Bittersweet

A/N: I'm a fan of Hope/Light, and am disappointed that there aren't more stories about them. I'm going to try to remedy that, in the hopes (pun not intended) that more people will write about them. There are several good Hope/Light fanfics already existing, so go on and read them!

So please read, review, and write your own fanfics too. Also, this takes place post-game, so there are SPOILERS. Also, my memory is notoriously fuzzy, so apologies if I make some events from the game vague…And I'm going to establish some of what happens post-game (My take, anyway) so please bear with it before I get things rolling.

Additionally, I own nothing.


Four years had passed since the fall of Cocoon, the mighty utopia in the sky. However, after revealing the intentions of the Fal'cie, many people came to view it as a cage. The residents of Cocoon had seen their world come down…But it didn't crash and burn. They were brought closer to the Earth, and the truth of the matter- that they didn't know about life until they had rubbed their noses up to it.

The people of Cocoon organized a working democracy based on expanding their world into Gran Pulse. The masses were to decide how to tackle their new fate. It was by no means an easy task, but it had to be done. Progress was slow, but it was made. Inch by inch, the people had extended into Gran Pulse. It was no Cocoon, but it was a start. A majority of people lived in the shell of Cocoon, which was now run and supported by the people, and not the "revered" gods of yesteryear. Excursions and settlements were being made to the expansive lands of Gran Pulse.

This period of time was a whirlwind of events; so much had changed in this time. Shortly after the plummet and subsequent salvation of Cocoon, the band of six l'Cie had tried to stay together as best as they could. They did for very shortly, but eventually, life had taken its hold on them. As time progressed, many of the l'Cie had begun to see each other less and less. Fortunately, many of them had settled in the same city, sans Hope.

Sazh and Dajh had moved to Bodum. Sazh decided that the vacation-esque look and feel of Bodum was needed to keep spirits high—and to be honest, he felt that him and Dajh needed a lifelong vacation after what they went through. From time to time, Sazh resumed his work as a pilot, flying supplies or people to Pulse and Cocoon.

Snow and Serah, who were still madly in love as ever, moved into a house together. But they were not married yet. Lightning had approved of the wedding, but convinced the two to wait just a little bit for the world to settle down. They were determined and diligent to do so, but the craziness of adjusting with society to a new life had to come first. However, despite this, they had planned many of the details of their wedding, in between Snow working with NORA to pay bills. NORA was doing well, keeping peace and doing missions for the better of Cocoon's citizens here and there. With the adjusting nature of Cocoon around them, they had managed to set a date and plan a small ceremony. It was to bring the l'Cie back together for the joyous occasion. Intimate, warm, and inviting is what they aimed for.

Lightning dove head first into her work, just like she always had prior to becoming a l'Cie. Her strength and overall soldier qualities made her valuable to keeping the peace in a world that needed protection. She often rose early and came home late at night. This lifestyle meshed well as she lived alone in a comfortably modest apartment. Despite this, she had managed to find time here and there to see her sister, who she had a lot of catching up to do with.

Hope had returned to Palumpolum with his father. Bartholomew was an important asset to the Sanctum, and therein, an important asset to the people of Cocoon. He played an administrative role in the new society; which the center of was Palumpolum, replacing Eden. As a result, he was a very busy man, but one who still managed to be a better father to his son. Hope had reluctantly returned to school in this four year period—reluctantly because he had grown so incredibly close to his l'Cie friends, particularly one of them…

From the onset of his journey, Hope was scared and confused to say the least. He had become a whirlwind of emotion, tugged in between revenge, fear, loneliness, and despair. However, he was able to pull through this, with the help of a young woman. Lightning was his, well, light in the maelstrom of the l'Cie incidence. What had started out as respect for her turned into an enormous crush—the secret of which was kept safe with Vanille, and unfortunately, too safe he thought (referring to her crystallization). Being around Light had always put him at ease, and making her happy had in turn made him happy. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman; on top of this, she was strong, confident, straight forward, and just pleasing to be around. Her presence always brought about a calm within him. When he was with her, time stood still, and she became the center of his thoughts and desires.

During the past four years, as Hope forged ahead through high school, he was afraid his boyhood crush on Light would have subsided…But it didn't. His thoughts always wandered and led to her. He began to be reminded of her in the smallest ways. Daydreams often took him far away to a perfect world where they had all the time in the world together; one where Hope had the guts to admit his true feelings to her. Hope often longed to hold her in his arms…To listen to her harmonic voice…To gaze into her picturesque blue eyes…To interlace his fingers with her… To run his hands along her smooth t—and that is when he would snap out of his daze with cheeks ablaze.

As Hope's senior year in high school came to a close, ready to head off to college the following fall, he was determined to make the most of his summer. To him, that meant seeing his friends in Bodhum more—and more importantly, spending more time around Lightning. He had figured that she wouldn't return his feelings, that he was the boy she always knew, or that he was a sort of student in her mentor-like eyes. Hope had decided that if he couldn't be with her, he would at least come to appreciate her from afar (Translation: Friend Zone'd). To attain her romantically was his dream, but he knew it was just that—a dream. The best he could do was to be in her warmth and bask in her radiance

It was a bittersweet situation he found himself in, but he would focus on the sweet aspect of it. Hope's summer plans had found themselves off to a wonderfully amazing start, for he had an excuse to see his friends in Bodum. Why, you ask? For Snow and Serah's long awaited wedding. Hope, along with everyone else, had been eagerly awaiting it. He would stay for the weekend-three days due to a Cocoon holiday, and make the most of his time there.

Boarding the train from Palumpolum to Bodum, Hope was eager to arrive. For the first time in four years, he would see his friends. His comrades. People he could consider family. On top of this, he would see her. His boyhood crush. His protector. His mentor. His so-called 'light' in a dark world. The woman he loved and longed for—Lightning.

He couldn't wait for this train to stop.


A/N: So there's chapter 1, I don't know how long or where this is going, but I suppose we'll see. Let me know what you think. And next chapter I'll try my hand at some dialogue.