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Shivers. Lightning's muscles awoke with a shudder, due not to the cold, but to the warm breath upon the nape of her neck. Serah’s thin arm hugging her stomach a tad tighter, brushing up under her shirt a little.
“Light.”
“Hm…”
Serah moved her arm to hold Lightning's hand, kiss her on the back of her neck then smiling where she left her little mark, loving how subtly it made Lightning shiver.
“Don't be grumpy just because I have to work today.” But Lightning only groaned again, clearly upset. “You could at least say good morning back.”
Lightning squeezed her hand instead.
“I guess that works too. What's wrong? Tired, cold? Don’t want me to leave?”
“Try all of the above.”
“You know I don't want to leave either,” Serah said as she sat up and stretched, not surprised to see Lightning rolling over to follow her, all the way into her lap, taking her turn to wrap her arms around Serah’s waist. Serah chuckled and pet her head while she pouted. “You’ll get all your cuddles later,” she reminded her. “The finale’s airing tonight, so you’ll have me all to yourself for two whole hours, so just be patient,” Serah said, as if it wasn’t always that way when they were home together. Sometimes she couldn’t tell if Lightning was more excited just to sit close with her for a while than to watch whatever show they decided to binge; not that she minded either way.
“You’re coming straight home after work, right?”
“Yep.”
“…Alright. Just give me a couple minutes.”
Serah sighed, “Sometimes I wonder which of us is the older sister.”
“Would you believe me if I said I’m just worried about letting my dear little sister go?”
“I'm the one who's worried about you. Now quit being so clingy so I can get ready.”
“But you like when I'm clingy,” Lightning hummed, holding tight to Serah's waist.
“I also like when you behave and follow orders,” Serah reminded her with a slow run of her nails down Lightning's neck.
“Well, which is it then?”
“That’s up to you. You can either be a brat and keep clinging to me, or be a good girl and let me get out of bed and get dressed already.”
“And what will choosing one or the other get me?”
“I can’t tell you everything. You can find out later,” Serah purred, “after I get home from work, which I would like to start getting ready for.”
Lightning groaned and unhooked her arms for Serah, holding them in the open, lonely air.
“Thanks Sis,” Serah said, lifting one of Light’s hands to leave a kiss on its back as her reward for now, thinking that she must have been tired indeed if she was giving up that easily. Serah turned and crawled out of bed, sparing not even a glance on the pitiful act Lightning put on behind her, knowing she’d feel too bad and end up turning around if she did.
Lightning crawled back up to a pillow to hug in Serah's place, watching her walk on her thin, pretty legs to their closet to find something to dress in, already sure of what she'd pick: her favorite white button-up blouse and one of Lightning's jackets to go over.
“You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?” Serah asked, already slipping it on.
“Be my guest,” Lightning replied automatically, wondering why Serah still bothered asking, wondering why Serah looked so pretty in button-up shirts. Lightning's heart throbbed as she tried to figure out why, totally missing Serah putting a long skirt on after until she was already walking away toward the bathroom to brush her teeth. Then her hair, to tie it up to the side with her favorite ribbon, put a little makeup on. Lightning watched through the mirror, enamored with and only a little jealous of how effortlessly she tied and applied it all, with trained fingerwork and short swipes and feathery strokes. Serah glanced at Lightning with a smile as she did it, always amused to see her watching.
Moments like these happened day to day but felt a week apart. Slow but never scarce, always real. True. And lovely all the same. That profound feeling was fleeting in the moment as Serah turned around, gauging how she looked by however Lightning's eyes lit up. And they always did.
“So, I'm assuming you're not walking to the station with me today?” Serah asked to her in the mirror.
“Not unless you really want me to,” Lightning murmured apologetically.
“It's up to you. If you're tired, then don't worry about it,” Serah smiled, walking back over to Lightning while folding the cuffs of her sleeves back, then slipping on her shoes. “Well, if you have any last shows of affection to make, now's the time.”
Lightning sat up and pulled Serah's hands down to kiss her.
“You look really pretty,” Lightning said, glancing at the buttons on her shirt again accidentally and looking back up to find her smiling. Whether that was due to her compliment or her wandering eyes, Lightning couldn’t tell, since Serah always smiled at the compliment anyway. Some variation of it was said every morning that Serah dressed up, yet it never grew stale. Lightning's smile as she said it always seemed a different shape of lovestruck.
“Thanks. You do too, with your bedhead. Now you had better be up by the time I get back.”
“What if I'm not?”
“I'll just have to wake you up then, dummy. I’m not watching without you and I’m certainly not waiting for you, so that really only leaves you one option.” Serah smirked rather seductively all of a sudden and said, “Make up your mind already Light: being bratty or behaving?”
“I'm kidding. I'll be ready and waiting.”
“Good. You'll survive, don't worry,” Serah said as she started backpedaling toward the door, waving, but bumping into the wall on the way and leaning against it to restore her footing and her charming act.
“Will you survive?” Lightning grinned instantly.
“Shut up,” Serah laughed, slipping away through the doorway.
“Love you,” Lightning called after her.
“Love you too,” Serah echoed back.
Lightning heard her pick up her leather bag, then the fridge open. Grabbing a cold water. Then the cabinets, taking a cinnamon apple protein bar and deciding on a snack. She must not have felt like packing a proper lunch today, or felt as if she didn’t have the time, since Lightning had kept her. Oh well… there was nothing for it now.
Lightning turned back over and closed her eyes to drift back to sleep while Serah left, waiting to hear her footsteps toward the door. Lightning looked over toward Serah’s side of the bed, replaying their morning routine in her mind.
And halfway through she noticed the white case sitting on Serah’s nightstand. Her phone. Lightning scrambled out of the covers and over the bed, leaning to swipe Serah’s forgotten phone off of it and run it to her. She called Serah’s name as she turned the corner and stopped on her toes right in front of her, who gasped and nearly fell backwards.
“God, Light…”
“Sorry,” she whispered, taking a step back herself just to give Serah some room. “Here.”
“Thanks,” Serah said, taking it with a smile before moving closer and hugging Lightning.
“I’m out of bed.”
“Are you going to stay that way though?” Serah asked, arching a brow.
“Until you get me back in it.”
“Behave yourself until then and I will. Or else.” Serah smirked and drifted away then, having issued her orders. Whether or not Lightning wanted to obey them was her choice.
“Or else?”
“Or else,” Serah repeated, content with the curiosity she had planted in Lightning so far.
She turned back down the hall and out of sight. Lightning wanted to follow her, but really felt too tired… but quite not tired enough to go back to bed, either…
“Hold on a minute Serah.”
Serah couldn’t even ask why before Lightning retreated back into the bedroom. Whatever she might be up to now, Serah didn’t really have the time for it, upon checking her phone again. She waited patiently at the door, but Lightning jogged back swiftly in a new shirt, shorts, and a pair of flip-flops.
“Still can’t make up your mind about being so clingy, can you?” Serah smirked.
“Hey, you only asked me to let you out of bed.”
“True. But I thought you were too tired?”
“Oh, I am. But it’s a nice morning,” Lightning yawned. “And I’d feel bad if I made you walk all the way there by yourself.”
“It’s not that far,” Serah shrugged. “I’m happy to walk there if you want to sleep in.
“I know it’s not that far, but… look, can I just tag along already?”
“Of course.” Serah laughed. “Come on.” She took Lightning’s hand and led her outside, locking the door behind them.
Except for when one of them was sick and couldn’t make it out of bed, it always worked out like this, like they planned. In the morning Lightning walked with Serah to the station and together they would wait for her train to arrive, and in the evenings after Serah had returned home first, she would take her turn to wait at the station for Lightning and walk her back home. Sharing details about their days at work, what could be or already was for dinner and who wanted to make it, and how they might spend the rest of their evening.
Today, Lightning already knew how their evening was going to go. A marathon in front of the TV and then a marathon in bed… she just needed to decide how she wanted to act for Serah before then.