Final Fantasy XIV

Summary

Alisaie is haunted by a hug.

The memory of that moment haunts Alisaie.

She had just finished dispatching the Red Kojin after the Warrior of Light defeated Susano, and was now striding up the beach to where Lyse and the Warrior waited. Alisaie could hear the two of them talking. Was that panic in Lyse’s voice? Lyse was demanding to go after Alisaie, rather insistantly.

With a bemused smile, Alisaie announced her presence. To her surprise, Lyse enveloped her in a big hug. Alisaie sputtered and protested, but her body couldn’t help thinking that this hug felt, well, nice.

Uncomfortably nice.

Since then, Alisaie thinks of the memory of Lyse’s arms around her far too often.

–In the morning, still half asleep, when she’s not sure if the memory is real or a dream.

–After lunch, when she’s out on patrol. The memory sneaks in and she curses and tries to push it away, for she knows she needs to stay focused, because to not do so is to risk death. And yet she can’t quite manage to banish the memory from her thoughts, so instead she gives in to it in her own way, imagining Lyse beside her, dancing on her toes the way she does when she’s about to attack.

–At dinner, when Alphinaud is blathering on about how to fix the aetheryte. Alisaie’s forced to ask him to repeat himself at times, earning her a frown, which she just waves off and asks, “You were saying?”

–At night, when she’s lying awake in bed. The memory comes on the strongest, and she sighs and finds herself praying to the gods that Lyse is alright, wherever she is in the Azim Steppe.

It’s too long until Lyse and the others return, but they finally do, and Alisaie forces herself to act normal when she first spots them, but her heart lurches at the sight of Lyse who lifts her hand in that little wave she does. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, girl”, she mutters under her breath, but her twin’s standing beside her and he asks, “What was that?” Alisaie startles and quickly says, “Nothing. Just some idle thought of no import,” but fears her cheeks may be blushing.

Everyone’s busy the next few days, including Alisaie who for once doesn’t find herself so distracted, but perhaps that is because the object of her distraction is close at hand. She revels in the time she steals with Lyse. They share a meal, and Alisaie listens in rapture as Lyse tells her all about the trial of the Mol and the tests from the Orinir.

And then Lyse sits up taller and says, “Oh! And another thing…” and Alisaie can’t help it, she bursts into a girlish giggle, prompting Lyse to ask, “What?”

“Nothing. You’re just so… you,” Alisaie responds.

“Well, of course I am,” Lyse says in that matter-of-fact way she has. “Who else would I be?” And then Lyse plunges on with her story, and Alisaie smiles and continues eating but she’s thinking, I’ve got to do something about this.

A moment later Alisaie can’t bear it any longer. “Lyse. Shut up,” she says, gently.

She expects Lyse to look hurt, but the other girl just looks confused a second, but then her eyes widen as Alisaie cups Lyse’s face with her hands and kisses her softly. Alisaie sits back a bit and Lyse says, “Oh! That was unexpected.”

“But not unwelcome?” Alisaie asks, hopefully.

“No, of course not,” Lyse says, grinning, and then she leans forward and kisses Alisaie back.

Notes

Written for the Final Fantasy 2021 Kiss Battle (https://seventhe.dreamwidth.org/437147.html) based on a prompt from Lassarina: Lyse/Alisaie, the best things are shared. I am not entirely certain I managed to fit my fic to the prompt, but I'm still very pleased with what I wrote, and hope those reading enjoyed it!