serah will not marry Snow, this she was sure of. She couldn't break her heart, but he could.

Fifteen minutes later, Lightning knocked on Snow's apartment door impatiently. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, and she didn't intend to mince words.

Yet when he opened the door a minute or two later, her mind went blank. He was shirtless, carrying a white towel in one hand. His bare chest was flushed and wet from a recent shower, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, he made no attempt to apologize, or even explain himself. She found herself staring at his toned muscles and losing track of time.

"Lightning?" his eyes portrayed innocent curiosity. She was shocked he wasn't acting conceited about his body, but his questioning greeting reminded her of her task.

She cleared her throat and looked him in the eye. "You can't marry Serah."

He seemed amused. "You've never liked us together." He started to dry his upper body. She pretended not to notice.

"You two are not right for each other. You're setting her up for disappointment and sadness. Cancel the wedding." She took care to sound certain. There would be no negotiating on the matter.

"Hmmmm...No." He closed the door. She caught it before it shut, then watched incredulously as he walked away.

"Snow, this isn't up for debate! I'm serious!" she followed him into the kitchen, flustered.

"Look," he started, turning around. "If you're worried about me taking Serah's innocence or whatever, you're a little late."

She gasped. "You sick bastard!" Lightning fumed. "What the hell have you done?" He just laughed. She lifted her arm to slap him hard across his face, when she noticed his abs again. The way they caught the light as they moved was...

She looked up. This time, he'd noticed her gawking. A mischievous smirk crept up his face. Disgusted, both at him and herself, she stomped out the door, closing it furiously behind her.

When she returned home, she wasn't met with questions, or even tears, as she expected. An alibi wasn't even required of her. Her sister had forgot about their morning plans. Serah was floating from room to room, preparing for the impromptu date Snow had just called about.

"He said he's going to have a surprise for me!" she squealed, combing her hair.
Briefly, lightning considered the possibility he had taken her advice. But she knew in her heart that he hadn't. She decided to go back and try to persuade him again ten minutes before their date.

When the time came, she decided to bring her Blazefire Saber. Maybe then he would take her seriously.

Once again, Lightning found herself knocking on the apartment door. This time, Snow didn't seem surprised to see her. He sighed, but let her in. At least he was wearing a shirt, she thought.

"Couldn't stay away, could you?" he was walking again, to what she realized was his bedroom. He draped himself lazily on his bed.

"Shut up, you disgusting pig," she stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. "You're going to stop the wedding…whether you two have slept together already or not."

He blinked. "Actually, what I said earlier was a little ahead of myself."

She paused. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Your sister's still a virgin...but not for much longer." he grinned.

He said he's going to have a surprise for me! Serah's voice rang in her head. Her stupid, childlike, immature voice.

"You sick son of a bitch!" she growled. "How dare you think you can take advantage of her?"

"Take advantage of her? She wants me. And if she doesn't want to, well, I can be very persuasive." he winked.

He was sickening. His arrogance was almost too much. She squeezed the hilt of her blade. She needed to calm down enough to think clearly. How can I stop him…?

"Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, getting up and attempting nudging her out of the doorway. "I'm going to hit a home run."

She started to object again, but he cut her off. "Don't worry, I'll cover her mouth so you won't hear her scream."

That was it. She wouldn't let him say another offensive word. She punched him as hard as she could in the jaw. He stumbled back, but almost immediately started laughing. She realized in horror that his strength dwarfed hers. Her sword rested heavily in her hand, but it was a last resort and nothing more. He darted toward the doorway again, but she propped her gunblade across to make an effective blockade.

"I won't let you see Serah," she tried to sound intimidating. "Don't...don't make me hurt you."

Snow chuckled and moved closer. Now their bodies were inches away. She could feel the heat from his body mix with the scent of his cologne. She eyed the outline of the muscles under his shirt. Focus, she told herself.

"Lightning, I'm getting some tonight. There's nothing you can do to stop me. If you want to protect your little sister, well..." He eyed her body hungrily. She felt naked under his gaze.

She took a shaky breath. She had to make a choice, but both possibilities were less than tolerable. If she let him go, he would convince her sister to give up her virginity. She could already picture the glare Serah would flash when she tried to protest. Then what? A miserable marriage, marked with pain and disappointment.

So she slept with him instead? Though not a virgin herself, she had sex only with those she trusted and loved completely. She would not give in to the wishes of a man who didn't even respect her.

Suddenly, he pulled her into a powerful kiss. Lightning dropped her sword in alarm. She stood with her arms stretched out, lips unmoving, her posture as unsure as she was, when an image flashed in her head - her sister, young, unaware, happy. She knew what she had to do. She would sacrifice herself, so that Serah wouldn't have to. She would be miserable, yes, but for a short while instead of a lifetime.

She kissed him back, matching him in force. She could feel him smile as he pulled her in closer. That's when she realized how he really felt about Snow. Her mind, filled with knowledge of his unacceptable actions and words would never have allowed her to have a relationship with him. But if she stopped seeing the situation as a choice and considered it a duty, as she was now, she found that her body was attracted to his. She never would have admitted it, but she wanted him too.

She allowed herself to enjoy their intimacy, but not that much. Lightning couldn't stop thinking about how her sister would react when she inevitably found out. Hell, she would probably tell her herself. So as they shed their clothes, she thought of how many tears Serah would shed. When he threw her onto the bed, she pictured her sister throwing herself on her bed in-between sobs. And when he groaned and she cried out in pleasure, she imagined her sister moaning and crying out in vain to the sister and love who betrayed her.

Meanwhile, a teenage girl excitedly readied herself for her date, her thoughts filled with predictions the occasion would bring. Her initial anticipation turned to anxiety, which then morphed into distress when he didn't show or answer his phone. After half an hour, she decided to visit his apartment to check up on him.

Beyond the door, she could hear movement. Finding it unlocked, she glanced inside. She slowly walked down the vacant hallway that led to his bedroom. She could hear noises: rustling, squeaking, sighing; and knew not only that they came from that room, but that he wasn't alone. Before she could make sense of it, a large metallic object on the rug in front of the door caught her eye. She knew whom the weapon belonged to. Suddenly both thoughts merged together to form the awful truth. She ran from the apartment as tears clouded her vision.

Lightning paused in front of her door, key in the lock. She primed herself to face an angry sister, a sad sister, or a suspicious one. She wasn't prepared for an absent one. The small note placed on the table was delicately ominous in the silent house. The tiny hope she managed to muster before reading the letter shriveled and died as she examined it. Serah knew. She found out in the most humiliating way possible. She hadn't intended to put her sister through that torture. Of course she wouldn't want to be here when she returned from her fiancé's bed.

Wearily, Lightning stood up, clutching the little paper in one hand. Struggling to control her fear, anger, worry, and sadness, she headed for the door yet again to find her runaway sister.