Not According to Plan - Part 2

"Not According to Plan"
A Lightning x Snow FanFiction
Part 2


"What are you doing?"

Lightning turned to look at her younger sister standing under the doorframe of Lightning's bedroom. Lightning had been lacing up her vintage combat boots when Serah had decided to nose her way into her elder sister's business. Lightning finished tying her boots and stood up. With her brown boots, she was wearing a light brown T-shirt and long jeans tucked into her brown boots.

"I'm going out," Lightning replied matter-of factly, as if it were common knowledge.

"You are?" Serah came into the room with a puzzled expression on her face, "By yourself? Where are you going?"

Lightning sighed tiredly, pressing hand to her face.  It was humiliating enough what she was doing, never mind having to admit it out loud to herself and her sister. "I'm….going out with Snow tonight."

"You're what?!" Serah exclaimed in shock, and Lightning wanted to curl up in a ball and die of mortification as Serah began to babble on about how happy she was for her sister.

"You're not just teasing me right?" Serah tested, just to be sure.

"No, I'm not," Lightning replied, although a part of her wished that it all was just a joke.

"Wow, this is unbelievable though," Serah beamed happily for her sister, "I'm sure Snow was pretty shocked too."

If you only knew, Lightning thought inwardly, the moment replaying in her mind with such clarity.

Watching her sister thoughtfully, Serah finally said. "You must really like him, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lightning demanded, "Who said anything about me liking the guy?"

Serah smiled insightfully. "It's just…you've never gone on more than one date with anyone before. Actually," Serah giggled, "I don't think you've even made it through one whole date without storming out midway."

"So what?"

"SO?!" Serah exclaimed with exasperation. She sighed, shaking her head lowly, "Light, I love you, but when it comes to romance and admitting your feelings, you are so hopeless."

Lightning rolled eyes indifferently.

*     *     *

Snow came and picked Lightning up around five, same as before except this time they had decided to go see a movie instead of going to dinner. The movie they had picked was "Sinister", much to Serah's dismay and disapproval. Serah had tried to convince her sister that when first going out with someone, it was a good idea to see romantic comedies, not horror movies. "It doesn't exactly get you in the romantic mood," Serah had argued, but Lightning didn't care. And since Snow was up for anything, he didn't care either.

The movie date went well in Lightning's opinion, seeing how watching movie required zero socialization. At one point in the movie however, Lightning had actually jumped in her seat and gasped slightly, and Snow had tried to smoothly stretch his arm around her shoulders to console his date. But she didn't let him of course, elbowing him gruffly in the ribcage so that his popcorn overflowed all over the floor. After the movie, Lightning tired to pretend that she hadn't gotten scared at that one scene, and Snow had teased her about until she punched twice as hard as she had before.

Checking his watch as they walked out of the movie theater, Snow saw that it was only seven-thirty, and argued to Lightning that the night was still very young for her to go home already. It took some hard convincing on his half, but in the end, Snow persuaded Lightning to go out with him to have a late dinner.

*     *     *

"You see?" Snow was saying to Lightning, almost laughing from how much he was smiling as their waitress delivered their leftovers to the table in plastic takeout containers, "This is what I meant the other day about how great life is when you live without a plan. You have no idea where the hell you're gonna end up. You just get in your car and drive until you get somewhere. It doesn't matter where. I mean, how else would we have ended up here in this place?"

Lightning sighed, glancing around the small and quiet Chinese restaurant they had fortuitously stumbled upon, tucked somewhere on the edge of town. She stared back at Snow across the table and rolled her eyes, unimpressed, and Snow just smiled.

Their waitress returned to their table again, this time delivering the bill and two fortune cookies. Snow sighed, pushing the bill aside as he slid the fortune cookies towards Lightning.

"You pick first," he told her with a warm smile.

Raising her eyebrows at him as if to say "Are you serious?", Lightning  took one of the cookies as she was told. Snow took the remaining cookie, tearing into the packing and cracking the geometric, golden cookie in half. The small sliver of paper with Snow's fortune on it spilled out into his palm, and after Snow tossed the broken cookie into his mouth, he held it up to read it out loud.

"The wise man is the one that makes you think that he is dumb." Snow declared, grinning goofily.

Lightning rolled here eyes. "How ironic," she mumbled under her breath, loud enough though so Snow could hear what she had said.

He laughed heartily, "Well alright then, what does yours say?"

Lightning opened up her cookie, resting the broken cookie on the tabletop uneaten as she read her fortune inside her head.

It said, "We all have a lot more in common than it seems".

"Well?" Snow repeated, watching Lightning expectantly.

Lightning raised her eyes to meet his, and then glanced back down and re-read her fortune. Wordlessly, folded it up neatly and shoved it down into her pocket.

"What?" Snow chuckled, "Wasn't a good enough fortune to share? It wasn't embarrassing was it? Come on, I want to hear it anyways."

Lightning rolled her eyes, "They're just stupid little phrases that don't mean anything. They're not even fortunes."

Snow smiled, "Yeah, so?" He paused, "Or maybe you just don't to share it with me because it says something incriminating about you, and you don't want to admit that you were wrong."

"You'll never know," Lightning told him, and left it at that.

Sighing, Snow folded up his fortune and put it away too. "Ya know," he said, meet Lightning's eyes across the table, "I was kind of hoping for a different fortune. A fortune that could possibly answer a question of mine."

"And what would that be?" Lightning asked, watching him wearily.

Snow smiled sincerely, "Whether or not you like me enough to go out on another date."   

Lightning rolled her eyes with annoyance, exhaling like she was bored to death. "How many of these damn things are we supposed to go on?" she demanded harshly.

Snow chuckled heartily, his shoulders continuing to shake from laughing as he shrugged. "I don't know. There's no rule about how many, and even if there was a rule, it's not like I'd follow it."

"Hmm," Light hummed in dry agreement. She still couldn't believe how incredibly idiotic and immature this man was. But what baffled her most of all was why she was tolerating it the way she was now, or why she would be willing to tolerate it all over again if given the opportunity.

"So whaddya say?" Snow asked again, putting on a smile that no girl, not even Lightning could resist, "After all, third times a charm right?"

*     *     *

So Lightning had said yes…

And then yes again the next time Snow had asked, and again after that. It was only after the sixth date, on the ride home, when Lightning finally realized something critical, something she had conveniently turned a blind eye to when she had accepted all of Snow's invitations…

She was committing herself to a relationship with Snow.

Granted, nothing was official between them, meaning neither Snow nor Lightning had vocally expressed their feelings. But there was obviously a something, small and unseen, that was beginning to build between them each time they were together.

Lightning had to admit it: she had been wrong. She had assumed the worst about Snow before giving him a fair enough chance, her writing him off as an arrogant and reckless jerk. Of course, there was still some truth in that initial impression, but as Lightning had learned there was so much more to Snow Villiers than what met the eye.  He was thoughtful, morally sound, securing, funny, and, much to Lightning's utter shock, intelligent. And Lightning liked all of that about him.

She liked him. She really did. Again and again, Lightning replayed this in her head as she inconspicuously glanced over at Snow. It made Lightning feel like a school girl again with her first huge crush. Reliving those feeling again after so many years was…albeit unnerving, but at the same time it was the greatest feeling in the entire world.

How had this happened? How had she transformed from hating Snow so ruthlessly to actually liking him and wanting to have him in her life. Lightning couldn't place her finger on it exactly, but for some reason, Snow's relentless optimism, which had once been her primary source of aggravation, now intrigued her to no end. It enthralled her, how simple Snow made it sound to live a happy, carefree life. It was something she had always wanted for herself; to be able to live by following her heart rather than her head. It was something she had wanted, and still wanted so badly, but deep down Lightning knew that she could never mold herself into that carefree lifestyle…

And that was why the thought of being in a relationship with Snow, although initially sounding wonderful and magical, scared her half to death…

*     *     *

Putting his truck in park and turning off the ignition as they arrived in Lightning's driveway, Snow turned in his seat to look at Lightning. "So do I even have to ask at this point if we have another date?" he asked her jokingly, a huge grin on his face as he laced his fingers with Lightning's.

Lightning frowned, hastily pulling her hand away from Snow's and turning her head away as well. She stared out the passenger window, noticing her stoic reflection faintly in the glass. She could see Snow's face in the glass as well…

Snow stared at Lightning silently, studying her and her body language curiously. Up until this moment, they had been having such a great time together. But now, just like on their first date, Lightning was completely shutting him out. "Light?"

Lightning closed her eyes, trying to block Snow out from her sight and mind, but his steady voice penetrated through anyway. She fought it as his voice stirred the fluttering feelings of deep agonizing longing, but it was no use.

"Lightning?" He said her name unlike anyone else. She liked the steady, gentle tone of his voice.

Lightning opened her eyes, turning towards Snow with an intense stare. She paused hesitantly, studying Snow's expression. "What the hell are we doing?" She finally asked earnestly.

Snow furrowed his brow ever so slightly with thought. "What do you mean?"

Lightning frowned, not wanting to voice the questions that were pounding in her mind or the agonizing woes that weighed so heavily on her heart. It would sound so petty. But despite that however, there was one question in particular that Lightning needed to have answered:

What would happen next?

Already, Snow and Lightning had gone out on six dates together, and now Snow was asking her out on the seventh. How many more dates did he plan on asking her out on? And how far did Snow intend to take their relationship? That is hypothetically even saying that Snow actually had a plan or desire to pursue a relationship with her.

Lightning knew that it was too early to really determine what the future could hold for them. They had only started dated and getting to know one another; there wasn't supposed to be any pressure or any concerns about future commitments or responsibilities. But even still, Lightning felt disorientated not knowing what her future could possibly entail. Maybe dating casually without ever considering the future worked for some people, but not for Lightning. For good or for bad, Lightning always needed to have a plan for the future. She had to.

Snow on the other hand was the exact opposite. Lightning knew for a fact that making commitments in general wasn't important to Snow. He lived his entire life by the mentality that one should live in the moment.  And while that passion for life and the childlike simplicity of it captivated her, it terrified her because she knew that if she fully committed herself to a relationship with Snow, their life together would not, and likely would never, have any concrete plans for the future. They would go through life together, not knowing what would happen next and being unprepared for life's challenges.

And Lightning couldn't live like that.

She needed a sense of certainty about what the future could entail so she could always be prepared. That was why she needed to know what would happen next for them.

Lightning finally looked away. "It's nothing…"

Snow shook his head, "No, tell me what's wrong." He paused, staring at Lightning with a loss for words as he struggled to get to the bottom of this. "Is it me? Light, please, you gotta tell me. Did I do or say something that hurt your feelings?"

Lightning shook her head wordlessly, her eyes strained out the passenger window.

"Then what is it then?" Snow begged of her, a certain level of desperation ringing in his voice. "Lightning…?"

Lightning turned to Snow again, her expression cold and rigid. "Do you remember when you told me you don't think about planning for the future? How you only have a general idea of what you want and don't care how you reach those goals?"

"Yeah…" Snow nodded, confusion clearly written all over his face.

Lightning paused, her heart in her throat as she spoke. "…Where do you see yourself…with me in the future?"

Snow's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at Lightning. He had not been expecting that question to come out of Lightning, and it caught him off guard. Exhaling, Snow looked forward as he thought. "I don't know just yet, Light," he finally spoke, turning to Lightning again. "I like you… and I know I want to be with you in the future…but I just want to see where this thing can go on its own."

Lightning frowned slightly. "How can you be sure that we'll be together in the future if you don't plan for it?"

"That's the thing, I don't know," Snow sounded albeit frustrated now. Shaking his head, he stared Lightning directly in the eyes, "But why does that have to matter so much? I just don't know. The future is so far off from now. I just want to enjoy this time I have with you now. Nothing later down the road even matters to us now." He paused, shrugging helplessly. "That's all what I want, so shouldn't that be enough?"

Lightning lowered her eyes wordlessly. Everything Snow had just said had confirmed her fear, but now she knew for sure that things would never work out between her and Snow. And as much as she didn't want to, she knew it was time to end their game of whimsy. It had been great fun while it lasted, but no more… If she didn't end it now, Lightning knew that it would only hurt more in the long run.

Snow leaned forward towards her, "Lightning?"

Lightning met Snow's eyes, letting her gaze linger before turning away. "Goodnight Snow," she told him monotonously unbuckled her seat belt and open the passenger door.

Snow shook his head, "But Light! Wait!" he grabbed her hand in an effort to prevent her from leaving, and Lightning's eyes lurched at him viciously. Snow didn't let go of her hand, staring into her eyes pleadingly. "Lightning, didn't you hear anything I said? I want to be with you. I really do."

"Let me go," she snarled at him, masking the fact that her heart was breaking as she treated him so cruelly.

"But Lightning, why?"

Lightning jerked her hand away violently, "Just stay the hell away from me." With that, she jumped down out of the truck and stormed off. She hadn't gotten far when she heard the door on the driver's side open and slam shut as Snow chased after her.

"Lightning! LIGHTNING!" Snow yelled, "Just wait for one second and let me talk."

"What?" Lightning demanded as she whirled around on her heels to face him. Her eyes were sharp and murderous like daggers. "You don't have anything more to say to me."

Snow exhaled loudly, running a hand over his head in frustration.  "Lightning, I didn't mean to offend you. I don't know what I said to set you off, but I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that. So can you just please tell me why the hell you're acting like this now?"

Lightning glared at Snow silently, contemplating whether or not she should tell him the truth. Would do either of them any good?

"I want to be with you," Snow persisted urgently when Lightning didn't respond, his eyes swimming with earnest devotion, "Why isn't that good enough for you?"

Lightning shook her head, keeping here eyes low. "Because…it's just not." She shook her head again, angrily this time, "Just leave me alone now."

"But Lightning-" Snow began, but he stopped short at the sight of Lightning hurtful gaze. He watched Lightning hesitantly, not wanting to leave her like this. But he didn't want to do anything to set her off any more. Finally he sighed, "Let me at least walk you to-"

"No, leave me alone," Lightning cut him off hastily, her glare intensifying

"Okay…" Snow said uneasily. His expression looked sad, and Lightning had to look away because of how unsettling it was to see Snow so broken hearted like this.  "…I'll call you though…"

Lightning looked up at him silently, almost compelled to tell him not to call her. But she left it at that, turning away wordlessly and hurrying up to the house. Although it hurt her a little, Lightning knew had to forget about Snow quickly and needed to refocus and move on her life again. It was mandatory that she snuffed out all the feelings within her towards Snow… before they blossomed into something else.

And before…

*      *      *

…it was too late.

Closing her bedroom door behind her, Lightning leaned against it and let her head fall back as tears welled in her eyes. Drawing in her breath sharply, Lightning trained her eyes upwards to the ceiling so the tears would subside. Even though she was alone, Lightning refused to cry, and she fought them even as they rolled down her fair cheeks. She balled her hand into a fist, slamming it against the door in a fit of rage. She hated crying almost above anything else, but she couldn't control it.

Distantly, Lightning heard Serah calling for her, asking to make sure her sister was alright, but Lighting ignored her. Locking the door to her bedroom, Lightning let her body slide down the back of the door until she was in a crouched position on the floor. Her shoulders shook as she drew in another breath, the tears finally discontinuing to fall as Lightning rested her head in her hands.

How the hell had all this happened?!

Lighting had gone from hating Snow to suddenly loving him; from being overjoyed with the prospect of being in a relationship to being horrified of it. Where was the sense in any of it?

This wasn't supposed to happen, Lightning thought to herself, shaking her head.  What had happened to her plan? Falling in love with Snow wasn't part of that plan, and somehow she had foolishly lost sight of why she couldn't let her guard down with him.  

It would have been so easy, just to live life the way that Snow did. Lightning would always envy Snow for the life and disposition that she could not have for herself. Snow had taken his devastating childhood experiences and turned them all into a positive…while Lightning had been permanent scared and traumatized by her own. So many times in her life, Lightning had been hurt by unexpected events, the nail in the coffin being the death of both her parents. It had been an unexpected blow that Lightning had never quite healed from, and was a devastation that she never wanted to face again.

So she had made herself a promise then, a promise to be stronger and smarter. From that day forth, Lightning became confident that as long as she stayed one step ahead of everything and everybody all the time that nothing bad would ever happen to her again. When she joined the military, she learned how to plan, how to anticipate for the worst, and how to prevent it at all costs. She grew stronger and stronger, and became better at planning and flushing out what she needed to do in her life to avoid getting hurt. Planning made Lightning feel as though she had some control over her whole life and her future. It gave her the bravery and confidence that she needed to face life with. That confidence…it had rebuilt her, and made everything seem alright again. It protected her through all of these years.

But now…all of that confidence was torn to pieces again. Because of Snow, everything concrete that she had once lived by had been challenged and made her question the only things that gave certainty in life. Because of him and the feelings he awakened inside of her, she felt like the scared young child she had been so many years ago.

Now…everything was changed, and everything was broken.

All because Lightning had vulnerably opened up to the unexpected.

*    *    *

"Are you sure you're all right Sis?"

"I'm fine," Lightning growled in reply. Her patrolling shift had just ended and she was on the phone with Serah. Serah had called to check in with her elder sister and the conversation had quickly escalated into an interrogation. Ever since Lightning had abruptly broke it off with Snow, Serah had been more worried than usual about her sister's well being, and didn't believe for one second the strong front that Lightning put up.  

Lightning knew Serah meant well, like before when she had set her and Snow up in the first place, but she just wished that the whole thing with Snow could be put in the past. A week had already past by now, so that was plenty of time to recover and get over Snow. Lightning had moved on and had no inclination of going back to Snow.

At least, that's what she told herself.

Serah exhaled, "Alright, I believe you." She paused, "But hey, we don't ever get to hang out as much as we used to. I mean, since you're not on duty, why don't we just go out and have fun. You know, dinner and just girl time. My treat," Serah promised enthusiastically.
Lightening sighed, agreeing to her sister's invitation. The sister hung up after Serah gave Lightning the name of the restaurant and agreed that they'd meet up there. Lightning felt a little unsettled when she recognized that the restaurant she and Serah were meeting up at was the same place that she had gone with Snow on their first date. Of course, she acted indifferently when Serah had said it, like she had hardly noticed.

Freeing her mind from those haunting thoughts, Lightning hastily got in her car and began to drive. The area she had been patrolling wasn't to far from the main beach and where the restaurant was. She sighed, trying to concentrate on driving, but as she often did in the times when she was alone, Lightning wondered about what Snow was doing, and whether or not he was thinking of her like she was thinking of him. He had called her more than dozen times in the past week since she had last seen him, but not once had answered her phone. Lightning wondered how long it would take before Snow finally gave up on her…

Angrily, Lightning turned on the radio to provide some white noise so her mind didn't keep wandering. She pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant shortly after, and found Serah waiting inside. Serah was chatting with Lebreau when she turned and greeted her sister brightly. Lightning acknowledged both Serah and Lebreau, and Lebreau greeted Lightning in return as if she knew nothing. Lightning was sure however that she knew what had happened between her and Snow.

"Hey Sis, I'm gonna jet to the bathroom really quick," Serah told Lightning, "I'll meet you at the table okay?"

Lightning nodded, watching her younger sister hurry off before following Lebreau to the back of the of the restaurant. But as Lebreau was lead her outside onto the patio, Lightning's body tensed as memories surged through her veins like a devastating wildfire. She dug her heels in and stopped walking forward.

"Lebreau," Lightning spoke up, making sure her tone was even, "Can we get a table inside?" she asked, glancing around at all the empty tables inside. But as she looked forward again to Lebreau, she saw the unexpected staring right back at her.

Snow was standing there, his hands dug in the deep pockets of his trench coat and his eyes watching Lightning hopefully.

Lightning's heart hastened to a stop, furrowing her brow at Snow angrily before glaring accusingly at Lebreau.

Serah and Lebreau had set her up!

Lebreau smiled apologetically, although she didn't look the least bit sorry. "I'll leave the rest of this between the two of you." And with that, Lebreau excused herself, leaving Snow and Lightning alone as they continued to stare at one another in silence. Lightning glared disapprovingly at Snow a moment or so more before turning away abruptly for the door.

"Lightning wait!" Snow yelled hastily, coming forth strongly and grabbing her forearm. "Please don't go," he pleaded. Lightning fought against him, but finally Snow twisted her around so she was facing him again.

"And why the hell shouldn't I?" Lightning spat acidly in his face. She had no doubt that Snow had been a part of this conspiracy as well, which made her more angry at him than she already was.

"Because!" Snow exclaimed, his voice rising with frustration. Lightning eyes widened slightly and she blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected Snow to be bent out of shape by her inexplicit rejection.  She stopped struggling in resistance, still watching Snow distrustfully as she watched his temper cooling.

Snow sighed agonizingly, woe setting in his deep blue eyes as his grip of Lightning's arm loosened. He let his arm fall back to his side as he stared pleadingly into Lightning's eyes, "Give me five minutes of your time, please," he told her calmly, "That's all it will take."

Lightning frowned, taking a step backwards from Snow. She crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on Snow stoically. "…I'll give you one minute," she told him firmly.

Snow nodded, exhaling deeply as he dug his hands in his pockets again and looked up to the sky. Once he was done collecting his thoughts, he looked back down to Lightning. His expression was gentle, and almost vulnerable. Lightning bit her bottom lip slightly, keeping her own face vacant of any emotions as Snow spoke.  

"Listen," Snow began, exhaling wearily again and shaking his head slightly, "I know I don't know. I don't pretend to try and know exactly who you are and what you've been through in your life…but I want to."

Lightning opening her mouth to interject, but Snow didn't let her.

"No, just hear me first, and then you can say whatever you want to say." Snow sighed, starting over again, "…That night, you know when you stormed off without giving me an answer…After you left and I spent the rest of that night just thinking…Thinking about everything you had said about making plans and what I wanted in the future." He shook his head, "It was strange…because the future wasn't ever something I even gave a second thought. But as soon as you had mention it…and started asking about where I saw us in the future, I realized that I would do whatever it takes to make sure we stay together. That's what I want."

Lightning lowered her eyes, wanting to tell Snow that he could stop talking, that she didn't want to hear what he had to say…

"I don't think you mean that," Lightning told him flatly.

Snow shook his head, "No, Light, you have no idea how much I really do mean that. I swear it to you."

Lightning glanced up at him, staring at him critically as she searched his face for the truth. She said nothing and Snow went on.

"Lightning…" Snow breathed, his eyes pleading into Lightning's soul with all the devotion in the world. Lightning felt a wave of shivers go through her, but she ignored them.

Snow sighed again, lowering his eyes dejectedly, "I missed being with you…hearing your voice…even having you constantly making fun of me." He looked back up into her eyes, "When I was by myself, I begin to wonder, and wonder when I was going to see you again. Then I start thinking about the future, ya know, wondering if we'd ever get back together and if we did how long we'd be together. And the more I thought about that…the more I realized that living without a plan is great when you're alone, but everything's different when you suddenly have someone that depends and counts on you. Suddenly it becomes your life's focus to worry about how to keep that person safe and with you for as long as you can."

Lightning stared petrified into Snow's eyes as she felt them pull her in, just like a feeble seashell on the shore being taken by the overpowering tide.  And the tide would not let her go.

In the silence, Snow took a small step forward, raising his hand to lightly brush away Lighting's bangs so he could stare into her eyes with nothing in between them. Flinching uneasily at Snow's touch, Lightning looked away again. But still, Snow lightning traced the fine features of her cheeks with his thumb.

Lightning finally reached up and pushed his hand away, shaking her head firmly before staring Snow straight in the eyes. "Snow…please stop it."  

Snow stared at her silently and finally shook his head stubbornly. "What I'm saying is that I want to make plans with you Lightning." He shook his head softly, "More than anything."

Lightning shook her head, fighting against what her heart wanted most. "Snow…" she shook her head more aggressively and looked down, "I know you think that's what you want…but that's just what you're saying now." Snow had never planned for anything in his entire life. Reckless was practically his middle name. How could she possible expect to believe that Snow would change so much of himself…just for her? "I don't want to hold you to a promise that I know you won't be able to keep."

But Snow wouldn't give up on her that easily. "Then give me the chance to prove it to you then. If you do that, I will do everything to make sure I never let you down." He exhaled in frustration, "I don't know what's gonna happen in our futures, but I just know that I want to be with you for as long as possible! I knew then that I needed to have a plan, or something that ensured me that I'd be able to be with you tomorrow, and the next day, and all the days that follow. And I know that it'll be hard, sometimes a living Hell, but I'll do it because I want you."

Lightning felt her throat tighten as the tears filled her eyes. She looked away so Snow didn't see the tears as they formed, but Snow lightly pinched her chin and forced her tear-filled eyes to meet his.

"Please Lightning." Snow paused, watching her intently. "I love you," he told her without restraint.

Lightning swallowed, willing back her tears as she stared critically into Snow's eyes. She believed everything that he said, with all of her heart…and yet…

So long, Lightning had lived her life with all of her walls of defense up, never letting anyone or anything penetrate through that could possibly cause her hurt. And yet Snow for some inexplicable reason had been the only thing to get through. It was beautiful, and yet it was also a terrible tragedy.  Lightning realized than that when you have everything, you have everything to lose. And that fear still chilled her to the bones.  
But Lightning also realized then that if one wastes their whole life working to prevent the bad, they'd end up missing out on all the wondrous and unexpected joys that made the grievances all the more worth it. At that moment, she knew more than anything else, that she finally wanted to abandon the transient safety that had protected her for all these years and to be liberated by a life of risk and uncertainty.  

"So whaddya say?" Snow asked her solemnly, his gaze hopeful.

Lightning forced a frown, staring at Snow blankly for a moment or so, before letting the corner of her mouth turn up into a smirk. She leaned up onto the tips of her toes and pressed her mouth against Snow's. As soon as she kissed him, Lightning could sense Snow's surprise as he jumped slightly. She smirked slightly, pulling away from Snow only for him to pull her back into their lips embrace. She tasted his warm breath as he opened his mouth and kissed her passionately as his love for her filled her from head to toe. It was all that Lightning could ever want.

When the kiss ended, Lightning smiled against his lips. "You're the biggest, damn idiot I've ever met," she whispered, "And you're a sucker too."

Snow grinned arrogantly, "I guess that makes two of us then."

Lightning rolled her eyes, eyeing Snow defiantly for a moment before they both returned to their normal heights.

Snow chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he grinned like an idiot. "So um…uh, was that a yes?"

Lightning sighed tiredly, rolling her eyes again. "Yes, you moron."

"Whoa, easy," Snow laughed, "No need for name calling." He smiled as he gazed upon Lightning's serious face. "Ya know, you're even more beautiful when you smile."

Coiling her muscles, Lightening stared furiously at Snow as her face turned the exact color of a tomato. She could have almost punch him for that. She clenched her jaw however and said nothing.

Snow meanwhile couldn't control his laughter. As it finally died down, he shook his head and smiled to Lightning again. "So whaddya say we do now in celebration? Would you like to have to have dinner with me?"

Lightning almost nodded, but she stopped herself short. She had a better idea. "No." Lightning watched as Snow furrowed his brow at her in confusion, and she smirked slightly. "Let's just get out of here and drive."

Snow nodded agreeably, "Okay, sure. Where do you want to go?"

Lightning shook her head, "Anywhere… Just drive until we get somewhere."

At that, an enormous ear to ear grin formed on Snows' face, and he nodded in compliance. "As you wish," he told her, outstretching his hand.

Lightning smirked again, and accepted his hand as Snow led her away from the beach to their unknown destination. As she looked to Snow and he met her gaze, Lightning remembered what it was Snow had told her on their first date about everything happening for a reason. Before, the cliché expression had always angered her because she had never been able to see the sense or truth in it; but now she did.

Never had she expected to be making plans with a man committed to not making plans. Lightning laughed inwardly as she thought about the irony of that. But then again, as Lightning was beginning to understand, life was about expecting the unexpected and appreciating the things that do not go according to plan. Because more likely than not, they all happened for a very purposeful reason.