Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/2660261.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage, No_Archive_Warnings_Apply
  Category:
      F/F, Multi
  Fandom:
      Final_Fantasy_XIII_Series, Final_Fantasy_XIII, Final_Fantasy_XIII-2,
      Lightning_Returns:_Final_Fantasy_XIII
  Relationship:
      Serah_Farron/Lightning/Snow_Villiers, Serah_Farron/Lightning
  Character:
      Lightning_(Final_Fantasy_XIII), Serah_Farron, Snow_Villiers
  Additional Tags:
      Threesome_-_F/F/M, Past_Underage, Incest, Post-Game(s), Lightning_Returns
      Spoilers, Loosely_defined_setting, Character_Study, Hurt/Comfort
  Stats:
      Published: 2014-11-23 Chapters: 2/2 Words: 8998
****** Boundaries ******
by jeejaschocolate
Summary
     On the eve of Serah and Snow's wedding, Lightning feels like she's
     about to lose everything. Luckily, Serah knows a way to work it all
     out.
Notes
     This, my first attempt in the Final Fantasy fandom, started as a way
     to work through all my feelings about finally finishing the FFXIII
     series (after haha over four years). Playing those games I realized
     that the only way I was going to make those characters come to life
     was if I started writing fanfiction about them. Beyond that, I really
     needed to work out this OT3 ship after the last game. And then it was
     the only thing that mattered! This story started as a short one-shot
     PWP and got totally out of hand.
     So, it's a post-game fic because I wanted a way to talk about
     everything that happens between them in series, but the setting is a
     loosely defined "new world" because....meh, who cares.
     Enjoy!
***** Part One *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Lightning was alone. She knew that much. Loneliness, in all honesty, had suited
her very well over the years. No matter what title she bore--Guardian Corps
solider, l’Cie, warrior of the goddess, the Savior--she always ended up alone.

And there was nothing wrong with that. She wore her loneliness like a cloak, a
garb to protect her against the harsh reality of desires unfulfilled, desires
she had kept silent and hidden for a long time now. For practical reasons.

Now Lightning sat alone on a sandy shore. This was a beach she had found by
mistake one day, simply exploring the local sights as she was wont to do these
days. Then she stumbled upon a small but sightly beach that seemed relatively
undiscovered by the locals, no swimmers or surfers to speak of, only the
occasional jogger. It reminded her of Bodhum, or at least what she had wished
Bodhum was like. There had always been too many people around for Lightning to
really enjoy that paradisiacal shore.

She sat in the sand, her blue crystalline eyes looking out at the water. The
sun had just begun to set. It was a beautiful sight, to be sure, and she
relished the fact that she was alone to enjoy it.

Three days. She sighed. Three days until her sister married Snow and they began
their married life together. It was a long time coming, several centuries and
reality shifts after the original engagement. But even though Lightning had
long since given her official blessing, the idea of Serah getting married still
cut her to the quick.

She had learned to hide it, the burning jab in her core, like being cut with a
Reaver’s blade every time the reality hit her that Snow and Serah were getting
married. She had even learned to smile, to look at Serah like she was happy for
her and to look at Snow like was a man worthy of her sister. And, in truth, she
was happy for them. They seemed to be working couple. Snow had long since
proved his loyalty to Serah and Lightning respected him for that. It was a good
match, anyone could see that.

But still. Lightning could do nothing about the way she felt. She had always
felt this way, ever since she could remember: Serah belonged to her. Only her.
She was the one that had always protected her, shielded her from any hardship
after their parents died, fought falCie and God Himself to bring her back.
Lightning loved Serah the most out of anything in the world. She would do
anything for her. And even though she knew it was wrong, the idea of Serah
marrying someone else felt like losing her all over again.

Lightning sighed. She could not forget the past, could not forget what it was
like between her and Serah back then.

It had started so long ago. Back when they were teenagers, just on the cusp of
discovering themselves as young women. Lightning took care of Serah by putting
food on the table as an errand girl for the local Guardian Corps division.
During the day, Serah worked hard in school (Lightning remembered the uniform
down to the last detail, even though the memory made her cheeks redden) and
Lightning would work herself into the ground following orders from the higher-
ups. Fetch this, deliver that. Beyond that she still found time for personal
training, dreaming of the day when she would enlist herself.

Lightning would come home at night bone tired, ready to collapse in the shanty
she shared with Serah. And Serah always prepared some dinner, something
modest...the best food Lightning could ever remember eating. When she had eaten
and showered, the next thing Lightning always did was to lie down next to Serah
in the small bed the two of them shared (one bed had seemed practical at the
time, why waste money on two when they barely had the space for one after
all...). No matter how tired she was, Lightning would always take care to ease
herself down on the mattress so she would not disturb her sister.

And then there was...that other thing. Lightning had taken care never to give
words to it. But it had started as a feeling, a slight pull in her chest
driving her to look at Serah and really look at her. So there, in the tiny twin
bed, Lightning first remembered being drawn to her sister. She would stare at
her and take note of every detail, every small innocent feature on her
beautiful sister’s face and...body...Lightning always tried to avert her eyes
when they trailed downward to Serah’s blossoming breasts. But eventually, when
the pull became a kindling fire within her, Lightning found that she could not
look away.

At the time, Lightning thought she was a monster. She and Serah were close in
age, but still, what kind of person would look that way at their own sister?
Lightning would always punish herself especially hard the next day during
training whenever she felt that particular keening at night.

Yet, Serah was the only person who really understood Lightning. She never
judged Lightning for being so outwardly cold (even as a young girl) to the
people around her. Serah understood that that coldness stemmed from a deep fear
of trusting, that Lightning had buried her ability to relate to people under a
blanket of stoicism because she did want to leave herself open to the pain of
being betrayed. Not that Lightning had ever been betrayed, not really, though
she had lost both her parents. She was simply a creature who wanted nothing to
do with the complicated personal attachments that came with making friends and
opening up to people. She preferred to rely on herself only, and Serah
understood that. Lightning covered all her bases, always.

Except in this one thing with Serah. Lightning could not control herself, she
realized. Serah was so unbelievably beautiful, even for a girl her age, and the
sight of her held so much meaning for Lightning. Serah was her only family, her
tethering rope to the rest of humanity. Her face was a sight that burrowed
itself into Lightning’s brain and into her very soul. Not to mention the fact
that Serah was the only person who really cared about Lightning since they had
been orphaned. They only had each other to rely on, and Lightning would do
anything to keep her sister safe, as safe as she felt laying next to her at
night.

Finally there came a night when Lightning found herself looking at Serah again,
that particular fire burning its way through Lightning’s chest and downward,
filling her with some kind of need she had never known before. Without
realizing it, Lightning brushed her hand along Serah’s cheek...and, oh. The
feel of that tender, silky skin under her hand made Lightning absolutely
tremble. She felt tingling and wetness in a place that Lightning barely ever
thought about, a private place that had come to life all of a sudden. Her eyes
threatened to close but she could not give up the tantalizing sight of her
sister even briefly, so she held them open. Her hand, knowing what to do on its
own, travelled down Serah’s face to her neck, then her shoulder, then her
collarbone, then...

With a quiet moan, Serah woke up. Lightning pulled her hand back as if burned.
She had touched her sister, she realized, in a way that Serah probably found
disgusting...but then Serah turned her face towards Lightning with a small
smile. There was a glint in the young girl’s eyes as if she had always known,
but there was no surprise or disgust. Then, Serah simply grasped Lightning’s
hand and guided it back towards her body to rest against the place Lightning’s
exploration had left off.

Her hand lightly cupped Serah’s small breast. Both sisters sighed in relief. It
seemed Serah had wanted the same thing but been too afraid to ask. Lightning
smiled, a rare thing indeed, and leaned in closer to kiss Serah on the lips as
she had seen adults do in passing. In that moment, everything shifted into
clarity. Her sister’s lips were perfect, the taste and feel of everything she
had ever desired. Lightning’s hands moved on their own to explore the rest of
her sister, soft moans escaping both of them at times.

When Serah found her release against Lightning’s hand, the world seemed to turn
to crystal, as if that moment would last forever as their final act alive. But
of course time continued passing, even though Lightning kept her hand in that
gloriously lush place on her sister, testing her pliancy until Serah turned
shy.

That night, Serah and Lightning began a secret relationship that would last
many years. Time wore on, they grew up. Lightning did eventually enlist. She
was successful in the Guardian Corps, of course, and they could afford a real
house, real niceties...things like two beds and separate rooms...though either
of them would find an excuse to sneak into each other’s rooms (there was hardly
a need to sneak, but it still felt like a clandestine affair) and entwine
together for some comfort at the end of a long day.

Lightning eventually gave up feeling guilty. Serah seemed the same, possibly
even happier, with their unspoken arrangement. If this was a way she could make
Serah happy, not to mention the sheer joy Lightning herself felt when her body
was pressed up against Serah’s, then so be it. In her mind, Lightning thought
they could live that way forever.

Then...Snow. That oaf had come bounding into their lives like an idiot on a
motorcycle, crashing everything the sisters had set so carefully into place. At
least that’s how Lightning saw it. She knew the story probably went a little
differently from Serah’s perspective.

But still, Lightning remembered everything as she herself had experienced it.
She first met Snow over a random, unrelated matter, something to do with NORA.
Snow and his gang had crossed the line with something, stepped into Guardian
Corps territory and Lightning had had to deal with that band of idiots herself.
Snow in particular stood out, a dumbass in a greasy trench-coat with a bandana
wrapped around his head like he wanted to look foolish on purpose. That hulking
body and the way he staggered around giving orders...even worse was that his
group seemed unwaveringly loyal to him. What had that man (well, kid in a man’s
body) ever done to deserve their devotion?

After that irritating incident, NORA had landed itself on the Guardian Corps’
radar, and Lightning ran into Snow a few more times. She hated him on
principal. He was rash, undisciplined, good natured to a fault, and absolutely
in love with himself---basically everything Lightning hated about people in
general. Plus there was the habit Snow had of holding up his thumb and winking
at Lightning whenever he saw her, as if he was doing her some kind of big
favor! He made her skin crawl.

So, she was completely at a loss when one day she found Snow in the middle of
her dining room holding hands with Serah. On her birthday, no less. Serah had
shielded her face from Lightning, keeping her hand wrapped around a bandage on
the top of her arm while Snow explained that the two of them were engaged and
asking for Lightning’s blessing in marriage.

The world as she knew it came crashing down around Lightning. Her face felt
burning hot but she could not feel the rest of her body at all. Marriage? Serah
and...this idiot? But...Serah couldn’t get married. Serah was already taken!  

Then the reality hit her, the crystal shattering around the dream she had built
her life upon ever since the first time she slept with her sister. Serah was
not taken, Serah was a young single woman who had caught the eye of a man and
accepted his offer. Lightning felt betrayed for a moment, then entirely sad.
She realized that Serah had never been hers, never something she owned but
still something she had coveted.

When the sadness settled deep into her core, Lightning turned her hatred onto
Snow. She hated him so completely for being the man that had enamored her
sister, him of all people! No doubt Snow was the epitome of manliness, many
young women talked about him like that, but that only made Lightning hate him
even more. He had beaten her with the fact of his gender, such an obvious
expression of masculinity that he was, and with the fact that he was everything
Lightning was not.

So naturally, Lightning had scorned them both. Serah cried and Snow ran after
her in angry confusion, but Lightning descended into numbness. She looked upon
the blade Serah had given her as a gift and realized that she would have to
keep on living even though her reasons were gone.

What Snow did not know was that Serah came back to Lightning that night. If
only briefly. She walked through the front door like it was a normal evening
and approached Lightning with a tearstained face.

“You have to accept me and Snow,” Serah declared, arms crossed in front of her
chest, her tone demanding in a way that Lightning had never heard before.

“I don’t have to do anything.” Lightning would never accept this willingly, she
told herself.

Serah’s brow furrowed in uncharacteristic anger. “Why can’t you see that this
is what I want? Why are you treating me like this?!”

Her sister was yelling now. So, Lightning brought down her tone and spoke in a
low voice.

“Wasn’t I enough for you?” Lightning asked the question point blank.

Serah stopped. This was the only time they had ever spoken out loud about what
they did together. Serah opened and closed her mouth a few times in disbelief.
Her face reddened as if she was embarrassed.

“That’s not....” Serah stammered. “It’s...” She closed her eyes against a
stream of tears that fell anyway.

Then, without warning Serah turned away from Lightning and ran out the door.
That was the last time Lightning saw her before she was crystalized in Anima’s
chambers. So much happened after that.

Needless to say, the journey had not been easy on any of them. Lightning fought
as if she had lost Serah twice, and she had to do it with Snow at her side to
boot. Still, as much as Lightning hated to admit it at the time, she got to
know Snow better. Fighting Pulse monsters and fal’Cie together had taken its
effect. She realized that Snow was mostly the same person she thought he was,
except for the fact that he really did love her sister and he was an honestly
good person at heart. He acted a fool inadvertently, but Lightning realized
that was mostly due to a lack of confidence. He wanted to be so great and a lot
of the time he did not live up to his own expectations. So Snow actually had
something of an innocent ego crisis, Lightning realized with a softening heart.
He wasn’t the perfect man everyone thought he was and even Snow had come to
understand that. After that, Lightning found herself begrudgingly accepting the
part of Snow that wanted to be a hero, even though she still wanted to set fire
to that trench-coat and bandana.

Happiness for l’Cie, even former l’Cie, is brief. Lightning had been forced to
sacrifice Serah in the hopes that it would stop the destruction of time, but
time was destroyed anyway and Serah was lost. Knowing that Serah was dead had
been the most painful thing Lightning had ever experienced. She could not fully
remember that pain, as it was something she had repressed for so long when she
was in crystal.

When Lightning ran into Snow again, this time in Yusnaan, their relationship
with each other was entirely different. Snow had completely changed. He was
thinner now and wore clothes that actually accentuated his build and made him
look disturbingly attractive (Lighting had actually caught herself looking at
him, much to her own disappointment in herself). Beyond that, Snow had lost the
guise of the dauntless hero entirely. He was no longer a kid playing at being a
grown up, he wasn’t even an innocent anymore. He was a harrowed man tormented
by his own guilt.

And Lightning had been entirely sympathetic then. She even felt guilty in a way
because she blamed herself for Serah’s death and therefore the destruction of
Snow in turn.

When they fought, she found herself impressed by him, yielding to his blows and
softening her own so that she would not kill him. He was strangely...beautiful,
she noticed, lost to his own emotions and lashing out at her with everything he
had. The fight ended and Lightning won, of course, but instead of gloating or
feeling sorry for him, Lightning found that she only wanted to embrace Snow.
She wanted to give over the part of herself that hated everything about the way
things were and to feel his realness against her own. She also wanted him back
the way he was, the hero. For no reason other than simply because his new self
was too broody. It didn’t suit him. If she could see Snow back to his old self,
Lightning realized she might even love him...

But all that was nonsense, she told herself. None of that came to pass. She
propped Snow up and had him back on his feet running things in Yusnaan as their
proprietor. (Even at the end of the world the guy had people fawning over him.
So annoying.) As far as Lightning was concerned, that was good riddance because
she never wanted to address what she had felt for Snow in that moment, even if
the feeling had never entirely gone away.

The sun completely set where Lightning sat on the beach. Her muscles had begun
to feel cramped so she stood and stretched briefly.

If nothing else, she could be thankful that they had all made it out alive and
safe. Serah had come back to her, even embraced her where she stood. When they
stood in this new world that had been made for them and Lightning could really
feel her sister again, every step of the journey seemed worth it. Tears had
sprung to her eyes--Serah even smelled the same as she remembered. It was
wonderful.

So here they were. It was the natural way of things. Serah and Snow had
officially declared their wedding back on once everything was settled. The
blessed event would take place in three days.

That knowledge left Lightning feeling more dejected than she could ever
remember. Now that she finally had Serah back, after whole centuries, she had
to give her up forever to her sister’s commitment to Snow.

She would lose her, and Snow as well. Lightning would lose both of them. To
each other, ironically.

The moon had risen in the sky, telling Lightning that the day was over and now
there were only two days left. She felt the same finality she had felt in the
Nova Chrysalis, knowing that the world would end in thirteen days. This time
there was nothing she could do to stop it. She could not in good conscience
raise her objections to the wedding now, not after everything they had been
through together. It would seem like meanness.

But in a way Lightning felt like being mean. She had begun to feel bitterness
seep into her being. She was bitter against the idea that there was no one left
for her to embrace. No one left to embrace her. Since when did she want those
things? She had always been strong enough on her own....but then, it was true,
she had always wanted to be held. The memory of Serah’s embrace prickled
against her skin, feeding the bitterness further.

Hunching her shoulders against the cool night air, Lightning began the walk to
her small house. At least there she could just go to sleep and forget
everything for a while.

_____________________________________________________________________

Serah stretched as she awoke from a comfortable sleep. Two days until the
wedding! There were a lot of preparations left, but Serah was far from worried.
The ceremony would be small, just their closest friends. Let it be what it was.

The young woman went about her morning routine in the usual way. Snow ambled
around next to her. They had already begun living together because who really
cared anymore. She wished that Lightning would also live with them...

Which brought up the subject that had really been on her mind lately. Lightning
had seemed so depressed recently. She tried to hide it, but Serah knew. Serah
could read Lightning’s heart and mind so easily. There had never been any
boundaries between the two of them. Or so she liked to think...

Serah flipped her ponytail behind her in frustration. She knew why Lightning
was upset. The wedding, obviously. Lightning felt like she would be left behind
after Serah married Snow--an idea that was honestly laughable to Serah herself.
She would never abandon Lightning, never condemn her sister to live on the
outside of a family Serah wanted so desperately. Nor would she get rid of Snow.
That man, she had come to realize, loved her more than anyone ever should love
someone and she felt just the same for him.

Without a doubt, Serah remembered what it had been like between her and
Lightning growing up. Lightning was her first lover, of course, and she held
those times they had been together so close to her heart. Those memories,
Lightning pinning her beneath her toned body and covering every inch of Serah
with her adoring mouth and hands...Serah shivered inside every time she thought
about it, even if she had been embarrassed to admit any of that at the time.

But Serah was no longer the young girl who had fled in shame and confusion when
Lightning confronted her about the feelings between them. Serah had been
through her own journey, through time and space, and she now refused to run
from anything--especially the truth, which was staring her in the face.

Serah was in love with her sister and her boyfriend at the same time. She had
no intention of letting either of them go, and as far as she was concerned, she
did not have to.

“Saw Lightning yesterday,” Snow murmured suddenly. He was in the middle of
putting his boots on, but his face was clouded with worry. “She seemed so sad.
Pissed, even, I would say.”

Serah nodded in response. Snow’s comment had reminded her that she needed to
have a serious conversation with Snow to let him know exactly what the
situation was and what Serah wanted from him.

“Don’t know what it could be about...” Snow started, obviously fishing for an
explanation from Serah. He knew that Serah had an intuition about her sister
that permeated all of Lightning’s defenses.

Serah took one deep breath to steel herself. She had fought dragons and stared
into the face of chaos itself. This was easy! She turned to her fiancée.

“Snow, I have to tell you about...well...” Serah stumbled for a moment.

For his part, Snow looked on interestedly. His piercing blue eyes shone without
a hint of judgement and Serah knew then, as she had always known, that she
could trust him with anything. She could trust him with all of herself.

Serah began again. “I have to tell you about what it was like between me and
Lightning when we were kids. About who we were--well, are--to each other.”

“Alright,” Snow replied, shrugging his shoulders in good humor. His thought
were plain on his face, what could it be that he didn’t already know?

Serah remained steady. “And I have to tell you how it’s going to be from now
on.”

At that, Snow’s face turned serious.
Chapter End Notes
     Continue on to Chapter 2!
***** Part Two *****
Chapter Summary
     And here our characters come to an understanding.
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
Lightning was not all that surprised when she got an invitation to dinner over
at Serah’s and Snow’s place. It was probably something to do with the wedding,
some ceremony they wanted her to be a part of. Lightning shuddered at the
thought of something cheesy or overly warm. But, whatever Serah wanted
Lightning would oblige. And the dinner? Painful to say the least, but she would
sit through it and talk and nod with an understanding smile. Like a good
soldier.

Gathering herself one last time, Lightning knocked on the door to Serah and
Snow’s modest home. She heard a happy padding of feet that could only mean
Serah was on her way to the door, and Lightning perked a little at thought of
seeing her. No matter how painful the dinner was, at least she would get to see
her sister for a little while, and such visits were precious---

When Serah opened the door, Lightning’s entire face went slack with wonder and
surprise. Her heart began hammering a rhythm in her chest and Lightning felt a
particular keening rush throughout her body, settling firmly between her legs.

The dress Serah wore was unbelievable. A deep purple that brought out Serah’s
fair skin in a marvelous way. Not only that, the fabric of the dress hung
around Serah’s shoulders and hips in strips of material. The way the strips
crisscrossed and fought for dominance against her skin reminded Lightning of so
many hands wrapped around her dear sister’s waist and arms, begging for
contact, searching for warmth... To top it all off, the front of the dress had
a plunging v-neck that accentuated every part of Serah’s full-grown chest, a
crystal necklace hanging against of the valley of flesh laid bare.

If this had been years ago, Lightning would have had to touch her sister right
then. Run a hand across her face, stroke her shoulder, caress her hip, anything
just to feel her. But as it was, Lightning did not dare lay a hand on Serah for
fear that she would then want too much, things that she could not have.

So, Lightning clenched her hands into fists at her sides and willed herself to
speak words instead. “You look...amazing....” she breathed.

Serah seemed to shimmer under the compliment. Her face shone with confident
happiness, a look Lightning had gotten used to seeing on her sister after
everything they’d been through.

A sudden thought struck Lightning. She gasped, “Was this a formal dinner? I’m
sorry, I’m not dressed--”

“No, not at all!” Serah assured her, waving her hand against the idea. “You
know me, I just like to dress up sometimes.”

That was actually not like Serah at all and Lightning knew it, but she decided
it did not mean anything. Maybe this was yet another new side to Serah...only
the gods knew how many strange outfits Lightning had worn over the course of
her journey as the Savior...

“Come on inside! Dinner’s been ready, Snow and I were waiting for you.” With
that, Serah flounced inside. Lightning forced herself not to look at Serah’s
delightful backside in that dress, but her eyes cut to the sight anyway. She
felt another pang of longing and cursed herself for giving in.

Serah led the way to the dinner table which showcased a variety of simple but
pleasing foods, a few of Lightning’s personal favorites of Serah’s cooking.
Knowing that she would get to partake in some of these things now warmed her
soldier’s heart with a twinge of nostalgia.

“This looks like a lot of work, Serah,” Lightning said guiltily. “You really
shouldn’t have...”

“No, no.” Serah looked back at her sister and smiled, carrying a pitcher of
water to the table. “Why not indulge a little? Things are easy for us right
now.”

That flippant attitude was definitely out of character for Serah. Hard to miss,
in fact. Was Snow’s irresponsibleness beginning to rub off on her sister?

“I suppose...” Lightning responded vaguely, her eyes searching the room.
“Where’s Snow?”

“Right here!” Snow walked confidently out of a side room, still buttoning his
shirt. Lightning could not help but notice that it was a black button up,
tailored at the waist...rather similar to the outfit he had worn in Yusnaan...

“What’s the matter, Light? You worried the life of the party wouldn’t show up?”
Snow asked, his usual cocky grin plastered all over his face. At least he had
dropped the habit of winking and giving her the thumbs up, and even the grin
was less obnoxious than she remembered. Snow was still the man she knew in
Yusnaan, thankfully...

She cleared her throat. Not that it mattered.

“I wasn’t worried, hero,” Lightning replied with a smile. “You always know how
to crash a party.”

“Crash? Come on, I live here!” Snow bellowed out a laugh, clearly in good
spirits. Lightning could not help but be relieved to see him like that, but she
cut the thought there.

“Sit down, guys,” Serah called. Snow responded eagerly and they both went and
joined her at the table.

They began taking portions of the food in front of them, Lightning trying not
to look too eager as she tucked in. Truthfully, she found it hard to keep up
with feeding herself these days, after spending so much time as the Savior
never feeling hunger. Now she remembered to eat only when she got dizzy, but it
was not nearly enough. So this meal, though light, was beyond glorious to
Lightning’s starved palate.

“This is delicious,” Lightning said, forcing herself to stop for a moment.
“Thank you for cooking all this, Serah.”

Serah smiled knowingly. “Well, Snow helped a bit.”

Lightning turned to the man in shock. He was smiling and nodding as he ate.
“Yes indeed!” he said. “But I think I might have made more of a mess than
anything...”

“Nonsense,” said Serah, shaking her head. “He made this, and this, and this one
too.” She pointed to all the dishes Snow had cooked.

Lightning was floored. Snow had made food that was edible? Since when could the
man do that? Not only that, she had relished everything he made! The thought
that Snow was capable of creating something delicious hit a soft spot within
Lightning. She could not say why.

“Impressive, Snow,” Lightning said stoically. “Didn’t think you knew how to do
anything with your hands except punch.”

“Oh, I can do a lot more than that,” Snow said, smirking down at his plate.

Lightning froze. What the hell did that mean?

Serah saw Lightning staring at Snow with scrutiny, so she changed the subject.
“You know, the wedding’s in two days now. Well, a day from tomorrow, really.”

There it was, the knife in Lightning’s side. Still, here at their house she
would force herself to be happy for them. “Yes, I know,” Lightning said
tightly. “How could I forget? There’s been so much...planning...” Damn, was
that the best she could do?

“The planning’s basically finished now,” Serah replied. Lightning noticed that
her sister had barely touched any of her food. She was pushing it around the
plate like she used to do when they were kids and something was bothering her.
“I think we’re almost ready actually.”

“Almost?” Lightning asked, raising her eyebrows. What was the matter with her
sister? Wasn’t this supposed to be the happiest day of her life?

“Yeah.” Serah got up and began clearing plates. Lightning felt slightly
disappointed that the meal was over already, but she forgot about that against
the worry she felt for whatever was bothering Serah.

Snow helped clean and in no time they were all sitting back down at a
completely cleared table.

“So...do you want to go over the ceremony one more time?” Lightning asked. The
thought alone made her want to dig her nails into her palm, but she was trying
to get at the problem. Serah and Snow had been acting strangely all evening.

“No, that’s...not it.” Serah looked away and shook her head.

Snow got up and sat directly next to Serah. He put one hand on top of hers,
resting it on her exposed knee with an easygoing smile. Lightning recognized
the look as reassurance.

Serah took a deep breath.

“Lightning, how do you feel about the wedding, really?”

Lightning’s blood ran cold. Had Serah...discovered something? Would Lightning
be forced to tell the truth now?

No. She would fight to keep Serah and Snow’s happiness intact, also to remain a
part of their lives. They would cast her out if they knew the real truth...

“What...do you mean?” Lightning asked. Her eyes shone cold now, trying to hide
the uncertainty and fear she felt. “I’m happy for the both of you, obviously.
You guys have waited a long time for this to happen and I...want to see you
happy.” No lie there, at least.

Serah sighed. It caught her sister off guard.

“I know you want us to be happy, Light,” Serah said. “But I can’t help feeling
like there’s something you’re hiding from us. You’ve been so down lately. And
I, well of course I remember the way it was the last time the three of us
talked about this...”

“That was different, Serah,” Lightning said firmly. “You know that things were
different then, when I first found out.” She had to look away after that.
Unfortunately, that comment was too close to the truth and it was making
Lightning feel flush.

“Everything was different, yes. But do you feel any differently now, Light? Do
you really?” Serah was pressing her sister without mercy.

“O-of course I...” Honestly, what did Serah want her to say? The way she was
acting, Serah must have already figured out the truth.

Lightning laid both her palms down on the table in defeat. “What do you want me
to say, Serah? Tell me what you want.”

Serah stared at her sister with a fierce expression on her face. This was the
face she wore when she shot her arrow for the final blow.

“Snow knows. I already told him everything about us, what we did, and why you
were so upset back then.”

Pure shock filtered through Lightning’s senses. She...what? Snow? Her eyes went
immediately to him. The man was not laughing, not smiling or gloating. He was
simply nodding along in agreement. His face was somehow...unreadable. When was
Snow ever hard to read, and why did it have to be now?

Lightning stood up in sudden panic. She slammed her hands on the table and
started trying to defend herself. “You...! How could you...? I don’t...why?”

Lightning was honestly trembling now with all the building emotions inside of
her. She was ashamed, of course, and she felt betrayed by Serah, the one person
she had trusted with her deepest secret, indeed with everything about herself.
Why would Serah do this?

“Relax, Light.” Snow’s voice was calm, his usual drawl. “We’re all family
here.”

“You’re not my family, you idiot!” Lightning cried. She felt tears prick her
eyes. Snow had overstepped his boundaries there, and it broke her.

Without another word, Lightning pushed herself away from the table and began
running to the door. She had to get out, to go home to her own space where she
could live out the rest of her life in cold, quiet loneliness, the only thing
that had never betrayed her...

“Claire, stop!”

Lightning had no choice but to stop when she heard her real name. Serah rushed
over and stood directly in front her, closer than they had been in months.

“I didn’t do it to hurt you,” Serah explained. Her face was a mixture of
mirrored pain and, Lightning saw, longing. Serah brought her hand up and
pressed it lightly against the side of Lightning’s face. “I never wanted to
hurt you, Claire. That was never what I wanted. I just...I was afraid then. I
didn’t know what I wanted, or what to do once I found it.” Serah started
stroking her sister’s face. “Do you understand now? Why I left?”

Lightning stood still, captivated. Serah pressed their foreheads together. Both
of their chests heaved with labored breath, full of pent up anxiety and desire.

“Please Claire...I won’t shut you out again. I promise.”

Lightning closed her eyes against the words. She did not know what her sister
wanted, or what she was offering, but she would stay by her side until Serah
stopped needing her.

“Stay.” Serah whispered the word, barely breathing. “I want you to stay now.”

With that, Serah closed the distance between them and kissed Lightning tenderly
on the lips. The solider found herself moaning into the kiss, bringing her hand
up to cup Serah’s face as well. Oh, how she had wanted this. In every part of
her being. Lightning could feel her skin tingle with excitement all the way
from her scalp to her toes. She kissed Serah more deeply and wrapped an arm
around her waist without thinking.

The floorboards creaked beside them. The two sisters broke the kiss,
remembering that Snow was in the room. Indeed, he was standing right next to
them.

Serah looked at Snow bashfully. Lightning wrapped her arm around her sister
more tightly, either in protection or to lay her claim to Serah more fiercely.

Snow smiled. “Like I said, it’s all fine here.” He placed his hands on both
their shoulders.

Serah broke out into a smile and wrapped her arms around Snow’s neck. Lightning
eyed the man suspiciously, but she had to admit it was a far better reaction
than she had expected. When Serah was done hugging her fiancée, she turned back
to lightning with a broad smile on her face. Lightning’s heart melted to see
Serah looking at her like that.

Giggling, Serah kissed Lightning again. As they explored each other’s mouths
for the first time in years, Serah slowly began pushing Lightning backwards.
For her part, the former solider was completely disoriented, already
overstimulated by Serah’s mouth and body against her. So she just let Serah
guide her where she wanted.

Serah pushed her sister into the bedroom, which was just across the hall. Once
they were inside Serah broke the kiss and led her sister by the hand until they
were both sitting on the edge of the bed she shared with Snow.

This was a room Lightning had never seen before, but one she had painfully
imagined many times. This was the room where Serah and Snow...

Lightning looked at her sister’s fiancée harshly. He was standing still a ways
from the bed watching the two of them with a fascinated expression. Lightning
wanted to smack that look off his face, she was starting to feel anxious about
how much Snow would see...what he would do...

Sensing Lightning’s agitation, Serah jumped up and straddled her sister’s hips.
Lightning groaned at the contact, planting her hands on Serah’s scantily clad
waist.

“I wore this dress for you tonight,” Serah whispered in Lightning’s ear. “I
just wanted you to notice me again.”

“Oh, I noticed you, Serah.” Lightning ran her hands up and down Serah’s ribs.
“I never stopped noticing you.”

Quite pleased with that, Serah bent downwards and laid a kiss against the shell
of Lightning’s ear. She began licking and nibbling her way down to the lobe,
Lightning shivering unavoidably the whole time. He sister’s mouth was like a
flame against her skin, but it felt so good, every touch went straight to the
already burning spot between her legs.

Lightning started fingering the straps on Serah’s dress. “I want you out of
this so badly...” she confessed.

“Do it.” Serah’s tone was suddenly commanding. Another jolt to Lightning’s
groin.

So, Lightning unzipped the back of her sister’s dress and slid it slowly down
her body. Serah stood and shimmied her way out of it, coaxing the fabric to
ease down to the floor. Lightning watched as if in a trance. The sight of
Serah’s bare breasts, fuller than she remembered, and her stomach...the
feather-light pubic hair that Lightning dreamed about playing with just as
recently as the night before...Serah’s delicate thighs, spreading themselves
now to straddle Lightning again... It all felt like another dream.

Lightning clutched Serah’s hips. Here was her sister, naked in her lap like old
times. “Oh Serah...” she moaned, giving in at last and showering kisses all
over Serah’s neck and chest. She found a nipple in her frenzy, as pink and
dusty as she remembered, and began sucking on it almost too fiercely. Serah
yelped, surprised but happy to allow Lightning that bit of unbridled joy.

Suddenly the bed sagged backwards and Lightning felt large, rough hands against
the back of her neck. She gasped and turned around to see Snow sitting on the
bed behind her. He was stroking her neck and gathering her hair to one side.

“Relax, it’s only me,” Snow said with a smile. Something about that smile, the
way Lightning felt as if he were seeing her for the first time, set a fire in
the pit of her stomach. She felt a distinct pull towards Snow in that
moment...she wanted him to keep his hands on her, to know what those hands felt
like on other parts of her body...

“Let’s get you out of these clothes.” Snow sounded completely reassuring. He
and Serah began divesting Lighting of all her clothing, undoing buttons and
clasps, sliding fabric off of her, until Lightning was left only in her bra and
panties. She shivered, mostly in anticipation. She knew she should feel more
embarrassed, but she didn’t really. Not yet anyway.

Snow undid the clasp of her bra with a practiced hand and Serah pulled the
garment away from her, exposing her breasts to the three of them at last.
Lightning looked down, Serah was already working on pulling away her panties
(completely soaked through as they were)...before she knew it she was naked
there, on Serah and Snow’s bed.

Almost angrily, Lightning glared back at Snow to find him running his eyes all
over her bare body. She blushed a little, slightly embarrassed to have Snow
looking at her so intensely. Serah stood next to her, feathering kisses up and
down her shoulder. That touch felt good and it helped her relax.

“You are so beautiful, Light,” Snow whispered. He was looking right into her
eyes as he said it. Lightning blushed harder and mumbled something incoherent.

“Now, you can do me,” the man offered, gesturing to his own clothing. Of course
Snow would be egalitarian in this as well. Of course. Serah giggled as Lighting
clicked her tongue.

The two sisters moved towards Snow. Lightning was immediately drawn to his
chest, running her fingers down the buttons in near reverence. She had wanted
to do this, to undress Snow, and now she could finally admit it. Quickly,
before Snow could notice any lingering, Lightning undid all the buttons and
yanked the shirt away from him, not bothering to notice if exactly all of the
buttons were undone first.

The sight of Snow’s bare chest was something she had seen before, in
Pallumpolum all those years ago, but it was not like this. Snow was less bulky
now, yet even more enticing. Lighting ran her hands up and down his chest,
relishing how smooth his skin felt against her palms. She felt another spark in
her loins, this time all because of Snow.

“There you go. Take your time.” Snow ran the backs of his fingers against
Lightning’s throat as he spoke. It was a surprisingly intimate touch and she
sighed softly at the feel of it. She hated the way Snow was talking to her like
she was a child, but somehow it was not enough to deter her.

Snow continued trailing the backs of his fingers against Lightning’s chest,
first sliding his hand down between her breasts, then moving back up to stroke
along her left breast. When he brushed her already hard nipple, Lightning
hissed and had to bit her lip to stifle a moan that they both heard anyway.
Snow smirked even as Lightning glared. She wanted to hit him, almost as much as
she wanted him to touch her again, all over this time.

Serah laid kisses the throbbing pulse in Lightning’s neck. She grabbed
Lightning’s right breast and massaged the soft flesh with care. The older
sister gave into the touch and leaned against her, grabbing a handful of that
tantalizing ass that had so tormented Lightning earlier. Serah moaned and
continued massaging, even as Snow began brushing Lightning’s left nipple again
and again, driving her to shiver and kiss Serah deeply to quiet the sounds each
touch wrenched out of her.

This was more attention than Lightning had ever had in her whole life. She was
more aroused than she could ever remember being, so much that she was starting
to feel dizzy with want. And the unfortunate part was, they had not even really
done anything yet.

Eventually, after more teasing touches, Serah guided Lightning to lean back
against Snow’s chest. Apparently Serah had found a way to take off Snow’s pants
without Lightning noticing because she felt a bare skinned hardness against her
back but could not remember looking first. She swallowed in both excitement and
agitation at how big that bulge felt against her. She could only imagine what
it would feel like in another place...

With Serah in front, Lightning eased against Snow and let her sister explore
her body. Eventually Serah began laying kisses downward, kissing her sternum,
then her stomach... Lightning felt Snow’s hand as well, his fingertips trailing
upwards along her inner thigh. He stopped at the juncture between Lightning’s
thigh and pelvis, stroking the sensitive skin right next to where she ached for
contact.

Serah kissed down Lightning’s stomach and brought her hand up to tangle in the
wet curls between her sister’s legs. The combination of being teased two ways
at once had Lightning growling through gritted teeth and hoping that her sister
and Snow were not so cruel as to make her beg...

Finally Serah parted soft hair and flesh to stroke Lightning’s drenched cunt.
The sensation was so long anticipated that Lightning acted on instinct, bucking
her hips upward with one hand wrapped the back of Snow’s neck for support. As
Serah stroked her, those delicate, familiar fingers touching her exactly as she
liked, Lightning felt her control loosening. Already her hips were moving on
their own. Her eyes squeezed closed and she buried her face as much as she
could against the hollow of Snow’s throat. What would happen to her once---

Then the question was answered as Serah pushed one finger inside her sister.
Lightning moaned and nearly came right then. She was embarrassed about being so
sensitive...but it had been well over five centuries since the last time she
was touched. Far too long, really.

“You’re so wet, sis,” Serah said, disbelief evident in her voice. “I’ve never
seen you like this.”

“I...” Lightning began, but there was no hope of defending herself. So she
dropped it and let herself writhe against Snow as Serah pushed in and out of
her.

“I think you’re ready,” Serah declared. Lightning’s eyes snapped open.

“So,” Snow began, his voice so near to Lightning that it startled her. “What’s
it gonna be, Light? You want this?” To clarify, her held hand and guided it
downward against his achingly hard length. She was right, Snow was quite large
and so wide....

Lightning thought about it for only a second before she realized that she had
no more hesitations.

“Let’s do this then.” Lightning tried to make herself sound relatively
indifferent but that was clearly a ruse.

Snow chuckled once, happy that Lightning was still herself even when she was
almost unbearably aroused. He and Serah moved her down onto her back, Snow
hovering over her on his knees. From this angle, Snow on top of her smiling
down, Lightning found it hard to believe for a moment that they had ever
managed to come to this. Yet, so many impossible things had happened, why not
this too?

Serah pulled Lightning’s legs apart (when had her sister become so forward?)
and Snow settled himself downward, resting on his forearms. Lightning knew she
wanted this man, and she let herself feel that. In fact she wanted to hurry him
along, but Snow could not be hurried. He put his hand against her wetness,
feeling her outline for himself, and made a low groan in response.

“I’ve wanted this too, you know,” Snow said, leaning down. “For a long time.”

“I know,” Lightning responded quietly.

Without any more delay, Snow pushed inside Lightning. He took his time, gave
her some moments to adjust to him, and eventually he was all the way inside,
pressed right up against her with a rumbling sigh.

He felt...yes. Lightning’s cunt twitched pleasurably as she felt filled to the
brim with Snow Villiers. Now that they were connected like this, she felt like
she finally understood him for who he was. This was him.

Lightning put both hands on Snow’s face and forced him to look at her. “Keep
your eyes on me,” she said. “Keep your eyes on me when you fuck me. I want to
see you.”

Snow smiled and said, “If that’s what you want.” Then he began pushing in and
out of her at a slow but steady pace. Lightning found that his length pressed
against all the internal parts of her that longed for contact and she had to
focus on breathing so as not to lose herself in the pleasure.

“It’s alright, Claire,” Serah said, somewhere near her head. “Just let it all
happen.” Looking up, Lightning realized that Serah was kneeling above her on
the bed, with Snow’s hand pressed inside her, rubbing her clit at the same
time.

There was no reason for it, but Lightning felt jealous in that second. This was
not how she would let this happen, not if she could help it.

In a flurry of movement, Lightning pushed Snow down onto his back, effectively
reversing their positions. She straddled his hips and continued to ride him.

“Come here, Serah,” Lightning called. She wanted her sister in her arms more
than anything.

Realizing what Lightning was thinking, Serah pressed her body into Lightning’s
arms. She looked down at Snow who was grinning with apparent pleasure and
eagerness.

“Take a seat, baby,” Snow called. The three of them smiled. This was the best
way they could all be together.

Serah made her way over to Snow and sat on his face, one leg on either side of
his head. His tongue curled upwards, licking all the places along her twitching
cunt that wanted nothing more than Snow’s skilled tongue to lavish her with
attention.

And so, Snow lay flat on his back, Lighting riding his ample cock near to
completion, Serah riding his face in overwhelmed pleasure, the two sisters
wrapped in each other’s arms sharing intimate and much longed for kisses. In
this way, they all found release around the same time.

It was a moment that made Lightning remember her first time with Serah, all the
world covered in crystal. But this time, Lightning did not want a crystal
slumber to envelop them and shield them from the world. This time, Lightning
wanted their flesh to remain supple and real, so that they could go on sharing
a life like human beings. That was her deepest wish in that moment, for it all
to be real.

And of course, it was real. So real. Afterward, the three of them lay in each
other’s arms, panting and thinking about what had transpired. Serah was more
than pleased with how things had turned out, and Snow could not believe that he
had gotten the chance to have both Farron sisters ride him at the same time. It
was probably the closest he would get to heaven these days. As for Lightning,
she was struggling with the realization that she had gotten what she actually
wanted. She laced her fingers together with Serah’s and turned contemplative.

“Well, glad you could spend the night, Light,” Snow said, pulling Lightning
closer to him and shattering the moment. “Now that I’ve got my two ladies here,
everything’s perfect.”

“Perfect, Snow?” Serah asked.

“Yeah, what more could a guy want?”

Serah looked over at Lightning. Claire was no longer the cold, domineering
sister Serah remembered. But she could not say she minded. Here was Lightning,
wrapped in a man’s arms--Snow’s no less--and enjoying the comfort. It
was...beautiful. More beautiful than anything Serah had words for.

“You’re right, Snow,” Lightning said. She curled up closer to him and beckoned
for Serah to curl up as well.

“I’ll...stay the night again, sometime.” It was more than a promise.

______________________________________________________________________


The wedding came in a day’s time. It went off without a hitch. People came,
good times were had by all, especially Serah and Snow.

Throughout the ceremony, Lightning kept her place in the procession and did
everything she was supposed to. She gave a good speech and tried not to think
of anything but how beautiful Serah looked in her wedding dress, and how
striking Snow looked in a well-fitted sports jacket.

It was the day Serah and Snow had wanted all along. And it was the wedding
night that Lightning had dreamed of for years.





The End.
Chapter End Notes
     So, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading about this
     marvelous OT3. I have to say the Serah/Lightning ship really jumped
     out at me because it is ALL OVER those games! Besides, Snow is just
     the guy to appreciate our lovely heroines for who they are, and
     that's why I ship it like it's canon :)
     Happy Square Enix to all!
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
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