Title: Missing

Pairings: Hope/Noel

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: HAHAHAHAHA! I OWN FINAL FANTASY, AND MY NAME IS MORGAN PAGE! HAHAHAHAHA- I lied. :(

Sealed in a crystalline prison.
Is there any freedom?
With the power I hold with time,
It appears there is none.

Time is endless.
It repeats itself.
But in the end,
Who comes out on top?

Falling through a portal,
Only to find myself on your lap.
Did you expect someone to fall from the sky?
No, I'm not an angel.

In this time, you're much younger than me.
I should take the chance before me.
But I can't taint your innocence.
Your knowledge of the world isn't complete.

I see you still have your l'Cie mark.
Where is everyone?
If you're traveling on your own...
May I come with you?

I decide to tell you the truth. It won't hurt you to know about me.
I'm glad to know you wouldn't shun me for it.
Even if I am from a different timeline.

Dammit, I wish I knew more about your original journey.
I could take to where you needed to go.
Damn it all.
I swear I'll protect you, Hope.

Why do I feel lonely when I see your smiling face?
Is it because the wounds are still raw?
I know you won't truly come back to me, Hope.
I just wish I knew how to free you.

It's impossible to stay still.
Even though you continue to tell me to relax, I cannot.
Not while that Behemoth is still on the loose.
I said I'd protect you, Hope. I meant it.

You aren't the same Hope I remember.
You're changing, all because of me.
You'll be okay, Hope.
There's someone to love in this time.

I'm not going to leave you again.
I know you said you needed your alone time,
But I refuse to let you out of my sight.
What if you get hurt again?

I'm not babying you, I swear!
I'm just looking out for you.
Fine, I'll stay here.
Just don't go too far, okay?

Wow, I'm sounding like a mother.
I suppose Serah's rubbing off on me.
It's a good thing, in your case.
You need someone to look after you.

Something's missing in this picture.
I've figured it out already, though.
Hope, you're not here.
You've gotten lost.

I need to move past this.
Even though I said I wouldn't give up on you, Hope.
I won't let go of your younger self.
I'll stay by your side forever.

A/N: To be honest, I don't really know where this was going. I guess the way I'd put it is that Noel, in the FFXIII-2 timeline(Academia and stuff), knew Hope only to be in a crystallized state, along with the other l'Cie. He slipped through time accidentally, and met with a younger Hope in a different timeline, where he's by himself on his l'Cie journey. Snow, Lightning, Sazh, and the others are all living their normal lives, and the siege on Cocoon didn't happen. Noel decides to travel with Hope, and they become friends. But even when they share their secrets with each other, Noel can't help but miss older Hope, and knows that being with this younger Hope will change his views on older Hope. But he puts up with it anyway, and stays with younger Hope while wishing older Hope would come out from his crystallized state and be with him once more.