~X~
"You may be a homo, Snow." Serah tied a pink apron around her waist and neck, brushing her hair slightly to the back of her neck before she turned to face the muscular man sitting next to her reading a sport magazine, "But I do not tolerate you being a pedophile." Serah quirked a brow at her childhood friend.
"Aw come on Serah, I helped the boy because he got separated from his mother." His eyes glued to the papers in his hands, too absorbed by the contents or simply, looking for a reason so he could ignore the pink haired girl's accusation. "I'm not flirting with the little boy. He is nine. Ten? Or something like that." He rolled his eyes in irritation, but carefully so the other would not notice it.
"'. . . Sure." Serah gave Snow one last stare before she took the napkin near the sink and wiped the remaining flours off the kitchen table. She was having so much fun baking a birthday cake for her sister that evening with Snow's help. Of course, Snow, being useless in the kitchen, a woman's territory, did not do anything but to watch lazily while mumbling an empty talk with her. He was not really helping, no, not at all. Not even a bit.
And if that wasn't bad enough, he set her microwave on fire. Her new microwave that she bought a few days ago using Lightning's money. She hoped for his own good, Lightning wouldn't have the temper to kill him tomorrow.
"Serah." The girl lifted her head to look at Snow yawning wantonly with fist on his mouth to close the parted lips. Satisfied, Snow turned back to look at a pouting Serah. If there was one thing you should know about this girl, she hated waiting and making everyone wait for her. "Oh yeah, I need to go now." He declared, standing up from his warm seat and stretched his numb muscles. "Ah . . . it's snowing out there." He spoke in awe at the white view outside the Farron's residence.
Watching the earth floor coated white a pure white matters, hiding it deepest secret behind the snow, the world looked so much calmer. Sparkling under the dark sky. It was one of the reasons why Snow fond of winter, because only within snow, the world could whisper its feelings openly without being heard by humans.
"So early? Fine then. Don't be late tomorrow, my sister's birthday party starts at three." She waved to him, watching the man disappeared from her sight when he closed the door behind him with a quick click.
"Men." She shook her head in amusement. "Always so slow." She was worried about him, thinking that he would never get married. She wouldn't mind a gay marriage, she only concerned about her friend being single for the rest of his life. Snow was a bit blunt to his surroundings sometimes.
X
He kicked the snow beneath his shoes, shivering a little when the cold snow touched his sensitive ears and neck. He frowned at the thought of forgetting to bring his scarf with him; lucky Serah wasn't here or she would annoy him of how reckless or forgetful he was to no end.
"Niuu . . ." a puny mewl cried weakly.
"Hmm?" Snow observed the area, searching for the source of the voice; well, more like a meow to him, but whatever. Rubbing his hands together, Snow narrowed his eyes when he saw a small figure, not bigger than a size of a kitten, leaning against the streetlight's surface for a support.
'What do we have here?' Snow crouched down with a soft groan slipped out from his throat and gently extending his hands to grab the kitten into his palm. The white cat didn't obey quietly which resulted into a faint protest, nibbling its tiny canines into Snow's middle finger. "Ow-. . . I'm trying to help here." Snow hissed at the sting of pain but chuckled at the kitten's cute defiance. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just need to see something."
He turned the furry creature around to search for a cause of the cat's peculiar reaction from the way it walked just now. "You hurt your leg little one." Snow heaved a short sigh, glad it wasn't anything serious or he would have to bring the small one with him to tend its injury.
"Miuuu." The kitten let go of Snow's finger and surprisingly, licked the back of Snow's hand adoringly as if it was trying to apologize for biting his finger. The man blinked twice before he chuckled while holding the kitten between his hands.
"Hope?" Snow pulled the blue leash around the kitten's neck to take a better view of it. So the cat- kitten's name is Hope. He had to admit this little one had a beautiful and smooth fur despite the slit on its leg. The cat seemed to be . . . abandoned too. Perhaps Hope's owner was searching for him somewhere else. "Well, I don't think so." He knew the first answer was correct but who would ditch a newborn cat like this in a winter?
"Meow . . ." Hope rubbed its whiskers to Snow's flesh, earning a laugh by the older man.
"Okay okay, I'll take you home with me Hope."
He took Hope in his large palms and covered the trembling kitty with his brown coat, protecting the little one from any harm. A good person like him needed to have a strong compassion right? He grinned when little Hope meowed at him in agreement.
Really adorable, the petite life snuggling for a warmth in his hand.
X
There.
Snow wrapped the clean white bandage on Hope's leg, sealing the wound along with it. This would be sufficient for now. He would make sure the wound was taken care off from time to time avoid any unwanted infections. He couldn't let Hope get hurt or the kitten would stop being all cheerful and playful around him.
"Good enough for you?" Snow rubbed the back of Hope's ears to ease the furry ball of excitement and encourage it to have a rest.
"Neoooow~" Hope flipped its body back and lay down on the carpeted floor, letting Snow to scratch every crook and nook of its furry body.
"What? Over here?" Snow moved further onto Hope's belly and stroked it, making the kitty purred delightedly.
"Okay Hope, I need to take a shower. Coming?" Snow couldn't hold his laughter when Hope crawled on all four and start to arching its tail before it gave him the kitty disapproval look. "I know I know. Cat doesn't like water." That was odd, he was acting as if Hope could understand him. What scared him the most was when Hope responded to his question.
The blonde man was about to leave the room for a shower when he heard a knock on the door. Cursing under his breath, he walked to the door with a blank expression. Who could it be at this kind of hours? Opening the door, his mouth gape opened when Serah stood there, hands on her hips with her lips pursed into a smirk.
"Serah?"What are you doing here?
"You forgot your cell phone again." Serah waved the object in the air, happy to know she had a reason to make fun of her friend again. It didn't matter where or when, if she had the chance, she wouldn't let the chance creep away from her. "Here you go, you la-" She peeked her head into the house when a cute meow rang out through the air.
"H-hey! I don't remember inviting you in!" Snow folded his hands into his broad chest. What would people say when they saw a young girl visiting his house in the middle of the night like this? His neighbours were somewhat religious. Knowing Serah, she probably just come back from a date with her lover and use this golden opportunity to barge into his house to . . . well . . . do this.
"You have a cute kitty!" Serah ran to Hope, dropping her purse to the nearest end table. The girl took little Hope and wedged the poor kitten between her breasts. "Aww. He loves me." Serah stated happily.
"No, I think Hope needs to breath." Snow gently gripped Hope from Serah's sneaky touch and rescued his beloved pet. Hope nuzzled its head to Snow's wrist when the male lifted Hope up to his arms, cradling the gray kitten possessively.
"Since when do you have an interest in a cat?" Serah knew Snow wouldn't keep the soft ball for so long. Eventually, Snow would have to let go off the creature in his hold right now. He was not the one that very good at keeping his stuff in the right place, let alone to take care of a newborn cat. Ridiculous. "Give me the cat, I like it." Serah whined at her friend.
"What? No!" Snow put his Hope on the floor and stood before it. Hope sat with his tail wiggling around and licking its fur quietly, not knowing the whole situation was about him. "I want Hope and I'm keeping him." Snow glared at the girl; a glare that didn't work on her.
Interesting. Serah giggled to herself more than to her friend.
"What?"
"I was kidding, silly. Do you think my sister would let me take in a cat? You must be really fond of Hope." Serah hit Snow's shoulder, taking her purse and headed towards the door. With one last glance to her friend and Hope, she beckoned them a goodnight.
Looks like you have a new responsibility, Snow. And more fun for her if when Snow messed up.
Snow narrowed his eyes when Serah slammed the door loudly, making the frames hanging on the wall fall to the floor. Rubbing his temple, Snow turned around to face a sleeping Hope on his couch, looking all cute and sweet.
"I guess I'll be keeping for you from now on, eh?" Snow patted Hope's undersized head, smiling warmly to know that this cat would be the one to forever share everything in his life.
X_X
Written by Wookie
I've posted this story before but it was in a different fandom using a different account. Now it's FF XIII version ;]