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[DCU / FFXIII] How I Met Your Father
Title: How I Met Your Father
Fandoms: DC Comics (Justice Society of America) + Final Fantasy XIII crossover
Relationship: Lightning Farron / Tom Bronson; Serah Farron / Snow Villiers
Summary: The night before Lightning "saves the world," Snow and Serah drag her to a bar... and well, Lightning didn't exactly anticipate on caring for someone new that night.
Notes: This is unfinished! I wanted to finish it some day for Nika, but considering how I've lost the will to anticipate what would happen next, I'd rather just show what I have (and maybe someone else can see what may happen next, round robin-style).
I met your father for the first time at our neighborhood bar. Your father asked me once, if I could describe the place we met, only for us to remember it completely differently. He remembered the loud bass thumping in the background; the clinking of glass as people toasted one another; and the laughter that left Snow's lips with each sentence. I remembered the soft lighting; the framed landscapes of the nearby countryside; and the old jukebox that ate everyone’s quarters. Serah loved the place. Every other weekend or so, she’d drag Snow down and then ask me if I wanted to join them. I usually declined. I had no inclination to lose my inhibitions over something as mindless as a couple of drinks.
“Aw come on, sis!” Serah had begged me, clasping her hands together in front of me. “Just one night? You’ve never been, and now you’re gonna go off and save the world—“
I snorted softly. “I’m not going to save the world.”
“You’re going to save more people than we are,” Snow called from the corner. I tried my best to ignore him, but even I couldn’t quite hide my exasperation. Even now, I couldn’t quite see what my sister saw in this doofus. Sure, Snow had an easygoing manner that befitted him, which endeared him to most of our family and friends. His lack of responsibility bothered me: how was he going to provide for him and Serah (and the future family they wanted)?
Serah shot her fiancée a warning glance. “We want her to come *with* us, not hate us forever.”
I folded my arms. Serah meant well: she wanted me to have a night of fun, and we hadn’t exactly had spent much time together in the past few months. I supposed that for her sake, I could go with her to 9th Circle.
The second I stepped inside, I regretted my decision. The décor didn’t bother me – the soft lighting and landscapes gave the place more credibility than if they hadn’t bothered to clean up. No, the customers bothered me more. They were all in their mid-twenties, like the three of us, but they spoke loudly with absolutely no discretion.
“---got her all pregnant,” one was boasting to another, with his foaming mug of beer held up to the sky.
The others all laughed obnoxiously. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from pulling my gunblade at his face. Snow and Serah grabbed their usual booth, and I resigned myself to the four hours of my life I’d never get back. Just before I closed my eyes, Snow gestured towards the counter. “Why don’t you go over there and grab a drink? We’ll be here.”
I recognized the invitation to leave. My discomfort must’ve been obvious for him to notice and give me an out. Still, I knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I nodded as I rose to my feet. “Want anything?”
“Nah, we’ll be good.” Serah smiled brightly at me. Her smile could dissuade the biggest of worries – even if the world were to end, she could smile and I wouldn’t feel so hopeless anymore. If I really wanted to leave, they would go, no questions asked. It was also this trust that made me want to stay, even for just a few minutes.
So I walked up to the counter, took a seat, and stared up at the bartender. He was a relatively tall guy – not as tall as Snow, but he had at least a few inches on me – with a bright smile that reminded me vaguely of Serah. “What’ll it be tonight?”
What? “Um…”
“I can give you a minute.” He bit the inside of his lip – probably to keep himself from laughing at me – before he reached for the drink menu. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Friend of Snow and Serah?”
“You could say that.” I accepted the menu and glanced over the choices. Nothing really stood out- and as the designated driver, I had no intention of cutting it loose. “Is there anything else non-alcoholic besides the soda?”
“There’s some juice blends.” The bartender looked almost thoughtful, reaching for a soda glass for another customer. “They’re not on the menu, but the Muslim customers like them well enough.”
“I like ‘em too.” Snow held his hand up for the bartender as he sat next to me. Before I could reprimand him, Snow continued, “Tommy here makes the best drinks in town, Light. Think you could give it a chance?”
The bartender (Tommy?) ducked his face to hide the red tint slowly coloring his cheeks. “You say that now…”
Snow’s stupid grin grew wider as he folded his arms over the counter. “Nope, never gonna change my mind. Just make her a blend and let her see for yourself.”
“Don’t I have a say in this anymore?” I shot them both a glare. I wasn’t exactly keen on coming here in the first place, especially if this idiot and his best friend were planning on immersing me into their bar-attending cult.
Tommy couldn’t hide his laughter. “You always have a say. If you don’t want a drink, I’m not gonna make you one.”
“Darn right you are. Think you could give her that pomegranate and orange juice-thing you made for Serah last time? The one without alcohol?”
I gave Tom an exasperated sigh – see what I have to live with every day? – but the other guy took Snow’s gung-ho attitude in stride. “I can make it for Serah, but if your friend doesn’t want it, bro…”
“I’ll try it.” The words escaped my mouth before I could take them back. I don’t know what overcame me (maybe it was Tom’s honesty), but my declaration surprised the boys just as much as it surprised me.
Tom nodded, reaching for another glass and mixing the drink together. It looked deceptively simple, especially since he just blended the juices together and added crushed ice before handing it over to me.
I took a sip, bracing myself for… for something that I honestly hadn’t expected to taste good. I savored every drop, gulping the glass down in one motion. Tom must’ve been starting, because I could hear Snow go, “It’s okay, man. It’s a compliment!”
I set the glass down and gave him my best attempt at a smile. “Could I get another?”
“Of course.” He ducked his head, presumably to hide his own smile – but I could see it as plain
as day, right alongside his gunblade necklace. The man had good taste in weaponry, that's for sure.
Snow just rolled his eyes at us. “Can Serah and I get the usual?”
“Sure thing.” Tom bobbed his head, heading towards a set of customers that had just walked in. “Same amount of grease and everything?”
Snow pumped his fist in the air. “You know me too well by now.”
[I'm not sure exactly what happens in-between this, but...]
After Snow and Serah had left, Tom reached for the nearest broom and started to sweep the dust outside. I observed him for a few seconds, watching him focus on his job. Normally, I would have written someone like him off. I wouldn't have given him a second thought because he and Snow got along well, and Snow wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world. Problem was, Tom was more than just a friend to Snow: he was the heart of 9th Circle, and the main reason the town loved this bar and everyone in it.
I may not adore that lifestyle, but I could respect it.
The silence was starting to creep in on us when Tom glanced over at me. "You forgot something?"
I shook my head.
"Oh. Well, hang on a sec, because I definitely did."
Huh?
Before I could ask him what he meant, Tom ran towards me, inspecting my face as if I'd gotten something on it before he held out his palm. "You're gonna go save the world, right? Snow and Serah said so, and while I know we just met and all... I figure you need all the luck you can get."
I peered down at the tiny keychain in his hand, before slowly accepting it and staring at the kitten's face. "So you got me a kitten?"
"Cats can be good luck." Tom laughed softly. "At least, in my family. Wildcats are kind of our thing."
I'm not really sure what he meant by that, but... "I don't think I can accept this."
"Think of it as collateral," Tom explained patiently, leaning against his broom. "You're not exactly keeping it so much as borrowing it from me for a short time. You can't go save the world all the time, you know? It's... a promise to come back, when things die down."
There wasn't a lot of romantic (was it romantic?) or platonic cues I got lately. I suspected this was one of them, but I didn't think too much of it at the time.
[I'm not sure what would happen next - I suspect there's a cute reunion when she comes back from the war, and of course, the ending line is "And kids, that's the story of how I met your father."]
Fandoms: DC Comics (Justice Society of America) + Final Fantasy XIII crossover
Relationship: Lightning Farron / Tom Bronson; Serah Farron / Snow Villiers
Summary: The night before Lightning "saves the world," Snow and Serah drag her to a bar... and well, Lightning didn't exactly anticipate on caring for someone new that night.
Notes: This is unfinished! I wanted to finish it some day for Nika, but considering how I've lost the will to anticipate what would happen next, I'd rather just show what I have (and maybe someone else can see what may happen next, round robin-style).
I met your father for the first time at our neighborhood bar. Your father asked me once, if I could describe the place we met, only for us to remember it completely differently. He remembered the loud bass thumping in the background; the clinking of glass as people toasted one another; and the laughter that left Snow's lips with each sentence. I remembered the soft lighting; the framed landscapes of the nearby countryside; and the old jukebox that ate everyone’s quarters. Serah loved the place. Every other weekend or so, she’d drag Snow down and then ask me if I wanted to join them. I usually declined. I had no inclination to lose my inhibitions over something as mindless as a couple of drinks.
“Aw come on, sis!” Serah had begged me, clasping her hands together in front of me. “Just one night? You’ve never been, and now you’re gonna go off and save the world—“
I snorted softly. “I’m not going to save the world.”
“You’re going to save more people than we are,” Snow called from the corner. I tried my best to ignore him, but even I couldn’t quite hide my exasperation. Even now, I couldn’t quite see what my sister saw in this doofus. Sure, Snow had an easygoing manner that befitted him, which endeared him to most of our family and friends. His lack of responsibility bothered me: how was he going to provide for him and Serah (and the future family they wanted)?
Serah shot her fiancée a warning glance. “We want her to come *with* us, not hate us forever.”
I folded my arms. Serah meant well: she wanted me to have a night of fun, and we hadn’t exactly had spent much time together in the past few months. I supposed that for her sake, I could go with her to 9th Circle.
The second I stepped inside, I regretted my decision. The décor didn’t bother me – the soft lighting and landscapes gave the place more credibility than if they hadn’t bothered to clean up. No, the customers bothered me more. They were all in their mid-twenties, like the three of us, but they spoke loudly with absolutely no discretion.
“---got her all pregnant,” one was boasting to another, with his foaming mug of beer held up to the sky.
The others all laughed obnoxiously. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from pulling my gunblade at his face. Snow and Serah grabbed their usual booth, and I resigned myself to the four hours of my life I’d never get back. Just before I closed my eyes, Snow gestured towards the counter. “Why don’t you go over there and grab a drink? We’ll be here.”
I recognized the invitation to leave. My discomfort must’ve been obvious for him to notice and give me an out. Still, I knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I nodded as I rose to my feet. “Want anything?”
“Nah, we’ll be good.” Serah smiled brightly at me. Her smile could dissuade the biggest of worries – even if the world were to end, she could smile and I wouldn’t feel so hopeless anymore. If I really wanted to leave, they would go, no questions asked. It was also this trust that made me want to stay, even for just a few minutes.
So I walked up to the counter, took a seat, and stared up at the bartender. He was a relatively tall guy – not as tall as Snow, but he had at least a few inches on me – with a bright smile that reminded me vaguely of Serah. “What’ll it be tonight?”
What? “Um…”
“I can give you a minute.” He bit the inside of his lip – probably to keep himself from laughing at me – before he reached for the drink menu. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before. Friend of Snow and Serah?”
“You could say that.” I accepted the menu and glanced over the choices. Nothing really stood out- and as the designated driver, I had no intention of cutting it loose. “Is there anything else non-alcoholic besides the soda?”
“There’s some juice blends.” The bartender looked almost thoughtful, reaching for a soda glass for another customer. “They’re not on the menu, but the Muslim customers like them well enough.”
“I like ‘em too.” Snow held his hand up for the bartender as he sat next to me. Before I could reprimand him, Snow continued, “Tommy here makes the best drinks in town, Light. Think you could give it a chance?”
The bartender (Tommy?) ducked his face to hide the red tint slowly coloring his cheeks. “You say that now…”
Snow’s stupid grin grew wider as he folded his arms over the counter. “Nope, never gonna change my mind. Just make her a blend and let her see for yourself.”
“Don’t I have a say in this anymore?” I shot them both a glare. I wasn’t exactly keen on coming here in the first place, especially if this idiot and his best friend were planning on immersing me into their bar-attending cult.
Tommy couldn’t hide his laughter. “You always have a say. If you don’t want a drink, I’m not gonna make you one.”
“Darn right you are. Think you could give her that pomegranate and orange juice-thing you made for Serah last time? The one without alcohol?”
I gave Tom an exasperated sigh – see what I have to live with every day? – but the other guy took Snow’s gung-ho attitude in stride. “I can make it for Serah, but if your friend doesn’t want it, bro…”
“I’ll try it.” The words escaped my mouth before I could take them back. I don’t know what overcame me (maybe it was Tom’s honesty), but my declaration surprised the boys just as much as it surprised me.
Tom nodded, reaching for another glass and mixing the drink together. It looked deceptively simple, especially since he just blended the juices together and added crushed ice before handing it over to me.
I took a sip, bracing myself for… for something that I honestly hadn’t expected to taste good. I savored every drop, gulping the glass down in one motion. Tom must’ve been starting, because I could hear Snow go, “It’s okay, man. It’s a compliment!”
I set the glass down and gave him my best attempt at a smile. “Could I get another?”
“Of course.” He ducked his head, presumably to hide his own smile – but I could see it as plain
as day, right alongside his gunblade necklace. The man had good taste in weaponry, that's for sure.
Snow just rolled his eyes at us. “Can Serah and I get the usual?”
“Sure thing.” Tom bobbed his head, heading towards a set of customers that had just walked in. “Same amount of grease and everything?”
Snow pumped his fist in the air. “You know me too well by now.”
[I'm not sure exactly what happens in-between this, but...]
After Snow and Serah had left, Tom reached for the nearest broom and started to sweep the dust outside. I observed him for a few seconds, watching him focus on his job. Normally, I would have written someone like him off. I wouldn't have given him a second thought because he and Snow got along well, and Snow wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world. Problem was, Tom was more than just a friend to Snow: he was the heart of 9th Circle, and the main reason the town loved this bar and everyone in it.
I may not adore that lifestyle, but I could respect it.
The silence was starting to creep in on us when Tom glanced over at me. "You forgot something?"
I shook my head.
"Oh. Well, hang on a sec, because I definitely did."
Huh?
Before I could ask him what he meant, Tom ran towards me, inspecting my face as if I'd gotten something on it before he held out his palm. "You're gonna go save the world, right? Snow and Serah said so, and while I know we just met and all... I figure you need all the luck you can get."
I peered down at the tiny keychain in his hand, before slowly accepting it and staring at the kitten's face. "So you got me a kitten?"
"Cats can be good luck." Tom laughed softly. "At least, in my family. Wildcats are kind of our thing."
I'm not really sure what he meant by that, but... "I don't think I can accept this."
"Think of it as collateral," Tom explained patiently, leaning against his broom. "You're not exactly keeping it so much as borrowing it from me for a short time. You can't go save the world all the time, you know? It's... a promise to come back, when things die down."
There wasn't a lot of romantic (was it romantic?) or platonic cues I got lately. I suspected this was one of them, but I didn't think too much of it at the time.
[I'm not sure what would happen next - I suspect there's a cute reunion when she comes back from the war, and of course, the ending line is "And kids, that's the story of how I met your father."]