Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Square-Enix. God help me if I did.
Rated for Teen for now.
Summary: The prestigious Estheim housholds are being threatening from an unknown group. For the protection of his family, Bartholomew ordered security from the highest protective agent from the Sanctum, NORA.
Pairing: SnowxHope
Chapter 1
The sun was shining brightly above the Palumpolum giving the commercial city a livelier atmosphere. It was near 3 o'clock in the afternoon and the school bell was about to ring, signaling the students the end of their educational learning for the day. Hope quickly jotted down the last pieces of notes from the lecture before the bell rung. Before the students could scamper out of classroom, the teacher quickly reminded them of their up coming test which were followed by lots of groaning and moaning as the students left the room, dragging their feet out the door. The silver-haired teen stretched as he got up from his chair, grabbing his belongings and gave an approval nodded to his teacher before exiting the room. He glanced around the hallway only to notice the bustling of other students who were associating with their friends. He signed defeated as he casually tried walk towards his locker.
'I hate going to my locker after school...' He mentally mumbled. As he come closer to his locker, he saw the reason for his hatred. His locker is place near around some of the athlete players who have a nag to tease him. He peeked from corner of the hallway, and detected that everyone were in his or her own little bubble conversing with his or her friends. So he decided to act fast before anyone could notice him. Happy that no one acknowledge his presence as he walked pass a group of students, he reach for his locker, open the locker slowly only to have a hand behind him to shut the locker close.
"Well, well. What we have here? Little Hope finished all his classes for the day." A voice behind of him snickered, followed by some giggling from girls. Probably from the cheerleader.
Hope opened his locker again ignoring the presence behind of him. In a situation like this, he tried avoid provoking the other person.
"Hey, wuss! Don't ignore me." The voice demand irritated.
'Great plan Hope...' After placing his books inside the locker and closing it, he turned around to face to a glaring Seifer.
"There, better, huh." Seifer said smiling. Hope glared back. 'How does delinquents like these ever get in private school? Their family probably loaded.'
"It's nice to see your face as always, but I got to go." Hope comment quickly looking for a way out, but a hand slammed near the locker blocking his way.
"Hmmm, I'm thinking of a number from one to twenty. Guess right and I'll might consider letting you go." The blond asked teasing. Hope glare intensively. He hated Seifer's guessing games. 'Can this situation ever get worse?' The silver-haired teen mentally groaned.
"Hope?" A voice chirped. Both member turned and saw Olette smiling. She moved past Seifer with ease and grabbed Hope's hand pulling him down the hall. "C'mon or you'll be late for the meeting?"
Hope knew she lying, but he thanked whatever God was watching over him. "Geez, thanks for your help. Seifer is such a jerk." He said after they distance themselves from the groups, smiling sheepishly.
"Aww, he's not like that." She confessed truthfully. "It's just his way, you know."
They both glanced back from the double door noticing the blond smiling in their direction. Hope saw that Olette was returning a smile. 'Huh, these two? Who would've guess!'
"You better run along." Olette said breaking the silver-haired trail of thought.
"Ohh, see you tomorrow." The teen responded before leaving the school compound. Hope glanced at his watch. "Its only 3:30 pm." He frowned. It was still to early for his taste. "Hmm, maybe a stop at the bookstore can spare some time."
His private school was locating at the outskirt of Palumpolum. Only those parents with a notable amount of cash can afford to send their children at this prestigious private school. Hope's father, Bartholomew, is the founder and current owner of the Estheim Company, so any financial worries weren't a problem for him. And his mother, Nora, is a reputable and renowned screenplay actress who met Bartholomew in her younger ages. His parents are always in the public eye, always attending social parties and gatherings, but for Hope, he tried to avoid them because the people there were annoying. He always returned home with a sore cheeks from all the old woman pinching his face.
After fifteen minutes of walking he reached his destination at the bookstore. Other than one or two customers and the assistant at the desk, the store was completely quiet. Hope glided himself to first bookshelves looking through the early releases. He pulled out a book from the shelves before flipping through the pages. 'Another senseless romance.' He mentally thought glancing at the book's cover filled with roses.
Hope returned the book to its original position when he felt his finger flinched when they touch the cold wooden shelf. Strangely, he felt the atmosphere thicken as a cold shiver run through his lithe body. His heart rates quicken knowing that something was a mist. He glanced around the store noticing the other occupants doing their own business. He quickly exited the stifling room, but the feeling didn't go away. He can feel eyes in the shadows looking at him. Within his vision, he saw the civilians in Palumpolum doing what they usually do in the afternoon. He then noticed carefully some men dress in black suits from the corner of his vision, and they were looking at him. Hope turned toward the opposite direction and start walking, but something was following his very footsteps. The silver-haired teen took a left on the first intersection to avoid his unknown pursuers. The street was crowned as usual, but the footsteps of his pursuers only seem to get closer. 'They seem to be about three blocks away following a distance,' he concluded. He quickened his pace and saw a more crowded group inside a plaza from the other side of the road. He decided to walk nonchalantly into crowned hoping to lose his followers. Lucky for his short height, the individual wouldn't be able to notice his silver-haired in the crowd. Not giving a thought, he entered into the closest building, hoping to escape from the followers, only let out a breath, which he never knew he was holding in.
"Welcome, do you have a reservation?" Someone greeted him at the door. Hope nervously jumped from woman who greeted him. She was young about in her mid twenties, a brunette dressed in a shin-length pink dress and a nametag that read Aerith. The young woman blinked at the young teen. Hope glanced back behind him hoping that his pursuer isn't following him.
"Is something wrong?" The young woman blinked, noticing the teen's behavior. The kid was about to have a panic attack. Another young woman with dark brown-haired dressed in a white shirt under a black zip-up vest with black shorts approached them.
"Aerith, is there a problem here?" The other woman asked calmly. The raven-haired woman glanced down at the teen that looked like he is about cry.
"Ahhmm?" Aerith said uncertain, folding her arms together before placing her index finger under her chin while looking at the teen.
At that moment, Hope felt the presence thickened. He quickly hid behind the brunette gripping on her dress. "There some guys I don't know following me." Hope confessed worriedly. The two women exchanged looks before noticing some bystanders dressed in black walking passed the sidewalk looking for something. They didn't dress like any officers from the Sanctum from the women's perspective.
"Aerith, take him to the back." The raven-haired woman revealed trying to avoid trouble.
"C'mon sweetie, you're safe. Don't worry." The brunette reassure warmly. Hope nodded knowing from the brunette's smile that he felt safe. Though he did not release his grip on the woman though.
Hope didn't know that he chose to hide into a restaurant until the young brunette woman took him deeper into the building. She guided him to a seat near bar and offered him something to drink. He nodded feeling his energy completely wasted before the young woman assured him that she returned in a few seconds. Hope glimpsed around the restaurant noticing it lively atmosphere. The raven-haired woman before was attending to a group of customers at a table and while another cheerful waitress with short black-haired, a white headband tied around her head dressed in a blue and black strapless with shoulder straps and a pair of tan shorts with a yellow belt was attending another set of customers. He saw a giant sign plaster on the wall, which read 7th Heaven. 'Probably the name of the place.'
"Here and it on the house." A glass of ice filled soda was place before Hope breaking his thought. "I'll let the manager deal with damage control for now." The brunette said before walking off talking to raven-haired woman who glanced at him.
After the raven-haired woman quickly finished her customer's order, she approached Hope. He was deep in his thought, reflecting on his situation earlier to notice the woman seated herself beside him.
"Are you hungry?" The raven-haired offered to break the tension. Hope shakes his head, but thanked the young woman for her offer though.
"So what your name?" She asked. "I'm Tifa Lockhart, the manager of 7th Heaven."
"I'm Hope, Hope Estheim." He said weakly. He watched as the Tifa's pair of brown-red eyes widened in gradually in surprise.
"Wait, you're the Estheim child?" The raven-haired woman asked incredulously. Hope nodded, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment.
'Huh, why are suspicious looking men searching for this boy?' Tifa mentally thought.
"Do you know why those men are following you?" She asked careful not scared the teen. Hope shakes his head and told her of his story at bookstore until his arrival at the restaurant knowing nothing else to do. And from his claim, Tifa concluded that the silver-haired teen was innocent.
"Where do you live?" Another question asked.
"Felix Height." Hope responded.
'Felix Height, that's not too far from here...' Tifa pondered. "Can you wait here for a couple of minutes?" Tifa inquired. Hope thought that woman might call the authorities. "I'm about leave in a second and I thought it might be better if I take you home myself. It's safer knowing that there are some suspicious characters are out there."
Hope nodded meekly. "Okay, then just enjoy yourself for a bit." Tifa said warmly leaving his sides to informed Aerith of her situation.
After ten minutes of waiting, the two women were taking him at the back of building. Tifa stepped outside alone, glancing around the street first and noticing no one before clicking the alarm of her keys opening her car doors.
"Okay, you take care and stay out of trouble." Aerith said smiling warmly.
"I'll try." Hope smiled before entering the passenger's seat. As the car left the block, Hope watched as the brunette reenter the building. After a short and silent drive, the car arrived in front Estheim's parkway. After Hope got out, Tifa rolled down the door window. "You better stay safe."
Hope nodded. "Thanks." He waved as he walked towards his house.
"And whenever you got any free time, come visit 7th Heaven, I'll whip you up something good to eat." Tifa offered gaining a sincere nod from the shy teen.
Hope turned around smiling at her as the woman speed away out of his neighborhood. Hope sighed and turned walking toward his house. He pulled out his cellphone noticing that he got five missed calls and four voice mails; all were from his mom. Deciding not bother with it as he is already at front door of his house, he placed his phones in his pocket and pressed his finger against the doorbell.
When the door suddenly opened, Hope comes face to face with a worried-some mother. She practically grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled him inside of their house before giving a glanced around the neighborhood.
"Hope? She exclaimed with concerns in her voice. "Where have you been young man? And why didn't you answer your phone when I call?"
"Sorry. I was at the bookstore after school, and I grab something to drink before coming home." The silver-haired teen said which was partly true. He was not going to tell the entire event that occurred today. It would caused his overprotective parents to worry for him more.
Nora signed through her nose, "Don't worry me like that."
Hope always thought that his mother is over protective when it comes to his safety, but that didn't seemed like the case when he entered into the living room. He noticing a strange-looking party dressed professionally occupying his living room and he saw two acquaintances of his father, Yaag Rosch and Jihl Nabaat from the Sanctum.
"Mom, is something going?" Hope asked cautiously. From the distress look on Nora's face, Hope knew something was at a mist.
"Sweetie, your father was attack today." Nora confessed her concerns as she watched Hope's green orbs widened in fear.
To continued...
A/N: I hope you guys enjoy the story so far. I'll introduced NORA in the next chapter. Like I said, this story is from a different universe, so don't expect something similar from the video game except for SnowxHope which I hope you guys are fond of reading :) Also I throw in other FF and Kingdom Heart's characters because FF13 doesn't have enough characters to work with...