Snow stared afar, into the crowd of tall buildings that resembled city life. He didn't mind Bohdum much, but that was mostly because he had grown up there. Oftentimes, he had wondered what it would be like to live in the city full of people, walking amongst the hurried men, working an urban job. Palumpolum seemed the perfect fit, but of course, he hadn't that kind of gil. "Felix Heights is that way, right?" Snow asked, pointing towards the distant forest pitted against the dark clouds in the sky. The blonde man looked over his shoulders, at the distraught young man, and wondered if all the fighting was simply too much. Why do kids have to be dragged into this…? He thought to himself. He continued to stare at Hope's small frame and hoped that the young l'Cie would say something. His blue orbs gazed onto the floating sign that proved him right, as he finally remarked, "Still pretty far." A brief pause elapsed as he continued to think about his future and muttered, "You know, someday, I'd like to live here—Start my own family."
The silver-haired male could not stand the fact that this man was still alive, spewing his nonsense, while his mother was dead. And that smile of his. How dare of him to smile after all this and all that he's put me and Light through. "Yeah, well, l'Cie don't have family," Hope finally said to hint at his own grief and hopefully, to hurt Snow into realizing his. Of course, he would normally not want this for anyone, but both the recent and past events have made him bitter about the world, how every turn had led to more despair.
"Listen to me," Snow started as he walked over towards his comrade. "I will, once I save Serah and protect Cocoon," he continued to explain, clenching his fist and raising his forearm as if he had already succeeded. Without a doubt, Snow's relentless optimism and chumminess had rubbed off the wrong way with Hope, who only thinks him as arrogant, hotheaded, reckless, and a murderer. In fact, most people feel that way about Snow, and the only one who didn't may not ever come back into this world. Snow had had to hide his insecurities behind this façade simply because his heart had been suffering this whole time. Despite Fang telling him about how Serah could thaw from her crystal sleep, Snow just didn't know enough to believe her. Better to prepare for the worst.
Hope was tired of his cockiness and had wondered why Lightning had left him in Snow's charge. He was determined to make him feel guilty and miserable and make him pay for what he had done to his mother, Nora. "And how would you do that?" the young man muttered, hoping to strike a chord.
And certainly it did, but Snow wouldn't show it. "It'll be tough," the optimist remarked, "But everything will work out in the end, as long as we stay together and hold on to hope—"
"We don't have any!" Hope interrupted as he scrunched his face to display his dissatisfaction. "A l'Cie's only hope is a quick death!" He continued, this time, to fully reveal his fears. "Hold on to hope. Yeah right." He mocked.
The sound of a Gatling gun and a nearby explosion caught both the men's attention as they turned their heads toward the floating Palumpolum sign that is no longer there. Simultaneous gasps escaped both their vocal chords as they realized their dire situation. Hope decided to continue their quarrel later as their safety was most important and began to head off towards Felix Heights. Snow had promised Lightning that he would take care of Hope, regardless of his behavior, and it seemed even more important that he made sure Hope was safe now that he was so emotional. He hurried to chase the boy, occasionally calling out for him to slow down only to find him in a battle against Velocycle.
"Hope!" Snow yelled, throwing his companion a potion, "Time to switch it up, kiddo!" He provoked his enemy, making sure Hope had time to cure himself. He noticed how strong the teenager had become and how abled he was in combat. Just a while ago, the boy had curled into a ball every time a gunshot was heard. The time spent with Lightning must have done him some good, or so he thought. Hope had several defensive buffs were placed on each of them and the Sentinel felt it was time to finish it. The blonde chained a series of icy blasts that caused the Velocycle to halt for a moment. Unbeknownst to Snow, a flurry of Gatling gunshots was being loaded and was targeted at Hope. Thinking that their enemy had been staggered and malfunctioned, the two men cycled a few more blizzardy spells until the same sounds of gunshot that they heard earlier were being made once again. "Shit!" Snow muttered and threw himself in front of Hope, switching into a defensive stance. "You okay?" Another smirk of his appeared as he wanted to reassure his younger friend.
Hope nodded, consuming the potion that he was handed. He casted a series of blazing spells and thunderous strikes to finish the battle. The humming of the Velocycle slowed down and the machine was motionless. It was moments like these that Hope had found himself confused. He didn't know what to think of Snow. Why is he sometimes… so caring… but at other times a complete jerk? He hated to admit, but it was getting harder and harder to carry on Operation Nora. Perhaps Snow's charm worked on everyone, eventually. Am I being too soft? I can't be… 'There are some things in life you just do.'
The two men continued their way towards Felix Heights until Hope's legs gave in. He had ignored the burning ache in his calves for so long as his mind could only focus on one thing—Snow. Hope fell forwards onto the scorching asphalt and the surge of pain in both his lower limbs overtook any other sensations he had had. The elder l'Cie swooped in swiftly and held the younger man in his arms, breaking the surely painful fall. Hope glanced at the tanned arms that belonged to his mother's murderer and stared straight into the brand; it reminded Hope of their fate as l'Cie. He quickly pulled away and stood on his own two feet, brushing off where the stronger man had laid hands on him, and stabilized his breath.
"If you need to take a break, why don't we do it over there?" Snow said to the silver-haired boy as he retreated from his embrace. He had come to care a great deal for the boy and it was only intensified when Hope had continued to show his vulnerable side. Perhaps he felt sorry for dragging Hope into this—after all, it only truly began with Serah, Lightning, and himself, or so he thought. He offered his companion a shoulder to rely on as he escorted him over to a resting area near vending machines, only to be shrugged off.
Snow decided to purchase his younger comrade a can of JAC's, a refreshing soda that Bodhum was famous for producing. He took it out of the vending machine and nodded at Hope, "Here," holding the refreshment at arm's length. His generosity was not met with kindness, however, and it was simply answered with, "I'm not thirsty," much to his disappointment. Snow really wasn't sure what was chewing the boy up. He walked towards the fence, opposite the graffiti-filled wall that Hope was leaning on, and chugged the can of soda.
All Hope could think of at this point was his mother. How lonely she must have been when she was separated from him at the Vestige. Mommy?! Hope thought as he caught a glimpse of her in his memory. Hope sighed and shook his head, bringing himself back to reality, his mind now focused on the man responsible for his mother's death. He looked up and faced his fears, "Snow? What do you plan to do? I need to know."
The blonde, happy that his partner was finally talking, replied, "I told you. Save Serah, protect Cocoon, and have myself a big, happy family. But still, it's a long road ahead." He stared at his own l'Cie brand, noticing a change in its shape, an arrow extending from the center, and briefly muttered, "Or, maybe not so long." He extended his other arm, crushed the empty can, and threw it into the garbage bin several meters away, marveling at his own accuracy with a smile. "Whatever happens, things will work themselves out, Hope. Even if you're l'Cie, you gotta keep on fighting."
"And what if that gets people around you involved?" Hope retorted, taking himself off the wall and heading towards Snow. This is it. "What happens when your actions end up ruining someone's life?" Hope continued, readying his pocket knife.
A series of flashbacks hit Snow as he now realized who Hope was. The silver hair and that determined look were unmistakable. It was that woman! She wanted me to bring him home! The memory triggered his other memories of NORA, and he thought of Maqui, Lebreau, Gadot, Yuj, and all of his friends who may or may not be alive at this point.
"What if someone dies? What then, Snow?" Hope yelled in anger, and continued, "How the hell do you pay for what you've done?!"
Snow turned around and held onto the fence. He was so good at hiding his insecurities, but within a moment, the younger man had brought it all out. "I can't, all right? There is nothing that can make something like that right again. When someone's dead, when someone's gone, words are useless," the beaten man said.
Hope, unbelieving what he had just heard, angrily shouted, "So that's it? People die and you just run away? What kind of plan is that?"
"I know! It's all my fault!" Snow said, lowering his head into chest. "But I don't know how to fix it. Where do you start? What do you say? All I can do is go forward. Keep fighting and surviving, until I find the answers I need." Even his own words seemed ridiculous to him. What good is any of this? There are no answers for a l'Cie…
"There are no answers!" Hope interrupted, resonating the words Snow had had in mind. "You're running from what you deserve!"
"Why don't you fucking tell me what I deserve?!" Snow screamed, feeling himself pushed back into a wall.
"The same fate!" Hope cried. A blast of energy emitted from Hope's brand and knocked Snow through the fence. With the knife readied in his hands, Hope walked over towards his mark. "Nora Estheim," he muttered, "she was my mother. And she died because of you!" This had only confirmed what Snow already suspected. A shout of rage escaped Hope's lungs and he held the knife up high, ready to pierce the man on the ledge.
A gasp was heard and Snow watched an explosion knock Hope over and behind him. "Hope!" He ricocheted himself off the wall and grabbed onto his partner's small frame into his own embrace, breaking their fall with his own body. The fall was long, but Snow did everything he could to tighten his hold. It wasn't until they hit the ground that Snow finally released his grip. The two men lay on the cold floor, motionless.
…
Snow awoke first of the two, but was now in debilitating pain. Worried about Hope, he crawled over, checking his breathing and his heart. He smiled, knowing that the boy was safe from harm and hugged him in his once strong, but now tired arms. He noticed his brand changing again—two arrows now protruded from the center. "Guess it is not long off now before I turn Cie'th," he muttered to himself. He looked at Hope again, and picked the small man up, threw him across his shoulder and began climbing themselves out of the ditch they fell in a while back. Every muscle he used ached, and climbing only exasperated the pain, but he wasn't going to die here—especially not with Hope here. He reached the top, to where they were a moment ago before the explosion was set off, and stayed to catch his breath. He had positioned Hope to piggyback him, giving the young man some rest. He continued to walk towards Felix Heights, and noticed explosions nearby. Perhaps it's Lightning?
"Why'd you save me?" Snow startled to Hope's voice, but glad he was alright.
"I was asked to keep you safe by Lightning… and by Nora." The older of the two l'Cie replied. Knowing what must have been going through Hope's mind at this point, he continued, "I know it was my fault; I put her in danger. I know that. Let me make things right." The words that escaped his mouth brought tears to his own eyes. For some reason, he felt that he could open up to Hope—perhaps they both lost someone they love so dearly. "I know I said a lot of things earlier, and perhaps I shouldn't have, but I swear, I'll make it up to you."
A silence filled the air between the two, and Hope was trying to comprehend what he was hearing. Had he forgiven this man?
"I was using excuse after excuse, so I could run from my own guilt." Snow finally said, further revealing his own pain to the man behind him. "And what you said earlier; that hit home," he grunted in confession. The pain in his lower stomach was unbearable, but Snow couldn't let Hope down anymore. He was determined to do anything for him. "Look, Hope. I know what happened was my fault," he repeated, "but I don't deny it anymore, and I am sorry."
It was the first time that Hope had heard the man apologize. If this hasn't shocked him enough, Snow then handed him Lightning's pocket knife and muttered something along the lines of "Light trusting him with something so important". Hope was completely puzzled and wondered if the fall had done something to the man's head.
"I'll make everything better. Just give me time." Snow grunted, "And if nothing I do is enough, then I'll take any punishment you want to dish out." The smirk once again was slapped onto Snow's face, but this time it didn't annoy Hope so much. He felt the smile's authenticity, and could only feel warm from that.
He only wanted to forgive the older man, but Hope knew nothing could make it better. "You can take the blame, but nothing will bring her back."
"I'm sorry," Snow repeated again. The words rang in his ears, "Nothing will bring her back" and his heart sank as he knew he had truly ruined this boy's life.
"I knew it all along… I knew… but I had to blame someone. I had to…" Hope teared up as he confessed his motives. "I needed… a reason to keep on fighting."
"It wasn't someone's fault… Hope. It was mine. Take it out on me… and keep yourself alive, until you do." Snow spoke weakly as he crumbled onto the floor, finally giving in to the pain and letting go of Hope. He crawled towards Felix Heights, "I have to keep going…" but the pain was too much. He held himself against a pillar of stone and faced Hope, glad to see he could stand on his own two feet. "Let me… catch my breath." He said too soon, as he noticed an incoming aircraft.
"Hope!" Snow called out, preparing a Sentinel stance. A mechanical arm swung against Snow, and the man was easily thrown to the side, blacking out in his weakened state.
"Always the hero. You want to die?" Hope yelled at his savior. "Well, you can't! They will not take you, not while I'm alive!" The young l'Cie casted several defensive spells on himself and Snow, protecting him from further harm. He channeled a flurry of fiery spells and tsunamic waves, but the machine seemed unfazed. He found himself tiring as he continued to cast only heal after heal, unable to do any real damage to his competitor. He tried several wind-based spells, hoping to sweep the machine off its grounding, but the magic was simply too weak. The machine's radiating heat also ensured that any ice spells determined to freeze the laser guns are quickly dispelled. A series of laser rain knocked Hope down to the ground and any hope he had of surviving. "I… will not give in!" Hope shouted, standing once again, albeit weakly, on his own two feet. He channeled bolts of lightning but to no avail. A sweep from the machine's arm was incoming, and an image of Nora flashed before his eyes as he held his two arms out in defense, dropping his weapon.
…
Hope awoke to a familiar environment. His body was extremely sore, and he couldn't appreciate more the much needed rest. He looked around, and noticed he had been sleeping in his room—he must have passed out on the couch after the talk with his dad. To his left, he noticed his weapon was neatly placed on desk, along with some clothes to change into. On his bedside table, there was a framed picture of him and Nora. Thoughts of his mother had swarmed his mind as usual, but this time, Snow was in his thoughts as well. Shit… I wonder how Snow is. He thought to himself. He looked up, through the skylights, and marveled at the night sky. It was clear and the night was quiet, almost too quiet. He gathered that he had rested enough and slowly got up and left his room.
He crept quietly through his house, and noticed Lightning and Fang, sleeping on separate couches in the living room. He walked over to the two and turned off the television which had only been playing the news of Pulse l'Cie in Cocoon over and over again. Hope realized how lucky he was to have them both; in fact, he owed his life to them. If it were not for the two women, he would have been surely crushed by the aerial monstrosity. The timing was truly impeccable. He reminded himself that he would show his appreciation later, but right now, he decided to go into the guest room, expecting Snow to be there.
Snow groaned, wincing at the pain in his abdomen, and tossed around in bed, unable to relax completely. Despite being only half-conscious ever since the last ordeal, he couldn't stop thinking about Hope. He wasn't well enough to get out of bed, but he wanted to see how Hope was. Throughout his droopiness, he noticed that the boy had thrown himself against a machine to protect the both of them. Having not been trained in defensive tactics, Hope would have surely perished. But the boy was able to provoke the enemy to focus only him, and to leave Snow alone. He was determined to leave his bed, regardless of his own wounds, until he noticed his door opening, and the shadow of a small frame casted into the room. "Hope? Is everything alright?"
The silver-haired l'Cie slowly entered the dark room and noticed the blonde man lying on the guest bed, completely bruised up because Hope had acted selfishly earlier. As he walked closer, he noticed the discolouration of the skin. The redness of the flesh was unsightly, and he mouthed the words, "Snow. I am sorry." He could no longer hate this man, and he realized that for some unbeknownst period of time, he had started developing positive feelings for him. "I am so sorry," Hope repeated, "I know it wasn't your fault… and it's my fault you're like this." Tears streamed down Hope's face faster than a running faucet and the young man began sobbing incessantly.
Snow was shocked and ultimately stunned, not knowing what to do or say. What do you say to a crying man? "Hey, Hope," Snow started, trying his best to comfort the young man, "everything is going to be okay." The tears didn't stop, however, and all Snow could think of to do was to hug the man. Initially, the younger l'Cie refused to be held, but Snow was insistent. The strong arms pulled Hope close to his bare, but bandaged, chest and held him there tightly. "Hope, it'll be okay," Snow repeatedly said, calming the boy. The blonde couldn't bear to see Hope cry. It reminded him of when Serah confessed she had turned l'Cie.
Snow gently released his grip, and brought his right hand to Hope's chin. He tilted the young l'Cie's head to face him and noticed his gleaming green eyes, coated in a watery layer, his smooth lips, trembling in sadness, and the softness of his skin, so inviting to be touched. For that one moment, he felt his heartbeat race, his face burning with heat, and his pants tightening around his waist. No! What am I doing? Snow let go quickly, and immediately apologized, but was unable to do so in his normally suave manner, "Uhh… Sorry Hope, but we… we… should probably just—no, not probably… we should get some rest."
The silver-haired l'Cie was not ignorant, however. He picked up on the man's signals, no matter how slight they may be. Hope was puzzled. Why shouldn't he be if a handsome, well-built, caring, and engaged man was interested in him? His thoughts were scrambled and all the thinking had stopped his tears from flowing. Hope wrapped his arms around the older man and hugged the bare chest that he had found comfort in several moments ago. This time, it was Snow who was initially reluctant, but gave in to young man. He paid attention to the smell of his freshly-washed hair, the touch of his lean, but strong arms around his own torso, and the palpitations of his own heart.
"Hope…" Snow groaned. His feelings for this young man had overwhelmed his ability to control his newfound urges. He never knew he could feel this way for another man, but Hope was something special. It felt so nice to be close to someone again. Ever since Serah had become l'Cie, the two had grown apart, despite Snow's reassurance that everything would be okay. He wondered for a moment if anyone would consider this cheating, even if they thought Serah would have no chance of coming back. If knowing that Serah was gone forever didn't convince Snow enough, Hope's next actions did.
The younger l'Cie gently stroked Snow's hair while undoing his kerchief, revealing the marvelous blonde hair that defined his look. Hope continued grazing Snow's tender skin, eliciting a response that only invited the young man's touch even more. "Hope…" Snow moaned, "nggh…" Hope had never been experienced in this department, despite his actions saying otherwise. He simply did what he thought would feel good. He traced his lips over the defined abdomen that Snow had built and admired the man's body. All this time, he had gripped Snow's hands in his, denying any resistance, and eventually feeling it dissipate. Once he obtained this, he let go, and began unbuckling the belt that held it all in.
"Snow," Hope whispered softly, "you said you would make it up to me, right?" This time, he put on the smirk that Snow was renowned for, and looked straight into his newly discovered lover's cerulean eyes. Snow simply smiled at the younger man, and nodded in agreement. He guided Hope's unsteady hands, and untied his own belt together. As he took off his final article of clothing, Hope had already begun undressing.
"You know…" Hope started. "I—," he continued, but Snow knew what he was going to say.
He placed a finger on his lover's lips, nodded, and softly replied, "I know… We'll be gentle."
"What I was going to say is… you're huge," Hope chuckled, and the two l'Cie shared their first laugh together.
The two men, now fully naked bar the bandages, had lain on the bed, continuing to explore each other's bodies. Snow initiated the kiss between them, and guided Hope's hands with his own. The kiss was clumsy at first, but Hope learned quickly where his lips and tongue ought to be to satisfy his partner. Engulfed in the pleasures of their interlocked lips, Hope had forgotten that his member had grown extremely hard. The blonde released the hands of his younger love and clenched the other man's package.
Hope was caught by surprise and, for the moment, forgotten every technique he had learned thus far. His eyes widened and the kissing stopped. A gasp escaped his mouth as he focused on the heat surrounding his groin, and then began enjoying the pleasures it brought. The rhythmic stroking that Snow so expertly produced caused a familiar moisture to emerge at the tip of the younger man's shaft. Hope held onto Snow tightly as he began trembling at the heated throbbing of his member and released a long moan, which became muffled as Snow passionately planted his lips over his own.
As the words, "I'm gonna-," escaped the boy's mouth, Snow pulled his lips away and wrapped them around the young man's genitals, not wanting to miss the taste of his white seed. He continued going up and down the shaft, pleasuring Hope, until he could hold it no longer. Arching his back and thrusting into Snow, Hope released a splurge of creamy liquid into Snow's oral cavity, which he savored, then swallowed.
Hope panted after his release, gasping air to fill his empty lungs. Completely satisfied now, he looked over to his lover to satiate his needs. He imitated Snow's actions from earlier, but only this time on a much larger shaft. The same strategy that Snow used didn't seem to work with two hands, and his movements became clumsy and unsynchronized with Snow's thrusts. Hope stopped momentarily, and gazed deep into his comrade's blue eyes. "Do you want to?" He whispered into Snow's ears, and straddled himself onto Snow's crotch.
Snow obliged, as to him, it was refreshing to have someone so willing to make love to him. Being the only source of lubricant, Snow spat into his hands and worked to loosen the young man. The movements of Snow's hands had caused Hope's member to become re-engorged. The pulsing in Snow's own groin became uncomfortable at this point and he sought release. He entered slowly into Hope, allowing the young man time to adjust. The tip became lubricated by its own accord and the thrusting became smoother.
Snow laid Hope on his back and slowly pushed his member all the way in, causing Hope to clench the sheets with his hand, trying to become accustomed to his lover's entry. The boy moaned with each thrust as a new sensation was being felt every time the man making love to him hit the sweet spot. The low-pitched grunts that Snow emitted turned Hope on even more and he began pushing himself. Hope pulled on Snow's smooth and muscular legs to bring himself closer, and enveloped the man's entire member inside him.
The sudden initiative that Hope took sent jolts down Snow's spine as he continued to make love to this man. He bent down, never changing his rhythm, and planted kisses on the nape of Hope's neck. Hearing the moans that Hope made in response, Snow was brought over the edge and, without warning, thrust one last time and released his own seed inside of Hope. The warmth of fluid inside him combined with the pleasure that their harmonious movements brought, Hope came once again all over his own stomach.
The two l'Cie finally relaxed and continued to embrace one another, treasuring the remaining time they had together. Knowing fully well that they will turn Cie'th one day, Snow finally said to Hope, "I love you."