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[sparkstrikes]

[Maybe in the darkest timeline, Noel is wearing that dress in this very moment. With such an infinite number of timelines, who knows what else he could be wearing? The moogle costume?]

If it's dancing you mean, then maybe.

[She had more than a few offers to teach her and she's not sure how much she's learned or even remembers.]

Speaking of weddings... you find yourself a date yet? It's coming up.

[A completely innocent question asked in a completely innocent way.]

[dyingworld]

[please he'd rock the shit out of that moogle costume

There's a definite smile on Noel's lips at the question as he glances off to the side. A smile he can't stop from forming, but he's not trying to hide it.]

As a matter of fact, I do.

[sparkstrikes]

That so?

[She leans forward on the counter, trying to bite back the smile that pulls the corners of her lips, and she picks up a strawberry to turn it between her fingers, examining it closely.]

Is she cute?

[dyingworld]

[He hums thoughtfully as if wondering if he really should share details with Lightning or not. He's already told Serah of course, but that's a different story. Best friend privileges and all.

Really, he's just waiting for dramatic effect.]

Yeah. I'd say. She's no Gladio, but... [a small laugh, he can't even finish that joke.] She's cute. Too cute.

[sparkstrikes]

Yeah, he's a tough one to beat. She must be real cute, then.

[She can't even say that out loud without a derisive snort and she pauses to take a bite of the strawberry.]

Cuter than me? [pffff]

[dyingworld]

[He nods without a second of hesitation.]

Sorry Lightning, you've been dethroned.

It's Penelo. I know you two have talked before.

[sparkstrikes]

[She pretends to act both affronted at the dethroning and surprised by the news but admittedly, she's not very good at it.]

Penelo...? No way. I had no idea.

[ !!!!!!! ]

[dyingworld]

[Brand new news!!!






It's a good thing Lightning is shit at acting.

He crosses his arms.]

You had an idea.

[sparkstrikes]

[She is not bad at acting, oh my god??

Lightning straightens up and mirrors his stance by crossing her own arms after popping the rest of the strawberry in her mouth. She chews, her face completely serious while she does, and when she's done, she shakes her head.]

And you didn't even tell me before she could.

[Her poor feelings, Noel. :( ]

[dyingworld]

[Noel stares at her, a little surprised.

And then laughs softly, his shoulders shaking with it.]

Sorry, Lightning. I was still figuring things out myself.

[And now he's ready to share with the family.]

[sparkstrikes]

Figuring what out?

[Why is she even asking that question? She's still working things out for herself, and it's been longer than a few weeks. She smiles playfully across at him and helps herself to another strawberry. She pauses to raise her hand at him.]

Spare me the details. She told me what happened. [... A beat as she bites back her widening grin.] You two slept together and then you kissed her. Or was it the other way around?

[dyingworld]

[Noel happened to be reaching for another strawberry and putting it in his mouth about the same time she says it like that Noel chokes on the pieces of fruit and roughly swallows. He gives a small cough.]

That ... Would be the other way around. Technically.

[He means, she's not wrong. They did sleep together. He's not one to kiss and tell, though. Knowing Penelo, she's probably already cleared up that detail and Lightning is just trying to troll him.]

[sparkstrikes]

It's fine. She gave me the details.

[Penelo really didn't, but for once, it's fun to be the one teasing rather than the one being teased. Lightning pauses to laugh, not at him but to herself as he coughs on the strawberry.]

... You're happy?

[dyingworld]

[He rolls his eyes and looks away when she laughs.

He keeps his gaze away as he lets the teasing fall away and gives a small smile.]

Yeah. I still feel like there's more about her to learn but... It feels nice.

[To be wanted. To have someone genuinely interested in him too. Sometimes he's not sure if it's actually all happening to him.]

[sparkstrikes]

[She nods her head, eyes flicking across his face to watch the changes in his expression, even as he turns away.]

You'll learn a lot about yourself, too. Things you didn't know before.

[There's a sense of understanding there that becomes palpable in the amount of warmth that settles in the air, and the way the sun seems to shine through the windows a little bit brighter than earlier.]

[dyingworld]

[A soft breath leaves his lungs.]

Does that half suffocated feeling ever go away?

[He says this lightly and with a smile. He doesn't mean that in a negative way. More just... does that feeling of screwing it all up ever go away? Because he can't get it to.

He probably sounds somewhat like a boy in that moment...]

[sparkstrikes]

Sometimes, but never fully.

[If he's asking from her experience, anyway. Lightning tilts her head in thought, keeping her voice gentle and comforting, despite the truth behind what she's saying. The two of them are probably far more similar than they like to think but it makes it easier to open up to Noel about these kinds of things. Things she wouldn't otherwise talk about.]

Some days I think it's only made it worse.

[dyingworld]

[Being scared of ruining everything has been a heavy thing on Noel's shoulders. He's been alone for so long that he sometimes wonders if he'll somehow have this ripped away from him too. So...

He raises his gaze to her with a slightly raised eyebrow. Obvious curiosity and concern in his gaze.]

Trouble in paradise?

[sparkstrikes]

Something like that.

[She can feel his eyes on her but Lightning doesn't look, choosing to keep her focus on her fingers curling and uncurling into a fist on the counter.]

You feel afraid... [Her voice drops, falling away into a murmur.] Afraid that someone or something is gonna mess it all up or take it away.

[The very potent fear is one that will never truly disappear.]

You feel it too?

[dyingworld]

[Noel lets out a small huff and nod.]

Yeah.

[And he doesn't really have an answer how to get rid of that feeling. It's just always as the back of his mind even if he's feeling happier than he has ... well- ever.

So he smiles at her lightly.]

I suppose the best thing to do is ... cherish it.

[sparkstrikes]

Make sure you do.

[Lightning pops the lid back onto the container of strawberries, pressing down on it firmly with her palm until it makes a click, filling the brief silence.]

We don't know what tomorrow's gonna be like.

[dyingworld]

[That's very true for the both of them, isn't it. The whole household, really... It's always harrowing to hear.]

Right...

[He rolls his shoulders and crosses his arms next.]

So. You going to teach me to dance, or what?

[sparkstrikes]

[Her brows raise at him. Is he being serious right now...]

You saying you don't know how?

[As if she's much of an expert on it, either. The most she remembers is what she was shown at the Masquerade.]

You wanna impress her with your dancing, you're on your own with that one.

[dyingworld]

There wasn't exactly annual galas on Gran Pulse.

[He says this with a shrug.]

Maybe I'll just avoid it then.

[sparkstrikes]

You might've been able to avoid the last dance but I'm not so sure you'd get away with it at the wedding.

[She smiles, fond and warm.]

Not sure Serah would let you.

... Or Snow.