DISCLAIMER: I do not own FFXIII or any of the characters. Unfortunately. Otherwise, Noel and Hope would be the main characters of the third game AND BE TOGETHER FOREVER.

Set after the events/during the potential ending of Lightning Returns. This is a sequel to another of my works here, called 'Rebirth'. I strongly advise you to read it first!
This has depicted major character death. The ending is happy, though!

Happy reading!

There was so much he wanted to say… Yet, he didn't even know where to begin.

Kneeling down in front of the small tombstone an Academy member took him to, he stared at the marble for a moment before he reached to trace the name engraved there.

Noel Kreiss
Time Traveler

Not much more was written on the cold surface: just a few words on where he had been found, what he had done for the future (that they knew of) and date of death… But Hope did not care about that. He knew all of it. He knew much more than what was in front of him.

He cared that this was where his Noel was taken to rest and everything that had happened so far.

He was not religious, no matter how many Gods revealed themselves to be true and, while he had respected Noel's faith in Etro, he did not share the same devotion for the almighty being. After the day he just had, though…

Hope suddenly knew what he wished to say.

"Today… I had the strangest encounter." He murmured, letting his hand fall onto his lap and fingering the single tulip he had brought with him. Noel had not been much of a fan of receiving or giving flowers but still, he felt he needed to bring something. Noel would have understood, he believed. "I met…" Hope couldn't help the sigh that forced itself out of him. It sounded insane even to his own ears, even though he knew better. "I met you.

"But I know you're not… here. I know…"

Taking a moment to try and ease the knot in his throat, the silver haired man let his head hung low. Even if the burn had lessened, it still hurt to think of Noel's death. Much as Serah's, it was so sudden. One moment, everything was alright, they were winning. And then… everything was red. Everyone was screaming and there was mad laughter and blood, blood, blood. Blood he still saw in his hands if he stopped to stare.

'H-Hop—'

'No, no, don't speak! You'll only lose more blood, oh god…'

Gurgling, Noel seemed to barely have the strength to keep his eyes open but he still managed to raise a hand to grip Hope's collar, knuckles white with the death grip. Hope vaguely wondered if it could be blood loss instead but his mind was too occupied with what he could do to save his lover for him to further analyze the possibility. Uncharacteristically, he let out a string of curses, going back to using magic as none of the items they had were anything close to successful with closing the gaping wound. As before, the spells did more than barely start to close the gash and Hope let out a dry sob, forcing his magic powers to give it all.

'H- 'ope…'

'Noel, just- just don't—'

Forcing the blood out of his airway with a cough, Noel was still aware enough to see the blood that had splattered on Hope's cheek and moved his hand from his collar up to the other's face, barely brushing the red substance off with the tips of his fingers before his arm fell limp against Hope's chest. Everything was starting to numb. 'I- I don't…'

Forsaking his magic, Hope gathered the brunet in his arms and brushed his hair back soothingly, blinking back tears as his other hand pressed against the laceration in a feeble attempt to stop the flow of blood. He knew it wouldn't work. There was so much of it, more than he thought he would ever see in one place. More than he ever wanted to see from Noel. What really did break his heart in the end was the confusion in Noel's face. As if he didn't know what was happening; why it had happened in the first place and why did it hurt so much. 'It'll be alright.' Hope soothed, rubbing his thumb over Noel's cheekbone in comforting circles as he felt the other's fingers feebly clench against his chest, searching for an anchor. 'Soon… Soon it won't hurt anymore.'

'Pro…mise?'

Hope gave a jerky nod, continuing to hold the other close. 'I promise… And I never did break a promise, did I?' He asked as lightly as he could, bending to press his lips to Noel's brow. Sniffing, Hope rested his forehead against Noel's hair as he rocked him.

It took him a moment to realize the other had not answered. '… Noel?' Pulling back, Hope finally broke down when his eyes met the brunet's empty ones. Noel was dead.

Inhaling deeply, Hope did his best to regain his composure as he sat back on his feet in front of the grave. "I'm sorry." He apologized to the wind, wiping his eyes with the back of his gloves. "It's just… We promised to be here together. In the future. The real future. We had made so many plans… I wanted to continue to make Bhunivelze a better home for all of us and you, you wanted to help, even though you couldn't care less for all the technical mambo-jumbo." Hope smiled fondly. "I would show you around Bhunivelze and whatever city called to us would be our home, where we would settle down and finally be happy. We were going to be here together." Hope repeated, curling his hands into fists.

"But that's kind of the point, isn't it? I mean, I am here but somehow you are too, just it's not… you."

Titling his head up, Hope stared at the late afternoon sky and saw the lights of the cities far above him, serving as mock stars. "… Light told me our souls are made of chaos." He continued. "When we die, our souls pass through the Unseen Gate and return to Valhalla to join the rest already there. Etro then takes it and gifts it when someone else is born, thus creating a cycle.

Before I turned to crystal, I begged her for… something. Not even I know." Hope shook his head as he turned back to the grave. "Light says this is a gift; that Etro heard me and held on to your soul until she could use it so we could meet again now. I… Even though I find it hard to believe, I quite like that theory but then again… He will still never be you.

He is not a hunter, he is a member of the corps. He doesn't hold the same maturity you held in your young years as he has never gone through the same hardships you did. Everything that molded you into who you are… I'm afraid he doesn't have it." There was a pregnant pause before Hope picked up the tulip and set it against the cold stone. "Still…

"I'm willing to take the risk. If it is indeed a gift and this is truly your soul born anew, then I am not going to waste this second opportunity. I've lost too many people that were dear me in my lifetime. I couldn't avoid it the first time… But I won't let you go a second time." Reaching, Hope pressed his forehead to the name engraved on the marble for a moment before he stood. A little smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Wish me luck…

I am trying to win you over again, after all."

Surprisingly, it was later that day when he was walking towards his newly assigned apartment that his opportunity arose. It wasn't very hard to miss… Not with the brutality of the impact they suffered.

"Again, I am so sorry."

"It's alright. I wasn't looking where I was going either."

"I shouldn't have been running around. I mean, I spend my days chiding little kids not to do so, what kind of role model am I?"

Smiling at the words, Hope did his best not to wince as the other man gingerly pressed a handkerchief to his brow. One thing seemed to have remained untouched and that was Noel's concern for others.

That and his dorky love for harem pants. Hope's smile widened slightly at the thought. "… You're smiling at my pants. I really hope it is a good kind of smile and not a 'there's something funny down there' kinda smile."

"It's the former, I assure you. It's just… Harem pants, Noel." Black, slightly more stylish than what he knew as Noel's favorite pants but still, harem pants. He guessed some things truly never changed.

"They are comfortable and give me room to move. Don't ditch the pants." Noel huffed, pulling back the hankie a little and blowing on the bruise to sooth the pain. Pressing the piece of paper back onto the wound when it still bled a little, Noel let the silence stretch for a short while before he started chatting again. "You know… In a way, we were kinda lucky to have run into each other. Even if it was, well, literally."

"Please, do tell the man with the mild concussion how were we lucky. I'd be delighted to hear it."

"Sassy. What I mean is that were lucky to meet again since, you know… We didn't exactly exchange contact info before so we could meet on our own terms."

"… Oh. I'm sorry… I didn't exactly have a phone number or even an address to give you before, in any case." Hope apologized, slightly embarrassed. Talk about starting with the left foot.

"Well… Nothing stopping you now." Noel reminded, pulling back after he had applied a small band-aid he had forgotten in his backpack over the cut. (1)

Gingerly touching the spot, Hope looked up at the grinning brunet. He felt his lips curl into yet another smile as he remembered his early words by his Noel's grave. I am truly not going to waste another opportunity. "Alright." He nodded, standing up from the bench he was sitting on. "How about we talk about it over a quick meal, then?"

"Now?"

"Unless you have other plans, of course."

Smiling, Noel simply shook his head and offered his arm. "None at all."

Taking the offer, Hope simply smiled as the other began to chat as easily as if they had known each other forever.

Perhaps they truly could still get that happy ending.

AN: (1) Noel carries around band-aids for the little kids while on patrol AND when off-duty. He is a guardian deep down, after all. Plus he's a sweetheart but shhh

It's almost 5am and I'm starting to see double but I hope whoever reads this likes it. I still struggle a little to write Hope and I fail too, sorry.