While resting in the Sunleth Waterscape, Noel struggles with the conflicting feelings he has for both Yeul and Serah. Serah/Noel and Serah/Snow.
"Snow, look!" Serah grabbed his heavily muscled arm and dragged him toward the edge of the clearing. "It's a tiny flan!" She knelt in the grass and reached toward the flan, beckoning it with outstretched fingers.
Snow gave a low chuckle as he leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "I guess they're a gil a dozen around here."
"This one is so tiny, I bet he's a runt. He looks a little lost." The little flan, almost completely round and less than twelve inches tall, was slowly peeking out from beneath the flowering plant he'd cowered under. He gazed up at Serah with wide black eyes. "Come here, boy; we won't hurt you," Serah cooed. Slowly the little flan toddled toward her.
"He's so cute!" Serah exclaimed, scooping him into her arms.
"How do you know he's a boy?" Snow asked her. Serah looked up at him, lips puckered.
"I-I guess I don't know. How DO you tell on a flan?" Snow burst into laughter and leaned toward her, capturing her lips in an adoring kiss.
About twenty yards away, Noel was perched on a felled tree, one sword resting across his knees. He'd been cleaning his swords, wiping away what remained of some recently defeated foes, when he heard Serah's excited voice. He looked up at them and couldn't tear his eyes away, an acute sense of jealousy burning inside him. Only when Snow took a kiss from her was he able to avert his gaze back to the sword in his lap, unable to watch.
Snow made him irrationally angry. It made no sense. He had Yeul. All this, he did for Yeul. So what was this adoration he felt for Serah? What was this insane jealousy he felt every time Serah or Snow touched each other? Clearly Snow had no regard for how his actions affected Serah. He'd left her alone, he'd been rebranded, and most recently he'd thrown himself into danger without any thought as to how Serah would feel should he be wounded or worse. Someone as kind, caring, and soft-hearted as Serah didn't deserve someone like Snow. He was so unworthy of her.
Serah's sweet laughter brought him back from his thoughts, and he couldn't stop himself from looking up at her. She was so sweet and so beautiful; every time he looked at her it hit him anew, this feeling of intense adoration. Mixed in with his feelings of adoration were also feelings of guilt: for coveting another man's fiancé and for wanting another woman when he was already in love with Yeul. He knew Snow wasn't worthy of Serah, but was he? Was Noel worthy of her either?
Noel sighed in frustration and bent his head back to his sword, scrubbing furiously at the blade. Whether he was worthy or not didn't matter, he reasoned with himself. Serah was in love with Snow, and nothing was ever going to change that.