After All These Years (Hope X Lightning)

Too Many To Count

Hope made his way into his bosses office, his boss had called him earlier that day to tell him he had a new partner. Hope straightened his suit and stood up tall and confidently before entering the room. As soon as he entered he saw a familiar face.
Lightning Farron.
Lightning's rosie pink hair curled and lay on her left shoulder neatly and went into her face a bit. She wore a black creaseless skirt, her badge lay on her left hip and she had a finely pressed white collared shirt, the first few buttons were unbuttoned showing the soft skin of her chest and a little bit of her cleavage. Her sky blue eyes instantly went to his upon his entering and they widened in surprise as she spoke.
"Hope Estien?"
"L-Light?!"
Hope blinked in shock, he hadn't see this woman in almost 10 years, damn did she age beautifully. Light stuck her hip out and place her right hand on it.
"You've grown into a man I see."
"U-uh yeah..."
Hope blushed slight as his boss cleared his throat and they both turned to him.
"Guess I don't need to do introductions, you both will be partners from now on. Your duty is to protect one another and the lives of the people in this city. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
They both said in unison before they were kicked out. The instant they were out the door, files were being shoved into their faces. A small girl with dark pink hair and pig tails and a bright smile was holding them.
"Hello! Here is your case, I'm Vanille, I work with Fang over there."
She nodded towards the woman with dark hair and an Australian accent. Hope held his hand out to Vanille and she took it.
"I'm Hope and this is Lightning."
Light nodded towards the smaller girl and took the case and began flipping through the files. As Hope engaged with Vanille in small talk Light read through the case and once she finished she interrupted the two by walking off. Hope said his farewell and jogged up to Light.
"So what's the case?"
"A woman in her thirties or so died by strangulation, her coworker came to her house a day ago and found her dead in her bathroom. Her house was ransacked."
Light handed Hope the file as she pulled her keys out of her holster and unlocked her black mustang and got in. Hope got in the second Light started the car and before he could even finish closing the door she speed off out of the parking lot.
"Dangerous as always, even after a decade."
Light rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"I see you haven't changed much either."
Light took a sharp turn and it caused Hope to nearly bang his head against the windshield. Hope chuckled as Light drove to the crime scene and they both got out and went into the house. They were stopped by some officers but Lightning just ignored them and moved pass them, Hope apologized and showed them his badge and smiled nervously as he followed after his partner.
Light went straight to the bedroom and pulled some gloves over her hands and began sifting around the room. Hope stood in the doorway for a moment. Admiring the determination that covered her face. Her gorgeous blue eyes looked around the room and her brows furrowed as she was deep in thought. After a few minutes she stood up straight and put a hand on her hip and the other to her lip.
"The officers outside said this was part of the robbery?"
Hope blinked and blushed, realizing he was staring.
"Y-yes."
"That's not correct. The rest of the house and the dresser and closet are because of someone sifting through the place but all the broken stuff in here was obviously because she was fighting against someone. It wasn't just on the bed."
Hope tilted his head like a puppy, Lightning dared to even think it was cute. She then sighed at him.
"There are fingerprints of blood on the wall, it's not completely apparent but they are there. The bathroom door was also kicked in so you could figure she hid in there. These officers need to get better at their jobs."
Lightning then left the room and Hope followed as she went back to her car and got in. Breathing in deeply and pushing some hair out of her face.
"Any relatives?"
Hope flipped through the file again and nodded.
"One. A great aunt, it seems as though her mother and father died in a house fire 5 years ago."
"That's where we're-"
Light was interrupted by her phone ringing. She checked who was calling and then groaned angrily as she put the phone to her ear.
"What Snow."
Hope made a face as he kind of looked at Light curiously. Light went quiet for a moment and then began a slur of curses as she punched the end call button and dropped her phone to her lap.
"Guess that's not where we're going. Snow got there first."
Hope thought for a moment and then smiled.
"Ya hungry? How about we get something to eat?"
Light turned to him and they stared at one another for a moment and then she gave him the smallest of smiled and nodded.
"Sure."